Cooking

B&W Bread in a Can – Review

Cooking

Researching an upcoming trip to Maine, I came across a unique food item. Bread in a can. These cans of bread are apparently sold on the shelf next to the Boston baked beans. It’s an East Coast thing.

My husband affirmed the fact that people on the East Coast do indeed eat bread in a can. It is meant to be eaten alongside Boston baked beans and hot dogs. He ate this bread growing up. He brought me back a can of the bread as a souvenir from his trip so I could give it a try.

The directions on the can say to open both ends of the can. This needs to be done so the bread can be given a little push out of the can. I did so and the bread popped out easily. I put it on a serving platter and set it on the table for dinner.

B&M Bread in a Can

I must say, I was a little disgusted looking at this bread on the platter. It doesn’t look appetizing. It has the exact look of canned cranberry jelly that pops out of a can at Thanksgiving with the lines of the can marked into it’s sides. I also did not like how the bread rolls around.

The bread sliced easily. It has no crust. It was very sweet because it contains molasses. I would call it more of a sweet bread then a dinner bread. Almost more like a muffin really. Apparently, if the original flavor isn’t sweet enough, one can purchase the version with raisins.

While it tasted fine, I really do not see the point in purchasing this bread. I would be embarrassed to set it out for company as it doesn’t look appealing. It would be a good pantry staple for emergencies, however, I would prefer a fresh loaf of bread (homemade or store bought).

The bread in a can does bring up some questions for me. How does B&M get the bread in the can? How is it cooked? I looked into this and found that the bread is steamed in the can. https://www.mashed.com/270569/the-surprising-origin-of-canned-bread/ Martha Stewart even has a recipe to make homemade bread in a can. https://www.simplemost.com/make-boston-brown-bread-in-a-can-at-home/

It’s interesting how different regions have their own specific food items. I do not know of any stores in So Cal that sell bread in a can. I wonder what other unique food I am missing out on. If any of my readers have food specific to their region of the map, drop me a line and let me know what I am missing out on.

As always, Happy Eating!

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Potato Ricer

Cooking

Being the Master Chef want-to-be that I am, I decided to try a new kitchen gadget (new to me that is…). The potato ricer.

Normally, I mash my potatoes with a little bit of milk and a potato masher. This has left me satisfied as I can mash the potatoes to the desired consistancy. However, after one use of my potato ricer, I may never go back to the masher again.

The reasons I love the potato ricer… It is so simple to use. Put the cooked (boiled) potatoes in, press down, and the potatoes are done. The potatoes do not require milk to make them smooth. They do not require the strength/effort to mash. The potatoes come out smooth and creamy and are way better than anything I’ve ever mashed. I’ve even heard that you can put the potatoes in with skins on and the ricer separates the skins so no peeling is required. I have not tried this myself, but this would save a step in the preparation.

Trying new things in the kitchen is always fun. In this case, I found a new favorite gadget. What should I try next? Any suggestions?

As always, Have fun in the kitchen!

Master Chef Jr. Season 8

Cooking

If you’ve visited my blog before, you will already know I am a fan of all the cooking shows starring Gordon Ramsay. Well then, it will be no surprise to you that I am watching the latest Master Chef Jr. Master Chef Jr. features kids that really know their way around the kitchen.

When they say junior, they mean it. These kids are ages about 8 to 13 years old. Eight!!! Yes, eight years old, cooking without recipes, and plating like pros.

Some of the junior contestants have parents who own restaurants, or have taken cooking lessons; others are self taught or influenced by family members. These kids have cooked octopus, eel, Scotch eggs, etc.. already on the show. Octopus! Eel! I would not know where to begin with these things and honestly, I have never even eaten a Scotch egg before. Nothing stumps these kids though.

Not only does the show highlight these young chef’s amazing skills, it is also quite entertaining to watch and funny, at times, as well. They are only into week four, so if you haven’t already, tune-in next week. You will not only be entertained, but you may even learn a thing or two about cooking. I know I have.

As always, Happy Cooking!

Photo of Freddy: https://parade.com/1340108/paulettecohn/masterchef-junior-contestants-2022/#gallery_1340108-8

Avocado Fries

Cooking

Watching an episode of Next Level Chef, I was intrigued by one of the chefs saying they were adding a side of avocado fries to their dish. Avocado what? Yes, there is such a thing and they are quite tasty.

