COMPLEMENT THE COOK
When it comes to cooking, I have always been my severest critic. Still, it's nice to be complemented when you know a dish is good. On December 12th I lost my biggest fan. I'm going to miss many things about Luke, my spouse of 56 years, including his never failing to say what a good meal we had, even if it was just an average one. I'm sure Luke didn't like everything equally well but the important thing is that he ate what I served and never complained about it. A picky eater he was not! When tasters at Chief say they like what they're sampling but their family wouldn't eat it, this is something I never dealt with. Luke set a good example to our children by eating what was put before him without negative remarks. There are exceptions, but most children will mimic a parent when it comes to food choices. Today it isn't unusual for the man of the house to be doing the cooking. So whoever is on the receiving end of a good meal, be sure to complement the cook. Others will appreciate my cooking but none with the enthusiasm that Luke did. I will miss that a lot!
FROM THE COOKBOOK SHELF
Like fashions, history does repeat itself and slow cookers are popular again. Perusing the cookbook aisle of a large bookstore during the holidays, I found a number of slow cooker cookbooks including Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining, published by Harvard Common Press last year. I already have a copy of this one and fixed the Carrots Glazed with Marmalade, Brown Sugar and Butter for a family meal that I helped prepare at Mary Ann's home after Christmas. We only made half the recipe and it was an ample amount for 6 adults. To give the carrots a more glazed look, next time I make this recipe I'll skip the water because the ingredients generated more juice than necessary in the finished product. Either way, the flavor was excellent! Stay tuned!
CARROTS GLAZED WITH MARMALADE, BROWN SUGAR AND BUTTER (Original Recipe)
- 2 32-ounce packages baby carrots
- 1 1/2 cups orange marmalade
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stock) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the carrots, marmalade, brown sugar, butter and water in the slow cooker; toss to coat the carrots completely. Cover and cook on LOW until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 4 1/2 to 6 hours. The time will vary with the thickness of the carrots, so be sure to check at 4 1/2 hours. Season with salt a, stir gently and serve hot. Recipe makes 12 servings.
Source: Not Our Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufman; Harvard Common Press, September 2007, $18.95.
EAT YOUR WAY TO HEALTHIER, YOUNGER-LOOKING SKIN THIS YEAR
Eating right isn't just good for your health; it's good for your skin too, according to a study in the October issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Over 4,000 women between the ages of 40 and 74 were studied and the results showed that women who ate more foods rich in vitamin C were less likely to have wrinkles, while higher linoleic acid intakes were associated with less dryness and skin atrophy.
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"Healthy skin, like a healthy body, does not come from one or two nutrients," says Lynn Goldstein, MS, RD, CDN, a dietician at Weill Cornell Medical College. "Your skin is a sign of what is going on inside your body. You need to put good, healthy things inside to get a healthy look outside."
According to Goldstein, "A diet complete with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins is needed to keep the skin and the rest of the body looking and feeling great. Although the study also found that linoleic acid is good for the skin, Goldstein cautions that you shouldn't at too much. "I would not suggest increasing this fat unless your diet had been evaluated by a dietician and found to be low in omega-6 fatty acids."
Source: Cornell Food & Fitness Advisor, January 2008.
I really like the weekly Desperation Dinners column by Alicia Ross with Beverly Mills. With few exceptions the recipe are always practical and not expensive to make. In my area, the column is in the Living section of the Sunday Toledo Blade. In other newspapers it may be in the midweek food section. In early December I saved Ross and Mill's Spinach and Caramelized Onion Strata to try. If available, use reduced fat Swiss cheese in this one.
SPINACH AND CARAMELIZED ONION STRATA
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large onions for 2 cups chopped pieces
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach
- 8 eggs
- 3 cups milk (I use 1%)
- 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese (reduced fat kind if available), divided
- 8 cups French bread cubes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until soft and caramelized, about 7 minutes. While onions are cooking, place spinach on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high power for 3 minutes or until thawed well. Place defrosted spinach in a colander and press to remove as much water as possible. Leave to drain. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the milk and 1 cup of cheese. Add the drained spinach. Whisk to mix well. Spray a 9x13-inch dish with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in dish. When onions are caramelized toss them with bread cubes, making sure to combine well. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and onions. Press the bread cubes down into the egg mixture, making sure they are completely soaked. Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole, add salt and pepper and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 325F. Bake the casserole for 1 hour or until hot and bubbling along the edges. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Recipe makes 10 servings.
Source: Adapted from Spinach and Caramelized Onion Strata recipe in Desperation Dinners by Alicia Ross with Beverly Mills, December 2007. |
