Q is for Quinoa

When I first accepted this blogging challenge, I was kind of worried about several letters that I might not be able to find an ingredient for. In itself, I think Q is a bit of a strange letter. Thankfully, I stumbled upon quinoa. I can't recall if it was something I came across in a grocery store or during my internet travels, but it seems to be the perfect fit for today's blog post!

Quinoa, pronounced Keen-wah,  has been given a "super food" status in recent years and is growing in popularity due to its list of health benefits. You could consider quinoa as a grain (even though it is just a seed), much like wheat or rice, but it is actually more closely related to spinach or beetroot. Since ancient times, this grain oddity has been grown by the Inca people and was referred to as "The mother grain". The Spanish colonists despised this seed, because it was associated with the native people. Due to Spanish law and active suppression of the plant, quinoa was almost banned into extinction. Little did the Spanish know, quinoa was prized by the natives for reasons that can only be fully understood in this current age.

To say the least, this super food packs a punch! Quinoa is a great source of manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, zinc, and of course fiber. For all of you out there who are interested in boosting your protein intake, quinoa roughly contains 24 grams of protein in every cup! If you, or any of your friends have gluten allergies, quinoa might be just what you are looking for; quinoa is gluten-free because it is not related to wheat or other grains.

I have never actually used this seed before, but it sounds like I have plenty of reason to. Have you ever tried quinoa? I have heard that it is somewhat on the bland side, so I am rather curious to see how people usually eat it. Thanks for read, and I hope everyone has a great Easter!

Till next time,

~Mr. McLovin

P Is For Pomegranate

Pomegranates are an amazing fruit. They have a tantalizingly sweet, yet very sharp taste, a magnificent crimson red color and are full of all sorts of vitamins and minerals. I have loved this odd package of color and flavor since a young boy, and was rather excited to blog about it. The first thing I had originally planned on doing was talking about how this fruit got its nick name “Indian apple”; I have always called it this and became interested on the history behind it. It turns out, I couldn’t find anything about the name online or how it came about. I was so surprised! I thought everyone used the term Indian apple so I just assumed that it would have been a popular topic online. I was also under the impression that pomegranates originated here in the USA, which I was also dead wrong about.

Contrary to my popular belief, pomegranate is widely believed to have originated in Iran. Thanks to the ancient trade routes, the pomegranate made its way across the Middle East, through Europe and eventually Asia. The pomegranate wasn’t introduced to the fruit until about 1769, when Spanish settles visited California and Latin America.

In the United States, the pomegranate is largely popular for its acute flavor. In other parts of the world, the pomegranate tree is used widely for decoration as well. In Japan and Korea, the plant is used frequently in Bonsai for its unique bark

A freshly opened pomegranate

attributes. As for myself, I love cooking with it just as much as I enjoy eating it plain. I really enjoy using pomegranate juice in sauces and salad dressings that I make, and I love using the seeds with breakfast either in yogurt, a bowl of oatmeal or just in a smoothie.

Do you know the story behind the Indian apple name? Even though my search came up fruitless (pun intended), I would still love to know the origin of the name! Thanks for reading; I hope to see you tomorrow when I will be covering the ingredient “quinoa”.

Till next time,

~Mr. McLovin

<< O Is For Oysters

O Is For Oysters

There are two different kinds of people in this world: the kind that love oysters, and the kind that utterly despise them. If you're unsure on which side you may be one, it should only take you about T-minus 10 seconds after you slide your first half shell back. The first time I had an oyster, was about 12 years ago. I was about 14 years old and on spring break with my family down in Florida, the experience was traumatizing to say the least.

Doesn't this oyster look tasty??

Even at a young age, I have always loved trying new foods. While on vacation one Spring break, we met up with some family friends at an all you can eat Chinese buffet. I have never heard of oysters before this point, my parents despised them and refused to bring them anywhere near our home. Our friends were eating these oysters by the dozen at the restaurant, so I thought that they couldn’t have been all that bad. I have had stuff clams and other kind of shell fish before, which I have loved, so how could it be that much different? I asked my parents if they could pass me one over for me to try, and they eager obliged as they couldn’t wait to see the reaction on my face. All in all, I kind of choked on it… and then kind of gagged on it. Everyone had a good laugh afterwards, except for me, I thought I was going to be sick! Love them or hate them, oysters are widely popular around the world and will be here to stay; eating them has its benefits and I’m sure are better than eating something like fast food.

