Capers

Capers are the unopened flower of a perennial Mediterranean shrub called the Capparis Spinosa. The caper bush or caper berry grows wild all over the Mediterranean on stony ground and can even be found growing from cracks in stone walls.

Although the caper is thought of as a gourmet ingredient, used in gourmet dishes, it's actually a weed. Many times it's pulled out as a weed because of its ability to grow wildly without human intervention. The caper buds are harvested between May and August and are best picked in the early morning before the bud has had time to open into a flower.

Fresh Capers, before pickling:

The caper is closely related to the cabbage family and resembles several spices, like cress, black and white mustard, wasabi and horseradish. Although the caper is chemically related to these spices, without treatment the caper directly from the bush is quite bland. To develop the peppery mustard flavor desirable in many dishes, from pasta and pizza to fish and salads, the capers must be preserved in either vinegar or salt. The isothiocyanates, a phytochemical occurring naturally in cruciferous vegetables, contained in capers will react to the salt or vinegar to bring out the intense flavor of the caper. The pickling brings out the spicy and slightly sour flavor of the caper and although similar in flavor intensity to the olive, they aren't eaten straight from the jar. They are best used to compliment a dish by adding saltiness toward or at the end of cooking. Because the pickled capers are salty, very little extra salt, if any, is needed in the dish. Small capers are called nonpareils and are considered to be more valuable. The larger capers are sometimes called a salad caper and have a milder taste than their smaller counterparts.

Capers have been around for thousands of years, mentioned in the story of Gilgamesh found on ancient Sumerian clay tablets dating back to 2700 B.C., as well as by the Roman, Apicus, who is believed to have written the very first cookbook in the 1st century. Caper bushes were used by the ancient Greeks not only for cooking, but also for medicinal purposes. The capers were an ingredient in their food while the leaves and roots were used to heal one's ailments.
Capers are high in anti-oxidants and assist with healthy liver function. Recent studies show that isothiocyanates neutralize carcinogens in the body and therefore are effective in lowering the risk of several types of cancers.

A few of the recipes we've enjoyed featuring capers can be found on Recipezaar.com:
Chickpea Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette by Kumquat the Cat's friend:

Simple Marinade and Rub for Fish by LifeIsGood

and
Pasta Puttanesca (the Madame's Pasta) by Pot Scrubber

Tarragon and Thyme Quiche

Tarragon, known as the King of Herbs in France, is an herb used mostly in classic French cuisine for vinegar, salad dressings, Béarnaise sauce, and homemade mustard. When paired with parsley, chives and chervil, it becomes the seasoning blend known as fines herbes. The name originates from the Latin word dracunculus, meaning little dragon. After being translated in Arabic to tarkhum and in French to esdragon the herb’s name evolved into a combination of both words to form tarragon.

Tarragon is part of a family of herbs known as the Dragon Herbs, due to their snake-like root system, and because of their serpentine roots, the Dragon herbs were used as medicine in medieval times to cure stings, snake bites and the injuries sustained from rabid animals. French Tarragon possesses an essential volatile oil, chemically identical with that of Anise, and when used fresh, with a light hand, adds a sweet licorice essence to the dish. It compliments most vegetables, fish, poultry, soups, egg dishes, herbed butter or mayonnaise, and makes plain white vinegar dazzle for use in sauces and mustards. However, the anise-like oils are lost when the herb is dried and if the herb is cooked too long it becomes bitter.

Sometimes I try a recipe with a strange ingredient combination out of curiosity and sometimes it’s simply because everyone else is afraid to try it. (Remind me some time to tell you about Pineapple-Garlic Upside Down Cake!) When I stumbled onto the recipe for Tarragon-Thyme Quiche, posted to Food.com by Starman, I thought there must be a typo in the ingredients. I couldn’t imagine a savory pie filling inside a cookie crust, but the recipe had not yet been reviewed by another chef, so I knew I had to try it.

