Food on a Board

The age-old concept of enjoying food on a board is one that can easily be reproduced at home.  Whether you enjoy a smorgasbord that combines a selection of meats, cheeses, and bread or a range of other foods on a board, the concept is simple to do.  Think of the types of foods that you enjoy, and imagine ways that they could be presented artistically and in a palate-pleasing way.  Find an old cutting board or consider purchasing an inexpensive one from a kitchen or food service vendor.  IKEA sells some simple and reasonably-priced boards that would be wonderful to serve appetizers or other small foods on https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80305422/

The above board is one I assembled with an array of my favorite breakfast treats: scrambled eggs, hash browns, croissants filled with Nutella, and freshly-brewed tea and coffee.  Enjoy the experience of assembling and eating your food board, and as always, stay healthy and happy!

-The Food Pope

Fearless Fusion: Middle Eastern Pizza

Fusion cuisine is taking the world by storm.  The ingredients, flavors, food culture, and presentation style of the foods of very different cultures can be exciting and delicious when combined together.

Looking for a way to create a new dish that honors some of my favorite food cultures, the below Middle Eastern pizza adorned my dinner plate last night.  I started with a Mexican flour tortilla.  This simple "crust" is readily available at many stores and I chose to go with the larger, burrito size.  In classic Italian style, I proceeded to build a pizza on the tortilla, choosing to forgo tomato sauce and instead use hummus.  The Cedars brand hummus that I used spread very well the flavor didn't overpower the finished pizza.

I added green peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and baked for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.  The finished pizza was light, tasty, and delicious when sprinkled with a bit of cumin.

When trying new flavors and meals in your kitchen, be fearless and embrace a fusion of different flavors!

 

Hello Fresh: Food Pope Review

Hello Fresh is currently in the midst of a big marketing campaign to get individuals interested in trying some selections from their menu.  While at the mall, I signed up for an offer to get 2 meals for $10.97.  I thought that the price couldn't be beat, so I signed up and a week later the two meals for two were at our doorstep.

Pros:

• You have everything you need, with the exception of a few ingredients that most individuals will likely already have on hand (such as oil or salt and pepper).

• Foodies can adjust or modify the meal to their liking, creating a dish that is tailored to individual taste.

• The food is really good quality.

Cons:

• There is quite a bit of waste in the packaging.  While many things are recyclable or reusable (for example, I saved one of the freezer packs to use on future shopping trips and recycled one), there is still a fair amount of waste with each order.

Final Review:  Highly Recommended!

All Hail the Unhealthy Pop Tart

What should I buy, I ask myself as I gaze through the plexiglass shield separating me from an array of snacks.
A thermos of hot tea has accompanied me on this trip to the library, but neither woman nor man can live on tea alone.
Roasted almonds beckon me . . .
A granola bar calls for my attention . . .
A chocolate bar yearns for my selection . . .
But no, what I seek is located in section D8

After inserting a dollar, I carefully push the buttons cause a motor to move you forward,
Dropping to the machine's bottom.

The heavenly confection below has has a shelf life of a year, rather than days,
Thanks to the range of preservatives within it.

Sugar, gluten, chemicals, cinnamon, and artificial flavors combine to create this wonderful snack which,
When combined with a cup of hot tea.

Is nothing short of Heaven.

Improving Our Nation's Food Literacy

The next big movement in food will consist of improving our food literacy.  My prediction is that this movement will consist of three distinct initiatives that will make us wiser, more ethically sound, and less wasteful consumers.  These initiatives will ideally consist of:

• Improved understanding of how to cook a range of healthy foods at home.  Ideally, this will be integrated into a middle and high school curriculum so that individuals leave secondary school with a basic understanding of how to cook for themselves.
• Improved understanding of how to read food labels.  This will ensure that consumers are able to choose foods that fit within a healthy, balanced diet.
• Understanding of how to minimize food waste.  This will consist of such skills as how to preserve foods to prevent premature spoilage, how to integrate available ingredients into a range of dishes before they go bad, and how to shop and acquire food that has minimal packaging that will eventually be bound for a landfill. 

 In some cases, these initiatives are already in place.  The popular children's television show Sesame Street has a segment titled "Monster Foodies" that features Cookie Monster and his food-truck colleague Gonger prepare a range of foods.  In the below link, viewers can watch the fur-covered duo visit a cranberry bog to learn how cranberries are harvested for the cranberry muffins Cookie Monster and Gonger bake for a customer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjO6WxENdKQ 

Teaching children about where our food comes from at an early age will guide us towards a great era of culinary enlightenment.  Building these skills into adulthood will lead mankind towards greater health and happiness in the years to come.

Stir Fried Vegetables

One of my favorite foods by far has to be stir fried vegetables with General Tso's sauce.  The crispness of freshly-stir fried vegetables, salty/spiciness of General Tso's sauce, and the lower calories than General Tso's Chicken make it a hit in my household.

For the below dish, I started with baby bok choy, a hot wok, and 2 Tbs of sesame oil.  Heat the oil and add the stalks of the bok choy first.  Cook over medium-high heat until the stalks are tender.

