What's in a Club?

Recently, while sharing brunch with my niece and her mother, I was challenged with a food question. “What exactly is in a club sandwich?” My first response was bacon. Another thought that circulated was three slices of bread. So, being a personal chef, I had to probe farther.

My searching lead me first to the legendary birthplace of the club sandwich, which was The Saratoga Club-House in New York in 1894. It was made with toast, butter, mayonnaise, bacon, chicken and tomato. The first recipe published was in Good Housekeeping Everyday Cookbook by Isabel Gordon Curtis in 1903. The recipe calls for 2 toasted slices of bread, turkey or chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo. And at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904, three restaurants featured club sandwiches.

As with many recipes, items are added and omitted to satisfy the taste of the region. Some clubs add sprouts, avocado and mustard. And both single and double layers can be found on menus across the land. My personal survey of recipes on the web and cookbooks lead me to one common theme – toast. Now, I am not saying any sandwich made with toast equates to a club but it does seem to be the one item that is constant with the club sandwich. And that leaves plenty of creativity to the chef, which is the joy of all chefs and sandwich connoisseurs.

Skinny-Dipping

Anyone care for a good dip? No, not the pool, it is February. I'm talking hearty creamy dips. But, if we are not careful, dips can be unforgiving when they are made with mayo, sour cream or cream cheese and accompanied by chips. There are scores of dips that are full of flavor and healthy too. I like to call them skinny dips.

Hummus, for example, is a super dip. It is an excellent source of protein, low in fat, high in fiber and an excellent source of folic acid. This popular food can trace its roots to the Middle East. It is made with chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), oil, garlic and lemon juice. Others ingredients can be added to this classic recipe to enhance its flavor dimension.

Another great base for healthy dips are black beans. They too are high in fiber, low in fat and an excellent source of protein. Of course, these dips are only as healthy as their dippers. So, choose veggies to complete your skinny-dipping pleasure.


Classic Hummus
Smooth taste with just the right amount of lemon

1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

Place chickpeas in a food processor and process until smooth. Slowly and remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Yield: 1 cup
tahini can be found in the International section in most supermarkets. It can be omitted if you cannot find it.


Black Bean Dip
Bold flavor combination

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 cup plain no-fat yogurt
2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt

Place beans in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Yield: 2 cups

Cakes Cooked the Slow Way

If you were one of the lucky recipients of a slow cooker this holiday don’t walk but run to your pantry and cook a cake in this wondrous appliance.

Yes, I said cake. I am still forever thankful each time I slow cook meats and stews to tender perfection in one of my (now 3) slow cookers. But cake? So, I searched and came up with a gooey chocolate cake worth the almost 3 hours from start to finish. The slow cooking process produces a rich chocolate sauce beneath a brownie like cake. I think I have said enough. Dust off your slow cookers.






Slow Cooker Chocolate Mocha Cake
Deep rich chocolate cake with a gooey sauce

5 quart slow cooker and 1 1/2 quart souffle dish

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup hot coffee


Spray souffle dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the first 8 ingredients. Pour and spread batter evenly into souffle dish. Place dish in slow cooker pot on high setting. Mix cocoas and brown sugar and sprinkle over cake batter. Pour coffee over cake batter. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Let cool in cooker for 20 minutes. Carefully remove souffle dish. Serve warm with or without ice cream.

Whimsy Dessert

Holiday desserts seem to take center stage every year. I love to make and give show-stopping desserts but they can stop you in your tracks if your holiday list is long and winding.

Fear not because a trifle is just the thing. The word trifle comes from the French term ‘trufle’ which means something whimsical and of little consequence. Trifles are easy and the whimsy can be your inner creative foodie running amok. The basic ingredients are cake, fruit and cream. Have fun and put flavors together to create your own whimsical showpiece dessert this holiday.


Black Forest Trifle
layers of chocolate, cherries and whipped topping

This recipe is for a 5 inch trifle bowl.

2 boxes Brownie mix
1/4 cup cherry liqueur, if desired
2 21 oz. Cherry pie filling
2 8oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed

(you may have some brownies and whipped topping left over)

Prepare brownie mixes according to box. Cool and cut into bite size squares. Brush brownies with liqueur. Place half of the brownies at the bottom of a trifle bowl or large round clear bowl. Spread one can of pie filling over brownies. Spread 1 contain of whipped topping over pie filling. Place remaining brownies on whipped topping. Spread remaining pie filling and finish with whipped topping. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Peanut Butter aka Nut Meal

Creamy, chunky, natural and chocolate are a few choices for peanut butter lovers. In the beginning, terms like peanut porridge, nut meal and nut butter where used to describe this very versatile and nutritious food we have come to know as peanut butter.

Peanut butter has come a long way. So, in honor of National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month I thought it would be nice to look back at peanut butter's humble beginnings. Here are a few notable dates and people linked to peanut butter aka nut meal.

1890 – George A. Bayle Jr. processed and packaged ground peanut paste as a nutritious protein substitute for people without teeth.

