Food & Wine | Pure Sugar

How A Pot of Beef Barley Soup Brought Me To Tears

June 6, 2013 4:19 pm \ 4 Comments \ Carol B.

Birthdays make me emotional. But right now it’s not (just) because my kids are getting older. It’s because of the people who aren’t still here to celebrate with us.

Yesterday I decided to make beef barley soup. I’d had it a few weeks ago at a local diner and I’ve been craving it ever since. So I threw together some stew beef, carrots, onions, celery and simmered it with beef broth. Then I added corn, peas, and I decided to throw in some leftover string beans I had in the freezer. A can of of tomatoes. Some sauce. Oh, what the heck, some more frozen corn and peas. And, of course, the barley.

I blame the barley. I don’t recall my Babci ever making beef barley soup, but she quite often used barely in her homemade chicken soup. As well as whatever was leftover in the fridge for vegetables. Something about that pot simmering on the stove… the smells just made me remember her tiny little kitchen in Western Mass. We lived next door to her for many years and after school, in between finishing my homework and playing outside with my brother I would stop in and chat, see what she was making for dinner.

It seemed, and I think my brother will attest to this, that there was always some sort of soup. At least a little cup to go with whatever else they were having. “They” being my Babci and my (Great) Uncle Frank. I can still see the table. Her little plastic placemats (that I always hated). Her dessert cups with fruit and Jell-O, topped with Cool Whip. Her gas stove (for which she had a special gas tank — there were no gas lines to the house, at least not in the 1980s.) I remembered the green wallpaper. The light above the kitchen table. The chipped soup bowls. The black kitchen chairs (and then I glanced at my own black dining room chairs).

So I thought of all this and suddenly I was bawling, uncontrollably, in my kitchen. I quickly retreated to the bathroom and had a good cry before anyone would ever notice.

Is this normal? Does this happen to anyone else? It’s been 13 years since my uncle passed away, and will be four years this fall since my grandmother passed away. Maybe it’s because we’re having Laura’s birthday party this weekend. Maybe there’s no real reason at all.

And truthfully, I’m not sure what the point is, writing this and publishing it here on my blog. I just think it’s interesting — this connection to food and memory and family. And how it takes such a long time to really appreciate it all and connect all those dots. And maybe that’s why I love cooking. Because it makes me feel close to those who aren’t immediately here with us.

Or maybe I’m just crazy. Which is also entirely possible, LOL!

Posted in: Family, Food & Wine

Can It, Bake It, Grow It, Swap It!!!

May 11, 2013 5:27 pm \ Leave a Comment \ Carol B.

Last week when I was talking about my carrot cake jam, I mentioned that I was making it for a food swap our library was hosting. I knew that there would be some tasty treats there (we have a large population of excellent cooks in our community), and the results did not disappoint!

So… what is a food swap and how does it work? Well, basically you bake, can, grow, forage, or otherwise bring something to the proverbial (and literal) table. You taste. You talk. You trade. It was so fun, and a great way to engage with our neighbors! We had many curious patrons who expressed interest in participating in our next go-around. And I hope they do! What a fun way to try new things.

Here’s what we had today…

Cookies:::

Ginger-chocolate mini scones:::

(My) carrot cake jam:::

Granola:::

Fresh honey nut butter:::

Local eggs from happy chickens:::

Sriracha (better than anything with a rooster on it — trust me!):::

Handcrafted vanilla extract:::

Spicy Guinness Mustard:::

We shall eat well, indeed! I feel a little bit spoiled, and a lot bit lucky to be part of this.

I am already thinking ahead and deciding what to make for our next one. Perhaps some fermented sauerkraut or spicy pickled vegetables? I definitely think it will be something fresh and vinegary. But homemade hot fudge could be fun too… So many delicious possibilities!

Posted in: Food & Wine, Hudson Valley \ Tagged: Clinton Community Library, Clinton Corners, cooking, DIY, food, food swap, homemade, hudson valley, preserving, Rhinebeck

{Recipe} Masala Chili

May 9, 2013 7:10 pm \ 2 Comments \ Carol B.

I don’t even know how I came up with this recipe. I guess I was thinking of both my favorite chicken curry recipe, but also Indian-spiced chicken meatballs and somehow this happened. And I’m glad it did because it was easy and delicious. And quick. And perfect for this rainy day. Basically, I just started throwing things into a pot and tasting and at some point I decided “OK, this is actually good!”

Although we really enjoyed this recipe as written here, I feel like it’s missing something. Maybe some spinach? Maybe coconut milk instead of the yogurt? I don’t know… But it’s a starting point and I hope you play around with it. Let me know what adjustments you make and how you improve upon it!

Masala Chili

2013-05-09 15:48:24

An Indian-spiced take on traditional chili.

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Ingredients

2 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 c. diced onion

2 cloves of garlic, diced

1-2 chile peppers, diced (I used jalapenos because that's what I had)

1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, shredded on a microplane

1 Tbsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. ground chicken

1 15-oz. can of chick peas, drained and rinsed

1.5 c. tomato sauce

1/2 c. water

1 5 oz. container of plain yogurt

Cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions

In a stock pot, melt the coconut butter or ghee and add the cumin seeds. When they start sizzling, add the onions, garlic, ginger, and peppers. Cook until soft and then add the coriander, tumeric, cumin, chili powder, curry powder, and salt.

