Sunday's Food Tip: Fast & Easy Fruit for Breakfast or Dessert

It’s always good to include more fresh fruit in your daily menus. Summer is the perfect time to do that. Load up on juicy peaches and luscious blueberries at the farmer’s market, then try the following fast and easy mixed fruit dish as part of a leisurely Sunday brunch. It also makes a light and refreshing summer dessert.



Slice or dice a few peaches (about 1/2 to 1 peach per person). Wash 2 cups of fresh blueberries. Mix the sliced peaches and blueberries together.

Fill individual serving bowls with the mixed fruit. Top each one with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and some freshly grated nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Saturday's Food Tip: The Power of Grapefruit Juice

A frosty glass of grapefruit juice seems like such a healthy way to start the day. And, for many people, it is. But if you take daily medications and wash them down with a morning glass of grapefruit juice, this might not be such "a good thing."

Our neighborhood newspaper recently included a tip about medications and grapefruit juice. You probably already know this if you take medications on a regular basis, but it's good information for anyone to know.

According to Baptist-Lutheran Medical Center in Kansas City, grapefruit juice "effects enzymes in the liver where drugs are metabolized. As a result, grapefruit juice can boost or diminish the concentration of a drug in the body, strengthening or weakening its effects. For instance, grapefruit juice could increase the effectiveness of certain blood pressure-lowering medications, and a patient’s blood pressure could get too low and create complications."



Grapefruit juice can also alter the effects of certain cholesterol-lowering medications, blood thinners, antibiotics, and some hormone therapies.



Not all medications are affected by grapefruit juice. But just to be on the safe side, always take your pills with a glass of water. Also, be sure to read the printed information the pharmacist gives you about the side effects, warnings, and general instructions for your particular medication.

Friday's Food Tip: Flavored Coffee-Shop-Coffee to Make at Home

Some days you feel like you LIVE at the coffee shop. Other days, you want a delicious flavored coffee, but you don’t want to trek on down to the coffee shop to get it. When that’s the case, try this rich flavored coffee-shop-coffee you make at home. No fancy equipment or ingredients needed.



CINNAMON MOCHA CAFÉ

1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. non-dairy creamer
1 1/2 c. nonfat dry milk
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1 c. instant coffee

Blend the sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container for storage.

For each serving, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the mixture to 1 cup of water in a coffee mug. Put the mug in the microwave and heat for 1 minute or so on HIGH. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and some freshly grated nutmeg, if desired.

Thursday's Food Tip: Easy Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Love the taste of sun-dried tomatoes but hate the high cost of such a gourmet treat? Then make your own.

Well, sort of. Instead of sun-drying tomatoes outside, dry them inside in your oven.



First, be sure to get the proper tomatoes for drying. I like to use about 20 plump Roma (Plum) tomatoes for drying, but cherry tomatoes work well, too.



Set your oven to 200 degrees F. Slice the tomatoes in halves. Scoop out the seeds with your fingers or a fork. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven for several hours (about 5 to 6, but longer, if necessary – see EXTRA TIPS below) turning it occasionally so all of the tomatoes dry evenly.

The tomatoes are done when they are dried but are still slightly plump. Allow them to cool at room temperature.

Once the tomatoes have cooled, put them in a jar or other container that has a tight fitting lid. Pour enough oil olive into the jar to cover the tomatoes. Put the lid on the jar very securely. Store the tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

EXTRA TIPS:

If you have a convection oven (which is what I use for this) use it and the tomatoes will dry much faster. Keep checking the tomatoes periodically after a couple of hours.

Some directions for oven-dried tomatoes include marinating the tomatoes in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and parsley before drying them. This gives the tomatoes a rich flavor, but will increase the drying time to about 16 hours or longer. Once the tomatoes have been in the oven for a few hours, keep checking them to determine when they are dried but not leathery.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Enjoy Tempting Treats at Home and Abroad!

Part of the fun when traveling is trying all sorts of different foods. But even before anything new touches your lips, you can enjoy the sights and smells of many tempting treats. It’s such fun to stroll past the pastry shop windows in Barcelona, Spain, for example. You’ll see many elaborate sweets you just don’t find in the United States.



