Author: Isabel Montclaire

In our garden we have a zucchini plant, just one, and it’s a very vigorous one at that. Vibrant life courses through its dark green leaves. And you know what kind of reputation zucchinis have – those plants definitely put out! What on earth does a person do with all that zucchini? Jim told me about his mother’s E-Z zucchini recipe and it has just four ingredients – zucchini, eggs, saltine cracker crumbs, and seasoning salt. That’s just the ticket!

Last Saturday I received a spontaneous invitation to attend a multi-generation family dinner party. I wanted to bring something but had little time to plan. But wait – I have a boatload of zucchini! I grabbed the ingredients, a cast iron skillet, my favorite knife, and headed to the party.

After the first round of introductions, a few conversations, and a beer, I pulled a chair up to the table and started to make the infamous zucchini with cracker crumbs. I beat a few eggs, cut the zucchini in ¼ inch slices, put the crackers in a Ziploc bag and smashed them with a rolling pin. Then, I dipped the zucchini slices in the eggs and into the crackers. After a few rounds of that, I noticed the crackers were not sticking to the zucchini. The eggs had moistened the crackers and they were too lumpy to stick to the slices. I changed my technique and with a fork, dipped the slices into the egg, put them on a plate and sprinkled on the crumbs. After a dusting of Johnny’s seasoning salt, they were ready to be fried. My friend Wendell was manning the stove and melted some bacon grease in the cast iron skillet. After a few minutes, he turned one upside down and exclaimed “Ready to turn over – they have that KFC color”. That made me laugh.

About twenty people were seated at the long, rectangular table. The proof is in the pudding – I heard a few of them say out loud “This zucchini is delicious”. But the best validation came from sweet twelve year old Anthony who was seated next to me. He liked the zucchini so much he wanted to know how to make it. Wow, a zucchini can get a twelve year old to want to cook vegetables! He had just completed a week long cooking camp and seemed to have a keen interest in food. I explained all the steps and before I knew it, a plate of fried zucchini arrived on the table. Grandpa Don had been listening in and took the charge. What a surprise that was, especially since we were already finished with dessert. Being at table with good friends and good food to me is the epitome of the good life.

Last week’s column about the two-ingredient chocolate ganache made me remember a simple dessert that my mother whipped up in the summertime. The dessert was called “Fool”. Though Fool seems like a fancy dessert that one might find in a famous Parisian sidewalk café, it is remarkably easy to make. Fool’s simplicity fools you!

What is in this simple dessert? Just pureed berries folded into sweetened whipped cream. But there is a method to the madness. As with many few-ingredient recipes, the proper technique is what matters along with the presentation. You could plop the mixture down in the middle of a cereal bowl and call it good. But with just a little extra effort, the recipe can become a beautiful special occasion dessert all dressed up in party clothes.

Fool

2 cups fresh or frozen berries
Sugar to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ cups chilled heavy cream

Gently mash the berries until they break down slightly and release their juices. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can blend the berries then strain them to remove the seeds. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the berry puree into the whipped cream using a spatula. Don’t fully mix the berry puree into the cream because you want to create a swirled appearance. Spoon the mixture into individual serving glasses or dishes. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to meld and the fool to set.

I have a pair of my grandmother’s parfait glasses and these make an elegant presentation. A stemmed glass would work well too. Before serving, top with whipped cream (I like to use aerosol whipped cream because of the way it comes out of the can). Drizzle a thin ribbon of chocolate syrup around the edges and add a couple of fresh berries. If you happen to have a mint plant, pick a few leaves for the final touch. You can serve the fool with shortbread cookies, biscotti, or tea biscuits. Wild blackberries are coming on now; if you use those you will probably want to remove the seeds. You can also layer the fool with some fresh berries.

I had some chocolate ganache and I layered that along with the Fool just for fun. It was soooo delicious I practically fell off my chair! I couldn’t stop thinking about the dessert for a few days, as if The Fool had put a spell on me. Good food has enormous power to uplift the spirit. Sometimes the simple things in life – like chocolate and berries ‒ can pack a big punch.

