Read Up & Eat Up for August 23-29, 2009

This week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

YUMSUGAR
Spaniards like to play with their food! Titanic Tomato Fight Takes Over Valencia, Spain.

FOODGEEKERY
My arteries say no but my tastes buds say yes please! Double Down with KFC.

SERIOUS EATS
Easy and elegant recipe for Salmon with Citrus Dressing from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook.

BITTEN
Mark Bittman from The New York Times knows how much you love peanuts. In a Nutshell, You Can't Get Enough.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
DENA'S RECIPE EXCHANGE
My friend Dena shows us how to crack secret grocery codes to determine whether the produce we're buying is organic or genetically modified.

August 29 is Festival Day in the Catskills

This Saturday, put the top down, slip on some Jackie O sunglasses and follow the long country road that is Route 23A as it winds through the picturesque Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. You'll discover 40 miles of fun, farms, history, food and festivals as you make your way through the villages of Haines Falls, Hunter Village and Prattsville. All of the festivals have free admission.

First stop: Haines Falls. Visit the Mountain Top Historical Society's Annual Open House, open at 11 am until 5 pm. According to the Open House website there is a lot of family-friendly excitement going on all day that's not exactly foodie in nature but still sounds like a good time:

Trunks & Travel, photographic exhibit and John Ham book signing in the Train Station, Herb Schmidt’s Ole Time Jazz Band, the Schoharie Valley Cloggers, Picnic Foods, Crafts, Hay Rides, Puppet Show and Rip Van Winkle Himself! Picture Yourself as a Victorian Traveler ~ Dress up in Victorian clothing and have your picture taken.

Treasures from My Trunk ~ Interactive presentation by Mary Jeanne Bialas at 2 p.m. in the Red Barn. Experience the sights and sounds of travel in New York State during the 1800’s! Whether traveling by rail, canal, river or road, there’s no such thing as packing lightly for a wealthy Victorian on the move. Audience members are welcome to become a part of the performance. An extensive exhibit of Victorian era clothing will be on view.

Photographic exhibit, Trunks & Travel, on view in the train station, showing how people got to and around the Mountain Top in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The exhibit is based on photographs from the Society’s archival collection.

After you check out the Historical Society, it's just a hop, skip and a jump over to Peace Village, which will feature live entertainment, meditation, games, face painting, storytelling, kite flying and -of special interest to all you home cooks- vegetarian cooking demonstrations. According to the website, "Peace Village is a place where relaxation comes easily. People come here to learn new things about themselves, to enjoy silence and solitude, and to find peace of mind." This place looks really cool, in a very relaxed, tranquil, spiritual, non-cultish sort of way. I don't know about you but Peace Village sounds pretty darn good to me. We could all use a little more self awareness and peace of mind!

Next up: Hunter Village! I'll be there all day covering the events taking place at the Catskill Mountain Foundation's Harvest Festival, which celebrates local farmers and sustainability. In the Village, you can view local artists' works during the Sidewalk Art Show from 10 am until 5 pm and score some bargains at the many yard sales up and down Route 23A. And, of course, local farmers will be marketing their products. At 3 pm, head over to the Mountain Cinema for a discussion and screening of Food, Inc., led by Karl Weber, editor of the film's companion book: Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer- and What You Can Do About It.



You might remember that we've talked about Food, Inc. before. Have you seen it yet? You should. I have to admit that I haven't seen it yet, despite the fact that I am related to Karl Weber and consider myself to be a socially conscious foodie. Shame on me. So I'm going to see it on Saturday. You should come with me. I expect to see you there.

Last, but not least, the village of Prattsville: This is your chance to be a part of local history when The Zadock Pratt Museum hosts the First Annual Colonel George Watson Pratt Heritage Day! I know... who the heck is George Watson Pratt? Wikipedia says he was the son of Zadock, for whom the museum is named, and that he died in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Well, that's news to me because I didn't even know there was a First Battle of Bull Run. Guess I need to dust off my history books. Here's a pic of George.



I love a man in a military uniform. Not so sure about the beard though.

All of these events will take place rain or shine so cross your fingers and hope for sun!

