Food For A Better Life

Fang & I ordered a couple of the new Domino’s pizzas to see how they are.  We both thought that the pizzas were doughy - not quite cooked enough on either pizza.  The crust is tasty w/ the new buttery, garlic-seasoning.  Fang said there is a difference in the sauce, more richer, fresher, less processed.  I thought it was sweet, which makes me wonder about the sugar & salt content.  Domino’s gave us two packets ea. for ea. pizza of crushed pepper flakes (which are spicy) & parmesean cheese.  I added these to some of my slices.  Then, the next days I tried it cold, which came all right as well.  It has improved, though I wonder about the doughiness in the crust; are they needing to cook it longer or @ a higher temp. since revamping it?  I like that the mushrooms were fresh on the pizza instead of canned.  Fang could not tell if the pepperoni had changed or not.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 8:14 am under restaurant critique
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1/2 c. butter or margarine
1-2 T. lemon juice
2-4 egg yolks
1/4 t. salt
dash cayenne pepper

In double boiler, mix yolks & juice, then 1/3 of butter; stir constantly, preferrably w/ a whisk.  Remove from heat; add another 1/3 of butter, still whisking.  Add last of butter till fully incorporated, then add salt & cayenne pepper; return to heat, still whisking till sauce thickens.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 7:16 am under recipe
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1 c. stock or broth
2 T. flour
2 T. butter, margarine, or fat
dash salt & pepper

Melt butter & flour together; allow to brown, but be careful not to burn.  Add stock, salt, & pepper.  Whisk until smooth & thick.  Can add 1 t. worcestershire sauce to help acheive brown color & add extra flavor.  Other flavorings can be added like garlic, cream, or parsley, but the above is the traditional style.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 7:45 am under recipe
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1 - 3 T. butter or margarine
1 - 4 T. flour
1/4 - 1/2 t. salt
dash white ground pepper
1 c. milk

