Pork Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

Recipe for Pork Enchilada with Green Chile Sauce. 

This recipe is for a "deconstructed" version of enchiladas.  The recipe uses the smallest size of tortilla.  I lay them flat in the baking pan, top with meat filling, then place a layer of flat tortillas on top.  This is because my time is too short to spend rolling enchiladas! 

You can modify this recipe to a "rolled" version of enchiladas by using the large size tortillas.   Roll the filling into the tortillas, then place the rolls side by side in the baking pan.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork.  Any ground white meat can work: pork, chicken, turkey.   I prefer pork because it has more substantial flavor than turkey or chicken.
• Taco seasoning OR make your own, as I do.  Key ingredient:  GROUND CUMIN.
• Frozen corn or corn-combination (succotash or corn/red pepper)
• 1 can Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas), drained.  Drained black beans would also work.  I was going for a lighter taste in this recipe.
• Wedge of Fontina cheese w/ Red wax coating (Danish/Swedish style).   See here for the styles of Fontina. (Try Trader Joe's or Wegman's)  Pictured: BelGioioso brand.
• 1 can, jar or packet of Storemade Green Chile Sauce (Try Trader Joe's or Whole Foods') OR make your own (as I often do).  Pictured: Frontera brand, as shown on Netrition.com
• 1 package of Soft White Corn Tortillas.  I use small size for a "deconstructed" enchilada.  (No rolling required.)  Do you like to roll?  Buy the large size of tortillas.  Pictured: Mission brand. Find stores on Google.com.

  

  Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.  Spray a glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Bring the cheese and tortillas out of the refrigerator to warm up to room temperature.
3. Oil and heat a skillet on the stoveteop.  Brown the meat.  
4. Add taco seasoning when meat juices run clear. Add a small amount of water to the pan.
5. Add frozen vegetables.
6. Add beans.
7. When skillet mixture is fully cooked, set aside on a cool burner while you prepare the baking pan.
8. As we setup the baking pan, please refer to the discussion at the top of this page about how to make Deconstructed enchiladas Vs. Rolled Enchiladas.  The directions that follow are for deconstructed enchiladas:   Cover the bottom of the baking pan with a layer of flat tortillas.  Top with meat filling.  Make a top layer of flat tortillas.
9. Top tortillas with green sauce.
10. Top with a thick layer of grated fontina cheese.
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.
12. Serves 6.   

Emerging from hibernation

The blog is emerging from its hibernation today!  Writing the blog gives me a joy that I enjoy sharing with my readers.   If only "life" did not get in the way sometimes!  In 2011 the blog began as an online learning tool in social media and a fun hobby.  What a fantastic experiment it has been.  Throughout 2012, as the blog gathered steam, I struggled with focusing in on a single theme for the blog.  I have written to you about food, crafts and even fashion!  In the new year, I am still searching for my "theme".   As my body of writings continues to grow, I constantly refer back to my work and have fine tuned the focus if ever so little.  For example, homemade crafts really aren't my thing.  I don't have the patience for them.  Thus, those posts have largely phased out.  Meanwhile, I have really enjoyed producing my wine reviews and recipes.  I publish these posts all the time! Also, while I enjoy making a diary of my garden, I don't have the expertise to dole out gardening advice.  As a result, the focus of my gardening posts is bent toward a diary approach rather than a teaching approach.  I get writing inspiration every day from the things around me.  I cannot wait to see what will inspire me in 2013!  Thanks for reading my blog as I tiptoe into the world around me!  Your comments about what type of posts are my best posts are welcomed!

Recollecting a recolte

This will be a quick post as there's not much to elaborate on.  The joke was on me.  I tried the La Vielle Firme Recolte (White) 2011.  It's not really a "type" of wine as much as a "crop" of wine....  Recolte means "crop".  I expected a white table wine, one that was Frenchy with delicate flavors.  It was all of this but not as good as I was expecting.  Underperformed but compared to all wines out there, it was average for its low price point.  Sometimes you really get what you pay for.  Most of the time I do better than the price but this one was just a cheap white wine.  Enough said!

