I'm going to camp!

Camp Blogaway, that is!

I've taken the full fledged plunge into blogging and now look forward to learning all the tricks of the trade when I join legions of other food bloggers - newbies, like me, and seasoned veterans - who will mentor and motivate one another over Memorial Day weekend in the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains.

Besides honing my blogging skills, I'm hoping to ramp up my food photography as well. I loved the food styling and photography I took with Denise Vivaldo and Christina Peters in November.

My photo from Denise's class. Apple-Blue Cheese Bites
with Honey and  Walnuts. I love the drip of honey!
See it, there to the far right?

Since then, I've been attempting to improve my image making skills, with mediocre success. I've got the "beautiful food" thing down, I just haven't quite grasped the F-stop/ISO/white balance/natural light stuff. It's sort of how I feel in my new found yoga practice - I get what the pose is supposed to feel and look like, I just can't quite re-create it very gracefully. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, in both endeavors. But I do feel better after both cooking and practicing yoga, so I must be doing something right. And no, I am not doing both at the same time, though that would be a real Zen thing to do, eh? Someday...

Denise will be at Camp Blogaway, sharing her immense knowledge of all things culinary, peppering her presentation, I'm sure, with pithy comments about the national food scene. I will relish (no pun) all that she and the other amazing presenters have to share. 

Hopefully I can kick Nutmeg's Spice of Life! up a notch or two while still retaining the "voice" I think I've developed here. It's been so gratifying for me to reflect on the cooking influences in my life - my mother, for the most part, though I would never qualify her as a cook, but she really was an influence just the same, plus she has provided a lot of comic relief in my writing. Did I mention the time she tied up a horse on our front lawn when she hosted a Kentucky Derby party? More on that another time...

Please provide me with comments. What am I doing well in this little bit of the blog-sphere? Am I boring you to death with stories about my mother and her non-cooking? Are the recipes I'm publishing working for you? I love writing and cooking and sharing both with you. Please share with me!


And since I love to share...Here's a nifty little appetizer from Athens Foods. I love using the mini phyllo cups for all sorts of finger food. 

Enjoy!

ATHENS FOODS

Mediterranean Feta & Olive Cups

CATEGORIES

 appetizer

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INGREDIENTS

• • 1/3 cup red bell pepper, small diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped kalamata olives
  • 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Dash of salt and pepper
  • 15 Athens® Mini Phyllo Shells (1 box)

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. In a small bowl, combine red peppers, parsley, olives and feta cheese. Drizzle with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix lightly. Chill for 1 hour. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling into each Fillo Shell. Serve immediately.

We Love Boston!

My heart goes out to the athletes who competed today in the Boston Marathon, the people of Boston and Massachusetts and anyone who was touched by today's tragic events. Boston is one of my favorite cities. I love it's "walk-ability" and how history is within such easy reach of even the most casual visitor.

My sons and I had a brief but memorable visit to Boston in late July 2004. The Sox were playing out of town so we didn't get to see the Green Monster, but boy, were we excited when they won the World Series. My husband still wears the faded Sox cap I brought home from that trip.

Margie in the Sox cap that is now a faded relic,
 with Alec before our Duck Tour

We walked the Freedom Trail and came across some interesting non-Revolutionary War stuff:

Alec and Ian with Red Auerbach, legendary Celtics coach

And we found a place that warmed the cockles of my heart, the oldest pub in the US!

The Union Oyster House

Pizza Regina in the North End, Legal Seafoods at the Pru, the wharf and Logan  were among the best places we dined and the boys and I can still remember, nearly 10 years later how great the food was. The bar was set really high, but then, that's not hard. Boston sets a high bar for just about everything!

Boston is passionate about its cuisine, history, politics, institutes of higher learning and sports. The Boston Marathon of 2013 will be remembered, I hope, not for its tragedy but for the bravery of so many. God bless you all!

I've run the Boston Marathon 6 times before. I think the best aspects of the marathon are the beautiful changes of the scenery along the route and the warmth of the people's support. I feel happier every time I enter this marathon.

Haruki Murakami

Yes, Peas Please!

I am now absolutely convinced that it is spring. There was a little false start a few weeks ago , and I think I blogged about it. But now I know for sure. How? The jasmine vine is a green, pink and white cascade along the backyard fence and it's sweet fragrance wisps in through the open kitchen window, subtle enough to remind me to stop whatever it is I'm doing and indulge myself in a few long, thoughtful deep breaths.