I found a recipe for avocado fries at: https://gimmedelicious.com/healthy-baked-avocado-fries-chipotle-dipping-sauce/ and gave it a try. The recipe was simple enough, very similar to making fried zucchini. Simply slice the avocado, coat it in flour, then egg, and then panko. Put these onto a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with oil or spray with cooking spray, pop them in a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes and voila, avocado fries.

I served my fries with a mixute of mayo and ketsup. Yum! I think even children would find these french fry alternatives a tasty treat.

As always, Happy Cooking!

Next Level Chef

Cooking

Chef Gordon Ramsay has another new cooking show on television. This time, Chef Ramsay is competing with Chef Nyesha Arrington and Chef Richard Blais to see whos team can produce the next level chef. Each taking turns to pick their team after the first competition.

The teams are randomly assigned to one of three kitchens. The top level is any chefs dream kitchen, fully equipped to meet their needs. They also have first dibs on the food that passes from floor to floor on a lift. The contestants have a mere 30 seconds to grab all they can to make their dish before the lift goes to the next level.

The middle level is a nice enough kitchen without all the bells and whistles. Probably nicer than your home kitchen. Chefs on this floor have second dibs on the food.

The bottom level is not nice by any means. The knives are dull and the Chefs have to make due with what little equipment they have. The big bummer is that they have last dibs on the food, usually the leftovers that are harder to cook with. They have to work harder to make their meals shine.

The famous chefs are mentoring the contestants hoping that one of their chosen chefs will win the competition and make them look good. Compared to the other cooking shows, this one may be a bit more stressful for the contestants, as they have hardly any time to come up with a meal plan and even less time to gather the ingredients. Throw in some unexpected twists or having to cook in the bottom level kitchen and the fact that the top chefs are competing and this could be a highly stressful situation, but fun to watch.

If you love cooking and like to watch Chef Ramsay’s other cooking shows then tune-in to Next Level Chef for even more cooking fun.

(Photo from: https://hollywoodlife.com/2021/12/07/next-level-chef-first-look-gordon-ramsay-preview-video/ -The key art for ‘Next Level Chef.’ (FOX) )

My Culinary Adventures – How NOT to Chop an Onion

Cooking

I was chopping onions for pasties when I felt the pain. I had sliced a chunk out of my thumb. There was blood, lots of blood. I called my husband to assist in bandaging me up.

It was quite obvious that the bleeding would not stop on its own. My husband used some woundseal powder which did a good job of clotting the wound, however, we decided a trip to urgent care was in order. My son was handed over the job of making dinner (a dinner that he had requested on his weekend home from university). So glad he is a true masterchef and could take over the task. I truely felt bad that he had to step up, as I had wanted to make it for him.

My husband questioned the knife I chose to use for the onion chopping. I told him that the knife I normally use was waiting to be washed so I chose the now dreaded knife to use instead. So, when chopping onions, be sure to use the proper knife and keep your fingers tucked under.

Luckily, urgent care was practicly empty and we didn’t wait but five minutes to be called back. This never happens! My day was making a turn upward. The nurse and doctor were very nice and fixed me up. I was rather disappointed that they did not even want to examine the severed part of my thumb. The boys had managed to find this piece of skin amongst the onion slices and put it in a baggy for me to take along. The doctor had no desire to reattach this piece of skin and just as well because truthfully, none of us were positively sure if this was indeed part of my thumb or part of the onion.

As always Happy SAFE Cooking!

DIY Pan Protectors Review

Projects

Tired of bowls banging together? Want to stack your pans but don’t want them scratched? DIY Pan Protectors to the rescue!

I found a Pattern for pan protectors and got to work. This is a fast and easy DIY project. I used scrap material and batting so the project did not cost me any extra money. Gotta love that!

First, I got the pattern template online at: https://sewverycrafty.com/how-to-make-fabric-pot-protectors/ . I cut out the material and batting, piled them together (material pieces with right sides together and batting on top) and stitched all three pieces together being sure to leave an opening for turning. After sewing and turning, I top-stitched the piece and stitched a circle in the center. It was ready to place inside the bowl. I am happy to say that the bowls no longer clanged together. Ah…silence.

