Cookistry

Technique: Air Kneading

2013-05-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

In one of the bread books I have, the author said that there's really no wrong way to knead bread dough. As long was you get the results you want, any technique is fine.

I've found that's pretty much true. Some methods give you quicker results. Some are easier on the wrists. Some are better for wet doughs and some are are better for dry doughs.

I'd suggest trying different methods until you find one you like. And maybe adjust your method based on the dough.

This method, that I call "air kneading." is like the stretch and fold technique that's used for very wet doughs, with some changes. This wouldn't work for a super-wet dough or a really dry dough, but it's fine for average bread doughs. And there's a limit to how large of a batch of dough you would want to knead with this method.

Here's how it works:

Once the dough is mixed and can be formed into a lump, pick up the dough, hold an edge in each hand, and pull to stretch it. At this point, it's not going to be very stretchy - it will tear more than stretch, but that's okay, just pull it a few inches if that's all you can do.

When you first start handling the dough, it will stick to your hands, but as you keep working with it, it will unstick.

You can put from side to side, or if it's more comfortable, position your hands so you're stretching it vertically. This is sort of like pulling taffy, but it's not hot and it's not nearly as stretchy. Or it's like working with elastic exercise bands.

Fold the dough in half, turn it 90 degrees, and stretch it again. You don't need to be precise about the pulling and folding and turning. Just have fun with it.

Keep stretching and folding until the dough begins to get smoother and stretchy. It will seem much less lumpy and it will stretch more and tear less. At some point, it will stretch rather than tear, but you'll also feel it getting rubbery, like it wants to bounce back rather than staying stretched.

If the dough gets too difficult to pull because it's too bouncy, you can let it rest for five minutes or so, then keep going.

Or you can start kneading using this method and finish with a more traditional sort of knead. And, if you need to mix in additional ingredients towards the end of kneading, for sure you'd want to use a traditional on-the-work-surface technique.

How much you need to pull and fold to get the the correct consistency depends on the dough formula as well as how well-kneaded the dough has to be. If the dough is going to be resting overnight, a few stretches and folds might be enough. If the dough needs to pass the windowpane test, you'll need to work with it longer.

And that's it.

I find that this sort of kneading is easier on my hands and wrists, and its sort of fun to pull and fold.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Whole Foods Feasting: A Tale of Two Salads

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, salad meant greens -usually iceberg lettuce - and salad dressing. Salad was something that was eaten before dinner. It sure wasn't something that was eaten as a meal.

Okay, maybe there was the occasional tuna salad. But even though "salad" was in the name, it wasn't something eaten like salad. It was a sandwich filling.

Now, salad in my life has broken out of its mold, It can still be a starter, but it's just as likely to be a side dish or a meal. In summer, a nice light chilled salad is particularly welcome for lunch. And a hearty - but chilled - chicken salad makes a great salad nestled in a lettuce cup, or it makes a great sandwich filling.

The chicken salad is a great way to make use of leftovers, too.

The Chicken and the Egg Salad

1 chicken breast, cooked and chilled
1 chicken thigh, cooked and chilled
2 celery stalks, diced
2 radishes, diced
2 mini sweet peppers, cored and diced
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup Greek style yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon paprika
A few grates of nutmeg

Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, and cut into a medium dice and add it to a medium bowl.

Add the celery, radishes, peppers, eggs, capers. salt, pepper, mustard, , yogurt, mayonnaise, paprika, and nutmeg.

Stir gently to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed.

Serve in lettuce cups (garnish with extra paprika, if desired) or use as a sandwich filling.

Shrimp Salad

This salad makes a nice appetizer with just a few shrimp, or it can be a full meal with more shrimp - it's your choice. The greens are dressed with a fruity dressing, with an additional avocado sauce for the shrimp. Any extra avocado sauce is a great dip for chips, or you can thin it with milk or buttermilk and use it as a salad dressing.

You could use regular bell peppers for this salad, but the mini peppers make nice, small rings that look pretty in the salad.

Shrimp Salad with Avocado Sauce

For the salad:
1 head romaine heart
1 small zucchini
1 radish
3 mini sweet peppers
1 tablespoon raspberry or mango vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound shrimp, cooked, cleaned, and chilled

For the avocado sauce:
1 cup mashed avocado
1 cup Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of chipotle powder

Tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces and add it to a medium bowl. Cut the zucchini in half horizonally, then slice into thin rounds and add them to the bowl. Slice the radishes into thin rounds and add them to the bowl. Core and seed the peppers, slice them into thin rings, and add them to the bowl.

Combine the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and sugar in a small jar with a lid. Shake the jar to combine and emulsify the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, salt, and chipotle powder. Stir well.

Arrange the greens on a plate, dollop the as much of the avocado as you like in the center, then arrange the shrimp on top. Serve chilled.

Refrigerate the remaining avocado sauce. Unlike guacamole, this doesn't turn brown quickly, so it will last at least several days in the refrigerator.

For information about Whole Foods, see the tab at the top.

Gadgets: The Spifter

2013-05-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

I always hope to find new, quirky, innovative, unique, interesting, useful, improved, fun products to review. But it's pretty unlikely any product will check all those boxes. I mean, there aren't that many truly new kitchen gadgets being invented.

This time, I think I actually found something new: The Spifter ($19.95).

After I saw it, my very next thought was, "Why didn't someone think of this before?" It's perfectly logical.

The Spifter is a spoon-sized sifter. It would take you forever to sift flour for your cake, but it's ideal for neatly spewing paprika onto deviled eggs or sprinkling colored sugar onto cookies. Since it's small, you get more controlled placement of whatever you're sprinkling.

There are three removable mesh sifter bowls that snap in and out of the spoon, with fine, medium and coarse mesh, so you can sift fine powdery stuff or slightly coarser salts or sugars or herbs.

Perfectionists and food bloggers looking for pretty presentation are going to love this gadget. Cooks who care less about messy garnishes probably won't be as excited. And I'm sure there are professionals who can manage perfect paprika placement without needing a gadget.

On the other hand, I can use all the garnishing help I can get.

I almost wish this was a three-spoon set instead of having the removable bowls since I'm terrible at losing small things in my kitchen drawers, but that's my issue and not a flaw in the product. Overall, this is a pretty cool idea.

Maple Whisky Ice Cream

2013-05-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

Recently, I succumbed to advertising for Crown Royal Maple and picked up a bottle. Actually, I succumbed quite some time ago, but couldn't find it at any of the local stores. Everyone was out of stock. But then when I wasn't looking for it, I found it. So I bought it.

I was thinking it would be great in a barbecue sauce or maybe in a marinade for meat.

But then I thought it would be perfect for ice cream. Summer is coming, and I'm in the midst of testing a new ice cream machine (more on that soon) so I've been making all sorts of flavors. Maple is good in ice cream, and so is whisky. So why not add maple whisky?

No reason why not. So I did it. And I really liked it.

Maple Whisky Ice Cream

3 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup Crown Royal Maple

Combine the half-and-half, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring as needed to melt the sugar and keep the half-and-half from scorching on the bottom of the pot (this is less likely in a heavy-bottomed pot, but insurance is good.)

Meanwhile, beat the eggs lightly in a separate bowl.

When the half-and-half is simmering, start adding the hot half-and-half to the bowl with the eggs slowly, whisking as you go, until you've adding about a cup or so to the eggs. Then, add the egg mixture back to the pot slowly, whisking or stirring the half-and-half in the pot as you add the egg.

Continue cooking on medium until the mixture thickens to the point where you can dip a spoon in the mixture and run your finger across the back of the spoon and the line will stay.

Pour the hot mixture through a fine strainer into a storage container to remove any small curdled bits. Add the whisky and stir to combine. Refrigerate until fully chilled. Four hours is probably fine, but I usually make my ice cream bases the evening before I want to churn, and then churn them the next day, whenever I have time.

When the mixture is fully chilled, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a storage container and freeze until firm. Or - if you like soft-serve, serve it right from the ice cream maker.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Avocado Dip and #TheRealKettleChips

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Let me admit this right upfront. I used to be a potato chip purist.

Yup, I was never fond of flavored chips. Oh, I'd nosh on the occasional flavored chip if someone else was serving. But I pretty much only bought plain chip. Boring, right?

But recently, I've become acquainted with flavored chips that I like, so when I got the opportunity to sample Kettle Chips and write about them, I got my dip ready (recipe below) and eagerly awaited the testing.

Kettle Chips aren't exactly new - they've been made in Oregon for over 30 years. That's a lot of spuds. Many, many, many spuds.

Here's what they said about themselves, "Thirty years ago, we pioneered the kettle cooking style that’s become the gold standard for all-natural hand-cooked potato chips. We cook real, unpeeled potatoes in small batches for a superior taste and a signature crunch. And we continue to pioneer bold, unique flavors that people really seem to love. Did we mention we got our start selling our chips out of a van? It doesn't get much realer than that."