A Mollyshake

Adventurers in wine drinking,

Meet the Mollydooker Shake.   Direct from Australia....

Mollydooker's wines (almost of them) encourage a good shake and aeration prior to pouring.  This releases nitrogen and increases the flavor of the wine.

See Mollydooker "The Boxer" Shiraz 2010

Verdict?

It's a lot of fun to do!  Makes a good party favor, provided you leave a note enclosed about the "shaking". 

"Unshaken", the shiraz did not taste well.  So... "Shake it up!"

Watch the video to see how it's done!

A knock on the Dornfelder

Wine Review - Blue Fish Sweet Reel Red Wine (2009)
Sweet and red.  At first sip it tastes like an inexpensive restaurant "house" wine:  overly sweet.   However the face value is deceiving.  Candy-apple sweetness is a hallmark of the dornfelder grape.  Originally used for blends, new wines are coming to the U.S. market that are pure dornfelder.   (Origin: Germany.  In case you couldn't tell by the name!)   Blue Fish Sweet Reel Red is 95% dornfelder, 5% cabernet sauvignon.  Blue Fish is a good solid quality of dornfelder.  Pair it with food that counters the sweetness with savory.   It works well with Texas Toast too.

Photo from Blue Fish US wine agent Palm Bay International

Dornfelder grape vine for sale in Germany

Apple orchard enjoyment - Picture of the Day

The apple theme continues on the Brandywine Life blog.  The picture of the day is an apple orchard in Berks County, PA.  Ahhhh, relaxation.  It's a sunny fall day, with the faintest breeze.  It's warm enough for short sleeves.  The slight breeze in the air brings wafts of apple.  Honeybees sip apples on the ground.  There are enough apples for the bees to drink their fill and stay out of the way of the humans.  The sky is a clear, pale blue with true white clouds that are lightly streaked throughout.  From time to time, a small prop plane flies overhead.  There has been rain recently, so the grass underfoot retains its green color late in the season.

Pennsylvania native Smokehouse apples

This article will introduce you to the Smokehouse apple.

Smokehouse apples are native to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  They were first discovered in the 1800's on a tree next to a smokehouse.  Hence the name "Smokehouse apple".  They do not taste smoky.  They have a strong citrus flavor to them.  Not tart exactly but citrusy.   I tried one of them last week and was fooled by the name.  They pack a strong fresh squeezed apple cider punch.

Pick your own Smokehouse apples at Brecknock orchards in Mohnton, PA (Reading)
Picking season is mid September.  You can get the last pickings right now.

Grow your own Smokehouse apples with vines from Miller Nurseries of New York state.


There is Smokehouse Apple Flavored Wine at Shade Mountain Vineyards in Bloomsburg, PA in the western Poconos.  It is described as a crisp dessert wine.  For purchase online. Cannot ship to AL, AR, HI, KY, MA, MD, MS, MT, NH, or UT.

Shade Mountain vineyards has great labels.  As a partner to the smokehouse apple wine, I recommend the Bad Moose Mead.  Mead is thick dessert wine flavored with honey.  With the Smokehouse you get a crisp dessert. With Moose you get a mellowed dessert.

Leftover apple cider pancakes

It's apple cider time of year.  The time of year when gallon jugs of brown juice find their way into the refrigerator on a whim..... And sit there for weeks.    You should know that apple cider can make you sick if it is left in the refrigerator too long, especially if the juice is from a farm stand. 

Despite what you hear in the news about the evils of pesticides and the benefits of organic produce, "locavores" should ensure to quickly drink the apple cider from farmstands, preferably within 3 to 5 days.  Why?  Because bacteria can grow in the apple cider.  Many farms do not pasteurize the apple juice in the way that the "evil" mass-marketed juices do.  This shortens the life of the juice and can result in very serious illness that can have long-lasting effects. 

You might notice that your juice does not indicate whether it has been pasteurized or not.  You're not off the hook yet!  The FDA does not require fresh squeezed juice sold at orchards, farmstands, and some restaurants to carry a warning label about pasteurization. 

