Chocolate Covered Anything Day

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I am all for chocolate, don’t get me wrong. But you can’t just go throwing chocolate on things willy-nilly. Why diminish or demean chocolate covered raisins by lumping them in with chocolate covered – oh, I don’t know – frogs’ legs.

Why further alienate the people who love chocolate covered pretzels by making it just one of many things and not letting have the chance to shine on it’s own (I’ve only recently come around to chocolate covered pretzels myself and I feel certain that given time and a bit more attention, they’d catch on with more people.

So yes – celebrate the covering of food stuffs in chocolate. But in slightly a slightly more focused way.

By the way, my favorite item in this field is the frozen chocolate covered banana. Long ago, you see – I worked at the Renaissance Festival and . . .  Um, you know. That’s another story for another time.

Recipe Request: Couscous for a Crowd

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I can’t believe I never posted this here but apparently I never have. As someone has just asked for it, I take this opportunity to rectify the situation.

Couscous for a Crowd (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

  • 2 c giant couscous
  • 1.5 c fresh mint, roughly shredded or chopped
  • 1 c sliced almonds, toasted (1)
  • 1 c dried cranberries (2)
  • zest of 1 orange
  • juice of 1 orange
  • dash of lemon juice (3)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Directions

Cook the couscous according to package instructions.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly. Then scatter some mint across the top and cover with a tea towel until couscous has cooled to room temp. Once the couscous has cooled, remove the tea towel and take larger pieces of wilted mint off top, then combine couscous, mint, almonds, cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice in a bowl.  Drizzle with additional olive oil (enough so that the couscous isn’t sticky) and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

This is one of those infinitely flexible things where you can add pretty much anything or mess with proportions to your hearts content and you’ll still end up with something yummy. And make extra ’cause it lasts in the fridge for a week and you’ll be snacking on it for days. Make a meal out of it and use up leftovers by adding some shredded cooked chicken.

(1) I leave these out sometimes – depends on who’s coming over and/or my mood. They do add a nice crunch in an otherwise not so crunch dish but I wouldn’t recommend other nuts. For some reason almonds work far better than others

(2) I sometimes add dried apricots as well. Whatever dried fruit you like, add.

(3) Depends on how much juice you get out of the orange and how sweet it is. If it’s too sweet for you after a good mix, add a dash of lemon juice to balance it. Or lime. Lime works the same magic.

My Own Mock-jito

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You never know when the “create my own drink” mood will strike. Recently it struck as I was looking for a way to use up the VAST QUANTITIES of mint. The results are a refreshing, “too early for the bar bell” version of a mojito.

MY OWN MOCK-JITO.

Assemble the following items:

  • A sturdy tumbler
  • Lemon-lime soda
  • Dash of either lemon juice or lime juice. Even better a slice of lemon or lime
  • Ice
  • Mint leaves.

Take the following steps:

  • Muddle the mint with a slice of fruit or a squirt of lemon juice (or lime juice) at the bottom of the tumbler. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon if you don’t have a wooden muddler.
  • Add lemon-lime soda and stir. No need to use sugar in the muddling as one would do with an actual mojito because the soda has sugar in it already.
  • Add ice, stir briskly.
  • Add bendy straw (cause ALL my drinks involve bendy straws)
  • Drink.

If you’ve heard the bar bell, imagined the bar bell or just figured the bar bell must have rung SOMEWHERE – switch from mock-jito to mojito and add rum to taste. Or vodka – also to taste. It won’t be a mojito in the strictest sense of the word but if it tastes good, who cares?

Happy Bouillabaisse Day

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As it’s Bouillabaisse Day, I thought we could spend some time on this iconic dish.

I don’t know why people say “seafood bouillabaisse” since by definition it’s a fish stew but these are likely the same people who say “1:00 am in the morning.” AM means morning, people. In the dictionary under redundant, it says “see redundant”. But I digress. So, bouillabaisse = fish stew.

As a child, I understood the process to be that you take all the fishy and shellfishy bits and pieces you’ve got on hand, toss them together into furiously boiling water, stock, clam sauce and veggies, spice to taste and leave to simmer. Easy. But apparently, the construction of “authentic bouillabaisse” is a subject open to wide (and often heated) debate – Do you use five different fish or seven? Which fish – all white fish? Some white, some oily? How much cod, snapper, flounder, halibut, sea bass, monk fish? Wine or no? Potatoes – secret to success or heresy? Can you serve it to fewer than 8 people?

As far as I am concerned, recipes are evolutionary, changeable, fluid and almost never the same twice – with the exception of baking which is a bit more of a science. So if you find yourself thinking, “Gosh, I’d like to make bouillabaisse but I’m just not sure I can handle all the pressure” – worry not. Just grab your largest pot, any fish you fancy, some onions and the like, set it to cooking and call your friends.  Here are so recipies to inspire and guide you but remember – it’s YOUR bouillabaisse. Make it the way YOU want.

Or just punch the word bouillabaisse into your favorite search engine and wade right in.

In an attempt to impose order (or just their opinion) on the topic, a group of chefs drew up The Marseille Bouillabaisse Charter (Marseilles being where the dish is said to have first appeared as we know it today). Seems a bit slapdash upon perusal. Far more interesting was the history of bouillabaisse from Clifford Wright. In fact, his food history section is very interesting in general.

So, Happy Bouillabaisse Day to one and all.

P.S.: Don’t tell anyone but I actually prefer gumbo.

Oreo Cookie Day

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As years go, 1912 was pretty remarkable. Scott reached the South Pole. Sadly for him, so did Amundsen. Happily for Amundsen, he got there first. The Republic of China was established, starting a trend that continued a few months later, when Tibet declared a Chinese republic as well. The Titanic sank and a new cookie hit the streets. Its name was Oreo.

It was introduced in response to the introduction of the Hydrox cookie a few years before. Now, I don’t know about you but I always thought it was the other way around. Now that I know the truth, I feel my belief in the superiority of Oreos is totally justified. It was a latecomer, an underdog and trounced the competition!

So today we have two things to celebrate – the birthday of an American classic cookie and the confirmation (as if we needed it) that first isn’t always best. Milk and cookies for everyone!