Summer Pleasures: Cool down and Rev up with Cucumber

Summertime always brings with it sun filled memories of friends, fun and multiple ways to beat the heat, like moving food prep outdoors. Firing up the grill for lamb and Portbello mushroom kebabs marinated in the sweet kiss of olive oil, balsamic and rosemary or chicken drenched in the lemony tenderness of yogurt, garlic and herbs de Provence.  I love to serve these warm weather staples along with zucchini patties dressed up in wedges of juicy lime and the thick cream of Tzatziki made with Greek yogurt, diced cucumbers, tomatoes and the bright squeeze of a lemon.  The flavors here are all complementary, vibrant and refreshing.

This sunny season is also synonymous with  fresh fruits and veggies, cookouts and chilled libations  —  particular favorites are those that cool you down and lighten you up.  As temperatures shift, you may find a sudden hankering for an icy glass of lemonade (always best drunk from a Mason jar) or the dewy sweet wetness of a wedge of watermelon and just beyond ice cream, lingers the  siren’s call of  the kind of piercingly smooth nuttiness only a frigid dish of pistachio gelato can offer.

While those things are undoubtedly delicious and refreshing there is one summer food that has them all beat — cucumber.   Why cucumber? (You might ask.)

CDC cuke2

Image via Wikipedia

Because this little gem of a fruit is packed with the majority of vitamins your body needs every day (not just during warmer weather.) Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.  Not only that, but cucumbers are so versatile and they can be used in winning summer recipes like watermelon, cucumber and red onion salad; cucumber sandwiches; greek salads; Tzatziki dip and cold cucumber gazpacho with shrimp and melon.
But the miracle of cucumber doesn’t stop with stand-out nutrition or that juicy yet crisp, sweet flavor, it’s also chock full of not so common uses, from treating late afternoon fatigue and migraines to solving household problems like garden pests and foggy bathroom mirrors. Not to mention the spa-like benefits of the combined aroma  (to relax you) and tonic properties of cucumbers (to aid in battle against cellulite and refresh your skin.)


And because cucumbers are high in B vitamins they can give you that extra special boost, propelling you through your afternoon slump, crash-free.  Not only that, but eating a cucumber can leave you with sweet smelling breath, helping to neutralize that icky bacteria in your mouth. They can even help you battle a hangover.

TIP: Before hitting the sheets, after a long day sipping mojitos in the backyard, nosh on a few slices of cucumber. The combination of  sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes helps the body to replenish itself and avoid that nagging headache.

Though I love cucumbers in salads, Bánh mì sandwiches and sliced on bagels with a shmear of cream cheese,  ripe tomatoes and  red onion, my all-time favorite use for cucumber has got to be the simplest — thin slices of cucumber floating in a glass of clear, cool water. There is just nothing more refreshing than cucumber flavored water with maybe a sprig or two of mint.

What’s your favorite recipe for cucumbers?

Top Food Books and Movies: Recommendations for the Hungry

There are so many great books and movies that tell stories of relationships through food. So many, in fact, that it is truly hard to know where to begin. This is why I have decided to just begin by making a listing of all those that I have read or seen and then I will slowly work my way down the list, one at a time, to describe them in snapshot. If they are on these lists, I assure you, I have seen or read and enjoyed them.

Cover of "Fatso"

Cover of Fatso

Of course there are some movies and books that others may feel belong on these lists, but to me, food does not just have to make appearance it must be used as a character, a plot device or central theme. Therefore, for example a movie like Fatso, starring Dom Deluise, which is funny and charming and sweet and does have food in it, would still not appear on my lists. The food is a minor element (it’s not even yummy to look at nor is it intended to evoke anything other than disgust at its heaviness and in the overall gluttony of it all) it is instead a story about acceptance, which I love but it does not qualify as foodie territory for me.

Then there are movies at which others cringe like, The Cook, Thief, His Wife and Her Lover for being on my list. I can understand the trepidation some others may have at inclusion of this movie because the  unappetizing, yet well-deserved finale, leaves some stomachs turning. But this for me is one of the finest movies there is, not only for it’s beautiful presentations of food as well as the phenomenal lighting and artistic direction that make this film truly a visual feast but because food is integral to the story —  not just as setting but as device and quite literally, in the end as character. This one knocks it out of the park, especially for someone like me, who both enjoys reading and cooking. The idea of falling in love through one’s love for food (and books ) is utterly sumptuous. Plus, it stars the incomparable (and sumptuous in her own right), Helen Mirren. This one is a MUST SEE on my foodie list.