Venture inside one of these quaint little shops and you’ll also notice hard candies in herbal flavors like sage and lemon verbena. Since these items pack well (just don’t let them get too hot or they'll melt), buy a few in each flavor for your candy dish back home. That way, family and friends can sample them, too.

And here’s a simple, light cookie that would look right at home among all the elaborate sweets in European pastry shop windows, yet you can easily make these yourself, no matter where you live.



CHOCOLATE CHIP MERINGUES (makes about 6 dozen)

2 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, and beat until the mixture is stiff. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Line cookie sheets with heavy brown paper or use a silicone baking mat. Drop meringue mixture by teaspoonfuls into small mounds. Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes, reducing heat to 250 degrees if cookies begin to brown too much.

Let the meringues cool. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

TIP: For best results, make these on a clear day.

Three Angels Gourmet Co. Makes GOURMET NEWS!

GOURMET NEWS "the business newspaper for the gourmet industry" is published monthly by United Publications, Inc. According to the information available at the company web site 23,100 members of the trade rely on its active monthly reporting of the news affecting the retailing and distribution of specialty foods and related products. Subscribers to GOURMET NEWS include independent gourmet stores, upscale supermarkets and department stores, specialty food distributors, and other key industry professionals.

Each month this newspaper is available online at the GOURMET NEWS website and free printed copies are mailed to subscribers.



The August 2005 issue of GOURMET NEWS features an article about the Three Angels Gourmet Co. blog.

Thank you, GOURMET NEWS!

Tuesday's Food Tip: Make This "Garden Pizza"

Try this "Garden Pizza" right now in mid-summer, when you can gather most of the ingredients straight from your garden (or load up on them at the farmer’s market) - sweet orange and yellow peppers, juicy red tomatoes, and basil so fresh it will take your breath away.



Start with a single-serve prepared pizza crust like Boboli, or some flatbread. I prefer a flatbread-wrap type bread called Flatout. You'll need one single serving Boboli or one piece of Flatout per person.

Use a pastry brush to spread the Flatout, or pizza crust, with a light coating of olive oil, then put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 to 7 minutes.

While the crust is in the oven, take a few pieces of fresh garlic and saute them in olive oil. Then, remove them from the oil and mash them in a bowl with a fork. Add about 1/2 cup of softened cream cheese to the garlic and mix together well. This will be enough cheese mixture for about 4 individual pizzas.

Remove the pizza crusts from the oven. Cover the top of the crusts with the cream cheese mixed with garlic, spreading it out evenly over each pizza. Next, for every two pizzas, cut an orange pepper and a yellow pepper into thin strips, slice a ripe tomato, and tear a few fresh basil leaves into small pieces. Place all these items onto the top of the pizza crusts (as shown). Grate a little Parmesan cheese over the vegetables and add a little freshly ground pepper. Put the pizzas in the oven for about 15 more minutes until the cheeses melt. Serve immediately.

Monday's Food Tip: Grill Some Fruit!

When you’ve got the grill all fired up for the main course, save some heat for dessert. Many fruits are perfect for grilling, particularly stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and apricots. And they make a delicious dessert served over ice cream.

To grill, simply slice the fruit in half, remove the pit and place the fruit cut side down directly on the rack over the coals. Wait for grill marks to appear, turn the fruit over and continue cooking. Remove the fruit from the heat as soon as it’s tender (and before it falls apart).

Extra Tip: When you can easily insert the tip of a knife into the fruit, it's done.


Here are a couple of more elaborate grilled fruit recipes to try:



GRILLED PEACHES
From BRILLIANT FOOD TIPS AND COOKING TRICKS
By David Joachim

Divide 4 pitted and sliced peaches among four 8" pieces of foil. Top each with 1/4 of a vanilla bean (or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract), 1 teaspoon chopped crystallized ginger, and 1 teaspoon each, unsalted butter, honey, and orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier). Wrap the foil around its contents, sealing tightly. Grill over a medium-hot fire 5 minutes. Serve over ice cream. Makes 4 servings.




GRILLED SUGAR-DIPPED PINEAPPLE
From HOME COOKING WITH AMY COLEMAN

1 ripe pineapple
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. grated lime zest
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. dark rum, for flambeing (optional)


Preheat the grill to HIGH.

Cut the leafy top off the pineapple, then cut off the rind. Slice the fruit into 8 or 10 even rounds. Using a pineapple corer or paring knife, remove the core from each round.

