MADE to STICK- Culinary Style

December 2009: GRADUATED!  I’ve entered to learn, now I’m going forth to serve.  And when I say “going forth to serve”, I refer to going forth to begin life; begin “real” life with my wonderful wife and adorable baby girl.  This blog is dedicated to our next big step as a family, the ties that bind, and a few specific family traditions that are Made to Stick. 

                       

Having been married for over two years, Megan and I frequently talk about our family hopes, aspirations, and traditions; those aspects that bring a family together and keep them there forever.  We have shared the traditions we grew up with as well as those traditions and memories that we would like to create for our own little family.  Some of these talks have included the reminiscings of Christmas mornings, summers in St. George, and of camping trips to the Uintahs.  Others have been centered around games we played, challenges we faced, and of the memories we shared.  However, despite the nature and topic of our sharing, there has always been a common tread; a similar point to each of our memories. . .

the FOOD!

Food is forever.  Well, at least it seems that way.  The food associated with our memories tend to enhance our joy when we recollect the details.  The food we couple with our traditions make them more vivid and exciting.  Food quickly becomes notorious and iconic; some foods only to us and other foods common to all.

The following recipes are those foods that have helped our memories and traditions stand the test of time.  The following recipes are just a few of those foods we plan on incorporating into the life our daughter and of future children.  The following foods follow the foundations of S.U.C.C.E.S.s, keep our pasts alive, and will keep our traditions STICKY for generations to come.

SIMPLE

Bologna w/ Mustard Dots

This is simply a favorite.  No bells, no whistles.  Just a little O.S.C.A.R. M.E.Y.E.R. con mustard.

Growing up, bologna with mustard dots was a favorite of my siblings and me.  My mother would put a single slice of bologna on a side plate, cut in small grid-like squares, dot each piece with mustard, and VOILA!  Simple, lasting joy I know my kids are sure to love.

                                                          + =

• 1 slice bologna (preferably Oscar Meyer Bologna so you can sing the song while you eat it)
• 1 squeeze bottle of mustard (preferably French’s so you can say “We WE” while you eat it)
• 1 side plate
• 1 butter knife

Place bologna on plate.  Slice into 1/2 inch squares with kitchen butter knife.  Dot each square with mustard.  Serve with a side of homemade mac-n-cheese.  Enjoy!

Unexpected

Chicken Noodle Soup . . . with a TWIST

Chicken Noodle Soup is a CLASSIC.  Nearly every American has an endearing memory attached to this dish and most of them include a grandma somewhere.  The ingredients are common: chicken, broth, noodles, carrots, celery, and salt and pepper to taste.  How can this soup, of ALL things, be unexpected? . . . Get ready to have your schema skewed with one common, household ingredient you never saw coming.

• 3/4 cup butter
• 4 celery stalks
• 1 medium onion
• 3 carrot sticks
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1 Tbsp. white wine
• 12 oz. cooked egg noodles
• 1 rotisserie chicken

AND . . .

• 1 Kraft Mac-n-cheese powder cheese packet!

Sautee carrots, onions, and celery in butter for 4-5 minutes.  Add white wine and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.  Add all liquid ingredients and seasonings (including MAC-n-CHEESE PACKET).  Add cooked egg noodles.  Allow to cook at a low simmer until vegetables reach desired consistency.  Stir often. 

Try it!  You’ll never go back.

Concrete

Artichoke-Pesto Bruschetta

I like the Food Network.  Specifically, I enjoy watching Bobby Flay and do my best to recreate his recipes.  Bobby, along with most of the other great chefs in the world, have years of experience behind their belts, have attended the finest culinary institutes, and have mentored a number of the culinary giants of the world to get where they are now.  They make outstanding dishes and have the time of their life doing it.

I would love to have that ability.  So much in fact that my alter ego is a Food Network star with either an exciting and popular weekly show in which I make outstanding family and entertaining oriented food OR as a cake decorator with Duff and the others of Charm City Cakes.  However, I’m not quite there yet.  I am still just your average Joe with average issues.  I have to punch my card like the next guy to make ends meet.  I’m not glamorous.  I’m not exciting.  I don’t have the time to achieve the culinary success that being a Food Network star requires.

BUT, here’s a secret. . . YOU DON’T HAVE TO. The recipe below is a simple, quick, and concrete way to show off your pseudo skills.  And ANYONE can do it.

• 1 can artichoke hearts (water drained off half way)
• 1 jar pesto
• Asiago cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• 1 French baguette

In a blender, combine artichoke hearts (and remaining water), 3 Tbsp. pesto, 1/4 cup asiago cheese.  Blend to smooth consistency.  Meanwhile, cut baguette into 1/2 inch slices and toast in broiler until golden brown.  Place a spoonful of the pesto mixture on the slice bread, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, and heat in broiler until cheese is melted.

