Let's Talk Onions

During the month of October, I will be participating in the Write 31 Days hosted by Crystal Stine. My category is Food, Health & Wellness and my theme is "Into The Kitchen". 



An onion is an onion...or not.  Who doesn't love a basket of freshly made onion rings? However not just any onion can be an onion ring. Keep reading to see which one makes the cut.

One can do a lot of reading about onions, and there is more information than we can cover here in detail, so we are going focus on type and sizes of onions, the best use for each and a few of their health benefits.

Have you ever looked at a recipe that calls for one large onion, chopped. What is a large onion and how much does that yield? I much prefer when the recipe states the amount in a quantity like one cup. Truthfully, I rarely measure, but if I know I need a cup, I can eyeball that. On the other hand, if it calls for a large onion, what is that comparitively?

Okay, let's break that down because there is an actual onion size chart.

Super Colossal	4½" and up	yellow, red, white
Colossal	3¾" and up	yellow, red, white
Large/Jumbo	3" and up	yellow, red, white
Medium	2 - 3¼"	yellow, red, white
PrePack	1¾ - 3"	yellow and white
Small	1 – 2¼"	yellow and white
Boiler	1 - 1 7/8"	yellow and white
Creamer	under 1"	yellow and white

This chart gives you an idea as to labels and sizes, but you need to know these equivalents, too.

Small onion = 1/2 cup chopped
Medium onion = 1 cup chopped
Large = 2 cups chopped

Types of onions

Yellow 
These onions have the strongest flavor and good for caramelizing, especially in French Onion soup, because of their higher sugar content.

Red
Red onions are often served raw and usually used on sandwiches, burgers and salads. They are also used for grilling and roasting.

White
You want to look for these when you need a little texture in your dish. They are used in salads, white sauces and Mexican cuisine.

Sweet
To more easily spot sweet onions, look for a more orange skin. Walla Walla and Vidalia are types of sweet onions. They have a mild flavor and a higher water content, which makes them good for salsas. These are also the best onions for onion rings.

Green Onions (also known as Scallions)
These are the stalks of onion bulbs and are best used raw or lightly cooked. They add a mild flavor to your dish, and are often used as a garnish.

In addition to their great taste and wide variety of uses, onions of all kinds are good for you, too.

Health Benefits

What makes them healthy? Onions contain high amounts of:

• Vitamin C
• Sulphuric compounds
• Flavonoids
• Phytochemicals
• Significant source of antioxidents

In summary, onions of all kinds are flavorful, healthful additions to our diet. I hope this helps you choose the right onion for your dish and your taste buds. 

Personally, I seriously do not like red onions as the taste and smell is very off-putting to me. My favorites are the sweet onions, followed by regular yellow onions, for all my cooking needs.

Which onions do you prefer? Do you have a favorite onion-centric recipe?




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Are They Yams or Sweet Potatoes?

During the month of October, I will be participating in the Write 31 Days hosted by Crystal Stine. My category is Food, Health & Wellness and my theme is "Into The Kitchen". 



That is a good question, and one I am glad you asked. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is something we should explore, so before you say "Please pass the yams," you might want to read this.

Yam

The yam is a tropical tuber native to Africa and Asia, and is related to lilies and grasses. While yams are similar to sweet potatoes, they are an entirely different plant species. The confusion is compounded by the fact that sweet potatoes canned in the U.S. are often incorrectly labeled as yams.

Yams have a higher moisture content and more natural sugar than sweet potatoes, but they also have less Vitamins A and C. There are over 100 species of yams ranging from small potato size to over 5 feet long. Can you imagine if sweet potatoes grew to that size? Depending on the variety, their flesh ranges from off-white to dark brown.

Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are the edible root of a plant belonging to the Morning Glory family. Surprised? If you've ever seen Morning Glories, then you will notice the resemblance.

            

Sweet Potato               

Morning Glory

Sweet potatoes also come in many varieties, but the two most often grown commercially in the U.S. are the pale ones with light yellow skin and the darker orange ones. The pale ones are not sweet and cook up more like a baking potato.

