Fruit Basket

No, this is not about the party game where everyone is assigned to be a different fruit and some poor soul is trapped in the middle of the circle. A blog a few down from mine is discussing that. This post is literally about fruit...and a few veggies. I have spent an entire lifetime grocery shopping with The Bag Lady-- Riding in the cart, riding ON the cart, tipping over the cart, distractedly ramming The Bag Lady with the cart (this is always met with choice words and my "driving privileges" being revoked.) I never realized the great wealth of knowledge I gathered on these trips. I grew oblivious to the stares of our fellow shoppers. You see, The Bag Lady is an expert produce picker. Many times a lost and wobegotten soul has plucked up the courage and asked her advice on the perfect melon, pear, or rutabaga. Just as each fruit has it's own flavor, shape, and identity, the method of selecting a ripe specimen varies from fruit to fruit. Allow me to share The Bag Lady's knowledge--no cart collision required.

MELONS
First off, we need to get over the idea that all melons can be thumped. The only melons you should be thumping are watermelons. They're still kind of touchy, but the ones with a slight indentation where the stem connects are usually sweeter.

Cantaloupe-Smell where the stem connects to the melon. It should be sweet and cantaloupy.

Honey Dew-You'll get stared at with this one, but it works. Shake the honey dew next to your ear (don't hit yourself in the head), you should hear the seeds rattle. This works for crenshaw melons as well.

CITRUS FRUIT
Grapefruits, lemons, oranges, tangerines-Look for fruits with a thin, soft skin. If it's thin and hard, it's old.

Pears
Nothing is quite as lovely as a perfectly ripe pear. Lots of people complain that they don't like pears because they are mushy. Guess what, mushy pears are overripe. A ripe pear should be firm, yet giving and juicy, NOT woody. To pick a pear, hold it upright and gently press the flesh closest to the stem.
Like so:


If it gives slightly it is at the peak of ripeness.

Cucumbers
Cucumbers should not be mushy. That's just gross. Gently squeeze the ends of the cuke, it should be firm. Cucumbers age from the ends to the center. If your tips are mushy it's only a matter of time before your core spoils.



Cilantro
Don't sniff the leaves of the cilantro! Instead, smell the cut ends. It should be strong and pungent.

Pineapple
If you go to the Dole plantation in Hawaii, they will tell you that you don't need to worry about selecting a ripe pineapple. All Dole pineapples are fresh and ripe on the shelf. However, should you have to buy a different brand of pineapple, smell the bottom. It ought to be sweet and pineapply. If it has even the slightest scent of mold or fermentation--drop it like it's hot. Well, unless you're planning on making pineapple liqueur. If your pineapple has uniform eyes, it indicates that it's had sufficient and even watering. Pulling out a leaf is a wives tale.

Happy shopping!

Oh and rutabagas should be firm. Just FYI. ;)

Chinese New Year!!

Hello All! For those of you not so sweet on Valentine's Day, there's good news: It falls on Chinese New Year! Rwawr! It's the year of the tiger. It's going to be a good year, I'm a tiger. We tigers are brave, loyal, fierce, intelligent, charismatic, good looking, and apparently very humble...or so the Chinese zodiac says. I've been getting my Asian groove on for a few weeks now. It started with The Bag Lady's Szechuan Veggie Stir fry.


It's a sweet on impact, blend of crisp veggies, with an Asian chili after-burn. The rice neutralizes the chili nicely. Besides, I like eating food that makes my lips tingle.

I contributed with some delectable Vietnamese Spring Rolls.

The Vietnamese version is different from some of it's Asian cousins. Rather than being fried, it's wrapped in a soft rice wrapper. They can be a little sticky to work with, but they have a fun texture to eat, and are healthier than their fried friends. The only down side is that the left overs don't keep well. What a shame. ;)

My celebrations didn't stop there. My best friend makes the world's best egg rolls, hands down, no contest. So of course, we had to have an eggroll and steamed dumpling party. We've experimented over the years with baking our eggrolls. There was a short stint one semester when we were making them almost weekly and needed a "healthy alternative." We tried phyllo dough. That was a messy disaster, the details of which I do not care to repeat. We tried regular wrappers baked in various ways-brushed with egg, sprayed with Pam, plain, etc. After much scientific testing we've come to the conclusion: Eggrolls must be FRIED! You just don't mess with perfection