Surprisingly, oysters are actually pretty good for you. Like most other sea food, oysters are high in protein. With about 16 grams of protein per 6 ounce serving, they might be exactly what your bodybuilding buddy needs tonight after his hard workout. Oysters are also a great source of vitamins and minerals, such a zinc, calcium, iron and vitamin b-12. These bivalves are also known for being aphrodisiac, which some scientific research has backed to be true. Zinc has been linked closely to testosterone levels, so that might have something to do with it being linked to boosting your sex drive. The 2 major downfalls to eating oysters, besides being a fatal mistake for anyone with a sea food allergy, is the high sodium and cholesterol content.  If you already have issues with blood pressure or with cholesterol, then you might want to sit this food out.

I'm not sure why, but I have been seriously wanting to try oysters again this past month or so. It has been over a decade since my last oyster experience, many of my taste buds have changed since then so who knows if my adult preferences will like or hate this notorious shell fish. I am always kind of leery of trying them at restaurants because I don’t want a repeat of last time. I have heard that the best time of year to enjoy them is during the cooler months, so I might have to put off my next oyster experience until later on this year.

What have been your experiences with this slimy little shell fish? Do you have any advice for how I should enjoy my next attempt? Thanks for reading and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Till next time,

~Mr. McLovin

<<N Is For Natural flavors

N Is For "Natural Flavors"

So far, all of the ingredients this month have been things you would want to cook with and could be used regularly in the kitchen, today is going to be a different story. BE WARNED! Today's topic is not for the faint of heart, as the truth of the matter is rather disgusting. Today’s ingredient, “natural flavoring”, is almost an anti-ingredient and should never be used in the kitchen. Out of all the other tasty foods in the world that starts with the letter N, why would I choice this thing? Well, "natural flavoring" is actually pretty common in processed foods, the kind you might want to avoid in the store, so it is a more common ingredient than you think.

This is what the trappers harvest for the flavor...

To sum it all up, I think this video does a great job of explaining this ludicrous ingredient. It will only take a few minutes to watch, and I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I have; Do you eat beaver butt? That’s right, the anal gland of beavers produce a secretion that is used in the food we eat and in other products such as drinks and perfumes. This secretion, known as “castoreum”, is primarily used in the food industry as a flavoring in some types of vanilla substitute, as well as raspberry and strawberries substitutes. They say the consumption is relatively low in the USA, about 300 pounds annually, but it makes you wonder what companies are allowed to put in their food as the term natural flavoring is so broad and generic…

The definition of natural flavor under the Code of Federal Regulations is: “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional” (21CFR101.22).

Here is a lovely close up of our carmine friend.

Another fun additive companies will put in our food is called cochineal and sometimes carmine. Cochineal and its close cousin carmine (also known as carminic acid) are derived from the crushed carcasses of a particular South and Central American insect. When crushed these little bugs provide a lovely red hue to whatever we add them to, such as a strawberry milkshake or a brick red lip stick. Carmine can also be identified on food labels as Crimson Lake, Cochineal,  Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470 or E120, just in case you were interested in looking in the future. I am no food additive expert by any means, but if you ask me, that is quite a bit of leeway for what they can put in our food.

I’m sure the government wouldn't allow companies to put anything harmful into our food, but that doesn’t mean we necessarily want to be eating it. If anything, I hope today’s blog post makes you a bit more aware of the ingredients list on the packaging of the food you buy. It is good to be informed, that way we can make better decisions about our diet and our lifestyles! And maybe, just maybe, this new knowledge will spark a new desire to visit the blog more and to cook a bit better going forward! Thanks for reading, don’t forget to like, comment and share, and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Till next time,

~Mr. McLovin

<< M Is For Muenster Cheese                                                              O Is For Oysters>>

M Is For Muenster Cheese

Do you have any food memories from when you were a child? Maybe your afternoon snack between nap time and playing with your toys? That isn’t a question that I have asked many people, I’m not too sure of how common a food memory is from the someone’s youth but I have a couple that I can think of. The memory that sticks out the most revolves around Muenster cheese. When I was very little, my mother used to buy Muenster cheese from the local deli. Every afternoon, I would get a little slice to eat with some other little things for a snack. My favorite thing about this cheese when I was little was the orange looking skin around the outside edge. The first thing I had to do when I received my cheese was to nibble along the edge and eat away all the orange skin. I can thank those childhood memories for my overall preference to white varieties of cheese, as well as a continued love for the Muenster.