This basic sauce is used for the beginning of many sauces.  Making a thin style, which would mean 1 T. ea. flour & butter to the c. of milk, is used to make cream soups; a med. version, which would mean 2 T. ea. flour & butter to the c. of milk, is used in creamed & scalloped sauces, thicker versions, which would mean 3 T. butter & 3 - 4 T. flour to the c. of milk, are used in souffles & croquettes.  To the med. sauce you can add 1/2 - 3/4 c. grated cheese (start off w/ 1/2 c. 1st to see how thick it is before adding more cheese) for cheese sauce, which then can then be used in making your own mac & cheese.  The sauce needs to be creamy & smooth, so it is best to melt butter, add flour forming a white roux; whisk in milk & stir until it is glossy & even textured.  Butter makes a better sauce, if you are able to use it.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 6:55 am under recipe
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Abe’s Mediterranean Cafe is located @ 3497 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in Lakewood, CO 80227; phone: 303-988-8564, opened from 11 am to 9 pm 7 days a week.  The food is mostly Greek w/ splash of other mediterranean regional food.  When Fang & I arrived, it wasn’t too busy.  We were promptly seated & given menus.  In a short while a server, Mindy, came over & got our beverage order, a hot peach herbal tea for me & a Coke for Fang.  We started w/ an appetizer sampler (8.99) consisting of Spanakopita, Dolmas, & Baba Ghanouj w/ a side of yogurt sauce.  The Spanakopita had a real fresh spinach taste, though it was a bit small & only one wedge to share between Fang & myself.  We got 2 Dolmas, stuffed grape leaves, which were tasty, but a bit dry.  They were falling apart as we were eating them.  The Baba Ghanouj was served in a large mound w/ 8 pita wedges & had small pieces of cuke, tomato, red onion, & kalamata olives, drizzled w/ a bit of olive oil.  It had a weird metallic-smokiness flavor.  For the main course, I got Garden Veggie (7.99), a specialty sandwich on french bread that consists of lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, black olives, pickles, red onion, & provolone cheese w/ the house dressing.  It comes w/ your choice of chips, potato salad, coleslaw, or fries.  I got the tabouli for an extra 2.00.  It had lots of parsley in it, more than the couscous.  Fang got the Lamb Burger (9.99) w/  a side of coleslaw, which was a vingerette style.  They have baklava (4.50) plus other desserts.  Service was good; the food was tasty.  They also have a catering menu.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 8:00 am under restaurant critique
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This spice is an asian plant of the ginger family.  It is found in stores whole (pods or seeds) or ground.  It is used in medicines & recipes like chai, cookies, pastries, breads, cakes, curry powder, & banana recipes.  It is common in Scandinavian & Middle East cooking.  It is also used to flavor some liqueurs.  Cardamon is said to mean treasure & it is spicy, sweet, & pungent.  It is green-white.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 9:10 am under tip
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Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of many trees & shrubs that are in the cinnamomum genus which is part of the laurel family orginating from asia.  It is said to mean esteem & favor; it is spicy & sweet.  It is used as a flu preventative, a female aphrodisiac, for nausea, vomitting, flatulence (especially relating to pregnancy), cramps, diarrhea, a mild astringent, & for children it is said to help with bed wetting & sleep aid.  For cooking, it is used in teas, cides, breads, butters, cookies, pies, made into a jelly, flavor coffee, nuts & used in pickling spice mix.  It is also used as a fragrance & in potpourris.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 7:57 am under tip
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Rosemary is used to flavor lamb, chicken, veal, meat stews, soups, & herbal teas.  It is used in Italian seasoning & made into salad vinegars & sometimes is added to bouquet garnis & steeped in white wine by the Germans to use as a restorative tonic.  The meaning behind rosemary is friendship, fidelity, good luck, rememberance, & invigoration.  It is pungent herb.  It’s medicinial properties are said to be: antiseptic; a gentle stimulant & restorative; heart & liver tonic; reduce high blood pressure; relieve headaches; bad breath eliminator; improves eyes; boosts memory; helpful for disease, colds, & coughs; aids in digestive problems; treating nerves; & menstrual pains.  Topically it prevents dandruff, sore joints, is good for sallow complexions & oily/dry/irritated skin, improves circulation, & reducing wrinkles.  Putting it under your pillow is said to prevent bad dreams & anxiety.  Some people smoke it to  benefit their lungs.  It has been added to smelling salts, potpourris, & added to pin cushions to prevent them from rusting.  To grow it requires a sunny area, but will tolerate some shade.  It needs well drained soil & should be in an area where it will not freeze.  It is a perennial, is hard to grow from seeds, but you can use clippings to grow the root system in well fertilized soil.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 10:42 am under tip
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This herb has been used in Southern French cooking, particularly as part of herbs de provence which is used to flavor many types of stews & ratatouille.  Lavender can flavor fruits & I knew a chef who used it to flavor cream sauces.  It is very aromantic.  As many herbs also contain medicinial properties, lavender is said to help calm nerves (especially when mixed w/ rosemary, cinnamon, & nutmeg) through aroma therapy & ingesting.  It can be used as a mouth wash to improve gums, relieve toothaches, & reduce bad breath.  It helps relieve coughs & is stated to be an anti-paralytic.  When applied topically, it can help w/ inflammation & pain of muscles & joints, relieve mild depression, relieve bites & bruises, & improve headaches.  The meaning of lavender is suppose to be related to silence, distrust, & protection.  A foot bath can help relieve fatigue.  It can be used as an insect repellent, both be hanging sachets in closets or putting in drawers & as an application.  Lavender has astrigent properties so it can help clean cuts.  It can also be used as a facial tonic to help reduce oiliness.  It can be used as a carpet freshener when mixed w/ baking soda & rosemary.  To grow you don’t need too sunny a location is necessary & will grow in average soil as long as soil drains well.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 10:44 am under tip
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Chex Party Mix
1/4 c. margarine
1 1/4 t. seasoned salt
4 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce*
2 2/3 c. corn chex
2 2/3 c. rice chex
2 2/3 c. wheat chex
1 c. salted mixed nuts
1 c. pretzel sticks
Preheat oven to 250 degrees; in open roasting pan melt margarine in oven; add salt & worcestershire; gradually add chex, nuts, & pretzels, stirring till evenly coated.  Bake 1 hr., stirring every 15 min.  Spread on absorbent paper to cool, store in airtight container till serving.  Can be made 4 months in advance if frozen in airtight container.
Recipe from Chex

Classic Snack’en Mix
3 T. margarine or butter
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. onion powder
1 T. worcestershire sauce*
4 c. bite-size plain shredded wheat
2 c. cheese snack balls
1 1/2 c. oyster crackers or 3/4 c. pretzels
Preheat oven to 250 degrees; in uncovered roasting pan melt margarine in oven; stir in garlic salt, onion powder, & worcestershire sauce; add shredded wheat, cheese balls, & crackers, stirring till evenly coated.  Bake 30 - 35 min., stirring every 15 min.  Spread on absorbent paper to cool; store in airtight container till serving.
Recipe from Kroger

Crispix Cajun Mix
7 c. crispix
2 c. corn chips
1/2 c. cashews
1/2 c whole almonds
3 T. butter or margarine, melted
1 T. worcestershire sauce*
2 t. cajun seasoning
2 t. lemon juice
1 t. dried parsley flakes
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
In large microwave safe bowl combine crispix, corn chips, cashews, & almonds; set aside.  Stir together remaining ingredients; drizzle over cereal mixture, stirring till evenly coated.  Microwave on high heat for 4 min., stirring every 2 min.  Spread on paper towels, cool completely; store in airtight container till serving.  Microwave cooking times may vary due to microwave wattage.
Recipe from Crispix
*Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it, so if you know that vegetarians will be coming, make sure you use vegetarian version of worcestershire sauce, which is available in many markets.

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Filed by The Culinary Questor at 7:52 am under recipe
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