Fanciful Cucumbers

How many ways can you cut a cucumber?

Let's see, you have your regular standard slices... for a garden salad,
just to snack on, add to water or to place on your eyes.

Then you have the longer cuts, either in half,
in quarters or even match stick,

You can also slice them multiple times or even dice them,
for a good pickled salad with some radishes or carrots.

Shredding them is also another option many cold
Asian noodle dishes have.

You can also slice them with a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler
length-wise and simply pour some Italian dressing on it to make
a really simple cucumber salad or side dish, great with almost anything.

I saved the best for last.  It is more of a garnish
rather than putting them into salads and such. 
Are you ready to see?   Now, close your eyes....
just kidding.  
                     
                                    

Now, that is a fanciful cucumber. Excellent for garnishes. 
Let me say that this cucumber is one piece.  (In the picture...
there are 3 cucumbers) but, they are not 2 pieces placed next
to each other.  hmmm....
how can I cut it that way?  It is almost like a puzzle. 
If you are interested in the puzzle and are not sure of the answer...
email me. (last tab on top of the page...  "Contact Us")

If I Were To Pack...

If I were to pack a lunch each day...
I would want to pack a bento lunch like this one.
They say stressed backwards is desserts... but
opening your little lunch container and seeing this lunch
would make all the worldly stresses melt away too....?

Rice pandas with seaweed and ham for the faces. Go figure.

So healthy and well proportioned and healthy!
I probably wouldn't want to eat the cute little pandas tho.

Black Eyed Peas...Fried?

Just like the way you should never judge a book by it's cover-
which was originally:  "you can't judge a book by its binding"

then later used in 1946 in the murder mystery novel:
Murder in the Glass Room by  Edwin Rolfe & Lester Fuller
as: "you can never tell a book by its cover."

-Until you've tasted it. Sometimes even more than once.
 Take some  Black Eyed Peas

 
and soak them in water (the longer the better) overnight
preferred. start with maybe 1 cup of dried black eyed peas.
Once you've rinsed them and soaked them,

Drain the water out with a strainer and pour them onto
a paper towel to collect any excess water. Then you want to take an
onion and dice it into large pieces along with 1 jalapeno pepper
sliced with the seeds carefully taken out. Fry the onion and pepper
with a drizzle of oil in a frying pan first while adding your
black eyed peas. Add 2 tsp of Old Bay seafood seasoning
or season salt if you don't have Old Bay. Lastly, you want to
deep fry the peas in the deep fryer or pan with oil so that the
peas are completely submerged in oil for 4-5 minutes.
(they will quickly rise to the top of the hot oil when
they are done)  Dry any excess oil on a paper towel,
salt slightly and enjoy.They can be quite addictive.

You Can Zest Your Carrots

I always like the idea of double duty or just the
simple idea of using something in a different way than intended.

So, as I was shredding carrots the other day, I wondered...
what if I tried it with a zester...  so I took the peeled carrot
and took the zester (typically for getting citrus zest) and zested
in length-wise. Then I had another ah-ha moment and realized that's
what Sangkee Asian Bistro in Wynnewood does with their carrots.
They enjoy garnishing their dishes with a zested carrot nest.

Sweet Grilling Is In the Air...

Banana boats....
not sunscreen... but sweet dessert.

Summer is when the air is filled with strong scents
whether it is the smell of fresh cut grass, smoky
charcoal or the scent of burgers.
Grilling meat and veggies is awesome BUT....
you can also grill bananas.
Take a ripe banana- not a brown one but not a
green one either, cut it in half-length wise and shove
some chocolate chips in there- peanut butter morsels as well.
Place it carefully on the grill on medium low heat and
just grill it long enough until the chocolate or other
toppings melt. Then take your favorite spoon and scoop
away. A scoop of vanilla ice cream doesn't hurt either. Yum.

Cutting Herbs

I was cutting scallions the other day
and got slightly annoyed by the rubberbands
that are always around them.

After a long day- taking a simple rubber band off,
can seem like a hassle.
And then of course cutting them- can be a hassle
to keep the scallions lined up.
Then... I had an ah-ha moment!
I did take the rubber band off, BUT
after washing the scallions I but the rubber band
back on, yes off and then on again.