One cheese, to rule all other cheeses.

This may sound funny, but Muenster cheese is protected by an Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC). This certification places under control the main steps of the cheese process. The producers are required to rigorously observe the transformation of the cheese and what goes into it (Which I am totally fine with as long as they keep making it taste delicious!). Muenster cheese has a smear soft texture, with a slightly salty and buttery flavor that appears to almost melt on your tongue with each bite. If you were curious about that odd orange color, it comes from a brine wash that is brushed onto the exterior of the cheese while it is aging. As much as I love this cheese, I really don’t use it enough.

In recent years, I have been using swiss and provolone as my go to cheeses. I love them both, and they taste great on a sandwich, but they still are only second place in my book. My favorite way to use muenster cheese, is in a grilled cheese sandwich. Just thinking about indulging on a fresh one, with the warm, gooey, cheesy goodness of every bite, makes me hungry! Muenster cheese is also great in quesadillas and also can be enjoyed in a homemade Mac and cheese.

If you haven’t had a chance to try out this one of a kind cheese, you need to go out and buy some today; it might just change your life. If it doesn’t change your life, well I don’t know what to tell you, at least you can say you tried it and that I’m crazy for loving it. Do you have any food memories that you can recall from your early childhood? I would love to hear some, that way I know that I’m not the only one that remembers food from 20+ years ago! Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

<< L Is For Lentils                                                                      N Is For Natural Flavors>>

L Is For Lentils

If you have ever been to a Lebanese or Middle Eastern restaurant, there is a good chance that you may have had a rich and creamy lentil soup. I love a good lentil soup. To me, it has a very unique flavor that I don’t get to enjoy too often. After doing a little digging about this legume, I learned to love it for much more than its flavor. Lentils have great nutritional composition, something that is always good to keep in mind while deciding what to eat, and they also have quite a history.

Lentils come in several colors

Lentils are one of the first domesticated crops near the Middle East; archeological research confirms that they have been part of our diet for roughly 9,500 to 13,000 years. With that being said, mankind may have been eating this legume before pottery was developed and used. They are referenced in the Hebrew Bible of being used, and also played a chief part in the ancient diet of Iranians. Fast forward thousands of years, lentils are enjoyed across the world and are seen as a staple food in many countries.

If you live an active lifestyle, you may want to consider adding more lentils to your diet. With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut. In every table spoon, you are getting about a gram of protein. Besides being a great source of protein, they are also a great source of molybdenum,  folate, fiber, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron,  protein, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium, and vitamin B6. To sum things up, these little guys will fill you up and give you what your body needs to get through the day.

Now that I know how awesome this little bean is, I’m sure I can find new ways to use to in the kitchen. I learned a lot from writing today’s post, so I hope you learned a thing or two from reading it! I will be coving Muenster cheese tomorrow, my all time favorite cheese!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

I Is For Iceberg Lettuce

If you have ever eaten out at a restaurant and were served a salad, then you probably know all about this leafy green. Growing up, I was never one for salads. Whenever we would eat out, I always ordered the coleslaw, and I would never opt in for the salad at home if it was provided. Over the course of the last couple years though, that has all changed. Ever since I stayed at my aunt’s house for a bit, I now eat a nice salad with every meal. It seems like everyone loves to bash iceberg lettuce, I have to admit that there are healthier greens in the produce section, but it does contain some nutrients and it has its benefits!

Did you know that one cup of iceberg lettuce contains 53% of your vitamin A needs? Besides being a great source of vitamin A, this popular green also contains fiber, vitamin K and C. It also has great water content, which is perfect for those hot summer days when you may be slightly dehydrated. Of course the greener varieties of lettuce provide a better mix of vitamins and minerals, but we can’t deny the fact that iceberg lettuce is still the most popular choice for salads and sandwiches; probably because of its compact heads, crisp texture and semi-sweet flavor.

When it comes to salads, I have somewhat strange eating habits. While most people will start their meal with a salad, I prefer to finish with a salad. I have never been too keen on deserts, so a salad will suffice most days of the week. Also, I only like a little bit of dressing. My sister loves to have a bit of lettuce with her ½ cup of ranch dressing, I find that utterly disgusting and might be the reason why I only put enough to cover my greens.

