in-shell-pecans

The Pecan Harvest and the Weather

This article was written exclusively for Eat Like No One Else by Pearson Farm, a fifth-generation family-owned business dedicated to growing Georgia Peaches and Georgia Pecans. In this post you will learn when pecans are harvested, how they are harvested, and how the weather affects the crop. Typically harvested between October and December, pecans are …

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Pomegranates

Uses for Fresh Pomegranates

One of the strangest looking fruits you will find in your local supermarket has to be the pomegranate. The only thing more strange is the inside of the fruit, containing a membrane packed full of tiny juice sacs called arils. These are arils can have a number of different culinary uses. They can be used …

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Satsuma Mandarin

Satsuma Mandarin Oranges

One of my favorite things about winter is all the great citrus that is available. This week I was able to get my hands on a bag of Satsuma Mandarins. As the Asian name would seem to suggest these oranges orginated in Japan. Like other mandarins they are smaller than a typical orange. They look …

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altonbrown

The “Alton Brown Diet” – How Alton Lost the Weight

If anyone has seen Alton Brown lately, you may have noticed that he has dropped a significant amount of weight. In fact, some people were concerned he had some type of sickness or disease. But he actually just changed what he ate. In a recent episode of Good Eats entitled “Live and Let Diet”, Alton …

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Pinata Apple

Pinata Apples

2010 began with a nationwide release by Stemilt fruit (they also produce the seckel pears I wrote about in a previous post) of a new apple, the Pinata. In case your wondering where they are harvesting apples in January in the United States, these apples were actually harvested in October and held in a controlled …

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The Pecan Harvest and the Weather Uses for Fresh Pomegranates Satsuma Mandarin Oranges The “Alton Brown Diet” – How Alton Lost the Weight Pinata Apples

Jan
26

Michigan Made Pop (or Soda for the Outsiders)

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Today is Michigan’s 175th birthday! It was January 26, 1837 when Michigan officially entered the Union after receiving the Upper Peninsula in concession for losing Toledo. In honor of Michigan’s b-day, I wanted to do a Michigan related post. So I decided to provide a list of the pop (it’s not soda in Michigan) that is made in the Great Lakes State. There is a lot of great stuff being made here, some which you may know, some you may want to know.

Vernors
Without question, the most popular drink to come out of Michigan is Vernors Ginger Ale. The drink was invented by James Vernor. He was looking to make a ginger ale like the one made in Dublin, Ireland at the time. As he was working on his drink he was called into serving in the Civil War. When he got back, his ingredients has been aging in a oak barrel. What resulted lead to the Vernors we have today. Today, the drink is under the Dr. Pepper/Snapple brand, I don’t even know it it’s produced in Michigan still, but it’s still a Michigan original.

Faygo
I have found time and time again when someone has left Michigan, and comes back, they head to the nearest store for some Faygo! This brand is found all over Michigan and into some other states as well. Faygo began in Monroe, Michigan in 1907. The company was bought by National Beverage Corp in 1987. However Faygo is still made right here in Michigan. In recent years, they have brought back the glass bottle version using pure cane sugar. These bottles have popped up in gourmet stores and soda shops all across the country. Some of my personal favorite flavors are Grape, Rock ‘n’ Rye, and Peach.

Towne Club
Towne Club started up in the 1960s. It was unique in that you would go right to the company to buy the pop. You would take a wood case and walk around picking out different flavors. Each case fit 24 bottles. In the 1980s this practice came to an end. Towne Club was suffering on hard times for quite a while. People thought they disappeared. However in recent years they have been making a comeback in a major way. They have a newly designed glass bottle that holds 16 oz and sells for 99 cents. They have introduced 2 new flavors in the last year: Honolulu Blue Cream Soda (referring the blue in the Detroit Lions uniform) and Michigan Cherry, which contains real Michigan cherry juice. Here are the flavors I have reviewed:
Michigan Cherry
City Rush
Strawberry

Frostie’s
While not being an Michigan original, the brand was sold in 2009, to the Michigan based Intrastate Distributors Inc of Detroit (they also have the rights to Towne Club). So this brand has increased it’s presence throughout Michigan in the last couple years, especially around Christmas time where many stores (including Busch’s) carry their 4 packs of glass bottle pop. Here are the flavors I have reviewed:
Vanilla Root Beer
Blue Cream Soda
Cherry Limeade
Orange

