Halloween Fun! How to roast perfect pumpkin seeds!

How to roast perfect pumpkin seeds!

1. Clean out your beautiful pumpkin.
2. Soak the seeds in water (the meat of the pumpkin will fall to the bottom and the seeds will float to the top.  
3. Lightly dry off the seeds and place into a bowl.  
4. Toss with salt (kosher of course).
5. Put into a 300 degree oven and toast for 10-15 minutes.
6. Increase the temperature to 325 and keep a close watch.
7. Stir seeds to make sure they do not burn.
8. Once finished take off the tray immediately and let cool!
9. Add to a salad for a tasty treat!
10. Happy Halloween!

Knowledge is Power!

Here was one of the questions from yesterday’s casting/interview. They said they really wanted to be impressed with my knowledge of food and asked me to give them three tips that would really show my knowledge of wealth. Here goes!

1. When you pour hot water on purple cabbage and bleach out the color purple into the water, you can change it to pink by adding another acid.
2. If you soak herbs such as parsley, mint, and cilantro in cold water before putting it on display, or in front of lights, it will not wilt as quickly.
3. White eggplant is much better for cooking dishes such as melenzalata.

Happy Cooking! Mary

Dream a Little Dream

Okay, so I’m admitting it. I attended a casting call to be the Food Network’s next star chef. Ridiculous, I know, but since this is a blog about my culinary experiences, I thought it best to share.

A lot of us living out here in Los Angeles have a similar dream to be famous on some level or well known in our fields. In fact, I recently hired a wonderful girl to help with my catering duties, and she too has eyes that shine brightly for the promise of Hollywood stardom. Although I’ve found my own path over the years, her sparkle inspired me to go for it.

As I was sitting I the waiting area with over one hundred “chefs,” I could see that this dream belongs to so many of us. And, like so many other shows, the Food Network is looking for a needle in a haystack.

After living here for a while I’ve realized that you may be wonderful but if you are too tall or too blonde or too ethnic or too perky, etc., you might not be what “they” are looking for. Finding what they want in a crowd of people is tough, and being the person that fits into their script is even tougher.

My passion is teaching people about food, which is why I write weekly, shoot webisodes, teach kids and cook for families. I love sharing my wealth of knowledge with you all. That alone makes for a satisfying career. But I still went to the casting anyway, just for the hell of it. Why not, right? After all, how can be considered for the job if you don’t show up for the interview?

What I Cooked Today… Braciole a great meal on a budget

We are all on a budget, but we still want to eat well. Now that fall is here we can buy cheaper meat and braise it for a very flavorful and satisfying result. My Italian mother-in-law inspired this recipe.

Braciole

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh Italian tomato sauce*
2 cups water or chicken stock
2 lbs skirt steak or sirloin
1 cup chopped parsley (must be fresh)
6-8 garlic cloves minced
¼ cup oregano
½ cup olive oil
Chef Pinch of salt and a little more (3 times as much as you would normally put in)
Pepper
Butcher’s twine (buy this because it is always great to have on hand)

Directions:
In a large braising dish add tomato sauce* and water or stock. Next in a bowl mix the oregano, parsley, garlic, salt and olive oil and combine well. Pound out your meat between plastic till it’s about ½ inch thick. Place the meat on plastic wrap and spread the parsley mixture over the top. Then roll the meat to create a roulade (pinwheel effect of meat). Tie with butcher’s twine. Get sauté pan and heat oil to a little before smoking point. Salt and pepper the outside of the meat and then sear on all sides for a nice golden brown. Then place the meat into the braising dish (if the meat is too long you can always cut it before you tie it so that it can fit). Braise covered at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 hours. It should be nice and tender. Serve with pasta of your choice.

*Tomato Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 can tomatoes
10 whole roma tomatoes chopped and deseeded
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch basil
1 cup water
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook for ½ an hour on simmer.

Ingredient of the Day: Mint

I talk a lot about my life as a child. I think it is because there is something so wonderful about childhood memories. They have a dreamlike quality. One dreamy day I keep remembering centers on the mint, or Mentha, herb. When I was a child I would go over to my grandmother’s garden and run through what seemed to be a field of mint that was as tall as me. My vivid memory in this place? Running my fingers over top of the mint to release the sweet smell.

I think if I had to describe myself as an ingredient I would choose mint. Why you ask? Because mint is strong and unforgettable. Mint has a lot of other wonderful properties to boot. It has an aromatic flavor with a cool aftertaste, is great in a variety of dishes, and can even aid in digestion.

One of the things I recently discovered about mint is that if you drink a cup of mint tea it will help cleanse your system and curb your cravings. To store until use, keep your mint in a little cold water in the refrigerator. But don’t wait too long to enjoy it. Mint is best when used fresh.

Happy Cooking!
Mary

Ask Mary: Soap Scum and Silverware

Mary,
This isn’t really a cooking question but I thought you might know the answer. How do you get soap scum residue or hardwater stains off of your glasses and silverware?

