~ National Lasagna Day ~

Lasagna originated in the Emilia-Romagna region of north central Italy. The wide, flat sheets of pasta were originally made by the Romans, who called them laganum. The word comes from lasanum, the Latin word for pot, i.e., the vessel in which this dish was baked. Lasagna later came to refer to the specific layered-type baked dish we know today, with the long flat, pasta sheets alternating with minced meat, cheese and tomatoes. The Romans lacked tomatoes, which originated in Peru and did not come to Italy until the Spanish Conquistadors brought them back from Mexico in the early 16th century. The modern lasagna noodle is two inches wide, and sometimes has ruffled edges. The most popular cheeses in lasagna recipes are mozzarella and ricotta and the sauce is often tomato sauce. So roll up your sleeves and make a lasanum ... then enjoy! ~ Chef ~

*~*~*~*~* Cotton Candy *~*~*~*~*

It is frequently cited that cotton candy, also known as spun sugar and candy floss, first appeared at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, commonly known as the St. Louis World’s Fair. This is not correct. At least 150 years earlier, in the mid-18th century, master confectioners in Europe and America hand-crafted spun sugar nests as Easter decorations and made webs of silver and gold spun sugar for elaborate dessert presentations. According to The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, the debut of the product we know as cotton candy took place in 1897 in Nashville. Candymakers William Morrison and John C. Wharton invented an electric machine that allowed crystallized sugar to be poured onto a heated spinning plate, pushed by centrifugal force through a series of tiny holes. In 1904, at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Morrison and Wharton sold the product, then known as “fairy floss,” in cardboard boxes for 25 cents a serving. Though the price equaled half the admission to the fair itself, they sold 68,655 boxes! In those days, any colors and flavors used were natural. Since then, “food science” has substituted artificial colors and flavors in the cotton candy sold at fairs. Pure Confections may make the purest floss ever, using unrefined evaporated cane juice instead of refined sugar, plus natural colors, while modernizing the product with natural flavors that appeal to today’s palates. Some of the finest restaurants now serve cotton candy as part of the dessert experience. ~ Chef ~

~ Gardening Tips ~

You can now sow a fall crop of bush beans. Plant seeds two inches deep to protect them from the hot sun. You can sow other vegetable seeds for an autumn yield, too, by planting them just a little deeper than you did in the spring. The best time to plant is after a rain shower. If your celery is doing well, tie the stalks together to keep them from sprawling. If you missed your peas' peak period, you can still pick, dry and shell them for use in winter soups. Don't water your melons at the base of the stems. Doing so can cause rot. Build up a little earth around the stems to keep water away. Once melon vines have set three or four fruits, remove any new blossoms. The remaining fruits will benefit from this and you will still have plenty. ~ Chef ~

~ You Are Hereby Notified ~

Until further notice.

Cook needed a vacation.

~ Chef ~

Cucumbers, Squash, Tomatoes ... oh my!

~ Chef~

~ French Fry Day ~

Thomas Jefferson had "potatoes served in the French manner" served at a White House dinner back in 1802. The expression "French Fried Potatoes" first occurs in print in 1856. A literary work titled "Cookery for Maids of All Work" by E. Warren. It instructed: French Fried Potatoes - Cut new potatoes in thin slices, put them in boiling fat and a little salt; fry both sides of a light golden brown colour; drain." The J. R. Simplot Company is credited with successfully commercializing french fries in frozen form during the 1940s. Subsequently, in 1967, Ray Kroc of McDonald's contracted the Simplot company to supply them with frozen fries replacing fresh cut potatoes. So how do you like your fries ... Shoestring, Crinkle Cut or Thick-cut Steak Fries? For me ... all three are fantastic! ~ Chef ~

*~* A Great Way to Cool Off *~*

~ Chef ~

~ It is National Blueberry Muffin Day ~

~~~~~
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sour cream
2 cups blueberries
~~~~~

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 24 regular muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Simple, yet oh sooooooooooo delicious! ~ Chef ~

~ Let's Talk ... Garbage ~

How many of you compost? It's not as easy as one would think. I didn't know ... not all "trash" items belong in a compost. Acidic items like citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes and tomato products, pickles, orange juice, etc. shouldn't be used in a compost pile. These items can kill the bacteria that a compost pile accumulates over the course of the breakdown. Some plants aren't good to put into a compost pile. Plants that are diseased or weeds that have gone to seed aren't a good mix for the compost. The heat radiated throughout the pile may not reach temperatures that will kill the weeds or the disease and thus infect other plants or put new weeds in your garden. Although biodegradable, cooked vegetables, meat, dairy items, bones, fish, bread and grains, should not be put into a compost pile. These items will produce odor and will attract night time critters to your pile. Compost, even while decomposing, shouldn't have a bad odor, and if it does it could be from what you're putting into it. Composting is trying to achieve the blend of nitrogen and carbon items (termed "green" and "brown") so that you get good bacteria, plenty of earthworms, and other things that will improve your soil's texture and nutrients. Layering brown and green items with a thin layer of soil is the best way to compost. As for containers there seem to be many different items that can be used. As for me I used a simple blue barrel. So if you like me have lots of vegetable peelings "Go Green"! ~ Chef ~

~*~ National Fried Chicken Day ~*~

Everyday is "Fried Chicken Day"

~ Chef ~

~ National Turnover Day ~

~ Chef ~

~ Happy 4th of July Weekend ~

Whatever your plans are this Holiday weekend remember to ...

Honor the Soldiers who Gave you your Freedom!

~ Chef ~