Savory Melodies

When I was asked to do this article, my first thoughts were to spend time on Whole Grains and Healthy Eating, but fortunately, I thought again. I want to introduce myself and get to know you, before I deluge you with all that stuff. I love the idea of talking food with other Boomers in this area. So much has changed in the American “Foodscape” thanks to the Boomers. I have to laugh; I read an article recently about the changing tastes of the American public. They attributed the flavor revolution to the Baby Boomers, but there were differences as to what the reasons were. One school of thought is that we are getting more adventurous and savvy. The other was that our taste buds and smell are starting to wane, so we need more spice. I don’t know about you, but I’m going with the more sophisticated theory!

The best example of my conclusion came when I thought it would be fun to explore a Retro menu. Maybe even a Retro dinner party. That was definitely a fascinating study! It’s always interesting to me to explore how and when, and especially why we ever thought that Spam could replace Ham, or a Shrimp mold held any appeal whatsoever. Chipped beef with boiled potatoes…now there’s a thought. I remember a lot of chopped suey out of a can, yuck! Lipton soup dip and cheese out of a spray can. Yes, we are most definitely getting more sophisticated. Swiss steak and Swedish meatballs, what exactly was our fascination with that part of the world? Give me Mexican food, with flavor, any day over that! I think the Crepe phase may have saved the day. Well, that and quiche, can’t go wrong there. I kind of liked the Fondue phase, as well. Although the fondue pot I got for a wedding present is still in the box, in the attic. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me.

Yes, it’s going to be a blast exploring food with you guys, past, present and future! I’d love to hear about some of your fondest memories of food, but also, the hilarious. Stay with me, we’ll have a kick in the menu!

Technorati Tags: chopped sue, crepe, fondue, Food, shrimp, spam

I know, I know, that’s supposed to be a Christmas song, but I LOVE Fall!!! The smell of pumpkin spice, the kids in their Ghosty costumes, the colors all around, the cool, crisp air…well, three out of four ain’t bad. Although I hear it’s going to cool off soon. Jack-o-lanterns, Corn mazes, Apple picking….Of course, you have to go to Graeters for pumpkin pie ice cream. And, of course, that big yellow bus, hauling off all the neighborhood kids. No, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

I’ve been working on recipes for harvest time. Of course there are a plethora of apple and pumpkin recipes. I wanted something different, though, so I had to create my own. One of the best ones I’ve made so far has been Roasted Root Veggies with a Pumpkin Vinaigrette. I couldn’t stop eating it. In fact, I’m not sure my husband ever got to try it, even though I made it twice! He just hates it when it’s recipe testing time in our house.

There are so many good root veggies right now. And you can use any of them for this dish. I cut up carrots, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, onions and squash. Parsnips are a little tricky, you have to cut out the woody stem in the middle. They are worth it, though. I cut all the veggies fairly small, maybe ½ inch to ¾ inch. I just tumble them in a plastic bag to coat well with olive oil, salt and a little brown sugar and then pour onto a foil lined cookie sheet. All of these veggies caramelize nicely at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Be sure to watch them closely and stir at about 15 minutes into cooking.

The vinaigrette is quite simple. Just save about 4 tablespoons of your canned pumpkin and add to 4 oz. olive oil, 2 oz. balsamic vinegar, one clove minced garlic, a dash of sugar, salt and pepper. It’s fantastic. Just drizzle over hot or cold veggies, and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Christmas, graeters, harvest, parsnips, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving

While recently planning for upcoming classes and events primarily focused on Holiday Appetizers, it occurred to me how truly lazy I am. I have looked through hundreds of recipes and picked the brains of professionals and friends looking for what I was thinking were the best recipes, but suddenly realized, I was actually looking for the easiest! I think in my defense, though, that throughout the years, I’ve always been able to impress people with my easy food. In other words, it really doesn’t have to take all day and all kinds of ingredients to make finger foods taste good. In fact, I can’t think of too many fancy “canapés” etc. that I was ever that impressed w ith. If it looks too pretty, I can almost bet that I’m going to be disappointed in the taste. But, isn’t that what it’s all about? Taste is a good thing.One thing I’ve been making a lot of lately are stuffed mushrooms. I just brown a pound of Italian sausage, stir in 8 oz. of cream cheese until mixed well. Spoon that into the mushroom caps and bake for about 25 minutes at 375. Everyone loves them!

My mini quiches are another thing people always request. I love making them because whatever I have on hand, pretty much, works for this recipe. I call it a “clean out your fridge” recipe. Eggs, milk or cream (you can also use equal parts milk mixed with sour cream). After that, it’s a no brainer. If y ou have ham, cheese, onions, spinach, broccoli, asparagus…..you get the picture. Something about these quiches too, is that the crust can vary from “no crust” for the carb conscious, crushed up crackers or refrigerated pie dough cut to fit your muffin pan. It’s that easy. They bake for about 15-20 minutes or until set at 325. I move my oven rack up to the top third of my oven to protect the bottoms. My favorite “easiest” recipe is one my friend from Pennsylvania gave me. It’s simply Hillshire Farms Kielbasa sausage, browned and cut into appetizer size pieces mixed with a sauce of equal parts Heinz Chili Sauce and grape jelly. It just doesn’t get any easier or tastier. Obviously, I’m not the only one who likes it, it keeps turning up at just about every “pot-luck” I’ve been to lately.Of course I make a number of other recipes, some more difficult than others.

Technorati Tags: appetizers, easy, finger foods, holiday, lazy, Recipes

Food Snob of West Chester, back again and at your service. If you’ve ever been to my web-site you already know that I’m a native Texan by birth, but an Ohioan in my heart. When I moved here about 12 years ago, I almost immediately fell in love with the atmosphere and the people, just about everything…with the exception of the food. I have figured out, though, that not only have the choices in restaurants improved since I moved here, there were clearly places that I didn’t know existed, locally owned, out of the way places. That is what compelled us to start the Food Snob articles…..
One of the things I miss the most when it comes to my native Texas’ food is Tex-Mex. Now, there are Huge differences between Mexican food and Tex-Mex. You’ll just have to take my word on it, for now, as this is not what the article is about…. The hubby and I caught wind of a place up in Oxford that was supposed to be the definitive Tex-Mex place. Now, this was coming from my mother, who should really know her stuff… Well, we arrived at Fiesta Charra ready for a meal straight out of Fort Worth, Texas…mouth’s watering and all…. There was nothing boasting Tex-Mex in the signage or the menu, so don’t get me wrong, these people never lied about it, but mom was way off the mark. There was a section in the menu called “south of the border” that was as close to Tex-Mex as I’ve seen in these parts, but never anything about Tex-Mex. Well, there was a selection called “Texas” style Fajitas that were straight out of New York city, because, I assure you, no one in Texas ever made fajitas that way.

All that being said, I have to tell you, the food was really good. Steve had fajitas (although not the so-called Texas version) and while the seasoning could have been a little hotter, the peppers and onions were right on, and the meat was tender. They didn’t skimp on the guacamole either, which is really important to me, I hate that. I had the “South of the Border” combo meal which consisted of too many things to mention. The chili relleno was fantastic, but unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The burrito was seasoned extremely well, and the refried beans were excellent. Even with my dinner they didn’t skimp on the guacamole (or anything else). The basic ingredients all were fresh and tasty and the service was great. Our waiter Claudio did a very nice job indulging us. So, if you are hanging around Miami/Oxford any time soon, I would highly recommend Fiesta Charra, but if your heart is set on Tex-Mex, I recommend you go somewhere else.

Technorati Tags: articles, Food, mexican food, miami, ohio, restaurants, texas