Coffee Klatch

Ever wonder when different foods are in “peak season” around the country? Look no further. Epicurious has put together a dynamic map of the United States that shows what foods are grown in each state and are fresh (hitting their peak each month). Just pick a month and click on a state to see what foods are grown there and are being harvested that month. As you mouse over the various “ingredients,” you have popups that allow you to get descriptions and recipes that use the item as an ingredient. Pretty handy if you’re interested in cooking with local ingredients that are at their freshest.

Visit the Seasonal Ingredient Map to get started (and thanks to Topher for finding this).

Last night I had “snacks” for our handbell rehearsal. We take turns bringing something to eat/drink for our break time since the rehearsal is three hours long. For the big part of my treat I made tiramisu. It’s my own recipe.

A few years ago I traveled to Italy and was able to have tiramisu in Rome and in Perugia. When I came back to the U.S., I noticed that the tiramisu you get in restaurants here like Olive Garden or Fazoli’s was different. It’s definitely “cakier” and has a different taste. The tiramisu that I had in Italy was more like a custard rather than a cake.

I searched the internet, combined several recipes and added my own elements to make a recipe that produces a tiramisu that’s VERY much like what I had overseas. I share it here for anyone who’d like to try it. If you do, please leave a comment with your, um, comments. Also, please share any tiramisu stories you have. Thanks!

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
1 cup white sugar, divided
1 pound mascarpone cheese (usually 2 containers)
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1-2 tsp rum extract (or 1-2 tablespoons rum) - optional
1-1/4 cups espresso or double-strength brewed coffee, cold
25 ladyfingers, split open, preferably soft (often 2 packages = 24, which works)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (dark or semi-sweet will also work)
1/8 cup mini semisweet or dark chocolate chips - optional

Directions

1. In a medium bowl beat together the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in mascarpone cheese, beaten egg whites, cream and 1 tsp. rum extract; stir until smooth. Set aside.

2. Dissolve remaining 2/3 cup sugar in coffee. Add 1 tsp. rum extract. Quickly, to avoid complete saturation, dip ends of ladyfingers in coffee mixture. Place half the ladyfingers in a single layer in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Spread a layer of half the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers; sprinkle with 1 tbsp. cocoa powder. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over surface (optional). Repeat layers, omitting chips on top.

3. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

(Note: Some people prefer less rum flavor, in which case, you can eliminate the rum extract from the coffee or from both parts.)

There are many variations of tiramisu, even in Italy. Some cook it, some don’t. Some use ricotta cheese (I’ve heard), but I haven’t tried that. Some use soft ladyfingers and some use harder ones, which I think result in the firmer texture in the end.

Some people prefer to omit the rum, while others (such as I) like it. If you use real rum, be careful not to overdo it–the taste can quickly get strong and overpower the other flavors.

The mini chocolate chips in the center are unusual. I had some tiramisu in Perugia, Italy, that had little chocolate bits like that in the center. I thought it made a wonderful little surprise during eating. Again, don’t overdo the amount. The tiramisu should have a consistency that is like pudding or custard and each bite should not be loaded with crunchy chocolate chunks.

It helps to let the flavors blend for at least a few hours. Making it one day ahead seems to work just fine.

So there you go. My own personal tiramisu recipe. I hope you enjoy it and if you try it, please do come back here and leave me some feedback. Thanks!

I think shrimp tastes best with cocktail sauce. At least the popcorn-style shrimp. So what do you do if you want some with the shrimp you got out of the freezer and are cooking? If you don’t eat shrimp that often, you may not want to invest in a whole bottle that will then sit there in your refrigerator.

Solution? Make your own!

I found a very cheap and easy way to make a decent cocktail sauce for when I want some quick with my shrimp (or anything else). Just squirt some ketchup into a small bowl and stir in a couple teaspoons of horseradish. Together they make a cocktail sauce that’s quite passable.

Of course, it means keeping prepared horseradish in your refrigerator instead of cocktail sauce, but I really like horseradish and find it useful on sandwiches, roasts, etc.

So there you go. Ad hoc cocktail sauce!

One of the funniest ad campaigns that Bud Light has come out with is the “Real Men of Genius” series. I’d seen several commercials and then one day I heard one on the radio. Turns out there are TONS of these! While the video versions are funnier, the audio-only are still really good. Some of the early ones were called “Real American Heroes.” The TV versions that I remember were Mr. Really Bad Toupee Wearer and Mr. Way Too Much Cologne Wearer.

On their website, they don’t have any of the TV commercials, but they have a few of the radio versions.

You can even get a 2-CD set of the audio versions of these commercials at the BudShop.

