Try It You'll Like It: Scrapple

I have decided to start a new feature on this blog to focus attention on foods that you may have tried but didn't like or that you have been afraid to try. I am hoping that this feature will help shed light, and gain interest in some misunderstood or maligned foods. Whether it is you, your spouse or your children who are fussy eaters, I want to get you to stretch your culinary muscle, try something new, some of these foods will be old favorite of mine, while I hope to share some of my adventures in trying new things as well.

My first installment is about the much maligned scrapple. For those of you who may not be familiar with scrapple, it is a Pennsylvania Dutch/ German dish, mainly cooked for breakfast that is made from pork and cornmeal. The dish originated as a porridge made on butchering day, but evolved into a dish that was formed into a loaf, and now is sliced and fried. The Pennsylvana Dutch name for this dish is panhas (PON-hoss). It is still called that and sold under that name in German and Pennsylvania Dutch markets. However, because it was made with scraps of pork, it became known as scrapple, and that name stuck.

Many people who will not eat scrapple because it is made of pork bits and pieces and the dreaded offal (eat that, Ruhlman!), but scrapple is very similar in taste and texture to polenta, actually, it is a lot like polenta with little bits of meat (and some fat) mixed in. To prepare scrapple, slice and dredge in flour, and fry in oil or butter, turning to get a brown and crispy outside crust. While it is not exactly diet food (although Rapa says their scrapple is 88% fat free!), in my opinion, there is nothing like a piece of scrapple, with its crisp exterior and the soft and grainy interior. The traditional way to eat scrapple is with apple butter, but some (blasphemers) eat it with ketchup. Scrapple is a great alternative to other breakfast meats, the perfect counterpoint to a sunny-side egg.

As a big fan of scrapple (my Mom's family was of German descent and so scrapple was in their blood) I decided to try to make my own scrapple a couple of years ago. While it is not as complicated or technically demanding as making your own sausage or home cured bacon a la charcuterie, but it does take time and patience. A cut of pork with some fat (like shoulder) is best

Philadelphia - Style Scrapple

2 pounds pork shoulder (or pork butt) (I have used leftover pork butt for this)
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

Cut up pork into chunks. Place the pork, sage and cayenne in a stock pot and cover with water. Simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until meat falls apart. Drain and reserve stock.
Remove meat from bone and chop all the meat with a knife. Measure 5 cups of stock and return to pot. Bring it to a simmer; add meat, cornmeal, salt and pepper, and stir constantly until thick and smooth, about 15 to 30 minutes. Stir in chopped meat to incorporate fully. Pour mixture into 2 loaf pans and refrigerate until completely chilled. Un-mold scrapple. To serve, slice, dredge and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.

Whether you make your own, or buy scrapple at your supermarket (brands like Rapa and Habbersett can be found in stores or online), give it a try. I think you'll like it!

Snow Day!

Here in Hampton Roads, we have a yearly ritual of preparing for hurricane season. Hurricanes have a fairly long lead time as emergencies go, so there is time to refill medications, get canned good, fill your gas grill, buy flashlights and batteries and bottled water. While many of us use the beginning of hurricane season to do these things, some people wait till a hurricane is on the way causing a rush to the stores to stock up before the storm. However, that is nothing compared to when snow is forecast in this part of Virginia. It is a phenomenon that is unmatched.

Those of you who live in the north, or anyplace where winter snow is a part of everyday life would laugh, yea scoff at the chaos that an inch or so of snow causes in our area. Scores of fender-benders, school and business closings, and excitement way out of proportion to the event result anytime Jon Cash shows a Snow Hope Index over 5 (10 is 100% chance of accumulating snow)

Having set the stage, I have to admit that I was excited when 3-6 inches of snow was in our forecast for this holiday weekend. What can be better than snow when you have no place that you have to go (sorry for you health care workers and others who have to work no matter what!)?

So what does all this have to do with food? Simple. Here in Hampton Roads, a high Snow Hope Index coincides with crowds- in particular at grocery stores and movie rental stores. I have to admit that Saturday morning, as the snow approached, we, too, braved the crowds to make sure that we were not snowbound without something that we just had to have. As we stood in lines that snaked halfway back through the stores, I paid attention to what others had in their carts to give you an idea of what people in Hampton Roads had in their carts to help them prepare for a possible blizzard. here are the things that appeared most:

Milk - have to have that for coffee, cocoa, and to dip cookies in after making your snow angels or to warm up before going out to brave the cold.

Beer - I am not sure if this was inspired by the impending snow or football championship weekend, but nevertheless it was in about half of the carts in line.

Bread - How can you make warm cinnamon toast or a grilled cheese without this?