Therefore, be smart when drinking cider.  Use your nose to smell the juice before pouring in order to get a sense of the freshness.  Do not drink after the recommended date.  Seal juices tightly and store opened juice in temperatures of 40 degrees fahrenheit or below.

Uses for leftover apple cider

Leftover cider pancakes - Add apple pie spice for a delicious pancake.  Don't have apple pie spice?  Make your own from cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom.
Apple cider doughnuts - Fry your pancake batter in oil for quickie doughnuts.  Adorn with powdered sugar.
Cider popsicles - Infuse with lemon and a sprig of thyme for an herbal twist on the traditional popsicle.  This is a grown up version of the popsicle.
Mulled cider - Mix cider with orange juice and heat on the stovetop.  Add spices like whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, brown sugar, orange peel or lemon peel.  Spike it if you want with brandy or spiced wine.   Classic mulled cider recipe from Taste of Home

Hulu out there

Occasionally I Hulu.  Do you?

Last night the TV in my house was turned into a mud-racing pit, shark-catching boat and TV marathon of "The Big Bang Theory".  Uggghhh!!!    So...  I crept silently into another room and Hulu'd!!!

My Hulu picks were:

Pilot to The Mindy Project:   Mindy Kaling is one to watch.  She's got a lot of chutzpah to write and act in her own creation.  It was non-sensical but quick paced and FUNNY.  I don't mind the nonsense when things keep moving along. 

Trailer on Collider

Pilot to Ben and Kate:  The pilot took on an ambitious load of storytelling.  The audience needs to see more episodes to assess the true personality of this one.  In the pilot, the characters come together as a family.  Awwww.  Who doesn't like to watch that?

Next, to accompany the picks were snacks and drink of course!   This evening's picks:

Kashi Soft-Baked Squares Chocolate - Wannabe brownies with a health bend to them.  They have an odd taste but are easier on the digestive system than traditional brownies.  Whole Foods makes mini-brownies that taste less weird and are a better "Healthy" knock-off of the real thing. Verdict:  So-so.

Franz Reinhart 2010 Trettenheimer Altarchen Riesling Spatlese - This was very good, actually.  Lower alcohol content than some at 8%.  Sweet fruit flavors.

Salmon with Apricots

Huh?!?!  The salmon salad that I had for lunch had dried apricots in it.  This was the first I'd seen of the salmon-apricot combination. 

First, I tried to wrap my mind around the combined scent of... Apricots and.. Salmon?!?!

I picked up the salad and pressed my nose against the sealed plastic container.  All I smelled was lettuce.  Well, it didn't smell too bad.  Worth taking a shot.

Recipe for Salmon-Apricot Salad by Sally Spins

  
Next, the color combination struck me.  It is very modern to combine adjacent colors on the color wheel.  Color combo approved.

Salmon

Apricot

 (Look no further than the African Daisy for proof that this combination occurs in nature:)

Daisy seeds on Ebay

Last, for the taste.  You know what?  I really enjoyed it!  It did require a nutty crunch and a viniagrette tang to balance the sweetness.  My salad had that covered.  It was delectable and I would have it for lunch again!   I would try a warm version for dinner, too!   

Here are some salmon-apricot recipes from around the web:

Salmon with Apricot-Pineapple-Cilantro Salsa by Food.com

Cashew Salmon with Apricot-Cranberry Quinoa by Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Apricot-Balsalmic Glazed Salmon by UW Go Red For Women

Cedar-Planked Salmon with Apricot-Jalapeno Glaze by Sendik's Market

Other combinations to try:  Maple Syrup.  Mustard.  Dates.

Gone kiwiberry picking

The fine fall weather is a great time for apple-picking.  Did you know that you can also go kiwiberry-picking?  I went kiwiberry picking over the weekend.   It is like a cross between picking cherries and grapes.  The kiwiberry grows on a trained vine with good sized leaves.  Vines reach 6 to 8 feet tall.

First things first.  What in the world is a kiwiberry?   Answer:  It is a variation of the kiwi fruit that is miniature in size and glossy smooth in its skin (which is completely edible, in contrast to the fuzzy skin of the traditional kiwi fruit).  They are green like grapes, solid like cherries, sized like cherries, and the seeds are barely noticeable.  There is no pit.   They taste sour-sweet.

The kiwiberry goes by several names:

Kiwiberry

Arctic Kiwi

Baby Kiwi

Dessert Kiwi

Actinidia Arguta

Kiwiberry.com

Kiwiberries, like the kiwi fruit, come from Asia, where they are a mountain berry.   The plants can tolerate colder temperatures than some tropical fruits.   In the U.S., they are a trendy planting, but some states are already labeling them invasive.  They can grow up to 20 feet in one season, compromising forests if permitted to escape contained cultivation.

Recipe for Tres Leches Cake

Nutritionally, they are full of Vitamin C, Fiber, and Potassium. They also have Calcium.  Of course, they are low in fat.  They have sugar but taste sour-sweet more than pure sweet like a strawberry.  (They would combine excellently with strawberries, however.)    They are high in oxalic acid, which is the "tang" in pineapples.

Cooking with Barbera wine

Of late, I purchased a bottle of Barbera wine.  I underestimated my tolerance for the tannins in the wine, combined with the high acidity.   These are two trademark characteristics of the wine.  Barbera grapes naturally have a high acidity.  The wine often has very high tannins when oaked in order to counterbalance the acidity, is my understanding.   Very often the barbera grape is used in a wine blend, but this time I was trying a whole bottle.  As it turns out, I prefer the blends better!  Then it occurred to me:   Not every type of apple is used to make apple pie.  What if this grape and this wine were better suited for cooking than drinking?   Wouldn't barbera make a nice jam or other food?  And that is where I found my answer to the best use for the Barbera variety! 

Wine Review - Renwood 2008 Estate Barbera
The Renwood barbera is a good example of the barbera type.  Strong berry flavors.  Blackberry, Currant, Raspberry.  High acidity.  Strong tannins.  Personally I picked up the taste of the American Oak quite a bit.  The winemaker also used French Oak.  Do I love this wine?  No, mostly due to the wine variety and not the winemaker.  It was not an out of this world wine but it was good for its type.  Would I give Renwood another chance?  Yes!  Their specialty is actually Zinfandel.  Knew I'd seen that label somewhere in another section of the store.  

Cooking with Barbera Grapes
I have half the bottle to cook with.  The first thing that came to mind was jam.  Going online, I found recommendations for making wine vinegar and a wine sauce.  Here are some recipes to consider!

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Barbera - by La Cucina Italiana 
 
Red Wine Poached Pears - by the Dirty Gourmet


Red Wine Braised Chuck Roast - by Food and Wine

Risotto with Barbera Wine - by Academia Barilla - Calls for ox marrow.  Says you can substitute with beef stock.

Brussels sprouts with fennel in fruit vinagrette

Brussels sprouts are coming into season.  I couldn't resist the fresh look of them at the market last weekend.  Here's a side dish that the whole family loves.


Ingredients

Fresh Brussels sprouts, whole, 2-3 handfuls, Cleaned (remove bottoms and outer leaves), and sliced in half or thirds.  Whole is OK if they're on the small side.  Quarters will cook too quickly.

Fennel, suit your taste.  Licorice lover? Use a lot.  Not into it? Use just a couple of pieces.

Balsalmic vinegar, 1/4 cup

Fruit vinagrette - 1/8 cup (or switch portions with balsalmic if you like it on the sweeter side).  You can use any or even a dash of wine or sherry.  I had Cape May Vineyards Beach Plum Vinagrette on hand. (More on beach plums below)

1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Boil the brussels sprouts and fennel with lemon juice and drain.  Empty out the pan and add the vinegar, sweetener (fruit vinagrette or wine), sugar and salt.  Heat while stirring.  Add brussels sprouts back into pan and mix to coat.  To serve the sprouts, you can top with grated cheese, toasted nuts or breadcrumbs, or bacon or pancetta.

