We were very fortunate to receive a gift for a month’s worth of “hand-selected premium fruit” from Harry & David from one of my wife’s friends. It is a wonderful gift especially this time of the year when you can use a perfectly ripe orange or ruby red grapefruit to get you through the cold winter days. I tell my youngest daughter when giving her a section of Clementine that she is putting a little sunshine in her mouth with each bite.

This week the postman showed up at the door with a box of extremely juicy HoneyBell oranges that came with their own plastic bibs that took me a while to figure out what they were. After browsing the Internet for a while to learn more about what some people say is the sweetest orange around, I also learned that they are not really in the orange family botanically, but are really tangelos.

In fact, when I went to the supermarket and asked the grocer if they had any Honeybell oranges, he sent me over to the Minneola Tangelo short for Minnesota Tangelo which is a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine.

I’m guessing they get their name from their shape but to me they look like Christmas ornaments you hang on the tree. I found out from the literature sent with the Honeybells that those that “grow close to the trunk have a thicker skin and almost always have the characteristic “bell” on top. Those that grow toward the outside end of the limb have thinner skins and often don’t have the “bell.”

The box of Bells also came with a card with a couple of recipes including this one for HoneyBell Juice Cocktail that my wife decided to make. I have always been interested in photography but not very good at it so I am making an effort to take better photos of what I cook.

My kids tease me about bringing my camera to the table each night playing with the light and composition but it’s the only way I’m going to get better. I even reached out to some food photographers for some help and will share what I learn from them. If you have any tips you would like to share, my ears are open. So if you see a lot more photos on my posts, you know what I’m trying to learn and share with you.

HoneyBell Juice Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 4 HoneyBells, peeled but leave the yellow pith (I’m guessing it is good source of fiber)
• 1 apple
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 mango, peeled and pitted
• 2 slices of fresh pineapple about 1/2 inch thick with the skin removed (we used already cut up chunks of pineapple available at the supermarket)

How to Make HoneyBell Juice Cocktail

Prep all the ingredients coring the apple and cutting them into quarters. Peel and pit the mango. Get your pineapple ready depending on what you are using. Remove the tops from the carrots but leave the skin on.

To make the juice, just add everything to a juice machine (juicer). As you can see from the photo, my wife used a juice extractor and a juicer both of which pre-date our marriage. They have been sitting around in various kitchen cabinets gathering dust from New York City to Park City, Utah now back east here in Philadelphia so it was great to get them out and use them. Like old friends you haven’t seen in a while, it was a pleasure to make their acquaintance again.

Very Old Juice Extractors

We made more than what’s showing in the measuring cup but the kids and I were drinking it faster than my wife could make it. I thought the photo looked pretty good so that’s why it is included.

Yesterday we juiced up some other fruit including strawberries and bananas and the drink was equally delicious. I’m guessing if you have quality fresh fruit around, it is hard to mess up a fruit juice drink. I’m hoping to keep the juicer and extractor a little busier now that we’ve enjoyed the nutritious and delicious concoctions they create.

If you have a favorite juice combination, please be sure to share it with me.

All About Sage and How It Is Used in Veal Saltimboca

Here is another post from contributing writer Mark Vogel. When I hear of sage I immediately think of using it with chicken but as you will see in this article, there are lots of ways it can be used and is a vital ingredient for Veal Saltimboca.

Imagine a plant that:

• prevents excessive bleeding, yet can also increase blood flow
• increases urine output (a diuretic)
• reduces excessive sweating
• treats snakebites
• increases women’s fertility
• has anti fungal properties
• is an astringent
• is an antibiotic
• suppresses muscle spasms
• promotes estrogen
• assists with hypoglycemia
• can treat Alzheimer’s
• is an anesthetic
• aids digestion
• and in general possess restorative and healing properties.

And Now the Truth About Sage

Allow me to introduce you to the herb sage, whose name is derived from the Latin “salvus” meaning healthy or safe.   Ancient Greek and Roman doctors, folklorists of the Middle Ages, and even a few modern herbalists have all attributed one or more of the above claims to sage.  It’s no wonder that it was referred to as “Sage the Savior” or that a Provencal proverb asserted that “he who has sage in his garden needs no doctor.”

