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RECIPE: BLT Pasta For National BLT Day

August 22nd is National BLT Day; April is National BLT Month.

We’ve applied the BLT concept to foods beyond sandwiches—from cocktails to guacamole. See the recipes below.

Thanks to DeLallo, we’ve now tried it with a bowl of fusilli col buco*. We’ve had it both as hot pasta and as a room temperature BLT Fusilli Salad.

There’s no mayonnaise; but rather, lots of Italian flavors.
 
 
RECIPE: BLT PASTA WITH FUSILLI COL BUCO

Ingredients For 4 Servings

  • 1 package (16 ounces) fusilli col buco pasta*
  • 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 package (4 ounces) pancetta, diced/cubed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
  • 1 (7 ounce) package DeLallo Antipasto Delight mix or giardiniera†, coarsely chopped
  • 3 large handfuls (about 3 cups) baby kale or spinach
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Garnish: fresh basil leaves, torn or julienned
  • Garnish: shaved parmesan cheese
  • Garnish: crushed red pepper flakes
  •  
    Preparation

    1. BRING a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add enough water to make the water salty enough to taste like sea water (usually 2-3 tablespoons of kosher salt; add two tablespoons and check to see if it’s salty enough).

    2. PLACE the pasta in the water and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 2 cups of pasta water. Set both aside.

    3. PLACE a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook until well browned and sizzling on all sides. Add the minced garlic to the pan and toss for 1 minute more.

    4. ADD the sliced tomatoes to the pan and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the kale or spinach, and the antipasto mix. Toss to combine; the greens will begin to wilt in the heat. Add a good pinch of both salt and pepper.

    5. ADD the pasta and about 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss to combine and warm through. The pasta water will help thicken the mixture, but if you’d like the mixture a bit saucier, add more of the reserved pasta water. Cook for about 3 minutes more on the stovetop. Taste and season as necessary.

    6. ADD to a large bowl or individual plates. Garnish with the torn basil leaves, parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes.
     

    BLT RECIPES THAT ARE NOT A SANDWICH

  • BLT Avocado Burger
  • BLT Bloody Mary
  • BLT Cocktail
  • BLT Eggs Benedict
  • BLT Gazpacho
  • BLT Guacamole Crostini
  • BLT Pancakes
  • BLT Pasta Salad
  • BLT Slaw
  •  
    And Sandwich Variations

  • BLT Blue Cheese Sandwich
  • How To Vary The Ingredients To Make Your Signature BLT
  •  
     
    > The History Of The BLT
     
    > The History Of Pasta

     


    [1] Here’s the BLT topping for the pasta (all photos © DeLallo).


    [2] The ingredients for BLT Pasta.


    [3] Fusilli pasta is a hollow, long-strand (ribbon) pasta. If you can’t find it locally, buy it online.

     
    ________________

    *Fusilli col buco is fusilli (corkscrew pasta), with a hole (col buco). That is to say, the strands are hollow. They’re long strand fusilli, not the more familiar short-cut. The hollow center makes it fun to eat. Numerous artisan brands make it; and you can buy it online from DeLallo. If you can’t find it, substitute spaghetti.

    †DeLallo Antipasto Delight is a giardiniera-style mix of pickled vegetables, featuring crispy carrots, celery, cauliflower florets, sweet red peppers, Spanish stuffed green olives and mild pepperoncini, with tangy vinegar bite. Buy it online from DeLallo. Here’s a recipe to make your own.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Larb, The National Dish Of Laos


    [1] A Thai fusion larb salad, here with red California grapes. The salad sits on a bed of jasmine rice (photo © Grapes From California).


    [2] Larb can be mixed in a bowl or served in separate ingredients on a plate (photo CC BY 2.0).


    [3] Fusion: larb in lettuce cups (photo © SunBasket).


    [4] Ground chicken (above), beef or pork are typically used. Duck, fish and mushrooms can be substituted (photo © Good Eggs).


    [5] While any color of grapes will supply the flavor, red grapes bring color to a “beige” dish (photo © Good Eggs).


    [6] If you don’t like the conventional green cabbage, you can substitute the milder bok choy, Chinese cabbage (photo © Good Eggs).

     

    Do you like the dishes of Southeast Asia for their lively mix of flavors—chiles, cilantro, lime, mint, peanuts and rice vinegar?

    Then a larb salad might be just up your alley.
     
     
    WHAT IS LARB?

    Larb, also spelled laap, larp, lahb or laab, is a Thai or Laotian ground meat salad.

