Unapologetic Foodie

Today, It's Time for a Fun Video

2009-07-14T18:16:39Z

Well, you can cook, too, if you want to. There's a recipe in here, but it's mostly a musical number about a guy who can't cook fish:

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches - All Recipes

2009-07-13T18:17:44Z

Recently got a lot of chatter going by calling attention to a slow cooker recipe for summer. Here's another good idea:

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Desperately Seeking Celery

2009-07-12T17:02:55Z

I could just as easily have titled this blog entry "There's Something About Celery" because there is.

You can't have meatloaf or Waldorf salad without it, nor was there ever a good chicken salad or ants-on-a-log composed without celery.

But I made a mistake. Completely forgetting the big stalk of celery that was already lurking at the bottom of the vegetable crisper, I bought a fat package of really fresh-looking celery hearts. Suddenly I was on celery overload and desperate for some recipes to try.

True, the hearty stalks last a long time if stored properly, but not forever. And there's nothing worse -- why do I persist in using that phrase? Of course, there's always something worse -- than celery that is getting old, tough, stringy and pithy.

I had to use a lot of celery, pretty much all at once. Let me make plain I am not a celery fiend. I'd never be bothered to eat it plain, and in some more delicate applications it can even be a little assertive, too bitter. Raw celery just doesn't "speak" to the other ingredients in a green salad, my friend Vittoria Agostini once told me during a cooking class at The Casements in Ormond Beach. (True, my husband makes a great braised lamb shank that includes the most amazing braised celery, but that's another story.)

But do you know who is a celery fiend? Ming Tsai, the cookbook author, Blue Ginger restaurant owner and TV chef. My husband and I didn't know that until we looked in on him at PBS after not watching his show for a long time. Now I had ammo for a google search: "Ming Tsai celery," I typed.

Out came the dish he was making during the show we watched, something with turkey sausage. But another result, "Seared Tea-Rubbed Chicken Breasts With Celery Saute," really caught my imagination. Plus it would use a whole stalk -- or head, as Tsai calls it, of celery. Keep in mind that an individual piece of celery is usually called a "rib" in recipes i edit.

I didn't have all the ingredients I needed, but this turned out to be a forgiving if strange-sounding dish. I marinated chicken breasts -- I didn't have them skin-on, as directed, so I used skinless -- in orange and lemon juice, instead of using lemon and orange zest in the rub as Tsai directed.

I added a little extra lemon juice (unfortunately, I had no fresh lemons -- only limes) to the saute, too, since I had no zest and no idea where I might find the lemongrass powder or flakes the recipe specified.

And, maybe the biggest departure, I used the loose tea I had on hand instead of the green tea leaves Tsai prefers.

Despite all that, it was terrific. So good I may even make it as directed next time.

I'll still make one addition to the directions: I couldn't see myself eating big, whole tea leaves, so I used my husbands coffee grinder to make the rub a little more fine. Who needs tea leaves stuck between their teeth?

Here's the real deal, if you want to try it:
]]> SEARED TEA-RUBBED CHICKEN BREASTS
WITH CELERY SAUTÉ

Makes 4 servings. "I'm a celery freak, " writes Ming Tsai, host of TV's "Simply Ming." "I love it raw with just a little salt, but I also sing its praises cooked, as a vegetable side. This dish features lemon-spiked sautéed celery, whose flavor really complements that of the rub-flavored chicken breasts. I remember once hearing that celery has minus calories because you expended more of them eating it than it contains. Putting aside that highly dubious observation, this dish is, nonetheless, very easy on the waistline."

1 cup Citrus Herbal Tea Rub
4 boneless chicken breasts with skin
3 Tbsp. grapeseed or canola oil
2 shallots
1 head (stalk) of celery
1 lemon
1 cup homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned chicken stock
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Spread rub (recipe below) on a large plate; dredge chicken breasts in it on both sides. Heat large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat pan. Sauté breasts, turning once, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Set breasts aside; reheat pan. Add remaining tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add minced shallots. Allow shallots to sweat, about 1 minute. Add celery (sliced diagonally 1⁄4 inch thick -- about 4 cups); sauté, stirring, until just heated through, about 2 minutes. Add juice from lemon, plus its zest (colored part of peel, removed with grater or zester) and broth. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until reduced by one quarter, 6-8 minutes. Whisk in butter. Slice breasts diagonally 1⁄4 inch thick. Divide celery among 4 plates; arrange chicken around it. Spoon pan sauce over the chicken; serve.

CITRUS HERBAL TEA RUB

Makes about 4 cups. To make dried zest, zest the fruit with a grater or zester, spread zests on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees for about 2 hours until the zests are dried. Store refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. (Fresh zzests don't disturb this rub, if it's used right away -- I used a little fresh lime zest -- C.K.) The rub is also good on fish, shrimp and lean pork and lasts 3 weeks, refrigerated.

1 cup green tea leaves
1⁄2 cup dried peppermint, spearmint, or mint
1 cup lemongrass powder or flakes
2 Tbsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar or raw sugar
1⁄2 cup dried orange zest
1⁄2 cup dried lime zest
1⁄4 cup dried lemon zest
1⁄4 cup ground ginger

In small bowl, combine all ingredients (crush zests if pieces are large). Use or store.

