And still other folks hate fish. But maybe it’s because they’ve never had fresh fish. That can make all the difference.

From a  culinary standpoint, you really can use frozen fish on certain occasions, for various reasons.

• 1. Frozen fish is way fresher than “fresh” fish that hung out too long
• 2. Frozen fish is so convenient to make into a meal when the fridge is bare
• 3. Many frozen varieties taste close enough to fresh, in the right dishes

However, a recent purchase confirmed my other suspicion: That fresh fish from a reputable source is better than anything. I had worked up a recipe for Baked Tuna (posted here), and it works quite well with the frozen tuna steaks I pick up at Trader Joe’s. Meaning, it’s tender enough, and pretty tasty in general.

But then I picked up some “Sear-Grade” tuna from a local specialty shop (“Berkeley Bowl”, to be exact). Wow. There IS a difference. I had bought fresh tuna steaks from another shop before, and they had seemed just a little better than frozen. But the “sear-grade” was what I’d been looking for. It was more like the stuff I eat on special occasions at fancy restaurants. In such establishments, they typically sear the tuna; it’s often “encrusted” with something exotic, like ground black sesame seeds and Wasabi powder, etc. The restaurant entree is always insanely tender and delicious, even cooked rare.

I can now officially tell you: Maybe you DO get what you pay for. The “sear-grade” tuna costs a bit more than other options (except “sashimi-grade”, which is an even better grade). But it is a special treat.

If the pocket book says no, or the convenience factor of Trader Joe’s frozen tuna steaks is too high, stick with a simple baked fish recipe. But if you can afford the treat, go for “sear grade”!

“Mark’s Daily Apple” has a great post here on making healthy fish choices (concerning sustainability and toxins)

Almost any sauce will do, to accompany the fish. But for a treat, the following microwave method works great for a quick Hollandaise Sauce. Substitute olive oil for the butter, if butter’s a concern (just add extra salt).

Use favorite varieties of fish, in steak or fillet form: Salmon or Tuna steaks, or fillets of trout (and others) are all options. Some markets carry frozen tuna steaks that are convenient to stock in the freezer, if fresh aren’t available. The steaks will take a bit longer than fillets to cook. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. tuna or salmon steaks, or fillets, or fish of your choice
• 2 TBS. (plus 1 TBS.) olive oil
• 2 TBS. (plus 3 TBS.) lemon juice
• 1-2 carrots, peeled
• 2-3 zucchinis
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 c. butter (or substitute olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt)
• 3 TBS. lemon juice

PREPARATION (FISH)

1. Time permitting, marinate tuna steaks a day ahead of time. Use: > 2 lb. tuna steaks > 2 TBS. olive oil > 2 TBS. lemon juice

2. If lacking time, the tuna should still be fairly tender, even if you bake it without marinating it. Prepare veggies, to layer onto a large piece of foil, under the fish. By grating them, they should get done in the same length of time as the fish (unless you eat your fish quite rare.) Grate: > 1-2 carrots, peeled > 2-3 zucchinis

3. Place grated veggies on large piece of aluminum foil, sprinkling with: > 1 TBS. or so olive oil

4. On top of veggies, place: > 2 lb. tuna or salmon steaks, or fillets, or fish of your choice (marinated, if possible)

5. If not marinated, top with: > 1 TBS. more olive oil > juice from 1-2 lemons

6. Pull up the foil at the corners, to enclose ingredients; fish will stay moist this way. Place on baking sheet, or big pan; cook in oven at 375 degrees for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on thickness of fish and how well done you like it. Meanwhile, prepare sauce. To serve, arrange grated veggies on plate, add fish (removing skin if necessary). Add sauce and a bit of parsley, as desired.

PREPARATION (HOLLANDAISE)

1. Mix in small ceramic bowl: > 2 egg yolks

2. In separate bowl (glass measuring cup works well), microwave 30-60 seconds to melt: > 1/2 c. butter (or substitute olive oil) > 3 TBS. lemon juice

3. Slowly add melted butter/lemon to the yolk mixture. Microwave entire mixture 10-15 seconds at a time. Stir well after each time, microwaving in 10-15 second-increments until mixture gets hot and thickens. It also continues cooking a bit on its own; don’t overcook it! If making the sauce with olive oil, add 1/2 tsp. salt.

4. Serve the fish on the bed of grated veggies, topped with sauce, and chopped chives and lemon peel, if desired.

I began researching chipotle options when we wanted to feature it on a sandwich special, and discovered many, many products containing chipotle. Of course they were mainly comprised of the cheapest of ingredients: Flour and other additives.

