Food: Avocado Showdown

GETTING CREATIVE WITH AVOCADOS

Everyone knows that avocados are good for you – they’re known as a superfood!

I mean even avocado toast is a thing. I don’t feel like I need to reiterate all the benefits but I’d love to tell you about an upcoming event in Vancouver to do specifically with avocados from Mexico because let’s face it, they’re the best! An event I’m invited to attend and sample all of the dishes. Good thing I love avocados!

The second annual Avoshowdown, hosted by Avocados from Mexico, returns to Vancouver , B.C. on Sunday, April 10, 2016 at the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver (2725 Main St, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m)

Local food lovers and culinary leaders will participate on Sunday April 10^th, as 16 of Vancouver’s talented cooks and bakers showcase their creativity by creating an avocado dish for competition. Six food and lifestyle experts will judge by a blind-tasting.

With the success and popularity of last year’s culinary competition, Avocados from Mexico is celebrating the return of the Avoshowdown with bigger prizes, including roundtrip travels to a Mexican all-inclusive resort, courtesy of Club Med Canada. This time, the competition is open to the public.

Did you know?

Of all avocados consumed in Canada, 80% of avocados come from Mexico. Mexico is the world’s top avocado producer (over 1,200 growers in the Michoacán region), far outranking the United States and Chile. Currently, Canada is the second biggest importer of Mexican avocados, ranking under the United States and just above Japan. Venue host chef Jonathan Kinney from the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver will teach attendees to create their own avocado dish; and cocktail master, Justin Darnes of Drinks Undressed will reveal a spectacular avocado cocktail that he is creating exclusively for this event . An assortment of avocado appetizers will be created by the team at Northwest Culinary Academy to showcase the versatility of using Avocados from Mexico in every meal.

This year’s competing categories:

Savoury Dish (voted by judges)
Dessert/Pastry (voted by judges)
Foodie’s Choice (voted by entrants and spectators)

For more recipe ideas, nutritional information and tips, visit www.avocadosfrommexico.ca.

Here is the link to my vegetarian ceviche recipe (with Avocados of course):

https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2013/07/30/simply-satisfying-vegetarian-ceviche/

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Terracotta Clay Pot Cooking & BBQ

A new discovery. Well for me it might be relatively new, but I believe it’s an ancient tradition having originated in Tuscany, Italy around 800BC. It involves arranging food in a clay pot and sticking it in the oven.

Photo: d. king Hearty Bolognese Sauce — Photo: d. king
**Hearty Bolognese Sauce**

My pot resembles a beautiful large bowl. Until recently it was more of a decoration looking so pretty just sitting on top of a burner that I didn’t want to disturb it. But I decided to do just that. I was sure that anything this fine looking would make the food equally fine tasting. I felt inspired to actually try cooking with it and so be it!

I’ve been cooking like crazy with it and so far there has been nothing that has not come out other than superb tasting. I know the pot is mostly responsible for this so thought I’d share a few things about clay cooking because I’m not sure how popular it is. I know that using a pressure-cooker and slow-cooker is more the norm but this is fantastic and since this is also a life/style blog it looks pretty impressive taking it out of the oven.

Photo: d. king Spanish Chicken Marbella — Photo: d. king
**Spanish Chicken Marbella** (served over wild rice)

“Hey I’ve got a great looking pot and something even better inside it – eat your heart out!” – d. king

Cooking in a clay pot is a lot different than cooking with other materials like ceramic or stainless steel because clay is porous. In fact, just to be on the safe side I soak the whole pot (lid and all) in water for about 20 minutes before using it. Then, when all the ingredients are inside, I place the pot in the oven before turning the oven on so everything warms up gradually.

The lack of enamel or glaze means the hard-baked clay “breathes”, enabling water to be absorbed and then released during cooking to achieve moist, intensely flavourful results with little to no seasonings. The slow, steady evaporation of steam from within the clay pot’s unglazed pores and the double sealed lid is what makes this possible.