    Vegan versions are made with mushrooms (portabellas have a meaty flavor). We’ve seen American vegan recipes that use minced beets, carrots or other root vegetables.

    The meat can be served raw or cooked; the dish is served at room temperature.

    Pork larb is the unofficial national dish of Laos, and larb is popular in the Isan region of northeast Thailand, where the majority of the population is of Lao ethnicity.

    Chicken is more common in other areas of Thailand.

    Variations of larb also appear in the Yunnan province of China and in parts of Myanmar.

    How To Pronounce “Larb”

    The Thai word isn’t actually pronounced “larb,” but “laaaap,” with the pitch of the voice falling during the vowel sound.

    Don’t pronounce the “r.” The “b” at the end is more like an unvoiced “p.”

    Larb Ingredients

    Larb is most often made with beef, chicken, duck, fish, mushrooms or pork. The meat can be either raw or cooked.

  • The meat is minced and mixed with chiles, mint and assorted vegetables.
  • Toasted sticky rice powder, khao khoua, is also a very important component of the dish—but isn’t in this recipe, since few of us would have other uses for it.
  • Other traditional ingredients include fish sauce, fresh other herbs, lime juice and fish sauce*.
  • Typical sides are sticky rice and raw or fresh vegetables.
  • Some recipes substitute lettuce for the cabbage.
  •  
    As is true everywhere, different regions incorporate local spices and other ingredients, to create their own variations on the dish.
     
     
    RECIPE: CHICKEN LARB WITH GRAPES

    This recipe (photo #1) is based on classic larb ingredients: ground chicken seasoned with chiles, cilantro, lime, mint and fish sauce.

    Grapes From California, the consumer website of the California Table Grape Commission, made this recipe more accessible for American cooks:

  • White rice substitutes for sticky rice the difference).
  • Grapes and red onion added for color.
  • The grapes and onion introduce sweet and pungent notes that complement the citrusy herbs, the heat from the chiles and the savory umami of the fish sauce.
  •  
    Other possible variations:

  • Instead of serving larb on a bed of rice, you can serve the rice on the side for a deconstructed look (photo #2).
  • You can switch the white rice for another grain—for example, if you prefer brown rice or quinoa.
  • Instead of mixing with cabbage, you can use the meat filling for lettuce wraps, or as an entrée salad on a bed of Asian greens.
  •  
    Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 10 minutes.
     
    Ingredients For 4 Servings

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups halved red grapes (photo #4)
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken (photo #3)
  • 1-2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced (substitute the less hot serrano chiles)
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce*
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint leaves
  • 4 cups steamed jasmine rice
  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage (photo #5—for color, we substituted red cabbage†)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped roasted and salted peanuts
  •  
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the combine onion, grapes and rice vinegar; in medium bowl set aside.

    2. HEAT the oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until just cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.

    3. SEASON the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir in the chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro and mint.

    4. DIVIDE the rice between four plates and top with the chicken, cabbage, marinated onions and grapes; sprinkle with peanuts.
     
     
    ________________

    *Use whatever fish sauce you have (except for Worcestershire). There are different types of fish sauce, each country combining its own types of fish and seasonings. For example: Bagoóng in the Philippines, colatura di alici in Italy, naam plaa and pla-ra in Thailand, nuoc mam in Vietnam, padaek in Laos, and Worcestershire sauce in the U.K.

    †Red cabbage contains 10 times more antioxidant vitamins than green cabbage. These are cancer-fighting flavonoids.

     

     
      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Make Lemonade ~ It’s National Lemonade Day!

    August 20th is National Lemonade Day. When was the last time you had a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade?

    Most of the lemonade drinks sold in supermarkets are made with lemon juice concentrate or worse, lemon flavoring.

    Treat yourself to the real thing!

    In addition to the recipes below, check out How To Glam Your Homemade Lemonade.
     
     
    FLAVORED LEMONADE RECIPES

  • Cucumber Lemonade
  • Lavender Lemonade
  • Peach Lemonade
  • Sparkling Melon Lemonade
  • Spicy Lemonade
  • Strawberry-Basil Lemonade Recipe
  • Watermelon Mint Lemonade
  •  
    MAKE FROZEN LEMONADE

    Use fruit purée or syrups to create frozen lemonade. Here’s how to make frozen lemonade.

    Also try it:

  • As a granita
  • As an ice pop
  •  
    LEMONADE COCKTAIL RECIPES

  • Blueberry Lemonade Cocktail
  • Lemonade 485 Cocktail
  • Limoncello Lemonade
  • London Lemonade Cocktail (with gin)
  • Tequila Lemonade
  • Saké Lemonade
  •  
    Our current favorite lemonade cocktail is Fishers Island Lemonade, sold in cans.
     