A great way to get that nasty film off is to soak your utensils and glasses in vinegar and water. I use about ½ cup vinegar to a gallon of water. DO NOT LEAVE IT IN FOR TOO LONG. If you do, the solution will eat away the silver. It only takes about ten minutes for it to remove the film, so no need to keep in longer. After you finish soaking it, wash it again with soap and water. If that doesn’t take care of the problem, repeat the process.

Good Luck!
Mary

Deli Paper!

I always keep deli paper (sandwich paper) in my house. You don’t have to cut it and it is very similar to parchment paper. You can cook with it, wrap cheese with it, bake fish on it, and do just about a million other great things with it. Go to your local supply store (like Smart and Final) and ask for it.

What I Cooked Today… Mary’s Volleyball Dinner (actually, this is my mother’s recipe!)

Mary's Volleyball Dinner

Ingredients:
1 package fusilli pasta
1 can artichoke hearts
3 tablespoons sundried tomato
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 yellow onion chopped
2 tablespoons green onion
4 smashed garlic cloves
½ cup chicken stock
½ stick of butter
8 chicken tenders
1 cup parmesan
¼ cup olive oil

Directions:
Cook pasta to al dente. Then in a sauté pan heat ½ the butter and ½ the oil in a sauté pan. Salt and pepper the chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until done. Set aside. Add the rest of the butter and oil to the pan. Throw in the yellow onion and sauté until aromatic and glossy. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are browned, add the chicken stock, artichokes, sundried tomato, chicken tenders, green onion and salt. Continue to cook for a few minutes more, add the fusilli and the parmesan when finished. Serve!

Humboldt Fog

I worked at Michael’s in Santa Monica for a while and on Saturday nights when we got out the cheeses I would always wait for the remnants of the Humboldt Fog. For those of you who don’t know, Humboldt Fog is a goat cheese ripened by mold with a thin layer of edible ash in the middle. It ripens from the outside in, so underneath the skin is a runny cheese followed by a delicious typical soft goat cheese in the middle.

I love this cheese. It is a perfect cheese as far as I am concerned. When I first discovered it, I was so excited that I wanted to buy it and have it at a dinner party I was throwing that weekend. Of course, when I found out how expensive it was, I had to make a few modifications to the menu to fit this wonderful cheese into my budget.

Once the guests arrived, I immediately presented my wooden tray of beautiful cheeses and fruits. All the other cheeses were the usual suspects – parmesan, brie, and cheddar. I told everyone how excited I was about this new cheese, so everyone tried it at the same time. The reaction I received was unexpected. All of them immediately told me that the cheese tasted like someone’s foot. I was disappointed, but kept my opinions to myself. Over the years, though, I’ve noticed that these same friends are starting to like the taste of Humboldt Fog. They’ve even denied ever having disliked it. Maybe, like with cheese, our taste(buds) get better with age!

Happy Cooking!
Mary

Weekly Menu!

Eating on a budget is not difficult. You just have to figure out what to eat and how to shop!

Monday:

Salad: Mixed greens with tomatoes, cucumbers and balsamic dressing
Entrée: Chicken fajitas with tomato rice
Kids: Chicken quesadillas

Tuesday:

Salad: Spinach salad with egg, bacon, and blue cheese with herb dressing
Entrée: Pot roast with vegetables and potatoes
Kids: They should like this

Wednesday:

Salad: Caesar salad
Entrée: Whole wheat pasta salad with chicken, sun dried tomato, spinach and mushrooms (recipe will be available Wednesday)
Kids: Pasta chicken and put the vegetables on the side

Thursday:

Salad: Romaine salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and blue cheese with ranch dressing
Entrée: Blackened Salmon (or tilapia) with asparagus and wild rice
Kids: Tilapia with potatoes from the other day with peas

Friday:

Salad: Mixed greens with artichoke, mushrooms, and parmesan with balsamic dressing
Entrée: Make your own pizza night
Kids: Make your own pizza night

Ask Mary: Reducing Fruits in Cooking

Dear Mary,
Why do you reduce acidic fruits like lemons, limes, oranges in cooking?
Fruity Girl

Hi Fruity Girl,
The reason that you reduce acidic citrus is because you want to bring out the natural sweetness in the fruit. By reducing and cooking it out, you are actually allowing the natural juices to flow freely.
Enjoy! Mary

To Tip or Not?

“Excuse me, do you have a cappuccino?” said a woman at a home that I was catering for. I replied, “I am sorry miss. We only have Earl Grey tea or coffee.” “Oh,” she said. “Then I will have a mint tea please.”

I quickly ran into the kitchen (with just a thin wall dividing the dining room from the kitchen). I scurried around wondering what I was going to do to appease this woman, exhausted from an 18-hour day. How was I going to make this work? I looked into the cabinets of the person I was cooking for and found nothing.

“Mint tea,” I said to myself. “Grrrrr.”

