Cooking and Cracker Jack

Today's interview was with John Donahue, writer for The New Yorker editor of "A MAN WITH A PAN: CULINARY ADVENTURES OF FATHERS WHO COOK FOR THEIR FAMILIES". John does most of the cooking for his wife and two daughters. He's always had a passion for food (because he loves to eat!) and his interest grew right after his daughter was born. It seemed he was spending more time in the kitchen and now he does the cooking, the prep, the menu and grocery planning and really enjoys all of aspects of cooking for his family. His book features 34 men; their favorite recipes as well as their stories, adventures and advice.

The book is not just about food; but about our changing families and lifestyles. It is also delicious entertainment for the "kitchen stool cook" as well as being an invaluable resource for new and seasoned home chefs.

Did you know that it was on this day in 1983 when "Cracker Jack" was first introduced at the Chicago World's Fair? Frederick Rucekheim and his brother Louis sold it as "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts". After they figured out a way to keep it from sticking together (a carefully guarded secret), they renamed their product after one sampler exclaimed, "That's crackerjack!", -which at the time was a colloquialism meaning "of excellent quality".

They got free publicity after the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was released in 1908 and beginning in 1912, a prize was included in every box.

Do you remember the prizes? Animals, toys, puzzles... The ones I always hoped to find were the circus wagons with a different animal in each one. I would line them up in my bedroom. Wonder whatever happened to my collection? Wonder if it would be worth anything today? I did look on line and found out that some Cracker Jack prizes are valued at more than $7000 today! Don't look for any prizes in Cracker Jack today-now you just get a paper prize with either a riddle or joke.

Some people think "Cracker Jack" was the very first junk food. What do you think? And what was your favorite Cracker Jack prize?

Advocates and Asparagus

Thirteen years ago, Brian Monaghan was given a death sentence-his doctor had found two brain tumors and he was given 3-6 months to live. While he was battling cancer, his wife Gerri was fighting on his behalf; acting as his advocate and ensuring that he received the best possible care. Together they beat the odds. Brian and Gerri share their experience and offer a road map for navigating the medical system in "WHEN A LOVED ONE FALLS ILL: HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PATIENT ADVOCATE" and I talked with them on Tuesday.


Their story is an incredible and powerful one and took me back twenty-five years ago when my daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. She was not quite three years old and I became her advocate and ally. Many of the "50 Tips" that Brian and Gerri share were things that I did as well.

• Trusting your own intuition. (I knew something wasn't right when I saw all the bruising on her legs)


• Carrying a notebook, asking questions and writing things down. (There were many different chemos, plus I had to learn to draw blood from her catheter for testing at our local path lab so I needed to know what the results meant).


• Make memories and share stories (We took a trip to Disney World during the middle of her treatment. Grandpa, Grandma, aunts, uncles and siblings and had a once in a lifetime experience!)


• Always think in terms of "we". (I didn't receive the chomo, the "pokes", the radiation-but I felt that we were fighting this battle together!).


• Celebrate the milestones. (We did that this past January when my daughter hosted a twenty-five anniversary celebration for doctors, nurses, friends and family who supported during the tumultuous time.

This book is an incredible tale of survival, love and committment and is a "must read" for everyone facing tough medical challenges.

It seems like spring as been a long time coming. One of the best "flavors" of spring is fresh asparagus. We've been sharing recipes for asparagus soup, quiche and more... When freezing asparagus remember these tips:

• Select young tender spears with tightly closed tips


• Wash thoroughly and sort by size


• Trim stalks be removing the scales with a sharp knife


• Cut into even lenghts to fit into freezer containers.


• Blanch small spears for 1 1/2 minutes; medium spears for 2 minutes; and large spears for 3 minutes. Cool and drain well.


• Pack spears into freezer containers and freeze. Or for smaller amounts, freeze on cookie sheets prior to placing in containers
  
  

Small Batch Baking

What is it?

My Book Nook guest today was author and food writer, Debby Maugans who has perfected the art of "small batch baking". Her newest cookbook, "SMALL BATCH BAKING FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS", is ideal for singles, small families, college students, retirees and brides-to-be. (And for ALL chocolate lovers, as well!)

If you have ever craved chocolate, gave in to the temptation of making a whole pan of brownies, and then proceeded to polish off all (or most) of the entire thing, you'll want to get this cookbook!

Debby explained that she got the idea for the book from her daughter, who would come home from school and request a dessert (at 8pm, no less!) Debby experimented and perfected all the recipes in this new cookbook.

There are over 120 pies, cakes, tarts, muffins, cookies and scones. You don't really need any special equipment other than a mini tart pan and a mini loaf pan -which she said you can pick up in the grocery aisle. When making the cakes, you can just recycle a tin can (a 14 1/2 oz. works best). You should use a can opener that doesn't leave a sharp edge and Debby has some recommendations in her book.

I shared one of her recipes after the interview today (see below). You can also get more information at her website: http://www.smallbatchbaking.com/.

Brownie Cookies
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. well beaten egg
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
¼ c. all purpose flour
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°. Line baking sheet with piece of parchment paper; set aside. Place chocolate and butter in medium, microwave safe bowl; microwave on MEDIUM until soft, about
1 ½ minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in brown sugar; whisk in egg, vanilla, baking soda & salt until well blended. Stir in flour. Cover and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Spoon dough by Tbsp. onto baking sheet, 2” apart. Bake until cookies have puffed then flattened, about 14 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Yield: 7 cookies.

Debby says these are great for an afternoon snack, crumbled to make your own "cookies and cream" blend of ice cream-or used as ice cream sandwiches!

Salty and Sweet

You know there is much more to salt than pairing well with pepper! Besides using it as a seasoning, it also comes in handy for a wide range of other uses.
~~Salt keeps egg proteins from bonding to each other, so add 1/8 tsp. of table salt for every 2 eggs just prior to scrambling yours for breakfast.

~~Adding salt to your coffee (1/8 tsp. to the grounds for every 72 oz pot) will reduce the bitterness.
~~Add salt to your cooking water. It not only seasons your green veggies but also helps them retain their bright color. When green veggies cook in unsalted water, some of the chlorophyll molecules lose their color-enhancing magnesium atoms; this causes vegetables to turn a dull shade of olive green. Salt stabilizes the chlorophyll and helps veggies stay greener. Use 1 ½ tsp. of salt for every quart of water.

(And as I said during the show ....there is your science lesson for today!).

Here are some quick dessert tips that I shared on the show today.

· Before baking a chocolate cake from a mix, add ½ c. boysenberry jam to batter. You can also dot white frosting with the jam for a pretty effect.
· For a special ice cream sundae: blend ¼ tsp. cinnamon and ¼ tsp. ground cloves into a 12 oz. jar of hot fudge topping
· Pour thin layer of Grape Nuts cereal on bottom of dessert bowls. Slowly add your favorite prepared pudding. Top with whipped topping. In 2 hours cereal will be crunchy, 6 hours or overnight-a little softer crust.

Quick and tasty sweet treats for your family!

Congratulations and Crock Pots

Congratulations !!!
to
Jill Weisensel
winner of our "Phrase of Fire" contest
She won two (2) tickets to the Fireside Theater

to see the fantastic Johnny Cash show "Ring of Fire".

Thanks to everyone who particpated!

We had a great response.
The correct phrase was:
"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. Come see ring of Fire at the Fireside Dinner Theater"


Summer time is a great time to use the crock-pot. Your kitchen will stay cool and slow cooker cooking gives you extra free time to do other things.
Here are a few tips when using your slow cooker:

• To cook food properly and safely, fill your slow cooker at least half full, but not more than two-thirds full.


• It might be tempting to check on your dish, however, everytime you remove the lid you increase the cooking time by 20-30 minutes.


• For food safety reasons, cook and drain all ground meats. but you don't need to brown large cuts of meat beforehand.


• You can place all your ingredients in the crock the night before, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, place the crock in the slow cooker, turn it on and go! No need to preheat.


• Cleaning is a breeze if you use a slow cooker liner. Place the liner in the crock, add your ingredients and cook as you normally would. After cooking simply throw away the liner.

Have you ever tried baking potatoes in your slow cooker? One of my listeners shared this recipe:

Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Wash and prick potatoes; wrap in foil.
Fill crock pot with as many potatoes as you want.
Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 2-4 hours.

I have also used my slow cooker to make these great tasting candy treats:

Crock Pot Candy
1 (16 oz.) jar unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1 (16 oz.) jar salted dry roasted peanuts
3 pkg. (4 oz.) each German Chocolate baking bars
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips
1 (24 oz.) white almond bark
Layer into crock pot as follows: unsalted peanuts, salted peanuts, chocolate baking bars, chocolate chips, white almond bark. Cook on LOW for 2 hours. DO NOT STIR. After cooking time, stir to completely combine. Dip out onto wax paper by spoonfuls and let cool.