Thursday, February 18, 2010

Home National Sports Business Lifestyles Religion Arts & Culture Pulse Spice Editorial letters Opinion Foodie Sportscope Real Talks Weekend Report PDF's Classifieds Contact About Us Archive Weather

Letters | Opinion | Editorial | Weekend Report
Dining etiquette — is this a foreign language? By Roscoe Dames: Everyone should have an etiquette book with everything related to manners in their home. I still have my Emily Post Etiquette hard copy right on my coffee table. This book has traveled with me from high school, to college, to my first home. The great thing about manners, is it never goes out of style, even though some of the customs are updated over the years. The beautiful thing about a book on etiquette is that it covers all aspects from how to properly respond to an invitation, to how to eat the multi-course meal with the many utensils, plates and glasses in front of you, to planning a wedding. Even how to get along with co-workers. In this fast food era, many people have forgotten, or were never even taught the fundamentals of dining etiquette, and the behavior displayed by some of the youngsters today causes you to think that they may not have even been taught proper manners. Here are just a few answers to those questions that may have crossed your mind at a dinner, taken from Emily Post's Etiquette Book. * The first thing to do after being seated at a table is to immediately place your napkin on your lap. Never use your napkin as a tissue, but have one close by if you think you'll need to wipe your nose during the meal. * Women should blot their lipstick with a tissue before eating so that they don't soil the cloth napkin and glassware. * Don't flip over your coffee cup or other glassware you won't be using. If a beverage is served during the meal that you don't want, simply hold your hand over your cup or glass and say, "No thank you." * If you have to leave the table during the meal, say a soft "excuse me" to the people on either side of you, leave your napkin on your chair (not the table) and push the chair under the table as you leave. * When you look at your place setting, remember that solids are on the left and liquids are on the right. For those of you that still don't get it — this means that your bread plate is on the left above your forks and your drinking glasses are on the right side above the knife and spoons. * Use silverware from the outside in. The first fork that you will need will probably be your salad fork, the farthest on the left. The largest fork directly to its right is your dinner fork. On the far right side of your place setting will most likely be a soup spoon, and on its left, a teaspoon followed by your knife. If you see utensils placed at the top of your place setting, save those for dessert. There is so much more that everyone can learn from a book on etiquette, so, get one for your family. This would be a small investment that can pay large dividends throughout your life. Cooking is about sharing and having fun in the process so allow me to share the great recipes from Roscoe's Kitchen and be sure to listen to Star 106.5 FM every weekday at 6:25 p.m. Make sure and e-mail us at roscoeskitchen@ivoryglobalpromotions.com with your comments and recipes so that we could share your experiences and creations with our audience. AVOCADO AND SMOKED FISH SALAD Avocado and smoked fish make an excellent combination and, flavored with herbs and spices, create a delectable salad. 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 1/2 onion, finely sliced 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 8 ounces smoked mackerel, flaked 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 firm tomatoes, skinned and chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 avocado pears 1/2 cucumber 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 firm tomatoes 1 green chili Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the sliced onion and mustard seeds and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft, but not colored. Add the fish, cilantro leaves, tomatoes and lemon juice and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Make the salad. Peel and thinly slice the avocado pears and slice the cucumber. Put into a bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Slice the tomatoes. Seed and finely chop the chili. Place the fish mixture in the center of a serving plate. Arrange the avocado pears, cucumber and tomatoes around the fish. Alternatively, spoon a quarter of the fish mixture onto each of the four serving plates and divide the avocados, cucumber and tomatoes equally. Sprinkle with the chopped chili and a little salt and pepper and serve. Source: Hermes House Publishing CHICKEN AND CASHEW STIR-FRY Hoisin sauce lends a sweet yet slightly hot note to this chicken stir-fry, while cashews add a pleasing contrast of texture. 