FOOD PORN

A good food story makes you hungry, inspires you to make new dishes or even order in a certain type of food. It is, in effect, food porn. It ignites your fire for the epicurean delights that await you in this wide world, with it’s presentation, focus, writing or dialogue about the food. Really good foodie movies and books do this through the eyes of one or more culinarily impassioned characters and imbue you with the fever of their love, inspiring you to greater heights.

When I did my cleanse a few weeks back and certain glorious foods were off limits to me, movies and books like these helped me to feel a bit less deprived, satiating my desires through the sights, sounds and tastes described therein.

So, if you’re looking for some foodie approved recommendations for your reading and viewing pleasure, check out my newly posted list of books and movies in the Groo-V Books and Groo-V Movies sections of the site.

Feel free to post your own favorites for me to explore and add to the list.

Like good food this site is meant to be shared.

Thanksgiving’s Unconventional Turkey: au Francais

Anyone for leftovers? . . .Not me.

This year, unlike those in the past, I will not be cooking for a roomful of people. Nor will I be bringing a large amount of oyster and chestnut dressing or pumpkin custard pies, as a guest, to someone else’s shindig.  No, this year’s Thanksgiving will be quiet and intimate with just my hubby and our 2-year-old son.

Which made me think, why do we need a big bird hanging around in our fridge after the festivities? We are not huge on leftovers in my household. There are, of course exceptions.  I’ll always take leftover salmon kedgeree (for breakfast with some  sliced, freshly boiled eggs), homemade soups or stews and enchiladas. Other than that, no one much cares for leftovers in my household.




The thought of coming up with a host of new and stupefying ways to use leftover turkey meat (whose flavors degrade rapidly after it’s initially served) seems  a bit like torture to me.  If you love it, I’ll leave you and the thousands of other Foodpress bloggers out there, as they are sure to tickle your fancy with their astounding homages to this thankful beast.

I, however, will not be taking part because I have come up with a stunning plan for those of us who A) are hosting a smaller and more intimate gathering B) are more adventurous in our cravings and do not need to adhere to strict codes of tradition in our fare and C) who are loathe for the leftover adventure.

The menu at my house this year will consist of turkey breast only (it’s what we fight for in my household anyway.) But when you make the decision to work only with turkey breast, you have to ensure that the breast meat will remain juicy and flavorful, not drying out. This is why I have decided to look to the French in their infinite culinary wisdom and am making Turkey Roulade (rolled up, stuffed meat) using caulfat to seal in the juices and add extra flavor. My recipe is inspired by the Chicken Roulade made by Vitaly Paley at the extraordinary Paley’s Place restaurant, here in Portland.

Paley's Place restaurant in Portland

Caulfat (sometimes called lace fat), for the uninitiated, is the fatty abdominal membrane that encases the internal organs of animals like cows, sheep and pigs. The French use this on ballotines, crepinettes and pates and when wrapped around lean meats, it melts away as it bakes, infusing the meat with moisture and flavor. The caulfat from pigs is prized for its flavor and the fineness of its webbing and it’s what I will be using in my Turkey Roulade. If you doubt the power of caulfat, I have but one word for you — bacon. Just as bacon kicks everything up a notch with a pizzazz that only pork can bring, so too, does caulfat.

The wonderfully savory, lacy filigree that is caulfat

Now that you know what it is, where do you get your hands on it? Caulfat can usually be found at ethnic grocers and full service butcher shops, though some may need to special order it for you, so be sure and allow a few days lead time when checking with your local butcher.

I will be filling mine with a savory mixed mushroom and meat stuffing along with that boneless turkey breast and topping it all with pear cider gravy. But you can take the basics here and come up with your own unique spin on the Roulade. Vitaly Paley’s delectable Chicken Roulade recipe can be found here in his Paley’s Place Cookbook.

Cover of "The Paley's Place Cookbook: Rec...

Cover via Amazon

Turkey Roulade

1 whole, skin on, bone in turkey breast

1  large sheet of caulfat

2 shallots, finely chopped

1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion, chopped

2 bunches fresh thyme (one left whole, the other de-leaved and chopped)

1 bunch of fresh sage (a handful of which you should de-leave and chop)

4 cloves of garlic

8 ounces of fresh crimini mushrooms, brushed and chopped

1/2 pound of ground turkey, dark meat

Olive Oil

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Soak the caulfat in cold water for an hour or so to remove any blood from the membrane (this will allow it to have the lovely white color instead of a pink pallor.) If the water becomes discolored, change it to continue leaching the excess blood from the membrane.