The dark ones have an orange flesh, are sweet and have a higher moisture content. All sweet potatoes are high in Vitamins A and C. The orange ones are the only ones I have cooked or eaten, and are the ones I find as fries in restaurants.

My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is the opposite of what you find on your Thanksgiving table. I like them fried or roasted with Cajun or other spicy seasoning. To me it makes a nice balance of sweet and spicy.

How do you eat sweet potatoes?

Sweet Potato Image: The Scientific Gardener

Morning Glory Image: Bill Barber

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Awesome Fried Clams

During the month of October, I will be participating in the Write 31 Days hosted by  Crystal Stine. My category is Food, Health & Wellness and my theme is "Into The Kitchen".



I have been experiencing technical difficulties, so Into the Kitchen will take you to the Sea Hags Bar & Grill in St. Pete Beach, FL. They have probably the best fried clams I have had outside of New England.

They are fresh, hand breaded and fried to golden brown perfection, served with fries and slaw. Pair them with a view of the water and a cold beer, and that is a combination that is hard to beat.

This was not a compensated post. We go there at least once every time we are in the area...the clams are that good!

Hopefully things will return to normal next week.


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Why Ghee Is Good

During the month of October, I will be participating in the Write 31 Days hosted by Crystal Stine. My category is Food, Health & Wellness and my theme is "Into The Kitchen". 



Ghee has been around for literally thousands of years. Before there was refrigeration, saturated fats were difficult to keep on hand and if you weren't getting enough fat in your meat, you could starve to death. You need fat to be able to absorb other nutrients. Ghee was key to solving this problem. It could be made and stored for long periods of time.

I touched on Ghee briefly in my post on oils. One reason it is a popular fat for cooking is it's comparatively higher smoke point. This is because the lactose and the caseins have been removed. 

Which is better, butter or Ghee? While butter isn't necessarily bad for you, there are more health benefits associated with Ghee:

• It is lactose friendly. Many people bothered by lactose can eat Ghee with no problems. Always check with your health care provider to be sure.
  
• Since it needs no refrigeration Ghee will keep for a long time at room temperature in a sealed container stored in a dark place.
  
• It promotes flexibility which is why many yoga practitioners consume it.
  
• Rich in vitamins A, D, E and K which promote brain health and boost your immune system.
  
• It lowers cholesterol by triggering secretion of biliary lipids.
  
• It aids in weight loss because it contains cancer-fighting fatty acids called conjugated linolenic acid (CLA).
  
• It has a higher smoke point than other cooking fats.

Ghee also has many uses. It can be used in place of regular butter to spread on bread or melt over vegetables, for sautéing, and in place of other oils in baking.

Ghee can be a bit pricey in the stores, but you can make your own Ghee at home. What you need is about a pound of unsalted butter (I used salted and it worked just fine), a medium-sized sauce pan, some cheese cloth and a dish or jars to strain the Ghee into.

Melt butter over low heat. It will form a foam on the surface. Soon it will begin to boil like water. Watch it carefully, you don't want it to burn. You may gently skim off this foam, being careful not to get the yellow butter. You don't have to get it all as you will be straining it later. It will continue to boil off the water, and form a second foam. At this point, all the water has been evaporated and you are left with pure fat or Ghee.

After it has cooled for a few minutes, then strain it through several layers of cheese cloth. You may then pour it into a one pint mason jar and seal. After a short time, you should hear the jar pop, or seal. Store in a dark place at room temperature. This is how I made mine.

Home-made Ghee is a very good, in-depth article on the history and uses of Ghee, and detailed instructions on how to make it.

Have you ever made Ghee? If so, how did it turn out for you? If not, now you have what you need to give it a try.


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Who Ever Has Enough Kitchen Gadgets?

During the month of October, I will be participating in the Write 31 Days hosted by Crystal Stine. My category is Food, Health & Wellness and my theme is "Into The Kitchen". 



Aside from the normal microwave, coffee makers and toasters what do you use in the kitchen that saves you time and simplifies your life? 

If you ever have browsed through a kitchen shop or the kitchen section in a department store, you've probably seen that there is a gadget for just about everything from slicing your eggs to hulling strawberries, from lemon and lime squeezers to that little thingamajig you have no idea what it does. Some are useful, but you could easily end up with drawers full and cupboards bulging and still not have exactly what you need. I agree with Alton Brown and advocate multi-use items in my kitchen.

My favorite kitchen accessories that I consider essential are:

Food Processor
One of the most debated-on purchases, but I do use it regularly for cake batter, grating cheese, making rum balls (grinding/chopping vanilla wafers and pecans), shrimp burgers, black bean soup and more.

Immersion Blender (multi-functional)
I have a Braun immersion blender that has a separate chopper function and a whip attachment. I use it mainly for pureeing diced tomatoes for soup, and chopping small amounts of nuts for pies, etc.

Chef's Knives
It goes without saying how valuable a good chef's knife is. A sharp knife is an asset to every kitchen. I can slice potatoes thinner than my mandolin.

Food Saver vacuum sealer
I buy food on sale and vacuum seal it for the freezer. (More on this in another post.)

A good set of tongs (or three)
I have two spring-loaded tongs that latch closed when you're not using them. Plus I have a set of silicon tipped tongs that won't scratch my pans.

Vegetable peeler
Mainly used to peel carrots and potatoes, it is also useful for making vegetable shreds for salads or stir fry.

Wooden spoons and silicon spatulas
I use a lot of non-stick pots and pans, so these get used a lot in my kitchen.

Pizza stone and peel
I make homemade pizza every couple weeks and these are as essential as the ingredients themselves.

Breadboard
I use the breadboard for making my pizza dough. I will do a separate post on pizza making.

Waffle iron
I have had my waffle maker for nearly 30 years. I love waffles for breakfast or dinner. Add some bacon and it is a quick, easy meal that satisfies.

Pastry blender 
While I have used this for it's traditional use, my pastry blender is mostly used for making egg salad. It gives me the coarse texture I like, not mushy or big chunks.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker
This is an essential item in many kitchens, and one I don't utilize nearly enough. I keep saying I want to plan more crockpot meals, but the key word for me is planning. Right Laura?

Most of my gadgets are basic needs for every day cooking. As far as single-use gadgets go, I have an egg separator which I rarely use. I got rid of my garlic press because it didn't work well, and my knife does everything I need to do.

Calling all cooks, what are some of your must-haves in the kitchen? Do you have any specialty, single-use tools that you consider essential?




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Which Oil Should I Use?

During the month of October, I will be participating in the Write 31 Days hosted by Crystal Stine. My category is Food, Health & Wellness and my theme is "Into The Kitchen". 

Oil? Is it good, bad or a necessary evil? Back in the 1990s everything was coming up fat-free and that was a big selling point. Just prior to the onslaught of fat-free everything, I read in Prevention Magazine that you could lose weight by cutting fat. They gave a chart that listed your (desired) weight and how many grams of fat you were allowed in a day to reach your goal. I followed it, faithfully, and it worked. 

Do you know why? By reducing the fat in my diet, I was also reducing the calories. There are many diets that claim success if you cut fat or carbs or sweets (yes, I know sugar is a carb, but I'm differentiating between a candy bar and a plate of pasta).

So just how good or bad is fat? Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly. The good fats, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, are healthy and required by our bodies. They build cell membranes and are needed for blood clotting and muscle movement. They also give us energy, protect our organs and help keep us warm, too. Since our bodies don't manufacture them, it is essential we get them from our diet. Below is a list of good fat sources.

Monounsaturated fats:
Nuts
Avocado
Canola oil
Olive oil
Safflower oil
Sunflower oil
Peanut oil and butter
Sesame oil

Polyunsaturated fats:
Walnuts
Sunflower seed
Flax seed/flax oil
Fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, albacore tuna, and trout
Corn oil
Soybean oil
Safflower oil

Then there are the less good and really bad fats. The less good fat, which is probably more controversial than the rest, is saturated fat. Long thought to be linked with heart disease, saturated fats are found in dairy products like whole milk and cheese, coconut oil and red meat and bacon fat. Research continues into saturated fat debate and what is good one day is bad the next and vice versa, and you can find data to back up whichever side of the fence you're on.

