Piquant

Chili-lime roasted corn with cheese

Every summer I look forward to sweet corn.  It's my favorite summer crop. There is just nothing better than an ear of roasted corn dusted with a pinch of sea salt and slathered in butter - unless it's Chili, lime and cheese roasted corn straight from the barbecue. 

Last week I was talking to a friend who was raving about Maiz asado con queso.  She'd had some of this delicious sweet, citrusy and spicy corn at dinner with a friend and couldn't get enough of it. 

I love this  roasted corn, ubiquitous at street fairs, but it's not somethng I'd make at home.  And it's not like it's a difficult dish.  It simply isn't a habit.

This is about to change. Here's a recipe you can try too. 

Chili-Lime Roasted Corn on the Cob

• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 ears of corn, husked
• grated Cotija (or mozarella cheese)
• 2 squares aluminum foil, big enough to wrap corn

Directions:

This is best cooked on charcoal grill, but can be prepared in the oven (350 degrees F)

Squeeze the lime juice into a resealable plastic bag and add the oil, chili powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Seal and shake the bag thoroughly to mix. Set aside.

Place an ear of husked corn on top of each aluminum foil square. Turn up the ends of the foil to make a boat for the liquids. Poke a hole in a corner of the bag and squeeze an equal amount of marinade onto each ear, reserving a little marinade to squeeze on just before you eat.

Fully coat the ears and wrap them tightly in foil. Roast for 40 minutes, turning occasionally to cook evenly.

To serve, remove foil and fashion into holders. Drizzle with additional lime marinade and the grated cheese.

Discount food shopping for damaged or discontinued products

ABC News reported today about the growing trend of salvage grocery stores, grocers where customers can get deals on damaged, dented and discontinued food products.  Some of these products are past or near their expiration dates.

It is a sad statement that the people of this country are reduced to buying damaged, dented and discontinued food products - past or near expiration - to feed their families.  If families are forced to buy cheap food just to fill the stomach, it's no wonder our health problems - obesity in particular - are rampant.

We need to reform more than just health care in this country. We need to teach our kids about the relationship of the farm and the land to our foods as well as how to prepare whole foods and how to eat better.  Further, we need to provide good food to all people, not just those whose wallets are fat enough to purchase organic and fresh.

I am apalled by salvage groceries on two counts.  One, it smacks of manufacturers profiting off the desperation of the poor and two, it continues to promote cheap, processed food and therefore poorer nutrition.

While there is no evidence the food is harmful, it's common knowledge (or should be) that badly dented cans could harbor the growth of botulism, serious food poisoning with the potential to cause death.

If the food is safe, then perhaps it could be put to better use by filling the shelves of food banks (but there's no profit in that for the manufacturers).  

The larger question we need to ask is where's the deal in perpetuating low quality food and poor food choices. The money we save now will surely come out of pocket later in poor health and higher medical bills.

Photo Credit: Daily Mail

Airlines increase checked baggage fees

Travelers can expect their wallets to be squeezed yet again as US Airways and Continental increase their checked baggage fees:

US Airways says it will increase fees for first and second checked bags by $5 for domestic flights. And both airlines say they will levy new fees for a second checked bag on trans-Atlantic flights.

US Airways now will charge $20, instead of $15, for the first checked bag and $30, up from $25, for the second, when bags are checked online. Travelers who check bags at the airport will pay $25 for the first and $35 for the second -- an extra $5 per bag.

Continental will join US Airways in exacting a $50 second checked-bag fee on trans-Atlantic flights, echoing recent moves by American and Delta.  (Boston.com)

Flying the friendly skies just got a little unfriendlier.

Healthy & tasty school lunches kids will love

Sadly not a lot has changed on the school lunch scene since Ronald Reagan declared ketchup a vegetable.

School lunches are cheap, over-processed and lacking in nutritition and imagination.  Think Sloppy Joes and canned corn. 

For this reason I've always packed my son's lunches.  Still it takes some clever machinations to come up with interesting, portable and tasty lunches that your kid will love - particularly when classmates are toting Twinkies and chips.

One popular bag lunch my son really enjoys is homemade pizza. We buy pizza dough from Trader Joe's (a fantastic deal at 99 cents), make a pie loaded with veggies and cheese for dinner, then save a few slices for school lunches.  It's a great way to get in those 3 cups of recommended daily servings of vegetables.

Here are a few great ideas for bag lunches your kids will love.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Substitute any type of pasta to keep things interesting.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
• 9 oz. pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Dilute soups as directed on can. Combine in saucepan with tortellini and heat over medium heat until the soup boils, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add peas and simmer 2 more minutes until the tortellini is tender. Pour into thermoses and package cheese separately to sprinkle over soup before eating. 4 servings

Parmesan Tuna Sandwiches

Here's a frewh & flavorful take on a classic.

Prep Time: :20

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. can chunk tuna, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• dash pepper

Preparation:

Combine tuna, bell pepper, and green onions in medium bowl. In small bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, and basil leaves and blend well. Add to tuna mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate tightly up to 2 days.