Upcoming Connecticut Food & Farm Festivals

Some fun events celebrating farms, food, food in film, and music are coming up:

HOLCOMB HARVEST
The 2009 Summer Food Film Festival starts Thursday, August 27 (tomorrow!) at Holcomb Farm in West Granby, Connecticut. Grounds open at 6:30 pm with a farmers market, where you can indulge in the season's bounty, including goods from other Connecticut farms like locally produced goat cheese from Sweet Pea Farm, garlic from the aptly named The Garlic Farm, fresh eggs and juicy blackberries from Maple View Farm, and sweet peaches and baked goods from Lost Acres Orchard. During the market, Matt Tofil, owner and chef of Copper Mill Bistro, will present a cooking demonstration for all you winers and diners. Northeast Organic Farm Association will present a discussion at 7 pm followed by a screening of the film Nourish at 7:45 pm. (I can't seem to find a clip from the movie but I'll keep looking and post one later.) The seating area is outdoors behind the main barn. Bring something to sit on and something to munch on (or dig into your goodies from the farmers market). Don't forget the bug spray. Admission is a steal at a suggested $3 donation per person and children are free. For more information and directions, click here for the Holcomb Farm website.

If you miss out on the August 27 events then maybe you can make it on September 3. The farmers market will be on but it doesn't look like Matt Tofil will be around. There will still be a movie though- instead of Nourish, you will enjoy a showing of The Real Dirt on Farmer John at the same time and location.




SIMSBURY FARMERS MARKET
Okay, technically this isn't a festival but there's reggae and food so it's definitely a party! The date is August 27 so maybe you can plan a foodie day and hit this earlier in the afternoon and then head on over to Holcomb Harvest. Hannah’s Field will be jamming Gypsy reggae at the market from 4 to 6 pm.



Griffin Farmstead will showcase some of their very friendly goats and goat cheese. Lani Rosen from Full of Joy Yoga will teach a children's yoga session from 2-3pm. Mod Skin Labs, a local organic skin care company, will be demonstrating their newest products so stop by and maybe you can pick up a sample or two. Glen, "The Honey Guy" from Three Sisters Farm, will be available to assist with your sweetening needs. There is no admission charge, which makes this a great outing for larger groups or families. For more info and directions, click here for the Simsbury Farmers Market website.


FARM DAY AT THE FISH FAMILY FARM
Join the Lutz Children's Museum on Saturday, August 29 from 11am until 4pm, for Farm Day at the Fish Family Farm in Bolton, Connecticut. This popular end-of-summer tradition features live animals, hay rides, games for all ages and live music. And most importantly, all the farm fresh ice cream you can eat!!! Admission is $6 per person. Click here for more info and directions to the farm.

Ginger Red Plum Spare Ribs

We took a day trip up to Boston last weekend to spend some long overdue quality time with several of our friends from college. Gwen, our hostess with the mostess, set out a great spread for us to nosh on throughout the afternoon, including a pitcher of her refreshing (and dangerously potent) red sangria and a platter of delectable pork spareribs that had all of us licking our fingers and coming back for more. Spareribs are totally delish and a great way to feed a crowd but they're not something I think of preparing at home too often, probably because you need to plan way in advance to allow for several hours of cooking on low heat to create tender ribs. I'm usually not put together enough to think ahead like that. But as I was wandering through the supermarket meat department a couple days after returning from Boston, I had Gwen's ribs in mind so I picked up a big package of pork ribs and a bottle of barbecue sauce. I spent ten minutes standing in the condiment aisle, mesmerized by the many varieties of barbecue sauce before I finally picked one. Smoky, Hickory, Whisky Flavored, Hot 'n Spicy, Gluten Free! So many choices, only one rack of ribs. Sweet Baby Ray's original flavor made the cut because I'd tasted it before and knew it was a great basic barbecue sauce with a good balance between sweet and spice that would play well with the goodies I planned to mix in to add even more flavor.

When it came time to start cooking, I resorted to Google for assistance because I wasn't about to ruin five pounds of gorgeous pork ribs by not knowing what I was doing. A few searches later, I decided to go with the oven instead of the grill because of the rainy weather. Okay, fine. I went with the oven because the last time I tried to grill ribs they turned into jerky. Tasty but kind of tough and chewy. I was guilty of rushing the ribs on an overly hot grill and it showed. So this time, I let them go low and slow for a loooooong time in the oven and discovered that good things really do come to those who wait.