Peas and asparagus are beckoning as I shop my favorite farmers' market and that only confirms that spring surely has sprung! I'm happily incorporating them into every menu I can, taking advantage of a fleeting spring pleasure.

Growing up, I had a not so great relationship with peas and asparagus. My mother dealt with vegetables in one singular fashion - she pulled out her trusty can opener. [Heavy sigh...] Martha Washington brand canned asparagus was among her favorites, and to get my sibs and me to actually eat the limp spears, Mom created a game. "Pick up the asparagus, and if you get the tip in your mouth before the spear drops, make a wish and it will come true." Of course, the first buy-in on our part was that we were allowed to eat with our fingers, and the wish granting didn't hurt.

Not Martha Washington's but canned just the same!

But no amount of finger-lickin' dining and potentially granted wishes (I never did get that Barbie tree house) could make up for that fact that Martha Washington canned asparagus tasted like crap, plain and simple. Chloe, the dachshund who loved our lima beans, wouldn't touch a Martha Washington if her life depended on it.

Peas fared somewhat better in our household, thanks to Mom's discovery of the frozen Birdseye brand. Served with a healthy dose of margarine, they were a palatable alternative to any can Mom could open. But it was a particular buffet server at the San Gabriel Country Club who really opened up the world of peas for me.

We were always invited to share Easter dinner with the Ryans, our Great Aunt Clara and Great Uncle George, a childless couple who lived in San Marino,one of the tonier suburbs of Los Angeles. Aunt Clara had been a school teacher in a previous life, and a rather strict one at that, so my brother, sister and I were always on our absolute best behavior when dining with her. She would introduce us, proudly in an austere way, to her friends at the club. We three would smile and say, "How do you do?", shake hands and then salivate until we could get into the buffet line.

Though the culinary offerings of the buffet line were intriguing, the servers were pretty staid and boring, barely making eye contact with the guests as they passed each station.That all changed when a new gentleman was put in charge of the vegetables. "Peeeeeass, with meeeent?!" Peas with mint? It sounded so earthy and hip and herbal to a 12 year old in 1970.  His enthusiasm for his offering was contagious, his smile wide and inviting, and I happily allowed him to add a buttery (REAL butter!) bright green helping to my plate. He then smiled as he announced to the next guest in line, "Peeeeeass with meeeent?!"

What have peas and mint done for me lately? When my friend and fellow chef, Kathi Morris Harvey, posted about Pea & Mint Crostini on her Facebook page, I just couldn't resist. The combo of sweet peas and mint, with a hint of Parmesan, just screams "San Gabriel Country Club" and will surely bring a big smile to anyone enjoying it!

Pea and Mint Pesto Crostini with Goat Cheese

adapted from Giada De Laurentis, 2009

• • 1 package frozen peas (10-ounce) defrosted
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, or a little bit more to taste
  • juice of one lemon, plus the zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more for taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 
    
  • 1 baguette,  sliced on the diagonal
  • Olive oil
  • 4-8 ounces goat cheese
  • 
    

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INSTRUCTIONS

• For the pea pesto

  1. Add the peas, Parmesan, garlic, fresh mint, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

• For the crostini

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes.
  2. Spread some goat cheese on each crostini and top with a dollop of the pea and mint pesto. Garnish with a chiffonade of fresh mint, chopped pine nuts, sliced cherry tomoatoes or any colorful combo you'd like.

PS - Remember Chiffon margarine? We actually dined with Mother Nature, Dena Dietrich,who was a member of the San Gabriel Country Club. We NEVER tried to fool her, believe me! It's not nice to fool Mother Nature video

I grew up with margarine. eating buttered peas with
mint at the SGCC was such a treat!

Spring Forward with Brando's Steak!

It's time to spring forward! Oh wait, we did that last weekend. Call me old school, but didn't the time change used to happen at the end of April? We now have darker morns and lighter eves starting on the 2nd Sunday in March? It’s been a bit unseasonably warm in Nor Cal this week, but is it really spring, even with daffodils blooming? Does an hour difference in the time make it spring or just a darker morning? The Vernal Equinox makes it Spring, so it will be Spring come Thursday, March 21^st.