Cherry Republic
The Straight from the Cherry Capital of the World, Cherry Republic is a company that sells nothing but cherry products from jam to jelly to of course pop. Their Boom Chugga Lugga brand has several flavors, all using real Michigan cherry juice. Those flavors include: Black Cherry Cream Soda, True Cherry Cola, Cherry Ginger Ale, Cherry, and Cherry Root Bear. Every one of these flavors is 5 star worthy. Their pop can be found at their stores in Ann Arbor, Traverse City, Glen Arbor, and Charlevoix. You cam also find them in the Michigan product section at Westborn Market in Berkeley.

Frankie’s Root Beer
Frankie’s Root Beer is a bold brew made up in one of Michigan’s top tourist locations – Frankenmuth. This root beer is made at the Frankenmuth Brewery.

Powers Root Beer
I discovered this root beer at Westborn Market in Berkeley. It was made by the Michigan Brewing Company out of Webberville. Michigander and musician Kid Rock developed a beer at this brewery. They also produce a nice, quality root beer under the name “Powers”.

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Jan
26

FAQ: Where Can I Buy Purple (or Blue) Potatoes? A List of Who Sells Them

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Question: Where Can I Buy Purple (or Blue) Potatoes?

Answer: Last winter, I wrote a post on what are some sources to purchase purple potatoes to grow in your garden. I have gotten a lot of hits on this post recently. However I think a lot of people are just searching for where to buy the potatoes, not necessarily desiring to grow them. So I decided to answer that question in a post today.

Purple potatoes are becoming more popular. People like the pretty color, plus the beta-carotene that gives the potatoes their purple color is very good for us. Here are some sources that I know of where you can get purple potatoes. I will add more to the list as I find more sources (so feel free to share where you have found them in the past). Keep in mind, the best place to check might be your local farmer’s market. A nice sized farmer’s market, should at least have one vendor selling them at some point in the year.

Source for Purple or Blue Potatoes
1. Meijer stores sell bags of Green Giant Klondike Medley. This medley includes some purple potatoes.
2. Plum Market (Ann Arbor, MI) has had purple potatoes in stock before.
3. Trader Joe’s sells bags of mixed potatoes that include purple.
4. Melissa’s Produce (http://www.melissas.com/) carries purple potatoes. Their produce can be found in stores all over the country. Check their website to see what stores carry their products. You can then contact those stores to see if they carry them.

If you are having trouble finding some, again check the Farmer’s markets and also specialty grocery stores that specialize in organic produce. They often have purple potatoes. Or you could also grow them yourself! Check out my page on sources to buy seed potatoes. I grew Adirondack Blue last year.

Want to make your own potato potato chips? Follow these instructions. Or you could purchase them already made for you from Amazon.

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Jan
24

Sprecher Ginger Ale

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Make no mistake about it, I love Sprecher. Everything I have had from this company has been amazing. Some how I keep missing their ginger ale. I finally set out to try it. On a recent trip to Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I picked out a bottle of Sprecher Ginger Ale and headed home eager to try it. I have grown up with Vernors Ginger Ale, a Michigan original. So every ginger ale I have had I naturally compare to Vernors. I knew going in this would be a different type of ale, just by reading the words on the neck of the bottle:

“Our ginger ale is a sophisticated soda, pale in color and reminiscent of a light, sparkling chardonnay. Its complex flavor is very dry on the palate, combining the bite of ginger ale with a surprising hint of oak. A truly unique taste experience. Nothing like the ginger ale you are used to!”

Never have a seen a drink that says to have a “surprising hint of oak”. I admit I never thought about wanting a drink that tastes like oak, but I am willing to give it a try.

If you are use to Vernors, this is going to be a shock to your system. It’s a more powerful, more earthy drink. It’s a bold ginger taste but not overbearing. I have had ginger ales and ginger beers that were just too much to handle. This approaches that but managed not to step over the line. The carbonation is perfect just what I like in a good soda pop. Overall I was pleased. It’s not something I would want everyday, but I might grab a bottle again somewhere down the road.