This recipe makes enough barbecue sauce to generously slather all over five pounds of spare ribs with enough left over to cover four or five pounds of bone-in chicken pieces, in case some people don't want to eat pork. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a month.

GINGER RED PLUM SPARE RIBS
printer friendly recipe

5 pounds pork spare ribs, cut into individual riblets
3/4 cup red plum jelly
1 cup plain barbecue sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger (the kind in the spice aisle, not fresh ginger)
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
optional: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Microwave jelly in a large bowl on high for 30 seconds. Then whisk the jelly to loosen it up. Microwave on high for another 30 seconds. Whisk again. The jelly should be melted a bit and loosened up enough to be somewhat liquid, like a thick gel with little lumps in it. If it's not, microwave again at 15 second intervals until you get the right consistency.

Whisk the barbecue sauce, ginger and orange zest into the jelly until completely blended together. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. You can make the sauce way in advance if you want.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Take out a baking sheet pan. Measure out a length of heavy duty tin foil to be twice the length of the baking sheet.

Lay the foil on the pan and arrange the ribs in one layer across the foil. It's okay if they touch.

Season the ribs on both sides with the salt, pepper, onion powder and cayenne or red pepper, if using.

Wrap up the ribs loosely in the foil to create a packet, taking care to seal the folds in the foil well.

Roast the ribs in the oven for 5 hours. Do not open the door to peek into the oven. Do not open the foil packet. Just wait. For 5 hours.

After 5 hours, remove the ribs from the oven. Take the foil packet off the pan and place on a heatproof surface.

Turn up the heat in the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour any liquid out of the baking sheet. Place a new sheet of foil on the pan. This piece of foil should be the same size as the pan.

Open the foil packet and remove the ribs with tongs. Gently shake off any liquid and place back onto the foil covered pan in one layer.

Brush the ribs very generously with the barbecue sauce on all sides.

Place back into the oven for 10 minutes. Check the ribs to make sure that the sauce is caramelizing a bit but not burning. You can turn over the ribs right now if you want. Put the ribs back into oven for another 10 or so minutes, until the sauce darkens and turns shiny and a bit sticky.

Let the ribs rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serve 6-8.

Green Beans with Saffron & Cumin Seed

Espana. One of my favorite places in the world. From the awe inspiring architecture of Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia to the natural beauty of Madrid's Royal Botanical Gardens and the revered Museo del Prado to the rousing and sensual flamenco of the Andalusia region, Spain is steeped in a culture that is gracefully yet fiercely passionate and rich in tradition. And the food... oh, the food! For me, the siren call of Spanish cuisine lies in the use of saffron, the cornerstone seasoning of many traditional Spanish dishes like paella. Adding a pinch of saffron to your food imparts a gorgeous yellow color and a very distinct taste, kind of like sweet honey with a metallic edge. Saffron is quite pricey but it's well worth the investment because you use only a small bit each time and the flavor pay-off is huge. Buy only a small amount at a time and store in a tightly covered container in a dark, dry place.

In this recipe, saffron, cumin seeds, shallots and a small splash of sherry vinegar dress sauteed green beans with the characteristic flavors of Spain. These green beans pair well with Smoky Orange Grilled Chicken or Citrus Roasted Pork Shoulder. Vegetarians can make a whole meal by adding a couple cups of cooked chickpeas after the green beans are finished cooking. Increase the cumin seed and vinegar to 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoons each, depending on your taste.

GREEN BEANS with SAFFRON & CUMIN SEED
printer friendly recipe

1 pound of green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 big pinch of saffron
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (if you can't find the seeds then substitute ground cumin)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Add shallots and cumin seeds. Saute for a few minutes until the shallots soften. (Be careful because a couple of the cumin seeds might pop out of the pan as they heat up.)

Add the green beans and stir to coat the beans completely with the oil and cumin seeds. Saute for a few minutes.

Crumble the saffron over the green beans. Sprinkle with the salt.

Add the water.

Cover and steam until the green beans are crisp-tender, about five minutes.

Uncover and allow any water still in the pan to evaporate over the heat.

Remove from heat. Sprinkle the vinegar over the green beans and mix well.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4 as a side dish.