Posted by shawn
My aunt Bonnie is probably one of the finest cooks in town and hands down one of best “baker’s” around. She release this a DVD recently that showcases some of her finest recipes. I have mentioned it before, but thought I would reinterate it.
Check it out at http://www.bonniehamiltonstore.com/dvd.php
Speaking of baking, we are in the process of getting together some ideas for future books in the First Timer’s series. One of these future volumes will be something along the lines of The First Timer’s Bake Book. . . Something to look forward to.
Posted by shawn
There is nothing like a an authentic italian pasta dish. . .
And the beginning of any great pasta dish, begins with great pasta!
The First Timers Guide to Pasta
Get your water boiling, then drop you pasta in.
Stir the pasta constantly so that it doesn’t stick together. Then, after it is done (soft, somewhat firm, but not mushy) strain the water out using the lid of the pot. . .
Or with a strainer.
Add a little oil to very lightly coat the pasta and mix to coat all of the pasta, that way it won’t stick together.
Now that your pasta is done, just add the sauce, and maybe some cheese and you’re cooking italiano!
Posted by shawn
I’m sure that many of you know of the “conspiracy” that is the food industry. They are making us fat, giving us cancer and slowly killing us. Why? Well, I guess you’ll just have to read the article for yourself . . .
Believe it or not, the article does bring up a lot of interesting points.
You can read the original article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20081020/ts_usnews/10thingsthefoodindustrydoesntwantyoutoknow
10 Things the Food Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
Two nutrition experts argue that you can’t take marketing campaigns at face value
With America’s obesity problem among kids reaching crisis proportions, even junk food makers have started to claim they want to steer children toward more healthful choices. In a study released earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent were obese, and 11 percent were extremely obese. Food giant PepsiCo, for example, points out on its website that “we can play an important role in helping kids lead healthier lives by offering healthy product choices in schools.” The company highlights what it considers its healthier products within various food categories through a “Smart Spot” marketing campaign that features green symbols on packaging. PepsiCo’s inclusive criteria–explained here–award spots to foods of dubious nutritional value such as Diet Pepsi, Cap’n Crunch cereal, reduced-fat Doritos, and Cheetos, as well as to more nutritious products such as Quaker Oatmeal and Tropicana Orange Juice.
But are wellness initiatives like Smart Spot just marketing ploys? Such moves by the food industry may seem to be a step in the right direction, but ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more–not less–of the foods that fuel their profits, says David Ludwig, a pediatrician and the co-author of a commentary published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association that raises questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity. Ludwig and article co-author Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry, spoke with U.S. News and highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don’t want you to know about their products and how they promote them.
1. Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold. PepsiCo has pledged that it will advertise only “Smart Spot” products to children under 12.
2. The studies that food producers support tend to minimize health concerns associated with their products.
In fact, according to a review led by Ludwig of hundreds of studies that looked at the health effects of milk, juice, and soda, the likelihood of conclusions favorable to the industry was several times higher among industry-sponsored research than studies that received no industry funding. “If a study is funded by the industry, it may be closer to advertising than science,” he says.
3. Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.
The American Dietetic Association, for example, accepts money from companies such as Coca-Cola, which get access to decision makers in the food and nutrition marketplace via ADA events and programs, as this release explains. As Nestle notes in her blog and discusses at length in her book Food Politics, the group even distributes nutritional fact sheets that are directly sponsored by specific industry groups. This one, for example, which is sponsored by an industry group that promotes lamb, rather unsurprisingly touts the nutritional benefits of lamb. The ADA’s reasoning: “These collaborations take place with the understanding that ADA does not support any program or message that does not correspond with ADA’s science-based healthful-eating messages and positions,” according to the group’s president, dietitian Martin Yadrick. “In fact, we think it’s important for us to be at the same table with food companies because of the positive influence that we can have on them.”
4. More processing means more profits, but typically makes the food less healthy.
Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren’t where food companies look for profits. The big bucks stem from turning government-subsidized commodity crops–mainly corn, wheat, and soybeans–into fast foods, snack foods, and beverages. High-profit products derived from these commodity crops are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value.
5. Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.
Fresh apples have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that are lost when they are processed into applesauce. And the added sugar or other sweeteners increase the number of calories without necessarily making the applesauce any more filling. Apple juice, which is even more processed, has had almost all of the fiber and nutrients stripped out. This same stripping out of nutrients, says Ludwig, happens with highly refined white bread compared with stone-ground whole wheat bread.
6. Many supposedly healthy replacement foods are hardly healthier than the foods they replace.
In 2006, for example, major beverage makers agreed to remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. But the industry mounted an intense lobbying effort that persuaded lawmakers to allow sports drinks and vitamin waters that–despite their slightly healthier reputations–still can be packed with sugar and calories.
7. A health claim on the label doesn’t necessarily make a food healthy.
Health claims such as “zero trans fats” or “contains whole wheat” may create the false impression that a product is healthy when it’s not. While the claims may be true, a product is not going to benefit your kid’s health if it’s also loaded with salt and sugar or saturated fat, say, and lacks fiber or other nutrients. “These claims are calorie distracters,” adds Nestle. “They make people forget about the calories.” Dave DeCecco, a spokesperson for PepsiCo, counters that the intent of a labeling program such as Smart Spot is simply to help consumers pick a healthier choice within a category. “We’re not trying to tell people that a bag of Doritos is healthier than asparagus. But, if you’re buying chips, and you’re busy, and you don’t have a lot of time to read every part of the label, it’s an easy way to make a smarter choice,” he says.
8. Food industry pressure has made nutritional guidelines confusing.
As Nestle explained in Food Politics, the food industry has a history of preferring scientific jargon to straight talk. As far back as 1977, public health officials attempted to include the advice “reduce consumption of meat” in an important report called Dietary Goals for the United States. The report’s authors capitulated to intense pushback from the cattle industry and used this less-direct and more ambiguous advice: “Choose meats, poultry, and fish which will reduce saturated fat intake.” Overall, says Nestle, the government has a hard time suggesting that people eat less of anything.
9. The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Unless you follow politics closely, you wouldn’t necessarily realize that a group with a name like the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has anything to do with the food industry. In fact,Ludwig and Nestle point out, this group lobbies aggressively against obesity-related public health campaigns–such as the one directed at removing junk food from schools–and is funded, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, primarily through donations from big food companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Wendy’s.
10. The food industry works aggressively to discredit its critics.
According to the new JAMA article, the Center for Consumer Freedom boasts that “[our strategy] is to shoot the messenger. We’ve got to attack [activists'] credibility as spokespersons.” Here’s the group’s entry on Marion Nestle.
The bottom line, says Nestle, is quite simple: Kids need to eat less, include more fruits and vegetables, and limit the junk food.
Posted by shawn
One things is for sure, I love summer time. Fruits and vegetables are in their prime and out-door cookouts are abundant. Excuse me while I break into song. . .These are a few of my favorite things!
One such event that I failed to document this summer was (and is) the past time known out west as the “Cowboy Cookout.” There is nothing like a group of (generally older) folks breaking out the dutch ovens and getting together to celebrate food.
Let’s not down play the fall season, because I do love the squash . . .
And the Apples . . . (and everything that comes with them: Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Stuffed Apples)
But there is nothing like warm weather, incredible food, dining out doors and everything else that comes with what seems are the shortest few months of the year. . .
Until next time summer, adieu.
Posted by shawn
Anywhere and everywhere you live you see interesting things. After living in at least 5 different states and spending considerable time in over 10, I have seen my share of wild and crazy. Sometimes these things just kind of ”pop up” and you are left wondering “why” or “how?”
Luckily after experiencing and/or witnessing these things, I have the opportunity to apply it daily life and use it either as a “good idea” or “bad idea.”
This was . . . well. . . a bad idea.
