Adventures in Food
Why Aren’t You Eating?
Why aren’t you eating … Pocky sticks
Mar 23rd
It’s a Pocky stick invasion. That’s right it used to be you could only find these Japanese treats at an Asian market. But now I’m seeing them pop up at my neighborhood grocers too (hint: look in the Asian food section or they’re sometimes stashed with the candy).
For Pocky newbies, here are the basics:
- Pronounce it pock-e, not how I sometimes say it to rhyme with hockey
- These are biscuit-like sticks that are coated in with a variety of flavorings, like chocolate and strawberry
- In a well-stocked Asian grocery store, you might be able to find Pocky sticks coated with crazier flavors like green tea, sweet milk, cookies ‘n cream and more
- Don’t buy just one box of Pocky sticks, get a couple since you’re likely to go through them quickly
- These make for great on-the-go treats as long as they don’t sit in the bottom of the bag–they crush easily
Ready to try Pocky sticks? Or are you already a Pocky fan?
How to use cotija cheese
Jan 19th
Photo credit: sigmafoodsusa
“That cheese I like,” is what my middle daughter calls cotija (coat-eeha) cheese. She sprinkles it on nearly everything. And for good reason: the cheese has the sharpness of grated Parmesan, but not the bite. While the crumbly cheese originated in Cotija area in the state of Michoacan in Mexico, I’m finding it more widely available in grocery stores in the U.S.
Here’s what you need to know about using cotija cheese:
When do you use cotija cheese?
Sprinkle it on salads and Mexican dishes. Oooo, and it’s also good on roasted vegetables and to garnish soups.
Can I use it in place of Parmesan cheese?
I wouldn’t. Cotija is saltier than Parmesan, so a little goes a long way. I find that it’s creamier, smaller, and softer too. BUT, I would use a little bit of Parmesan cheese as a substitute for cotija in Mexican dishes. The Americanized versions of enchiladas, tostadas, and tacos are often coated with bland, cheddar cheese. Why not try making your dish a bit more authentic (hey, and tastier) by adding a bit of grated Parmesan on top and not using any other cheese?
Where can I find it?
cojita-coated tostada
Your best bet would be to look at a Mexican grocers, but large supermarkets may have it too.
Is there anything else I should know?
Like grated Parmesan, cotija cheese lasts for months when it’s refrigerated, so no rush to use it right away. Also, cotjia cheese doesn’t melt. It’s often called, Mexican Parmesan.
Cooking with anise and fennel
Jan 4th
Sometimes labelled anise or fennel in the produce section
New Year’s resolution alert: yup, I was getting into a little food rut in December (possibly a happily induced sugar coma) so I’m refocusing myself on what I enjoy most–trying new foods or playing around with old ones and encouraging my kids to do the same.
Ingredient: anise or fennel
So let’s start the new year off with anise. You’ll find anise hanging out with the Swiss chard and spinach in the produce section. It looks almost like a giant-sized green onion with stalks that have small pieces gutting off that reminded me of dill.
Flavor
Mild licorice. Now here’s where it gets a little confusing: anise and fennel are not the same vegetable, although from what I’ve found you can use the two interchangeably in recipes. They have a similar flavor, although fennel is said to have a stronger licorice hit. When thumbing through recipes, I’ve often found fennel on the ingredient list, but not as often in the produce section.
Not to confuse the matter even more, but there is also a spice used typically in Asian cooking called anise, or star anise that looks like a dried flower you can grate and use in stir-fries or sweets. For a complete discussion about anise, I found WHFoods.com a good primer.
How to use anise or fennel
I’ve just started playing around with this new-to-me ingredient. So far, I’ve used it as a filling along with French entrees, like pairing it sauteed mushrooms as a filling in buckwheat crepes (recipe to come) and in Italian dishes that are already packed with vegetables. But you can also slice it thin to add zing to salads or coleslaw.
It was Compari on the Park‘s chef Zachary Yaquinto that got me to try anise–his recipe for fagioli calabrese calls for fennel, but since I could only find anise, I thought it was worth a try.
