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!
I admit it – this is one area where I have learned a lot in the past year. I thought I made pretty good ribs, but I didn’t understand what an art it really is. Now we think barbeques is the realm of the US, but I learned my lessons from the British born boyfriend of my daughter, Tom – OK, he is an American citizen now, but he still has a cute accent.
Barbeque in America is big business! Everyone thinks the BBQ from their region is the best – Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, Carolina. There are barbeque festivals in almost every state in the union – over 500 and counting! At the Memphis in May International Barbeque Festival people compete for over $100,000 in prizes. There are sites dedicated to ribs! And party people who specialize in grilling, roasting and smoking!
Silly me, I just used to slather ribs with sauce and throw them on the grill for a nice char – boy was I mistaken. To do really great ribs, they need to be slow roasted for several hours and just finished on the grill.
How to Make Great Ribs – Easy but NOT Fast
Again there’s a lot of regional lore about what’s best. Some people recommend boiling them to cook them, but generally that leaches out the flavor. In our house you rub the ribs lightly with oil. Sometimes we then pat on a dry rub of our favorite spices. Then you can put them in a crock pot smothered in your favorite for several hours on low or wrap smother them in sauce and wrap them in foil in the oven for several hours. The key is low slow cooking about 225 degrees, until the meat starts to separate easily from the bone. You can use either TSG Raspberry Grilling Sauce or try this recipe with Sisters Southern Sweet Barbeque Sauce – or a combination of both! Here a link to the TSG recipe that’s a little faster.
Then onto the grill for that caramelized and crispy finish.
Easy Grilled Corn Too!
If you don’t want to cook inside, I recommend BBQ roasted corn for a perfect picnic. Just take your corn in the husk – soak it in water for about an hour – then drop onto the grill. The corn will cook inside in about 10-15 minutes. Or if you like a little char and don’t have the hour, take off the husk, brush with olive oil and drop directly on the gril.
Keep all the mess outside with almost no clean up after – that’s my idea of a summer vacation! Even better, Tom is coming for the weekend and he’s going to do the ribs!
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!
Summer is coming up! The kids will be home and there will be lots of outdoor entertaining and picnic opportunities! Want some help in feeding the crowds? How about simple ways to use Apple Cake Mix to make a variety of new taste treats? There are a lot of great recipes in the TSG Recipe Box to tantalize your taste buds, but here are five new, easy ways to use apple cake! Thanks to Rita Held our great recipe creator!
Send us your recipe ideas and earn a chance to win 3 boxes of apple cake. We will choose ten recipes at random in a drawing
Believe it or not, the catalog to be released in August was shot a month ago. I spent a week tasting our new products and looking (and eating) comfort food, holiday desserts and other great treats! I thought it would be fun to show you a little of the behind the scenes effort.
We all know that you eat with your eyes as well as your mouth, so food styling for the catalog is very important. There can be a lot of “bad press” about how food stylists “cheat” the dishes to make it appropriate for a magazine shoot. Take for example ice cream, it’s impossible to get real ice cream not to melt under hot lights. But the attitude of companies, savvy consumers and digital photography have changed the issues in shooting food and allowed all of our photography to be much more “natural”.
When we prepare food for the catalog, we actually create and test recipes (that’s a popular day in the office because they get to taste finished dishes, not just product). At the shoot our fabulous stylist Catrine Kelty prepares each of the dishes (with leftovers) and then works with our great photographer Paul Saraceno to bring it to you in the best possible light.
It’s true that we do help out our dishes a little – after all they do have to sit on the table for hours at a time and need to keep looking fresh. We spritz the lettuce with water to make it glisten, hand arrange the leaves, stack berries just so, and melt our cheese with a gun that peels paint off walls so it gets perfectly brown.
Tips to Make Your Table Look Great
Here are the top tips that Katrine uses in preparing our food whether for photography or your family table.
Set the table beautifully – make sure you keep a nice centerpiece and candles ready to be lit every night.
Use fresh, high quality ingredients – there’s nothing more sad than wilted lettuce!
Like those quesadilla? Well here are two of our great recipes using the Two Sisters Gourmet Black Bean and Corn Salsa, but you can really add your f avorite ingredients and make them your own:
We had the children home last week and it reminded me how special it is to have the family gathered around the kitchen table. We all picture a Norman Rockwell painting or an episode of Leave it to Beaver and sigh. We all have been brainwashed into believing the family dinner is on the decline – because it certainly feels that way in our house. But take heart!! There are some good statistics!
