When 'blistered' is a good thing

                 

                             I ran across a recipe for blistered olives the same week my mom dined on blistered peppers in a restaurant.

                             Funny how terms can make something trendy. Blistered food means it’s cooked, maybe sautéed, at a high heat. It gives an uneven, bubbly texture. Turns out I’ve done this all the time. I love it. But my husband calls it when I burn things.

                             Okay, so I’ve set off the smoke alarm a few times. It’s very sensitive.

                             And I get that he’s not a fan of blistered French toast.

                             But these olives and peppers thing, I can deal with. I’ve also found references to blistered green beans, cherry tomatoes and many more things we can grow in Southeast Texas gardens.

                             Get in on this “hot” trend, but safety first. 

                  From the files:

                            Back in the late ‘80s I guess, I saved a list of canned food ideas. These days I rely more on fresh foods, but the mixing concepts below are still solid. Now I can’t imagine stuffing cherry tomatoes with sardines. Was that a thing then? These ideas sound good in a pinch.

                  * Stir drained, canned shrimp or crabmeat and sliced canned mushrooms into softly scrambled eggs.

                  * Heat canned refried beans with drained chopped chilies, spread on warm tortillas. Top with poached egg and salsa.

                  * Add  drained whole kernel corn, sliced ripe olives and peas to a favorite cole slaw.

                  * Saute  drained clams, sliced mushrooms, peas and minced garlic in olive oil. Serve over hot cooked linguine.

                 

                  SPAM lover

                            I met writer whose profile notes she’s a SPAM fan. That’s a first. This food is an American icon that has been a comfort for many and a punch line for many others.

                             Everyone’s a fan in hurricane season. The shelf life of this canned meat stretches on and on.

                             My favorite means of consumption is to heat perfect cubes with baked beans and pineapple chunks.

                             Granted, I haven’t given this a try in, perhaps a decade. But was glad to share the idea with the foodie I met.

                  Darragh Doiron loves to blister, sauté, broil, bake and grill, but hasn’t mastered frying. To reach this area foodie, send a note to darraghcastillo@icloud.com