More Mexican treats

Yeah, we know Cinco De Mayo is past, but we had a few emails about more recipes inspired by Mexican cuisine. Here ya go, compliments of the California Milk Board.

Cheesy Bean Dip

Melted California Mozzarella and crumbled California Cotija give this hearty appetizer a rich cheesy flavor. For dipping, use tortilla, pita and bagel chips. If you prefer vegetables, try carrot sticks or sugar snap peas.
Yield: 17 appetizer-sized servings (about 2¾ cups)
Prep time: 20 minutes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced white onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 or 2 tablespoons canned diced jalapeño peppers (adjust to your taste preference)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1½ cups (6 ounces) pre-shredded Mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled California Cotija (or substitute crumbled California cow’s milk Feta)

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño peppers; sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and smash with the back of a ladle or large spoon until softened and heated through, another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in pre-shredded Mozzarella or Oaxaca, sour cream, cumin and cayenne pepper, stirring until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle Cotija cheese on top. Serve warm or at room temperature with chips and vegetables.

This delicious and surprising twist on traditional nachos replaces ground beef with shrimp and creates an authentic note with the addition of two readily available Hispanic-style cheeses – Queso Blanco and Cotija.

Shrimp Nachos
Yield: 30 appetizer-size servings (about 2 ½ dozen)
Prep time: 30 minutes

2 cups (8 ounces) grated California Queso Blanco cheese (or California Monterey Jack)
⅓ cup mayonnaise
4 ounces cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped
¼ cup minced green onions
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, pureed and strained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon grated lime zest
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¾ cup (3 ounces) grated California Cotija cheese
2 ½ dozen large, flat tortilla chips
2 ½ dozen fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat broiler.

In medium bowl, stir together Queso Blanco cheese, mayonnaise, shrimp, onions, chipotle puree, chopped cilantro, lime zest and cumin.

Season with salt and pepper.

Spread about 1 tablespoon mixture onto each tortilla chip and place on a baking sheet.

Broil until mixture begins to brown, about 1 minute. Sprinkle each with a generous teaspoon of Cotija cheese.

To serve: put a cilantro leaf on each nacho and serve immediately.

From Russia, with tea

FullyLoadedTea recently won the International Taste & Quality Institute's Superior Taste Award for two of its blends – Shameless Berries Fruit Tea and Goji Force Green Tea.

The iTQi is judging, honouring and promoting superior tasting food and beverage products with juries composed of famous European chefs, beverage experts and sommeliers.

“We are absolutely honoured to have received the Superior Taste Award by the iTQi,” said Katya Popoff, co-founder and co-president, FLT. “It is a wonderful feeling to know that two of our favoured tea blends have been recognized by iTQi Chefs and Sommerliers, an international team unanimously respected for their expertise. We are extremely proud that FLT’s product has received the most credible reference in terms of good taste and overall quality.”

The iTQi evaluates submitted products on individual tasting merits, awarding one star (good tasting), two star (remarkable) and three star (exceptional). FLT’s two award-winning blends were recognized with one star.

FullyLoadedTea takes exotic berries full of vitamins and antioxidants and blends them with premium whole leaf green, black and white teas to create eight concoctions. Siberian natives and tea lovers, sisters Katya Popoff and Olga Lenova, founded the company.

And, last contest of the day, fast-food style

Ever hear of the Arby's Rescue Brigade? Well, the national sandwich chain is looking for folks to be in its next commercial.

Led by Captain John Maddox, the Arby's Brigade is, and we quote, "a group of "dedicated Arby's enthusiasts whose sole mission is to save the world from ordinary fast food."

"We're searching high and low across the continental United States for that one special talent who can join forces with us to fight the good fight and prevent others from falling victim to ordinary fast food," Maddox said. "Show us what you've got, America."

Submit your video entries at www.arbysrescuebrigade.com. You could win a role in an upcoming Arby's commercial and free Arby's food for a year. The video contest runs now through June 30. For additional rules and regulations, please visit www.arbysrescuebrigade.com.

Cooking Contest, part deux, breakfast

Brand new Breakfast BREAKST are pre-packaged breakfast meals that can be served in a second - whether you're at home or on-the-go. Each box of Breakfast BREAKST has everything for a complete breakfast - a bowl of General Mills
cereal, a snack - either fruit or a fruit and grain bar - plus Minute Maid
juice!

The product is meant to make mornings less hectic for moms. With that in mind, Breakfast BREAKS, and Denise Jonas, mom of today's hottest teen band - the Jonas Brothers, announce a nationwide contest, "In Search of Mom's Craziest Morning."