I admit I had my doubts right up until I was serving it, so even though my family is game to try anything once, I didn't tell them about the ingredients until I heard a lot of, "Mmmmm!" going on around the table. The dish strikes a balance between sweet and savory that is very satisfying, and with many ingredient variations available, this recipe is an excellent way to clean out the fridge at the end of the week. I used all fresh herbs, smoked Swiss cheese, turkey-bacon, white onion, green bell pepper, 2% milk and the graham cracker crust option. Every ingredient came together, melding into one beautiful harmony. So, get in touch with your adventurous side and give this quiche a try!

Tarragon and Thyme Quiche

There's always room to grow!

[b]"Enjoy every sandwich."
~Warren Zevon[/b]

It's true that one's taste can change over time. Even when we're absolutely sure it won't. For example, when I met my husband he ate take out pizza, pancakes or a bland, meat-like substance from the freezer aisle called, Steak-Ums. I had to revise my way of cooking for a good while, as he couldn't eat anything remotely spiced. However, just the other day we were scarfing down a scrumptious appetizer of bacon wrapped chicken, rolled in brown sugar and cayenne. They were hot, but oh so good! As he popped another one in his mouth he laughed and said, "13 years ago I wouldn't have been able to eat this!"
Yep, you've come a long way, Baby!

On the flip side, I've refused to eat mushrooms for as long as I can remember. My parents used to tell me that as a tot I would cry over and over, "More rooms! More rooms!" at the dinner table. No doubt they were mistaking my plans for the Barbie Townhouse with wanting another squishy glob on my fork. But my mushroom haunting doesn't stop there. Just before Christmas my toddler daughter found an old video game we bought before she was born, called Luigi's Mansion. She then began renaming her older brother, dad and me with character names in the game. She's Luigi, daddy is Mario, big brother is Bowser and mom is..... Mushroom Dude. What?! Why can't I be Princess Peach?!  Luckily, as we are now heading deep into her Scooby Doo phase, she's renamed us all again.  Daddy is Shaggy, she's Freddy, my mom is Velma and I get to be Daphne.

The most recent round of Pick A Chef, on Recipezaar.com in the Contest and Events Forum, has been especially interesting due to my self-imposed Green Eggs and Ham Rule. Each round I challenge myself to try a new ingredient or a new technique. This round I seemed to be drawn to mushroom recipes. One in particular, posted to the site by Two Socks had to be tried, simply because of the name, Werewolves of Lundon. And now just like the 70's hit song by Warren Zevon, I can't get this dish out of my head! The mushrooms aren't over cooked and mushy, just a wildly flavorful glaze that presents a jazzy burst of flavor in every bite. I'm still in disbelief, but I think I may actually like mushrooms! I'd like to go so far as to say that I've widened my horizons just a little bit.

How have your tastes changed? Are there foods you thought you'd never eat that you tried again and found you liked or even loved?  I'd like to share these mushrooms in disguise with you.  They have great savory flavor with just the right amount of kick from the cayenne and hot sauce.  The whole family loved  them and I've now made them for an omelet filler as well as a simple side dish at dinner.  Below is my slightly altered version of the posted recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Werewolves of Lundon

20 ounces fresh mushrooms, rinsed (I used half white and half baby bellos)
3/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Texas Pete hot sauce (or your favorite brand)
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt, to taste
Cut the mushrooms in half and set aside.  Combine the Worcestershire, cayenne, hot sauce, paprika, and salt in a small bowl.  Mix well and set aside.  Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and gently toss to coat with butter.  Add the garlic and sauté mushrooms and garlic for 1 minute.  Add the Worcestershire mixture and gently stir to coat mushrooms.  Raise heat to medium-high, cover, and stir every few minutes until the butter separates from the sauce and the mushrooms are coated with a heavy caramel-like glaze.  Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms to a serving dish.  Discard remaining sauce and serve immediately.
Serves 4

The best joke I never got...