When ready to cook, place the melted butter in a shallow bowl; combine the sugar, lime zest, cinnamon and cloves in a separate bowl. Bring both bowls to the grillside. Oil the grill grates. Dip each slice of pineapple first in melted butter, then in the sugar mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the pineapple slices on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until browned and sizzling, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer the pineapple slices to plates or a platter, arranging the slices in an overlapping fashion.

If using the rum, warm it in a small saucepan on one side of the grill; do not let it boil or even become hot. Remove it from the heat and then, making sure your sleeves are rolled up and hair is tied back, light a long match and use it to ignite the rum, averting your face as you do so. Very carefully pour the flaming rum over the pineapple and serve it immediately.

Sunday's Food Tip: Serving Fabulous French Toast

M-m-m…there’s nothing quite as fabulous as a breakfast of French toast on a lazy Sunday morning. But don’t enjoy this delightful dish thinking you’re sharing a part of history with the French. There probably isn’t anything "French" about this toast made with day old bread dipped in an egg batter and then fried.

No one seems to know just where French toast got its start. But a popular story credits a man named Joseph French, owner of a roadside tavern near Albany, N.Y. in 1724, with inventing this breakfast favorite.



Next time you prepare French toast for family or guests, sprinkle each plate with a little ground cinnamon before adding the toast. The plates will look fabulous. Why, even Joseph French would be impressed!

Saturday's Food Tip: Adding Pineapple to Gelatin

Fruit flavored gelatin is cool and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. And most children enjoy this simple treat.



The easiest way to "jazz up" fruit flavored gelatin is to fold in some fresh or canned fruit to the mixture before it completely sets. But did you ever wonder why most gelatin packages tell you to avoid adding pineapple? Well, that’s because pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that prevents the gelatin from jelling.



There’s a way to get rid of the bromelain. Before you add the pineapple or juice to the gelatin, heat them. The heat will destroy the enzyme and the gelatin will set as usual.

Friday's Food Tip: Try Truffles!

Want to serve an elegant, yet easy, dessert? Try truffles. The chocolate kind, that is. Not the fungi. These rich and creamy bite-sized indulgences are really quite simple to make. The secret is to buy the best chocolate you can afford.

For 25-30 basic chocolate truffles you will need:

4 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped in small pieces

4 oz. good quality semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped in small pieces

6 T. unsalted butter, cubed

2 tsp. instant coffee crystals dissolved in 3 Tbsp. warm water

1 Tbsp. of your favorite liqueur (optional)

COATINGS (Any or all of the following):

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Toasted, finely chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts

Finely chopped sweetened coconut

Very fine graham cracker crumbs

Powdered sugar


Melt both chocolates, butter, and instant coffee liquid in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in the liqueur. Pour chocolate mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm (at least 1 hour).

Use a melon ball scoop or a couple of teaspoons to mold the cold chocolate mixture into truffles.

Put each of the coating items in a separate shallow plastic container that has a lid. Place each truffle into any one of the coatings and roll it around until covered (Hint: When you have 5 or 6 truffles in any one of the coating mixtures, put the lid on the container and gently shake it until the truffles are completely coated).

Store the truffles in an airtight container (in a single layer) lined with parchment paper. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.



Other Truffle Recipes to Try:

Peanutty Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Orange Truffles

Toasted Almond White Chocolate Truffles

Thursday's Food Tip: Be Choosy About Melons

Ah! Don’t you just love summer, when markets are stocked with fresh melons of all types – cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, not to mention some of the other more exotic varieties of these luscious fruits? But you need to be choosy when selecting a melon. Here’s how.



WHEN CHOOSING A MELON:

Look for hard melons, with no soft spots.

Weigh a few melons that are about the same size. Choose the heaviest one.

Give the melon a good slap with your palm. You should hear a hollow ring. If you hear a dull thud, put the melon back.

Gently shake the melon. If seeds rattle, the melon is probably overripe.

Look for melons that are paler on the bottom, which means they were ripened on the vine (instead of picked early and ripened in shipment).

Enjoy!

Wednesday's Food Tip: The Pleasure of Plantains

Plantains, known as "cooking bananas," are grown commonly in West Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Perhaps you’ve never had the pleasure of eating plantains because you didn’t know how to cook them. If that’s the case, try this simple recipe for Plantains Cuban Style. It makes an excellent side dish served with black beans and rice.

