Newsletter July 24, 2002

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Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2netdk
Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com

For this week's edition, you may visit:
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

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Newsletter, July 24, 2002


=> Cook book review from Amazon; Weber's Big Book of Grilling --Brad Thomas Parsons
=> Article; Grills and Barbecues
=> New Recipes of the Week
=> Reader recipe, Walnut Crusted Chicken with Spinach
=> Hot Tip
=> Drinks bar
=> Joke/Story of the Week
=> Next week's Issue
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer
=> Subscribe information

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Cookbook Review 

Weber's Big Book of Grilling --Brad Thomas Parsons

Armed with industrial tongs, a basting brush, and over 350 new recipes, chef Jamie 

Purviance and coauthor Sandra S. McRae (Weber's "corporate poet") step back 

behind the grill with Weber's Big Book of Grilling, the searing follow-up to the 

bestselling Weber's Art of the Grill . We open to a brief history of Weber and a few 

colorful anecdotes about the early days of the company along with a crash course 

on choosing a grill, featuring a breakdown of grilling with charcoal versus gas and a 

quiz to help you determine which grill is best for your cooking needs. Each recipe 

features the requisite cooking method (direct or indirect heat) and temperature level 

with techniques that leave plenty of room for individual improvisation. James Beard 

Award-winning photographer Tim Turner returns with artfully styled color photos of 

hot-off-the-grill dishes that will make you want to stop reading and start grilling.

Search for a favorite recipe or browse through individual chapters and benefit from 

Weber's grilling history with helpful guides and sidebars about cuts of meats, cooking 

methods, tips, glossaries, and illustrated instructions. Every barbecue lover has their 

favorite bottled sauce or over-the-counter rub, but "Sauces, Marinades, & Rubs" 

will inspire you to make your own (Crazy Cola Barbecue Sauce to an overachieving 

Type-A Rub) from scratch using common pantry staples. "Starters" includes a helpful 

chart to match up appetizers with entrées along with a recipe for Chinese Chicken 

Noodle Soup (yes, on the grill--the Asian marinade for the chicken becomes the base 

for soup). Meat is covered in chapters on beef, pork, lamb, game, poultry, and fish 

and seafood. Beer-Bathed Brisket gets a little help from a pint of Guinness while a 

half-filled can of beer props up (and moistens) Beer-Can Chicken. Baby Back Ribs 

with Spiced Apple-Cider Mop and Buffalo Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise will 

spice up any party, and Lobster Tails with Champagne Vanilla Sauce is every bit as 

decadent as it sounds. "Vegetables" includes a handy vegetable grilling chart along 

with sections on grilling for vegetarians and quick and easy meat substitutes. 

"Sides & Salads" serves up Couscous-Stuffed Tomatoes and Grilled Garlic Bread 

while "Desserts" wraps everything up with the basics on grilling fruit (Grilled Figs 

and Goat Cheese Drizzled with Honey or Peaches with Raspberry Sauce and Lemon 

Cream) and several different takes on campfire favorite, s'mores. Without a doubt, 

Weber's Big Book of Grilling will get you through the outdoor cooking season, but it 

will also inspire you to fire up your grill (rain or shine) all year long. 

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Article: Grills and Barbecues

By Lydia L. Jensen

Early man realized that cooking food make poisonous roots and plants edible, 

tough parts of meat tender and other foods sweet and juicy. Today we seem 

quite happy to stand there red-faced, in front of an open flame offering up prime 

cuts of scorched meat to our guests. The modern homo sapiens are no longer 

the hunters but casually clad with an apron, standing in front of the grill - a sight 

to behold.

Europeans view the barbecue as an extension of their indoor kitchen. They tend 

to use the most complicated recipes or stick mostly to pre-arranged gatherings 

using ready-made foods to barbecue in their back yards.

In North American a barbecue is an occasion for a back yard party. In the South 

huge cookouts take place with whole pigs and humongous steaks roasted over 

oil-drum-sized barbecues or open fires. For many barbecues, charcoal is a popular 

choice as well as the gas barbecue. The connoisseur chooses hard woods such as 

hickory, apple, beech or maple for the perfect barbie.

You may be thinking of having a barbecue or cookout but have too much to do - 

the garden needs work, the car needs to be washed, the dog needs a walk, the 

children want to go to the park or pool. Who has time for a barbecue? When there 

is so much going on this summer, why add to the activities?

A barbecue can be a relaxing and fun occasion. Be a little spontaneous and invite 

people when the weather is good. Invite four couples the day before or a few hours 

before the barbecue to give people a little time to prepare. Too often when you invite 

people 2-3 weeks ahead of time, the weather may not be suitable for a garden party.

Invite people to contribute to the barbecue. If you invite four couples, you might try the 

following:

Have this couple bring the potatoes which have been cooked until almost done; four 

red bell (capsicum) peppers, washed, seeds removed and cut in half; a bag of cooked 

rice;

fresh herbs, washed and chopped; egg plant (aubergine) sliced thickly, brushed with 

olive oil and fresh lemon, sprinkled with salt and pepper and marinated a couple of hours.

Fill the red peppers with the rice and herb mixture, drizzle a little olive oil over the filling 

and place the peppers skin side down on the barbecue.

Have the second couple bring the ingredients for a simple, fresh summer salad. The 

salad could include lettuce or a mixture of lettuce types, pine nuts, sun-dried cranberries 

as well as the usual tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh herbs, and the salad dressing.

This couple can also bring 6-9 slices of 1-inch (2-3 cm) thick salmon steaks.

