With a peak season in March and April, I think the vegetable most closely associated with spring is asparagus. It seems to grace the cover of every magazine. Everyone is tired of root vegetables after this long and snowy winter and the image of a green asparagus just screams spring.
History of Asparagus
Asparagus is a member of the lily family – see very spring. This vegetable has been around for centuries and was popular among the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. Emperor Augustus is said to have coined the phrase “as quick as cooking asparagus.” Louis the XVI also loved the plant and had his gardeners grow it year round in green houses, stemming its modern romance. Thomas Jefferson had a whole garden reserved for growing asparagus.
How to Purchase and Store Asparagus
Asparagus is on the expensive side and tends to be a party food. That’s because you can’t harvest an asparagus plant for the first three years, and it is labor intensive to grow. It is high in Folic Acid and a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, A and C, and thiamin.
Many people are a little unsure of what to do. When selecting asparagus, choose firm stalks with deep green tips that are closed. Asparagus with slimmer stalks tends to be more tender. Store them with the bottom wrapped in a damp paper towel in the coldest part of the refrigerator. As with all fresh things, eat as soon as possible to get the most flavor and nutrients.
5 Great Recipes Ideas
As the Romans knew, cooking asparagus is a snap. Just steam or drop a bundle in boiling water for a couple of minutes, until bright green. You can also spray with a little oil and grill for a short period. Asparagus can be used in a variety of ways – straight as a salad with a little dressing, as a crudités with any dip or in other interesting recipes. Here are two salad dressings you can use with asparagus, and three other delicious Two Sisters Gourmet recipes.
My maiden name is McCarthy, I’m sprinkled with kisses from the sun (freckles) and I’ve actually kissed the Blarney Stone (now that shouldn’t surprise you) and I’ve lived in Chicago and seen the river dyed green – but when it came to writing about Irish food and St. Patrick’s Day I actually drew a blank. Even after searching Google.
St. Patricks Day Myths
What I learned is that much of the American hoopla about St. Patrick’s Day is just that – American hoopla. Until recently, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday in Ireland. And we all know it was to celebrate driving the snakes out of Ireland. Right? Except there were no snakes in Ireland. Those snakes were most likely heathen symbols.
And ready for this? St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. He was actually born in Scotland or Great Britain in 373 A.D., was enslaved in Ireland as a youth and returned in adulthood as a priest when he probably took the name Patrick or Patricus. Oh Well! Why ruin a festive celebration with facts? I think we just needed a celebration in March – a month that is frequently without one. So what to make?
Of course, most traditional Irish plates include potatoes (although that didn’t begin until after the great potato famine) and are very simple – meat, potatoes, vegetables. You can do a great corned beef in your slow cooker or a lamb stew. There boxty which is an Irish potato pancake (rhyme). There’s fun potato and sausage dish called a Dublin Coddle. But my personal favorite, Colcannon (mashed potatoes with onion, kale and bacon), is traditionally served at Halloween.
Easy Recipe – No Bake St. Patrick’s Pops for Kids
For the kids, I found this great, fun, easy no bake idea to help celebrate – St. Patrick Cookie Pops. Now this is celebrating!
So on March 17, I’ll wear my green (the shamrock was a symbol of rebellion in Victorian times), have a Guiness (my one per year) and say Erin go Braugh! (Ireland Forever) with all my other American Friends!
Personally, I love a culture where the proper greeting is “Have you eaten yet?”
Whew! We just finished our New Years and it’s time for Chinese New Years – 2010 the Year of the Tiger! For us New Year is just a day or a weekend,but in China it means that everything shuts down for two weeks! Wouldn’t we just love a holiday like that?
Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, so this year it occurs on Valentines Day, February 14. It was a real dilemma when it came to blog writing! This year is the Year of the Tiger – part of the Chinese Zodiac (think our astrological signs)
As it turns out, most of the country really only quiets for a week, but there is truly a different celebration for almost every day from the first, Family Reunion Dinner , to the Seventh (Everybody’s Birthday) to the final Lantern Festival.
Much of the celebrations and customs have to do with tradition and superstition. Many foods are considered lucky because the name sounds likes other words in Chinese for good fortune, prosperity and long life. Gifts of oranges and tangerines abound as representations of gold and good fortune. Decorating colors are also red and gold. This link will take you to a great overview of the holiday season.