But I discovered that dried chipotles are quite economical (found in the ethnic spice section of many grocery stores, or international markets, or on Amazon). I tried these on Amazon: Chipotle Dried Whole chile Peppers – 8 oz.– they cost more a little more than the ones I found locally. But hey, if you don’t happen to have a market that carries dried chipotle peppers, I do recommend the Amazon dried peppers; they’re still much better than mixes containing minimal chipotle (and maximum junk!).

But on to that infused oil. Take the hard, crusty little peppers, stem them and chop them coarsely by hand, pouring a bit of boiling water over them, some salt, and a bit of virgin olive oil. Let them soak in a jar in the fridge overnight, processing the softened peppers into a puree the next day. Add more virgin olive oil to them, and some paprika for extra color.

Love that smokey chipotle flavor!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 liter of soda water (unsweetened, carbonated water)
• 2 cans frozen white grape/ raspberry juice concentrate (100% juice)
• Optional: 1 pint ice cream (check labels for corn syrup)

PREPARATION

1. Simply add the frozen fruit juice concentrate to a punch bowl, pour in the soda water, and top with some ice cream, if desired.

2. For a super-fizzy, layered effect, make individual servings. Add a tablespoon or two of the fruit juice concentrate to each glass, add a scoop of ice cream, and then pour the soda water over the top. Like a natural-style root beer float!

We’d actually been making our own “Worchestershire Sauce” at the deli for ages, just to save money. A gallon of the stuff seemed too big an investment. After reading the ingredient list, I came up with something close enough to the real thing (for most purposes, anyway), and it was considerably cheaper.

We don’t miss the anchovies at all, though they could be added. This Worchestershire Sauce recipe (on saveur.com) sounded excellent, but I made a simplified version for The New Deli. Our version saves a step; instead of bringing a pot of the vinegar and spices to a simmer, we just “steep” them for a month or so in the vinegar, lazy-man-style. We also use less vinegar than the saveur recipe; maybe their recipe is more authentic, but we do like our blend!

We have an even simpler “Worchestershire” recipe, too, using 1 c. each, soy sauce and white vinegar, plus 1/4 c. Sugar, 1/2 TBS. Molasses, 1/2 TBS. Garlic granules. It’s not as complex a blend of flavors, but it is easy!

If you’re adventurous, you might try the following recipe. It will keep for some time, and you can be creative, using more or less of certain spices. Makes 1 quart.

INGREDIENTS

• Several tamarind pods (a handful)

• 1 TBS. mustard seeds
• 1/2 TBS. peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. powdered cloves (or 1 tsp. whole)
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• Several cardamom pod seeds (open pods, discard outer part)
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger, dry (or 1 TBS. fresh, sliced)
• 1/2 TBS. garlic granules
• 2 c. white vinegar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 2 c. soy sauce

PREPARATION

1. Several weeks ahead, let spices steep in the white vinegar in a glass quart jar. Add the first ten ingredients to the white vinegar; store in a dark place until vinegar is flavored.

2. Heat a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, adding sugar and tilting pan as needed (to get grains to “melt”, as the edges turn golden-colored).

3. When sugar has caramelized, remove from heat and slowly add the molasses and soy sauce, mixing until smooth.

4. Strain the steeped white vinegar into the pot, mixing well, discarding spices. Pour Worchestershire sauce back into the glass jar; store up to a year or so.

But my 50th birthday was coming up, and I wanted a good cake. Mom was back in Michigan so I would be on my own. I looked into it. Took a few of mom’s suggestions. It wasn’t too challenging to make a decent cake, and it was way cheaper than having a specialty bakery make it. (OK, so I’m fussy. No Costco cake for me!)

But a little research helped. You might dive right in to a recipe like this one (for Chocolate Pistachio Cake). Or you might be like me: Do a little research first. Here are some of the notes I took, before baking that yummy cake.

The Beauty of the Sponge Cake Recipe

The (Genoise) sponge cake recipe is great for a couple of reasons: It turns out light, and it cooks through without having a gooey center. If more moisture were added to the cake before baking, it would be harder for it to cook through without burning the edges. Ah, the beauty of Genoise!

While it’s possible to overcook (as I’ve found out), the layers will typically be spread with some kind of flavored syrup, which adds moisture and flavor. Or, whipped cream and other moist fillings like mousses might be used between layers. The cake doesn’t get too soggy, as it’s already slightly dry.