1895 – The Kellogg brothers’ patient the “Process of preparing nut meal”.

1899 – Almeeta Lambert published the first nut cookbook “The Complete Guide to Nut Cookery”.

1903 – Dr. George Washington Carver began peanut research. He developed more than 300 uses for peanuts.

1904 – C H Sumner introduced peanut butter to the world at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis.

1908 – Krema Products Co. began selling peanut butter. They are still in operation today in Columbus, OH.

1958 Jif is introduced and now operates the world’s largest peanut butter plant. They churn out 250,000 jars a day.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
This peanut butter swirl looks and tastes wonderful with any brownie mix.

1 box brownie mix
1 8oz. cream cheese (softened)
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 9 pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. The parchment paper makes for an easy removal. Spray again over paper.

Prepare brownie mix according to package. Pour into prepared pan. In a small bowl mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg, peanut butter and melted butter until smooth. Drop dollops of peanut butter mixture onto the brownie batter. With the tip of a knife cut and twist peanut butter mixture through brownie mix until you create a swirled effect.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 20 minutes and gentle lift brownies out of their pan and cut into squares.

Yield: 9 large squares or 16 small squares

Pomegranates - are they worth the mess?

Yes, they are worth every ruby stain.

The pomegranate arrives late fall each year just in time for the holidays. With its medium thick ruby red rind and crimson, soft yet crunchy, sweet-tart seeds, they are both beautiful and delicious.

The pomegranate has been cultivated since ancient time throughout the Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe. Today the San Joaquin Valley in California is the only concentration of commercially grown pomegranates in America. The primary commercial growing regions of the world go back to its roots in the Near East, India and Southern Europe.

This red ball of seeds has recently found itself on the top of many 10 ten healthy food lists. The nutritional research finds that they are high in potassium, fiber and vitamin C. In addition, the antioxidants help retard aging and can neutralize about twice as many free radicals as red wine and seven times as many as green tea. It’s no surprise that pomegranates are making their way into many food items and becoming a must have in healthy diets.

To enjoy these little powerhouse beauties carefully cut the crown (top) off. Then cut the pomegranate into 4 sections. Place each section in a bowl of water. Pull the seeds away from the white pith of each section. Discard the skin and pith from the water. Next, strain out the water. Each and every seed is ready for baking, juicing or hand to mouth eating.



Pomegranate Orange Muffins
Wonderful orange flavor with crunch.

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of orange zest (about 2 oranges)
1 ½ cups pomegranate seeds (1 pomegranate)
1 cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup oil


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line or butter muffin tins.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in orange zest and pomegranate seeds. Make a well in the center.

In large measuring cup, blend milk, egg and oil. Pour liquid into the well. Sir until batter is moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into 12 large tins or 24 small tins, filling each to the rim. Bake in a 400 degree oven until lightly brown, about 15 minutes for large muffins and 12 minutes for small. Remove muffins from pans. Serve warm or cool.

Yields 12 large or 24 small muffins

Breakfast Around the World

We have all heard the phrase, “Breakfast is the most important meal,” and it is. Breakfast is essential for weight management and refueling our glucose levels, which in turn fuels our body with energy. These two factors alone should debunk any notion about skipping breakfast.

Seeing that September is All American Breakfast Month I started to ponder, what does the world wake up to? My research of countries around the world leads me to the conclusion that there are three pillars of a good breakfast. The prefect breakfast trio is composed of proteins, carbohydrates and caffeine.

First, eggs or some kind of protein was usually on the plate. In Costa Rica, gallo pinto is the national dish. It is a combination of fried rice, black beans, sour cream and fried or scrambled eggs. In Madagascar, kitoza, strips of beef grilled over a fire, is served alongside gruel (thin porridge). In India, appam, a thin crepe-like rice pancake filled with meat, potatoes and/or vegetables, is a popular breakfast food.

Next, after protein, bread or starch was consumed. In Turkey, ekmek, bread made with wheat flour is served with preserves, honey or butter, is very popular. And in China, the primary starch is rice with small amounts of vegetables and meat.

On top of the list was coffee, tea or cocoa. In Argentina, submarino, steamed milk with bittersweet chocolate melted into it, is the supreme breakfast beverage. In Greece, you may order your coffee sketo (without sugar), metrio (medium-sweet) or glyko (very sweet). In India, kahva, a green tea with sugar, cardamom and ground almonds, is the beverage of choice in Kashmir.

People of the world have spoken and have united with their cups of coffee, tea and cocoa in the morning. We can’t deny the fact we all need a little kick-start in the morning. But remember to add some protein and carbs to that cup of joe, tea or cocoa.

Geodemorgen!
Buon giorno!
Bonos dies!
Ohayo!


Café de Olla (Mexican Spiced Coffee)
A wonderful cinnamon aroma with a lightly sweet syrupy flavor.

6 tablespoons of coarse coffee
¾ cup piloncillo (brown sugar)
4 whole cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
½ an orange, peeled and sliced
6 cups of water

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and serve hot or iced.

Yields: 6 servings