Let's Break Bread together, Part II

In our last post we realized that there is too much to learn about bread to put in one installment. So we are back with more bread news. Today we are talking about two words: Unleavened and leavened.

Unleavened bread contains many of the same ingredients as leavened bread, with one big difference. That is, no leavening agent. Unleavened bread can be crispy like crackers, or they can be soft and pliable like tortillas. Other examples of unleavened bread are:

1. Piadina, a specialty bread from the Romagna region of Italy, typically made from flour, water and olive il.
2. Lefse, a Norwegian flatbread made with potatoes as the essential ingredient.  Potatoes make for a wetter and softer dough.  Works well rolled up with either savory or sweet additions.
3. Roti and Chapati are synonymous and are from India.  Both are thin and round and depending on where in India they are being made, they are grilled or baked in various ways.
4. Gorditas are like tortillas but are thicker and more sturdy.  They are made on a griddle.
5. Lavash, also known as cracker bread. great for dips and spreads, but can also be soft and pliable to be used as a bread for roll-ups.

Lefse

Leavened Bread is bread that contains a leavening agent. The most common leavening agent for bread is yeast. But there are others, like beer, baking powder and baking soda. Leavening simple means that the agent allows for air pockets to form which makes the bread rise, giving it a sponge-like texture. There are dozens of examples of leavened bread, such as French bread, sandwich bread. and muffins.  But there are lots and lots of other examples of leavened bread:

• Anpan is a Japanese sweet bread filled with bean paste.
• Bagel is a dense, ring-shaped bread originating in Eastern Europe.
• Bara Brith is also called speckled bread from Wales.
• Biscuits from the Southern United States are light and fluffy.
• Borodinsky from Russia, is a dark, rye, sourdough yeast bread.
• Chick Pea Bread from Albania uses yeast made from chick peas.
• Marraqueta from Chili is shaped into lobed-shaped buns.
• Pandesal from the Philippines is a sweet yeast bread.
• Soda Bread from Ireland has baking soda and buttermilk to create leavening.
• Vienna Bread from Austria made from cereal pressed yeast.

Anpan

We certainly have not exhausted all the possibilities of the different kinds of unleavened and leavened breads found all around the world.  That would take some time.  We want to make the point that bread, in whatever form it takes, is a part of human life.  If you want to find out more about other breads, just click here.

Today we offer you an most delicious recipe for leavened bread.  Namely, the Native American Fry Bread.  

Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Cole Slaw Fried Bread

Here is what you need:

*Bread Dough (see below for bread information)

Cooking Oil

Guacamole

Cole Slaw

Buffalo Chicken

Diced Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Here is what you do: 

Cut bread dough into 6 pieces.  Heat oil in frying pan.  About 1/2" of oil in the pan.   Flatten each piece of bread dough to about the size of a small tortilla.   Dough can be springy so you will need to keep reshaping it until you fry it.   Once oil is hot, place as many pieces of dough that will fit.  When the dough is brown on one side flip to brown the other side.  Transfer to paper toweling to remove excess oil.

Once the bread is fried it is time to assemble.  Take one of the fried bread and spread guacamole of the bread.  For this recipe I actually left the avocado plain.   I just smashed the avocado until I could spread it on the bread.  The plain avocado was a nice balance against the Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Cole Slaw.

Next layer is the Blue Cheese Cole Slaw:

Blue Cheese Cole Slaw Recipe:

Shred half a head of cabbage.   I did about 4 cups.

1/2 cup shredded onion

1/2 cup shredded carrots

3 -4 Tablespoons chives

Sauce:

2 Cups Mayonnaise

1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Blue Cheese

3 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar

1 -2 Tablespoons Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

You want to taste the sauce before you add to the other ingredients about.  This really is a taste preference.  If you like a stronger vinegar taste or you like it a bit sweater you can make your adjustments at this point.

Mix everything together.  Taste again.  I always end up adding more carrots for looks or onions for more taste.

Depending on how many fried breads you are serving will depend on how much of the Cole Slaw you will make into Blue Cheese Cole Slaw.   About a 2 cups of the cole slaw will make between 2 -3 fried bread...depending on how big you make the fried bread.  For 2 cups of cole slaw I used 1/4 cup blue cheese.   Again we have to go back to taste.  If you really like blue cheese you may want to add more.  Though I am not a huge blue cheese fan it is a must for this dish so make sure you can taste the blue cheese in the cole slaw.

Next layer is buffalo chicken.

Next layer is tomatoes.

Next layer is sour cream.

* The bread you use it completely up to you.  Because I am not the baker of the 2 Prickly Pears I cheat and buy frozen.  The dough you need will be equal to one loaf of bread.  Easy to find it in the freezer section of the store or the bakery.   If you make homemade bread then use that.  You can use white, wheat, multi grain... whatever you prefer.