We prepared plantains this way at one of the monthly meetings of the Kansas City Culinary Club. They were delicious! I think Trish, the president of the club, got this recipe from the September 1971 issue of Gourmet magazine. Hmm…looks like I’m not the only one who clips recipes from magazines and newspapers and files them away for later use. But a good recipe is always a good recipe, no matter how old it gets.


PLANTAINS CUBAN STYLE

Let 3 large plantains stand for several days until they blacken on the outside and are soft to the touch. With a sharp knife, carefully split the peels lengthwise. Cut off both ends, and slip off the peels. In a skillet, brown the plantains on both sides in 1/2 stick (1/4 c. butter). Sprinkle them with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon and add 1/2 cup sherry.

Cook the plantains gently, covered, until the sugar caramelizes. Serve immediately.

Tuesday's Food Tip: Presto! It's Pesto!

Pasta with a basic pesto sauce is a casual dinner to enjoy any time. But it’s particularly nice eaten outside on a warm summer evening. The beauty of pesto is you don’t have to cook it. Just pop a few ingredients into your blender or food processor and - Presto! It’s pesto!



For a delicious pasta and pesto dinner, simply cook some of your favorite pasta and drain it (but save some of the water for making the pesto – see recipe, below). Make the pesto, then pour some of it onto the pasta and mix the two items together. Grate a little extra Parmesan onto the pasta, if desired. Serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and a glass of your favorite wine.

Here’s a recipe for traditional Basil Pesto, taken from the cookbook, EVERYDAY ITALIAN, by Giada De Laurentiis.




BASIL PESTO

2 c. (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
About 2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste.

The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

And here’s the SECRET to making pesto into a great pasta dressing. "Mix in just enough of the pasta cooking liquid to get the pesto to coat the pasta, but not so much that you’ve created pesto soup," says De Laurentiis. She also says that while traditional pesto is a green sauce made with pounded basil and pine nuts, "these days any uncooked sauce that’s easy, quick, and pureed can be called a pesto."

Look for additional pesto recipes in her cookbook.

Monday's Food Tip: Try This Meatless Main Dish - Eggplant Lasagne

Chicken, pork chops, steaks, burgers, and hot dogs – all foods we love to grill (and eat) in the summer! But summer is also a good time to try a meatless main dish once in awhile, when fresh vegetables are so readily available.



This eggplant lasagne is a delicious (and low fat) way to serve vegetables as a main dish for dinner. Try it some evening when you're tired of grilled meats.


EGGPLANT LASAGNE (Serves 8)

1/2 c. fat-free chicken broth

3 c. sliced mushrooms

1 c. chopped onion

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. fat-free ricotta cheese

2 egg whites

1 medium (1 1/2 lbs.) eggplant

8 uncooked lasagne noodles

2 c. low-fat spaghetti sauce

1/2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9x2 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat broth to boiling in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in broth for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion and bell pepper are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Mix ricotta cheese and egg whites in a medium bowl. Slice off the top and bottom of eggplant and discard. Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.

Spread half of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of pan. Top with half of the eggplant strips, half of the mushroom mixture, and 4 uncooked noodles. Spread with ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining eggplant, mushroom mixture and noodles. Spread with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more, or until bubbly and light brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Sunday's Food Tip: Make It with Mint

It wouldn’t be summer without fresh mint in pots on the front porch and in the garden. Mint is so easy to grow, it has such a wonderful fresh scent, and it can be used for all sorts of things. Next time you're thinking of creating a special dish, or even an arrangement for your table, you might want to "make it with mint."



Here are some easy ways to use mint:

Put a few fresh mint, spearmint, or peppermint sprigs in a teapot with your favorite tea. Let steep for 2-3 minutes and serve.

Use sprigs of mint as a pretty garnish for a special dessert.

For a casual arrangement for your dining room or kitchen table, fill an attractive glass or ceramic pitcher, vase, or other container with water. Add several long sprigs of fresh mint (being sure to strip away any mint leaves that would be covered by the water). The mint will add color to the room and will scent the air, and it even helps keep ants away.

Pot your favorite mint in a pretty container on your front porch to provide a welcoming fresh scent to anyone who comes to visit.

