Basil Greenhouse = FRESHER & LONGER

Nothing is better than adding fresh herbs when you are cooking food or making a drink.
It adds a more vibrant and flavorful kick to your food along with looking fresher
and prettier.... blah blah blah, we already know this right?

I've often had the problem with some herbs not lasting as long as I'd like.
As I was catching up on my dvr- I came across an episode of Rachael Ray and
the tip was to make a little green house of your herbs especially basil.

I bought this basil and normally after about 2 days if I'm lucky- they would wilt in the refrigerator.
The tip was to trim the bottom stem, like you would to fresh cut flowers and then place them in a mug/cup
or vase and then simply place a zip lock bag over it from the top keeping the bag unzipped.

You can see how it creates a greenhouse like space for the basil. You can just keep this on your kitchen counter or table and it will last waaaay longer.  The picture on the bottom is after a week!
I can now make margherita pizza and make a caprese salad with the SAME bundle of basil in
a 10-14 day period without having to toss the dried and wilted leaves. So far I've only tried this with
Basil, Parsley and Cilantro.

 This is the basil with the bag removed....now, is that fresh basil or what?
(and don't be clever and say what.)

Deep Fried Pickles

DEEEEP  fried anything is GOOD.
Calamari, dumplings, green beans, french fries & even turkeys.
The newest discovery for me is deep fried pickles.

You first bite into the crispiness of the fried batter, followed by the slight tartness & sourness
of the pickle chip along with the chilled ranch dressing....  you seriously can't eat just 5!

Recipe: 

jar of pickle chips (you want slices- rather than the whole pickle)

equal parts of flour, corn starch and Panko bread crumbs.  (start with about 5 TBSP of each)

oil to deep fry the pickles

1-2 egg whites (depending on the quantity)

salt to sprinkle on after it is fried

ranch dressing to dip in

First start with a handful of pickles and lay them on a paper towel

so the excess pickle juice remains on the paper towel.

Then have your egg whites in one bowl and the dry batter of flour, cornstarch & panko in another.

 Submerge the pickles in the egg white and then in the dry batter to look something like this.

Then simply deep fry the pickles making sure you don't over crowd the pan or fryer.
When they are golden brown, take them out and lay them on a paper towel to get the excess oil
off and sprinkle a little salt for even more flavor.    It is best served with chilled ranch dressing.

It really was hard to eat just 5, 6 or 7.  Even if you are not a huge fan of pickles...
I would recommend these deep fried pickles!
Deep fried green beans are done the same way and they are REALLY good also!

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

When the weather is cold... hot chocolate is one of the best things that makes me feel
happy and feeling like a little kid for some reason. Is it the marshmallows? Is it the chocolate flavor?
I'm not exactly sure what it is but the other day- I decided to try it with Nutella and
you know the saying "don't fix it if it ain't broke" well, in this case that saying can go out the window.
It's waaay better with the Nutella. The hazelnut flavor makes the hot chocolate richer.

Did you know that the person who made Nutella is also is the maker of those little chocolates
called Ferrero Rocher? You know... these

Pietro Ferrero, an Italian  pastry maker started using hazelnuts because there was a
plentiful supply of hazelnuts in Piedmont, Italy but a short supply of chocolate to
make cocoa during World War II and the rest is history.

Make your hot chocolate, preferably with milk rather than water and then add a heaping spoonful
of Nutella and then sip away as you catch up on your tv shows. Can it be any easier than that?

Cooking Classes for Spring 2012

This Spring, I will be teaching 2 one day cooking classes.
They are through Main Line School Night.

Here is a picture from one of the first classes I ever taught about 3 years ago.

The 2 classes are titled:  Oodles of Noodles and Learn, Cook, Eat: Asian Fusion
for more info: Spring 2012

George Foreman

This is a picture of George Foreman, George Jr., George III, George IV, and there is also
George VI who isn't pictured.

Almost all of us have a Foreman Grill, starting with the off campus college students, 

to the bachelors, single ladies and  and even families... so that pretty much covers everyone.

Here is mine from my pineapple salsa chicken satay recipe picture.

The grill is obviously convenient in many aspects.  Did you know that Hulk Hogan, the wrestler
was approached first to represent and be the spokesperson for the grill along with a
protein shake blender and Hogan picked the blender leaving the company to go with Foreman.

