Chin Deep

Adding wood to your coals before grilling can add depth and flavor to the meats you grill. We have been experimenting with grapevines and fresh herbs. Have fun with this and let me know what you find out

Here is a list of woods suitable for grilling and smoking:

* ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a grill, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.
* ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
* ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.
* APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.
* ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.
* BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
* CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.
* COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.
* CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.
* GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
* HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking–the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.
* LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
* MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.
* MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning.
* MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.
* OAK - Heavy smoke flavor–the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
* ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
* PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.
* PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.
* SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
* WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

This is a fun and easy recipe to add to an impromptu breakfast in bed. This recipe was first published on page 108 of my second book “Welcome Home.”

French Breakfast Croissants (called Pain Au Chocolat in France)

Simply roll some dark chocolate chips into refrigerated, pre-made, refrigerated crescent roll dough. make sure all of the chocolate chips are encased in the dough. Bake according to package directions.

“America is my country and Paris is my hometown.”

-Gertrude Stein

In honor of Mother’s Day this past weekend, this recipe is for the kiddos (and you too!) Who doesn’t secretly love to indulge in some of the comforting “nursery” foods from their youth? In my opinion this dish can still be called “Spa Cuisine,” because it is good for the body and soul.

This soup is a heavenly blast from the past. Your kids will love it…and it’s full of vitamin C.

Also, I hope you all enjoy the illustration. It is the first original painting by me that has been released since my illustrations and cover design for the book “Fearless Pregnancy” that was published in 2004 by Fair Winds Press. It is called “Animal Crackers in My Soup!” and may become available in print form sometime this year.

Alphabet Soup

1 lb. pre-cooked mini meatballs

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup carrots, cut into “coins”

1 cup peeled, diced potato

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 (14 oz. cans) organic chicken broth

1 (28 oz. can) organic tomato sauce

1 (6 oz. can) organic tomato paste

1/4 cup minced parsley

2 Tablespoons organic, dried, Italian seasoning

3/4 cup uncooked alphabet pasta

Heat mini meatballs in a skillet until heated through. Set aside. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, saute the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 1 more minute. Add broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, parsley and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add meatballs and allow to simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes or until veggies and pasta are tender.

“Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!” -Lewis Carroll

I found this recipe in one of my favorite books of all time, “An Embarrassment of Mangoes” by Ann Vanderhoof. This book transported me to the Caribbean in the middle of one of those Minnesota winters you’re pretty sure will never end. I’ve made this recipe at least 50 times (and a couple times for a crowd when I was a chef at a tearoom). It’s tried and true Just make sure you’re mangoes are ripe. The following excerpt is written by Ann Vanderhoof :

Mango Crisp

My brother-in-law, Mike, was stationed on Oahu for four years when he was in the Air Force. He has told Jeff and I stories about mountain biking through passion fruit groves and almost swooning from the intoxicating aroma of the fruit mixed with all of the other amazing scents you encounter when you’re on a Hawaiian island.

Jeff and I planned a 10 day trip to Maui in 2003 and before we left we asked Mike if there was anything we needed to see or do while we were there. The only two things he said we HAD to do was go to “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and get a cold ginger chicken plate lunch. Well, we did get to see Cheeseburger in Paradise but, frankly, the 2 hour wait seemed a bit extreme for a cheeseburger. We scoured the island looking for the elusive cold ginger chicken plate lunch. A couple times we found places that served it, but they were always out. We never did have cold ginger chicken while on Maui, and I don’t think I’ve ever been brave enough to tell Mike.

When we got home I looked for a recipe for cold ginger chicken plate lunch online and actually found a couple authentic Hawaiian recipes for this mouthwatering delicacy. After some tweaking, and about 20 batches I think I might make it better than the Hawaiians, of course it is impossible for me to know for sure. The original recipe calls for a whole fryer chicken which I have substituted with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I have also added a bit of vinegar and brown sugar to my recipe, which I think makes this once very good recipe absolutely fantastic.

Although you do have to be a ginger fan to enjoy this, don’t worry about the whopping one CUP of ginger that the recipe calls for. Something magical happens when you mix the pureed ginger with the olive oil.

Cold Ginger Chicken-

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts completely cooked, covered, and chilled in refrigerator
• For the ginger sauce combine the following ingredients in a food processor:
• 1 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into chunks
• 5 stalks green onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh, peeled garlic
• 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Puree until smooth and pour sauce into a plastic or glass container.

Add:

• 3 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix sauce well, cover and allow to chill completely. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over it. Wonderful served with brown rice or coleslaw. The sauce can be made in big batches as it freezes beautifully.