New Mexico Street BBQ
While cruising around the streets of Farmington, New Mexico an old familiar aroma filled my nostrils, BBQ! I can smell it from a mile away and my mouth starts watering the second I get any of hint of it. Smell, sight sounds (BBQ people are usually loud), I love it all and I yearn for it.
Except for when it looks like this . . . Keep in mind, I wish I was exagerating.
Out side of a local latino market a good old grilling time is taking place. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of the people standing around picking up and touching and licking (yes licking) the cooking meat.
As you can see, these whole chickens are smoking away. I wish I had caught a picture of the raw chickens piled on a sheet pan on the opposite side of the grill. Probably not the best place for those . . . My favorite part was when the person cooking them came out, took a drink of his beverage and then poured a little on smoldering poultry. Since I don’t like backwash in any shape or form, let’s just say that this was not exactly “appetizing.”
Oh look, a nice pot of who knows what (looks like pork) just bubbling away. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when one of the locals finished his cigarette and accidently flipped it into the pot. Of course he tryed to fish it out with his hand, which didn’t work that well (hot pot+bare hand=trouble). So he grabbed a piece of paper out of the garbage and successfully flung the discard butt from the boiling caulderon. Yummy.
You may be asking, “So, if this is the wrong way then what is the right way?” Well here it is . . .
(Taken from The First Timer’s Cookbook)
Before you start chopping, assembling or anything of the sort, remember to start, stay, and finish clean!
Why?
Because most cases of food poisoning are a result of people cooking in their own homes. That’s right—we are actually making ourselves sick by not following the proper principles that will keep us safe.
Principles of Food Safety
# 1: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Avoid the “Danger Zone” between 40 and 140 degrees. Don’t let foods stay in this area for any longer than they have to. So if it’s hot, hold it above 140 degrees, and if it’s cold, keep it below 40 degrees.
#2: Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds before and after handling food. Bacteria can be spread all over your kitchen just by you not washing your hands properly. A good trick to this is to hum, whistle, or even sing your ABC’s to yourself. This is a trick I use because from start to finish it usually takes about twenty seconds.
#3: Don’t cross-contaminate. Cross contamination can occur when the bacteria transfer from one food to another through a shared surface. Don’t let juices from raw meat, poultry or seafood come in contact with already-cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw. For example, when you’re cooking, don’t put cooked meat on the same plate that held the raw meat. Also, don’t cut carrots on the same cutting board you just used to trim the fat off the chicken breast.
#4: Use the fridge to thaw items. Do not thaw meat, poultry or seafood on the kitchen counter. As a good rule, allow one day for every five pounds of weight. If you don’t have time for this and you thaw in the microwave, then make sure to cook it as soon as possible. Whenever I thaw something I always put a plate or something else underneath it to catch the juices so that if it does bleed it will not get all over the fridge.
#5: Never leave meat or dairy products at room temperature for over 3 hours. Your local health department will actually probably allow for up to four hours, but I say three hours to be on the safe side. Although it’s a good idea to do this for all types of perishable food, it is crucial with meat and dairy products.
#6: Clean as you go. Another tip to keep things clean and to help you stay healthy is to clean as you go. Every chef that I have either worked under or with, always teaches their employees to do this. A professional kitchen moves very fast and there is no time for messing with clutter or for cleaning up after someone else.
So remember, whenever you are in the kitchen (or on the streets of New Mexico), clean as you go and keep it safe, clean and sanitary.
Posted by shawn
The First Timers Guide to Peppers
Peppers are generally either loved or hated, especially if they’re hot! I have met people who would not even eat in our restaurants if we did not have something with some “kick,” as well as those who would not eat there because it is too hot.
What you might not know about peppers . . .
A peppers heat is measured in what we call “Scoville Units,” or SU, after a man by the name of Wilbur Scoville. In 1912 Wilbur, a pharmacologist, began an experiment where he actually dissolved peppers in alcohol and then dilluted the extract by increasing the amount of water he put in it until the tongue could not taste any heat. For example, a “Scoville” rating of 1,000 refers to 1,000 parts of water to every 1 part of pepper extract. So the more water needed, the hotter the pepper.