So what would you say is your favorite condiment for salads? As much as I enjoy sweet vinaigrette, I love sprinkling shredded cheese on top. A salad is only as boring as your imagination, so I hope you never get tired of those tasty greens!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

H Is For Horseradishes

I know very little about horseradishes, so today’s post might be an adventure for the both of us! Growing up, my family never had much of a taste for spicy food, so horseradish was none existent in our household. One thing that we do enjoy though is shrimp. With shrimp, comes cocktail sauce. Horseradish is what sometimes gives cocktail sauce that zesty bite, so I guess you can say that there has always been a tiny bit of horseradish in a our fridge. Through my college years, I have grown very fond of sushi. I can’t quite explain it, but there is just something delicious about a little piece of raw fish, seaweed and rice. Regardless of where you go for sushi, they will always give a nice glob of wasabi with your meal. 

Originally, this spicy condiment was made from the wasabi plant, which is like a foreign cousin of horseradishes, but is usually made now with horseradish due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant. I will usually have a bit of wasabi with my meal, but I feel like it totally overpowers the rest of the flavors. Despite my lack of experience with this spicy tuber, the one thing that I have always been curious about is how it got its name.

So what’s in a name? From what sounds like a telephone game gone horribly wrong, the horseradish developed its name from multiple mispronunciations over the years. It is believed that the first name that started the transformation was "meerrettich", which is German for “sea radish”. Many believe that Germanys English trading partner’s mispronounced the word “meer”, and interpreted it as “mare”. As you may know, “mare” is a term used for a female horse, so it didn’t take too long to go from “mareradish” to horseradish. I would have to say that “sea radish” is a much more appealing name than horseradish, but it might be a bit too late to change it back!

So that is about the extent of my horseradish experience! Are there any horseradish lovers out there? If so, what are your favorite ways to use this spicy root? I’m always interested to learning new ways to spicy up the kitchen and learn something new! Any and all tips and thoughts are all greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

G Is For Garlic

I LOVE garlic! Garlic is overflowing with flavor and has several health benefits that are linked to cardiovascular health. Even if you’re not a huge fan of this pungent herb, you only need to add just a bit to help enhance the dish and help bring out the rest of the flavors.

Have you ever tried FRESH garlic? Neither have I… But I am on a mission to get my hands on some this season! After reading online about how you should buy seeds and just pass on growing  garlic from your local produce section, I promptly grabbed the last few bulbs I had laying around and tossed them in some soil to see how they will turn out. Sadly, they didn't turn out very well. They grew pretty quickly at first, but it didn’t take long for them to wither away to nothing. I’m not too sure why they died, it might have been my inexperience with garlic that killed them or it very well could have been that store bought garlic is for eating and not growing. It seems like different sources tell you different things when it comes to growing garlic, but I plan on using a unique variety of seeds the next time I give growing garlic a shot. Why grow some boring store bought variety when you can grow something completely new and exciting? The world of garlic is a pretty big one, there is all kinds of varieties to choose from depending on what you love about garlic.

Garlic can be broken into two main subspecies, hard necked and soft necked. These two varieties have some subtle and some drastic differences, About.com does a great job of listing the differences between the two. It seems that soft necked garlic is the most commonly sold in stores, so I might have to try growing the hard necked variety to see what I have been missing out on.

Tomorrow, I will be covering horseradish… I have never actually used this spicy root, but I might be willing try it one day!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

F Is For Flour

Yes, flour is a very boring ingredient. It isn’t exotic, nor is it expensive or some sort of hidden treasure that you have been missing out on. With that being said, many of our favorite meals wouldn't exist without flour! This basic ingredient is almost taken advantage of because it is such a common place item. This blog post is dedicated to bread and noodle lovers everywhere, whose favorite dishes would be devastated without this oh so boring powder.

Mankind has relied on bread, as a means of a portable and filling food source, for thousands of years. We can thank flour for making bread a reality; it has always been a key ingredient.  It is believed that the process of making flour, by crushing wheat seeds between milling stones, was discovered around 6,000 BC.  In almost every culture, some sort of flour is used to create a variety of staple dishes.

Can you imagine how drastically different our culinary culture would be without the use of flour? Things like tacos, chicken noodle soup, lasagna, banana nut bread, pizza, any kind of breaded dish that is fried, and bagels would all be out the window. Flour plays a HUGE part in how the world cooks. I’m sure we could find a way to get along without flour, but the world would never be the same.

The most common type of flour is derived from wheat seeds, but we have many other options available to us then just this. To name a few, we have rice flour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, corn flour, coconut flour, potato flour, rye flour, almond flour, and tapioca flour. Almost any cereal grain can be milled into a flour product, but as you can see, many other items can be used to make an assortment of flour products.

