Golden seasoning fizzles (and suds)

 

The T

                             The golden seasoning   I'd already made seasonal labels and gift bags for Bacon Chipotle pretzels and toasted them with olive oil. A little more olive oil is always good, so I added more golden liquid from a little dish I’d set out. After they cooled, I decided to taste them. That’s something I rarely do because I could end up eating it all. Well, that pretzel was not good at all. Tasted like soap. The second one was still not good. Worse. I deduced that the golden liquid was lemon dish soap I’d set out. The olive oil was still in the bottle.

                             The silver lining here is that when I start concentrating on dietary resolutions, I can just imagine that dish soap taste and steer clear of the snacks.

            Watermelon Radish: At a December birthday party, my friend served a dish of watermelon radish. Ever heard of that? No one had. We all loved the bright pink center with green edges and the crisp, earthy taste. What crunch, and healthy, too. That's until I started spreading baked brie on every bite. These radishes are the size of billiard balls.

                                                                                                                                        

                  Another season(ing)

                             Here’s  how the golden seasoning incident happened. *See above.

                             A recent Free Friday Download from Kroger connected me to a bottle of McCormick Grill Mates in Bacon Chipotle flavor. So now I’m set for a sea salt-based blend of smoky-sweet to spice up baked sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and eggs. A baked butternut squash was the first item to receive the treatment. It became the main part of the meal accompanied by baked jalapeno and onion with the same sprinkle. It was so good I ate more than I should have.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who is sometimes a little too adventurous in the kitchen. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com  

Spices (other than pumpkin flavor fall

If you woke up in a hotel in India, I’m not sure what a breakfast could look like. But I went to my sister’s house in Alabama the night before her son’s wedding and I’ll call that my bed and breakfast.

                             Debbie’s husband is from India and we were on our way to an Indian ceremony so what could be more appropriate than some spice to get us started? We were happy to indulge in her platter of raw vegetables and flavors she set out for our arrival, close to midnight the pervious evening. So I wasn’t that hungry the next morning, but the aroma of upma got me going.

                             I liken this “porridge” to the consistency of  the Malt –O-Meal I had as a kid with butter and sugar. This upma was a bit thicker, with onions, peppers and spices mixed in. It was savory and warm and filling. She made hers from a packet and served it with a southern biscuit on the side,  jelly and fresh apples.

                             Again, not sure how they’d serve the same dish in India, but I’m all about the fusion flavors.

                  Spice of  life

                             You can go around the globe from your spice cabinet, thanks to McCormick Gourmet Global Seasonings. Some pre-mixed concoctions in their famous jars include flavors I already crave, such as shawarma Middle Eastern blend of cinnamon, coriander and cardamom, and some new-to-me traditions such as berbere, a blend of cayenne, paprika, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon to make Ethiopia’s most popular seasoning.

                             With my samples of harissa, a Tunisian chili paste, and za’atar, I’ve seasoned eggplant, eggs and meats in a fashion that makes one want to set a whole table for entertaining. The aromas are intoxicating.

                             Peruvian, a blend of chilli pepper, paprika, cumin and black pepper, is another offering you’ll want to experience. 

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who likes it spicy. Contact her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Coffee tricks and summer spice

                             Coffee tricks for those willing to play with their brews

                             If you can secure your little chocolate square with a toothpick or cocktail fork, you can dip it into steaming coffee and pull it out before it dissolves to savor a warm, bite that melts in your mouth.

                             I’d hate to lose mine into the coffee, though what’s the worst? It dissolves and you get a mocha coffee.

                             One of those fun-sized or bite-sized chocolates are perfect for this job.

                             My mother has fond memories of traveling with my dad. They’d drop  a hard candy into their travel mugs. It flavored the coffee as it melted.

                             I just read that if you need to make a gravy and have some leftover coffee, you can add that into your pan instead of water. I had a chance to try it the very week I read it and my only regret is that my husband spied me doing it and questioned my motives. He needed more convincing and the finished dish did that trick.   

            Here’s some other new foodie releases to try:

            *McCormick Grill Mates Rubs and Lowry’s Liquid Marinades are here just in time for summer grilling.

            I sampled some rubs in the line on everything from meats to eggs. I even boiled shrimp in the Sweet & Smoky rub. We southerners will try anything to get seafood into us. You can play, play, play with these rubs all season. Besides Barbecue and Applewood, there’s also Honey Hickory, Maple BBQ and Mesquite.

            With the marinades, I grabbed Chipotle Molasses first and Honey Bourbon next. These also made quick dips for wraps and veggies.

            Get to grilling.

            * TOPBiT is a slim packet of filling product that fits into your pocket so can do something crazy, like sprinkle savory herb crunchies onto avocado on toast or eggs or mixed berry onto your fruit and yogurt at lunch.

