Dona's Kitchen Kapers- Col. 152 April 1 2004  

 

Dona's Kitchen Kapers is a free E-zine circulated to the cooking/food community. It can also be found at www.smalladdictions.com/Skateboard

PLEASE NOTE: Dona's Kitchen Kapers will be on a Princess cruise to Hawaii so there will not be a May 15th issue. Jump on board to enjoy Dona's six lectures on Sculpture Since the Seventies. Or bring Dona to your organization for her lively, stimulating, eye-opening lecturers.

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DONA'S KITCHEN KAPERS©

 

By Dona Z. Meilach

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1.       CONVERSATION SPARKERS

BE AWARE and BE SAFE

2.     NEW PRODUCTS – MOMINTS

3. RECIPES IN SEASON

          Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

          Heavenly Hots

          Riverfront Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

4. TRAVEL – HIDDEN LANDMARKS

5. OLLA PODRIDA

FIND CLEANING TIPS ON THE INTERNET

6. BOOKS by Dona Z. Meilach for Yourself - For Gifts

7. Subscribe-Unsubscribe

 

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1.        CONVERSATION SPARKERS

BE AWARE and BE SAFE

This caution has been offered by one of my subscribers….many thanks to Stan Feingold.

Imagine: You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all your doors, start the engine and shift into  REVERSE.  You look into the rear-view window to back out of your parking  space and notice a piece of paper, some sort of  advertisement, stuck to your rear window.

 

You shift into PARK,  unlock your doors and jump out of  your vehicle to remove that paper that is obstructing your view... when you reach the back of your car,   the car-jackers jumps out of no where ... jumps into  your car and takes off --your engine was running, your purse is in the car. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

 

I have a car with a remote opener, and I note that I, and many others, open the door from a distance, maybe even a few car lengths away. A light flashes or a horn blows telling you, and anyone else nearby, that the car is open.. What is to prevent someone waiting to take your keys from your hand, do you some harm, and run off with your car? Being forewarned is being forearmed. Be careful.

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2.        NEW PRODUCTS – MOMINTS

It seems like every few months someone introduces a new breath freshener. This time the product is MOMINTS and they are as cute as they are effective. Momints look like tiny beads with a liquid inside that is the freshener. Called "perfume for the breath" in peppermint, cinnamon, and winter burst, the packaging is as clever as the product is refreshing.  About half the size of a matchbox, each package holds 36 mints that slide out of a dispenser one at a time. The cover just bends back to open, and flips back to shut so the package is small and easy to carry in a shirt pocket or purse without being obvious. There are two packaging options, the 36 mint EZ-Silde dispenser at $1.69, and an 8 mint "Tube" for  $0.50. Check them out at www.momints.com and at the check out counter of drug and convenience stores. They really work! Keep them away from toddlers.

 

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3.        RECIPES IN SEASON
   
 Midwest Living Magazine offers these new Brunch ideas from a few of the regions restaurants that shared their recipes. For more recipes, look in the March/April issue Midwest Living available on newsstands now. 

SPINACH STUFFED MUSHROOMS

 

1/2 (12-oz.) pkg. frozen spinach soufflé, thawed
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper
 16 fresh mushrooms, 2-inches in diameter

 

Wash and drain mushrooms; pat dry with paper towels. Remove stems. Combine spinach soufflé, bread crumbs, bacon, Parmesan cheese and pepper; blend well. Divide mixture evenly among mushrooms. Place mushrooms on black metal tray. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.

Makes 16 stuffed mushrooms


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HEAVENLY HOTS


Three kinds of pancakes come out of Ina Pinkney's Chicago restaurant, Ina's: whole-wheat oatmeal, gingerbread with lemon cream, and these sour cream cakes. "I believe in pancakes so good, you don't need syrup."  She serves a warm fruit compote on the side.
 
4 eggs
1 16-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1/4 cup sifted cake flour or all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups assorted fresh fruit, such as orange sections, raspberries or blueberries, and/or sliced bananas, strawberries, peaches or pears
Soft whipped cream (optional)
Orange marmalade (optional)
Edible flowers (optional)

1.  In a blender, add the eggs, sour cream, cake flour or all-purpose flour, potato starch or cornstarch, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Cover and blend the mixture for 30 seconds.  Stop the blender.  Scrape down the sides of container with a rubber spatula and blend again till the mixture is smooth. 
Let the batter set for 2 to 3 minutes.

2.  Pour slightly less than 1/4 cup of the pancake batter into a 3-inch circle onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet.  Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or till the pancakes are golden brown, carefully turning (pancakes are very tender) to second side when the pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry.  Serve warm with fruit (Ina heats the fruit for a compote), and cream, marmalade and a flower garnish, if you like. Makes 12 to 13 pancakes.

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RIVERFRONT MUSHROOM STUFFED CHICKEN


This recipe is courtesy of RiverFront, a breathtaking glassed-in restaurant suspended over a river gorge in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. 
 
