PELEAU - OR PAELLA CARRIBEAN OR SPAIN

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Chicken Shrimp Palau

Black Eyed Peas (vegetarian, no pork)

Accra (blackeyed pea fritter)

Apple/Mango chutney

Martini

Tom Collins

I woke up in Lakeland, Georgia, hanging out with one of my sons this year. (My eldest, TaShant, is in Fresno, California, and my daughter is in Baltimore, Maryland.) This is his second year back in the States after seven years overseas, and the first time we brought in the New Year or spent the holidays together since Kwanzaa in 2007, in Stockton, California, at his Raney Family-Annual Kwanzaa Party. I thought I'd make the healthiest dishes to start the New Year. "Imani" "Faith"

Peleau-

I learned how to make one of my favorite dishes by visiting the Breadfruit Tree in Stockton. The dish is from St. Thomas, and Chef Louis Bynoe attributes his passion and inspiration for cooking to his dear grandmother and his cherished Caribbean islands.

Rice stir-fried with fresh mixed vegetables and a myriad of spices to enhance your palate.

• Chicken
• Seafood
• Ital (vegetarian)
• Combo(seafood & chicken)

Rice stir-fried with fresh mixed vegetables and a myriad of spices to enhance your palate. Cabbage, onion,  garlic, chicken breast, shelled shrimp, Turmeric, Caribbean seasoning, Lemon-black pepper, and salt to taste.

Accara

I learned how to make Accara from Oluwatunji, an African Studies Professor at Fresno City College, in the '70s. We were preparing the dish for my first Kwanzaa Celebration, which was to be held at Ivy Community Center in West Fresno. Needless to say, over the years, I have only made this dish during the holidays, as it is time-consuming to shell green peas, remove the skin, and turn them into a meal.

Accara is crispy black-eyed pea fritters, a popular street food in West Africa. This recipe comes courtesy of Marie-Claude Mendy, a former Top Chef winner and owner of Teranga, the fabulous Senegalese restaurant in Boston. It is best served with Kanni, a zesty tomato sauce by Chef Mendy.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried black-eyed peas

4 cups water, or enough to cover the beans to soak overnight

¾ cup chopped shallots or onion

2 tablespoons chopped garlic (optional)

Salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

Instructions:

Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in enough water to cover them (as they will absorb the water), then cover. The next day, drain them and remove their outer skins by rubbing them together with the palms of your hands. (The faster way to do this is to put the peas into a food processor, cover them with water, and pulse for a few seconds. Add a little bit more water and pulse it again. Then transfer the peas to a bowl. Add enough water to cover the peas; they should be foaming.) Rub the skins off the peas and discard the skins. This is done quickly by filling the bowl with water and pouring the water and the skins out.

Put the skinless peas in a food processor or good blender. Puree to a fine paste—not too runny, not too thick. Remember to keep adding water slowly while the processor is running. Add the shallots, onion, and garlic; pulse until they become part of the paste.

Season to taste with salt and a pinch of black pepper.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Spoon the accurate mixture into lemon-sized balls and cook in the oil, flipping the fritter once or twice until golden brown on both sides. (It usually takes 5-7 minutes on medium heat.)

Fry the accara in small batches until golden brown, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve at room temperature with accara sauce.



Sunday Dinner at the Bronzeville Artist Lofts, 2014 "Mango Chutney"

 MANGO CHUTNEY

3 cups distilled white vinegar

6 cups white sugar

6 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

5 small red hot chile peppers, seeded and chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup raisins

16 cups sliced, semi-ripe mangos

1 apple cored, diced

PROPER GEECHEE RICE The Back Story

Vertamae Grosvenor, on her porch at Palm Key in Jasper County, calls herself a culinary griot. In effect, she is a cultural anthropologist, journalist, cook, memoirist, and artist whose life experience has affirmed her Gullah roots.

Vertamae Grosvenor

Charlotte’s fourth-grade class was inviting people of interest to visit with students and talk about their lives.“I signed you up.”

“And Grandma, can you bring a pan of rice?”

So Grosvenor woke up early and prepared a pan of rice, struggling to get the hot dish into a cab and to the school.

The children gobbled it up, listening to Grosvenor explain its African origins and its cultivation along the tidal rivers of South Carolina.

One asked, “Do you know how to make peas and rice?”

Another described the rice dish he ate in Jamaica. Another mentioned the rice she ate in the Dominican Republic. They all knew about rice, and Grosvenor was struck by the way different cultures share certain essential elements.

This recipe is from Vertamae Cooks in the American Family Kitchen by Vertamae Grosvenor (KQED Books).

