The Undercover Cook

Big News!!!

2011-07-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting me on blogspot, but The Undercover Cook blog has moved to

www.TheUndercoverCook.com

Please make the jump and visit me on my website blog for the latest recipes, easy smarter eating tips and interesting food trends. See below for easy links to my most recent July posts on The Undercover Cook. Hope to see you soon on my new website!

-Jenna

■7/18/11 Fantastic Blueberry Cinnamon Multigrain Pancakes

■7/16/11 Blueberry Boy Bait

■7/14/11 The Nutty Banana Smoothie

■7/11/11 Chickpea Marsala Burgers

■7/7/11 Chipotle Mango BBQ Chicken

■7/5/11 Banana Nutella Muffins

■7/1/11 Homemade Watermelon Sorbet

Homemade Watermelon Sorbet

2011-07-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July weekend is finally here! For me that means barbecues with friends, beach time with my little guy and even a little neighborhood parade for the kids. Now that is the good stuff!

So I have been looking for a great new recipe worthy of the 4th of July weekend. I wanted something cool and refreshing and not too complicated for my laid back weekend of fun. The first food that popped into my mind was watermelon.

To me watermelon is one of the quintessential signs that it is summer! I have lots of great memories of sitting in the backyard with all the neighborhood kids around a couple of giant watermelons. One of the dads would slice and pass out big pieces to all the kids. We would sit in the grass eating watermelon right out of the rind with glorious sweet red sticky juice running down our arms. The collective moms would generally ban us from returning inside until we hosed down. What you want us to play in the hose on a hot summer day?? Bonus!!

In my quest for the ultimate 4th of July dish I found a great recipe for Watermelon Sorbet with Chocolate Seeds on Epicurious.com. The recipe for watermelon sorbet, which was previously published in Gourmet magazine, was simple. I followed it exactly leaving out the optional liqueur kick at the end to keep my sorbet kid-friendly.

The most time consuming preparation step was cutting up the watermelon and picking out all the seeds. You could opt for a seedless watermelon to save time, but they aren’t quite as flavorful as the seeded variety.

I did skipped more complicated Gourmet presentation suggestions of trying to freeze the sorbet in the left over watermelon rind and making my own chocolate “watermelon seeds” out of melted chocolate. Simply serving sorbet in bowls with a sprinkling of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips will be perfect!

Now I mentioned that I left out the optional liqueur when making the sorbet to keep my dish family friendly. There is still an opportunity for a more adult version after the sorbet is made if you so desire. This sorbet makes phenomenal Watermelon Zinger drinks. Just skip the the chocolate chips, scoop servings into drink glasses, add a shot of vodka and give a quick stir.

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

Watermelon Sorbet with Chocolate Seeds

Total Recipe Time: 3-4 hours (25 minutes prep + freezing time)
Makes: 1 1/2 quarts

Approx 3 1/2 pound piece of watermelon

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Cut the watermelon into chunks remove and discard all the seeds and rind.

Place watermelon chunks into a food processor. Give a few pulses on low until you get watermelon puree. Repeat until you have 5 cups of watermelon puree.

Place 1 cup of puree and sugar in a sauce pan. Heat on moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved (approximately 2-3 minutes).

Remove sauce pan form heat and stir in the remaining watermelon puree and lime juice. Blend well.

Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until the watermelon mixture is fully cold.

Pour the watermelon mixture into an ice-cream maker. Run ice-cream maker until sorbet is frozen to a slushy state (approx 25 minutes). Place frozen sorbet in the freezer for at least 2-3 hours to further freeze.

Portion into bowls, sprinkle semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and serve immediately to your delighted guests!

Watermelon Zingers

watermelon sorbet (without semi-sweet chocolate chips)
vodka or rum

Portion watermelon sorbet into glasses. Top with 1-2 oz of vodka or liqueur of choice. Stir and serve with a straw.

The Ultimate Southern Pesto to Dress up Dinner

2011-06-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Oh joy! A friend gave me a new cookbook last week, Bon Appetite, Y’all by Virginia Willis. High-brow French cooking meets down home southern - I am in love already.

I had the best of intentions of diving into the pages over the weekend and cooking up a storm on Sunday. But the reality of being the on-the-go mother to a toddler set in and I managed only to skim the first few chapters during little man’s nap time. (I really need one of those time-turners thingies like in the Harry Potter movie, to create some more hours in my day!!)

Today I was determined to try something new from the luscious pages of my new cookbook. What I came up with was an awesome little super quick recipe, perfect for dressing up ordinary chicken on a typically rushed Monday night.

Pecan-Basil Pistou is Willis’s southern twist on a basic pesto recipe (or pistou which is the French version of the italian classic condiment). The southern twist, as you may have guessed from the name, is the pecans.

Pesto is incredibly easy to make it. There are 5 basic ingredients - fresh basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper for seasoning. With the aid of a food processor you can whip this recipe up in about 5 minutes. This southern version swaps out the pine nuts in favor of pecans which add a rich meaty flavor. I modified the recipe slightly to fit the ingredients I had on hand and my personal taste.

Pesto is an excellent condiment for dressing up pasta, or bread or variety of other foods. For dinner tonight I added a dollop of my freshly made southern pesto to pan seared chicken.

My chicken was simple - thin sliced chicken breast seasoned with garlic salt & pepper then quickly seared in a dash of olive oil over medium high heat. I made the pesto in the food processor while the chicken was sizzling away in the skillet. After plating the fully cooked chicken, I added a spoonful of of my freshly made pesto right before serving. It took my chicken from everyday ordinary to Italian-Southern fusion cuisine! Now that is what I call totally delish!!

The Ultimate Southern Pesto

Total prep time: 5 minutes

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic, finally chopped
1/2 cup pecans
3/4 shredded parmesan
3/4 cup extra-version olive oil (plus extra if needed to get to desired consistency)
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the basils leaves, chopped garlic, pecans, shredded parmesan and 3/4 cup of olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to get all ingredients fully processed.

With the food processor running on low, slowly pour in a little more olive oil until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Store any left pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or freeze for up to one month.

Tip: If you opt to freeze the pesto, try freezing in an ice cube tray. When fully frozen, pop out the pesto cubes and store in freezer bag in the freezer. This way you can easily take out just the portion you want to use.

Brown Sugar Teriyaki Steelhead Trout with Toasted Pecans

2011-06-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah for the first day of summer! Warm days, vacation plans and the inevitable need to get into a bathing suit again. (deep sigh!) Time to head back to the gym.

Naturally, I am trying to work out more this time of year. I won’t lie...it is so hard to make time most days. My best opportunity is to use my lunch hour to pop over to the gym for a quick workout, but even that is a challenge to accomplish.

I am trying to sneak in a little extra work out time in other places too - like Logan’s bath time. While he plays with his bath toys I grab my arm weights (which I keep under the sink) and sneak in a few reps. Logan helps me count. Of course being barely 2 years-old his numbers tend to come out in random order. I have no idea how many reps I am actually getting in, but I figure any number is 100 times more than what I was doing before , so it is all good.

In keeping with my new found quest to become bathing suit ready, I am trying to keep it lean and healthy at dinner time. I am also trying to eat more seafood. Tonight my healthy choice was steelhead trout baked in a super simple teriyaki and brown sugar glaze then finished with a few toasted pecans. It was totally delish!

If you have never tried steelhead trout, it is a meaty fish that looks a lot salmon. However the flavor of steelhead trout is milder than salmon. It is also less oily and therefore has less omega 3 fatty-acids than salmon as well. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Brown Sugar Teriyaki Steelhead Trout with Toast Pecans

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Makes: 4 entrees

4 steelhead trout fillets (skin off)
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup toasted pecans
tin foil

Preheat oven to 350º.

Tear off 4 sheets of tin foil, each approximately 12 inches long.

Place 1 fillet on each piece of tin foil. Top with each fillet with 3 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Pull two sides up of the tin foil together and roll closed. Pull the other two sides up and roll closed to form a sealed packet.

Place the 4 sealed packets of fish on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until fish is fully cooked.

While fish is cooking, place pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the color deepens and the nuts become fragrant.

When fish are fully cooked remove from the foil packs and place on serving dishes. Top with brown sugar teriyaki sauce to taste (from the foil packets) and toasted pecans.

Rational Roast Chicken vs Wonderful Waffles

2011-06-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today as I was picking up little dude from daycare I hear one of the other mother’s making an innocent comment about her kids being on a waffle kick for breakfast for the past month. And just that quickly the urning for waffles began. All of a sudden the left-over roasted chicken and fresh asparagus I had planned for dinner sounds so plain-Jane and boring. I want waffles!

I have the internal debate the whole ride home. “Responsible mommies do not serve waffles for dinner.” “Waffles would be so easy.” “There is healthy respectable roasted chicken and fresh asparagus in the fridge that shouldn’t go to waste.” “I want some yummy waffles!"

As you probably guessed - the waffles won out. However I did decide if I was going to be that “irresponsible” about dinner then I was going to have to work for it a little bit. So I went home, tossed Logan in the stroller and we walked to the grocery store to pick up my contraband waffles. Now I live on the coast in southern Georgia and it is the middle of June. It is hot, humid and the ‘skeetos and lethal. This was some serious penance for a few waffles.

So here is how dinner ended up - Kashi 7 Grain Waffles smeared with MaraNatha All Natural Roasted Almond Butter, a generous handful of fresh berries topped with just a subtle kiss of Kirkland Signature 100% Real Maple Syrup. And to drink I whipped up my Sunshine in a Glass Mango Smoothie. It was heaven!

After careful examination of the various nutrition labels I have determine that with the possible exception that there was nothing green on our plates, dinner actually wasn't all that bad for us. Yeah for yummy waffles! The roast chicken will just have to keep until tomorrow.

Pearl Couscous with Brown Butter, Sizzled Sage and Walnuts

2011-06-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

I can not lie, this week has been a doozie. Work is flat out kicking my butt - too many projects, too many priorities and not enough time! It is enough to drive a foodie to cook excessively. By Friday I am in need of a de-stressing detox and someone to hide the carton of cookies and cream ice cream I have stashed in the back of the freezer.

I check the pantry for a healthier alternative before the cookies and cream wins the battle of the dinner plate. I manage to find some whole wheat pearl couscous, walnuts and dried figs. This may sound like a weird combination but it actually gives me dinner inspiration.

Dinner tonight will be brown butter couscous with sizzled fresh sage and walnuts paired with a fig, goat cheese and walnut salad. Sounds fancy doesn’t it? It is actually a really easy dinner to pull off.

Brown butter is one of my favorite indulgences. Browning butter only takes a couple of minutes in the skillet and you are rewarded with a nutty rich butter experience. Once the butter is browned simply add some fresh chopped sage and walnuts let it sizzle for for another minute or two and toss it with the cooked couscous. Capital “P” - Perfection!

My fig and goat cheese salad was another easy thrown together thing. It doesn’t even require a recipe just an assembly list - green leaf lettuce, yellow bell pepper, sliced dried figs, goat cheese and toasted walnuts. I topped it with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Friday detox dinner accomplished! One delicious dinner and a lovely glass of pinot noir later and the stress level has come down....at least until Monday comes back around again.