            I like the nutty flavor with a pop of something extra. The term "protein food topping" could take some getting used to, but it’s good stuff.              Bits of organic hemp seed, pea protein isolate, lentils, organic brown rice protein, and the stuff of chia seed, dehydrated fruit, etc. come into play. It's handy and fun and you'll be getting 10 grams of protein, all 9 essential amino acids and antioxidants. It's real food and real fun.

                             Darragh Castillo loves pepper heat on her food and experimenting with new things. If you’ve run into something fun, food-wise, contact her at:

                  darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Going tangy trend and what else is new

               Go smoky, tangy

                      McCormick Flavor Forecast has announced that smoky, spicy and tangy flavors are trends of the 2016 grilling season. Are you on board?  Some new products include Smoky Montreal Steak seasoning, Hot Pepper Blackened Seasoning, Smoky Applewood Mrinade and Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade. Look for these under their Grill Mates line.

                      I oven—baked ribs doused in the single-use liquid marinade packet of Brown Sugar Bourbon to great reviews. I loved the sweet aroma if basil released with the new Herb Grinder. The little bottles contain larger herb pieces that are gently dried to protect color and essential volatile oils from a patented ergonomic. This will be my first occasion for keeping parsley on hand. Italian Blend and Oregano grinders are also available. New packets of chicken sauces include Herb Roasted Chicken, Italian Parmesan Chicken and Bourbon Chicken. Get grilling. Go to www.mccormick.com for more ideas.

              What else is new?

              * Zatarain’s now offers single-serve portions ready in just under 4 minutes. Keep flavors such as Jambalaya Rice Mix and Red Beans and Rice in your desk drawer for a quick lunch or add leftover sausage or chicken at home to extend this convenience into a more sturdy meal. Love the Zatarain’s brand.

 * Hipster coupon holder - Huzzah! Announces BroCards makers as they offer charismatic gentlemen a thin wallet with a titanium card that is all-at-once a bottle opener, hair and beard comb, milimetre ruler, thee screwdrivers and two hex wrenches with a 2-grade file on the back. This is a manly-man product that you will have to put on the tray at security if you fly to try to meet the makers in Australia. I say, women might like these minimalist wallets to hold coupons and cash when they are out being charismatic. Bonus Bro-ness is recipes at www.thatbroco.com. Yes, I said recipes. I like

these Bros.

* Forever Flawless Skin Care & Cosmetics uses diamond dust for anti-aging products and other skin, eye, and nail care for men and women. But I think of it as creamy diamonds. Infusions of dust go into creams, facial exfoliators, and microdermabrasion products for deep cleansing. They throw in natural goodies like avocado oil and vitamins A and E. It’s spa-quality product designed for home use. There’s a fragrance, so you can even “smell” diamonds. What a kick. Start with an infused cooling and hydrating mask, mess around with HYDRA-AM Moisture Complex in jars that look downright artistic/futuristic and then there’s purifying toner and cleansing complex for when you need to “sparkle” again. Remember what diamonds look like in the rough. It’s more of a sexy science experiment that a jaunt to the jewelry store. And it feels very, very nice as they cleanse the skin.

              * Frebreeze is one of those products that has become a verb, as in “Frebreeze it.” These fresh makers sent a sample of new Frebreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator, pitching to a food columnist that you wouldn’t want to head to brunch in smelly gym gear. We Southeast Texas get hot enough heading from our air-conditioned buildings to our cars, so my experience with this sample, which you add to your detergent, was very nice. My husband complains of the scent of some products, but this one just smelled super clean to me and went unnoticed by his “are you wearing perfume?” sort of inquisition.  darraghcastillo@icloud.com

   

Sweet and spicky pickles

I don’t know why a home cook would get tired of making something people always ask her for.

I kind of got out of the fire and ice

pickle business, even though it was an easy, popular gift for friends.

My husband was just reminding me of how a neighbor would barter citrus from her yard for these pickles.

All you had to do was take a jar of store-bought dill chips, drain the liquid, and pack the jar with layers of pickles, sugar and Tabasco. Soon the pickles were crunchy, richly colored and addictive.

My mom shared a jar of baby dills with me, so I’m trying the process with them. Here they are a few minutes after seasoning. I’ll try not to eat them for a week or two so they can do their sweet thing.

McCormick’s new flavors

This company is always putting out something new and here’s some things out for your experimentation:

* McCormick Pure Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend extract with warm notes of ginger, nutmeg and allspice. This liquid is for baking and flavoring beverages

* McCormick Slow Cooker Sauces: Grab a flavor like Smoky Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork for a quick January warm-up meal.

* McCormick Gluten-Free Recipe Mixes: I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who are finding the gluten-free route helpful. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has approved four new mixes including meat loaf and beef stew.

* Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream goes in everything from cakes to curries.

Darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Purple onion haze, your Tombstone

 

Purple onion haze

Salsa every day? Different every day? Keep a mini food processor on the counter for inspiration. Purple onions, orange slices (some with a little peel still on it) and banana peppers made a sweet blend to which I spiced up with pepper sauce.

Make it thicker to use as a side salad or salad topper. That will keep you from enjoying your healthy blend with too many tortilla chips.

The next day you could switch orange for tomato or onion for carrots or chop in grapes…. Shall I go on?

Your Tombstone

Since my ‘70s youth, my mom taught me to view a frozen pizza as a canvas. She’d add onions, peppers, olives and less conventional toppings to the basic ready-to-bake pizza and we’d have our own creation.

Here’s what Tombstone is doing, for a limited time, for people who like to play around with their food. I’ve tried both of these and I promise the Diablo is not too hot (for me!). Here’s how they describe their new blends, and believe me, I don’t think even I would have thought of adding brown mustard to a  pizza. I found these in local stores:

·         Tombstone Limited Edition Diablo Pizza: features spicy chorizo, jalapenos and sweet red peppers with real Wisconsin mozzarella cheese and fiery Sriracha tomato sauce on a preservative-free crust.

·         Tombstone Limited Edition Bratwurst Pizza: features slices of premium bratwurst, green bell peppers, onions, a blend of real Wisconsin cheddar and mozzarella cheeses and our zesty tomato sauce with a hint of spicy brown mustard on a preservative-free crust.

Summer’s Bounty

Not tired of your veggies, are you? Try these tips and find more at www.McCormick.com:

      Grilled Romaine & Vegetable Salad with Balsamic Herb Vinaigrette: Up the flavor without adding fat by firing up the grill and infusing the flavors of garlic and basil to bell peppers, Romaine lettuce, asparagus, tomatoes and mushrooms for a smoky rendition of a classic salad.

      Greek Squash Ribbon Salad:  Slice squash into paper-thin “ribbons” using a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Mix with tomatoes, onion, feta and olives in Greek vinaigrette made with oregano, basil, mint and pepper for an appealing summertime salad.

      Penne Pasta Salad with Spinach and Tomatoes: Tomatoes add juicy, rich flavor to pasta salads. Try adding them to penne pasta along with spinach, mozzarella and Italian spices to create a Tuscan-inspired pasta salad.

      Kale Salad with Asian Vinaigrette: Save on sodium by making a salad dressing with sesame, ginger and garlic. Pair with kale, sweet mandarin oranges and sliced almonds for a deliciously hearty salad.

      Herbed Green Beans: Simply steam green beans until tender-crisp, season with rosemary and thyme and add a tangy sweetness with balsamic vinegar for a simple crowd pleaser.

      Edamame and Sweet Corn Salad:  Edamame pairs beautifully with summer corn and bell peppers. Toss with olive oil, black pepper and sea salt for a light salad.

darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Mom at the hooka lounge

A sampler plate at Al Basha in Beaumont.  Courtesy photo by Darragh Doiron
 

Mom at the hookah lounge

Lemony yogurt, lamb, roasted peppers, and a falafal “muffin” is a sample of the flavors that danced through our heads at Al Basha in Beaumont. We had a Mediterranean feast, sharing and dipping our bread into a colorful mixtures. I couldn’t resist a Facebook posting tagged Mom’s first course at the hookah lounge, the second function of this establishment. We did peek in the window of that area until someone encouraged us to walk in and tour the spacious lounge with cushy couches as seating. It would get busy later, they promised. We went for the food.

"Later" we were at home watching “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” about an Indian family who opens a restaurant across the path from a swanky French establishment. We actually planned to be savoring the spices of one culture as we enjoyed the movie about two other culinary traditions. We loved it all.

McCormick

I cannot contain my excitement over the hot news from McCormick Gourmet shakers. In fact, it makes me sneeze. I pulled out samples of jalapeno pepper powder, then got more excited with basically crushed, red chipotle pepper grounds, then yelped over a sriracha powder. My daughter’s going to fight me over that one. I’ve been liberally dusting these blends over eggs and everything else every morning and can’t get enough.

They’ve also got new grinders with smoked, lemon zest, sweet onion and chipotle sea salt blends. Love it times four.

Burger auce mix-ins they offer include Montreal Steak, Brown Sugar Bourbon, Sweet Mesquite & Carmelized Onion and Roasted Garlic & Sauteed Onion.

This spring McCormic has released 21 new products inspired by flavor trends on the rise. You’ll want to play with these.

Bacon

I’ve got bacon heating very slowly in a covered skillet and plan to rescue the fat for future projects. I’m hoping to spiral partially cooked bacon onto partially cooked sweet potato planks and hope they’ll cleave together for crunchy goodness. Some of that McCormick flavor mentioned above will finish off the flavor explosion.

darraghcastillo@icloud.com