Too bad there isn’t a botanical entity that promotes common sense.  Most of these claims hold less water than the cells of the plant itself.  (I particularly like the diametrical beliefs that it prevents and increases blood flow.)  Over the ages most of sage’s medicinal claims have been abandoned in favor of its one unequivocal use:  in cooking.

Characteristics of Sage

Sage is a perennial herb from the mint family indigenous to the Mediterranean.  Nowadays it is grown in most temperate regions of the world.  It has woody stems, grayish-green leaves and purple flowers.  The Romans introduced it to Europe.  Charlemagne was so enamored with sage that he ordered widespread planting of it in 812.

Sage is a very pungent herb, a fact to keep in mind when employing it.  Peppery, minty, and slightly bitter are the most common adjectives describing its taste.  However, there’s a variety known as pineapple sage which believe it or not, has a pineapple scent.

Buy Fresh If Possible

Fresh sage is available year round.  Like any herb, look for batches with a bright aroma, vibrant uniform color, no blotches, and no signs of desiccation.  If the leaves look arid or limp, opt for its dried, jarred counterpart.  Most herbs are a shadow of themselves in dried form but dried sage is fairly decent. Remember the general rule of thumb; one part dried spices/herbs equals three parts fresh.

Storing Fresh Sage

Unused fresh sage can be wrapped in damp paper towels and stored in a bag in the fridge.  Or, my preferred storage method with herbs is to stand them up in a small vessel of water, (like flowers in a vase), ideally with a sealable lid, and then refrigerate them.  You need only enough water to submerge the base of the stems.

How To Use Sage

Sage has a wide variety of uses but due to its robust flavor, it marries better with heartier dishes.  It is a classic pairing with fattier fare because of the aforementioned beliefs in its digestive properties.  It is also utilized with pork, beans, certain cheeses, sausage, goose, forcemeats, marinades and especially stuffings.

In France it is most popular in Provence, a region enthusiastic about herbs in general, where it is combined with meats and soups.  In Germany they use it to season eel and even beer.  The Chinese infuse it in tea.  In the Middle East it is enjoyed with mutton.  And in Italy where it is quite popular, it can be found in osso buco, paupiettes, (rolled and stuffed meats), rice, soup, and the star of this article:  veal saltimbocca.

Photo Credit

Veal Saltimbocca

Veal saltimbocca, which probably originated in Brescia, (a region of Lombardy in northern Italy), is a specialty in Roman cuisine.  Quite simply, it is veal sautéed with prosciutto and sage in a butter/wine sauce.  In the traditional fabrication method two sage leaves are placed on a veal cutlet overlaid by a slice of prosciutto.  A long wooden skewer is then threaded through to hold the veal and its toppings in place.  This packet is then sautéed.

I have two problems with this method.  First, skewers are always awkward.  It’s a somewhat tedious procedure to ensure they are threaded properly.  The skewer must adequately penetrate each ingredient to hold it in place and in such a manner that the entire packet lays flat so it cooks uniformly.

My second issue is that sage is not dispersed evenly.  The cutlets are obviously larger than two leaves of sage.  This results in a gastronomic mood swing.  Some mouthfuls will be devoid of the herb while others will be inundated.

My solution is to first chop the sage leaves.  I stick with the basic formula of two leaves per piece of veal.  Pound the cutlets thoroughly so they are nice and thin.  Season them with salt and pepper.  Easy on the salt since the prosciutto is salty.  Sprinkle the sage evenly on the cutlets.  Top with the prosciutto, fold the cutlet in half, and then pound it again.

Deliver some extra whacks to the folded edge so it will not be inordinately thicker than the rest.  This second pounding also seals the perimeter of the folded cutlet, holding everything in place.  Remember when pounding meat to always use the smooth side of the mallet, and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap.  This inhibits tearing of the meat and prevents the jettisoning of errant projectiles all over your kitchen.

Veal Saltimboca

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh sage leaves, cut in chiffonade, (as described below)
• 4 veal cutlets
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 oz. dry white wine

How to Prepare at Home

To chiffonade the sage, tightly roll the leaves horizontally into a cigar shape.  Then slice it end to end to produce little ribbons.

Pound the veal cutlets to thin them out and season with salt and pepper.  Evenly distribute the sage over the cutlets and then top each with a slice of prosciutto.  Fold the cutlets in half and pound them again to a uniform thickness.

