Cooking Outdoors In Small Yards

If, like me, you live in a small apartment or condominium, there are certain foods that you avoid cooking, not because you don't like them, but because the smell of cooked food lingers for days after the meal has ended. We all know those foods - fish has to be the number one on my list of smelly foods, but Chinese and anything you saute that splashes fat in every direction, is up at the top of the list as well. I do cook these foods, but after scrubbing the kitchen from top to bottom afterwards, opening every window, turning on all the extractors and spraying air freshener, it kind of puts me off the next fish meal. So I was really excited by my recent purchase which means I can cook everything outside on my patio.

Like most people, we own a barbecue, and as I live in San Diego, you can cook outside almost all year round. The barbecue is fine for grilled food, but doesn't reach the high temperatures needed for meals such as stir-fries. Also, as my condo is small, my outside area is also small, so one of the super grills and stove-top combinations that you find in Sears and Barbecues Galore is simply too big. We did buy an outdoor wok at Lowe's but returned it because when we set it up on its tripod legs, it was enormous, resembling something out of War or the Worlds, and certainly not my idea of a garden feature! So after searching various barbecue stores with no luck, we finally thought that perhaps something used for camping would work, and went off to our local REI store. Sure enough we found this amazing 2-burner stove which is actually for tailgating and camping trips, but we could visualize how it would make cooking gourmet meals a snap on our patio.

The stove is Coleman's Fold N Go, 2 burner stove which cost $72.00 from REI, but I have seen it for less at Costco since then. All you need is a sturdy table to stand it on, and it has two burners that fold out flat and are fuelled by a small propane gas bottle, and you can cook any number of dishes in the same way that you would indoors. I am not sure about its simmering ability, but the heat is certainly there as it has two 20,000 BTUs in its two high performance burners and is very stable while you are cooking. When you have finished, you can simply wipe it down, fold it up and store it in a cupboard for next time. So look out neighbors, here come my curries!

Man Eats Dog

OK, I am from England and we all know that the English are big animal lovers, but how does eating a corgi help the ban fox-hunting cause? Maybe I've been in the US too long, because I am really not seeing the logic here. I am talking about the BBC article I read this morning reporting that performance artist Mark McGowan ate a corgi (which if you did not know is the breed of dog favored by the British Royal Family) on London's Resonance FM radio, accompanied by Yoko Ono.

Apparently, McGowan, who is a vegetarian, ate the corgi (or a couple of bites of corgi) to protest about Prince Philip's ill-treatment of a fox during a fox-hunt. The Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals stated that the fox did not suffer (actually I couldn't find anywhere what happened to the fox - it was being hunted by a hungry pack of dogs, so I assume that might constitute suffering?), and McGowan was pointing out the RSPCA's inability to prosecute a member of the Royal family by eating one of the Royal family's favorite type of dog. You get it?

The corgi which died of natural causes was prepared with apples, onion and seasoning and made into meatballs. I guess because McGowan is a vegetarian, he didn't know that it's not the smartest thing to eat an animal that died of natural causes - I mean, did it have a heart attack, pneumonia or some dog disease like parvo or distemper? Either way, it's creepy and I still don't see how it helps to raise awareness of the cruelty of the hunt, let alone stop it. The radio presenter was not convinced, however, that it was actually a corgi, but McGowan said it was like nothing he's seen before - it was gray and smelled funny, so yes, it must have been corgi!

Lobster Roll

Lobster crackers, seafood sets and doohickeys have been flying out of my Gourmet Fusion store this week, so I guess many people are planning seafood this weekend. The Lobster Roll recipe below is taken from the book of the same name,The Lobster Roll: {and other pleasures of summer by the beach}, which features recipes from the restaurant also called the Lobster Roll. The Lobster Roll restaurant is a famed roadside clam-bar and seafood restaurant in the Hamptons . I have never been, but the food looks delicious and if this sandwich is anything to go by, it is.

This recipe is very easy, but it calls for a large amount of lobster meat. If lobster in your area is very expensive, or you cannot deal with so many lobsters, combine a mixture of lobster meat and bay shrimp instead.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds freshly picked lobster meat, chilled and chopped into chunks, or 10 pounds live lobsters, steamed and meat removed
• 1 cup chopped celery (from 3 to 4 celery stalks), drained (when celery is chopped it tends to release its natural moisture, which can water down the lobster salad and give it a soupy consistency. To avoid this, chop the celery, wrap it in a dry clean towel or several paper towels, and place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the towel to absorb any excess moisture.
• 3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 6 hot dog buns

Recipe

In a medium bowl, combine the lobster meat, celery, and mayonnaise and gently toss until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) before serving.

Preheat a large heavy skillet over a medium flame. Lightly butter both sides of each bun and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. (The buns may also be toasted under a broiler). When toasted, stuff them with the chilled lobster salad and serve immediately.

Would You Like Chemicals or Bacteria With That?

My neighbor recently told me about a seminar she attended where a prominent doctor and several nutrition experts discussed the sorry state of the food industry in the US, and criticized the many additives, preservatives and chemical treatments used to preserve the life of food on the shelves in supermarkets and stores. We discussed this at some length and both agreed that the long term health of everyone was threatened by persistent use of preservatives and pesticides. Even organic food was not considered safe, as this appeared to slip through the net of the overseeing government bodies, leading to food scares like the recent one concerning E-coli in pre-packaged packs of spinach.