 
I'm so happy to see a few warm and sunny days! Summer doesn't officially start until June 21st but I'm already planning our first backyard barbecue. There will be the standards, of course; potato salad, macaroni salad, chocolate cheese ball and some refreshing beverages. But instead of burgers and hot dogs this time, I'd like to start the summer off with a fun and delicious main course that brings back memories of my childhood.


During all my grade and middle school years we would spend holiday weekends camping up at a family friend's cabin on Lake Bosworth. I always loved the relaxed, potluck atmosphere and one of the highlights was a recipe that our Filipino friend would make. The three dads would stand around the barbecue, tending the skewered meat, while we kids anxiously awaited its readiness to eat. The smell of the marinade caramelizing, and infusing the meat with its amazing flavor, made us drool like a pack of wild dogs. When the meat was ready, the dads would holler out, "Who wants monkey meat!"

Sure, the first time I probably scrunched up my face and refused to try it. But dad, with his mission to widen the culinary horizons of his children, would never give up. I honestly don't remember a time when I didn't eat the monkey meat. However, I remember asking every time we ate it, "What kind of meat is it really?" There were lots of giggles from us kids, lots of inside joke chuckles from the dads and lots of requests for more monkey meat.

I almost hate to admit that this may be the only joke I never really got until 30 years later. In July of 2008 I was looking for something new to do with pork tenderloin when I stumbled on a recipe called, Monkey Meat, posted on Recipezaar by Judy81350.

Imagine my surprise when I realized that not only had the dads kept the secret all those years, but that it was in fact a real recipe! I had to try it; I had to share a little bit of my childhood with my family. It's amazingly simple and so delicious. The following recipe is my version of the original, as I prefer to use the tenderloin instead of the roast, low sodium soy sauce in the marinade and adding vegetables to the skewers. Feel free to change up the veggies; maybe use mushrooms or some pineapple even!


Monkey Meat

3 lbs boneless pork tenderloin cut in long 1/2 inch thick strips
12 ounces carbonated lemon-lime beverage, like 7 UP (just don't use a diet soda)
12 ounces reduced sodium soy sauce
15 garlic cloves, sliced
1 large onion, cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
20-25 wooden skewers soaked in cold water for 30 minutes or more.

Mix 7UP, soy sauce and garlic in large bowl.
Place pork loin strips in bowl. Cover and let sit in fridge overnight.
Weave meat and veggies onto skewers.
Grill over medium coals until done, 10-15 minutes.

Serves 10
Prep time: 20 minutes plus overnight marinating
Cook time: 15 minutes

I'm doing Kart Wheels!

I just have to share these cookies! I made them yesterday for a RecipeZaar event called Pick A Chef. Definitely a keeper! They're just so cute!

The recipe makes 6 large cookies or you can cut each dough portion in half & make smaller cookies, but I loved how quick & easy these were & we don't have a lot of extra cookies sitting around that we HAVE to eat. ;)
As it was, Bryan & I had to stop ourselves from eating them all before we told the kids about them! We saved one for each of them for after Sophie's nap.
I love how big & special these look, so in the future I'll double or even triple the recipe and still make the large cookies. The dough is super easy to make and handle. I started out making the impressions with a metal heart shaped measuring spoon (a beloved gift from my sis!) so the cookies would be round with a jelly heart in the center, but the impressions just weren't big enough that way and I had to make them bigger with my thumbs. I think next time I could make double the cookies (not the recipe) & make a Tablespoon heart impression in each smaller cookie, using less jam.
Today I used raspberry pie filling (a can I've been hanging onto for a VERY long time, but can't remember what I bought it for) and the 6 large cookies barely held one Tablespoon of that (I have plenty leftover to make more cookies! ).

From the A-Z Kids Cookbook (which I think I actually own...) but posted on RZ by JDame: Kart Wheels

It's Made in America!