So no wonder I didn't know about them years ago. That potato-chip-selling van probably never cruised my neighborhood.

It must be a popular product, because apparently there are a lot of copycats on the market, playing off the "Kettle" concept. But the folks at #TheRealKettleChips say, "We’ve been making great-tasting, all-natural chips since 1982. When you open a bag of Kettle Brand Potato Chips, you know you’re getting real chips made with real ingredients by real people."

@KettleChips is encouraging everyone to answer the question, "Why is real food important to you?" over here. Everyone who answered will be entered to win $250 on that site.

And if you're concerned about such things, they had the first potato chip verified by the non-GMO project and will have 16 of them verified soon. They're working on having all of their products verified as soon as possible.

Also, there are no trans-fats, no preservative, no MSG, and no artificial flavors or colors. You can also find lower-fat and baked chips, as well as organic chips and even an unsalted chip. Something for everyone.

But what about the flavor? I didn't try every flavor they make - there are 24 different flavors - but I did some serious sampling with help from my chip-munching husband, and so far we've liked the flavors we tried. It's not just the flavor, though. I like the texture. Solid enough to hold some serious dip, but not tooth-breakingly hard. Just enough crunch.

And a nice amount of flavor without making you feel like you're dipping straight into a spice jar with a spoon. I mean, yeah, I want a lot of flavor, but I also want to know I'm eating a potato chip.

Want to know what the 24 flavors are?
The regular chips are:

Sea Salt & Vinegar
Sea Salt
Jalapeño
Backyard Barbeque
Spicy Thai
New York Cheddar
Honey Dijon
Sour Cream and Onion
Sweet Onion
Fully Loaded Baked Potato
Unsalted
Cheddar Beer
Jalapeño Jack
Red Chili Salsa with Mesquite

Krinkle Cut chips are:

Zesty Ranch
Buffalo Bleu
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
Cheddar & Sour Cream
Classic Barbeque
Sea Salt

Reduced Fat chips are:

Reduced Fat Sea Salt
Reduced Fat Krinkle Cut Sea Salt & Vinegar
Reduced Fat Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Baked chips are:

Bakes Sea Salt & Vinegar
Bakes Honey Hickory Barbeque
Bakes Sea Salt
Bakes Cheddar & Roasted Tomato
Bakes Sour Cream & Onion

Organic chips are:

Organic Country Style Barbeque
Organic Sea Salt
Organic Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
Organic Sweet Chili Garlic

My favorite (so far) is the Buffalo Bleu, but I certainly haven't tried them all. If you're looking for a different sort of dip, this avocado dip is pretty danged good, and it was perfect with those Buffalo Bleu chips. Unlike guacamole, this dip doesn't go brown quickly, so you can make a larger batch and keep it refrigerated for use over several days.

Avocado Dip

1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon dry chopped chives or 1 tablespoon fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lime juice

Combine all of the ingredients and blend well, mashing the avocado until the mixture is smooth. It's fine if you have a few "bumps" of avocado, but this isn't meant to be chunky.

Serve cold or at room temperature and keep unused portions refrigerated.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kettle Brand. The opinions and text are all mine.

Cooking Oil: What's that smoke?

2013-05-13T08:00:00.003-06:00

When you're about to throw some food into a frying pan, you probably want a little oil in the pan, too. But what's the right oil to use?

Flavor, of course, is a consideration. Sometimes you want to add the flavor of the oil to your dish. But sometimes you want the most neutral flavor you can find.

Cost is a factor, too. If you're deep-frying a turkey, you probably don't want to use an artisanal oil that's sold in cut-glass 4-ounce bottles. You want something that's sold by the gallon at a reasonable price.

Smokin' Hot!

And then there's the smoke point. Which is important, but somewhat mysterious, too.

The smoke point is the temperature where a particular oil will ... well, smoke. It will begin to break down and burn when it reaches a high enough temperature. After the smoke point comes the flash point - the temperature at which the oil will burst into flames and you'll be calling the fire department.

Okay, maybe not that dramatic if you flame the tablespoon of oil in your frying pan, but still not a pleasant event. Flaming alcohol is good. Burning oil is not. Besides being a fire hazard, the flavor of the oil will change when it begins to burn and smoke, and generally not in a pleasant way. At best, you lose the subtle nuances of a great oil. At worst, it tastes really, really terrible.

If heating your oil to the smoke point is a bad thing, you might wonder why some recipes suggest heating your oil until you see the first wisp of smoke and then adding the food. Seems wrong, right? But in those cases, adding the food lowers the temperature of the pan (and the oil) quickly, so you're immediately below the smoke point. And your steak is nicely seared.

The confusing thing about smoke point is that for every type of oil, there's a range of smoke points, depending on how refined the oil is, how old the oil is (as oil breaks down over time, its smoke point get lower), and what brand of oil you're using.

The more impurities in an oil, the lower the smoke point. That's because it's the non-oil particles in the oil that are going to burn first. That's why butter, with all its lovely milkfat solids, has a much lower smoke point that ghee, which has had all those solids removed.

Impurities in oil are not necessarily a bad thing. The minuscule bits of olive particles in an olive oil can give that oil a lot of flavor. In fact, there are plenty of unfiltered olive oils that have a lot of those bits remaining. And there are flavored oils as well, with citrus, pepper or herb flavors infused into the oils. But are they good for cooking? Maybe... or not.

Some oils have a smoke point printed on the label, and if that's the case, that's the number you can assume to be correct. The manufacturer knows how filtered or refined the oil is, and probably has tested the oil to determine its smoke point. Other oils are labeled "high-heat" oil, and you can assume they're also going to perform well at higher temperatures.

But what about unlabeled oils?

Any highly-flavored oil is probably not intended for cooking, or at least not in great quantities or at high heat. Unfiltered or unrefined oils are also best used as finishing oils, or for very gentle cooking. So you know what not to use to fry your fries. But what oils are good for searing that steak?

After looking at bottles and checking online sources, I found a pretty wide range of smoke points for all of the common cooking oils.

Some of these oils are easily available in every version from unfiltered to very refined (like olive oil) while others are more likely to be refined (like canola or peanut oil). To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen a non-refined version of canola oil, and I've only seen one type of unrefined peanut oil, and I'm pretty sure no one would have mistaken that for a high-heat cooking oil.

But somewhere, unrefined oils of every variety probably exist. So check labels for clues, and then you can figure out what the smoke point should be.

When you're cooking in a pan, how hot is that pan?

If you're deep-frying, you should be using a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. But you can't measure the heat in a frying pan the same way. So how hot is a "hot" pan?

If you look at an electric frying pan or similar device, the temperatures probably look something like this:

High: 450-500F
Medium High: 375-400F
Medium: 325-350F
Medium-Low: 275-300F
Low: 225-250

But remember how I said that adding food to a hot pot will lower the temperature of the pan? Think about it. Water boils at 202 degrees where I live (more likely 212 degrees where you live) so the temperature of that water will help keep the cooking pot (relatively) cool, no matter how hot you crank the heat. The water keeps the pan cool, because the water temperature can't rise above the boiling point.

Then, when you add room-temperature pasta to a pot of boiling water, that water stops boiling, since the cooler food has lowered the temperature of the water even more.

That same sort of thing happens in a frying pan, as well.

While you're not going to be boiling water in an oiled pan, your food has water in it, and since that water has an upper temperature limit, that will keep the heat in the pan down, at least where the food meets the pan. Of course, the solid matter in the food, as well as the fat, can reach a higher temperature, but those water molecules are never very far away.

And since the food you add to the pan is at a much lower temperature to begin with, that pan cools pretty quickly when the food goes in, just like the pasta water that stopped boiling when the noodles took a dive.

The actual cooking temperature of foods with a high water content, like that big pan of vegetables you're cooking, is likely to be under 300 degrees. Most foods are going to be below 375 degrees under normal cooking conditions. Of course, that depends on the type of pan you're using, how long you heat it, and what sort of food you're cooking. A cast iron pan on high heat for an hour might be glowing red and ready to incinerate anything it comes in contact with, but that's not how most people preheat a pan.

But most foods don't need super-high heat anyway. You want a really hot pan for searing a steak because you want that crusty exterior. But you probably don't want that same effect on your onions and garlic. Or your pancakes.

Taking its temperature - without a thermometer.

If you don't have an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of your hot pan, there are other ways to tell how hot a pan is. Below 212 degrees, a drop of water tossed into a pan will flatten out and evaporate slowly. Above 212 degrees, the water will hiss and evaporate quickly. When the temperature reaches about 375 degrees, droplets of water will dance across the surface of the pan, and that's what many recipes would call a "hot" pan.

Some recipes also suggest looking at the oil in a pan, waiting until it "ripples" in the pan, or waiting for those first telltale wisps of smoke. Which, of course, tells you more about the oil that has reached its limit, than about the actual heat of the pan.

Hot pan - cold oil, or cold pan - cold oil?