I remember the change to DST in the dead of winter when I was in high school – 1975-ish. My locker was in the covered central corridor at La Habra High School, the Argyle it was called (all the hallways had Scottish names as we were the Highlanders). It was so dark on those cold mornings that opening a locker was impossible without a flashlight. Though somewhat romantic the first day or two, it became a pain in the neck by the end of the week. Almost 40 years later, we Highlanders now know that we were part of a plan, however misguided, to conserve energy.  I hadn’t really given this little blip in time change history a thought until I started researching time change history. It’s convoluted – the history of the time change - to be sure, so if you are really curious as to why we go through this bi-annual disruption in our sleep patterns, read all about the time change here. Spring Forward, Fall Back makes it sound so simple. It’s not.

Growing up, I always associated the time change with warmer temps and school spring break and all the neighborhood kids being able to play outside much longer due to the "Be home when the street lights turn on" rule. DST was Heaven's blessing on long games of “hide and seek” or roller skating for blocks on end or hiking through the orange groves that surrounded my neighborhood. As my friends and I got older, DST meant that it wasn't dark when we waited in the high school parking lot for certain male athletes to finish their practices, hoping we could all go out for pizza together, which may lead to some other activities – innocent ones, mind you!

Longer, warmer days also meant laid back family dining.  My mother loved spring cooking because of the simplicity involved, which usually meant grilling. To Mom, cooking was a means to an end: feeding her family every evening. She had a simple, limited repertoire and she did it well enough, though our dog Chloe ate more lima beans from our plates than my siblings and I. Mom’s one concession to “fine cooking” was patronizing the local butcher shop, Town and Country Meats. Meat and poultry in the Reilly household always came wrapped in butcher paper, taped with the price sticker. Never did a plastic wrapped flank steak on a piece of Styrofoam cross our threshold! We were not supermarket meat people! 




The butcher shop flank streak would be marinated in Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, thrown on a hot grill and served with boiled potatoes and those damned frozen lima beans, or canned asparagus (though she was an avowed butcher shop disciple, it took Mom a few years to embrace fresh vegetables). On the night that the grill was hot, Mom had managed to feed her 3 children once again and, since it was Daylight Saving Time, we were now free to continue playing outdoors until the street lights came on.

As homage to my mother and as a way to celebrate the coming warmer weather, I prepared my favorite version of marinated flank steak for my family. From Menlo Park Chef Jess Ziff Cool, I’ve been serving Brando’s Steak and Grilled Vegetables for years. I’d prepared this several times for my mother, and she liked it. Secretly, I think she preferred her simpler rendition. Perhaps it brought back memories of happy children eating their dinner and then playing in the street with other happy children until the street lights turned on.

Brando's Steak and Grilled Vegetables

Jesse Ziff Cool

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup hearty red wine (Zinfandel or Cabernet)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 garlic cloves -- minced

2 shallots -- minced

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper
3-4 lbs Flank steak or Chateaubriand

2 large onions -- sliced thick

4 red or yellow peppers -- sliced thick

1 medium eggplant -- sliced thick

1 head fennel, sliced thick

In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine oil, wine, soy, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, shallots, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Place steak in a resalable plastic bag and pour half the marinade over the steak. Place vegetables in another plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Place both bags in refrigerator and let marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight.

 Prepare the grill. Remove steak from the plastic bag and cook for 15 minutes, turning once, until an instant read thermometer reads 145 degrees. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Place vegetables on a grid grilling pan and cook over the grill for at least 7 minutes, turning frequently, until browned.

The marinade makes an excellent salad dressing, too.

Ugali, Grits and Polenta - It's a Small World!

I’ve mentioned in previous posts how universal many ingredients are, how the simple bean has been incorporated into cuisines around the world; the eggplant, a native to India, is as integral to Thai menus as it is to Middle Eastern tables. The Three Sisters of the New World, and now, International cookery – Squash, Beans and Corn – can be found as easily in Boston as they are in Botswana. It is corn that I wish to spotlight today, or more specifically, polenta.

Simply put, polenta is finely ground corn meal and when cooked, it becomes corn mush. Before corn was introduced to Europe in the 1700’s, polenta, the name for any grain cooked to porridge-like consistency, was made with farro, chickpeas or millet. Corn polenta became a staple in peasant Italian kitchens and until fairly recently, was considered just that, peasant fare. But corn mush has a far larger international influence and commonality.

A female cheetah enjoys her kill

While on a family safari in Tanzania, my husband, sons and I witnessed the circle of life, literally, as we watched a cheetah lick the blood from a fresh gazelle kill off her paws. 

We gazed over the vastness of the Serengeti as wildebeests and zebras in the thousands, following instincts millennium old, indulged themselves on the grasses that would sustain them for their lengthy northward migration. At night we heard hyenas cackle and lions roar and the next day, followed the vultures circling over the carcasses of the night’s prey.