I must admit when I came to the US from England I was amazed at the long shelf-life of products which were labeled fresh and free from additives. In England, items such as eggs and milk only had a shelf life of a couple of days, certainly not months and they would "go off" in the refrigerator, if mistakenly kept for a longer time. So, obviously, food in England must be fresh and preservative free, or so you would be led to believe! While reading the BBC's website this morning, I saw an article about the practice of UK supermarkets selling food products, and what lengths they would go to in order to extend the shelf life of products. The reporter got a job as an under cover sales assistant in two of the major food chains in the UK, Sainsburys and Tesco, both in which I have shopped. The food in both these chains always looked fresh and appetizing and they sell a huge selection of meat, fish and dairy produce at reasonable prices.

According to this report, which will be aired on British TV's Whistleblower this evening, food was repackaged and relabeled if it reached its sell-by date, and often the food was re-labelled so many times that the staff did not actually know how old it was, and resorted to sniffing it, and cutting bits of it off, if it didn't look good! Staff were told to apply common sense to ascertaining the freshness of food, and one ex-manager told this reporter that food was often "tarted up" by mixing old batches of food with new. Another manager reassured the concerned reporter/sales assistant by saying that she often ate food from her own refrigerator which was well past its sell-by date, and it was fine. Well, if you choose to do that, it's up to you, but you don't really expect to be buying it when it's already stale.

So, I then have to ask myself, is this the real choice - the UK scenario of the illusion of fresh food which is not really fresh, is mishandled and sold dishonestly as safe to eat - or the situation we have here in the US where I believe the food is labeled and handled correctly, but chemically treated and preserved? At a recent Fancy Food show I attended for my Gourmet Fusion store, I spoke to many small vendors, both from the US and overseas, who had small operations such as wineries, bakeries, and beehives, who had spent years laboriously working through the red tape involved with selling food products to the general public. They produced some amazing results, and I know they would all like to sell more, but what chance do these small vendors have against the giants who appear to circumvent the rules and regulations because of their size? Maybe we need to start looking more carefully at what we buy, and vote with out feet. Incidentally, Sainsbury's have posted a response to the BBC's article on their website, but I couldn't see any response on Tesco's website.

Classic English Potato Salad

I can tell from the recent sales at my Gourmet Fusion store that it's barbecue time again. Eating outdoors is always fun, whether it's grilling a couple of steaks for two, or an outdoor gathering with a group of friends. With Memorial Day just around the corner, instead of buying the large tubs of potato salad from the supermarket, I made my own this weekend using a recipe I have had for years from one of my very first cookbooks, the The St Michael All Colour Cookery Book (Marks and Spencer), however, I have adapted it slightly using chopped chives instead of scallions. It is a really simple recipe, however, the results are always good. The potatoes used should be small, firm and waxy, so they will not crumble when you mix them with the mayonnaise. Ideal potatoes readily available in the supermarkets are Baby Dutch Yellow, Fingerlings or Baby Red.

Ingredients
Approximately 1 1/2 lbs new potatoes
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons creme fraiche (or sour cream, if creme fraiche not available)
2-3 teaspoons chopped chives 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (English or Italian) 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste

Recipe

• Scrub the potatoes clean and cook in their skins in boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain and allow to cool.
• When cool, cut the potatoes into chunks and place in a mixing bowl.
• Mix in the mayonnaise and creme fraiche.
• Add the chives, chopped parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• Carefully mix all ingredients together in the bowl adding more salt and pepper, if needed.
• When all the potatoes are evenly coated with the mixture, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of parsley or chopped chives.

If preferred, the potatoes can be skinned prior to chopping, and a little (approx 2 ounces) of cheese such as Gruyere or Emmenthal can be added to the mixture for a slightly tangy taste.

Salt and Pepper Roasted Garlic Paste

Roasted garlic is delicious and the addition of salt and pepper in this recipe makes it extra special. The flavor of roasted garlic spread is not as overwhelming as fresh garlic, and can often replace mayonnaise in many instances. The recipe below is from the excellent book Salt & Pepper.

Ingredients

4 whole heads garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 575 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel away the loose, outer, papery layers from the garlic heads. Trim off the pointy end of each head to expose the tops of the cloves (cutting off about 1/2-inch will generally be enough).
   
2. Place the garlic heads, cut sides up, in a small baking dish or garlic roaster.
   
3. Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle with the coarse salt and black pepper.
4. Roast the garlic heads until the cloves are golden brown and begin to push out of the bulb, about 45 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, let cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of heads into a small bowl.
   
6. Mash with a fork, pour the oil from the baking dish into the mashed garlic, and stir together to make a paste.

Garlic spread will keep for up to one week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. The garlic roaster shown here is available at the Gourmet Fusion store, together with other terra cotta products.

Mexican Evening Primrose (Oenothera Speciosa)

This very pretty plant is native to south western US and Mexico, and has fragrant 2-inch saucer shaped flowers. The fragrant white to pink 2-inch flowers open during the day, despite the plant's common name.



Oenothera Speciosa Facts

• Blooming Season: Spring or early summer to fall.
• Origin: Mexico and South western US.
• Location: Full sun or partial shade.
• Height: 1 foot high and three feet or more wide.
  
• Planting: Set young plants 8 - 10 inches apart.
• Watering: Little to moderate water.
  
• Tip: Good ground cover for dry slopes or parking strips, but can be aggressive and is potentially invasive.
  

Interesting Bud Vases

If you are trying to create a different look for Spring and Summer, why not update your home decor with something like this contemporary set of three matching bud vases by Shiraleah Home?

These vases create a point of visual interest and can be grouped together on a table for a larger display, or placed separately around a room to create small focal points in different areas.

The cool thing about this type of vase is that they hold only two or three small flowers and yet still create as much impact as a large vase with a much bigger display of flowers and are, therefore, much less expensive to maintain. The neutral white ceramic also co-ordinates with many different decorating styles and colors. This particular set of vases can be found at the Gourmet Fusion store and would make a great Mother's Day gift.