Madison House Chef

Ode to a Bacon Roll

Thanks to today’s “Guest Writer” – the illustrious, pizza chef, Ken.

‘While not usually given over to rhapsodizing on the ineffable qualities of breakfast foods, it is hard not to find some room to do so when you actually discover the perfect take-away masterpiece of simplicity.  To wit, the humble Bacon Roll.

When you think about it, this is ten different shades of spouting foolishness about a smoked, salt-laden, pork product shoved rather unceremoniously onto a rather indifferent roll of bread.  How could one possibly get all in a dither about something so basic, banal, and well, not particularly good for you?

Holiday Party Nutrition Quiz: Which Should You Choose?

Party food strategy ...

from The ND Blog: Notes from the Nutritionista by Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N by Monica Reinagel, M.S., LD/N

Mixed Nuts or Olives?The ND Choice: Olives

Olives are high in monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol, and low in calories.  While nuts also contain healthy fats, they are much higher in calories and it can be hard to stop at just one small serving.

Soft or Hard Cheese?
The ND Choice: Soft Cheese    
Although not diet fare, soft cheeses tend to be a bit lower in calories and fat than hard cheeses. So opt for Brie or goat cheese over cheddar and gruyere--but still watch your portion sizes
Roast Beef or Ham?
The ND Choice: Roast Beef
Although roast beef can be slightly higher in calories, it has far less sodium than ham. Ham and other cured meats also contain nitrites, which you are better off without.

Champagne or a Cocktail?
The ND Choice: Champagne

Champagne clocks in at only 75 calories a glass, while cocktails can easily add up to hundreds of calories for just one drink. If you must have a cocktail, keep it simple with a vodka or gin martini to keep the calories down.

Cocoa or Eggnog?
The ND Choice: Cocoa
Almost anything is better than artery-clogging eggnog. Even if you make the cocoa with whole milk, it’s still the better option—but to minimize fat and calories, choose low-fat milk. Cocoa also contains flavonoids which may help prevent cancer and heart disease.

Pecan Pie or Pumpkin Pie?
The ND Choice: Pumpkin pie
Reach for a slice of pumpkin pie over pecan and you’ll save yourself over 200 calories per slice. Plus, pumpkin is packed with nutrients like beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, K, E, potassium, iron, and the list goes on.

via blog.nutritiondata.com

A NEW Favorite Breakfast

Over years of travel and culinary collecting, Ken and I have compiled an ongoing list of the 100 Most Memorable Meals.  A new meal had found its way into the Top 10 Breakfast category -- this is the story of that meal.

Since I have had a taste for delicious, crisp, malty waffles since my birthday in June (a food tradition that began several years ago when we were camping in the Soo on my birthday) we decided to have breakfast at the Lockview Restaurant, located directly across from the Soo Locks Visitor Center before heading back downstate.  I, of course, ordered the light and delicious waffle which comes topped with strawberries and whipped cream (Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...) and the kids each had French Toast -- another Lockview hit.  Ken looked over the menu and mulled his decision.  Something new appeared in the "Breakfast Features" box:  Whitefish and eggs.  Move over steak 'n eggs!   

Why do I have BRICKS in my refrigerator?

Why do I have BRICKS in my refrigerator???  Because my brother gave me some of the most wonderful salmon filets and I'm making gravlax.

1 C salt, kosher
2 C sugar
a handful of peppercorns
a large bunch of dill, pulled apart and gathered in large-ish handfuls

Prepare two layers of plastic wrap by laying them out on the counter.

Rinse salmon.
Place salmon on plastic wrap.
Combine salt, sugar, and peppercorns.
Place a generous amount of the curing mixture on the fish.
Place a handful of dill on top of the mixture.
Wrap the fish tightly with plastic wrap.
Put into a ziploc bag and place into a dish.

Place a brick (or other heavy object) on the fish.

Place in the refrigerator for 3 days.  (May be turned over every 12 hours)

I'll let you know in three days how it went and what's next...

(Yes, one of the bricks look suspiciously like the heiroglyphic message from GDG's Ancient Egypt unit)