Month: June 2010

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bread pudding is an improvisational recipe

dad's bread pudding

There was a time that people had the ability to add and subtract in their head, eye ball a construction project with beautiful results, paint without numbers and create something wonderful. However, everyone can recapture those long lost abilities and cooking skills by simply viewing most things including recipes as ‘guidelines.’

My grandmother was brilliant in the kitchen and she would tell me that cookbooks are ‘useful’ and help to ‘spark an idea’, but were really only ‘guidelines.’  This time in my bread pudding, I used banana nut muffins, croissants, and french bread as the base. This is why a bread pudding can be wonderfully different every time!

I believe all ‘Bread Puddings’  were really only a catch all dessert bound together by eggs, infused with fruit and cream, and covered with a yummy sauce. One nice feature of my bread puddings is that they reconstitute very well. Left over sections can be placed into a container covered with sauce and they microwave back to life beautifully!

So here’s the recipe... make it for someone you love.

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greek moussaka is wonderful


One of my favorite meals is to dine on Moussaka! It is a meat and vegetable dish that has a lot of appeal in certain parts of the world, but it  is virtually unknown in others. However, not everyone enjoys Moussaka and I think it is not so much because of how it is prepared but because of some , or one , of its ingredients. How one prepares the eggplant either makes or breaks this marvelous dish!

I am finally getting down to making  Moussaka today …and I am reminded that slicing and frying the eggplant very thin is key! Personally, I love the addition of zucchini and potatoes also sliced and fried thin. In the sauce, I use a mixture of lamb and pork which produces a soft and delicious meat filling.

When my daughters returned from their conference in Rio de Janeiro they met Laura in another conference  in Boston. Kindly, they had brought with them some cookbooks for me… in Portuguese. Now translating cookbooks is relative easy regardless of the language, but Portuguese is a  language that English speaking people find possible. Thanks , ladies!

3 cookbooks from Brazil and one from Boston

Now, I am busy!

BTW. Greek Festival in San Luis Obispo if you are looking for something fun this weekend!

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it’s the spice of life

dad and his coffee

I am lecturing tomorrow on the contributions of ‘spice’ over the ages to our culinary world. The attendees will not be culinary experts, except those who come by it naturally; they are college students. Yes, they will be fed.

Although spices have had an important place in collective history, many spices have virtually been forgotten in the last century. Few remember the uses of fenugreek, cardamon or mace. This is possibly why that all of my favorite cookbooks are well over 100 years old!  However, with a renewed interest by both the professional and the skilled amateur has brought the use of spices back  to the forefront.

History tells us that spices were often used as a preservative and anyone making  corned beef or pastrami knows that to be true! It is impressive that someone could throw meat (often brisket) into a container covered with liquid and spices to ‘cure’ the meat over a couple of months, cook and consume the meal and suffer no ill affects, hopefully.

According to a recent study, oregano, garlic, allspice and oregano were 100% effective against a host of bacterial species they were tested against! In addition, thyme, cinnamon, tarragon, cumin, cloves, lemon grass, bay leaf, capsicums (hot peppers), and rosemary all inhibited more than 75% of the bacteria they were tested against. If you enjoy sushi, as you might imagine having Wasabi and ginger placed along with your meal has more meaning than just being a tasty flavoring!

Also spices are most often used in the hotter climates with Ethiopia,Kenya, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria and Thailand being the biggest consumers! (Of course , it helps that the production is done right next door or locally!)

Today, people making changes toward a healthy diet are finding that spices not only add the little bit of zing they want to their meal, but are low in calories and high in anti-oxidants.

Here are a few sites for further reading:

UCLA Biomed Library on Spices

McCormick Science Institute

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free speech not likely coming to Cal Poly

Cal Poly never changes

Cal Poly State University is about to select a new President and there are three candidates. (for reference, here’s what  Lou Dobbs of CNN said about the last president)

Actually, the truth is in the details, a select committee from a variety of interests outside of the purview of much of the university and the community did the selection and whittled the short list down to three people of which little is publicly known of them. Searching the candidates for on-line information gives little insight.

However, one of the issues that has plagued the university warranting national attention has been it’s treatment of students. In my opinion, Free speech and other first amendment violations are among the most egregious.

Baring any clarifying statements of the candidates, it might be safe to look at the F.I.R.E. rankings ( Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) of the universities whence the candidates come. This might not be an accurate reflection of any of the candidatel’s personal attitudes, but it does give an insight into their campus climate.

Here are the three universities and their rankings and links to their stories:

University of Cincinnati — RED LIGHT

Wright State — RED LIGHT

Boise State — unranked but with comments

At a minimum, I think these three candidates need a few more questions about what kind of climate they intend to foster for the students and faculty at Cal Poly. However, it sounds to me like 30 years of more of the same.

PS. if you are curious about the picture above, click on the picture and read about some of the past controversies