If you’re invited to a barbecue, bring the hosts a gift sampler of different-flavored rubs. Even if they blend their own herbs and spices, they’re certain to discover something new…and invite you back soon!
Looking for grill inspiration beyond burgers and brats? Beautiful, flavorful and fun, homemade pizzas offer a fresh twist on summer grilling. And don’t sweat it—with a few simple steps, grilled pizza can be done in a snap. Whether cooking for vegetarians or steak lovers, there are flavor options for every diet and palate. Here are four recipes, courtesy of McCormick, that help transform any patio into an al fresco pizzeria. Have a party and make all of them!
Here’s the 2008 winner. Will your sandwich
recipe bring home the bacon in 2009?
Do you make a sandwich so delish, it’s worth $25,000 and a Napa Valley vacation? Then click on over to Mezzetta.com for the contest rules. There are categories for cold, hot, hero and vegetarian sandwiches. Just get your entry in by September 7th, 2009! You can also see the recipes of last year’s finalists.
Mezzetta, the contest sponsor, makes the capers, crushed garlic, marinated red peppers, pickled vegetables, olive oil, olives, sundried tomatoes and other specialties that bring sandwiches alive. Here’s the 2008 winner, submitted by Edwina Gadsby of Great Falls, Montana:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
– 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices peasant bread or other artisan bread
– 3 cups shredded Manchego cheese
– 3 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
Smoky Paprika Roasted Pepper & Tomato Topping
– 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
– 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
– 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
– 1 tablespoons crushed garlic
– 1 cup roasted red pepper strips
– 1 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil
– 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
Directions
For Topping: Whisk together in bowl vinegar, paprika, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and crushed garlic. Add roasted red pepper strips, sundried tomatoes and parsley (or cilantro); toss to coat.
For Sandwiches: Sprinkle 4 slices of bread with half the cheese. Top with Smoky Paprika Roasted Pepper & Tomato Topping and ham. Apply the remaining cheese as another layer. Top with a second piece of bread and press together.
Brush sandwiches with remaining olive oil and heat in a panini press or skillet until lightly browned on both sides and cheese has melted. Serve hot.
Yogurt is not just a healthy food, a tasty food, a diet food and a multitasking dip and partner for fruit and granola. It’s also a great marinade for meat. In addition to imparting flavor, it has excellent tenderizing properties. Add garlic, herbs, macerated onion and any other favorite seasonings to your yogurt marinade. Your “secret blend” may become as sought-after as your special barbecue sauce!
For years, mayonnaise-based foods like potato salad and macaroni salad have taken the rap for food poisoning at summer picnics. As the story went, unrefrigerated mayo-based dishes spoiled more easily in the heat than others…or the combination of mayo with other proteins plus heat caused Salmonella. Mayonnaise should never be used in picnic foods, mother cautioned; mayo-based foods left on the kitchen counter should be tossed.
But these common misconceptions simply are not true. According to The Association for Dressings & Sauces, an international association of salad dressing, mayonnaise, mustard and other condiment manufacturers and their suppliers, commercial mayonnaise is one of the safest products you can eat.
Carefully prepared under strict quality controls, mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs that are free of Salmonella and other dangerous bacteria. Additional ingredients such as vinegar and lemon juice create a high-acid environment that slows, and even stops, bacterial growth. The salt in the recipe also contributes to an unfavorable environment for bacteria. In fact, hazardous bacteria die off if placed in a commercially prepared mayo!
Once, there was truth in the story. Many years ago, when mayonnaise was prepared from scratch, home cooks used unpasteurized eggs, which we now know can sometimes be contaminated by Salmonella bacteria. Also, homemade mayonnaise, unlike commercial products, may not contain
enough salt and vinegar to counteract the growth of harmful bacteria.
While mayonnaise does contribute 100 calories a tablespoon and cholesterol from egg yolks (that’s the bad news), it is made with healthy oils such as soybean and canola. Both are natural sources of alpha-linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid—no trans fat. Both are also a major source of vitamin E. Read the label of your favorite mayonnaise to see what healthy oils it contains (some have olive oil, for example).
