As a cooking columnist, I receive a lot of free samples. Some
products get the thumbs up and others get filed in the garbage
compactor.
As a cooking columnist, I receive a lot of free samples. Some products get the thumbs up and others get filed in the garbage compactor. This year, I’ve received 14 spice blends, a new lemon juicer, and three bags of organic lettuce that, unfortunately, arrived while I was on vacation and were a green glob by the time I opened the box.
I’ve also received a roll of non-stick aluminum foil, turkey baking bags and two pints of Dreyer’s ice cream. Tea, pepper, freeze-dried bacon and fresh mushrooms.
Pink lady apples from Washington, mandarin oranges from Florida and squeezable herbs from Australia.
Sometimes it’s fun to experiment with the new ingredients, but many times I find that I like the old methods and ingredients best. That seems to be the general public’s consensus, too, since 80 percent of new food products fail within the first two years.
I was thinking of that last week, as I eyed plastic tubes of pureed chives, basil and chili pepper. Will the public really buy these, if they ever get onto grocery store shelves? Will I replace chopped fresh basil with a squeeze from this freezable tube? I’m not sure of the answer yet. I try to use the products for a few months to see if they really seem useful or so good that I should tell you about them. Here are four that passed and failed my recent tests:
• Red tea – A: First, green tea was found to have abundant antioxidant qualities with less caffeine than black tea or coffee. Now, add red tea to the mix. Red tea is actually an herb grown in South Africa called rooibos (ROY-boss). Rooibos is full of polyphenols and flavenoids, which researchers believe help protect the body from free-radicals. It is completely caffeine free. The herb has been used in South Africa for years as an “old wives cure” for queasiness and sleeplessness and, like many teas, is also used topically to treat allergic reactions. Red tea producers claim that the product contains 30 times the antioxidant properties of green tea; the FDA has not, of course, evaluated that claim.
I recently received a shipment of red tea, right before I started noticing it at gourmet coffee shops (it’s not yet widely available in grocery stores). I like it because it is lighter than traditional black tea and tastes slightly fruity. It’s great as an iced tea, too.
Many companies have started to market red tea, such as Republic of Tea and Kalahari Red Tea. Garlic City Coffee in downtown now carries a large selection of red tea, so you can sample a cup for about $1 before you buy a whole package. Whole Foods Market also carries the Kalahari brand for about $4 for 20 tea bags.
• McCormick Grinders – D: McCormick Grinders are spice jars with plastic pepper mills on the top. They contain black peppercorns, a medley of red, green, black and white peppercorns, or sea salt. Though the peppercorns and the salt taste good, the plastic pepper mills are dubious in my book. They don’t work that well, and I can’t imagine replacing my wooden pepper mill with one of these models. You see, once empty, they can’t be refilled. Retail cost is $2 to $3.
• Rosenborg Extra Creamy Blue Cheese in Oil – A: If you’re a blue cheese lover, picture cubes of extra-creamy veined cheese cured in oil with juniper berries, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic. Eat with a toothpick at a very fun party, or by yourself straight out of the fridge. This is a product of Denmark (so I’m partial), available at local grocery stores in the cheese section. It retails for about $4.50 and is worth every penny.
• Melissa’s Dried Morel Mushrooms – B: Fresh is always best, but if you can’t find fresh morels, here’s a great alternative. Melissa’s, out of Los Angeles, packages morels in 1/2-ounce packages for about $3. The cost is worth it, because rehydrated morels add a richness to your soups, stocks, or beef stroganoff. They’re special when sautéed with button mushrooms and spooned over steaks, too. Available in the produce section, usually hanging above the fresh mushrooms.
• Creamy mushroom pasta: This pasta is perfect for the above morels, or for fresh or dried porcinis. Follow dried mushroom package directions to rehydrate, then add to recipe as directed. The recipe is from the California Culinary Academy’s “Italian Cooking at the Academy.”
Pasta con Fungi
4 quarts lightly salted water
4 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 1/2 T. minced garlic
1 lb. mushrooms, quartered (choose from fresh white, porcinis, morels or other wild mushrooms)
3 T. Chianti or dry red wine
3 T. whipping cream
Salt & pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
1 lb. linguine
In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. While water is heating, melt butter and oil in a large skillet over moderately low heat.
Add shallots and garlic; cook gently 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, raise heat to high, and cook briskly for 3 minutes. Add wine and let evaporate over high heat. Add cream and reduce slightly over medium hear. Remove from heat; add salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in half of the minced chives.
Add pasta to rapidly boiling water and cook until just done. Drain well in a colander and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Add sauce and toss well.
Garnish with remaining chives and serve hot.
• For unexpected guests: Here’s a frittata that’s a cinch to make. When an unexpected guest drops by, or you invite someone over on the spur of the moment, this is the dish to make. It’s from a great inn, Zaballa House in Half Moon Bay.
Green Chile Frittata
Beat 10 eggs until frothy.
Add:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
Stir in:
1 lb. shredded Jack cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
8 oz. green chiles
Grease two 9-inch pie pans. Divide egg mixture evenly between pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Blue guacamole: Danny Sherman, a reader from Morgan Hill, wrote to ask me if I could find a guacamole recipe that contained blue cheese. Danny had it at an office party, but couldn’t find the person who made it. This version is from “The Farmhouse Cookbook,” which has turned out so many great recipes. Bill Krome is an avocado farmer par excellence.
Bill Krome’s Guacamole
1/2 oz. blue cheese, at room temperature (about 2 T.)
2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups diced avocado
1/2 small onion, diced
Salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco, or to taste
Put the blue cheese and lime juice into a bowl and whisk until they are combined. Add the avocado and crush it, using a fork or a potato masher, until the mixture forms a chunky puree. Add the onion, then season to taste with salt and Tabasco. Stir well and serve immediately, as it won’t keep.
Makes about 2 cups.
• End notes: Don’t forget to drop off Christmas cookies for the homeless at my house, 775 West Ninth St., anytime Friday-Sunday of this week. The cookies will be packaged in small bags and given out to people as they leave the Armory on Christmas morning.
We appreciate anything you can do to help!
Tip of the Week:
Looking for a quicker roast? Choose one with the bone in. The bone acts as a
heat conductor to the roast’s center.
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• Will’s Fargo reopened: The legendary Carmel Valley steakhouse, Will’s Fargo, has reopened under new management. The new chef, Cal Stamenov of Quail Valley Lodge, plans to maintain the signature menu based on aged steaks, fresh seafood, lamb, pastas and more. Open for dinner daily at 5 p.m. For reservations: (831) 659-2774.
• Quick dessert: Pair a good cheese with fruit and a glass of wine or aperitif for the perfect dessert. Try creamy blue cheese with nectarines or peaches. Pair Roquefort with pears, apples or grapes. Or try a feta with strawberries. Yum!
• Napa Valley Mustard Festival: This food festival runs Feb. 1-29, 2003, at different venues throughout the Napa wine country. Activities range from special dinners and concerts to art shows and the “blessing of the balloons.” To find out more, or to find lodgings, go to www.mustardfestival.org.
