Chin Deep » spa cuisine

Appropriate woods for grilling

Melissa — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:01:21 +0000

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.

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Spa Cuisine: French Chocolate Breakfast Croissants

Melissa — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:39:56 +0000

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

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Spa Cuisine: A is for… Alphabet Soup!

Melissa — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:37:01 +0000

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

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Spa Cuisine: Mango Crisp

Melissa — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:31:41 +0000

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

The perfect dessert when you have an embarrassment of mangoes (and when you don’t you can substitute berries – blueberries, raspberries, strawberries – for some of the mango). Although not an option on Receta (our boat freezer wouldn’t keep ice cream), the crisp is delicious with vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, serve with lightly whipped cream, lightly sweetened sour cream or yogurt, or crème fraîche (see tips below)

Ingredients:
For Topping:

1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/3 cup cold butter

For Fruit:

6 cups sliced ripe mango (about 3 – 4 mangoes, depending on size)
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (approx)
2 tbsp flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 2-quart (8-inch-square) baking dish

2. Prepare the topping: In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, nutmeg, and crystallized ginger. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside

3. Toss the mango with the lime juice. Combine sugar and flour, and toss with fruit. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Spread fruit in the prepared dish

4. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 – 50 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve warm

Tips:

For a nutty topping, toss about 1/2 cup slivered almonds with the topping mixture

To make crème fraîche, combine 2 cups whipping cream and 1 cup sour cream in a nonmetallic bow, cover with plastic, and let stand at room temperature for 16 – 24 hours or until thickened. Refrigerate until serving

To make your own crystallized ginger, peel ginger, slice into 1/4 inch thick slices, and boil in cane syrup or sugar syrup for 20 minutes. Remove from syrup, drain, and roll in granulated sugar. Allow to air dry on a rack, then keep in a tightly closed jar

Serves: 8

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