The rubber band actually kept them lined up
and nicely together making it very simple to cut.

Now, I will be nicer to the rubber bands for they serve a
good purpose! No more of trying to hold and line up the scallions,
chives, or any herbs for that matter.

Do Eggs Make A Difference?

Have you ever wondered if a certain type or brand of
something tastes better?  People have taste tests all the time,
especially companies. I was making egg salad and realized
that there is actually a superior egg.  Yes, they do taste different.
I have discovered that Eggland's Best Organic Brown Egg is
by far tastier hands down.  I made egg salad with  regular
non-organic white eggs and with the organic eggs.
There truly is a difference.  I've also fried both types as well.

If you think about it...  it makes sense....
when a hen is fed strictly grain with no animal by-products
and when they are not given any hormones, antibiotics or
steroids along with not being stuffed in a cage...  they would
be healthier and have less stress.  It is slightly a few more cents
than regular eggs but by far worth it!   Hands down.

Make Yogurt Pops

Take your favorite yogurt.
Scoop it into little cups or little popsicle trays
and freeze.  Now, talk about easy.
When you are ready for one...
all you have to do is turn it upside down
and say abracadabra...
or run some hot water on the side of the one
you want to snack on until it easily falls out.
(30 seconds or so)
I like to add some more fruit of whatever the flavor is...
My favorite is adding smashed bananas into the strawberry
banana flavored yogurt.  Add some banana, yogurt, banana
and yogurt.... you get the idea.

French Onion Soup @ Home

I enjoy a good French Onion soup in the comforts of home pretty much any time of the year.
I start off by slicing onions into 'French' slices like we share in class.

Below are the ingredients used in our French Onion Soup.  (recipe is for 2 bowls)

RECIPE

(2) slices of bacon sliced into small pieces

(2) cloves of grated garlic

(1 teas) of Italian dry herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme)

(2-3) onions sliced

(1 teas) of balsamic vinegar

(1 TBSP) of wine of choice - also optional for wine

(2 cups) of beef broth

Take the ingredients in the order listed under the recipe and add them to your favorite pot to cook French onion soup at home. Once you add the onions (essentially the 4th ingredient to add to your soup pot) ideally if you can, you want to caramelize your onions for at least 30 minutes. Should you not want to wait the full 30 minutes to do so, you can do a longer sauté and begin to add the rest of the ingredients once your onions have cooked down & gotten softer.  Once you've added the rest of your ingredients, as your soup broth is simmering, you can take your favorite crusty bread, add a drizzle of any oil to your sliced bread, add some shredded cheese and bake to melt the cheese to add to the top of your soup. (375 degrees for about 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown slightly)  You can use shredded provolone, mozzarella, gruyere or swiss or any combination.

We hope you will enjoy making French onion soup in the comforts of home. 

Control Vs. Enjoy

So the question is...
Do you eat until you are full?
Do you eat until you are bored?
Do you eat even after you are full and can't hardly breath
but still grab that last piece of something?

The other day I read you should enjoy your yogurt
and eat it as if you are meditating on it. hmmm
I don't think I can do that but it did say to
eat your yogurt with a fork so that you can truly
taste every fork full and so that you won't scarf it down.
If you have the patience, time and will- I salute you.
Job well done.

Wings To Go- Secret

Do you enjoy chicken wings?
Remember those college days of living off fries, cold pizza and wings?

Have you ever had buffalo wings or nuggets from "Wings To Go"?

The secret... shhhhhhhhh is that they based their whole
business off of their sauce which is simply....
made from "Franks Red Hot" sauce.
                 
                                      

Add butter (Paula Deen style) in the pan, drizzle some
Frank's Red Hot and add some sugar. That my friends-
is Buffalo Sauce. Then, I usually just add the chicken wings
or tenders into the pan & mix it around or pour the sauce
into a mixing bowl adding the chicken and tossing it to get
some air into it.  No, I never worked at a Wings To Go.
But I do have restaurant connections.  Sweet!