Filed under: Cooking Tips
So I was thinking, what is good as we go back to school and get into a routine now that summer is winding down, and fall is just around the corner.
September is back to school!
Apple harvest (that’s another blog)
September is also:
1. National Chicken Month
2 . National Potato Month
3. National Rice Month
So what does that tell me as a “foodie”. Everybody is going back to their boring but easy routine. Now it’s time for a blatant commercial. Two Sisters Gourmet Seasoning Blends can shake you out of the boring routine.
If you are about to fry, bake or roast a chicken – sprinkle on your favorite flavor. A little Outrageously Garlic goes a long way.
If you have just pulled out the baked potato – in addition to your butter or sour cream – sprinkle on a little Tearless Onion and Chive for a tasty spud.
If you are serving rice with your fresh fish – blend in some Lemony Fresh Dill Blend or Over the Edge Herbed Spinach and bring back some springtime flavor.
Having pasta? Mix your favorite seasoning with olive oil and dip in your fresh bread for a yummy treat!
Kids won’t eat their vegetables – let them select and sprinkle their favorite flavor and brighten their day!.
Friday evening football watching? Have some new Brazen Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip to light up your Friday night lights.
Don’t let September send you back to the boring old routine – pull out those Two Sisters Gourmet Seasonings and give your day a lift.
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September 2, 2010
We are having a fabulous reaction to our new Brazen Buffalo Blue Cheese Seasoning! We sampled it at conference, and now it’s flying out the doors. I think there’s been some pent up desire for a spicy alternative!
Make it as an afternoon pleaser! A simple dip with 2 TBSP of Brazen Buffalo Blue Cheese Seasoning, ½ cup each of sour cream and mayo – or to taste! The bowl will be empty so you can try it several ways to find your favorite.
Or check out these great ideas:
1. Buffalo Chicken Wings
2. Spicy Corn Muffins with Cheddar
3. Zesty Buffalo Burgers
Play around, have fun, and send us your new favorite way to enjoy Brazen Buffalo Blue Cheese!
Say Cheese!
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August 26, 2010
Today, we are shooting for our Winter Spring catalog – so the heat outside doesn’t match the food on the table. My last two weeks have been spent finalizing some of the products for this shoot – and we’ve had a blast! A troop of us went way out in Texas to the test kitchens and ate all afternoon. It’s the one place where all tastes and opinions are created equal.
We ate salad, slow cooked meals, barbeque brisket and preserves – then we had lunch and dinner! It’s amazing what you can learn about someone when you talk about food. You learn about their family life as a child, their ethnic heritage by what’s on the table… but the hot discussion of the day was Mexican!
I have come to the firm belief that great Mexican food is that with which you grew up. I’m from Los Angeles and the formulating chef in this case was from Texas. You would have thought it was the Mexican American war all over again. We had two distinct and vehement points of view on what constituted an “authentic” product – mole in particular.
The word mole comes from the Aztec meaning stew or sauce. In Mexico, mole recipes are passed down from generation to generation, and are as individual as your family. It’s a closely guarded secret. Mole is a rich thick sauce, made from a variety of chiles, onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nuts and chocolate.
And that’s where the disagreement started – the Texans didn’t want chocolate! Where I am from, without chocolate there is no mole. Then there was the discussion about chicken vs. beef.
So we compromised – we sent both up to our research panel at our facility in Chicago and are having our target audience vote! May the best Mexican win.
In the mean time, if you want to try mole easily, go to a restaurant, wait for us, or if you have what can be a considerable amount of time you can try:
1. Steak Mole with Cilantro
2. Chicken Mole
3. Pinto Bean Mole Chili
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August 17, 2010
Tasting Panel Wizards: Cara, Cassie, Rachel, Jen, Trista, Noshaba
I’m here in Chicago this week with our research and development group. You really need to thank these ladies, but not as much as I do! We go out and scour the land (ok – well food shows) for hot new ideas to bring to you. I come home with boxes of great ideas to taste – and these ladies do all the hard work!
They organize the samples, create the questionnaires, recruit the folks to taste, and analyze the results so that we refine and bring you the products that you will love! They’ve been expert and refining fragrances to grace your home, but they have enthusiastically jumped in to support Two Sisters Gourmet – so as you enjoy the new products that we have released – thank these ladies!
Just so you know, they just finished a test of some new products for the next catalog that they promise you will love!
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August 12, 2010
OK – by now you are bored with my constant stream of fresh food and healthy eating. Life just isn’t like that. It’s the middle of the summer, we’re on vacation, it’s hot and we’re lazy. So today, I celebrate July 21 – National Junk Food Day!!
I think like many people, my food junk food intake has a strong correlation to my mood – one extreme or the other and I am all over junk food! In our family it takes many forms. A stressed day at work brings on my secret delight – a bag of crunchy Cheetos! My husband is mint chocolate chip ice cream hand packed from the local creamery ( you know that has more fat). My daughter would be mac and cheese and my son would be pizza.