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Jan
24

Kishu Mandarins

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One of my favorite sources for citrus is Plum Market in Ann Arbor, MI. They are the second best thing to go directly to California and buying mandarins directly from a farmer’s market (which I did in 2011). So when my food budget started over again for the month of January, I headed over to Plum to see what they had in the way of citrus. I was not disappointed when I discovered another mandarin I have had not before – the Kishu. This was the smallest mandarin I have ever seen, even smaller than the Pixie. It’s not bigger than a walnut. I bought a handful to take home and try.

The Kishu belongs to a family of small mandarins that have their origins in China. The Kishua is available in the U.S. from December through February.

My Experience with this Mandarins (Rating Scale 1-10)
Seeded or Seedless: Seedless
Sweetness: 7
Acidity : 7
Flavor: 7
Juiciness: 7

It’s a nice mandarin. It’s equally balance between sweet and acidic. The flavor is a set up from the popular Clementine mandarin. It is extremely easy to peel. The segments are really small. You probably could pop the entire thing in your mouth at one time (I resisted the urge to do so). Not the best mandarin I ever had, but a good one none the less. They make a good choice for kid’s lunches and salads. Too small for juice and zesting (would be a lot of work).

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Jan
23

What to Do with Flank Steak?

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Selecting beef is the grocery store can be an overwhelming task. What can be even more overwhelming is trying to figure out what to do with that cut once you get it at home. Hopefully I can decrease your anxiety today by giving you some ideas on what to do with a flank steak.

What is a Flank Steak
A flank steak is a long and flat cut of meat. It comes from the abdominal area of the cow, located underneath the short loin. It can be a tough piece of meat if not cooked properly. But if cooked right and then sliced against the grain, then it can be one of the best things you ever ate!

Broiling a Flank Steak?
The most common thing that I do with flank steak is broil it. It’s that type of meat that needs to be cooked fast if you are using a dry cooking method. In your oven’s broiler all you need is 3-4 mintues per side and it’s dinner time. As said above it’s important to slice it against the grain (which is why I am saying it twice!). This makes it easier to chew, so more tender in your mouth.

Before I broil a flank steak, I always marinate first. Because of the way a flank steak is designed it makes for one of the best cuts of beef to marinate. I like to use some soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and garlic in my marinade. The flavors get into the meat so easily and provide a burst of flavor in your mouth.

If you run out of time to marinate, you can always try a dry rub with things like mustard seeds, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.

Flank Steak Makes Great Fajitas
Another way to use your flank steak is in making fajitas. Slice thin against the grain (third time!) along with all of your favorite fajitas fixings is a great way to go. Sunny Anderson from Food Network has a recipe for flank steak fajitas you might want to check out.

Other Flank Steak Recipes
Below you will find a list of some recipes that I found around the World Wide Web.

Rachel Ray’s Flank Steak Pinwheels
Blackened Flank Steak
Cuban Flank Steak
Slow Cooker Flank Steak Faijtas

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Jan
20

Alton Brown’s Lemon Curd (with Meyer Lemons)

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A lot of people like to associate lemons with summertime. A nice, cold glass of lemonade is the official drink of the summer. Yet when I think of lemons, I think winter. It is in the winter when lemons are in season. And it’s the only time of year when you can find my favorite type of lemon – the Meyer Lemon. These lemons are kind of a cross between a lemon and a tangerine. They still pack that lemon punch but with a sweeter and improved flavor. To me, they are the suprerior lemon. I love using them in recipes that just called for regular lemons. One of those recipes I tried out this week was a lemon curd one by Alton Brown (bet you never saw that coming!). In case you haven’t tried a lemon curd before it’s a custard that uses eggs (in this case just the yolks), sugar, and the juice and zest of lemons (or you can use other citrus family members. It’s velvety smooth and can be used for anything you would use jam or jelly for. Below you will find my notes from this recipe. For the full recipe, visit Food Network’s website.

1. Like I said in the beginning I used Meyer Lemons instead of the traditional ones. Even thought they are sweeter, I didn’t change the amount of sugar in the recipe. I found the end result to have the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

2. To zest your lemons, I really recommend this Microplane Zester. It works so well and comes with a plastic case that is perfect for collecting the zest.