NPD, a consumer research organization says that nearly 47% of all consumers say the family eats together at least 5 nights per week. 81% of people want to eat dinner at home. And 71% of teens have dinner with the family at least five nights per week, up from a few years ago.
This is great news because eating together is good for everyone. We all know the statistics that children are less likely to be involved in drinking and drugs if they eat with the family regularly. Family dinners are also good for nutrition and stress control in all family members. The dinner table is where we learn to take interest in each other, discuss issues, form opinions and gain self esteem. Even when the TV is on (in 40% of HH) there is still a positive benefit.
But we also know that 80% of women are the people responsible for getting the meal on the table – it doesn’t have to be difficult. The easiest way to get a meal on the table could be to use frozen or prepared dinners to take home from the grocery store, but that can be expensive and not necessarily the most nutritious.
Five Easy Family Dinners
Tacos – Families love tacos! They are a great way to get in vegetables and minimize prep time. You can make them either beef or chicken (ground or shredded). Add some chili seasoning, lettuce, tomato, salsa and you’re all set. All you have to do is warm the shells and cook the meat – the family can do the rest.
Baked Chicken Fingers with Creamy Dip – you can make them fresh and simple, or use frozen chicken fingers and your Lemony Fresh Dill blend made into dip.
Crockpot Pulled Pork – Start it in the morning and its ready when you walk in the door. Only 3 ingredients.
Tired of Winter, Want to have a fun party that brings to mind a warm summer day in the vineyard? Why not have a Sonoma Style dinner party with friends. Here are 10 easy tips for success from our recipe specialist Rita Held.
Ten Tips for a Sonoma-Style Dinner Party
1. Getting It Together
Several weeks ahead, invite the guests; select and print out the recipes (visit the TSG Recipe Box); and order specialty food products. Wine can be ordered online too (if your state allows it). Create to-do lists, and the day of the party follow a timetable so the casserole gets into the oven and the wines get chilled on schedule.
2. What Can I Bring?
Guests today want to bring something—a great help in these busy and uncertain times. For a more cohesive menu, assign each guest a recipe to prepare and deliver in a serving dish. Simply send them the recipe link or specify a type of dish. Ask some guests to bring wine—specify the varietal, wine region, and maximum price.
3. Sonoma-Style Dinner
While good wines come from around the world, focusing on one wine region is fun. Sonoma, one of the world’s great wine regions, is a good place to start. The wines are exceptional and prices are often lower than comparable wines from Napa. White varietals include chardonnay, gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris; reds include cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, merlot, syrah, and zinfandel. Sonoma also produces excellent sparkling wines.
4. What Wines to Serve?
Believe it or not, choosing wine is the easiest part of menu planning. Simply serve what you like—and forget outdated wine rules. If you adore chardonnay, drink it with everything. To serve a variety of wines, select light whites or reds for light dishes, and choose full-bodied whites and reds for hearty dishes. Here are some suggested pairings with Two Sisters Gourmet recipes:
Plan on at least 2 glasses of wine per person for a daytime affair. For a long party, allow up to a bottle per guest.
6. Sonoma Wine and Food Pairing
Choose at least half dozen wine varietals to serve. The goal is to find the best wine for each dish on the menu. Taste one dish with all of the wines, and then repeat until each wine has been compared to each dish. Start with the mildest dish and the lightest wine. Here’s what to do: 1) Swirl the wine in the glass and immediately take a sip—think about how the wine tastes and feels. 2) Take a bite of food. 3) Swirl and sip the wine again. Did the food alter the taste of the wine? If each sip of wine tasted similar—and you liked the flavor after tasting the food—it is a good match. Discuss what combinations you liked best and why; which ones weren’t as good and why.
7. Wine Temperatures
For wine to taste best, it must be at the right temperature. Whites should be chilled but not ice-cold. To quick-chill whites, submerge the bottle in ice water for 15 minutes, or refrigerate about 2 hours. Red wine bottles should feel cool to the touch. If the bottle is warm, refrigerate it about 1/2 hour; if too cold, leave at room temperature 1/2 hour.
