Today's treat of the week combines many of my favorite things.  I absolutely love pineapple and I don't think there is any single food better than cheesecake.  I have put them together and taken the flavors a step futher with two more of my favorite things... mascarpone cheese and mint.  The mint is a lovely companion for the pineapple and the mascarpone adds body and flavor to the whipping cream. C'est parfait.

I baked each cake in a mini bundt pan to carry out the theme of the shape.  Each pineapple ring fit perfectly in the bottom of the pan.  Speaking of rings, you could probably use the canned pineapple rings, but I cannot guarantee the flavor would be as good.  Besides, if you cut it yourself you end up with disks of core.  At our house we call these "pineapple pucks" and despite what you may think, they are quite tasty.  My wife would rather eat those than the actual pineapple.

Caution:  the bundt pan yields what appears to be a single serving, but it should yield 2 or 3 for a reasonable person.  No judgement.  Enjoy and aloha.

savour... perfect pairings. 

Get the rest after the jump...

The inspiration for my project today is here.  I first saw this Rex Ray print years ago in a magazine that I cannot remember.  I found a picture of it online and bookmarked it knowing that I would use it for inspiration someday.  I love the graphic quality of this piece and the use of colors and shapes.

I believe that the Rex Ray version is digital art.  We could do that, but that would depend on you having the software and skillset to complete the project.  I have opted instead for a version of the inspiration art that anyone should be able to do.  All of the raindrop cutting can be done while watching TV.

We will be using some of the images that you may have already started saving based on last week’s paper art project and a new cheap paper source… paint chips.  Those little cards at the home improvement center are perfect for a project like this.  I have amassed hundreds of them over the years.  I spend a great deal of time at hardware stores.

It is surprising to me, the number of people who have never made popcorn on the stove.  For me growing up, this was the highlight of any given night at our house.  There were many of us, so my mom would make a big pot (or two), pour it into a brown grocery sack, sprinkle on the salt, add butter, and one of us would be chosen to shake it up. 

No camping trip was ever complete without Jiffy Pop.  We even tried our hand at the air popper (this yields the blandest corn ever).  Then along came microwave popcorn to change snacking forever. The first shelf-stable microwave popcorn hit shelves in 1984.  For that reason, many younger adults have only seen it made this way.

I do not currently have any microwave popcorn in my home, but I cannot deny the convenience of this product.  I do believe, however, that there is something special about making it on the stove.  As I have said many times, the magic of food and life itself is in the sensory experiences.  This is one of those foods that really employs all of the senses.

You already have all the necessary tools.  All you need is the ingredients – oil, popcorn, and popcorn salt.  Best of all, the difference in price is incredible.  I purchase my popcorn from a market that has bulk containers and pay 89 cents per pound.  The equivalent at the supermarket is $2.21 per pound and the leading brand microwave popcorn is $2.47 per pound.

Here I have outlined the basic instructions for making popcorn.  You simply cannot go wrong with popping in a movie and popping a big bowl of the good stuff.  I have taken it a step further by adding my favorite caramel popcorn recipe.  This is a definite crowd pleaser.  Nuts are optional.

savour…salty and sweet.

Before you begin:

Popcorn salt is a must.  I made popcorn for years without it.  It changes everything.

Working with hot sugar and boiling syrup can be dicey.  Be extra careful when making caramel.  It can cause some nasty burns.

While the recipe does not call for it, you could add in a teaspoon of rum extract when you add the vanilla for a special butter rum treat.

Making popcorn

The ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil

½ cup popcorn

Popcorn salt (to taste)

The method: 

1. Have bowl nearby.
2. Put oil in large pot.
3. Add popcorn
4. Heat over medium high heat.
5. Listen and watch for first kernel to pop.
6. After first pop, place lid on pot.
7. With oven mitts, begin shaking the entire pot over the heat.
8. Continue shaking until the popping stops.
9. Remove from the heat and remove lid.
10. Pour into bowl and season as desired.

