Not A Single Fork

Happy to report that Natalia returned in the nick of time from NOLA and in this episode, shares (overshares?) their escapades in the great state of Louisiana. From St. Patrick’s Day parades and crawfish boils in Baton Rouge to restaurants off the beaten path in NOLA, you will hear it all because in true Natalia … Continue reading Adventures With Natalia →

This has been quite the journey and basically, shit show. Somehow we lost the Not A Single Fork website posts but they are still existing somewhere out in the podcasting universe. We are making every effort to not lose them but we’ve had no control over anything else so…who knows!? In this episode, Natalia has … Continue reading Evolution Of The Online Classes →

Ummm…well, I remember 1968 and in this episode, we take a walk down Memory Lane via a well-preserved magazine. We’re also talking Throwbacks because we’re going to be offering up some throwback recipes in our online classes. I know, I know, you guys like to call them “retro” and yes, they are that, too. But … Continue reading 1968? Who Remembers That? →

Wondering when you were going to get that notification that a new episode had dropped? Well, wait no longer. We have a take a little break between seasons so we can get some fresh ideas, take a little break and then come back with some more fun for you. Remember how we told you at … Continue reading Miss Us? Good Cuz We’re Back! →

Welcome to almost 2022! Let's put 2021 in the rearview and move on! Let's include 2020 in that rearview as well, in fact, way, way back.

So, we come to the last episode of Season 8 and this year. And, yes, several seasons ago, we talked about black eyed peas but since we seriously need some good juju, we thought, why not? Let's go again and maybe throw in some additional tidbits...like a recipe!

Black eyed peas are an Old World plant first domesticated in West Africa. When Africans were abducted and brought to the US as slaves, they hid the seeds and were able to then grow and cultivate them, providing a rich source of nutrition in their otherwise meager diet. Then, during the Civil War, the Union troops left the pea fields (salt pork also) alone thinking they were inedible and only food for animals. This history gives rise to the Southern tradition of eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.

For you recipe hounds (I was going to write "whores" oh, I guess I just did!), this is a little different twist.

Black Eyed Pea Pineapple Salad

Serves 8

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed well

1 cup whole kernel corn, canned, frozen or fresh

½ whole fresh pineapple, medium dice

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 small red onion, small dice

½ red bell pepper, small dice

1 small serrano pepper, seeded, deveined and minced

½ jalapeno pepper, seeded deveined and minced

2 tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup sherry wine vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix first 8 ingredients together in a large bowl.  Set aside.  In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and oil; replace lid and shake vigorously until an emulsion is created.  Pour over salad ingredients and toss.  Do not over-mix.  Refrigerate and allow flavors to meld for at least an hour.  Serve cool but not ice cold.

This is great as a side but we like to serve it with tortilla chips as a dip!

We also share our own cracked version of the tradition along with poke greens (listen to the episode).

Here are some highlights but still listen to the whole episode.

02:15 - Christmas dinners

04:15 - Natalia is very proud of her dried oranges

07:11 - Moving one

13:11 - Poke greens are poisonous?

16:07 - Let's talk about the recipe

19:45 - The lucky trifecta

We know you can't get enough of us so ICYMI, we're putting together a "for real" series of online cooking classes packed full of all that stuff you want to see (and not just hear about).

And, if you're interested and want to be one of the cool kids...drop us a comment here on the website and we'll add you to the mailing list. You'll be the first to know when we bust it all out! The emails have already started so don't wait to get on the list.

In the meantime, enjoy the episode and Happy New Year! We'll be back in a few weeks with Season 9.

As per usual, right before Christmas, we do a short and sweet episode because we're all busy, right?

This one happens to be a foreshadowing.

Sounds ominous, doesn't it? No worries. This is a positive one so maybe consider it a teaser of sorts.

We're going to tell you about one of our projects that will appear shortly after the first of the year...like the third week of January.

We know you can't get enough of us so we're putting together a "for real" series of online cooking classes packed full of all that stuff you want to see (and not just hear about).

There are no highlights for this show because it's short and really, it's all a highlight.

