We have set ourselves a quest to try all the rye breads on Clear Flour Bread's list. We started last week with a loaf of their German Rye.
Here's the German Rye which they describe as, "… a hearty and moist whole grain rye with a touch of honey." We describe it as full of rye flavor with an incredible aroma, crust with a bit of chew, and a lovely crumb.
It's a great bread to have with cheese or toasted with a bit of butter and a bit of preserves. We went with apricot!
It also made an appealing base for an open-faced egg salad supper.
Always ask, because Clear Flour may have a bread that is not on the usual list. They do make seasonal breads, and I think they occasionally make something special, just because they feel like it. That's the beauty of patronizing a small, artisan business.
You'll also find that they can tell you more about each bread than the simple description on the list.
Three foods that we feel have reached mainstream status this year are Brussels sprouts, celery (especially the leaves), and cottage cheese!
A blackboard special of baby Brussels sprouts with bacon was the highlight of a recent lunch at Select Boston. Considering how much we love the food here and that Penny was having her favorite lobster salad, this veg dish really had to shine to stand out from the rest of the meal. It was a bowl of smoky, salty, sprouty, bacony, fun!
However it is not just Boston's star chefs and highly rated restaurants that are presenting great sprouts.
Sitting around a table of friends at the Corner Tavern on Mass Ave last month, it was the roasted Brussels sprouts that disappeared instantly and were reordered – twice!
When a vegetable becomes popular at this type of homey neighborhood spot, you know that it has become mainstream. We are both happy to say, “Goodbye kale,” and “Welcome sprouts!”
Celery? Yes, Celery!
We wrote about “cutting celery” which is used for its leaves. Penny has always treasured the leaves on celery and uses them as an herb to finish or garnish dishes. Lately we hear TV chefs and food writers praise this leafy bonus in every head of celery and talk about the importance of celery, in general, in their cooking.
Cottage Cheese as a Yogurt Alternative
Cottage cheese has always been a favored snack around our house. (For us and for our Westie Poppy!) But now we see this simple dairy product is appearing paired with more fruits and herbs in single-serving containers. It is a great source of protein and calcium. We're seeing cottage cheese as part of more recipes. You can turn it into a quick dip or a spread by adding herbs, garlic, and perhaps some shredded cheese like a strong cheddar.
Three foods that we feel have reached mainstream status this year are Brussels sprouts, celery (especially the leaves), and cottage cheese!
A blackboard special of baby Brussels sprouts with bacon was the highlight of a recent lunch at Select Boston. Considering how much we love the food here and that Penny was having her favorite lobster salad, this veg dish really had to shine to stand out from the rest of the meal. It was a bowl of smoky, salty, sprouty, bacony, fun!
However it is not just Boston's star chefs and highly rated restaurants that are presenting great sprouts.
Sitting around a table of friends at the Corner Tavern on Mass Ave last month, it was the roasted Brussels sprouts that disappeared instantly and were reordered – twice!
When a vegetable becomes popular at this type of homey neighborhood spot, you know that it has become mainstream. We are both happy to say, “Goodbye kale,” and “Welcome sprouts!”
Celery? Yes, Celery!
We wrote about “cutting celery” which is used for its leaves. Penny has always treasured the leaves on celery and uses them as an herb to finish or garnish dishes. Lately we hear TV chefs and food writers praise this leafy bonus in every head of celery and talk about the importance of celery, in general, in their cooking.
Cottage Cheese as a Yogurt Alternative
Cottage cheese has always been a favored snack around our house. (For us and for our Westie Poppy!) But now we see this simple dairy product is appearing paired with more fruits and herbs in single-serving containers. It is a great source of protein and calcium. We're seeing cottage cheese as part of more recipes. You can turn it into a quick dip or a spread by adding herbs, garlic, and perhaps some shredded cheese like a strong cheddar.
Last month, you would have found The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites on both my bedside table in audiobook form and beside my reading chair with the Boston Public Library's (BPL) hardcover edition.
I do audition books with my card. And, some of the those make it onto our bookshelves, into my Kindle, or Audible libraries. This one is a great audiobook that I know I'll listen to over and over and that may be good entertainment for both of us on long car trips.