3. Making lemon curd is all about technique. You need to stir, stir and stir so more. I would do this when someone else is in the house that can help you stir if your arm starts feeling like it’s going to fall off.

4. Knowing when to stop stirring takes experience. I have made custard based ice cream, tons of times, so I have an idea what thick enough looks like. It should easily coat the back of a spoon.

It’s how a few simple ingredients can make a delicious, sweet, tart, smooth, velvety treat. It’s all through the power of sugar and eggs working together along with some flavors. Now it’s time for me to come up with some good uses for the curd. The first thing I tried it with was some popovers, another simple ingredients, delicious treat. I am looking forward to experimenting using it in other ways.

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Jan
20

Where to Buy Different Colored Carrot Seeds?

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Everyone seems to associated carrots with the color orange. The orange carrot is the most common colored carrot. However it’s not the only colored carrot. You can find carrots that are white, yellow, red, gold, and purple. Sometimes you find them in specality grocery stores or the farmer’s market, but they aren’t always easy to find. Why would you bother? First, I think it’s fun to grow different colors of vegetables. If you have kids, even the more fun. Second, the flavor varies in each colored variety. It may not be so much on their own, but when you cook up a mix of a variety of colors, the flavor differences shine and just make for a more complex side dish (I looked cooked carrots!). Also the color is so visually appealing!

Last season, I grew some different colored carrots in my garden and I am planning the same this year. I have looked at different seed catalogs and I find that Johnny’s Selected Seeds seem to have the best selection, I plan on buying my carrot seeds from them. Here is a list of what they have to offer.

White Satin
These carrots are pure white in color.

Yellow Sun
These carrots are a bright yellow color. They grow a little bit shorter (6-7 in) than the other varieties listed here. They also have a rather blunt end, meaning the carrot is mostly the same thickness throughout, which is a plus for even cooking.

YellowPak
Another yellow that is more of a solid yellow, not quite as bright, but still beautiful. Said to have a good flavor.

Rainbow
This is a variety that produces different colored carrots, ranging from almost white to a darker yellow. I grew these last year and they were alright, but I want to do a little more variety in color this year. But they are a good choice if you only plan to grow one variety. You can still get different colors.

Atomic Red
This is variety is at the top of my list to grow this season. They are a beautiful red color. They are said to have a strong flavor. Typically the more orange a carrot the stronger the flavor and when you reach red, then it’s really strong. They recommend cooking these carrots to deepen color and improve the flavor.

Purple Haze
These carrots are purple on the outside but orange on the inside. The purple color will fade when cooked. For raw eating they get an “A” for presentation.

Deep Purple
These carrots are as purple as purple can get. Their color will fade some when cooked, but not completely.

Have fun this year. Give a try at growing some different colored carrots. Great for the eyes and for the tongue.

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Jan
19

Alton Brown’s Broiled, Butterflied Chicken

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I have been cooking a lot of whole chickens as of late. A local grocery store had a sale on several Saturdays in a row on whole chickens for $.69/lb. That was a deal I do not want to pass up, so I would always head off there and get my max allowed 2 chickens. I would usually freeze one and cook the other one soon after. Eventually started tiring of the same old roast chicken, so I searched out some other methods. One I came upon was Alton Brown’s Broiled, Butterflied Chicken. I have never done either of these things with chicken before, so it was the perfect idea.

I have tried this recipe twice now and both times ran into some issues, but I think my third attempt will be the charm. Read below my experiences from this recipe. You can find the entire recipe at Food Network’s website.

1) Butterflying the chicken was easier than I thought. A good pair of kitchen shears will easier help you remove the backbone. The harder part is removing the bone, so that the breast can lay flat. Alton makes it look easy in the show, but it I had to mess with it a bit to get the bone off. Hopefully with practice I will get better.

2) The first time I broiled the chicken, I did so with the rack at the lowest level. But it was still raw in the middle after the 30 minutes it says in the recipe outline. I would use my probe thermometer to get the exact temperature but in this case the broiler is too harsh of any environment for that. What I discovered when reading the first volume of Good Eats, is that the book tells you to broil it for 25 minutes, then flip and another 25, much longer than the online instructions say. This would probably solve the problems I had.