For those of you who don’t know the difference between peppers, or think that a jalapeno is the hottest pepper around, here is a general guide of some of the most used peppers to help you out.
10+ Red Savina or Orange Habanero Peppers
10 Thai Chilis
9 Chili Piquin
8 Cayenne, Serranos
7 Chipoltes (smoked jalapenos)
6 Jalapenos
5 Pasillas
4 Mulato and Anchos (Dried Poblano)
3 Poblanos
2 New Mexico
1 Peperoncini
0 Bell Peppers and Pimentos
Posted by shawn
I love Honey. On a recent trip to Honeyville (you may recognize the name since it is sold in major grocery stores) in southern Colorado, I was enlightened as to why I love honey so and why I can feel good about what I thought was a guilty pleasure.
It takes 50,000 bees to produce 500 pounds of honey in one year. So while I am gazing at the box full of the little fuzzies, they are hard at work making the purest form of honey, honey in the honey comb. I wondered how they got in that box in the first place, but as you can see I found the private entrance.
Some things you may not know about honey . . .
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Honey is a natural energy restorer. It not only restores energy, but it helps in digestion too.
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Honey has more calories than sugar. Honey has 64 calories, while granulated
sugar only has 46 calories per tablespoon.
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Honey will help prevent scarring when applied to a wound.
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Honey can make babies ill and young children can get even get botulism from it.
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Honey is the only food produced by insects that we humans eat.
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Honey is found in over 300 different varieties in North America.
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Honey was the most used medicine by the ancient Egyptians. Out of more than 900 medical remedies known, more than 500 of them were Honey based.
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Honey will never spoil. It can be stored, indefiniteley.
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Honey is full of natural antioxidants such as chrysin, pinobanskin, vitamin C, catalase and pinocembrin.
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Honey is manufactured by the Honey Bee as a food source to sustain them through the winter when there are no flowers blooming for them to collect nectar from.
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Honey absorbs and retains moisture readily. So baked goods made with Honey will not dry out or become stale as quickly as products made with sugar.
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Honey is 25% sweeter than sugar.
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The different flowers which were gathered determine the flavor of the honey.
For example: White Color is from Clovers and Alfalfas, Very Light Amber Color is from Wildflowers, Light Amber Color is from Orange Blossoms, Plain Amber Color is from Buckwheats, Tupelos and Others.
The colors of honey comes from the nectar of the plants.
The lightest colors of honey have the mildest flavors, while the darker colors have fuller flavors.
Posted by shawn
It seems like everytime there is some type of function, whether that be with friends or family, I get asked to do food (surprise surprise). Interestingly, more often than not that request comes in the form of fruit trays. Why? . . . I guess I make a good fruit tray.
Usually I try to only use fruit that people seem to love as opposed to just liking. So since everyone seems to love Pineapple, I place this delectible delicacy as a usual suspect on these fruit trays, in addition to strawberries, grapes and watermelon.
Comments heard over the years range from “why does your pineapple always turn out better than mine?” or “how do you cut your pineapple so perfect?” . . . And for all you nay-sayers out there, yes they really do say that, I’m not just stroking my own ego.
So here goes, I’m putting the secret out there for one and all . . .
The First Timer’s Guide to Cutting a Pineapple
As you can see here, we start by cutting off the bottom, so that the pineapple will stand up level on its own as you cut off the top and sides.
After you get the sides cut off, you will have what most people think is usuable-juicy-sweetness. . . But this is not so, and thus comes the secret of cutting my pineapple. The middle of the pine apple is the actual “pine,” which has a tough woody-type texture. All I do to take this out is simply quarter the sheared column (as you can see from the photo), and then cut out that “woody” center.
Now that the pine is gone, you can slice up that golden goodness, without the worry of chomping into a woody-grisly part, since the pine is out. When you serve it you can obviously arrange the pieces as you like, I like to include the top (as pictured) as a show piece.
So there you have it . . . Run out and buy a pineapple (one that has a nice bright gold color on the outside and a nice smell to it) and try it out.
