From Ask Allyn’s keyboard:
Last month I suggested a recipe for carrot salad. I immediately made myself a batch, and found the carrots were excessively chewy. So I experimented some, and discovered — If you drop the grated carrot into boiling water for 45 seconds (no more!) drain, then into cold or ice water to stop the cooking, drain again, and proceed with the recipe, it works great! Much more palatable. I also add a splash of balsamic vinegar — maybe ½ a tsp or so.
Today’s tip: Ever notice when lining a pan with aluminum foil, it can be a little annoying fitting the foil into the corners, it feels like you might poke through the foil? Try this: first, crinkle up the foil and then flatten it back out, then fit it into the pan. It’s amazing, you must try it.
Bonus tip: When making chicken (or turkey, it’s almost Thanksgiving) stock, you should crack open the bones. ( I put them into a heavy duty plastic bag and whack them with my meat mallet.) It will add a lot of flavor and collagen.
Continuing on with the hot weather offerings, this is so simple, I make it about every 6 weeks or so.
THREE BEAN SALAD1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
1 can drained and rinsed kidney beans
1 can green beans
½ small onion, quartered and shaved very thin
¼ C white vinegar (I usually add a splash of balsamic for extra flavor)
2 T sugar
½ tsp celery salt ( or ¼ tsp celery seed, very strong flavor)
black pepper and salt to taste.
Mix it all together, check for seasoning, and refrigerate. Wait a few hours before eating.
Dumb recipe, you say. No way can I find canned kidney beans or canned green beans here on the beautiful Rivera Maya. Ah Ha! I have a response! I get dried Mexican red beans (similar to kidney, but smaller) and fresh green beans at the mercado. (I have tried canned frijoles bayos enteros a few times, but I think they’re a little too mushy). If you use fresh or frozen green beans, I suggest you check them every minute or so while cooking. When just right, drop them into ice water to stop the cooking.
Remember this? Rocky and Bullwinkle are in a boat, fishing. Rocky: “Look Bullwinkle, a message in a bottle!” Bullwinkle responds: “Fan Mail from some flounder?” 60 years later, and I’m still laughing.
Until next time, Allyn
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