The Great Debate: White or Red

There has always been great debate over which is better White or Red  Clam Chowder.   My all time favorite and vote goes to Red.   I especially love the mix of vegetables and herbs in this recipe.

I found this recipe in a cookbook my mother-in-law had. It is titled Dom Deluise-Eat this It'll Make You Feel Better.    It is a great read, filled with stories of family and friends as well as packed full of family style Italian recipes.    Not only was Dom Deluise a funny comedian, but he also loved to cook.  His love of laughter and cooking come together in the pages of this book.  Each recipe comes with it's own background story, often evoking an a-ha moment or punch line to make you chuckle.   Being married into an Italian family, I can see a lot of similarities in Dom Deluise growing up in an Italian family and my husband's family stories.

When I borrowed the book from my mother-in-law, I had written down quite a few of his recipes to try, but the Red Clam Chowder was my all time favorite. 

I was fortunate enough to find a copy of his book in a garage sale a few years ago, so now I have my very own copy.    The book is still a good read.   I had forgotten that not only were there family recipes, but also recipes from some of his co-stars and friends.    Turns out the Red Clam Chowder Recipe was from his friend and co-star Mel Brooks. As told in the book, Mel, Dom and their wives have shared many a meal together with either Dom or Mel doing the cooking.

Once you try this recipe you will see why it made the book.   It is bellissimo!

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It's Chowda Time

Winter is a great time for sitting down to a nice hot bowl of soup, stew or chowder.   One of my all time favorites is Corn Chowder.  

My recipe calls for a number of ingredients, each adds that extra little something, that makes the flavor blossom on the tongue with each spoonful.   You won't be able to stop dipping that crusty bread in to sop up the juices.  

One of those ingredients is Bacon.   Who doesn't love bacon, right?  We all have our favorite brand, but I often buy it on sale or pick up something different to try. I make my bacon on cookie sheet in the oven.  It cooks the bacon more evenly and you don't get all that grease spatter on top of your stove. I have also learned that when it is really good tasting bacon to save the drippings in a container and store it in the fridge for use in recipes such as this Corn Chowder or making popcorn from scratch but that is for another time. 

Hot pepper flakes:  Many people are afraid to use hot pepper flakes,  thinking their food will be extremely hot.  Well that is simply not the case when used in moderation.  I generally add a pinch or two of it in when sautéing just about anything.   It is one of those items that adds to the layering of flavors.

Nutmeg: This is strong spice generally used in anything with a cream base.  Again, used in moderation it does enhance the flavors on your pallet.  Freshly grated is the best, but the ground nutmeg works well too.  Remember less is best and that you can't take it out if you've over used it.

Honey:  This sounds a little bit unusual to most people, but I have used honey with sweet corn for quite a few years now.  My mom used to follow the directions on the frozen corn, pour into pan with a small amount of water and heat and serve with butter, salt and pepper.  My mother-in-law always cooked her frozen corn in milk.  And we have all tried tricks for making sweet corn to bring out its natural flavor.  But somewhere along the line I came across a tidbit about adding a bit of honey to my sweet corn and I have done it ever since.   When used in moderation, it enhances the sweetness of corn and you can't tell that it is honey.   Yes, I still add the butter, salt and pepper.  

Give it try and let me know what you think. 

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Eating Raw

Not sure why I choose to live in upstate NY.    I dislike winter weather even though I love the beauty of its presence.    I love spring, summer and fall seasons and all of their bounty.   I love to eat and cook with fresh from the garden ingredients.    I much prefer the taste of home grown ingredients to those mass marketed.  

My parents always had a huge garden.  As I child I remember bushels of fresh from the garden vegetables and my mom telling me not to eat so many of whatever it was we just harvested as it would make my belly hurt.   We all ate our share of the days harvest, if it was pea picking time, then we ate fresh peas as we hulled them and processed them for the freezer.   If it was cucumber time, we ate slices of cucumber while we processed them to be canned as pickles.   If it was time to pick tomatoes we ate our share of tomato sandwiches or cucumber and tomato salad while processing the rest to be canned.   Mmmmmm…..nothing better than picked fresh off the vine.

As an adult I still like to eat as fresh as possible.  However, I did not inherit the whole “grow your own” genes.  I tried.   I really did, when I first got married we rototilled a spot and I went to town planting and weeding.   The peas were okay.   They grew above ground.  The carrots, not so much.  We couldn’t pull them out of the ground.   Literally.    The soil where I live is so rocky that the carrots grew in and around the rocks.   The rocks held the carrots in the ground just like an anchor holds a ship in the ocean.    We had to get a shovel to dig them up.  The carrots were zig zag in form. That was the end of my garden.   I later turned the kids sand box into a small container garden where I can grow a few tomato plants and herbs. And I shop at the local food markets and take whatever freebies from the neighbors and friends that I can get.    I am thankful to have such wonderful friends. 