Pearl Couscous with Brown Butter, Sizzled Sage and Walnuts

Prep time: 2 minutes - Cook time: 23 minutes - Makes: 4 servings

1 1/2 cup whole wheat couscous

4 tablespoons butter

6 leaves fresh sage, chopped

1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Cook couscous according to package directions.

Place butter in a large skillet and put on high heat. Sizzle the butter until it turns brown.

Add chopped sage to the butter. Sizzle the sage for 1 minute stirring occasionally. Add walnuts and sizzle for another 20 seconds. Add the drained cooked couscous, toss together and serve.

The Undone Lamb and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

2011-05-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

This week I wanted to make something savory, healthy, delicious and interesting. I went looking for a recipe for something I have never made before. What I found was recipe for Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves in the current issue of Eating Well magazine. Now this is something I have never made before!

One slight problem though, I live in a fairly rural area. Our local Winn Dixie doesn't exactly stock grape leaves. Not to be deterred I decided to modify the recipe. Instead of stuffing and boiling the grape leaves, I pan sautéed the filling and served it with naan (which is available at my local grocery store).

The results was delicious! In case you have never had lamb, it a naturally flavorful meat much more flavorful than ground beef. The lamb and spice blend flavored the brown rice and lentils beautifully. I served my Lebanese lamb,and rice dish with naan and a side of cool creamy plain yogurt. I didn't miss the grape leaves at all!

The other modification I made to the Eating Well recipe was to add some lentils. I really like lentils in dishes like this. Not only are they a tasty edition, they also reduce the amount of meat in a portion and add in a healthy dose of protein, fiber, and other healthy nutrients.

Lebanese Lamb, Rice and Lentils
Prep time: 8 minutes
Total time start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes
Makes: 12 1/2-cup servings

1 lb ground lamb
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup lentils
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried mint (or 2 tablespoons fresh minced mint)
1 tablespoon dried marjoram leaves
2 teaspoon s ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
lemon wedges for serving
plain yogurt for serving

COOK brown rice and lentils according to package directions.

PLACE ground lamb, rice, lentils, parsley, mint, marjoram, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper and allspice in a large bowl. Use you hands to fully MIX the ingredients.

PLACE lamb and rice mixture into a large skillet on medium high heat. Brown meat until fully cooked, stirring fairly often to help the mixture cook evenly.

SERVE the Lebanese lamb, rice and lentils hot with lemon wedge and yogurt on the side if desired.

Hanging Out with Food Bloggers for the Weekend

2011-05-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I attended BlogHer Food in Atlanta. It was my first blogging conference and I was thrilled to meet a bunch of women and a few men who share my passion for food and food writing. The bloggers at the conference ran the spectrum. There were some very well-known established bloggers, newbies who had written only a couple of posts and everything in between. There were professional chefs and new cooks; food activist and food connoisseurs; the diet conscious and those who savored more indulgent kinds of food. It was a glorious experience.

first day at the conference

I sat in on many great break out discussions. Two of the ones I found most relevant to me were about getting your family to eat healthier. (I’ll talk about that more in a future blog post.)

One break out discussion I wished I had attended was Food Blogging for Change. This one featured “Mrs Q” who writes Fed Up with School Lunch. Mrs Q apparently works in a school and is simultaneously doing a little undercover reporting on the state of school lunches while advocating for change. I like her already! Her latest triumph was reforming the daily lunch menu at her son’s daycare. Go Mrs Q!

Mary Eva indulging my need for between session chocolate

At the conference I learned about many great new food blogs like Devil and Egg by Caroline Campion and Black America Cooks by Donna Pierce. In fact I learned about so many great blogs that I could make this post just one long list of yummy food blogs. Instead though, I am going to savor them slowly and then making individual postings about the interesting food I find along the way.

Katie and Jenna at dinner at the Terrace

Of course it was not all work and discussion groups while I was in Atlanta. There was also some pretty good food to be had too. On my free night I went with a friend to The Terrace, a farm to table concept restaurant in the Ellis Hotel. It was awesome. From the scrumptious mushroom pate with a hint of garlic to the perfectly cooked lamb with smashed potatoes and mint Greek yogurt, the meal was excellent! If you are ever in Atlanta, I highly recommend it.

the menu with food sources listed to the right

my fabulous lamb and smashed potato dinner

The last day of the conference we took a field trip to Sweet Auburn Curb Market as a group. The market, which had its origins in the 1920’s, was a bevy of fresh greens and freshly cut meat.

Loved the sign - "Buy your whole pig here"!

bins and bins of fresh veggies

one more look at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market

It was a shame I couldn’t do more shopping since I was flying out later that day. At least I had a delicious lunch at Afro Dish while I was there. This restaurant serves up authentic Caribbean and African cuisine. I had the jerk chicken with plantains and rice served up to me by the owner himself, Ralph Sarpong.

a great find at the market

Not a great picture, but my lunch was delicious!

So that was my first food blogging conference. A big thanks to Katie Williamson and MaryEva Tredway for palling around with me in Atlanta. It was a great experience. Now that I am back, I am looking forward to trying out some new ideas in the kitchen and checking into some new-to-me blogs on line.

Avocados and Hummus

2011-05-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

Toddlers are tricky little beasts, aren’t they? Last Sunday my little pumpkin loved avocados. He scarfed down all that I gave him and then asked for more from my plate. Today he took one look at the luscious perfectly ripe green chunks on his plate, shook his head vigorously and declared, “No like it ….no like it.”

“Please take a bite, Logan. You do like it!”

With slight giggling (at silly mommy) then more vigorous head shaking my 2 year-old declares, “No like it, mommy….Noooooo like it!!” (audible sigh from mommy)

Two year-olds are tricky beasts indeed.

Every week or so Logan picks a new favorite food. Last week the favorite was almond butter. He wanted large spoonfuls of almond butter as his meal and snacks. He was only mildly interested in other foods if I smeared them heavily with almond butter.

This week he has moved on from almond butter and his new love is hummus (which he pronounced “tumus”). He wants copious amounts of hummus at every meal including breakfast. So much for the food diversity I had in mind!

Having a favorite food though isn’t all bad. It has turned out to be a great carrot to hold out to get Logan to at least take a bite of the other foods on his plate. I dole out the favored food of the day in smallish spoonfuls. Before he gets the next spoonful he has to take a bite of another food on this plate. For the most part it is working reasonable well, but only if I sit with him and keep suggesting (or insisting) on alternating food bites. Bottom line is getting a 2 year-old to eat healthy is generally a lot of work no matter how you do it.

Changing the World Starting with Dinner

2011-05-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

I am a new mom with a beautiful 2 year-old son, named Logan. I have been thinking a lot lately about what are the “right” foods for a healthy growing toddler and how I get my precious boy to eat them. I want my child to grow up with a healthy love of real food but I will admit as a full-time working single mom it can be a challenge to get healthy food choices to the table every night.

60 years ago moms stayed home and cooked from scratch. Dinner time was sacred family time. But today moms work full time jobs and dinner is shoved in between a flurry of after-school and social activities. As a nation we cook less therefore the skill of cooking is growing weaker with each generation. Our only choice in our harried lives seems to be relying on convenience foods which generally are over processed and under nutritious. What are the consequences of placing such low value on the food we put in our bodies? A national obesity crisis and sky rocketing health care cost. I shudder to think what we will look like as a nation 20 years from now.

I want to change things. I want to raise my child with a love of food, healthy balanced eating habits and the ability to live and eat in the modern world. I also want to see our nation develop a healthy relationship with food again.

But the national food problem is so large and so pervasive (and we are just too busy to cook up a solution) it is hard to get motivated to tackle the problem head on. It is easier to rock back on our heels, complain and throw the blame. Because clearly it is the fast food industry’s fault or the food manufactures who are to blame for our societies growing waistlines and lack of will power. It couldn’t possibly be our faults for over-scheduling our lives and demanding ever cheaper convenience food items could it?

So what do we do now to solve the toxic relationship we have developed with food? Lobby congress to change food regulation? Run for congress and write new laws? Change the school curriculum to include food education? Pressure school districts to take junk food vending machines out of schools? Boycott fast food establishments? Go organic? Go vegan? When so many things are wrong it is hard to know where to start.

For now I am going to start by with my own family. I pledge to keep family dinner sacred and to do my best to cook real foods. I am still a working single mom who has not magically found extra hours in the day to make all my food from scratch. It is going to be a balancing act. I don’t have the ability to farm my own vegetables or buy all organic meat at this time, but I can certainly start cooking more food that is unprocessed or at least minimally process. I will do the best I can starting with small changes and work my way up to bigger ones, one meal at a time.

Sugar Bunnies

2011-04-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

I really love Easter. In my part of the country, Mother Nature marks the occasion with a bounty of azaleas. Everyone emerges from their winter hibernation in their best new spring outfits for sunrise services, Easter egg hunts and a delicious Easter dinner. It marks the end of whatever you may have given up for lent and the beginning of spring (or at least the promise of spring if you live farther north than I do).

This year I was lucky enough to be invited to Easter brunch by a dear friend. And after the past several weeks of non-stop activity, a day of feasting with friends and family with no prepping, cooking or cleaning sounds just glorious!

However even if someone else is cooking the meal I still need to bring a little something. So I went looking for an easy fun dessert I could bring for the occasion. I wanted something fun that would appeal to guests of all ages. I settled on Sugar Bunnies - my Easter version of sugar cookies with cream cheese icing.

Sugar cookies are classic cookie. You will sometimes see them referred to as a "rolled cookie" because you roll the dough out and cut it with cookie cutters. I know this is a little more effort than slice-bake-cookies, but for a holiday the extra effort is worth it. And you will be rewarded with fun shapes and festive icing!

The thing I really like about this particular recipe (besides the taste!) is that you make the cookie dough in the food processor. It is a really easy way to make cookie dough.

The key to sugar cookies is don't skimp on the refrigerator time before you roll out the dough. Cold dough sticks less to the rolling pin and counter top. If your dough starts to get sticky and hard to work with, then pop it back in the fridge until it is cold then try rolling it out again.

Happy Easter everyone!

Sugar Bunnies
Prep time: 20 minutes - Refrigerator time: 1-2 hours - Cooking time:15-20 minutes
Makes 15-25 cookies (depending on how big your cookie cutters are)

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
1 large egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Cream cheese icing (recipe below)

Place the first six ingredients (flour, white sugar, confectioners' sugar, baking soda cream of tarter and salt) in a food processor. Pulse for 5 seconds.

Distribute the butter slices over the flour mixture and process about 15 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pulse an additional 15 seconds or until the mixture resembles course meal (no big chunks of butter).

In a small bowl mix the egg and vanilla with a fork. With the food processor running, pour the egg & vanilla mixture down the feeder tube. Continue processing until the flour mixture and the egg come together into dough (about 35 seconds).

Remove the dough from the food processor and place on a counter or other work surface. Kneed the dough for a few seconds then divide into two pieces.

Press each piece onto a rectangle slab, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

When ready to start baking, preheat oven to 375 F. Spray baking sheets with non stick baking spray and set aside.

Remove 1 slab of dough from the refrigerator. Remove and discard the plastic wrap.

Prepare counter top or other work space to roll out dough. Sprinkle surface with flour. Place dough on surface and lightly sprinkle dough with flour. Lightly rub flour on rolling pin then roll out dough to 1/8 in thickness. If dough gets sticky sprinkle a little more flour.

Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies. (If you don't have cookie cutters a glass can be a good substitute.) Use a spatula to place cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 1 inch between cookies to ensure even cooking. Once you are done you can gather up scraps, re-roll and cut out a few more cookies.

Repeat the process with the second slab of dough.

Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes. Cookies should be firm and just starting to become golden around the edges.

Cool cookies completely on the baking sheets. When cookies are completely cooled store in an air tight container until ready to serve. Add cream cheese icing when ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Icing

Prep time - 5 minutes

8 oz container of cream cheese, room temperature
5 tablespoons white granular sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream
food color

Place all three ingredients in a bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix ingredients. Scrap the side of the bowl down with a rubber spatula. Blend again until icing has smooth consistency. If icing is too stiff add a little more whipping cream until you achieve desired consistency.

Divide icing into 4-5 smaller bowls (depending on how many colors you want to make). Add food color a drop of two at a time and blend with a spoon until you achieve the desired color for your icing.

When complete cover bowls with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

An Inspired Appetizer That is All Heart

2011-04-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

I like to be known among my friends as a cooking diva who serves up interesting tasty treats when I have people over. But as mom with 2 full-time jobs (the one I get paid for and my non-paid non-stop mom duties) I have to admit, that lately I have been as short on cooking inspiration. To put it bluntly I have been in a cooking rut.

This past month I flipped through Saveur Magazine determined to try something new to break out of my ordinary food funk. I was delighted to find some recipe inspiration that made my taste buds tingle with anticipation - Heart of Palm Fries.!

The heart of palms are dredged in a simple panko breading, deep fried then served with a side of Chipotle Mayo. What a truly unique appetizer to serve up at my next event! And after cooking up this tasty treat this past weekend I am happy to say the recipe did not disappoint.

I made the recipe almost exactly as it was written but with some minor tweaks. The biggest changes I made were simplifying the egg mixture and swapping in a lemon for fresh lime juice (after all the limes in the fridge mysteriously made their way into the blender for pre-party margaritas). One other tweak I made was to add a little garlic to the the chipotle mayo. I recommend using pre-minced garlic rather than chopping your own so you aren't overwhelmed with raw garlic flavor.

I found this recipe very easy to make. However to make it truly hostess friendly I would definitely make it all a day ahead of time. The panko coating is perfect for this. If you make the palm fires ahead of time, cool them completely and then store in a single layer in a sealed container in the fridge over night. Take them out 30 minutes before you want to reheat them so that they come to room temperature. Bake in a 400° over for 7-8 minutes or until you hear them start to sizzle a little. Serve the palm fries hot with chipotle mayo on the side. Voila gourmet success!

Heart of Palm Fries with Chipotle Mayo

Chipotle Mayo

1 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Palm Fries

Canola oil
3 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
2 28-oz. cans of heart of palm, cut in quarters length-wise
salt to taste

Place all the ingredients for chipotle mayo in a mini food processor and blend until well blended. Put chipotle mayo in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pour canola oil into a large pot until 2 inches deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375°.

While oil is heating place flour, eggs, and panko into three separate dishes. Cut palm of fries into quarters length-wise. Then work in batches to dip palm quarters into the flour. Shake off excess flour and dip into beaten egg mixture. Finally place palm quarters into panko crumbs and shake to evenly coat.

Fry for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes until the desired golden brown. Place palm fries on paper towel to drain. Serve warm with chipotle mayo.

A Wish for a New Tasty Fish Dish!

2011-04-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

You may have heard that earlier this year the USDA released the new updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is full of do’s and don’t’s for improving your diet and includes some interesting analysis on the changes in our overall eating habits and obesity rates over the past 40 years.

One of the sections I found particularly interesting was Chapter 4 - Food and Nutrients to Increase. (It is just always more fun to focus on what you should be adding instead of what you need to be deleting!) This section included one of my favorite food groups - seafood!

The USDA is recommending that 8 oz or more or roughly 20% of our protein should come from seafood. It also recommends that we consume “a variety of seafood, as opposed to a just a few choices”. This got me thinking about the variety of seafood that I eat.

When I am out at restaurants I absolutely eat lots of different varieties of seafood but when I am home I tend to prepare three varieties the most often - salmon, shrimp and crab. Clearly I am in a cooking rut. Time to break out and start cooking more seafood varieties at home! So every month I am going to pick a different seafood to prepare.

This month I started with barramundi, a mild, slightly sweet, flaky white fish. I have enjoyed this fish while dining out several times and was delighted to find a bag of plain frozen filets in the freezer on my last Costco run so I could try cooking it for myself.

The firm texture and mild flavor make barramundi a very versatile fish. You can put all kinds of different sauces and spices on it. I decided to go Greek with mine.

I lightly sprinkled it the fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked them on a broiler pan. While those were cooking, I made a simple topping with a little more olive oil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, capers and feta. I choose to serve the fillets over a bed of couscous and peas, but you could add any sides you like. The dish was TASTY! And so simple and quick. The whole meal was ready in under 20 minutes! Just hoping that my next seafood variety attempt turns out as well.

Barramundi with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Capers & Feta

2 barramundi fillets with skin on, thawed

olive oil

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove minced garlic (approx. 1 teaspoon)

1 tablespoon capers

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped

1/3 cup of feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400.

Sprinkle fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place skin side up on a broiler pan. Bake for 14 minutes or until fully cooked.

Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic in a pan and turn heat to med high. Watch closely and stir occasionally until garlic starts to sizzle. Add capers and sun-dried tomatoes to olive oil and garlic. Stir to incorporate. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly heated and set aside until ready to serve.

When fish is fully cooked (it should be opaque white and flaky throughout) remove from oven. Peel the skin off and discard. If the fish is fully cooked the skin will peel off very easily. If the skin does not peel off easily cook the fillets a little longer.

Place fillets on serving dishes. Spoon sun-dried tomato mixture over fillets. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over top and serve.

Making Sunshine on a Rainy Day

2011-03-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

It has rained here for two and a half days and I am ready for some sunshine. But of according to the weatherman if I want sunshine this week I am going to have to make it myself. So that is exactly what I did - I made a glass of sunshine in the form of a mango smoothie.

Smoothies are one of my all time favorite everyday treats. I make mine with organic yogurt, frozen fruit or berries and enough skim milk to get it to the right consistency. I always use the whole frozen fruit or berries instead of fruit juice and ice because it really pumps up the nutritional value while providing a richer, creamier, taste experience. (And how often can you say the nutritionally better option really does tastes superior??)

Why do I call smoothies my everyday treat? Because look at all the healthy stuff you have going in there! Just keep your portion size reasonable if you are concerned about calories and you can treat yourself one any day you want.

One of my really great mommy tricks is swapping in a delicious smoothie in place of ice cream. My little boy can’t tell the difference. So he is getting a great serving of fruit and yogurt instead of the loads of empty sugar calories in ice cream. And the best part is I am the hero mommy who served him “dessert”. Winning!

Today’s I am serving up a mango smoothie because it really does remind me of sunshine in a glass. It is super simple - frozen mango chunks, yogurt and milk. That is it. Tomorrow when I don’t need sunshine quite so much, I can mix one up with frozen strawberries and kiwi or maybe I will do frozen blueberries and blackberries. Who knows? The possibilities are only limited by the frozen fruit in your freezer so blend on and enjoy this everyday treat!

Sunshine in a Glass

(a.k.a. Mango Smoothie)

1 heaping cup of frozen mango chunks

1 (6 - 8 oz) container yogurt

1 cup skim milk (use more of less to get to desired consistency)

Place everything in a blender. Start blending on LOW until well blended. Then increase the speed to HIGH and blend until smooth and creamy.

This recipe makes 2 reasonable servings or 1 extra large serving (shown in the pictures).

Even a Food Lover Needs Food on the Go Sometimes

2011-03-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

There are people who eat to live and then there are those of us who live to experience food. We delight in sampling new things and detest wasting calories on the on mundane tasteless convenience and fast foods that many American’s diets have been reduced to. But even a food connoisseur needs food in a hurry sometimes. That is why I love one of the current urban food trends – food trucks. Apparently I am not the only one who thinks this is a hot food trend. Mintel (a leading food and drink marketing research company) highlighted food trucks this month in its Menu Trends email.

A food truck is basically a mini restaurant stuffed in the back of a truck. You can think of it as the marriage of an urban restaurant concept and an old fashion food cart. The menus may be limited, but the menu items have interesting twists making them the perfect fast food option for a food lover like myself.

In addition to putting an emphasis on interesting food choices, food trucks put a lot on emphasis on being mobile. They regularly move around the cities requiring potential customers to visit a truck’s website or follow it on twitter for the day’s location. It can make finding your lunch a lot like a game of Where’s Waldo!

Did I mention food trucks are definitely an urban trend? Since I live in a very non-urban area, I can only experience food trucks when I travel, so on my recent trip to Los Angeles I seized the opportunity and went looking for food trucks.

I found several but one particularly memorable one was the Shrimp Pimp truck. Like most food trucks the Shrimp Pimp has a narrowly focused menu. I tried the Drunken Shrimp Tacos for lunch. They consisted of sherry ginger marinated shrimp popped on top of jicima, a green pepper slice, mandarin orange and fresh cilantro and all wrapped up with a corn tortilla. A totally tasty lunch time treat.

Next month I am headed to New York City where I hope to explore a whole new genera of food trucks - maybe Kogi BBQ or Rickshaw Dumplings or Waffles and Dinges - with so many choices it is heard to know where to start!

The King of Cakes for Mardi Gras

2011-03-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I have never been that interested in Mardi Gras. It has always seemed like a made up excuse to drink way too much and behave badly. Imagine my surprised when 18 pages into this month’s Saveur magazine I learned that Mardi Gras is really a celebration of of the Epiphany (the wise men’s discovery of Jesus). Of course the article really didn’t expound on what the Epiphany has to do with consuming vast amount of Hurricanes and yelling for beads on Bourbon Street, so we will have to make our own speculations how we got from a pinnacle Christian event to the modern day Mardi Gras celebration.

Anyway, the article got me thinking about King Cake, the popular custom of baking a cake in honor of the three wise men. This cake is traditionally a sweetened yeast bread (similar to a danish) stuffed with cream cheese and a tiny plastic baby then sprinkled with garishly colored cinnamon and sugar or drizzled with icinng. The bright colors are not just because they match LSU and Tulane colors but rather that to represent justice (purple), faith (green) and power (gold).

For the past 2 years a dear sweet co-worker of mine has ordered a King Cake and had it shipped to our office to celebrate Mardi Gras. It is such a sweet gesture, but truthfully the cake from the mail order company is not very good. It taste a lot like the cellophane-wrapped sticky buns you get in a vending machine and convenience stores.

I got to thinking there has got to be an easy short cut route for making a King Cake when you don’t live near the bakeries that make them fresh. I came up with the below semi-homemade recipe. It is not only simple it tastes really good. So the only thing you may need to order in advance is the little plastic baby that is typically inserted in a King Cake (lucky recipient of the baby in their piece of cake wins the honor of providing the King Cake at next’s event).