On the eve of the first day, Family Reunion dinner, the main dish served is typically a whole carp, not fully eaten so there will be prosperity for the New Year, with enough left over to carry you through. Traditionally, the first day itself is vegetarian, and everything needs to be prepared in advanced – no cutting allowed in case you cut short the good luck for the New Year.
To make a symbolic dish that everyone will love, I go back to our family favorite – longevity noodles (long noodle-long life).
Longevity Noodles
This is so simple you don’t really need a recipe. Take your favorite vegetables and blanch or stir fry them (be sure to include those golden carrots). Then take and soak a package of rice noodles in boiling water(takes 5 minutes or less) and toss with a dressing that includes rice vinegar, a tiny bit of sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic and fresh ginger. This is one night when noodle slurping is definitely allowed, no noodle cutting allowed!
If you want to add an American flair, then try the TSG version of a dipping sauce for pot stickers and spring rolls;
Two Sisters Gourmet Dipping Sauce Recipe
2 Tbsp Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly
1/2 cup Island Ponzu Sauce
1 green onion thinly sliced
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Mix ingredients in small bowl and serve with pot stickers or spring rolls
The Chinese know about family relations too! The third day of the New Year, everyone stays home. It’s known as the Day of Squabbles! Even in the West we know that family relations get strained on the third day. This is a great time to learn about some of the great and varied dishes that people use to celebrate. If you live in a city with a Chintown, go down to a local bakery and try some of their sweets – sticky rice balls for dessert or rice candy for the perpetual Tray of Abundance (sweets kept out for everyone to snack on during the holiday – not unlike the Italian tray with 12 tastes for the Twelve Days of Christmas).
Tray of Abundance
Bring them home for the Seventh Day Feast – Everyone’s Birthday! Traditionally in China, individual birthdays were not celebrated, and everyone turned a year older on the same day. This is a day for much feasting and festivals. What a great tradition!
We’ve been married for over 30 years now, and Valentine’s Day is still important. Actually, what’s important is taking time to nourish your relationship with your spouse or significant other. We had a standing dinner date for years when Laura had her Wednesday night ball et class – there was just enough time in between delivery and pick up.
But for Valentine’s day – let’s be a little more romantic. Start with the setting – candles, soft music, and a dinner ending in chocolate. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be special! Keep it simple and spend time with your sweetheart – but not in the kitchen.
Five Ways to Make Valentines Day Dinner Special and Romantic
1. Light some Candles! Ambiance is everything. A little soft flickering glow goes a long way – put there everywhere!
2. Play “your song”! Remember the song you playing when you fell in love? Find it and play it softly. What ever genre you prefer, make a playlist to last the whole evening. We have a favorite that includes everything from the Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet to the Beach Boys.
4. Have a role for the children. If they are young enough, you can put them to bed, but if they are old enough, make them part of the special evening. Find a dish that they can make, like a simple dish. Have them act as waiter(s) on your table. Then let them watch a special video while you dine in peace!
5. Give them your love! You don’t really need to go beyond a special evening to please your honey, but if you want to, give a special gift. How about a certificate to have you complete one of their least favorite chores, or to go for a special afternoon out for the two of you! I promise to take the dogs for a walk on the beach with Rick.
Happy Valentines Day! Tell me how you are going to celebrate!
Wow! Twice a year, I am in foodie heaven when I get to attend the Fancy Food Show. In winter, it’s a double treat as I get to go home and see my Mom and other friends.
So you know about food trends – you all prowl the grocery store in search of new things to tempt the fickle palettes of your family. Many of the trends you know – they receive a lot of press; sustainability, eating locally, simple ingredients, and in case you hadn’t noticed eating at home more! (By the way, pigs in a blanket was voted the Super Bowl favorite!)
Now several of these, I heartily endorse. Now that we are back in the New Year, you know I am on my January diet! So I am back to eating HEALTHY (yes, I’m shouting). That means lots more fruit and vegetables. And while the farmer’s markets are not in operation at the moment, when the first one opens in the spring, I’ll be there.
That leave me with simple recipes and eating at home more – They must have known about us. We’ve had lots of food and food discussions over the holidays, and I truly believe that most of the best chefs think that recipes with less than 5 ingredients are best, because they really highlight the flavor of the food.