Slow cooking is so much faster using a clay pot. It cooked the contents inside set on a low oven temperature of 300F evenly and flavourfully in all of one hour. Unbelievable!

Safety: most risk of lead contamination comes from glazed, ceramic dishes and pots. Make sure your clay pot is unglazed and has been certified by an independent third party lab as lead-free and that no chemical treatments have been applied to the clay during manufacturing of the clay pots. Then enjoy experimenting with them!

Have you ever cooked using clay? If so, share your thoughts?

Judgment day:

My experience as a black box judge in the “creative category” from competing teams at a barbeque fundraising event where the winner received thousands of dollars in prize money along with bragging rights. Sponsored by the Kansas City Barbeque Society:

From Farm to Table

This happened on Sunday out on a farm with lots of people and great live music. It was an interesting experience because all the cooks and organizers take it quite seriously. Southern style BBQ is a technique in which meat is cooked at low temperatures (about 225F) for a long time over indirect heat. No gas/propane allowed, the heat source is charcoal and wood. Judges were briefed beforehand and there was a follow-up discussion. Each competing team was given a time limit and received four mystery ingredients to be incorporated into a single dish and submitted to the distinguished panel of judges (at least that’s what was printed in the event schedule, ha!) where points were awarded based on originality, taste, texture and presentation. I was sitting in between the owner of a winery and a man who is almost certainly a professional food judge who had lots of stories.

The four main ingredients were pork loin, duck breast, dried tarragon and sushi rice so you can only imagine. Quite impressive what the participants came up with! A little glimpse into the world of what it must be like to be on one of those cooking shows – nerve wracking but challenging to have to come up with something under pressure. The real meaning of pressure cooking! I think I awarded points very fairly although I was a tough critic.

So tonight I’m making something with no more than four ingredients……to witness what turns out! A challenge to myself – no award $$$, possible bragging rights!

Photos: d. king

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Grill Talk: Barn Burner BBQ!

I enjoy the competition when it’s worthwhile!

We’re not in Kansas anymore – but it sure feels like it!

The BARBEQUE BONANZA is Back!

Word must have gotten out that I’ve either done the barbeque circuit or that I just like to eat a lot of barbequed foods. Both are true. For this reason, it makes sense that I’m one of the chosen ones to judge a “best of barbeque” contest. I take this position very seriously and in doing so must sample all of the participating chefs “best of”. Tough work.

From Farm to Table

The second annual Barn Burner BBQ, co-presented by Johnston’s Pork and Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry is back Sunday, March 20 at the Farm Store, 4540 Simmons Rd (in Chilliwack, BC) to kick off the 2016 BBQ season.

This free-to-attend, family-friendly BBQ extravaganza is officially sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society. Donations will be accepted upon entry for Envision Financial’s Full Cupboard, which benefits the Chilliwack care and share community food bank.The competition will witness the battle of the BBQs in four main categories: Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken, and Ribs. The winning team with the highest total points in all four categories will take home their share of $5000 in prize money along with the Barn Burner BBQ Grand Championship trophy and bragging rights.

Teams will also compete in a BBQ “Black Box” cook-off (this is where I come in). This “Iron Chef” style competition gives these BBQ competitors a chance to show off their more creative side. It is sure to be a very tasty battle.

Chef Dez, local celebrity and cookbook author, will be returning as the emcee, while meat lovers of all ages are invited to join the festivities including a live band performance, (climbing wall & face-painting for the kiddies) and free samples of delicious BBQ meat. If the samples don’t quite fill you up, Poomba’s Smokehouse Food Truck will be on site selling even more bbq.

BBQ is NOT grilling!!

A bit about BBQ:

There is a very distinct difference between the two. Just ask anyone that knows BBQ and they will tell you all about it.

Southern style BBQ is a technique in which meat is cooked at low temperatures (about 225 F) for a long time over indirect heat. The heat source is charcoal and wood. No gas/propane is allowed. The Barn Burner BBQ competition consists of four main categories: Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken and Ribs. Brisket is cooked for 12 – 16 hours. Ribs take approx. 6 hours & chicken approx. 4 hours.