Out of all of your favorite dishes, which one do you think you would miss the most if we didn’t have flour? I think I would be pretty upset if Pad Thai, a rice noodle dish from Thailand, never existed. Those darn rice noodles are just so delicious! I plan on making chicken noodle soup in several days, so check back later this week to get my noodle recipe as well as the recipe for chicken noodle soup. Tomorrow I will be blogging about garlic! One of my all time favorite herbs, I practically use it in everything so I hope to see you tomorrow!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

C is for coriander

C Is For Coriander

You won’t see coriander used very much in most American cuisine, but it is a staple in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Coriander has quite a history with mankind, the herb was discovered in the pharaoh tombs in Egypt and it is also referenced in the Bible as one of the bitter herbs eaten during Passover.  I have only had the opportunity to use ground coriander seeds in my culinary creations, but the entire plant can be used.

The seeds of the coriander plant are probably used the most in cooking, which can readily be found your local spice isle, but different cultures tend to use this plant in different ways. The stalks and pungent leaves of this herb are frequently used in salads, soups and other dishes in many parts of the world, such as The Middle East, Southern Asia and Mexico. In Thailand, the root of this herb is used frequently in curry dishes; it is said that the root has a more intense flavor than the leaves. Thanks to all of my kitchen adventures with my close friend Chris, ground coriander seeds became my first love in the kitchen. 

There is just something about this exotic spice that excites my palate and warms my heart. My favorite characteristic of ground coriander seeds is that you can never use too much of it. The flavor is very much a side show to any dish; it is always delicate and never overpowering. Coriander’s subtly sweet and savory flavor seems dance across your taste buds in the background as you are occupied with the more predominate flavors of the dish.  As described by my good friend, “Coriander is a light, lemony spice that brings a refreshing note to any dish”, and I can’t agree with him more!  We have used it on almost everything, especially his famous chicken noodle soup. I was hoping on sharing my own version of the recipe with you by now, but that will have to wait for another blog post.

If you haven’t had a chance to try this subtle spice, I would very much recommend picking it up at the grocery store and giving it a whirl. Ground coriander seeds are a great addition to many soups, stews and many other dishes. I’m almost certain that you will love it, so just do yourself a flavor and start using it in your cooking! If you were to use the seeds whole, I would recommend roasting the seeds a bit in an ungreased pan to enhance their flavor.

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin

B Is For Basil

B is For Basil: One Of The Great Culinary Herbs

Did you know that there are over 20 different varieties of the basil? Yeah, that is a whole lot of flavor that you have been missing out on!! Basil is one of the great culinary herbs; the different varieties are used extensively across Europe and Asia in cooking. This little herb is loved by cooks across the world for its rich aroma and distinctively sweet scent and flavor.

You can buy dried basil in your local grocery store, this option is convenient, easy to use and basically lasts forever… but it isn't even close to the fresh alternative! You can usually buy fresh basil in your produce section, but you are going to be paying more. Instead of paying the premium, I would recommend is growing it yourself!

The best part of growing your own basil is that you are not limited to the selection at your local grocery store. With a quick visit to your local nursery, you should be able to find several different kinds to choose from and grow. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, you can always order seeds from the comfort of your home, online. With a click of a button, your choices will be limitless!

Harry Potter Fighting a Giant Basilisk

Fun Fact: Basil has both positive and negative associations that include love and fear, danger and protection, and life and death. The negative connotations probably come from basil’s Latin epithet basilicum, which links it to the basilisk; a mystical serpent that can turn you to stone with its deadly gaze.

Currently, I am growing two different kinds on a windowsill; a common sweet basil and a lemon basil plant. Once the plants become a bit more established, you can transplant it to a container outside (season permitting) or just keep it inside. I plan on keeping my herbs in the kitchen, they add a nice bit of green to the atmosphere and they will always be just an arm’s length away when you need them in your cooking adventures. Regardless of what kind you decide to buy or grow, using them is relatively the same.

My basil plants, started from seeds.

Whenever I have fresh basil to use, I will just pick a few of the leaves and roughly chop them into the required amount. Since fresh basil is more flavorful in comparison to its dried counterpart, don’t be too worried about cramming the exact amount onto that teaspoon.

Tomorrow, I will be blogging about one of my favorite spices from the Middle East. Stay tuned to see what you have been missing out on!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin