Spring into Coolin’ Drinks….

Spring has Sprung, Summer is close behind – time to get the IceChests out of their hibernation, clean em up and ready for fillin’…

Some tips for keep it kool:

A “Cool” Idea

To keep ice cubes from melting at a party, put them in a bowl, and then set that bowl in a larger one filled with dry ice.

Keep Your Punch Cold

Drinking punch that’s half water is never fun, but ice cubes can melt so quickly when left out in a bowl. One of the easiest ways to keep a large punch bowl cold is to make larger ice cubes, as it will take one giant ice cube much longer to melt than many little ones. To make a long-lasting, large cube, fill a rinsed-out milk or juice carton half-full with water. Then peel off the cardboard when it’s time to use.

Ice Cube Math

If you run out of ice at a party, you’re in trouble! But how do you know how much to buy? Use this simple metric. If you’re serving mostly cocktails, the average person at a party will go through 10-15 cubes. When you buy ice cubes in the bag, you will get about 10 cubes per pound.

 

Champagne lost its fizz?

Place a raisin in the glass and the last bits of carbon dioxide that remain will cling to the raisin, then be released again as bubbles. You can also try throwing a few raisins into the bottle before you make the final pour.

If I Buy This Now – How Long Will It Last????

The Lifespan of Your Produce:

Tomatoes are on sale, and they’d be great to use in that fresh

salsa you want to make for next week’s picnic. But will they still be

good? The handy list will give you a rough timeline of how long

your ripe fruits and veggies will last once you get them home

from the market.

 

UP TO THREE TO FOUR DAYS

Apricots

Artichokes

Asparagus

Avocados

Bananas

Cherries

Corn

Cucumbers

Eggplants

Grapes

Greens (lettuce, spinach,chard, etc.)

Mushrooms

Pineapples

Strawberries

String beans

Summer squash

Watercress

 

ONE WEEK OR LESS

Blueberries

Limes

Broccoli

Oranges

Brussels sprouts

Peaches

Cauliflower

Pears

Cranberries

Peppers

Grapefruit

Plums

Leeks

Tomatoes

Lemons

Watermelons

Will be adding to this list Seasonally – will make it more helpful….

Onions Make Me Cry…

Hey Foodies,

Here are some tips for keeping those evil but necessary onions around longer…

Separate Your Onions and Potatoes

Potatoes hate onions … at least until they’re cooked together.

Onions should never be stored with potatoes because moisture from the onions can cause potatoes to sprout. Onions also release gases that will alter the flavor of a potato.

Onion Color Counts

Yellow and white onions can be kept for a longer amount of time than red ones, as they have a lower sugar content. Store in an open space that’s cool and dry, and away from bright light, which can make them bitter. Don’t store them anywhere that may become damp.

Keep Onions Fresh

The sugar content in yellow onions makes them spoil quickly if they are stored closely together-who knew? The solution is to store your onions in an old (clean) pair of pantyhose, making knots in the legs so the onions can’t touch. It might look a little weird, but it works!

An Onion’s Better Half

If you need only half an onion, use the top half first, because the root half will store longer in the refrigerator (it won’t sprout).

A Second Life for Your Onion

If you have an onion that starts to sprout, place it in some soil in a pot on a windowsill and, as it continues to sprout, snip off pieces of the sprouts to use in salads. These tiny greens are flavorful and mild.

Cheezy Tips for Cheese Lovers…

All you Cheese Fanatics out there – here are some idea’s for hanging onto that expensive Cheese you just paid a small fortune for :

Extend the Life of Your Cheese

To keep cheese mold-free longer, place a piece of paper towel that has been dampened with white vinegar in the bottom of a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Add three or four sugar cubes, which will attract the mold if some does form. Make sure to use a clean knife whenever you cut the cheese.

 

Keep Your Cheeses Longer

Before you store semi-hard cheeses like Cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyere, rub the cut edges with a little bit of butter. You’ll never notice the taste difference, and the cheese will be less likely to dry out or become moldy.

 

How to Soften Cheese

To soften a piece of hardened (but not moldy) cheese, submerge it in a bowl of buttermilk for one minute. If it’s still not soft, cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight.

 

Revive Moldy Cheese

Believe it or not, cheese with a little mold on it is still perfectly safe to eat once you remove the offending areas. The easiest way to do this is to take a knife or cheese grater, dip it in vinegar, and slice the mold off. Dip the knife in vinegar after each slice-it kills the mold and prevents it from coming back.

 

Pans&Skillets…

…Always have preferred AllClad pots and pans….expensive yes, but they will be handed down thru generations to come.  However recently discovering a new product line, I’m thinking Emeril’s may be an adequate solution for home cooks who really can’t justify  a hundred bucks for  a 9 inch egg pan…

Check out  Emeril’s  Skillets for 1/3 the cost of AllCald and guess what? they ”are” made by All Clad though they are labeled with Emeril’s name and logo.  I recently picked one up on a clearance rack for $16.00  – a 12inch non-stick enamel coated skillet and it works perfectly fine….good weight, good nonstick coating on the inside, staycool handle (trademark feature of AllCald) and all for under 20 bucks.  Even though I found this on a clearance rack, even at regular price (25-35) this is still well worth the investment.

Now I’m on the hunt for more….

Vegi Platters for Parties – Go for Blanched vs Raw….

It’s proven to be a hit ! A guest at the last gig asked the hostess  “is this the caterer who used to do that delicious Asparagus we used to get at the office lunches?…save me some extra pieces…”

it had been over a year and she still remembered… gotta mean something…

So instead of loading trays or platters of raw uncooked vegi’s for your next event, why not spend a little time making them taste “memorably-good”…heres how:

Pot of water to boil – add enough kosher salt make it taste like the sea (its more than you think…)

Rinse/wash vegi (do types of vegi’s separate) – they blanch at diff times..

Get the ice-bath ready – a bowl of really cold water with ice cubes floating loosely – place near boiling water – you will be transferring the blanched vegi’s immediately into the ice bath till cold…

Then Blanch away! – small bunches of veg into boiling salted water stir (see times below) then into the ice bath till chilled ..repeat process…

Try French Beans (5-7 minutes) Asparagus (5-7 minutes) broccoli (3-4 minutes) and Sugar Snap Peas (2-3 minutes). and remember to keep the ice bath really icy and cold.

It’s good to experiment with the final texture as some prefer really crunchy vegi’s,  some like them really really cooked,  you can adjust the time in the boiling salted water to your preference…the cooking process will stop once in the ice bath…

after chilling – arrange on a platter ( i always tilt the platter slightly to let the excess water from ice bath to collect and pool to be absorbed and removed with a paper towel). Keep finished platter in the fridge til needed…

serve with your fave dipping sauce – and watch those bright vegi colors really stand out beautifully on your buffet….enjoy

Cilantro -Avocado Salsa-Easy…

Why not use that magi blender for more than cocktails – after you have mixed the drinks… fill that mixer with 1 or 2 roasted or boiled tomatillo’s, add some fresh garlic, 1/2 avocado, 2 bunches of fresh cilantro, a couple of roasted and peeled and seeded jalapenos, squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper and whirl away till smooth and beautiful bright green, taste for seasoning and heat, adjust and whirl some more and serve…
Drinks and Salsa in less than 15 minutes….really!

Note: go ahead and add the cilantro stems too - mucho flavor there!

Turkey=Roast/Grill/Fry/Whole/Breasts/Brine….yikes!!!

Decisions, Decisions,Decisions – there was a time (not too long ago) when all you had to do was buy the bird (only 2 to choose from at the market=fresh or frozen) wash it, stuff it,  and throw it into the oven for 4-6 hours…badda-bing Thanksgiving dinner is served….

Its all changed now – there are hours of cooking shows on tv with dozens of ways to do “The Perfect Turkey”… from where to buy the bird, I mean – from which farm in which state…from which breed,  of what age, …caged, free range, …organic,… tom /hen  etc…  and you havent even gotten it home yet!!!

My “best” thanksgiving dinner as actually was last year – kept it simple – 1 medium fresh bird roasted in the oven (stuffed only with herbs and aromatics – this one was for show  – the centerpiece…) and 3 turkey breasts that I brined and roasted for the masses….it was perfect!

I say “pace yourself” this is only the beginning of the hectic/chaotic Holiday Season – keep thanksgiving simple, it’s just the start of the cooking marathon you’ve been saving your kitchen skills for all year-long. You’ll be prepping, sauteing, roasting, and baking for the next 30 or so days…so relax and enjoy the commencement of Holiday Joy.

Oh! …dont forget – you have to be out there in line at your favorite BigBox Store for the Black Friday Crazys at Midnite (after dinner…).

Manners That Matter…

With the Holidays closely approaching and having to “Be Our Best” when guests arrive or when visiting and even at the restaurant, lets simmer over some of the basic stuff, things that “will” get noticed by “those-who-know”.

Ladies vs handbags – (designer or  knockoff)…never on the table or hanging on the chair back -…(options) – back of you seat (behind you) – or – on the floor slightly under chair so as to not trip-up the wait staff or the guests next to you..

Posture when seated (hey sit up straight!) … you can rest your arm or hands on the table – never elbows.  between courses- both hands on your lap or one hand on lap and the other on edge of table at the wrist.

Excusing yourself – (that pesky napkin)…Politely and quietly excuse yourself, place napkin on chair…your server may replace it with a new one to the left of your plate. When finished with meal and leaving, place your napkin to the left of your plate,  sitting neatly (no soiled areas showing).

Big NO-NO – if you have to sneeze alot or blow your nose  – take it to the restroom…PLEASE! ( and take your meds there too).

“…What Did I Just Put In My Mouth??…” – you just took a fork full of bone, gristle, or some other unwanted food item  into your mouth – DO NOT wrap in your napkin ( the server is gonna lose it when they see that roll out…) discretely remove the item onto the tine of your fork and place it back on your plate  and hide it with some garnish or other food from your plate so that you and the guests around you cant see it…(this might take some practice…)

When finished eating  – place your knife and fork at 10:00 to 4:00 ( as in clock)…tip of knife and fork at 10:00 and ends of handles at 4:00 – this tells the wait staff  – your done….

topic to be continued….

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846  / www.millenniumgourmet.com

mgcfoodie  from MillenniumGourmet.com  – sharing thoughts and idea’s with our friends in silicon valley, san jose, santa clara, los gatos, willow glen, morgan hill, gilroy, monterey  and all points in between…

Need a New Flavor ?….

A client recently asked – ….what can I flavor this Tilapia with?   It’s the only fish I’m able to eat and I’m totally bored with just lemon pepper…???

Why not explore the Spice and Dried Herbs Section of the SuperMarket – And please start with looking at the Higher-Quality products – they may cost a bit more but so worth it.

So here are some of our faves;

Tumeric -(Indian flavors)
Chipotle Chili Powder – (American Southwest inspired)

Tarragon – (Very Frenchy – kinda licorice flavor)
Oregano -(Greek Inspired)
Chinese Five Spice – (Asian flavors) has anise, cinnamon, star anise,cloves and ginger
Herbes De Provence – (French Blend) – has thyme, fennel, basil, savory and lavender

Preparation – season with your herb/spice before into the saute pan with your fave cooking oil (dont forget the salt and pepper).   Saute each side for a couple of minutes and finish with a squeeze of lemon just before removing from pan to serve …(the lemon so gently brightens all the flavors at the last-minute)

It’s all about what you personally like in tastes, flavors, and aromas – some of these may or may not work for you…wont know til’ you try.

And hey, if it doesn’t do it for your Tilapia, try these magical goodies on that old boring chicken breast that you’ve been meaning  to re-inspire.

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846  / www.millenniumgourmet.com

mgcfoodie  from MillenniumGourmet.com  – sharing thoughts and idea’s with our friends in silicon valley, san jose, santa clara, los gatos, willow glen, morgan hill, gilroy, monterey  and all points in between…