And, if you're interested and want to be one of the cool kids...drop us a comment here on the website and we'll add you to the mailing list. You'll be the first to know when we bust it all out!

In the meantime, enjoy the episode and have a wonderful holiday!!

Candace and Natalia

This is one of those you love them or you hate them kind of things.

We happen to love them and this time we're talking about Brussels sprouts.

Now before you go all postal about these little gems...give us just a few minutes and then you might want to give them a shot. I mean, that is if you think you hate them.

As with most foods people think they hate, you have to know how to treat these little buggers or you're right, they are gross. You can't boil them beyond recognition and expect them (or anything else) to taste good.

So listen to us (I've remembered the highlights this time) and then decide.

But first, a recipe. This combines things that you might actually like with the sprouts to create something new! And here it is. Thanks to Bon Appetit from years ago.

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Raisins

Serves 4

2 thick slices bacon, sliced into lardons about ¼” wide

4 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1 lb), trimmed and halved

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup golden raisins (can substitute dried or fresh figs, use 4 – 6, cut into quarters)

1 medium shallot, finely sliced

1 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup chicken broth

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.  Set aside pan with bacon fat.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add Brussels sprouts and blanch for 2 minutes until tender but still bright green.  Drain.  Add sliced shallot and Brussels sprouts to bacon fat.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until well browned in spots and beginning to soften, 5-7 minutes.   Add broth and raisins to pan and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broth has almost evaporated.  Stir in vinegar, butter and crumbled bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now let's hit the highlights:

03:20 - Natalia is weird (but we already knew that)

05:30 - Why we think you don't like them

07:05 - Please blanch them

11:05 - 20 Brussels Sprouts Recipes from The Kitchn

15:20 - Trader Joe's wine and yes, we know this has nothing to do with vegetables

19:26 - The size of your sprouts

We've been having better luck with our podcast showing up when it's supposed to so fingers crossed.

You should be able to find us all over the place.

Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like!

We love and appreciate you guys. Keep listening, hang in there. And, hopefully, the publishing gods will provide.

Are you guys noticing a theme?

We are totally into ingredients this season. And, we're trying to help you out with some of the more challenging ones. A suggestion here, a recipe there and then you have branched out without any pain or suffering!

Sweet potatoes are one of those ingredients that you hear about a lot especially if you're into that whole healthy eating thing because let's face it, they are really good for you. But the really good thing is that they also taste really good and, you can't say that about a lot of food that's good for you, right?

Sweet potatoes are also able to go savory or sweet with equal success. Now, as you listen to the episode, you'll notice that Natalia (and me too, for that matter) does not get or like the whole candied yams with marshmallows and brown sugar thing. I know, I know, lots of you absolutely love that recipe but we're pretty sure it's just nostalgia...kinda like the cheese coneys from before. You don't really think that tastes good, do you?

But we're including a savory recipe for your next holiday (or just regular cold weather) dinner. These are the spicy ones that I adapted from Bobby Flay. It's super easy and you can adjust the level of spice to suit yourself. The other cool thing? You can make them ahead of time! Final cool thing...4 ingredients! So here they are:

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8 – 10

5½ lbs sweet potatoes

1 tbsp minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into chunks

1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450°

Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish, and set aside. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Roast the sweet potatoes in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 1 to 1½ hours. Remove from the oven, and cool about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop flesh into a mixing bowl. Discard potato skins. Beat the sweet potatoes with the chipotle peppers, butter, and salt; spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. This can baked now or refrigerated until the next day.

Bake until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Don't forget there's another (cooler) recipe over on Patreon. Remember, it's the place where you can watch fun videos, get fun recipes and become a fun member of our gang! Just click below to check it out:

Become a Patron!

If our podcast shows up when it's supposed to and these days, that's a big IF...

You should be able to find us all over the place.

Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like!

We love and appreciate you guys. Keep listening, hang in there. And, hopefully, the publishing gods will provide.

True to form, we covered many topics on our way to pie but we did talk A LOT about pie and a lot of other stuff as well.