As parents, we do our best to stay vigilant when it comes to the toys our children play with. It's no surprise that recent news stories about toy manufacturing done in foreign countries, using toxic materials, has cast an ugly shadow over the entire toy industry. What was a surprise to me however, was reading an article with good news about a toy. As it turns out, one of my daughter's favorite toys can proudly wear the label, Made in America. The highly recognizable Little Tikes Cozy Coupe toddler car is made in Hudson, Ohio and when I stumbled on this article at MSNBC, Made in U.S.A. makes Cozy Coupe a Rarity, by Allison Linn, I felt proud to have been a loyal Little Tikes customer for the last 17 years. But what really made me feel good was when I saw the link asking for readers to submit photos of their loved ones and their Cozy Coupes. Every parent loves to show off photos of our kids and here was a chance to not only show off Sophie, but to show my support for a company whose ultimate goal continues to be one of building durable and safe toys for our children.
The submitted photos were posted this morning and I so enjoyed looking at every single one of them (the Cozy Coupe Drive-In being a favorite). I'm also proud that my little tot, cruisin' in her Cozy Coupe, made the cut. You can see all of these little sweeties and submit your own photos at Cozy Coupes - Made in America.

The Mirro Cookie-Pastry Press

I borrowed my mom's Mirro brand Cookie-Pastry Press to make some spritz cookies; about 15 years ago. Periodically I wonder if she ever gets a craving and then curses me for never having returned her press. For the record, I'm usually really good about returning everything I borrow. Well, except for that hot air popcorn popper she loaned me...

Generally I tend to gravitate toward the new & improved things, but lately it seems that with kitchen gadgets I'm hanging on tighter than ever to some of the old ones. The faded brown and orange box of the cookie press has fascinated me for years. I love the 70's writing style on the box and the fact that the booklet of recipes and instructions spell the word cookie with a y instead of an ie. The Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company was the result of a merger between two competing Wisconsin aluminum companies in 1893. They began producing kitchen equipment in 1917 when they launched their flagship line of products, the Mirro Aluminum brand, and quickly became one of the largest producers of aluminum products in the United States. During WWII they retooled their factories to make aluminum products for the military and when the war ended in 1954, the company looked for a new market and branched out into aluminum toys as well. By the 1960's the Mirro brand of cookware was flourishing and the company was renamed to the Mirro Aluminum Company.

I'm guessing that mom purchased this press sometime in the early 70's; based on the box design and the fact that she was an active Room Mother during my early school years. I carried on that tradition with my son during his early years and will again with my daughter when she starts school. When all is said and done, this humble gadget will have created hundreds of smiles.

Using a cookie press is a rather simple procedure of filling the tube of the press with cookie dough and turning a knob on top of the tube, or pulling a trigger, to extrude the dough through the decorative plates at the other end. However, there are a few tricks to ensure the proper dough consistency. Start with refrigerator temperature butter. Then gradually cream in the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy but avoid over-creaming, as it will cause the mixture to increase in volume and become too soft to work with. If your dough becomes too soft while mixing, you can add a couple tablespoons of flour or refrigerate your empty press before filling it with the room temperature dough. Always form your spritz cookies directly onto a cool, ungreased cookie sheet and bake until they are just set or slightly brown. Not over-baking will produce cookies that are melt-in-your-mouth tender. While butter is traditionally used to make butter cookies, margarine or shortening can be substituted. Neither will provide the same butter flavor, but cookies made with shortening will hold their shape better in the oven. After baking, remove the cookies immediately and transfer to cooling racks. Spritz cookies are versatile, in that they can be sprinkled, iced, decorated with candies, dipped in chocolate or made with tinted dough to match any occasion.

While these tender, pressed cookies require extra care when storing, they freeze very well when stacked between layers of waxed paper. This makes them top considerations for holiday baking, school bake sales or church functions because they can be made ahead and frozen until the day you need them. As the name implies, the Mirro Cookie-Pastry Press isn't just for cookies. It also makes canapes, appetizers, cheese straws, crackers, meringue shells, cream puffs, eclairs and ladyfingers. If you have one of these overlooked kitchen gadgets sitting around, go ahead and pull it out; see how many smiles you can create!

Sour Cream Spritz Cookies