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Days Until. .
Christmas--8
New Year's Eve--14
Lucky Dogs In Literature
Today is the birthday, in 1937, of John Kennedy Toole, the author of the novel Confederacy of Dunces.The story of a character (in every sense of the word) named Ignatius J. Toole committed suicide in 1969, after having no luck in getting the book published. It has since become a local classic, and plans to make it a movie have been advanced but never completed. My radio colleague John "Spud" McConnell portrayed Ignatius often enough that a statue of him in character stands in front of the old D.H. Holmes location, where the book begins.
Today's Flavor
Today is National Maple Syrup Day. Maple syrup of the best quality is such a flavor revelation that it's a wonder why more of a cult hasn't grown up around it. It certainly has its fans, but most people have never tasted a real maple syrup, let alone a good one. The best maple syrup is the lightest in color, and comes not from Vermont but Canada. That country makes at least three-fourths of the maple syrup sold worldwide, and the maple syrup you find on your supermarket's shelf is probably from there.
Maple syrup is made by collecting the sap that runs up from the roots of a maple tree in the spring to begin the growth of the year's crop of leaves. It's about ninety-five percent water, which must be either boiled away or removed by reverse osmosis. As is true of most reduction processes, the faster the stuff is boiled the more the flavors suffer. If you're ever in Canada, ignore the high price of light maple syrup and buy it. Like a good wine, a lot of work goes into making the best maple syrup, and a marvelous flavor comes out.
Deft Dining Rule #992:
Filling each square of a waffle with syrup seems to be the right measure of syrup, but that's far too much, especially if it's good maple syrup being used.
Gourmet Gazetteer
Syrup Creek flows through 4000-foot mountains in northeastern Oregon, 280 miles east of Portland. It begins at Syrup Spring and travels six miles east to flow into McCoy Creek. Its water travels through intermediate streams to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. The land through which Syrup Creek flows is wilderness. You'll have to hike twenty-four miles to get a bite to eat, at the interesting Ukiah Thicket Cafe & Bar in Ukiah.
Edible Dictionary
falernum, n.--A flavored syrup used primarily in making cocktails. The flavors are distinctive, combining ginger and cloves with vanilla, almond, and other mellow tastes. It's most closely associated with tropical island drinks, but with the revival of interest in cocktails during the first decade of the 2000s, it's become more widely used in bars across America. Its name has an interesting history. The syrup was named for a sweet wine produced in southern Italy in ancient Roman times. The best source of the grapes for this wine were grown on the slopes of Mount Falernus. How it came to be applied to the modern falernum is not known.
The Old Kitchen Sage Sez:
The trick of beating egg whites and cream separately, then incorporating other flavorings and small bits into the mixture, almost never fails to produce a striking dessert.
Food Patents
Today in 1974, the one millionth U.S. patent was awarded to the Cumberland Packing Company, the creator of Sweet 'n' Low. The patent was for the product's logo, a treble clef invoking the musical connotation of the stuff's name. It was only a coincidence that it was number one million, but Cumberland points to it with pride.
Annals Of Flying And Food
Today in 1903, the Wright Brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk, proving their design for the first airplane. The flight was twelve seconds long, which didn't allow enough time for the snack and beverage service.
Music To Eat Gumbo By
This is the birthday (1937) of Art Neville, the elder statesman of the Neville Brothers and the Meters. We first heard Art's voice in 1954 on the Hawkettes' perennial Carnival hit, Mardi Gras Mambo.
Food Namesakes
Émile Roux, a French bacteriologist who was such an early participant in that field that he worked with Louis Pasteur, was born today in 1853. . Kofi Annanwas named Secretary General of the United Nations today in 1996. .Paul Butterfield, who leads the blues band that bears his name, was born today in 1942. Jim Bonfanti, lead singer for the 1970s rock group The Raspberries, was born today in 1948.
Words To Eat By
"A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap."--Mitch Hedberg,American stand-up comedian.
Words To Drink By
"Drink wine every day, at lunch and dinner, and the rest will take care of itself."--Waverly Root, American food writer of the mid-1900s.
White Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Casserole Recipe – 6 Points
If nothing says “comfort food” to you like cheesy chicken rolled up in a flour tortilla and then smothered in a creamy sauce, topped with even more cheese, well then you are in for a treat today.
This White Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Casserole Recipe is nothing short of delicious. Packed with tons of fiber and protein, these almost burrito sized enchiladas, are insanely filling. I ate one with some roasted veggies on the side and I was FULL.
These are really easy to make, and make a great large casserole recipe that can easily feed the whole family. They also make great leftovers and reheat pretty nicely.
Each White Chicken and Cheese Enchilada is just 6 Points per serving – definitely a bargain. They make the perfect Weight Watchers Recipe for when you are craving some serious Mexican comfort food.
