Mama Caruso is heading off to Ghana...

Pounding the casava root into fufu

I am leaving for Ghana, in West Africa in a few weeks and am looking forward to bringing the sounds and flavors to your table. Whether shopping at the market, walking around meeting people or sitting at the table to enjoy great food - the atmosphere is charged with rich exotic energy. I am going to be going into friends' homes and learning to cook some traditional dishes and can't wait to post those experiences...but until then I am sharing with you a few photos of the last time I went about the work of women in West Afruica...pretty hard work!

Pounding the casava root into fufu is really hard work, one person usually has their hands in the bowl and is turning the fufu, but I don't think that this woman was willing to risk her hands to my beat! Fufu is a staple the goes so well with one of my favorite dishes - peanut soup.

Many women in Africa spend a great deal of time transporting water, and they do so in such an elegant manner while balancing the heavy load on their heads. While in Togo on a previous trip I asked some of the people I met with to teach me how to carry water...here is what that lesson looked like - enjoy!

While there may be laughter, this is hard work! If you have a West African dish that you would like me to explore while in Ghana let me know and I will search it out.

Can't wait to do something with these!

It is not everyday that I run into these in the grocery store in the rural mid-west and I just couldn't believe my eyes tonight when I ran in for a few potatoes for clam chowder...and saw these goodies...yummmm...these will go well with the Gallo Pinto I made and with the unseasonably warm weather - I could almost feel like I was somewhere in Central America. Oh by the way, do you know what these are? And more importantly - if they were sitting in your kitchen, what would you do with them???

Bacon Brussel Sprouts (B&B Sprouts) These aren't your Grandmother's brussel sprouts

Bacon Brussel Sprouts

 I live in rural Minnesota which means that almost any adventure or activity is going to encompass travel - work and play...and it was on one of those trips, that involved both work and play, that inspired this recipe. I traveled to New Brighton, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis and St. Paul...the "Twin Cities", which has so many beautiful parks and bike trails, that you can easily be transported to "another place" while enjoying the trails. Today while taking a break from planning our next trip to Ghana to work with Street Girls Aid, an organization that serves girls who live, work, and sleep on the streets of Accra with their babies, we decided to ride our bikes on the Mississippi River Regional Trail. During the first few miles we navigated through the streets of the city; over train tracks, through alleys and around neighborhoods and then got to a portion of the trail that wound along the banks of the Mississippi River, through thick brush, along parks, up and down the banks sometimes on paved trails, sometimes on dirt packed trails. Over bridges, under bridges, through thick ferns with vines cascading from above, under tall trees...following the Mississippi River. We stopped at a juncture on the trail where several smaller creeks ran into the great Mississippi and took in the massive view...we were only feet away from the River where you can feel the current rushing. It felt like a scene out of Tom Sawyer.

Biking along the Mississippi River

Later as we were getting ready to make dinner my friend Cathy asked me if I like brussel sprouts. Now I love brussel sprouts but can understand the question, because I know very few people who like them. Recently on one of the food shows I heard one of the chefs say in response to another saying that they hated brussel sprouts that, "you've just never had them cooked properly." Indeed, they've certainly never had brussel sprouts cooked this way...

Cathy went on to tell me that her family all loved brussel sprouts and in fact all of the kids in her family would fight over them. I was really excited to try them because anything I can do to introduce a new recipe that will increase my family's desire to eat something that I love is a good thing, and this recipe did not fail to deliver. It is with pleasure that I present this recipe for B & B Sprouts, inspired by my friend's family recipe.

B & B Sprouts

Ingredients:

5 strips of bacon cut into 1/2 inch slices
28 brussel sprouts cut in half with bottom stem trimmed off and outside leaves discarded
3/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
2 tablespoons of butter

• In a skillet on medium heat cook the chopped bacon for 5 minutes until the fat has rendered down and the bacon has browned slightly;
• Add the brussel sprouts and stir to coat in the rendered bacon fat
• Sprinkle the pepper and salt on the mixture and stir slightly to coat evenly
• Let the brussel sprouts cook for 4 minutes on medium heat until they begin to caramelize, or get a little brown
• Stir well and add butter
• Cook for 4 more minutes and stir again - depending on the size of your sprouts, they should be done.

When the sprouts are slightly soft they are done, you may need to cook them a few minutes longer, but remove from the heat once a fork can pass through the entire sprout.

Serves 4 people
15 minutes from preparation to table

Enjoy - from my table to yours...

Wanting Memories: Cambodian Cooking with a Modern Mother

Wanting Memories: Cambodian Cooking with a Modern Mother: While I often take issue with Beyoncé’s veiled anti-feminist lyrics, I’ll admit her interrogative hit, “Girls Who Run the World,” is an ...

How long is too long to wait for a cup of coffee?

This cup sat empty for 14 minutes

How long is too long to wait for a cup of coffee? My travels have taken me to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan and the hotel is absolutely beautiful. In 1980 the movie “Somewhere in Time” was filmed here, however, I have not particularly felt like there is a place in this time for me here. I need to share that I am not here by choice, nor am I paying for my stay – but that does not take away the concerns that I have had since before I arrived, many of which were confirmed upon arrival. Yes, I arrived already feeling defensive – getting repeated information about proper attire, “For ladies…after 6:30 p.m. dresses or very nice pants suits are preferred” and “In the evening, gentleman 12 years and older must wear a suit and tie after 6:00” sends me over the edge – and again, I am not here by choice – this event is required for me to attend so that I can work on a job for the next 12 months, and being told what to wear during my off time, especially during my eating off time challenges the rebel in me. So, when my luggage did not arrive at the hotel in time for me to change for dinner last night and I am in inappropriate attire for dinner – I was told by the concierge that there is a place across the street where there will be others dressed like me where I can eat. I am going to write about that experience at another time,  I am just trying to set-up the state of mind I was in this morning when I got up and dressed for breakfast.

View from my table

Now I love my coffee in the morning. The thought of sitting out on the 660 foot long porch which lines the entire front of this hotel in the morning really got me up and out of bed (an hour earlier than usual because of the time change). In addition to loving my coffee in the morning I am not really a morning person, thus the heavy reliance on coffee to really get me going…and the feeling of being a second class citizen still has not left me from the night before…that’s the set-up. I go out hunting for a cup of coffee…no coffee in the lobby…no coffee on the deck…I am escorted to the main dining hall where I am promised coffee…I wait as a single diner for the wait staff to clear off the worse room in the dining hall which seats hundreds of people.  I left my room which is no more than 100 feet from the dining hall 18 minutes ago…and still no coffee. As I am seated, I ask for coffee, go to the buffet, return to my table and an empty cup, ask again for some coffee…I finish my oatmeal and pick my cup up and signal to my waiter that I would really like some coffee – I get a nod of acknowledgement…but still no coffee. By this time I am a little agitated so I get up and go in search of anyone who has coffee to pour into my cup. I ask three other wait staff for coffee as I walk around the dining hall and they all just nod and walk away and finally I spot her… a young woman who has a pot of coffee and I get up and chase after her practically begging her to fill my cup. I felt like Oliver Twist in the movie when he took his oatmeal bowl up to Fagin and begged “Please sir, may I have some more?” And she just looks at me. I ask her again and as she turns to walk away before filling my cup I have to use my cross-mother voice to get her to transfer some of the coffee in her coffee-pot to my still empty cup. Fourteen minutes after walking into the dining room and 32 minutes after leaving my room I finally have my first cup of coffee for the day…now starts the quest for half and half.

32 minutes from search to success

Perhaps I am being unreasonable, but I would like to think that when the kind of money that is being paid to the Grand Hotel for me to stay and eat here that I could get a waiter to get me a cup of coffee less than 32 minutes after I go searching for it. What do you think – reasonable or unreasonable? How long is long enough to wait? What would you do if you were in a place where you are virtually held hostage and there are no competitors for your business – did I mention that I am on an island? Do you think that the “no tipping” policy encourages this kind of lack of service? I would love to hear your comments.

Tomorrow I am going to write about the fight my table got into with the wait staff at the same breakfast (after a cup of coffee) about requesting that we pay twice because we moved tables.  I am not impressed, nor do I think that I want to belong to place “somewhere in time” where ever that is – I like living in a world where customers are valued.