Wash the vegetable thoroughly before removing the feathery stalks from the bulb. Chop the bulb in half and then slice thin to use in the fagioli calabrese. I saved the top to use as a garnish. But you can also use them as you might fresh herbs–I’m thinking they’d be excellent in a homemade vinaigrette. Note: the licorice flavor is stronger when it’s used raw and becomes sweet when sauteed.
Kids reaction
The first time I made the pasta fagioli calabrese with the anise my teenager noticed the licorice undertones right away–and didn’t like them. She still ate it, but mentioned she’d rather have less anise and more spinach (I know, more spinach? I think I’m actually raising my kids to love spinach as much as I do). The next time I served it, my oldest didn’t even notice the anise. And my younger two who hadn’t liked their pasta mingling with so many other ingredients had no comment on the anise but were diligently trying to pick out any red peppers they found. By the end of the meal my oldest professed this was ‘one of her favorite dishes.’ Beyond the anise, the other big winner in this meal was the white canneloni beans (my substitute instead of butter beans). The combination of sweet anise, little tube pasta, beans, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and Italian sausage went over well with my crew (even if I had to eat all the red peppers my youngest two corralled to the side of their plates).
Your turn–have you cooked with anise/fennel? What did you think?
Why aren’t you eating…kumquats
Jun 4th
Nagami kumquats
Kum-what? I let my 13-year-old chose something new for us to try in the produce section. Her find–kumquats. As you can see from the picture, they look like oranges in the shape of a grape. But apparently there’s a debate as to whether they belong in the citrus family or deserve their own designation. I say kumquats are in a category all their own.
They taste exactly the reverse of what you’d expect (and you eat them whole). The sweet outside rind encases the wickedly sour fruit inside. It was fun to watch my kids give ‘em a try. My middle daughter kept asking, “Are you sure you eat the skin too?” It wasn’t until she bit in that the sour punch hit her. Instant pucker face.
You can eat kumquats like you would grapes (although 2 or 3 and I’d had enough sourness) and/or experiment with them to add a sweet-sour taste to different dishes. To use them in other dishes, cut them in half and remove the seeds then add them to a blender to create a puree. My puree went into some kumquat cookies (I’ll pass along the recipe next week), but if you had any leftover–which I didn’t–I was thinking you could freeze them in small packets and use them to add a zing to barbecue sauce, a viniagrette, so many possibilities. Now I just need to get more kumquats!
You can thank China for the kumquat. Their name means, “golden orange,” and they’re often given as gifts around the Lunar New Year since they symbolize prosperity. In the U.S., there are generally two varieties, the Nagami, which I tried, and the sweeter, juicier, rounder, Marumi. Doing a little research, I found there are also several kumquat hybrids, like the Limequat–you guessed it: lime + kumquat; and the Calamondin–stumped? tangerine + kumquat. I’m going to have to keep my eyes peeled (sorry, couldn’t resist the lame pun) to find the hybrids.
Your turn–Ever tried a kumquat? Did you like it?
Why aren’t you eating…serrano peppers
May 2nd
Photo credit: Wikipedia
I’m celebrating Cinco de Mayo all week long with info and recipes all about my favorite Mexican foods. So let’s get right to it. Serranos. You have to look carefully at this picture, but the serranos sold at my local market are always green (squint and you’ll see ‘em in between the red ones).
I prefer the flavor and bite of serranos to jalapeno peppers in fresh salsas and guacamole. (And truth be told, serranos are much more common in Mexico than jalapenos anyway.)
See jalapenos have a strong initial heat at the front of your mouth. The zing is overwhelming to the point I can’t taste what I’m eating. But serranos have a different heat experience entirely. It comes at the back of your throat, a little sweet, tingling of heat, building as you munch.
I usually toss in a serrano or two whenever I want to add some heat to a Mexican dish. For a real kick, don’t bother seeding them. For you slow cookers out there–add these to the pot too (the heat will diminish the longer you cook ‘em).
Why aren’t you using…cumin
Apr 18th
Cumin. It’s the 2nd most popular spice in the world after black pepper. And yet you’d have to dig to find it at the grocery store.
In the same family as parsley, dill and caraway seeds (with similar shape and look), cumin has a strong earthy flavor and smell. It adds that layer of old world essence to Mexican and Indian dishes.