I started my recipe with three cans of 8 count uncooked cinnamon rolls. The beauty of using these prefab cinnamon rolls is they are tasty, super easy and that each can comes with a little icing cup. Three cans = three icing cups, which happens to be the exact number of colors of icing you need for King Cake. I used gel food coloring get the really vibrant Mardi Gras colors. The only other thing you need to add is the cream cheese filling. I made the whole cake start to finish in under 45 minutes and that was with a toddler trying to “help” me cook. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

King Cake

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

3 cans of uncooked cinnamon rolls
1 egg, beaten
1 (8 oz) packaging of cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
a dash of vanilla
gel food coloring

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place cream cheese in a bowl. Add sugar and a dash of vanilla. Use a hand mixer to cream together the mixture and set aside until ready to add to cake.

Pop open the cinnamon rolls and set icing cups aside. Use and rolling pin to roll each cinnamon roll out into an oval shape and about 1/4 inch thick.

Place two of the ovals over lapping end to end. Brush the dough with the beaten egg where they over lap and roll again until 1/8 of an inch thick.

Place the pieces in an over lapping circle. Brush the places where they overlap with egg and press together.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a ring around the center. Fold the end of the dough back over the cream cheese. Brush the place where dough over laps with egg and press together.

Bake for 25-27 minutes. Check the cake after 15 minutes if it is starting to get to brown, loosely lay a piece of tinfoil over the cake and continue backing.

While cake is baking mix gel food coloring into icing cups to achieve desired color saturation level.

After baking, cool the cake completed. Drizzle with alternating colors of icing and serve. (You may need to microwave the icing a few seconds to get it to drizzle.)

Dinner from Disney

2009-11-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Just returned from taking Logan on his first Disney trip - an auspicious occasion in the Reed household! We went with 6 other families so between us we had nine kids ages six and down for a week in Disney. Oh boy!

While I was in Disney I had the opportunity to eat all kinds of park food. Some meals were definitely better than others. One meal I particularly enjoyed was dinner at T Rex in Downtown Disney.

The wait was kind of long (even with reservations) but the food was good and dining experience was excellent. The restaurant was decorated like Jurassic Park and there are regular “meteor showers” every 20 or 30 minutes. (Logan loved the light show!) For dinner I got the Omnivore Salad with shrimp - rosemary infused shrimp on top of a salad with strawberries, dried cranberries, goat cheese and maple pecans then topped with a balsamic reduction dressing.

The salad was so good and better yet, it was something I could easily recreate and enjoy when ever I liked at home. I liked adding shrimp to the top. Seafood, in addition to being so tasty, is also good for you. It is a great source of lean healthy protein and vitamin D. It is also a natural source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Shrimp really are a tasty, bite-sized, little super food.

The Anytime Omnivore Salad

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, finally chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 bag salad greens
½ cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
¼ cup dried cranberries
Maple pecans (recipe below)
Balsamic Reduction Dressing (recipe below)

•Preheat oven to 400º.
•Place shrimp into a bowl. Add olive oil, chopped garlic, rosemary and a dash of salt. Toss to coat shrimp.
•Pour shrimp into a large glass baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes or until shrimp are fully cooked (they will look white opaque).
•Portion salad greens onto serving plates. Top with strawberries and cranberries.
•Add cooked shrimp and maple pecans. Top with Balsamic Reduction Dressing.

Maple Pecans
½ cup pecan halves
¼ cup real maple syrup
½ teaspoon chili powder
salt

•Preheat oven to 400º.
•In a small bowl toss together.
•Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Spread pecans onto baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes.

Balsamic Reduction Dressing
1 cup basalmic vinegar
Garlic salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

•Simmer basalmic vinegar in a medium skillet until it thickens to a syrup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat. Season basalmic reduction with fresh cracked black pepper and a dash of garlic salt. Stir well.

Pass the Pumpkins Please!

2009-11-01T16:07:00.001-08:00

I have a confession to make - I really really love Halloween. I love decorating my house and passing out candy to all the little trick-or-treaters. I even dress up to pass out the candy.

This year was extra fun because I had another little person to “decorate” for evening – my 6 month old, Logan. Naturally I decided we needed to coordinate our costumes. Since I had an adorable little devil costume for him I decided to coordinate myself and go as an angel. Fitting, huh?

Since I love this holiday so much I wanted to come up with a fitting dinner for Halloween night. Of course it had to be something simple or something I could make ahead since dinner time comes right about the time trick-or-treaters start making the rounds in my neighborhood. I came up with Pumpkin Soup with Cran-Apple Pistachio Relish. Let me tell you it was delish!

Not sure why I don’t cook with pumpkin more often. It is available anytime of the year in canned form and it is really easy to add to all kinds of dishes. The best part is, unlike any other canned veggies, you can get cans of 100% pure pumpkin (no extra copious amounts of salt added!).

This recipe makes a good amount of soup. I like to refrigerate it and eat it for a week, but if that is more pumpkin soup than you want, try freezing it. Just portion into ziplock bags, push the air out, seal and freeze.

The relish will keep in the fridge for several days, but it won’t freeze well. If you are going to keep the relish in the fridge think about waiting to add the pistachios when you are ready to serve it so they are nice and crunchy. Pistachios will get soft sitting in the fridge soaking up the fruit juices of the relish.

Happy belated Halloween!!

Pumpkin Soup with Cran-Apple Pistachio Relish
Hands on time: 12 minutes Start to finish: 25 minutes Makes: 6 servings (9 cups)

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks with leaves, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon curry powder
48 oz container low sodium chicken stock (6 cups)
15 oz can 100% pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons brown sugar
8 oz heavy cream (1 cup)
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
• Heat a medium soup pot on medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions, celery and garlic salt top pot and sauté for 6-7 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
• Add flour, thyme, curry powder top veggies and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add chicken stock, pumpkin puree and brown sugar to the pot. Whisk together and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the soup.
• Reduce heat to low. Add heavy cream and nutmeg. Stir to incorporate. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with Cran-Apple Pistachio Relish.

Cran-Apple Pistachio Relish
½ cup pistachios, rough chopped
½ c dried cranberries, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
• While soup is simmering chop the pistachios, cranberries and apple. Stir together with lemon juice, chili powder and honey. Set aside until ready to serve.

Hosting the Sip-and-See

2009-10-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I co-hosted a baby shower for my good friend Kim. It was what we call in the south a Sip-and-See Shower. That is when you have the shower after the baby is born. You come by to sip some lovely beverages, see the baby and shower the family with love. The added bonus (in my book anyway) is that since the baby is present you usually get out of having to play and sort of shower game.

Now to host a successful baby shower you need four basic elements: food, pastel-colored punch (beak out the sherbet and the ginger-ale), a few cute baby decorations and adequate seating. As the owner of my own recipe development company, guess which element I usually get assigned – the food. And that is ok. I love to cook (obviously) and I love the chance to try out new and different little appetizers on my friends. However, this shower was a little different from the many showers I hosted in the past, because I recently became a new mom myself. And as it turns out, my 5-month-old doesn’t find the same fascination I do in spending hours in the kitchen. No, my recipes these days need to be more of the 20-minutes-and-done variety. So then the question became how do I come up with a Martha Stewart buffet on a Rachel Ray time schedule. The answer? First, divide and conquer (i.e. divide up the buffet responsibilities among all 3 hostesses). Second, come up with some new quick-time apps.

One of the really great little nibbles I come up with was Southwestern Crab Quiche Bites. These little nearly-homemade quiches are awesome. Quiches by nature transport easily and reheat beautifully. Making them crab quiches just makes them more upscale. The nearly-homemade part comes in when I started with crab cakes, which have seasonings in them meaning you need to add fewer other seasonings to complete the dish.

Southwestern Crab Quiches Bites
Hand one time: 12 minutes - Start to finish time: 25 minutes - Makes: 45 appetizer servings

45 phyllo cups
2 frozen crab cakes (about 3.5 oz each), thawed
4 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons mild chopped green chilies (canned)
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3-4 oz gruyere cheese

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Line baking sheet with tin foil. Place phyllo cups on the baking sheet.
• Crumble thawed crab cakes into phyllo cups.
• In a bowl whisk together eggs, cream, chilies, nutmeg and chipotle chili powder. Spoon mixture over the crumbled crab in phyllo cups.
• Top each mini quiche with gruyere cheese.
• Bake 13 minutes.

The First Step to More

2009-07-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

They say all big journeys start with a single step. I say if I want to change how Americans look at food the best place to start is with my own family’s dinner plate. Now this is a challenge as my guy is a typical Midwestern-raised, corn-fed man who would happily eat chicken wings, green beans and beer every night of the week So I am constantly sneaking in new items onto the dinner table when my family isn’t looking. I have found that the key to acceptance is usually just naming the dish to be something that sounds familiar.

My favorite new dish that I am sneaking onto the dinner table is couscous. It is ridiculously simple to make and very tasty to eat. Couscous looks kind of like rice but it is actually more like a tiny little pasta. It is perfect for a night when you need side dish in a hurry as it cooks in about 5 minutes. Couscous is traditionally a North African or Middle Eastern dish but don’t let the fact it is from a region whose cuisine you aren’t familiar with deter you from giving couscous a try. The flavor of couscous is really mild so it works well in all kinds of dishes. You can find couscous on the ethnic aisle or near the rice in your grocery store.

Below is a really simple basic couscous recipe. Try it in the place of rice one night and let me know what you think. Just tell your family it is tiny pasta and I bet they will probably like it too.

Couscous

1 cup dry couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

-Put vegetable broth and olive oil into a pot and bring to a boil.

-Pour in 1 cup dry couscous. Stir well.

-Cover pot, turn off heat and let sit for 5-6 minutes.

-When ready to serve, give couscous a quick stir before spooning onto serving dish.

Getting Out of the Rut

2009-07-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans have a diet that regularly consists of 10 or less foods total?? Seriously, I read that in Gourmet magazine some time ago. Now why in the world when there are so many delicious foods out there would a person recycle the same chicken dish and the same boxed mac and cheese night after night? Maybe it is just that people get in a rut or they just don’t have time to go look for something new to try.

That is where I come in. I am constantly trying new dishes then coming up with a way to make them simple enough for anyone to prepare. This blog is my way to share. So if you are interested stay tuned and lets try some new foods together.

Loyalty Declines Along with the Economy

2009-05-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

If you are like me you are probably getting a little tired of hearing all the economy doom and gloom. However we can't deny the effect the current economic trends are having on food trends, in particular how the average American shops for food. Various surveys and reports have shown there has been a huge shift in how we shop. Brand loyalty is on the decline while deal shopping is all the rage. Coupon usage is way up (so if you happen to be a brand manager issuing those coupons I hope you are keeping a close eye on that redemption budget....the old estimates will not apply!), promotional activity is up and purchases of lower priced private label items is up. What is down? Brand loyalty. According to a survey by Universal McCann only about a third of shoppers are planning to remain brand loyal with about an equal number stating they will only buy a grocery item that is on discount.

Souping it Up

2009-04-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Obviously as we head into the summer months soups may not be at the top of your mind but here is an interesting little trend. Refrigerated soups are a very small sub segment of the retail soup category however according to Mintel, Chicago this small segment has growth that out paces the other types of soup, including canned soups. Refrigerated soups enjoyed 12% growth 2006 to 2008. Why? These soups fit well with current health trends and consumers preference for "fresher" options. Another advantage with refrigerated soups is that the manufacturing process is easier to modify, so manufactures can modify flavors and varieties to adapt to seasonal preferences. So next time you are are at the grocery store check out the refrigerated soup options and see if there is anything there that appeals to you.