Soup - Tomato, chicken noodle, and vegetable beef were all very popular

Batteries - Like me I think most people were buying AAs to power cameras (have to take pictures of the snow, which is a not so common event) or, like us, making sure we had sufficient power for our Wii remotes to keep the young savages from getting cabin fever!

Magic gloves - These are the gloves that will stretch to fit (almost) any hand. Many people in this area don't normally have either gloves or boots, so the rack at the Food Lion provides that opportunity. I usually have tons of these in black since boys or girls can wear them and then you don't have to search for the one blue or pink glove, you can always make pairs if you have enough.

Ground beef- Chili, duh!

Snack foods - Also could be affiliated with pro football, but you know it takes a lot of calories to make snow angels or pull a sled up a hill, or shovel the walkway, and besides, snow immediately suspends all diet resolutions until the snow is nothing more that black piles on the side of the road, so nachos, chips and dip, and homebaked cookies or brownies are all fair game on a snow day.(photo, left c/o fringehog on flickr)

Wine - Self-explanatory- Kids off school...stuck in house,...cabin fever....remember all those guys who bought beer?.... they have wives!

Cocoa and coffee - A must-have during cold weather (you may also see a run on marshmallows or marshmallow cream)

Firestarters and Firelogs - Many houses have wood-burning fireplaces, but because our temps are usually, well, temperate, many do not have wood for them. But really, what is better than a fire when snow is falling outside?


So what did we buy? Batteries (camera and Wii), eggs and milk, cheese, wine (to go with the cheese), cocoa, tortilla chips, and chicken parts for 40-clove garlic chicken (recipe in a subsequent post), and a baguette (those of you who have had this chicken need no explanation!) We did not head to the movie store, since when we checked the Redbox ($1/night new release rentals- it is our new favorite!), scores of people had beat us to the punch and no movies that I wanted to see were still there.

So what about you? Whether you face a real snowstorm or would just like to fantasize, what would you brave the crowds to go out and buy?

A Cook's Christmas

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that many of my gifts this Christmas related to food or its preparation. It is pretty much a sure thing that something related to food would be welcome under my tree. So what gifts warmed the cockles of my culinary heart? My husband gave my kitchen an upgrade by purchasing a brand new set of pots and pans. These are a beautiful set of Tramontina Domus cookware, well-made enough to have "helper handles" and heavy enough that you might need them once they are full. My old set of cookware was also Tramontina, and I have been happy with it, but this set had more and bigger pieces, an important consideration when both "Evil David" and I are cooking on tapas night. I am not a fan of nonstick coatings so I wanted something that I could scrub with a Brillo pad if necessary. I have been using these pots and pans since Christmas, and I have to say that I love the "professional" look and feel of these pots and pans, not only when I am cooking, but the way they look on my stove (see for yourself at left and right where they were pressed into service during the cooking marathon that was Chinese New Year's Eve).

What else does a cook (and my kitchen) really need to do some serious cooking? Knives, of course. Everyone knows that knives are base equipment for chefs, so much so that they are included equipment when students enroll in culinary school. Now, I have written before that my knife inventory has been seriously crappy since my son left with his real chef's knife. So I wasn't really surprised that I received a lot of knives for Christmas (apparently my family hasn't heard of the old superstition that giving a knife cut your love for the recipient in half!) Before Christmas, I did a lot of research on knives, what quality and materials to look for, how a good one should feel in your hand. I even consulted Consumer Reports. In the end, my husband bought some knives made by Tramontina. While we knew the reputation of Wusthof , we needed so many knives that to buy Wusthofs would have broken the bank, so my husband selected knives that were made of high carbon steel made in Solingen, Germany and the handles are antimicrobial. I was thrilled to get two chef's knives, two paring knives, two utility knives, and two Santoku knives. Since I haven't used a Wusthof, I can't say how these compare, but I can tell you how they compare with my old knives (which I promptly threw out!)- they are incredible! I can chop and slice properly, and with great precision. My husband got these knives at Sam's Club, and I have to say that I would highly recommend them if you want good quality knives at an affordable price.

What other cooking goodies have I been enjoying since Christmas?

Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, The Cook's Illustrated International Cookbook, and the one gift that was in my stocking that I need your help with- a bottle of white truffle oil. I have never used truffles or truffle oil before, but I know it is highly prized, and you should know by now, I am game to try almost anything. So if you have recipes or good ideas on how I might utilize this new culinary ingredient, all suggestions are welcome. And I'd love to hear what cooking or blogging-related loot you scored this Christmas.

Quazy for Quinoa!