What else would you like to see? Respond to this post or email me shawn@firsttimerscookbook.com
Posted by shawn
In the last few years I have dicovered that I have a passion for good Bar-B-Que. Everywhere I go, one of the first things I look for are good restaurants, especially BBQ joints and seafood houses. Since Oregon got some of the spotlight on the seafood side of things, now I thought I would share some BBQ places in . . . No not the usual places you think of when you think of BBQ, like Memphis and anywhere in Texas (although Memphis and Texas have incredible BBQ). But good old Colorado. . . Durango, Colorado to be exact. Located on the Colorado, New Mexico border, this place is one of the best kept secrets in the country and has some great culinary highlights . . .
The First Timer’s Guide to Durango BBQ
First on the list is a place that was a unlikely choice. I usually like to go to new places that look busy or have alot of parking, so that I know they are a hot spot, but this place had niether.
J.BO Pizza and Rib co. is the classic college hangout, in every sense. I mean, what food staple describes college kids better than “pizza.” With the dining room adjacent to a bar, and various table games scattered throughout, the place screams come on in and chill out. But let’s focus on what’s important . . . The food.
Now, I love Pizza and I love Ribs, and so this was a great thing . . . So much so that I didn’t have an empty hand the whole time.
Beautiful baby back ribs, served “saucey” and wet with BBQ sauce, cooked in a pizza oven. That’s right, 400 degrees for just a short period of time and then grilled briefly, these babies come out as tender as can be.
Pizza, is good, but lots of toppings on pizza is better. This particular pizza, that they call “The Mountain,” has pepperoni, sausage, sundried tomatoes, olives, green peppers, mushrooms, red onions, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos and artichokes . . . just to name few. You may be asking, is there such thing as too much? Yes, yes there is . . . But not in this case, the pizza was fantastic.
Pizza and Ribs, what a great idea!
You want to go? www.jbospizzarib.com
Now how about some Serious Texas Bar-B-Q
Voted Best BBQ by Sunset Magazine, this BBQ did not disappoint.
When you think of a BBQ “smokehouse” type of restaurant, this is just about as cliche as they come. Tin exterior, smokey smell, extra large people coming out . . . Or in this case going in.
Southern College football memorabilia adorning the walls and lots of random stuff cluttering up the place, yeah that sounds like some Serious Texas BBQ joint to me. . . The cliche continues!
Now here’s something not quite so cliche, just look at the view from the patio (complete with river rafters)! If the food wasn’t good, I would probably come here just for this view. . . I just wouldn’t buy any food.
The food here was awesome! My wife kept saying it tasted like “a campfire” in her mouth (that is a good thing). Tender, juicey and smokey good. . . Just what good BBQ is all about. Oh, and the sauces and sides were good too . . .
Want to go? www.serioustexasbbq.com
Posted by shawn
Tipping. Where did that crazy custom come from and why do we do it?
Chances are, when you go out to eat, you let the various “hospitalitarians” that are a part of that experience serve you first. Then of course you leave a gracious (or not so gracious) little extra in appreciation for those services rendered. In other words, you leave a tip to say “hey, thanks.”
Welcome to the First Timer’s Guide to Tipping.
The art of “Tipping” actually started back in the 16th century as the verb tip meaning “to give unexpectedly.” TIP has also been referred to as an acronym meaning, “To Insure Promptness.” Which would be great, except for the fact that “insure” is actually “ensure,” and so if we are to believe this, we would be in gross grammatical error . . . Which works for me, why?
I like to think that I am going to get better service if I give a server a $100 dollar bill before the meal than after. Crazy I know.
What can I say? After serving a few people over the last few years, I personally am more apt to give special and closer attention to someone who ponies-up-the-dough beforehand (because I know how much the service is worth to them) than if I have to guess (and possibly be disappointed after giving stellar service and receiving less than adequate compensation).
So whether you choose “to insure promptness,” or “to give unexpectedly,” (and stick with the standard), don’t worry, because no matter what you decide . . . You’re right.