A Popular Nut to Crack

2009-04-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know that almond consumption in the US has doubled in the past 8 years? According to Mintel Global New Products 2007 Database they are the second most frequently used nut in new nut containing food products. Just think of all the wonderful foods you see on shelf these days that contain almonds, like confections, baked goods, cereals and ice creams.

So what is making this nut so popular these days? Well for starters , of course, almonds are plain old fashion delicious but there is more to them than just taste. They are popular with food manufactures because they are a very low moisture nut with naturally high levels of antioxidants making them a very stable ingredient and easier to work with than some other varieties of nuts. Another factor adding to the almond appeal is the fact that they are one of the healthiest nuts around. Compared ounce to ounce to other nuts, almonds are highest in lots of key nutrients like protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin. But it is not just about what is in almonds, they are also attractive for what is not in them as well - lots of extra calories. Almonds are also among the lowest calorie type of nut.

So as you are looking for a delicious new ingredient for your next creation, consider the almond. Popular, versatile, nutrient packed and delicious almonds can be a great addition to many dishes.

Grease Pirates

2009-03-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Some trends are not necessarily a good thing. One of the newest rising trends in the food industry is grease piracy. Have you heard of this one? People are stealing used cooking oil or grease from restaurants and selling it to biodesiel companies to be recycled into fuel. Apparently there is profits to be had in the used cooking oil (and to think most of us home cooks probably just think of used cooking oil as a messy hassle rather than a potential profit center).

According to April issue of Gourmet Magazine, the average restaurant can produce 35-50 gallons of used cooking oil per week and they can sell it for about $1.50 per gallon to refineries who recycle the grease into gasoline alternatives. That represents a potential income of $3,000-$4,000 per year per restaurant. Of course if grease pirates start raiding multiple restaurants their potential profit stream goes up substantially. One man was arrested last year in California with more than 2,000 gallons of stolen oil in his tanker that he had siphoned off from various restaurants. I guess people can turn anything into a black market commodity. The best thing I can say about this trend is at least this waste product gets recycled in the end.

Foodie 2.0

2009-02-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for food and cooking trends you have come to the right place - just let your fingers do the walking on the world wide web! Consumers are looking for a communities that centers around food. Websites, blogs, iPhone applications even twitter exchanges are rushing to fill this need. And there are places for everyone no matter what their particular food interests or level of engagement maybe.

So where are people going on line? Well that totally depends of course. There are the big dedicated food websites like FoodNetwork or Epicurious for people looking for general information and recipes. These monster sites get more than a million hits a month! There are tons of branded food recipe sites like Kraft that can help you with all kinds of semi-homemade recipes...using their products as a base. There are site dedicated to improving your diet like HungryGirl even specialty diet sites like GluttenFreeGirl. There are niche sites for moms like FoodForTots or upcoming sites for the semi-homemade cooks like FunnySpoon. Of course there are more food blogs than you can shake a stick at. (A couple I like are BecomingAFoodie and FoodMayhem.) You don't even have to go looking for food information just down load a recipe widget that can live on your desktop.

So if you want to be on trend for 2009 jump on-line and go searching for like-minded food souls to connect with. There really is something for eveyone out there.

McCormick's 2009 Flavor Forecast

2009-01-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

It is out - the 2009 McCormick® Flavor Forecast™. Every year McCormick makes its prediction on the top flavor pairings that will influence food trends for the year. So take a look at the list and see what you think.

Toasted Sesame and Root Beer

Cayenne and Tart Cherry

Tarragon and Beetroot

Peppercorn Mélange and Sake

Chinese Five Spice and Artisan-cured Pork

Dill and Avocado Oil

Rosemary and Fruit Preserves

Garam Masala and Pepitas

Mint and Quinoa

Smoked Paprika and Agave Nectar

Finding Comfort

2009-01-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

No doubt you have heard (or felt) that these are not the best of economic times. In fact things are not predicted to get better until sometime in 2010. This has most of us tightening our wallets, hunkering down and staying home to ride out this economic down turn. Some trend watchers have called this behavior "hiving" (which is tendency to stay home and invite friends and family over) but I think it is actually a return to "cocooning" (which is more staying home and bonding with your close family). Either way we are staying home more and eating out less.

So as a brand manager or cookbook author or food writer how can you tailor your offerings based on the mood of the typical consumer these days? Think comfort foods! Things like soups, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, casseroles and desserts. Of course it will depend on your target consumers' age as to what types of comfort foods provide the most appeal. According to a study conducted by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, Young adults tend to prefer cookies and ice cream. The 35-54 crowd will tend to favor pizza, pasta and soup. While the 55+ group will want mashed potatoes and soup to take them to their happy place.

But don't think you have to be totally predictable with your comfort food offerings. Today consumers often look for traditional comfort foods with a modern twist. For example a simple ice cream dessert with an exotic fruit compote or beef stew made with gourmet blend of mushrooms. Consumers like to try the modern interpretations of their favorite childhood foods.

Nutrition Trends

2008-12-30T09:31:00.000-08:00

Now here is a refreshing trend - the move towards healthier eating. The American Dietetic Association recently released the results of their "Nutrition and You: Trends 2008" which was conducted earlier this year. The study separated people into 3 groups based on their attitudes on maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. The groups were "I am Already Doing It" (people who believe in maintaining healthy eating habits and regular exercise and trying to life that lifestyle); "I Know I Should" (people who believe in maintaining healthy eating habits and getting regular exercise are very important, but may not have taken steps to achieve this lifestyle), and "Don't Bother Me" (people who are least concerned with healthy nutrition and regular exercise and are not making an effort to life a healthy lifestyle). Since 2002 there has been a definite decrease in the latter group. There is a shift towards taking more interest and even action towards a healthier nutrition and exercise routine. 40% of people now report that they actively seek information about nutrition and healthy eating, which is up from 19% in 2000.

Why is this important to you? Because your consumer wants knowledge and they want help as they try to feed their families healthier foods. They want to know how to fit the products they love into a healthier lifestyle. You can talk about the nutritional benefits of your product on pack, on the web or in your advertisements. You can show consumers how to incorporate your products into a healthier diet for their families by featuring nutritionally balanced recipes on pack or on your product website (don't forget to include that nutritional information at the bottom of your recipes!).

Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying you should totally change your brand positioning to be a health brand if that is not who your brand is. What I am just advocating is that your brand keep up the the healthier lifestyle trends that consumers - find ways to fit in. Help educate your consumers on how your products can fit. You can also keep nutritional benefits in mind as you develop new products to launch. Give consumers lots of reasons to believe in your brand.

Home Entertaining

2008-12-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

One trend that is definitely here to stay is home entertaining. It started back at 9/11 when folks just wanted to stay home and be with their families. It has since expanded to more of a home entertaining trend. People are no longer just nesting with their closest family members, they are enjoying hosting friends and extended family members in their homes. And whether is family game night, a formal sit down meal with neighbors or a gathering of the boys for a Sunday football game, you know there will be food and drinks there. (Americans rarely get together without sharing food!) Now this poses an interesting dilemma for most people. People love hosting other people in their homes, there needs to be food and drinks to share with guests, but most people have plain gotten out of the habit of cooking (unless you count microwavable meals and popcorn or course!) and don't know how to put together a spread for their guests to enjoy.

Luckily for us, for ever consumer dilemma there is an awesome opportunity for someone to come in with a solution. For this particular dilemma the opportunity goes to branded food products to come in and save the day by providing super simple semi-homemade recipes, tips and tricks. Now if make those recipes and ideas seasonally relevant you have really created something of value for consumers! Let me give you an example. Suppose you make slice and bake sugar cookie dough. This holiday season you could feature a recipe for Stain Glass Sugar Cookie Ornaments. (So super simple - use the premade sugar cookie dough and hard candies to make the stain glass cookies. While the cookies are still warm use a straw to make a hole at top then just add some ribbon and your consumers have created something they can proudly call their own at their next holiday party!) Let me give you another example. Suppose you make salsa. Why not wish everyone a Feliz Navidad with a simple microwave queso dip recipe? The recipe could be a simple as your branded salsa, a melting cheese and a can of chopped little green chilies melted together in the microwave safe bowl!

It is really easy to do but is does take just a little planning a head of the season to come up with recipes and appetizing photos you want to feature. So think ahead - what is the next season people might want to enjoy a dish made with your product - Superbowl, Easter dinner, 4th of July picnic....the possiblities are endless! Then decide how are you going to communicate your fabulous recipe idea - on pack, website, POS materials, etc? Just make sure you get your recipe ideas out there - consumers are hungry for easy entertaining ideas!

Eating What's Fresh

2008-10-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Just because summer is coming to an end that doesn't have to mean the end of fresh foods on your table. Every month of the year brings its own special foods into season. This month look for lots of yummy fall fruits and veggie appearing at market like apples, broccoli, pumpkins, pears and mushrooms.

No matter what type of food you are marketing, think of ways to use these seasonal fruits and vegetables to add excitement and new news to your recipes library. For example if you were marketing raisins think about a nice Back-to-School Apple Raisin Salad to feature on your carton. Or if you are marketing baking mix you could feature an inviting Warm Autumn Pear Cobbler on the home page of your website. Consumers love seasonally relevant recipes....especially when the recipes are simple and use ingredients they can easily find.

The Evolving Taste of Children

2008-08-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Adults aren’t the only ones with increasingly sophisticated palates; children’s tastes are evolving too. According to Mintel’s March 2008 Kid’s Snacking Report, 30% of kids 6-12-year-olds report that unusual flavors make snaking more fun, while 67% liked to try new kinds of snacks. So what kind of flavors are piquing kid’s interest these days? Check out the list of Up-and Coming Savory Flavors for Kids by International Flavors and Fragrances. These flavors definitely move beyond the macaroni and cheese from a box that made my day when I was in middle school!

Up-and Coming Savory Flavors for Kids
Jalapeno-Cheddar Chili
Sizzlin’ Fajita
Smokin’ Cajun
Chipotle BBQ
Spicy Thai Peanut
Cheeseburger
Sour Dill Pickle
Hot Buffalo and Cool Ranch
Grilled Cheese
BLT
Asian BBQ
Sweet Corn Salsa
Pineapple Jalapeno

Big Trend in Small Bites

2008-08-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes to find the next big idea or trend you have to think smaller – as in snack size! Whether savory or sweet, there is definitely an increased interest in bite-sized and sharable snack foods. According to an October 2007 National Restaurant Association survey the #1 hot new culinary trend for 2008 is bite-sized desserts followed by the #4 hot new trend of small plate dishes or tapas.