Trans fat, which many of us grew up eating, is deemed to be the worst fat and is not considered safe in any amount. Trans fat is formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid. Look for the words "partially hydrogenated oil" on the label.

While much of it has been eliminated from our food sources, you should double check such foods as crackers, biscuits, margarine, doughnuts, cakes and frostings, and of course, fast food products. 

I freely admit that I eat, within moderation, from three of the four fat groups and I'm sure a tiny bit of trans fat creeps in unnoticed. I do not offer any advice, health-wise, on which fats you should eat or avoid, except the evil trans fat. 

However, I can help with the cooking part. Not all oils or fats are equal when heat is applied. Smoke point is a term that refers to the temperature at which an oil begins to smoke. Interestingly, butter has the lowest smoke point of 200°-250°F, while Ghee, which is a product of butter, has the highest at around 485°F. That is because Ghee is butter that has had the proteins and sugars removed. 

It is important to remember that there is a difference between frying (also known as deep-frying) and sauteing. When frying foods you should choose an oil that has a smoke point of 400° or higher. For pan sautéing, fats such as butter and olive oil will be fine.

*Common cooking oils and their smoke points Fahrenheit:
Butter  200°-250°
Coconut (extra virgin) 350°
Vegetable  360°
Olive (extra virgin)  375°
Canola  400°
Peanut  450°
Ghee  485°

*This information will vary by information source.

What do I use? 

For baking I use either vegetable oil or butter, depending on the recipe. I usually sauté with olive oil or butter, but sometimes use coconut oil or bacon fat, again depending on what I am cooking. Unless you are deep frying or cooking over very high heat, it is a matter of personal taste and/or dietary needs.

The bottom line is we need some fat in our diets, and let's face it folks, fat tastes good. So choose your fats, get into the kitchen and cook up something tasty.



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Food For Thought

This is Day 19 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Today's prompt is Your favorite meal. Please visit the other participants for more stories.

Wow, I think this is the hardest prompt yet. I can't write about my favorite meal because I can't pick just one. So I'll try and categorize some of my favorites - in no particular order.

Most Anticipated: Pizza. I make homemade pizza about every other weekend.

Biggest Yum Factor: Grilled Skirt or Flatiron steak with a simple sauce of olive oil, garlic, parsley and anchovies, always served with potatoes.

Comfort Food: Macaroni and Cheese with Hatch chile peppers.

Favorite Vegetarian dish: White beans and rice with caramelized onions.

Favorite Seafood (at home): Grilled Salmon tied with Maple Soy Salmon, always served with potatoes.

Favorite Meal Out: Crab Legs or really any seafood meal along the coast.

I realize these aren't all complete meals, but the "with-its" vary depending on what I have on hand, and as always, potatoes make everything better.


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Tuesday Wines, Wednesday Chores

This is Day 13 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Today's prompt is The day after last night. Please visit the other participants for more stories.

This topic could conjure up all sorts of tales from the truly bizarre to the painfully mundane. Last night was fun but definitely not bizarre, and today leans more toward the mundane.

The third Tuesday of each month is our wine club meeting (American Wine Society). We are currently meeting in a private room in a downtown restaurant, where many of us have dinner first. 

After dinner, we began with a half hour social where we chatted with friends, talking about our cats, the weather and the dreadful parking situation. 

During the meeting, Sara Gutterbock, from Mutual Distributing Co., gave a delightful and educational presentation of Ancient Wines for Modern Times, and we tasted two whites and three reds, all from Italy, as she talked in detail about the varietals, history, locations, and ideal growing conditions for each. 

These were not your run-of-the-mill grocery store wines, not that there is anything wrong with that. That's where most of mine come from, but many of these varietals are rarely found outside their region. For the whites we had a blend of 25% Pinot Blanco, 25% Pinot Grigio and 60% Tocai Friulano (now called Tai) and a 100% Garganega Soave Classico. For the reds, the first was a blend of  90% Monica, 5% Carigano, and 5% Bovale Sardo, followed by two single-grape wines, Nerello Cappuccio and Uva di Troia.

We sampled the wines with a variety of cheese, crackers and salami that complemented the wines, which were all available for order. We enjoyed them all, and ordered some for ourselves.