Which leads us to the question of when to add oil to a pan. You might have heard the phrase, "hot pan, cold oil; food won't stick" popularized by The Frugal Gourmet. But is it valid?

Harold McGee agrees that the pan should be heated before the oil is added, but he's not as concerned about the sticking. Instead, he says that adding the oil later means that it won't have as much time to break down as it heats up in the pan, so this is better for the oil. Which is better for the flavor of the food.

Others go a step further and say that they don't put oil in the pan at all, but coat their food with the oil instead. This gives the oil even less time to oxidize or burn. This method makes a lot of sense for grilling or when you're used a ridged grill pan.

Cook's Illustrated, on the other hand, allegedly insists on NEVER heating a pan unless it has oil in it. I couldn't find the original statement from them, but I found plenty of references to the admonition, and I heard the same thing from a Cook's Illustrated alum.

I'm not sure why they take this stand, but I suspect it's has to do with potential damage to the pan. It makes sense with nonstick or coated pans since you don't want to damage the coating or have it give off fumes. But I'm not sure what the problem would be with heating an empty cast iron pan, which is pretty much essential when making or heating tortillas, since they're cooked without any oil at all. And spices are often toasted in a dry pan as well.

Most cooking, though, is done with some fat in the pan, whether it's a cooking oil, butter, or duck fat. And pretty much any fat can be used in cooking, as long as you don't raise the heat too high.

I gleaned the following smoke point temperatures from a number of sources. The temperature ranges for some of the oils are due to different opinions on the smoke point. Others, like olive oil, are due to the fact that there are a wide range oils available.

When it comes to olive oil, the unrefined olive oil should probably be saved for use in cold preparations while extra virgin olive oil can take some heat and extra light olive oil can be used for high-temperature cooking.

Smoke Points of Common Cooking Oils and Fats

Butter: 250-350F
Butter (clarified or ghee): 375-485F

Canola oil: 375-450F

Coconut oil: 350-450F

Corn oil: 320-450F
Chicken/duck fat: 375-392F

Grapeseed oil: 420-485F

Lard: 360-400F

Olive oil: 320-468F

Palm oil: 420-455F

Peanut oil: 320-450F

Safflower oil: 225-510F

Soybean oil: 320-460F

Sunflower oil: 320-440F

Vegetable shortening: 325-370F

There are a number of other oils that can be used for cooking - even at high heat - like avocado oil which has a smoke point in excess of 500 degrees for the refined version. But it's a relatively expensive oil that most people would use for its flavor rather than its cooking properties.

To me, the interesting thing is that most oils - if you choose the refined versions - can be used in a pan that has passed the "dancing water droplet" test at 375 degrees. But just because you can cook with an oil, it doesn't mean that you should - some oils really are all about the flavor.

I found King's Hawaiian at Arby's!

2013-05-13T02:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby's. All opinions are 100% mine.

Not long ago, some of my online friends were talking about King's Hawaiian buns and how great they are. Even people who bake a lot of bread were saying that they buy King's Hawaiian. So I went looking for them. And couldn't find them.

Bummer.

And then I was offered an opportunity to write about the new Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN roast beef sandwich.

Woah. It's like the universe heard me, right?

Of course I wanted to write about #RoastBeefatopia and eat some beefs on Hawaiian buns.

My assistant eater and I went to Arby's to sample the two new (limited time only) sandwiches. One was a basic beef sandwich and the other came with Swiss cheese, pickles, and a Dijon spread.

And of course there was the optional barbecue sauce or horsey sauce.

(Can I take a moment to say "YUM! Horsey Sauce"? I love horseradish, and this stuff has a good kick to it.)

Both of the sandwiches are a little larger than the standard beef sandwich, with four ounces of beef instead of the usual three ounces.

Yum. Horsey sauce.

My assistant eater (we'll call him "Bob") opted for the plain beef so he could slather alternately with the barbecue sauce and the horsey sauce.

I got the fully-dressed beef sandwich and I have to say that the addition of the pickles is genius. I love pickles, and that crunch was perfect in the sandwich.

And I might have added some horsey sauce as well. Because, um ... horsey sauce. And we split some of the house-made chips as well.

I have to say that I really liked the buns, too, since they packed a little more flavor than the standard "burger" bun that doesn't add much to a sandwich. They reminded me a little of brioche with a little sweetness and a nice soft (but not too-soft) texture. Yeah, I can see why people like 'em.

I think Arby's should keep these buns. Forever. On their menu always.

Do you want to hear about the SWEEPSTAKES?

Arby's knows that people like giveaways, so they're hosting tthe Arby’s Hawaiian Getaway Sweepstakes.

The grand prize winner will receive a round trip for two with four nights stay in Honolulu and get a a premium group lesson at one of the island’s premier surf schools, Hawaiian Fire.

The sweepstakes runs from April 29 (so it is already running) through May 26. Details here.

So, tell me, peeps, are you familiar with King's Hawaiian bread? Are you a fan? Are you happy that Arby's is using this bread in their sandwiches?

A box full of gadgets and some frozen yogurt

2013-05-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

You know me. I love gadgets. Love 'em. My father-in-law refers to my kitchen as "Gadget World" and he calls me the "Gadget Goddess." I love playing with kitchen gadgets the way a kid plays with toys.

As part of my participation on the "Treasure Hunt" event with Good Cook, I was sent a whole box full of gadgets. I had fun pawing through them and then I started un-packaging, so I could get 'em washed and put away. (And there's a giveaway that's still going on my treasure hunt post, so don't forget to check that out!)

So what did the Gadget Goddess find most intriguing?

Clippity, clippity, clip

First off are these little all-purpose clips.

Yeah, clips. I have similar ones, and I use them all the time to close bags of chips or whatever. They're magnetic, so they hang on the fridge, so I don't have to look through the junk drawer to find them. And I can use them to hang stuff on the fridge, too.

The reason I like these better than the others that I own is that these little guys stand upright on their open end. I can attach a clip to the bottom of a piece of paper with a recipe and then stand it up. I used to have little clippy things that were designed just to hold papers upright like that, but they disappeared somewhere. Since these will be hanging on the fridge, it'll be easier to keep track of them.

Not the most earthshaking product on the planet, but very useful. And inexpensive enough that if you lose one, you won't be panicking.

The inside of the clips are different colors, so you could use them for color-coding, so everyone knows that the blue-, yellow-, green- and red-clipped chips are mine. Oh. Wait. That's all the colors there are. See, it works perfectly.

For me, this is a perfect little gadget. Inexpensive, useful, and easy to store. Not exclusively a kitchen gadget, but that's where they'll live in my house.

There are also mini clips. Same design, smaller size.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

Another item I really liked was this soap-dispensing scrubby thing.

The air here in Colorado is really dry and when I spend too much time washing dishes, my hands get really dry. And then they crack. And sometimes I get a weird rash. Too much information? Dish soap isn't real kind to my hands, but I hate wearing gloves for dish washing. This little guy is the next best thing, since it will keep my hands further from the soap than if I'm using a regular sponge or scrubby.

Sure, I'll still get some soap on my paws, but they won't be soaking in it all the while I'm washing.

The plastic scrubby thing is removable, and Good Cooks sells replacements, so when one wears out you can replace the head.

There's also a similar scrubber with nylon bristles. I'm thinking of picking one of those up, too, so I have the scrubby for dishes and nonstick cookware and I can use the nylon bristles for regular pots and for general cleaning stuff.

It would be cool if they also had one of these with a sponge end (hint hint) and if the replacement scrubbies came in different colors. So I could, uh ... match the scrubby to my decor? Color code my cleaning? Honestly, I have no idea why I'd want scrubbies in different colors, but I'll bet someone would want them, right?

Batter up

The batter bowl that I'm giving away on this post is also pretty useful.

I already have a lot of mixing bowls, but this one has a few good features - a nonslip bottom, a handle, and a pouring spout. It's also light, so you're not adding a lot of extra weight that you have to handle. When I make ice cream, I often use a large glass measuring cup for mixing because the handle makes it easy to pour into the machine. Since this is lighter, it'll be easier to handle and pour.

And it'll be good for batter, too. Of course.

My Favorite

The thing I really, really liked, though, was this wooden corner spoon.

I actually have a very, very old wooden spoon that has been worn down over time to almost exactly that shape. Not only does it fit better into corners of pots, but it scrapes the bottom of pots better than a round spoon.

The funny thing is that out of all the wooden spoons I have, there's only one spoon that I've worn down like that - probably because it's the first one I reach for every time.

This spoon has a larger handle than my old one, which makes it a little easier to hold onto, and the spoon end is also larger, with a slightly deeper bowl.

Wooden spoons are the ultimate multi-taskers. They're gentle enough for nonstick surfaces, but they're strong enough for scraping the bottom of pots. You can mix a super-thick dough or a light batter. They're good in hot mixtures or cold. You can leave a wooden spoon in a hot pot and the handle will never get too hot to handle.

