Our Blog: What's Cookin' At Potash Bros.
February 25, 2010 | Permanent Link
Pepper comes in more colors than just black. There is also white, green, and pink peppercorns. They all come from the same plant, except for the pink ones, which are actually not related to the others.
To produce black peppercorns, clusters of berries are picked when they begin to ripen. The berries shrivel and turn dark as they dry in the sun. White peppercorns are just the core of the ripe peppercorn berries. They are soaked in water so the outer skin can be rubbed off, then the smooth, gray, inner peppercorns are dried until they turn creamy white. Green peppercorns are picked when still green and immature, then freeze-dried to retain color and flavor. Sometimes they are brined, which produces an entirely different product.
Always store your pepper in cool, dark, dry place. Whole peppercorns have a 3 year shelf life; ground pepper one year. However, I like to buy my pepper in small fresh batches and grind it fresh each time I use it.
I live to make pepper swiss bread. Defrost one loaf bread dough. Flatten it and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and swiss cheese. Roll it up, shape itnto a loaf, brush top with olive oil and black pepper, let rise, bake and enjoy!
Spice up your life! Chef Pearl
Filed Under: Cooking Tips, Chef Notes, Seasonings
February 09, 2010 | Permanent Link
Red ripe strawberries are on sale this week at Potash for $2.99 for one pound! Here are some tips for impressing your sweetie or guests with chocolate covered strawberries.
Basic
- Use milk chocolate chips
- Make sure strawberries are thoroughly dry after rinsing
- Use a double boiler, not letting the water touch the bottom of upper pan
- Heat until only 1/2 of chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir gently until it is all melted
- Insert toothpicks into top of strawberry, then insert toothpick into styrofoam, or use the holes of a colander for chocolate to cool
The Extra Gourmet Touch
- With a syringe, carefully inject strawberries with a little sweet white wine (after dipping in chocolate)
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over dark chocolate for a dazzling effect
- Drizzle leftoever melted chocolate over pretzels for a contrasting taste sensation
Filed Under:
February 06, 2010 | Permanent Link
The word chocolate actually originates from an Aztec word meaning “bitter water”. This is because, about 2,000 years ago, the Aztecs discovered the bitter flavor of the bean found on their cacao (kah KOW) trees by mixing it with vanilla, chile pepper and achiote.
Since sugar was not available to the ancient Mesoamericans, it wasn’t until the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds back home, and the unique flavor spread across Europe, that new recipes were created to change the taste and texture of chocolate.
The Industrial Revolution brought about even more innovations, which continued to transform the ancient drink into a contemporary sweet.
Works cited: History of Chocolate: Field Museum, Wikipedia
Filed Under: Dessert
January 28, 2010 | Permanent Link
You see the labels: Certified Angus Beef, U.S.D.A. Choice, Select or Prime. But how many of us know what they actually mean?
Certified Angus Beef (CAB) is a specification-based, branded-beef program which was founded in 1978. Angus cattle is a breed of polled (hornless) beef cattle, originating in Scotland and introduced in 1873 to the United States. The Angus cattle have low, compact bodies and are known for the fine quality of their flesh, and are thought to be higher quality beef than other breeds of cattle. In order to be certified, the Angus beef must meet a list of high beef standards by U.S.D.A. Graders.
The Choice, Prime and Select grades refer mainly to the marbling of the meat, but the Graders also factor in the age of the cattle. Prime is the grade of beef that contains the greatest degree of marbling (fat that is interspersed with lean muscle). Prime is usually the most expensive, as less than 3% of the beef graded is Prime. It has the greatest degree of tenderness, juiciness and flavor.
Choice has moderate marbling, and Select refers to beef that has the least marbling, which makes it the leanest, but may not be as tender and flavorful as the other two grades. Choice seems to be the most balanced, with enough marbling to create juicy tenderness and flavor, and is less expensive than Prime.
Mmm, let’s fire up the winter grill! Or maybe the broiler.
Works cited: The BBQ Report, Wikipedia, Ask The Meatman
Filed Under: Meat, Poultry and Fish
January 26, 2010 | Permanent Link
But of course we would never suggest that you really drink it. It’s just that our Better Life rep happily volunteered to prove how safe their cleaners are. And Better Life products are effective, so you don’t have to sacrifice performance to be safe and environmentally-friendly.
Chemicals in cleaning products have been known to trigger respiratory problems, nausea, headaches and skin irritation and contribute to many more ailments, not to mention their harsh effects on our environment. Better Life blends highly specialized surfactants made from sugar, startch and amino acids – all safe stuff, so you don’t have to worry about the build up of toxins on you, your family and pets.
