My Favorite Czech Recipes

Valentines Gift of Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2012-02-13T13:11:00.000-06:00

My trip out to the store over the weekend involved purchasing a pound of strawberries sold at the very low price of $1.67 (the 3 pounds for $5 sale). The ridiculously low price got my wheels turning and I thought this would be a prime opportunity to purchase something sweet to go with this tasty fruit since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. I picked up some milk chocolate baking chips with the idea to make some chocolate covered strawberries. The strawberries are a breeze to make and the chocolate melt can be accomplished by using double boiler method or microwave. I am old school and always prefer the double boiler method. Microwaves vary in intensity and there is always risk of overheating the chocolate which of course renders it useless for doing the job. I made a pound of these with my kids over the weekend and we successfully finished all but two during our Sunday night dessert. The recipe below calls for using two pounds of berries since that will adequately use up an entire package of baking chips. If you want to make these extra fancy, proceed to add a second covering of melted white chocolate. If you really want to impress that someone special this Valentines day, why not gift him or her a batch of these?

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Made Easy

2 pounds strawberries (about 35 berries), rinsed and dried thoroughly

1 pound milk chocolate baking chips

2 1 tablespoon shortening

1. Fill pot with two inches of water and bring to a boil.

2. Place heat safe bowl or another pan over boiling saucepan.

3. Reduce heat to simmer and place baking chips and shortening into bowl

4. Using a spatula, stir and fold chips and shortening together until completely melted and chunks are broken down.

5. Turn off heat source, remove bowl and place next to strawberries.

6. Take the berries by the stem and dip into chocolate sauce, twirling around so just about the entire berry is cover in chocolate; then place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.

7. Once all berries have been coated in chocolate, chill in refrigerator to allow to set. Once the coating has set, you can serve and eat or prepare second coating of white chocolate and repeat steps 4 through 6.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Czech Fried Cheese (Syr Smezany)

2012-02-01T12:06:00.000-06:00

Syr Smezany or fried cheese a very popular dish often served up as a meal in itself or as a common appetizer at a tavern or by a street vendor. The recipe is simple as the ingredients list is short as is the price. This recipe will also be a sure fire way to win over some younger diners at the table as most kids will connect this dish to cheese sticks. The form of Czech fried cheese though takes on a rectangular shape.

Czech Fried Cheese Recipe

Serves 2

4 slices Edam, Gouda or Swiss Cheese ½”” thick

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten

¾ cup breadcrumbs

1 cup vegetable oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Establish assembly line that consist of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs all on separate plates and all in that order.

2. Heat oil to 375 degrees in skillet or fryer

3. Dredge cheese in flour, then submerse in egg, and roll into breadcrumbs.

4. Shake off excess and place into hot oil in skillet.

5. Be sure to turn fried cheese after about twenty seconds. It fries quickly (only about twenty to twenty five seconds on each side).

6. Place on paper towels to capture excess grease.

7. Serve with boiled potatoes, salad of choice and a side of tartar sauce.

Happy New Year From My Favorite Czech Recipes

2012-01-05T12:59:00.000-06:00

Alas, another year has come and gone and I am now looking forward to a busy, but fun 2012. I look back at the posted recipes for 2011 (rajska omacka, cucumbers in sour cream, roast duck, and Christmas checkerboard cookies) with inspiration to create more Czech dishes during the New Year. Since the launch of this blog a few years back, I have posted just about every Czech recipe I have in my recipe box to date, though I am to the point where I will begin experimenting with existing recipes created by others and tweak them here and there (if my taste buds demand it). I realize people like to visit this site for classics such as Svickova and Dumplings; please understand this is a blog which grants me the opportunity to ramble with other Czech recipes and those non-Czech recipes. I also enjoy sharing a few cooking tips whenever possible.

On a side note, I just uploaded a new crock-pot Italian Beef recipe that I am happy to share. It is a recipe passed over from my mom. This simple recipe requires a simple inexpensive cut of pot roast that slow cooks throughout the day, yielding a tasty tender sandwich.

Winter Passion Other than Cooking

2011-12-20T21:47:00.000-06:00

When I am not engaging in the daily grind of work or spending my usual time in the kitchen (or on this cooking blog), I like to engage in my two favorite sports, golf and ice hockey. Living in Chicago I am fortunate enough to have several local parks within the city and in the surrounding suburbs that are great places for outdoor skating in the winter. Last year I introduced the sport of skating (and hockey) to my six year old and plan on doing the same with my little two and half year old this winter. The excitement of teaching these kids the fun wiinter sport encouraged me to write a lens about Chicago skating rink directory covering ten quality outdoor rinks in the area. For those that reside in the area or plan on visiting the Chicago area during the winter, I highly recommend you check out my new site.

Making Checkerboard Cookies (Sachovnice)

2011-12-19T10:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I finally got around to making some Czech checkerboard cookies. The linz dough recipe I used was out of Brizova’s cookbook, though I have seen similar recipes throughout the web. The ingredients are simple and minimal; flour, butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and cocoa. This preparation is simple and straightforward as the dough is divided in half before the cocoa is added to make the chocolate squares (checkerboard) or as the dark swirl (pinwheels). The other option with the light and dark dough is to make random cutouts to make a salami cookie. I liked Brizova’s recipe as it was easy to follow and required just a small list of ingredients.

Making the cookie was an enjoyable experience as I recruited my six year old to sift the flour, cut in the butter and work the mixer. The cookie dough was very crumbly and loosely held together and maybe that is the way it works with a linz dough. You really have to work the dough out to get the butter to moisten and bind every flour and sugar crumb together. The moisture from the egg yolks and vanilla really didn’t help as much as I expected. The cookies baked fairly quickly and brought forth a very festive appearance. I was somewhat happy with the results (see picture above). The challenge of getting the dough to stick together adequately may have explained why the finished products were susceptible to cracking. I found this out very quickly when I had a few checkerboard cookies break as I transferred off the cookie sheet. I enjoyed this cookie better when it was still warm out of the oven as opposed to the cooled down crumbly version. As there are numerous sugar cookie varieties that taste much better, I would gladly make these checkerboard cookies again simply due to their fun appearance.

Merry Christmas!

Tips For Decorating A Cheese Platter

2011-12-12T12:32:00.002-06:00

I am in the midst of planning a Christmas Eve party with friends and relatives that will have the offerings of assorted meats and cheeses served with accompaniment of cold salads and a few hot side dishes. We try to keep the Christmas Eve celebration easy as we opt for the formal sit down dinner the next day. Our Christmas Eve celebration meal is essentially a build your own sandwich with the offerings of a fresh baked spiral ham, sliced turkey, and roast beef. The meat gets accompanied with choice of cheeses, fresh breads, and assorted condiments.

Just because the fare is considered informal, there is no reason to hold back on creativity. The cheese tray is one item that can definitely be tweaked to present a fun festive appearance. Some quick ideas to making a cheese tray look fancy and fun:

1. Serve it on a mirror

If you have a small platter sized mirror (doesn’t have to be round); this will serve as an excellent serving platter for cheeses. Make the presentation look fancy by cutting the cheese in triangles and fanning them throughout the mirror. The mirror will also display well when it is resting on a festive red or green holiday tablecloth. The food will also not trash the mirror as it wipes away clean at the end of the evening with a hot soapy wash cloth. I learned this trick when I used to work in the hotel kitchen and have used it many times.

2. Serve with fruit

Cheese always tastes and looks delectable when accompanied by fruit. Consider garnishing the tray with fanned strawberries or opt for grapes. Specialty stores may even carry the “mini grapes” which go well with the cheese. Other options include raspberries, blackberries, or kiwi. Make the fruit colors vibrant so they contrast against the pale tones yellow and orange of the cheese.

3. Greens

I know it sounds predictable, but a little bed of kale does not hurt. Try to go with the different dyes of kale as there are other color options beside just the plain green. Kale has more defined and artistic edges than typical bed of lettuce. Try to avoid using the jagged ends of greens such as romaine.

4. Edible Ornaments

Get a little crazy with your cheese display and break out the paring knife and a few veggies. Fun edible garnishes include tomato peel roses, radish roses, apple swans, etc. There are many websites found on the internet that show some simple easy to make vegetable or fruit garnishes.

These are only a few simple tricks to make the holiday cheese tray more fun. Obviously the creativity does not stop there as one can go artistic with the way the cheese is cut or even rolled up if one decides to serve a spreadable cheese in a ball covered with crushed walnuts or almonds. Whatever you do, just make it fun!

German Apple Pancake Baked in a Skillet

2011-11-28T10:38:00.000-06:00

The weekend was busy as it began last Thursday preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for nine people and preparing subsequent turkey leftover meals throughout the rest of the extended weekend. Many hours were spent within the confines of just the kitchen. I was successfully able to use up just about all the remaining turkey from Thanksgiving which involved the likes of turkey sandwiches and even a round of southwest turkey wraps.

I did manage to squeeze in a favorite Sunday morning treat for the family. I took time out to prepare a skillet baked German Apple Pancake. The recipe has been in my possession for years and I love to make this with a very tart apple such as a granny smith. For those that have not prepared a German apple pancake, the final presentation is a combination of cinnamon apple tart and egg custard base. The skillet allows for the delicious pancake to develop crispy edges with a sweet baked custard inside that is topped with caramelized apples with cinnamon sugar and nutmeg. The decision to add syrup is a matter of personal preference, though it really does not need any additional help with respect to sweetness.

I had posted this recipe on my squidoo site many moons ago and will post the link here. This recipe appeals to those breakfast lovers of pancakes, French toast, crepes and fancy egg dishes. Just add the flavors of apple and cinnamon and this breakfast is a hit. There are several variations of the German Apple pancake recipe floating about on the internet. They all are pretty close together as the call for the ingredients of three to four eggs, flour, baking powder, butter, cinnamon sugar, and apples. This recipe will comfortably feed four. If your group is large consider doubling up the recipe.

Thanksgiving Wishbone Rules

2011-11-23T10:50:00.000-06:00

I would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. This is probably one of my favorite meals during the year as I really enjoy the gathering of friends and family over a roasted turkey with an abundance of some of the year’s best side dishes. I would also use this opportunity to post the rules for those interested in engaging in the traditional wishbone pull between two willing participants. Once the turkey has been carved, remove the wishbone and pick the bone clean of any meat. This wishbone will then serve as entertainment before or after the supper.

The rules are as follows:

1. Each person holds a side of the wishbone.

2. Eyes are then closed and a wish should be made.

3. Count down out loud……”3…2…1”.

4. Pull on wishbone.

5. The participant with the larger bone will be rewarded with a wish come true (at least he or she hopes!)

For those that are still scrambling for a good turkey bread stuffing recipe, feel free to try my nadivka recipe I posted previously. The recipe produces a very moist rich stuffing and can be altered slightly with the addition of fresh mushrooms or sage sausage.

How to Prepare Czech Roast Duck

2011-11-14T15:23:00.000-06:00

One of my treasured czech meals is bohemian style roasted duck. I usually get this meal onc a year if I am lucky. I typically have to order it at a czech restaurant or prepare it for myself while the rest of the family enjoy roast chicken or pork. Their disdain for eating duck is primarily attributed to their appreciation of these little fussy waddlers observed at the petting zoo or at the local parks swimming happily down the river. Somehow and someway, my view of duck has pushed me past the cute fuzzy image more in favor of the tasty Sunday roast that is served with homemade dumplings, sauce, and a braised cabbage dish. Just about every grocery store will carry duck in the frozen poultry section; if you can get one fresh, all the better! The bird usually weighs no more than five pounds and offers up between three to four servings. I have seen the price range for a five pound duck range anywhere between eleven to twenty bucks for a roaster; a fresh one most likely costing a bit more. I have seldom seen duck sold at larger weights. Should you desire a bigger size roast, you may want to consider goose which is prepared basically the same method, though with increased cooking times. Many Czech restaurant menus will sell roast duck alone as a combination with roast pork (Veprova). Bohemian style duck is pretty simple to prepare and goes extremely well with such accompaniments as yeast raised dumplings, sauerkraut, and sour cream dilled cucumbers. Squeezing in a cold czech pilsner with this meal is the cherry on the sundae.

Bohemian Style Roast Duck (Kachna)

1 - 5 pound duck
3 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt/Pepper
1 cup water

Method

1. Clean and rinse duck inside and outside cavity
2. Pat dry duck
3. Pierce fatty sections of duck with fork
4. Coat inside and outside of duck with combination of salt, garlic, and caraway seeds
5. Place duck breast side down on roasting pan
6. Pour cup of water into base of roasting pan
7. Place pan into 350 degree oven and roast for one hour covered
8. After first hour flip duck over, rebaste with juices and fat gathered on bottom of pan and roast for additional hour
9. Allow duck to rest ten minutes, then carve
10. Serve with dumplings and kraut or braised cabbage

Tip: For a crispier finish, consider increasing temperature to 375 for final fifteen minutes and remover cover.

How to Buy The Right Size Turkey For Thanksgiving

2011-11-09T12:55:00.000-06:00

One of the most daunting tasks for many hosting their first Thanksgiving is trying to determine how much turkey is required for the big holiday gathering. Preparing this large meal for family and friends can be stressful enough aside from having to worry if there is enough food. The guidelines are pretty simple with purchasing the turkey, though the amount desired can be subjective on what is considered enough. I typically like leftovers so my rule of thumb is to purchase the bird based on estimate of at least a pound and a half per person. That may seem like a lot of meat to buy, but a turkey weight also includes weight of bones, neck and gizzards. A pound and a half estimate will be more than enough for the hungriest of guests. An estimated range of between 1.50 to 1.75 pounds per person will definitely ensure a few leftover meals after the holidays. Once the meat is picked, it can be conveniently frozen and recreated in delicious dishes like pot pies and tetrazzinis. If the purpose is to minimize excess food, then you can adequately feed your guests at a pound per person assuming there will be other side dishes. The Butterball turkey company has a convenient turkey calculator that also assists with those unsure of how much bird is enough. The cool website also has a thaw calculator which is also imperative to ensure the bird is ready to go in the oven on the big day. The link to this website can be found here.

Restoring an Old Maple Butcher Block

2011-10-25T12:28:00.000-05:00

We had the fortune of inheriting an old butcher block that previously belonged to my grandparents. This 200 pound plus monstrosity had become a fixture in the garage for the past five years and we finally decided to clean it up so we could use it in the kitchen. While the block is structurally in great shape, it was in dire need of some intense clean up and restoration. The makeover process all started with a bucket of hot sudsy water with a tad of bleach. We gave the block a good wipe down from top to bottom. The block had numerous stains, blemishes and cobwebs stuck to it so this bucket cleaning was first in order. We even cleaned the wheels on the bottom of the legs.

The next process was to allow the block to dry in the sun for a few hours before we prepared the finish sander. We used the orbital sanders and began the process with an 80 grit sheet which is pretty abrasive but capable of removing years of debris, old oils, and nicks. After we sanded down the surface to our satisfaction, we finished sanding the surface with a finer grit (240) grit paper for smooth block. Since the sides were relatively smooth, we simply hit them with a light sanding of a very fine (400 grit) paper. The block was wiped down with a rag soaked in hot water and allowed to dry again.

The next stage involved applying food grade mineral oil to the surface as several applications were required as this newly sanded block soaked up the oil quickly. Once the porous block no longer took any more oil; the excess oil was wiped clean with a dry towel. It is at this stage I would recommend (though I didn’t do it), applying a coating of beeswax that will serve as surface protector to the butcher block. Some mineral oils are sold with beeswax included, though I could not find it at the store I was shopping at. Beeswax serves the purpose of acting as a natural surface protector to the butcher block as well as giving the fixture a more finished appearance.

Our final step involved giving the block a little charm by painting the four legs to match the kitchen décor. The block required two of us to lift and roll into the kitchen. It is now a happy addition to our kitchen and will prove useful when it comes to food preparation and much needed counter space as the holiday season approaches

How to Prepare a Berry Sauce using Frozen Berries

2011-09-28T13:22:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite fruits harvested in the summer is raspberries and blackberries. A good hearty outcropping of these fruits during July makes for great time out snacks when tending to the garden or yard. Those berries that remain uneaten at the source are eventually picked and find their way to the freezer for later use. Aside from being used as a pastry filler and coffee cake ingredient, I like to occasionally prepare a blackberry sauce as an accompaniment to palacinka (crepes), pancakes, cheesecake topper, or simply drizzle over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Frozen berries work just as well as fresh when it comes to making a sauce, and some cooks will give the sauce a slight kick with the hint of Chambord or private label berry liqueur. I usually leave those additions out as I am preparing desserts that include my children. The recipe is so easy to follow and will keep for a day or two so there is no need to prepare too much. Left over sauce can be used as syrup for pancakes or a base for a salad dressing.

Blackberry Sauce

2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed; retain juice and set aside in small bowl.
¾ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon corn starch

Method

1. Pour thawed berries into pot
2. Add water and sugar and bring to a boil.
3. In a small bowl, mix corn starch and reserved berry juice together.
4. Reduce heat to simmer and add corn starch/berry mixture, whisk and continue simmering for a few minutes until sauce thickens.
5. Remove from heat and run blackberry sauce through strainer (removing seeds and pulp). Allow to cool before serving over dessert.
6. Store sauce in refrigerator for later use.

Removing Coffee Stains from Mugs

2011-09-21T12:40:00.001-05:00

Every so often I get some really awful coffee and tea stains on the coffee cups. Cleaning the cups via the dishwasher or even good old fashioned elbow grease via manual washing usually do not succeed in removing these unsightly stains. Well I have a few tips or tricks that are pretty effective at removing coffee stains from cups and some of these are green methods. I use these tricks not only with the coffee cups, but also with the coffee pot and ice tea maker that build up stains over time. I try to stick to the more “green” methods of cleaning by use of safe household products; but every once in a while resort to more extreme measures using tougher cleaning compounds.

Baking Soda

Surprise, surprise. You knew when I said “Green” you would see baking soda somewhere on this list. Take your assembly line of dirty cups and fill each cup with a dose of baking soda and hot water for four to six hours and then give it a good scrub.

Vinegar

Ah yes. Can’t mention baking soda without vinegar can we? Pour a little white vinegar into the stained cup and add some salt. Take an old toothbrush and start scrubbing away at the stain. If the stain does go away, give the vinegar salt solution a little more time and try again.

Bleach Based Cleansers

I try to stick with the green solutions offered above, but then there are those times where I get out the heavy artillery. Try a small amount of Soft Scrub or (Comet mixed with a tad of water) and work into stain with toothbrush. If the stain does not go away upon first cleaning, then allow the bleach solution additional time to work. Use caution when using these more abrasive cleansers by protecting clothes and hands. This higher concentration of bleach will discolor clothing if it sprays back.

Dishwasher Detergent and Tea Stains

Simply fill stained cups with very hot water and add a little dishwasher detergent. Allow cleaning solution to work on stain overnight; then scrub in the morning.

New Food Review Blog

2011-09-14T12:36:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick post to announce that I have created a consumer blog called the Fork in the Road. This blog was set up as a result of my “brand x” purchasing behavior influenced by the outrageously inflated food prices that have hit our household budgets hard. While I still consider certain brand labels as my primary choice for purchasing, I have substituted several items on my grocery list that provide just as good if not better results than the brand name alternative. My trial and error experiments with purchasing generic or store brand foods from Target, Meijer, Jewel, and ALDI influenced me to set up a blog to journalize the results. Feel free to stop by my new blog at http://www.brandxfoodreviews.blogspot.com/

With respect to this site, I plan on moving forward with my Czech recipe blog business as usual with some upcoming fun fall family recipes and cooking tips to share. Once we get a cool snap, I will be getting back into the kitchen to make several batches of my yeast raised dumplings and some pork roast. The one great thing I love about cooler temperatures is the ability to use the oven and make roasts. Speaking of fall harvest, I hope everyone is taking advantage of the great produce available at their local farmers markets with a large abundance of squash, corn, and fresh apples. Our family just took a trip out to the apple orchard a week ago and I tasted my first 2011 batch of apple cider donuts. These donuts are sinfully good and I would really like to try and learn how to make these, though I hardly consider my Fry daddy capable of producing an assembly of donuts. I may have to defer to the experts for these.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream

2011-09-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways my grandparents would use up their summer excess of cucumbers pulled from the garden was the creation of peeling, slicing and adding to a generous portion of sour cream. There is no extreme culinary work at play here, other than a cool summer dish that goes extremely well with a pork roast (veprova) or as an accompaniment to grilled polish sausages or bratwurst. The sour cream sauce tastes amazingly flavorful especially when it comes into contact with a neighboring svickova gravy or a pork gravy. I prepared some garden fresh cucs tonight to go with some nice hearty cheddar brats that were on sale at the market this weekend. For the past few days, my grill endured a decent workout as I prepared two racks of ribs on Saturday with sausages cooked off this evening. I may have to take several runs this week to work off this excess eating (and drinking). Anyway I am pleased to share this family recipe with you all and highly recommend this with several Czech meat dishes such pork or duck. Don’t be shy with the dill and sour cream. Feel free to add a little extra if my recipe below seems a tad shy.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream

3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 cup of sour cream
Dill, several fresh sprigs diced
1 clove garlic, minced

Method

1. Scoop cup of sour cream into large bowl.

2. Mix in dill and garlic until well blended

3. Fold in cucumbers with rubber spatula.

4. Place cucumber in sour cream mixture into serving dish and chill for two to three hours.

5. Serve with roast and potatoes (or dumplings)

Great Substitution Ideas for S’more Ingredients

2011-09-02T20:09:00.000-05:00

A happy Friday to all. The weather is still steamy hot in Chicago with a change of cooler temperatures anticipated for the rest of the Labor Day weekend. I am gearing up for three days of outdoor flames which include use of my grill and the fire pit. I am looking forward to preparing a meal of barbecue ribs, chicken and if all goes well……setting the fire pit ablaze and making a batch of s’mores with the kids. S’more time is quality family time and allows everyone a role in preparing his or her own dessert courtesy of a good fire. Making s’mores together will create long lasting memories for all that participate in the fun.

The s’more process is simple enough as the heated marshmallow is placed between two graham crackers and the small block of Hershey bar. S’more ingredients are typically those three items, though there are times when those items are scarce or the campfire group wants to change things up for something different. Here are several alterations to consider when deciding to substitute marshmallow, graham cracker, or chocolate bars when preparing s’mores.

Substitution Marshmallows in S’mores

Check the pantry for leftover Christmas or Easter candy that might involve a marshmallow product such as Peeps or marshmallow eggs. The outdoor s’more is a great way to use up this candy that has been in storage for months. After sitting on a skewer for a few minutes, that colorful peep will melt nicely and taste fantastic when added with the cracker and chocolate. Be aware the peeps will burn much faster than a typical marshmallow as they are coated in sugar.

