Everything Is Coming Up Pumpkins

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". 



In the Springtime, a young man's fancy turns to love. In the Summer, our thoughts are filled with sunny days, vacations, and barbecues. When the weather turns cold, hot chocolate and visions of sugar plums and brightly-wrapped gifts abound. What about Autumn, that season of red, gold and green? Where do our thoughts take us? Why pumpkins of course.

Random Facts and Trivia

• Pumpkins originated in Central America.
• They are a member of the squash family.
• Pumpkins are a fruit, not a vegetable as many of us thought.
• They are grown everywhere in the world except Antarctica.
• At one time pumpkins were used as a remedy for snake bites.
• Once pumpkins were thought to be a cure for freckles. (Who knew freckles were an illness?)
• Native Americans fed pumpkins to their horses.
• Only tan colored pumpkins are used for pumpkin puree.

Back in the day, there was pumpkin pie and maybe pumpkin bread. Later emerged the ultimate pumpkin treat (in my mind anyway), pumpkin roll—that yummy rolled pumpkin confection filled with cream cheese icing and chopped nuts...preferably pecans, please. 

I loved pumpkin roll so much that one year my Mom asked a neighbor lady to make one for me for my birthday. So good!

It's Everywhere

Fast forward 30 years or so and it seems there is pumpkin everything. As of October 2017, here is a partial list of all things pumpkin spice flavored.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, glazed and cake
M & M's

Ice cream, multiple brands

Pumpkin Ale
Subway Cookies
Cheerios
Coffee
Starbucks Lattes and Frappuccino
Yogurt, multiple brands
Triscuits
Baily's Pumpkin Spice 
Pumpkin Spice Wine from the California Fruit Wine Co.
Peeps Pumpkin Spice Latte
Cheesecake
Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa
Toll House Pumpkin Spice Morsels and Cookies
Terra Chips
Cream Cheese
Kahlua
Marshmallows
Sugarland Shine Pumpkin Spice Moonshine
Thomas Bagels
Godiva Chocolates
Milk
Krusteaz Pancake Mix
Mini-Wheats
Planters Almonds
DQ Blizzards
Quaker Oatmeal

Pumpkin, it's not just for dessert anymore.

While the first thing we think about are the sweet treats, there is a savory side to side to pumpkin as well. Let's start with simply roasting. Take your pumpkin and, with your chef's knife, slice it in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Lay the halves on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the halves cut side down and roast at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft. You may eat your pumpkin exactly as is, or use in a number of savory recipes. (Leave off the pepper if what you are making is going to be sweet.)

In lieu of the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves usually associated with pumpkin, you may choose cayenne, thyme, rosemary, turmeric, cumin or basil for your savory pumpkin dishes. Personally, I might add sage to that list, as well. The only way I have eaten pumpkin is as a dessert, and as pumpkin roll when I can get it.

What is your favorite way to eat pumpkin? Have you ever tried a savory pumpkin dish?


Bye the way, I intentionally didn't mention Jack-O-Lanterns. That's a whole 'nother post.


If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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?




If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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.


If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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.


If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.