Add ground chicken and cook through. Add chick peas, tomato sauce, and water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until flavors have all combined.

Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with rice or naan. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Notes

A side salad of freshly sliced cucumbers and onions with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is an excellent accompaniment to this dish.

Pure Sugar http://puresugar.net/

Linking up with: Cooking Thursday

Posted in: Food & Wine, Recipes \ Tagged: cooking, cooking thursday, easy dinner, food, indian food, recipe, recipes

{Recipe} Carrot Cake Jam

May 2, 2013 10:21 am \ 4 Comments \ Carol B.

Have you guys heard about food swaps? Apparently they’re the cool new thing. People all over the country are whipping up delicious things in their kitchens (or growing them in their backyards) and then swapping for other tasty goods with like-minded individuals. So when our library director put a food swap on our calendar, I was really excited to participate! The only thing: I wanted to bring something a little bit different.

A few years ago I nabbed a Better Homes & Garden canning magazine. It had a recipe for carrot cake jam that I fully intended to make and enter in the Dutchess County Fair. I don’t know what happened, but I never got around to it. Until yesterday.

Now, before I share this recipe, be warned: there is a ton of sugar in it. But it’s jam. And that’s the way it goes. I did use no-sugar pectin so in theory I could have reduced how much I used, but I didn’t.

OK. So, the first thing you need to do is start your water bath and sterilize your canning jars, new lids, and bands.

Next, combine 1 peeled diced pear (I used my food processor to make the pieces really tiny and save time), 2 cups of shredded carrots, a 16 oz. can of crushed pineapple in 100% juice (NOT heavy syrup), lemon juice (when canning, use bottled because it has a consistent pH), cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Then, take the pot off the heat and sprinkle your pectin over the mixture. Stir it in.

Now add your sugar. Just look the other way and dump in 4 cups of white granulated sugar and 2 cups of brown sugar. (Remember, you’re not eating massive amounts of this! Although then again… you might want to.) Stir it all up again.

And like magic… you have jam!

Bring it back up to a rolling boil and stir constantly for one minute while it’s boiling. Next, take it off the heat and add 1 Tsp. vanilla and (optional) 1/4 c. flaked coconut or raising. Because I am a wild woman, I added both.

Then ladle the jam into your sterilized jars, add the lid, snug on the band, and process for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.

IMPORTANT: Remember that processing time starts when the water returns to a big, angry boil. It does not start when you just put the jars into the pot.

I like to slather some cream cheese on (preferably homemade) bread and top it with the jam. I think it would also benefit from a sprinkling of walnuts.

This jam has been taste-tested and approved by my two boys, ages 7 and 10, so you know it’s good!

Carrot Cake Jam

2013-05-07 11:23:48

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Ingredients

2 c. shredded carrots (about 4 medium)

1 medium pear, finely chopped

1 15-oz. can of crushed pineapple packed in 100% juice

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 1 .75-oz package of pectin

4 c. granulated sugar

2 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. flaked coconut or raisins (optional)

Instructions

Combine carrots, pears, pineapple, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg is a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, cover, and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes, giving it a stir often.

Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle the mixture with pectin. Stir until it dissolves.

Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Return to a rolling boil. Boil the mixture for 1 minute while constantly stirring. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon. Add vanilla and coconut/raisins.

Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe the rims and adjust the lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the pot and allow to cool.

Notes

Don’t forget to check the seals later on — you don’t want to store anything that hasn’t been properly processed!

Adapted from Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Canning magazine, Summer 2011

Pure Sugar http://puresugar.net/

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Posted in: cooking, food, Food & Wine, Recipes \ Tagged: canning, carrot cake jam, cooking thursday, food, jam, preserving, recipe, recipes

Green Giant Has a Surprise: New Veggie Chips!

March 18, 2013 12:49 pm \ Leave a Comment \ Carol B.

{Sponsored Post}

Although I am not a big snacker, I do enjoy having a side of something crunchy with a bowl of soup or with a sandwich at lunchtime. Of course, most chips aren’t super healthy. But imagine if there was a tasty chip made from whole grains and veggies! Well, Green Giant has a big surprise for you: its brand-new Veggie Chips.

That’s right, we all know Green Giant for canned and frozen vegetables. Well, now they have a delicious new way to sneak more veggies into our diets. Thanks to a Green Giant rep sending us some free bags, I was able to sample two varieties: Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips and Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips.

The tortilla chips were hands-down, the family favorite. They were full of flavor and delicious! The sweet potato chips were very yummy too, but a little more subdued. They were the perfect accompaniment to my sandwich.

Here are some fun facts about the new chips.

The Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor are made with real vegetables, 17 grams of whole grain per serving (48g are recommended daily), and are naturally flavored.
The Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips*!
*Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).