If marshmallow or marshmallow themed candy is not on hand, one can substitute a banana in its place. The banana can be cut in large pieces and placed on skewer and roasted over flame. Another heating method involved splitting banana lengthwise and wrapping in foil and place in hot coals for a few minutes on each side.

Substituting the Graham Crackers in S’mores

Some of the more popular sandwich ends to use in place of graham crackers are Nilla wafers or the fudge stripe cookie. The fudge stripe cookie is ideal as it will eliminate the need for the chocolate bars, though there are many of us that still prefer that extra jolt of chocolate in our s’more. Other outside s’more layers that can be considered include chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon crackers.

Substituting the Hershey bar in S ‘mores

No available chocolate candy bars on hand for the campfire? No problem. There are a variety of other great fillings to go with your melted marshmallow and cracker crust. Consider such fillings as Nutella, peanut butter, crushed Oreos, Andes mints, miniature M&Ms, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and just about any other chocolate confection that will adhere to the toasted marshmallow.

Marshmallow Coatings

Once that charred marshmallow comes off the stick, peel off the black skin and the remainder of the marshmallow will become very sticky and allow you to sprinkle all sorts of fun toppings such as chopped peanuts or almonds, chocolate jimmies, and Cocoa Krispies.

I hope these pointers are helpful for those itching to get out and make s’mores though lacking a basic ingredient or two. During the autumn season, stores can be hit or miss with availability of some of these basic ingredients. Hopefully these ideas will convince you to consider these tasty alternatives!

Five Alternate Uses for Yellow Cake Mix

2011-08-28T21:43:00.000-05:00

Some of the most versatile instant dessert mixes include the quick bread mixes, instant pudding mixes and of course the cake mixes whether yellow, chocolate, or white. There are times when it is best to go with the homemade route when preparing the basic cake or brownies and avoid the hydrogenated fats present in the premade cake mixes. I am not implying that using butter is safe (as there are plenty of saturated fats with this type of shortening). Nothing is as good as going from scratch when it comes to nutrition; though I find that the store bought mixes all carry a consistently decent flavor that can be difficult to replicate for the novice home baker such as myself when going about cake baking using nothing but old school ingredients. (Besides….my specialties are sauces, meats and grilling).

Maybe it is the consistency of a Duncan Hines yellow cupcake or Pillsbury devil’s food cakes slice that triggers fond memories of childhood birthday parties and summer picnics. My own feeble attempts in the kitchen with bags of flour and confectioners’ sugar are not going to recreate such magic. I do find the spare boxes of yellow cake mix in the cupboard to be a lifesaver when considering whipping up a quick dozen or two cupcakes or small layer cake. The long time used yellow cake mix not only serves up a tasty sheet cake or box of cup cakes, but also can be a fantastic alternative as a base ingredient for these five other tasty desserts.

Cake Mix Cookies

The ingredients list is small for this surprisingly delicious cookie. There is a good chewiness consistency with this type of cookie and the prep time will be brief. I would recommend scouring allrecipes.com and food.com for some quality suggestions. There are even some great cake mix cookie recipes that include use of the chocolate mixes. Here is a sample recipe.

Apple Crisp

The apple harvest season of late summer/early fall is soon upon us. Apple season means several delicious treats such as cider donuts, pies, and crisps. I found a fun apple crisp recipe using yellow cake mix on the internet that can be found here.

Berry Cobblers

Cobber as you know it involves two major players: fruit, which is on the bottom of the dish and a crust or pastry on the top. It is like the fruit pie without the bottom or side crust. I have seen numerous cobble recipes that use such toppings as bisquick based toppings and biscuit toppers. Our good friend the yellow cake mix also makes an excellent cobbler topper with this recipe.

Pineapple Upside down Cake

This is one of the cakes I have to have at least once a year. It is a great finale to a summertime barbecue or even goes well in the cold winter with a nice warm cup of java with friends or family over. Even in back many, many years ago in scouts, we made a pineapple upside down cake using a dutch oven in a camp fire during a weekend campout. The results were marvelous. A Pineapple upside down recipe with yellow cake mix can be found here.
Punch Bowl Cake

AKA the trifle is a well known dessert that involves numerous layers of cream, fruit, cakes, lady fingers, puddings………you name it. In my opinion, this cake is a free for all and can be altered and down however the cook sees fit. Scan the available fruit available in your freezer, garden or farmers market. Prepare some cake bites using yellow cake mix and layer away for a fun tasty dessert that can be made right in the punch bowl. Here is a sample of one.

Review of The Czechoslovak Cookbook by Joza Brizova

2011-08-18T12:27:00.002-05:00

Throughout the years, my knowledge of Czech cooking has been acquired by two primary sources: family recipes passed on from past generations, and Czech cookbooks. One of the commonly used Czech cookbooks I have in my collection The Czechoslovak cookbook by Joza Brizova.

The 282 page cookbook translated in English is divided into sixteen chapters which include the main categories such as soups, meats, poultry/game, eggs, dumplings, breads, desserts, and confections. The index is very useful as you can look up a particular dish by Czech name or the English equivalent. For example Svickova can be looked up by that name or listed as beef “tenderloin” with sour cream. On each recipe page the recipe is first titled in English with Czech name below it. The degree of difficulty with these recipes varies (as in all cookbooks), though I find that most items within this Czech cookbook can be prepared by the novice.

The meat, dumpling, and sauce sections by Brizova are reason enough to purchase this cookbook. The pork and beef recipes in this cookbook will have you prepare dishes that can compete with some of those sampled at most Czech restaurants in the States. The sauce recipe section is very expansive as there are plenty of variations to prepare that will be a good accompaniment to a Sunday roast with dumplings.

There are a few recipes in this book that I considered “filler” and perhaps not necessarily Czech but suitable as originating from any ethnicity. For example there were pages of omelet and different egg dishes that may not necessarily be indicative of Czech origin, but perhaps French, German, Polish, Hungarian, etc. I am sure every country would lay claim to being the first to author it.

Overall, I think this 500 recipe cookbook is a must have for those that have a keen interest in preparing Czech dishes. The recipes are listed with English equivalents and fairly easy to follow. Unfortunately there are no pictures to follow with any of the recipes so one will have to have a clever imagination or surf the net to see what the finished product looks like.

Review of Dunkin Donuts K Cups

2011-08-09T20:50:00.002-05:00

The timing of running out of office coffee and the new release of Dunkin Donuts K-Cups could not have come at a better time a few days back as our coffee storage was bare and a co-worker and I were really dying for a good cup of brew. A few months back, my office recently purchased the Keurig one cup coffee maker due to fellow workers having preferences for different coffee flavors (and strengths). There was apparently too much coffee waste and the “one cup at a time” brew system appeared to be the best solution for everyone’s needs. One of my favorite standby coffees for the Keurig system has become the “Donut Shop” coffee. This particular brew is decent and reminds me of a morning breakfast blend coffee. Donut Shop K cups have become my weekday morning staple to help kick start the day right. Now enter the finally released Dunkin Donuts K Cups. They are sold at most Dunkin Donuts locations of which one can purchase a box of fourteen at approximately $12.00 or comes out to about eighty six cents for an eight to ten ounce cup depending upon brew choice. I went “halfsies” with a co-worker and split a box of this coffee down the middle setting me back about six dollars. The taste was pretty decent but did not taste as good as the Dunkin Donuts coffee sold “ready to drink” at the stores. The taste was not even as good as the take home bagged coffee that is brewed in the conventional coffee maker. I consider the Dunkin Donuts K cup to have a slightly better flavor than Donut Shop. I also would recommend this made at the eight ounce strength as the ten ounce appears a tad diluted. I will probably buy these Dunkin Donuts K cups once in a while as they are much more expensive than the Donut shop k cups which are delicious in their own way. I will also have to remember this item down the road as a nice gift for friends and family during the holidays.

How To Use Up Milk About to Expire

2011-08-02T18:56:00.002-05:00

At one time or another one is going to be faced with a decent amount of milk that is going to go to waste if not used up very quickly. The reasons for excess milk are numerous. One reason may be leaving town for a few days or purchasing too much due to entertaining other guests. Perhaps the neighbor is on their way out of town and left you with practically a full gallon of 2% to next to the one in the refrigerator. There are numerous ways to make use of this extra milk without letting it go sour. Keep in mind that the date on milk cartons is typically the “end of sale” date. As long as the grocery store is using adequate refrigeration, there is no reason why the milk should not last an additional four to seven days in your refrigerator past the sale expiration date. That being said let your nose and taste buds be the judge as if it smells or tastes funky, you know what to do. Here are several ways to buy extra time for that milk about to expire.

Using up extra milk at the breakfast table

· Pancakes – Scour the web and cookbooks and you will find tons of pancake recipes that require milk. This is a great way to burn up two to three cups of milk in a hurry. Consider making a double batch of pancakes with the notion of freezing them for later use! I do this all the time and these frozen pancakes serve my kids well when other items such as eggs or cereal are low in stock.

· French toast – A good amount of milk can be done away with quickly by beating in a few eggs and adding a little vanilla. Dip some leftover bread slices into the batter and you got some killer French toast for breakfast.

· Scrambled Eggs – Make a good egg scramble or omelets by cracking several eggs and beating in a good portion of milk. Once you add a little chopped bacon and shredded cheeses, you are in business!

Using up extra milk for desserts

· Puddings and Custards – Milk is the starter of creating a good pudding; so why not making one from scratch? I would recommend a slow cooked or homemade pudding recipe as opposed to an instant pudding recipe when using milk that is close to expiration. I would also try baked desserts such as bread pudding or flan to stretch that milk.

· Ice Creams – Most ice cream recipes will allow milk substitution to whole milk or half and half. These recipes typically call for heating up the cream and incorporating different flavors prior to the freezing stage. These recipes alone will help use up at least a half gallon of milk.

Using up extra milk for supper

· Soups – How many chowders and bisques can be made with the additional of a good portion of milk?

· Potato Dishes – Potatoes are a good hideout for leftover milk. If you have a few days left on that extra milk, make a decent batch of mashed potatoes which will take care of a cup or two of milk. Add some butter, garlic, salt and pepper to your mashed potatoes and serve with you main dish. Extra milk also will be ideal for making a batch of scalloped potatoes.

When All Else Fails With Leftover Milk

Freeze Milk – This is a very simple way to save leftover milk. Consider subdividing the milk into smaller freezer safe containers that can be frozen and thawed as needed. Keep in mind the freezing process will alter the composition of the milk usually making appear more yellow which is due to the fat separation from the rest of the milk. When the milk thaws give it a good shake and it will look like its original state. If you do not care for the taste or thought of freezing milk, consider the frozen milk an ideal solution to soup starters, cheese sauce starters, and any other dish where milk will be added and disguised with other flavors.

Beef with Tomato Sauce – Rajska Omacka

2011-07-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

A common dish served by my grandparents on several occasions was Rajska Omacka which is a Czech tomato gravy served over a generous cut of beef. I have seen several variations of the type of beef cuts served with Rajska in many Czech restaurants throughout the Chicago area. The most common cut of beef is typically sirloin tip or chuck roast. Some of the homemade versions will use any beef cut under the sun, including ground varieties used in such meals as stuffed green peppers and meat loaf. I think a slow cooked pot roast/shoulder cut will work quite well. Simply season a good 2 ½ to 3 pound chuck roast with salt and pepper and place in a slow cooker. Top with a splash of vinegar and cook at low setting for about seven to eight hours. The Rajska Sauce recipe is below. Even though this sauce is a combination of sweet and sour flavors (tomato, vinegar, sour cream, and sugar), the final product should end up on the sweeter side, especially as this dish will appeal to many younger diners. One can also substitute lemon juice in place of vinegar.

Rajska Omacka (Beef Roast With Czech Tomato Sauce)

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 ½ tablespoons flour

2 cups beef broth

1 bay leaf

3 allspice

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Method

1. Melt butter and sauté onions until tender.

2. Add flour and stir to make a light brown roux.

3. Slowly add broth, tomatoes, allspice and bay leaf and stir together.

4. Add pinch of salt and pepper and simmer for about twenty five minutes.

5. Run sauce through a sieve into another small pot or bowl.

6. Stir in vinegar and sugar choosing your degree of sweetness or bitterness.

7. Serve over slow cooked pot roast and knedlicky (dumplings).

(Tip: For a richer sauce I often opt for adding in a ¼ cup of sour cream at the very end.)

The Real Benefit to Growing your own Vegetables

2011-07-22T09:25:00.002-05:00

Things are starting to look up for my garden that was started back in May. My lineup consisted of spinach, romaine lettuce, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, broccoli and pickles (baby cucumbers). The fruits of my labor are starting to come to life as I have several pickles almost ready to be picked (canned garlic dills!). In addition, I have picked some sporadic sugar snap peas and harvested a few salads out of my spinach and lettuce row. Tomatoes are still green but will be ready in a few weeks as I have several fruits on every vine. That all being said, convenience and cost savings are most likely a moot point when I consider the time and effort of preparing the soil, weeding, and (water usage). It was over sixty days ago I started this little veggie plot and have allocated some important time and effort to bringing these vines and stalks to life. Yes, I could probably buy all these items at the local supermarket for dirt cheap, especially the pickles right now. The real value of gardening is having your own pesticide, herbicide free food source right there at your discretion. It has been a long time since I have had to purchase romaine lettuce and spinach from the store as I have had such produce readily available behind my shed for easy picking. Home gardening seems to bring out the inner farmer in all of us and definitely encourages us to try new foods, herbs, and even manages to tempt my children to taste new veggies knowing they had a stake in producing the food. What is also fun is when you get those surprise seedlings that sprout up from gardens in the past. A few weeks ago I recently spied some second generation chives as well as a tall dill weed growing in the corner of my plot which was a nice surprise and will sure to be used for cooking this summer.

London Broil With Bordelaise Sauce

2011-07-19T12:10:00.002-05:00

One underappreciated cut of meat that tastes exceptionally well is the flank cut of beef. When it comes to flank steak, I usually think of two meals off the top of my head: Steak Fajitas and London Broil. These two meals can be made with other cuts of steak such as sirloin, but flank steak tastes extremely good when marinated and sliced the right way. The basic London broil technique involves a good soy sauce marinade setting along with scoring the meat and cooking just to the right temperature. London broil can be either “broiled” as the name suggests or grilled. The key is to cook it no further than medium or pink (between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit). The flank steak will become tough like a round steak if you let the grilling or broiling time get away. Also make sure to cut the meat cross grain into strips to ensure a soft tender bite. Serve this meal with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and a hearty red wine and you have a meal fit for a King and Queen.

Below is a recipe passed down from my Mom that was prepared on numerous occasions when I was child? This meal always seemed to be as gratifying as sitting down to a premier cut such as a filet or rib roast. The combination of flavors between the flank, red wine, garlic, mushrooms, and rich bordelaise seem to all marry quite well. Times have not changed and I still enjoy this one and I will share it below.

London Broil With Bordelaise Sauce

Steak

1 ½ lbs. flank steak

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp catsup

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp thyme

¼ tsp pepper

Easy Bordelaise Sauce

4 tbsp butter

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp flour

1 can (10.5 oz.) beef broth

1 tbsp parsley, chopped fine

½ tsp pepper

Dash of thyme

2 tbsp dry red wine

Method

1. Score steak across the grain diagonally on both sides.

2. Prepare marinade in a small bowl and stir together catsup, soy sauce, garlic, thyme, and pepper.

3. Brush marinade on both sides of steak and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

4. Place meat on broiler rack on broil for four minutes on each side. Broiler rack should be set about four inches below broiler element (heat source).

5. Allow meat to rest on plate for about five minutes.

6. Slice meat diagonally across the grain into slices about ¼ inch thick.

7. Keep warm and top with Easy Bordelaise Sauce recipe (below).

Easy Bordelaise Sauce

Method

1. Melt butter in skillet.

2. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly until mushrooms begin to lose their juices.

3. Sprinkle with flour and stir until liquid is absorbed.

4. Gradually stir in beef broth.

5. Continue cooking until liquid turns to a boil and thickens.

6. Stir in parsley, pepper, and thyme.

7. Remove from heat and stir in red wine.

8. Top over London broil.

Easy To Prepare Hot Dog Relish Recipe

2011-07-10T20:34:00.000-05:00

Summertime cookouts involve a host of great grilled sausages, burgers, and hot dogs. I like a good dog now and then as long as I have the right condiments on standby to top away this grilled treat. I will leave mustards and ketchup (or catsup) out of this post as people seem to get carried away about whether ketchup should even be near the presence of a hot dog. The real essence of hot dog toppers aside from the heat of the occasional sport pepper, is the pickle relish. I have a great relish recipe from my grandmother that goes well on hot dogs, and even Polish or Italian sausage. This recipe yields five pints and requires clean and sterilized jars.

Homemade Hot Dog Relish Recipe

GRIND:

5 cups pickling cucumbers

2 cups red or green peppers

2 red hot peppers

3 cups of celery

3 cups of onion

1. Let stand overnight in ¾ cup of salt and 1 ½ quart of water.

2. Drain.

Add the following and bring to a boil:

1 quart white vinegar

3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons celery seed

1. Add the vegetables and cook ten minutes.

2. Seal in clean sterilized jars.

Tasty Dessert Recipe Using Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

2011-07-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

Tasty Dessert Recipe Using Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

This is a cheater recipe that I would like to share the blogosphere. The credit goes to Kraft foods in conjunction with a nice twist offered up by the wife. The ability to use roll out instant pastry is not exactly newsworthy to most kitchen creators. Time gets away from most of us leaving even an instant pastry option better than having no pastry at all. Our cooking magazine collection includes a fair share of Kraft foods magazines which of course tout recipes using their own products. Some recipes are keepers and some being not so good. This berry cheese recipe below is a hybrid of the Kraft basic recipe with some clever alterations to the cheese filling made by my significant other. This recipe will work with just about any berry be it fresh or frozen. I would say the raspberry is probably my favorite, but this will work with blueberry, blackberry, and even strawberry. This makes a great continental breakfast or when having a few friends over for some conversation over coffee.

Breakfast Berry Cheese Danish

1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent roll dough

½ cup blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries

Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ egg, beaten

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and unroll dough into four rectangles pinching together to seal.

2. Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg.

3. Spread cream cheese mixture over rectangles.

4. Sprinkle berries over top of rectangles and pinch opposite corners together creating wrapped appearance (as shown in picture).

5. Place on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes or until golden.

6. Top with confectioners’ sugar.

Credit: Kraft Food & Family, Summer 2007, page 46. And Mrs. 4Czech.

Can One Still Bake With Lard?

2011-06-26T20:55:00.000-05:00

Thumb through any eastern European cookbook and search out pastry recipes. Some of these recipes may actually call out the use of butter, but many will require lard. Nowadays trying to find lard in a mainstream grocery store is not so easy; at least where I live. They do have it at my local Meijer store, but this ancient ingredient is sort of tucked away hidden in a very non-descript location. It is treated like the ugly duckling of the shortening pack. I could not disagree more with this treatment of lard! Give lard its due and position it where everyone can find it. Some of us are old school and prefer to use the bakery ingredients our grandparents used in the old country or on the farm.

I would certainly use lard long before I would consider using synthetic oils such as oleo or margarine. While the cholesterol levels of these shortening substitutes may be much lower than butter or lard, these products are synthetic. Synthetic means the body will not break it down. Does that sound healthy? I recall several baked pies and assorted pastries I enjoyed as a youngster prepared by my Teta (aunt) and Babi (grandmother) that were created with “lard”. The taste of the flaky pastry was second to none. Can recipes requiring lard be substituted with other shortening? Butter.. I would say yes. Crisco, margarine, and other synthetic oils will fall short of expectations in my opinion, though you will probably not find a more anti margarine proponent than me. Sure it costs a heck of lot less than animal based fats, but the taste and flakiness is absent. My message is simple, more as a reminder to myself and to any fellow eastern European recipe hunters out there; don’t deviate or substitute from the recipe…..especially when it comes to the shortening.

The Art of Cleaning the Cool Daddy Deep Fryer

2011-06-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

Owning a deep fryer means the sky is the limit to the amount of different tasty items one can fry up. The process of deep frying can be quite cumbersome given the mess and the ability to only get a few turns out of one batch of cooking oil. Eventually the used oil has to get discarded and you have to start all over again. This leads me to the worst part of the deep frying process, the cleanup.

I currently use a cool daddy deep fryer by Presto. My favorite frying items include fried chicken (Paula Den recipe), buffalo wings, donuts (paczki), and occasional fried potatoes. There are many copy cat oven baked substitute recipes for these items that simply do not measure up the deep fried method. I have no reservations cooking with oil with regards to the odor, the grease, or the heat. I actually have a deep fry table in my garage set up for special frying occurrences. My hang up with deep frying is all in the cleaning.

Removing the Used Oil in Deep Frying

Once the oil has been pushed to its limits, it is time to discard. Once the oil has cooled down to room temperature, pour it into an empty sealable container such as a milk carton or empty laundry detergent container. The oil can then be discarded into the trash or it can be saved along with other used oil batches and submitted to neighborhood collection sites that will take used cooking oil. Some people have found numerous uses of this recycled cooking oil.

Cleaning the Interior of the Cool Daddy

Remove the inner pan and basket and submerse and wipe out with a few paper towels before submersing in a sink full of hot soapy water. Allow to soak for about ten minutes before giving all items a good scrub with cloth or pad. The bucket will come clean fairly quickly with a good degreasing dish detergent. The basket will take a little extra elbow grease given all the “crusties” that tend to stick within the webbing of the basket during the frying stage. Sometimes I take a sharp object such as a fork or butter knife to scrape these cling-ons off the basket. Give both items a good rinse and allow time to dry.

The only other “interior” piece that requires some thorough cleaning is the odor filter. I am not too sure exactly how much this little foamy black bad is able to absorb and grease. Every time I fry chicken in my garage, the whole area smells like a KFC. I am surprised I don’t have a herd of cats at my back door wanting free samples. This black pad slides out easily from the top lid and requires a good rinse and soaking in hot soapy water. Make sure to clean the after the bucket and basket have been cleaned, because this little item will quickly make the wash water very greasy and dark.

Cleaning the Exterior of the Cool Daddy

This exterior of this appliance requires nothing more than a large bucket of hot soapy water and a good wash cloth. Wipe the top and sides clean and follow up with a drying towel. Make sure to even clean the temperature knob using a little elbow grease if needed. Pay attention to surrounding area of fryer such as table or counter that will most likely catch some grease spattering.

. The trick with all deep fryer and even skillet clean up is having ample patience with grease. It sometimes takes two or three soapy water changes to effectively cut the grease on the appliance as well as the surrounding area.

