Covert black-eyed peas pear with wine wins

                             My mission to completely rotate the pantry, including every powder and spice, has stalled at beans. Peas actually. The black-eyed variety, highly celebrated on New Year’s Day, then less remembered when more flashy beans get transformed into dips or beans and rice meals dotted with sausage.         

                             I soaked some dried peas from my stash and it seemed I simmered them two solid days before they softened. Then there was the dejected half-bag I found in my late mom’s freezer. I reconstituted them with love. Then I found one more half package hidden in there, and also a can on my shelf.

                             Somewhere through these quarantine discoveries, my husband scowled and announced he does not “care” for black-eyed peas.

                             Well, I’m on a “making do” mission, and I couldn’t let a little setback like that discourage me. I began to hide the peas. There was BEP hummus. BEP dip. BEP sauce. He’s on to me, but I’m really moving product here and I give myself gold stars for creativity.

                  What’s the fizz?

                             My first taste of Perrier in the ‘70s was underwhelming. Now I can’t get enough of the bubbly. It’s so…. satisfying. It’s calorie-free. It’s fun. It’s pretty in your glass.

                             I call it fizzy water and it’s a real treat. I don’t abuse the pleasure. I relish it. SodaStream came into my life. I resisted it, but it has become a daily perk. I avoided this machine for years until the makers offered to let me try it. My mom would have been cautious of the canister you must insert into the back. She was also had a ban against canned biscuits and microwaves, for safety purposes.

                             I could not believe how easy it is to use. Plug it in and put the bottle that comes with it into the right slot and select your level of fizz. Lots, please. I punched the button and got a woosh and a show. The bubbles look amazing going in and last while you pour out our concoction.

                             As for flavors, when I treated myself to cans, I went for lemon and lime. Now I’m playing with a drop of vanilla, ginger juice or a rosemary infusion. The thing is, there are plenty of recipes for homemade syrups to add coffee, fruit, chocolate and other flavors to your water. Guess what. The bubbles are enough of a treat for me. I still want it calorie free. Unless of course, I get to play with gin or wine or something.  I learned that people were carbonating the cheapest of wines and calling it “shampaign.” Get it? Sham? I simply added some bubbly water to some red wine and guess what? Wine coolers are officially back.

                             Wine wins

                             It started in 1887, and in 2020 I’ve learned a new word: perlage. It’s to do with all the bubbles that bring aromas of exotic fruit, apple and white pear to you. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG has creamy perlage, good with refined appetizers, risottos, white meats, fresh cheeses and light pastries. I believe it would go well with Mother’s Day. We all are craving something extra special these days. Why, Mionetto Prosecco and Rose are released as the “Prestige Collection” and are even packaged in attention-getting curvy bottles.

                             All the fruity flavors a delicate and the bubbles are what you came for. Relish them. In these times, make every day your special occasion. Please do give these Italian sparkling wines your attention (you don’t really have to involve your mother here).

                             The Wand

                             Little disposable tools called The Wand and The Pour are out to help the (studies show) 75 percent of wine drinkers who get headaches from histamines and sulfite preservatives found in red and white wine. Maybe you’ve seen what looks like little flyswatters for a glass or bottle filters demonstrated on popular news shows. A father and son team of scientists spent 5 years developing Phoenix Technology to alleviate headaches, congestion and flushing without affecting the aroma, taste or color of the wine. I have been sensitive to this in the past so I tried this product with pleasant results. For more information, go to drinkpurewine.com

                  Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie in the middle of this with all of you Port Arthur News readers. Contact her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Crawfish cravings and twists; move the rice paper

                             This was going to be the season of crawfish for us. We lost my mother last fall and my husband and I planned to enjoy as many pounds of crawfish as we could in her honor. It is not coming to pass as planned, though I’ve been stirring Cajun seasoning into everything I can think of while quarantined.