Why this interest in snack foods and snacking occasions? Well just like every other trend this year in America, you trace part of the cause to the slowing economy. In an effort to conserve money while not giving up entirely on our love of going out to eat, people are choosing to go out for appetizers and small dishes rather than full meals. But it is more than just our light wallets driving our interest in smaller portions. There is also a desire for more variety. Ordering several smaller dishes allows for more diversity of foods in an eating occasion. Another contributor is the social aspect to snack foods and appetizers. These types of foods lend themselves more to sharing and socializing than plated dinner entrees. Another contributing factor that cannot be ignored in the snacking or mini-meal trend is definitely our hectic schedules. When you are constantly on the go grab-and-go snacks or quick mini-meals just fit in between activities better than a sit down meal. Finally there is that constant struggle to eat more healthy. After years of super-sizing their food and their waistlines, many Americans are looking to down-sizing (or “Right-sizing” if you prefer) their meals rather than giving up the foods they love entirely.

Whether you think of these small bites as savory snacks, mini meals, dessert bites or appetizer flights, this is definitely a trend that is here to stay. Even if you are not in the restaurant industry this is a trend to which you should pay attention. If you are consumer brand manager cookbook author or food editor for magazine, here are some simple ideas to capitalize on this trend and promote usage of your product.

1) Stretch you concept of your product to include appetizer, mini-meals or snacking occasions. For example if your product is frozen French fries move beyond the side dish application and suggest a platter of Cheesy Spicy Nacho French Fries for a game day get together (I know, not every recipe can follow the better for you trend!). If your product is pea soup, suggest pea soup shooters (think shot glass of pea soup with a dollop of sour cream on top) as a super cool and trendy appetizer suggestion for urban cocktail party. If your product is canned corn, a recipe for simple corn salsa would do the trick. If you manage a brand of pork BBQ think smaller and suggest your consumer try BBQ sliders. See nearly any product can fit the small plate trend.

2) The KISS rule still applies – Keep it Simple Simple! In general consumers have even less time to prepare snacks than meals. Your serving suggestions and recipe ideas need to be simple, quick and easy. It also helps to be visual. If you are suggesting a usage occassion outside of your consumer's idea of typical, a picture can make the idea more appealing and do-able.

3) You appeal to more people with variety than a single idea. Not every recipe will fit everybody’s taste and desires and that is ok. That is why you want to have a large variety of recipes and marketing them to your consumers in different ways. For example you market a brand of guacamole and you know you core consumer puts your product on tacos and on chips and that is about it. Showing those 2 applications over and over will never inspire anyone to try something new (expanded usage occasions). It will also not speak to potential new consumers the way showing a variety of usage occasions. So let’s take that same product and add a recipe for Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Guacamole Dip or Spicy Scallop Stackers (tortilla chip with a dollop of guacamole, a seared scallop a thin slice of jalapeno and topper of sour cream) and a serving suggestion of using guacamole as a dip on a vegetable tray. Now you are really expanding the possible usage occasions and making the product more appealing to new consumers!

Functional Superstar - Omega-3 Fatty Acids

2008-07-19T10:15:00.001-07:00

Omega-3 fatty acids are a rising star in the world of functional foods. According to a 2007 study by the International Food Information Council out of Washington, DC, 71% of consumers report they are aware of Omega-3 fatty acids. This is up 8% from the previous year. Food manufactures are (or should be) taking notice of this important food trend. According to recent study by Packaged Facts in Rockville, MD, the market for omega-3 fortified foods has exploded from $100 million in 2002 to $2 billion in 2006. Impressive growth!

Just in case you are unfamiliar with omega-3 fatty acids and their health benefits, let me give you a quick summary. Omega-3's are naturally found in seafood, such salmon, tuna, mackerel and shellfish, as well as, some vegetation like flax seeds, walnuts, soy and canola oil. (Though the Omega-3's in seafood appear to pack a better healthy benefits punch than the plant derived Omega-3's.) The FDA has found enough supporting evidence to allow claims on food packaging that the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, reduce the risk of coronary disease. In addition to the heart benefits there is evidence that long-chain omega-3's have benefits to brain development and functioning. Omega-3's have shown success in treating psychiatric disorders (such as major depressive disorder and schizophrenia) and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Also there is evidence that long-chain omega-3's also are successful in treating rheumatoid arthritis and reducing the risk of certain cancers, as well as, other ailments. (And just in case you were wondering, short-chain omega-3's are good too, but they don't pack nearly the healthy benefits of long-chain omega-3's. )

So, if you are a lucky manufacture of products that naturally have or are fortified with omega-3s, hopefully you are taking advantage of this consumer interest in this functional food's attributes. But what if you are a food manufacture who doesn't make a food product with omega-3's benefits, is there any way that you can get still hook your wagon to omega-3s shooting star? Absolutely! The fastest, simplest and easiest way is to provide your consumers with some recipes for your products that incorporate omega-3 rich ingredients. For example maybe you produce a branded crushed pineapple. You could provide an on-pack recipe for a simple pineapple salsa over grilled salmon. It would provide you with a great the opportunity to call out the omega-3 benefits of the recipe and your brands dedication to healthier living. Or maybe you produce a brand of breakfast baking mix. You could think about giving your consumers a recipe like Blueberry and Walnut Coffee Cake made with flax seed oil on an in-pack insert. You can use the space to tout your brand's dedication to helping your consumers make heart health choices. Almost any product can be pared with some form of ingredients that can produce recipes with functional benefits. It just takes dedication to that goal and a little creativity the kitchen. Delicious product specific recipes with functional benefits create great opportunities to tap into your consumers' desire for delicious better-for-you eating experiences.

The Oil Impact

2008-06-11T04:22:00.000-07:00

What is the biggest food trend so far in 2008? Unfortunately it is rising food prices. If you are a food producer or seller you have no doubt felt this impact on your bottom line. You may have even already made the painful decision to take price with your customers. On an even more personal level you have no doubt felt the impact on your own wallet as well, when it is your turn to be the consumer.

Why the dramatic spike in food cost? Well the most obvious culprit is sky rocking oil prices. Oil impacts the food chain in ways most of us never consider. Oil is a key ingredient in the fertilizers and pesticides that farmers use on crops - like corn, wheat and soy beans. It then takes oil to harvest and transport those crops to distribution centers and on to market. If those crops are then used to feed live stock more oil will be required to process and transport the meat. If the crops are used for processed foods (like hamburger buns, tater tots, or a box of corn bread mix) then more oil is used in the transportation and processing of those products. And don’t forget the oil that also goes into the production and transportation of all that beautiful packaging that encapsulates all the tasty food products we buy. Wow it takes a lot of oil to make a meal when I put it that way!

Since we know oil prices are unlikely to be headed south anytime soon (if ever) are there any things you can do to help your consumers (and your own family) with their rising food bills? Absolutely! You can offer recipes that deliver more bang for the buck. Offer up seasonal recipes that capitalize on locally available seasonal products (which cuts down on transportation costs). Produce cost typical aren’t as impacted as meat and processed foods prices so offer recipes that use generous amounts of fruits and veggies. Finally you can also offer Asian and Mediterranean style recipes that use meat, dairy and fish more as flavorings than main ingredients. Just remember to keep in mind the cooking skill level and available meal prep/cooking time for your key target demographic. Unless you are specifically targeting the most proficient and prolific cooks with your recipes, don’t get so gourmet (i.e. too complicated or time consuming) in your recipe offerings that you loose the interest of your key target market.

Spring Fever

2008-05-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Seems I am not the only one with spring fever these days. People are clamoring for more springtime recipes that they can use to create delicious dishes with all the newly sprung springtime fruits and veggies. I totally understand the craving.

Lately I have been delighted to find tray packs of fresh green English peas (shell-off) in the produce section of my local grocery store. They are clear sign that spring is officially here. Below is one of my favorite super simple recipes for these tasty green treats.

English Peas Go to Italy

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium slices pancetta (can substitute prosciutto)

1 tray pack fresh English Peas (shell-off)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

fresh cracked black pepper

salt

*Pour olive oil into a medium to large skillet and place on medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.

*Dice pancetta.

*When oil is hot (but not smoking) add pancetta to pan. The pancetta should be gently sizzling. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.

*Add peas to the pan and stir together with pancetta. Continue sauteing for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.

*Pull rosemary leaves off the stems and add to the pan with peas. Add a very light sprinkle of salt plus a more generous helping of cracked black pepper to the peas. Stir to incorporate. Continue sauteing for 2-3 more minutes.

*Serve and enjoy!

Now if you are unlucky enough to be somewhere were you can't find fresh English peas yet you could substitute frozen green peas. I do not recommend using canned peas though - too mushy.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mother's day offers an easy opportunity for another touch point with consumers. It is a great time to offer up simple semi-homemade recipes as children and fathers around the country enter the uncharted territory of the kitchen in an effort to make breakfast, dinner or treats for mom. Whether you are targeting consumers with email newsletters, a mailing, a splash page on your website, or other marketing vehicle, be sure to offer up some super simple quick ideas that even a cooking newbie can handle like Summer Garden Party Sugar Cookies . These delicious little cookies are perfect because dad can easily get the kids involved in cutting out the cookies, spreading the icing and decorating with fruit. Since dad starts with refrigerated cookie dough, as long as he can find a cookie sheet in the kitchen, he should be able to handle the task.

So remember, offering easy recipes are a great way to be a resource to your consumers throughout the year. And of course, don't forget to call your mom on this Mother's Day!

From Hippie to Hip - Brown Rice Becomes Fashionable Again

2008-05-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

In the 1960's and 70's brown rice was a popular whole-grain staple with the hippie era counter-culture. In the 80's and 90's it virtually disappeared from menus in favor of the more flavor-neutral white rice. Today the former hippie culture food is making a comeback thanks in part to the increasing interest in more nutrient rich "good" carbs.

So what is brown rice exactly? It is basically minimally processed rice. The outer inedible hulls are removed from the grain but the bran and germ are left mostly or completely intact. (To get white rice the bran and germ are stripped off leaving only the starchy flesh of the grain.) Brown rice is not always truly brown. "Brown" is more of a processing term referring to the bran which is left on the grain.

Brown rice has a lot of advantages over its paler younger brother. It is packed with more nutrients (fiber, antioxidants, etc) than white rice and it is much more flavorful. Thanks to popular mainstream restaurants (like P.F. Chang) consumers are becoming reacquainted with the tasty nutty flavor of brown rice. And thanks to popular diets (such as the South Beach Diet) consumers are actively looking to add more whole grains into their meal routines. So as you are building your recipe library think about including some recipes that call for brown rice. This flavorful ingredient edition will make for a deliciously on-trend meal that cooks can feel good about serving to their families and friends

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Most people think Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day. It actually commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (Mexican independence came later) and is celebrated as only a regional holiday in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is more widely celebrated in America where it has come to represent more of a celebration of Mexican pride and history. Regardless of what decent you are from, Cinco de Mayo is a great day to celebrate with some delicioso Latin American cuisine.

The Latin American food trend is a very hot, up and coming trend. Flavors and ingredients like lime, tomatillos, chili peppers, corn meal, chorizo, adobo, yuca and queso fresco are popping up on menus even in non-Mexican themed restaurants. One of my favorite "new" spices to use when I am cooking at home is chipotle peppers or chipotles in adobo sauce. Chipotle chile peppers are smoke-dried jalapenos. You can buy them as a dried spice (in the spice aisle) or you can get them whole in a can (in the ethnic section of the grocery store). Whole chipotle chiles in a can usually come packed in adobo sauce. This deep red flavorful sauce is made with tomatoes, vinegar and spices like garlic, onion, cumin, lemon pepper and achiote powder.

Need a little inspiration on how to use chipotles to add some Latin American flare to your menu tonight? Try sprinkling the dried chipotle chile pepper powder over french fries or popcorn. Or dice 1-2 chipotle peppers in a adobo sauce and add to spagetti sauce, chili or meatloaf. If you really want to mix things up and try something new, try adding the chipotle peppers in a adobo sauce to an alfedo sauce (it is obviously a non-traditional use and may sound a little strange, but it truly delicious - I promise you!). Whether you use the dried spice or the chipotle peppers in adobo, you will be adding a wonderfully smoky spice to your dish. If you worried about things getting too spicy, just scrape out and throw away most of the seeds before adding the chiles to your recipes. And of course, don't forget to serve some refreshing cold beverages like margaritas or cervezas to cool everything down.

Mother's Little Helper - A Jar of Spagetti Sauce

2008-04-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

The cover story for this month's issue of Saveur magazine is dedicated to the quest for the perfect Ragu sauce in Bologna, Italy. There are numerous recipes for delicious sounding, slow-cooked, authentic Italian Ragu dishes - most taking about 3 hours or more to prepare. The very thought of those rich and meaty sauces over fresh-made pasta is enough to make my mouth water in anticipation. While reading the article I started trying to mentally schedule a day when I could devote the 3 to 4 hours needed to make the perfect saucy pasta dish for friends and family to enjoy. After a few minutes of contemplation over the scheduling manipulations that would be required to free up the 4 hours of cooking time needed for my pasta feast, I was forced to admit scheduling defeat. (Scheduling is so hard when you are trying to do it all from Career Woman, to Family Manager to Domestic Goddess!) So maybe I will have to leave the creation of the perfect home-made pasta feast in the capable hands of one of the local Italian restaurants (at least for now), where my only time requirement will be the hour or so to sit and enjoy dinner.

There was another interesting shorter article in Saveur this month, titled "Mother's Little Helper". Deputy Editor, Dana Bowen, talked about her mother, a second generation Italian-American woman, and her surreptiticious use of Ragu-brand pasta sauce as a basis for her own legendary "homemade" Italian sauces. Dana even mentioned that if family and friends were coming over for dinner her mother took great care to throw the store bought sauce jars away in the outside trash cans so that no one would spot the confederates to a true "homemade" meal in the kitchen trash. I wonder if Dana realizes that while her mother was bring old world traditions over to America she was also modifying those traditions to work in an increasingly fast pace society. Her mom's creative uses for store bought pasta sauces as a basis for her own variety of Italian dishes made her an early adopter of the semi-homemade cooking trend which is all the rage in American kitchens today.

Today's cooks are more sophisticated in their tastes but less proficient in their cooking skills than past generations. What they want is slow cooked authentic deliciousness when they dine out and simple dinner solutions that taste homemade for busy meals at home. If you want to appeal to the masses, simple recipes using pre-made ingredients that generate healthy interesting meals in a hurry are just the ticket. Be sure to mix it up with an interesting selection of ethnic dishes as well as simple versions of familiar classics for the broadest reach on usage occasions and the widest appeal to consumers.

The Latin American Trend

2008-04-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Cinco De Mayo is almost here. What better time to talk about trends in Hispanic cooking....or at least trends in the types of Hispanic foods average America is eating. In the 1990's fast casual Mexican restaurants were extremely popular. No matter what the name of the particular restaurant was over the door, you knew before you even looked at the menu generally what was going to be offered to you - various combinations of similarly seasoned beans, meat, cheese and rice with tortillas or chips. Today those types of Mexican restaurants continue to be ubiquitous through out America, however the true emerging trend is Hispanic-influenced foods. According to Datassential's Food Bytes e-Gazette, 44% of restaurants now offer what they call a "Mexican-Inspired entree" (think of menu items like a tequila lime salsa burgers or a prime rib sandwich with a zesty jalapeno mesquite spread).

Following behind the Mexican-Inspired trend is a new trend towards Latin American foods which would include dishes from Mexico but also foods from the many other Latin American countries located in North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. New menu items being seen are things like Cuban sandwiches; chimichurri sauces* (popular in Argentina) and ceviche (a popular dish in Peru). In fact a Datassential survey showed that 22% of Americans were very interested in Brazilian foods, which makes it only slightly less popular than Thai.

So as you are thinking about recipes to add to your library it is definitely time to add a few dishes with a Hispanic twist. These could be things like Chipotle Chicken Alfredo or Spicy Lasagna made with habonaras. And if your target consumer is a little more progressive you can start adding in some more exotic Latin American dishes like Brazilian Rice Pudding or a flavorful Puerto Rican Stew. Fruit flavors like coconut, mango and pineapples are also a part of this trend so things like Coconut Infused Rice or a Pineapple Mango Salsa Grilled Chicken are more great menu options. May is a great time to debut your new Latin American-inspired dishes! So grab a margarita if you need the inspiration (or mojitos if you prefer), put on your salsa shoes and say ole! You won't want to miss this deliciously sassy trend!

Notes:
*Chimichurri sauce is a thick herb sauce or condiment popular in Argentina. It is made from olive oil, vinegar, and finely chopped parsley, oregeno, garlic and onion and then seasoned with salt, cayenne and black pepper.
*Ceviche (also spelled seviche) is fish that has been "cooked" with lime juice. Often ingredients like tomatoes, onion and green peppers are added to the marinade.

Making it Simple

2008-04-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

I opened up the April issue of Gourmet magazine and was intrigued by the picture of the Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Broth. The soup looked delicious and fresh and matched my desire to find to new recipes that could use the fresh asparagus which are just coming into season. So I flipped to the back to see how to make it. Of course this is Gourmet magazine so the first thing it called for was making fresh pasta dough followed by making fresh chicken stock infused with a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind and then making your own ravioli using, of course, a pasta machine to roll out the dough. OK that sounds absolutely wonderful except for the fact I do not have 2 1/2 hours to make a first course for dinner tonight. So I got to thinking about what I could do to make this delicious sounding soup in an abbreviated version. Below is the recipe I came up with. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

Ravioli and Asparagus Soup
(Makes 4 first course soup servings in about 20 minutes)

1/2 lbs asparagus (roughly half a bunch)

1 9-oz package fresh refrigerated cheese ravioli

64-oz chicken stock (can substitute vegetable stock if desired)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cracked black pepper

*Pour chicken stock into a medium to large pot and place on high heat.

*Rinse asparagus. Cut off the bottom portion of the stalks (roughly the bottom 1/3 of the stalks ) and discard. Cut the top portion of the stalk into 2 inch pieces. Set aside until ready to use.

*Once the stock comes to a medium boil reduce heat to medium. Add ravioli and cook according to package directions (roughly 7 minutes).

*When the pasta has 2 minutes left to cook, add cut asparagus pieces to the pot and slowly sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese. Stir well and continue cooking remaining 2 minutes. Season soup with cracked black pepper to taste.

*Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Voila you have taste fresh homemade soup in minutes - not hours!

Now please do not mistake my recipe makeover as a slight to Gourmet Magazine. My recipe is really more of a tribute to the great work the creative culinary team does over there. The magazine does an outstanding job of delivering deliciously gourmet recipes for me to drool over. Every month it inspires me to try to new flavor combinations and to step out of my familiar cooking patterns to try new things. However, the truly hot on-trend wave in cooking in the average American home right now is semi-homemade cooking. Recipes that use a little creative substitution of pre-made ingredients to make a nearly gourmet version of a meal that mom can bring to her family's dinner table any night of the week. While the true die-hard cooks will happily do scratch-cooking most of us don't have time to do it, at least not on a regular basis. So if you are putting together a collection of recipes for middle America rather than chef and gourmet cook type people, remember to keep it simple, quick and help the consumer take timing saving short cuts whenever possible.

Egg-xtraordinary

2008-04-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

April is a great season to consider the egg. Both Gourmet.com and Martha Stewart Living Magazine have features this month about all the different types of eggs available beyond the standard chicken variety. Even Olive, a food magazine from the UK, starts off its April Starters section (which tracks food shopping, trends and news) with a beautiful picture of blue free range eggs. Maybe the editors of these publications were just all chicken egg-ed out following Easter and decided to look around the world for some variation on the traditional egg. Or maybe it was the emerging season of spring showers (I am talking about the baby and wedding variety here, not the rain producing type) that led to the interest in the most versatile of brunch foods. In any case we are treated to some delightful egg facts and pictures.

Gourmet.com features a delightfully informative slide show on different types of eggs - from chicken to iguana to the chocolate variety. Each image is adorned with a few informative sentences about the particular type of egg and its uses around the world. Let me just add here that I learned things about the harvesting of iguana eggs to make them truly unpalatable to me..... as if the idea of eating a lizard egg wasn't bad enough by itself.

Martha Stewart Living features a delightful article called Exemplary Eggs . It includes many beautiful egg dish images with the recipes to follow in the back portion of the magazine. Almost all of the recipes, of course, use the standard chicken variety of eggs but there is one recipe for Noodles with Poached Duck Egg that gets into the more exotic. (As soon as I locate some duck eggs I will let you know how the recipe tastes.)

So thinking forward, why not think about adding a few new egg recipes to your recipe library? Eggs are so versatile you can add almost any ingredient to them and come up with a delicious dish - usually in just minutes. You can dress them up for company (think a fancy crepe wrapped asparagus for a Saturday morning brunch) or dress them down for good old comfort food (think rich and egg-y french toast with lots of butter and syrup). Either way the chances are good that your egg dish will be a hit! And if you are feeling particularly gourmet you can always try that Noodles with Poached Duck Egg recipe. Just let us know how it tastes.

Spring Forward

2008-04-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Spring has officially sprung! We have moved our clocks forward, celebrated Easter and are already trying to think about what to get our mom's for Mother's Day next month. Depending on what part of the country you live in the first flowers are also starting to bloom and the first fresh spring vegetables are making an appearance at your local farmer's market. What a great time of year!

It is the perfect time to shake things up in the kitchen. After a winter of frozen vegetables, start looking for recipes that call for fresh ones. Fruits and vegetables like artichokes, asparagus, beets, butter lettuce, peas and strawberries are just coming into season. Yes I know, through the beauty of intercontinental shipping it is possible to get many of these things imported to your local grocery store year-round, but there is something deliciously fresh about the first local produce of the season. Below is one of my favorite springtime recipes to whet your appetite.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

2 1-lbs packages refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream (could substitute Half and Half)
Fresh Strawberries, sliced

* Bake sugar cookies according to package directions.

*In a small bowl, mix the softned cream cheese, sugar and whipping cream with an electric hand mixer until well blended. The mixture should be the consitancy of frosting. If it is too thick to spread like frosting you can add a little more whipping cream and blend again.

*After the cookies have been allowed to cool, spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on top of each cookie then layer on slices of strawberries.

*Serve and enjoy!

A few notes about this cookie, because of the cut strawberries the cookies do not store well. So plan on eating them or setting them out on your buffet table the same morning or afternoon that you make them. If you need to make things ahead of time, I recommend baking the cookies and making the icing in advance (storing the icing in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it) but waiting to slice the strawberries and assemble the cookies with cream cheese icing and fruit right before you are ready to set them out for people to eat. Of course, if you have a little extra time or are feeling particularly gourmet you can always step it up a notch and make the sugar cookies from scratch. My favorite scratch sugar cookie recipe is the Classic Sugar Cookies in the Chocolate-Packed, Jam-Filled, Butter-Rich, No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book by Judy Rosenberg, but you could use whatever one you like.