As for simple, well TSG certainly fits that bill. Shake on a little seasoning and you have a mid week treat! In a hurry, how about beer bread 21 different ways.
And eating at home more? The best part about having your children grow up is they come home more. And now they cook for us (granted I still get the dishes). Over the holidays we were treated to tacos, special Asian pork dumplings, marinated steak, fried rice, beef fondue, and General Tsao’s chicken. I really like the cookbook I gave them.
So the highlight of the show? Aside from the fabulous assortment of salsas and sauces, the hot trends included the continual introduction of global foods – Asian, Indian and lots of US regional. Superfoods are the other strong idea – blueberry, pomegranate, cranberry and acai. I need your help in shaping the way we grow the TSG line. Please vote for your favorite type so I know how to go.
Needless to say, I would love to introduce.And one of my personal favorites Honey Ridge Cream Honeys flavored with spice, raspberries and other fruit. The intriguing concept that you have to taste to appreciate is black garlic. IT is sort of sweet like good balsamic vinegar, but it is black . Another one that would be fun to have is chocolate cream in a container like whipped cream or cheese wiz – I’m not sure what I’d do with it other than put it in my coffee – but it is fun!
Super Bowl Sunday is almost a national holiday! I’m pretty sure where most of you will be on Sunday, Feb. 7 – and it isn’t at the mall (although if it’s not your team a chick flick might be a good idea! The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock is a great film.)
For those of you who will participate in this national past time, make a resolution to make this year one you can enjoy with your guests! While there is lots of mindless eating going on, you can still stand out as a great hostess.
The number one food to make the guys happy is Pigs in a Blanket – whether you buy them ready made or make them yourself (just wrap refrigerated crescent roll dough around your favorite little sausage – we like smokey links) and dip in Racy Wasabi Raspberry Mustard.
What’s your favorite recipe?
If you want to go beyond just mixing up your favorite TSG seasoning with some sour cream and mayo for a quick dip, here are 5 great ideas to kick off your successful Sunday afternoon!
1. Pigs in a Blanket with Racy Wasabi Rasperry Mustard
We’ve made it through Christmas and New Year’s is upon us. We celebrate and vow to do things better in the New Year. We get to start with a clean slate!
New Year’s Celebrations Around the World
When we were living in different countries, one thing I learned is that New Year’s isn’t always on January 1. In one year as we moved from Europe to Asia, we were able to experience at least 7 different New Year celebrations – we started with ours in January, with our favorite bubbly and good cheer. Then there was Chinese New Year in the beginning of February with its fireworks, gifts and dragon dances. Nyepi in primarily Hindu Bali where noisy celebrations scare away the evil spirits followed by a day of silence. Songkran in Thailand where we were soundly doused with water to wash away the past. Hari Raya in Malaysia, although not technically the Islamic New Year is a great time of celebration at the end of Ramadan. Rosh Hashana with good friends in many countries. Deepavali (Diwali)Festival of Lights. Each had it’s own sights, sounds, traditions and foods. Yum! We had a lot of fresh starts that year!
Dragon Dancers for Chinese New Year
In fact, that is one of the great lessons learned from our travels – whatever our celebrations, we are much the same. Whether it involves new clothes, cleaning house – sweeping away the old – new year’s is much the same. Everyone gets a chance for a clean slate and to start anew.
Granted my history with resolutions isn’t very good. I make them (usually to lose weight, see Diet and Exercise (next week)) and then need to start over again a few months later. Instead of feeling guilty about making and breaking New Year’s resolutions, I prefer to think that I start every day with a resolution
At least I know this is a universal trait of all people – we are just human. You don’t need six new years celebrations to get it right. Resolve to make each day a little better than the last.. Make everyday New Year’s Day – embrace the future and start to make it a little better.
Be prepared for unexpected holiday guests, have some extra snacks!
Well, it’s official, we are again in the holiday season. Lights are up and expectations are high to be jolly, happy or oozing with extra good cheer – it’s enough to make you crazy. As a Mom, you feel like the happiness of everyone around you is dependent on what you do! But give yourself a break – if you are not happy, neither will anyone else be.
