BRUSCHETTA: BY ANY OTHER NAME STILL TASTES AS SWEET.

I have written before about cooking with our children. They learn from us in so many ways and I believe taking the time to cook not only for them, but also with them, is just one way to teach our children well.


The time for cooking together with my family has evolved into mostly holidays or special celebrations now that our boys are older: Hunter is 23-years-old and living in Seattle, Washington and occasionally making use of The New York Times Cookbook bequeathed to him by his Nanny, while 16-year-old Daniel is home but  busy with school, hockey, and socializing with friends; usually he is just a blur passing through the house, grabbing a bite to eat on the run, so it is a special time when we do have a chance to cook  together. 

Not long ago I rummaged through the pantry and refrigerator planning a simple dinner that Daniel and I could make together in a short amount of time: Italian bread, pickled garlic, preserved eggplant, artichoke hearts in oil, black olives, cherry tomatos, some homemade pizza sauce (recipe below).  I knew what we were going to make, but confused about the correct terminology: are we making bruschetta, crostini, or just a refrigerator pizza?  I decided to do some research so I could categorize exactly what it was we were preparing.

I discovered along with bruschetta, crostini originated in medieval times when Italian peasants ate their meals on slices of bread instead of using ceramics. The word bruschetta arose from the Roman verb bruscare, meaning 'to roast over coals'. Traditionally, bruschetta is prepared using Italian bread rubbed with garlic and extra-virgin olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper, then topped with peppers, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese.

Crostini, also a popular Italian appetizer typically made using slices of French or Italian baguettes, means ‘little toasts’ in Italian. Small slices of grilled or toasted bread are topped with a variety of cheeses, meats, and vegetables, or may be served simply with a brush of olive oil and herbs or a sauce.

The term ‘Refrigerator Pizza’ originated around the same time as the colloquial phrases ‘Refrigerator Soup’ or ‘Leftover Lunch’: are you familiar with the terms? I am sure most Americans have experienced this type of food during their lifetime. It simply means creating a pizza or soup or lunch  by opening the refrigerator and making do with the contents.

For instance, our Refrigerator Pizza is made by using any available bread: english muffin, bagel, leftover Italian, what-have-you. Brush with homemade pizza sauce (recipe below) or anoint with olive oil, top with whatever fixings are leftover in the refrigerator, sprinkle with cheese and toast in the oven.

My conclusion, call it what you will: no matter the title it always tastes delicious!



HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE

(Enough for 4 Medium Pizzas)



INGREDIENTS

1 lb crushed Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon minced Garlic

4 oz Tomato Paste

1 Tablespoon dried Basil

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon minced Onion

1 teaspoon dried Marjoram

2 teaspoons dried Oregano

Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS


Over medium low heat sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil and butter for 4 to 5 minutes. The bits should be golden brown and fragrant but be careful not to overcook.
Add the other ingredients.

Simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes.

Jar up and store in refrigerator.  I have found that this sauce tastes better after it rests for a few days.  You can also spoon into freezer bags and freeze for later use.  Freeze up to a year, refrigerate up to 6 months - but I can pretty much guarantee it will not last more than a few weeks.

Ciao!!

ORANGE-CARROT MARMALADE

I have become enamored with marmalades.  Their taste is like a grown-up Sweet -Tart making one want to pucker up and smile all at the same time.  I recently made a lovely, pale, light on the peel Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, but I wanted to do something more, something bright and orange.

I wanted to find the perfect balance between fruit and vegetable, something simple so the colors and flavors enhanced each other like Ying and Yang, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Yogi and Boo-Boo, and what the heck, I wanted to make something the children would like too, now, not later when they are all grown-up. 

The result of my desire is Orange - Carrot Marmalade, which is not only eye candy in a jar, but just a little sweeter than traditional marmalade, fulfilling my desire to entice the children to partake of, because they like it.  Of course, I didn't invent this particular pairing, there are a number of recipes floating around cyberspace, and I am not sure who did, but that really doesn't matter. I've discovered it now and made it my own.  As far as I know, you won't find this on any supermarket shelf, but then again, that just makes this marmalade taste so much better.

ORANGE - CARROT MARMALADE

INGREDIENTS

4 Cups grated Raw Carrots

4 Lemons

2 Oranges

Water, about 3 Cups

4 Cups Sugar

1 Tablespoons Butter

Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

Scrub clean and squeeze oranges and lemons reserving the juice.

Slice the rinds of 1 orange and 2 lemons, place the remaining peels and pits into cheesecloth (see directions in Pink Grapefruit Marmalade) and/or set  peels aside to dry for Citrus Zest.

Cook citrus peels in 3 cups of water over medium heat until tender--about 30 minutes.

Add the grated carrots and  another 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce and cook until soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the orange and lemon juice.