Caramel Corn

The ingredients:

8 cups popped corn

1 cup peanuts (optional)

¾ cup brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon vanilla

The method:

1. Place popped corn (kernels only, no seeds) in roasting pan.
2. Sprinkle peanuts over popcorn if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
4. In a saucepan place sugar, butter, and corn syrup.
5. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
6. Allow mixture to continue to boil without stirring for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Stir in baking soda and vanilla.
9. Pour mixture over popcorn slowly. Try to get a thin stream going to cover as much surface as possible.
10. Gently stir popcorn to coat.
11. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
12. Stir again and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
13. Turn out popcorn on parchment to cool completely.
14. Store in an airtight container.

There is no doubt that overall nutrition has been on the decline for some time in this country.  Like so many other things, quality has yielded to convenience and, in many cases, cost.  That may be tolerable in some cases, but it is not in terms of nutrition.

The ideal situation would be to send your child to school confidently knowing that he/she was going to enjoy a delicious, nutritious, brain-powering meal at lunchtime.  There may be exceptions to this, but by and large this is not the case.  Processed foods have taken the forefront in the daily menus at schools nationwide.

Some initiatives have begun to affect change, but they are sparse.  Clearly, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution has gotten the most attention lately largely due to his celebrity chef status.  Ratings grabber or not… this show at least highlights a very real problem.

The alternative is to pack lunches.  This can be more time consuming, but with proper planning is easy to accomplish.  It can be made even easier if your kids are old enough to help.  Not to mention, this could be a great teaching opportunity for you.

Here are some tips to get started:

• Kids don’t get that much time to eat.  Make sure that their lunch is easy to eat and they don’t have to fool with a lot of packaging.
• Containers frequently go MIA.  Package lunch items in wrappers that can be discarded or recycled.
• Send small portions so that most, if not everything, gets eaten… well-balanced is the goal here.
• Freeze juice boxes to keep the food cool until lunchtime.  Things stay cold and the juice is thawed at just the right time.
• Make lunch fun so they will look forward to it.  Include a sticker or note.
• Pack up the ingredients for the whole week on the weekend.  This will save a tremendous amount of time on weekday mornings.  If your kids are old enough they can help.
• Have your kids pack their own lunches each morning using the packaged items from the weekend.

Here are some lunch items:

• Small sacks of pretzels
• Pinwheel sandwiches (assemble sandwich on tortilla, roll tightly, and cut sushi style)
• Baby carrots
• Apple slices (we usually soak ours in a little lemon water before packing to prevent browning)
• Mini bagels
• Mini bean & cheese tacos
• Cheese and crackers
• Peanuts, Raisins, etc.

While you will likely find this most useful for children, there is something to be said for adult brown-bagging.  If you buy your lunch everyday you can do the math to determine how much you would save if you started packing.  Of course, the benefits stretch far beyond monetary savings.  The health benefits associated with choosing the right foods to eat in small portions several times a day are tremendous.

If your child attends a school that serves a quality “hot lunch” you are lucky.  If not, you may consider assembling a worthwhile lunch at home.  Try it yourself and reap the benefits.  Please share your best practices and tips for a healthy brown bag.  I look forward to reading your comments.

savour… plastic trays and hairnets.

Sometimes you need a quick solution for dessert.  Perhaps you are having guests for dinner and a bowl of ice cream isn’t enough.  I have just the thing for you today… puff pastry.  I used pre-made dough right from the freezer section.  It may seem like a super shortcut, but it shaves a load of time off and the results are quite tasty.

You will get an opportunity to exercise your culinary muscles, however.  Today we are covering pastry cream.  It, or a variation of it, can be used in many desserts.  It is great between layers of cakes. This sturdy, basic version would also be good for doughnuts, éclairs, and cream puffs.

Because I find that plain pastry cream sometimes lacks character, I added a little flavor to this one.  I was wandering around the produce section in search of “in season” fruit to top my dessert when I came upon the kumquats.  I had not eaten these in years.  I had already chosen blackberries and I knew right away that the contrast between these two would be perfect.  I don’t always get it right, but today I did.

