Lemon Curd - A Matter of Taste

Monday, August 25, 2008

Last weekend I was invited to afternoon tea at the Washington Duke Inn on Duke University's campus. This was the weekend students were returning to school for more academics and college time fun. Let there be no mistake college is not all about the books!

If you have never been to the Duke University Campus, you are in for a huge surprise. It is nestled in Durham, North Carolina and the Gothic architecture is amazing. Every since I moved to North Carolina I have been taken back by the abundance of trees and the picture perfect landscaping that is characteristic throughout the state. As we enter the gate leading to the Washington Duke Inn there is little doubt that this would be a memorable occasion.

Much to my surprise there were only two tables occupied with Tea time guest. The dining room was stately, the wait staff attentive and gracious and the intimate setting perfect for an afternoon with friends or a romantic soirée with Price Charming. Please note, do not come here if you need a full course meal, this is tea. The staff served finger sandwiches, the traditional, cucumber, tuna, chicken, pimiento and that southern favorite of all finger foods, deviled eggs. There were small cakes, truffles and miniature fruit tarts. The "Pièce de résistance" was the scones. They were absolutely perfect; not dry, moist in the center, crisp all around, just divine. There were two flavors, walnut and cranberry. The scones were served with three spreads; crème fraîche, lemon curd and strawberry preserves. Hence the title of this Blog "Lemon Curd - A Matter of Taste."

I am old school; I can remember the lemon chess pie, the lemon meringue pie, lemon tarts, lemon bars, lemon sugar cookies and lemon curd. Perhaps lemons are not popular today because they are a bit expensive or because we just stop preparing foods that use lemon as the star of the show.

The lemon curd served at the Washington Duke Inn was superb. Smooth, tart and refreshing. I started to feel sad because no one would ever experience this wonderful moment unless they came here for tea. No one would partake of this heavenly lemon curd unless they were nibbling on these magnificent scones. Then I began to realize that lemons are a dying breed and perhaps this is the way of the world. In the next few years perhaps lemons will make a comeback and become the reigning queen of the flavor palate. Nope, I don't think so either.

The next time you are wondering through Durham, North Carolina and it's around 1 p.m. or so, mosey on over to the Washington Duke Inn for tea and try the lemon curd with your scones, you know the old sayin' "try it you'll like it," I promise.

p.s. the Organic Blackberry tea was fantastic too!

Say It's Not So Mrs. Fields...

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Queen of Cookies, Mrs. Fields has filed Chapter 11. Recently I watched a news report that said the Mrs. Fields Cookie Company was filing bankruptcy because people were no longer shopping in malls, filling that occasional sugar rush with a Mrs. Fields' chocolate chip cookie. I was sad to hear about Mrs. Fields', the same way I was sad to hear about the Miami Bake Shoppe at Northland Mall, in Southfield, Michigan closing some forty plus years ago. They had the best sugar cookies on earth, or so I thought. I know I certainly don’t shop the malls like I use to, not only because of tough economic times, but also because the malls do not have the variety they had of yesteryear. Maybe it’s me but the clothes hanging on the racks are wrinkled, and the styles are just shabby; and I don’t mean shabby chic either. I now shop on the Internet or by mail order since there really is more variety and the cost is most affordable.

It does not surprise me that Mrs. Fields went under with rising cost for flour, sugar and the like. I can only predict that other small food franchises will follow suit. People are starting to take notice of their waste lines and although fast food chains may not be feeling the pinch, there is no doubt in my mind they are feeling a bit of a sting. When you begin to get coupons from Starbucks to come back later in the day and get a Frapp or Latte for two bucks, you know something's up. I don’t know about you but I have steadily watched food prices creep higher and higher and observed folks in the grocery purchasing more hamburger, pasta and prepared foods from the deli. What does this mean? When folks cook for themselves they cook “cheap” and when they ask someone else to cook for them, their willing to pay more for what they conceive to be better-tastier, dare I say healthier food.

Recently my daughter’s best friend visited and informed me that the people in her city, Atlanta just don’t cook. Everyone eats out or purchases prepared foods. I then saw a news story on a company in Atlanta no less, called Fresh and Fit. The company prepares homemade food for busy people who do not have time to cook. This is a wonderful idea, but the cost starts at $18.00 per person and I don’t know about you, but I rarely spend $18.00 per person for a homemade meal.

So what are we to do about our need for healthy, affordable food?

Well, I don’t have any life shattering ideas or suggestions. What I know to do is the same thing our forefathers did, get back in the kitchen and cook.