All right, I am regular reader of Heidi Swanson's blog and I own Deborah Madison's vegetarian cookbook, but somehow it took my husband's diabetes to get me to try quinoa (KEEN-wah), a so-called magic grain that originated with the Incas, who considered it the sacred "mother of all grains". It contains all nine amino acids making it a perfect and complete food. So what took me so long? First of all, quinoa is not that easy to find where I live, not something you see on the shelves at Food Lion or even at the Harris Teeter. However, my daughter brought some back from Whole Foods when she was in Washington for New Year's, and so the gauntlet was laid down to get on the quinoa bandwagon and tapas night (the first since before the holidays) provided the perfect backdrop.

Now, those of you who have read this blog know the story of "Evil David" and tapas night, and know that it is a night to try new things, be adventurous, and David pushed the envelope courtesy of his mom Nicole, a French national turned American who wanted to come to tapas night but was feeling a bit under the weather. So David appeared at our door with some cassoulet made by his mother with sausage, duck confit and white beans; a dish of escargot with garlic, some huge chunks of incredible soft French cheese, and a loaf of Billy Bread from his friend who runs a bakery in Richmond. Since we were trying to watch Gavin's sugars, I was trying two new dishes to maximize veggies (sorry Mr. Lebovitz) and minimize carbs. One was a salad made with quinoa and the other was a spiced and herbed tofu in lettuce cups. Both recipes came from an Epicurious search and, I am sure you won't be surprised, I played with them both a little (hence Play with Food).

It was great after a day's work, that David's dishes were already done so we could start nibbling and some of the pressure was off me. We started with the escargot and slices of Billy Bread. Now I am an adventurous cook and eater, but I wasn't sure about escargot. I had only had it once before, and at the risk of sounding bourgeois, I wasn't sure it was my thing, and Gavin was even more unsure than I, however, David's escargot was garlicky and not too chewy, a perfect nibble with the delicious bread.

While the guys ate, I cooked the quinoa, and sliced the tofu to let it drain on paper towels. I made the quinoa recipe as called for, but multiplied everything and then added some more vegetables. This salad was delicious, a combination of tangy and sweet, with crunchy vegetables and sweet dried cherries. It was a great side dish and my husband, who isn't a fan of either couscous or rice really liked it. The bonus - two hours after dinner, his blood sugar was still stable, impossible to achieve with either rice or couscous (and even bulgur , which we have tried)!

Where are my pictures of this feast you might ask? I beat back everyone to try to get to get some pictures before the food was snarfed up only to find out that my batteries were dead! By the time I found some new AA's, , well, there was nothing left to photograph!

Epicurious-Inspired Quinoa Salad

3 cup quinoa

1 chopped red pepper

1 cup shelled edamame

1 diced red onion

1/4 cup dried tart cherries

1/2 seedless cucumber peeled and chopped

2 cups frozen white baby corn kernels, defrosted

2-3 chopped vine ripened tomatoes (quartered cherry tomatoes would also work)

Sweet White Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp sugar( I used two packets of sweet & low for my diabetic)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa, cool and toss with red pepper, edamame, onion, and dried tart cherries.
For vinaigrette dressing, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sugar(or substitute). Add salt and pepper. Mix dressing into salad and enjoy!

Play with Food's Version of Bon Appetit's Spicy Lime and Herbed Tofu in Lettuce Cups
Makes 6 first-course servings.

Dressing

1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Tofu Salad Mixture

1/2 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup diced seeded plum tomato

2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño chile

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil (preferably Vietnamese or Thai)

1 14- to 16-ounce package firm tofu, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, patted dry

4 tbsp cornstarch

2 cups vegetable oil for frying tofu

6 large or 12 medium butter lettuce leaves

For dressing:Combine all ingredients and let mixture stand at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

For tofu:Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Shake tofu cubes in cornstarch and fry until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside until all tofu is fried. Add tofu and dressing to bowl; toss to coat. Place lettuce leaves on each of 6 plates. Divide tofu mixture among lettuce leaves and serve. Note: I would have made the dressing a little spicier, and I think this would be great with some mango or papaya or plum chunks added (a la vegetarian bulgogi).

How do you feed a cold?

All during the holiday I successfully avoided the upper respiratory crud that seemed to be moving through my house. While no one was desperately ill for the holidays, there was a variety of coughing, sneezing and sniffling going on. So now that the holiday is over and I am back at work, now I have the Christmas cold. Now I am not a big baby (after all, I've had six kids averaging 9 lbs with no more than a tylenol), but of all routine winter-time afflictions, I really hate having a cold since, while the flu or stomach bug can last a day or two, a cold is making you miserable for 10 days no matter what you do. So what does this have to do with food? Well, I started thinking about the old wives tale that you should feed a cold and starve a fever when lunch, and then dinner came around and I had absolutely no appetite.