About The Full Cupboard:

Established by Envision Financial, The Full Cupboard is an innovative community program designed to raise food, funds, and awareness for food banks in the communities where Envision Financial operates. Their goal is to raise 1 million dollars and 100,000 pounds of food by 2023. Since 2013 they’ve raised more than $340,000 and 30,000 pounds of food. Donations are accepted online or at any Envision Financial Branch location.

About Barn Burner:

The Second Annual Barn Burner BBQ competition brings together fiercely competitive BBQ Pitmasters from all over the Pacific Northwest, Alberta and Saskatchewan. They will gather in Chilliwack to showcase their BBQ skills and compete for the ultimate prize- the Grand Championship of the Barn Burner BBQ. This local event is fully sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society and expects to attract thousands of BBQ lovers from the Lower Mainland. Visitors will experience a fun-filled day of tasting BBQ samples, family activities and live music. Learn more at barnburnerbbq.ca

Parking will be available near the event. There will be a free shuttle to take you from the parking lot to the event site.

It’s free (or by donation), it’s food, it’s fun, it’s family, it’s farm, it’s far (but not too far to enjoy an outing that invites Summer a little early on in the season). With an excuse to wear my cowboy boots. It’s Fabulous.

Do you love Barbeque?

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

FOOD Fad: I’ve Got a Bone to Pick

FOOD FANATICS see trends come and go, but sometimes chefs can take a good thing and turn it into a cliché. Case in point: these bone dishes we’ve been seeing a little too much of:

Marrow Overkill — A giant shank cut lengthwise is too much of a good thing. (I went to a top buffet in Vegas where they had platters of bone marrow). My friend was like “omg they have bone marrow…I’m so going for that”. I did too but it wasn’t the high point of my dinner.

Bone-In Burger — A burger with a bone sticking out just for laughs is…laughable.
Bone Broth — C’mon: Broth was made with bones centuries before the paleo craze.

I’m laughing because all of a sudden “bone broth” is a thing. People are drinking the liquid all day long as a medicinal to prevent sickness or keep from getting more sick than they already are (like when you have a basic cold).

Most of us grew up with our grandmothers making soup from scratch which meant first making a stock from chicken or beef bones – same as today (unless you buy “already made” broth from a can or box which every grocery stores sells). I know people who buy broth from a butcher for $10 a litre. To make a good batch of soup you’d need at least 3-4 litres. And to make your own don’t forget that marrow no longer comes cheap. At $4-5 a lb. it doesn’t seem like much but you’ll need several bones to make a large pot of soup and with all the extras you can prepare to spend about $30 to make it worthwhile. Anything time consuming you want to have lots of.

Making a homemade *stock (or broth) from bones does take time to do properly but it’s so worthwhile. You cannot recreate a good soup solely from adding Knorr® bouillon cubes to water. But if a recipe calls for only adding a little stock (eg: rice or risotto) I use “better than bouillon” in its many forms (beef, chicken or veggie depending). It’s the next best thing if homemade is not on hand.

I credit the bone broth trend for giving me a kick to going back to making wholesome soups from scratch.