                             Twice in one week I heard of something new to toss in the boil pot: Oranges or orange juice. I heard it from someone I was doing business with on the phone when he heard I was from Port Arthur, and I read it in a magazine on Vietnamese crawfish get togethers. I have never attempted to boil these famous crustaceans myself, but, it’s still a great tip I want to share with those who do. You’ll invite me when you try it, mais no?

                  The good people at sweetpotato.org are promoting Louisiana Sweet Potatoes, Yams via a card suggesting you “sweeten the pot when you boil” by adding fresh yams. Add them to the boiling water with the seasonings. That’s some progressive thinking, and bound the make the corn and potatoes a little jealous.

                 

                  Making do update:

                             Quarantine cooking: I’ve still got bread so a cheese sandwich became extra special by grilling. With all my efforts to eat as healthy as possible, I could not help grilling this sandwich in a rare stash of bacon grease. It upped the game considerably.

                             Spring rolls: Chefs suggest keeping rice paper as a pantry staple and I pulled out my stash from Port Arthur Vietnamese markets. I did such a good job with the drizzle of sriracha-soy sauce that my husband barely noticed that a vegan soy patty was the main ingredient. Score for moving older product off my shelves.

                  Be well:

                             Wellness is a thing now, more than ever. Eat your veggies and take your supplements. I never had vitamins as a youth or young adult, but the natural ones are sounding more appealing all the time. Sael Wellness offers Happy Apple, a very pleasant gummy that tastes like apple cider and vinegar, because that’s what it is. The vinegar’s benefits are said to include weight loss, increased energy and lower blood sugar, along with clearer skin and controlled cravings. That ginger helps fight off infection, reduces inflammation and reduces nausea, among other things. It’s a delicious backup. I don’t really need help falling asleep, but Sael’s melatonin and magnesium strawberry vegan gummies are a natural version of what many already take. We all want better sleep these days.

                             Voke makes a chewable super food tablet for mental focus, clear thinking and upbeat mood. Do you have someone in your house pointing to you now saying “You need that!”?  Chew one in the morning and save the other for evening to “nourish your mind, perform your best at work and be present for friends and family. I liked the taste and nobody can tell me I haven’t been at my very best of late, considering what’s going on everywhere. Ingredients here are red beetroot, taw guarana seed, green tea caffeine and acerola cherry. I’m cheery.

                  Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie in the middle of this with all of you Port Arthur News readers. Contact her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Passover Blessings, Amen

                  A Seder meal has become one of my Catholic Easter traditions, thanks to a couple who leads a study in their home. Zoom is another new ap that has come into my quarantined life. This family prepared their typical meal, ranging from boiled egg to matzo ball soup, and even chocolate-covered matzo for dessert. They dropped off meals at doorsteps of  their guests, including wine for four celebratory cups. Then we joined one another on computers from our home.

                             We heard the traditional Passover story and believe it or not, I was the youngest, therefore representing the “child” who would ask why on this night we eat bitter herbs. Our hosts even provided the horseradish and parsley to recreate this bitter time of Biblical history.

                             The love and work from this family touched our family in this great time. There is always a way to spread joy.

                  Make do update:

                             Why is a can of chicken noodle soup even in my house? I don’t like it! I poured in a can, noodles and all, and used the liquid to cook a pot of rice. The noodles just kind of naturally blended in and the tiny morsels of chicken, which would have fit with room to spare in a tablespoon, rose to the top. The rice was moist and flavorful.

                  Buy ‘em coffee!

                            Go to steepedcoffee.com to get your own coffee “tea” bags and gift some to front-line workers keeping us safer in this pandemic. Steepedcoffee.com is really gourmet and really easy. You just need hot water and not a special machine. So that’s how this on-the-go treat/staple is a very good option for these hard workers. I’ve gone into depth here before about Steeped. You’ll like it.