     
    LEMONADE TRIVIA

    Lemons originated in China, India, and Myanmar, and as sugar also originated in the general region, it’s safe to assume that some form of sweetened lemon water was first enjoyed in the ancient Far East.

  • The first recorded creation of lemonade dates to 500 C.E. in Egypt, when lemon juice was mixed with sugar to make a drink called qatarmizat.It was a valued trade item and was frequently exported to other countries.
  • The first lemonade “soft drink” debuted in Paris on August 20th, 1630. The drink was made from sparkling water and lemon juice sweetened with honey. Roving street vendors sold it from tanks strapped to their backs.
  • Frozen lemonade appeared more than 200 years later, in 1840 in Naples, Italy.
  • The first printed record of a lemonade stand was in 1879. The New York Times referenced a Wisconsin shopkeeper who hawked the drink outside his store. By the following summer, stands popped up all around New York City, selling cups for a nickel each (as opposed to 15 cents in a barroom).
  • The first variation of a now-famous phrase was printed in 1909, in Men’s Wear, a retailers’ newspaper. It said, “In business turn obstacles into conveniences. When handed a lemon—make lemonade of it.”
  • Grape or strawberry juice is added plain lemonade to make commercial pink lemonade. The cheap stuff uses red food color.
  • In Australia, England, Ireland and New Zealand, “lemonade” is a carbonated lemon- or lemon-lime soft drink, similar to Sprite.
  • Arnold Palmer popularized the drink named for him at the 1960 U.S. Open: half lemonade and half sweet tea.
  • Add vodka to an Arnold Palmer and it becomes a John Daly—a cruel reference, we think, to another golfer’s struggle with alcoholism.
  • Swap out the vodka for Everclear, a high-proof grain alcohol, and you’ve got a Happy Gilmore.
  • Hold the alcohol, and lemonade is truly thirst-quenching. Sour or tart drinks stimulate the salivary glands and provide relief to the “dry mouth” of being tired and dehydrated. This effect even continues after the drink is finished.
  •  
     
    VARIETIES OF LEMONADE

  • Brown Lemonade: In Northern Ireland, brown lemonade is flavored with brown sugar.
  • Cloudy Lemonade: The conventional form of lemonade found in the U.S., Canada, and India. In the U.K. and Australia, you have to ask for “cloudy” lemonade; regular “lemonade” is a carbonated drink like Sprite.
  • Clear Lemonade: The predominant form of lemonade in the U.K. and Australia is a clear, lemon- or lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage. Schweppes and R. White’s Lemonade are common brands. Other soft drinks that are both lemon and lime flavored, such as Sprite and 7 UP, may also sometimes be referred to as lemonade.
  • There are also speciality flavors of clear lemonade, such as Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade, made with added rose oil.
  • Shandy, a mixture of beer and lemonade, is available bottled and in pubs. Here’s more about it.
  • Pink Lemonade: The best versions are cloudy lemonade with added grape or strawberry juice for color and an extra layer of flavor.
  •  
     
    > The History Of Lemonade
     
     
    > The History Of Lemons

     

    Mint Lemonade
    [1] The easiest: Mint lemonade. Just crush a sprig of mint in your hand and drop it in (photo © Simit & Smith).

    Strawberry Lemonade
    [2] Strawberry lemonade (photo © Cocina de Color Lila).

    Red, White & Blue Lemonade
    [3] Blueberry Watermelon Lemonade (photo © Blueberry Council).

    Lemonade With Zest Rim
    [4] Layer other flavors, like this lime zest rim, or a combination of lime zest and chili powder (photo © Saint Marc Pub Cafe |


    [5] Start squeezing! (photo © Caroline Attwood | Unsplash).

     

      

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    FOOD FUN: Mashed Potato Parfait For National Potato Day

    potato-parfait-c-idahopotatocommission-230
    [1] Mashed potato parfait, layered with cheese sauce (photo © Erika Penzer Kerekes | In Erika’s Kitchen).


    [2] The Yukon Gold potato: creamy yellow flesh, thin skin, and a favorite of chefs since it was introduced in 1980 (photo © Bonnie Plants).


    [3] Add your favorite herbs for color, flavor, and antioxidants (photo © Dirk Ingo Franke | Wikipedia).


    [4] The Russet Burbank potato, the variety used to make the ever-popular baked potato (photo © Williams-Sonoma).