I know that I am supposed to be catering to people’s needs, but sometimes people don’t realize that we are not a fully operational store with everything at our disposal.

“Think, Mary, Think.”

They had just finished their meal and dessert. And then it hit me. Of course! The dessert course! I quickly ran to the leftover mint that had been tossed about. I had two leaves left and a bunch of stems. My staff looked at me oddly as I began lightly smashing the leaves and stems of the mint to get the true essence out. I threw it all in a sauce pot with water and turned it on high. As quick as I could, I poured it into a tea cup and took it out to the customer with a little sweat on my brow, and of course the woman right next to her said, “Oh that looks delicious! I will have one too.” I ran back in to boil another cup, hoping enough flavor was left in the leaves and stems for just one more cup. Thankfully there was.

After we were all cleaned up, the client came up to me and thanked me for the attention that I had given to her guest. She handed me an envelope with a lovely tip, not only for me but also for my staff.

This experience reminded about how important it is to think on your toes. And how important is it to tip! Tipping is a gesture of kindness and gratitude. Even though we expect services at a restaurant or at our home, it is very kind and greatly appreciated when people tip.

I am constantly asked when catering an event in one’s home how much to tip. Here is how I would break it down. First of all, if it is an enormous event like a wedding or a large party, I would suggest tipping 20% on the overall cost of the event. This will take care of all the servers and the kitchen crew. However, if it is a smaller job, it is very kind if you tip $10 to $50 a person depending on their job title. Again, this is never expected but always greatly appreciated.Remember, the tip goes to the workers who probably are not making much money, and they are the ones making sure that all of your needs are met.

On another note, if you received the dinner as a gift, make sure that you consider tipping off of what the bill would have cost. You have to remember the person that paid your bill may not have considered the tip, and even though it is so wonderful that you get a free night out, you shouldn’t make the waiter suffer for your pleasures.

What I Cooked Today… Chef Mary’s Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 large carrot
1 zucchini
1 squash
1 red pepper
1 head of broccoli
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup Canola oil
½ cup soy sauce
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Clean and cut your chicken breasts into strips, set aside.
2. Next have your kids peel the carrot; take the florets of the broccoli off.
3. Cut the top and the bottom off of your pepper and deseed.
4. Cut the zucchini, carrot, squash, and red pepper into long thin strips. Smash the garlic.
5. Next measure out the soy sauce and honey.
6. Heat a sauté pan with a little vegetable oil and add your chicken strips.
7. Salt the chicken for flavor. Let the chicken cook on a medium to high heat so that it browns evenly, and then flip. Next take it out of the pan and put it aside.
8. In the same pan heat up a little more oil and add the strips of vegetables and cook, add a little salt and a touch of pepper.
9. Add garlic (this can be left out), and cook a little longer.
10. Next add the chicken back to the pan and add soy sauce, honey, and a few chili flakes.
11. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Serve with white or preferably brown rice.

Ingredient of the Day: Zucchini

When I was young, I would wait longingly for summer. Sometimes, it seemed like it would take forever to arrive. But I knew it was worth the wait, because once summer shined its smiling face on my mom’s garden, I knew it was time to plant summer fruits and vegetables. I loved going with my mom to pick out the seeds at the nursery that would become our summer growing patch.

Not even realizing that zucchini is a summer fruit, I was drawn to the zucchini seeds – probably because of the beautiful yellow flowers adorning the outside of the package. It wasn’t until later, when I met my husband, that I learned you can actually stuff the blossoms and cook them up for an extra treat.

The zucchini itself is actually a fruit, thanks to the fact that it is actually the ovary of the female zucchini flower. One of my eight-year-old students reminded me of this incredible fact the other day. Zucchini is often treated as a vegetable, however, in a culinary context. Delicious and soft, the zucchini fruit tastes best small. As they age (and grow in size), they become more fibrous and therefore, less flavorful.

Weekly Menu!

Monday:

Mixed Greens with goat cheese, figs and walnuts with a balsamic dressing
Roast chicken with green beans and brown rice

Kids: Chicken drumettes with green beans and brown rice (add a touch of soy sauce)

Tuesday:

Mixed greens and romaine lettuce with tomatoes, sunflowers and blue cheese
Chicken enchiladas (use leftover chicken) with corn and black beans

Kids: Same (but top theirs with just cheese)

Wednesday:

Romaine with blue cheese dressing, turkey bacon and tomatoes
Grilled Steak (you can do a tri tip or sirloin for a cheaper cut of meat) with mushrooms polenta and asparagus

Kids: Steak bites with ketchup and polenta (kids like it) with asparagus rounds (cut asparagus ends into circles)

Thursday:

Mixed greens with carrots, radish, beets and a mustard vinaigrette
Chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta and spinach

Kids: Chicken nuggets (just make the same chicken in smaller bites) with spinach (put parmesan with it)

Friday:

Iceberg wedge with balsamic dressing and tomatoes
Chicken and Vegetable stir fry (or substitute meat)