Channeling Julia

Peasant homes in Eastern Europe didn't have all that garlic hanging up just the keep the vampires away, they regularly used it as a seasoning - as we still do today. I won't even go into the cardiovascular health benefits of garlic. We just say "If it was good enough for great great grandma, it's good enough for me" and your halitosis will scare the approaching vampire away!

The clove of garlic to the right has been broken off the bulb on the left.

Cloves can be used whole, cut into pieces, crushed, rubbed or squeezed for the juice. Peel off the dry layers before use. Garlic has been around for a very long time. The ancient Egyptians used garlic, as did the Greeks & Romans.

My favorite way to prepare garlic is to dice it or slice it thin and saute in butter. Goes with everything.

Snack foods are a great place to save money by making your own. One of my favorites is popcorn. These days we've all gotten used to the convenience of microwave popcorn, but it isn't cheap (especially from the vending machine).

I've made popcorn many ways over the years. My grandmother had a little wire basket with a long handle that could be held over an open fire. The fun part was trying to hold it at just the right height above the coals. That's a very old technique with a unique flavor that predates air popped by many centuries. My parents had an electric popcorn popper - pour in a measured amount of popcorn, a measured amount of oil and plug it in.

But my favorite way of making popcorn is in a big skillet (or a wok). Throw in a handful, pour in just enough oil to coat the grains, cover and turn on the heat. I normally use olive oil, but might try walnut oil or sesame oil for a different flavor. This gives just enough fat to make the product tasty. Please don't drench in butter. As neither popcorn or oil have any salt, you might want to sprinkle just a tad of salt. Very fine grained popcorn salt works best for even distribution, but table salt can do in a pinch and the irregular distribution can be very tasty.

That's right - I deliberately made the measurements vague. As a cook, you want to learn to cook without measuring everything. I could say that 1/3 cup is about how much I use, but your situation might be very different.

Popcorn is also the basis for many recipes from carmel corn to casseroles.

Storing popcorn: Dried out kernels won't pop. Store in an airtight jar.

White Stone Ground Cornmeal

Cornmeal is ground corn. Stone ground is considered better, as it produces a more textured meal. Masa Harina is also cornmeal (a different variety) but the seeds were soaked in slaked lime (ground limestone and water) to remove the husk before grinding.

Colors of corn are usually white, yellow and blue, though I've seen some with red, black and other colors. Colors of corn have historically been associated with social class structures, such as the belief in the South (Southern United States) that yellow corn was for poor people. (even white corn has a slightly yellowish cast)

Masa Harina is primarily used in the manufacture of tortillas and in Mexican cooking.

In the South, cornmeal is the primary ingredient in cornbread and hush puppies (deep fried balls).

Cornmeal is often used in the preparation of pizza to prevent sticking. If you feel grains on the underside of a slice of pizza it is probably cornmeal.

This is a very quick and easy salad NO FAT dressing that can be made quickly and will last up to a week in the refrigerator. I haven't seen it for sale in a bottle in the Asian market - because every family has their own variation, so feel free to experiment. It can be also used as a dipping sauce for fried foods.

Ingredients

2 oz simple syrup (less if you feel it is too sweet)

1 oz rice vinegar

1 oz lemon juice

2 oz fish sauce (choose a brand lower in salt)

2 oz water

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tsp siracha chili sauce or 2 crushed Thai chilis ( more if you want it spicier)

If you want a vegetarian alternative, substitute light soy sauce for the fish sauce. For an even lower calorie dressing reduce amount of sugar.

Measure the ingredients into a 8 oz jar. Put on the lid and shake. Keep in refrigerator until ready for use.

This is a basic Thai sauce adapted for the American palate. As with many Thai dishes, this can be made much hotter (Thai Hot) by using more garlic and chilis.

Ingredients (makes 1 pint)

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

1 oz crushed garlic or garlic powder.

1 TBS siracha chili sauce or 4 crushed Thai chilis

Options: If you prefer a clear sauce, use white sugar, white vinegar and chopped Thai chili. A dark red sauce is made with brown sugar, red wine vinegar and siracha.

In a 1 to 2 qt saucepan, combine sugar and garlic. If using garlic powder mix throughly. Add water and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Take off heat then add chili. Pour into bottle, cap and refrigerate.