Related Links:

More Brussel Sprouts Recipes from Serious Eats
Brussel Sprouts Chips from Eat Real

Martha's Vineyard Times article on Beach Plums and Recipe for Jelly

Volcanic coffee

Ever had volcanic coffee?   The term is used to describe coffee made from active volcanic soils.   Today I wanted a jolt to keep moving despite the rain.  I tried out Dean's Beans "Ring of Fire" coffee.  For those who are unfamiliar, the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire refers to a ring of active volcanoes that are known not only for their eruptions but a ring of earthquake activity.  From the name of the coffee, I was expecting something bold and earthy, and not over-roasted. 

  worldatlas.com

The Ring of Fire coffee is labeled as a blend of coffee beans from Indonesia, Timor, and Papua-New Guinea.  The land of Timor, I recalled from college history class, is an island people who had gone through a lot of political upheaval in the last couple of decades.  I have to admit, I was a bit intrigued. I don't think I've come across Timorean coffee before, ever!  Usually my coffee hails from the usual places of Colombia or Sumatra (Indonesia). 

  Sumatran coffee region by Jetstar Magazine

Had they made peace over a cup of coffee?  In answer to my question, the Dean's Beans website had an article describing what the conditions in Timor were like these days.

Back to the brew.   The coffee beans were very finely ground.  Upon opening the package, I was very pleased with this.  Taking a whiff, I had a hunch of what it would taste like and I was mostly right.  For anyone who has tried the coffee blends at Whole Foods grocery in the mornings, this coffee is a less-acidic and more palatable cousin.  It is more smooth than the Starbucks or Whole Foods varietals.  Still, there is plenty of acidic punch.  Be sure to monitor intake accordingly!  All in all, I am happy with the purchase.  I will probably purchase a second light variety of coffee to keep on hand for fans of light roasts while I am making my way through this batch in the fall.  The bold flavors of the Ring of Fire would work nicely with cinnamon or cardamom sprinkled in.

Who's the donkey now?

After a long week at work or at life in general, there are some moments when you find yourself trying too hard to please too many people, stretched too far to the limits, and then you want to just take it easy.  Lucky for you, there's a wine for that!  And you won't believe the name.   It's "Ass Kisser" find red wine by Rocland Estate.  The cheeky name matches the full bodied wine. It's berried, slightly spicy, slightly oaked, and there's just a twinge of caramel flavor in there for the finish.  It's a South Australian table wine from the Barossa Valley.  It's the lowest rung in the ladder of wines from Rocland, and just slightly below the ratings of their finer wines (rated 90+) at a comfortable rating in the upper 80's.   After tasting the "kiss", I agree, it's an 88!   Mine was a 2007 blend of petit verdot, grenache, shiraz and mataro.  $13 in Delaware wine store.  But, wait, there's more!  If wine is not your thing, there are also "Ass Kisser " ales.   It's co-branded with the wine, but brewed domestically in California.  The Vanilla Pale Ale sounds intriguing to me.  Not sure I would mix those two elements together myself but I would definitely expect a kicked up flavor combo like this from an ale with such a name.  "XOXO".

Pasta salad without the calories: Asian inspired

Low-calorie Pasta Salad can be nutritious and delicious!
This recipe ditches mayo for vinegar and oil.  The recipe uses mild rice vinegar, therefore it does not leave your palate overly "greasy" as with mayo, or "thirsty" as with other vinegars.

Recipe

1.  Boil the salad's main ingredients al dente.  (I boil them together.)  Drain and set aside in a bowl.

1.5 c Barilla Piccolini Pasta - High fiber white pasta
1 c Fine sliced carrots - Julienned, and sliced down to bite size
1 c Pre-cooked, frozen Edamame beans -Try Seapoint Farms

2.  Add fresh herbs to the salad.


2 stalks thinly sliced Scallions, also known as green onions or spring onions

 Photo by TheRoamingKitchen

 1 bunch minced Cilantro, known as "Mexican parsley" in some regions of the U.S.