Homemade Beef Broth - made with bones — Back to Basic Homemade Beef Broth

Nothing replaces it. The ‘bone broth’ most people are now referring to is the kind that you cook for up to two days where the bones begin to disintegrate and then you strain everything through a sieve to get only the liquid. This has to be done with chicken because beef bones don’t really disintegrate entirely. I can’t even tell you how long it would take if they did. With beef you make sure to get bones with as much marrow in them as possible because the marrow is what gives you the nutritive qualities that have all the healthy benefits. Bone broth builds bones, and the likely reason is it’s high in gelatin — collagen. And collagen is what provides the framework for good bones. That’s what’s needed to lay on calcium and other minerals. Gelatin is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and has benefits ranging from reducing wrinkles (I’m told it’s even better than botox but I wouldn’t know!), healing joints, building stronger bones, and even improving dental health. The biggest benefit of gelatin is that it is apparently a gut healer.I’ve been buying large grass fed beef shanks with marrow and add **oxtail for flavour. I brown them first before putting them into my large slow cooker set on high for one hour and then low for as long as it takes for the marrow to soften and the meat to fall away from the bones. Last time it took 36 hours. This is the original slow cooking. They will create their own juices over time (just make sure you check to make sure they don’t dry out – add water if you need to) but you can always put them into a large pot of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for hours. Then once cool, remove all the bones, cut up the meat and set aside. Then cut up your veggies (garlic, onion, celery, carrots) and add spices and 2-3 bay leaves to the pot. If using a slow cooker you can now add water. I put some of the bones back in with the vegetables and remove once the veggies are fully cooked. Once the veggies are soft and the stock is tasting good I then add the meat and a bunch of cut-up kale and sometimes serve over tiny egg noodles or macaroni for added heartiness. See? It’s so easy – just that everyone is in so much in a hurry now to have it…now.

A great pot of soup is nurturing and at this time of year especially there’s always some on hand in my house either in the fridge or freezer. And it tastes like what your grandmother used to make. Which is all the rage.

Nice to know grannies are trending

*The only difference between a stock and a broth is a stock uses bones, and a broth is the liquid the meat was cooked in.

**Oxtail: not only does it add more flavour but it also contains trace amounts of calcium, with 10 milligrams of calcium present in 100 grams of oxtail and is a very good source of iron.

Do you make soup from scratch or try to cut corners? – just wondering.

Girl Who Would be King

Eat.Drink.Dance.Listen – Blue Martini Jazz

my first (not completely) unhappy review – and hopefully my last

Last Saturday I went with a friend to the newly opened Blue Martini Jazz Café to listen to live music – the wonderful Dawn Pemberton and her band were performing and they were excellent; a mix of R&B, Jazz, Funk and World Beat music which I love. The ambience was reminiscent of a true dinner/jazz club which is lacking in Vancouver. I can also walk to this place from home which is a big plus.

The friend I went with had been there for Dine Out Vancouver and said the food was great. Here’s the complaint:

We only wanted to order one glass of wine and share some appies while listening to a few sets. I only complain when necessary and hate to do so; but I became that woman for the duration of the evening. And I believe that it only helps for the owners to know when a customer is not satisfied.

So we decide to order a glass of red wine each, a salad and an antipasto platter for two.

The waiter tells us the wine we want (which is on the menu) is not available (they just haven’t yet taken it off the menu) but he can bring us a comparable one in its place. He wasn’t planning to tell us that the one replacing it will cost us each $4 more – something made me ask (I must have felt suspect because I do not normally ask the price of something that should be a given). We order a glass anyway.

He brings the bottle and starts to pour directly from bottle to wine glass. It looks like a taster. Which brings me to question how many ounces they serve. He says six. I say it looks more like four. I finish in five sips and decide not to order more wine. Maybe should have gone with a martini. Waiter comes back and says “sorry, my mistake, we pour five ounces only.” I still think my pour (like how would he really know since he didn’t measure and the pours were not even) was less but don’t want to start complaining as the company and music are perfect.

We order a zesty Caesar salad to split. It was good even though the croutons were from a box. It should be noted that this place charges $4 to split orders although that either does not count for salads or they decided not to charge us.

The shared Antipasto Platter was a different matter – it was a total disappointment. Why? Because the menu reads: Italian Cheeses, cold cuts, pickles, smoked salmon, artichokes, olives, arugula and buffalo burrata. At $16 per person (total $32 for the platter) Sounds great right?

It came with no bread. We had to ask and they brought us 4 little pieces. It came with no cheese that we can recall (remember we were not the least bit tipsy on 4 ounces of wine) except for two teensy tiny slices of mozzarella (believe me when I tell you there was no way on earth it was burrata – it was not the least bit creamy) on a slice of tomato. One slice was double the size so we had to flip a coin for fun to see which one of us would be the lucky one to have it – I won. There was a pile of arugula in the middle of the plate with a few pieces of artichoke underneath, a few of the tiniest gherkins we’ve ever seen, 4-5 regular sized green olives, two slices of smoked salmon and an assortment of rolled-up deli meats (mortadella, pepperoni, the usual where I can’t pronounce the names) but it didn’t even out with the rest of the plate.