Apparently , according to Nielsen, Oklahoma City has the highest per capita rate of junk food consumption. Food Network came up with an odd but delicious assortment of 30 ways to top a hot dog, but most surveys agree that America’s top three items are
1. Chocolate
2. Pizza
3. French Fries
4. … in fact fried everything.
If you are YouTube, you can find videos for fried ice cream, pizza, Snickers, hamburgers but the most popular seems to be the ubiquitous fried Oreo!
What’s your favorite junk food?
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July 21, 2010
I walked outside this morning and couldn’t help but notice that my basil bushes are booming! Last weekend, when I sent Rick into the garden for some herbs, he needed a lesson in identification, and then was astounded that we had four substantial basil bushes competing for attention.
Basil is one of my personal favorites. I grow it year round. Just smelling my hands after I have picked basil makes me feel the lightness of summer. So what do you do with four basil bushes? EAT!
5 Easy Ways to Use Fresh Basil
- Add flavor to scrambled eggs – just cut up a couple of leaves and add.
- Add flavor to tossed green salad – toss in a handful of leaves whole
- Make basil sauce for chicken or fish – just throw some basil, olive oil and lemon juice in you blender or food processor and drizzle over the food while cooking
- Fresh Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella salad (Caprese)- use more than just your basil: Alternate slices of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette (proportions to your taste, but don’t use much because the fresh taste is best!)
- Classic Pesto – The real reason we have four basil bushes. Pesto is the family favorite. While this recipe is basic, feel free to adjust to what your family likes – we like extra garlic in ours. With garlic, parmesan and pine nuts it goes on everything from pasta to pizza, and it uses cups at a time!
Bon Appétit!
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July 15, 2010
I’m in heaven! My first tomato of the season ripened and was consumed this weekend. The taste of a fresh tomato reminded why I don’t eat many tomatoes the rest of the year. The aroma and taste are so concentrated compared to the bland produce of winter. I have had a garden most years of my married life –with varying degrees of success. This year the tomato plants barely grew, but they are producing – and they are good!
At the beginning of the season, it’s not too hard to figure out what to do with the tomatoes as they come off – sliced on salads, sandwiches and hamburgers really are the best. But after a few weeks, you have more than you can eat for lunch! And you don’t want to refrigerate fresh tomatoes, it destroys the taste. If you must refrigerate them to make them last, bring them out about 24 hours before use to let their natural flavor enzymes rev up.
Easy Weekend Tomato Recipes
So here are my weekend recipes: bruschetta (with tomatoes roasted or not), fresh salsa – straight or for salads, and of course in our house – grilled!!
Easy Salsa
Salsa and bruschetta are really first cousins. For simple fresh salsa, just dice the tomatoes, add diced onion and cilantro for the basics. Peppers, garlic, oregano and fresh corn are up to you –even pineapple and mango are great additions! Beyond chips, salsa is a great topper for fish and hamburgers too!
Easy Bruschetta
Bruschetta you could really call salsa with olive oil! And maybe some extra flavors. The bruschetta usually goes on toast as an appetizer. Here’s a simple recipe to use. If you also happen to grow fresh basil, add that in for extra zing!
If you really want to go wild, have some great fresh cold tomato Gazpacho soup for a refresher!
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Easy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
At the end of the season, I look forward to getting a crate of them to slow roast down to spaghetti sauce. Just pile in the quartered tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and oregano and let it go in the oven all day on low heat (about 250 degrees)- when the water has been largely been cooked out and most things dissolve when stirred – then batch the mixture in the food processor or put through a food mill. Then freeze in the size that best suits your cooking. If you tire of spaghetti sauce, you can always add a little milk for creamy tomato basil soup. YUM!
Nothing like fresh tomato taste all year round!
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July 8, 2010
All around this weekend the barbeques were lighted and the scent of dogs and burgers filled the air – along with major squeals from happy family get-togethers. We happened to be down the street from my brother and sister-in-law who had a healthy 26 for the weekend. We expanded with the kids home to a happy foursome – six if you count the dogs. And they should be counted for slider night.
As you well know, I love the kids coming home for all the usual reason, but also because they cook for us. With several new food magazines for inspiration – they couldn’t decide how best to celebrate the holiday. There were too many recipes for burgers to choose from, so they decided on a variety of sliders – you know –mini hamburgers so you can eat more than one without guilt!
Amazingly, a year ago, my daughter didn’t even eat hamburger (we’re talking age 20), but now she is in pursuit of the ultimate burger! Who says they don’t grow up? We all sat around discussing our favorite flavors and decided on four different varieties of burgers to try.
Burger Basics
Burgers are easy to customize with a little imagination. Just take high quality ground meat, add seasonings cut finely to mix well, some sauce or egg for binder (so it doesn’t crumble on the grill) and voila!
The men decided bacon was a must to add, that combined with barbeque sauce was one for the grill. Another version went Florentine with spinach, garlic and cheese. There was also a Mexican version with chili powder, Jack cheese and a little salsa. Or you can try the Mango Peach Salsa Sassy Burgers. Finally, there was the mushroom and cheese burgers with chipotle mayo – as you can tell we are largely a cheeseburger kind of family. We each had four tiny samples, but all were delicious!