Send in your story describing your craziest morning and you could be picked to win four tickets to see the Jonas Brothers in concert this summer and a gift certificate to Spa Finder. The "In Search of Mom's Craziest Morning" contest runs from May 1, 2008 - June 15, 2008.

Grilling Trends, '08

Spring's in full swing and summer's approaching, which means it's time to start preparing for grilling season.

Grilling Guru Alicia Kaper from BarbecueGrillsandMore.com says there are several exciting advances in the grilling industry this year that will make the Summer of '08 a great time to get a new grill. Kaper says any consumers considering a grill purchase should take advantage of the following trends:

Manning The Grill Is An Obsolete Phrase
Gone are the days of the "designated griller," where only the dad of the family was authorized to "man a grill." While about 10 percent of grill purchases are made by charcoal-loving traditionalists, for the rest of us, it's all about precision, ease and anything but charcoal. At BarbecueGrillsandMore.com, 90 percent of grill purchases now are electric or gas models and thanks to technological advancements even a novice can cook the perfect steak. Many new grills are great for moms, teens, grandmothers and others who once sat on the grilling sidelines.

Electric Grills Go Gourmet
Many consumers associate electric grills with George Foreman's favorites from a few years ago. They assume that, because of their size, electric grills have limited capabilities. But those days are gone, too. Truth is, some technically advanced electric grills for '08 are truly viable players in the competition to provide the ideal grilling experience. The brand new Fire Stone Cook Number grills are prime examples of this trend as they feature ten precision settings that inform grillers when food is cooked exactly right. In the past, electric grills were about sacrificing performance for convenience. Now they yield delicious meals with ease.

Porcelain Is The New Steel
Grill makers have fashioned new "looks" for grills in '08. Because of the surging price of stainless steel, more affordable Porcelain-Enamel grills are now being offered by many manufacturers. Porcelain-Enamel grills are available in a variety of colors, allowing consumers to match their grills with home and patio accents. Vermont Castings and Weber, for example, offer most of their models in a wide range of colors, including green, blue, and burgundy. Here's a new, blue Weber grill.

Infrared Technology Ignites New Gold Standard
The 'hottest' trend in grilling is Infrared technology. Many high-end manufacturers, such as Lynx, have started to incorporate it into their gas grills. Lynx's ProSear Grill delivers intense and controllable infrared heat to seal the flavor and juices into the meat. These grills also appeal to those looking for a 'greener' grill option because, with infrared grills, there is less gas consumption and shorter cooking time.

Southern Food and Beverage Gala

A reminder for those heading to New Orleans the first week of June:

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum has its grand opening gala Thursday, June 5, to celebrate its new home at Riverwalk Marketplace, at the foot of Julia Street.

For the first time, a permanent institution will be dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of the culture of food and drink in the South.

Schedule:
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Sponsor private preview of exhibits and private audience with special guests
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Supporter party

Sponsor Tickets $125 per personSupporter Tickets $60 per personPurchase tickets

Ribbon Cutting - June 7 at 10:00 am.

Calling all mushroom cooks

Think your mushroom recipe is as good as it gets?

Home chefs and mushroom enthusiasts should enter their best recipe here by Thursday, May 15 for a chance to win 2 pounds of fresh, wild morel mushrooms from the contest's sponsor, Marx Foods.

Fresh, wild Pacific Northwest morel mushrooms have been popping up and the season has inspired a mushroom recipe contest with a goal of collecting new, mouth-watering cooking ideas.

“Mushrooms (of every kind) rank as one of my favorite foods,” said Justin Marx, CEO of MarxFoods.com. “Since we can all get stuck making our favorite recipe over and over again, I look forward to seeing and applying the new ideas we receive.”

The contest is not limited to morels—recipes can incorporate any variety of fresh, wild, or dried mushrooms. Each recipe will be judged by the staff at MarxFoods.com on taste and originality. The creator of the winning recipe will receive two pounds of morels the week of May 26 or June 2.

CONTEST RULES & REGULATIONS
MarxFoods.com will evaluate the recipe based on its ingredients, since Marx won’t be testing each recipe, but rather visualizing its palatability. The recipe’s perceived "deliciousness" will be judged completely at the whim of the staff.

Each contestant can only enter one recipe.

All recipes must be original. Recipes that infringe copyrights are prohibited. By submitting your recipe, you promise that you created the recipe and did not violate copyright law by publishing it on the Marx site. You also agree that we can publish its contents anywhere on the Marx site.

