January 29th to February 4th - National Food Holidays

This week is all about the Super Bowl!  And some of this week's recipes will help you prepare for the big game day!  This week's recipes are...

January 29th:  National Corn Chip Day
January 30th:  National Croissant Day
January 31st:  National Brandy Alexander Day
February 1st:  National Baked Alaska Day
February 2nd:  National Heavenly Hash Day
February 3rd:  National Carrot Cake Day
February 4th:  National Homemade Soup Day

January 29th:  National Corn Chip Day

Here's an easy recipe for homemade corn chips. Use them with your favorite dip for the upcoming Super Bowl!

Vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Optional Seasonings:  Garlic salt, Onion salt, Seasoning salt

1.  Generously grease 2 large cookie sheets (**see tip below) with the shortening and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornmeal into each pan, gently tapping or shaking to distribute cornmeal evenly; set aside

2.   Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and nonfat dry milk in a mixing bowl.

3.   In a glass measure, combine the water, oil and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well.

4.   Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour the liquid mixture into the well; stir mixture with a fork to mix well.

5.   Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, about 1 minute.

6.   Divide the dough in half and place each dough half on the prepared cookie sheets.

7.  Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough directly onto the cookie sheets to spread very thinly, about 1/16-inch thickness.

8.  Sprinkle lightly with the desired seasonings and roll-over lightly with the rolling pin to press seasonings in.

9.  Using a pizza cutter (or very sharp knife), cut dough into squares, triangles or other desired shapes.

10. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheets.

11. Store tightly sealed to retain crispness.

Makes approximately 12 ounces of chips.

**Tip: Because you will be rolling the dough inside the pans, it is best to use the flat, side-less cookie sheets in this recipe. If such pans are not available, then turn over sided baking/cookie sheets and use the bottoms.

January 30th:  National Croissant Day

Ingredients:

1 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
3 tablespoons of warm water (110°F)

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2/3 of a cup of warm milk

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2/3 of a cup of unsalted butter, chilled

1 egg

1 tablespoon of water

Directions:

1.  Combine yeast warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes until creamy and frothy.

2.  Measure flour into a mixing bowl.  Dissolve 2 teaspoons of sugar and salt in warm milk.  Blend into the flour along with the yeast and oil.  Mix well; knead until smooth.  Cover and let rise until over triple in volume.  Punch down dough and let rise again until doubles.  Punch down again and chill for 20 minutes.

3.  Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily.  Pat dough into a 14" by 8" rectangle.  Smear butter over top two thirds of the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch margin all around.  Fold unbuttered third over the middle third and the buttered top third down over that.  Turn 90 degrees so that the folds are to the left & right.  Roll out to a 14" by 6" rectangle.  Fold in thirds again.  Sprinkle lightly with flour and put dough in a plastic bag.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Unwrap, sprinkle with flour and punch down gently.  Roll into a 14" by 6" rectangle and fold again.  Turn 90 degrees and repeat.  Wrap and chill another 2 hours.

4.  To shape, roll dough out to a 20" by 5" rectangle.  Cut in half crosswise and chill half while shaping the other half.  Roll out to a 15" by 5" rectangle.  Cut into three 5" by 5" squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.  Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point and make it 7 inches long.  Grab the other 2 points and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up.  Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly.  Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light.  In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon of water.  Glaze croissants with egg wash.

5.   Bake in a preheated 475°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

January 31st:  National Brandy Alexander Day

A Brandy Alexander is a dangerously good drink -- kind of like a spiked milkshake.  According to the Classic Cocktail Club of Milan, Italy, the Brandy Alexander was created in 1922 in London.   

Here's a classic Brandy Alexander recipe:

1 1/2 ounces of brandy

1 ounce of creme de cacao

1 ounce of half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes.  Add the brandy, creme de cacao, and half-and-half.  Shake well.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with grated nutmeg.  To make this into a desert, add a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream and serve in a globe wine goblet instead of a martini glass.

February 1st:  National Baked Alaska Day

The concept of insulating ice cream was developed by the Chinese, who used pastry as the insulator.  A Chinese delegation introduced it to Paris in the nineteenth century. The American physicist Benjamin Thompson then investigated the heat resistance of beaten egg whites, and, in 1804, demonstrated that beaten egg whites were a better insulator.  The dish was named Omelette Surprise or Omelette à la Norvégienne, the Norwegian attribution owing to the “arctic” appearance and cold center. Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City renamed it named Baked Alaska in honor of the newly acquired Alaska territory.

Here's a simple recipe for Baked Alaska:

Bake your favorite cake or brownie for the base of the Baked Alaska.  Choose a bowl that can be used to freeze your desired flavor of ice cream and, making sure that the bowl fits your cake base, cut out your round cake base.  Oil the bowl you have selected, and freeze 2 quarts of your favorite flavor of ice cream in the bowl.  As you spoon the ice cream into the bowl, make sure and push the ice cream down with a piece of plastic wrap to insure that all air bubbles are gone.  Line the top of the ice cream with the plastic wrap and freeze ice cream until hard.  Using 8 egg whites, 1/8 of a teaspoon of cream of tartar, 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup of sugar, make meringue.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place cake base on parchment paper.  Invert bowl with frozen ice cream on to the cake base.  Frost all sides of cake & ice cream with meringue.  Return to freezer for several more hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F, and bake 8 to 10 minutes until meringue is golden brown.  Serve immediately using a serrated knife to cut the cake.

February 2nd:  National Heavenly Hash Day

My definition of Heavenly Hash is a 7-Cup Fruit Salad.  So in honor of my family and a recipe that appears at every family event, here's a quick recipe for 7-Cup Fruit Salad.  As the name implies, this salad has 7 ingredients -- 1 cup each:

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of Cool Whip

1 cup of pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup of mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup of fruit cocktail, drained

1 cup of marshmallows

1 cup of maraschino cherries

(some recipes also include shredded coconut)

Combine all of these together and refrigerate.

February 3rd:  National Carrot Cake Day

Carrot Cake has been around since the Middle Ages. At that time, sugar and other sweeteners were rare and very expensive, so people used sweet vegetables to flavor their puddings.  This technique became obsolete for several hundred years but resurfaced in the 20^th century.  During World War II, the British government rationed many luxury foods and household staples including sugar.  To appease the nation’s sweet tooth, the Ministry of Food promoted recipes for carrot puddings, carrot-filled pies, and carrot cakes. Today, many families in the UK still serve carrot cake on Christmas Day!

Cake Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated carrots

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots.

2. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting.

4. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe twelve carrots on top of cake, so that each slice will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot.

5. Store cake in the refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

February 4th:  Homemade Soup Day

What's better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold day!  So take some time out today to make yourself a batch of homemade soup.  Below is a recipe for semi-homemade "Chicken & Wild Rice Soup."  It's a hardy soup reminiscent of chicken & wild rice soups that can be found in popular soup & sandwich restaurants.  It also freezes well & stays in a air tight container in your refrigerator for close to a week.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 2/3 c. water
1 package of long grain & wild rice mix (I used Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Original Recipe)
1 envelope of chicken noodle soup mix (I used Lipton's)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell's 98% FF)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine water, rice with contents of seasoning packet, and soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in celery, carrot, & onion.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken soup & chicken. Cook 8 minutes longer or until rice & vegetables are tender.

Yield: 8 cups