This is a quick and concrete recipe will leave your guests CONVINCED you are a star chef, and you don’t have to tell them it only took 10 minutes.

Credible

Orange-sicle Jell-o

Culinary can be credible, very credible.  If you don’t think so, ask a Chicago native about hot dogs, or a New Yorker about pizza or cheesecake.  They will have a generally accepted and credible, if not factual, opinion about their native foods.  As well, you have Wisconsians and cheese, Virginians and ham, Southerners and BBQ, and Bostonians and clam chowder.  Many states throughout the US have their undisputed claims to fame and have for many years. 

That being said, what do we have in Utah?  What is OUR claim to fame?  What sets us apart?  What is our culinary credibility? . . .

Five simple letters: J.E.L.L.O.  Jell-o and jell-o salads can be considered Utah’s claims to culinary fame.  They can be found at a wide variety of events and outings, and dedicated jell-o fans consider their salads to be side dishes rather than just dessert.

• 1 3oz. box Orange Jell-o
• 1 3oz. box COOK AND SERVE (important) vanilla pudding
• 1 3oz. box Tapioca pudding
• 3 cups water
• 8oz. whipped cream
• 1 can mandarin oranges

Add water to medium sized sauce pan.  Add Jell-o, pudding, and tapioca.  Bring to med-high heat stirring constantly.  Cook until mixture thickens and tapioca balls begin to form (Before mixture comes to boil. Mixture will thicken significantly at this point.).  Pour mixture into bowl and chill in fridge until firm (overnight is best).  Mix in whipped cream and oranges.  Enjoy.   

Emotional

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Quesadillas

Ah, comfort food.  Just the thought of it brings a flood of emotions and memories.  In fact, that is why comfort food IS comfort food; it is the food we gravitate toward during our most poignant and emotional times of life.  We celebrate, we mourn, we cheer, and we empathize with comfort foods.  More than just the average meal or quick snack, our comfort foods calm and warm us.  They are the foods that settle our emotions.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Quesadillas have become a new comfort food for my family.  They are the food that cheer us up on rough days and calm us down during stressful moments.  They are the food that says, “come on in, relax, and have a great night.”

• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Shredded Mexican combo cheese
• Cilantro-Lime Pesto (Recipe Below)
• Feta Cheese, crumbled
• Green Onions, chopped
• Corn, cooked
• Tortillas (I like to use large spinach, but plain ole flour works just fine)
• Adobo seasoning (preferably con pepper and not con cumin. You can find this in the grocery store next to the other Mexican food items. It is great to use for in many other Mexican style dishes. I love it.)
• Shredded Chicken breasts (I marinate mine in Worcestershire sauce and Adobo seasoning and grill it.)
• Olive oil

Marinate chicken breasts in Worcestershire and Adobo for at least 30 minutes (optional, but makes a difference). Grill, shred, and set aside.

Place a tortilla on a plate and lightly brush olive oil all over one side. Sprinkle with Adobo seasoning. This will create an awesome crust to the quesadilla. Turn tortilla over for filling.

Spread pesto over half of tortilla (to your own liking, but I use approx. 2-3 tablespoons). Tortilla will be folded in half so only place ingredients on one side.

Layer on sharp cheese, feta cheese, green onions, corn, shredded chicken, Mexican cheese. You can use the amounts that suit your tastes, but I am relatively equal on chicken and all cheeses, but easier on the onions and corn.

Fold tortilla in half and grill on a non greased pan on medium until tortilla is golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Serve with sour cream and Pico De Gallo, relax, and ENJOY!

Stories

Southern Blackberry Dumplings

Stories?  Oh boy, do I have stories, and I don’t mind sharing them either.  Get me in the right mood and I could talk your socks off the rest of the evening.  Some of my favorites stories come from my time in Alabama as a missionary.  In addition to the classic missionary experiences, Alabama provided some great and exciting times that tend to keep people’s jaw wide open. 

Christmas time is a time that most people associate with families, outings, snow, gifts, friends, parties, and good food.  My first Christmas in Alabama had NONE of that.  I was serving in the Alabama inner-city of Ensley and had just been called to be a senior companion/trainer.  It felt like the blind leading the blind and we couldn’t have felt more alone.  After attempting to visit with people during the last couple days before Christmas and failing miserably, we finally threw in the towel early afternoon on Christmas Eve.  We went back to the apartment, defeated, and decided to cheer ourselves up with talks of Christmases back home.