Cleaning Caution

I know I am probably stating common sense tips here, but feel it is necessary to post them anyway. Never submerse your deep fryer cooking unit into water. Do not place the unit in a dishwasher. Do not submerse power cord in water or dishwasher. Finally, never proceed cleaning the fryer or parts when the unit is still hot.

Five Flavorful Zero Calorie Drinks (Other than Water)

2011-06-08T17:26:00.002-05:00

Ok. I have successfully shed about twenty two pounds since New Year’s Day. I have no ambition to lose too much more as I am just about where I want to be. My peak scale moment was 205 and worked my weigh (pun intended) down to currently 183. The weight loss effort was pretty painless as I did nothing extreme or drastic to get my weight down. Not once did I have to go Atkins, South Beach, Zone, or weight Watchers. My solution has been calorie counting, pure and simple with a combination of calorie burning. I have found that forgoing “Seconds” and sneaking in four to five long walks goes a long way on shedding some pounds. One area that has contributed enormously to my weight loss is getting accustomed to having a zero calorie beverage with lunch and dinner. Yes that includes occasionally water, but we all know that runs pretty tiresome fairly quickly. Through trial and error of exploring many different zero calorie beverages, I have found five very tasty drinks that go well with meals. If anyone out there is sick of water, I recommend any of these.

Iced Tea

In our assortment of kitchen appliances, we are the proud owners of an iced tea maker. I have put this machine to work much more now that I have been calorie counting. I usually go with about seven bags of Luzianne tea to a pitcher and it tastes great. The process can be a bit hectic on very busy days that do not leave much time to break out this contraption from the pantry and run out for a bag of ice. There are plenty of good pre-made iced teas such as Lipton unsweetened and Trade Winds unsweetened(which is a bit cheaper than Lipton and is sold in a large jug). Sweet tea does not fit into this category as it obviously violates the zero calorie policy.

Crystal Light Raspberry Ice

I remember trying a glass of Crystal light when I was a teen and hanging out at my friend’s house. His refrigerator was stocked with nothing but zero sugar products which usually contained awful saccharin aftertastes. One item that was always on hand was crystal light lemonade which I thought was nasty.

Fast forward about twenty years and I have fallen in love with Crystal light raspberry ice. The small can comes with several small pouches that make two quart pitchers. This drink is very tasty and I have even used this as a holiday mixer with low calorie cranberry juice and vodka. This is very light and refreshing. Just be warned that the powder is capable of producing a very stubborn berry stain to hands and counter if not careful.

La Croix

When I get burned out with ordinary water I sometimes refer to sparkling flavored water made by La Croix. La Croix has been around for some time and offers up several tasty versions that include lemon, berry, lime and orange flavors. The drink pours well into a full glass of ice as it fizzes and pops for a long time; more so than a can of coke or Pepsi. I like the taste of this beverage and it makes a good accompaniment to dinner. You can’t go wrong with can or bottle.

Cherry Coke Zero

One of the main culprits of packing on pounds can be soda (or pop). One of my greatest contributors to putting on weight in the first place can be attributed to cherry coke. I love this drink. Well, counting calories meant I had to say good bye to an old friend. Enter Cherry Coke Zero. One taste and you know the sugar isn’t there, though the drink still comes across with a decent cherry cola flavor. It does not taste as good as the regular version, but it definitely is worth the sacrifice to omit the 140 calories and still eat what I want.

Diet Mountain Dew

I might be on an island of my own putting this drink on the list. I always enjoyed Mountain Dew. I never really understood what went into this antifreeze colored soda, but it always tasted good. I was urged by a co-worker to give this drink a try. I was told it would taste just like the regular version. He was right. This drink is so good and the best part of all is that it is zero calories. I keep a case in the garage at all times and no other family members intrude on my supply…….a win/win situation.

Well, there is my list of five tasty zero calorie drinks that I recommend to calorie counters. Mind you, some of these beverages contain the artificial sweetener known as aspartame. Do I worry about a daily dose of aspartame in my beverages? not really. I will take my chances with diet drinks just like I do every day I get into a car and drive, eat red meat, eat food cooked over charcoal and talk on my cell phone. Shaving calories at the expense of sugary beverages is a quick way to lower calorie count in addition to learning portion control and engaging in occasional exercise.

How to Make Czech Goulash

2011-06-01T12:24:00.003-05:00

Things are starting to heat up as summer draws near. Warmer temps once again mean using the oven less and opting for the stove and outdoor grill. Before it gets too hot, I need to enjoy a few more heavy Czech meals until the autumn season brings forth cooler temperatures. One dish that comes to mind is Czech Gulas also known as goulash, or gulash. Gulas is a stew meat dish that has effectively worked its way around eastern and central Europe with slight variations found across every country. I have seen Gulas on Czech and Polish menus at restaurants in the States that bear distinguishable differences. The main variances have been in the thickness of the sauce as well as the color. Some goulash will appear more “paprika red” while others appear more brown like Stroganoff. Goulash also can be served over a variety of side dishes whether it is egg noodles, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or dumplings (knedliky). I prefer this dish over egg noodles, but will never pass up the opportunity to serve over dumplings if they are on hand! Here is my recipe. As long as you standby the main ingredients of meat, onions, and a tomato base, the rest is up to you. If you have extra vegetables in your crisper that you need to use, add them to this recipe whether it is celery, green pepper, or even asparagus. I am sure that Worcestershire sauce is a no-no to gulas purists, though I am reluctant to take that ingredient out of this recipe as it adds a nice flavor.

Czech Gulas

2 pounds Beef Chuck, cubed or Stew Cuts

2 cups water with 2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved

1 large onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1 cup sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika

2 tablespoons butter or Lard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Dredge meat cuts in flour and set aside on plate.

2. Melt butter or lard in large Dutch oven under medium heat.

3. Once shortening is melted, add onions and cook until soft or translucent.

4. Add floured meat and sauté until lightly browned. This will give your goulash some backbone as the roux forms and flavor is added by the browning of the meat.

5. Add tomatoes, garlic, Worcestershire, paprika, salt, pepper, and bouillon water.

6. Stir together and simmer under low to medium heat covered for about half hour stirring occasionally.

7. If much of liquid has cooked down, add about ½ cup water and continue simmering.

8. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

9. Just before serving, stir in 1 cup of sour cream.

10. Serve over egg noodles.

How To Remove Berry Stains from White Countertops

2011-05-25T13:23:00.000-05:00

Throughout the chaos of baking, salad preparation, or any kind of preparation with produce, it will not be surprising to realize kitchen counters can become quite messy. This unfortunate realization hits even harder when one such as myself has white laminated countertops in the kitchen. In my case, that is a dangerous combination whenever I prepare berries, gelatins, or even make the kids a pitcher of kool –aid as was the case last weekend assembling a fruit salad for my youngest son’s birthday party. Simply attacking the countertops with hot dish detergent water on a washcloth will not be enough to successfully remove the stains. There are several alternatives to restoring a white counter that has become stained from berries or any other strong dyed food.

1. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser – This has to be one of the best things to hit households since sliced bread. After they dye has contaminated the surface, do you best to dab the moist stain with folded over paper towel, being careful not to spread the spill of the stained area. Now that the area is dry, get out the magic eraser and give the area a good working over. The stain should lift off easily.

2. Bleach (and bleach based products) – Some greenies and other parties seem to demonize using bleach at all in the household. I worked several years in food service kitchens and always standby the cleaning and disinfecting powers of chlorine bleach. Once the wet kool aid or berry stain has been lifted with paper towel, take a cap full of direct bleach, and let it sit on stained area for about five to ten minutes. Once time is up, take a very damp sponge and rub out the stain. I also recommend the use of such chlorine based products such as comet with bleach or soft scrub. These compounds should also be given a healthy amount of time to set on stain before lifting off. Whether using bleach or bleach based products, be sure to adequately rinse area clean before drying off.

3. Tooth Paste – Take a old fashioned white or cream colored toothpaste and apply a generous amount to the stained area. Rub in the toothpaste slightly with an old toothbrush and allow to set for about ten minutes. Come back and work the area again with toothbrush, then rinse and dry the area.

4. Baking Soda – Baking soda like vinegar is a definite household staple when it comes to being a natural cleanser. Take a few tablespoons of water and mix with a little water to form a paste. For a stronger solution, one can add a little peroxide to the baking soda. Now take an old toothpaste and apply to stained area. Allow paste to set on stain for about ten minutes prior to rinsing off.

Absence of Mallet - Substitution for Meat Tenderizer

2011-05-17T12:37:00.000-05:00

It’s a nice Saturday or Sunday late afternoon and you have grand visions of cooking up a nice thin Schnitzel, Swiss Steak, or even a stuffed Chicken breast or Kiev. All common themes here involve pounding the living daylights out of the meat. There is just one problem after you bring the meat home from the supermarket; you don’t possess a meat mallet. Uh oh, now what?? Don’t give in to despair and order a pizza just yet, there are several alternatives to tenderizing meat without a meat mallet. Here are my top five substitutions for meat mallets:

1. Rolling Pin – This is my standby meat mallet. I often will use this to pound out chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, and round steak. Simply place the meat between two pieces of wax paper and place on the counter. Give the meat a good working over until desired thickness. Despite the use of wax paper, remember to give the rolling pin a good sterile cleaning afterwards as the wax paper eventually rips and will contaminate the pin upon contact with the raw meat.

2. Iron Skillet – this behemoth frying pan weighs a ton, so it is the ideal “hammer” to lower the boom on the meat. Don’t get too crazy when pounding the meat with a skillet or the meat will get way to thin and rip apart and be a mess.

3. Two by Four wood scrap – There is a reason lot of us pack rats like to hang on to those smaller lumber scraps, especially 2” x 4” stud pieces. These pieces of lumber are just dense enough to become the ideal meat tenderizer. Just remember to place the meat in a thick storage bag such and pound away. Clean the 2 x 4 if necessary and store away for later use.

4. Rubber Mallet – I try not to use this, but a garage or basement workshop mallet will work for pounding meat when there are no alternatives. Keep the meat covered and pound the meat out evenly. Give the chicken or steak some good pokes with the fork to pierce the flesh.

5. The Ten Pound Canned Good – Those that buy large volume canned goods that are in the large ten pound cans (for example stewed tomatoes, chili sauce, etc) have a great heavy weight at their disposal. This large can will work to flatten meat so long as the meat is protected and does not cross contaminate the side of the can.

The Joy of Costco Frozen Yogurt

2011-05-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

I am a weekend shopper at the local Costco warehouse store. Most of the time, my weekly visits do not even involve grocery shopping, but purely a chance to walk the aisles scouring any great bargains. This is also a great way to stumble across about a dozen “sample” tables for my Saturday afternoon snack. The trip is not complete without a quick stop to the food court. Aside from great pizza and hot dogs, the premiere concession is the frozen Costco yogurt. The choices are simple: chocolate, vanilla or swirl. We just about always order the swirl soft serve yogurt. The frozen treat only sets one back $1.43 (w/tax) for a twelve ounce portion. The beauty of this concession is the lack of fat and low calories. This large cup totals in at 390 calories but this can easily be split with another willing participant to curb calories down to just below 200 per person. I know that number is still high amongst us calorie counters, but a far stretch below those desserts served at the burger franchises and dairy queens. This treat always triggers thoughts of the Seinfeld episode about the novelty and buzz reaction of the cast when they first learn the new local ice cream establishment sells frozen yogurt without the fat. Aside from some really good shopping deals found in the grocery, photography, and electronics department, the value of purchasing a Costco annual membership is justified on the food court visits alone. I highly recommend this treat.

Enjoy the no fat yogurt clip courtesy of Seinfeld:

ttp://youtu.be/NIr6v5LYPdc

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

2011-05-02T21:34:00.000-05:00

Happy May everyone. Hopefully a new month will usher in warmer weather as the Chicago April has run on the cold rainy side. Yesteray and today was sunny and in the high fifties so that is a good start. Anyhow I flipped through the recipe files and wanted to share a muffin recipe as the cool mornings still have my mind on toting a muffin and java for the ride into work. Yes as the post title implies, this is a pumpkin muffin recipe. Who say’s pumpkins are only appropriate for autumn? I find these little breakfast treats to be tasty and filling with the added benefit of pecans.

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

½ cup margarine, slightly softened
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup molasses
1 egg, beaten
1 cup solid pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 ¾ cup sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup finely chopped pecans

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease eighteen muffin cups.

3. Beat margarine, sugar, and molasses until well blended.

4. Beat in egg and pumpkin.

5. In a separate bowl, combine flour with baking soda and salt.

6. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mix.

7. Fold in pecans.

8. Fill each muffin cup half full with batter.

9. Bake for thirty minutes.

Garden Line up for 2011

2011-04-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

What a wet and cold April this has been in the Chicago suburbs. Every day brings more saturation and the need to tote the umbrella every day to work. These April showers have left little, if any time to tend to the garden or even the yard. This delay has made me a bit ansy given my anxiety to get things going with my lawn and garden. I have already put together my garden list for this spring/summer in anticipation of getting things moving very soon. The choices are similar to my prior year’s plantings, but changed things up a tad.

1. Tomatoes – Tomatoes are my staple. I usually go with three types: Early Bird, Cherry, and Roma. These fruits I typically purchase at the nursery as seedlings, and plant mid May. I typically go with two early birds, three romas, and one cherry plant. Tomatoes, especially the cherry variety are coveted by my children and they produce consistently throughout the summer. The plums and early birds eventually fizzle out but not without providing me some essentials for bruchetta, pico de gallo, and just a good slice to go on the burger. With the proper canning equipment, one simply cannot have too many tomatoes. I will hold off a few weeks before getting these in the ground.

2. Bell Peppers – I try to get these in also mid May and typically purchase about four plants. Bell peppers grow well in my Midwestern garden and seem to continually churn out fruits until mid tl late fall. I love fresh stuffed peppers and learned the past year that these veggies can actual be frozen after blanching or sauté. This year I may add a jalepeno plant to go along side the bell pepper plants (for my pico de gallo).

3. Romaine Lettuce – I purchased these young seedlings late last May in 2010 and had a great three or four cuttings of fresh romaine for salads, burger toppers, and BLT’s. I went with romaine again as this vegetable does not need full sun and there is a perfect garden plot on the side of my shed that gets only five or six hours of sun at the most. That is all that is needed for this plant. I just purchased the seeds and will be starting the seedlings immediately. After three or four cuttings the lettuce begins to get a little bitter and it is time move away or consider staggering seedlings so they grow in stages. I am not sure I have enough real estate to go with staggered plantings. We will see.

4. Pickling Cucumbers – Ah yes. The inner Czech in me loves pickled cucs and these were a favorite of my grandparents who ran a very large garden. A healthy harvest of tiny cucs, garlic, and dill, and one has the makings of some really delicious refrigerator cucs. I purchased these seeds this past weekend and will start the germination process (just like the romaine) this weekend. I will have to plant these in my larger garden that gets ample sun. I really hope these turn out. This is a new addition to my garden family this year.

5. Sugar Pea Pods (or snow pea pods) – Another favorite of mine, especially when preparing salads or stir fry. I have never attempted to grow sugar snap pea pods, so this will be interesting. Even if I get a small harvest I will be impressed. This one is more experimental than anything.

Aside from veggies, I plan on going with large pot to grow herbs such as basil, dill and cilantro. Cilantro and dill are very hands on with respect to having to constantly trim them back to prevent the plant from going to seed. I love this time of year as I share this hobby with my kids so they understand that produce does not necessarily have to be obtained from a supermarket.

Making Lamb Pound Cake For Easter

2011-04-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy two days before Easter getting things done. One of the eastern european christian traditions we follow every year is the baking of the Easter lambs. I went ahead and made them yesterday and they turned out tasty as usual. My recipe for this treat can be found under my Czech recipe listings on the right side of this blog. Pound cake is an interesting dessert as the cake does not call for any rising agents such as baking powder or soda. The recipe is so simple when you consider it's name and the ingredients.."Pound standing for pound of butter, pound of sugar, pound of eggs, and pound of flour. I have never taken the time to measure each item to confirm if that is really true. I don't really eat too much pound cake throughout the year, so preparing the Easter lamb pound cakes in this metal mold really makes the holiday even more fun. This is a tradition my wife and I will hopefully have success passing along to our children. A couple of tricks to remember when you bake these. Number one, make sure you adequately grease (I use crisco) every nook and cranny of the lamb mold. Once you have applied a generous amount of shortening, give the pan a little dusting of flour. This pre-baking prep will allow the Lamb to slide out much easier after it is removed from the oven. The second tip, is to place toothpicks in the ears prior to placing the second half of the mold on top of the first mold. The ears are a very fragile part of the lamb and the picks will keep them secured to the head. The third tip, is to remove the lamb after the mold has cooled off ten minutes after being removed from the oven. If desired take the extra measures and decorate with easter grass, jelly beans, and frosting and coconut (resemble "wool"). I am content with a generous dusting of confectioners sugar. Maybe I am weird like this, but I even like to occasionally toast (lightly) a slice of pound cake. Happy Easter everyone.

Ten Good Songs About Food

2011-04-21T12:59:00.002-05:00

Why is it that there are not too many song titles or lyrics for the passionate foodie? I racked my brain about this on my commute home from work. Just about every song is written about a new found love, lost love, love of pet, or lack of love. What about love of food or cooking? Trying to find songs about passion for food is one thing, and I am sure with enough artistic creativity one could come up with something better than a Wiggles song about Fruit Salad. I did some scavenging and was able to pull up several titles that pay homage to food or food related content. After diluting my list, I came up with what I consider the top ten songs about food……..or even eating.

1. American Pie (by Don McLean) – “bye, bye, Miss American Pie……..took the Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry.” My throat would get dry from singing this song. This was a jukebox staple when I was a kid, though I usually didn’t select it. I felt it deserved this list as it is a classic.

2. Cheeseburger in Paradise (by Jimmy Buffet) This song is a ballad for just about any griller and flip flopper. “I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57 and French fried potato”. Don’t we all Jimmy? This song is so summer eating, it really should be ranked number one.

3. Cherry Pie (by Warrant) – Ah yes. I had to have at least one big hair heavy metal group on this list. I think cherry pie is only part of the message in the song.

4. I Want Candy (by Bow Wow Wow) – Who doesn’t like candy? Not quite the Sugar, Sugar by the Archies.

5. The Candy Man (by Sammy Davis) – I always remembered this song as a kid. It was nice to see a Homer Simpson remake of this a few years back. Sammy was such a cool dude.

6. The Spam Song (by Monty Python) – I don’t ever recall eating Spam ever in my life. There is a spam culture out there that would make this song their national anthem.

7. Coconut (by Harry Nilsson) – “You put the lime in the coconut and shake it all up”. Sounds like the beginnings of one fantastic tropical drink, just remember the rum.

8. Eat it (by Weird Al Yankovic) – One could also add Weird Al’s “Fat”, “I Love Rocky Road”, and “Eye of the Kaiser” to this mix. Heck, just use the whole Weird Al Yankovic food album.

9. Ice Cream Man (by Van Halen) – This was the older David Lee Roth group. “I’m your Ice Cream Man”. Good song. Van Halen was one of my favorite groups from about grades 6 – 12.

10. TV Dinners (ZZ Top) – I struck at the eighties rock core was again by throwing ZZ top on this list. “TV Dinners………nothing else to eat”. I can’t remember the last time I have had a TV dinner, unless you include those Marie Calendar zap ems.

Czech Easter Tradition - Whipping

2011-04-18T22:04:00.000-05:00

Czech’s celebrate Easter every year with painting and decorating of eggs. They also like to celebrate the spring renewal with the image of the Easter lamb or pound cake made in the lamb molds or a freshly made Babovka. See my previous post on how to make this. The Czech girls will decorate the eggs and give them to boys. So what do the boys give the girls in return? Why a whipping of course. Say what? That’s right a whipping. Czech Easter tradition involves the boys making or acquiring a handmade whip called a pomlazka which is decorated and may have a dozen or more individual colored twigs or willow fronds on the ends. The boys venture out on Easter morning singing Easter carols and will pursue and whip the girls (Lightly of course) on the back of the legs or behind. The girls reciprocate by offering up a decorated egg (Kraslice) or decoration for the pomlazka or whip. Instead of taking this as abuse, the belief among the whipping of the pomlazka is attributed to restoring youth and beauty to the woman or girl that is whipped. The older men will be treated (they hope) to a shot of brandy from the women. Interesting to say the least! Check out the link below as a fellow tourist shops for the right pomlazka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKSkBn5ATjk&feature=related

Problems With Kitchenaid Coffee Maker

2011-04-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

Forever and a day I have held kitchenaid products as the “crème de la crème”. They were top banana appliance makers since I was a kid and witnessed my parents dishwasher exceed twenty plus years. I will never really know how long that strong dinosaur dishwasher really lasted since it was sold with the house back in 1991. Anyhow, fast forwarding to the year 2000, I was the newlywed in the midst of purchasing some appliances for our apartment. We had our sights on a tried and true brand at the time, Kitchen aid. This company was in our minds as the “go to” appliance maker for the happy healthy home. The mixer is a standup appliance and I will forever recommend the kitchen aid mixer as a staple in every home. The kitchenaid coffee maker is not such a great appliance.

Where do the problems begin? Well, the bottom burner element appeared to crap out on us about six years into its life. The coffee would reduce down to a barely warm temperature about an hour after brewing. The other obstacle with the brewer was the lines were so prone to seize up and stop brewing after a month or two due to hard water deposits. My remedy to this was simply brewing a concoction of half cold water and white vinegar to “clear” the lines. That apparently worked but became virtually a monthly ritual for which I grew tired of very quickly. The other problem encountered with this brewing machines were the daily spills I would experience trying to fill the pot and pour a cup of coffee due to the ridiculously tiny pour spout on the pot. Suffice it to say, I got about six good years and five bad years out of this coffee maker. I have always held kitchen aid appliances to the highest degree, but I will pass on purchasing another Kitchenaid coffee machine. I am happy to say I finally replaced this kitchen aid coffee maker with a simple Mr. Coffee 12 cup brewer courtesy of a visit to Costco.

Czech Lent Dishes on Fridays

2011-03-13T21:57:00.001-05:00

It is that time of year again for those that are in observance of the lenten holiday. I recall a few definite meatless dishes that stick out in my mind as a kid growing up in a catholic household. Most of these days were considered friday night fish frys. The fish fries were either carryout, homemade, or we would go to the local VFW where they would do an "all you can eat" beer batter cod dinner. Even as a kid I loved this food. But meatless Fridays did not always mean eating fish.

One of the biggest czech friday meatless dishes I fondly remember are the fruit dumplings. They were so good! My mom and even my babi would make these with a variety of fruits which included plums, peaches, and different berries. I have already posted a fruit dumpling recipe on this blog which can be found here. As a kid I loved this food because it was like getting dessert for dinner. These are always a challenge to make because sometimes the dough has a tough time stretching over the bulky fruit. I will sometimes simply cheat and make the fruit separately in its own sauce and top over the cooked dumpling. The sky is the limit with the choice of fruit.

If we didn't eat fish or fruit on fridays, we would certainly sit down to a good scrambled egg with mushroom dish or even a large pan of baked macaroni and cheese. I think I handled giving up meat much easier as a kid that I do now. I am not so sure why that is since there are so many good recipes out there. I ask the blog readership and even fellow foody bloggers to feel free to offer up any favorite meatless dishes they may enjoy or have experienced within their own traditions. Any Czechs or czech ex-pats, I would really welcome your ideas as well; especially if you know some good potato dishes.

On a closing note, I would like to extend my deepest thoughts and prayers to our Japanese friends halfway around the globe.

Seven Important Signs of a Damn Good Breakfast Joint

2011-03-08T21:49:00.000-06:00

The previous Sunday morning, I pulled out all the stops for serving breakfast for the kids. I went out to the store the night before and picked up a carton of fresh strawberries and whipping cream. The next day I made the weekly stack of pancakes but added the berries, cream, and even used some smuckers strawberry fruit syrup. This super sweet breakfast fare conjured up images of my own childhood going to different suburban pancake houses with Mom, Dad, and my two brothers. We did not go out to dinner too often, but I can recall several instances where we piled in the big chevy tank and hit the booths for waffles ala mode, blueberry pancakes or some egg dish with about two or three meat sides. Good breakfast joints still exist if you really search for them. Try to avoid the everyday chain locations and franchises and opt for the pancake house that delivers everything under the sun. Stick with word of mouth from co-workers, neighbors, and visit your hometown restaurant message boards. Word travels fast. I put up my own criteria of what makes a damn good breakfast joint.

1. Eggs Served in all Varieties – Okay I like my eggs done just about any way. I would expect a great breakfast joint to offer up all the possibilities. The definite criteria for egg varieties for a good breakfast restaurant would include fried, scrambled, poached, omelets, frittatas, and “skillets”. Benedicts, Diablo, or juevos rancheros are pure bonus.

2. Pancakes Served in all Varieties. As much as I enjoy eggs, meat, and potatoes for breakfast, the sweet tooth also rears its ugly head on occasional weekends. A quality breakfast establishment will not only offer pancakes, but “uber “delicious pancakes such as the Dutch baby, German apple pancake, and Swedish pancakes. Any griddle or "iron" baked product that is capable of hosting a pool of syrup should be on the menu. Are you listening waffles and French toast? Oh yes, and French toast has to be of the thick or Texas style variety.

3. Condiments and more condiments. (Wide ranging syrup selections, sugar packets with sailboats or trivia questions, you name it). What is it about the days of youth that trigger memories of the funkiest table side items awaiting the arrival of your breakfast feast? I remember the carousel of fruit flavored syrups typically strawberry, blueberry, and maybe a mixed fruit that would go well with that fruit ala mode Belgian waffle or mile high stack of pancakes. Sorry maple syrup, fruit flavored syrups ruled this roost.

4. Coffee carafe kept on your table – Eliminate the need to keep hounding the food server. Why more diners and restaurants do not offer the table carafe of coffee is beyond my guess. Everyone knows the first cup goes down really fast. Give us our own carafe and we will quit hounding you for more coffee.

5. Deep booths – Another past time missed. Nothing against tables, but I sure miss the deep booths for breakfast. Yes they are still out there but really hard to find. What is not to like with the giant vinyl chaise lounge booth where you can eat your three egg Mexican frittata in comfort? Comfort might be a stretch as I usually have to prevent a war or mess on account of my three children getting whipped cream and syrup all over the table and the vinyl seating. (At lease it wipes right off)

6. Combinations are available – Maybe this is a page out of the traditional Dennys “Grandslam”, but restaurants that provide egg/pancake/meat combos are keepers. Lot of bang for the buck.

7. Breakfast establishments named after family – Most successful breakfast restaurants have a common denominator of “Aunt”, “Grandma”, or “Uncle”. For some reason they make the best pancakes or biscuits and gravy. Don’t disappoint family! Pay Aunt Sally a visit. Hopefully Uncle Pat has a defibrillator on hand if you have too many sides.

Czech Culinary Team visits the UN

2011-03-01T21:41:00.001-06:00

Take a few minutes to czech out the fine epicurean delights brought to the UN delegation courtesy of the Czech Culinary Team. The brief video shares a tasting of Becherovka and finishes with a very tasty fried pastry with what is described by the host as Apple Sabayon. Na Zdravi!

How to Make Instant Pancake Mix

2011-02-24T17:24:00.000-06:00

My kids love pancakes. They really enjoy them with added taste of blueberries, strawberries and whip cream, and even chocolate chips. I usually prepare them at least once a week and probably would serve them twice a week if time allowed. I have to admit I usually prepare them using a pre-made or complete pancake mixes courtesy of Krusteaz, Aunt Jemima, or the occasional generic brand. These are okay and convenient, but I have a better homemade instant pancake mix that produces tastier results. Now I want to emphasize this is an instant pancake mix and not "complete" pancake mix. A complete pancake mix involves adding only a liquid such as water or milk. The instant pancake mix recipe below will get you 90% there with only having the task of adding eggs and oil. This recipe below will yield approximately five pounds of pancake mix which will surprisingly go quickly. Use a Tupperware container or even an old plastic ice cream bucket to store the pancake mix.

Homemade Instant Pancake Mix

12 cups Cake Flour, Sifted

2 cups Dry Milk (or Buttermilk Powder)

¾ cup Sugar

6 tsp. Baking Soda

12 tsp. Baking Powder

3 tsp. Salt

Combine the ingredients together and store in a container.

When preparing a batch for a meal, you will need to add some liquid to make the pancake batter. For every cup of the instant pancake mix, add 1 egg, a cup of water, and a tablespoon of melted butter or vegetable oil. In a large bowl place the homemade instant pancake mix into a large bowl. Stick with the liquid ratio of 1 egg/1 cup water/1 tablespoon oil for every cup of instant mix. Make sure to slowly work the liquid ingredients into the mix. Try to avoid overmixing the batter. If the batter is too thick for your tastes, consider thinning out with additional water. The pancake batter can then be poured onto a medium – hot griddle or skillet and will only take a minute or so on each side.

Saving Box Tops For Education Coupons

2011-02-16T12:49:00.000-06:00

Shame, shame, shame on me. The other day I proceeded to fold down an empty Ziploc baggie box and insert into our recycler container in the garage. The wife yelled out to me……..”Don’t forget we are saving box tops for education coupons”. What? Oh yeah………those little pictures of box tops with a pencil on them. These tiny little coupon labels can equate to serious money for schools when considering the school can redeem each label for ten cents. Per the elementary school PTO, our school has purchased numerous library books, computers, laminators and much, much more. The following brands participate in the program:

• Betty Crocker®
• Bisquick®
• Fiber One™
• Gold Medal®
• Nestle®
• Cascadian Farm®
• General Mills or Big “G” Cereals
• Chex®
• Curves™ Cereals
• Disney’s® Cereals
• Nature Valley®
• Green Giant® Vegetables
• Hamburger Helper® products
• Old El Paso® products
• Suddenly Salad® Mixes
• Fruit Roll-Ups® products
• COTTONELLE® products
• GOODNITES® products
• HUGGIES® products
• PULL-UPS®
• Avery® Office Supplies
• Hi-Liter®
• Marks-A-Lot®
• Ziploc®

That is quite a list. I am sure there are more products I missed so look for the logo and save it. Anyway, even you don’t have kids in school, why not save these coupons and give them to nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or even the neighbor and support their schools? At ten cents a coupon, the rewards add up fast. Most households probably purchase one of these items at least once a week. That is ten cents a week times 52 weeks or $5.20 per household at a minimum. Add up the households in the school neighborhood and several of these items purchased every week, and that equates to a lot of new items for the local school. If you want more information on participating in box tops for education please visit their website. The website is easy to navigate and even tracks the local school's progress being made throughout the year. Give it a try!

Making She Crab Soup

2011-02-10T12:52:00.002-06:00

She Crab Soup Ingredients – What is this soup anyway?

One of my favorite travel destinations every spring is the southeastern coast of the United States. We usually pay an annual visit to the Charleston/Savannah area and take in a little golf, beach time, and some really dynamite barbecue. The other culinary specialty in this “low country” is seafood. One of the first local favorites I was exposed to when I first visited Charleston area was She Crab Soup. For those that have not heard of this soup, it is a cream and sherry based soup with a healthy amount of lump white or blue crab with a starter base of onions, celery, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings of which some low country cooks use old bay seasoning. The “She” element of She-Crab soup consists of the crab roe or eggs added to the soup. I have had several bowls of soup throughout the years in coastal South Carolina, and some chefs add the roe while others do not. It wasn’t until recently did I discover that the roe was what made it “She” crab soup. I just thought they were using female crustacean? I am not a caviar person by any stretch of the imagination and am kind of sad they have to sacrifice little crab eggs to the culinary delight of john and Jane doe customers. Personal preference I guess.

Getting a little misty over some tasty southern food last weekend, I decided to comb through the search engines in hot pursuit of a she crab recipe worthy of those that I have sampled down south. I found several recipes, but decided to run with a recipe listed by AllRecipes.com courtesy of Sowen. The recipe can be found at http://allrecipes.com//recipe/south-carolina-she-crab-soup/Detail.aspx.

The soup is technically a “Crab” (No “She) soup as there is not any roe or eggs called for by the recipe author. I am okay with that since I would feel guilty consuming tiny little crab eggs. Also I can’t image crab roe is an easy find in the Midwest. I followed the recipe to a “t” and found it fairly easy to prepare. The author did seem to underestimate the time it takes for the soup to reduce during simmer stage. The recipe calls for covered simmer to reduce in as little as a half hour where my cream soup in the dutch oven took at least an hour to reduce and thicken. I also went a little stronger with the hot sauce and used 3 (4 ounce) cans of bumble bee white crab meat instead of the pound called for in the recipe. I added a tad of paprika for taste and color and the soup turned out fantastic. Anyone that loves crabmeat or seafood bisques should definitely try this recipe. Anyone that has experienced crab soups along the eastern seaboard will also want to try this. Just remember to serve with a fresh warm baguette or some oyster crackers.

Best Thing About Food Blogging

2011-01-17T16:53:00.000-06:00

It was about three years ago that I decided to start up a food blog right here on this free blogging site. I do not carry much (if any) web design prowess and started with only a few ideas but tons of recipes and excitement in my head. I feel a small sense of pride and accomplishment as I have posted several of these recipes that are available for anyone’s use at anytime. I have always loved Czech food and I love to cook, therefore I share my passion right here. I will keep plugging away on this site not only to simply offer up more recipes, but to reach out to more readers and gain more friends out there whether they are from Czech Republic, Slovakia, Cedar Rapids, Texas, Nebraska , Berwyn or Sydney, Australia. I am appreciative of the comments and even occasional criticism by others on how they would make their Houska, Kolacky, Roast Duck or Svickova. One important lesson I have learned through comments from Czechs or even expats is that the regions of Czech Republic vary in the way certain items are prepared, be it one less egg, a half cup more flour, etc. My bohemian grandmother may make her poppy seed filling different than your Moravian uncle. That is fine. I will be happy to try your version and learn from it. Cooking can be very subjective and I am willing to lend an ear and a taste bud. Here’s to a tasty 2011.

Beef Barley Soup prepared in Crock Pot

2011-01-11T14:07:00.000-06:00

Soups and stews always seem to be a great way to take the sting out of a cold winter day. Chicken and dumplings and liver dumpling soup are some of my favorite kettle or dutch-oven prepared soups. I also have another fun soup to make that uses a different cooking method. I like to prepare beef barley soup with the ever popular crock pot. Those that have surfed this blog long enough know that when I get away from Czech recipes, I like to resort to posting a slow cooker meal or something fun on the grill. Well, low and behold……here is one more. The recipe below provides a rather generous quantity given I have family of five and I like to have enough for follow up meals. If you would like to give this one a go, simply cut the recipe ingredients in half. The choice of beef cut is also at your discretion, as I highly recommend beef short ribs if not using a chuck roast. Round steak will also work.

Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup

3 lb chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into small stew size pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 carrots, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups of beef broth

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme

¾ cup barley

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat up skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil.

2. Sauté meat until just about brown and add minced garlic salt and pepper. After meat and garlic begin to brown, deglaze pan with small amount of water and scrape into crock pot.

3. Turn crock-pot to low.

4. Add onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, barley, and liquids.

5. Cook at low setting for about six to seven hours.

6. Add fresh chopped parsley into soup, remove bay leaf and serve.

Taste of Europe - Beer Variety Pack

2011-01-03T13:50:00.002-06:00

As I entered into this past holiday season, I stocked up with plenty of food and beverages to keep family and friends happy and merry. The appetizers, dinner, and desserts were tasty as always and I really appreciated the offerings brought over from our guests. Pot luck parties are the way to go to really stretch a party budget. Aside from our own offerings, I anted up the cost of beer and wine for our guests. One of the key pick-ups this Christmas season was the European beer variety pack at Costco. The beer was $17.99 and featured beer from Czech Republic, Poland, and Italy. Each country offered up six beers in this “eighteen pack”. I figured a buck a beer for quality beers during the holidays was a no brainer.

The Czech beer was represented by none other than Pilsner Urquell. We love this beer and usually serve it with authentic Czech dishes of Roast Pork, Svickova, or roast duck. The beer is rich and has a certain heaviness for which I top out after one or two feeling quite full. My taste buds love Pilsner Urquell.

The second beer of this variety pack was Tyskie. This beer won me over during the holiday celebration. For an eastern European beer, it is surprisingly light with a hint of citrus or some other fruit flavor, and very crisp. The beer was enjoyed by my wife that usually settles for very light beers such as Miller LIte and Corona. The only down side to this beer is the slightly smaller volume as it weighs in at a 11.2 ounces as opposed to the usual 12 ounces.

Pieroni of Italy was the third beer represented in this assortment. Like Pilsner Urquell, I have also had this beer numerous times. I occasionally order Pieroni when dining at my favorite Italian restaurant. For those that have not tried Pieroni, it is a light pour and light taste. It is not as light as Tyskie, but definitely a good accompaniment to appetizers or a pizza gathering.

Yeast In Dough Failing to Rise

2010-12-28T12:32:00.001-06:00

I thought I would take time out to give everyone a refresher on baking with yeast dough. I tried making my annual houska before Christmas and received a painful reminder of what failed dough can create; flat doughy heavy bread that is inedible! This was my first failure with a houska and I am not proud of it, but I learn from my mistakes. The cause was the inability of my dough to adequately rise prior to baking. I assume most blog readers have the knack of proofing their yeast before kneading and raising. I will provide a refresher to the rest of us.

Causes of yeast failing to Rise:

Inadequate temperature of Yeast – If using fast acting dry yeast, make sure it is at room temperature before adding to warm water. Ideal temperature for proofing yeast runs around 110 degrees Fahrenheit with a buffer of ten degrees below or above this temperature. Make sure to take the temperature of that small glass of water before introducing to yeast granules. This is very important. Keep yeast in warm areas of kitchen such as on stove while oven is preheating (Assuming oven is below stove top). Another trick is to place a pan of very warm water in the bottom shelf of oven and place the bowl of yeast mixed with water above it.

Expiration Dates of Yeast- Yeast can go bad or expire just like any other organism. Most quick rise yeasts these days have expiration dates printed on them. Check them not only before you bake, but also check them at the store when purchasing. Numerous times I have reached for the envelopes of yeast only to find old dates due to the store not appropriately rotating the stock. Fortunately the grocer does not make that same mistake with the meat or milk!

Bubbles and Expansion of Yeast - Once the instant yeast is introduced to the very warm water, one must exercise patience and watch for bubbles and growth. (This was where I erred on my Houska preparation before Christmas). I simply assumed the yeast was ready to be fed the flour and sugar and it wasn’t ready).

Again, this is just a simple reminder to those baking breads and rolls over the winter holiday.

Shrimp Dilly Dip

2010-12-20T13:16:00.001-06:00

Okay the real name is shrimp dill dip. I have nothing but fond memories of this family favorite snack served many moons ago. During the holidays when I was a kid, mom would prepare a big bowl of shrimp dilly dip as dad would lounge in his lazy boy chair watching unlimited college bowl games through the Christmas break well into New Years. My brothers and I were still abuzz enjoying our gifts from under the tree only to take several time outs to pay a visit to the chip and dip bowl in the family room. We all enjoyed this dip immensely as it was served with either Ruffles or Ritz crackers. It was always such a downer seeing the dip bowl eventually empty out with only a few specs of dill and a few busted chip crumbs remaining. Mom would yell out, “Alright……what happened to all the dip?” We would all stay silent and exchanged looks upon each other. (Cue in the sound of crickets in the forest). The bitter end of dip season was as disappointing as one feels when they have completed that last thin mint girl scout cookie and have to wait a whole entire year for replenishment.

Now that I am master of my own kitchen, I have the power to prepare the shrimp dill dip at my leisure 365 days a year, though I only prepare it during the Christmas/New Years break. Something about the bowl games and leftover beer and wine triggers the need to prepare this once a year treat.

I will share this traditional recipe with you all. If you plan on entertaining or requiring dip for longer than one sitting, I would double or triple this recipe. I usually stick to the tiny shrimp rather than having to cutup larger size shrimp. Also go with the fresh dill whenever possible. For best results, allow dip to sit in fridge overnight before serving.

Shrimp Dilly Dip
¼ cup of milk
Can tiny shrimp (4 ½ ounces), drained and rinsed
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon dill weed, (fresh recommended)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

Method

1. Beat cream cheese and milk together.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix together thoroughly.
3. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Serve with table crackers, thick rippled potato chips or vegetable sticks

Popular Czech Christmas Desserts

2010-12-13T12:17:00.000-06:00

Several key sweet treats come to mind with Christmas. Czech baking is about as good as it gets when it comes to Christmas dessert trays or cookie platters. Several Czech sweets seem to be close cousins of some Christmas cookies, pastries, and breads of those sampled from German, Austrian, Polish, and Hungarian cookbooks. They are all pretty darn good and I shall list those common Czech sweets one might find at a Czech Christmas table……at least in my family.

1. Houska – There seems to be an ongoing debate on baking and Czech message boards about the Christmas bread that consists of braided sweet dough with dried fruits and slivered almonds. Some consider this bread a Houska while others call it Vanocka. I cannot say yea or nay to what the actual name is. There are some that refer to smaller unsweetened table bread or roll as being a Houska while stating that Vanocka is the sweetened variety. My Czech grandparents and Teta referred to the sweet dough as Houska, so that is how I shall refer it. My houska recipe can be found here. Offering up a Houska to a neighbor or friend over the holidays will definitely tip your hand that you know Czech baking.

2. Kolacky – I cannot say for certain that Kolacky are immediately identifiable with Christmas. Whether they are created in my parent’s kitchen or my own, we can always count on a platter of kolacky of raspberry, apricot, and especially poppy seed varieties at the Christmas Eve celebration. The children usually devour the raspberry and apricot leaving the adults only the poppy seed! My easy to follow kolacky recipe can be found here.

3. Linz Tarts (or Linecka Kolecka) - This cookie expresses the holiday mood with the infamous cookie cutter shapes on the outside and cut out in the middle with a filling of raspberry or plum jam inside the middle shape. Some bakeries may or may not have the inside shape cutout and the cookie will resemble a sandwich cookie with the jam in the middle. If you are preparing Linz tarts for the holiday or cookie exchange, I recommend you go for style points and make the little interior shape cut out in the middle. A decent linz tart recipe can be found at this site. Just remember to be patient with the sticky dough allowing it be somewhat chilled and remember to use a little flour to prevent excessive stickiness.

4. Vanilkove Rohlicky or Vanilla Crescents – Aside from the Kolacky, these tiny treats bring back fond memories at my Tetas house. The little crescents are no larger than a pinky finger and is delicious little cookie with the flavor of vanilla (of course) and almond. They are finally hit with a healthy dusting of confectioner’s sugar before serving. These treats can be found widespread across the internet. I usually stick with the Czechoslovak Cookbook recipe by Brizova. Check your library for this cookbook or better yet I have it listed on my site through the Amazon link on the right side of my web page. Yes, I do get a small commission for orders placed for this cook book listing, but I also highly recommend this cookbook for some traditional Czech recipes. This cookbook is essential to me for making a host of different sauces, dumplings, nut and fruit fillings, and learning about several meat and potato dishes.

5. Checkerboard Cookies – Or as I like to call them, "Czecherboard" cookies. These cookies add some fun design with the cookie having miniature squares or checkerboard pattern of vanilla and chocolate linz cookie throughout. The recipes are numerous on the web. I do not have my own family recipe as I resort to the Czech cookbooks such as Brizova’s or even try this weblink for your checkerboard cookies.

There are other popular Czech treats served during Christmas such as bear paws, Moravian Christmas cookies, and Gingerbread Cookies (Pernik Na Figurky). Other traditional desserts include a Cherry Bublanina and Walnut Cake.

Keep your holiday baking diverse this year. If your baking agenda includes the traditional fudge, cookie bars, and sugar cookies, why not add one more of the popular Czech Christmas desserts mentioned above this holiday season?

Basic Alcohol To Have On Hand For The Holidays

2010-11-27T11:26:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. As I snack on remaining turkey, stuffing, and pies, I am already in the process of planning a Christmas Eve party with relatives which I will be hosting this year. This made me think of not only the appropriate food menu, but confirming there will be plenty of beverages offered for the young and older crowd. While the children’s beverage needs will be easily satisfied with punches and juices, the older group will occasionally indulge in egg nog, holiday punch or soft drinks. But that isn’t always going to appease everyone. It is always good to have a well stocked liquor cabinet for those uncles or cousins that want something a little stronger. The ability to stock enough liquor always comes down to economics. You can spend very little or go full scale. I put together a quick list of what I consider as five essential alcohols to have in stock for a holiday party. Each type of booze ranges in price and quality.

1. Vodka – So versatile and marries well with just about any juice, tonic, or soda. Keep a bottle of vodka or two handy. It will also be a good idea to have some cranberry juice or orange juice on hand. I usually go with a Svedka for my crowd, since the flavor is pretty decent for the price. If price is no barrier and you have a few drinking straight up, then I would recommend a higher quality Vodka such as Grey Goose. Also keep some lime wedges handy.

2. Rum – Dig it Mon! Go with a bottle of light rum and give the party a Caribbean flavor. Rum goes well with cola, punches, and a host of other mixers such as juices and syrups. I opt for Malibu and it goes for about eighteen bucks a liter.

3. Tequila – Turn your Merry Christmas into Feliz Navidad with some a bottle of tequila. The choice of tequila you purchase all depends on your guests drinking potential. If the crowd will engage in tequila sunrises or margaritas go with the economical choices such as Cuervo. If you have a rowdy bunch that might want to do a holiday “shot” opt for a smoother reposado such as Cazadores.

4. Whisky/Bourbon – Some folks like a good down home bourbon to mix with sours, punches or with a little water for sipping. There are some good options out there such as the traditional Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, and Canadian Club. If you know of those looking for a good sipper, then opt for the Kentucky Maker’s Mark or Woodford Reserve.

5. Liqueurs – The final option for your holiday liquor counter or cabinet might consist of flavored cordials such as Baileys Irish Crème, Kahlua, or Frangelico. These tasty liqueurs go great when blended with coffees or milk over ice.

Aside from these five essential boozes to stock for the holidays, also be prepared to keep a bottle or two of white and red wines as well as plenty of beer.

Liver Dumpling Soup - Bohemian Style

2010-10-25T20:15:00.000-05:00

As a kid I always despised liver. I even recall an old “Far Side” comic that displayed a “Liver N Onions” truck driving down a quaint neighborhood road and children are running in the opposite direction with terror on their faces. Not exactly the ice cream man. I do have a soft spot for two liver” bi-products”. One of them is the commercially made liverwurst or Braunschweiger. The other is the super delicious Bohemian liver dumpling soup. This soup is typical of most Czech restaurants and is usually served in a very clear consommé or beef soup. My recipe captures the flavor but does not match the clarity one would find in a Czech restaurant. The difference being that I like to add back the remaining ingredients (in tiny bite size) pieces as it seems a waste to throw them away. My recipe also cheats with using a prepared stock aside from making the stock a la natural with oxtails or soup bones. If you want to go that route, by all means do so. Otherwise, stick to this recipe to save some time. Also consider doubling the recipe for some meals later in the season.

Bohemian Beef Liver Dumpling Soup

Soup Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 ounce cans) Beef Broth
1 lb Chuck roast or soup bone with meat, trimmed of fat
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled
1 stalk of Celery
1 clove garlic, minced

Dumplings

1 lb of beef or calf liver (Veins removed and ground fine).
1 cup breadcrumbs (ground up Saltines).
½ cup flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Salt, pepper, marjoram – to taste
Milk – To moisten dumpling dough

Method
1. Place beef and vegetables in stock pot or dutch oven and cover with beef broth and four cups of water.
2. Cook until beef and vegetables become tender.
3. Remove beef and vegetables from stock pot and set aside; keep remaining liquid simmering over low heat.
4. Prepare liver dumplings by combining ground liver, breadcrumbs, flour, egg, parsley and seasonings into a bowl. Add enough milk (if necessary) to allow a moist enough consistency to shape.
5. Form dumplings into miniature meat balls (just smaller than golf ball)
6. Return soup in stock pot to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to simmer and place dumplings into pot and partially cover for about fifteen minutes.
8. Meanwhile chop up remaining reserved carrots and celery and shred reserved chuck steak.
9. Return meat and vegetables (celery and carrots) to soup to warm up, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary.
10. Serve

Apple Cider Slushy With Alcohol

2010-10-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Frozen Apple Cider Drink

Took a trip out to the apple farm this past weekend to gather up a dozen apple cider donuts for the family. Aside from fresh cider beverage and pumpkin pie, cider donuts define fall in our household and we make it a point to drive out for the dozen or so donut fix every October. The other fun item we enjoy every fall at this farm and bakery is the delicious apple cider slushie. The ingredients to this Indian summer cool treat don’t get any simpler. Mix a blender full of ice and a healthy dose of farm fresh apple cider. Blend the frozen treat until the ice cubes are broken down into a slushy or ICEE consistency. Serve in glasses with straws. I will get about three to four servings per blender full.

Cider Slushies with a Kick

Okay. Mom and Dad enjoying the cool cider slushy treat think……………”hmm, how would this go with a little splash of alcohol”. That is not a bad idea. Here is the recipe.

1. Fill Blender With Ice.

2. Pour about half of blender container with apple cider.

3. Pour in two shots of vodka.

4. Pour in one shot of butterscotch schnapps.

5. Blend until slushy consistency.

6. Yields about four medium size cups of apple slushies.

The quantity of vodka and schnapps is a personal preference. Some would consider my ratio strong and others may find it rather weak. Experiment to your own satisfaction.

Enjoy.

Tips For Freezing Dumplings

2010-09-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

While I feel free to share or occasionally push my Czech recipes on to the blogosphere audience, one thing remains constant with most of these dishes. They are almost always served with Knedliky (dumplings). The occasional exception may be the boiled potato or potato pancakes (bramboraky). I love, love, love homemade knedliky. Nothing against the fine folks at Chateau, but a kettle full of fresh yeast raised dumplings is the way to go.

That being said, it is probably wise to make enormous batches to make the time spent in the kitchen worthwhile. Consider triple or quadrupling the recipe and plan on freezing some for the next few months. Dumplings are definitely conducive to freezing provided the method is done correctly. I also recommend a freeze period no greater than sixty to seventy days. I honestly have not gone beyond this timeframe so not exactly sure the max here!

Once the dumplings are done cooking and sliced, they can be prepared for freezing by one of two methods. One method simply involves a tight wrap of plastic film followed by a tight double wrap of freezer paper that is taped closed. Finish the process by writing the date on the wrapper and freeze. I have had good luck with freezer paper keeping meats and dumplings well sealed. The other method involves wrapping the cooled dumplings in plastic film, then placing them in the Ziploc “freezer” storage bags. I would recommend going with a reputable brand such as Ziploc that offers thick protection as to avoid freezer burn or drying out.

Avoid cutting corners when freezing dumplings. DO NOT:

1. Place dumplings in GLADWARE and chuck in the freezer
2. Place dumplings in simple film of saran wrap and foil and chuck in the freezer.
3. Place dumplings in Tupperware and chuck in the freezer.

Those are my dumpling freezing tips. Now what are you waiting for? Go make those dumplings for the fall season!

Czech Restaurants in New York City

2010-09-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

I thought it was well overdue to provide a list of Czech restaurants that can be found in New York. Whether you are a native or planning a long weekend to New York City, it does not hurt to know where to go for that craving of Czech food, Czech Pilsner, and a dessert of crepes or strudel. My digging and roaming of Czech culture in New York has come to the conclusion that this ethnicity is widely scattered throughout the different boroughs of New York without any real definitive concentration in any one area. The restaurants however are pretty much locatedin Astoria. The list below includes three Czech hotspots to consider when in New York. I was astounded by the long hours that these restaurants are open in New York. These businesses all seem worthy of a visit, with the Bohemian Hall providing frequent entertainment in addition to the decent Czech menu. Please feel free to post reviews and comments of these locations.

Czech Restaurants – NYC

Zlata Praha
28-48 31st Street
Astoria, NY 11102

Phone: (718) 721 -6422

Features: Svickova (Marinated beef), Koprovou (Beef with Dill Sauce), Hovezi Na Houbach (Brisket with Mushroom Sauce), Hovesi Gulas (Goulash), Veprova Pecene (Roast Pork), Pul Pecene Kachny (Roast Duck), Strudel and Palacinki

Beer list includes Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, Kozel, and many others.

Hours:

Sunday: 12:00 pm – 2:00 am
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Friday: 11:30 am – 4:00 am
Saturday: 11:30 am – 4:00 am

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden
29-19 24th Avenue
Queens, NY 11102

Phone: (718) 274-4925

Features: Pan Roasted Duck, Gulas (Goulash), Svickova (Marinated Beef), Halusky(potato pasta with Kraut), Baked Palacinka (filled crepes), Bramboraky (potato pancakes), Veprova (roast pork loin), assorted meat and cheese platters.

Beer list includes Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, Krusovice, Brouczech, and many other eastern European beers.

Hours:

Sunday: 12:00 pm – 2:00 am
Monday – Wednesday: 5:00 pm – 2:00 am
Thursday: 3:00 pm – 2:00 am
Friday: 12:00 pm – 3:00 am
Saturday: 12:00 pm – 3:00 am

KOLIBA

31-11 23rd Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
Phone: (718) 626-0430

Features: Veprova (Roast Pork), Beef with Cream Sauce, Beef with Dill Sauce, Roast Duckling, Pork Schnitzel. Desserts include crepes and strudel.

Beer list includes Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen and Brouczech.

Hours:

Sunday: 12:00 pm - 12:00 pm
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Saturday 3:00 pm - 1:00 am

One Hour Turkey Beer Chili

2010-09-10T15:29:00.001-05:00

I have been getting into the craze as of late of making recipes for which I can substitute ground beef or chuck with turkey meat. My ticker is forty years old so I should probably consume less red meat than I am accustomed to. Such substitutions of poultry for a hearty beef meal are only possible when the other ingredients can adequately mask the protein enough to convince the eater that the dish is still tasty and agreeable. For instance, a standalone meat item such as turkey burgers or turkey sausage does not taste nearly as palatable as the real deal. Dishes for which the meat equally shares the stage with other vegetables, carbs, and spices will be prime candidates to use turkey instead of beef.

One successful turkey for beef exchange is the fall favorite of chili. This flavorful dish is so dominated by the other ingredients such as onions, beans, stewed tomatoes, chili seasoning, peppers, etc. As much as I love ground sirloin or other beef cuts in chili, turkey does a great job of stepping in. I have a classic turkey chili recipe I enjoy every fall that takes just about one hour from preparation to serving.

If this recipe is a keeper, consider doubling quantity so there will be extra to freeze for additional meals during the week or next month. The meal can be served a variety of ways whether over chili mac pasta or with torn tortilla strips accompanied with shredded cheddar and a spoonful of sour cream. The turkey chili also makes one heck of a tex-mex turkey chili lasagna when layered between tortillas and cheese.

One Hour Turkey Beer Chili

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup chicken or turkey stock
½ cup water
1 bottle (12 ounce) beer
1 can (14.5 ounce) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14.5 ounce) tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat up olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and chili powder and sauté for about three minutes.
3. Add ground turkey and cook additional three to four minutes or until turkey is cooked through.
4. Add chicken stock, water, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and beer.
5. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low simmer for about thirty minutes.

Tip: For the spicy food fanatics out there looking to increase the Scoville count, consider adding a diced Serrano, red chili, or splash of habanera sauce to the chili.

Using Vinegar To Clean The Kitchen

2010-09-07T12:40:00.000-05:00

Being “green” involves the everyday little steps taken to be kind to mother earth. One of these steps involves your weekly household cleaning products. There are so many disinfectants, cleansers, and de-greasers that are toxic to you, pets, and the earth. These items should be avoided and substituted with natural every day products that are not only safer for the family and earth, but also a lot cheaper.

The most notorious earth friendly kitchen cleanser is vinegar. Vinegar, like baking soda and lemon juice, can be used a few hundred different ways throughout the house and within the body. These are products that should be purchased in bulk as they will be used. Here a few great vinegar cleaning ideas to practice in the kitchen.

Using Vinegar to remove hard water deposits in the coffee maker

We have had a Kitchen Aid coffee maker for ten years that runs like a champ most of the time. Every few months the appliance will stop brewing during mid cycle as the inside percolating tubes appear to get clogged with hard water deposits. The situation is remedied by mixing a coffee pot of half vinegar and half water and brewing. This cleaning solution will clear away all deposits and get the coffee pot running in no time. I always remember to run a pot of 100% water through after the initial cleaning stage to eliminate any potential “vinegar” flavor in the next pot of coffee.

Cleaning Counters

Keep a spray bottle of 50/50 water and white vinegar available to clean kitchen counters. Avoid using this solution on counters that are marble which can incur damage from the acidity of the vinegar solution. This solution goes a long way to cleaning counters, stove tops, kitchen cabinet handles refrigerator surfaces. The added benefit to the vinegar solution will be the added sparkle and shine left behind when wiped clean with a dry cloth.

Cleaning Microwave With Vinegar

Aside from the coffee pot trick, this is my other favorite. Take a small bowl of half water and half vinegar and microwave for about three minutes. When the microwave timer goes off, allow the solution to sit for a few minutes. Open the door, then wipe clean. The steam produced from the solution will loosen up even the toughest caked on stains.

Vinegar as a Freezer Odor remover

I was handed down a standalone freezer from my parents a few years back. Excited as I was unloading the freezer from my Dad’s van, I was welcomed to the distinct odor of rotten seafood inside the appliance. Though the freezer was entirely empty, the appliance had the horrific odor of rotten fish. I labored on the freezer for an hour with a good bleach soapy cleanser using sponge and toothbrush. The cleanser did not get rid of the odor. My next step was using coffee grounds in an open container and I shut the freezer door. A few days later the smell was greatly reduced, but still there. My final approach involved a healthy amount of vinegar in a plastic bowl placed at the base of the freezer. A few days later and the fish smell from the freezer were entirely gone. The vinegar odor dissipated quickly as I left the top door open for a few hours.

The Sights and Sounds of Prague

2010-08-31T21:14:00.000-05:00

Check out this youtube cut of a young travelers experiences in the beautiful city of Prague. Okay she is a vegan in the Czech Republic..........Strike one. Regardless, she has seemed to have learned a lot about this city, the food, the culture, and having a really darn good time. The fries and fried block of cheese has apparently missed my czech recipe archive on this site.

The fried cheese known as Smazeny Syr is typically a Edam cheese that is dusted with flour and immersed in egg wash. Then it is rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. This would be a street food or "fast food". Enjoy the fun sights and sounds of young travelers having a great time in Prague.

Moist Banana Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-30T18:41:00.001-05:00

It seems to happen all the time. You see bananas on sale and pick up a large bunch for the week. Before you know it, Thursday and Friday arrive and most of the bananas are still remaining. All is not a total waste at this point. Bananas that start to over ripen are prime candidates for baking. We enjoy a good banana bread, cake or muffin given the opportunity. Below is a fun late summer B&B muffin otherwise known as banana and blueberry muffins. These fruits go good together and are fun to make now that the blueberries are still in season. Though when prepared in the offseason, the frozen blueberries work well. As some of the blog readers have seen in previous posts, I enjoy a good muffin recipe on occasion and this one is no exception.

Moist Banana-Blueberry Muffins

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 ripe bananas
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup blueberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a medium sized bowl, beat together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, mash the bananas adding in milk and vanilla extract until blended.
3. In large bowl, use a mixer set on medium speed to beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Reduce the mixer’s speed to low and blend in a third of the flour mixture. Add half of the banana mixture and blend again. Continue alternating between the flour and banana mixtures, until all the ingredients thoroughly mixed into the batter.
4. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake the muffins 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack.

Makes 18 muffins.

Sirloin Steak Shish Kabobs

2010-08-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

The past weekend involved a lot of outside (and inside) work that left little room for cooking. The chores included everything from completing bathroom renovation to relocating a few bushes in the backyard. On top of those duties, there was the other matter of getting kids ready for back to school week. Fortunately the weather on Sunday was much more cooperative, but still too hot to make a Sunday roast. My plan “B” as usual became the outdoor grill. As I have stated in previous posts, the grill is your answer to keep the heat out of the kitchen. The grill is also more versatile than you might think. Just about anything that can be made in an oven, can be replicated with an outdoor grill. I may even have to try Svickova one of these days with a grill.

As I made the decision to cook out on the grill, I went out to the garden for some available produce and was able to pick three bell peppers and a few dozen cherry tomatoes. These vegetables gave me the idea of making Shish kabobs for dinner. Shish kabobs are super easy to make and fun to assemble. If using wooden skewers to hold the food, just remember to soak them in water a few minutes prior to grilling or these oversized toothpicks will burn.

Sirloin Steak Kabobs

1 – 1 ½ Lbs Sirloin Steak, Cut in Cubes
½ Vidalia or Sweet Onion, Cut in large squares
2 – 3 Green Peppers cut in triangles or large squares
1 Lb Whole Mushrooms
½ Bottle Zesty Italian Dressing

Method

1. Place cut meat and vegetables in large bowl or Tupperware container.
2. Coat and mix ingredients with Italian dressing.
3. Place in refrigerator for one hour.
4. Soak or immerse wooden skewers in water.
5. Preheat grill.
6. Assemble kabob skewers by alternating meat and vegetables.
7. Reduce grill temperatures to medium hot and cook three to four minutes on each side.
8. Serve on large platter.

Kuchen With Blueberries

2010-08-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

Summer is in its last phase and the highlight to this warm season has been the bounty of good produce coming to harvest. Some of the tastiest produce offered right now include peaches and blueberries. Throughout July and August, blueberries are still a hot item at farmers markets and grocery stores now that they are in abundance. Aside from being a great ingredient for muffins and pancakes, I really enjoy a freshly baked blueberry kuchen. This German cake complements a hot cup of coffee and can be considered an ideal coffee cake selection for a mid morning get together with friends and neighbors. Consider this tasty treat for your next morning gathering.

Some potential adjustments to this recipe include adding chopped walnuts or slivered almonds to the streusel topping. One could also use a 9 inch spring form pan instead of the 9 x 12 rectangular pan I use below. Enjoy!
Blueberry Kuchen Recipe

Kuchen Batter

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup milk
¼ cup butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups blueberries

Streusel Topping

¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Sift together flour, salt, ¾ cup of sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add softened butter and milk and slowly mix together.
4. Add egg, lemon peel, and nutmeg and mix until ingredients adequately folded into mixture.
5. Pour batter into greased 9 x 12 inch baking pan.
6. Sprinkle blueberries over top of batter.
7. In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients of brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
8. Cut in softened butter with fork or pasty blender.
9. Sprinkle streusel topping over entire blueberry kuchen.
10. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Easy Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

2010-08-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

I have an overabundance of green peppers in my garden that I am hard pressed to use up before they over-ripen. I have already used up a few as they have been mixed in the last few weeks with the likes ofs omelettes, salads, and Italian beef sandwiches. Peppers are a different sort as they really can’t be frozen for later use as can be done with beans, carrots, etc. I love these vegetables and almost consider them a fruit as they tend to get sweet when subjected to high roasting temperatures. Aside from my tendency to grill peppers or continue using them in skillet dishes, I turned my attention to making a stuffed green pepper soup. The recipe is easy to follow and will yield enough servings of soup for several meals. There are several ways to make this soup though the essentials include the peppers (of course), onion, tomato base, and rice. When preparing the soup, make sure to keep the rice on the side and warm. Serve the soup directly on top of the rice upon serving. Keeping these two items separated will keep the rest of your soup starch free which you will appreciate during later use.

A good southwestern twist to this recipe includes substituting enchilada sauce for the tomato sauce.

Easy Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

1 pound ground round
3 medium green peppers, chopped
1 cup sweet onion , chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce can)
1 can beef broth (14 ounce can)
1 can tomato sauce (29 ounce can)
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 cups cooked white rice

Method

1. In a large pot, cook ground round until browned.

2. Drain grease from meat and place back into pot.

3. Return heat to medium on the stove and add onions and peppers and cook additional five minutes.

4. Add garlic and pepper and cook additional minute.

5. Add diced tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, and hot sauce and bring to a boil.

6. When soup begins to boil, reduce to simmer and continue cooking for about forty five minutes.

7. Ladle soup over bowl of hot white rice and serve.

Alterations to the recipe are numerous. Some like to make this a zesty and fiery stuffed green pepper soup. For such extreme tastes, I would recommend adding a hot pepper to the blend or use greater amounts of Louisiana hot sauce.

To create a Czech version of stuffed green pepper soup, add a ½ teaspoon of ground allspice and 1 teaspoon of marjoram during the simmering stage. Just before serving, whisk in a small amount of sour cream to the soup and serve over the hot rice.

Purchasing a floor model dishwasher

2010-08-02T12:36:00.001-05:00

In the kitchen my wife and I have had to wash dishes the old fashioned way for about a year now. We have established a two person operation where one washes and the other dries and puts away. I will admit there are times when this has been a great opportunity to catch up on conversation with the wife since the typical meal involves constant interruption by the little ones. This routine does grow old quickly though with the kids using up several glasses daily and the dish count getting crazy when we have guests over.

The main reason for the old way of dishwashing was attributed to a complete breakdown of our aging Amana dishwasher that came with our aging home. The old machine still had the ability to wash and dry dishes. The Amana failed when a small volume of the old rinse water failed to drain completely from the machine. This pooling of water inside the dishwasher created a skunk water smell that became a constant nuisance. I went online and researched the problem. I ran several diagnostic checks from examining the drain tube from the dishwasher to confirming the disposal was not clogged. Everything else checked out okay except the actual appliance which would require a visit from the technician. That wasn’t about to happen as resorted to hand washing and drying while the defunct machine sat idle.

About a year of this washing dishes the old fashioned way finally got old so we decided to purchase a new a new Whirlpool model last week. The machine is a no bells and whistles appliance. No, it’s not whisper quite, in fact it makes quite a bit of noise when the water jets shoot the dishes. I am quite sure the dog (whom is our kitchen tenant) is quite put off by the sounds of this machine.

The dishwasher was a floor model sold at a low price of $250. The model was very clean, pristine, and the color worked for our kitchen. This was such an easy sell for the retailer as we had become quite burned out washing dishes by hand. The machine easily fit into the back of our minivan and was pretty light to unload. The surprise of this purchase came when we unloaded the dishwasher to realize that a part was missing as was the installation guide. I called the toll free number to Whirlpool and they were very accommodating in e-mailing me the installation model in pdf format.

As for the missing part, I had to go back to the store and they provided me a part (borrowed from another floor model). I have a feeling that is how my machine was shorted to begin this process. I would recommend purchasing a floor model appliance provided you make sure everything is included before you head home. As the machine is celebrating its seven day birthday we have had nothing but pure success. We will keep our fingers crossed it will last us for a long time.

Canned or Frozen?

2010-07-26T15:06:00.002-05:00

Beer in a Can

As we get older, somehow beer in a can becomes a dying fad. I posted several days ago about my success of making beer can chicken. What struck me as so odd about the preparation of this meal was my patterned behavior of always purchasing beer in bottle form or as a pint draft when dining out. The experience of purchasing beer in a can brought back memories of college parties and uber cheap brew.

Canned Vegetables

Hmm, speaking of canned foods. This leads me to other foods sold in canned form that seem unappetizing. I have always held more sway to purchasing my vegetables from the freezer section when fresh is unavailable. The last resort of veggies has always been the canned version of corn, green beans or mixed vegetables. Something about the appearance, texture and smell of opening up a can of vegetables that makes me want to bail out on eating veggies altogether. If you notice when opening up these canned surprises, the veggies maintain a soggy limp form which nothing can be done to even crispify or crunchify this item back to it a more palatable textured state. Frozen vegetables on the other hand can be steamed to an al dente bite while still maintaining a somewhat bright color. Frozen it is!

Meat in a Can

Spam anyone? I know there is a culture of folks out there that absolutely love Spam and other canned meats. I can honestly say I have never tried it. As I am game to trying just about any food, I would give it a shot if someone prepared it for me. Though it looks very unappetizing and I can’t commit to buying this gelatinous fiberboard meat in a can. Ham in a can does not fare much better as I am spoiled with the abundance of wrapped hams sold fresh or frozen.

Tuna fish is the poster child of meat sold in a can. I use to actual have no issues with tuna packed in a can until the industry or fisheries started using a very mashable sort of tuna species packed in water. For whatever reason the tuna that has been sold for the past year or two has been horrendous in quality as the meat is very mushy and does not have the flaky chunk quality that I have grown to like for many years. It is worth the money to spend a little more and purchase an actual tuna filet from the seafood counter to make a great tuna sandwich.

Fruit in a can

Maybe it is my sweet tooth, but I still enjoy the fruit cocktail or mandarin oranges sold in a can. They taste as good now as they did when I was a tot. They go good with a little cottage cheese.

Pasta in a can

As a kid, I had occasional exposure the sugary pasta dinners in a can such as the beef ravioli and spaghettios. These lunches or suppers might as well have been anointed the king of feasts when I was about seven. Pretty much take some soggy pasta, add some red corn syrup with a hint of tomato and some mysterious beef mixture and you have raviolis in a can. I could eat the canned pastas then, but now, forget it.

Chicken Meet Beer Can

2010-07-18T21:20:00.001-05:00

Another dreadfully hot weekend here in Chicago. The only good thing about this hot sunny weather is that I have not had to cut the grass for about three weeks now. Though there seem to always be other projects that take the place such as sanding and restaining our deck. We could not have asked for any worse weather to take on our desk restoration this past weekend. Needless to say between Friday and the end of Sunday we finished the deck, with only a few touch up areas here and there remaining. We are pleased with the results and look forward to spending more time out in the backyard (if we can only get the mosquitoes to take a hike).

I did manage to finally squeeze in an opportunity to make a beer can chicken on Saturday. I have always wanted to try this after talking to friends and neighbors that swear by this cooking technique. The process is real simple. You preheat the grill until it gets really hot (like 400 - 500 degrees). If using propane or gas, turn off one side of the grill burners. Then while the grill is hot, you rinse the whole chicken fryer with cool water and dry off with paper towels. Coat the bird with a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper. Then take a half full can of beer and drop in a few cloves of garlic. Insert the can into the cavity of the bird. Place the bird on the the side of the grill that does not have the burners going and close the lid. The bird will naturally stand straightup with the beer can and two legs acting as a tripod to balance the chicken. Adjust the remaining burner that is on so that the flame is about medium to high producing an indirect oven temperature of about 400 degrees fahrenheit. The bird will be done in about 90 minutes or may take five to ten minutes longer producing a safe chicken temperature of 180 degrees.

Here is my finished results:

The bird came out very juicy. Overall the chicken tasted good. I really did not pick up on the beer flavor. I did taste the garlic throughout the meat and it was good. I don't recommend doing chicken this way all the time on the grill as you will run out propane very quickly since this indirect cooking method takes about an hour and half to complete. I will probably try this again with a much stronger beer next time. I will also stick to the marinated chicken breast method that goes much quicker!

Keep the Kitchen cool – Make a Salad

2010-07-16T13:08:00.002-05:00

Hot weather has pretty much engulfed most of the country this week. The heat has put any oven related meals to the wayside until temperatures cool down to more reasonable levels. It seems unrealistic to even consider preparing roasts (svickova included!) when such oven use when run counterproductive to running the AC 24/7. Anyhow, the method of cooking in such extreme heat is simple, go with the salad movement.

How much salad can one possibly eat during the week? Good question. Mix it up. Initial thought of salad includes working with such starters as mescalin greens, romaine, or leaf. I try and stay away from iceberg as it has zero nutritional value. Once the green foundation is laid down, the sky is the limit when one can add protein (meat, egg, or beans), cheese, and veggies. Keep the salads line moving throughout the week by having one of these every few days and topping with different proteins as well as different binders whether they are vinaigrettes or mayo based dressings.

Skipping the Greens

Lettuce laden salads have you feeling like you are eating rabbit food? Go with heavier hitters such as chicken or tuna based salads that are held together with mayo. I like to purchase the freshly baked chicken at the local Meijer or Jewel and shred half of it up for chicken salad that includes celery, mayo, pecans, apples, and a little dill. The alternative to a store bought ready made chicken is to cook a chicken breast on the outdoor grill.

Tuna salad also goes over well when stuffed inside a large garden ready beefsteak tomato or on a fresh croissant. I generally like to eat tuna in moderation and less frequently due to the questionable quality of tuna that has been sold within the past year or so. It seems as though every other tin of tuna I purchase (regardless of brand) has a mushy quality. It was not long ago one could still expect a hearty flaky chunked tuna regardless if it was immersed in a pool of oil or water. Please bring the good tuna back!

Pasta Salads are not just a side dish

There is no law written that pasta salads are only a side. I will usually be blessed with an excess pasta salad leftover from weekend picnics that get brought to work on the following Monday. The salads occasionally taste better as a leftover since they have had a chance to marinate longer. These situations will occasionally call for me to take some of that excess grilled chicken or leftover rotisserie and shred and mix in the salad. Also revive with some fresh Italian dressing and herbs if necessary.

Grandessa Signature Raspberry Vinaigrette - A Review

2010-07-13T12:09:00.002-05:00

On the Fourth of July we hosted a little backyard barbecue and offered up such offerings of balsamic and olive oil marinated chicken breasts, Italian sausage, sautéed peppers and onions and an assortment of cold salads. One of the salad offerings was a very healthy option insisted on by my wife. She insisted on a spinach strawberry salad. I turned my nose at first because it this item did not immediately sound as appetizing as my mind was focused on grilled meats, breads, fattening salads, appetizers and a few cold pilsners on the deck. To my surprise, the salad was a hit item and I found myself glad to have leftovers after the party was over. The spinach salad included sliced strawberries, chopped pecans, crumbled blue cheese, and some delicious raspberry vinaigrette from ALDI. The brand is actually called Grandessa Signature Raspberry Vinaigrette.

I don’t typically do product reviews on this blog, but I felt this salad topper was worthy of mention for those dieters and salad eaters out there looking to shave a few calories on something that is very tasty. This vinaigrette has a very smooth sweet and sour balance unlike some vinegar based dressings that make you pucker. I also appreciate this nice break from the typical creamy dressings that I probably eat too much of throughout the year. The vinaigrette is made up of red wine vinegar, raspberry honey, and an assortment of spices. The bottle is sold in a 12.7 ounce size at ALDI for a mere $1.99. I absolutely love this stuff and will be back for more. A two tablespoon serving size only sets one back about 90 calories though there are 6 grams of sugar per serving.

I think this salad dressing is a winner and would love it if this item was sold in large Costco or Sam’s Club size portions. Grandessa makes several other dressings that I will have to try.

Berries and Beer Can Chicken

2010-07-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

I have taken a long hiatus from posting on here due to many distractions. One distraction was the family vacation to Disney during mid June. Note to self…….do not vacation in Orlando during the summer. I am from Chicago and was not accustomed to this severe humidity. I can only imagine the heat that prevails during the months of July and August. Perhaps next time I will plan this around the school break during the winter holidays.

Nevertheless everyone had a good time and the kids hit all the traditional rides. I succumbed to the infamous mickey ice cream bar on more than one occasion courtesy of the snack allowance that was part of the Disney dining plan we signed up for prior to our visit. This was our first time using this prepaid meal plan and I would recommend it to anyone. The plan is so worth the money if traveling with a good size group and you are okay with eating at select Disney restaurants located at the resorts and parks (including downtown Disney). The dining plan is prepaid yet allows you to order just about any item under the sun without paying an arm and a leg. Needless to say I ate my fair share of steak and grilled fish during the week.

Aside from summer vacation, little league games, work, and yard and garden tasks, I have resigned myself to get back into the cooking saddle this July. I have two top items that I am looking forward to cooking, one is attempting a beer can chicken and the other is baking some rip roaring good Danish or pastry with berries since these little gems are currently on display at several markets. July is one of my favorite months to cook as so much produce becomes readily available. As for the beer can chicken I have been coaxed into preparing this drunken bird by a neighbor and I will post the results of this grilling conquest in all due time. Stay cool.

Fried Chicken For Memorial Day

2010-05-28T15:01:00.000-05:00

So we are finishing up the hectic work week and gearing up for three days off work and reserving time for golfing, watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, and making some lights out good old American fried chicken. We make our fried chicken courtesy of Paula’s Deens recipe. This is the best fried chicken I have ever tasted and you will be amazed by the ingredients. The combination of self rising flour, eggs, hot sauce, and seasonings does some amazing magic to the chicken batter. Who knew the healthy amount of hot sauce in this recipe would not be noticed in the cooked product? When I first made this recipe I was afraid to use this large amount of sauce out of fear my wife and kids would complain of spiciness or extreme level of heat. That is definitely not the case here. The recipe is exceptionally good especially when cooked in peanut oil. I tend to fluctuate which oil to use whether vegetable or peanut based. The vegetable oil produces tasty fried chicken, though I recommend the peanut variety. To see this recipe, please visit Paula’s Fried Chicken Recipe. I highly recommend serving up with some homemade macaroni and cheese and some southern style vegetables such as collard greens or black eyed peas. Also when following her recipe, DO NOT use ALL the house seasoning that is called for in her recipe. Paula's house seasoning is written to allow you to have seasoning on hand for several meals. I just sprinkle a little on each chicken piece as it flows down the fried chicken assembly line before it hits the hot oil. This Czech yankee definitely loves southern cooking!

The Five Best Grocery Coupon Websites

2010-05-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

I love to shop on an empty stomach but really despise shopping on a close to empty wallet. The current state of the economy and uncertainty of the future sort of forces our hand to make painful choices when shopping even for food. There are some areas of shopping I can tweak to save a buck here or there, but I still have certain food luxuries I find difficult to give up. One way to hold on to those grocery items near and dear to our hearts and stomach is through saving coupons.

Sunday papers still issue the inserts of coupons every week, but I am not always inclined to spend two to three bucks for a thick Sunday paper that I barely have time read. The coupon search does not have to end with the one minute exercise of taking scissors to the paper on a Sunday afternoon. There are several no cost obligation websites that you can surf and print for free. I have put together a list of the five best grocery coupon websites.

1. Coupons.com – coupons are not location specific but manufacturer specific so they are okay to use throughout the U.S.

2. Couponmom.com – Coupon Mom is a website that populates current deals from smart source and coupons.com. The site is very easy to navigate through for the first time user. I would recommend trying this site to start your coupon clipping campaign. Membership is free and you can even retrieve occasional restaurant coupons should you decide to eat out. Coupon mom also features links to non food related coupons such as electronics and home goods.

3. Smartsource.com – Pretty easy to navigate as the user enters their zipcode into a field and the site generates local coupons offered in the circular publications. These coupons can be retrieved and printed off the web.

4. Red Plum.com – This is a lesser known coupon site, but quite offers quite valuable savings nevertheless. Red Plum does coupon queries also based on your zip code and is free to users.

5. Valpak.com – Good old Valpak. You may have received Valpak coupon mailers in your snail mail on occasion. There is usually some quality items in the package, and the rest is destined for the fire pit or recycler. The Valpak search also begins with zipcode or city and you are on your way to printable coupons of the web.

In addition to these five recommended sites, I would also strongly recommend checking out specific manufacturer websites such as Pillsbury.com or Keebler.com. Also register with your local standby grocer and see if they have mailing lists or store website that offers printable coupons. I shop locally at Meijer and often find good deals that can be found at Meijer.com.

Beware of coupon websites that require you to fill out a litany of survey questions just to get to those precious coupons or free offers. If the site is asking for no more than an e-mail address you may still find the coupons worth the hassle of getting spam. I have no trouble signing up for these types of coupon sites since I use a second e-mail address strictly dedicated for potential incoming spam.

Top Five Snacks for Sports Viewing

2010-05-19T16:52:00.000-05:00

As we gear up to watch our favorite teams hash it out on the ice, diamond, or in the red zone we learn to appreciate certain snacks that are absolute “musts” to make the game experience just right whether we are in the comfort of our own living rooms, at the stadium, or at our favorite sports bar or local corner tap.

At the moment I am holding on to a Stanley Cup dream with the Chicago Blackhawks as I have lived through heartache and disappointment for the past forty years. Perhaps this is the year, then again this is Chicago. Anyhow, I put together my top five “Best Sports Viewing “snack lineup. I usually opt for one or two of these during the game.

Best Sport Viewing Snack: Nachos

There is something about the gianormous sombrero size platter of loaded nachos that gets the buzz going when the national anthem is played before the game. When I say loaded that means everything but the kitchen sink nachos. We are talking chili, more beans, black olives, lettuce, tomatoes, and layer upon layer of cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. You know it is good offering when you can barely see the chips that are buried amongst the rubble of nacho filler. Serve with pitcher of your finest and take a few antacids as a chaser.

Best Sport Viewing Snack: Buffalo Wings

I have been partial to hot wings since I turned twenty one many moons ago. Something about a zesty triple hot garlic buffalo wild wing that gets the motor running. The scoville unit range has been tested at all levels when I have consumed these bad boys. I have tempered my hotness scale downwards as I get older yet occasionally like things nuclear. The compliments of the celery and blue cheese aka (vegetable and dairy) food groups are a must. This one is strictly a home or sports pub based appetizer.

Best Sport Viewing Snack: Fried Everything Basket

What the heck does Fried everything mean? It is the occasional sports bar or pizza pub that has the assembly of mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, and just about any other vegetable deep fried and served with the cup of marinara and ranch dressing. Nothing fancy here folks but pure enjoyment. This is binge eating so keep the defibrillator on standby. Another sports pub or home option if you have the deep fryer.

Best Sport Viewing Snack: Chips and Salsa

This one is probably the healthiest of the bunch and also goes south of the border. I have to go with a homemade salsa on this one as Tostitos, pace, and any other commercially mass produced jarred salsa fails the test. Save those jars for taco Tuesday nights. Go with an authentic cold or warm Mexican salsa or even Pico de gallo to immerse the tortilla chip. This would fall into healthy home based category.

Best Sport Viewing Snack: Peanuts

The humongous bag of peanuts still in the shell at the ballpark cries out nostalgia. My oldest brother would probably make this his number one stadium snack as he goes into squirrel mode with the nuts the minute the puck is dropped or the first pitch is thrown. I have a soft spot for this simple snack as I enjoy the ritual of creating a rug of shells around my stadium seat.

Snacks not suitable for Sports Viewing

Items you won’t find on my list include prosciutto and melon, bacon wrapped scallops, and miniature quiches. As they are all tasty items, they hold no place before a sporting event. I also hold off my list the tooth pick loving items such as barbecue meatballs, ham and pickle rollups, and miniature bagel dogs. Keep those for the family get together or neighborhood block party.

What Makes Spotted Cow Ale So Good?

2010-05-13T15:26:00.000-05:00

Have you had a Spotted Cow Ale?

Last Sunday we went over to the in laws house for a family Mother’s Day cookout. The food and company were good as usual and much to my surprise, I was offered Spotted Cow ale. The beer has become very popular to the Wisconsin natives as it is brewed in the small town of New Glarus. The beer is served at several taps throughout the cheese state and has become popular among many of us in the neighboring states that make the occasional trek across the state line. I had my first experience with Spotted Cow along with many other New Glarus beers last summer on a day trip to this fun little Swiss town in Wisconsin. I saw several cars driving up a gravel road to this hilltop brewery. My curiosity got the better of me and returned home with a variety pack of New Glarus ales.

What makes Spotted Cow Ale so good?

The answer is in the first taste. The beer is considered light for an ale as it has a fruity smooth taste with no hoppy aftertaste that one will find in most ales. I usually don’t prefer any beer whether micro brewed or macro brewed to be fruity, but the Spotted Cow successfully pulls it off. Perhaps the fruity taste is offset by the flavor of the small amount of corn in addition to the malt flavor.

Appearance of Spotted Cow Ale

Spotted cow beer pours to form a very thin head with decent carbonation and a very gold finish, almost appearing close to a pilsner. The beer is somewhat cloudy which I would presume is from the addition of the extra grain, corn. The light appearance deceives friends, family, and neighbors as becoming a very user friendly beer for those that like the beer on the lighter side.

Would I serve up Spotted Cow with my Czech dishes or any meals?

I think I will stick to pilsners and lagers to go with my Czech meals or any heavier meal for that matter. I would recommend light cream ale such as Spotted Cow for the summer cookout fare of burgers and bratwurst. I would also recommend a pint or two with appetizers such as cheese and crackers or some bruschetta.

Do I work for New Glarus Brewery or get endorsed for reviewing?

Nope. I am just an avid fan of the product and felt it was worth mentioning to blog readers that live up in the Midwest or plan on traveling to Wisconsin. Much to my chagrin, the product is sold only within the state of Wisconsin so I have to provide enough available trunk space every summer I go up north when I make a run for New Glarus beer.

Making Granola Bars from Scratch

2010-05-11T13:08:00.000-05:00

Well, my garden is about 75% planted as I have my rows of romaine, spinach, and cabbage planted. I have also added a few tomato plants and peppers. The only items that remain to be planted are the watermelon and sugar snap pea seedlings. Mother Nature has been cooperative with the right doses of rain and sun and my rabbit fencing seems to be keeping my new planted vegetables safe. Now, on to my latest kitchen endeavor; making granola bars from scratch.

I enjoy a good granola bar as a mid morning or mid afternoon snack when the old sugar levels get low and I need a “pick me up”. I usually consume the processed commercial Nature’s Valley granola or the Quaker Oats variety. They are good but are so processed and a bit “not so fresh”. I have a pretty good homemade granola bar recipe I will share on this blog. Making your own granola bars is a breeze and the sky is the limit when it comes to ingredients. The common ingredients in all granola mixtures is the toasted oats , nuts, wheat germ, vanilla, butter and just about whatever else you want to throw in there. Some tasty opt ins include m&ms, dried fruits such as cherries or apricots, and sunflower seeds. Sometimes when preparing homemade granola the ingredient list all depends on what I have readily available in the pantry at that given time.

I even enjoy crumbing up a few bars to use as a yogurt or oatmeal topper.

Easy Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup chopped peanuts
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
½ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place rolled oats, almonds, peanuts, and wheat germ on cookie sheet or tray and toast for twenty minutes. (You will want to shuffle the oat mixture around a few times during toasting to avoid sticking).
3. Remove tray from oven and set aside to cool.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients until well blended.
5. Add in the toasted oat and nut mixture and mix well so all granola is coated.
6. Transfer mixture into an 8 x 12 inch greased baking dish spreading mixture evenly.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for about twenty minutes.
8. Let cool for about 15 minutes then cut into bars and store in air tight container.

Czech Donuts

2010-05-07T15:08:00.001-05:00

I am a big fan of sweet doughs that often resemble donuts and seem very airy. You know, the kind of baked or fried dough that springs back when you press down on it. These doughs are typical of the dunkin donuts long john or boston cream donut or jelly bismarck. I also associate this dough with the infamous polish paczki. My mom used to make what she called Shishky (Slovak) or what is considered Vdolky. The dough started out as flat rounds then raised quite a bit when exposed to heat, often producing almost a partially flattened tennis ball or baseball shape. She would finish them off with putting a little prune or raspberry filling on top with a dollop of whipped cream or dusting of confectioners sugar. Some people like to take the finish batch of Vdolky and shake them up in a paper back with cinnamon sugar.

They are really tasty especially if you eat one while it is still relatively warm. Go ahead and make mom some Czech donuts for Mother’s Day.

Czech Donuts - Shishky (Vdolky)

1 packet of dry instant yeast
1 cup of milk
1/3 cup of sugar
1 egg
3 ¾ cup flour
½ stick of butter
¼ teaspooh salt

Optional:
Cinnamon sugar mixture or fruit topping with whipped cream

Method

1. Scald milk and butter, then cool to lukewarm temperature

2. Add yeast and sugar to cooled milk mixture and dissolve.

3. In a larger bowl combine flour and salt.

4. Add yeast mixture to flour and working into dough by rolling and kneading.

5. Set aside in bowl to rise until double in size.

6. Roll out dough into 1 inch thickness.

7. Cut out little “biscuits” with circular cutter and place on greased cookie sheet to rise again until double in size.

8. Preheat deep fryer to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Place a few biscuits into oil and fry each side for about three minutes or until golden brown. (The donuts or shiske will rise in size).

10. Place on tray of paper towels to absorb excess grease.

11. Top Vdolky with jam, fillings, and a dollop of whipped cream.

Rabbit Prevention and 2010 Crops

2010-04-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

As I am busy wrapping up my bathroom renovation, and preparing for a communion and birthday party for my kids I am anxious to get my garden in. I have big ambitions this year as I have slightly expanded my garden to the other side of my shed. The first and foremost objective prior to getting any seedlings planted is to keep pests out.

Garden Rabbit Prevention

Our vegetable garden flanks our shed on two sides of which is situated right over a rabbit home. It is quite obvious these rabbits take up residence under the shed because there is a small hole under the shed and I have seen these animals enter and exit at will. They lay low in hiding however when our golden retriever is patrolling the back yard.

I have already installed chicken wire to the bottom of the shed to about six inches below grade. (I made a little trench with the shovel and anchored the bottom of the chicken wire with metal stakes). I then covered the trench back up with the soil. The top of the chicken wire was then stapled to the bottom part of the shed. Okay that part of my border fencing is done. If the rabbits decide to tunnel a new hole, they will be denied access to my garden plot, unless the tunnel deeper than six inches. The rest of the rabbit prevention involves installation of chicken wire around the remainder of the garden. This will involve plenty more chicken wire and stakes. This may seem overkill to some of my blog readers, but I made the mistake of planting baby spinach seedlings last year without any fencing and they ate them up the first night they were planted. That was six dollars up in smoke. I certainly hope that this new border will keep them out for good this year. I have a neighbor that uses a product called invisible fence or something of that sort that contains animal urine. I am not ready to go to that extreme quite yet.

2010 Choice of Crops

My children have already started seedlings about three weeks ago and they seem to be taking off in the small containers. We bring these inside the garage every night since we are not entirely clear of frosty nights up here in Illinois. The seedlings started include: dill, basil, rosemary, tomatoes, and watermelon. The watermelon is sort of a novelty and I am not sure what to expect other than a seedling turning into an enormous vine that may take over half of the garden. I plan on adding sugar snap peas, lettuce, and spinach to this group, that is of course if I can clear some of the returning raspberry plants away.

Raspberries Taking Over the Garden

I was warned by my father and many neighbors that raspberries have a habit of spreading like wildfire. I planted three little plants last summer (ironically gifts from my father) and they have now become seven larger plants this spring. While I love raspberries, I am torn on whether I should keep them or not. I would much rather utilize this space for more vegetables (as stated above). On the other hand, I really enjoyed watching the kids pick them last summer. The vines constantly produce good berries for a solid two months before they fizzle out. Besides, they go great as a kolacky filler or cereal topper. Deciding whether to keep the berries or not will be a game time decision.

Unsweetened Iced Tea in Short Supply

2010-04-27T12:35:00.000-05:00

I have burned the last several weekends up trying to complete a never ending bathroom renovation. I have the distinct honor of cutting, nailing, gluing, and painting wainscoting and trim to the perimeter of the bathroom. The renovation has been nothing short of a pain in the posterior. Part of the challenge has been lining up baseboard trim and bead board against walls and a floor that are anything but true. That is what happens when you buy a house dated back to the late sixties.

Needless to say the home improvement work load has taken over my time which would have otherwise been spent doing some Czech cooking, baking, outdoor grilling, and getting the garden ready. During my renovation I have developed a deep admiration for commercially brewed bottled iced teas to quench my thirst. Our household consumes a lot of iced tea; however we opt for the unsweetened variety.

Why is Unsweetened tea scarce?

When shopping for bottled unsweetened iced tea there is no guarantee you will even find any available at the local supermarket. We usually shop for a tea known as Tradewinds unsweetened. The large plastic jug runs about $3.50 and is not always on the shelf as opposed to the sweet and extra sweet varieties. The only other competing brand I usually see is the Lipton Pureleaf unsweetened which tastes well, but unfortunately is much more expensive. I wrote this blog post surely to get word out to the public that there seems to be an untapped niche for unsweetened tea since the beverage tough to find. Somehow supermarket chain buyers or store managers are convinced everyone wants sweet teas or funky flavored teas and thus do not order enough inventory of the unsweetened tea. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy flavored or lightly sugared teas such as peach Snapple iced tea or even an Arnold Palmer half and half. But please start stocking more unsweetened iced tea. I don’t always have time to brew my own!

Brewing Iced tea at home

When it comes to having time to brew my iced tea at home with my iced tea maker, I usually opt for a brand out of Seattle known as Barnes and Watson. They have some tropical iced tea blends that are out of this world. They are based out of Seattle so I usually have to specially order the stuff online. I usually ration/reserve those teas for special occasions and cookouts. The other top iced tea for home brewing is Luzianne iced tea which is great on its own or mixed with some fresh lemonade.

My five “go to” unsweetened teas are as follows:

1. Barnes and Watson Tropical Tea (brewed from home).

2. Luzianne iced tea (brewed from home).

3. Tradewinds Unsweetened.

4. Lipton Pureleaf Unsweetened.

5. McDonald’s unsweetened tea.

Rice Krispy Treats with Peanut Butter and Chocolate

2010-04-23T12:23:00.000-05:00

A good sweet tooth treat is the rice krispy square. They are a nice break from cookies, cake, pie and any other dessert that requires longer prep time and use of the oven. These are good desserts to pack in lunches and to enjoy after dinner. Most kids enjoy them as do adults. We usually prepare a pan of rice krispy treats a few times a year for the soccer team, birthday treats for school, or simply for home enjoyment.

They taste even better when you give them a little twist by adding other ingredients to the recipe. Enter chocolate and peanut butter. Those are two ingredients that many of us like to mix in our desserts. Not to take away from the traditional Krispy treat, I occasionally embellish the recipe a little bit and add some peanut butter and chocolate. This is probably nothing new to some people, but I really enjoy this alteration of a classic sweet snack and thought worthy of mention.

Do you have to use Kellogg’s brand rice krispies cereal to make the dessert taste superb? Absolutely not. You can substitute every item in the recipe with generic and still come out with a great batch of krispy treats. I do have my limitations on how far to stretch this recipe. I will not substitute krispy or generic krispy cereal with such alterations as fruity pebbles, cocoa pebbles, cheerios, or any other cereal. I would not even recommend using Kellogg’s Special K as a rice krispy substitute due to the flat cereal not looking as esthetically pleasing as the rice shaped krispy.

Here is my recipe below:

Cocoa Krispy Treats with Peanut Butter

3 tablespoons of butter
1 (10 ounce package) of marshmallows
½ cup of peanut butter
¼ cup melted chocolate chips
6 cups of Cocoa Krispies (or cocoa rice cereal)

Method:
1. Melt butter in saucepan.
2. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
3. Quickly stir peanut butter and remove from heat
4. Microwave chocolate chips or melt in double boiler until liquid and add to peanut-marshmallow mixture stirring until thoroughly combined.
5. Add cereal to hot mixture and stir until cereal is well coated.
6. Using a spatula, spread mixture evenly across greased 13 x 9 brownie pan.
7. Cut into squares and serve!

Grilling With Cedar Planks

2010-04-20T22:07:00.001-05:00

So now the grill is up and running I through I would try an old favorite this week, grilling with cedar planks. If you have never had planked fish (or chicken), you may want to give it a try. Cooking meat on a plank is rewarding because it gives the meat a smoky flavor and the fish is cooked indirectly as the bottom of the filet is cooked by the smoldering wood plank and the top is cooked by indirect heat caused by the grill cover being closed.

Some things to keep in mind when using a plank are as follows:

1. Cooking time will double that of cooking straight on the grill grate. Fish will take you about twenty minutes.

2. Purchase planks designated for cooking. Avoid wood that is chemically treated.

3. The plank needs to be immersed in water for at least an hour prior to cooking to avoid flare ups and burn up of wood.

4. Avoid quick grill items such as steaks, burgers, and chops when plank cooking. These items need to be in contact with direct flame and they will receive no benefit from a wood plank since they cook so fast.

5. Discard plank after a few uses. Some planks may last only one time.

6. Clean plank with hot water.

I recommend grilling with cedar planks or a good fruit wood for planking your next catch of the day. The slower cooking time involved with planking will create some terrific flavors of the wood to be passed on to the meat.

Here is a picture of my Tuesday evening dinner of planked mahi mahi. I seasoned the filets with salt, pepper, and garlic and brushed fish and plank with a little olive oil. The fish was topped with a little yogurt dill sauce and served with a baked potato. Add a pilsner of choice and you are in business.

Gas Grill Maintenance

2010-04-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

I am by definition a year around griller, as grill just about every weekend from March to late November. I do like to shuffle through the snow a few times in December and January for ribs or burger fix. Every spring I like to revisit giving the grill a good cleaning and tune up. It is amazing the amount of abuse the outdoor grill can take from the weather and excessive cooking. The interior of the grill is subject to grease build-up, carbon deposits, and occasional rust. The exterior of the grill can be subject also to rust, dirt and grease if the cooking until is not covered properly throughout the year.

Before giving up on your dinosaur grill and thinking about purchasing new, think again. Revitalizing your old grill can be done rather cheaply and effectively with a few inexpensive replacement parts in addition to applying some good old fashioned elbow grease.

Cleaning Interior of the Gas Grill

First examine the gas/propane assembly and inspect for any potential leaks in the hoses. Replace hoses if worn or emitting gas smell. Also use this time to inspect your tank to see that it is full for the new grilling season. I have a little snap-on gauge that tells me the amount of fuel I have left……….nice little tool indeed.

Remove grate and inspect burner unit for wear and tear as well as checking for clogged gas vent holes. Even though the burner may be shielded from dropping grease, debris still has a way of getting into these holes. If there is grease buildup on the burner unit, gently scrape off debris and re-attach. If the burner unit is rusted out or beyond cleaning, you can easily replace it with standard replacement burner found at most hardware and discount superstores. I replaced my burner a few years back as about one third of the holes were not firing (producing flames) at all.

Take a bucket of hot soapy sudsy water and give the cooking grate and interior a good scrubbing. If the cooking grate is rusty, you may want to consider replacing as well. Some cooking grates are considered standard sized and can be found at most hardware and discount stores. If you do not find a matched size grate for your grill at the local Home Depot or Target, you may want to consult your grill manufacturer’s website to seek replacement.

Once the inside grate and walls have received a good cleaning, apply a generous amount of either peanut oil, olive oil or Pam cooking spray to the grate to keep it protected from moisture in between uses.

Cleaning the Exterior of the Gas Grill

The exterior of the grill can be just as time consuming as the interior to clean, depending upon if your grill is covered during the “off season”. My grill is about seven years old and definitely shows some age, but no rust thanks to using a cover. A dirty exterior should be scrubbed with hot soapy water. Even remove the cooking knobs and soak in hot sudsy water for hour or two. If looking to revitalize grill with newer look, consider using a heat resistant spray paint. These paints are usually found in the outdoor cooking departments of your local discount stores such as Target. Only use these paints outdoors (plenty of ventilation) and spray the outside of the grill only as this paint is pretty toxic (fumes). Make sure to mask or cover the transparent window (if your grill has one).

If you did not previously own a gas grill cover, then consider spending the ten to twenty bucks for one this year. This is money well spent to prolong the life of your grill.

Here are my basic gas grill maintenance tips that hopefully save the reader a few bucks.

Mayo Free Coleslaw

2010-04-08T13:01:00.000-05:00

As the weather starts to heat up I like to cook out more frequently on the weekends. I like to fire up the grill and enjoy the outdoors as the kids play in the backyard and I can avoid using the stove and oven creating unnecessary heat in the home. Grill food is always a treat especially when accompanied by a tasty side dish and cold beverage. One of my favorite spring and summer side dishes to serve with barbecue is coleslaw. I have had coleslaw prepared so many different ways that you really can’t mess it up. Coleslaw in essence is cabbage salad with your choice of additional vegetables and a dressing to bind the salad together. I have tasted oriental slaw, three-cabbage slaw, broccoli slaw, and many others. For years we have prepared the traditional mayonnaise based coleslaw and it is delicious as always. As with all foods, it is good to prepare and try new alternatives to traditional dishes. My father has created a mayo free coleslaw recipe that goes great with pulled pork sandwiches (as a topping), burgers and even fried chicken. I love this recipe as it holds up well to the summer heat (no fear of spoilage), and it is very nutritious. This recipe is open to adaptation of your own choosing. I enjoy a lot of colors in my slaw so I sometimes will opt for half red cabbage/green cabbage in the recipe below. Keep this mayo free coleslaw in mind for your next cookout.

Mayo Free Coleslaw

Small head of cabbage, chopped
Carrots, shredded
Celery, diced
Onion, 1 Tablespoon grated

Dressing

2/3 cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt
Pepper

Mix dressing ingredients, add more or less to your liking.

Mix dressing with combined vegetables.

Enjoy!

Greatest Mac and Cheese Recipe

2010-04-06T13:27:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Easter and having a good spring. I felt inclined to share with you all one of the greatest mac and cheese recipes handed down from my in laws that complemented a fried chicken dinner I hosted a few weeks ago. This dish is the bees knees and I highly recommend you give it a shot. Kids will also love this dish.

HomeStyle Macaroni and Cheese

6 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 ½ cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and kept warm
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in mustard and salt. Add cheeses, stirring until melted and smooth. Add macaroni, tossing gently to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Mix bread crumbs and melted butter, spread over top of macaroni. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Easter Lamb Pound Cake

2010-04-01T09:21:00.000-05:00

Spring is finally here ushering in warmer temperatures during this Holy Easter week. This time of year always reminds me of the great Easter feasts we would have at my Grandmother or Teta’s home after church. The meal usually involved a spiral ham with lots of side dishes and tons of desserts. The one dessert we all enjoyed in addition to the poppy seed cake was the annual Easter Lamb Pound Cake my dear Teta made. She and my Grandmother had the old cast iron lamb molds and would prepare several of these pound cakes every Easter. Though my dear grandmother and great aunt have passed on, my mother has fortunately kept the lamb pound cake tradition alive as she gifts all of her children a lamb every Easter Sunday. While our family enjoys these gifts from mom every year, I decided to go out and purchase one of our own lamb molds so we can prepare these for future generations of my own family. My newest acquisition is not the heavy cast iron model, but aluminum. It does a great job and seems to hold up quite well. Best of all, I found this treasure on e-bay for under $25.

Some rules to go buy when baking in these lamb molds. First, make sure you stick to using a dense cake batter such as pound cake. A regular cake or sponge cake is too airy and will fall apart easily when using the mold. A second rule is that the sky is the limit to decorating your lamb. Many people like to coat the lamb with white icing and then apply the “wool” of the lamb or in this case, coconut. This creates a very artistic lamb, though I usually pass on the frosting and coconut and simply shake the lamb with a generous coating of powdered sugar and add a few raisins for the “eyes”. I do like to rest the cake on Easter grass and sprinkle the perimeter of the lamb with jelly beans and chocolates. If you are looking for a lamb mold I highly encourage you to check out cake ware companies such as Wilton or even visit e-bay (that’s is where I found my mold). You will see a large range of prices from about $20 upwards to over a $100, depending on metal type and age. There are a few cast iron models that can be pricey, though the aluminum mold does as good a job.

For those that have the molds and do not have a recipe, I will share my tried and true method with you and wish you all a Happy Easter.

Easter Lamb Pound Cake Recipe (makes two lambs)

1 lb butter
1 lb confectioners’ sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease and flour lamb mold.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs (two at a time), flour, baking powder, and extract.
5. When well blended, pour cake batter into “face” half of lamb mold.
6. Place other half on top and place entire mold on cookie sheet and place into oven.
7. Bake for one hour.
8. Let mold cool on cake rack for five minutes and carefully remove from mold.

Tips:

1. Prior to baking make sure every crook and crevice is adequately greased to prevent cake batter sticking and causing problems when loosening from mold.

2. When batter is poured into mold, consider submersing a toothpick in the “ears” portion of the batter to strengthen their connection to the head while baking.

Classic Pepper and Egg Sandwich Recipe

2010-03-13T09:17:00.001-06:00

During the Lenten season, holy days and Fridays are considered meatless so that means a lot of fish and pasta dishes. It also means cooking with eggs more frequently. I have a regular standby Friday lunch item that I have enjoyed the past thirty or so years. It is the pepper and egg sandwich. I am not sure where this sandwich found its roots though it seems to be Italian based as many Chicago neighborhoods fancy this delectable meal as many pizza and Italian beef joints serve this up year around (not just the Easter season). I like this sandwich as it is a welcome relief from egg salad and I am a big fan of peppers (mild) and hot. I suggest you give this one a try.

Classic Pepper And Egg Sandwich Recipe

2 tbsp olive oil

4 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk or water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green pepper, julienned

1 red pepper, julienned

1 large loaf of French Bread cut into four sandwich rolls

Romano cheese

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes (Optional)

Gardinera (Optional)

½ onion julienned (Optional)

Method

1. Heat large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add olive oil, peppers and (onions and crushed red pepper if using).
3. Saute until tender, then add minced garlic.
4. Add a about a 1/3 cup of Romano cheese to the beaten egg mixture and beat together.
5. Pour egg mixture on top of sautéing vegetables.
6. Add a dash of salt and pepper
7. When eggs are cooked serve into bread and top with gardinera (optional) and additional Romano cheese if desired.

Pan Fried Trout with Dill Sauce

2010-02-26T09:29:00.000-06:00

While Czechs are known for quality pork and beef dishes, they also have a fine appreciation for seafood. Some of the more common types of fish Czech’s will enjoy include carp, trout, salmon, and occasionally cod. Trout and carp are more prevalent in Bohemian cooking given the large (and very clean) rivers and lakes in the mountains . The carp is very popular in Czech and Polish culture as it is the highlight of the Christmas Eve meal. I personally do not care for carp though I have had it prepared in the U.S and the meat itself possessed an extremely muddy flavor that could not be disguised by any amount of lemon or garlic. Perhaps I would give it a second try if I was to have it prepared “smoked” sitting down in a Bohemian or Polish restaurant.

My favorite fish on this list aside from cod would be trout. Trout is a very delicious flaky fresh water fish that can be easily prepared with simply a skillet and some fat for frying. As we are currently into the Lenten season I am excited to try out this recipe one more time as it is easy to prepare and the meal is even more delicious when served with potato pancakes or fried potatoes.

Trout with Dill Sauce (Pstruh Kopr Omacka)

4 Trout
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp flour
Salt/Pepper
Lemon wedges

Sauce

½ cup sour cream
1 tsp chives
1 tsp fresh dill cut fine
¼ tsp lemon juice

1. Prepare sauce ahead of fish by combining all ingredients into a small bowl.
2. Rinse trout under cold water and pat dry.
3. Dredge fish in flour and sprinkle salt and pepper; set aside.
4. Preheat non stick skillet over medium heat; add butter and oil.
5. When oil is melted, place trout into skillet.
6. Fry until brown then turn over. (Each side will take about three to four minutes to brown).
7. Remove trout to plates and top with Kopr Omacka (Dill Sauce) and serve with lemon wedge.

Homage to the Thin Mint Cookie

2010-02-16T17:41:00.000-06:00

Thin Mint Season

It is that time of year again in which we receive our annual distribution of six boxes of thin mints cookies sold by the local council of which our daughter is a member. There is something euphoric about gaining access to these little green boxes of heaven that can only be accessible one time a year. I am not sure the reasoning behind this torture. I am pretty sure I order one extra box every year, but the consumption is always completed within thirty days of receiving the cookies. The consumption rate is typically measure “by the sleeve” and not by the amount of cookies. To make six boxes last more than a month surely will not happen. I am often told that if these cookies were sold more than once a year, they would lose their allure. That is plain hogwash.

Thin Mints in Frozen State

In my opinion, the cookies are best enjoyed in the frozen state. Yes I will probably eat one at room temperature the minute the boxes are delivered, but the rest go instantly into the freezer. The tag alongs and all other varieties do not need to be frozen to be fully appreciated. If you want to continue the love of thin mints in the frozen state, I highly recommend a visit to the local dairy queen and check to see if your local franchise carries the DQ thin mint blizzard. It is out of this world.

The Crazy Uses of Thin Mints

I have scoured the web and cook books and see this treat being used as pie crusts, brownies, and homemade ice cream, That is fine if you want to burn up a four dollar box of cookies where the poor “once a year” cookie is merely served as a an addition and not the main event. For those types of recipes, I suggest the use of Feebler Grasshopper cookies. The Feebler variety of chocolate mint cookie while tasty is NO Girl Scout thin mint. The chocolate of the grass hopper seems thicker but more milk chocolaty. I prefer the dark chocolate of the Girl Scout cookie as well as the taste of the wafer or cookie much better. The grasshopper bodes well in these recipes however.

Where to find girl scouts thin mints

If you didn’t have a brownie or Girl Scout knocking on your door to pitch her sale this past January, you can still look to other avenues to find cookies. Google the girl scouts in your area and they will usually direct you to local council selling cookies in your neighborhood. The local grocery stores will also sometimes allow the local troop to set up card table at the entrance to the store and sell cookies. The bakeries or organization do not sell them through a website which is unfortunate. The most desperate cookie searchers will look to the auction sites such as e-bay to find greedy hawkers of tag alongs even late into the season. Such practices are devious and will only get you a stale cookie in return for your hard earned money.

Review of Cool Daddy Deep Fryer by Presto

2010-02-09T12:39:00.000-06:00

So this past weekend I decided to try out my coveted Christmas gift from my family, the presto cool daddy deep fryer. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, I am not a huge fried foods consumer as I am trying to shed a few pounds this winter. We did plan a family get together where we made a feast of fried chicken, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese and an assortment of other southern foods as that was our particular theme on Saturday. Calorie counting was not in the cards during this feast.

Overall, I think the cool daddy fryer did an amazing job cooking the chicken. I used Paula Deen’s southern fried chicken recipe which cooks the meat in peanut oil. The fried chicken was almost as good as what I experienced at her restaurant in Savannah. The fryer includes a basket that cooks about three pieces of chicken at a time. The meat is contained in a basket which lowers into the hot oil. The deep fryer has a lid that closes on the oil as it cooks to minimize oil odors and smoke in the area of cooking. I cooked this chicken up at a workstation in my garage to avoid any oil smell in my kitchen and house. The top cover even includes a little window which didn’t really make sense to me since you can’t really watch something cooking deep within the oil.

As I received this cooking gadget as a gift, I do not have a price on this though I have seen it range between $45 to $60 dollars depending upon where and how you shop. The size of this contraption is about two toasters side by side and would fit easily on most counter tops. I think this appliance can handle the job for about a family of four. If you plan on cooking for larger groups plan on a bigger fryer or even a second fryer as it took me an hour and a half to cook up sixteen pieces of chicken. (The basket is simply too small for more than a few pieces which take between ten and fifteen minutes to fry).

I would rate the ability to clean this product as fair. Though I do not believe ANY deep fryer is easy to clean as you are dealing with grease that adheres to everything associated with the gadget. Overall, the cleanup was not too bad. I even strained the oil and re-used a second time to prepare more chicken. As long as the used cooking oil isn’t too dark you should be able to get two or three uses from it before discarding or recycling.

I give this little contraption a B+ grade. I would rate it higher if the fumes were less intrusive into the cooking area. My garage took on the peanut oil odor for about thirty six hours before finally dissipating. If you love deep frying and do not have a large group to cook for, I recommend this product. I am already looking forward to making a batch of donuts in the not too distant future.

Balance of Cooking vs. Dieting

2010-02-04T12:47:00.002-06:00

My mojo for cooking has run low as a result of getting caught up in the weight loss fervor that strikes every January as part of the resolution circus. While I am carrying a little extra baggage, I am trying my best to maintain the balance of passion for cooking and exploring various ways to lose about fifteen pounds this winter. Losing weight is no easy task when several obstacles meet you along the way.

One handicap is the lovely Presto deep fryer I acquired for the holidays courtesy of my loving family. I do not partake in heavy amounts of deep fried foods but I have fantasized about making my own tasty items that I usually have to outsource to satisfy my cravings. These deep fried delectable treats include buffalo wings, fried chicken, beer batter fish fry, and donuts. Yes, all unhealthy food, but I do not eat these items every day or even every other day. They are considered more of once a week treat.

The second handicap to launching a meaningful weight loss plan is constantly being surrounded by fellow diners not partaking in the same lower calorie diet as myself. . My lean cuisine 290 calorie Panini does not quite look as tantalizing as the Jimmy John’s Italian Sub enjoyed by my associate during our conference room lunch break. It takes a lot of “will power” from leaving the frozen meal in the freezer and taking a stroll to the deli for “real food”. I would take a freshly prepared meal over frozen processed food any day, but right now I am in the business of losing about fifteen pounds over the next four months, so I choose my lunch meal to be typically a lean cuisine or smart choice type of entrée which typically maxes out at between 300 and 500 calories.

