Barbequed Ribs Kansas City Style
February 21, 2008
Barbequed Ribs Kansas City Style
by: Scott Schirkofsky
Kansas City ribs are serious business when it comes to BBQ. True to tradition, barbeque in Kansas City is dry rub-spiced, smoked with hickory and coated with a KC style sauce. For Kansas City sauce means a thick, rich and tangy tomato based sauce with molasses and sometimes a hint of vinegar. The meat is seared, slow cooked and mop basted with sauce until the meat is tender and a nice crust has formed on the outside. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for sauce that you enjoy getting under your fingernails.
Kansas City’s first recorded barbequer was Henry Perry back in 1908. Perry become very well known for his succulent ribs and would serve them to customer who would come from miles away. Perry converted an old trolley barn into a restaurant and would serve is ribs on newspaper for 25 cents a slab. “Old Man Perry’s” restaurant was located at 19th & Highland and was later sold to George Gates and Charlie Bryant. It become known as Arthur Bryant’s and is still today regarded as one of America’s greatest rib joints. Today Kansas City boast over 90 rib restaurants.
Making Whoopie!
February 20, 2008
Whoopie Pies that is! Other known as "Moon Cakes"
Wicked Whoopies
Amy who loves to bake would have never thought to earn a living baking whoopie pies?! It sounds crazy now, she says because no one else has done such a thing. She loves to bake (even now, four million whoopie pies later. Whoopie Pies fall under many names. In the state of Main when something’s good everyone called them "wicked." In essence this was Amy’s calling and her name began "Wicked Whoopies"
Whoopie History
Other names would be "Gobs". Some say they are Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish born. Perhaps it was Whoopie Pies that were created by the Amish. There are sects of the Amish living in Maine and in Lancaster County, PA. Wherever they were planted, they are scrumptious; Wicked Whoopies gives new meaning to the word "Yummy"
Lining Up
Amy, a new mother, with baby Isabella under her arm and a basket of Whoopies in the other, She set off to make deliveries. Customers knew Amy’s schedule and often met her at the door, eagerly awaiting a freshly baked Wicked Whoopie.
In Demand
Varieties Of Gourmet Olives
February 19, 2008
Varieties Of Gourmet Olives
by: Geoffrey Cook
The history of olives and olive oil can be traced back to at the least biblical times. When the waters of the great flood subsided and Noah sent forth a dove it was an olive leaf she returned carrying in her mouth. It is known that as long as 6000 years ago olive oil was used as fuel in lamps. Maybe it was this olive oil that created such a beautiful Genie for Major Anthony Nelson to rescue in the popular television sitcom I Dream of Genie.
Today in modern grocery stores there are dozens of gourmet olives widely available. Gone are the days of canned black olives and green olives with pimentos as the only choices. For those of us who remember the days of opening a can of black olives and placing one on each finger then systematically biting them off here is the new olive.
Nicoises: Is a earthy rich olive commonly used in salad. The curing of this olive in red-wine vinegar gives it a distinctive taste.
Whats a Pan Dowdy?
February 19, 2008
Cobblers and dowdies, crisps and crumbles, buckles and betties-what are all these desserts?
With a little help from American Desserts by Wayne Brachman, we thought we would give you the answers-since you’re just dying to know.
Cobblers: Cobblers are desserts with a syrupy fruit filling topped with biscuits or cake.
Pan Dowdies: These have pie crusts on top which are broken up and dunked in the fruit filling after baking.
Crisps and Crumbles: These familiar desserts have pie-like fillings with streusel toppings, often with nuts. A crisp is a crumble and a crumble is a crisp.
Buckles: Buckles are cakes that sink, and rise, and buckle as they bake. Our Caramel Swirl Crumb Cake is really a buckle-the caramel topping buckles through the cake as it bakes.
Betties: We remember apple betties from our childhood. Betties are fruit and crumb layered desserts.
Shortcakes: These are biscuits, often rich or sweetened biscuits, that are topped with fruit and whipped cream. Our Strawberry Shortcake recipe is an authentic shortcake recipe-not a white cake recipe topped with strawberries and cream.
The Well-Stocked Pantry — A Cook’s Secret Weapon
February 18, 2008
The Well-Stocked Pantry — A Cook’s Secret Weapon
by: Geoffrey Cook
Doing any job is easier when you have the right tools on hand. One of a cook’s best tools — and secret weapons — is having a well-stocked pantry.
Cooking is much simpler if you know that you’ve already got what you need on hand, and aren’t going to have to run to the corner market every time you want to fix a meal.
Having a well-stocked pantry is also the secret weapon of every “Hostess with the Mostest” especially when unexpected guests drop by.
You’ll be able to make every guest feel special and welcome because, whether it is appetizers for four or dinner for ten, you can handle it with style and panache. In fact, your reputation — and your sanity — will be assured, because with these things in your pantry, you can put together beautiful and tasty food that is beautifully presented in just minutes, simply and easily.
Wine and Your Health
February 17, 2008
During the 1990s, a physician voiced on a national TV show that drinking red wine reduces heart disease. It made all the headlines. He cited the relatively lower levels of the disease in France despite their ever so famously high fat diets. Since that program, it seems that red wine health effects have been on the forefront of the wine consumer´s mind.
Good for the Heart
Coronary artery disease is caused by a build up of cholesterol in the arteries that supply the blood to the heart. If the arteries get partially blocked the heart cannot get enough oxygen and the result is pain. Does red wine protect against heart disease?
Many studies suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one to two glasses a day) lowers the risk of heart attack for middle aged people by 30 to 50 percent. It was also concluded that red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one.
The cholesterol that blocks these arteries is called low density lipo-protein or referred to as the bad cholesterol. This is cleared from the blood by high density lipo-proteins or the good cholesterol. Moderate wine consumption produces a better balance of these two. Additionally, wine has an anti-coagulation effect which makes the blood less likely to clot.
Chicken Mushroom Marsala ? Easy and Elegant for the Amateur Gourmet
February 16, 2008
If you are having company and want to make something easy but really flavorful, try this chicken Marsala recipe. This is my favorite way to eat chicken for a few different reasons. First, I love how tender it comes out. If you really pound your chicken breasts nice and thin, it will result in unbelievable tenderness. Second, the flavors of this recipe are perfection. The sauce made with wine, butter, and chicken broth cannot be beat. Third, I love how quick and easy it is to prepare! If you are having it with rice and vegetables, be sure to start them first, because once you start cooking, this chicken will be done in about 15 minutes.
Here is what you will need:
2-3 Chicken Breasts, pounded thin
4 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Marjoram
˝ Teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 4oz. Cans Sliced Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Sliced Green Onions
1 ˝ Cups Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup White Wine
1. Mix together flour, marjoram, and salt. Pat chicken breasts into the mixture on each side to coat. Shake off any extra.
Amuse-Bouche - Find Out About This Hot Trend In Entertaining
February 15, 2008
Amuse-Bouche - Find Out About This Hot Trend In Entertaining
by: Geoffrey Cook
Amuse-bouche is becoming the hottest trend in foods and entertaining. If you enjoy offering your guests interesting fare that always gets raves you should consider learning about the seduction of amuse-bouche.
WHAT IS AMUSE-BOUCHE?
The word amuse-bouche is a french expression, literally translated “mouth-amuser”. And no wonder - amuse-bouche are snappy, single bite creations which combine intense taste sensations in an artistic form.
Amuse-bouche is different from your typical hors d’oeuvres. It is most often offered when guests are seated at the table. Amuse-bouche not only offers guests something to taste while waiting for the dinner, but also sets the ‘flavor’ of the evening. The amuse-bouche should compliment the dinner as well as give guests a sample of the quality of the meal to come.
WHAT CAN I MAKE FOR AMUSE-BOUCHE?
Amuse-bouche concentrates on flavor; often combining simple, intense flavors alongside rich, multi-faceted ones. The focus is on savoring and appreciating the full flavor of a single bite; much as you savor the intensity of a shot rather than having a full cup.
Safe Food Handling For The Holidays
February 14, 2008
Safe Food Handling For The Holidays
by: Geoffrey Cook
Did you know that the turkey you thawed on the kitchen counter, instead of in the fridge, could now contain bacteria levels high enough to harm human life, even though you can’t see, smell, or taste it?
There’s nothing better than a home cooked meal during the holidays. But, with all the special effort that goes into making one, everything will be for naught if the food has not been stored, prepared, or cooked properly.
Food experts agree that the safe handling of food should be the top ingredient in any recipe.
While they may not turn you into a gourmet chef, following these simple food-handling tips will keep your family and guests safe from unpleasant, and sometimes life-threatening, food-born illnesses.
When buying raw meat, keep juices, which may contain bacteria, from contaminating your hands or anything in your grocery cart. Plastic bags work great for this purpose.
Meat should also be picked up at the end of your grocery shopping and should not be placed in the same bag as fruits and vegetable.
Baking Bread and Your Freezer
February 14, 2008
There’s a lot of bread in our freezer. In our exuberance, we often bake more bread than we can eat in a day or two. What isn’t given away goes in the freezer.
Sometimes, we bake bread just to store. It’s wonderful to have homemade bread on hand for those periods when we’re just too busy to bake. And it’s always a good feeling to have bread on hand for an emergency.
There are three ways to use bread from your freezer. Most commonly, the freezer is raided for that special bread (like Canadian Cheese Bread) for a sandwich or for fresh homemade bread for breakfast toast. To accommodate those raids, we keep lots of sliced bread in the freezer. A slice or two of bread is snapped from the frozen loaf and dropped in the toaster while the remaining loaf goes back to the freezer. As long as you don’t mind toasted bread for your sandwich, an array of breads are available for breakfast or sandwiches. This way, each kid gets to choose the bread that he or she wants.
Bread can be removed from the freezer and allowed to thaw on the counter. Use it within a day or so just like you would fresh bread.