Add the leaves last, as they won't take long to cook.  Scoop your stir fry in a bowl and cover with General Tso's sauce.  Stir quickly and enjoy!

Notes: This recipe works well with broccoli, string beans, eggplant, and a range of other healthy veggies.

Budget-Minded Seafood Sam

As the summer months wane and I prepare for a busy Fall ahead, my mind drifts back many years to family vacations in Maine where lobster roll sandwiches offered tourists a delicious and unique culinary treat.

Searching for a budget-friendly option that captured some of the same flavors and memories, I came up with the below sandwich that consists of imitation crab (leg or flake style both work well), pickles, a hot dog bun, and one of two sauce options listed below:

Maritime Horseradish Sauce
1 tsp mayo
1 tsp ketchup
1 tsp horseradish
Combine together and place on bun with other ingredients

Chesapeake Bay Spicy Mayo
1.5 tsp mayo
.5 tsp. Chesapeake Bay-style seasoning mix
Combine together and place on bun with other ingredients

If asked whether this sandwich rivals a true lobster or crab roll sandwich, the answer would be a definite no.

If asked whether this sandwich is tasty, cheap, and environmentally friendly to marine ecosystems, the answer would be a resounding YES!  Enjoy

Starbucks, where have the good butter croissants gone?

I remember a time not long ago when one could casually stroll into a Starbucks and order with a butter croissant to accompany one's morning tea that sent the eater to momentary Heaven.

A flaky crust that was raised with nothing more than the heat of an oven and layers of butter and pastry shattered upon bite, and flavor danced on the tongue.

Not so with the croissant I bought this morning.  Damp and spongy, today's croissant seemed to more closely resemble something that might be concocted by Little Debbie (no offense, Ms. Debbie, for in the realm of frosted snack cakes, you truly reign Queen).

I'll enjoy my tea this morning, but my croissant will be eaten only with great protest.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Click below for my recipe for a tasty summer treat using Gosling's Ginger Beer and Gosling's Rum.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Tasty Summer Sandwiches

It's been exciting to explore a range of interesting products at our local farmers market.  Recently, I've tried JNA Bread's Russian Black Bread.  It has a wonderful, toasty flavor and makes tasty open-faced sandwiches.

Consider exploring some different types of bread this summer to pair with a range of toppings for a light, tasty lunch.

For a vegetarian option, use either hummus and olive spread (green and black olives pulsed several times in a food processor and mixed with olive oil) or hummus and fresh feta cheese

Meat lovers will love a BTB (bacon, tomato, and banana peppers).

For those interested in learning more about JNA Breads, visit https://www.jnabreadbakery.com/

Baby's Chopsticks

It's important for babies to be exposed to a range of different foods, as well as eating methods, from an early age.  I've been enjoying introducing Finley to small morsels of food (pepperoni, bits of vegetables and noodles, and feta cheese with hummus) using one of my favorite pairs of chopsticks.  My hope is that this unique tactile experience will get Finley familiar with eating in a variety of ways from an early age.

I still recall my the Autumn during my early teenage years when my father traveled to China for business and brought my mother, sister and I lovely Chinese chopsticks home complete with a lesson.  I've been using them about once a week to keep my skills sharp ever since!  :)
 
If you're interested in learning more about using chopsticks and aren't already familiar, the below link will get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSXwc9LwMuQ

2018 Best Breakfast Deal in Columbus

Fig. 1  IKEA's $2 Swedish American Breakfast

It isn't often that I feel the need to blog about one of the best meal deals in my area, but IKEA's $2 breakfast is definitely worth mention.  For a mere $2 plus tax, visitors to the Polaris IKEA in the greater Columbus, Ohio area can feast on scrambled eggs, turkey sausage links, home fries, and Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam.  For those with an IKEA Family membership, unlimited cups of coffee are free with breakfast.

See the below breakdown of the dining experience:
atmosphere- casual, cafeteria-style dining located on the second floor of the IKEA showroom.  I LOVE the fact that visitors eat from real plates with metal silverware and ceramic cups to reduce waste.  Windows bring in plenty of natural light and overlook the showroom's parking lot.

eggs-  definitely powdered eggs, but tasty with salt and pepper or a bit of ketchup

home fries-  outstanding balance of crispiness on the outside and creaminess in the interior

sausage-  like all turkey sausage, can be a bit on the dry side, but still very tasty

Swedish pancakes-  excellent flavor and tasty with the included jam

coffee-  outstanding flavor and balance.  I prefer the latte, but the machines in the cafeteria produce a range of beverages.  Decaf coffee is always on hand for those who need less octane with their morning breakfast.

service-  fast and friendly

cost-  unbeatable

See below for a complete list of IKEA's restaurant options:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/food/#restaurant

Fig. 2  Finley and I make our way to our seat for my breakfast and Finley's bottle

Favorite Breakfast Beverages

Finley and I are enjoying our favorite breakfast beverages together this morning.  For Finley, 7 ounces of Similac formula hit the spot.  For me, 7 ounces of black tea from Yunnan, China.