It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a MANGO!

So, I've been reading lots about the great benefits of eating mangoes. Apparently, it has been designated as an official "superfruit;" so named for its incredible health value. Mangoes are also rich in prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamin C, and other essential vitamins and minerals. (Props to Wikipedia for the mango info.)

In addition to actually being good for you, and, perhaps most importantly, mangoes are also darned tasty. I purchased my mangoes on a recent trip to the local Sam's Club. As I stared at a huge selection of mangoes, I wondered how to choose my mangoes. From previous reading, I knew that a ripe mango would be slightly soft if squeezed lightly. But I wanted to pick out six mangoes so that I could enjoy them throughout the coming week. Finally, after dithering far longer than really necessary, I selected three ripe mangoes and three that were still very firm.

After arriving home, I cleaned each mango gently (you don't want to bruise their skin, as it may create brown/black spots that can reach all the way into the fruit inside) and then set about the complicated task of slicing one. The oblong seed pod of a mango is a complicated thing...and I'm waaaaay too stubborn to buy one of those goofy mango slicers (that, as Alton Brown would point out, is a uni-tasker, and has no place in my kitchen -- unless it's a fire extignuisher). So, since this was my first whole mango, I eventually decided that a slightly messy cut was just part of the learning process. And so, accordingly, I went after the thing with my largest, sharpest, pointiest knife. Note to Self: When going after things with one's largest, sharpest, pointiest knife, one should be careful to remove one's fingers from the immediate area. And so, after some minor first aid, I had two halves of a mango laying in front of me on my board. Unfortunately, as I had feared there would be, there was still a lot of mango attached to that darned seed pod thing. And so I began (a lot more carefully this time) to slice away sections of mango until I decided there was no more that I could possibly remove with a knife. Then, just because I wanted the "whole mango experience," I gnawed on the seed a bit and ate some mango off it directly. YUM!

So, after I tossed a thoroughly gnawed seed pod thing (that's it's technical name) into the trash, I addressed the remaining halves of mango, as well as the smaller slices I had cut from the sides of the mangoes. Each slice was laid on my board and the peel carefully sliced off. Then, I sliced each chunk into smaller, bite-sized pieces. That evening I enjoyed mango for dessert. The next day I also had mango as part of my lunch at school.

As I worked my way through my six mangoes this past week, I reflected on the fact that I was really enjoying a new and novel fruit: it's texture is unlike other fruit I commonly eat and the extraction of the fruit is certainly a bigger challenge than say, an apple. However, mangoes are unqiue in that they have so many uses, both sweet and savory. Although I ate my first six mangoes straight; that is, as a fruit and not as part of a larger recipe, I plan to buy more mangoes. I foresee mango salsas, sorbets, sauces...hmm...I'm sure there's an application that doesn't start with an "s," but darned if I can think of one right now. I guess I'll just have to start with these. Stay tuned for more with mangoes.

P.S. Never write your blog while watching a Good Eats marathon -- you'll find yourself speaking like Alton Brown.

Rockin' the Moroccan: Cous Cous

So tonight I was feeling adventurous...okay, in reality I was feeling tired, but I had bought all the ingredients for cous cous, so I plowed ahead with dinner plans: Fried Chicken with green beans and cous cous. The fried chicken is made with Andy's Hot 'N' Spicy flour/batter. I highly recommend it, although I do cut the batter with a bit of all purpose flour to keep from scorching my mouth! Here's how the chicken is made:



Hot 'N' Spicy Fried Chicken



Ingredients:

1/2 cup Andy's Hot 'N' Spicy flour

1/4 cup All Purpose flour

1 egg

2-3 T. milk

4 Schwan chicken breasts -- they are excellent!!

1-2 cup classic olive oil (full flavor, this is NOT the time for extra virgin nonsense)



Directions:

Combine the Andy's flour with the all purpose flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg with the milk. Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat.



Dredge chicken pieces in the flour mixture and then coat with the egg/milk mixture. Dump back into the flour mixture and then lower gently into the olive oil. Tip: Take it from me, lower the strips gently. I have the burns to prove the wisdom of this. Also, employ a splatter screen of some kind. Even a metal mesh colander will work in a pinch. But use something to avoid having your stovetop (and your hands and arms) covered in small droplets of burning hot oil.



When the chicken has browned on one side (watch carefully, it varies depending on the thickness of the chicken breast pieces), flip and brown on the other side. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate.





I used Ina Garten's cous cous recipe from her book Barefoot in Paris. I first saw it on her Barefoot Contessa show along with chicken and forty cloves of garlic and her awesome ice cream bombe. I can't wait to try my hand at a homemade ice cream bombe...but I digress...



I was nervous about trying to make/eat cous cous. I'd never had it before, but I figured that it was basically a chicken-flavored rice with some embellishments thrown in. I like chicken, I like rice, and, separately, I like all the embellishments (shallots, pine nuts, and craisins). So I figured, what the heck?



Cous Cous:



Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup chopped shallots (3-4 shallots)

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cup golden cous cous

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup dried currants (Note: I didn't have currants, so I used craisins)

2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallots and cook them over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Frankly, I forgot to check on the shallots as I was also working on the fried chicken at the same time, but they didn't overcook or burn due to my inattention. =] Add the chicken stock. salt, and pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cous cous, cover the pan, and set aside for 10 minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts, craisins, and parsley and fluff the cous cous with a fork. Serve hot.

*Ina had a point about stirring the cous cous -- fluff gently or it will start to clump. It doesn't affect the taste, but it doesn't look as pretty.