Add chopped mint leaves to scrambled eggs, omelettes, quiches, or souffles.

Mix mint in with your regular tabbouleh recipe for a refreshing summer salad.

Add mint to cooked peas, carrots, or potatoes at the end of the cooking process, then discard the mint leaves before serving the vegetables.

Make frozen mint cubes to use in many of your favorite foods and beverages. Finely chop some mint sprigs, then stuff them into ice cube trays, and fill each section of the tray with water. Freeze. When frozen, empty the trays into freezer bags. Use the mint cubes for iced tea or other beverages, or put a few cubes in your favorite casserole or stew.




Some mint recipes to try:

Iced Tea with Mint and Orange Juice

Mint Jelly

English Mint Sauce

Saturday's Food Tip: Getting a Good Deal at the Farmer's Market

Have you visited your local farmer’s market or city market yet this summer? It makes for an enjoyable Saturday morning, and you’re sure to find a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, honey, and even baked goods. My husband and I enjoy visiting the City Market, here in Kansas City, on the weekends. But we’ve learned that everything we see there isn’t necessarily a "good deal."



The trick to getting a good deal at your local farmer’s market is to know what you’d pay at your local grocery store for the same items you’re likely to find at the market. Cherries that sell for $4.50 a pound at the farmer’s market, for example, might go for $4.00 a pound at your favorite grocery store. So, before you decide to make a trip to the farmer’s market, go to the grocery store (or at least get one of the store’s weekly sales flyers in the newspaper) and write down the prices for the fruits and vegetables you want to buy at the farmer’s market. That way, once you get to the farmer’s market, you’ll know if those cherry tomatoes really are a "good deal" at $2.00 a box.

Friday's Food Tip: Herb Butters

Since fresh herbs are so plentiful this time of year, why not make a variety of simple herb butters? You can even freeze them to enjoy in the cooler fall months ahead. Use these tasty butters on everything from grilled steaks, fish, and chicken, to cooked vegetables. And don’t forget to slather some on a big chunk of fresh bread.




To make herb butters, chop the herbs very fine. Cream the butter, then blend in the herbs and seasonings. Roll the herb butter into a log – or see our earlier food tip and use them to make molded butter pats.

Wrap the butter log in waxed paper. Store in the refrigerator, or put in the freezer (for up to 6 months).

Try the following herb butter combinations:

HERBAL BUTTER

2 sticks softened butter
1 Tbsp. chopped, fresh green basil
1 Tbsp. chopped, fresh marjoram
1 Tbsp. chopped, fresh chives
1 tsp. chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

PARSLEY HERB BUTTER

1/2 c. softened butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. chopped basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
Pepper to taste

ROSEMARY BUTTER

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 sticks softened butter

Experiment with other herbal combinations to create your own special herb butters.

Thursday's Food Tip: Really Easy Rosemary Foccacia

It's really easy to make Rosemary Foccacia if you have a package of white bread mix. Of course, I prefer Angel Cloud White Bread Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co., but any white bread mix (that makes one loaf of white bread) will work.

Serve the foccacia with an olive oil bread dipper for an appetizer, or with a pasta main dish.



You'll need:

1 pkg. Angel Cloud White Bread Mix
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary (or 2 Tbsp. Fresh)
1 tsp. coarse salt
Olive Oil



To make the foccacia:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add the active dry yeast and stir until dissolved, then let set for a few minutes. Gradually add package of Angel Cloud White Bread Mix and stir until it forms a workable dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for a few minutes. Place dough back into mixing bowl. Oil the top of the dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dry dish cloth. Let the dough rise to almost double in bulk in a warm place (about 30 minutes).

On the lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Place the dough on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Brush liberally with olive oil. Scatter the rosemary and salt on top. Puncture the dough with a fork to keep it from bubbling. Place it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Cut into serving pieces.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Easy Insalata Caprese

It's tomato time! And, if you're a gardener, you might be wondering what you can do with all those luscious tomatoes growing in your backyard right now. One of the easiest, yet most delicious, dishes to enjoy at the height of summer, when tomatoes are plentiful, is Insalata Caprese (named for the Island of Capri, Italy). The secret to this delightful dish is using only the freshest ingredients.