I ask the waiter to see the menu again just to make sure there was mention of other cheese or cheeses in this case. Sure enough the first thing mentioned on the antipasto platter is Italian Cheeses (see, it’s even plural which suggests more than one kind). So I question him – where was the cheese? He tells us there was a little shaved parmesan on top of the arugula (there may have been but neither of us noticed). I asked about the burrata. He said it’s buffalo burrata. I say it’s a way of misleading customers – it’s just another word for regular mozzarella cheese – of the plainest kind. The couple sitting across from us said the same thing – “why would they write cheeses on the menu when they only give you three little pieces?” I said you got three pieces, we only got two?” They only complain to us that they’re not satisfied.

We ask for the bill. We’re still hungry but don’t want to order anything else.

Because it was obvious we were not satisfied we got a piece of dessert on the house to share – which was tasty. We laugh it off to an unpleasant experience – like something crazy out of a Seinfeld episode or Sex and the City.

We go back to my place and my friend asks if I have any food so I go into the fridge, take out some stuff and we sit on the sofa and watch an episode of a 4-part documentary series on Netflix – Chelsea Does on Racism. It lightened up our evening.

Will I go back to Blue Martini?

I really wanted to love this place. I understand that rents are high and there is no cover charge but please do not take advantage of good customers who may become regulars. I like to support live music and buy CD’s. I’m crazy enough to go back at some point, sit at the bar, order one martini and just listen to the live music….maybe.

What do you think – Am I nuts?

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Food – back to basics

40 days and 40 nights – that’s how much time I spent eating in restaurants while away over the holidays and beyond.

Maple Dijon Pork Chops seved over rice with side of crispy oven-baked kale. Photo: d. king — **Maple Dijon Pork Chops** served over rice with a side of crispy oven-baked kale. **Photo**: d. king

That’s a lot of eating out, and more than I’m used to because I normally prefer to cook at home and eat out only on occasion.

A relatively small fridge in a hotel room can only hold so much. It’s great for juice, coffee cream, breakfast stuff like yogurt and snacky items but since there was nothing to cook on I got to try out all sorts of restaurants. So if anyone is going to Palm Springs or Las Vegas I have a whack load of recommendations.

What’s funny about all of this is that when I told my friends, I found out that most of them thought it was great. Turns out they’d prefer to eat out in restaurants rather than have to cook. At first it was fun but then it felt a bit strange not having to do anything. No shopping, no preparation, no cleanup, no nothing. I started to miss it. I ended up going to grocery stores, buying what I could that would be easy to assemble in a hotel room which was mostly salad items. And picking up ready made stuff for picnics – which is another way of eating out~~side~~.

It was a good test. I got to try a lot of good restaurants and miraculously ended up gaining only a few pounds which could have been a lot worse but I’m reversing the damage – I’m just about back to where I was. Luckily I did a lot of walking, swimming and some running while away.

So when I got home 3 weeks ago I decided to cook all meals at home (except for when a friend took me out for a belated birthday celebration and vice versa). I decided to stick with simple, wholesome feel-good, healthy (mostly) comfort meals. A lot of steamed or oven roasted vegetables, fish, chicken, lasagna, soup and I brought my slow-cooker (crock-pot) out of hiding. I’ve been making a whole lot of stuff in that.

Here’s a recipe which is easy to make, rich in flavour and simply delicious.

Slow Cooked Maple Dijon Pork Chops

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

4 bone-in (preferably) pork chops

1 large yellow onion, chopped

6 tbsp pure maple syrup

4 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

Heat up the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the pork chops and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sear both sides of chops over high heat (about 2 minutes per side) then transfer to your Crock Pot.

Lower the heat to medium low and add the onions. Cook until onions are just starting to soften then add the cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes and then pour sauce over chops in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve chops drizzled generously with sauce.