I’m back! I moved last week and I could not find anything for a few days. Where on earth is my fountain pen? I thought it was in that box. Here is my laptop but where did the mouse and cord go? I have my wits about me now, thank goodness. Chocolate got me through it. Yes! Chocolate is comforting you know.

One of the chocolate things I ate was a piece of cake from Brenda’s Blessings. The cake was topped with a delicious chocolate frosting that was not too sweet and it had a beautiful, glossy sheen. I was burning to know what was in that frosting. As usual, Brenda was happy to share her recipe for “Chocolate Ganache” with me . . . and with you! This versatile recipe can be used as a glaze, sauce, topping, filling, and a frosting too. The recipe is made of just two ingredients and has only one pot to wash. Yay!

Chocolate Ganache

Two parts chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bars
One part heavy cream
(For example, two cups chocolate and one cup cream)

That’s all, that’s it! Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat over low until it starts to vigorously steam. Add in the chocolate and stir with a whisk until the texture becomes smooth and silky. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate because it scorches easily.

When you have a simple recipe like this, it’s vitally important that the ingredients are of high quality. America’s Test Kitchen did a blind taste test on chocolate chips several years ago. The taster’s favorite was Ghirardelli 60% Cacao dark chocolate chips. I agree with them. They are not too sweet and are rich with deep chocolatey flavor. Of course you can use semisweet, bittersweet, or milk chocolate if that’s what you prefer. I have not tried this recipe with white chocolate chips but read that you don’t need as much cream, so try a 3 to 1 ratio of chocolate to cream. When the ganache is still warm, it is pourable and then sets up as it cools. You can add different extracts to your ganache like vanilla or peppermint. Chocolate mint! Want mocha? Add instant expresso powder or coffee extract. I read that you can even add different liqueurs, such as Baileys, Grand Marnier, or Kahlua. 

I love chocolate dipped bananas. I froze some banana chunks then dipped them in the ganache. Yum! I use the Plenty Method to buy the chocolate chips from a wholesaler and got them for 50% less than I’d pay retail. Now I can eat twice as much chocolate! Thank you, Brenda, for sharing this lovely recipe and helping me get through my move.

Summer is finally here. Last week it arrived in grand style with a massive heatwave that seared the globe with record high temperatures.

My body always takes awhile to adjust to the heat. At the onset of the heatwave, I was lethargic like I was half sick with somethin’. I felt like cold molasses sliding out of a bottle. I had two speeds – slow and stop! And then one night, I woke up with a mouth so dry I thought it was stuffed full of cotton balls. How did that happen? I drink water throughout the day.

One afternoon, I slithered like a snail over to Ellie’s house and complained about my malaise. She thought I might be dehydrated and suggested that I chug a rehydration drink. Interestingly enough, she had just looked at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recipe for a low-cost rehydration formula and adapted it to make it palatable. After all, if a thing tastes super yucky it’s not likely to go down the hatch very often. According to the WHO, in order for the body to absorb the formula, it needs to contain glucose and salt in a specific proportion. Ellie adds Morton’s salt substitute because it contains potassium and that adds electrolytes. Cream of tartar has potassium too.

Ellie’s Rehydration Recipe

2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon sea salt (do not use table salt)
½ teaspoon potassium – Morton’s salt substitute or cream of tartar
1 liter water (4.25 cups)

Dissolve the salt and potassium in hot water and stir with a metal spoon. Then use the hot spoon to scoop the honey; that makes the honey slide off the spoon. Chill the drink. Ellie says she sometimes just adds the salt and potassium to lemonade. I had a bottle of raspberry extract on hand and added a couple of teaspoons for an extra layer of lovely flavor. If you haven’t consumed this within 24 hours, toss it out.

I drank a batch of this and was surprised how quickly my energy returned. I looked up the symptoms of dehydration and fatigue/lethargy is in the top three. This caught me by surprise. I drink a lot of water and it would have never occurred to me that my fatigue was due to dehydration. Even though this recipe is simple and low cost, don’t underestimate the effectiveness of this formula. The WHO developed this to save the lives of people, particularly children, suffering from dehydration in third world countries. It is medicine!

On these hot days, keep a pitcher of Ellie’s drink in your fridge and sip on it now and then. That will keep you from getting fried in this hot summer heat.