This couple can bring the meat which could be either pork or beef. The pieces should 

be small or thin and easy to grill.

Have these people also bring the onions, mushrooms and zucchini for the skewers. These

vegetables should be washed and cut into large chunks which fit on a skewer.

As a starter have them bring pitted prunes and sliced bacon. The bacon is wrapped 

around the prunes, a toothpick is stuck through the bacon and prune to hold it together 

and grilled until the bacon is crisp. If children attend the barbecue, small cocktail sausages 

wrapped with bacon can be grilled until the bacon is crisp.

This couple can provide meat for the children who usually prefer chicken such as 

drumsticks. This couple can also bring the dessert. The dessert can be very simple - 

bananas which can be cut in half lengthwise, and sprinkled with chopped nuts 

(e.g. walnuts) and powdered sugar. You can place the bananas skin-side down on the 

grill then serve them with ice cream.

It is important that a grill or barbecue proceeds in an appropriate order. Begin with the 

potatoes, then continue with the chicken. Last, barbecue the beef and/or veal. The very 

last item should be the fish which is best barbecued with a little oil and wrapped in foil.

If you have not marinated the meat, fish or vegetables, you need to brush them with a little 

oil, either a good olive oil or barbecue oil. Corn oil is good for barbecuing as it does not 

have such a strong flavor.

Be sure to use fresh or washed platters or plates on which to place the barbecued foods. 

You should never put the barbecued foods back on the same dishes on which you had 

them raw.

To create a little festive atmosphere, decorate the table and garden. Do not use your 

best dishes, but use plates with a little color or decorative design accompanied by 

colorful and matching napkins (serviettes) and candles in small containers, hurricane or 

wind glasses; these prevent the candles from flickering or being blown out by gusts of 

wind. A colorful or decorative table cloth is not essential but definitely welcome unless 

you have place mats which fit in nicely. If you have children, a wax table cloth or cotton 

table cloth with a permanent coating is an easy remedy for spills and messes. There are 

many paper table cloths available which can be reused or discarded after the barbecue. 

Lights can be hung in the trees, shrubs and in other strategic places, but be 

careful not to start a blaze!

There are many candle holders available which can be hung or set on the table 

and ground to illuminate the summer evenings. Light up, eat up and enjoy 

yourselves.

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This Week's Edition, July 24, 2002

Article: Grills and Barbecues

Recipes: 
Tandoori Grilled Tuna
Salmon Steaks Kyoto
Barbecued Corn on the Cob
Vegetables in Tomato Sauce
Walnut Crusted Chicken with Spinach; Dr. Julie Howard

Drinks:
Diet Soft Drink
Banana Punch

 
For this week's edition, you may visit:
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

This week's recipes:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/whatnew.htm

You may also submit your recipes directly on to our site here:
http://eclecticcooking.community.everyone.net

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Dear Editor,

As a diabetic, I am always conscious of what I am eating. I love to cook

and living in Texas, I find it ever challenging to make something besides

steak and potatoes. Chicken is a mainstay, then fish, steering away from

red meat as much as possible.

Below you will find a recipe of mine (Walnut Crusted Chicken with Spinach)

that I thought I would like to share with those of you who like flavor and

healthy food in the same dish. Enjoy.

Dr. Julie Howard

4 Chicken breasts - bones and skins removed

1 cup (8 dl) fresh spinach

½ cup )1 dl) walnuts, finely chopped

1 cup )2 dl) Italian bread crumbs

Olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ sweet onion, finely chopped

1 sweet bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 can finely diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp sugar

1 lb spinach fettuccini

Pinch of salt

Pinch of onion powder

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Mix the Italian bread crumbs with the chopped walnuts. Add the ground

black pepper, salt, and onion powder. Set aside.

In a saucepan sauté the finely chopped onion and minced garlic, bell

pepper in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the onions and peppers are soft.

Add the canned tomatoes and simmer gently.

Place the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and gently pound to 1/8 inch

thickness. Coat the chicken breasts with the walnut-and-bread-crumb

mixture. Place the breasts in a shallow skillet with 2 tablespoons olive

oil and gently brown on both sides over medium heat. Set aside but keep

warm.

Cook the spinach fettuccini al dente (as directed on the package). When

the pasta is ready, drain. In the pot in which you cooked the pasta, heat

1-2 tablespoons olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Add the cooked

spinach fettuccini and toss.

Add the spinach to the tomato mixture and heat through. Add the Parmesan

cheese. Place one chicken breast on each plate and top with the tomato-

spinach mixture, and ¼ cup of spinach fettuccini topped with a little Parmesan

cheese. Serve immediately.

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Hot Tip

Try to use young, fresh grape-vine leaves rather than the ones in brine.

Grape-vine leaves give a delicious lemon flavor when wrapped around

small game birds such as quail and partridge before roasting.

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Our Health and Nutrition links:
http://eclectic-healthy-cooking.subportal.com/health/


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Joke / Story of the Week

We hope this is not offensive to anyone, but a small child was heard

saying his evening prayer:

“… and forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in

our baskets.”

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Next Week’s Edition, July 31, 2002

Article: Water - Key to Weight Loss

Maija Appleby

Recipes:

Spicy Tomato Dip

Marinated Pork on the Grill

Sweet-Sour Bell Peppers

Salad with Fruit

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Thank you.

Recipes and articles can be Emailed to Lydia Jensen, editor: Lydiajj@get2net.dk
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What do you think of our newsletter? Do you have any comments about the
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(For advertising please contact, Lars@eclecticcooking.com)


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Copyright 2002 Eclectic Cooking

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