Time:

active time ~ 10 minutes

total time ~ 7 hours

ENJOY!

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Food: CHEFS’ Table – CURRY CUP challenge

FOR CURRY LOVERS ONLY. Here’s something that may pique your interest if you live in Vancouver. For those not able to attend, I’ve posted one of my Indian curry recipes below.

CHEFS Confirmed for 3rd Annual Curry Cup

[Vancouver, BC] On March 7, 2016, the *Chefs’ Table Society of BC’s third annual Curry Cup returns to Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St., Vancouver from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Each ticket includes samples of curry from all the teams (listed below); wine from Evolve Cellars, beer from R&B Brewing, alcoholic & non-alcoholic drink samples created by Lauren Mote, and an entertaining evening.

For many chefs and their brigades, curry is the ultimate family-style meal, the proud product of a cook’s cultural heritage.

Photo: d. king (my recipe below)

This year’s COMPETING CHEFS will present their version of a Curry dish:

Trevor Bird, Fable Kitchen
Clement Chan, Torafuku
Justin Cheung, Longtail Kitchen
Jonathan Chovancek, Cook Culture/Bittered Sling
Tret Jordan, Homer St. Café
Roger Ma, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Frank Gort , Marriott Pinnacle (Showcase Restaurant & Bar)

Last year’s winner, Rob Ratcliffe, Hawksworth Restaurant, will be back this year but this time as a judge, along with Sonia Beeksma, Global BC, Meeru Dhalwala, Vij’s, My Shanti, Rangoli, Barbara- Jo McIntosh, Barbara -Jo’s Books to Cooks, and Mijune Pak, Follow Me Foodie.

Emcee for the evening is once again Vancouver’s “Man About Town” Fred Lee.

Proceeds from the event go to support Growing Chefs, an organization that teaches children how to grow and cook their own food.

Tickets, $60 (+ taxes & fees), are now on sale and moving quickly. Get yours here. The first 80 tickets purchased will also receive a Chefs’ Table Society of BC organic cotton tote bag (to be picked up at the Curry Cup).

About the Chefs’ Table Society:

*The Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia is a non-profit society comprised of BC’s leading chefs and culinary professionals. It is a chef-administered, province-wide collaborative dedicated to creating a foundation for the exchange of information between culinary professionals. The Society supports innovative and sustainable programs that will inspire, educate and nurture BC chefs, producers and the local food industry. The Chefs’ Table Society secures apprenticeships for and bestows bursaries to emerging local chefs and also finances culinary education programs in BC schools. For more information or to become a member visit chefstablesociety.com.

Not to worry, we all love curry especially those on the jury. — *Not to worry*, **we all love curry** especially those on the jury who are in no hurry (because they want to keep sampling…*.just to make sure*).

Oh; I’m also a poet, but I bet you already know it (or a rapper – ha, ha goofing around)

What I’m not is an official judge of this CC, however my consolation prize is to be a judge of an upcoming new annual Barn Burner BBQ (yeah; bring it on!) event. I’ll tell you about that later. In the meantime….

My “crazy for curry” Indian recipe

https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2015/04/20/cooking-crazy-for-curry/

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Food: Savoury Soufflé

VALENTINES day is this coming Sunday so why not make something different and surprise him or her with a super tasting savoury spinach/cheese soufflé?

You were probably thinking chocolate right?

A soufflé (I love the sound of the word – it rhymes with “to play”) is likely something you don’t make very often if at all, and most people love them. A perfect soufflé is always crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. This recipe comes courtesy of my friend Ruth who recently made it to rave reviews including mine. Now I’m making it too. I might even double the decadence and make *chocolate soufflé (my recipe below) for dessert. Chocolate is good for the soul especially for Valentines Day. Enjoy!