The folks at Green Giant want to know what your surprise talent is. Here are just a few that they have unearthed — check out more on their YouTube Channel or head over to the Green Giant Facebook page and show the Giant what you can do!

Green Giant has provided me with a printable coupon for Pure Sugar readers who’d like to try out their new veggie chips. Save 85 cents on a bag — I bet you’ll be surprised by how good they are, too!

Thank you to The Green Giant™ for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent at www.facebook.com/greengiant

Posted in: Food & Wine, Reviews \ Tagged: #AGiantSurprise, #spon, chips, clever girls, food, green giant, product review, review, snacks

{Recipe} Flourless Chocolate Torte

March 14, 2013 10:23 am \ 1 Comment \ Carol B.

Last weekend I needed to make a flourless chocolate torte for a church event. It seemed simple enough (even though I broke the first one), and goodness knows I love chocolate so, even a broken torte is a-okay in my book! Anyway, I of course had to make a second one for the event and it came out so delicious I just had to share it here.

This is gluten-free, but certainly not sugar-free. I bet you could play around with various sweeteners to improve upon that, though.

But here’s what I think makes this torte so great — the butter is completely optional! Yes, that’s right. The instructions on the recipe print-out were unclear. It called for a stick of butter, but didn’t explicitly state what to do with it. So I didn’t use any in the first torte I made (aside from using it on the pan and parchment). As I mixed the sugar and eggs into the melted chocolate, I was concerned because the mixture was so thick and grainy, but it really turned out fine in the end. The resulting dessert featured a texture that is a little drier, a little more brownie-like.

I actually brought leftovers of both tortes to library story hour this week so I could have some “taste testers” and get their thoughts. The consensus was that both were delicious, and could be considered two different desserts due to texture and richness.

So here you go! A yummy (and super easy) gluten-free dessert. (If you want to make it completely butter-free, use another type of fat to grease the pan and parchment — coconut oil would work well here.) Oh, one more thing. I did not have any sort of pan that my springform would fit into to use as a water bath, so I just filled a 9×13 Pyrex casserole dish with boiling water and set it on the rack underneath my torte. It worked fine for me, your mileage may vary.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

4 oz. (1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate (*I just used semi-sweet chips — I think dark chocolate would be amazing)
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces (*optional, read above for my experience making it both ways)
3/4 c. sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Start water boiling for the water bath.

Butter the inside of an 8-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper and then butter the paper.

If you are not using chocolate chips, chop your chocolate into small pieces. Melt the chocolate along with the butter in a double boiler and stir until smooth.

Remove the melted chocolate from the double boiler and whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs and whisk well to combine.

Sift 1/2 cup of cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and whisk to incorporate the cocoa (this may take a few minutes and require scraping down the sides of the bowl).

Pour the mixture into your springform pan and place into the 9×13 pan (*see my note above if your pan will not fit). Place in oven and add boiling water to the 9×13 pan, filling it about halfway up the side of your springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the springform pan and cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Carefully (carefully!) remove the sides (you might want to use a knife and just go around the sides first to make sure nothing sticks. Gently turn the cake out onto a serving plate and remove the paper from the top.

When the cake is completely cool, garnish with sprinkled cocoa or powdered sugar. Or if you’re feeling crazy and motivated, a ganache topping would put this dessert over the top!

I made these last Saturday and was writing about it on Facebook. My brother actually made the recipe that night too and was very pleased with how his turned out! He suggested adding peanut butter chips. I think that is an excellent idea.

Linking up with…

Cooking Thursday

Posted in: Food & Wine \ Tagged: chocolate, dessert, easy, flourless chocolate torte, food, gluten-free, recipe, recipes, torte

{Recipe} Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Winter Salad

February 21, 2013 3:04 pm \ 2 Comments \ Carol B.

This is another one of those recipes that I kind of feel silly posting. It’s just so simple! But just in case you are still looking for a way to prepare Brussels sprouts that leaves them nutty and delicious… here it is!

My friend, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, was talking to me about Brussels sprouts last summer, and how he roasts an entire pan on Sunday and lives off of them all week because they are just so good. In addition to being a trained chef, he’s a kettle bell champ and he works at one of the Canyon Ranch resorts, so I definitely trust his opinion when it comes to healthy, delicious food. The first time I made these, my 10-year-old went back for seconds, so that’s just further proof of their yumminess!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts
olive oil
salt
pepper

Cut each sprout in half and toss into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Make sure the olive oil is on every sprout. Use a spoon or your hands to mix it all up. Then, place the sprouts on a foil-lined baking sheet. My friend suggested I put them cut-side down to get more of that roasty goodness. Place in a 400-degree oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes.

Now, what do you with them after this? Well, they are delicious as-is, or with a squeeze of lemon juice to kick it up a bit. Or you can toss them in a salad. I know — what? That sounds a little weird. Well, just trust me.

Make yourself up a salad with your favorite greens, dried cranberries, walnuts, and a bit of goat cheese. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss with a bit of Balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious!!!

Many of us grew up knowing only boiled, tasteless Brussels sprouts. Give this method a try and I bet it will change your mind.

I’m linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM
because it’s Cooking Thursday!