But I Just Want Some Ice Cream!?! | Healthy Eats

2009-07-11T22:51:45Z

OK, it's hot.
And it's staying that way for a good long while.
And nobody's going to tell me I can't have ice cream.
Tips for having your cool and eating it too.

Food on a Stick

2009-07-10T22:40:06Z

The weekend's coming, so there's some time to get a little fancy. I just listened to a story on NPR's "All Things Considered" about Tornado Potatoes, apparently an ultimate Food-on-a-Stick. Here's something a little more attainable for the rest of us:
10 Tasty Skewer Recipes for the Grill

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Short Ribs

2009-07-09T22:30:19Z

My slow cooker has stayed out of my plans this summer (it's stored in our utility room). Wonder why. It doesn't heat up the whole kitchen and is a snap to use. I've seen short ribs on sale here and there; maybe I'll try this recipe:
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Short Ribs.

Smoked Salmon Pesto Pasta - All Recipes

2009-07-08T22:04:16Z

This looks good to me for a quick summertime meal: Smoked Salmon Pesto Pasta

Herbs in the Suburbs

2009-06-21T21:16:26Z

Today, for Father's Day, I'm making my famous tea-smoked ribs, a relatively light potato salad and turnip greens, a menu suggested by my husband, by our pantry and by my fresh herb garden.

I've been working from home since February and cultivating a long-lost interest in gardening. Late last year, I set up my hydroponic Aerogarden where no frost could get to it, in my kitchen. Three kinds of herbs began to sprout under the artificial lights, but basil gradually overshadowed. To give some perspective, my daughter, Nicolette, posed with the plants after about six weeks in the Aerogarden:

When this photo was taken, we had already nipped leaves several times to use in recipes. I've never had anything so vigorous come up from seed. I love this plant!

I waited until all danger from frost had passed (we had a very moderate winter here in the Daytona Beach, Fla., area, but still lost a hibiscus and a couple of other flowering plants). Then I transplanted this guy to a pot on the porch. it was a little tricky to break open the Aerogarden "pods" and spread out the roots. It took less than a week for the basil to begin looking like its old self. Then I planted it in full sun in the rock garden at the front of our house. it has now become a full-blown shrub with pretty little white flowers that taste good, too. Here's how it looked a few weeks ago:

We've had so many salads caprese, made so much red sauce and Thai and Vietnamese food from this plant, I can't believe it. It likes haircuts.

I'm going to do the same routine with my Aerogarden next year. It's really foolproof.

Trick or Tweeting

2009-06-09T19:06:55Z

Let it be known: Although I am going along with this Twitter thing, I predict there will be stories about Twitter fatigue (they can call it faTwigue, if they wish) by the time Halloween rolls around. For now, here am I:

follow me on Twitter

Where are you? I look at the comments for this blog, so let me know there or on Twitter itself.

Food2 Blog -Final Freebie Friday

2009-05-29T19:45:02Z

OK, I've got nothing against winning a free book from Food Squared (not really sure if that's how the sitekeepers want it to be known, but that's how it looks), and giving the site a mention is what I have to do to get a signed copy from this guy:

I know I'm going a little crazy with these QuickPosts right now, but my husband and I are on a home improvement jag -- replacing that ugly flourescent light in the kitchen that makes all food look sick -- and we're having a party on Sunday. Give me a few days and I'll have some new stuff for ya, hot and fresh from my brain and not regurgitated from somewhere else on the Web.

Meanwhile, good luck trying to win a book!

Memorial Day Menu - delish.com

2009-05-24T19:06:10Z

Here's a last stab at Memorial Day, an indoor-outdoor menu for those living with uncertain weather this weekend:

DELISH.COM

Blue Cheese Burgers - All Recipes

2009-05-23T12:40:05Z

One more burger recipe, and one more trip to ALLRECIPES.COM. This one's a little fancy, and I think it would cook well in a cast-iron skillet. I think that's the route I'm going to take this weekend since it won't stop raining!

Big 10 Ultimate Burger Recipe Blowout

2009-05-22T12:20:06Z

I'll be sharing at least one Memorial Day-related post each day until the day is here. What do we have for today? All kinds of burgers.

FOOD SQUARED

And here's a little video to whet your appetite:

Discover Florida Aquaculture

2009-05-21T20:19:00Z

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Show a man how to farm a fish, and, well, you might wind up with a world something like the one foreseen by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Aquaculture is the fastest growing form of food production in the world today. This dramatic upswing is in response to the increase in population and the need to provide a healthy and safe protein source to people," the department says on its Web site, adding that aquaculture currently satisfies more than one-third of world demand for fisheries products. "That ratio is expected to increase, as the growth rate of the world aquaculture industry has averaged a sustained 8 percent over the last thirty years. In short, more people eating more fish means more farming."

Not only will aquaculture provide a sustainable way to eat, but also it's expected it will be a sustainable source of jobs in the state. "The occupations needed in the field are varied and require many different talents and skills. The occupations associated with the industry range from biologists, botanists, chemists and researchers to divers, business and operation managers and sales and marketing professionals." To see the department's new aquaculture Web page and download a brochure or view a video, click here:

FLORIDA AQUACULTURE

Food & Drink How-To Videos - MonkeySee

2009-05-21T13:48:19Z

Continuing on the tear I was on yesterday, here's another spot to bookmark, recommended to me recently by photographer Sean McNeil, known to many three8sixers:

MONKEYSEE

And here's an appropriate video for Memorial Day weekend: