Paella

Paella ~ "A Catalan word which derives from the Old French word paelle for pan which in turn comes from the Latin word patella for pan as well. Patella is also akin to the modern French poêle, the Welsh padell, the Italian padella, the Old Spanish padilla, the Polish patelnia, and the New Mexican Spanish puela."

"There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella [Spanish: paella valenciana], seafood paella [Spanish: paella de marisco] and mixed paella [Spanish: paella mixta], but there are many others as well. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat [rabbit, chicken, duck], land snails, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans. Most paella chefs use calasparra or bomba rices for this dish. Other key ingredients include saffron and olive oil."

From The Grill Sergeants

Paella Recipe

1 1/2 qt. chicken stock* 1 pinch saffron salt, to taste 1 lb. chicken breast, diced 8 oz. Spanish chorizo sausage 3 oz. olive oil 3 oz. ea. red and green bell pepper, diced

3 oz. carrots, diced and blanched 2 oz. Spanish onion, diced 1 tbsp garlic, minced 20 oz. short grain Spanish rice 4 ea. mussels, clams, shrimp 3 oz. green peas 2 lemons

Simmer saffron with the chicken stock and reduce to 1 ¼ quarts. Season with salt. Cut chicken and chorizo into bite-sized cubes. Sauté with olive oil in a paella pan. Add peppers, onions, carrots, and garlic; sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add the rice and toss briefly. Pour in stock and bring to boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Arrange mussels, clams, shrimp, and peas over rice and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the juice from one squeezed lemon, cover pan, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve paella in the pan with lemon wedges. *Note: Add additional stock as necessary

Text Credits: Wikipedia The Grill Sergeants
Image Credit: Wikimedia

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

How To Cook Rhubarb ~ "To cook rhubarb, cut it into inch pieces and remove the stringy peel. Cook in a glass or earthen casserole dish in the oven until it is soft, adding just enough sugar to sweeten. This will give you a splendid product. Do not use the leaves of the rhubarb. And do not cook rhubarb in tin; the mineral salt or acid content of the fruit reacts upon the metal and sets up an active poison."

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie ~ "A Strawberry rhubarb pie [folk name pie plant] is a type of tart/sweet pie made with a strawberry and rhubarb filling, and sometimes containing tapioca. It has a bottom pie crust and often a lattice-style upper crust."

"This pie is a traditional dessert in the Appalachian regions, and is part of New England cuisine."

"The filling for this pie is prepared in a non-aluminum pan. Only the stalks of the rhubarb are used, as the leaves and roots contain oxalic acid and other unknown poisons. Frostbitten stalks are also avoided as they can also be toxic. Rhubarb used in strawberry rhubarb pie is rinsed and trimmed, and can also be peeled."

"A common folk name for rhubarb is 'pie plant' presumably because it is commonly used in pies."

From Household Science and Arts by Josephine Morris

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

2 Cups Of Rhubarb 3/4 Cups Of Sugar 1 Cup Strawberries *

1 Egg 1/8 Teaspoon Of Salt 2 Tablespoons Of Flour

"Line a plate with pastry. Wash the rhubarb and cut it into inch pieces. Mix the sugar, salt, flour, and beaten egg, add the mixture to the rhubarb, put on a top crust, or lattice pastry strips. Bake the pie until the crust is brown and the rhubarb is soft. The egg in this recipe may be omitted."

*The original rhubarb pie recipe from Household Science and Arts by Josephine Morris did not include strawberries

Text Credit: How To Cook Rhubarb
Text Credit: Wikipedia
Text Credit: Household Science and Arts by Josephine Morris
Image Credits: Wikimedia Wikipedia Flickr/Wikimedia Wikimedia

Guacamole

"Guacamole was made by the Aztecs as early as the 16th century. The name comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl āhuacamolli, which literally translates to "avocado sauce", from āhuacatl [="avocado"] + molli [="sauce"]. In Spanish, it is pronounced [wakaˈmole], in American English /gwɑːkəˈmoʊliː/, and in British English sometimes /ˌwækəˈmoʊliː/."

"Guacamole has pushed avocado sales to 30 million pounds on two days a year: Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo."

"Guacamole, Spanish pronunciation: [gwa.kaˈmo.le], is an avocado-based dip that originated in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete [mortar and pestle] with sea salt. Some recipes call for limited tomato, spicy Asian spices such as white onion, lime juice, and/or additional seasonings."

"Avocados are loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and folate. They're also cholesterol and sodium free. Avocados contain 60% more potassium per ounce than bananas. This fruit is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat."

"Avocados were first cultivated in South America with later migration to Mexico. It was believed that a Mayan princess ate the very first avocado and that it held mystical and magical powers. European sailors traveling to the New World used avocados as their form of butter. Avocados were first seen in the United States in the early 1800's. California is currently the largest producer of avocados stateside. There are more than 80 varieties, with the "Hass" variety dominating the crop share. A single mature avocado tree can produce more than 400 pieces of fruit in a year."

"How to Select, Ripen, and Peel an Avocado: [Select] Look for firm avocados if you're planning on using them later in the week, otherwise, select fruit that yields to gentle pressure for immediate use. Color alone will not tell you if the avocado is ripe. Ripe fruit will be slightly firm, but will yield to gentle pressure."

"[Ripen] To speed the ripening process, place the avocado in a paper bag, and store at room temperature until ready to eat [usually two to five days]. Placing an apple together with the avocado speeds up the process even more."

"[Peel] Cut the avocado in half, slightly twist the two halves, separate, and remove the seed. Starting at the small end and remove the skin with a knife, or, if you prefer, you can also scoop the flesh out with a spoon. To retain a fresh green color, avocados should either be eaten immediately or should be sprinkled with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar."

sookie's Guacamole Recipe

3 Ripe Avocados 1 Vine Ripened Tomato 1 Long Hot Pepper 1 Lemon or 1 Lime

1 Red Onion 1 Vidalia Onion 4 Small Celery Stalks Sprinkle Of Dried Parsley

my preference is to use ripe avocados as i want to make the guacamole the same day as i get the main ingredient. i like them to be the consistency of a squeezed tennis ball. Slice and peel avocados in the [peel] manner described above. When the avocado is 'same day' ripe, ideally the skin should come off easily and in one piece per side. Mash as you would a potato. Squeeze the juice of a lemon or lime over mashed avocado. This is as much for preserving the avocado's color as well as adding flavor. To my taste the lime tends to give a more picante flavor, the lemon a subtler citrus flavor.

Dice celery, tomatoes, onions, and long hot pepper. If the pepper has red coloring rather than being completely green it will have more flavor. Be careful to remove/rinse all seeds from the pepper before adding to other ingredients. It's the seeds that pack the punch in peppers.

This is also why you want to dice the peppers after the other ingredients and also thoroughly wash your hands afterward, being careful to avoid touching your eyes to avoid contaminating them with the pepper's volatile element. It is also advised to dry your hands on a paper towel rather than a reusable cloth towel. Mix all of the above with mashed avocado and finish with a sprinkle of dried parsley. i like to serve my guacamole with Tostitos multi-grain scoops chips.


Text Credit: Wikipedia
Text Credit: USDA