Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Broad beans or fava beans are called haba espanolas in Spanish. Have you noticed everything sounds so much more interesting in Spanish than in English? HMMMMM. Habas españolas (Spanish fava or broad beans) are among the oldest cultivated legumes in the Mediterranean, dating back thousands of years before spreading widely across the Iberian Peninsula and into traditional regional dishes.

Fava beans were first grown in both Southeast Asia and North Africa. From there they spread and were popular in Egypt and Greece, where they have been farmed for over 4000 years. The Ancient Romans brought them to Spain and their popularity grew from there. By the 16th century, fava beans were found all throughout Spain. They became the food of the peasants everywhere, and had their own regional accents everywhere they were found. They are especially popular in Southern Spain, which is also the home of bullfighting. Broad beans were fed to the fighting bulls to build them up.

Habas Espanolas

I made my own version of habas espanolas the other day. I didn’t have fava beans, but I had fresh green beans as well as a few beans from Julia’s garden, so those were what I used. The combination turned out just fine. 🙂 Sometimes you just have to improvise.

olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, sliced very thin

2 oz bacon, diced

8oz fava or broad beans, or green beans

1 tsp paprika

1 TBSP sherry

salt & pepper to taste

butter

Get a skillet very hot, then add the olive oil, onions, garlic and bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp, for about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and paprika and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the sherry and the salt & pepper. Once the flames die down, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Finish with a little butter and serve. Pretty easy-peasy and very delicious. 🙂

Life is short. Make the most out of it of everyday and live life to the fullest. ‘Til next time.

Ropa vieja con puerca. It sounds exotic right? The literal translation means old dress, but when used in cooking, it is the Spanish word for leftovers. And I made it with pork or puerca insteadof the traditional beef. The Queen and I are always coming up tasty ways to use up our leftovers, and you would never know they weren’t “firstovers”. 🙂

Ropa vieja is an old Spanish dish going back at least 500 years. It has both Medieval Sephardic Jewish and Arabic influences. 9 The dish traces back to medieval Sephardic Jews in Spain, who slow-cooked hearty Sabbath stews overnight to avoid working on holy days. Rumor has it that the name comes from a poor man who shredded his garments to feed his family with the tattered, thread-like appearance of the cooked meat. Traditionally, the dish is made with shredded beef, but today, it is made with any kind of meat.

Ropa Vieja

Any kind of leftover meat will do, though traditionally this dish is served with beef and vegetables. I used all of the rest of the vegetables Julia brought to me. It was a good way to use the small eggplants she brought too.

1-1 1/2 lbs cooked meat, cubed or shredded

2 small eggplants, diced

olive oil

1 onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 patty pan squash, sliced

1 small poblano pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3-4 tomatoes, diced

1 cup beef or other stock-I had chicken stock on hand, so that’s what I used

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

salt & pepper to taste

Get a large skillet very hot and add the olive oil. Add all the heartier vegetables and seasonings and cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the pork, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the olives and garbanzo beans. Continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

I served it over brown rice with some Spanish beans and more of my olive bread on the side. !Delicioso!

Leftovers are too good to throw away. Dress them up and change them around a bit, and no one will ever know you didn’t plan their new look all along. 🙂

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

There is a house not too far from me that has some GIANT sunflowers growing in their backyard. They just look so pretty every time I pass by, I just had to get a picture of them.

Make everyday sunny and bright. Take time to stop and smell all the flowers along your way. 🙂

I love to hear all the scoop about what people are saying about the foods we eat. I get a good laugh out of these fun food quotes. I hope you do too. 🙂

Of course, my all time favorite Chef, Julia Child, always has something good to say.

People who love to eat are always the best people.

~Julia Child and Mr. Rogers~

Food is our common ground, a universal experience.

~James Beard ~ American chef and cookbook author

There is no good cooking without good ingredients.

~ Paul Bocuse, The “Pope” of French Cuisine~

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

~ Luciano Pavarotti, famous Italian opera tenor~

Desserts are like mistresses. They are bad for you. So if you are having one, you might as well have two.

~ Chef Alain Ducasse, the first chef to have 3 Michelin stars at three different establishments. ~

Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.

~ Marcel Boulestin – French chef, restaurateur, and the author of cookery books that popularized French cuisine in the English-speaking world.~

As always, I hope you enjoyed these and a got a good chuckle or two. I got another good chuckle when doing my research for these, and once again, I am listed as a resource. WOW!!!!!! Am I becoming a “famous expert” too? I promise, I won’t let it go to my head. 🙂

Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Take time to laugh as much as you can along the way too. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Right now, we are in the dog days of summer. Our temperatures have been soaring and it is HOT, HOT, HOT! We have been hovering at the upper 90’s and 100’s F or 37-38*C, for the past couple of weeks. When it is this hot, the best thing to do is to stay indoors, away from the heat.