Here’s a list of all the commercials I’m aware of:

Mr. 80 SPF Sunblock Wearer
Mr. After Halloween Costume Shop Salesman
Mr. Airport Baggage Handler
Mr. All You Can Eat Buffet Inventor
Mr. Artificial Tree Maker
Mr. Backyard Bug Zapper Inventor
Mr. Bathroom Stall Dirty Joke Writer
Mr. Boneless Buffalo Wing Inventor
Mr. Bumper Sticker Writer
Mr. Ceremonial First Pitch Thrower Outer
Mr. Chinese Food Delivery Guy
Mr. Company Computer Guy
Mr. Cruise Ship Entertainer
Mr. Department Store Mannequin Dresser Upper
Mr. Discount Airline Pilot Guy
Mr. Dishonest Cable TV Hooker Upper
Mr. Driving Range Ball Picker Upper
Mr. Exotic Cowboy Boot Wearer
Mr. Fancy Coffee Shop Coffee Pourer
Mr. Fantasy Football Manager
Mr. Footlong Hot Dog Inventor
Mr. Frozen Turkey Helpline Guy
Mr. Furniture Assembly Manual Writer
Mr. Gangsta Rapper Posse Member
Mr. Garden Gnome Maker
Mr. Gasoline BBQ Starter
Mr. Giant Foam Finger Maker
Mr. Golf Ball Washer Inventor
Mr. Hair Gel Over-Geller
Mr. Holiday Gift Regifter Guy
Mr. Hot Dog Eating Contest Contestant
Mr. Humongous Pumpkin Grower Guy
Mr. In The Car Nose Picker
Mr. Indecisive Food Orderer Guy
Mr. Inspirational Poster Writer
Mr. Jean Shorts Inventor (Jorts)
Mr. King of the Karaoke Mic
Mr. Mail Order Bride Orderer
Mr. Major Highway Line Painter
Mr. Movie Theater Ticket Ripper Upper
Mr. Multi-Colored Sweater Wearer
Mr. Next Day Carpet Installer
Mr. Nosebleed Section Ticket Holder Guy
Mr. Outside The Stadium Peanut Seller
Mr. Over The Top Carb Counter
Mr. Over-Zealous Foul Ball Catcher
Mr. Paranoid of the Ocean Guy
Mr. Pet Toy Designer
Mr. Pickled Pigs Feet Eater
Mr. Pontoon Boat Maker
Mr. Push-up Bra Inventor
Mr. Putt Putt Golf Course Designer
Mr. Really Bad Toupee Wearer
Mr. Really Big Golf Club Maker
Mr. Really Loud Cell Phone Talker Guy
Mr. Really Stinky Breath Breather Outer
Mr. Really, Really, Really Bad Dancer
Mr. Restroom Toilet Paper Refiller
Mr. Silent Killer Gas Passer
Mr. Supermarket Produce Putter Outer
Mr. Tiny Dog Clothing Manufacturer
Mr. Tiny Thong Bikini Wearer
Mr. Ultimate Philadelphia Sports Fan
Mr. Underwear Inspector No. 12
Mr. Way Too Much Cologne Wearer
Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy

And here’s a blog I found where you can get most of them: http://thefuntimesguide.com/2004/10/bud_light_real.php

So there you go.

If you’re interested in learning any more about rum, here’s a good overview of the various regions where rum is produced and what the quality is like (provided by Tastings.com’s “All About Rum“). For what it’s worth.

The Caribbean is the epicenter of world Rum production. Virtually every major island group produces its own distinct Rum style.

Barbados produces light, sweetish Rums from both pot and column stills. Rum distillation began here and the Mount Gay Distillery, dating from 1663, is probably the oldest operating Rum producer in the world.

Cuba produces light-bodied, crisp, clean Rums from column stills. It is currently illegal to ship Cuban Rums into the United States.

The Dominican Republic is notable for its full-bodied, aged Rums from column stills.

Guyana is justly famous for its rich, heavy Demerara Rums, named for a local river, which are produced from both pot and column stills. Demerara Rums can be aged for extended periods (25-year-old varieties are on the market) and are frequently used for blending with lighter Rums from other regions. Neighboring Surinam and French Guyana produce similar full-bodied Rums.

Haiti follows the French tradition of heavier Rums that are double-distilled in pot stills and aged in oak casks for three or more years to produce full-flavored, exceptionally smooth- tasting Rums. Haiti also still has an extensive underground moonshine industry that supplies the voodoo religious ritual trade.

Jamaica is well known for its rich, aromatic Rums, most of which are produced in pot stills. Jamaica has official classifications of Rum, ranging from light to very full-flavored. Jamaican Rums are extensively used for blending.

Martinique is a French island with the largest number of distilleries in the Eastern Caribbean. Both pot and column stills are used. As on other French islands such as Guadeloupe, both rhum agricole (made from sugar cane juice) and rhum industriel (made from molasses) are produced. These Rums are frequently aged in used French brandy casks for a minimum of three years. Rhum vieux (aged Rum) is frequently compared to high-quality French brandies.

Puerto Rico is known primarily for light, very dry Rums from column stills. All white Puerto Rican Rums must, by law, be aged a minimum of one year while dark Rums must be aged three years.

Trinidad produces mainly light Rums from column stills and has an extensive export trade.

The Virgin Islands, which are divided between the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Island. Only the US Virgin Islands still produce Rum, predominately making light, mixing rums from column stills, although there are some fine dark and aged sipping Rums made by the most significant producer Cruzan. These Rums, and those of nearby Grenada, also serve as the base for bay Rum, a classic aftershave lotion.

Guatemala and Nicaragua are noteworthy in Central America where a variety of primarily medium-bodied Rums from column stills that lend themselves well to aging. They have recently begun to gain international recognition

Brazil produces vast quantities of mostly light Rums from column stills with unaged cane spirit called Cachaça (ca·sha·sa) the best-known example.

Venezuela makes a number of well-respected barrel-aged golden and dark Rums.

The United States has a handful of Rum distilleries in the south, producing a range of light and medium-bodied Rums that are generally marketed with Caribbean-themed names.

Canada’s 300-year-old tradition of trading Rum for dried cod fish continues in the Atlantic Maritime provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia where golden Rums from Antigua, Barbados, and Jamaica are imported and aged for five years. The resulting hearty Rum is known locally as Screech.

Europe is primarily a blender of imported Rums. Both the United Kingdom and France import Rums from their former colonies in the Caribbean for aging and bottling. Heavy, dark Jamaican Rums are imported into Germany and mixed with neutral spirit at a 1:19 ratio to produce Rum verschnitt. A similar product in Austria is called Inlander Rum.

Australia produces a substantial amount of white and golden Rums in a double- distillation method utilizing both column and pot stills. Rum is the second most popular alcoholic beverage in the country after beer. Light Rums are also produced on some of the islands in the South Pacific such as Tahiti.

Asia Rums tend to follow regional sugar cane production, with white and golden Rums from column stills being produced primarily in the Philippines and Thailand.

So I was wondering the other day about how rum is made. Obviously it’s fermented and distilled, but what’s the core ingredient? You probably already know.

It’s not corn or rice. Not even honey, but that’s getting closer. It’s sugar! More specifically, it’s molasses. When sugar cane is juiced and boiled, you can take out crystallized sugar. The sticky residue that’s left is molasses. They ferment it, distill it, and then age it for different lengths of time.

This explains why rum is THE spirit of choice in the Caribbean–that’s one of the main places in the world that grows sugar cane. (There are many other places (see this map), but the Caribbean is one of the most famous.)

So there you go. You probably already knew all this, or would if you thought about it for a minute. I chose not to think but to Google. Just like so many college students today!
Current music: Steel Band Music of the Caribbean

I‘ve been privileged lately to try a coffee club that was new to me. http://www.gourmetcoffeeshop.net has 14 different coffees available from 6 different regions of the world. They are all roasted using hot air instead the more traditional drum roasting method. This gives them a cleaner and more even roast.

Some of these coffees are familiar names for those who are used to trying different regional coffees from places like Starbucks or Gevalia. But a few are much less common. Click the links below to find out more about each kind of coffee. I’m specifically looking forward to trying the Indonesian coffees.

From South America:
Columbian Supremo
Brazilian Santos Bourbon

From Central America:
Costa Rican Tarrazu
Guatemalan Antigua
Panama Bouquette
Salvador High Grown Organic

From Mexico:
Altura Superior

From Africa:
Kenya Fancy AA
Tanzania Peaberry (North Highlands)
Ethiopian Longberry Harrar

From Indonesia:
Sumatra Mandheling Grade #1
Java Estate
Celebes Kalossi Toraja

From New Guinea:
AA Estate

One especially cool feature on their website is the Coffee Selector. It asks you a few multiple-choice questions about flavor profiles, strength, acidity, etc., and then gives you a recommendation along with a VERY nicely detailed description and history of that kind of coffee. The first time I did it, looking for a coffee recommendation, I was told I should be drinking Jamaican Blue Mountain. Go figure… me? A coffee gourmand?
Loads of extra information make their website an excellent resource for learning more about coffee. There’s even a section on the website for Coffee Drinks & Recipes.
There are four levels of coffee clubs offered, depending on how much you drink per month. If you start out with the “middle weight” club, which is 2 pounds per month, you get your first month free! Each coffee club has a $5-off introductory rate for the first month (make sure you enter the coupon code), but for now the 2-pound-plan gives you a free MONTH to try it out. And with ALL their coffee, the shipping is FREE! They’ve built it into the price of the coffee, so what you see listed is all that you pay. No shipping. No “handling.” No hidden costs anywhere. And no surprises. Just really good coffee. (I had the Costa Rican Tarrazu and it was EXCELLENT! Several discerning friends also thought so.)