As for the day after, it begins with watching Netflix and writing this post while hubby has breakfast with a group of amateur radio enthusiasts. Then comes the more mundane task of hand-washing all the tasting glasses from last night, unloading the dishwasher and a host of other daily chores. 

Rumble, rumble, thump -there goes the garbage truck. The recycle truck will be along later -then we'll haul the bins back to the house. The neighbors across the street have a large piece of trench-digging equipment at work in their yard. It is 26 degrees, and I don't envy those working outside as we anticipate the onset of snow showers this afternoon.

Yep, just another Wednesday...the day after Tuesday night.



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Got Mussels?

Since everyone loved my (non-compensated) review of Phillips Maryland-Style Crab Cakes so much, I thought I would bring you another new-found seafood favorite of mine - straight from your grocer's freezer.

I would like to introduce you to Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels in Butter Garlic Sauce.

Not all frozen seafood is created equal, and not all of it is good. I've eaten mussels from many restaurants and there were some winners and losers there, too. 

Why, you ask, would I suddenly buy frozen mussels? Well, I'm a frugal shopper and avid seafood lover, so when I saw them on a buy-one-get-one-free sale, I said, why not, and grabbed a package.

Within a day or so, those little fellows were in a pot getting ready for a prime-time performance as an appetizer. To prepare you simply cut open the package and empty the contents into a large lidded pot and heat on high for 8-10 minutes and presto, you have a bowl of steaming mussels in a yummy sauce. 

We complimented them on their performance by quickly reducing them to a pile of empty shells.  They had good flavor and texture, and were tender and grit-free. 

Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels are pre-cooked and pasteurized and contain no unpronounceable ingredients. Mussels are also high in protein, Omega 3, Vitamin C, and Iron.

We gave them two thumbs up, and I went back and got two more packages while they were still on sale. They retail for around $4.99, and you get about two dozen per package.

Mussel Trivia: Did you know that the orange mussel meats are females and the white mussel meats are males?



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Not Just Another Day!

February 18th is:

National Drink Wine Day

Cheers!

National Crab-stuffed Flounder Day

National Battery Day

Ash Wednesday

But most importantly

It is Hubby's birthday!

A great big Happy Birthday to my hubby!

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Steamed

This is day 19 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is Steamed.

Image Source: Bkt Tinggi BBQ

Steamed seafood is a favorite of mine.  There was a place on the beach in Florida that we used to go to for their steamed mussels. It was across the street from the Gulf, perched on the bank of the intracoastal. The view was fantastic and the mussels were equally as good.

We would sit by the window and order a bowl of mussels and a couple glasses of chardonnay.  This was accompanied by their delicious bread and butter. Yum! 

Sadly they closed, and even though they reopened a few years later in another location, it was not the same. I continue to order mussels but I haven't found any to compare to those.

On another note, I was a little steamed yesterday when a bottle of olive oil slipped through an opening in my cart and broke at my feet, dousing my shoes and jeans.  Ugh!

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Quote of the Week

This is day 16 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is 10 Years Ago, I was probably ___.

A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face.
 ― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter

The year was 2005, we had just gotten through 15 months of insanity where hubby traveled on business 2-3 weeks at a time.

I happened to read a small ad in the newspaper about a new wine shop that had opened up near us. We weren't all that much into wine at the time, due mostly to lack of knowledge and places that held tastings.

That was about to change...but that's not all that changed. We started going to the wine tastings on Saturday afternoons, and it was not only educational, it was a social thing. The owners formed a chapter of the American Wine Society which we joined.

There were wine dinners, live music and later Friday night get togethers at the wine shop. Unfortunately the local business was not enough to sustain them, and they had to close the shop. On the last of these gatherings we decided that we wanted to keep this going, so now we get together about once a month, bringing food and wine to share. We've been doing this for nearly 8 years. We have had dinners, taken trips, had parties, gone to weddings and rang in the New Year. 

A number of us even attend the same church now.  All because I saw this one little ad in the newspaper. Was it fate, karma? I don't know, but I don't think it was just chance. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful for and value all these friendships tremendously.
 
So what was I doing 10 years ago?  A lot less.  Cheers!


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