3) The second time I broiled the chicken, I read the book halfway through after being frustrated the chicken still wasn’t done even when I moved it to a higher position in the oven. Some of the skin was pretty black. I ended up having to finish it by turning the broiler off and just roasting it at 425.

4) The next time I try this I am going to follow the book and do it 25 minutes each side as well as keep the chicken on the lower rack, so I don’t blacken it.

5) Alton makes a sauce out of the chicken drippings. I haven’t tried this yet, because both times dinner was later than I wanted and I didn’t want to take the time to try it.

Sometimes with recipes, you have to work with them a bit, figure out what works for you. Don’t just give up with the first “failure”. Both times my chicken still turned out moist and juicy (especially the 2nd time as I brined it). It just took longer because I keep taking it out of the oven. But I am confident when I get it right, I will be happy with the results.

If you are a fan of a crispy skin on your chicken, then it’s worth the effort to master this recipe. You can get that crispy skin without drying out the meat underneath. So it’s a way to have your cake and eat it too.

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Jan
18

Final Episode of Good Eats to Air February 10th (Turn on the Dark)

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It what is truly a bittersweet announcement, the final episode of Alton Brown’s Good Eats will be airing on Food Network on February 10th @ 8pm. The episode entitled “Turn on the Dark” will be an hour long show on the subject of dark chocolate. This will be the 4th chocolate themed episode in the history of the series. I am disappointed that the show is coming to an end. Good Eats is what really started my passion for food and what led to this blog existing. Make sure to check out this farewell to the great food show in television history. Here are the complete list of airtimes for the episode.

February 10th @ 8pm ET/PT
February 11th @ 3am ET/PT
February 12th @ 7pm ET/PT

Check out some past reviews I have done on Good Eats episodes:
Alton’s Countdown to T-Day
The Caul of the Flower
Roll Call
The Proof is in the Bread Pudding
Devil Of A Cake

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Jan
17

What is Muscovado Sugar & How to Use It?

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I think we often don’t think about the things we buy. When was the last time you had a second thought about sugar. It’s something we just go to the store and buy, whether it be regular white granulated or brown sugar. We typically scan the shelves for the cheapest option and go with that. But there is more out there than just the regular white and brown sugar. And some of the options may be better for you. Today, I want to take some time to talk about another type of sugar out there, they you might be missing out on – Muscovado sugar. I first discovered this sugar during my time working for Zingerman’s Bakehouse. They use it in some of their recipes.

What is Muscovado Sugar?
Muscovado sugar is a unrefined sugar. It is sometimes called Barbados sugar. It is a dark colored sugar that at first may look like traditional brown sugar, but once you get a taste, oh man your taste buds will come alive. It has a kind of caramelly fudgy like taste. You see when they make muscovado sugar, the molasses remains in the sugar crystals. This differs from traditional brown sugar, which is just white sugar with some molasses added back in. Muscovado is brown sugar in a more natural form. Since it’s not refined, there are some nutrients in the sugar, that you won’t find in brown sugar. Now this doesn’t mean you can get a ton of it, sugar is ok in moderation. But you can fell a little bit better about enjoying muscovado.

How to Use Muscovado Sugar
It can be used as a replacement for brown sugar, in 1 to 1 ratio. Use it the next time you make cookies. Ginger cookies and sugar cookies would be wonderful choices. I like to use it with a bowl of Cheerios. Sprinkle a little bit on top, and that’s what I call breakfast. The Muscovado adds character than brown sugar never could.

What to Do If Your Muscovado Sugar Gets Hard?
Just like brown sugar does, Muscovado can harden up on you (problem might be even worse). The easiest solution is to place a damp (not soaking wet) wash cloth over top the sugar overnight. This should soften it up for you.

Where is Muscovado Sugar Made?
This sugar is most often produced in places like Philippines and Barbados. The Muscovado sugar I purchased is from the island of Mauritius.

Where to Buy Muscovado Sugar
This sugar can be difficult to find. I don’t seem to be able to find it in most large chain supermarkets. But if you head to a more specialty market, you should be able to find it there. Of course you can always purchase it from a vendor online.

So I encourage you to give it Muscovado a try. It does come with a higher price tag, so you may not be able to completely switch to it, but it’s a nice substitute to use whenever you can (I am definitely not settling for brown sugar on my Cheerios again)

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