There are now three days before we leave to visit my mother for the holidays. I’m a little stressed. So I will do what I always do – make lists. If I can take a big task and break it down into little ones, I feel much more successful and things will get done. I will make Christmas lists, and hit the internet. I will make shopping lists and store them on my phone. I will make packing lists, so that I can keep things in one suitcase – and I will put them all on the calendar so that as I get closer to THE DAY, the list will shrink instead of grow and I will feel better not worse.
But more importantly, I need to realize it is not my job to make everyone happy. True, it’s easier now that the children are grown and I can realize that much of the struggle we had during those teenage years was as much my problem as theirs. They were trying to show me they were responsible for themselves, and I had to learn to let them be responsible.
This year my family is beginning to scatter around the U.S. as we become part of other people’s families and celebrations. They each have a desire and responsibility to contribute to everyone’s happiness – and they want to. The joy of making others happy is now the gift they have to share - that and a few recipes from home. Let me know how you and your family share the holidays.
Still there is that central role you have to play – so make it easy for yourself, at least on the food front.
5 Steps to Making Holiday Cooking Easier
1. Put out a plate of fresh, ready to eat fruit for the day. Let them help themselves. In many European countries it’s a tradition that they put out a plate of food for the 12 Days of Christmas – one for each day. It includes dried fruit (like apricots), cheese, nuts, fresh fruit (like clementines and grapes) and some wrapped candy.
2. Prepared food is good food. – Make a pot of soup – only twice what you would normally prepare – freeze half for the day so that you’re ready for guests coming at odd hours or those running late. If you don’t have the extra time now, a roast chicken from the grocery store is a great, warm dinner.
3. Keep It Simple – As much as I love to cook, I am always humbled by the fact that the family seems to love easy comfort food as much if not more than things I slave over. We had a week full of delicious dishes – but my son, Scott was happiest with the easy mac he made for himself. It was inexpensive and easy, and reminded him of being a kid again.
4. Let People Help!! - I’m always guilty of this one. I invite people over, they say “what can I bring?” and I say “Just Yourself!” What was I thinking? I am learning to say, “Thank you, yes” and everyone feels better.
5. Keep some “extras” on hand! – The one thing I have trained the family to do, is put something on the grocery list when they use up the last one. Particularly around the holidays, there should be some no thought food around. For a late night meal, I take a can of tomato soup, add a can of minced clams and a little milk and I have a wholesome meal. When people drop by, I have some mini-bagels, frozen pigs in a blanket, TSG Cheeseballs or a jar of Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly over cream cheese – and everyone is happy!
If you are relaxed and happy, so will be those around you. Give up control and enjoy the holidays.
In the afterglow of Thanksgiving dinner, we began to be ready to think about Christmas (a little late if you ask most retailers). We saw a special on how they decorate Disneyworld for Christmas – and had the bug. While it had all the usual stories about trees and lights( over 1000 65 foot trees) for us, the story that resonated most was about food of a sorts – gingerbread houses!
Everyone Can Decorate a Gingerbread House
At Disney, they even make a complete store out of gingerbread, a huge display at a monorail station. We have seen the White House constructed in gingerbread too. It can be a real art – or a great party.
Since the children were little, we have made gingerbread houses every year – some elaborate, some in a hurry, some very original. It started in England where my very talented friend Jeanne, brought the three familes with six kids together for a wonderful two day exercise. Jeanne lovingly handcrafted the gingerbread pieces, taught us how to make royal icing that worked better than superglue, and laid out a spread of candy and other items to decorate with that would leave the children full of sugar for days. Camille lovingly donated her house for what is a sticky adventure on its best days, and we all settled in to learn how to turn shredded wheat into roof tops and clear mints into reflecting pools.
As the children grew older, and we moved away from our friends, the tradition remained. We went through a phase of great creativity where Scott made gingerbread submarines and air craft carriers, and our imaginative Laura decorated everything just so with a pretty story.
In college, when trips were shorter, we migrated on to pre-made kits, with extra candy for décor. Grandma learned how – even though the dog stole it off the kitchen table. Guests away from home had to take part too. The good news is, if you live in a dry climate, you can even store these masterpieces in a bag in the attic for a couple of years.
How to Make a Gingerbread House or Christmas Ornament.