Yesterday was another one of those super HOT days. I took my own advice and stayed indoors and painted my Mandela, which is now hanging on in my family room.

Stay cool! Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Larry and I love our steaks. We eat a lot of steak, and because we eat a lot of steak, I am always looking for new ideas and new ways to prepare it. As I was looking through my personal culinary library, I came up with a great inspiration and made it Cubano style. I served my Cubano steak with our leftovers from when Julia were “just playing around” in the kitchen together More Fun In The Kitchen With Julia.

Cubano, or Cuban, styled foods are known for their characteristic citrus flavors. They also have lots of aromatic spices, garlic and onions. My favorites. I like BIG, BOLD flavors. Cuban cuisine blends Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences into bold, soulful meals. Traditional Cuban dishes often feature slow-cooked meats, aromatic sofrito, and citrus-based marinades. Cuban sofrito is a savory cooking base made from finely diced onions, green bell peppers, and garlic slowly sautéed in olive oil, usually finished with a touch of tomato paste or sauce, cumin, and oregano. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare and forms the flavorful foundation for classic dishes like black beans, ropa vieja, and picadillo. Unlike most Mexican dishes, Cuban food is NOT spicy. It has a more Spanish take on foods and food preparations. Instead of hot chili peppers, Cuban cooking relies on savory, aromatic flavor bases, which is reliant on using more ingredients like garlic, onion, olive oil, and herbs rather than fiery heat and cumin, oregano, and bay leaves instead of chili powder or hot peppers. Cuban cuisine is more European and African in nature than Mesoamerican like Mexican food.

Cubano Steak

I marinated my steak in an orange juice and garlic base, which is very Cuban.

2-3 lbs steak

1 cup orange juice

6-8 garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 red chili pepper, diced fine

1-2 TBSP orange vinegar, optional

1-2 TBSP orange olive oil, optional

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 TBSP fresh chopped oregano

Mix everything together well and pour over your steak to marinate. You can use this for chicken or pork as well if you like. Let the meat marinate for at least 2-3 hours before cooking it.

When you are ready to grill the steaks, reserve the marinade to make your sauce to top the cooked meat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the steak is cooked, spoon some of the reduced sauce over the steak and serve. Esta mui rico. Desfruitas!

Live life to the fullest and make it delicious. Enjoy the ride and the foods along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time

There are many, many different versions of chicken salad found all over the world today. Because chicken itself is so versatile, it only makes sense that there are so many different versions of chicken salad too. The key to turning a good chicken salad into a great chicken salad is balance; the balance between juicy, hand-shredded meat with a bright, acidic dressing and contrasting textures.

Chicken salad as we know it today, started in the united States around 1863, when Liam Gray, owner of Town Meats in Wakefield, Rhode Island, mixed leftover chicken with mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes to create the first distinct commercial version. But its roots can be traced back to early Chinese recipes that used pulled poultry, from as far back as the Han Dynasty, dating back to around 200 BCE, when cold chicken was mixed with oils, vinegar and spices. Then in 19th century Europe, particularly in France, cold chicken was tossed together with mustard sauces, vinaigrettes and eggs and became very popular. At the same time in the American South, chicken was being mixed with a mayonnaise base with other ingredients tossed in too.

I love chicken salad. It is a perfect ingredient to take along on a picnic, either as is or in a sandwich. I have made and eaten it many different ways too. One of my favorite ways to make it curried, since I love anything curried.

Yesterday, I went to a celebration of life and I brought some curried chicken salad croissants to share with everyone. The event was a casual event. We had no idea who or how many people were going to attend. Many people brought things to share and we had a lot of food. There ended up being between 150-200 people in attendance, all there to pay their respects to the founder of our jewelry classes.

Curried Chicken Salad Croissants

Once again, Costco helped out quite a bit. I bought some Costco croissants and used a whole Costco rotisserie chicken to make my salad. Costco rotisserie chickens are the best!!!!! I knew I was making it for the masses, so I made a large amount. But I will cut down the proportions for a normal amount here. 🙂

2 cups shredded cooked or rotisserie chicken

1 cup, or more as needed, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip – I use both, but this time I used mayonnaise. It is more universally enjoyed than Miracle Whip.

1 -2 TBSP curry powder

1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 red bell pepper, diced fine

1/4 cup green onions, sliced very thin

1/2 apple, diced fine

1/2 cup grapes, quartered

1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, diced, optional – I did not use any nuts this time since I was making it for a large crowd and I didn’t know if anyone had nut allergies. Normally I do add nuts though.

Mix everything together well and chill until ready to use. I made my salad the day before and made my sandwiches right before leaving so the croissants would not get soggy or mushy.

When I was ready to make the sandwiches, I sliced the croissants almost in half then filled them with chicken salad. Then I sliced each one in half again.