Photo by GlobalHealingCenter

3. Add sauce ingredients.  Stir well.   Done!

1 tbsp Sesame oil or olive oil - Like Eden Organic

 

2 tbsp rice vinegar - Like Mitsukan

 

1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp powdered ginger (Grate fresh ginger root1/2 tsp if you have it on hand)
1/8 tsp lemon grass spice - Or buy fresh at Produce Junction - A tropical grass with lemon flavor, true to its name.  Substitute with grated lemon peel.

1/8 tsp white pepper spice. White pepper has a "smoky" flavor compared to Black pepper.  It is not sweet like red pepper nor tart like black pepper.  You can substitute with either of those, just be aware that the taste will change accordingly and you might need to counterbalance.

My Juicy Apple Life

Lately I've been on an apple kick.  I cannot get enough of apples!  The scent, the taste, the color of apple blossoms and shiny red and green apples.... I am smitten!  Apples are bright, sweet, cleansing and satisfying.  In case you hadn't noticed from my other posts, when I get on a "kick" with something, I truly incorporate whatever it is into my daily life in multiple ways.  The apple trend is one I've been riding for a few weeks now.  As the summer comes to its fullest point, I am looking ahead to fall, relishing the day I go apple-picking!    ......My Juicy Apple Life.....


1.)    Apple-cinnamon bagels from Country Bagel with walnut-raisin cream cheese from Bagels Over Broadway in West Chester. 

Bagels Over Broadway also serves Green Mountain Coffee... Yum!   If you like Green Mountain, you may be surprised to learn that prices on single-serving Green Mountain "K-Cups" for Keurig brewers are likely to go down this winter!  

 Homemade bagels by Savvy Baker.  Click here for recipe.

2.)  Apple themed home decorations

I got mine on clearance from LAST fall's leftovers.  With fall just around the corner, brand new stuff is filling the shelves day by day.   You can't go wrong with an apple centerpiece!  Whether faux or real, apples bring a pleasing smile to the onlooker.  And who says apples have to go with pinecones?  Fresh flowers look great, too!

Photo by Michelle Rago

3.)  Apple cider

Forget the Woodchuck you drank in high school.  Apple cider is all grown up.  There are reports that it's the next big "microbrew" trend, particularly on account that it can be made locally in the U.S. and it's gluten-free. One thing is for sure, sales are growing.  I am not sure where all the cider drinkers have been hiding because it's really a classic if you find the right brand.   Esquire magazine gives a good intro of food pairings for highbrow domestic ciders.  If you are truly highbrow like me, however, you enjoy a good cider from the British Isles.   My favorites are Strongbow for a light cider (English origin) and Samuel Smith's cider and related fruit flavored ales for a change from the everyday.

4.)  Raw apple pie

 The "raw food" movement is about eating a diet rich in fresh nuts, legumes and berries among other raw foods.  Food is not generally cooked above the low 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  I will feature more information on the raw food movement in upcoming posts.  For now, I let you know that a favorite dessert for people on a raw diet with a wide appeal is Apple Pie, a classic dessert that tastes delightful cooked or raw.   Recipe by Rawmazing.

5.) Apple perfume

The trend started with DKNY Be Delicious and has generated lovely spinoffs...

Golden Delicious  and Fresh Blossom Duo

 

I can practically taste the apples just by looking at these pictures!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 XO Gardentina

Ways to beat the August heat

Enjoy a Popsicle or Water Ice. 

Airheads Popsicles

Go to the gym and take a dip in the Pool when you're done working out.

Pool at LA Fitness

Go to a place where it is the opposite of bright and hot, Like the movie theater!

Popcorn Indiana's new Warm-Up Bag

Drive over to the do-it-yourself car wash.  No complaints if you get a little bit wet! 

Greenhill Car Wash of Wilmington and Middletown

Get a haircut and skip the blow dry!

