I realized after my post on poultry I left out a wonderful and very tasty way of preparation, and that is smoking. There is a cold smoke and a hot smoke preparation for meats. The first doesn’t actually mean you do this in a cold or freezing environment, as the name implies, just that the temperature of the smoke never goes above 160 degrees. Many people are sticklers for even lower temperatures such as between 80-100 degrees, and thus it is ideal for meats such as Salmon and other fish, or oysters; while hot smoking can be used for anything really. The smoke essentially “cures” the meat and imparts an incredible flavor alone, or layered under whatever flavors you want to build up. More often than smoked meats have been soaked in a brine up for 4 hours or more commonly overnight to aid in the curing and flavor process. The USDA has great guidelines to follow when smoking meats, click here to go to the link.

For example a whole fryer chicken, approximately 3 to 3 1/2 pounds you would want a brine solution of 1 gallon water, 1 cup kosher salt, 1 cup sugar, and if you like pickling spices, or any spices or chilies you might like to add. If you add pickling spices it is best to boil all ingredients together, add pickling spices at the end and chill completely before immersing your bird in the solution.

Okay, you ask yourself, a gallon of water and a bird in it? What a mess! How will I ever do something like this? Well, good question. I have seen a lot of ingenious ways of storing meats while being prepared to be smoked from 5 gallon buckets used by professional painters which were bought new, specifically for this purpose (washed before use) and stored in an extra refrigerator, or garage in winter if you live up north! You could get your biggest stock pot and move a couple shelves around and keep it on the bottom rack just overnight. Never out at room temperature though. A cooler can also do the trick as long as you take measures to keep the contents chilled below 41 degrees for the whole time. Ice does nice.

For the sake of ease and technicality we will stick with hot smoked food preparation as it is just easier and tastes really good. When you get into cold smoking at home, you run the risk of bacterial growth from improperly held temperatures, poorly made brining solutions, whether you live in a sub-tropical climate or not, etcetera. Also a plus is you don’t need to brine your meats before you hot smoke them, you can just do a simple marinade or just go for it as is.

Hickory is probably one of the most used woods for smoked meats. It is easy to come by and popular for the intense, slightly sweet aroma which penetrates the meat well. Appearing more often are apple and other fruit woods which are also wonderful alone or mixed with your favorite wood chips. Apple, walnut, cherry, ash, and maple are some that I can think of offhand that can most likely be found with ease.

One could buy a smoker for home around $50 or convert an old oven into one if you are feeling adventurous. For tips check out this link.

Comments(0)

Comfort food. There is something about it that is universal yet intrinsically unique to each person who thinks of it. To some it may mean sugary sweet snacks; salty, crunchy, crispies; ooey-gooey, treats or savory reminders of childhood; a special vacation or romantic memory. Most of the time when we crave it we over-indulge in it out of boredom or emotion Like most people I have a couple things that are sure to lift my mood- like a milk-shake, a slice of Ricotta pie from Mike’s Pastry, chocolate, or ice cream.  I see a lot of dairy trending in that list…

What is the backbone of comfort food? Well, for each of us, culturally diverse people, it is almost always a blend of fat, sugar, salt and intense flavor. All of the good things. (Think chocolate dipped, hand-cut, potato chips) When you mix fat and flavor it equals ‘Mmmmm’. It also equals inflammation and weight gain. *frown* I have taken on this mission with the intent to help make it taste fattening, when you really, really want it to.

Family meals can be really hard when sentimental dishes pop up on the buffet line. Oh those tastes of home and childhood, family gatherings and warm fuzzy times spent arguing and cajoling over time tested casseroles of cheese-laden, goodness.

Well starting off on this subject I think I just want to set some guidelines of what I think may help when you have certain cravings or encounters with traditional foods that would derail a diet in a heartbeat. And we don’t want that heartbeat to lead up to your last; so here goes.

Apples: they are not boring! If you think so, then stop buying the old, red, standby-Red Delicious. It was delicious back when it was new, a couple hundred years ago. Since then it has become mealy and bland because it has undergone so many “face-lifts” due to genetic farming. You don’t have to look far for any other varieties. A standby on my counter is the Gala and Honeycrips. Crisp, juicy, sweet with a gentle tang of acidity; but not enough to make you pucker up like with a Granny Smith. Next on my list and harder for me to acquire due to my recent geographical excursions are Haralsan , Honeycrisp, Honeygold and Pink Lady. The last four were cultivated since the 1930’s in Minnesota and Wisconsin and are by far the best apples I have had to date. These days my Gala’s  are bursting with juice and perfectly crisp so much so that I’ve been eating at least four to six a day!  Talk about an easy fix for a craving!

Apples are fat-free! One apple provides as much as one fifth of the recommended daily intake of fiber.Apples are loaded with pectin, a soluble fiber that aids digestion and may help reduce cancer and heart disease.The complex carbohydrates in apples gives you a longer, more even energy boost compared to high-sugar snacks, so apples can keep you going throughout the day, and well…you’ll go more regularly if you catch my drift. Apples also provide boron, an essential trace element that helps harden bones. Strong bones help prevent osteoporosis! They also contain phenolic compounds like those found in grapes. More fiber can help you lose weight! Less weight equals less joint pain! Win-Win!

Generally you can stave off any impending disasters by grabbing a firm Gala or Honeycrisp for example, and wash it, and start chomping. If this seems uninteresting you can always take a trip back in “time”, so to speak, to apple slices and peanut-butter. I’d choose soy-butter over peanut and make sure you are portioning! Wanna really fill up? Toss some sliced up apple, a peeled carrot, half an avocado (yes I typed avocado), a cup of baby spinach, into a blender with a couple packets of sweet”n”low brand sweetener, or Splenda brand sweetener, and a cup of apple juice or even soy milk, and whirl into flavor and fullness. One glass of that and you won’t have room for anything else!

If that isn’t you thing, well try something else! We already know apples are crunchy, there’s one aspect of comfort, we know they’re juicy; another one; they’re tart and quick, so they’ve got that snacking quality to them. So you wanted something salty too? So sprinkle some Crazy salt over some slices and go for it. Apples welcome diverse flavors, and salt is no exception! In fact a few slices of sharp cheese on a crusty baguette, toasted until melty, over apple slices is in fact amazing. Heck, dice one up and toss it into a mixed green, or romaine lettuce salad with your favorite fat-free dressing and an ounce of cheese. See if that apple doesn’t shine as the favorite part of your salad. Cook it! Bake it; you want a casserole real bad? Ok I got one for you; sweet potato and apple casserole.

• 3 medium sized, crisp apples-cored and sliced into 1/4 Inch rings
• 3 medium sweet potatoes,  sliced into rounds.
• 1 Tablespoon grated citrus peel, preferably orange peel
• Appx: 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt maybe a pinch more
• 1/4 cup apple or orange juice
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1/4 teaspoon or 1/2 depending on how much you like Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Pre-heat an oven to 400 and toss all the ingredients together in a bowl, except the juice which will be poured over at the end just before cooking, then alternate the layers in a casserole dish. Bake covered with foil for about 20 minutes. At the end uncover and sprinkle some grated Parmesan if you like. 1/2 cup is optional for an extra comfort layer. A quicker method would be to prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave them until done, about 7 minutes. Slice into rings and follow the rest of the directions except you would microwave the entire casserole for about 7 minutes.

So think on it, please, choose an apple. Try other kinds! If you don’t like that kind, don’t give up on them, there are over 100 varieties available in the U.S. for commercial distribution. More than you need to choose from.

Comments(0)