I highly recommend these pan protectors. They definetly do the job and look nice as well. I am sure they can be resized (enlarged or reduced) if needing larger or smaller versions.

As always, Happy Sewing!

Peach Drop Cookie – Review / Revision

Cooking

I had ripe peaches and I wanted to try making peach cookies. I found a recipe for Peach Drop Cookies at: https://bakeorbreak.com/2013/08/peach-drop-cookies/ . They were peachy keen.

First off, I made the recipe exactly EXCEPT (and there’s always an except with me) I cut the recipe in half and left out the peach preserves. The recipe was cut in half because I only had one peach and two people didn’t need more cookies anyway. I left out the peach preserves because I felt they would add way too many carbohydrates to the recipe and probably were not needed since the peach should give it flavor. I was correct! The cookies were moist and flavorful and the preserves were not needed. The sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top also gave them additional flavor.

I might be heading back to Bake or Break to find some more baking ideas. She has a bunch of yummy treats to choose from.

As always, Happy Baking!

Overflowing With Cucumbers

Cooking

Wondering what I’ve been up to lately? I’ve been up to my eyeballs in cucumbers! One plant in the garden is producing way more cucumbers than I had ever imagined possible.

I have never been super crazy about cucumbers. Yes, I ate them in salads, but that was about the extent of it. Something changed this year. Now I have a new love for the green vegetable. However, things have started getting crazy. I picked eight cucumbers yesterday morning. Upon returning to the garden to collect tomatoes, I noticed three more cucumbers hidden down below tucked under leaves. What! That made eleven cucumbers in one day. By the way, my refrigerator bin was already packed with cucumbers. My children wanted to know if they could be cooked. I didn’t think so, until I did a little research. Turns out cucumbers can be cooked pretty much like a zucchini.

My favorite way of eating cucumbers this summer has been as a little salad for lunch. I chop the cucumber, add halved cherry tomatoes, a dash of fresh ground pepper, equal amounts of extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, and sprinkle on some feta cheese. Oh yum! I also made a couple of jars of refrigerator pickles. I even turned to adding sliced cucumber in my water. Ah, refreshing! However, with all the cucumbers, I need some new ways to use these bad boys.

I found a recipe on-line for cucumber bread. It was yummy and used one whole cucumber (one cup). Let the baking begin! I did cut back on the sugar in the recipe. Instead of a cup of sugar, I used half a cup. I also left off the frosting. I didn’t want it to be too sweet. It tasted fine to me. The recipe can be found at: https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/sugar-glazed-cucumber-bread/

Have a great recipe for cucumbers? Please share them with me in the comment section. I need all the help I can get..

As always, Happy Cooking/Baking!

Coconut Pancake Review

Book Reviews, Cooking

First off, I must say, I am not a super big pancake gal. I am a bit picky on my pancakes. I like them thin and crispy. I am also not a fan of maple syrup, never have been. While flipping through Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking cookbook, I came across a recipe for Coconut Pancakes with Mango Slices and Lime Syrup. The picture looked good so I thought I’d give them a try.

The recipe makes about 16 small pancakes. I was just making these for myself, so I cut the recipe in half and then in half again. It made about 4 – 5 pancakes this way, which was the perfect amount for my appetite. While I followed the pancake recipe, I did not use Chef Ramsay’s toppings of mango slices and lime syrup. Sorry Chef. I would probably be thrown out of the kitchen for this move, however I made the bold move of using my own toppings. I chose to top the pancakes with honey and chopped almonds. I would have used macadamia nuts as the topping of choice, however almonds were what was on hand.

The pancakes came together easily and I did add a mixture of coconut milk and water to thin the batter a bit. Chef Ramsay did say that water or coconut milk could be added to the batter if it was too thick after its fifteen minute rest. I preferred to add both.

The pancakes cooked beautifully in my cast iron skillet heated with canola oil. I cooked them for about two minutes on each side at a medium heat. After removing them from the skillet, I drizzled them with honey and sprinkled the nuts on top. They had nice crispy edges and were light and lovely. Oh my! I devoured these pancakes. They were the best pancakes I have had in a long time, perhaps ever. If not a huge fan of pancakes, give this recipe a try anyway. They are sure to change your mind about pancakes. https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/coconut-pancakes-with-mango-slices-and-lime-syrup

As always, Happy Cooking!