Great Clips promotions page

 

Genuardis turned into Giant grocery store

Recently I made a road trip to the Giant grocery store that took over the Genuardi's grocery on Boot Road in East Goshen Township.  It was very busy on the evening of my visit.  The store has an "upscale" look for being a Giant store.  I enjoyed that part!  It has the Giant products we know from the big box grocery chain, too.  Giant remodeled a bit but as typical of Genuardi's there are corners, nooks and crannies remaining in the store.  Also a vestige of the old store is the cafe area, complete with microwave and sitting booths.  I sat in the cafe for a moment and took in the artwork on the wall.  Above the plastic silverware were several framed photographs of downtown Philadelphia from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I was dumbfounded for a minute on account of how much the city looks the same from then until now.  First I took in the major buildings in the photos because the landmarks are still standing today - the old Wanamaker's store;  and other buildings near Broad and Market.  Next I took in the horizon.  Smokestacks lurked in the background, much as they do today.  Then I saw the city streets.  The city was bustling with activity.  Even back then, it was as crowded as today.  The street was filled with all modes of transportation:  cars, trolleys, horses with buggies, and people on foot.  I peered even closer.  Then I saw her.  First I noticed the absence of color as if there were a shadow in the photo.  It was not a shadow.  In the 1800's photo was an African American woman, dressed up to the nines in a long dress trimmed with ribbon and lace, wearing a hat and with her hair done up in a fancy tiered bun type of hairdo, like something out of Anne of Green Gables.   The woman walked properly, and excitedly, across the street on an errand.  The expression on her face was one of content anticipation.  It gave me pause to consider this woman walking freely and purposefully alone in the city, without hesitation.  It made me proud of the history of our city, as a place with a rich history for giving opportunity to African Americans.   And it made me wistful about the crime in the city today.  Could a woman, white or black, feel comfortable walking in the city today with her head held high, like the woman in the photo, without worrying about the wrong type of attention she might attract?  Have conditions really improved since the 1890's?   If the woman from the photo could walk into our world, I think she would tell us to walk tall and proud.  The next time I travel to the city, I will remember her the instant I step out of the SEPTA terminal at Market East onto the sidewalk on Market Street.  My spine will straighten out and the crown of my head might touch the clouds.

Have An Olympic Picnic

Today we got into the spirit of Team USA.   We showed our true colors in our LUNCH!   Here's the recipe for a tasty Olympic picnic in red, white and blue.

Olympic cocktail

Top a frozen lemon-lime margarita with red and blue. How to do it: 

1.  The white ice of the margarita gives the "white" effect.
2. Use a few drops of food coloring to give the margarita a blue tint.  (I omitted because I don't generally use food coloring but a blue frozen drink would achieve same effect.)
3. Then top the margarita with a few maraschino cherries and run some cherry juice down the sides for effect!

Olympic Entree
Fire up the grill and cook up a batch of red, white and blue chicken burgers.  You won't miss the beef in this burger, I promise!

Recipe for red, white and blue Chicken Burgers:
1 lb ground chicken
Diced onion, 1/3 of small white onion
Diced red pepper, 1/4 of pepper
Drained, chopped black olive pieces
Pinch of ground garlic spice
Dash of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to preference.  I use fresh ground salt (kosher) and peppercorns (mix of colors).
Bread crumbs and/or egg to your preference of thickness for the burger
The "perfect ten" ingredient that gives this burger a "gold" finish:  Add 2/3 cup Shredded mac n cheese blend cheese (New at Giant): A blend of New York Sharp Cheddar, American, and Swiss Cheese (Serving size 1/4 cup, Calories 110)

There is only one word for this burger..... Delicious!

Olympic side
Every athlete needs their veggies.  It's not blue but it's veggie!!  To make it blue, you might top with crushed "blue corn" tortilla chips.

 


Cook shredded broccoli, shredded cabbage, diced onion and handful of rice or egg noodles in chicken broth. Use just enough broth to cover the vegetables and pasta so that it will boil down as the food cooks.  Add salt and pepper.  Once it is boiled down, lower heat and stir in Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  Stir in some more of that Mac and Cheese shredded blend of cheese, between 1/2 to 2/3 cup.  Top with diced fresh tomato.

Olympic dessert
Nothing says summer or red-white-blue like Shortcake, of course!  Top with mixed berries (Strawberry or Raspberry; and Boysenberry or Blackberry).