So, what does one have as a "healthy dish?" Steamed dumplings of course. Today I am of the opinion that along with a set of quality knives, every kitchen should have 2 things: a garlic press, and a bamboo steamer. If you've tried steaming dumplings before, you'll have noticed the ever constant problem of "stickage." "Stickage" is the technical term for when your beautiful, heavenly, perfect dumplings stick to the steamer and forcefully have their fillings ripped out of their wrappers when you try to remove them. It's a tragedy. Oiling your steamer yields a slight improvement, but it's not the ultimate remedy. We have found the answer. It's amazing how simple it is. If you remember nothing from this post, remember this: Line your steamer with lettuce leaves (napa cabbage works well too as long as you don't use the thick heavy bottom portion of the leaf). The lettuce is delicate enough to let the steam through, turns slick to release your dumplings, and doesn't flavor the food it's resting on! EUREKA!
In my dumplings I like:
Ground pork
Ginger
Black pepper
Sesame oil
Crushed garlic
Asian Seasoning Sauce or soy sauce
Green onion
Napa cabbage
Water Chestnuts

Finely chop the veggies and mix with the ground pork. I add soy sauce and sesame oil until it smells good. Mix it up and fold your dumplings, sealing the edges with water. Steam for about 8 minutes in bamboo steamer.

You can also use
Spicy pork sausage (Jimmy Dean works well)
Green onion
Water chestnuts

This way you don't have to mess with seasoning and you get a zippy dumpling.

Chicken must be cooked before you use it.

If you're vegetarian, any veggie mix would work well.
Napa cabbage
Carrots
Mushrooms
Green onion
Water chestnuts
Crushed garlic
Pepper
Soy sauce
Or anything else!

The combinations are endless! Forget Valentine's Day! Celebrate Chinese New Year! Grrrrrr! It's the YEAR OF THE TIGER!! (sing to "Eye of the Tiger tune)

Wheat Berries

Now what exactly is a "wheat berry" you may ask? It is quite simply, an uncracked whole wheat kernel. I'm pondering what would happen if I put these little beauties in a popcorn popper, it probably wouldn't be pretty (besides, who wants to eat popped wheat at the movies? Or caramel pop-wheat-balls on Halloween?), here's a tried and true recipe instead.

Wheat Berry Cereal

2 cup wheat berries*
5 cup water
Selected toppings: nuts, dried fruit, brown sugar, honey, berries, milk, etc.
*yields 4-5 cups of cereal

Now comes the fun part...alternative cooking styles.

Option 1-The Pot Method (no, this is not derived from my time in Yellow Springs)
Combine wheat and water in a large pot with a tight lid, cook on medium heat, simmering for 30-45 minutes, until desired softness is reached(we like it chewy.) Garnish as desired.

Option 2-The Preferred Method
Before going to bed, combine wheat and water in crock pot. Set to low heat. Cereal will be ready in the morning. Garnish as desired.

Option 3-The "OH NO! I forgot to turn the crock pot on!" Method
Before going to bed, combine wheat and water in crock pot. The phone rings, your kids start crying, the house catches fire, your mother-in-law comes unannounced, or what have you. In the end, you forget to turn the crock pot on. Set to low heat when you get up in the morning. Cereal will be done in approximately 4 hours. Soaking it overnight cuts the crock time in half. Garnish as desired.

Options yet to be Fine Tuned
Stewing in a conch shell over a hot rock.
Boiling in a hubcap balanced on a radiator.
Wrapped in banana leaves and steamed in a volcano.
Vote for your preferred method, or feel free to add your own creative ways!

The cereal comes out chewy, yet tender. Being an unrefined wheat kernel, it still has plenty of fiber and really sticks to your ribs. We think it's heartier than oatmeal. It's happy! It's healthy! It's wheaty! Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Happy Groundhog's Day! In honor of the most important day of the year (according to some folks), we give you:

Rustic Stewed Groundhog and Wild Rice

3 groundhogs*, fresh or frozen (depending on how harsh the winter was)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 sweet onion
3 TBL quality soil
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp sage
3 TBL chili powder
3 cups melted snow

Place groundhogs in a large stock pot. If they poke their heads out and do not see their shadow, give them the rice and set them free. Spring is on it's way and they've done their job well. Cheers all you rodent weather predictors.

