Editorial
Front Page - Friday, August 21, 2009
Kay's Cooking Corner
Kay Bona
How about a food quiz this week? I love doing these because I always find and learn some interesting facts!
1. About how many pounds of potato chips are consumed each year by Americans alone? 5 billion; 2.7 billion; 900 million; 2 billion?
2. What type of preserved meat was made by the Voottrekkers (Afrikaans and Dutch for pioneers meaning “those who trek ahead”) and now is eaten by all South Africans? Biltong; Bully Beef; Bobotie; Pickled Tongue?
3. What is the origin of the custom of eating ham around Easter?
4. Why does peanut butter stick to the roof of your mouth?
5. What food product comes from a rare species of tropical American orchid?
6. What U.S. state produces the most garlic?
7. How many flowers are in the design stamped on each side of an Oreo cookie?
8. What was the name of Cheerios when it was first marketed 50 years ago?
9. Last year, Don’s brother brought us some Halva from one of his overseas journeys. Any idea what it was?
10. In 1868, Richard Cadbury introduced the first Valentine’s Day box of candy when he decorated a candy box with a painting of what?
ANSWERS: 1. 2 billion. 2. Biltong — dried beef resembling jerky, is spiced with coriander, salt and pepper. 3. One version says at the beginning of spring, fresh meat was not readily available. Pagans would bury fresh pork legs in the sand by the sea during the fall and winter, where it would be cured by the waves of the salt water. Come spring, the preserved meat was perfect for cooking. Another story says that the pig is a symbol of prosperity in many cultures. 4. Peanut butter sticks because the high protein content draws moisture from the top of your mouth. 5. Vanilla beans. 6. California produces 84 percent of U.S. domestic garlic. 7. Twelve, and each flower has four petals. 8. Cheerioats 9. Halva, a confection originating in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean regions, is made from ground sesame seeds, honey or sugar syrup, dried fruit, pistachio nuts,
farina and, sometimes, almonds. The name means ‘sweetmeat.’ 10. The box, filled with BonBons, featured his daughter and her kitten.
The recipe I have this week is a great pasta side dish with a few vegetables that give it a hearty, satisfying flavor. It is good with just about any meat entrée, but I love it with pork or chicken. It does use a cup of marsala wine, but once you have heated the wine up, all the alcohol cooks out. Hope you love it as much as I do!
Parmesan Pasta with Mushrooms, Artichokes and Corn
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dry marsala wine
1 pound thimble pasta
1/2 pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 ears fresh corn on the cob, kernels cut off
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Drizzle olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms have cooked down, about 10 minutes. Add the marsala and continue cooking until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and add it to the skillet. Add the artichoke hearts, corn, parmesan and cream. Cook until heated through. Stir in the parsley and pepper.
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