And ... a wooden spoon can be used like a thermometer. I'm not kidding. It can tell you when your oil is hot enough for frying. Just put the handle end into the pot, and if it bubbles, the oil is ready. Pretty cool, huh?

I'm not saying that I'll never use a silicone spatula or a metal spoon ever again, but wooden spoons have been around forever, and there's a reason for that. If you don't know which spoon will work, chances are that a wooden spoon will be just fine.

And now for a recipe: Stupidly Simple Frozen Yogurt

I was testing a new ice cream maker and didn't want to run to the store for heavy cream. And I wanted to test it RIGHT AWAY, so I didn't want to make a custard and then have to wait for it to chill. There was a recipe in the book that suggested taking 3 1/2 cups of flavored yogurt and churning it as-is.

Well ... okay.

But that's not what I did. Because that's not exactly what I had. Ya gotta go with what you have.

This recipe is merely a suggestion. This is what I had, so it's what I used. And it worked. If you like sweets, you could add more sugar, but this was fine for me.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

1 16-ounce container Chobani fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
About 8 ounces* Chobani 0% plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl (That batter bowl works well) and stir until everything is combined and you no longer feel the grittiness of the sugar in the bowl. (Oh! Look! A wooden spoon would be perfect for this!)

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

When it's done churning, transfer the ingredients to a storage container and store in the freezer.

*I didn't measure, but I had about half of a 16-ounce container left. Close enough.

I received products from Good Cook through my ongoing partnership with them.

Iced tea, anyone?

2013-05-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

I'm really loving the monthly shipment from The Republic of Tea, and this month it was all about iced tea which is perfect since the local weather is starting to transition from snow to ... uh, well, there's been a bit of rain and hail.

But never mind that. It's no longer so chilly that I feel a need to sip warm drinks all the time, so iced tea is a good option.

The big teabags (or tea pouches, if you prefer) are designed for making a quart of tea at a time, which is a reasonable amount. And not so huge that I have to rearrange my fridge to make space. I've been brewing the tea in quart canning jars, since they're safe for hot liquids and I've got plenty of them around.

The teas also come with instructions for "safe steeping" which is handy, and of course instructions on how long to steep. I have to say that I really never paid much attention to instructions about how hot water should be for tea or how long to steep, but it does make a difference. See, I'm learning new stuff here.

Inspired by traditional Spanish sangria (and caffeine-free since it's an herbal blend) Hibiscus Sangria Herbal Iced Tea reminds me of berries. Mostly raspberries. I adore teas with hibiscus, and the color is so darned pretty.

A cold pitcher of this with fresh berries and some citrus slices floating in it would make a great summer drink. Maybe some sparking water or lemon-lime soda for a little fizz. Maybe a little tequila for the adults. I think this could be a great alternative to regular fruit punch.

Since this one is caffeine-free, it would also be great for kids, and you could serve it unsweetened, naturally sweetened with some fruit juice, or add the sweetener of your choice in the amount of your choice.

The Ginger Peach Black Iced Tea is similar to the ginger peach tea that I received in another shipment. I love the flavor. When peaches are in season, they'd be a great garnish for this tea. Just spear a bunch of peach slices on a skewer, and have a little nosh with your drink.

Limon Black Iced Tea is Kosher-certified and has blend of black tea from three Rainforest Alliance Certified tea gardens. I didn't know there was such a thing, but now you know, too.

The limón in this tea isn't just a weird spelling of lemon - it's actually dried lime from Guatemala - and it adds its citrus brightness to this tea. This would be a perfect iced tea to use for an Arnold Palmer - a mix of iced tea and lemonade.

How did it get that name?

Wikipedia says, "According to Palmer, he was in the habit of drinking ice tea with lemonade at home, and in 1960 at the US Open at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, CO, he ordered the drink at the bar. A woman sitting nearby overheard him, and ordered 'that Palmer drink,' thus giving the mix its name."

I like that there's a Colorado connection. And I like citrus. If you don't want to mix this with lemonade, it would still be good with lemon, orange or lime slices as a garnish. Doesn't that sound summery? Makes me want to go out and buy a big floppy garden hat with a long, flowing bow.

And no, there will be no photos of me with a garden hat, flowy bow or not.

The Watermelon Mint Iced Tea surprised me. Watermelon is a subtle flavor, but it was noticeable in this tea. My vision for this one is a watermelon/tea granita. Or maybe a watermelon/tea slushie. Remove seeds from watermelon and freeze. Put the prepared, chilled tea in the blender along with the frozen watermelon chunks and blend.

Doesn't that sound good? You could also freeze the tea in an ice cube tray and make your slushy even slushier.

And here's my super-tip of the day. FREEZE THE TEA. Yup, freeze some tea in ice cube trays and use them in your iced tea drinks. That way you don't water down the tea as the ice melts. Mix and match flavors, or pick a neutral flavor for the cubes so it will match with all the iced teas.

And the frozen tea cubes might be interesting in cocktails, too. Right? Or am I just crazy?

But it's not all about me. The Republic of Tea also has iced tea recipes to keep you hydrated all summer long. And, I might add, they have some pretty cool-looking glasses and pitchers and stuff. I was just browsing there, and I found a few things that might have to fall into my basket because they'd be really lovely in blog photos.

And, as usual, there's a promotion this month.

If you purchase one tin of The Republic of Tea’s new Large Iced Tea Pouches between Tuesday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 28 and you use the promo code, you will receive one complimentary bottle of agave nectar which you can use to sweeten your tea or for whatever else you use agave for (limit one per customer). The promo code is #ICEDTEA4.

This post is part of my sponsored participation with the the Enlightenment TEAm. All tea-sippin' opinions are my own.

Whole Foods Feasting: Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Roast chicken and vegetables might might not be the fastest thing to make from start to table, but once everything's in the oven, you got plenty of time to do other things, whether that's making salad, helping the kids with homework, or chatting with our guests.

The other great thing about a meal like this is that you can customize it any way you like. You can add extra herbs or spices, or you can change the vegetables to suit what you like, or to accommodate what's in season I love asparagus, so that was the focus of my vegetables.

Paprika is one of my favorite spices for use with chicken. You can find several varieties of paprika- sweet, sharp, or smoked - so use the one you like.

The really great thing about chicken is that the leftovers are good cold. The breasts can be sliced for sandwiches, or you can chop it for chicken salad.

Of course the carcass can be sued to make soup. Speaking of that carcass, I spatchcocked the chicken, but instead of removing the backbone completely, I just cut along one side and left it attached.since I wanted to use it for the stock, and I know it would have more flavor if it was roasted.

A spatchcocked chicken doesn't look as pretty as a whole chicken. In fact, it looks just little weird. But it cooks more evenly, so you don't end up with undercooked thighs and overcooked breast meat. I don't present whole chickens at the table, anyway - I cut them up to serve. So it doesn't matter if the chicken looks a little strange in the oven.

Roast Spatchcocked Chicken

1 3-4-pound whole chicken
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Turn the chicken so the breast side is down. and use kitchen shears to cut along one side of the backbone.

Open the chicken up, turn it open-side down, and press down along the breast bone to flatten it. I did this right on the baking sheet I was going to use to cook the chicken on. It fit perfectly on a quarter-sheet pan, but you can use whatever pan you like.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika as desired.

Roast the chicken at 325 degrees until the chicken is cooked through - 160 degrees in the breast and 180 in the thigh, Depending on the size of the chicken and how cold it was going into the oven, this will take 60-90 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before you cut it into pieces. I like to serve the legs, thighs, and wings whole and cut the breasts into several pieces or slice it into thick slices.

If you like, you can use the drippings from the chicken to make a gravy. Or, if you prefer, save the dripping to use when you make stock from the chicken bones.

Roasted Asparagus (and friends)

I like grilled or roasted asparagus, but sometimes it can dry out before it's tender. One way to thwart that is to use more oil. Or sometimes I steam the asparagus to par-cook it before roasting.

But I found another way around it. But putting the asparagus on the bottom of the pan with the rest of the vegetables on top for the beginning of the cooking time, the asparagus steams a bit in its own juices, so it gets tender. Then, I stir the vegetables around so they get a nice roasty flavor.

Roasted Vegetables

2 bunches asparagus, tough stems removed
1/2 pound white mushrooms
1 small zucchini
1 red onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Arrange the asparagus on a quarter-sheet baking pan (or whatever similarly-sized pan you have.)

Cut the mushrooms in half and put them on top of the asparagus. Trim the ends off the zucchini, cut it in half width-wise, then cut into wedges lengthwise. Arrange them on top of the asparagus.

Peel the onion, then cut it into thin wedges and put the wedges on top of the asparagus.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then use tongs to stir the vegetables around. Continue cooking until the vegetables are done to your liking, stirring again as needed. Depending on who well done you like your vegetables, they'll be done in another 30 to 60 minutes.

Serve warm.

For more information about my relationship with Whole Foods, see the tab at the top.