The Mechanics of the Sponge Cake Recipe

The big catch is to let the egg/sugar mix warm up to a good temperature for whipping well. A double-boiler can work; the mixture can get stirred fairly often until the sugar seems to dissolve, and the eggs are lukewarm to the touch. At this point, they will increase quite a bit in volume as they whip, which is just what you want. You have to take care not to actually cook the whites though- that won’t do!

Using the Right Pan

Cake batter for a Genoise cake should fill a pan 2/3, to insure proper baking. Also, as layers are often  split in order to spread with fillings, the cake can’t be too thin to start with.

If you increase the recipe, do the eggs in batches though, as a mixer won’t hold much more than eight eggs once they’ve increased in volume. When I made a triple-batch of an 8-egg recipe for my 50th, I did that. Baked it in a half-sheet-cake pan (12″x18″). It was great!

Ideally, a cake pan will have straight sides and corners perpendicular to the bottom. The cake bakes better in such a pan (as opposed to the pans with edges that flare out from the bottom). You don’t need to trim such a cake in order to achieve straight edges; you get a more professional look.

Coloring That Cake

I really like the color of “Pistachio Green”. I experimented, adding a touch of red to the green food coloring. If you stick with the green as it comes from the bottle, you won’t have a pistachio color at all! I added extra yellow as well, until the color was pleasant, not gaudy.  I also bought some packaged fondant, making a ribbon on one cake, as shown above. The box of fondant contained a somewhat abrasive mix of colors, but with a little blending, I got the color I was looking for. Typically, you want to add just a touch of the opposite color to your frosting. Greens might need a touch of red; purple or orange might need a touch of green, etc. This tones them down and makes for a classier look.

Fond of Fondant?

I learned from the experts that you can let any ribbons you make dry overnight. Why do this? I discovered the hard way: If you start laying “ribbons” on your typical frosting, the colors might start running by the end of the day. Letting them air-dry for a day or so helps resolve that issue.  At some point, I may try making my own fondant. My mom did this for my dear sister-in-law’s wedding, years ago. I still remember the beautiful smell of the rose water my mom added to the mix. That was one special occasion!

With this recipe, most of the pistachios are finely processed; a bit of sugar and butter are added to make it like an almond paste (or “marzipan”), which can be rolled out and laid between layers. The rest of the pistachios are more coarsely ground, to add to the sides of the cake.

This chocolate cake has a simple chocolate mousse filling that uses whipped cream; the rest of the whipped cream is used in the frosting (saving steps). Serves 15-20.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 eggs
• 1 1/3 c. sugar
• 3/4 stick butter (6 TBS.), plus scant 1/2 c. (3 1/2 oz.) butter, melted
• 2 tsp. plus 1 TBS. vanilla
• 3/4 c. plus 2 TBS. flour
• 3/4 c. plus 2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 c. seedless raspberry jam (or substitute an extra 1/3 c. juice concentrate)
• 1/3 c. Frozen Raspberry/White Grape Juice Concentrate
• 1/2 lb. raw, shelled pistachios (1 2/3 c.)
• 1/4 lb. or more (1 c. or so) pistachios (for decorating, if desired)
• 1/2 c. plus 1 c. confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 TBS. water
• 1 qt. whipping cream (4 c.)

Chocolate “Genoise” Cake

PREPARATION

1. To make the egg/sugar mix, use room-temperature eggs, warmed in hot water first: > 8 eggs

2. Add warmed eggs to a bowl, along with the sugar, setting bowl in warm water until lukewarm. A double boiler on the stove might provide enough heat to warm up the ingredients. Stir occasionally. Use:  > the 8 room-temperature eggs > 1 1/3 c. sugar

3. In separate cup, microwave mixture of: > 3/4 stick butter (6 TBS.) > 2 tsp. vanilla

4. Mix dry ingredients together separately. The following measurement actually equals 1 c. minus 2 TBS., which can be an easier way to measure! Use: > 3/4 c. plus 2 TBS. flour > 3/4 c. plus 2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cake pan (9″x9″); dust with flour. (Or size of choice; baking times will vary accordingly.)

6. Beat egg/sugar mix until tripled in volume. Fold in spoonfuls of flour mixture at a time, into egg mixture, repeating until mixed in. Fold in melted butter/vanilla last. Put into prepared pan and bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and is springy, about 30 min. Let cool.