This recipe using fresh off the Cobb corn makes for a yummy lunch time meal or a side for dinner or barb-b-que.

Fresh Corn Salad

Dressing

½ cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 cup olive oil

Salad
4 ears of corn, corn cut from the cobb
½ cup finely diced red onion (soaked in water 20 minutes and patted dry)
¼ cup cucumber, diced small
½ cup red or orange sweet pepper, diced small
½ cup cherry or pear tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 tbsp. Italian parsley, torn
1 tbsp. basil leaves, torn
1 tbsp. jalapeño, diced small (remove the seeds and veins if you like)
½ tsp. sea salt
1-2 cups small arugula leaves

To make the dressing: In a small glass bowl whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper.  Once sugar is dissolved whisk in olive oil.   Set aside while making the salad.

For the salad:  Cut corn kernels from the cob.  Chop all vegetables into same size pieces as the corn kernels.  Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss again just before serving.  Serve immediately. 

 

Notes and swaps

·         Swap out the red onion for shallot
·         Omit the jalapeño if you don’t like it spicy
·         Can’t find arugula, use your favorite green
·         You can add dried spices like onion powder or garlic powder to the dressing






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Lobster Mac & Cheese

My first time at this recipe and it turned out great.   I am a big fan of lobster and I like mac and cheese as long as it isn't made with sharp cheese.   So, when I seen this on a recent episode of Diners Drive-ins and Dives I thought wow that sounds yummy.  Of course they don't post recipes for everything so I jotted down the ingredients with no measurements and tried my luck at figuring out what might work.   Wah! La!  

Now I know some people will laugh that I use American cheese.  However,  I have to tell you, don't knock it until you try it.   It makes a great, creamy cheese sauce when added to a good béchamel sauce.    

It was a big hit with those that were fortunate to get a dish of it.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

 

3 cups shells/elbows or your favorite pasta shape

4 tbsp. Butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups whole milk
6-8 slices American cheese (I use Kraft)
2 oz. Munster Cheese diced small or grated
2 oz. Very Mild Cheddar Cheese (do not used aged, it will over power the lobster).
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 tsp. honey
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 lb. cooked lobster meat, chopped into chunks
1-2 tbsp. butter
¼ cup unflavored bread crumbs
 
Bring pan of water to boil.  Add salt and uncooked pasta.  Cook for eight minutes.   Drain.  In the meanwhile make Béchamel Sauce.   In small sauce pan melt four tablespoons of butter. 
Add pinch of salt and pepper to flour.  Stir flour into butter and cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out flour taste.   Stir in whole milk, bring up to temperature and then add the cheeses.  Stirring constantly until thickened and cheese has melted.    Place one cup frozen corn in microwave safe bowl.  Cook per microwave directions.   Stir in a small teaspoon of honey.     Stir drained pasta into cheese sauce.  Add corn  and then finally the lobster meat.   Butter a small casserole dish.  Dump in lobster mac and cheese. In small fry pan melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter, add the bread crumbs.  Toast until golden brown.  Sprinkle over lobster mac and cheese.  Place in oven heated to 350° for 15-20 minutes.  

Notes:  

 

I found lobster already cooked and pkg. in the fish dept. at Price Chopper.   Just be sure to check the dates.   It was not frozen and the best part is….it was on sale.  

Do not use aged sharp cheddar cheese, the flavor will over power the lobster.   Use cheeses that melt easy and have a mild flavor.   



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Salsa the night away

It's hard to find someone who doesn't like salsa. It is such a versatile recipe and can be used from appetizer to dessert depending on which ingredients you put into it. It is a great conversation starter and party take along.  

We rarely purchase salsa a store anymore. In fact the kids love to chop and make their own versions of salsa. One likes it less hot while the other child likes to see how hot we can stand it. 

I am sharing my recipe for Pineapple salsa, but to tell you the truth I use the same recipe for tomato salsa and corn salsa by swapping out the main ingredient.

 

 

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:
1 can pineapple chunks or one whole fresh pineapple (diced)
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper , diced
2 tablespoons coriander leaves , chopped
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
Salt, to taste
drizzle of olive oil

Chop all ingredients to desired size. Place in serving bowl. Stir to combine. Let set for 15 minutes before serving.

Swaps: You can swap out the pineapple for, fresh diced tomatoes, peaches, mangos, or strawberries. You can also swap out the red onion for a shallot.

Additions: You can also add a can of drained and rinsed black beans or fresh corn cut off the cob or defrosted sweet corn.

Flavor enhancers: Try roasting the ingredients before chopping and mixing

Serve with chips or as a topping over baked fish, shrimp, scallops or chicken.

For dessert salsa, try using strawberries and cinnamon and sugar chips.



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