George Foreman was born in 1949 in Texas. He was bullied as a child for growing up in
an impoverished town and by age 15 Foreman become a mugger, a brawler and
basically a thug on the streets.
He was helped by Lyndon Johnson's Job Corps program, a program that helped troubled
kids on the streets. That's when his boxing career began.

We know George Foreman mostly for his boxing especially as an Olympic Gold Medalist,
his heavy-weight champion status and the Foreman Grill.

Did you also know that George Foreman is an ordained minister as well?
He has also given back by building The George Foreman Youth and Community Center
primarily to help kids stay out of trouble and give them the love and help that he received
as a troubled teenage gangster.
Foreman is also a great family man. His wife Mary and George have 5 boys and 5 girls.
They thought to name all the girls with names close to George but they realized that would be
overkill so they were named Georgetta, Freeda George, Michi, Natalie and Leola.

Foreman is also a rancher and when he isn't at church or on the road. He raises goats, cows,
llamas, donkeys, deer, ostriches, turkeys and pigeons.

So I added George Foreman under my cultivators tab because I'm a true believer in giving back
and especially when it comes to kids. It's so easy to inspire kids.  The way you grow up as a child
can really make a difference in your life. Think about your childhood memories and
how you might have had a different path and life if you were in a really, really negative state.

Lick a Nail...

Lick a Nail! What?

What did you eat for breakfast today?

A bagel and coffee, a danish, oatmeal, an omelet, no breakfast...?

I was standing outside one summer day with some friends and among the group

was a nursing student.  As we were watching another friend clean up around their

car and grab a nail- the nursing student said, "since you didn't eat breakfast,

why don't you just lick the nail for the iron." 

So, long story short... I had to see for myself  SO-

Simply take some cereal that has a lot of iron in it like Total Cereal.

 Use anything that will break down the cereal- something like a little chopper, blender, mixer etc...

And try to get it to a powder the best you can.

The next step is put it into a zip lock bag and add some water, enough so that the powder is
not a powder. It's not going to be attractive, just a tan, mush.

 Take the strongest magnet you have, a regular refrigerator magnet is not strong enough.

As you start to run the magnet through the cereal mush... you will start to see black
pieces being pulled by the magnet. The black pieces are iron. If you bring the magnet towards the
corner, it is easier to see the iron gather.

Those black shaving looking things are iron literally from the cereal. The only thing in the bag is
Total cereal with some water. (the brown colored object to the right of the iron is just a bad job
of mixing the cereal completely.)

Isn't that pretty cool!  Iron shavings in our cereals!  The picture isn't the best... so you should try it
for yourself especially if you have kids for a cool experiment or if you are someone who likes to
see interesting things!

So, even though I titled this post... lick a nail.... just eat cereal. Don't REALLY lick a nail please.

WHIRLED Peace

Whirled Peace is a fro yo aka frozen yogurt shop located on 4321 Main Street  Manayunk. 

Whirled  Peace, a clever name has 2 locations- one in Manayunk and 

one in Paoli on the Main Line. Fro-yo places have been popping up everywhere 

especially the self-serve ones. You simply grab a bowl and decide which flavor 

you want and then add the toppings of your choice whether it be cut fruit, 

chocolate or other candies, mochi or even cereals as a topping. 

The interior of the shop is a calming green and blue. 

Although the space is a little small, I don't know if it's the lights and 

paint on the windows, or the friendly crowd but it makes you feel like 

you are in a little winter wonderland. 

It's a little expensive being 50 cents per ounce rather than 39 or 45 cents

especially since they aren't downtown but it's a nice addition 

to Main Street Manayunk.

Whirled Peace uses eco-friendly supplies from cups to spoons to straws. 

100% biodegradable and the yogurt is made from organic products as well. 

Whirled Peace's mission statement is called C.O.W which is Cause Of the Week. 

Each week they set aside a portion of their sales and choose a 

cause or charity to donate to. Each week they change the 

charity to... as they call share the wealth.

Who doesn't love ice cream or frozen yogurt especially when it has 

fruity pebbles on it right?!

Always enjoying the winter wonderland, 
Let's Cultivate Food