Gadgets: Microplane Elite Star Grater

2013-05-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

Do remember when Microplane graters first arrived in kitchens, and they were on everyone's wish list? How could they possibly top that innovation? Well, they tried.

The latest revision of those graters is the Elite series with a more ergonomic design. The plastic cover holds up to a cup of the grated product - and there are measurements on it so you can see how much you grated. To keep the grater from sliding around on the counter as you grate, there's a non-slip base.

Are these earthshaking features that will make you throw out your current Microplane graters and buy these new ones? Probably not.

But if you're in the market for a new grater for yourself - or as a present for someone who doesn't already have a drawer full of Microplane graters - these Elite graters are worth a good look.

One of the Elite series graters has a grating surface that wasn't available in the original series - the star grater ($16.95) that's intended for grating hard cheeses like parmesan.

For me, this is the perfect grater since I tend to grate at angles rather than straight up and down, and the star-shaped teeth work no matter which direction you're moving. The result is a really fine and somewhat irregular pile of fluffy shreds.

The other graters in the series are the usual suspects - fine, coarse, extra coarse and ribbon. All very useful graters, if you don't already have them.

I have to say that the star grater is now my favorite for grating hard cheeses, no doubt about it. Before this, I was using a fine grater, but this one definitely is easier to use and I'm pleased that the grater cover holds a decent amount of cheese. Maybe not enough if you're planning on grating a pound of cheese, but plenty for that pasta dinner.

I was provided with samples fro the purpose of a reviews on Serious Eats.

Artichoke salad with baby purple artichokes

2013-05-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

Baby artichokes are adorable - just like any tiny vegetables, But besides the cute factor, the practical benefit is that baby artichokes don't have a choke - that fuzzy, inedible center that you find in mature artichokes. That means they're easier to prep.

They also cook a lot faster because they're so small.

And the baby purple artichokes I got from Frieda's Specialty Produce were ... well, purple. It's a pretty stunning color. You lose most of that purple when you trim off the inedible parts, but before you do that, they look really pretty.

Even without the choke to remove, there's still a bit of cleaning that needs to be done, particularly if you want to use them in a salad like this one - you don't want to give people something with tough, inedible leaves.

The trimming basically involves removing all the inedible parts - the tough leaves and the tips. If you've never cleaned an artichoke befroe, you can be a little bit conservative with the trimming at first, then finish trimming after the artichokes are cooked, since it's a little easier to tell which parts are tender and which are tough after they're cooked.

If you like, you can simply steam the artichokes and serve them warm with a little lemon olive oil, but I like the idea of a cold salad. It's a great little nibble.

The olives here are kind of interesting. They're a green olive, but they're ripe, so they taste a lot like black olives. Give them a try if you ever see them at your local store.

Artichoke Salad

1 pound baby artichokes
Acidulated cold water (water with a squeeze of lemon juice or a sprinkle of Fruit Fresh or Real Lemon powder)
1 tablespoon Sciabica Mission Sping Harvest olive oil
1 onion, large dice
1 red pepper, large dice
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1 can Lindsay Naturals green ripe olives
1 tablespoon Sciabica lemon olive oil

Remove the tough outer leaves from the artichokes, trim off the tough tops of the leaves, and cut the artichokes in half, and drop them into the cold water - this acidulated water keeps the artichokes from turning brown on the cut edges.

Steam the artichokes (I like to add a bit if lemon juice to the steaming water, but it's optional) until the artichokes are tender - about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. (If you find that you missed any tough bits, you can do a little more trimming now.)

Heat the Mission olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, salt, and oregano. Cook, stirring as needed, on gentle heat until the onion have softened - you don't want them to brown, just soften. Add the cooked artichokes and olives and cook for another minute.

Remove the vegetables from the heat, add the lemon olive oil, and stir to combine. Transfer to a storage container and chill. Taste for seasoning before serving and drizzle with more lemon olive oil, if desired.

Serve chilled.

The olive oils I used in this recipe came from Nick Sciabica & Sons for the purpose of creating a recipe fpr the blog group 37 Cooks. For more information about olive oils, see this post.

The olives came from Lindsay Olives for a previous promotion; the artichokes from Frieda Specialty Produce. I was under no obligation to post about them.

Cake in a Mug

2013-05-07T08:00:00.003-06:00

This little (and I mean little) cake is a perfect dessert for one - or for two, if you just want a few nibbles. It's so simple to make, you can whip it up at the last second. Or at midnight. When no one's looking.

It cooks in three minutes. Seriously. Three minutes. Or, technically, I got the best results at 2 minutes, 45 seconds.

That's almost instant gratification.

It's a little fudgy rather that fluffy. Almost a brownie, but not as dense. It would be good with a scoop of ice cream on top, getting all melty from the heat of the cake. Geez, I'm making me hungry here.

These sorts of cakes are allegedly still quite good after they have cooled. I wouldn't know about that. Just eat it warm. You know that's what you want, anyway.

Let's talk about oil for a second, shall we?

There are four thing to consider when you're deciding which oil to use for which purpose - flavor, smoke point, health implications, and price. There's no single oil that's perfect for everything. Your favorite oil to use for dressing your salad or dipping your bread might not be the oil you want to fry chicken in.

You need to stock as many oils as you need for the way you cook, but not so many that they'll go rancid before you get around to using them. I usually keep one oil on hand that's got a mild flavor and high smoke point. I can use that same oil for high-heat cooking, and for recipes where I don't want the oil to impart a distinct flavor.

An extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil isn't what you'd use for high-heat cooking since it has a lower smoke point than you'd need. But it has two things going for it - health benefits and flavor (if it's the flavor you happen to be looking for.) You can use it for cooking at lower temperatures, or for uncooked recipes, or as a finishing oil. And price - well, that depends on the brand and your budget.

The Mission variety spring harvest oil from Sciabaca has a mild, almost buttery flavor that makes it appropriate for dishes where you don't want the super-assertive olive flavor. And it's got all the health benefits associated with olive oil. So I used it in this cake. A more assertive extra-virgin oil would have been interesting, too, with the flavor of the oil playing off the chocolate.

Maybe next time.

I received this oil as part of 37Cooks from a company called Nick Sciabica.& Sons.

Chocolate Cake in a Mug
Adapted from 10 Fun Things To Do With Your Microwave by Instructables Authors

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons Sciabica Mission Variety Spring Harvest olive oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons chocolate chips

Put the flour, sugar, salt and cocoa into a coffee mug and stir it around to break up any lumps. Add the milk, oil, and extracts. Stir it around so you have smooth batter. Add the chocolate chips and stir them in.

Now comes the fun part. Put it in the microwave. Cook on high for about 3 minutes. You might need to make a few of these before you get the timing perfect. I think my microwave is 1000 watts (but I could be wrong) and it was supposed to take 3 minutes, but I thought it was a little too dry and overdone. 2 minutes, 45 seconds was perfect.

Beef with Ginger-Peanut Gravy

2013-05-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

Have you ever had sauerbraten?

The first time I tried it, I fell in love with it. And then of course I wanted to make it myself. Much to my surprise, every recipe I found used gingersnap cookies for flavor and thickening. It seemed like a "cheat" to me and I looked for recipes that used individual ingredients rather than cookies.

Finally, I decided that the cookie made sense. It had the flavor needed, and it had the thickening quality from the flour.

And then I didn't think about it much any more.

Until recently.

If gingersnap cookies work for sauerbraten, why not have some fun with other flavors? Yeah, I went a little cookie-mad. The interesting thing about my little experiment was that even though I used a decent number of cookies, the resulting gravy wasn't sweet. But it was really, really tasty.

Beef with Ginger-Peanut Gravy

1 beef pot roast or other cut of beef for braising (about 3 pounds)
1 quart water
1 tablespoon salt
1 Thai chili
8 Ginger Snaps
8 Nutter Butter cookies
2 onions, quartered and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Pasta, cooked, for serving (8 ounces dry)

Put the beef in your slow cooker with 1 quart of water. Cook on low until the beef is just fork-tender, but not falling apart. How long this takes depends a lot on the cut of beef you chose and how your crockpot cooks - you need to go by the meat rather than the time. This time, it took 7 hours. I've done similar cuts in 4-5 hours.

When the beef is fork tender, transfer it to a storage container along with all of the liquid and refrigerate until well chilled. I usually do this sort of recipe over two days, so the meat stays refrigerated until the next day.

When you're ready to continue cooking, skim any excess fat off the top of the beef and place the beef and the liquid into the slow cooker.

Add the salt, Thai chili, Ginger Snaps, Nutter Butter cookies, and onions. The cookies will dissolve completely; after about 20 minutes into the cooking time, stir the mixture, and stir a few more times during cooking. If the gravy gets too thick, thin it with a bit of water during cooking.