**Another random fact about making cous cous: expect your house to smell like chicken stock and cous cous for about 48 hours. I'm still not sure if it was the brand of chicken stock I used, or simply the shallots that cooked a bit too long, but the house retained the odor of the cous cous until I went on the attack and burned some candles. I'm not sure what it is about a burning candle that neutralizes odors, but it's very effective. The candles don't even need to be scented (frankly, scent only masks odor anyway), so go ahead and use cheapo ones! =]

I Scream, You Scream...

So, for Christmas this year, I really wanted an ice cream maker. I have watched so many cooking shows that discuss the wonder of making your own ice creams, sorbets, and frozen yogurt. But of all the cooking gadgets I received (thanks, Mom and Daddy!), an ice cream maker wasn't one of them. I do, however, have some Christmas money left over (thank you, Auntie!), and am planning to purchase an ice cream maker of my very own. First up, coffee ice cream with chocolate-covered expresso beans mixed in (*YUM*). The model I'm considering is a small Cuisinart, nothing super-powerful, but quite appropriate to my needs. I can't wait!! Cooking in the summer has always been a sticky proposition...literally: it gets so hot in my kitchen during June, July, and August! Thus, I figured I should learn how to cook with cold foods. What better way to keep cool than to cook (and, of course, consume) ice cream. Wish me luck!

The Husband by Dean Koontz

Getting a new book has always been a treat for me. The past few years I have really gotten into reading the works of Dean Koontz. I think the first Dean Koontz novels I ever read were Seize the Night and Fear Nothing. While both are a little...out there, they were also scary, but with a touch of humor thrown in. Dean Koontz is known for his style of writing, in which horror and shocking violence are interspersed with humor and love...the knowledge that life goes on for those willing to believe that people are, at heart, good. Of all the Dean Koontz novels I've read, my favorites have been Life Expectancy, The Taking, and Watchers. Having said that, I should also say that The Husband starts with an awesome premise: a humble gardener receives a call at work: "We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash." Unfortunately, the book peaks with the opening. After that, the plot and characters are predictable and the signature suspense of a Dean Koontz novel are missing. As I said, getting a new book is usually a HUGE treat, but this was a disappointment overall.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this book a 2.

Making Bread, Breaking Bread

I think one of the most terrifying things for a cook to do is make her own bread from scratch. Personally, I had never tried making bread from scratch, but I have had numerous bad experiences with trying to make flaky, light biscuits. So today, I braved the unknown and baked bread. And while I can't make biscuits to save my life, I have found that I can make a mean loaf of bread.

This particular recipe came from my best friend's blog: The View From the 32nd Floor. I highly recommend it (the blog and the recipe).

Multigrain Bread

1/2 cup oatmeal
2 cups boiling water
1 envelope dry yeast
4 1/3 cups flour (I used half white and half whole wheat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons flax seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Place oatmeal in a large bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let stand until mixture cools slightly, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over oatmeal. Add flour, oil, sugar, and salt and stir until smooth. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Oil large bowl. Add dough to bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise until bread has doubled in size.

Mix the seeds in a bowl. Punch down dough. Knead briefly and add the seeds as you do and shape into a loaf (or two). Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.

Using sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes on the surface of the loaf. Bake at 425 until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Modifications:
I used 1 1/3 cup of all purpose flour and 3 cups of whole wheat flour. I also rolled the loaf in oatmeal before I let it sit for 30 minutes before baking. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious!

You Say Tomato, I Say Sauce!

You know, I normally am not a fan of Sundays. When I was a kid, it was a day that was spent doing homework and anticipating another long week before reaching the next weekend. It was a night that meant I had to go to bed early instead of getting to stay up. And now that I'm an adult, not much has changed. After all, I'm a teacher. I've gone from sitting among the students to standing in front of them, so Sundays are still a day to anticipate another week and a night when I definitely need to go to bed early. However, today I wasn't doing homework or even grading papers. Today was devoted to testing out new recipes and making at least one old favorite.

The "old favorite" in question is a very simple, homemade tomato sauce. I belong to a recipe forum called AllRecipes.com. This particular sauce can be found by searching "Simple Marinara Sauce." My husband loves this sauce and I usually make a double batch and freeze some to have on hand for quick suppers. Today we had it as part of chicken parmigiana for lunch, although it is also delicious over pasta or combined with ground beef to make a tangy meat sauce. My husband isn't a fan of chunky tomato sauces, but I really enjoy combining this sauce with fire roasted diced tomatoes for some added texture.

Simple Marinara Sauce

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
2 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon onion powder

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic until aromatic and tender. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, parsley, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, bay leaves and onion powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 40 minutes.

Modifications:
I add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to cut the acidity just a tad. In the past I have also used two cans of crushed tomatoes instead of tomato puree. Occasionally, we have found that the sauce is too thin, and using additional crushed tomatoes really helps.

Six Seconds by Rick Mofina

If you are a fan of The Unit or 24, you're going to love this book! This is an international-style thriller that reminds me of books I've read by Tom Clancy and Brad Thor. The topics are pertinent, current, and deeply frightening. The story is actually pretty complex and involves three separate story lines:

1. A woman who lost her family in a personal and violent attack in Baghdad, Iraq and will do anything to get revenge.



2. A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who believes he may have lost his edge following a terrible personal tragedy. He stumbles into the investigation of the deaths of a family in a Canadian park and uses the investigation to pull himself back from the brink.



3. A woman whose husband abducts their son from his school and disappears without a trace

These three story lines merge in a terrifying attempt to assassinate the Pope on U.S. soil.

I once heard someone say that the test of a good book is whether or not you're still reading it at 2a.m. on a school night. This book passes that test. I looked up with about 20 pages left and noticed that it was about 1:45. I shrugged; at that point, what's another 15-20 minutes? So even though I needed an extra large cup of coffee the next day, I will go on record as saying the book was worth it.

On a scale of 1-5, I'd give this a 5.