*Do NOT substitute road hogs, phone hogs, or bed hogs. If unable to procure your own groundhog, try the "Road Kill" section of your local butcher shop.

Rye Pancakes

When one hears the phrase, "Rye Pancakes" it does not typically stir feelings of gustatory delight. The usual reaction is, "Yuck." In fact, at one of The Bag Lady's recent demos, it was an audible "YUCK! WE HATE RYE!" that resounded from an unguarded tongue. However, these puppies changed the tune of those unbelievers.


Stereotypical rye products are often paired with molasses and caraway seeds. Sadly, many individuals are repulsed by these pungent flavors. Defying stereotypes, The Bag Lady's rye pancakes contain neither molasses or caraway. These flapjacks have a nutty earthy flavor, and are hearty without being heavy and drab. They are porous enough to be nicely infused with syrup, jam, peanut butter or what have you.

Obviously, since it's a bag meal, it is super easy and user friendly. You may be one of those "convenience dry mix users" (I myself have been guilty of such effrontery when away from home), but take a few minutes to whip up a couple bagged rye mixes and you're ready for a major upgrade in your breakfast life for the same amount of time. On top of the ease, you feel "oh so healthy" as you eat them and the staying power is well beyond that of those nasty, spongy, soggy, mix produced things. Our family is definitely a fan, give it a whirl. Join the RYE-volution! I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.



Rye Pancakes
1-12 oz. can evaporated milk
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Re-closable bag:
2¼ cups rye flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar*
4 tablespoons powdered eggs

Directions
In a large bowl stir all ingredients until batter is smooth. Ladle pancake batter onto a hot oiled griddle. Turn pancakes when bubbles appear and edges are golden brown.

*Be sure to combine brown sugar with other ingredients when you bag your mix or you will have a hard lump of brown sugar as time passes.

Wheat, Wheat, and more WHEAT!

In response to a request from one of our readers, we now present the ins and outs of wheat. It is after all, the staff of life.

No wheat flours are naturally white. Wheat flour, as mother nature made it, is a stunning monochromatic palette of varying browns. Bleaching the flour makes it a pretty white, but also destroys the nutritional value. Oh the price we pay for our vanity! There are many different types of wheat, but the following 5 are fairly common and readily accessible.

TYPES OF WHEAT
Hard Red Spring Wheat-Also known as Selkirk, Lee, Justin, Pembina, and Thatcher. This wheat carries a protein, packed, punch--upwards of 15.5%. It produces a rich flour with excellent gluten chains allowing the cook to make extra large beautiful loaves of bread.

Hard Red Winter Wheat-This wheat is also known as Triumph, Wichita, Kaw, Cheyenne, Commanche, and Turkey. It is wonderful for baking bread, but has a lower protein content averaging 12.5%.

Soft Red Winter Wheat -You can find this wheat under the names of Monon, Knox, Seneca, Dual, and Vermillion. It has a protein content of about 7.5-10% and is higher in starch than other red wheats. The starch content makes it less cohesive, but very good for making pastries, biscuits, and crackers.

White Wheat-This wheat is known as Gaines, Omar, Genesee, Avon, Burt, Lemhi, Ramona, and Brevor. The small, white, chalky kernels indicate a higher starch content and very low protein. It serves best as a flour for cookies and cakes.

Durum and Red Durum-This wheat can be found as Wells, Lakota, Langdon, Sentry, and Mindum. The flour is granular and low in protein and is most often featured in pastas.

STORING WHEAT
Heat, light, and oxygen oxidize the oils in food, so it is imperative to reduce or eliminate these factors when engaging in long term food storage. Hence, your wheat will be happiest in a cool, dry place. Remember your elementary school science fair project? Yeah, warm and wet=soggy and stinky.

Oxygen Absorbers-Using oxygen absorbers will lengthen the shelf life of your wheat, but at a price. Just like us, little wheat kernels need some oxygen to breathe. Essentially, sucking out the oxygen smothers your wheat and it will not sprout. At our house, we have wheat with oxygen absorbers(for longevity) and without, should we fancy a wheat sprout now and again. It goes nicely with a mixture of sprouted alfalfa, radish, and adzuki.