When I seasoned our molcajete, I used cumin seeds to smooth out the rough surface of the Mexican mortar and pistol. While you can freshly ground your own cumin seeds, I’ll readily admit I usually don’t have time to do it. I order mine from Savory Spice, but you may have another spice shop in your neighborhood where you can pick up this must-have ingredient.
Try adding it to chili, barbecue sauces, soups, meat rubs, and anywhere else you might reach for chili powder.
Why aren’t you eating…baby bok choy
Feb 21st
You know I’m a fan of all things in miniature–mini-challah bread, mini-quiches–so when I found mini boy choy, well I had to get some. I like to add regular-sized boy choy into stir-fries and even sneak them into sandwiches. So the idea of using small ones, without even having to chop them up immediately appealed to me–and my kids.
I found baby boy choy at my neighborhood Asian grocers (I’ve never seen it at the regular grocery store). After rinsing them you can use them whole in any dish where you’d use the normal variety. With the cook times, I add them when I would green onions and they seem to cook up in much the same way.
Yesterday for lunch I made a quick stir-fry by adding fresh garlic and ginger to about 1/2 Tablespoon of oil 
and then I added chopped baby bella (yeah, baby) mushrooms, green onions and baby bok choy. After sauteing that for just a few minutes, I added in about 1/2 cup chicken broth, a 1/2 tablespoon of hoisin sauce. I heated that for a couple minutes then added it over rice. Yum.
Why aren’t you using…almond extract?
Feb 2nd
I ran out of vanilla extract a few months ago. And I haven’t missed it.
Instead almond extract has become my go-to addition to cookies, cakes and all things sweet.
Pop the cap of the almond extract and you might be a little overwhelmed with the pungent scent that only hints of almond. But baked into goodies, the flavor mellows and deepens giving sweets an added boost of nuttiness.
Your turn–are you an almond extract fan? Are you ready to swap out your vanilla extract for something zingier?
Why aren’t you drinking…LaCroix?
Dec 30th
Photo credit: LaCroix.com
Seltzer water is an acquired taste. And I’ve got it.
Instead of drinking soda around our house, when my kids have a craving for bubbles, I like to give them LaCroix seltzer water.
I usually mix LaCroix with fresh juice to give it some flavor (and to clean out my fruit drawer–mandarin oranges that might be too sour for eating are perfect squeezed into a drink). When I don’t have the time or the fruit on hand, I’ll use boxed orange, pineapple, or apple juice.
Alone, I find juice is just too sweet straight, and seltzer alone, too boring. Together, they make the perfect combo for kids–they feel like they’re getting a treat, while I know they’re getting fewer calories and sugar than if they were drinking soda or even juice.
So for New Year’s Eve if you’re looking for something for your kids to drink besides soda (or you!), pick up some LaCroix. I’d suggest that you fill their glasses first halfway with seltzer water and then the rest of the way with the heavier fruit juice.
As a side note, after extensive testing I find that LaCroix is better than the store brand seltzers which tend to be way too bubbly and to loose their bubbles much faster. I know, I know, I’ve given this way too much thought:)
How about you–what do you give your kids when they want something special to drink?
Why aren’t you drinking…Mexican cocoa?
Dec 11th
Each time I open my spice cabinet Abuelita stares back at me. It’s sorta unnerving. With her wiry glasses perched too far down her nose and one raised, wrinkled eyebrow, her expression is a mix of grandma goodness and mischief.
Abuelita is Mexican hot chocolate. These are no powdery cocoa packets, but six disks of cinnamon-infused chocolate disks with a hint of spice. To use them you heat 4 cups of milk with the disk until it begins to boil.
You can give any hot cocoa a bit of a Mexican twist by adding a bit of ground cinnamon (or stir it with a cinnamon stick). And if you’re more adventurous, go ahead sprinkle just a tad of cayenne pepper. Either way, whether you try Abuelita or just tweak your own hot cocoa, the mix of chocolate and cinnamon fits perfectly with a a few holiday goodies.
Have you tried Mexican hot cocoa? Did you like it? What other tweaks do you give your hot cocoa?
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