Melt half the butter in a large skillet.  Place the veal packets in the pan, brown the first side, flip and repeat.  Remove the veal and reserve.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off the bottom.  Add the remaining butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Return the veal to the pan and very briefly cook it on each side just to coat it with the sauce and serve.

Chef Mark R. Vogel

Everything You Want To Know About Scallops

Clean, sweet and tasting of the ocean, scallops are considered a seafood delicacy by many people.  Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and relatively low in calories, they are an incredibly healthy source of protein.  What I particularly like about scallops is they are very versatile and can be prepared in many ways, from simple searing and grilling to sautéing, deep frying, stir-frying, and baking.  I have even prepared scallops in soups, stews and risottos. Be sure to check out some of my favorite scallop recipes below.

What’s In A Name?

As with many delicacies, many stories and traditions have grown up around the scallop.  You may have heard the term “Coquille de St. Jacques.”  While this names a classic scallop preparation, it also translates to “St. James’ shell.”  St. James the Greater was a disciple of Jesus and is the Patron Saint of Spain.  Pilgrims traveling to his shrine carried a scallop shell with them to signify that they were making a pilgrimage.  At stops along the way on his pilgrimage, the pilgrim was offered what food he could scoop up in his shell.

The scallop shell is symmetrical and quite beautiful, and as such is often found in motifs both decorative and religious.  At some time, the scallop shell was linked with fertility, and it often shows up in classical art along with images of beautiful and desirable women.  A notable example of this is Boticelli’s The Birth Of Venus.

What Are Scallops Really?

It is nice to know a little history of the scallop as a symbol of pilgrimage and fertility, but what are they?  Scallops are bivalve mollusks.  This means that they have two shells.  Although the reproductive organs, or roe, are edible, the part of the scallop that most people in the United States eat is the adductor muscle that opens and closes the shell.

Some people refer to this muscle as “the nut.”  Unlike other mollusks that we eat, such as mussels and oysters, most species of scallops are free-swimming and can propel themselves across the sea floor several feet at a time by rapidly opening and closing their shells.

Types of Scallops

There are three kinds of scallops that are consumed in the United States—sea scallops, bay scallops and calico scallops.

• Sea scallops are relatively large, often as many as 1½”-2” in diameter, and are often presented in beautifully seared platings of two or three.
• Bay scallops are much smaller, although some aficionados find them to be sweeter than sea scallops.  Because of their small size, bay scallops are not the ideal scallop for searing but are wonderful in stir-fries and even cooked as scampi to be served as a light pasta sauce.
• Calico scallops are harvested off of the US Gulf and Southern Atlantic coasts.  Unlike sea and bay scallops, their shells are tightly closed, and they must be steamed open before further preparation.  Although similar in shape, size and color to bay scallops, they are less sweet than their Northern cousins.

Characteristics of Scallops

Speaking of shape, size and color, the adductor muscle itself can range in color from pale ivory to beige.  Raw scallops are somewhat translucent and are generally round.  Large sea scallops might be up to an inch thick and up to 2” in diameter, while bay and calico scallops, while shaped the same, are much smaller.

How Are They Harvested?

Scallops are harvested in one of two ways—by trawling or by diving.  Trawling is done by scraping the ocean floor and pulling up scallops (and whatever else is down there) without regard to maturity or to the damage possibly being done to the ocean floor.

A more environmentally friendly, albeit expensive, method of harvest is by diver and giving us “diver scallops.”  A diver scallop is not another species of scallop, nor does it designate at size.  Rather it describes the manner in which the scallops were harvested.

Divers go down and choose mature scallops by hand, leaving behind immature scallops as well as leaving the ocean floor alone.  Since the ocean floor is not disturbed by the divers, diver scallops are usually less gritty than those harvested by bottom trawls.

Day Boat Scallops & STP

Unlike other mollusks that can hold themselves tightly closed once caught, sea and bay scallops cannot and are extremely perishable.  For this reason, scallops are killed right after harvesting.  Some are immediately frozen while others are brought quickly back to shore to be sold as “day boat scallops,” some of the freshest, and priciest, scallops you can find.

Due to their extreme perishability and the high costs of only taking a boat out for a day at a time, some scallop fishermen treat their scallops with a solution of sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP, which helps keep the scallop from drying out.  Used judiciously before freezing, treatment with STP is not necessarily a bad thing.