With names like “what-EVER!” for their all-purpose cleaner, “I Can See Clearly, WOW!” for their glass cleaner, and knowing that your are cleaning with friendly products, the Better Life cleaning products are fun to use. Visit Potash Bros. Market for your Better Life safe cleaning products and have a green day!
Filed Under: All Natural, Household
January 13, 2010 | Permanent Link
Did you know that “hard” boil is a misnomer when it comes to eggs? You should not “boil” eggs at all, as this will toughen your eggs and turn your yolks green.
The best way to hard cook eggs is to place them in a pan of cold water in one layer. Bring this just to the boiling point, shut off the heat and cover the pot. Set the timer for 13 minutes. When it rings, chill your eggs immediately by putting them in ice water.
Filed Under: Cooking Tips, Chef Notes
January 13, 2010 | Permanent Link
The egg is nature’s perfect shape. It is an elegant container holding a small treasure of balanced nutrients—protiens, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Eggs are at their best cooked gently and carefully timed, with the exception of making omelets, in which the heat should be high and brief.
Eggs must always be refridgerated. Store them in the carton they come in, large end up. Do not store them near strong smelling foods, as eggs easily absorb odors.
The flavor and quality of eggs is best if used in one week, but they can be refrigerated up to a month, provided the shells are intact. Hard cooked eggs may be stored up to a week.
See “How to Boil an Egg” or “Easy Baked Egg” recipe.
Filed Under: All Natural, Chef Notes
December 08, 2009 | Permanent Link
Among the upcoming events at Potash Bros. Market this month are tastings for the wines from the Languedoc Region of France. Impress your holiday guests with your wine choices and a little knowledge of the art of wine tasting!
It’s no wonder wine is considered such a sensual spirit: it engages our sight, smell and taste. When sampling a wine, it is first studied through a clear glass, preferably with a white background. The color of a wine can give clues as to its age. Many red wines begin as a deep purple and with time lose their intensity and begin to look paler and redder. Also, the type of red color can sometimes give you information about the type of red grape that it comes from.
Conversely, white wine starts out pale and deepens in color as it ages. The color change gradually occurs over many decades. As with red wine, you can often tell what grapes were used and from where they originate. Cool climate wines are more pale than warmer climate varieties.
The reason wine is swirled gently in the glass when we smell it is that the interface between the wine and air helps the aromas release, so it increases the surface area and makes the aromas more available. When the wine is young, its aroma is strongly fruity. As the wine ages, secondary aromas develop that are more earthy.
At last! We taste the wine. In tasting, we don’t leave the nose behind. As you detect characteristics of the wine in your mouth, you will also find that the aromas in the mouth pervade the upper airways as well, and this is an important component in tasting the wine. Pay attention to how the wine changes as you hold it in your mouth. Breath in and out through your nose as you taste.
Here’s to the art of tasting wine!
Works cited: TheWineDoctor.com
Filed Under: Wine
November 10, 2009 | Permanent Link
Howard Kauffman and his family have been raising turkeys on their independent owned and operated farm, Kauffman Turkey Farm, located in Waterman, Illinois, for over 70 years. The Ho-Ka turkeys are minimally processed with nothing added, and each turkey has a government seal of inspection.
“Our Turkeys are grown from one day of age until they are dressed in the farm’s federally inspected plant. We raise our birds with the emphasis on quality. This means that the turkeys grow more slowly and develop a richer flavor and denser texture.”
Check out the Kaufmann Turkey Farms fun facts.
Call to order you fresh Ho-Ka or fresh Rosebud turkey, or frozen Norbert or Butterball turkeys from your local Potash Bros. store today.
Filed Under: All Natural, Meat, Poultry and Fish, Seasonal
November 05, 2009 | Permanent Link
As we look forward to the Thanksgiving feast, let’s ponder a little slice of history.
Food historians say that the sweet potato, introduced to Europe in the 16th century, was greatly prized by some European kings and queens. Henry VIII of England thought that the plant, planted in the court gardens by his in-laws, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, was an aphrodisiac. This, along with the expense, gave the sweet potato an exotic quality. Henry ate his sweet potatoes in heavily spiced and sugared pies.
In other parts of the world, such as West Africa, the sweet potato quickly became incorporated into local cuisine as it was introduced and made it into the American South in early colonial days, where it became a cornerstone of southern home cooking.
Sweet potato pie is sometimes served with marshmallows, which have historically been used as a whipped cream substitute and decoration for the pie.
Let’s not forget that the sweet potato is a vegetable rich in vitamins A & C, and offers many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure. So, you can guiltlessly have that second piece of sweet potato pie this Thanksgiving!
This season, Potash Bros. offers sweet potato pie as one of the many items on the holiday dinner and ala carte menus.
Works cited: Foodtimeline.org
Filed Under: Dessert, History, Seasonal