Just Poking around in my Yard

      It’s been quite some time since I have last posted. Not much has changed in my life. I still work too hard, too long and too much. I am not sure if it is a blessing or a curse but it sustains me.

     I have always considered myself a “casual” gardener. To me this means that I plant it, if it grows great, if it doesn’t no biggie.

     I decided to take a walk in the yard this morning as a measure of relaxation.Just to see what was growing. I was pleasantly surprised.

     Years ago, when I first moved into my house, I planted oregano. Now 20 years later It still grows!! I use it in marinades for steak and chicken. The neighbors must think I am crazy as they watch me pick what some have described as “lawn clippings”. If they only new!!!

I love fresh dill in the spring. It is mandatory for my new potato salad. I was happy to find that it still grows,wild, all around my yard.

Something I can’t take credit for is the mint that grows in the yard it was here when I moved in.

Last, but not least, I got a gift this year (courtesy of the birds I think). A wild raspberry bush popped up this year along the fence line. I am planning on making good use of these.

I found all of this in my tiny (yes tiny ) yard. Take a walk let me know what is growing in your yard!

Lamb Shanks in Red Wine

      With as much snow as we have had here in Michigan I felt the need to step up my hearty meal intake. When the temperature take a dive I like to help keep the house pleasant and warm by preparing a lot of stewed or braised foods. One of my favorites is braised lamb shanks. I try to purchase them when they are on sale and save them for the proper occasion.Lamb ( and beef or Pork ) Shanks have a tremendous amount of gelatin. This makes any preparation with them extra special.

Having dug out of the storm earlier this week I was surprised when I  came back from the store in clear weather only to find the car covered by 2 inches of snow not 10 minutes later.

 

After this I came to the conclusion that this would be a perfect day for the lamb shank I had.

  Your basic stew relies on the protein and the aromatic vegetables ( Onion,Carrot and Celery). In this version I replace the celery with fennel for a spicy twist. I also add a gremolata towards the end of the cooking process which brings a freshness to the preparation. A gremolata, traditionally, is a combination of fresh herbs, lemon rind,garlic and parley. For this preparation I used the fennel fronds to replace the parsley and orange rind to replace the lemon giving this braise a fresh and exciting taste.

As with all Stew/Braises low an slow is the rule!!

Braised Lamb Shanks in Red Wine with a Fennel and Orange Gremolata

For 2

For Lamb

2 Lamb Shanks

1 Cup Onion Rough Chopped

1/2 cup Fennel Bulb Chopped

1/2 cup Carrot Chopped

1/2 cup Flour

1 cup red wine

oil

• Dredge Lamb Shanks in flour and sear in a hot pan with oil

• remove lamb an saute vegetable until translucent

• Return lamb to the pan, add red wine, cover and simmer until tender.

Gremolata

Ingredients:

• Zest of one large orange
• 1 lg. or 2 sm. cloves garlic; crushed
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fennel fronds
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Stir in  Gremolata and return pan to oven. Continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Bon Apetit!

No… I haven’t gotten lost!!!/ Rib eye Steak with Grilled Romaine

      In my last post I alluded to my new position.I wanted bring you up to date with my current status. I am currently in Grand Rapids Michigan. I am living on-site and ( doing what I do) creating/implementing first rate dining services programs. I do return to my house in Detroit weekly.

        For the last 2 weeks I have enjoyed the  Downtown Blues Festival in Grand Rapids Little Ed was the first week and Duke Robilard  appeared last week. This week it was Janiva Magness.

     Last week we had our first Al Fresco Dining  event and it went very well. We had literally twice our usual number participants joined us.We will be doing this weekly as long as the weather allows. Our resident  love what we are doing!! We have a wonderful Chef Manager who has a great relationship with our residents.

      I am taking a day off but wanted to stay in  touch

     Michigan has great small cities. Lansing, Ann Arbor, Flint and Grand Rapids  each host an  variety of cultural  events.

 

My favorite meals lately has been steak with grilled romaine lettuce. I top the lettuce with an herb vinaigrette ( herbs from my garden) and Maytag Blue Cheese, as well as marinating the steak in fresh  herbs from my garden. I am fortunate to have a butcher shop in my neighborhood and they will cut steaks to my specifications.  I prefer to have my steaks cut to about 2 # and grill/roast when cooking.

 

 

The Romaine lettuce I drizzle with the vinaigrette after I have topped it with the cheese  and slice the steak thin.

  The results are spectacular!!!

Living in a Maple Wonderland

     I would like to like to begin this post by introducing some friends of mine. They go by the screen names Gizmar and Psychgrad. They are the mother and daughter team behind Equal Opportunity Kitchen  and my mentors in the Adopt-a Blogger program. Giz and Psychgrad have been blogging together since 2007 and have graciously offered to help me with my blogging. For the last month or so we have been e-mailing each other, checking each others sites out and working on a post together. While checking out their site I came across a couple of posts about Maple syrup. Now Maple syrup is one thing I haven’t tackled ( except if you count pouring it on my pancake with great enthusiasm) but living in Michigan I am aware that there is a fair amount of production of this special product. There are also activities associated with the product. I hope to attend one of these events and eventually tap a tree, boil it down to make syrup and follow up with that pancake thing I mentioned earlier. In any case being right in the middle of Maple syrup season we decided that a post on this subject would be timely. The photos were taken by Psychgrad last season the with recipes from Gizmar and myself.

     Long before the first Europeans came to North America the native peoples were making  maple syrup. How they happened upon this treasure is the subject of some debate but several native tribes tell  that, long ago, pure maple syrup ran from the trees and that one of the gods thought this too easy for the people and that they would take it for granted so he gathered water up into the skies and and poured it onto the trees watering the syrup down into sap. After that the people had to boil the sap in order to make the syrup.

     When the Europeans arrived the natives taught them how to take the sap and make syrup from it. The French Canadians began making in the 1600’s with the British colonists in New England following suit. It was an important commodity early on as the cost of sugar (which had to be imported) was prohibitive. As settlements were established in the west the tradition of making maple syrup went too. While Canada produces the most Maple syrup many Northern US states from Maine west to Washington produce maple syrup as well .

     The process for making maple syrup is a very time consuming process. First maple trees are “tapped”.

“Tapping” is when a hole is drilled into the maple tree to allow the sap to flow. a spigot is inserted and the sap drips into a container. The sap runs best on days when the nights are cold but the days are mild (February,March and April). Each day the sap is gathered and it’s brought to a central processing point. It is then boiled down to remove the water and concentrate the sugar.

When the sap is collected it contains 97% water and 3% sugar but by the time the process is finished the numbers are reversed and the syrup contains 97% sugar and 3% water.

     If you live in the Northern tier of the United States (or in Canada)  chances are Maple syrup events are going on in the late winter and early spring. People gather to celebrate the coming of spring and the syrup harvest (Maple syrup is actually the first “crop” of the season). There are an assortment of activities at these festivals. Of course there are sap collecting, syrup making demonstrations and usually a pancake breakfast.  These events are great family friendly activities that shouldn’t be missed! Here in Michigan you can find out about Maple syrup events at the Michigan Maple Syrup festival site. For our friends across the river in Ontario you can visit the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers website or Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugarbush. Of course there are several other states that produce Maple syrup  and if you live in ( or think you live in) one of those states just Google it on the internet and you will find events in your area!

      Even though maple syrup is best known as the topping of choice for pancake it also works great in many other dishes. My friend Giz and I have come up with a couple of recipe that that scream “Maple Syrup! It’s not just for breakfast anymore!”

Grilled Chicken Glazed with Maple Syrup and Whole Grain Mustard

 

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts ( 5-6 oz)

1/2 cup Liquid Steak Seasoning

1 tablespoon minced Garlic

1/2 4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup pure Maple syrup

1/4 cup Whole grain Mustard

 

• Trim the Chicken breast of any fat or skin.
• Mix together the Steak seasoning, Garlic and oil.
• Marinate the Chicken in the Seasoning mix above for 1 hour.
• In a sauce pan reduce the Maple syrup by 1/3 and stir in the Mustard. Your glaze is done.
• Grill until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
• Glaze your chicken breast on both sides and continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Remove from heat and glaze once more if needed.