Continue cooking on low until the beef is very tender and the onions are soft. Again, this depends a lot on your particular slow cooker (and how tender you want the beef). It took about three hours in mine.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if necessary. Remove the chili. If the gravy is too thick, add more water. If you want it thicker, turn up the heat on the slow cooker and remove the lid to reduce the gravy.

Remove the meat from the gravy and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. You can slice this, chop it, or shred it - whichever you like.

Serve over noodles with the gravy.

This post was written for a little competition for SnackWorks, which represents the brands mentioned. I did not receive any compensation or products from them.

If Boston Cream Pie met Tiramisu and Cheesecake in a dark alley ...

2013-05-05T08:00:00.003-06:00

Sometimes you just have to take an idea and run with it, right? I wanted a layered dessert. I knew that chocolate had to play a role. I thought about banana pudding as a layer, but I used my last banana in a smoothie. So forget the banana, but keep the creamy vanilla.

And then what?

I wanted different textures, too. So I went into the kitchen and got a little crazy. Because that's how I roll.

This has the vanilla and chocolate of Boston Cream Pie, But I was thinking about Tiramisu, too. I didn't add coffee, but I stole the ladyfinger concept and used Nilla Wafers instead. It's also a little reminiscent of cheesecake, with a graham cracker topping. And the secret ingredient is saltines, for that extra little salty crunchy "what is this?" taste.

Yeah, I'm a little mad. But it works for me.

This dessert is best made a day ahead, so the Nilla Wafers have time to soften to a cake-like consistency.

Boston Cre-amisu

For the bottom crust:

15 Oreos

2 tablespoons butter, melted

For assembly and topping:

4 Honey Maid graham crackers

8 Premium saltines

25 Nilla Wafers

For the vanilla cream:

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Put the Oreos in your food processor and process until the cookies are fine crumbs. Add the butter and continue processing until the crumbs hold together if pressed. It's possible to over-process and turn the Oreos into a paste - so keep an eye on them. You want them to stick together, but still be crumbly. Dump the mixture into a 8-inch square pan and press down to make a firm crust. (You can use a round pan or different size, if you prefer, but you might need a different number of Nilla Wafers.

Remove the Oreo crumbs from the food processor (or, if you don't mind a few chocolate crumbs in your topping, leave them be.) Add the graham crackers and saltines to the food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Heat on medium heat, whisking as needed, until the sugar melts and the mixture comes to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. It will be a thick paste.

A little bit at a time, add hot milk the the egg mixture, whisking as you go, until you've added about a cup of the hot milk to the eggs, then whisk the milk in the pan as you add the egg mixture to the pan. Bring the heat back to medium and whisk until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla extract and whisk it in.

Pour the mixture through a find strainer to remove any lumps or curdled bits.

Pour about 1/3 of the mixture into the pan on top of the crushed Oreos, and smooth the mixture. Add a layer of the Nilla Wafers and press them down a bit so they're even. In the pan I used, they fit perfectly in 5 rows of 5 cookies.

Dollop the remaining vanilla mixture over the cookies (if you've taken your time, the mixture might be starting to set and may look lumpy when you stir it. Just whisk it smooth, then pour it over the cookies. Smooth the top (a small offset spatula is a great tool for this) then sprinkle the graham cracker-saltine crumbs over the top.

Refrigerate until the vanilla cream has set and the Nilla Wafers have softened. Overnight is great. This is also good while the Nilla Wafers are still a little crunchy, but it's harder to cut and serve.

If you like, garnish with some whipped cream and/or chocolate shavings.

This post was written for a little competition for SnackWorks, which represents the brands mentioned. I did not receive any compensation or products from them.

Chocolate naner smoothie

2013-05-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

You might notice that I don't use sugar or any other extra sweeteners in most of my smoothies ... but I do sometimes add a pinch of salt.

It's not that I want a salty smoothie, but salt counteracts bitterness. You might say that your food isn't bitter, but there are hints of bitterness is a lot of foods, and by adding that teeny pinch of salt, the bitterness disappears and the drink seems sweeter. Magically. Without added sugar.

And, of course, salt enhances flavor. So if you're using the right amount of salt, your food should taste more like itself. But it shouldn't taste like salt.

I don't add salt to every smoothie I make. Some of them don't need it. Others do.

Of course, if you're watching your salt intake, maybe you don't want that teeny pinch of salt. It's totally up to you. My theory is that since I use so few processed foods in my cooking, we're way ahead of the game in terms of regulating salt.

I saw a chart once that showed that for most Americans, the salt they add to food, either in cooking or at the table, is about 20 percent of their intake. The other 80 percent is from dining out (with fast food being a huge culprit) and processed foods. That's something to think about.

This chocolate banana smoothie benefited from that little pinch of salt in two ways. First, chocolate is inherently bitter, so the salt smoothed that out a bit, which made the drink seem a little sweeter. And second, it brought the chocolate flavor alive a little more. I tasted this without the salt first, then added it and felt that the difference was impressive enough to suggest using it in the recipe.

The cocoa I used was from Ingredient-Supply.com, and I used their Bergenfield Rosewood cocoa. You'll be hearing more about their cocoas in future posts.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 banana
1 tablespoon cocoa
Teeny pinch of salt
1 cup Greek-Style yogurt
1 cup milk

Blend until smooth and a little frothy.

Slurp.

This would also be good as an evening indulgence with a bit of coffee or chocolate liqueur. Or both.

Whole Foods Feasting: Peanut Butter and Cherry Biscotti

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

The great thing about biscotti is that the flavor combinations are practically endless. This time around, the cookie is reminiscent of peanut butter and jelly, with dried cherries taking the place of the jelly.

Meanwhile, the cornmeal adds a subtle flavor and texture without being overpowering.

These are great with coffee, in the morning, but the sweetness of the cherries also make them a great after-dinner nibble.

This recipe is easy to customize - use almond butter instead of peanut butter, if you like. Use dried apricots, dates, or any other dried fruit you like. Leave the cherry bits large, or cut them small. It's all good.

Peanut Butter and Cherry Biscotti

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 eggs
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup dry cherries, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder, and set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. A stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment is the perfect tool for this job.

Add the peanut butter and beat until it's well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.

Add dry ingredients, and blend thoroughly (If you're using a stand mixer, doing this is three additions is much less likely to send flour spraying all over the kitchen.) Add the cherries and blend them in.

On the cookie sheet, form the dough into two long, flat loaves about 1/2 inch thick by two inches wide, leaving several inches between the loaves. They will expand when they bake.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. They should be slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the loaves should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Cut the loaves on the diagonal into approximately 3/4-inch diagonal slices. A serrated knife works best for this task.

Lay these slices on their sides on the cookie sheet and return them to the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes, until they are lightly toasted. ( if you like, flip them over halfway through baking for more even toasting.

Remove the cooking to a rack and let them cool completely.

Gadgets: OXO Mini Adjustable Measuring Cup

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

You know those big adjustable measuring cups that are supposed to make measuring goopy stuff like molasses or peanut butter easier? Now they have a little brother.

Let me be perfectly honest. I had one of the original cups, and I really didn't like it. Moving the pusher to the right measurement was hit-and-miss and the pusher was just hard to push. And then when I took it apart for cleaning, it was a pain to get it back together.

Besides being small, the mini adjustable measuring cup from OXO ($5.95) has solved the problems I had with that old adjustable cup. Instead of shoving the pusher up and down, this one is designed to twist, and it's a pretty smooth movement. It also comes apart and reassembles easily.

There are two sets of markings, so you can level off the top for dry or really thick ingredients like peanut butter, and liquids measure slightly below the top, so there's less risk of spillage. Obviously you don't have to use this just for the sticky substances - it's just a little measuring cup.

And I mean little. The capacity is 2 tablespoons in 1/4-tablespoon increments, and it also has ounce and milliliter markings. I sort of wish it had 1/3 tablespoon markings to measure teaspoons as well. But it doesn't.

If you already have a kitchen full of measuring devices, this isn't going to be an essential addition to your kitchen. But for someone with a less-comprehensive setup, or who measures a lot of small amounts of goopy substances or who needs to measure 1/4 and 1/2 tablespoons a lot, this could come in handy. Since it's adjustable, it takes the place of other measures.

OXO also makes a 2-cup adjustable measure that has the same twisting function. I haven't tested it, but if it works the same way this little one does, it might be worth looking at, if you're in the market for a larger adjustable measuring cup.

A sample was provided to Serious Eats for the purpose of a review.

Whole Foods Feasting: Butter Pecan Biscotti (for a good cause)

2013-05-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

If you're a regular around here, you know I had some tough times. And the online community came to my rescue in a big way.

There's no way I'd ever be able to thank everyone personally, and I'm still not in a financial position to donate to anyone's good cause, but we're finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel and I'm so grateful to everyone who helped get me here. You guys saved my sanity and helped me pay bills.

And now it's time for a little payback.

Like I said, I'm still not flush enough with cash to be handing it out, but what I can do is bake. So when Kris from the blog From Sugar Cookies to Peterbuilts asked me if I'd bake something for a bake sale she's doing for charity, I said yes.