Once our drives were done for the day, our group savored amazing fare - a huge variety of curries, roasted meats seasoned with piri-piri at the lodges where we stayed, and while camping on the Serengeti, a Christmas Eve dinner of clove-studded ham, prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, all prepared in braziers over charcoal pits. A better kitchen I have yet to experience.

Camp kitchen on the Serengeti

On our last days of safari, we stayed at Terengire Treetops Lodge, just outside Terengire National Park, a small park by African standards but one with a huge concentration of elephants. It was here, 10 days into our time together, that I got into a conversation about food with two fellow travelers – Frank, one of our guides and a native Tanzanian, and Sue, from North Carolina. I remarked that a thick porridge had been readily available throughout our trip. “Ugali”, Frank replied, “It’s served with every meal. It's corn meal.” “Just like grits”, Sue said, with an inflection in her voice that just rang with Southern pride. It turned out that grits and ugali are one and the same, and that’s when I mentioned creamy polenta, my closest association with corn mush. In the late 80’s when I was in culinary school, polenta was raised from a humble home staple to heights of sophistication by chefs in San Francisco and across the country. It was topped with slow braised short ribs, among other humble cuts of meat, and made corn mush an important component of what is now known as comfort food. 

Margie with the chef at Terengire Treetops Lodge

After finding eviscerated remains of a prey animal drying in the equatorial sun or spotting satiated carnivores splayed out, bellies full, along a track, talking about the food trends of North America seemed mundane, but it also brought to mind one thing we all share – we have to eat. We’d seen it dozens of times on the Serengeti; we’d experienced it ourselves when we came in from our drives – when is dinner and where is the Tusker Lager? And now, Sue, Frank and I were sharing our love of corn mush. Polenta, a simple stable, became a common denominator that brought three tired, hungry safari wayfarers together and showed us just how small the world really is.

Cheesy Fried Polenta Triangles

Top with marinara sauce for a side dish or with a meat sauce as an entrée.

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 cup polenta

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pepper, to taste

2-3 cups grated melting cheese, such as Parmesan, Gruyere, Fontina or cheddar, or a combination

Olive oil, for frying

Grated Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray oil.

In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Slowly add the polenta, stirring to combine. Lower heat and continue stirring until the polenta is creamy and pulls from the side of the pan, about 15-20 minutes. Add the butter and pepper and grated cheese and stir until the butter and cheese are melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

 Pour the polenta into the prepared baking pan and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

When the polenta is set, remove from refrigerator and cut into squares and then into triangles. In a wide sauté pan, heat about ½ cup of olive oil over high heat. Add 3-5 polenta triangles and fry until the polenta is golden and crisp. Adjust heat as necessary to avoid burning. Remove cooked triangles to a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Add more oil as needed and repeat with the remaining triangles. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Serve warm as is or topped with sauce.

Be prepared for next year's Super Bowl!

On January 15, 1967, my brother and dad were among the throngs in the LA Coliseum attending Super Bowl I. A neighbor in good old Whittier was a 3M regional executive and because the Packers were playing Kansas City, he received some free tickets and gave them to our family.

"The most boring game I've ever watched" was my father's assessment, predicting that the Super Bowl would be a short lived diversion at the end of the regular season. Dad wasn't the best prognosticator of popular culture trends, now was he?

Super Bowl I pre-dated the now time-honored tradition of commercials featuring croaking frogs slinging beer, singing cowboys slinging beer, battling beer bottles slinging beer and little kids magically starting a Toyota in order to sling Toyotas. I won't even mention half time wardrobe malfunctions, lip-syncing superstars and reunions of '70's rock bands.

I honestly do not mean to be a cynic. I love all the hype that accompanies this annual gridiron battle as much as the next person. You must admit that some things get a little blown out of proportion. I'm just so glad that Beyonce will be singing live tomorrow.

This woman does not know how to cook for the Super Bowl. But I love her backsplash.

In 1967, there was no panic about what to serve while watching the game; there were no radio contests for the best (and most caloric) bean dip, or cooking magazines dedicating entire issues to game day menus (which are also highly caloric). In fact, the term "Super Bowl" had not yet been trademarked so any ole merchant could use it in their advertising without risk of running afoul of the law.

To make your Super Bowl Sunday feasting easy and super, try

these cheesy, lightly spicy, crunchy morsels. I ran into a catering client one day who told me she and her friend had tried to back engineer these delights, but theirs failed by comparison to mine. I told her to ask me next time, I'd happily share the recipe. It isn't, after all, top secret like Coca-Cola's! (Tip: they forgot the pepper jack cheese.)