Individual Layered Salad

Try tons of different salads using this basic recipe; vary the toppings, the types of lettuces, the meats and cheeses, and the veggies.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen baby peas, unthawed
• 1 cup cubed cheese
• 1 cup cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 3-4 cups torn lettuce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or creamy salad dressing

Preparation:

Layer the ingredients in a small Tupperware or resealable container, in the order given. You could add more ingredients, like cashew nuts, green bell pepper slivers, cubed cucumber, blanched green beans, Parmesan cheese, cubed ham, or cooked pork tenderloin. Pack a fork, and let your diner mix the salad just before eating.

What's for dinner? Supercook.com has solutions

Everyone I know has had this  moment.  You stand staring into the refrigerator wondering what on earth you can make for dinner that will not only be interesting and taste good, but use ingredients already on hand.

The temptation to call for takeout is all too great.

Before you reach for the phone, try Supercook.com, a user-friendly website that quickly gives you thousands of delicious recipe ideas.

Type in your ingredient and in seconds, you have solutions.

Our food is increasingly bad for us - even dangerous

You are what you eat.  This isn't always a good thing.

Now more than ever - when obesity is at crisis levels in the US - we need to examine why we treat the symptom rather than advocate proactive prevention.  Time magazine recently published a piece that examines the problem:

Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won't bite one another.

To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics.

The waste produced by the pig and his thousands of pen mates on the factory farm where they live goes into manure lagoons that blanket neighboring communities with air pollution and a stomach-churning stench. He's fed on American corn that was grown with the help of government subsidies and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer.

When the pig is slaughtered, at about 5 months of age, he'll become sausage or bacon that will sell cheap, feeding an American addiction to meat that has contributed to an obesity epidemic currently afflicting more than two-thirds of the population.

And when the rains come, the excess fertilizer that coaxed so much corn from the ground will be washed into the Mississippi River and down into the Gulf of Mexico, where it will help kill fish for miles and miles around. That's the state of your bacon — circa 2009.

Read more...

Eastern North Carolina pit cooked barbecue

Growing up in eastern North Carolina, I cut my teeth on pit cooked barbecue. 

I love a big plate piled high with chopped pork barbecue - tender meat redolent with wood smoke, vinegar and sharp cayenne - and sides of hot, crisp hushpuppies, thick, rich Brunswick stew and cool, creamy coleslaw.

When my Dad and brother cook a pig, they cook the whole behemoth - everything but the squeal.  Cooking a whole pig over coals is a lengthy process, with an average cooking time of between 10 and 12 hours. My Dad and brother used to cook pigs in lined earth pits but later fashioned cookers from metal drums. 

These days barbecue enthusiasts can buy cookers and smokers in a range of price points with every bell and whistle imaginable.  Of course, not every one who wants to cook eastern North Carolina style barbecue will want to cook the whole pig.  A pork shoulder makes some mighty fine barbecue too.

There are two things critical to good barbecue - the sauce and the method of cooking. 

Eastern North Carolina barbecue sauce is simple but piquant, made from apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of salt and a dash of tomato sauce.  Some people add a little brown sugar to temper the acid of the vinegar.

The best barbecue is pit cooked, but the reality is that this method isn't always practical. Unless you're planning on a big gathering, cooking a whole pig is obviously impractical.  Good thing the same flavor can be achieved with a gas or charcoal grill and smoked wood chips.

Traditional Eastern NC Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

1 gallon apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 cup crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
4 ounces of tomato sauce
1/4 cup salt

Procedure

Mix the ingredients and let stand for at least 4 hours before use.

Get your Groupon and attain NIrvana with five yoga classes for $35

Whether you're a yoga vet or just yoga-curious, today's Groupon for five classes at Prana Mandir Yoga Studio for only $35 helps you improve flexibility and reduce stress.

Choose among four classes at the center-Kundalini, Vinyasa, Meditation, and Intro to Yoga-each taught by one of Prana Mandir's experienced instructors.

Founder and creative director Lea Kraemer has taught yoga for more than a decade and her studio has been featured by NY Wellness Examiner and Time Out New York.

Don't forget to read the fine print.

Mark your calendars for the 11th annual event to benefit City Harvest, New York Taste, November 2, at Skylight, 275 Hudson Street.

New York culinary editor Gillian Duffy and more than 40 of the city’s finest restaurants will be on hand at this culinary affair where guests will sample fare from renowned chefs, mixologists and wineries.

Participants at this year’s event will include Alain Allegretti, Dan Barber,Cesare Casella, Odette Fada, John Fraser, Craig Hopson, Morimoto and many more.

Tickets to the fundraiser may be bought online.

Limited Tickets Available

General Admission: $175
7–9PM – Access to main event tastings

VIP: $250
Includes VIP preview hour (6–7PM),
VIP lounge access and an exclusive gift bag.

Breakfast for dinner: omelets anytime with Julia

The newly released movie, Julie and Julia has everyone celebrating the late  and very wonderful American chef Julia Child.

I love her enthusiasm for even the simplest of meals and this video detailing the proper way to make an omelet is a classic. Child introduced the French technique to an American audience hungry for a new and nuanced way of cooking.

Break some eggs and enjoy a simple satisfying meal.