Bites Range from Jello to Bagels and Bialys to Frozen Foods.
If You Love Learning New Food Stuff …
The book is divided into timeline chapters and within those chapters bites or tidbits of interesting information about the food we often take for granted, like celery.
Who knew that the celery stalks that we chop and toss into so many dishes today were once a luxury item. Or that Kalamazoo, Michigan was once dubbed, "the Celery Capitol of the World." Or why you see celery dishes and celery vases in antique glass collections?
Author Libby H. O'Connell tells how one Michigan farmer began to pile up dirt around his celery plants to blanch the stalks and make them sweeter and less fiberous. From there she explains:
"With the advent of refrigerated railroad cars, celery was shipped all over the country. It was just exotic enough, a somewhat pricey but not outrageous treat, not beyond the means of many Americans but still aspirational. Celery became hugely popular, and the development of special dishes for its presentation illustrates its status during the Gilded Age."
This book will fill in some blanks in your pantry of food knowledge. It will enhance your appreciation of what we enjoy today when you learn more about the past and how our current foodways evolved.
Once one of us is on the mend from a cold and ready to move on from chicken soup, I like to make a big pot of my Ground Turkey Stew. It's hot, filling, comforting, and gets better after a day in the refrigerator.
As with most stews, the exact quantities are not set in stone, you can double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. You can add other vegetables if you like. You can leave out anything you don't like.
It starts with one package of ground turkey – whatever type you like. For my version, you'll also need Bell's Poultry Seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 stalks of celery, 4 medium potatoes, 4 medium carrots, 14 ozs. of low sodium chicken stock, frozen peas, parsley, and 2 scallions.
Saute the chopped celery and onion in olive oil in a big pan.
Remove the onion and celery and brown the turkey in the same pan adding more olive oil if your turkey is very lean. Season the meat with 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Break up the turkey into bite size pieces. (I often use a potato masher to break up ground meat like this.)
Peel and slice the carrots and potatoes into bite-size pieces. If I use red potatoes, I scrub them and leave the peels in place.
Return the celery and onion mix to the pan, add the chicken stock, carrots, and potatoes.
Cook until the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning with another 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (or more if you like) plus salt and pepper.
Add frozen peas and stir in until thawed and warm.
At this point, I usually pick out and mash a few pieces of potato and stir them into the pan to thicken the broth.
Add sliced scallion and chopped parsley as a final fresh layer of flavor.
Let us know if you try this dish, and tell us how you adapted it to make it your own.
Once one of us is on the mend from a cold and ready to move on from chicken soup, I like to make a big pot of my Ground Turkey Stew. It's hot, filling, comforting, and gets better after a day in the refrigerator.
As with most stews, the exact quantities are not set in stone, you can double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. You can add other vegetables if you like. You can leave out anything you don't like.
It starts with one package of ground turkey – whatever type you like. For my version, you'll also need Bell's Poultry Seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 stalks of celery, 4 medium potatoes, 4 medium carrots, 14 ozs. of low sodium chicken stock, frozen peas, parsley, and 2 scallions.
Saute the chopped celery and onion in olive oil in a big pan.
Remove the onion and celery and brown the turkey in the same pan adding more olive oil if your turkey is very lean. Season the meat with 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Break up the turkey into bite size pieces. (I often use a potato masher to break up ground meat like this.)
Peel and slice the carrots and potatoes into bite-size pieces. If I use red potatoes, I scrub them and leave the peels in place.
Return the celery and onion mix to the pan, add the chicken stock, carrots, and potatoes.
Cook until the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning with another 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (or more if you like) plus salt and pepper.
Add frozen peas and stir in until thawed and warm.
At this point, I usually pick out and mash a few pieces of potato and stir them into the pan to thicken the broth.
Add sliced scallion and chopped parsley as a final fresh layer of flavor.
Let us know if you try this dish, and tell us how you adapted it to make it your own.
Once one of us is on the mend from a cold and ready to move on from chicken soup, I like to make a big pot of my Ground Turkey Stew. It's hot, filling, comforting, and gets better after a day in the refrigerator.
As with most stews, the exact quantities are not set in stone, you can double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. You can add other vegetables if you like. You can leave out anything you don't like.
It starts with one package of ground turkey – whatever type you like. For my version, you'll also need Bell's Poultry Seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 stalks of celery, 4 medium potatoes, 4 medium carrots, 14 ozs. of low sodium chicken stock, frozen peas, parsley, and 2 scallions.
Saute the chopped celery and onion in olive oil in a big pan.
Remove the onion and celery and brown the turkey in the same pan adding more olive oil if your turkey is very lean. Season the meat with 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Break up the turkey into bite size pieces. (I often use a potato masher to break up ground meat like this.)
Peel and slice the carrots and potatoes into bite-size pieces. If I use red potatoes, I scrub them and leave the peels in place.
Return the celery and onion mix to the pan, add the chicken stock, carrots, and potatoes.
Cook until the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning with another 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (or more if you like) plus salt and pepper.
Add frozen peas and stir in until thawed and warm.
At this point, I usually pick out and mash a few pieces of potato and stir them into the pan to thicken the broth.
Add sliced scallion and chopped parsley as a final fresh layer of flavor.
Let us know if you try this dish, and tell us how you adapted it to make it your own.
There are two types of reactions to a basket full of celeriac at farmers’ markets. You’ll see smiles from the lovers of this variety of celery that is grown for its delicious root, and curious stares from those who have never tried this ugly, hairy, warty root vegetable.
Describing the Taste
One of the best descriptions of the taste of celeriac comes from Jack Staub, author of “75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden
” in a piece on NPR.org, “When peeled, celery root's creamy white flesh resembles that of a turnip and tastes like a subtle blend of celery and parsley.”
Stews, Soups, and Beyond
If you think about that flavor profile, you can see how well celeriac would fit into hearty winter stews and soups. But, don’t stop there. Think of what it could add if grated with cabbage, and carrots to make a coleslaw.
The French have their famous slaw-like dish of céleri rémoulade. They toss matchstick julienned celeriac with a dressing of mustard, mayonnaise or crème fraîche, and the chef’s favorite seasoning. There are as many recipes as there are cooks and in France this is found in every corner shop.
Now, imagine celeriac boiled with potatoes and turned into a wonderful mash using chicken stock instead of cream or milk as your liquid addition.
And, as celeriac goes from frog to prince status in your kitchen, consider giving it a starring role. Staub suggests cutting it into French-fry-like batons, boiling it until tender, draining it well, and then returning it to the hot pan with some butter, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Good for You & Fun Too!
A cup of naked celeriac only contains 42 calories. It has no fat and is low in cholesterol. On the plus side, it’s high in fiber, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and is a very good source of vitamin C and phosphorus.
It also stores far better than its cousin celery. In root cellar condition, it can last for months. And a stock of celeriac in your freezer will allow you to add that celery undertone to many dishes on days when the celery in your crisper is past its useful life.
As for the fun factor, I often wish I had a Mr. Potato Head
kit when I have a celeriac bulb on my counter. Imagine the scary faces you could create with one of these!
Celeriac Tips
When shopping, the often cited, “pick one that feels heavy for its size” works for celeriac.
As you are working with it, water acidified with a good squeeze of lemon juice will keep it from turning brown.
Pick young, tender celeriac to serve raw and save the older, larger ones for cooking.
Keep it from drying out to extend its life. Wrapping in newspapers and storing in a cool place will extend its freshness.
Celeriac is knobbily so cut off both ends before you try to peel it. This will help it sit safe and steady on your cutting board while you slice off the peel in strips from top to bottom with a sharp knife.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
There are two types of reactions to a basket full of celeriac at farmers’ markets. You’ll see smiles from the lovers of this variety of celery that is grown for its delicious root, and curious stares from those who have never tried this ugly, hairy, warty root vegetable.
Describing the Taste
One of the best descriptions of the taste of celeriac comes from Jack Staub, author of “75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden
” in a piece on NPR.org, “When peeled, celery root's creamy white flesh resembles that of a turnip and tastes like a subtle blend of celery and parsley.”
Stews, Soups, and Beyond
If you think about that flavor profile, you can see how well celeriac would fit into hearty winter stews and soups. But, don’t stop there. Think of what it could add if grated with cabbage, and carrots to make a coleslaw.