When served with fresh bread and a glass of chilled white wine, Insalata Caprese makes the perfect summer lunch. Here’s all you need:

2 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes that are red, juicy and flavorful and have never been refrigerated (Get them at your local farmer’s market if you don’t have your own backyard vegetable garden)

8 to 10 leaves of fragrant young basil (Again, check for basil at your farmer’s market if you don’t grow your own)

1 lb. good quality fresh, moist mozzarella (The best mozzarella for this dish is made from buffallo milk – mozzarella di bufala – but that’s hard to find, so cow’s milk mozzarella – mozzarella fior di latte – works well for this, too)

1/4 c. genuine extra-virgin olive oil



To make the salad:

Slice the fresh mozzarella and the tomatoes into rounds. Alternate slices of mozzarella and tomato on a platter (or individual salad plates), overlapping them for effect.

Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle them over the slices of tomato and mozzarella.

Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil.

That's it! I told you it was easy.

Tuesday's Food Tip: Stuck on Silicone

You either love Martha Stewart or you loathe her. Either way, you’ve got to give the woman credit. She knows her way around the kitchen and uses only the best ingredients, cooking tools and accessories.



I first learned about fiberglass-reinforced, nonstick, heatproof, silicone pastry mats (Silpat was the brand she used) watching one of her cooking shows years ago. When I saw how cookies (perfectly baked with no burnt bottoms) slid off a baking sheet lined with Silpat, I just had to try this for myself. I ordered one of these flexible mats from the Martha Stewart website.

Suddenly, the only thing stuck on silicone was ME.

These baking mats are also perfect to use when rolling out dough for pies. And, whether you’re using the mats for baking cookies or pastries, food slides right off the cookie sheet.



Today, kitchenware stores across the country carry all sorts of silicone baking products including muffin tins, cake pans, spatulas, and whisks, etc. These items can withstand high temperatures and don’t crack or melt. And foods baked in silicone rarely burn.

Try one of these flexible baking pans for yourself. My guess is, the only thing stuck on silicone will be YOU!

Monday's Food Tip: Go Nuts Over Almonds!

Almonds are a healthy snack and add nutritional value to all sorts of other dishes. In fact, did you know that, ounce for ounce, almonds are the most nutritionally dense nut? A one-ounce serving (about a handful) of almonds is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of protein and fiber, and also contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

So go nuts over almonds and add more of these tasty little treats to your daily diet. Try these simple recipes:



Sugared Almonds

1 Tbsp. egg white
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 cups sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk the egg white until foamy. Add sugar and whisk until white, but not stiff. Fold in almonds to coat. Spoon almonds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool almonds before serving. Store them in an airtight container for up to one month.


ALMOND BUTTER

Almond butter makes a hearty and delicious topping for bagels or muffins. You can find it ready-made in grocery stores, but it’s easy to make yourself.

Grind together 1 cup roasted almonds and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender. Add 3 tablespoons almond or vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream. Blend until almost smooth. Makes 3/4 cup.


ALMOND CROUTONS

Add these crunchy croutons to a green salad just before serving, or sprinkle them on steamed vegetables.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss 2/3 cup slivered almonds with 2 teaspoons olive oil in a shallow baking pan. Arrange almonds in a single layer in pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown, tossing once.

Sunday's Food Tip: Limoncello - Lemon Liqueur

Last summer in Sorrento, Italy, I bought several cute little bottles of a tangy lemon liqueur called Limoncello. I used many of the smaller bottles of limoncello for gifts when I got home. Of course, I kept a few of the larger bottles for my husband and myself, and we have enjoyed them all year long.



True Limoncello is made only in Sorrento. But, if you can’t go to Italy this summer, buy some of the best lemons you can find and make a tangy lemon liqueur yourself that tastes very much like true limoncello.

Here’s the recipe: Limoncello

I haven’t tried this one yet, but doesn’t Limoncello Cream sound delightful?

Saturday's Food Tip: Make Ice Cream in a Coffee Can

Did you know July is National Ice Cream month?

Make this delicious frozen treat yourself this month. You don't even need an ice cream freezer. You just need a couple of coffee cans. And, if your kids have run out of interesting things to do this summer, let them make tonight’s dessert. They'll be thrilled!