Chicken Quinoa Cherry Cashew Salad Recipe Gluten-free

Cherry balsamic soaked
dried cherries adds a nice
flavor to this quinoa, cashew
gluten-free chicken salad

I have had a lot of people ask me for simple gluten-free recipes that can satisfy hungry friends and family who are both gluten-free and non-gluten-free eaters. It makes sense to make one meal instead of  two.  Well, this is one of my favorite recipes...so simple, yet really elegant in its presentation and taste that guests will ask you for the recipe. As I have said in the past, going wheat, gluten-free does not mean having to sacrifice anything - you do need to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and perhaps try foods that are not currently staples in your home. Quinoa is a great example of a rewarding stretch. 

The key to this recipe is to cook the quinoa as directed either using the instructions below or following the package directions. When the quinoa is done the grain will be translucent and soft and you will be able to see the germ ring along the outside edge of the grain. Now that may sound intimidating but if you take the 15 minutes to try it - this will make sense when you look at the cooked quinoa.

Another tip is to let the chicken cool in its baking pan for a few minutes until you can touch it, and then cut it into bite-sized pieces in the pan and let it soak up some of its cooking juices which you have seasoned prior to cooking (the olive oil and salt and pepper). Once the chicken is cut up and has absorbed some of its own goodness, then mix the cut up chicken into the bowl with the quinoa.

Enjoy - from my table to yours....

Chicken Quinoa Cherry Cashew Salad

2 large chicken breasts

2 cups of quinoa (prepared according to directions below)

½ cup of dried cherries

½ cup of cashews

2 tbsp of Cherry Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

To prepare chicken breasts:

                Preheat oven to 375 degrees

                Place the uncooked chicken breasts on a baking pan

                Using 1 tbsp of olive oil lightly rub the chicken breasts

                Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts

                Place the baking pan with chicken breasts in the preheated oven and cook for 30 - 35 minutes

                                until done

                Let the chicken breasts cool in the baking pan and then cut into ¾ inch pieces

To prepare the quinoa:

                Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa and 2 cups of water in a 1 ½ quart saucepan and bring to boil

                Reduce to simmer cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed (about 10-15 minutes)

               

To prepare the remainder of the salad:

                Lightly chop the dried cherries and soak in the cherry balsamic vinegar for 15 minutes while

                                preparing the other ingredients

                Lightly chop the cashews to get into bite-sized pieces

Assemble the salad:

                This salad can be assembled while the ingredients are warm, or fully cooled

                In a large mixing bowl put the cooked quinoa, chicken and olive oil lightly mix

                Add chopped cashews and cherries in their marinating juices

                Salt and pepper to taste

This salad can be served warm just after assembling, or make it ahead of time and serve the next day. Serve on a bed of greens with a few fresh tomatoes or pickled beets on the side for an added dab of color and enjoy. Makes 6-8 servings.

These advertisers offer quinoa products:

Gluten-Free Monster Bar Recipe

Gluten-Free Monster Bar Recipe

Mama Caruso in 2009 on the shores
 of the Mississippi River
after bicycling across Iowa

For all of you #Gluten-free, #RAGBRAI riders out there - this is a marvelous energy food to help fuel you for RAGBRAI

This is a traditional mid-western home-style recipe, easy for taking to the neighbors, to a civic event, fundraiser...or to share with your house guests who have just ridden across your state. This recipe was made by one of our home-stays (thank you so much again Mark and Andrea Baum) during RAGBRAI and we were hungry! There are no photos of the Monster bars, because by the time I pulled in, they had been almost completely demolished - so that is the tribute to them...they should be called vanishing Monster Bars...enjoy!

1 stick oleo (margarine or butter)
1 cup of white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts - you choose...walnuts work nicely...
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 cups oats or oatmeal
1/2 cups M&Ms - adds a nice color...

Mix all ingredients and place in a large jelly roll pan.
Place in oven set at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes - do not over bake
Cool and cut

Thank you to Andrea Baum's Mom for this recipe. It does not have to be difficult to be wheat gluten-free.