Welcome to the table. Have a seat. Drop your heels.
Joining you is Genie, the one who thought up this idea to try a dual blog about food from different regional perspectives - Midwest and Southwest - the Big Apple and Orange County having already established themselves as centers of the universe.
Genie thought it would be a great idea if we wrote about what we taste, see and hear in our corners of the country. Genie has written on food, nutrition and all matters of taste for longer than Betty was Crocker. She has a major food background; she knows which way is up on the rolling pin. She recently had a triumph,too. Genie made real butter from cream and overnighted it to a magazine for a photo shoot. Honestly if I need to understand dry ice this is who I'm going to.
She'll take the Midwest perspective, I'll take the Southwest. Who am I? Raised on Wonder Bread and Campbell's Tomato Soup, it is a miracle I developed a sense of taste. Our family moved up north from Texas during the golden age of Madison Avenue, and when I watch that show "Mad Men," I applaud that authenticity but would like to see more Fritos, tuna fish and salmon croquettes getting served. We've come a long way since mayo was considered an acceptable salad dressing.
This is a dual blog, so if Genie wants to use her real name, we'll let that evolve. For now, just call me Mamma Mia.
Will there be recipes? You bet, but if somebody out there is doing it better, I certainly plan to toss names. You're invited in on this, too. Especially if you've got a good margarita.
Take it away, Genie! Tell me about the rhubarb margarita.
Rhubarb margaritas. Nah. We'll save that one for spring/early summer when the rhubarb is at the ready. How's about an end-of-summer watermelon-rita?
ReplyDeleteOr simply tomatoes? I planted a few too many this year, but wanted to try some heirloom varieties: Couple of Brandywine, Black Krim, Yellow Italian, Green Zebra, and one other whose label disappeared so who knows what it is? Then a garden editor friend, who knows I'm a sucker for stray plants, wanted me to try some "extras" she had. One was Super Fantastic. How could I resist? The other: Tomaccio, a new cherry tomato that is supposed to be great dried. And I planted a yellow pear tomato too.
I've almost—but not quite—overdosed on Caprese salad, BLTs, and tomatoes straight from the garden with a sprinkling of Gray Sea Salt with Five Pepper Blend.
The simpler the better. That sea salt is incredible if you can find it. It's really coarse salt with whole peppercorns (black, white, green, and pink), plus coriander, thyme, rosemary, and paprika.
I put it in a pepper grinder and crank a couple of rounds over thick slabs of tomatoes. I usually layer tomatoes with cucumber slices (the cukes also are quite prolific this year), a drizzle of olive oil and a spritz of fresh lemon juice, and a shower of basil chiffonade. If I've got some, I sprinkle on some crumbled feta cheese. Backyard salads are the best.
And just call me Jeanne (even tho it's pronounced Genie and I can make some wishes come true, the name, when spelled Genie, conjures up images of the big, blue giant turbanned Genie from Aladdin. That's not me.)
What's on your menu?
Hey Mama Mia,
ReplyDeleteHow do I post a photo?