My contribution to the sale will be a batch of biscotti. They're perfect for an online bake sale because they're dry so they won't get weird or moldy in the mail. And they're solid enough to withstand the travel. And they don't go stale quickly, so they don't need to be shipped overnight.

If you bid on these biscotti and win, I'll make exactly these biscotti, or I can customize them for you.

Don't like pecans? How about walnuts, almonds, peanuts ... or no nuts? Maybe you'd like some dried apricots in the biscotti. Let me know, and I'll work it out for ya.

Within reason. I don't have a recipe for gluten-free biscotti, and I'm not going to go buy a durian for you.

So, go bid on these HERE. I'll do the baking. And the shipping. You can do the eating.

And while you're there, you might find something else to bid on, too.

And if you don't win, here's the recipe. See, everyone wins!

Butter Pecan Biscotti
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla butternut extract
1/2 teaspoon pecan extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon.baking powder

Preheat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder, and set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Beat in the extracts.

Add dry ingredients, and blend thoroughly. Add the nuts and blend them in.

On the cookie sheet, form the dough into two long, flat loaves about 1/2 inch thick by two inches wide, leaving several inches between the loaves. They will expand when they bake.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. They should be slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the loaves should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Cut the loaves on the diagonal into approximately 3/4-inch diagonal slices. A serrated knife works best for this task.

Lay these slices on their sides on the cookie sheet and return them to the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes, until they are lightly toasted. ( if you like, flip them over halfway through baking for more even toasting.

Remove the cooking to a rack and let them cool completely.

This recipe was sponsored by Whole Foods, but Whole Foods is not involved with the charity.

Sort-of Wacky Cake

2013-05-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

UPDATE!

A Flash giveaway!!!

I'm updating this old post with a quick giveaway of a 13 x 9 nonstick covered cake pan.

Check the bottom of the post for EASY ENTRY.

GO!

And now back to your regularly scheduled post!

Wacky cake has been around for a long time. I can remember making it when I was a child, and I remember the mimeographed paper with purple type that had the recipe.

I have no idea where that original recipe came from. It might have been something I brought home from Girl Scouts. And I'm pretty sure that recipe didn't state a source - it was just a recipe typed on a page.

The name is just as mysterious. I'm guessing it was "wacky" because all the ingredients were mixed in the same pan you baked in. OOooohhh ... so radical.

To be honest, I find it easier to do the mixing in a bowl. Trying to get ingredients mixed in a baking pan and getting all the way into the corners isn't all that fun. Sure, if you use a bowl, it's one more thing to wash. But it's not a big deal.

Wacky Cake V2.0

1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar*
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon butter vanilla emulsion (or vanilla extract)
1 egg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or as desired)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan with baking spray.

Combine cake flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine. If your cocoa is a little lumpy, you can run it through a sifter, if you like.

Mix the vinegar and water together in a cup or small bowl.

Add the vinegar-water mixture, oil, butter-vanilla emulsion, and egg to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the top of the batter. Bake at 375 degrees until the top springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking it at about 35 minutes - the actual baking time will vary a little depending on the pan you use.

Remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cake. Wait about a minute, then spread the now-melted chocolate over the cake to frost it.

Let the cake cool completely before serving. I served it straight from the pan. It's that kind of cake.

*I used a vanilla fig vinegar for this, but a plain balsamic vinegar would be fine. You don't need a high-quality balsamic, but if you have a flavored vinegar that you think would pair well with chocolate cake, you can use that. A raspberry or pear balsamic would be fine. Anything with herbs would be a little iffy.

And now for a little giveaway!

This is another giveaway sponsored by the nice folks at Good Cook, open to US residents only, beginning May 1 at 12 am and ending at 11:59 pm on May 3. Winner will receive a 13 x 9 nonstick covered cake pan. (Love that cover .... makes it so much easier for transporting food to potlucks!)

And if you like free stuff, I have another Good Cook giveaway running on THIS POST.

AND ... if you were planning on buying something from Good Cook, you can get 25% off your order with the coupon code CAKEPAN. Expires May3.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pork Stew (Guisado de Puerco)

2013-04-30T08:00:00.001-06:00

One of my absolutely favorite cuts of meat is pork shoulder. As a roast, as country ribs, boneless, whatever. It's a tough cut that takes some time to cook, but the result is super-tender meat that's never dry. Or maybe you have to work really hard on it to get it dry.

This time around, boneless country ribs were on sale (Wheee! I love a sale!) and I decided to do a stew.

Meanwhile, I had peppers left over from some Marx Foods challenges. I've entered a ton of them, and many have included dried peppers. So I rooted around in my basket o' dried peppers and emerged with some puya peppers and some New Mexico peppers.

And then for the fun of it, I used some blue potatoes from Frieda's Specialty Produce. I was curious whether the potatoes would color the sauce, or whether the sauce would color the potatoes. Both are pretty strong colors.

Pork Stew with Peppers

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into cubes
1 can beer
3 dried New Mexico chiles
3 dried puya chiles
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
1 onion, diced
5 small purple potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 teaspoon oregano (Mexican, if you have it)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt, to taste

Put the pork in your slow cooker and add the beer plus one can of water. Cook on low until the pork is tender.

It's hard to say exactly how long this will take - it depends on the pork you bought, how large the pieces are, and how hot the "low" setting on your slow cooker is. Figure about 4 hours and cook it longer if you need to.

You want it fork tender, but you'll be cooking it longer the next day, so don't cook it until it's falling apart.

Refrigerate the pork, with all the liquid, until well-chilled. I usually let it sit in the refrigerator until the next day.

The next day, put the pork back in the crockpot along with the green pepper, onion, potatoes, oregano, tomato paste, and salt.

Put the dried peppers in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let the peppers soak until they are softened.

Remove the stems, seeds and ribs from the peppers, and puree until smooth. If you need some liquid to get the peppers pureed, use some of the chilled liquid from the pork.

Pass the pepper puree through a fine strainer to remove errant seeds and bits of skin, and add it to the slow cooker.

Cook on low until the vegetables are cooked through - about an hour. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Serve hot. I like it over rice.

Morning Smoothies

2013-04-29T08:00:00.002-06:00

I've been posting smoothies on Facebook, but I figured I'd post 'em here, too. Because why not.

These are just a few of the ones I've been making for breakfast. Maybe one of them will inspire you.

Strawberry Smoothie

Hand full of strawberries hulled and rinsed.
1 6-ounce container Wallaby Yogurt 0%
Wallaby yogurt container full of fruit juice blend

Blend-o-rama.

Drinkie, slurpy, drinkie.

The berries were the last of some fresh berries I bought. I'm guessing about 1/2 cup. The juice mix will remain unnamed. It wasn't great on its own, but it worked in the smoothie.

It was a little bit tart, but I'm okay with that.

Did you know that this is THE YEAR OF PURPLE?

I didn't know that either, but that's what my new BFFs at Frieda's Specialty Produce told me when they shipped me a whole bunch of purple food.

Mmmmm. Purrrrrple.

One of the things they sent was a 100% juice product with acai. The label says its a M.O.A.B. superfruit blend (Most Optimum Antioxident Beverage).

I don't know if I feel better, but it tastes pretty good.

Today, it went into my ....

Purple Smoothie

1 10.5 ounce bottle M.O.A.B
1 6-ounce container Wallaby Yogurt 0% Greek yogurt
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Blend until frothy.

Slurp, slurp.

Is my tongue purple???

Okay, here's a question. What's your favorite PURPLE food?

Now for something NOT in the "Pink" Family

A lot of the smoothies I make are pink. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry - or a purple-y pink like the one with the acai juice. This time, the drink is a little more in the creamy pale yellow camp, but it's still packed with flavor. I like this one so much, I might repeat it tomorrow.

Or maybe not. I might change my mind before then.

BMPV = Banana Mango Peach Vanilla

1 banana
1 cup Silk Fruit & Protein Mango Peach
1 cup Chobani nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 teeny pinch salt

Blend it like you mean it.

Even though the yogurt is thick and the banana is solid and the Silk stuff had some body to it, when this was blended it was still of a nicely drinkable consistency.

Purple on the Outside

Besides the juices I got from Frieda's. I also got some purple passionfruit. They're only purple on the outside, though. I used one in a smoothie.

Passionfruit Banana Smoothie

1 banana
Pulp from passionfruit
1 7-ounce container Fage 2% yogurt
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

I've started posting some recipes on my Facebook page. Some are repeats of what's here on the blog, others are recipes that probably won't be posted here.

You can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cookistry. Stop by and say "hi!"

Croissants with Morel Duxelles

2013-04-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

Okay, maybe the mushrooms aren't quite duxelles, but I liked the rhyme. And when you're in your kitchen, you can certainly make a true duxelles. There are plenty of recipes online.

