Pink Peppercorns and Nut Allergies
Having just finished cooking camps with kids, allergies are more on my mind than usual. I always have a few kids with various allergies, especially peanuts and tree nuts. I am always very careful about what we bring into camp. We often have kids who bring an Epipen with them but we have never had occasion to use one- thankfully. My friend Blayne posted this article this morning and I wanted to pass it on to you.
I knew pink peppercorns weren’t real peppercorns but I never gave much thought to what they actually were. Turns out pink peppercorns are related to cashews and can cause an allergic reaction in people with tree nut allergies. The article posted below tells the story of a girl who had an allergic reaction to food while on vacation and how the family finally figured out the source. Pretty scary stuff. Please share this information with family and friends who have tree nut allergies. It could save a life.
http://christinascucina.com/2014/02/hidden-allergens-pink-peppercorns-tree.html
Making Jam in Cooking Camp
Blueberry Jam the kids made
On the last day of cooking camp the kids got to make blueberry jam. We didn’t exactly can it. I had a quantity of instant pectin so we made refrigerator jam. The kids also received copies of a Ball canning book. I wanted to make it about more than just a jar of jam so we talked about food preservation. Most of the kids didn’t know what I meant when I said that I canned. We talked about preserving food and different methods and about the reasons people preserved food. Threw in a little history lesson too. In the end the kids were all happy to have a jar of jam to take home. I was happy to expose them to a method of cooking most didn’t know about. I hope it is something they will think about doing with their families in the future.
Ham and Swiss Calzones
Ham and Swiss Calzones
I wanted to make something for a friend who had done me a really big favor. I decided to make him these ham and Swiss cheese calzones. He is a really busy guy and I know he doesn’t always have time to cook. This was something he could take a long to work to reheat for later. All reports are they were greatly appreciated so I thought I’d share the recipe with you.
Ham and Swiss Calzones
4 c. flour
2 c. rye flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. salt
2 packages quick-rising yeast
2⅓ c. hot water
2 T. oil
2 lb. thin sliced ham- more or less
1 lb. sliced Swiss cheese
Thousand island dressing- recipe follows
1 egg , beaten
Set aside 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Combine remaining flour with the other dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in water and oil and gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover dough and let rest 20 minutes. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll one piece into a 8 -inch circle. In the middle of the dough place 1 1/2 ounces of the Swiss cheese, a spoonful of the dressing and 2-3 ounces of the ham. Brush the edge of the dough with water. Fold over the dough in half and press the edges to seal. Brush the edge again with water and roll the edge over again. It will give you a prettier look and seal the calzone better. Repeat with remaining dough and fillings. Place calzones on greased baking sheets- or on a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper liner. You will end up with 12 calzones in all. Only put 4 on one baking sheet. Cover and let rest 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Before placing calzones in the oven brush with beaten egg and make a few slashes with a knife to help steam to escape while baking. I put 2 baking sheets in the oven at the same time and switch them halfway through baking. Bake in a preheated 400-degree for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If baking 2 at once switch them after 10 minutes or so. Cool slightly before eating. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers. Makes 12.
If you want to use regular yeast use warm, rather than hot water. Also, allow a little more time for the dough to rise the first time, about 40 minutes. Everything else will work the same.
Thousand Island Dressing
Combine equal parts of ketchup, mayo and sweet pickle relish. You likely need at least a cup for this recipe. I made extra so the sandwiches could be dipped in extra dressing, if desired.
Salsa and Cake at Beachwood Cooking Camp
I am really going to miss working with these kids. What a fun week we have been having. Today we were cooking with Mexican and Asian inspired dishes and I let the kids make what they wanted. Two girls created a mango and avocado salsa that was amazing!!!! We also had great Asian inspired noodles and tortillas with all sorts of fillings. The afternoon was spent decorating cakes we had baked the day before. As always here are pictures of their work. Kids range in age from 9-12.
Mango and avocado salsa
Hi I am a cake
Salad Day in Beachwood Cooking Camp
I think this is my favorite day in cooking camp. The kids were given a wide range of ingredients for making salad and then I set them loose in the kitchen. While I am there for advice the kids made the dishes all on their own. Tossed salads, taco salad, Caesar salad, chicken salad, pasta salad and so many more. Perfectly prepared hard-cooked eggs, hand pitted cherries, lightly dressed greens. I was lucky enough to sample many of the dishes. They were all so creative. They also made their dishes look great. Here are some of the dishes they made today.