Kumquats have a flavor that is bright and obviously citrusy.  They are tart, but less tart than a lemon.  They are sweet, but less sweet than an orange.  They are tiny and delicious and make the prettiest garnish.  You may have to check a specialty supermarket or produce market for these depending on where you live.

You can make the cream in advance and store in the refrigerator.  When you are ready, bake the pastry shells, fill them, and top with the fruit of your choice.  It is a very easy treat that will have your guests singing your praises.  Try it and do let me know what you do for variations.

savour… sensible shortcuts.

Puff Pastry with Blackberries & Kumquat Crème

Before you start:

Make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions on the puff pastry if you have not used it before.  You may need to know the thaw time and bake time to plan appropriately.

You must pour the hot milk into the egg S L O W L Y.  If you go too fast, the result will be sweet scrambled eggs.

Have the ingredients for the crème ready in advance.  This is one of those recipes where heat and stirring dance dangerously together.  The last thing you need is to be hunting for the vanilla or your whisk when things start to heat up.

Speaking of stirring, you must stir constantly almost from the beginning to avoid lumps.  Some people will put the crème through a strainer.  This is not a bad idea, but if properly stirred it should not be necessary.

The ingredients:

Frozen Puff Pastry (we will cover making pastry dough in another post)

Blackberries (I used 2 for each, but you can change that as desired)

Kumquats (6 juiced for the pastry crème; the rest for garnish)

Pastry crème (recipe follows)

Fresh mint

The method:

1. Thaw and roll out the pastry dough using the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Cut dough with circle cutter (I used four circles for each pastry).
3. Leave one circle intact, but cut a smaller inside circle in each of the other 3 discs.
4. Stack the discs on top of each other to form a little nest (you may have to press down just a little to seal).
5. Fill the newly formed pocket with some dried beans to weigh down the bottom.
6. Bake according to box instructions.
7. When cooled, remove beans.
8. Fill with pastry crème.
9. Garnish with fruit and a sprig of mint
10. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Basic pastry crème

The ingredients:

 2 cups milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

¼ cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

¾ teaspoon vanilla

The method:

1. Put milk and ¼ cup of sugar in saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat.
2. In another bowl, whisk together egg and yolks (I use stand mixer). 
3. Add 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch.  Whisk until smooth.
4. When milk mixture comes to boil pour in a slow steady stream into egg mixture with the mixer running.
5. Return liquid to the saucepan and slowly bring to a boil.
6. Stir constantly.
7. When the liquid comes to boil and thickens, remove it from the heat and add in vanilla and butter.  This is where you would add in any extra flavor.  For today, I added the juice of 6 kumquats.  It is not that much liquid.  They are tiny.
8. Immediately cover with plastic wrap against the surface so a “skin” does not form.
9. Chill completely in refrigerator before utilizing.

Around the world today people will be celebrating Earth Day.  This is our chance to do something good for the environment and appreciate the wonder of nature.  Many cities around the globe are holding events to demonstrate ways to have a lesser impact on the environment overall.  If you are not sure about your area, check out this page at the Environmental Protection Agencies website.  While you are there, explore the other possibilities for you to help on this day and beyond.  I particularly like the Pick 5 program.

If you are staying closer to home today, you may wish to keep things a little more “low-key”.  Either way, if you have children, stressing the importance of taking care of Mother Earth is indisputable.  One way to show you care would be to take a walk around the neighborhood with a trash bag in hand.  Who knows?  You might even be a positive catalyst for your neighbors.

A walk might help you connect with nature, too.  There are so many things in our immediate environment that we take for granted.  Try exploring the world around you and creatures in their habitat with a child.  That can be truly eye-opening.

This evening I am committed to watching the Life series on Discovery.  I have recorded them all, but so far only seen one.  It was a-maz-ing!  If the rest of the series even comes close to the one about insects we are in for a treat.  For more information on the series, check out the page at Discovery.

Whatever your plans are or your feelings about the day, one mantra holds true…give more, take less.  It is true of so many things in life, but profoundly true in terms of the environment and our use of natural resources.  We should all be trying to leave the world a better place than we found it.  Have a glorious day!

savour… fresh air and clean water.