Happy Spring!

The Return to Butter!

2008-04-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

I admit it - I have always loved butter. In the 90's I slathered it on bread even when prevailing diet wisdom advised a shift to "heart-healthy" margarine. By the late-90's and into the early 2000's however I, like many other Americans, followed the food trends and shifted to more Mediterranean-style cooking. This, of course, pushed me towards using more olive oil. Butter went from a staring role in most of my meals to an supporting and indulgent role for certain recipes. And as one would expect my rate of grocery store purchases of butter dropped dramatically. More recently though I noticed a gradual increase in recipes calling for butter. Maybe it has been because of our increasing dalliance into new types of ethnic recipes which call for for wonderfully rich ingredients like butter and ghee. It could be due in part to a certain amount of consumer disillusionment with the previous claims of the "heart-healthy" virtues of margarine. I think it also has something to do with just the natural circle of life in all trends (every trend seems to come back into style eventually).

It seems like I am not the only one noticing this delicious butter trend. This month's issue of Saveur magazine is a special issue devoted to "The Beauty of Butter". In the editorial by the Editor-in-Chief, James Oleland, he notes that 2005 was the first year since 1957 that Americans ate more butter than margarine. To me this shift makes sense as you look at how Americans are starting to being more mindful of the foods they eat. There is shift from overly-processed food towards more natural and organic options or at least towards foods with ingredients people can pronounce.

So as you look for recipes to fit your needs think about what type of ingredients your target market prefers - butter, margarine, olive oil, corn oil or something else. You want to keep your recipes diverse and current while being mindful of what staple ingredients your target consumer is currently stocking in her refrigerator and pantry.

The Rise of the Cooking Inconfident

2008-03-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

There was a really interesting article in the Washington Post about 10 days ago titled Cooking 101: Add a Cup of Simplicity. It outlined a trend that many of the big food brands who have dedicated teams of recipe developers already know - Americans tend to lack basic cooking skills. There lots of factors that have led to this like increasing numbers of moms in the work place (they have less time to teach the next generation how to cook), the rise of convenience foods, the proliferation of the microwave, the elimination of Home Economics classes from high school curriculums and, of course, there is also Americans' love affair with fast food. The net result is there are a lot of people who don't have the basic cooking skills that past generations took for granted. But don't mistake people's lack of cooking knowledge with a lack of interest in cooking. You only have to look at the explosion of TV chefs, the food network, cooking websites and cooking magazines to know that people are ready to return to their kitchens.....they just needs a little help.

What kind of help should you and your brand give them? If you are a mainstream brand, start with giving consumers very simple "semi-homemade" type recipes that start with your delicious food product as a base. Keep the ingredients list short. Limit the range of ingredients to things commonly found in the pantry of your consumers. Bullet point the prep steps and keep chopping and measuring to a minimum. Keep the prepping and cooking time as short as possible. Finally test your recipes before you publish them to make sure they really are tasty! Nothing will deter a consumer faster from trying more of your recipes than having served a bad or inedible meal to her family. Remember your goal is to be your consumers' resource in the kitchen.

Flavor Trends for 2008

2008-03-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

It is always interesting to see what flavor pairings emerge in the annual McCormick Flavor Forecast. Some of the pairings may be a little more relevant to product development and food service menu development than your mainstream product recipes and cookbook applications, but the pairings definitely highlight some key emerging flavor trends. And it never hurts to keep your eye on the emerging trends that may impact you in the future!

Oregano and Heirloom Beans: The familiar flavor of oregano added to the heirloom beans touches on 2 key trends - food with functional benefits and the emerging popularity of heirloom vegetables.

Vanilla Bean and Cardamom: Vanilla has long been popular flavor (remember the emergence of all the vanilla flavored drinks a couple of years ago like vodka and sodas?) that people recognize. Cardamon is an emerging trend that many consumers don't even even realize they are eating because it is increasingly in food service menu items but not called out in the menu descriptions.

Chile and Cocoa: This combination fits very well with the emerging Hispanic flavor trend. As with other ethnic cuisines, there is an evolving sophistication of the American palate that moves beyond the ubiquitous mainstream "Mexican" food to deliciously rich and diverse regional dishes.

Coriander and Coconut Water: A continuation of the tropical flavor trend that we saw last year.

Lemon Grass and Lychee: Asian cuisines continue to grow in popularity as consumers move away from mainstream "Chinese food" to regional Asian palates. The pairing of the exotic lychee brings in a freshness to this pairing.

Red Curry and Masa: This pairing follows the "fusion" trend by bringing together Latin and Asian influences to create a unique flavor experience.

Orange Peel and Natural Wood: Tangy orange peel matched with the smokiness of natural wood creates a delicious flavor combination that could go into multiple genres of foods from Asian to American BBQ.

Allspice and Exotic Meats: This combination fits well with the "experience eating" trend where food is more than nourishment for the body, it is an new experience for the senses.

Poppy Seed and Rose: A unique new pairing taken from North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, it speaks to Americans' expanding ethnic food palate.

Rubbed Sage and Rye Whiskey: Two traditional American flavors team up for an earthy familiar flavor combination.

Cheese Please

2008-03-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

At The Undercover Cook we follow all kinds of food and cooking trends. Some of my personal favorites are the trends in cheese. According to The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association we ate more than 32 pounds of cheese per capita last year! Not only are we eating more cheese, our taste for cheese is getting more sophisticated. The consumption of natural, artisan and ethnic cheeses is on the rise. The other big trend in cheese is, of course, convenience. As consumers look for food solutions that fit into their increasingly busy lives they continue to reach for more grated, crumbled, cubed, string, natural cheese slices and seasoned pre-shredded cheeses. The convenience cheeses take out the prep work without sacrificing the taste of traditional block cheese.

So as you are thinking about recipes for your brand or your latest cookbook, think about including cheese based recipes tailored towards your target consumer. For example, if you are targeting busy moms think about simple recipes that utilize the ever widening variety of convenience cheese, like a taco dip that uses pre-seasoned shredded cheese instead of of block cheese and spices. If you are targeting DINKS think about using cheese from the specialty cheese case, such as a recipe for boursin crusted pork chops. If your brand features upscale regional products think about using regional artisanal cheeses in your recipes. It is important that your recipes appeal to your target consumers' ever changing taste just as well as your products do.

Staying Relevant During a Value Shopping Trend

2008-02-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

As we tally up our numbers and close the books on 2007 one things is clear, increasing commodity prices and decreasing consumer confidence have impacted our consumers as much as they impacted us. If your brand is a value player then you may have seen a bump in sales even as your bottom line has been getting squeezed. If you are a mid-range or premium brand you probably felt the pinch on the top line as well as the bottom line as your loyal consumers become more conservative in their shopping habits and trade down to the value brands.

So is there anything you can do with your recipe marketing plan to help stop this trend? Absolutely! No consumer wants to trade down. As a general rule you can bank on the fact that we consumers don't like denying ourselves our favorite foods even when money is tight. Your consumer needs for you to show her how she can affordable incorporate that indulgent product back into her families normal eating routine. This is a great time to offer what I like to call "stretch recipes". "Stretch recipes" use several ingredients to stretch the more expensive ingredient into more servings. For example let's say you are selling a premium refrigerated pasta product and you find that consumers who were purchasing your tortellini for a center of the plate entree are now trading down to a more affordable dry tortellini. You could feature a recipe campaign that focus on side dish applications for your product. The same package of product then goes from serving 2 main dishes to 4 side dishes. If the recipes incorporates some vegetables or other ingredients then the dish feels substantial and mom gets to feel good about serving this affordable indulgence to her family again. Don't worry, when consumer confidence picks up and the purse strings loosen up again you can go back to steering consumers towards center of the plate applications that incorporate more of your delicious product in each serving.

Healthier Eating in 2008

2008-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

It is no secret that America has a weight issue. According to an IRI Times and Trends report, nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers are overweight to obese. The good news for our ever growing waist lines is that as many as 75% of consumers report that they are making changes to their diets in effort to eat healthier (sometimes referred to as the Better-For-You trend). Of course we know that what consumers say they are going to do and what really do are two different things, but that is a separate issue.

While I would not suggest that you should totally revamp your brand to match the Better-For-You trend (that would be a much larger branding question than what I am addressing), but you should consider adding a few healthier recipe and usage suggestions to your marketing arsenal. For example you could develop recipes that incorporate your product into a salad or a vegetable side dish or use whole grains like barley in the dish. Not only can these new healthy options draw in new more health conscious consumers who would have never considered using you product, they can keep you product relevant to consumers who may be considering healthy lifestyle changes.

Breakfast is Back

2008-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Restaurants believe that breakfast is becoming more relevant to consumers. How do I know? According to the November 2007 e-Gazette Food Bytes, restaurants (from QSRs to Fine Dining) have been increasing the number of breakfast items on their menus (a statistic also known as "breakfast density") for the past 2 years. While QSRs clearly lead the way on providing breakfast to consumers, it is the fine dining establishments that are showing the most growth on breakfast menu items.

If you are developing a recipe library for your brand, website or cookbook, you should consider including a few recipes for this important day-part. Try putting a breakfast twist on a non-traditional breakfast item just to keep in interesting. If you are selling pizza dough, why not include a recipe for a ham, egg and cheese breakfast pizza? If you are selling crab cakes, think about a crab, artichoke, sundried tomato and Parmesan cheese breakfast scrambler. If your e-newsletter theme is this month is cheese, try including a recipe for pancetta and brie mini quiches. It is very easy to add fun breakfast recipes to your recipe repertoire just by adding fun new ingredients to the traditional dishes that people already know and love.

Welcome to The Undercover Cook

2008-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Undercover Cook is a full service recipe consulting business. We specializes in writing recipes for consumer brand products, websites and cookbooks. What sets us apart from other recipe development companies is that by following cooking and food trends we understand how different segments of the population cook. One common mistake we see on consumer brand packaging and websites is complicated labor intensive recipes that don't match up to how the target consumer group really cooks. At The Undercover Cook, we carefully write recipes that fit within the skills set, time constraints and personal tastes of the specific group our client wants to target. We can also help guide our clients in developing beautiful food photography with maximum appetite appeal.

If you are a brand manager or product manager, you may ask why recipes should be important to you and your brand. Recipes are key to showing your consumers alternative usage occasions for your product (and we all know that increasing usage in existing customers is cheaper and more effective than just targeting new consumers to make their first purchase!). Recipes provide great content for brand websites and PR campaigns. Good recipes can turn your brand from just another product to a resource for consumers.

If you are a cookbook writer or recipe website manager you need good on-trend recipes as well. Your recipe needs will be based on your target reader. Are you targeting cheese lovers with specialty cheese based recipes or busy moms who want healthy meals for their families in under 30 minutes? Whoever your target is, you want recipes that are not above their skill level and not below their preferred tastes.

What ever your recipes needs, The Undercover Cook is ready to help you target your particular consumers. Go to theundercovercook.com to learn more.