De-bone your turkey breast and carefully pull back the skin from the breast, removing it in one whole sheet. Lay the skin down on a clean cutting board, so that the inside of the skin is facing you. Carefully remove any excess fat and discard, leaving a fairly clean-looking, thin layer of turkey skin. Refrigerate it along with the breast meat.

Saute the shallots and mushrooms in 2 tbsp of olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, until the shallots begin caramelizing along the edges and the mushrooms are browned. This gives the mixture a sweeter taste, perfect with the pear gravy. Set them aside to cool. (HEALTH AND SAFETY NOTE: do not stuff poultry with hot or warm food as this could promote foodborne illness.)

In a bowl, fold together your chopped onion, garlic, and the handfuls of chopped sage and thyme with the ground turkey meat, along with 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Squeeze your caulfat dry, spreading it out on a clean cutting board, and cut it in half. Set it aside.

Remove your turkey breast and skin from the fridge, spreading the skin out flat (again with the inside facing you) and cut it in half, vertically, as well. Generously season the skin. Take a portion of your ground turkey mixture and place it flattened and even upon the chicken skin (about the same width and length of your turkey breast.)  Season the turkey breast with salt and pepper on both sides and place it on top of the flattened mixture, pulling the excess skin around the edges of the breast.

On the bottom half of one of your flat, stretched caulfat pieces place more of the ground turkey mixture, (again, approximately the length and width of the breast) and then place the turkey breast with it’s mixture and skin carefully in tact (skin side up) on top of the ground turkey mixture on the caulfat, patting it down to flatten it. (If you have any of the ground meat mixture left you could use this in a side dressing or for breakfast the next day.)

Carefully pull up the edge closest to you of the caulfat and pull it up as far as it will go up the side of the chicken breast. Then carefully begin to roll the chicken and it’s mixture up in the caulfat, tucking the ends in and creating a tidy package. Remember not to wrap it too loosely (your filling will fall out) or too tightly as it will crack the caulfat as it cooks. Repeat on the second breast.

Then in a large skillet, with 2 tbsp of olive oil,  saute your roulades (one at a time if your skillet is smaller) over medium heating, bringing them to a golden brown on all sides. Move them to a roasting pan lined with your remaining thyme and sage and let them cook in a 400 degree oven  until done, about 40 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.

Once done, remove from oven and let sit for five minutes covered, to seal in the juices before slicing. Serve with your favorites.

We’ll be having ours with roasted chestnut soup, savory bread pudding, baked yams with cinnamon butter, Gruyère popovers, kale with almonds in orange muscat champagne vinegar and cranberry and clementine relish. For dessert there’s always room for mini-caramel eclairs and a tunnel of fudge cake.

Caramel eclairs -- What a mouthful!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding this Holiday Season

 

So many pumpkins, so little baking time.

I love bread pudding. I am haunted by the smell of that cinnamon laced, raisin-laden, custardy treat and have been since my childhood, when my mother often made this warm and comforting dish. I had no idea, as a child, that mom did so because it was a super affordable dessert to make for us kids, clamoring for sweets during a Reagan-era recession.

Affordable and easy to make, all you really need for a basic bread pudding is some stale (or toasted fresh bread), a few eggs, some milk, sugar and spice and you have a delectable dessert for the whole family.

Over the years I have experimented with my bread pudding recipe and created quite a high brow repertoire using ingredients like currants instead of raisins, pannetone or croissants in place of week old white bread. I have added chunks of dagoba chocolate, flecks of lavendar and lemon rind. I have also topped it with homemade ice cream — hard, chocolate and caramel sauces and savored the tart juxtaposition of raspberry liquor poured straight atop a deep, dark chocolate bread pudding.

But for this time of year when the comfort food reigns — I remain simple in my offerings with this straight-forward pumpkin version, topped with fresh whipped cream and maple candied pecans.