Cheesy Corn Pudding Bites

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 48 scoop - shaped tortilla chip - I use Tostitos Scoops
• Chopped chives or cilantro, for sprinkling

Instructions

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. 

 

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, egg and corn.

 

Fill tortilla cups and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. 

 

Garnish with cilantro and/or chives. Serve warm from the oven.

I prep at least one baking sheet ahead so I can pop them in the oven when it's time for a refill. These fly off the platter and when I serve them at parties, they are, by far, the most popular appetizer. 

This recipe doubles and triples easily, just buy plenty of Tostitos and be aware that there will be broken scoops in each bag. The cheese mixture can be made ahead, but because it contains raw egg, I do not recommend making more the night before you plan to serve.

When Life Gives You Beans, Make Bean Salad

Nothing makes me feel happier and more secure than cleaning out my pantry cupboards and reorganizing them after a Costco run. I know, I know...I'm a cheap date, if you don't count the Costco expenditure. I often find items I've forgotten I'd purchased - 3 jars of instant espresso? Really? And honey? Don't get me started on the vinegar and oil!

I've got to device some recipes that call for instant espresso and honey.
Pot roast, perhaps?

It was the accumulation of black beans that really got to me, though. I had 3 cans from Trader Joe's and had no need for them in coming weeks. I bought an 8-pack of garbanzos because I have hummus on about 4 upcoming catering menus. I guess I just automatically grabbed the black beans. If white cannellinis had been available, I would've probably grabbed them as well. Beans, are after, a great source of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, and is high in protein, complex carbs and iron.

According to Wikipedia, "Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants. Broad beans, also called fava beans, in their wild state the size of a small fingernail, were gathered in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills.^[2] In a form improved from naturally occurring types, they were grown in Thailand since the early seventh millennium BCE, predating ceramics.^[3] They were deposited with the dead in ancient Egypt. Not until the second millennium BC did cultivated, large-seeded broad beans appear in the Aegean, Iberia and transalpine Europe.^[4] In the Iliad (late-8th century) is a passing mention of beans and chickpeas cast on the threshing floor.^[5] 

The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas were found in Guitarrero Cave, an archaeological site in Peru, and dated to around the second millennium BCE.^[6]"

Beans are also one of the "Three Sisters" of New World Cooking, completing the trio of maize, or corn, and squash. Read more about squash in this Nutmeg's Spice of Life post.

Though purests may insist on always cooking with dried beans, the ease and quality of canned beans makes them a great pantry staple to always have on hand, to which my pantry can certainly attest.

I've got room for more beans!

So, my overflowing cupboard of legumes beckoned me. It was getting close to lunch. The perfect way to diminish my beans count and use up a few other odds and ends! Here's any easy way to always have a high protein, low fat salad or side dish stored in the fridge.

 Next I'll have to figure out how to use the 4 jars of Hoisin sauce and the canned diced jalapenos!





Quick and Easy Bean Salad
by Margie MacKenzie, Nutmeg Kitchens

Black Bean Salad with Avocados & Oregano

I recommend playing with the flavors and additions and the amounts you use. If you like your beans hot, by all means add cayenne and red pepper flakes along with hot sauce. For Mediterranean flair, sub thyme and/or rosemary for the cumin and chili powder and add capers and olives instead of avocado. Use your imagination and plain old black beans will not disappoint! 

Basic Ingredients
- 2-3 cans of beans - black, white, garbanzo or a mix of all three would be really good - drained and rinsed
- Vinegar, lemon or lime juice, 1-2 TBS
- olive oil, 1-2 TBS
- Chili powder, to taste. I like ground chipotle. Use both if you like.
- Ground cumin, to taste
-Salt & black pepper, to taste

Additions from the pantry or fridge you may have on hand
- Green Onions, thinly sliced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 fresh red pepper, or 1 jarred roasted pepper, diced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Fresh oregano, chopped
- Tabasco or other hot sauce
- Crumbled feta, fresh chevre or queso fresco


Toss the basic ingredients in a medium bowl, adding them to taste, adjusting them as needed so you have balanced flavors. Add your additions and gently combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Let the salad sit for awhile, 30-60 minutes, so all the flavors can blend. 

Serve as a salad on a bed of spring mix, as a side dish or as a  vegetarian filling for tacos or enchiladas.