3 cups finely chopped fresh mushrooms
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 cup soft bread crumbs
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup purchased marinara sauce
1/2 cup whipping cream

1.  For filling: In a large skillet, combine mushrooms, broth, onion, thyme and basil.  Bring to boiling.  Reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, 20 minutes or till broth has almost evaporated, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.  Stir in bread crumbs.

2.  Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  Using flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to 1/4-inch thickness.  Remove wrap.  Repeat with remaining chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Evenly spread about 1/4 cup filling on each chicken piece.  Fold in the bottom
and sides; roll up.  Press all edges firmly to seal.  Secure with wooden  toothpicks.

3.  In a 12-inch oven going skillet, heat butter and oil.  Add chicken rolls. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or till golden, turning to brown all sides.  Bake, uncovered, in a 375-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or till chicken no longer is pink (170 degrees).  Remove toothpicks.

4.  In small saucepan, mix marinara and cream; heat (don't boil).  Serve chicken with sauce. Makes 6 servings.
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4. TRAVEL – HIDDEN LANDMARKS

 

Whether you're traveling a  new route or going well travleled ones, it's exciting to find hidden landwmarks that are not mentioned in most travel resources. So Hampton Inns has indicated obscure and infamous American moments that will give you new places to see and subjects to discuss…maybe even research.

 

Check their Web site at www.hamptonlandmarks.com, that will unveil places and tours that harbor some of the country’s unknown, unconventional, and most unbelievable secrets and legends. The site is an online directory and guide to hundreds of locations for such things as:

 

The Louisiana location where outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed

Fort Sumner Monument, the site where Billy the Kid was hiding out the night of his capture

Louis’ Lunch where the first hamburger was served in 1900, and today is still serving burgers broiled vertically in the original cast iron grill

The fairground where Elvis Presley made his first public performance on October 3, 1945

The location of Babe Ruth’s first "unofficial" home run during spring training in North Carolina

The site was created with assistance from Chris Epting, pop-culture historian and author of “James Dean Died Here, the Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks.” It functions enables travelers to search for historic hot spots by city, state or more than 12 categories ranging from ‘mystery & tragedy’ to ‘sports’ to the ‘really different’ spots. For the true cultural enthusiast, there are also multiple themed tours that can guide travelers on a journey through women in history or let them swing their hips in Elvis’s favorite haunts.

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 5. OLLA PODRIDA

 

This is a Spanish term for a pot of stew. Literally, olla is a round earthenware pot and podrida is a dish composed of different meats and vegetables.

FIND CLEANING TIPS ON THE INTERNET

 

I've always hunted up cleaning hints in one of several books I have, but this week when gum got all over a pair of men's cotton pants, nothing in the books hinted about cleaning them. So I checked the Internet under "remove gum stains" and was rewarded immediately with several suggestions. One was to use the white of an egg on the gum area. I had never heard of  egg white as a stain remover but it seemed the easiest and most expedient with what I had available.

 

After rubbing the gum with the egg white it began to lift from the pants. I scraped it gently with a knife, then, per instructions, washed the pants in the hottest water I had.

 

Much to my surprise, it worked. This morning, I put all the helpful hint books with a stack of books to be donated to the library. Next time I need a helpful hint, I'll go right to the Web and not clutter up my bookshelf.

 

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6. BOOKS by Dona Z. Meilach for Yourself - For Gifts

 

Dona's Kitchen Kapers is an associate of Amazon Books. Using the link provided to one book, will take you to others when you request it by title or author. You will be returned to this page after checking their listings (I hope). There's a 20% to 30% saving per book. For the following books or those mentioned in the book reviews. Books bought thru AMAZON earn a small referral fee..all such fees will be donated to the American Cancer Association. :Log in with the URL below for all your AMAZON book purchases.

 

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1558672095/donaskitchenkapeA/

 

THE  BEST 50 BAR DRINKS     $5.95

THE BEST 50 MARGARITAS   5.95

THE BEST 50 MARINADES AND DIPS  5.95

THE BEST 50 BRUSCHETTA     $4.95

WRAPS AND ROLL-UPS  $8.95

GOURMET GIFTS  $8.95

THE BEST BAGELS ARE MADE AT HOME $8.95

And…

 

NEWEST---WOOD ART TODAY   255 pages, 502 photos, $59.95

ART JEWELRY TODAY  255 pages, 550 photos, $49.95

ARCHITECTURAL IRONWORK   $49.95

The CONTEMPORARY BLACKSMITH 255 pages, 550 photos, $49.95

DECORATIVE & SCULPTURAL IRONWORK  2nd edition. 300 pages, over 700 photos. $34.95

DIRECT METAL SCULPTURE – Revised Edition. Over 350 pages, 425 photos.  $39.95

CONTEMPORARY STONE SCULPTURE  2nd Edition.. 224 pages, over 350 photos. $24.95

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