1/2 cup cashews 1 red bell pepper 1 pound boneless chicken breasts 3 tablespoons peanut oil 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 3 tablespoons sesame oil 5-6 scallions, green part only, cut into 1-inch lengths Heat a wok until hot, add the cashews and dry-fry over low to medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Cut the red bell pepper in half and remove the seeds. Slice into thin strips. Skin the chicken fillet and cut into thin finger length strips. Heat the wok again until hot, add the oil and swirl it around. Add the garlic and let it sizzle in the oil for a few seconds. Add the bell pepper and chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice wine or sherry and hoisin sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the chicken is tender and all the ingredients are evenly glazed. Stir in the sesame oil, toasted cashews and scallions. Serve immediately. Cook's tip: Use blanched almonds instead of cashews, if you prefer. For a slightly less sweet taste, you could substitute light soy sauce for the hoisin sauce. Source: Hermes House Publishing MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE Sun dried tomatoes have a dense texture and concentrated taste, and add intense flavor to slow-cooking casseroles like this one. 8 boneless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 red onion, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thickly sliced Thinly pared rind and juice of 1 small orange 1/2 cup chicken stock 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes 1 oz sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme Generous 1/3 cup pitted black olives Salt and pepper Fresh crusty bread, to serve Orange rind, to garnish Fresh thyme, to garnish Dry-fry the chicken in a large, heavy-bottom or non-stick skillet over fairly high heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Using slotted spoon, drain off any excess fat from the chicken and transfer to a large, ovenproof casserole. Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to the casserole. Add the orange rind and juice, stock, canned tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then cover the casserole and let simmer very gently over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender. Add the chopped thyme and black olives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle orange rind and thyme sprigs over the casserole to garnish, and serve with crust bread. Source: Hermes House Publishing ROASTED LAMB WITH HERBS This dish originates from southern Italy, where lamb is simply roasted with garlic and herbs. 3 lbs leg of lamb 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half 2 sprigs fresh sage, or pinch of dried sage leaves 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves 2 bay leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup dry white wine Cut any excess fat from the lamb. Rub with olive oil. Using a sharp knife, make small cuts just under the skin all around the meat. Insert the garlic pieces in some of the cuts, and a few of the fresh herbs in the others. (If using dried herbs, sprinkle them over the surface of the meat). Rub the remaining fresh herbs all over the lamb, and allow it to stand in a cool place for at least 2 hours before cooking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the lamb in a baking pan, surrounded by the oil. Season. Place in the oven and roast for 35 minutes, basting occasionally. Pour the wine over the lamb. Roast for 15 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked. Remove the lamb to a heated serving dish. Tilt the pan, spooning off any fat on the surface. Strain the pan juices into a gravy boat. Slice the meat, and serve with the sauce passed separately. Source: Hermes House Publishing PIZZA WITH FOUR CHEESES Any combination of cheeses can be used, but choose cheeses which are different in character. 1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough, rolled out or pre-made pizza dough 1/2 cup Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, thinly sliced 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, finely diced 1/2 cup goats cheese, thinly sliced 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated 4 leaves fresh sage, torn into pieces or 3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Preheat the oven to 475 degrees for at least 20 minutes before baking the pizza. Arrange the Gorgonzola on one-quarter of the pizza and the mozzarella on another, leaving the edge free. Arrange the goats and cheddar cheeses on the remaining two quarters. Sprinkle with the herbs, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Immediately place the pizza in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses are bubbling. SPICE OF THE WEEK: POPPY SEEDS Blue Poppy seeds are considered "European" poppy seeds because they are the kind seen most often on Western breads, bagels and in confectionery. White poppy seeds are often referred to as Indian, Middle Eastern or Asian since they are featured in these cuisines. There is actually very little difference in flavor between the two, so usage is more a question of aesthetics or availability. The opium poppy, native to the Middle East is grown in China, Indo-China, India and Afghanistan. An inert variety grows wild and is also cultivated in Europe and North America. The plant's species name means "sleep-inducing" and it is this narcotic effect that has provided so much incentive to its cultivation. The oriental variety yields much opium, and it is grown expressly for this lucrative purpose. The western plants yield little opium and the latex that provides the drug is absent by the time the flower ripens. Poppy seeds of culinary use have none of the alkaloids that comprise the narcotic. Opium was known medically to the ancient Egyptians and the classical civilizations. The intrigues of the oriental opium warlords have been notorious for centuries. Opium has been connected with literature since 1772. Wednesday January 20, 2009