Natalia, being from England, did not grow up with pie as we know it. Pie was savory. Meat pies, for example, so she kinda doesn't get how much people here obsess over pie and pie crust. She, of course, came along for the ride anyway.

In this episode, you'll hear about Christmas pudding, fruitcake and a drunken cat, lighting food on fire and how much I hate meringue and then back to pie. My personal favorite is pumpkin. But my kids love my butterscotch cream pie so that is the recipe you're going to find on Patreon. If you haven't found our Patreon page yet, here you go. It says "become a member" but you won't become one if you click on that widget.

Become a Patron!

You'll find highlights below but stay for the entire ride...lots of information whether you want it or not.

02:51 - Natalia did not grow up with pie

04:25 - I used to bake a lot of cookies

09:55 - I am a pie crust Nazi

16:45 - What is mincemeat?

19:45 - White fruitcake that my cat really enjoyed

28:30 - I HATE meringue

31:29 - The thing about pie crust

38:23 - Cheddar cheese and apple pie

If our podcast shows up when it's supposed to and these days, that's a big IF...

You should be able to find us all over the place.

Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like!

We love and appreciate you guys. Keep listening, hang in there. And, hopefully, the publishing gods will provide.

That is the question, for chili anyway.

In this episode, we travel far afield (as usual) but end up talking mostly about chili because it's chilly outside, right? So chili when it's chilly. Chili is a big deal in this part of the country and maybe it is where you live as well but we didn't stop to find that out. Chili contests abound this time of year and sometimes other times of year, too.

The biggest discussion is around whether you put beans in it and if you do, is it still chili and if you don't, is it still chili? Natalia has some pretty strong opinions about this...surprise!

We had to talk about one of our great landlords because he often texts me pictures (okay, get out of the gutter!) of his cooking. Last year, I got a pic of his chili fixins' (that's what we call mise en place in Oklahoma) and then a newspaper article from the '70s (I think) about his family's chili recipe. And, you lucky people, I'm going to share it with you later in this post.

Another chili topic centered around using something besides ground meat and tomatoes so I shared my recipe (adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated) for White Bean Chicken Chile Verde. I'm not sure what the Test Kitchen called it but I changed it up and renamed it to suit me and you will find that recipe on our Patreon page along with lots of other fun stuff so if you're interested...click below and you'll be over at our page in an instant.

Become a Patron!

Also, I want you to know that we have been on the cutting edge of food topics this season. Most recently, stuffed and baked pumpkin. It appeared on the cover of the Thanksgiving issue of Food and Wine magazine and then the website, The Kitchn featured it in their Thanksgiving Food Fest series with Dorie Greenspan. So, clearly, we are some of the cool kids.

So before we get into the highlights, for those who want them. Here is the Synar family's chili recipe.

SYNAR CHILI

Makes 2½ gallons (enough for 12 – 16 servings)

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped green bell pepper

3 – 4 stalks chopped celery

8 lb lean ground meat, chili grind

¼ cup Worchestershire sauce (up to ½ cup), ½ cup A-1 sauce, and 10 – 12 oz bottle of ketchup

1, 8 oz can tomato paste

2, 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes

2, 14.5 oz cans tomato sauce

3 – 4 large garlic cloves chopped (up to 10)

Gebhardt’s Eagle Brand chili powder seasoning, to taste

Seasoned salt, to taste

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 – 3 cups salsa

1 chile pepper, hot, 3” long

Garlic salt, to taste

Black pepper

Heat canola oil in large pot. Add Holy Trinity and cook until softened about 10 minutes.

Increase heat, add meat until pink is gone. Add worchestershire sauce, A-1 and ketchup and stir well.

Add remaining ingredients and 1 cup of water. Simmer uncovered for 1 – 2 hours. Add another cup of water after 30 minutes. Add another cup of water at end of cooking time.

If you are one of those people who is only interested in highlights, here you go but, of course, you'll really want to listen to the entire episode so you can access it below. I mean, it's only 30 minutes and it will occupy you during your commute or whatever you're doing.