8. Setting the Table for Wine
Put the water glass on the far right, above the knife. Arrange the wine glasses to the left of the water, above the plate. One glass for each wine (or one for red and one for white) is ideal. If a single glass is used, rinse it between wines. Clear, long-stemmed wine glasses that curve in slightly at the top and hold at least 12-ounces are ideal.
A wine glass should be filled no more than 1/3 full—that allows space for swirling the wine to release aromas and aerate the wine. It is easier to swirl the glass without spilling if the base of the glass is on the table—hold the glass by the stem and quickly move the glass in a circular motion.
10. Have Fun and Trust Yourself
It’s fun to talk about wine—what flavors you taste and aromas you smell. But don’t be surprised if everyone disagrees—even the experts do. Just as people have different opinions about food, the wine palate is very personal. Trust your own opinion.
It’s no surprise to anyone who has tasted it – beer bread is the number one item! The family will devour it before it’s cool and it only took five minutes to make. Beer bread is probably the most versatile of all of our products. We like to say that everything should be used in at least three different ways –but we have 21 ways to make beer bread!
Beer Bread Top Five Recipes
Beer bread is great! It can take on any flavor that you like. Making it with beer is traditional, but if you don’t have it on hand – any carbonated beverage will do. Personally, I prefer it with club soda (not being a beer fan). But here are 5 of the top ways to change it up.
Corn Beer Bread: Add one can of creamed corn to beer bread mix. (Add 1 TBSP Over the Edge Herbed Spinach if you like) Bake in a 9×9 pan at 350 degrees for 35-45 mins.
Garlic Cheese Bread: Mix as directed and add ½ cup each grated parmesan and grated cheddar cheese. Mix in 1 TBSP Outrageously Garlic. Sprinkle Outrageously Garlic on top. Cook as directed
Sweet Breakfast Bread: Mix with Mountain Dew, add 1 cup chocolate chips or cinnamon chips. Bake as directed.
Irish Soda Bread: Mix with 12 oz. Club soda, and ½ cur orange flavored dried cranberries. Bake as directed.
Pizza Muffins: Mix with light beer, add 1 cup parmesan or mozzarella cheese, ½ cup chopped pepperoni, 1 TBSP Outrageously Garlic. Bake for 20-25 minutes in muffin tin at 350 degrees.
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.
Ok, so today I will be unabashedly commercial. After all, without Two Sisters Gourmet I wouldn’t get to blog. Today is the culmination of a year long journey of integrating Two Sisters Gourmet into the PartyLite family. With the new Winter/ Spring 2010 Catalog available today, we are finally national!! The one thing I know for sure, is that once you have tasted it, you’ll be hooked!
We’ve had lots of help over the past year, beginning with our PartyLite Consultants– thank you Gina Fletcher and Tammy Martin for being our pilot Regions. And in the PartyLite Home Office – thank you Karen Conkey, Liz DiPaolo, Joyce Elven, Mary Brunelle, Christa Silvieus, Debbie Holmes, Dana Harrell, Marye Cozzens, Rachel Kane, Cindi Ford, Kim Beson and the rest of the U.S. team for taking me under their wing and adding Two Sisters Gourmet into their product line.
Now it’s up to you to find you favorites and send me feedback for the future shape of this collection. Become a PartyLite Facebook fan and see if you can win TSG product!
You’ll notice in the new catalog that there are four tasty new offerings: Swirled Cheddar Merlot Cheese Mix, Sun-Roasted Red Pepper Seasoning, Bursting Blackberry Cabernet Preserve and Ripe Pear Chardonnay Preserve. These were designed to bring the feel and freshness of wine country to your table.
When you have TSG in your pantry, remember to check out the recipe box for mouth-watering ideas on how to use each item at least three different ways! TSG brings extra excitment to your everyday cooking and helps you prepare dishes that are quick, easy and delicious.
I had a great time tasting and refining products with you. My tasting cart is becoming a welcome sight here at the office. We’re currently finalizing the new items for the next catalog – plus, I can’t wait to get new ideas at the Fancy Food Show in January!
Please share your favorite TSG items and how you use them. I know a lot of you are just as excited as me, spread your enthusiasm and write a guest post for the blog.
Thank you for welcoming Two Sisters Gourmet into PartyLite and now onto tables nationwide!
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.