You must be a resident of the U.S. older than 18 years. Winners will be announced May 19.

Morels have an intense, smoky and nutty flavor which may be a result of them growing abundantly in the years following a forest fire. From the same family as truffles, morels are an intensely flavored delicacy. In order to have a No. 1 grade rating, each mushroom must be a whole, young specimen with white stems and free of blemishes. The morel season typically lasts from April through July.

Brisket bliss

This past weekend brought a Sunday lunch bunch to the house -- mostly to deal with a boatload of brisket I picked up at the local meat market.

Brisket is the barbecue meat of choice in Texas, so our day was inspired by the Lone Star state. Because it's generally a tough, stringy meat, I brined about 20 pounds of brisket for two days in the 'fridge. It was a mix of 3/4 cup salt, 1 cup red wine vinegar, two (spice) capfuls each of whole coriander and mustard seeds, a capful of paprika, several shakes of cayenne pepper, four bay leaves, a tablespoon of onion and garlic powder and about 4 gallons of water. My intent in the brine was to keep them from drying out, as well as to pack in some flavor.

The briskets were soaked in the brine up until an hour before cooking time, when I took them out. I wanted to rub them with some more seasoning. I used my standard barbecue rub: garlic and onion powder, paprika, a little chili powder, some dried oregano, black pepper, etc. While the meat was coming to room temperature, I soaked a few pounds of hickory chips in the brine.


Because I don't have a big smoker, I rigged my cheap ol' grill. I took the big broiler pan from my oven and put a layer of the soaked chips on it. The grill was turned to as low as it would go and maintained about 250-275 degrees, when only one burner was turned on. I packed the meat on the opposite end of the grill, fat side up, and let it go. I opened only to add more chips as the ones in the broiler pan smoldered away to nothingness.

It was an all-day smoking operation, but worth it. Another pan caught the drippings off the brisket and formed the base of my barbecue sauce. I had about a cup of drippings, a cup of canned beef broth, a small can of tomato paste, dry mustard, a splash of vinegar and some more onion and garlic powder. Bring to a boil; chill overnight, then adjust any seasonings the next day. It wasn't as smoky as I'd liked, so I added a splash of Liquid Smoke.

The brisket came off the smoker, was wrapped and put in the fridge, since I figured it would be easier to slice and re-heat if it was cold. It was served with cole slaw, potato salad, pinto beans and a blackberry cobbler.

Fire in Paula Deen's kitchen?

Atlanta area churches have joined a campaign to get Paula Deen to meet with workers from Smithfield, the company she promotes, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (central) at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Rev. Lowery, Danny Glover, Susan Sarandon, Judge Greg Mathis, National Hispanic Leadership Conference and others have mounted national campaign to support Smithfield workers. In Atlanta, Deen will be met by a coterie of ministers and their supporters at the Cobb Galleria Centre cooking show she is headlining. The ministers say they'll ask the cooking celebrity to honor her promise to meet with Smithfield workers who have organized to fight for a voice on the job at the world’s largest pork processing plant in Tar Heel, N.C.

Atlanta churches involved represent tens of thousands of congregants including Rev. Michel Wright of Concerned Clergy of Metro Atlanta and Pastor of New Life Christian Church, Rev. Richard Coble, Rev. David Hooker of First Congregational United Church of Christ and many others.

Deen, in previous interviews on Larry King Live and the syndicated radio show Diane Rehm, promised to meet with Smithfield workers who have been fighting for over a decade to improve the working situation in Tar Heel North Carolina.

According to the workers' advocates, Smithfield Tar Heel plant workers suffer crippling injuries. They endure excessive line speeds and receive inadequate training to do their jobs. A 2007 Research Associates of America report, using company data from federal safety and health reports, reveals that injuries at Smithfield Tar Heel went up 200 percent between 2003 and 2006. Also from the advocates: In 2006 a federal appeals courts enforced the National Labor Relations Board decision that found that the company assaulted people, harassed and threatened violence against the Tar Heel workers during an election in 1997. Human Rights Watch, an organization that normally documents abuses by foreign governments, published two reports, in 2000 and 2005, decrying the conditions at the Tar Heel plant.

Bake sale in Weaver

Mother's Day Bake Sale!

Saturday, May 10th starting at 7:45am

Weaver First United Methodist Church
545 Anniston Street

256-820-2440

The church is having a large bake sale just in time for Mother's Day. They'll have cookies, cakes, candy, cup cakes, bread and more. And, so you don't have to shop on an empty stomach, they'll have fresh-made kettle corn and breakfast on site.