My sons loved to make this ice cream in a can when they were growing up. They still enjoy making it now that they’re adults (I do, too). There’s just something magical about putting a bunch of liquid ingredients into a coffee can and rolling the can around to create ice cream, I guess. Plus, there’s a real sense of accomplishment when you open the can to reveal a delicious frosty treat you made yourself, without an ice cream freezer or any other modern day convenience.

Actually, you need 2 coffee cans (with lids) to make this ice cream. The ingredients for the ice cream will be poured into a 1 pound coffee can. But you’ll need a 3 pound coffee can, too.

For enough ice cream for 4 to 6 people you’ll also need:

1 pint of half and half
1 egg, beaten (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Variations:
For chocolate ice cream, add 2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
For strawberry ice cream, add 1/4 c. chopped strawberries

Help the children pour all of the ingredients into the 1 pound coffee can and mix well. Put the lid on the can and tape it shut with some duct tape. Place this coffee can into the 3 pound coffee can. Fill the remaining space in the 3 pound coffee can with ice and rock salt, then put the lid on this can, too.

Here’s the fun part for the kids. Have 2 children sit on the sidewalk (or the driveway) about 3 to 4 feet apart and roll the can(s) back and forth between them for about 10 minutes.

Open both cans and check to see if the ingredients in the smaller can are starting to freeze. The mixture probably won't be ready yet, but you can gauge about how much longer the children will need to roll the can(s).

Replace the lid and the tape on the smaller can, then shut the larger can and have the children roll the can(s) for another 8 or 10 minutes before checking the ingredients again.

It usually takes at least 20 minutes of rolling the can(s) back and forth for the ingredients to freeze solidly into ice cream.

Once the ice cream is fairly solid, spoon it into bowls or ice cream cones and serve. The children can garnish the bowls with fresh fruit or a sprig of mint if you're having company for dinner.

Friday's Food Tip: Fruit Centerpieces from Fanciful to Formal

Whether you’re having a casual dinner party by the pool or a more elegant affair in your dining room, fruit in fanciful or formal arrangements can be used to decorate for your upcoming event.

Wendy and Bill Owens from Granville, Massachusetts created a fun fruit arrangement for a recent dinner party. Pieces of cut fruit were put on skewers and the skewers were stuck into a head of lettuce, which was covered with kale. What a charming arrangement, Wendy and Bill! Thanks for sharing the photo with us.

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If you don’t have the time to do an arrangement like this yourself, or you want something even more elaborate, a wide variety of fruit and candy arrangements are available at Edible Arrangements. It’s amazing what these people can do with fruit. Check out all the beautiful (and delicious looking) items they offer.

For centerpieces that are a bit more formal, learn how to turn simple fruit into elegant sugared fruit displays. Click here for photos and instructions from Mary Ellen Pinkham of HGTV’s TIPical Ellen.

Sample Boxes Are Ready to Ship!

Thanks again to everyone who sent us a food tip last month. As promised, we're sending out a box of free sample products to everyone who sent us a tip that we used on the blog.

The sample boxes will ship out tomorrow, so look for yours soon if you sent us a food tip!

Happy Eating!

Attention Wholesale Gift Buyers!

"Heavenly gourmet mixes" from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. make perfect gifts, and every day we're adding more gift shops to our customer list.

The Oklahoma City Wholesale Gift Show runs July 23-25, 2005. We hope to see many wholesale gift buyers there. Send us your name and mailing address and we'll mail you a special postcard invitation for this event, redeemable at the show for a FREE full size package of our most popular gourmet food product.

We'll be sampling several of our gourmet products each day in Oklahoma City. A few days before the show, check back here at the blog for our sampling schedule.

Thursday's Food Tip: Make Your Own Irish Cream Liqueur

Irish Cream liqueur is delicious served straight, or on the rocks, in a glass. But my favorite way to enjoy it is in hot coffee, with a generous (okay, VERY generous) topping of whipped cream and a light dusting of cocoa powder.

Next time you’re hosting a dinner party, or just having friends over for coffee, make your own Irish Cream Liqueur. You won’t save money by concocting this creamy beverage yourself, but you will feel incredibly clever and your guests are sure to be impressed.



IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

1 3/4 c. good Irish whiskey (I prefer Jameson’s brand)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. whipping cream (straight from the carton, unwhipped)
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an attractive glass bottle and tightly cover. Store in the refrigerator. Stir before serving. Makes about 5 cups.