• You may have notice that I used a store bought steak seasoning (Kroger brand). This is because it work well for my purpose. It’s a very concentrated (liquid) seasoning so it only take an hour or so to marinate. If there isn’t a Kroger store I’m sure they have an equivalent product. If not, or if you choose otherwise you could use and make your own marinade.
• I reduce the syrup a bit to ensure that it doesn’t run off the chicken when I brush it on. It also intensifies the flavor.
• I don’t start glazing until the Chicken is almost done. This prevents the sugar in the maple syrup from Burning.

From Gizmar at Equal Opportunity Kitchen we also have a Maple Salmon recipe:

Maple Glazed Salmon

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light soya sauce
1/4 cup dark rum
3-4 Tbsp Maple Syrup (some use 1 1/2 – I like more)
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
salt and pepper to taste (I eliminate the salt)
1. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil
2. Marinate the fish for 2 hours.
3.  Bake at 400 F for 20 min.

Enjoy the taste of Maple syrup this year and support local agriculture!!!!

The Sunshine Blog Award

     

    I try to check and respond to my e-mail in a timely fashion. When I checked the other day I got a nice surprise when I found out that I was honored with The Sunshine Blog Award. Now I have only been blogging for 3 month and am very happy when I even get any comments on my posts so to have a fellow Blogger take this kind of notice meant a lot to me. For those not familiar the Sunshine Blog Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world.

     As I stated earlier I like to respond to e-mails quickly so I immediately responded to the person who honored me. Her name is Jenn and she is the voice behind  Defunkt Gourmet. This is a great site that originate ( I’m going out on a limb here because I saw a news headline on her site) Winnipeg Canada with great pictures, recipes and commentary. This was the easy part. I’ve read a lot of really great blogs and in order to single out twelve required some thought. I hope I will be excused for the tardiness. Please take the time to check out all these great sites. Without further delay I pass this award on to:

Cajun Chef Ryan – Chef Ryan is from New Orleans and brings his experiences working in the food industry, along with a wealth of recipes from the Big Easy, to his readers each week. Keep up the good work.

Deep South Dish – This very comprehensive site  follows a Southern theme with recipes and tips that will have you preparing Deep South Classics in no time.

Fight the Fat Foodie – Let’s face it healthy is not always the tastiest. This site is dedicated to healthy food that tastes great. Scott Koeneman takes recipes and shows way to trim the fat without losing the flavor. Great job Scott.

400 Calories or Less – Another great site focusing on healthy and delicious recipes all with less than 400 calories!

Edible Aria – This site is devoted to healthy eating with an emphasis on sustainable products. I find recipes here with an variety of unusual product. I also appreciate the “from scratch approach I find here!

Preserving Traditions – This site is near and dear to me as it originate out of Ann Arbor Michigan. As the Blog name suggest this site is about preserving traditions. The blog contains information on workshops and events on a variety of subject from Home made condiments (Ketchup, mustard etc.),jams and canned vegetables to making tamales with members of the Mexican community.

Powderate – This site is put together by Lee Ann Foster, A Culinary School Graduate who lives in British Columbia. Lots of natural foods recipes , many of which were foraged for in the wild.

Beyond Salmon -  Run by Chef/ instructor Helen Rennie this site dives into food with both hands not just focusing on recipes by why they work as well as vital information about the products she uses. She is particularly thorough about fish and seafood.

Equal Opportunity Kitchen – I would be remiss if I did not mention Gizmar and Psychgrad at Equal Opportunity Kitchen. They are my partners/mentors in the Adopt a Blog Program. There help and guidance keep me pointed in the right direction.

Dining in Detroit – This site helps me keep up with the goings on here in Detroit and the piece on the Taco trucks in Mexicantown was inspiring!