35 of the Best Ways to Update Grandma's Favorite Recipes
We dug deep in our archives to upgrade some of our most delicious vintage dishes.
Just a few upgrades turned these dishes from the '40s and '50s into ones you'll want to make (and eat!) today.
Then: The tropical flavors that give hummingbird cake it's trademark taste hail from Jamaica. In the late 1970s, the Jamaica Tourist Board brought the fruit and spice cake to America&mdashand it's been a southern staple ever since.
Now: You can't visit a bakery in the south without indulging in a slice of this sweet and nutty cake. Hummingbird cupcakes have since made their debut&mdashthe same great flavor with less mess.
Then: This well-loved minty dessert is based off the créme de menthe cocktail, which became popular in the late 1800s. As the cocktail became a staple in American culture (especially around St. Patrick's Day because of it's green hue), people gave it a refresh by adding it to another household favorite: chocolate cake.
Today: While there's still a few folks who sip on Grasshoppers from time to time, Grasshopper pie&mdashor in this case, bars&mdashis a must-have for any gathering. The créme de menthe flavor still holds true but it's now sandwiched between layers of rich chocolate.
Then: The tradition of eating an oval or ring-shaped cake on the Christian holiday of the Epiphany dates back the Middle Ages. In 1870, the French brought this tradition to New Orleans but it wasn't until the 1970s that the famous fillings were added.
Today: Decades later, a tiny plastic baby is the prize. If you're the lucky one to get the baby in your cake slice (chew carefully!), then you are deemed "King" for the day. The cake is typically decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple (for justice), green (for faith), and gold (for power).
Then: The Germans are said to be the ones who gifted the world these sugary-sweet doughnuts. While the filling flavors might have have differed, Berliners (the German term for jelly-filled doughnuts) came onto the scene in the early 1800's.
Today: While you can still pick up a dozen of these sweet treats at your local doughnut chain, these lemon poppy seed doughnuts are even better homemade. Add the jam of your choice for a truly customized breakfast treat (or snack).
Then: Hermit cookies, a spicy cookie packed with fruit and nuts, have been around for more than a century&mdashyes, really. There's even a hermit cookie recipe that dates back to 1896 from Fannie Farmer's "The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook." The traditional version that traveled around the country for decades featured raisins and nuts&mdashand that's about it.
Today: These chewy treats are as classic as fruit cake but are even better when you drizzle on the citrusy glaze and swap out raisins for other dried fruits including dried cherries.
Then: Made with cinnamon and crackers, but&mdashsurprise&mdashno apples, this copycat treat tastes exactly like the real thing. The earliest recipes date to the mid-1850s, when pioneers moved west, away from the eastern orchards.
Today: This dessert had a renaissance in the 1930s, when Nabisco began printing the recipe on boxes of Ritz Crackers. We kept the crackers and added a tangy raspberry-swirled whipped-yogurt topping to balance out the sweetness.
Then: This dessert dates to the 1800s, when a European physicist found that warm meringue insulated ice cream so it stayed cold. The sweet regained popularity in the U.S. in the 1950s, when Alaska became a state.
Today: We turned this into a no-bake treat by swapping out the time-consuming sponge cake base for a layer of ladyfingers soaked in melted lemon sorbet. For easier assembly, we used a loaf pan instead of a round mold.
Then: Boiling green onion, cabbage and celery together made the vegetables bland and mushy. The 1972 recipe included butter and MSG, a chemical additive that was used to boost flavor but is rarely found in today's recipes. Originally, the recipe called for raw pork, which was boiled until it became tough and tasteless.
Now: Assembling the soup in a jar and simply pouring boiling water over top of the ingredients keeps new additions like carrot, bok choy and snow peas colorful and crisp. Today, chili garlic sauce and fresh ginger season the dish, making it even tastier. Subbing in shredded rotisserie chicken cuts the cooking time while keeping the meat flavorful and juicy.
Then: The only vegetable used in the original filling was onion, which was boiled with beef to eke out as much flavor as possible. The mashed potatoes were made with evaporated milk&mdasha wartime staple still popular in the 1950s. Served in four individual casseroles, the early recipe took too much time and too many dishes.
Now: We sautéed the onion and beef instead, and tossed in tomatoes, carrots and a dash of cinnamon for extra flavor. We updated the potatoes by using tangy sour cream and milk for a smooth texture. We sped things up by serving it family-style in the same skillet used to cook the beef.
Then: This classic chocolate cookie recipe originally included flour. These cookies were coated with a layer of melted semisweet chocolate, making them super-sweet. The dough needed to be chilled for 5 hours before baking.
Now: We eliminated the flour to make this and gluten-free. We ditched the coating and added bittersweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts to the batter for a richer flavor and texture. Our testing showed that there is no need for the chilling step, so now the recipe only takes 30 minutes start to finish!