The nice thing about this recipe is you can make it however you want.  Because I can not eat lettuce I use the avocado but you can substitute any of the veggies for ones you like.   I can tell you mine never turn out the same twice.  The key to this recipe is your imagination.  And yes I just made this recipe up this week because I was hungry for something spicy and different...

Now, go out and make something good!

Let's BREAK BREAD together and have a good time. Part I

Pam and Terry, The 2 Prickly Pears

We're back!!! And we are happy to be back. 

The 2 Prickly Pears took a bit of time to gather our thoughts about this new series of blog posts, which we are calling "The International Table." 

Over the past few years we have done research to better understand the foods that we love, as well as the food we know little about but about which we wanted a better understanding.

In all our reading and experimenting we learned so very much. But probably the most important thing we learned is the significant impact that various cultures have on the food we consume. Even the most common place foods have a history and a place of origin that connects us with a culinary past that is extraordinary. Beyond that, we believe this history is what can bring us together. It's commonality brings us together and it's diversity helps us celebrate a vibrant life with variety.  Food is something we all have in common. We all need it in some form or another. Our climate and our culture directly affects how we eat. However, cultures easily break through boundaries and show us that what we have in common far outweighs our differences. So in our minds, food is the great equalizer. 

So today we begin our series on The International Table. What does that mean, you ask? How is our table and yours international? Well, what The 2 Prickly Pears will do over the next few months is look at those foods that are common to most, if not all, cultures. What do we have in common? What items, in one form or another, are similar country to country, culture to culture?

We begin with BREAD, and a quote from James Beard,  

"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods, and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts."

One would be very hard pressed, indeed, to find a culture, country, city, state, province, county, village, tribe, neighborhood, or land that doesn't have some kind of bread.  And what is bread, anyway?  Here's how the Free Dictionary defines it in it's most basic form:

A staple food made from flour or meal mixed with other dry and liquid ingredients, usually combined with a leavening agent, and kneaded, shaped into loaves, and baked.

We think this definition works, but may be a bit limited.  While it is true that many breads have a leavening agent in them, not all do.  In fact, many don't.  Consider, if you will, the humble tortilla of Mexico, matzah served on Jewish Passover, the lovely pita from the countries of the Mediterranean...the list goes on and on.

Leavened Breads

Chapati, and unleavened bread of India

In fact, unleavened bread is the oldest of the breads.  There is archaeological evidence from 30,000 years ago in Europe showing residue on rocks that were used for pounding plants. This is likely the makings of the first flat bread.  The simple combination of grains and water to create bread is the foundation of cultures around the world.  

It is likely impossible to really know who the first persons were that realized the cultural an culinary advance that simple bread making would be. We applaud them for their ingenuity and are grateful for their contribution.  Because, let's face it, whether leavened or unleavened, wheat based or gluten free, mulitgrain or rye, it is nearly impossible to resist the smell of fresh baked bread in whatever form it comes.  We believe that it cannot be disputed that bread is a staple of life.

Have you ever used or heard the expression, "breaking bread" with someone?  Sure you have.  What does that mean, really?  It's more than just the act of eating.  It really is something that brings us together by sharing from the same loaf.  Sharing of your abundance.  The breaking of bread implies peace and community.  If you offer someone something good to eat, like bread, you are inviting them to be a part of your life and you a part of theirs.

In truth, this post could go on and on for days about bread.  There is so very much to say and know.  Lest you think we overstate, here are just a few words translated in other languages for bread:

French:  pain

Afrikkans:  brood

Bosnian:  hljeb

Danish:  brod

Ethiopian:  Injera
German:  kies
Icelandic:  brauð
Italian:  pane
Polish:  chleb
Native American:  fry bread

Spanish:  el pan
Vietnamese:  banh mi'

Injera

But we won't go on and on for days.  We offer you a site that might be of interest in understand the importance of bread in human life. It includes many recipes that will intrigue you.

Now, how about some fun facts about bread?

• Bakers used to be fined if their loaves of bread were under weight, so they use to add an extra loaf to every dozen.  And so came the expression "baker's dozen."
• Each American consumes 53 pounds of bread a year. (Pam, Prickly Pear2, consumes more than that... it is a known fact!)
• In 1930 Wonder Bread introduced the first sliced bread.
• In 1997, wheat farmers in Kansas produced enough wheat to make 36.5 billion loaves of bread or the equivalent of 6 loaves of bread for each person on earth.
• Murphy's Law dictates that buttered bread will always land buttered-side down.
• For a Middle Eastern person, a meal without bread is unthinkable.
• The word "pumpernickel" literally means Devil's Fart in Bavarian.
• In Russia, bread and salt mean welcome.
• 1,500 is the number of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches the average American student will have consumed upon graduations from high school.  Yikes!