Burger Tips
When making burgers use the finest quality meat, add finely diced herbs or other ingredients, add a binder such as egg, sauce or breadcrumbs to keep it whole on the grill. Taste test! Make a tiny burger of your favorite combination and grill first for flavor check – start light! You can always add more, but it’s harder to take out or add more meat to compensate.
Burgers Don’t Have to Be Beef
For all those years my daughter didn’t eat ground beef, that didn’t mean she didn’t eat grilled patties in a bun. Turkey burgers were a weekly staple in our house with mustard, onion and parsley for flavor. We also had our fair share of salmon burgers with mayo and dill. If you still crave meat, but want something with a little less f at, you can always use bison with a heartier flavor which is increasingly available in grocery stores.
If you can grind it, mix it and grill it – you have a burger for a holiday feast!
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June 23, 2010
OK – you’re going to get tired of my grilling blogs over the next couple of months, but really, what’s better than some fresh local food grilled and shared in the back yard on a warm summer night?
Kids Love Grilled Vegetables
For those of you who lament every getting your children to eat vegs – this has to be the answer. Take just about any fresh veg you can find, slice it, spray or brush lightly with it with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and it’s guaranteed to vanish! My family generally moans when I ask what vegetable they want with dinner, but in the summer I have to grill three times what I think is the correct amount because it is stolen before it ever hits the table.
For a family, you can make it a fun day if you start at the farmer’s market in the morning where everyone can pick “their” vegetable to include. Maybe you can make it a game to add one “new” variety each week. This way each child has a vested interest in trying their new vegetable!
Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipe and Variations
My husband, – you know, Mr. BBQ – and I have different opinions about the best, easiest, and tastiest methods for grilling vegetables but the result is the same. I like to slice my vegs in pretty large pieces and put them straight on the grill for those nice markings you get in restaurants. I like yellow squash (it seems to hold up better than zucchini) red peppers, onions, asparagus, eggplant (for me- just the little ones) , onions and mushrooms (they go fastest). Really simple oil, salt and pepper is great, but you can add a little extra flavor by marinating with balsamic vinegar – and for a little extra flavor you can add fresh basil, rosemary or oregano – depending on your taste! If you are short of time you can use TSG Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette, Vermont Maple Dijon, or Island Ponzu Sauce.
By the way – those mushrooms and tomatoes seem to grill best on a skewer – they’re a lot easier to handle en masse! For the onions and asparagus, it helps to have a smaller vegetable grill to put on the barbeque so they don’t fall in. Here Rick and I differ – I think they should still be metal for texture in the barbeque – and not coated. He likes some of the “basket” styles better, but I think they come out more steamed than grilled. And a little “spritzer” is handy to get the oil/marinade on the flip side when you turn them over.
Either way – when they are finished don’t put them in the oven to keep them warm – they get mushy. Besides, if you leave them out on a nice platter – everyone who goes by steals some and they’re one of the healthiest snacks you can find! Eat up!
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June 10, 2010
It’s fun watching my daughter branch out and become more comfortable in the kitchen. In our family she’s always been our dessert specialist, but in college – apparently you cannot live by dessert alone. Frequently on weekends, I get the text “Mom, I’m going to the grocery store, how do I make…..” During winter break we went to a Chinese New Year cooking class together, and both learned something new about cutting red peppers.
It reminded me of some of the fundamentals. I wrote before about how I was humbled by a toaster oven, reminding me to follow directions. The cooking class reminded me that my knives are probably my most important cooking utensil. I remember how excited I was to get my really good knives when we were married. After 30 something years, we now have two sets of knives – mine have become un-useable to my husband because with pressure, they are now left handed knives. The rest of the family has another set. (That excludes the serrated ones which are only for righties, unless specially ordered)
Importantly, keeping sharp knives is safer and makes cooking much easier for you to cook with. My mother is afraid of sharp knives and I can’t tell you how many times the knife has slipped, or it’s taken the force of ten strong men to cut a cantaloupe. In my house, I use the steel on my knife to hone it every time it comes out of the block. They get professionally sharpened regularly ( well, not as often as they should, but occasionally!)
Because I’m still learning, ( I may love to cook, but I’m not terribly skilled) I ordered a book on knife techniques. After reading it, the good news is that you don’t need to purchase one. With a few helpful techniques (which you probably have already adopted) you are in business. If you want a primer on knives through cutting here’s a great video, if a little dry. If you want the speed course, here’s another video where more is left to your observational powers.
What are the two most important things I’ve learned in the last ten years?
1. You can peel a clove of garlic most easily by smashing it with your knife handle like a hammer.
2. The red pepper trick? Core your pepper, cut through one side, lay it flat, carve a little “v” out of the bottom and you have a flat sheet of paper to slice. Thank you Jo!
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May 27, 2010
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