The last major hurdle to staying focused on weight loss are minimizing exposure to carb laden foods which is no easy feat since I prepare a lot of eastern European cooking. Czech and german cuisine is all about the dumplings, potatoes, and breads. That is all before the pastries arrive at the end of the meal. Good lord. This is all about portion control and perhaps a long walk after dinner.

There is a plan. I have still stuck to my culinary guns and keep cooking. The answer lies in lower quantities, more exercise, and more water consumption. I have started a slightly lower caloric daily diet for three weeks now and have managed taking off two pounds. That does not sound like a heck of a lot of weight to lose, but it is also not a painful diet to endure. I still have access to beer, ice cream and other sinful pleasures without the diet handcuffs. I guess you could say I have taken the diet at a more leisurely pace though I will cross the finish line a little later in the year. I have mixed in the addition of walking to and from my house to the train station as well as hit the gym twice a week. These calorie burning workouts and walks allow me the flexibility to still engage in a daily treat and also allow a cold brew or two on the weekends. The added benefit of walking to and from the train station is getting some fresh air and enjoying the scenery. Best of all I can still do some fun cooking though consume smaller size portions………(i.e. avoid extra helpings). I’ll get there!

How to Make Poppy Seed Filling

2010-01-28T12:19:00.002-06:00

Many eastern European pastries are based on a variety of fillings which include fruits, cheeses and nuts. One of the fillings that truly stand out with Czech and Polish baked goods are poppy seeds. As a young child I did not immediately succumb to the taste of poppy seeds when I had the pick of kolacky filled with tasty fruits such as apricot, plum and raspberry. My young taste buds at the time had no desire for any cookie or slice of coffee cake containing this thin black paste containing seeds. Our poppy seed consumers in the home were mainly mom and dad.

My spat with poppy seeds did not stop there. While attending college I worked part time in a hospital kitchen. Our particular kitchen (or hospitality) unit prepared the meals for the patients temporarily residing in the substance abuse wing. Working in an institutional kitchen, I actually learned a great deal of cooking and quickly realized hospital foods could actually be quite tasty given the right menus, management and a respectable budget. My only main mistake during my cooking tenure at the rehab clinic was preparing a batch of poppy seed muffins for the drug abuse patients. What did not occur to me is the general nature of poppy seeds coming from the opiate poppy flower. You know……..the same chemical or ingredient found in heroin and morphine. Needless to say one breakfast of poppy seed muffins set off several “false positive” drug tests as reported by the nurses later that day. Poppy seeds were no longer on the menu board in that unit.

As time goes on, my tastes evidently changed for the better as I learned to really enjoy the taste of poppy seeds aside from the use as a hot dog or hamburger bun coating. My grandmother’s recipe index contains a wide assortment of poppy seed recipes which I have had the pleasure of enjoying. I have previously posted a poppy seed cake recipe on this site that is worthy of trying for a get together of friends. I will also gladly share a simple poppy seed filling recipe that will go great as a filling for kolacky or even a roll filling. It is fairly simple.

Poppy Seed Filling Recipe

1 1/2 cup poppy seeds
1 cup cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon flour (to make roux)
1 teaspoon butter (to make roux)

Method

1. In a saucepan bring poppy seeds, cream, sugar, honey, vanilla and cinnamon to a boil
2. Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking for five minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Add combination of flour and butter and continue simmer for two minutes.
4. Remove from heat and cool down for use.

Well Stocked Kitchen Pantry

2010-01-21T14:51:00.002-06:00

There are items that every kitchen cabinet/pantry must always have on hand to get you through lean times or times when you cannot make it to the store for a day or few days. This rule is even more important for those that live in rural areas for which they may endure volatile weather during the different seasons that make a trek to the grocer an impossible task. Hear me out now. These are my personal “must haves”. You may have a list of your own that is close to this or entirely different. We all have our favorites.

Must have dry goods

1. Flour – Flour makes breads, dumplings, sauces, and thickens. You have a very common basic ingredient here that you should always keep a large canister of flour on hand. Just make sure you rotate your flour so you do not have any old stuff on hand. Also keep it tightly sealed if not in the original packaging.

2. Sugar – Another baking staple. I would make sure you have plenty of white and brown sugar on hand to satisfy your baking needs. Having little or no brown sugar really stinks when you what to prepare a few trays of chocolate chip cookies.

3. Peanut Butter – I would have a full scale riot on my hands if my children did not have peanut butter. Besides the lunchtime PB&J, I like to use peanut butter in marinades, egg rolls, dressings, and obviously serves many baking purposes. Always keep a LARGE jar on hand. This may be the kind of item you buy from a warehouse club if you are a member.

4. Crackers – So many uses. I like to use crackers for stuffing and soup toppings. They prove useful aids when making vegetable spreads and relishes from my summer tomato garden. Crackers are also great for cheesecake crusts and certain trifles. I recommend always keeping a box of townhouse or Ritz crackers on hand.

5. Fettucine – We love fettucine. No matter what pasta you fancy, make sure to have a few boxes on hand. It is cheap, it is easy to start a meal with a box of pasta. Just add oil, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs. If your lucky you will have some zucchini, chicken breasts and mushrooms also on hand to keep the magic going.

6. Canned Diced Tomatoes – See number #5. Diced tomatoes gets you places when you also have pasta on hand and perhaps some ground beef or chicken.

7. Mayonnaise – Yes this is held in dry goods until you crack the seal. Mayonnaise is your starter to many salads and dips. It also helps out with deli sandwiches. Always keep a jar handy.

8. Macaroni – A second pasta made this list. Why? Because the macaroni noodle is a stab le for homemade macaroni cheese, summer salads, and even making the winter time chili mac. You might want to keep two boxes of this one.

9. M&M’s (Plain) – These candies are great for spur of the moment baking. They also serve the function of curing any chocolate attack within the household.

10. Instant Pudding (vanilla or chocolate – Another dessert staple. You can crank out a trifle or quick pie with the aid of the instant pudding mix and some whipped cream. You can even make the crust with crackers.

Here is my quick list of absolute must have items for your dry goods storage. Take it for what it is worth. These items get us through some tough times. Happy cooking.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2010-01-05T13:11:00.000-06:00

I felt compelled to post a recipe created and prepared from my wife last week. She concocted this meal digging through the freezer, dry goods storage, and the spice shelf. Always try to keep an emergency store of frozen chicken and vegetables handy so you can usually avoid a last minute trip to the store or when you don’t feel up to making the trek. Having a few frozen chicken breasts on site will make meals a snap with the aid of bread crumbs, cheeses, and a assortment of herbs and spices. She quickly prepared this Mediterranean style stuffed chicken breasts that earned rave reviews from the family. I really enjoyed the flavor and moisture of the stuffing as I think it needed no sauce or gravy. Your cooking time may vary or be a little longer that what worked for us below. Our 1970’s electric oven seems to cook many items faster than what is shown in many recipes.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

4 ounces cream cheese

¼ package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

¼ cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

¼ cup real bacon bits

1 clove minced garlic

¾ cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

3 teaspoons parsley flakes

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon oregano

½ cup milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix cream cheese, spinach, artichokes, jack cheese, bacon and minced garlic in a small bowl.
3. Spread mixture onto chicken breast. Roll and secure with toothpick.
4. Mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and remaining seasonings in a small bowl.
5. Dip rolled chicken breasts into milk bath then coat with bread crumb mixture.
6. Place on greased baking sheet uncovered for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.

What to do with extra holiday cookies

2010-01-01T09:00:00.001-06:00

Okay, Christmas is over your kitchen counters are probably still littered with excess plates and boxes of cookies, candies, and bars accumulated from the previous four weeks of treat exchanging. Dear friends and family have put forth the time and effort to make these delicious treats so simply throwing away the excess goods may seem heartless and out of the question. Here are a few ideas regarding what to do with extra holiday cookies other than donating them to the local landfill:

1. Freeze – Depending upon how much freezer storage space you have, consider freezing excess treats in numerous smaller ziplock freezer bags or containers. These smaller portioned amounts of cookies will allow you to pull treats as needed and will last for months to come.

2. Work – Bringing the cookies to work immediately after the holidays is critical. You will be amazed at how quickly co-workers, vendors, and clients gobble up your unwanted excess of baked goods. Try to avoid bringing leftover Christmas cookies after the New Year holiday as this move will most likely backfire with two thirds of your work staff going on a “diet” which will most likely last about one week.

3. Kids Lunches – Pack the treats into the kid’s lunches when they return to school. (This goes with #1). This will save you a trip to the store for Oreos and other brand name cookies. The homemade chocolate chip taste better anyway.

4. Outdoor Critters – When all else fails, you may want to consider crumbling up your cookies and feeding to the birds and other critters outside. This practice is not advisable if your local critters include bears.

Happy 2010

2010-01-01T07:00:00.002-06:00

It's been a fun, yet hectic year with work, family, cooking, and blogging. I have enjoyed sharing recipes and food stories on here for the past few years and will continue to do so in 2010 with greater frequency. We all know how much family and careers use up most of our time. It is finding time for the hobbies (cooking and golf) that is the ultimate challenge. I will do my best to continue posting more Czech recipes in addition to non-czech dishes. I really should probably start a separate blog for those non-czech dishes, but do not feel it is necessary or worth the effort at this time. Hopefully my recipes on here have served you well and you enjoy stopping by my site every week.

Here's wishing you a happy 2010 with blessings for good health, prosperity, and of course....tasty meals.

The Perfect Oatmeal

2009-12-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

Okay so maybe my oatmeal is not perfect, but darn near close. The major downside to preparing and serving oatmeal is getting your audience sold on it. Usually the first thing that comes to mind with this breakfast food is a bland mushy substance that is barely fit for a horse. Beware, there are ways to dress up your oatmeal and get your morning diners excited about your offering.

One way to turn noses and taste buds back to your oatmeal is to prepare it correctly. The perfect oatmeal will not be too soupy or too pasty. Keep it covered until your breakfast crew is seated at the table. Keeping the oatmeal uncovered prior to table service will reap only a cold lifeless bowl of oats that will be a very tough sell on anyone.

Here is the key to fun breakfast of oatmeal. Introduce a variety of toppings for everyone to use on their hot bowl of oats. Our family favorite includes a topping of sautéed cinnamon apples with a little butter and milk. Don’t stop there. Offer toppings such as raisins, brown sugar, granola, berries, and milk. The “sundae bar” concept will create the perfect oatmeal and get rave reviews from everyone. In parting I offer up my oatmeal breakfast recipe. The recipe serves 4.

The Perfect Oatmeal

3 ½ cups water
2 cups rolled oats
¼ teaspoon salt

Toppings

1 large granny smith apple – peeled, cored, and sliced
1 small piece of butter – for sauté
1 cup raisins
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
¼ cinnamon sugar

Method

1. Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Sauté apples for a minute or two until tender.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over apples and sauté additional minute so apples are evenly coated.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Boil water in sauce pan or small pot.
6. Add oats and return to boil for one minute.
7. Stir constantly.
8. After one minute, remove from heat and cover.
9. Serve oatmeal in bowls with apples on top.
10. Serve side offerings of raisins, brown sugar, and milk.

Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

2009-12-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

As the weekend ended we all developed a craving for a good hearty soup for a cold winter’s day. (I was actually craving with a little southwestern flavor, so decided to make a chicken tortilla soup. The recipe is wide open for adjustments when it comes to spiciness and finishing garnishes. My garnishes include cilantro and monterrey jack cheese.

I did not use spicy peppers (jalapeno or Serrano) in my recipe below since the rest of my crew has a low tolerance for this sort of heat. If you have no limitations, I recommend adding two diced jalepenos during the sauté stage of the soup preparation. Serve with warmed tortillas or fresh baked bread.

Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounce)diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can (14.5 ounce) chicken broth
1 small can (8.5 ounce) whole kernel corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch, cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

½ bunch cilantro

tortilla strips

monterrey jack cheese, shredded

1. In a dutch oven or soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil (add jalepeno peppers if you want spicy).
2. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, black beans, and water.
3. Bring to a boil, add chili powder and ½ bunch of cilantro, reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add shredded chicken, salt and pepper.
5. Simmer for additional ten minutes and serve with garnish of tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro.

Easy Holiday Punch

2009-12-24T09:59:00.000-06:00

During the Christmas and New Year holiday, I enjoy of good cup of cheer or would I would deem a festive and easy to make holiday punch. The holiday punch is ideal for the family or gathering of friends as it satisfies many thirsty guests and keeps you beer, wine, and liquor stop from being depleted in just one evening. For this reason alone you may consider preparing an adult only and children’s punch.

There are so many punch recipes out there that are very tasty. My recipe is fairly simple and quite familiar to most. It involves the usual fruit juices, carbonation, and occasionally a little kick (that is if the guests are all adults). It is pretty difficult to mess up a punch, but there are few pointers to consider when preparing this holiday refresher. First, do not dump ice cubes into the punch bowl. There are better ways to keep your delicious punch cold such as use of an ice ring. Finally, avoid adding carbonation to your punch too early in the process. I would recommend adding the club soda or ginger ale at the first last minute or when the first guest arrives.

So are you ready to create a punch. Then let’s give it a go!

Easy Holiday Punch With Ice Ring

1 qt cranberry juice
1 qt lemonade
2 cups orange juice
1 qt pineapple juice
1 small jar of maraschino cherries (or orange slices)
2 liter bottle ginger ale (for those that want to use alcohol substitute 1 liter of vodka or light rum in place of gingerale).

1. Prepare ice block for your punch by filling a metal bowl or bundt shaped pan with water.

2. Place cherries in the bowl or bundt pan, then freeze overnight.

3. On day 2, prepare punch by combining all juices and lemonade together (everything except ginger ale) in a large punch bowl or soup tureen.

4. Just before serving, mix in ginger ale.

5. Pull ice ring out of freezer and place in punch bowl.

6. Serve with ladle.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Kolacky

2009-12-20T21:08:00.000-06:00

As Christmas week draws in, I felt the urge to bake some kolacky for the family. I went with the strawberry cream cheese variety this weekend. This kolacky recipe is similar to the other kolacky recipe on this site as the dough consists of simply cream cheese, butter, and flour producing a light flaky puff pastry when baked. The pastry will end up light in color (almost white)when baked. I do not mind the light cream cheese flour tone so I do not add anything to create a golden or yellowing effect such as egg or extra vanilla.

Give this recipe a try and remember to pinch the edges shut to avoid the pastry from unraveling. If strawberry cream cheese does not sound like the filling of your choice, you can opt for just about any fruit or nut based pie filling or jam whether apricot, plum, poppy seed or almond.

Merry Christmas to all.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Kolacky

Kolacky Dough

1 cup all purpose flour
3/8 cup cream cheese
1 stick butter

Kolacky Filling

1 small jar strawberry jam
4 ounces of cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Kolacky Preparation

1. Cream softened butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add flour.
3. Thoroughly mix dough until well blended and moist.
4. Refrigerate dough for a few hours.
5. Roll out dough to about ¼ inch.
6. Cut dough into squares.
7. Place squares on greased cookie sheet.
To make filling: beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt in mixing bowl for a few minutes at a high speed. Add lemon zest or a drop of lemon juice along with egg and vanilla. Continue mixing for another minute.

8. Spoon a small amount of cheese filling on top of each dough square.
9. Spoon a small amount of strawberry jam on top of the cheese of each dough square.
10. Fold opposite corners into center and pinch together. (This will prevent unraveling or opening during baking).
11. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
12. Cool and Serve.

Bread Pudding with Apples

2009-12-19T11:10:00.000-06:00

I found a great deal at the store for which I snagged a 3 pound bag of apples for a measly one dollar. I love cooking with apples in the fall and winter as they are easy to come at a reasonable price. I usually like to prepare these apples in the form of german apple pancake, apple pies, or even a hot apple crisp. My plans for these apples involved something different, bread pudding with apples.

The results were tasty and I recommend this as a worthy finish to your holiday dinners or get together. I recommend using day old bread cut or torn into larger pieces. If you have leftover baguettes or buns, that will work even better. You can top this pudding with sauce, though I just use a dollop of whipped cream upon serving. Also consider substituting dried cranberries in place of raisins to make the dish more holiday-oriented. Also consider immersing sliced apples into a bowl of cool water mixed with a little lemon juice until you are ready to combine with the other ingredients.

Bread Pudding with Apples

4 cups day old bread
1 cup of brown sugar
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups milk
¼ cup of raisins
¼ cup melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 11 x 7 pan.
2. In a large bowl combine bread, brown sugar, apples, and raisins (or cranberries).
3. Empty bread mixture into greased pan.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, butter, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.
5. Pour custard mixture over bread and allow to absorb into bread for a few minutes.
6. Place into oven and bake for 50 minutes or until pudding sets.
7. Serve slightly warmed with topping of whipped cream.

Chicken and Dumplings with Bisquick

2009-12-09T13:00:00.000-06:00

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I love cooking with a dutch oven. This stove top marvel creates all sorts of tasty stick to your ribs kind of meals. One of these family favorite meals is chicken and dumplings. There are so many different varieties of chicken and dumpling recipes out there. I have one that is a “cheater” recipe since it uses the aid of bisquick rather than creating the dumping from scratch with flour and baking soda. On a side note, I prefer the use of the heart healthy variety of bisquick since there aren’t any transfats in the mix. I like this recipe opposed to those chicken and dumpling recipes that have dumplings consisting of a more “noodle” or pasta consistency. Some people claim that is true chicken and dumplings, though I prefer the more bread or biscuit style of dumpling as created in my recipe. If you have a whole chicken readily available and a box of bisquick in the cabinet, I recommend you try this one. This recipe also leaves the chicken parts with bones attached, you may elect to add the step of pulling the cooked meat from the bone before re-inserting it back into stew. I skip this step and handle the bone removal at the dinner table.

Chicken and Dumplings with Bisquick

3 lb whole chicken, cut up and trimmed of fat
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 bay leaves 2
2 tablespoons parsley
2/3 cup milk
½ cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
2 and ½ cups Bisquick

Preparation

1. Place cut up chicken in Dutch oven and cover with 3 quarts of water.
2. Add vegetables, herbs, and seasonings to stock and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and continue cooking covered for about 45 minutes.
4. Remove chicken pieces and vegetables from stock and set aside.
5. Trim excess fat from stock (as much as possible).
6. Return stock to boil and add mixture of ½ cup of bisquick with half and half making a roux.
7. Whisk roux into stock stirring constantly and reduce heat to simmer which will create thickened stew.
8. Add chicken and vegetables back into dutch oven and continue simmering.
9. In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of bisquick with 2/3 cup of milk with a fork.
10. Drop the dough by spoonfuls into the chicken and vegetable stock simmering on low for additional ten minutes adding any salt and pepper as necessary to taste.
11. Cover and continue simmering for additional ten minutes.

Christmas Shopping for a Cook

2009-12-06T20:16:00.000-06:00

Early December and I have been asked by family to provide some holiday gift ideas. My first answer is pick a charity near and dear to my heart such as St Jude’s Research Center or the American Diabetes Association and makes a contribution with my name on it. (Family if you plug into my blog this month, consider this post as a big hint). My second choice is usually a kitchen gadget or anything to do with cooking. There are several good ideas out there if you would like to get the cook or chef in your family a gift. The magnitude of the gift is not necessarily material in nature but rather what addition the cook really needs for their tools whether for baking, sautéing or grilling. Cooks will also not balk at a gift certificate at their local favorite steakhouse.

Cutlery

You cannot go wrong buying the cook or chef a cutlery set or even an addition to the set. There are so many useful knives needed in the kitchen whether the chef friend needs a new chef’s knife, sharpening steel or simply a tiny paring knife. Some of the common standbys used by today’s chefs include JA Henkel’s, Wusthof, or Victorinox. These are just a few among many quality brands found at your local culinary and larger department stores. Peruse your Williams Sonoma store for additional ideas on this one.

Mandoline

These vegetable slicing gadgets are severely underrated in the kitchen. I remember working in a kitchen (country club) many moons ago creating tubs of julienne vegetables throughout the summer for various wedding receptions. Yes my mandolin prowess was mostly attributed to the julienned carrot, zucchini, and yellow squash medley, but the fun does not stop there. This tool also does great with other root vegetables and looks much nicer than the more cumbersome knife work. This is a great kitchen gadget for creating a professional looking plated side accompaniment to a filet or grilled halibut dinner.

Culinary Subscription

The cook in your life will appreciate a yearly or 36 month subscription to his or her favorite cooking niche. If you are shopping for that aunt or sister that loves to bake, consider Cooks Illustrated or Taste of Home. If you want to buy for the serious cook that loves to entertain constantly consider the food network magazine or even gourmet magazine.

Cooking Class or Workshop

No cook or wine aficionado truly knows everything about their passion of food and drink despite the years of experience in the kitchens and wine cellars. Find out his or her short comings in their craft, and enroll them into a class at a local community college or gourmet store.

Kitchen Aid Accessories

Kitchen aid mixers are the genesis of creating many good meals and baked goods in our home. This appliance is a must. If you culinary friend has a kitchen aid mixer, consider a possible gift to be a kitchen aid appliance such as pasta maker, meat grinder, or ice cream maker which will attach to the mixer. I have the ice cream maker and it is awesome. I have been eying up the grinder attachment as of late. (Family , consider this hint #2).

These are only a few ideas when trying to decide a quality cooking gift for that special cook or chef in your life. Try to avoid the easy out selections such as cook books or gift cards.

Simple Pizza Soup Recipe

2009-12-04T13:11:00.000-06:00

Now that the colder weather is here there is a greater desire for hot stovetop meals such as soup and stews. Soups are also a great way to get kids to reap the nutritional benefits of vegetables without necessarily having to eat the vegetable directly as the vitamins are absorbed into the surrounding liquid. I have a family favorite Pizza Soup recipe that we all enjoy in the winter months. The recipe is much like other pizza soup recipes you will find in cook books and other cooking websites. The common ingredients of any pizza soup is the tomatoes, Italian Seasonings, and cheese. From that point on, the composition of the soup is at your own descretion. I follow this recipe since these are ingredients I would most likely order on a traditional pizza. I strongly recommend a good loaf of Italian Bread to accompany this tasty soup.

Simple Pizza Soup Recipe

1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces) – do not drain liquid
1 can chicken broth (15 ounce)
1 cup pepperoni, chopped
½ pound Italian sausage, cooked and diced
1 ½ cup mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup water
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Method

1. Sauté onion and pepper together in large sauce pan.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to simmer and continue cooking covered for additional twenty minutes.
4. Upon serving, top each bowl with shredded mozzarella cheese.