No, it’s not rock science, it basic cooking 101. I remember all those women who cooked for a living. You know the one’s that you saw catching the bus in urban areas over fifty years ago. Today they're gallantly called personal chefs, but years past they were good old fashioned cooks. Nonetheless, times have changed and few can afford to have a personal cook/chef come to their home and prepare meals.

I suppose we could start a community cooking club and feed everyone in the cul-da-sac for a modest contribution, or start home-based bakeries that provide families in communities with fresh, healthy, affordable baked goods, or perhaps we could just go back to diner days, when little homespun restaurants served tasty, not so healthy foods fashioning the culture living in the neighborhood.

Look, all I know is something has to give. At some point people are going to realize that it is not someone else who must figure out how to feed their family reasonably priced food. I am a little old fashioned cook in North Carolina trying to provide people with options. I have been on this earth over a half century and there is nothing better than getting back to the basics and starting from scratch. If you know of something better please email me and I will gleefully try your recommendation. Until then I will keep writing my little cookbooks for those good old fashioned cooks, who want pure and simple down home food. Look, for some of us a salad is still lettuce, tomato, a bit of grated carrot, thinly sliced red onion, croutons and salad dressing, e.g.vinegar and oil. Simple, right?

Thank you Chef Paul Prudhomme

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

I have been cooking and baking now for more than twenty five years (dare I say thirty) and although I can say that my mom, grandmothers, grandfathers, friends of my moms and others have been most influential in my culinary journey; there is a man who really helped me see the light when it came to putting dynamic flavor in food. I know this Blog will probably never be read by Chef Prudhomme it is good enough for me to put it out in the universe for God to see. I was first introduced to Chef through his first book titled Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen. I prepared at least seventy-five percent of all the recipes in his books and all were not only reliable but absolutely delicious. I have followed his career being there through the passing of his beloved Kay and as he weaned and leaned his culinary talents. Through it all the favor of the food did not suffer and I respected that enormously.

I know there are people who see his name and think “oh yeah, that Cajun Chef,” but Chef Paul is so much more. He really brought about the need and appreciation for flavor to American food. It is not about cayenne pepper, it is not about spicy food; great Louisiana cooking is about the blending of flavors, the slow cooking and braising that makes food not just good but great.

There was one particular meal I would prepare for my father who lived at 1300 Lafayette in Detroit years ago. We would shop for all the ingredients and then I would go back with my little daughter in tow and prepare dinner for him. The meal was straight from Chef Paul’s cookbook. It was the Seafood Stuffed Whole Fish, with carrots, zucchini and yellow squash. I always served hot butter rolls and a light dessert lemon mousse or his favorite Maple Butter Cake, a simple butter cake with a seven minute maple syrup frosting. He never wanted anything different, the same menu each time I would visit. I have to say the seafood stuffing was spectacular and with the Shrimp Butter Cream Sauce. Yes, the food was rich, but it was not consumed often, usually once a month.

Chef Paul, I would say as I cooked, you are truly a culinary genius. I do not know of many Chefs today who put that much thought into their recipes. It is clear that the man knew exactly how he wanted the food to taste and strived to give the best flavor and texture possible. Today I use his natural syrups to sweeten foods and I enjoy all of his lean recipes. I too no longer cook like I use to, but don’t think I can’t when called upon to do so. I hope to make Chef Paul’s Turducken® this Thanksgiving and serve it to a whole new generation of people who don’t have a clue. I have made it several times in my lifetime and his recipe reins supreme. Last year I saw a Turducken® in a box and my daughter and I both had to laugh out loud and shuddered to think what was inside the box.

Let me end by saying thank you Chef Paul Prudhomme for changing the way I cook, the way I eat and the way I create recipes. It is not about just about the food, but the flavor, texture and technique. You are America’s real Iron Chef.

* Many years ago I met Chef Prudhomme in the parking lot of the Riverwalk while visiting New Orleans, he had just had lunch at Mulate’s. I asked him if he had any advice for a budding chef and he said “yes, try to figure out a way to keep your money.” In other words, irregardless of how much you make it really does disappear like snow in a furnace. Interesting!

The Little Black Book of Pies

Monday, July 28, 2008

A few months ago I self-published a cookbook titled Little Black Book of Pies. I am someone who is passionate about food and people learning to cook good food. I am a dying breed, a good old fashioned cook who wants folks to know that anyone can be a good cook and baker.