I used a duck egg here because 1) I had them from the farmers market and 2) I wanted to make these really rich. A chicken egg will work just fine.

Croissants aren't terribly hard to make, but they do require some time and some work with a rolling pin. This recipe is a little bit easier than the traditional method, since it uses a food processor in the first stage.

The smaller bits of butter also make the dough easier to roll, so there's a little less work involved. I'm not going to lie to you and say that this is as easy as making cake from a mix. But c'mon, it's home made croissants. People will think you're magical if you make these.

Croissants are always best on the day they are made. they lose the shattery crispness in the crust when you store them. They're still good. Just not as great a the could be.

Easy(er) Croissants with Morel "Duxelles"

For the croissants:
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup cold milk
1 small(ish) duck egg (about the size of a chicken egg - or use a chicken egg)
11 1/4 ounces (2 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick salted butter, cold
1 stick unsalted butter, cold
Eggwash:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
For the "duxelles":
1/2 ounce dried morel mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch of salt

Put the yeast, water and sugar into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until it begins to get foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and egg, and beat lightly to break up the egg and combine it all.

Put the flour and salt into your food processor, and pulse to distribute the salt. Cut each stick of butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. Put all of the pieces into the food processor with the flour and pulse about 10 times to distribute the butter and break the chunks just a little. You don't want small pieces as you would for pie crust; larger chunks are preferable.

Add the flour and butter to the liquid in the bowl, and fold gently with a spatula until all the flour is moistened and it is well combined, being careful not to break up the butter. The butter should still be fairly hard at this point. The dough will be very wet; don't worry about it. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

The mixture can be used the next day, or kept refrigerated for an additional day if you aren't ready for it.

When you are ready to roll, flour your work surface generously, and have more flour standing ready. Turn the dough out onto your work surface, sprinkle some additional flour over the top You can be generous here, and form it into a rough square.

Working quickly, roll the dough out to an approximate 16-18-inch (sort-of) square. You don't have to be precise. Because the dough is fairly wet, it should roll easily, but it might be a bit sticky. The point here is that we need to flatten those bits of butter, so this first roll is more about getting that butter flatter and more pliable.

Add flour as needed on top and underneath to keep it from sticking any time during the process. At first, you might need a bit of flour. Later, a light dusting will suffice.

Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter. Then fold it in thirds again, to make a square.

Do this again three more times. Use flour as you need it and work quickly. If it's really hot in your kitchen and you feel the butter starting to get melty-soft, you can stop and refrigerate the dough. If the butter melts, you'll never get the layers you're looking for.

After the last fold, put the dough into a plastic bag and put it into the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to three days.

Meanwhile, make the mushroom mixture:
Fill a small pot with a couple inches of water. Heat to a boil and then turn off the heat. Add 1/2 ounce of dried morel mushrooms an let them soak until they are softened.

Remove any tough or rubbery bits - I found that the "stem" bit was often just a bit rubbery. Chop the mushrooms into small bits. You could use a food processor, but we're not talking about that many mushrooms.

Heat the butter in a pan and fry the mushroom bits for a minute or two, then let them cool. If you're not using them right away, refrigerate until you need them.

When you are ready to make the croissants, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

The dough may have risen while refrigerated. After an hour you won't see much action, but if you left it refrigerated for longer, you will see that it rose a bit.

Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.

Cut the dough into 8 pie-shaped wedges.

Pull the outside edge so that it's at least 8 inches wide and pull the dough lengthwise so it's about 10 inches long. It won't look like a perfect triangle any more - it will be more like the side view of a golf tee- but that's okay.

Take the prepared mushroom mixture and spread it over the surface of the triangles, leaveing a little edge uncovered on all sides.

Starting at the wide end of each triangle, roll the dough toward the the point.

Place the finished croissants on the prepared baking sheet with the point underneath. Curl the dough into a crescent shape.

Leave room on the baking sheet for the croissants to rise as they bake. These are pretty big croissants. you might as well put 4 on each sheet, so the have plenty of space.

Cover them with plastic wrap and set aside for 45 minutes. They won't rise much at all, but they should feel puffy instead of firm, and when you gently push on the side of one, the indent should fill in very slowly instead of bouncing back. Brush the croissants with the egg wash.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool.

This recipe was written for the Marx Foods 5th annual Morel recipe contest. For this contest, people were asked to bake with the morels. We were each given a sample of dried morels to work with.

The contest is now open for voting. Cast yer votes RIGHT HERE.

Whole Foods Feasting: Israeli Couscous Pilaf

2013-04-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Israeli is good warm or cold, and this pilaf is a perfect example of that. It's meant to be served warm, but the leftovers are just as good at room temperature or cold.

This makes a pretty large amount - about 2 quarts worth of pilaf, so it's great for parties, potlucks, or large families. You can halve the recipe if you're feeding fewer people.

The container of couscous I bought was about 11 1/2 ounces, but a little more or less isn't going to be critical. The couscous I used was a tri-color version, but plain Israeli couscous would be fine, too.

The herbs here make this a good match for pretty much any roast - chicken, beef, or pork.

Israeli Couscous Pilaf

About 12 ounces Israeli couscous, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry savory
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 small zuchini, quartered lengthwise, then sliced

Cook the couscous according to package directions, or you can also cook it like pasta, in boiling salted water. Drain well.

While the pasta is cooking you can prep the rest of the ingredients and begin cooking. The couscous only takes about 10 minutes to cook.

Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper, onion, and salt and cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables are softened.

Add the capers, thyme, savory, and black pepper and stir to combine. Add the zucchini and continue cooking until the zucchini is cooked to your desired doneness (I prefer it al dente for this).

Add the cooked couscous and cook for a minute or two more.

Serve hot.

This post was sponsored by Whole Foods.

#ILoveAvocados for Cinco de Mayo Sweepstakes

2013-04-27T02:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocado App. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’ve read my blog at all, you probably know that I have a serious love affair with avocados. Me, guacamole, and a spoon. *swoon*

Oh yeah, and I share with my husband.

And we use chips, too. Or put guacamole on sandwiches or nachos. Or slice the avocado and layer it with tomato and mozzarella and drizzle with a little lemon olive oil. *swoon* again.

And now Cinco de Mayo is around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to go crazy with avocados.

There's an app...

There's an app for that ...

But avocados aren’t just avocados. There’s an Avocado app for iPhone, Android, and web users that’s sort of like a personal messaging system.

Two people sign up for a joint account, and you message between the two of you. No one else can see the messages, so there’s no risk you’ll message a Facebook friend to pick up a quart of milk and then wonder when hubby shows up empty-handed.

Or, you know, whatever messages you want to send to your sweetheart. These days our messages are more practical than they might have been a few (many) years ago. But this is a cool way to keep in touch.

Photo Sweepstakes

But that’s not the end of Avocado love. For Cinco De Mayo, Avocados from Mexico and Avocado will be hosting an I Love Avocados For Cinco De Mayo sweepstakes.

The prizes are nice. And, yes, I’m entering. I’ve got lots of avocado recipes to choose from.

The first place winner gets $1,000; second place gets $500 and third place gets $250. All three also get a copy of the premium version of the Avocado app.

Meet me on Twitter

We didn't have cell phones back then.

And there’s one more thing. On May 7 from 3-4 p.m. eastern, there will be an #iloveavocados for Cinco de Mayo Twitter party hosted by @Avocado and @guacgrl. Check it out for a good time and good food.

I’ll be there, too, hanging around and maybe juggling some avocados. Find me at @dbcurrie on Twitter.

Here’s a recipe to get you thinking. It’s a cross between guacamole and salad. Appropriate eaten with chips, or as a side dish.

Avocado Salad

1 tomato

1/2 green pepper

1/4 cup lime-pickled red onion (see instructions below*)

1/4 cup cilantro

12 pitted black olives

2 ounces chevre

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 avocado

2 teaspoons lime juice

Dice the tomato and green pepper and add to a medium bowl. Cut the pickled red onion into similarly-sized pieces and add to the bowl.

Chop the cilantro roughly and add it to the bowl. Cut the olives in half or slices (your choice) and add to the bowl. Break the cheese into pieces and add to the bowl. Sprinkle the salt on top and add the lime juice. Mix well.

Scoop the avocado flesh out of the avocado and add it the bowl. Mix gently. The goal is to mix the ingredients without breaking up the avocado too much.

Serve chilled.

*To make the pickled red onions, peel, quarter, and slice one red onion. Stuff it into a pint jar. Add a pinch of salt and enough fresh lime juice to cover all the onions. Refrigerate the onions until they are evenly pink. You can eat them sooner, but they’ll still have the onion “bite” to them.

Want more?

Check out the Cinco De Mayo recipes on the Avocados from Mexico website.

You can find Avocados from Mexico on Facebook and Avocados from Mexico on Pinterest and Avocados from Mexico on Instagram.

You can find the Avocado app on Facebook and the Avocado app on Twitter.