Recently my friend Ellie gave me her recipe for blue cheese vinaigrette. Blue cheese makes a savory and tangy dressing that adds a lovely zest to a salad made of ordinary vegetables. If I have a bottle of homemade salad dressing or a special sauce on hand, I can always make something yummy to eat in a snap.

I looked at Ellie’s recipe then remembered my friend Joanne’s recipe for a creamy blue cheese dressing. Without even thinking about it, my mind merged the two recipes as if a marriage of recipes had just occurred in my head. Creamy meets vinaigrette and falls in love in the fridge. Imagine that, of all places! The end result was a salad dressing so delicious that I couldn’t stop tasting it and suddenly ¼ of the bottle was gone. Who said you can’t drink salad dressing straight out of the bottle?

This emphasizes the point I have made for quite awhile. The most valuable skills in the kitchen are flexibility and adaptability. Those give you the freedom to play and experiment and you will feel much joy along the way.

Here is Ellie’s original recipe:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon coarse salt or seasoning salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
pinch sugar
¼ cup white-wine vinegar
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup blue cheese crumbles

Combine the first five ingredients together then add the olive oil and blue cheese. Then I   add the following ingredients from the creamy blue cheese dressing recipe: 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons sour cream, a teaspoon of a no-salt herb blend. I used half white balsamic vinegar and half white wine vinegar, and half avocado oil. I didn’t have Dijon mustard so I used stone ground mustard. My all-time favorite mustard is Pommery Mustard de Meaux and it’s the only mustard I use. You can get it online. Apparently the kings of France have been eating this same mustard since 1632.

We have all noticed food inflation and blue cheese is not exempt. A four ounce container of crumbles is upwards of five dollars. My favorite brand is Castello, made in Denmark. I used the “Plenty Method” and bought two 19.4 ounce packages at a wholesale food source for only $17.62. I froze one package (yes, you can freeze some types of cheese) and then stored the rest in a 100% airtight container. When I buy blue cheese this way I can buy three times more. And I don’t have to worry about the cheese going to waste because I properly store the extra amount.

I took Ellie’s evolved blue cheese vinaigrette recipe over to her house to try. She was impressed and wanted the recipe!

Last week, I set out to make a loaf of bread in my bread machine. I used my “go-to” recipe; it is simple and always turns out well. I mix the ingredients then press the on button and walk away. But this time when I pressed the button, I heard a loud screech and the dough blade stopped. Oh no, it’s broken! I felt jangled, like I had suddenly lost a dear friend or maybe even a family member. I almost wanted to cry. That machine and I had some history. And I was very hungry for a warm piece of crunchy toast covered with melted Irish butter mixed with honey (if there were only two foods in the world and those were bread and butter I’d be good with that).

But what to do now? I didn’t want to throw the dough away. In a spontaneous move, I plopped the contents on the kitchen counter and mixed the dough with my hands. Then, once mixed, I kneaded it for a few minutes. I could definitely tell when the dough was finished; suddenly it took on a certain firmness and it seemed to say “you can stop now.”

I had read about making bread in a cast iron Dutch oven. I had one, in fire engine red, and I was so happy every time I used it. I oiled the pot and plopped the wad of dough smack in the middle. In a moment of ingenuity, I put the Dutch oven on my cat heating pad to make the rises speed up. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the dough rise; it was a living being! Ninety minutes later, the bread was ready to be popped in the oven.

I removed the bread from the oven and let it cool. Then the anticipated moment had arrived. I cut off a piece and without having the patience to toast it first, took a bite. I was filled with surprise and delight. The crumb was tender and fluffy almost like cake, yet the crust was brown and crispy. This bread was far better than the machine’s bread, yet I had used the exact same recipe. This bread seemed more whole and complete.

Over the next few days, I pondered. Why was my bread so much better than the machine’s bread? Maybe it was because my spirit infused the dough. I had lovingly kneaded and tended the dough while watching it rise. That bread must have absorbed my joy because that is exactly what it tasted like. It didn’t take much more effort to make that loaf the old-fashioned way. I like these words: edible joy. That’s short for homemade toasted bread, butter, and honey. Are you hungry now?

Lately I’ve been thinking about the concept of “spaciousness”, which means there is lots of empty space between things. After all, this is the way the entire universe organizes itself on the macro and micro levels. Think of all the empty space that exists between the galaxies and the stars within them. And then consider all the empty space between the electrons and protons in atoms.

But wait! They say nature abhors a vacuum. And apparently nature also abhors kitchen cupboards, drawers, and counter tops. The idea of empty space is not very popular in our society – jam packed is the American way. Most people’s kitchen cupboards and drawers are so full that there isn’t even enough room to squeeze in a packet of yeast. Empty space is like a big, deep breath of fresh air. Empty space makes it easy to move things around and get to them. Have you ever noticed how cumbersome it is to move something out of the way to get to something else? That’s annoying! Empty space gives you ample room to move.

You can free up space in your kitchen by dispersing items you don’t use often. One of the ways you can do this is to eliminate “single purpose, occasional use” items. Those are the gadgets and machines that do only one thing and although they do that well, they don’t get used often. Examples of these are bread and ice cream machines, waffle irons, and popcorn makers. If you use the item often then they are not “SPOU’s”.

For example, last week my salad spinner broke. This was inconvenient because we were harvesting lettuce from the garden every day. What is the workaround? Hmmmm . . . I washed the lettuce then after giving each leaf a quick flick of the wrist, I put it in a large colander and shook it. Then, I put the leaves in a cotton pillowcase and fluffed them up. The lettuce was not as dry as it would have been had I used a salad spinner but it was good enough. If I want the lettuce to be completely dry, I put it on a dishtowel and let it air dry for an hour or so. And last summer, I accidently figured out how to make ice cream without using an ice cream machine, and it was utterly delicious. Are so many gadgets really necessary?

The place where my salad spinner once sat is now empty. Paradoxically, that emptiness creates space and there’s fullness in that. Wow! That makes my head spin, just like that salad spinner. Well, maybe not that fast! But tell ya’ what, I’m not likely to fill up that empty space anytime soon.

Last week I wrote about the umami taste which adds a lovely meaty, savory flavor to your culinary creations. If you want to add the umami flavor to your food, add MSG – monosodium glutamate – a white crystalline substance that is similar to salt. But MSG has a horrible reputation because it’s thought to cause reactions such as headaches, flushing, and rapid heartbeats. How could this potent magic dust have such bad rap?

Thinking about MSG made me remember when I was in the kitchen with my culinary genius friend Bill. He grabbed a red and white container of Accent which is pure MSG and sprinkled it in the soup. I was intrigued, suspicious, and horrified all at the same time. Is he trying to poison me? But I trusted Bill’s culinary expertise and the next time I was at the store, I bought a bottle of Accent of my very own.

Several years later I read the book “Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste”. The authors talk about how MSG got such a bad reputation and dispel the myth. They cite how the scientific community has rigorously studied MSG and found it to be benign. Nothing indicates it is more dangerous than ordinary household ingredients such as salt and baking powder. Good to know. MSG is made from a natural fermenting process, much like the one used to make yogurt, cheese, and soy sauce.

A dash of MSG adds that indescribable “oomph” to dishes. You know the feeling. That’s when you taste a thing you made and you think to yourself “darn . . . something is missing here; this tastes like a flat tire”. What to do? MSG to the rescue! A little dab will do you. And when I say little, I mean little, like ¼ or ½ teaspoon. This is NOT a case of “if some is good, more is better”. No. Add too much and your dish will take on a nasty, off flavor and you’ll probably have to throw it down the drain. I know because I have done this. MSG is dynamite – even more potent than salt – so blast your food with this savory flavor bomb and level-up your cooking with one small sprinkle. In fact, I call MSG “The Atomic Seasoning”. Maybe I should write the manufactures of Accent and suggest those three little words could be their tagline. Who knows, I might win a lifetime supply of Accent and a free trip to their manufacturing facility. Fun! Worldwide annual production is around three million tons. MSG, apparently you’re not such a bad boy after all because that is a whole lot of atomic sprinkles. Try MSG, you’ll like it!

The most powerful thing you can do to enhance your culinary experience is to add the umami flavor. “I can hear you ask, “What is that?!” Umami is the fifth basic taste, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The Japanese call it “pleasant savory taste” or “deliciousness”. The term for this distinct taste was officially coined in 1908 by a Japanese professor and scientist named Kikunae Ikeda.

One of the best books I have ever read on food was “Umami: Unlocking the secrets of the fifth taste”, by Ole Mouritsen and Klaus Styrbaek. This book takes a deep dive into the history, chemistry, taste physiology, and culinary uses of foods that contain the umami flavor. However, after reading all this discussion and explanation, I can summarize the book’s central message in one sentence: it’s better with bacon! I am not kidding! Bacon explodes with a protein called glutamate which gives umami foods their potent and savory flavor.

My favorite section of the book is the complete list of seasonings that contain the umami flavor along with pictures. The pictures made it easy for me to memorize the list and I added a section in my pantry devoted to umami seasonings. I try to add one or two umami seasonings to whatever I cook. Seasonings that contain umami really do bomb the food with explosive flavor and concentrated sensory delight. Being able to experience such complex and savory deliciousness makes me so happy to be alive.

By now I can imagine you are curious to know what foods contain this mysterious magic ingredient. Inquiring mind want to know! Here is a partial list of foods that are umami seasonings. As you can see, most are commonly available.

Umami Seasonings

Aged cheeses – blue cheese, gorgonzola, sharp cheddar, and the rinds of parmesan
Anchovies
Asian condiments – dashi (said to be the embodiment of umami), kombu and nori seaweed, miso paste, fish sauce, and shrimp paste
Beef broth
Black truffles
Caramelized onions
Cured meats – bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, and salami
Dried mushrooms – morels, shiitake, and my favorite – dried porcini powder
MSG – monosodium glutamate
Soy sauce and tamari
Star anise
Tomatoes – particularly ketchup, tomato paste, and sun-dried
Walnuts
Worcestershire Sauce
Yeast extract – Marmite

Recently my beau James gave me a pound of bacon. This inspired me to cook the whole thing at once and crumble it into little pieces. Adding just a few crumbles to whatever I eat adds a huge flavor burst and a little goes a long way. Bacon is a lovely umami seasoning. And guess what? Bacon is wickedly good on a maple bar! Japanese professor and scientist Kikunae Ikeda would have loved those. I am just sure of it!

Recently a reader sent me a sweet letter and a handwritten recipe. You know by now how much I love a handwritten recipe! And if that recipe was handed down from generation to generation then that recipe is truly a treasure to me. Here is a recipe for “Raisin Toffee Bars” from Beverly and Jack Hollen of Mountain View, California. The recipe belonged to Beverly’s late mother-in-law. This is a good breakfast cookie. Once in a while you can start the day off with dessert, you know. There. I just gave you permission.

Raisin Toffee Bars

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 cup Kellogg’s All-Bran Original cereal
1 cup flour

Combine the butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add beaten eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in All-Bran and raisins. Add the flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake in a greased 9 x 9 pan at 350⁰ for 30 minutes.

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp milk

Beat until smooth then spread.

The local store did not have All-Bran cereal so I looked for it when I went shopping in Madras. I was surprised that I had to visit three stores in order to find it. All-Bran, you are playing hard to get! One of the criteria I use when writing about a recipe is that the ingredients have to be readily available. I wondered if another type of cereal might work. The closest substitute I could think of was Wheat Chex but . . . that didn’t work very well. All-Bran may be a bit elusive but it’s versatile and could become a welcome addition to your pantry. Plus, in addition to being a yummy ingredient to include in your baking, it’s also delicious to eat straight out of the box while you are making the cookies. I can vouch for that because that is what I did. The cereal has a wonderful crunchy texture and the just right amount of sweetness. Check out more recipes at all-bran.com. I want to try their version of banana nut bread soon. This cereal won’t hang around long in my pantry.

When I made the cookies a second time, they only took seven minutes to make because I had already memorized the recipe. I used dried fig pieces instead of raisins. I did not make the frosting because the raisins and figs added just the right amount of sweetness for me.

This is the ultimate quick and easy cookie recipe. Thank you Hollen family for sharing your late mother-in-law’s treasure. Who knows, in a hundred years the cookies made from this handed down recipe may show up in someone’s lunch box!