Then: Processed cheese slices were dipped directly into the batter before cooking. The 1949 version included bran flake cereal for a crunchy texture. The original recipe called for these pancakes to be served without syrup.
Now: Instead of wrapped cheese, we opted for a rich, creamy ricotta to boost the flavor. We folded in whipped egg whites for a smooth and fluffy hotcake. Ours is topped with a vibrant blackberry-orange sauce, to make this a sweeter treat.
Then: The sauce didn't stick well to the elbow- shaped pasta. Originally, this dish needed to bake for 45 minutes after prep, making the total time almost 2 hours. The recipe called for pimiento cheese as the base of the sauce, making it taste processed.
Now: We used large shells to capture the cheesy goodness and add extra flavor to each bite. Putting the casserole under the broiler gives it a crusty, golden top and shaves over an hour of the total time. We sautéed fresh peppers, then added sour cream and cream cheese for a flavor upgrade.
Then: The old version was topped with meringue and needed to be served immediately. The original recipe called for a store-bought pie crust that required baking. In 1962, the mousse was set with gelatin, an ingredient that can be tricky to use.
Now: We finished ours with a chocolate whipped cream so the whole pie can be made up to one day ahead. We opted to make this a no-bake pie with a cookie crust, which shaves 30 minutes of the total time. For easier prep with fool- proof results, we melted marshmallows with chocolate.
Then: Upside-down cakes date back the the Middle Ages, but the pineapple version didn't become mainstream until 1925, when Dole Food Co. held a recipe contest to promote its exotic pineapple products. The cake gained popularity in the '50s when island fever swept through the U.S. and convenience items like canned fruit were trendy.
Today: We made individual Bundts, adding coconut milk to boxed cake mix for a tropical vibe. We also replaced the classic processed maraschino cherries with a fresh blueberry topping.
Then: These chocolate-covered creams became Cincinnati's signature sweet in the mid-19th century. The Bissinger family&mdashonce the official candymakers of the French Empire&mdashbrought them to Ohio after fleeing Paris before the Revolution of 1848. Other confectioners soon followed, sometimes adding nuts or coconut.
Now: Most early opera cream recipes required rolling out and coating each candy individually. Our version is easier and faster: We spread the cream on one large tray, topped it with chocolate, then cut it into bite-size squares. We also gave these treats a pop of color by folding in pistachios, and added a sprinkle of sea salt.
Then: Although not technically a pudding, this simple dessert gets its name from the Ozark region in the Midwest, where it originated. As it bakes, the nut-and-apple filled batter forms a crisp cookie crust over a gooey, pecan pie-like filling.
Now: When we made our 1975 version, it fell after baking&mdasha sign of too much baking powder&mdashso we halved the amount of today's recipe. We also folded in fresh blackberries and ginger to add a bit of tartness and spice, then saved some of the fruit and pecans for a pretty topping.
Then: While the original recipe for these cookies can be traced back to seventh-century Arabia, many countries have their own version. Since 1950, we've published a handful of these recipes with names like Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Teacakes and Viennese Crescents.
Now: Earlier recipes required grinding nuts and mixing dough by hand. Today, we sped things up with a food processor and let the nutty flavor stand out by cutting some sugar. We also swapped out the bitter walnuts of our 1961 version for oiler pecans, which help keep the cookies moist.
The Food Almanac: Monday, December 17, 2012 - Recipes
I love this time of year.
Not that I love January so much, but I love new beginnings.
I love moving from one house to another.
I love the first day of school, the first day of summer, the first day of the week.
I love change. I crave it.
By the same token, I tend to ignore endings by getting too wrapped up in the beginning of something new. That's not super healthy, and I'm working on changing that about me.
I read the book Paris: A Love Story over Christmas break. The author loses two great loves in the course of her story. At one of the funerals, a friend offers this question for all who remain to ponder:
I look back at 2012 and I think, "Who have I given my best to this year?"
As I move into this next year, I mull it over, "Who will get the best from me?"
Like many of you, my new years resolutions involve my family, my friends, and a little bit of exercise. As I think about who will get the best from me, I have thought about this blog. I don't post as often as I used to, but I still think about this space a lot. I like thinking about it and you, but I've decided that I need to let go of it.
In 2013, I want throw the best of my words and deeds into my family, my friends, and try a few new things, too. I will miss this little space, no doubt.
I will miss you.
I feel so blessed to have been the recipient of your best as I have learned to know so many of you over the past couple of years. Thank you for spending time here, for encouraging me, and for loving my family through your kind comments and emails.
Love,
Kimberlee
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PS. I have made it easier for you to find the recipes that I get asked for.
My favorites are in the side bar where "Love It" used to be.