Unfortunately, when used in great quantity, a soak in STP causes scallops to absorb a lot of excess moisture, sometimes as much as 50% of their weight.  Of course, since scallops are sold by weight, this artificially inflates the price.

Buying The Best You Can Afford

If you are concerned about purchasing scallops treated with STP, make sure to look for “dry pack” scallops.  Dry pack scallops are packaged without any additives.  By law, STP treated scallops must be sold as “wet pack.”

It is fairly easy to tell the difference between dry pack and wet pack scallops.  While the natural muscle color is generally ivory to beige and the texture can be slightly sticky, scallops treated with STP are bright white and are very wet to the touch.

Dry Scallops Shrink Less

If you are planning to prepare a dish using a dry-heat cooking method, such as sautéing or searing, you will be better off purchasing dry pack scallops.  As you can imagine, a wet pack scallop is more apt to steam in all of that excess water and overcook long before it will caramelize.   And the wet scallops shrink when you cook them almost 40% whereas the dry scallops do not. You may be paying more for the dry scallops but by the time you are done cooking them, you may actually be saving.

If you are making a dish where the scallop is a supporting player or are using a moist heat cooking method like a fish stew or chowder, you will probably be fine using wet pack scallops.  It is a personal decision that you will have to make based on your budget and your feelings about food additives.

How Are Scallops Sold?

Like shrimp, scallops are sold by count-per-pound.  Sea scallops might be marked at 10/20, meaning that between 10 and 20 scallops are in each pound.  This translates to scallops that weigh somewhere between .8 to 1.6 ounces each.  The higher the numbers, the smaller the scallops.

Of course, larger sea scallops tend to be the most expensive.  Another weight designation you might see is U/10 or U/15.  This means that it takes fewer than, or under, 10 (or 15) to make up a pound.  Here again, the larger the U number, the smaller the scallop.  Bay scallops, being smaller than sea scallops, generally fall in the 70/120 range.  This roughly equates to between 4 to 9-10 bay scallops per ounce.

Buying Tips

When purchasing scallops, make sure to buy from a reputable fishmonger and be sure to smell the scallops before purchase.  The scallops should smell clean and sweet and like the ocean.  If they have a strong fishy smell, do not buy them.

The muscles should be in one piece, so inspect them carefully.  If you see signs of the muscle fibers pulling apart, pass them by as this is a sign that the scallops are past their prime.  As mentioned before, dry pack scallops should feel slightly sticky but not be slimy.  If the rubbery side muscle has been left on the scallops, ask your fishmonger to remove them.  Trust me, this will save you valuable time in the kitchen, once it’s time to cook.

How To Store Fresh Scallops

Fresh scallops need to be stored at temperatures below 38F.  This is generally lower than most people keep their refrigerators, so you will have to make some adjustments.  An ideal set up for storing scallops is to have a shallow plastic container with holes in the bottom set in a deeper plastic container.

Place ice in the shallow container and spread the scallops on the ice.  Cover everything with a damp paper towel, and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator.  Even with this care, make sure to use the scallops within a day or two.  Because they are so perishable, using them the same day you purchase them is ideal.

What About Frozen Scallops?

If you purchase frozen scallops, they will keep in the freezer for up to three months.  Thaw them in the bag in the refrigerator overnight.  Again, to due spoilage issues, do not thaw them out on the counter.  If you find yourself in a pinch and you have to thaw your scallops quickly, do not use the microwave.  Rather, run the frozen scallops, still in the bag, under a stream of cold water in the sink until thawed.

Cooking Scallops

Scallops are lean protein, and as such, they can toughen very easily upon cooking.  It is very important not to overcook scallops as they can go from succulent to rubber ball pretty quickly.  Don’t take your eyes off them when cooking to make sure that you remove them from the heat when they are still moist, juicy and plump.

Grilling, sautéing, broiling and grilling are all simple, dry heat methods by which you can cook large sea scallops to really showcase them.  Moist heat methods including stir-fry (with sauce) and simmering (as in soups and stews and even risottos) are perfect for the small, sweet bay scallops.

Below are some of my favorite scallop recipes:

Related Topics:

Sauteed Sea Scallops On Grilled Pineapple Recipe

Grilled Scallops & Nectarines with Fresh Corn and Jersey Tomato Salad

Sea Scallops with Tomato Ginger Vinaigrette