Stumptown Savory -  Great recipe and proper technique!

In the Kitchen with Nick– For a Non Chef Nick’s got some nice recipes.

Well there you have it. Please note that I decided not to give the award to Bloggers that already had received it. Also there are many other Bloggers out there that I read on a regular basis but limited myself to the suggested number of recipients

If you have received this award please consider passing it along to others. Here what you can do:

• Put the logo on your blog or within your post
• Pass the award on to as many as 12 bloggers.
• Link the nominees within your post
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award

Please note that these sites are listed in no particular order. To all of you out there reading this. Keep on Blogging. We all have something to say!

Guest Post from Rebecca_

 

                                Guest Blogger

My good friend and guest blogger is Rebecca from Chow and Chatter.com. Rebecca is a registered dietician who I met through Food blogs. She has a great recipe using polenta and sausage that we will share with you today. I follow with her post:

     Its with great pleasure to do a guest post for Ed a trained chef, with a lovely blog full of great recipes with a pro’s insight. I am Rebecca a dietitian and writer, I am a Brit and have been living In America for 7 years. Ed asked me to talk about the differences in food between the UK and the US. Well to be honest the traditional British diet of meat and two vegetables is quite similar to the American diet after all America is full of European immigrants. I do miss the pub lunch’s and little tea shops with tea and fresh cakes and scones. Most British cities are quite diverse and Brits love food from around the globe in particular Indian. My husband is from India, so we have lots of Indian food in our home, we are also very adventurous in the kitchen and love trying dishes from all over the World and often learn from our travels.

     I lived in a small town Elkin in NC for 4 years so experienced traditional Southern cooking, fried chicken, green beans, cornbread and so on. While I enjoy it as a dietitian it can be too heavy for me, but one thing I adored about the area was the fact so many folks grew wonderful gardens in the summer with amazing produce and can it for the winter. I miss my neighbor’s leaving it on my doorstep!

      We now live in Winston Salem NC it has a bit more diversity with decent Thai and Chinese restaurants and Greensboro has first class Vietnamese cuisine.

     My favorite American foodie cities are NYC its heaven you can eat food from a different country every day, New Orleans I adore the gumbo, crawfish cajun and creole cuisine. I also love Miami for seafood and Cuban and South American food. If you ask the locals you can find good places to eat any where you travel to!

Polenta and Sausage

Ingredients:

4 sweet pepper

Italian sausages (Applegate farms- made from chicken)

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1/2 red onion Italian herbs

fresh basil

4 cloves of garlic

1 big yellow squash 2

small eggplants

3 small carrots green beans

5 tomatoes

one pack of sun dried tomato polenta

Method:

• Heat olive oil and add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 min
• Add all of the veggies and sausage  and stir fry for 10 min
• Add tomatoes cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes
• Cook polenta,separately, by mixing into boiling water and stirring continuously for 5 minutes
• Spoon Polenta on plate and top with sausage and vegetable mix

Thanks Rebecca !

You can visit Rebecca at Chow and Chatter

Adopt a Blogger

     Some time ago, while surfing through other food blogs, I came across a post called Adopt a Blogger. I read the post and was intrigued. Being new to the blogging game I thought that I should get involved. I could learn something here.

     Adopt a Blogger is a program spearheaded by Kristen @ Dine and Dish. New bloggers are matched up with experienced bloggers in an effort to help the “newbies” become better at what they do. To help them at their efforts to join the online community of food.

     I replied with a post and waited anxiously for the matchups to be announced. I had read that the matches were limited to the first 50 people to respond so I wondered if I would ( having, really, just gotten started blogging) get to be matched.

     It took several week of checking but finally the matches were made. I ran down the list and there was a match.

     Just tonight I got an e-mail from Equal Opportunity Kitchen .. The blog was created by a Mother-Daughter duo from Canada who dish it up on a variety of culinary subjects. I am excited to be working with them.

    For those of us, just getting started, This is a great way to go. Please consider being involved.