After exhausting our discussion, we decided to call it an early night and get ready for bed.  Just then, we got a call from a member in the ward.  The Lewis family had decided to have us over for Christmas Eve dinner.  We were ecstatic, yet apprehensive none the less.  The Lewis family, though of greatly humble means and good intentions, had a tract record of highly questionable food.  Elders had ended up in the hospital after a meal at the Lewis home and our President asked us to tread lightly when accepting future invitations.  However, we were down and out on our luck and thankful for their generosity, so we quickly accepted.

We hurried ourselves out the door and biked our way to their home on that cold evening.  We got to their home and immediately thanked them for their hospitality.  They then directed us to sit at a small table in the corner of the room fit for two people.  We asked if they were going to eat with us and they explained that they had chosen to eat in the other room.  A little taken back by the situation, we sat down and the family left.  Moments later, Sister Lewis entered the room with two plates full of food.  We were pumped and ready to dive in . . . that is until we “experienced” what was on our plates.  The initial realization that we were in for a long night was the smell.  To sum it up, it was highly reminiscent of sour cabbage and gym socks, though there was no cabbage nor socks on our plate.  Visually, it was surprising as well.  The meat happened to be a colorful mix of brown, pink, and green, the gravy didn’t move, and the green beans looked like raisins.  We hesitantly thanked our host and she left the room.

Immediately, we were both thankful for our private dinning status.  Without words shared, we both understood that we were not going to get through this meal without a little strategy.  And that strategy?: the garbage can sitting next to my feet.  After taking a legitimate bite for good measure and washing it down with the warm peach soda, we deposited our entire paper plates into the grocery bag-lined garbage and devised a quick story about how we had decided to clean up after ourselves.

About ten minutes later, Sister Lewis re-entered the room surprised to see that we had literally cleaned our plates.  We gave her our recited story and explained that we “turn into pumpkins” in about 10 minutes and thus we better be on our way.  She explained that we could not leave without two things: family prayer and dessert to-go.  As she called the other family members in to pray, we gathered in a handheld circle and offered supplication.  During this prayer, and unannounced to us, Sister Lewis became overly aware of a small piece of paper on the ground.  With our eyes closed, she bent down, picked up the tiny piece of paper, walked over to the garbage that we were about to take out for her, untied the bag, and stood with a sad and shocked look on her face.  Thinking we were in the clear, the prayer ended and we headed for the door only to be stopped in our tracks.  We both caught sight of Sister Lewis’ face in time for her to look up and simply proclaim, “My food?  You didn’t like my food?”  We froze.  After burnishing a quick excuse about not feeling well, we quickly set out the door.  Feeling weighed down with guilt, we figured this would go on record as our worst Christmas ever.

After the cold and silent bike ride home, we entered our apartment feeling even more defeated than we had earlier that day.  We quickly prepared ourselves for bed in preparation to put this day behind us both.  Slipping into bed, we remembered the dessert Sister Lewis had sent us home with.  Thinking that somehow it would make a small degree of recompense, we concluded that we were going to eat the dessert; every last bit of it.

And we did, and only to find out that it was probably the single greatest dessert we had every eaten.  In complete awe and ala mode, we finished our Blackberry Dumplings.  Enhanced by the contrast of the sour taste of the week, our dumplings seemed to breed joy.  Maybe due to guilt or to complete exhaustion, we fought back the tears, licked our bowls clean, tucked ourselves in, and experienced the most restful night of sleep we had received that entire month.

All thanks to Sister Lewis’ Blackberry Dumplings, the Christmas of 2003 will go down forever as one of the most memorable Christmases of my life.

For the blackberry topping

• 3 pints fresh blackberries, rinsed well and drained
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 cups water, divided
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons butter

For the dumpling dough

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter
• Scant 1 teaspoon dry quick-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Whipped cream or Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

For the blackberry filling

In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries with the sugar, 3 cups of the water and lemon juice. Cook until the berries are soft and a heavy syrup has formed, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain off the syrup from the berries. Set the berries aside with 1/2 cup of the syrup and return the remaining syrup to the saucepan.

Add the remaining 1 cup water, the vanilla, and the butter to the syrup in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

For the dumpling dough

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips, cut in the 6 tablespoons butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the yeast mixture and the buttermilk to the flour mixture, stirring only until just incorporated. Do not overwork the dough.

Drop the biscuit dough, by the tablespoonful, in batches, into boiling syrup and cook until the dumplings float to the surface and they are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Remove the dumplings from the syrup and place in small bowls. Ladle some of the hot syrup and cooked berries over the top of the dumplings. Serve garnished with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream.

Wrap it up

As you can see, the recipes above are set to stand the test of time.  Because of foundations of S.U.C.C.E.S.s, these foods will be remembered and cherished for generations to come.  They truly are Made to Stick.