This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month, but it probably won't last that long!

Wednesday's Food Tip: Just for Kids - Hamburger "Cookies"

Here’s something to make with your children - just for fun - although the children will enjoy eating them. After you’ve prepared these hamburger "cookies" the children can invite their teddy bears to a "Teddy Bear Picnic" and serve them some of the hamburgers.

Don’t they look like the real thing? The bears will be very impressed.



HAMBURGER COOKIES

For each cookie you will need:

A miniature mint patty
Two vanilla wafer type cookies
Yellow powdered sugar frosting
Red powdered sugar frosting
Clear corn syrup
Sesame seeds
Optional: Shredded coconut, colored with a little green food coloring

Use a knife to spread yellow frosting (for mustard) onto the flat side of a vanilla wafer. This will be the bottom half of the hamburger bun. Set the mint patty on top of this cookie. Spread red food coloring (for ketchup) onto the flat side of another vanilla wafer. This will be the top half of the hamburger bun. Put it on top of the mint patty. Spread a little clear corn syrup onto the top bun. Sprinkle sesame seeds onto the bun and they will stick to the corn syrup.

Optional: Sprinkle a little green shredded coconut (for lettuce) onto the mint patty before topping it with the second vanilla wafer.

Tuesday's Food Tip: Simple Meat Rubs

You may have noticed a wide variety of "dry rubs" available at grocery stores and specialty food stores lately. These fragrant combinations of herbs and spices add texture, color, and, of course, flavor to everything from steaks to chicken. Sometimes though, the commercial rubs are very salty and many contain MSG, which may give some people a headache. So why not try to make your own dry rubs with whatever herbs and spices you have in your pantry or spice rack?

We grilled steaks last night for a 4th of July dinner with family. I rummaged through my spice rack and came up with the following combination of ingredients for a basic rub which was enough for about 10 steaks.

Basic Steak Rub

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
3 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. oregano
3 tsp. ground cumin

Combine the ingredients in a large, shallow baking dish. Place one steak in the dish and gently pat it down to coat the bottom side of the meat with the rub. Flip the steak over to coat the other side. Gently rub the mixture into both sides of the meat.

Repeat the process for each steak. Let the steak rest for about an hour or so, coated with the rub, then grill as usual once the steaks are at room temperature. NOTE: Throw away any of the leftover rub that came into contact with the raw meat.

Serving the Steaks: Serve steaks without steak sauce since it will overpower the rub and you will only taste the steak sauce.


OTHER HERBS & SPICES TO TRY IN RUBS:

Marjoram, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, lemon pepper, dry mustard, celery salt, red pepper flakes, Chipotle powder, etc. - experiment until you get just the right combination of ingredients for your version of the perfect rub.

Monday's Food Tip: Festive Foods for the Fourth of July

Happy Independence Day, USA! Here's to a day of parades, barbeques, and fireworks!

If a big barbeque or picnic is part of your plan for today, take a little time to create some festive food for the fourth of July. With a little imagination, you can come up with all sorts of things. Here are a couple of ideas for making fun "flag foods."

Try this "Flag Fruit and Veggie Tray" - can you identify the different fruits and veggies used for this?



Note: If you prefer white stars, peel and thinly slice a medium size jicama. Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out white stars for your "Flag Fruit & Veggie Tray."

You've probably seen, or even made, a "Flag Cake" for the 4th of July. But here's a huge "Flag Cookie."



I used a couple of packages of Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix to make the cookie. Then I covered the top of the "flag" with a thin layer of plain powdered sugar frosting, so the berries would stick to the top of the flag. Red raspberries are good for this cookie flag, too, but since I had strawberries on hand, I used those.

After you have all the berries in place, make white stripes across the flag with whipped cream in a pastry bag, or just use a big can of Reddi-wip. Use the whipped cream to make the white stars, too. Store the Flag Cookie in the refrigerator until time to serve.


ANOTHER IDEA: Red, White, & Blue Star Cookies

Dig out those larger star-shaped cookie cutters that you usually use only at Christmas time. Use them to make star-shaped sugar cookies.

Ice the stars with powdered sugar frosting - color some of the frosting blue, some red, and leave the rest white. Frost the cookies in a variety of these colors. Put red, white, and blue star shaped cookies on a plate and see how quickly they disappear.