RECIPE

(serves 4 -6 with a side salad)

Set your oven to 375F

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk

dash cayenne

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

4-5 eggs separated

1 bunch spinach

Make a *roux with the butter & flour

*To make a roux heat the butter in a pan or skillet over medium heat until just melted. Then add the flour. Use a whisk and begin stirring the mixture constantly. Break up any lumps with whisk and distribute mixture evenly. If you’ve never made a roux you might want to click on the link below – it’s pretty easy.

blend in milk, cayenne, dry mustard + salt to the roux

Cook, stirring until thick. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Add de-stemmed, cooked, chopped spinach. I prefer to steam it first.

Remove from heat and beat in egg yolks

Beat whites until they peak

Using a spatula, fold in egg whites, half at a time. Do not stir!

Pour into buttered 1 1/2 quart soufflé dish. Draw a circle with knife an inch or so from rim

Place in middle of oven – Bake at 375F for about 35 minutes (I add 5-10 extra minutes so it’s well done in the middle)

How to make a Roux: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Roux

Chocolate Soufflé Recipe: https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2013/02/05/simple-satisfying-chocolate-souffle/

Art & Culture

Art/Food – MoMA Artists’ Cookbook

“Art is a form of nourishment,” Susan Sontag wrote in her diary

Art/Fashion/Food/Culture – it’s all one big melting pot. It’s everything I’m interested in and it is all that (along with money) which makes the world go round. So I wasn’t too surprised to find out only recently about the now vintage MoMA Artists’ Cookbook.

In 1977, a pair of art and cuisine enthusiasts, Madeleine Conway and Nancy Kirk, collaborated with New York’s MoMA on The Museum of Modern Art Artists’ Cookbook (public library) — a marvelous compendium of favorite recipes and reflections on food by thirty of the era’s most prominent artists, including Salvador Dalí, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Indiana, Will Barnett, Larry Rivers, Andy Warhol, and Willem de Kooning.

I got a kick out of looking up some of the recipes which I’m not at all planning to make. What interested me was finding out about each of the artists relationship to food.

Of particular Interest:

Andy Warhol, who had collaborated with his mother on a little-known and lovely cookbook(called Wild Raspberries) eighteen years earlier, tells Conway and Kirk that he no longer eats anything out of a can but — a statement that comically dates the book and tragically reminds us of a culinary downturn — believes that “airplane food is the best food.”

In a confession that reminds us just how much Warhol blurred the line between person and persona, just how deliberate he was about the construction of his own myth — this, after all, is such a thoroughly Andy Warhol thing to say — he tells the editors:

I always thought cereals like corn flakes and Rice Krispies were a natural thing — that they came from a cereal bush. He shares a befittingly on-brand recipe:

CAMPBELL’S MILK OF TOMATO SOUP

a 10 oz can Campbell’s condensed tomato soup
2 cans milk

In a saucepan bring soup and two cans milk to a boil; stir. Serve.

Willem de Kooning, in his early seventies at the time, looks back on how his formative years in Holland and his immigrant experience shaped his relationship to food:

It was hard to overeat when I was a boy because when you had dinner, it was always brown beans. We were poor. When I came to America I had never seen so much food in my life! I came to America as stowaway. When I was discovered among the pipes, I became a kind of cabin boy and washed the decks. I got off when we landed in Boston and took a train to New York. I went right to Wall Street. I recognized from the silent movies where the Stock Exchange was.

We went to Hoboken because it was a Dutch, Italian, and German settlement. I got a room, and I got a job as a house painter; America seems to be a land of wonder because, you see, I worked and I made six dollars a day. Then I made nine dollars. In one week I could buy a suit, Thom McAn shoes, sets of underwear. Socks were ten cents a pair and it almost didn’t pay to wash them. You could throw them away! This was such a revelation, such an overflow! Here, everything was so big and had such a style I said, “Oh, hallelujah, here I come.”

The first food I remember eating? A hamburger. Lunchtime I went to a place on River Street and I saw on the bill of fare that I could read “Hamburger,” so I said, “Hamburger. The next day I took a hamburger and on the following day I took a hamburger, and then I thought I’d change and ordered a sirloin of beef and I tried to say it but the waiter gave me a hamburger anyway.