Raspberry Filling, Mousse, & Frosting

ASSEMBLY

1. Prepare Raspberry Filling: microwave jam in a small bowl, using: > 1/3 c. seedless raspberry jam (or omit and double up on juice concentrate)

2. Add to the bowl: > 1/3 c. Frozen Raspberry/White Grape Juice Concentrate (or use 2/3 c. and omit jam)

3. Optional: If you choose to decorate the sides of the cake with pistachios, process some extra nuts, chopping until medium-fine: > 1 c. pistachios (for decorating, if desired)

4. Set chopped nuts (for decorating) aside. Prepare “Pistachio Paste”: first process nuts (before adding the confectioner’s sugar and butter). Process until smooth, using: > 1/2 lb. raw, shelled pistachios (1 2/3 c.)

5. To processor, add: > 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar > scant 1/2 c. (3 1/2 oz.) butter, melted > 1 tsp. almond extract

6. Process until well-blended. Set Pistachio Paste aside. Note: Many recipes use a small amount of water or egg white instead of the butter; use according to preference (I prefer the butter).

7. Prepare chocolate mousse filling, and frosting for cake. For that, microwave 30 seconds or so, and stir until melted: > 1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips > 2 1/2 TBS. water

8. Set the melted chocolate mixture aside and let cool off some. Meanwhile, whip just until soft peaks form: > 4 c. chilled whipping cream

9. To prepare the Chocolate Mousse, fold into the cooled chocolate mixture: > Approx. 2 c. of the above whipped cream

10. Set aside. Meanwhile, to the rest of the whipped cream, add: > 1 c. Confectioner’s sugar > 1 TBS. vanilla

11. Set the frosting aside.

12. Split the sponge cake into three layers using serrated knife, setting the first layer (cut-side up) on a cardboard cake rectangle (or flat cookie sheet). Set the other two layers on wax paper, cut side up. Drizzle the raspberry mixture over the cut side of all three layers.

13. For the first layer, after adding the raspberry mixture, add about half of the chocolate mousse mixture. Next, add half the Pistachio Butter, rolled out into a 9″ square (or to the shape of the baked cake). Roll it between two layers of plastic wrap, then lift onto the cake, pulling the top half of the plastic wrap off afterward.

14. For the next layer, carefully set the middle layer of cake drizzled with raspberry syrup, on top of first layer of cake, raspberry, and pistachio. Add the other half of the chocolate mousse mixture. Also, add the second half of the almond paste, again rolled into a 9″ square.

15. Finally, lift the top layer of cake (raspberry side down) onto the other two layers.

16. Color the frosting if desired. For a “Pistachio Green” color, use a touch of red and yellow along with the green food coloring.  Frost the cake with the Whipped Cream/Confectioner’s sugar mixture.

17. If desired, sprinkle chopped pistachios on the sides of the cake. Another decorating idea: Fondant ribbons. See notes to the left on working with fondant. To get a nice purplish-wine color, I mixed the intense purple fondant that came in the box, with a few of the other colors, to tone it down.

18. You can make this cake a day ahead, or in steps. I often bake the cake earlier in the week, freezing it until assembly time.

So here’s it is: a version adapted from an old Betty Crocker recipe. It’s a simple recipe once the technique is mastered , and comes in handy for gifts, or to have on hand for last minute guests. Makes about 30 or so pieces.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or toasted almonds)
• 2 sticks butter (1 c.)
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla (or almond extract, if using toasted almonds)
• dash salt
• 1 rounded c. chocolate chips (8 oz.)

 PREPARATIOIN

1. Butter a 9 x 13 ” pan, and spread with: > 1 1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or toasted almonds)

2. In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, begin heating the following: > 2 sticks butter (1 c.) > 1 1/4 c. sugar > 1 tsp. vanilla > dash salt

3. Stir constantly, keeping it at a medium high heat. Set the timer for 7 minutes; that’s about how long it takes for it to get to the right temperature. Just when the sides of the pan start darkening, it’s ready to pour over the nuts in the pan. Spread to the edges, then cover with: > 1 rounded c. chocolate chips (8 oz.)

4. Let chocolate melt (about 5 minutes), then spread over toffee. Let cool until chocolate’s set (about 1 hour), then chop/cut into pieces.

Not that “ORAC” is an especially appetizing name. But it’s a lot easier than saying, “the oxygen radical absorbance capacity”. High ORAC value means that less free radicals may form. Free radicals may increase potential for disease and premature aging. We don’t want that.