    [5] A beautiful medley of potatoes grown for fine restaurants (photo © The Chef’s Garden).


    [6] Some of the thousands of different heirloom potatoes from Peru (photo © Costanera Cocina Peruana).


    [7] Head to specialty markets to find varieties your supermarket may not carry (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

     

    August 19th is National Potato Day.

    The Idaho Potato Commission estimates that Americans annually consume 117 pounds per capita. That’s a lot of spuds!

    Today’s recipe will add to the count. It’s for one of America’s favorite comfort foods, mashed potatoes.

    The recipe was created by food blogger Erika Penzer Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen and sent to us by the Idaho Potato Commission—a wealth of delicious potato recipes.

    Erika chose the Yukon Gold potato, a creamy, yellow flesh potato (photo #2).

    To illustrate how long it takes to develop a new potato variety:

  • In 1959 a Canadian researcher became aware of a yellow flesh, thin skinned potato.
  • In 1966 he began to develop it for commercial production.
  • Finally, in 1980, it was ready for market and was named Yukon Gold, and quickly became popular with leading chefs.
  • Here’s more about the Yukon Gold potato.
  •  
     
    RECIPE: HERBED MASHED POTATO PARFAITS

    Ingredients For 8 Servings

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ cup half-and-half
  • 8 tablespoons butter, divided
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 4 cups fresh soft green herbs, e.g. basil, parsley, dill, chives, garlic chives, cilantro
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (we used gruyère)
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • Garnish: cooked crumbled bacon or cubed pancetta, crushed potato chips, dill pickle chips (or other pickled vegetables), frizzled onions, etc.
  •  
    Preparation

    1. PLACE the potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot for a few minutes so some of the excess moisture evaporates.

    2. CHOP the herbs finely (this is easiest in a food processor).

    3. ADD the half-and-half and 4 tablespoons of the butter to the hot potatoes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.

    4. STIR in the chopped herbs; the potatoes should be very green. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Cover the herbed mashed potatoes and keep warm over a very low flame.

    5. MAKE the cheese sauce: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, making sure you whisk away any flour lumps. Cook about 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.

    6. TURN down the heat and add the cheese. Continue to whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is very smooth. Add the white wine and cook another 1 minute.

    7. ASSEMBLE the parfaits: In a clear tumbler or juice glass, place a layer of herbed mashed potatoes, a few spoonfuls of cheese sauce, another layer of mashed potatoes, and a final drizzle of cheese sauce. Top with the bacon and/or potato chips. Serve immediately.
     

    POTATO HISTORY

    Wild potatoes are indigenous to the Andes Mountains in Peru. Thousands of varieties still grow there and are the main food crop (photo #6).

    Potatoes were domesticated more than 6,000 years ago. The Incas cultivated many varieties of potato.

    The name is said to originate from the Spanish patata, a combination of batata (sweet potato) and papa (a word for potato from the Inca Quechua language).

    The Spanish conquered Peru around 1530 and brought potatoes back home to Spain—along with tomatoes, also native to Peru.

    News traveled fast (or what passed as “fast” in the centuries prior to the telegraph), and potatoes quickly reached the rest of Western Europe.

    However, not everyone was enamored of the potato and the tomato. The vegetables were feared at first, accused of causing leprosy and being poisonous.

    They were classified as a relative of deadly Nightshade* family (Solanaceae), because both contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids (though the levels in domestic potatoes and tomatoes fall far short of being harmful to people).

    Slowly, more countries realized the power of the potato. It could grow in any climate.

    In Ireland it became the main staple in the diet of the poor, so much so that when hit by a potato blight Phytophthora infestans three years in a row beginning in 1845, more than a million people died of starvation and disease.

    The Peruvian-born potatoes, Solanum tuberosum L., were introduced to North America in the 18th century.

    They were first planted in Idaho in 1836; the state now grows 25% of the nation’s potatoes.

    Idahoan Luther Burbank developed the Russet Burbank potato in 1872 (photo #4), a more disease-resistant version of the Irish russet potato (there have been additional russet developments since).

    An update:

    In 2013 a botanist discovered a wild Solanum jamesii potato plant in Utah, a cousin to the Solanum tuberosum of the Andes.

    The jamesii species is native to North America and abundantly found in Arizona and New Mexico. Its existence in Utah was previously unknown to researchers.

    The important news is that its domestication in Utah is believed to predate potato domestication in the Andes: 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. Here’s more about it.

    > Here’s more about potato consumption in the U.S.