Even as he rose to fame in the art world, De Kooning retained this capacity for delight in the simplest of things and cared little for the snobbish charade of sophistication that all too often bedevils high society. More than half a century after the hamburger experience, he shares his favorite unfussy dressing for cold shrimp, lobster, or crabmeat, made with ingredients one could buy at the most rudimentary convenience store:

KOO’S SEAFOOD SAUCE

Makes 2 ½ cups

8 ounces heavy cream, whipped until stiff
8 ounces mayonnaise
1 ounce cognac
1 ounce sherry
4 tablespoons ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl fold mayonnaise gently into the whipped cream with a whisk. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve.

Endearing, Refreshing & a tad Artistic right?

Source: https://www.brainpickings.org – MoMA Artists’ Cookbook

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Here is a fast, easy, healthy recipe that most people will enjoy as a side dish or something different to take to a potluck. When I’ve made these on occasion, people really seem to enjoy them (unless everyone is lying which can happen). For vegetarians, just omit the meat. You can use black beans and corn to turn it into something more southwestern and melt cheese overtop. Use your imagination – they’re pretty foolproof.

Ingredients:

4-6 large red (or variety of colors) bell peppers

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ large white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed

1 lb. ground turkey

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup cooked tricolor quinoa

2 cups tomato and basil pasta sauce

Directions:

Cup the tops off the peppers and remove all seeds. Set aside.
Heat large saucepan on medium heat. Drizzle olive oil in the pan, toss in diced onions, cook until onions start to turn clear (about 1 minute). Add garlic, and stir. Let onions and garlic simmer for 30 seconds before adding ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes and half the parsley; stir occasionally. Save remaining parsley for garnish.
Once turkey is no longer pink, turn off the heat and drain excess liquid. Add 1 cup cooled quinoa and 2 cups pasta sauce, stir to incorporate.
Stuff each pepper with the filling (add a bit of cheese to melt overtop if you want) then place peppers upright in a small baking dish filled with a little water. Cover with tinfoil and bake in 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes until peppers are slightly soft. Some people prefer using a microwave to steam the peppers covered in plastic for 5 minutes.
Either way, cautiously remove them and plate the peppers individually. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4 – 6

A few health benefits for Bell Peppers, Ground Turkey & Quinoa:

Peppers: the highest amount of Vitamin C in a bell pepper is concentrated in the red variety. Red bell peppers contain several phytochemicals and carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which lavish you with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. The capsaicin in bell peppers has multiple health benefits. They contain plenty of vitamin C, which powers up your immune system and keeps skin youthful.

Turkey: when you compare ground turkey with its beef counterpart, they’re relatively even. But ground turkey comes in a fat-free version that could be the best option for your heart. It’s a food low in both sodium and saturated fat, making it a great choice in general—and especially solid for those watching their blood pressure or cholesterol. Turkey also packs a nutritional punch with a healthy dose of B-complex vitamins, which help regulate cholesterol levels and promote healthy blood circulation. Just make sure the packaging specifies ground turkey breast and that it’s labled at least 90% lean. (If not, there’s probably dark meat and skin mixed in, adding unwanted calories and fat.)

Quinoa: in comparison to cereal grasses like wheat, quinoa is higher in fat content and can provide valuable amounts of heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (in the form of oleic acid). Quinoa can also provide small amounts of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Given this higher fat content, researchers initially assumed that quinoa would be more susceptible to oxidation and resulting nutrient damage. However, recent studies have shown that quinoa does not get oxidized as rapidly as might be expected given its higher fat content. This finding is great news from a nutritional standpoint. The processes of boiling, simmering, and steaming quinoa do not appear to significantly compromise the quality of quinoa’s fatty acids, allowing us to enjoy its cooked texture and flavor while maintaining this nutrient benefit. Food scientists have speculated that it is the diverse array of antioxidants found in quinoa—including various members of the vitamin E family like alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol as well as flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol—that contribute to this oxidative protection.

Source: let’s eat – OC Family

Let me know if you like this recipe