Guy Food

Guy Food

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Happy Days ~ French Fries

What guy or gal does not love french fries. For sure the best way to eat potatoes and other veggies. I come from the generation when Happy Meals were at the top of any kids food hierarchy. I still say that McD fries are among the best.






Then as I grew into my teens, cheesy fries baked with cheddar cheese and topped with bacon crispy crumbs.

Now, that I am older, I am trying new ways to eat and enjoy french fries. Here are some that will capture your taste buds - from the top: Rutabaga, plantains, and zucchini.



and of course, a batch of homemade is always comfort food


almost forgot... a batch of butternut for my sweetie, my one and only brainy gourmet


Friday, April 24, 2015

Eating Raw is not for Brainy Guys





Eating raw is not always best.


I am smiling and keep on. Especially since a landmark study published in 2002 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry first showed that a powerful antioxidant called lycopene is released from tomatoes when they’re cooked agrees with what I already knew just listening to my mom.

The study found that heating tomatoes at 190.4 degrees for 30 minutes boosted levels of absorbable lycopene by 35 percent. Lycopene has been shown to help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and macular degeneration, a degenerative eye disease. In addition, a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition found that folks following a long-term raw-food diet had low levels of lycopene.

Let's consider that 2002 was more than twelve years ago. Interesting is that the rage is eating raw veggies on our plates and in our smoothies. Didn't anybody read that 2002 study? If I haven't blogged it then I should have blogged that eating raw is not always the best. People are surprised. How would you know?  Being brainy about food sometimes means listening to your mom and or grandmother who have been cooking and serving food longer than most newbie experts and definitely listening to your own body is the best advice.

As for my own eating experiences, I cannot eat and will not eat raw veggies. In fact, they are like poison to my body. I figure, if I were a rabbit, then I guess I would. But I am not. I also live by the wisdom that if it does not smell good or look good; forget it. I am not eating it.

Now that information was given to us over thousands of years ago by earlier man who used his eyes and nose. How did doctors and the nutritionists of today miss that?

So, let us return to the advice of good old fashioned experts ~ like the Brainy Guy!
Cook before you eat!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Mushrooms ~ Edible Fungus

Mushroom collecting is one of the most widespread activities in the world. People have been collecting and eating mushrooms since before the culinary arts began.
Of the many different kinds of mushrooms, almost all are “edible” but too fibrous or insignificant to consume. That still leaves a considerable portion of mushrooms as consumable and either "fair, good, or choice." While the numbers vary and are debatable, only about 250 are considered significantly poisonous.

While those numbers put the odds of picking an edible rather than a non-edible mushroom heavily in the favor of foragers, experienced mushroom growers are quick to point out that foraging for mushrooms should never be thought of as a game of chance. “Don’t guess,” advises Tradd Cotter, who has been cultivating mushrooms for more than 20 years.
I enjoy mushrooming in both the spring and fall. There are even types that come out in the summer. Right now, I am getting excited about morel fests that pop up in the Midwest from late April til May.  
 
Morels are considered a gourmet’s delight and one of America’s most popular and highly regarded mushrooms. They range in color from cream to almost black, and their honeycomb pattern makes them easy to spot.
Where they grow: Morels grow in almost every state. Exceptions are Florida, which is too hot, and Arizona, which is too arid.
When to forage: Early spring before the trees leaf out. That’s February on the Pacific coast, March to mid-April in the South, and May in the Northeast. Peak season is April-May.
A tip from Cotter: Carry a cooking thermometer to measure the ground temperature. Morels fruit only when the ground temperature is 50 to 58 degrees.
Habitat: Morels associate with moist areas and specific tree types: Ash, tulip, oak, hickory, sycamore, cottonwood, maple, beech, conifers and apples. Cotter urges caution if foraging in apple orchards, because morels are excellent at absorbing pesticide residue, which can remain in the soil for long periods.
Culinary use: Morels have a unique smoky, earthy, nutty flavor that is prized by cooks worldwide. The darker the color, the stronger the flavor. A popular way to cook them is to simply saute then in butter with salt and cracked pepper. Wash thoroughly, but be aware that because of their honeycomb structure, they may retain some bits of soil that can’t be washed out.
If you are not so adventurous, then just go the local market and buy some tried and true Champion.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Brainy Guy is Baking Cookies

Yeah, Brainy Guys bake cookies...

I am here to tell you that I like mine fat and full of chocolate chips. There is no one secret recipe. All you need to know is the chemistry of ingredients, how they work together and the results you can expect. So, if you are like me and like em thick and chewy then lay off the sugar and no baking soda.  I never use melted butter. I go with one stick salted and half cup brown sugar with 1/4 cup granulated. One egg and half tsp. baking powder and one full tsp of vanilla extract.  Since the butter is salted, there is no need to add more.
Altogether, I am somewhere between more flour, baking powder and chilled when I make my batch. You can experiment... after no cookie ever goes uneaten in our house.

Take a look!