Years ago, when I was a child I took piano lessons from a woman who I later learned was not a great piano teacher, but a good piano teacher. There are folks who are great at what they do and folks who are good at what they do. What really sets them apart is their passion for what they do. My piano teacher was not about fluff, pomp or pageantry; she was about teaching, she was a piano teacher. She wanted me to learn and learn well and greatness would come. I suppose a bit of that rubbed off on me. I am not about being a Paula Deen, or Rachael Ray. I want the students in my cooking class to walk away with the meat and potatoes and not just the marshmallow fluff.

I had a woman edit my book and the most she could come up with is the fact I put old fashion instead of old fashioned and that the book could stand to have color photographs and an index; besides that she thought is was pretty good and would sell well to anyone who enjoyed baking pies. I have really tough skin and to a certain degree I agreed with her. The book did need an index and it would have been great to have color photographs of the pies. Unfortunately that was not in my budget and if that will prevent the book from selling, well all my work was done in vain.

It is my desire to write a number of other books for novice and not so novice cooks and bakers before I leave this earth and some may have photographs and some will not. I am of the school of thought that when a book does not have fancy photos it leaves more to the imagination of the cook. You can decide how you want the dish to look, and you can learn to trust your own ability and creativity. This is something we just don’t allow folks to do anymore. People are eager to say, show me this, or show me that, as opposed to try it and let’s see what you come up with. Trust and believe you will know it when it is right and if you cook and bake long enough you will know how to enhance your masterpiece.

There are not a lot of pie cookbooks out there today and mine is not for the gourmet baker. The Little Black Book of Pies is for the simple cook, the novice who just wants to have a few deliciously divine pie recipes under his or her belt to woo friends and family. My little book is the kind you will pull out to impress and tuck away for your grand daughter. No, people don’t write these kinds of books anymore, it’s just a little black book of pies, filled with deliciously simple recipes for the pie lover in your life.

Human error is here to stay!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Recently I was on Blog Talk Radio’s The Recipe Box with Barbara Howard and although we were talking about back to school lunch ideas, she mentioned that on an upcoming program she would be discussing the issues associated with the recent wave of food-related headlines questioning the safety of our food source. While there will always be areas that need improvement, our food supply is safer than it has ever been in years; so why are we seeing news stories on food-borne illnesses, especially among commercial producers.

Well, to answer this I had to do a little research for myself and what I discovered did not shock me. The answer is as old as time itself. Remember a few months ago, October 2007 when ConAgra’s Banquet chicken and turkey pot pies were making folks sick? The U.S. Department of Agriculture tracked down the issue as one of two things: the plant did not prepare the product properly or the consumers using the product did not understand how to cook the product properly.

Look, any way you twist it someone just doesn’t know how to cook. It is not rocket science and both explanations can be summed up to “human error.” I have been a huge proponent of getting rid of processed food for years. I do not purchase it and when I have the need for a pot pie or hot pocket, I make my own. I know that does not answer the need of millions who will not or cannot do that, but I say this because in life you have options. You can decide to cook for yourself and learn to cook well or you can leave that responsibility to someone else; your choice.

I will continue to shout it from the highest table top, learn to cook, learn to cook, please learn to cook. Cooking is like breathing, it is something you should do without effort or forethought since you must eat to live. I often say parents are the child’s first teacher, but if the parent does not know, what is a child to do? What is a parent to do?

Learning to cook is just not a priority in America. It is too easy to go and get a $0.99 hamburger or $0.89 taco with a soda and call it a day. We are a give it to me quick and now society. I never thought I would say this but Americans don’t care what they eat, they just want to eat, anything, anyplace, just stuff that mouth! Just think about it, if you are what you eat, what are you? I have even had people say to me; well I’m going to die anyway so why prolong the inevitable? Why, because of the inadvertent chance that you do not die, but have to live a life anguishing with a terminal illness or debilitating disease; forcing your family and friends to suffer with you all because you didn’t care. Look, I am not saying this about everyone who is seriously ill, but at some point we have to realize that taking control of our food source, what we prepare and how we prepare it is important and vital to our health and the health of our family.

The next time you see a cooking class being offered, take it. Step outside your comfort zone and try something different. This fall I am offering a canning class. There are only a few people signed up, but I suspect more will come calling the sooner we reach the class date. I may be surprised however, and not have more than a handful of students. We rarely understand the need to educate ourselves until it is way too late, as with credit card debt and mortgage debacles. Hummm!

Work me 4 days a week…please!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

There has been a lot of discussion in the news and at the water cooler about the introduction of a four day work week. Personally, I think the four day work week would be fabulous. I will take it a bit further and say for those who want and can work from home five days a week and their job would not suffer, that option should be offered too. Today it is imperative that employers and employees think outside the box, way outside the box and figure out how we can not leave our children and grandchildren a planet that is unhealthy, broke and in shambles.

I know there will be arguments that folks cannot get all their work completed in four days, or people who work from home will be slackin’ off. There is only one way to resolve that, fire them. If they are not doing their job, fire them! I know if I were not doing the kind of job I need to do, I would just quit, before being fired, but that’s just me. It’s not that I do not want to do the job or could not do the job, most of the time I just did not care and would rather be in the kitchen creating a dynamic pasta sauce using the best Vodka I could get my hands on or perfecting a chocolate chess pie made with Hot Sex! (The liquor folks, the liquor!)

Okay, so I’m the booziest kitchen foodie, cook, baker, culinary genius on the planet, trust and believe my masterpieces are delicious, and when you visit my home or Bed and Breakfast (my goal in life) you will definitely experience a “divine dine.” Hello!!!

Back to this four day work week deal, yeah it’s a good thing. I was just watching CNN who experimented with three of their employees, putting them on a four day work week schedule and all said they enjoyed it and had more quality time to spend with family. I think that says it all. If you do not want more quality time to spend with family or friends why are you here? Why are you on the planet?

Look there is only one thing in life that is finite, limited and cannot be purchased or battered, it’s time. Fortunately for most of us we do not know when our time is up, so since that question is out their floating in the wind, let’s take advantage of every little opportunity awarded us. If the boss says work four days, go for it. If the boss says work from home, go for it. Life is too short to not take advantage of time spent with the people who mean the most to us, our family and friends.

I have read on forums and chats that folks who work from home feel isolated, alone and often suffer from depression. Oh hell no! Look start a MeetUp for telecommuters, meet at the coffee shop, your favorite Chinese Restaurant and have lunch or invite other tele’s over for lunch, meet at the park for an hour; but let nothing get in the way of your freedom to work outside the traditional brick and mortar.

After viewing the CNN special I decided to seek out all those telecommuters and create a wonderful “cooking parti” for them. Gather your friends and family and for one hour let’s partake in a lunch and learn in the privacy of your own home. Hey, I’ll even show you how to make that Hot Sex Chocolate Chess pie for your significant other who unfortunately is not as lucky as you and must fight that mess on the Interstate. Look, everyone is not going to be as fortunate, but you can at least have something special waiting for them when they walk in the door.

Au Natural

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Recently I listened to a “talk radio” personality discussing a plan he concocted to lose weight. He discovered a new out patient procedure that involved limiting the amount of food intake, thereby preventing weight gain. I have never seen this individual in person (just photographs, yes he is overweight) but he said he is having the procedure as a “preventative measure.” My personal opinion is that if he is having the procedure as a preventative measure and he is already overweight, what exactly is he preventing?

It has been implied by a number of medical authorities that many of the illnesses we suffer are directly related to our diet, lack of exercise and proper rest. The diet part is the focus of this blog. I know I have mentioned this before in my blogs and I cannot say it enough, a good diet starts with understanding the nutritional value in food. If you do not know what nutrients your body needs, then you must learn. Once you are aware however, you must make a commitment to prepare those foods in a healthy manner. Some have chosen the “raw” route, some have chosen to only eat vegetables, fruits and fish while others have chosen to eat meat in moderation and avoid the “white stuff.” What ever your choice you have to learn to cook and prepare the food. It will not jump out of your supermarket cart onto your plate.

I know this sounds simplistic but it is true. If you are to offer variety to your family you need to find creative ways to prepare food. Do you know how to bake, broil, roast, grill,

braise, steam, boil sauté and poach? Good food is all about creative preparation, even if it is nothing more than a simple salad.

Another option to consider involves making your own condiments. Have you ever considered making your own salad dressings, chutney or steak sauce?

What about tasting and enjoying foods in their natural state? Have your taste buds become so accustomed to artificial flavors, additives and preservatives, that certain foods are no longer appealing without “Ranch” dressing or “Ketchup?” I am not saying all foods are deliciously divine without a little assistance, but you really don’t know unless you try them au natural. How often have we served our children fresh sliced carrot sticks without peanut butter assuming they simply will not eat a fresh sweet carrot? We must learn to give foods a try and let them stand alone.

What will it take for us to get “back to the basics” and start fresh? My suggestion to this radio personality is before you go under the knife; attempt to get back to the basics. Eat a salad with no dressing, make a sandwich with real chicken breast and not that awful cold cut salt infused stuff at the deli; and eat fresh fruit instead of a package of cookies from the “cookie isle.” We are a quick fix society and at some point we will have to understand that nothing worthwhile can or will occur using the quick fix method. Everything we need to survive is already provided, we just need to use those foods as nature intended.