1 part long-grain white rice
2 parts water

Rinse rice until water runs clear (or as Grandma Sula used to say, “Rinse it three times, and then once more”). In a heavy saucepan over high heat, combine rice and water; cover with the lid ajar. Bring water to a boil, shift the lid so it covers the pan tightly, turn down the heat to very low; cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Never, never, never stir rice during this time. Don’t even think about uncovering the pot to peek. Remove from heat; let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Your rice will be proper.

Per ½ cup cooked rice serving: 169 calories, 3 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 37 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams sodium, 0 milligrams cholesterol.

The Back Story About Vertamae, Adam Parker // The Post and Courier

Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Writer, actor, cook, looks at her many-sided life

Posted: Saturday, June 18, 2011 12:01 a.m., Updated: Friday, March 23, 2012 5:05 p.m.

Born: About 72 years ago in Allendale County.

Children: Kali and Chandra.
Grandchildren: Oscar Brown IV, Charlotte.
Early career: Acting.
Middle career: Writing.
Late career: Radio correspondent for NPR.
Cultural heritage: Gullah.

Most important movie parts: Hair braider (and food consultant), "Daughters of the Dust" (1991); Grace (and food consultant), "Beloved" (1998).

Book that made her famous: "Vibration Cooking."

Places lived: S.C. Lowcountry, North Philadelphia, Paris, New York City, Washington, D.C.

By the early 1980s, she was living in Washington, D.C., and contributing stories and commentary to National Public Radio. She reported on the threatened Gullah-Geechee communities of the South Carolina and Georgia Sea Islands as only someone can when they are reporting about their home.

She reported on the cultural significance of food. She reported on the expatriate experiences of African-Americans in Paris. Her stories were gorgeously told, rich in characters and dimension, and unlike most of radio’s offerings, colleagues said.

Her cooking show “Seasonings” won a James Beard award. Her renown led to many things, including a television show, part of America’s Family Kitchen series produced in Chicago, called “Vertamae Cooks.”

“I exploit Afro-American dishes every chance I get,” Grosvenor once wrote. “For instance, collard greens. A bowl of collard greens does for me what a bowl of chicken soup does for others.”

"Verta came into the kitchen and said, 'Girl, give me those greens.' " Then she started wrapping them a certain way and cutting them a certain way and preparing them a certain way. Her way.

"It was like a religious ceremony for her," Spellman said, a chance to pay respect to her elders. "She always quotes her references, and her references were people in her life, people in her family. So she showed me how to prepare the greens, and I've been doing it that way ever since."

When "Vibration Cooking" was published in 1970, it made Grosvenor famous. Spellman remembered basketball star Walt Frazier of the New York Knicks walking out onto the court before a game carrying the book.

"Not many preceded her in using food as a lens," Goodwin said. "You know the saying, there's a universe in a grain of sand? That's what she did with food. You saw the entirety of America's history with race through food."

2012 In the Mirror Looking Back on Sunday Dinners in Berlin

 

Berlin

Renata and  Alan in Berlin

Sunday Dinner at Susanne’s in Gierbstratbe 

Host: Susanne

Guest: Peter, Nicola, Alan, Renee, Ingle, Alpha, Ferret,

Main Course Eggplant Lasagna

Stuff Avacado & Shrimp 

Green Salad (apples, onions, bell pepper, tomatoes)

Red Wine, White Wines

Coffee and ice-cream, mixed berries

 

Susanne’s son Frett came over and helped layer this dish, it was so good, to see mother and son working in the kitchen together, lovely. Frett is a filmmaker; he did a residency in Kenya for the German government after graduation. Susanne is very proud of her son who is making a documentary is on his German-Turkish heritage.  

Dinner conversation, It was so funny; I thought that Peter actually swam daily in his wetsuit, so I say, “Peter swims in a lake every morning in his wetsuit". Renee thought I was talking about a scuba diver’s suit, like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Susanne’s roommate ran and got a book that had the image everyone thought I was talking about it; it was so funny we all almost crocked from laughing so hard.

 

Stuff Avocados’ (Shrimp, Yogurt) Ingredients: Renee added shrimp and yogurt and we filled the avocado shells with the filling, this was served to quest as a pre-dinner snack.

 2 large Avocados (firm but ripe)

3 cloves of garlic (crushed and finely chopped)

1/2 large onion (finely chopped)

1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons of Pimientos

2 tablespoons of bottled sweet red chili pepper sauce

1 green onion (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut each Avocado in half, remove the pits, and carefully remove the meat from the shell with a spoon into a bowl. Set the shell halves aside. Using a fork, mash the avocado meat and pour the lemon juice in, stirring well so that ingredient is well incorporated. Now add the sweet chili sauce, green onion, and parsley and stir. Set aside.
 
Using a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, and pimientos until onion is softened and translucent. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow cooling.