Best of all, it’s delish for breakfast the next day. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding w/candied maple pecans and whipped cream

1 15 oz of mashed or canned pumpkin
3 eggs lightly beaten
1 loaf lightly toasted and torn into pieces Challah
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup of butter
2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear or cube the bread of your choice into small pieces (if you would like add raisins, dried cranberries or currents to the bread, put into a buttered or greased casserole or large baking dish and set aside. Be sure that whatever dish you choose can fit easily inside a larger baking pan filled halfway with water for baking. Slightly beat eggs just until mixed not foamy and set aside. Put butter, milk and cream in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted and milk mixture is heated but not scalded- set aside. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl pour pumpkin, milk and butter mixture, sugars, salt, spices, vanilla and eggs- whisk together. Pour mixture into the bread taking care to fold the bread and pumpkin mixture together to coat all pieces of bread. Set the larger pan in the oven on the rack and then place the baking dish with mixture inside the larger pan. Using a tea kettle or large pour measuring cup, carefully pour hot or boiling water, into the larger pan (be sure not to get water in the bread pudding) until the larger pan is half full. Carefully slide pans back into the oven making sure not to dump the hot water into the pudding or onto your self. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Candied Maple Toasted Pecans (or walnuts)

Heat a small skillet and dry toast 1 cup roughly chopped pecans continuing to move the nuts so they do not burn (about 1 minute) add ½ teaspoon of butter let it melt as you continue to stir the nuts into the butter- take care that it does not brown, add 3 Tbsp of dark maple syrup and continue to stir mixture as syrup bubbles and carmelizes onto pecans. Once mixture has thickened and nuts are coated remove from heat and let cool on a plate.

Serve pumpkin bread pudding warm or cold with fresh whipped cream and topped with candied pecans.

Yields: 8-12 servings

Can You Still Eat Well and Do a Cleanse? Oh Yeah!

It's gonna be alright -- we have figs!

It’s gonna be alright — we have figs!

 

In effort to feel (and be) a bit healthier, I have embarked on a cleanse. It’s a three week cleanse and it’s based on the anti-inflammatory diet (an elimination diet that requires you leave inflammatory foods like dairy, wheat, sugar, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, red meat, processed foods and rice by the wayside.) In addition, I drink a nutritional supplement powder recommended by my Naturopath, called ClearVite. (It works to help your liver detox while feeding your body vitamins, minerals, fiber and good gut bacteria.)

You should know — I’m NOT a diet girl. Never have been, never will be. I don’t believe in diets because they set you up for failure and because I love food. Not in an overeater kind of way but in an appreciation for life, sharing meals with friends and family and discovering new flavors kind of way. Food, of course, is a passion of mine.  I write about it, I review it, I cook it, explore it, share it and obviously eat it. I can remember meals that shifted my world: the first bowl of Pho; the first bite of Kitfo; noshing on baquette, cheese and grapes in the shade of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; the orgasmically satisfying chevre marinated in herbs d’ provence I had for dessert in a Bistro in Avignon that was so startlingly flavorful it flushed my cheeks and left me unable to finish more than two bites and gnocchi in Sienna that melted like butter in my mouth found in a tiny mom and pop joint. These were unforgettable meals and unforgettable times.

So, while I am excited about having more energy and improved digestion (and a revved up metabolism to boot) as a result of this cleanse, I must tell you that hell on earth for any foodie worth their Fleur de Sel, is a cleanse. Just the idea that ANY food is off limits to your discerning palate can instantly throw one headlong into panicked cravings. I am proud to say, I am no exception.

But I am resolved to see this cleanse through to the end and in a show of support, my hubby has joined me in the deprivation. But of course, if you have to be deprived, you know you have to do it in style. I’m looking at this cleanse as a challenge of my culinary skills. Working to consistently design meal combinations that provide the nutritional heft (read veggie and fiber rich), exquisitely delicious and filling, sans the carbs is a bit more difficult than you might think. Especially when chocolate is your ultimate weakness. But onward and upward.

The first three days were extremely difficult. As with most cleanses, we battled mood swings, cravings, constant hung pangs and various aches and pains. Today, I am on the first day of Week 2, getting the hang of my new food routine and how to manage all the other issues that are a result of toxins being released and working their way out of my system.

Here in photos, is a sampling of the what we’ve been eating at Groo-V household:

 

Salmon in broth with fennel tops and french green beans, topped with spring pea, watercress and mint puree

 

Sauteing mirepoix for 17 bean stew

Homemade mayo (red wine vinegar instead of lemon) for tuna salad, salad

broiled chickenswordfish-1024x682