Homemade Blackberry Jam

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WPA-era Food Posters via Huffington Post

For your entertainment, check out these WPA-era food posters that the folks at Huffington Post found in the on-line archives of the Library of Congress.

http://tinyurl.com/23xudnr









Photo courtesy of www.huffingtonpost.com

Mae's, Pleasant Ridge, Michigan

"Reinventing your neighborhood cafe." That's the tagline for Mae's, a new eatery in Pleasant Ridge which opened earlier this year in the space formerly occupied by Anna's Coffee Shop. Owners Sean and Jessica McCarthy leased the old Anna's following the death of the eponymous owner, and have updated the menu while retaining its original '50s charm.

Todd and I finally had a chance to check this place out, after driving past it many times driving northbound on Woodward. Blink, and you'll miss the joint. It's so tiny that, even as we were walking up to it, Todd kept asking where it was. It's located at 24060 Woodward Avenue in Pleasant Ridge, next door to Susan's Special Needs, a retailer of apparel and accessories for people with cancer and other special needs.

A quick review of the menu revealed a wide variety of options, from the usual breakfast items like omelettes, benedicts, and pancakes, to lunchtime favorites like deli sandwiches, burgers, and salads. On the side, Mae's features many local products, including Faygo sodas and Better Made Potato Chips. The rest of the menu features a number of unique items, including Aebelskivers (Scandinavian stuffed pancakes), potato latkes with applesauce, deep-fried Oreos, and the Portland Special sandwich, featuring chicken tenders hand-battered in a--get this--Cap'n Crunch cereal batter.

I immediately ordered a Faygo Redpop, which was served from an old school glass bottle. I'm a stickler for ice cold soda, so I asked for a glass of ice and was quickly obliged. As I perused the menu, I waivered between breakfast or lunch: do I go with my favorite breakfast indulgence, Biscuits & Gravy, or do I throw caution to the wind and order a double Butter Burger with Cheese? I flipped a coin in my mind and opted for the Biscuits & Gravy, and will simply have to return to satisfy my hanker for the butterburger. Todd went the breakfast route without question, ordering the Hippie from the Omelets & Scrambles section of the menu, with sauteed "'shrooms," onions, green peppers, spinach, and tomatoes.

My Biscuits & Gravy were served with eggs on the side, softly scrambled and melt-in-your mouth good. Ladled with a deliciously savory sausage gravy, one of my biscuits was slightly overdone while the other was absolutely perfect. They both tasted delicious, but texture was inconsistent. Taken as a whole, though, a definite thumbs up. Todd's Hippie arrived as an omelet, though he actually preferred it to be prepared as a scramble. Nevertheless, he was pleased with his order, which was chock full of sauteed vegetables and cheese, and served with a side of crispy hash browns, rye toast, and housemade jam.

At just under $18, breakfast for two at Mae's was a decent deal, given the quality of the food and service. I did not notice a single menu item over $8 or $9, so Mae's is definitely an affordable option. We'll return to Mae's for sure, provided we get there at a non-peak time--the place only has table seating for about 26, plus 8 or so stools at the counter. Also, it's open only 'til 4pm, so any visit we make will have to be for breakfast or lunch.

Check it out for yourself. For more information, visit http://www.maesdetroit.com/

Photo courtesy of http://www.maesdetroit.com/

Market Find: Snow Pea Sprouts

Last week, during a brief visit with family in Toronto, I was treated to a delicious dinner at Wah Sang restaurant in Chinatown. Amongst the feast of fried lobster, crispy chicken, squid with minced chiles, snails in black bean sauce, tofu hot pot, Yang Chow fried rice, and stir-fried noodles with assorted seafood was a plate of simple greens, sitting there--quietly, glistening slightly with a touch of oil and sprinkled with garlic. I learned these to be the sprouts of the snow pea plant, and they were delicious. They just tasted so green, which gave a nice balance to all of the meat and fish and starch we were consuming.

As I perused the stalls last Saturday at Eastern Market, I came upon a small display of these very sprouts at the Vang Family Farm stand. I snatched up a bunch and looked forward to trying my hand at them in my own kitchen. With their soft, delicate leaves and curly-queue stems, they were a picture of prettiness.

After rinsing and giving them a gentle tumble in the salad spinner, I sauteed them in some olive oil with minced garlic. With a few turns in the hot, garlicky oil, they turned a bright, bright green, and I hit them with a dash of salt and pepper. These appeared to be a little more mature than those at Wah Sang, so their stems were a bit thicker, resulting in a slightly chewier bite. Although they could've benefited from an extra minute or two in the pan, they were nonetheless delicious, especially with a light drizzle of hoisin sauce.

Not Just for Southern White Trash Anymore

I'd always had a secret crush on Pimiento Cheese, in all its southern white trash glory. Scooped from its skinny little jar and spread on a Ritz cracker, Kraft Pimiento Cheese was barely one step up from the cheesy stuff that squirted out of a can. For years, I denied myself its cheddary delicousness, refusing to give in to its low-brow charms.

And then I read the BA Foodist's column singing its praises in last December's Bon Appetit. And then I discovered that Ann Arbor's own Zingerman's, purveyor of the finest foods, has been making its own version for years. It gave me license to come out of the Pimiento Cheese closet, and repent for renouncing it all these years by converting all of my friends to its side. In my final act of repentance, I am reproducing here the recipe published by Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appetit's Foodist, with a minor tweak (of course). Knowlton's recipe (actually, his grandmother's) uses yellow and white cheddar--I prefer to use all yellow. And, I highly recommend using piquillo peppers over pimientos or red bell peppers, as they tend to be much more flavorful. Jarred, roasted piquillos can be found at Trader Joe's next to the jarred, roasted bell peppers.

Grandma Knowlton's Pimiento Cheese

1-1/2 c. finely shredded extra-sharp yellow cheddar

1-1/2 c. finely shredded extra-sharp white cheddar

1 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. diced drained pimientos from a jar, roasted red bell peppers, or piquillo peppers

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt & pepper, to taste

Mix ingredients in a medium bowl, mashing well with a fork. This can also be done in a food processor, pulsing gently until combined. Be careful not to pulse too much, or the peppers will lose their texture. Cover, chill until cold, approximately 2 hours. Serve with Ritz crackers and celery sticks.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, December 2009

Stop and Smell the Blossoms

This story is super pretentious, but bear with me. My love for zucchini blossoms blossomed on the last night of my first trip to Italy. I was in Rome, dining with two women with whom I'd just spent a week at a Tuscan cooking school, and we were celebrating our final night before we were to fly off to our respective homes the next morning--Anne back to the UK, Sandra to Australia, and I to the States. We'd just concluded a weeklong culinary holiday in Tuscany, shopping local farmers' markets and preparing stupendous meals, and in between, touring ancient walled cities and historic churches.

Since all of our flights were out of Rome, we took the train down from Tuscany just in time for one last dinner together. We settled on a little trattoria in an out-of-the-way neighborhood, and that's where I spotted them on the menu: fried, stuffed zucchini blossoms. I'd seen them in cookbooks previously, but never had encountered them at home. When they arrived on a plate in front of me, I was smitten. They were simply beautiful--crisp, lightly battered and fried, and stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs and cheese, with a hint of anchovy. They had the faint taste of zucchini, but were light and airy in texture. What a perfect dinner to end a perfect week in Italy.

Their flavor remained in my taste memory for years, and I sought them out at restaurants at home and on my travels, to little avail. Todd even tried growing zucchini in his garden, just so I could harvest the blossoms as they appeared, but our soil wasn't right for growing them, and they never quite took root.

Then, last month, while wandering through the stalls at Eastern Market, I stumbled upon a gorgeous, golden pile of zucchini blossoms at the Brother Nature stand. Located on Rosa Parks Boulevard near Temple, Brother Nature has two acres of organically-grown produce, from salad greens to flowers to herbs. I quickly snatched up a bag of blossoms and began experimenting in the kitchen. Success! My first attempt at fried stuffed zucchini blossoms tasted almost like those I had at that out-of-the-way trattoria many years ago. My return trip to Brother Nature this past weekend was just as productive, and I repeated them for dinner one night this week. Alas, this will likely be my last dalliance with the beautiful blossoms until next year. I have a tendency to overdo certain dishes to the point of getting sick of them. I don't want that to happen with these. However, should you care to give them a try, here's my recipe:

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

12-14 zucchini/squash blossoms

Batter:

2 c. flour

1/4 c. corn starch

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 c. sparking water or light beer (i.e., not dark beer--I used Miller High Life, the Champagne of Beers, 'cause I'm classy that way and that's all we had in the house)

Filling:

2 c. fresh bread crumbs

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 c. chopped fresh basil leaves

4-6 anchovy filets, chopped

1/4 c. grated parmigiano-reggiano

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Trim the blossoms, removing any long stems or blemished petals. If the blossoms are still closed, gently open them. Rinse thoroughly (dirt and/or bugs can sometimes be trapped inside the blossoms), and dry gently in a salad spinner. Set aside while you prepare the batter.

For the batter, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the sparkling water or beer, to make a batter the consistency of pancake batter. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling and stuff the blossoms.

For the filling, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, basil, anchovy, cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle olive oil slowly over the mixture, until it begins to hold together (you might not use the entire amount of oil)

Gently stuff each blossom with approximately 1 teaspoon of the filling. Depending on the size of your blossoms, you may end up with some extra filling, which is delicious sauteed in a pan and sprinkled over pasta and sauce.

Fill a deep saucepan (I used a 2-quart) with approximately 1-1/2 inches of vegetable oil, and heat to 350 degrees (or, until a small bread cube--use a small piece from the filling if you have some left--browns within a few seconds). Dip a stuffed blossom into the batter, which you've removed from the refrigerator, and place gently into the oil. You should be able to fit about 4 blossoms into the pan at a time. Fry until golden, flipping over, as necessary, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.

Makes 12-14 blossoms. I recommend two per person as an appetizer, three or four if serving as an entree with side dishes (e.g., pasta, vegetable, etc.).

For more information on Brother Nature Produce, search for them on Facebook.

Toll House Is a Very, Very, Very Fine House

Following is my go-to recipe for the most decadent chocolate chip cookies. I've taken them to parties and picnics, and people have asked whether they're bakery-made. They have the perfect proportion of chewy and crispy (chewy in the middle and crisp along the edge), and are highly addictive to the sweet tooth. The recipe is adapted from the Martha Stewart Cookbook, and is, supposedly, her daughter Alexis' favorite. I increased the chocolate chips to a full 2 cups, versus her original 1-1/2 cups.

I've made them using large (approximately 1/4 cup) and small cookie scoops (approximately 2 tablespoon-size), and have been successful with both. The large size would be fun for parties, or for packaging and selling at a bake sale. Not that I've ever had a bake sale, but I think they'd be just the perfect size.

Lexi's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted)

3-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 lb. butter, softened

3 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside (I use Silpat silicone liners instead).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended.

Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add the chocolate chips and blend until incorporated.

Drop 2-3 tablespoons of batter at a time onto baking sheets (or use desired size cookie scoop), about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, approximately 8-12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove the cookies from the pan and cool on a cooling rack.

Makes approximately 30 cookies, if using 2-3 tablespoon portions. Makes approximately 20 cookies, if using large cookie scoop.

We Be Jammin'!

Last summer, when I found myself with a bit of extra time on my hands post-layoff, my cousin Toni taught me the art of jamming. This may sound like an exaggeration (and, I assure you, it is not), but it was kind of life-altering! Who knew making and canning jam could be so easy?

When Todd and I came home with 20 pounds of blueberries from a trip to Kalamazoo last July, the prospect of jamming was at the top of my mind. Toni came by and took me to the local ACE Hardware to pick up some essential canning equipment: a big, black boiling-water canning pot, a pair of jar lifters, a wide-mouth canning funnel, and a pile of canning jars with two-piece lids (you know, the kind with a flat lid and a screw top).

We spent a long afternoon, gossipping and noshing, as Toni walked me step-by-step through the process: from sterilizing the jars and lids to processing the jam-filled jars in a hot water bath. She even clued me in on a tip for knowing when the jars are properly sealed: as the jars cool upon removal from the water bath, they will give off a very satisfying "click" sound as the flat top gets sucked in to the jar.

I took an early morning trip to Eastern Market this past Saturday to see what kind of fruit I could muster up for this season's first jam session. Unfortunately, I missed the peak of strawberry and raspberry season, so I went with the familiar blueberry. I picked up a 5-lb. box from a local farmer, and stored them at home in a cool, dry place until I could get to them today. My effort in jamming was a successful one, and I look forward to another year of enjoying delicious blueberry jam. I'll be back to the market this coming weekend to see what else I can find. Perhaps some fresh Michigan cherries.

Blueberry Jam

6-1/2 c. chopped blueberries (approximately 5 pints whole berries pulsed in a food processor)
1/2 c. water
4-1/2 c. sugar
1 box SURE JELL fruit pectin

Special equipment: boiling-water canner with rack; 9 8-oz. jam jars with 2-part lids; wide-mouthed canning funnel; jar lifter

Bring boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer.

Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water; rinse with warm water. Allow to dry on baking sheet lined with kitchen towel. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan or metal bowl. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before use.

In a food processor, pulse whole berries until roughly chopped. Do not puree. Jam should have bits of fruit.

Measure exact quantity of chopped blueberries into a 6- or 8-quart saucepot. Stir in water.

Measure exact quantity of sugar into separate bowl. Do not reduce amount of sugar.

In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar from measured amount and 1 box SURE-JELL fruit pectin. Stir pectin-sugar mixture into fruit in saucepot.

Bring mixture to full rolling boil (continues bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in remaining sugar quickly. Return to full roiling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Using canning funnel, ladle jam quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads with damp paper towel. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.

Using jar lifter, place jars on elevated rack in canner. Water must cover jars by 1-2 inches; add boiling water, if needed.

Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process jam 10 minutes.

Remove jars using lifter and place upright on towel-lined baking sheet to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration and immediate use is necessary. As the jars cool, listen for the lids to "click," indicating they have sealed properly. The flat top of the lid will be slightly concave.

Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store unopened jars in cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year. Refrigerate opened jam up to 3 weeks.

Yields 9 8-oz. jars.

This recipe is per the instructions in the box of SURE JELL fruit pectin. Other brands will vary slightly in proportions. I also picked up a box of Ball (as in Ball jar) fruit pectin, and will give that a shot the next time out.

Oh, Fiddle Faddle!

I'm a complete junkie for snack foods that combine a little sweet with a little salty. That's why stuff like Cracker Jack and Fiddle Faddle and the old Morley Candymakers' classic, Almond Pecan-dy Crunch, easily satisfy my occasional craving for something crunchy, sweet, and salty. Years ago, my brother and I experimented with a recipe for caramel corn that felt nothing short of a mad scientist's lab experiment. It seemed to have a thousand ingredients, and took all afternoon to make. Or, so it felt in my pre-teen mind. So, for years, I shied away from making it again, expecting it to be just one big headache.

Then, while thrifting one afternoon, I found an old popcorn air popper similar to the one my family had when I was a kid. It's a tower-shaped popper, the kind that you drop the kernels into, and spits the popped corn out of its spout into a waiting bowl. It even has the little attachment that's supposed to melt butter and drip onto the popcorn but never really works all that well. It inspired me to try my hand again at making my own caramel corn at home.

What I forgot was that this type of popper tends to be inefficient, spitting out dozens of unpopped kernels into the bowl along with the popped corn. I find myself repeatedly scooping up the unpopped kernels and putting them back into the popper until all have been popped. Looking back, I would have been better off buying a round, dome-shaped, popper that keeps everything contained until kernels have popped. When flipped over, the dome can even double as a serving bowl. Ingenious.

In any event, I found a recipe on http://www.epicurious.com/ that seemed like a piece of cake. Indeed, it was. Although this recipe calls for the popcorn to be cooked in a bit of oil on the stove in a large, covered saucepan, I adapted it to use air-popped popcorn, and substituted its suggested addition of peanuts for almonds. It saves a little on fat (but only a little!), and results in a delicious, crunchy, sweet-and-salty confection that rivals any of the packaged brands. And, it makes a TON of the delicious treat, for a fraction of the price.

Caramel Corn Clusters with Almonds

Ingredients:

1/3 c. popcorn kernels

1 stick butter

1-1/2 c. light brown sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 c. salted almonds

Special tool: air popcorn popper

Cook popcorn in air popper according to manufacturer directions. Set aside.

Line bottom of a large baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Melt butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring, then boil without stirring, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

Using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir salt and baking soda into caramel, then quickly stir in popcorn and almonds and stir to combine. Immediately spread mixture onto pan evenly. Cool completely, and break into clusters.

Makes about 12 cups.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet, September 2004, via http://www.epicurious.com/