Gingerbread for houses is not your run of the mill gingerbread – it has to be stiff for good walls! There are some great recipes and patterns available, or to cut down on prep time, most grocery stores will have a kit with pre made pieces. You can make ornaments too! Just use your favorite cookie cutter and make sure you pike a hole at the top so it will hang. If you are really pressed for time – you can use graham crackers for structural pieces.
When you are ready to assemble – be prepared for icing glue.
Putting on the roof with a home made pastry bag
It goes everywhere!! And it sticks like glue, so cover your tables or counters. We have always found it works best with extra sugar and cream of tartar for extra sticking powder. And powdered egg whites work too – you really aren’t going to eat too much of it! Make twice as much as you think you will need – extra always helps, and if you want a snow covered scene, you will go through a lot. When you put the roof on, leave it for a few minutes to set so it doesn’t go sliding down to the ground.
If you’ve never used a pastry bag for icing – this is not the time to panic. Think of it as an easy way to squeeze in tight places. Grab yourself a plastic sandwich bag and fill with the icing. Cut a tiny diagonal corner off the bottom and squeeze out through the hole. If you’ve ever had whipped cream, icing or cheese in a can, you know what to do! The best part is, it’s disposable – no washing up.
The next most important thing are your decorating options. Kits come with some candy for decoration and a picture for suggestion, but let your imagination run wild. We have found the most useful things are small frosted wheat cereal biscuits, red licorice whips for paths and roofs, striped candy canes and peppermint, gumballs and red hots – but go wild!
When you are satisified with the results, or your children run out of concentration put them on display for the family, friends and neighbors. Some towns have a contest between Scout troops or children and display the results in the store windows. But take a picture first, while they can last for a couple of years cared for, accidents happen – including the one the dog took from the kitchen table, or the building that fell down when it was cleaned and you want a record forever!
Bubbles make me happy and I think they add to every occasion. Our family is a great fan of sparkling wines and champagnes: They’re fun, taste good, complement most foods and you can serve them in fabulous looking glasses. One of the first pair of wine glasses Rick and I bought when we were engaged had hollow stems so you could watch the bubbles flow!
Sparkling Wine or Champagne for New Year’s?
When the holidays roll around, we make our list – full of new types of sparkling wines and champagnes! Just to be clear- a real champagne only comes from a particular region in France. But almost all countries make sparkling wines of some kind. In Italy, it’s Prosecco, in Spain, it’s Cava and in the U.S., it’s just sparkling wine.
How to Choose a Sparkling Wine
If you don’t know what to choose – like us most of the time, it’s best to get a wine that’s rated, if you can. Wines are rated from 0-100 for the type of wine and the price bracket in which they fall. Or ask your seller to make a recommendation.
Some Sparkling Favorites
Recently, the younger crowd in our family has found a Cava favorite called Cristalino (about $10). In Prosecco, you could look for Riva di Rocca (under $20), or Jeio (also under $20). As a native Californian, I like most of what’s grown there. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige is the California offshoot of a French house (about $20). Many of the French houses have set up California vineyards. Costco actually has a surprisingly good Kirkland Sparkling wine that’s rated. Then, of course you can climb the price ladder to the truly atmospheric. The most expensive champagne ever was a bottle of 1928 Krug sold at auction for $21,000!
Our Favorite Champagne Flutes
We love serving champagne in various, sparkling flutes. My personal favorite is a tall blue cut crystal flute. We also have some modern tapered flutes, hollow stemmed in assorted colors, flat champagne’s (sorbet style) and our very favorite from the year 2000 – Micky Mouse flutes.
So pop the cork and cheers to good food, friends and another great year! What’s your favorite type of Champagne?
I think the vegetable most closely associated with spring is asparagus. It seems to grace the cover of every magazine. Everyone is tired of root vegetables after this long and snowy winter and the image of a green asparagus just screams spring.
relationship with your spouse or significant other. We had a standing dinner date for years when Laura had her Wednesday night ball et class – there was just enough time in between delivery and pick up.
We’ve made it through Christmas and New Year’s is upon us. We celebrate and vow to do things better in the New Year. We get to start with a clean slate!
Bubbles make me happy and I think they add to every occasion. Our family is a great fan of sparkling wines and champagnes: They’re fun, taste good, complement most foods and you can serve them in fabulous looking glasses. One of the first pair of wine glasses Rick and I bought when we were engaged had hollow stems so you could watch the bubbles flow!