Once cooled, add sautéed mixture to the avocado, and mix thoroughly. Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper and taste for correct seasoning.
 
With a spoon, return the avocado mixture to the shells, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour. Serve 1/2 avocado per person along with chips and a spoon. You may just want to use the spoon alone. This recipe is absolutely delicious and works great as an appetizer or snack for the Sunday ball games. I think I finally made my first Guacamole - or at least my version of it.

Summer Eggplant Lasagna (try with German Products)

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise 3/4-inch thick (8 slices)

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided plus more for baking dish

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup thinly sliced cremini mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese

3 large eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan, divided

2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano leaves

2 cups  Marinara Sauce, recipe follows

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on 2 sheet pans. Brush on both sides using 3 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant until it is soft and golden. Turn slices halfway through, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the sliced mushrooms. Sauté until soft for about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and chopped thyme. Cook for another 2 minutes. Once the mushrooms are cooked remove and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl add the ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, oregano, mushrooms, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Brush an 8-inch baking dish with oil.

Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay 4 slices on top followed by the ricotta mixture. Lay another 4 slices of eggplant and finish with marinara sauce. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until golden brown, at 350 degrees, for 30 minutes.

Marinara Sauce:

5 cloves garlic

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 large onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly picked oregano leaves

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel 5 cloves of garlic and place them in a square of foil. Sprinkle the cloves with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Wrap up the foil and place it directly on the oven rack. (Be sure that the foil packet is secure so no oil will leak out.) Roast the garlic until it's brown and tender, about 25 minutes. Allow cooling enough to touch and squeeze the garlic from the skins. Set aside.

Sauté onions and carrots with the oil in a medium saucepan. Add tomato paste and stir well. This will cook off the tomato paste and give a nice orangey color. Cook for about 10 minutes. When vegetables are softened add the roasted garlic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and stir together until incorporated. Pour in the tomatoes. Fill the empty can with water and add it to the pan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, uncovered. Stir occasionally. Once the sauce is ready carefully pour it into the food processor and puree until smooth.

2012 EASTER SUNDAY DINNER in Three Households

Don't know what's for dinner? No problem, the April soul food dinner menu ideas I found online at Soul Food and Southern Cooking. Every family has its own hand me down recipes, especially when there where one or two brothers or sisters that grew up cooking in the kitchen, from these we say

"You really put your foot in this!

It can be difficult deciding what to serve your family or guest especially if their claim to fame is being the best soul food cook in the land. I want to always make a great impression and always want to try a new twist on a traditional soul food dish so I borrow tried and true recipes from family and friends and also other cooks that share on the world wide web.

MENU

Honey Baked Glazed Ham
Cabbage and Collard Green Mix

Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli Casserole
Corn Bread

Peach Cobbler
Sweet Tea
Easter Coconut Basket Cake

Baked Ham Recipe

Mary Joyce Mitchell's Glazed Ham, and Family Dinner

Mary Joyce Mitchell's Glazed Ham, and Family Dinner

Recipe Ingredients:
1 - 8 to 10 pound smoked ham

• whole cloves

Glaze for Baked Ham

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

Recipe Instructions:

1. Preheat oven according to package cooking directions. Place ham fat side up on the rack of a shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer through the fat side into the center of the thickest part of the ham, but don't let it touch the bone.
2. Bake ham according to package directions. About 1/2 hour before ham is done prepare glaze by combining ingredients and mixing well. Next, remove ham from the oven and pour off drippings. Peel away any rind that is left on ham and score ham with a sharp knife.
3. While scoring makes diamond-shaped cuts. Insert a clove into each diamond. Spread ham generously with glaze and return to the oven. After applying glaze, bake until desired internal temperature is reached.
4. Remove ham from the oven and allow to stand for about 20 minutes before slicing. If desired, the remaining glaze can be poured over sliced ham.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli Casserole

Levelle's Favorite Baked Dish this year

•  Levelle's Favorite Baked Dish this year
•  2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup of floor
• Click to see savings
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•   3 ounces grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 2 ounces grated smoked gouda cheese
• 2 ounces grated reduced-fat gruyère or swiss cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 cups cooked elbow macaroni
• 1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1.       In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk and flour and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, add nutmeg, and cook, stirring, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Add cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, gruyère or swiss cheese, and cayenne pepper; whisk until melted (1 minute). Add cooked elbow macaroni and stir to combine. In a small bowl, toss bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place 6 individual crocks, ramekins, or ovenproof bowls on a rimmed baking sheet; spoon 1 cup macaroni mixture into each ramekin and sprinkle each with 1/6 bread-crumb topping. Bake at 400° until topping is browned and cheese is bubbling (30-35 minutes).