The French have their famous slaw-like dish of céleri rémoulade. They toss matchstick julienned celeriac with a dressing of mustard, mayonnaise or crème fraîche, and the chef’s favorite seasoning. There are as many recipes as there are cooks and in France this is found in every corner shop.
Now, imagine celeriac boiled with potatoes and turned into a wonderful mash using chicken stock instead of cream or milk as your liquid addition.
And, as celeriac goes from frog to prince status in your kitchen, consider giving it a starring role. Staub suggests cutting it into French-fry-like batons, boiling it until tender, draining it well, and then returning it to the hot pan with some butter, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Good for You & Fun Too!
A cup of naked celeriac only contains 42 calories. It has no fat and is low in cholesterol. On the plus side, it’s high in fiber, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and is a very good source of vitamin C and phosphorus.
It also stores far better than its cousin celery. In root cellar condition, it can last for months. And a stock of celeriac in your freezer will allow you to add that celery undertone to many dishes on days when the celery in your crisper is past its useful life.
As for the fun factor, I often wish I had a Mr. Potato Head
kit when I have a celeriac bulb on my counter. Imagine the scary faces you could create with one of these!
Celeriac Tips
When shopping, the often cited, “pick one that feels heavy for its size” works for celeriac.
As you are working with it, water acidified with a good squeeze of lemon juice will keep it from turning brown.
Pick young, tender celeriac to serve raw and save the older, larger ones for cooking.
Keep it from drying out to extend its life. Wrapping in newspapers and storing in a cool place will extend its freshness.
Celeriac is knobbily so cut off both ends before you try to peel it. This will help it sit safe and steady on your cutting board while you slice off the peel in strips from top to bottom with a sharp knife.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
There are two types of reactions to a basket full of celeriac at farmers’ markets. You’ll see smiles from the lovers of this variety of celery that is grown for its delicious root, and curious stares from those who have never tried this ugly, hairy, warty root vegetable.
Describing the Taste
One of the best descriptions of the taste of celeriac comes from Jack Staub, author of “75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden
” in a piece on NPR.org, “When peeled, celery root's creamy white flesh resembles that of a turnip and tastes like a subtle blend of celery and parsley.”
Stews, Soups, and Beyond
If you think about that flavor profile, you can see how well celeriac would fit into hearty winter stews and soups. But, don’t stop there. Think of what it could add if grated with cabbage, and carrots to make a coleslaw.
The French have their famous slaw-like dish of céleri rémoulade. They toss matchstick julienned celeriac with a dressing of mustard, mayonnaise or crème fraîche, and the chef’s favorite seasoning. There are as many recipes as there are cooks and in France this is found in every corner shop.
Now, imagine celeriac boiled with potatoes and turned into a wonderful mash using chicken stock instead of cream or milk as your liquid addition.
And, as celeriac goes from frog to prince status in your kitchen, consider giving it a starring role. Staub suggests cutting it into French-fry-like batons, boiling it until tender, draining it well, and then returning it to the hot pan with some butter, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Good for You & Fun Too!
A cup of naked celeriac only contains 42 calories. It has no fat and is low in cholesterol. On the plus side, it’s high in fiber, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and is a very good source of vitamin C and phosphorus.
It also stores far better than its cousin celery. In root cellar condition, it can last for months. And a stock of celeriac in your freezer will allow you to add that celery undertone to many dishes on days when the celery in your crisper is past its useful life.
As for the fun factor, I often wish I had a Mr. Potato Head
kit when I have a celeriac bulb on my counter. Imagine the scary faces you could create with one of these!
Celeriac Tips
When shopping, the often cited, “pick one that feels heavy for its size” works for celeriac.
As you are working with it, water acidified with a good squeeze of lemon juice will keep it from turning brown.
Pick young, tender celeriac to serve raw and save the older, larger ones for cooking.
Keep it from drying out to extend its life. Wrapping in newspapers and storing in a cool place will extend its freshness.
Celeriac is knobbily so cut off both ends before you try to peel it. This will help it sit safe and steady on your cutting board while you slice off the peel in strips from top to bottom with a sharp knife.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
on both my bedside table in audiobook form and beside my reading chair with the Boston Public Library's (BPL) hardcover edition.