The only drawback I saw on their website is that they provide information about things like gift ideas (gourmet coffee makers, grinders, roasters, cups, etc.) and gourmet specialty coffees, but you can’t buy these through them. It’s just information. I’m guessing, though, that they might grow into that market in time. Or else partner with a company who does sell them.

As with many of these kinds of clubs, there’s no obligation and you can cancel any time. Even after you’ve only receive the free trial coffees. Of course, they’re so good you’ll be wanting to continue. In fact, they’ve never had anyone cancel during that trial period, which also testifies to the quality of the coffee.

Coming up soon, I’m told, is a point system where members earn points for referring people and even for just being a member. Pretty cool!

If you give them a try, please come back here and post a comment with your thoughts. That will give me more people’s impressions and also an idea of how many people checked them out through my blog post.

Okay, we’re all probably familiar with the mini candy bars that Hershey’s sells. There’s the regular chocolate bar, Krackle, Mr. Goodbar, and Special Dark. (I’m rather partial to the dark chocolate, myself.) They’re the staple of candy bowls worldwide, whether for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, or just for giving away candy without a special holiday.

But has anyone noticed that some of them are wrapped differently? I’ve been noticing this for a couple years now, but it USED to be that you flipped the candy over, opened one side, opened the other side, and popped the candy out. NOW you open the one side and you CAN’T open the other side because the top and bottom are folded OVER it! WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? The candy bar is now a ton harder to unwrap!!

Maybe they’ve got a different machine for wrapping the chocolates in the factory. One that wraps one side, then top and bottom, then other side. I don’t know. But why change a good thing? I DO know that the Hershey’s Nuggets (which I LOVE!) are wrapped the old way, so you can lift the left side, lift the right side, and pop the chocolate right out. And right into your mouth.

But why are the Minis no longer wrapped that way? Anyone? ANYone??

One of the food traditions in my wife’s family for a long time now is Sweet Potato Souffle. I believe it was her sister who found the recipe somewhere and it’s been a regular side/dessert at Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas) for many, many years now. I’m sure it’s similar to what many of your families make for the holidays, but I thought I’d share it with you anyway. I’m not partial to sweet potatoes myself, but the dish as a whole is quite good. I think it’s the topping.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients:
3 cups mashed (cooked) sweet potatoes (about 3 large sweet potatoes)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans preferred)
1/2 stick melted butter

Steps:

1. Combine the main ingredients (hot sweet potatoes will melt the butter).
2. Pour it all into a greased casserole dish or 9×9 pan (13×9 will work for a double batch).
3. Combine the topping ingredients and spread evenly over the sweet potatoes.
4. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes.

And it’s great chilled as leftovers, too.

[tags]recipe, sweet potatoes, thanksgiving[/tags]

With all three boys staying home sick from school on Wednesday and two of them on Tuesday, we’d tentatively planned on celebrating Thanksgiving on Friday. Since they were having a hard time keeping food down, a big celebratory meal didn’t seem wise. Last night they seemed much better and were able to eat some dinner. By this morning everyone seemed just fine and ate breakfast okay, so we stuck with the normal day.

I got up a little after 7am and made a pecan pie. Then I started setting up for cooking the turkey since we tried deep-frying it for the first time this year. Never did that before and it turned out really good. We heard that it works best with an injected marinade, so we tried a mild Creole Garlic marinade, injected it throughout the turkey (focusing on the meaty parts), and then used a Rasta Rub on the outside. VERY tasty! Not a traditional turkey taste, but quite enjoyable. The turkey came with a bag of gravy mix that you add to 2 cups of drippings/water. Since there was a little of the marinade left that the needle didn’t suck up, I added that to the gravy. That gave it a similar taste to the turkey instead of having a regular gravy on a perky fried turkey. (Perky turkey! HA!)

With mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing (with the turkey giblets), green bean casserole (complete with french-fried onions on top and fresh green beans), dinner rolls, and a sweet potato souffle, it was very filling Thanksgiving dinner with lots of leftovers.

And now there are THREE football games to watch! It’s 60 degrees outside, so it’s too warm for a fire in the fireplace. But a full stomach, plenty of football, and a Sam Adams Winter Lager make for a pleasantly sleepy afternoon/evening. Got to have some more sweet potato souffle and/or pecan pie later. Warmed up with whipped cream.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!