Add sugar all at once. Stir constantly, cooking slowly until all sugar is dissolved. Take your time may take from 30 to 40 minutes. Once you are sure sugar is dissolved, bring to a hard boil. Boil for a minute or 2 - (Candy Thermometer at 220 F if thats your thing)

Remove from heat. Add pinch salt and 2 teaspoons butter. Stir until incorporated.

Ladle into hot half pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps.

Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

It may take a week to jell, but if you are anxious  you can add 2 Tablespoons Pectin when you add the grated carrots.

Yield: about 3 to 4 pints or 6 to 8 half pints.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

In my home tacos are a favorite meal. Not only are they delicious and quite easy to make, but versatile allowing everyone to create a unique meal.  I like re-fried beans, lettuce, onions, jalapenos, cheese, and sour cream all wrapped up in a soft tortilla lightly toasted on my lovely flat cast iron pan, an old Warner Ware.  I was raised cooking in cast iron cookware, and have a wonderful collection of Griswold and Warner Ware handed down from both sides of our family.  Paul and I also collect iron pots and pans, sometimes buying something we don't really need because the bargain is just too good to pass up.  

Paul prefers his 'taco' dinner as a salad, a bed of lettuce and some salsa satisfy his taste buds, while our 16-year-old, Daniel, craves a soft taco shell with lots of sour cream and cheese.  Hunter, our 23-year-old, loves to pile everything on his taco, particularly jalapenos and hot salsa.

We don't always use hamburger either, sometimes I'll cube up pork, chicken or venison for our taco stuffing.

Because we do partake of some version of Americanized tacos so regularly and I was constantly running out of the store bought seasoning, I decided to blend my own at home.  This recipe is one derived from many available on-line.  I've discovered that cumin, garlic, cilantro and cornstarch are absolutely necessary to the blend, but the other spices can be adjusted to taste - like it hot, add more red pepper.  Go ahead and double or triple the batch and store in an airtight container.  If your family is anything like mine it won't be around long enough to become dull.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

INGREDIENTS 

 

2 Tablespoon. Cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin

1 Tablespoon. Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Cilantro

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon White Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes*

*(if you like it hotter, add more or leave out if you like a milder flavor)

DIRECTIONS

Blend well.  Store in airtight container.  Use 2 Tablespoons per pound of meat.

DRY CITRUS RIB RUB

The leftover skins from citrus fruits are aromatic and full of flavor. They can be dried out in the sun, in an oven, a dehydrator, or in a warm, dry spot in your kitchen or pantry. Then those dried skins can be used for creating a variety of culinary delights including a lovely barbeque rub.

Your citrus peels can be used in so many ways: added whole or powdered to baked foods and cakes, mixed into a stew or stuffing, but one of my favorite ways to use cirus peels is in a dry rub for grilling. It is so easy.  Blend everything together, store in a jar on the shelf.  Just remember, the quicker you use it, the more sophisticated the flavors, so keep your batches small.

Most dry rub recipes, used by 'grill masters', start with two basic ingredients, sugar and kosher salt, before adding your preferred spices at a ratio of 8:3:1:1.  The following is a simple example.

8:3:1:1 RUB

8 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 

3 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon White Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry Coleman's Mustard


Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container.
For the best results, the rub should have time to 'rest' with the meat. Rubs should be applied liberally to moist, thawed meat for a minimum of two hours. You have maximum flavor if you apply the rub 24 hours before throwing on the fire. This allows the rub's ingredients to marinade with the meat's natural juices. If preparing duck, chicken, or some other fowl for barbequeing, place the rub under the skin for best results. Play with the citrus to find your favorite flavor combinations.  For instance, orange peel works well with duck, lemon peels with chicken, and a combination of grapefruit and lemon blends wonderfully with pork.

Wrap your meat tightly in plastic wrap, this helps keep your rub married to the meat, and rest for the desired time in the refrigerator.  Pull out meat about an hour prior to cooking and let return to room temperature. Grill according to taste.

Personally, I don't consider cooking on gas grilling. For an unrivaled, full-barbeque flavor, Paul and I prefer cooking over a natural hardwood charcoal fire, but we all do as we must!





Dried grapefruit and lemon peels in the Mini Chopper.
Grind into small bits, store in a container in the fridge
or with your other dried spices.

 

DRY CITRUS RIB RUB

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

2 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons dried Citrus Flakes

2 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 Tablespoon diced Garlic

1 Tablespoon diced Onion

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon White Pepper

1 teaspoon ground Sage

1 teaspoon ground Thyme

NOTE: Garlic and onion may be fresh diced (added just before applying the rub) or dried. Dried citrus flakes can be any combination of lemon, orange and grapefruit.

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Pack the dry rub onto your next rack of ribs, pork roast, venison loin, or chicken. 



NOTE:  Purchase the best quality spices you can find. There is a huge difference between the older discounted spices, and the newer fresher bottles.