They were a big hit. They were light and airy and full of flavor.

Things don’t have to be fancy or difficult in order to be tasty. As I have said many times, simple is often best.

Life is short and precious. We never know how long we have, so make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Fast food has become a world wide thing, found in every culture, on every street corner, all over the world. Every culture has their own particular version of “fast food” too. The fast food industry was created as a commercial strategy to accommodate large numbers of busy commuters, travelers and wage workers. It has grown into a multi Billion $$$$$ industry. Chains spread across the globe in the 1970’s and 1980’s, becoming symbols of American culture.

When we think of “fast foods” we think of big chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and many others before heading off to the day’s adventures. Rightly so too, but people have always been on the move and have always grabbed a quick bite to eat to take with them. The original fast foods started back in the times of the Ancient Romans, more than 2000 years ago. Many people in these days did not have kitchens, or were always traveling by foot, and would stop at little public counters called thermopoleums for hot food and wine. Perfectly preserved food kiosks have been unearthed from the ash of ancient Pompeii, complete with signage indicating a menu that included duck, goat, and snails. Similar fast food stands were also found in Ancient China, during the Han Dynasty.

Americans certainly did not create the idea of fast foods, or foods to go, but we definitely made them better and turned them into what they have evolved into today. Automats were the beginning of fast food restaurants. America is the birthplace the modern franchised fast-food industry. They started in the United States in 1902. They were coin-operated glass slots that let people grab hot ready-cooked food instantly. Joseph Horn and James Hardart opened an automat in New York City, marking the beginning of fast food in the United States.

The first modern fast food chain was the White Castle Burger chain, that started in Wichita, KS in 1916. They came up with the idea of a restaurant where customers could see their burgers being cooked in front of their eyes to prove their care and attention to cleanliness (this was also reflected in the restaurant’s white walls). Fresh hot burgers sold for 5 cents a piece back then.

The White Castle burger stands were the hottest thing around until their rivals came and took over in the 1940’s. White Castle was the king of the cheap, fast burgers until the McDonald Brothers, Richard and Maurice, came on the scene. They were based in San Bernadino, CA and started off selling burgers and BBQ as a drive thru service. The McDonald Brothers were the first to introduce the “Speedee Service System,” using kitchen assembly lines for fast food. They operated from 1940-1948 until they were bought out by Ray Kroc, who convinced the brothers to franchise in 1955, eventually buying the McDonalds out and turning the restaurant into the world’s most valuable franchise – with 36,525 restaurants worldwide and counting. The menu was streamlined and was whittled down to burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, soft drinks, coffee, milk and milkshakes back in 1948.

After the explosion of the fast, cheap burgers, many other fast food places started popping up all over the place too. One of the next big fast food industries to take over the world was Kentucky Fried Chicken, now known as KFC. KFC was actually started in the 1930’s, by Colonel Harlan Sanders. He operated out of a converted gas station from the 1930’s until 1952, when after many years of refining his recipe for good, Southern fried chicken, he opened his first restaurant in Lexington, KY.

And the rest is history from this point forward. The fast food industry as we now know it was born. There was no turning back. Today, you can find just about any type of “fast food” anywhere you go, anytime you want it. We’ve certainly come a long, long way from the humble beginnings of the thermopoleums in Ancient Roman days.

Life is short and we are always on the move. Live life to the fullest and make the most out of everyday. Enjoy the ride, and grab something to eat along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Avocados are a staple in any Latin American diet. They have been part of the diet in Mexico and Central America for more than 10,000 years. The name avocado is derived from the ancient Aztec word ahuacatl, which means testicle. It got this name because it is said that avocados are shaped like a man’s testicle. Avocados were first enjoyed as wild fruits but were domesticated and cultivated about 5000 years ago. Because of their shape and name, avocados were associated with fertility. They were also thought of as an aphrodisiac and were used in many different ancient ceremonial rituals. The avocado was extremely important among the indigenous people of ancient Mesoamerica, as the fruit provided sustenance and possessed mythological powers. For instance, the Aztecs believed the fruit provided strength to whomever consumed it, and in ancient Maya, the fourteenth month of their calendar (K’ank’in) is represented by the glyph for the avocado.

The popularity of the avocado grew as the world grew. When the Spanish explorers came to the new world, they brought this delicious fruit to back to Europe, where it’s popularity grew exponentially. It was known by many different names, such as the avocado pear or the alligator pear. It got the name alligator pear because of its skin, which was thought of as alligator-like. In India, avocados are called butter fruit because of their rich, buttery consistency and flavor.