I am taking vitamins, and drinking lots of fluids, but nothing really appeals to me when I have a cold. I know that this has something to do with the fact that taste and smell are closely related and when your "smeller" isn't working everything tastes bland. I know there are many proponents of chicken soup, but the only things that seem even mildly appetizing to me when I am fighting a cold are spicy things like wasabi, or comfort food like french onion soup. Something with horseradish is appealing, hot chocolate is great, or even better, a mixture of 1/2 coffee, 1/2 hot chocolate. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are also on my list as are soft-boiled eggs. What do you eat to feed your cold? I'll happily take any suggestions since I will have at least 6 or 7 more days before I am back to normal!

A Reason to Celebrate!

Many of you who have been reading this blog over the past year know that my daughter Kate was enrolled in a graduate program in Nurse Anesthesia that required her to travel for clinical rotations to Columbus and Washington DC. This program crams academic, clinical and research experience into 28 months of 12 -hour clinical shifts, research papers, and do-or-die comprehensive exams. Students live entirely on student loans, 2nd mortgages or on the single salary of a spouse because they cannot work (for pay) and maintain the rigorous schedule required by the program. Does this sound fun?- NOT! In addition to these stresses inherent in the program, Katie was rear-ended in her car twice (once on the way to a comprehensive exam), and had an emergency appendectomy (last year before Christmas). As if this wasn't enough, there were other stresses caused by the program that were entirely unrelated to either the clinical or academic aspects that related to the leadership of this program that made every day in this program an uphill battle and an emotional roller coaster. There were many times that she wanted to quit, walk away because while she knew she was good at what she did and she enjoyed it, she wondered many times whether it was worth the constant stress and strain when the people making decisions were so arbitrary and her clinical skill and academic abilities could not protect her. However, there were very good people at the University who recognized what was going on and supported and encouraged Katie to not give up and fight back. That brings me to a major reason for celebration in the Dowd house- On December 15, Katie graduated with her Master's in Nurse Anesthesia! (Picture above, left-Katie, center with two other graduates, Kelly, left and Holly, right at the Nurse Anesthesia dinner event)

This is not only a major accomplishment for her but for our family and her friends who provided moral support, a shoulder to cry on, piles of documentation, and advice. And of course, besides the formal graduation ceremony, we had to have a party even though this was in the midst of Christmas preparations, because it was truly something to celebrate! (Right- Does she look happy? Bottom Left- Do we look proud?!)

I decided on a Sunday Champagne brunch, open-house style, and invited many of Katie's friends, and our friends and family. While all the Dowds could not be there, it was a great party. Actually, it turned out to be two parties- the first was when the most people came in and out eating, drinking and offering congratulations, and the second when there were a core of friends and family left playing an Apples to Apples marathon! First of all, I have to give a plug to Evite. I am not sure why anyone would want to use paper invitations when this (free)tool is available! I chose an invitation template, entered email addresses for invitees, and then watched as the RSVPs came in. I have never been so organized, and these was absolutely no stress involved.

So now with date, time and invitees decided, how about the menu? I wanted to have dishes that could transition from brunch to lunch, and would stand up to the open house format of the party. (Right- Katie's Uncle John entertains guests with his latest magic trick!) So here was the menu:

Sausage and Cheese breakfast casserole (posted on this blog before)

Fruit Salad (purchased)

Green Salad (The quintessential Dowd salad with raspberry vinaigrette)

Monkey Bread (Katie made this!)

Crab Quiche

Ham biscuits with Honeycup mustard and swiss cheese

Easy Shrimp"Cheese Torte" (Also posted here earlier)

I also made a champagne punch that was very popular, even though it was simple:

Champagne Brunch Punch

1 bottle champagne or other sparkling wine

1 can Goya fruit concentrate (I used peach for one batch and pineapple for the second)

1 liter chilled dry ginger ale (I did this since the brunch was early in the day- if you were having an evening event, you could eliminate this!)

Frozen fruit (I used peaches)

Mix first three ingredients together. Float frozen fruit to garnish and keep punch chilled. Enjoy!(second batch being made, above left-you can see I am not as photogenic as the rest of my family!)

For those of you who have followed Katie's odyssey via this blog -particular thanks to the Columbus contingent - Columbus Foodie and other Columbus food bloggers who extended a welcome to Katie while she was there, and Linda and "Uncle Fred" who saved Katie's birthday when she was in Washington. And for those of you in the Washington DC area, Kate will be taking a job in the Alexandria area sometime in February, and so will be pleased to (and now have time to) commiserate with foodies in the DC area!