 Fried Cabbage and Collard Green Mix

4 bacon slices

1 large head fresh cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Cook bacon in a large skillet 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon. Add cabbage to hot drippings in skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté cabbage over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with bacon.



Cooking is Self- Determination Empowering Our Youth with Tools for a Healthy Future!

Why is it important to pass on tradition? I was talking to my family last night and remembering how when growing up we had a vegetable garden, with plenty of fruit trees, and nut trees on our property. We ate out of this garden all season. I watched my mother, and learned how to can fruits, and vegetables so we would have food during the winter. This was in the 60's, but I hold on to the childhood memories, because they gave me the tools I needed to survive and raise my own family with at times $60 a month for food is all I had being a college student.

We talked about how this generation of micro-wave, instant meals have not given our youth the power tools to survive. Like why by Jell-O cups, when you can buy one small box of Jell-O, or Knox and 50 small plastic cups and make your own for pennies on the dime. My mother equipped the kitchen with recipes for magazines, and cookbooks, and clipping files. We would have baking competitions during the holidays of who could make the best cake, or who could make the best dish that everyone would have bragging rights to. This is why it is important to pass on tradition.

Pico-de-Gallo-a-Mexican-Fruit Salad- For Summer Dinners

Mexican fruit salad is my very favorite dish, and something I am missing while I am traveling. Mexican food in Germany isn't Mexican enough. I grew up in Fresno, and later in Sacramento, California, and for sure in Logan Square, Chicago, IL. It is so mouth-watering good.

Even the Mexican street vendor's food is great! I share this on my Blogspot, "SnowCones" to "SnowPeas". I really love these fruit cups, squeeze fresh lemon juice, and sprinkle with Pollo-Limon, what a treat. (my mouth is watering)

Ingredients:

1/2 cantaloupe

1 apple

1 cucumber

1 jicama

1/2 honeydew

2 oranges

2 mangoes

1/2 pineapple, diced

4 cups watermelon

6 lemons

Pico de Gallo powdered seasoning, to taste (a brand found in the Latin foods section)

Directions: Prep Time: 30 mins

1 Wash all fruit and/or vegetables (the ones you prefer), peel, and dice into chunk-sized pieces.  Place in a large bowl and mix with clean hands to distribute evenly.
 Cut the lemons into wedges and place them in a serving dish.
To serve, place 2 cups of the fruit mixture into an individual serving bowl, squeeze some lemon juice on top, and then sprinkle with the "Pico de Gallo" seasoning.

Enjoy!

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/pico-de-gallo-a-mexican-fruit-salad-166927#ixzz1TnsPWpFs

GRILLED RED SNAPPER AND RAGOUT STEW in Ramstein

I was out and about in Ramstein when I went into Natalie's Beauty Supply Store. Natalie is from Jamaica. Not only does she sell hair products, wigs, imports, shoes, boots, but you guessed it she has one room in her store where she sells imported Ackee food from Jamaica. I got a frozen ten-pound whole red snapper, head, eyes, tail, and all to grill for Friday night dinner.

1 red snapper chart-grill seasoning

Lemon pepper

Garlic powder

Salt & pepper
Soy sauce
Lime slices (optional)






Cut 2 slits across red snapper on both sides. Sprinkle one side liberally with soy sauce, salt, pepper, char-grill seasoning, lemon pepper, and garlic powder. Place 2 or 3 lime slices over fish. Place fish, seasoned side down, on basket for grilling. Season another side of fish the same as the first side. Clamp fish in basket and grill over the charcoal about 15 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily. (30 minutes is too tough)

For the ragout: (French- ragu)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 fingerling potatoes or small new potatoes
12 cipollini onions, roasted, peeled and halved
12 artichoke hearts, cooked and quartered
24 green olives, pitted
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce Vierge:
1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced small
1/2 cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions
For the Fish on the Stovetop:
Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, place fish in pan skin side down, gently pressing on the fish so it does not curl up. From this point turn down the heat to medium and do not touch the fish. The skin will become crispy and release itself from the pan. Cook for 4 minutes on the skin side, and turn the fish over, cooking for 2 more minutes or just until done. Keep warm.

For the Ragout:
In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the potatoes and onions, sauteing them until warmed through and a little color has appeared on the potatoes. Add the artichokes and olives and cook another 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender. Drizzle remaining1 tablespoon of olive oil into the ragout before plating. Serve warm.

For the Sauce Vierge:
Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice from half of the lemon into a bowl, removing any seeds that may fall into the bowl. Slice the other half of the lemon into thin slices, and place them in the bowl. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and parsley to the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine.

Spoon the ragout evenly into 4 warm bowls, or deep plates. Top the ragout with the fish, skin side up. Drizzle the sauce on top of the fish and serve immediately.

Restaurant Recipe

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results. Will, I contest it was great.