Day 1: Starters Ideas

Today begins a 7-part series ahead of the holidays, with a few ideas of things to try for the big holiday meal. Here are 2 starters.

Recipe: Bacon-wrapped (Ripe) Plantains

This other recipe of cheesy-garlicky mashed potatoes stuffed in small Spanish peppers can also work as a side dish. I got the small ones making them perfectly sized for a starter. As you will see in the recipe, there are ideas for other things that you can stuff the peppers with - rice, meat, etc.

Recipe: Potato-stuffed Peppers

Tomorrow, Day 2: Pumpkin-Rosemary Rolls and Garlic Butter Pull-apart Bread.

Read more...

Bacon-wrapped Sweet Plantains

This is one of my go-to snacks/appetizers whenever I am entertaining. This recipe calls for only 2 ingredients - ripe plantains and bacon. The combination when baked is sweet, smoky and salty. They go very quickly so make an ample amount.

There are so specific quantities for this recipe, make as much or as little as you like. The important thing is to ensure that you use the best ingredients (always) but especially when a dish calls for very few ingredients. The idea is to let the ingredients speak for themselves. Choose plantains where the skin is a combination of black streaks and a dull yellow (click here for a photo reference); they should be firm to the touch but not hard nor should they be mushy when gently pressed. If you find them with more black skins, you can buy those too, just be sure that they are firm to the touch.

INGREDIENTS

• Ripe plantains
• Bacon rashers
• Toothpicks

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil or non-stick foil.
3. Remove the top and bottom tips of the plantains, using a paring knife, slit the skin from top to bottom and peel; the skin should remove easily. Cut the peeled plantains into 1-inch thick rounds.
4. Cut the bacon rashers in half.
5. Wrap each piece of bacon around each piece of the plantain and secure in place with a toothpick. Transfer to baking sheet. Place the wrapped plantain with the bacon layer of fat top side - this way when it bakes, the bacon will baste the plantain. Continue wrapping and securing bacon with plantain until all is done.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom of the plantains are caramelized and the bacon is cooked through.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks; reserve the bacon drippings for later use or discard.
8. Remove toothpicks before serving. Serve warm.

Read more...

Bacon of the Sea

One of the many pleasures of life is having good friends, especially those that share your interests. Julius Gittens is one such friend.

On a fine Saturday morning a few weeks ago, Julius arrived at my place and we had a foodie exchange. I gave him fiery hot bird peppers and he surprised me with a back of Bacon of the Sea. You should have seen him, armed with an insulated bag to keep the goodies at the right temperature. I was immediately intrigued.

Bacon of the Sea is a smoked fish product made in Grenada. It is naturally smoked sailfish strips. Packaged just like bacon, it sells itself as a bacon substitutes for those who do not consume pork or are looking for a healthy alternative to regular bacon. With strict instructions not to cook it for more than 30 seconds, Julius was off. He had more stops to make on his Bacon of the Sea tour.

A week later, I cooked the bacon substitute. Once defrosted, I followed the package instructions of heating a pan with a little oil and sticking to the overall cooking time of 30 seconds. Cooked longer (and I did do that just to test it), the 'bacon' becomes stiff but that is not such a bad thing because you can then chop it into bits, like bacon bits.

As you can see in the picture from the package, the fish is redolent with the signature, brown, smoked hue. However, once it hits the pan, it turns opaque (see photo below) and there is a slight hue of pink. One of the surprising things for me is that it smelt a little like bacon while it was cooking. Maybe it is because of the smoke-cured process.

As I tasted the bacon, it reminded me of smoked salmon. I enjoyed it and would definitely buy it if I had ready access to the product. What I especially liked is that I found the portion in the package to be quite generous. There were 13 strips in the packet (I counted).

If you are interested in the sautéed tomatoes on the plate, here's what to to:

So, Jules, when you making another delivery?

For more information on Bacon of the Sea and how you can access the product, please check out the following:

Southern Fishermen Association Inc.
Grand Mal
St. George's
GRENADA
website: www.southernfishermen-grenada.com
Email: southfish@spiceisle.com
Tel/Fax: (473) 435-1693

Read more...

Bring Home the Bacon & An Important Notice

I made bacon! Michael Ruhlman made it sound so easy. And you know what? It is! I am over the moon with happiness that I successfully made bacon at home. Me. Right here in my own kitchen. Read about my experience in this week's column. If you're up to experimenting, do give Michael's recipe a try. Look at the proof below. One thing of note. I omitted the garlic from the recipe.

This weekend (Nov 27 - 30) will be the last time I will be linking directly to my column. The newspaper I write for has decided to make their online content, a paid subscription service. I cannot say that I am in agreement with this move but it is what it is. As a result of this development, I have decided that I am going to distribute a monthly newsletter that will contain abridged versions of my column effective from January 2011, to all interested. In other words, come January 2011, my first newsletter will contain the 4 abridged versions of December's columns, February's newsletter will have January's abridged columns and so on.

In addition to the abridged columns themselves, the newsletter will include all recipes related to the columns as well as accompanying photographs. If you would like to receive my newsletter in your inbox, please email me with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Those of you who are already subscribed to my column-email need not re-subscribe, your names will automatically be included in the mailing list.

You may be wondering, what will now be featured on this blog? More food! (laugh). On a serious note, this blog will continue to be just as playful, experimental and informative of all things food related. I'll still post weekly, but instead of Saturdays, I will now post on Fridays.

I want to thank everyone for being so supportive through the years, particularly those of you who took the time to read the column. No fear though, you can still read the column, at your leisure and convenience. And, you can read 4 editions in one publication! All you have to do is to email me with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Don't forget, if you already receive my column in your inbox, you do not need to re-subscribe.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Read more...