Containers -It makes no particular difference if you store your wheat in cans, buckets, or mylar bags. The important thing, is that it does not sit directly on the ground. In some freak phenomenon of nature the temperature change between the ground and the bucket may result in wicked condensation, which infiltrates and molds the wheat...or so Great Grandma says. We have always dutifully followed her council and our wheat has been fine. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to put a few wood slats under your buckets/cans/bags.

Using Wheat
The first tool you need is a wheat mill or grinder. A mill has blades while a grinder has actual stones. Both produce top-notch flours, though without proper care, grinding stones may become glazed. The Bag Lady has both a mill and a grinder and loves them dearly. The Bag-ette has many "fond" memories of lugging the heavy grinder up the stairs. The coarseness of the flour is up to you. Coarse flour can be used for cracked wheat cereal or in place of rice, medium flour is swell for cream of wheat, and fine ground is lovely for baking.

Whole wheat is naturally heavier, but requires more TLC. Buttermilk, yogurt, yeast, baking powders and sodas all make good leavening agents. If making pancakes or waffles, it helps to beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the wheat mixture. One might also consider using a ratio of whole wheat to bread flour. Some recipes may require extra liquid if transferring from bread flour to whole wheat flour, just be aware. Truly the possibilities are endless. If you're starting a whole wheat revolution at your house, just ease the family into it. The transition from white and fluffy to hearty and nutty can cause quite the commotion. ;)

Chocolate Decadence

The Bag-ette successfully commandeered the kitchen with some delectable results. Behold, "THE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE!" Indeed.


My obsession with chocolate torte developed in the past few months. There is a quaint little Mexican restaurant that we like to frequent. The Bag Lady is rather partial to the fish tacos, whereas I'm more committed to the pork ones. The tacos are particularly lovely because they are not made with those nasty, crunchy, processed, corn things. Homemade flour tortillas are lightly crisped to retain their shape when filled with all manner of good things, yet the shell stays slightly chewy. It brings a new definition to the word "taco." Forgive me, I digress, this post is about dessert. The flourless chocolate torte is to die for. It is a creamy, decadent, rich, positively sinful concoction. It caresses the tongue as it gently melts into silkiness, inducing a cocoa coma which can only be cured by another bite.

I had been pondering a reproduction for some time but had not yet attempted the feat. Then it happened! To my utmost joy and wonder I was looking through a magazine and the heavens opened! I heard an angelic chorus! There it was, a base recipe for me to begin my experiments. Here is what I came up with. Although I am still a dedicated fan of my restaurant's version, this was highly satisfactory.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

8 eggs cold
1 pound Semisweet Chocolate
1 Cup butter

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees, coat springform pan with nonstick cooking spray (or in my case more butter--it tastes better). Wrap pan's bottom and side with foil to prevent water bath from seeping into pan. Boil a pot of water.

2. Beat eggs with hand mixer on high, until they have doubled in volume.

3. Combine chocolate and butter and heat until melted. Fold eggs into chocolate mixture in 3 additions until fully mixed.

4. Pour mixture into springform pan. Place pan in a large roasting pan in oven. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come half way up side of springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-47 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!! You will end up with a dry, crumbly, disgusting mess.

5. Remove cake to a wire rack and cool completely. Garnish as desired. Chill leftovers.

*Ok, I made a few modifications. I used a little over a pound of chocolate. Since I like a very dark chocolate torte, I used a mixture of Guittard semi sweet chips and baking chocolate. It was lovely. Also, if you don't want to mess with wrapping your pan in foil (which I didn't) simply place your springform pan in another pan. Then place that pan into the roasting pan and pour the water into the roasting pan. The pan in the middle will protect the torte from water seepage, while still allowing the necessary steam action to take place. The magazine suggested garnishing with powdered sugar, I thought that was pansy and went for caramel and crushed oreos. My Mexican restaurant uses chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries. Beautiful.


This is an absolutely perfect dessert for a birthday, Valentines Day, or any day that has a name which ends in the letter "Y". I think I will be trying a white chocolate version with a tangy raspberry sauce next. It would seem that Momma isn't the only mad culinary scientist.