There is some controversy about the topic. The USDA had a list of high ORAC foods, having studied them for ten years. But in May of 2012, they withdrew the list, as test results were not conclusive.

This might just be a technicality. Read the Wikipedia page (here) for details. It basically says that the high ORAC foods themselves don’t increase the antioxidant capacity of blood, but that the uric acid levels increase after metabolizing the foods, and that is what affects the antioxidant capacity.

Do I care if the actual scientific fact is that it’s not the “compound” I just ate, but the byproduct of digesting that compound that is responsible for my blood’s increased antioxidant capacity?! No! And I don’t think my body cares either. Fact is, my body’s happier when I eat some high-ORAC foods. That’s all that counts, right?!

OK, USDA… to be more accurate, we might claim the value of colorful, flavorful foods, which are high in polyphenols (of either flavonoid or non-flavonoid form). The USDA does admit that these foods have a positive effect on heart health. Such foods have been found to be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic. Good enough for me.

So… I could present you with a list of “Colorful, Flavorful Foods High in Flavonoid and Non-Flavonoid Polyphenols”. (CFFHFNFP- what an acronym!) Or I could just keep calling ‘em the “High ORAC Foods”. In either case, I rounded up some foods from my cupboard (or garden), loaded with good stuff, to inspire you. Here’s a List of High ORAC Foods:

• Spices (cinnamon, turmeric, etc.)
• Herbs (oregano, sage, parsley, etc.)
• Unsweetened (and dark) chocolate (or, ideally, “cacao nibs”)
• Coffee and/or green tea
• Berries
• Nuts
• Cooked vegetables
• Beans
• Colorful fruits (and raisins too)

What might you have in your cupboard or garden, that you could add to your meals? Every time we spice up or season a dish, we can raise that “oxygen radical absorbance capacity”. My friend even suggested adding turmeric to tea. I discovered that a delicious pick-me-up brew could be made using turmeric, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and coconut cream. Starbucks, step aside– this is a way healthy super-charger.

I guess it’s no surprise that America’s #1 source of high ORAC food is generally… coffee. But ethnic dishes are typically loaded with heavy doses of high ORAC foods due to liberal use of herbs and spices. Maybe it’s time we expanded our horizons too!

A big batch of chili comes in handy for feeding a crowd. I made this for the last Chili Cook-Off our church had. No, I didn’t win the cook-off, but we did LOVE this chili! One caveat: I used homemade Worchestershire sauce (recipe soon to be published here). I think that made it extra special!

I was glad our friend Toby won. He only made some to help his wife out, who was heading up the event. The day before, it had started to look like there would be only three folks making chili, so he stayed up past midnight to make a batch himself.

We ended up with bunches of chilis to try that day. One was called “Three Buck Chuck”. We thought it might have goat meat in it; we eventually realized that it was called that because it had DEER meat in it!

This makes 2-plus gallons of chili; about 20-24 or servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. dry kidney beans
• 3 lb. lean ground beef
• Olive oil for grilling veggies
• Approx. 6 c. chopped onion (4-5 lg.)
• 6 chopped green peppers (sub Anaheim or Poblano for variety)
• 1 #10 can (6 lb. 9 oz.) tomato pieces
• 1/2 c. Worchestershire Sauce
• 2 TBS. salt
• 1/2 c. chili powder
• 8 c. of water (as needed)
• Optional: 8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
• Optional: Sour cream, cilantro, chopped jalapenos or raw onion, etc.

PREPARATION

1. In a medium-large pot, bring to boil: > Half-pot of water

2. Add, and then simmer until tender, 1 hour or so: > 2 lb. dry kidney beans (ideally, soaked overnight, in the refrigerator)

3. When beans are done, drain off cooking water. Put beans back in pot.

4. Saute’ in iron pan: > 3 lb. lean ground beef

5. Drain fat off if necessary; add to cooked beans in pot. In same pan, sauté: > Approx. 6 c. chopped onion > 6 or so chopped green peppers (or other variety) > olive oil

6. Into the pot of beans and meat, add the grilled veggies, plus the following: > 1 #10 can tomato pieces > 2 TBS. salt > 1/2 c. chili powder* > 1/2 c. Worchestershire Sauce > more water as needed (to right consistency)

7. Simmer all ingredients 1 hour or so. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and condiments, as desired.

*For homemade chili powder: Mix in a bowl and store in small jar: > 1/4 c. paprika > 1/4 c. garlic granules > 1/4 c. cumin powder > 1 TBS. cayenne