                            “Fast & Flavorful Paleo Cooking” – Want to hide that it’s kale soup? Call it Zuppa Toscana. But after enjoying the images in Amanda Torres’ book, you won’t have to trick family into dinner. Her food looks like the foods I already make, such as eggs on tortillas, but hers are totally Paleo. She used have health issues and she says eating this way has helped her. I love the ingredient combinations. Etheopian Cabbage features cumin and ginger. There’s a roux-less shrimp Creole and sautéed radish greens with ghee and rosemary. She’s among those making Brussels Sprout chips, but I’ve never heard of Beet Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash Noodles. What’s for Paleo dessert? Try freezer fudge.

                            Travel through books: 

                  While I’m all about the backyard birding while quarantined, I admit you won’t run into the birdy stars of “Puffins Take Flight,” because these Clowns of the Sea are in Iceland. Ra Anderson’s children’s book helps readers find errant young Puffins their parents are searching for. I knew of their crazy dance moves, but had never noticed triangular eyes. You can pick up on Icelandic language in this delightful book. “Puffins off the Beaten Path” and “Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice” take our friends on more adventures with the land’s beautiful scenery in photos. Travel there, in these books.

                            Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who understands, people still connect through food during the toughest of times. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Watching a leek grow

 

Watc          Watching a leek grow has been much more exciting than watching paint dry. Nature soothes in times of stress and it felt like a small miracle to pass by rooted leeks and note what seemed like hourly progress.

                             That project tied in with “making do” from the garden during a Lenten quarantine. It’s a pantry raid with purpose and all those substitution hints  are coming into play.

                            My favorite use-up of the week has been rescuing cream cheese with a powdered sugar and cinnamon mix in.

                             Marketers have been calling on our craving for comfort foods as well as a modern call for health foods. I’ve been able to sample these:

                             * Water Lily Seeds - #bohanalife – I can’t imagine what sort of tools were used, but Bohana says Indians have been popping water lily seeds for snacks as years. They’re makhana. Now you can get a bag full of these little puffs in flavors such as Soulful Sriracha Spice, Pink Himalayan Salt and Wild White Cheddar. They call it free-spirit snacking and it’s very light and fun. The cheddar ones rather taste like popcorn. Water lily seeds come from what looks like a shower head floating even in our Southeast Texas swamps. Maybe the Cajuns never got around to harvesting them like our cousins in India. I’m glad I got to taste some.

                             * Tuscanini Seltzer Water has become a sort of Champagne of the times… a treasured treat. If you’re lucky enough to be able to quarantine on back patio, untwist a calorie-free burst of sparkling orange or other flavors. Sip it real slowly. Savor. Count your blessings.

                             * Free2b has a dedicated facility that is gluten free plus a whole lot of other “frees.” What looks to be a dark chocolate peanut butter cup actually is fashioned from sunflower butter and you’d no-doubt enjoy it as I did. If you must avoid dairy, peanuts, eggs, soy, corn, mustard, sesame, fish and shellfish, see what their “made brilliantly” selections can offer for you. A bag of glute-free bagel chips served as garnish for six meals. This is a calorie bargain when you just need a little crunch.

                             * Big Sandy Organics is into preserving rural America and I’m into this Montana brand’s Kracklin’ Kamut toasted wheat snack that’s so flavorful and crunchy that I made one serving into several. I immediately thought it would be a great salad or soup topper then, oh, I saw that was printed on the bag. Great culinary minds think alike.

                             * Crunchsters has the same effect on me. This little bag of sprouted protein snack includes sprouted mung beans and flavorings that crunch you awake. Beyond Bacon is one flavor.

                             * Wiley Wallaby Organic offers organic bites of black licorice with real molasses and strawberry bites with real fruit juice. They are free from high fructose corn syrup and made with sustainable palm oil. These are back-in-the-day treats sure to remind you of your dad or someone from your distant past.

                             *RylieCakes has a tagline: Lick the Bowl, It’s Gluten Free!” A beautifully photographed cookbook offers “best practices” for using her cake and roux mixes for out-of-sight creations such as “No Matter the Question, Chocolate Cake is the Answer.” Recipes take some skill, but will surely garnish praise. I made numerous quarantine subs for the cake above and enjoyed the process.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie wishing you good health in challenging times. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icould.com