    > Check out the different types of potatoes in our Potato Glossary.

    ________________________

    *Nightshades are members of the Solanaceae family of flowering plants, many of which are edible, while others are poisonous (some have both edible and toxic parts). The name of the family comes from the Latin Solanum, “the nightshade plant.”

    Other edible members include capsicum (the chiles), Chinese lanterns, eggplants, garden huckleberry, ground cherry, naranjilla, pepinos, peppers, potatoes and the tree tomato. One thing that sets these nightshades apart is their alkaloid content.

    Alkaloids are harmful nitrogen compounds which, in high quantities, are toxic, causing nausea, diarrhea with vomiting and headaches. In extreme cases they lead to unconsciousness and convulsions to the point of respiratory paralysis.

    That’s why the tomato was considered poisonous by Europeans and not eaten for 200 years following its discovery.

    Alkaloids exist in tiny, non-harmful quantities in the nightshade foods we eat. Tobacco and the petunia are also members of the family, as well as the Datura or Jimson weed, the mandrake and the deadly nightshade or belladonna.

     

     
      

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    PRODUCT: Purecane Zero-Calorie, All Natural Sugar Substitute

    Last December, Amyris, a biotech company and a leader in the development and production of sustainable ingredients for health and wellness and other categories, launched PURECANE™ Brand Sweetener, a zero-calorie alternative to established brands.

    Launched on Purecane.com, and on Amazon.

    Our brother is one of the millions of people who struggle to reduce the amount of added sugar that they consume, particularly on cereal and in coffee and tea.

    He tried all the supermarket with the same complaint: aftertaste.

    We use Splenda, but would welcome something better.

    Our recommendation to everyone who uses noncaloric sugar substitutes: Try Purecane.
     
     
    WHAT IS PURECANE NONCALORIC SWEETENER?

    Purecane Brand Sweetener is made from fermented sugarcane known as Rebaudioside M, a glycoside compound.

    Glycosides that are more than 100 times sweeter than sugar. It is found in sugarcane juice, the source of Purecane*.

    A glycoside is a compound formed from a simple sugar and another compound by replacement of a hydroxyl group in the sugar molecule (think back to high school chemistry).

    In Purecane, the compound is enhanced through a patented fermentation process, that starts with sugarcane and then converts it to a pure, no-calorie sweetener without any artificial chemicals.

    The result is a brand new sweetener that has an excellent taste and is free from health concerns that are associated with some other noncaloric sweeteners.

    It’s available in:

  • Packets
  • Spoonable Canisters
  • Bags Of Baking Sweetener
  •  
     
    WHERE CAN YOU FIND PURECANE?

    Why haven’t you heard of Purecane?

    The company is not a large one with big marketing budgets purchase supermarket shelf space or advertising. They decided get the word out through consumer food writers and sell the product direct to consumers.

    It’s currently available on Purecane.com and on Amazon, and will be expanding to other e-commerce sites.
     
     
    THERE’S ALSO A VERSION FOR BAKING

    The version for baking combines Purecane with erythritol, a sugar alcohol frequently used as a food additive and sugar substitute.

    Erythritol is a sugar alcohol† that naturally occurs in some fruits (grapes, peaches, pears, watermelon) and in mushrooms; and is created when foods like cheese, beer, wine, sake and soy sauce ferment.

    It was combined into the baking version of Purecane to best carry the sweet flavor during prolonged heating.

    Purecane sent us a “taste test” of a glazed donut made with sugar, and a second donut made with the Purecane Baking Sweetener.

    We could detect a very slight difference—not an aftertaste, just a difference.

    But if we had tasted only the Purecane donut, we’d never have known it used a sugar substitute.

    There are recipes on the website. Be sure to check out the Contest Gallery for more recipes.
     
     
    > Check Out The Different Types Of Sweeteners & Noncaloric Sweeteners
    In Our Sugar Glossary

     
     
    > The Different Types Of Sugar & Syrup
     
    ________________

    *Glycosides are also found in stevia, but Purecane tastes nothing like stevia.

    †“Alcohol” is a chemistry designation and has nothing to do with grain alcohols, spirits, or anything alcoholic.

     


    [1] We use the familiar packets for coffee, and the spoonable canister for cereal and fruit (all photos © Amyris).


    [2] Purecane looks like sugar granules.


    [3] It’s a small thing, but we enjoy the bright-colored packets in a multicolor mix.


    [4] Sprinkle Purecane on fruit, use it to sweeten plain yogurt.

     

    [5] Compare Purecane to other sweeteners.
      

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