Pineapple Glazed Chicken
Grilled Pineapple Chicken
I found myself with an open can of crushed pineapple and I didn’t want to waste it. I have a number of baked dishes where I could have used it but I decided to go with a savory dish instead. I was getting together with friends to grill some chicken and ribs so I ended up making a glaze for the chicken with the pineapple. We marinaded the chicken in about half of the sauce and brushed the rest on while it was cooking. It added just the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the meat. Here is the recipe.
Pineapple Glaze
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 can ( 20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. hot sauce
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. ginger
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. salt, or to taste
1/2 t. white pepper
In skillet saute onion in oil until golden brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Use as a sauce or glaze for meats.
Beachwood Camp – Week 2
Braiding Bread
It’s been a very busy couple of days with the new kids in cooking camp this week. Well, not all of the kids are new. Two girls from last week’s camp decided to come again this week and a few of the kids have been before. They are a lively, energetic group and I mean that in only positive ways. They range in age from 9-12 and all seem to want to cook more and more stuff. We’ve done things similar to week 1 in the first couple of days. Pizza, bread baking, cupcakes etc. I look forward to every day.
Tomorrow is salad day and I got a list of ingredients they want for making their salads. I must have 20 different fruits and veggies ready for tomorrow including ingredients for Caesar salad, feta cheese, fresh herbs, dried cranberries, garlic and so many more things. I am looking forward to what they will be creating. Here are some of the pictures from our first two days. I haven’t been taking as many pics as usual- having too much fun.
Tech Support Cookies- Pecan Cinnamon Shortbread
Tech Support Cookies
There is a good reason for the odd name for these cookies. I have a great friend who is also a tech guy. Really knows his stuff. He has always been there when I have some tech trouble or a new tech toy. The only problem is he won’t let me pay him for his trouble. Well, he won’t take money. Our arrangement is that I cook stuff for him in exchange. I think I am getting a pretty good deal. He says that he is. He came over today to look at a problem I was having with my computer and I decided to bake some cookies for him. I even ended up creating a new cookie just for him. I started with my shortbread cookie recipe and added ground pecans and cinnamon. I also sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar. They came out great. Here is the recipe.
Tech Support Cookies – Pecan Cinnamon Shortbread
1 c. sugar
2 c. butter
4 c. flour
¾ c. finely ground pecans
2 t. cinnamon
½ c. cinnamon sugar
Cream together sugar and butter. Stir in flour, nuts and cinnamon and press into 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and cut into squares. Bake in a 300 degree oven for an hour or until light brown around edges. Re-cut while warm. Makes 4 dozen.
Fresh from the oven
Candy Bowls- Beachwood Camp
Candy Bowl
We had such a great week in cooking camp. The last thing we do to end camp every week is have ice cream. This year we made candy bowls to have our ice cream in. I got several bags of the melting disks used to make candy. They come is assorted colors and I got orchid and green. I melted them and the kids put some of each in styrofoam bowls and used a spoon to spread it inside of the bowls. We placed them in the freezer or fridge to harden. Once chilled the kids popped them out and had pretty bowls. Most wouldn’t eat them. They wanted to take them home to show their parents. We used to make the bowls by dipping balloons in melted chocolate, hardening them off and popping the balloons. After a few balloon exploding incidents we opted for the safer bowl method. We also had some mint candies to decorate the bowls. Here is what they made.
Bottom view
Beachwood Camp- Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Nuggets
I actually made these for the kids when they were making their salads on Wednesday. The kids loved them so I promised to post the recipe. My favorite comment of the day was when one of the girls came over to watch me making the nuggets- I was breaded them at the time. She was amazed and called out to a friend to come watch because I was using real chicken!!! I am not sure what surprised her about that but she later asked me if I make everything from scratch. I said I often did. Liked it better that way. Here is the recipe. It is very easy. The nuggets are baked, not fried.
Chicken Nuggets
1 egg
3 T. milk
1 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed into 1-inch pieces
bread crumbs- about a cup
oil
Combine egg with milk and seasonings in a bowl and mix with a fork until smooth. Add the chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat well. Using a fork remove the chicken pieces and drop in the breadcrumbs, rolling to coat evenly. Place breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil and place in a preheated 450 degree oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked. Serve with barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, honey mustard or whatever dipping sauces you like. Serves 3-4.
To freeze for later use you can freeze raw or cooked- I prefer to freeze the nuggets raw and cook when needed. Place nuggets on a baking sheet and place in freezer until hard. Place in freezer container. When using frozen uncooked nuggets- bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