Avocados are fruits, not vegetables. They are known as large berries because the seed is on the inside of the fruit. It grows from a flower’s ovary and holds a pit. However, people treat it like a vegetable in the kitchen because it has a savory taste. Avocados are considered to be soft endocarps because the innermost layer of the fruit wall that directly surrounds the seed. In a true berry, this layer is fleshy and soft. In a drupe (like a peach or a plum), this layer hardens into a woody “stone” or “pit”. Because the avocado’s skin around its seed is thin and leathery rather than hardened, it is a berry. So when eating an avocado, you are actually eating a piece of fruit rather eating a vegetable. It’s all so confusing.

There are 23 different varieties of avocados enjoyed all over the world. Each type has its own unique traits and characteristics. I won’t go through all 23 types of avocados here, but just know there are quite a few different types available.

In the United States, and for most of the rest of the world, the Hass avocado is one of, if not the most popular, variety of avocados found.  It has a distinctive pebbly skin that changes from green to purplish-black as it ripens. The flesh is creamy, smooth, and rich in flavor, making it a favorite for guacamole, salads, and stuffed avocados.

The Hass originated in California in the early 20th century, with a tree planted by Rudolph Hass being the first of its kind. Today, it’s grown not only in California but also in most other avocado-growing nations. It makes up 90% of Mexico’s huge production and is also Columbia’s most-grown avocado. It’s hands down the most widely cultivated avocado variety globally. Hass avocados are available year-round because they are grown in multiple regions, but they typically have a peak season in California from late winter to early summer.

Type A and Type B avocados refer to the two flowering groups of avocado trees, which are important for the pollination and production of avocados. Avocado trees are unique in that they have a reproductive system that depends on cross-pollination between different varieties within the two types. Type A Avocados are also called the Mexican, open as female flowers in the morning and then close in the afternoon. On the following day, they open as male flowers, releasing pollen. Type A avocados tend to have thicker skins and higher oil content than Type B.  The Haas, Bacon and Zutano are common Type A varieties. Type B avocados are also known as the Guatemalan. Common Type B avocado varieties include Fuerte, Pinkerton, and Puebla.

To ensure successful pollination and a good avocado crop, Type A and Type B avocado trees are often planted in close proximity so that they can cross-pollinate. For example, if you have a Type A avocado tree, planting a Type B avocado tree nearby will enhance pollination and result in better fruit production. This interdependence between Type A and Type B avocado trees is necessary because avocado flowers are self-incompatible, meaning they cannot typically pollinate themselves. The side effect of planting Type A and Type B trees together is that over time many natural avocado hybrids occurred.

Avocados are very nutritious, but because of their high fat content, are not necessarily low in calories. They are a good source of fiber and healthy fats. They are good sources of the foillowing:

• 2 grams protein
• 15 grams fat
• 9 grams carbs
• 7 grams fiber
• 11% RDA Vitamin C
• 14% RDA Vitamin E
• 20% RDA Folate
• 14% RDA Potassium
• 3% RDA Iron
• 1% RDA Calcium

Avocados are very versatile foods. You can use them in all kinds of delicious recipes. Most of the time, they are eaten cold or mashed or used as spreads or dips. But did you know they can also be cooked too? The possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination and be creative to see what you can come up with.

I love avocados and could eat them every day, but Larry does not care for them so I don’t buy them as often as I would like. I remember growing up in California, people would beg you to take them by the bag full because they were so abundant and would just fall from their trees. Today, they are getting to be pretty pricy, I guess, in part because of their popularity.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Julia and I got to cook together one more time before they headed out, homeward bound, back to Blackberry Homestead. We weren’t really sure what we were going to make and just made it up as we went along. But we had a lot of fun and the results were delicious.

The goal was to use up more of the fresh vegetables from Julia and Bruce’s garden, and that we did. Part of the big vegetable box included some bright yellow/orange patty pan squash. We mixed them with garlic, red onions, mushrooms and fresh herbs, also from Julia’s garden, and sauteed everything together. Delicious!!!!!

Julia also brought a bunch of HUGE purple sweet potatoes. So we sliced them into thick rounds, keeping the skin on them, and deep fried them. Once they were cooked we seasoned them with butter, salt & fresh ground black pepper and some honey ginger vinegar. They came out really good.

For our meat, we used our leftover pork Smokin’ Meats Again. We diced it up and turned it into a red curry. We used the last of the tomatoes Julia brought, along with some of her peppers, and some onions, garlic, ginger, coconut milk and various Indian and/or Thai spices. As I said, I couldn’t tell you exactly what we used because we were literally making things up as we went along. It’s fun cooking with someone who likes to cook like I do; someone else who says “NO RULES APPLY”. 🙂

For not really having any kind of plan at all, everything came out great. We served our olive bread on the side too. Our meal was definitely a hodge podge of this and that, but it all came together beautifully.

We had a great time with Bruce and Julia. We had so much fun. Julia and I both said we wished we lived closer so we could play together more often. We always have so much fun together. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Life is always so much better when good friends share, and cook, good food together. Life is short. Make the most out of it and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.