As you know, we always leave you each week with a recipe on our topic.  But how to decide which bread recipe to include?  The possibilities are endless!  And they are all so so good!!! However, a decision must be made, and so we offer you today Naan. 

Naan

Naan is an Indian leavened bread that is tear-drop in shape and traditionally cooked in a clay oven. 

Now, it is true that we do not have a clay oven.  If you don't either, then naan can be made on the grill or a grill-pan.  It is not baked.  

Here we go, then....the 2 Prickly Pear's adventure in making Indian bread called naan:

Naan

What you need:

1 packet active dry yeast

1 Cup warm water

1/4 Cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 Cu bread flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

What you need to do:

In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let it stand about 10 minutes.  Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough.  Knead for 6-8 minutes.  (You can use a stand mixer if you like.)  Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover.  Set aside to rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Punch the dough down (this is where you can knead in stuff like garlic salt or seasoning or herbs, if you wish).  Pinch off small handfuls of dough, just about the size of a golf ball.  Roll into balls and place on a tray.  Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the dough is ready, heat your grill pan to very hot, almost smoking. Roll out dough balls into a thin, tear-drop shape.  Turn heat down to medium.  Place two or three on your grill pan.  Brush top with butter.  Grill for about 1-2 minutes and turn over. Brush with butter and allow to grill for 1-2 minutes.  You are looking for brown almost charred grill marks.  Careful not to burn the naan.  Remove from grill and continue with remaining dough.

Serve with any meal, with hummus, as a sandwich, anyway you like.

Bread is a part of our lives.  It is, indeed, the food of life.  People through the centuries have looked to bread to feed their family and communities.  Celebrate your culinary life and make some bread.  It isn't as hard as it looks.  All you have to do is honor the ingredients and the history of bread making.

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone.  It has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.....Ursula K. LeGuin

Now, go out and make something good!

A short hiatus, but a chance to reintroduce ourselves!

The 2 Prickly Pears are taking a small hiatus this week to re-organize for our next series.  We promise it will be fun and interesting.

In the meantime, we thought we would introduce and re-introduce ourselves to you.  We are happy to meet new people as we make our way through the design and culinary world.  

Over the past few years writing our blog, we learned a great deal, most importantly how so much of what we create in the kitchen is influence by many other cultures.  We know that food is a common denominator in all our lives.  And our desire is to give information that will make your cooking enjoyable and creative.  

Being a home chef/cook is not that complicated.  Using good ingredients and honoring the history and preparation of food will result in great meals for you, your family and friends.

Today we included our very first blog that introduces us and what we plan to continue to do. Next week we will introduce our new series of blogs.  We can hardly wait!

Pam and Terry

We are two sisters that are a little prickly, a little sweet, and wonderfully creative and talented when it comes to designing home and table. 

We started out in the corporate world, doing all the things that we were supposed to do, including making money, obeying the rules, and working hard.  This ultimately didn't get us where we were meant to be.  We walked away from that life and decided to begin again.  

In our Cactus Garden grows 2 Prickly Pears, they are:

Prickly Pear 1:  Terry, I'm the Capricorn Cactus Flower.  I am solidly earth bound, very focused and detailed oriented, who is often told to take it down a notch.  I embrace the Crone spirit in myself.  I started (along with Nehemiah) an organic/fair trade line of comfort drinks, snacks, and candy called Winter Goddess Foods .  

Prickly Pear 2:  Pam, I'm the Libra Cactus Flower.  I look for balance in the world around me and have been told I am impulsive and have a shoot-from-the-hip approach.  I'm often told to stay FOCUSED!  I am an artist by trade with a line of unique lamp shade called Shades of Light & Design.  I also founded Clairalience, which is a natural skin care line. 

Through our closeness and ingenuity, we started to work together to build many ideas that seemed to revolve around design and food.  After several dinner parties and through teaching classes, we decided that there was more to do.  Looks like we will be writing a cookbook that will help the average cook or foodie find lovely, artful, and delicious ways to make their get-together's fun and stylish.

We believe that we live in a world of abundance.  Sometimes you have to think beyond the familiar and safe, to reach that abundance.  We strongly support local, organic, sustainable businesses and see ourselves as pioneers and adventurers in our own lives.

With a prickly sincere, let's have fun!

Terry and Pam

Zuppa's on! Zuppa Inglese, that is.

How many times have we tried to find the origin of a particular culinary dish only to find that there is no definitive way of knowing where it started or came from? The same is true for Zuppa Inglese. But just like all those other dishes, it doesn't really matter so much the history as it does the traditions and the final decision on whether you like something or you don't.

Zuppa Inglese

The 2 Prickly Pears have a feeling that you will like our "Z" topic. Zuppa Inglese literally translates as English Soup. Of course, it isn't soup at all. It is very much like an English Trifle. It is a lovely dessert and will easily impress whoever you serve it to. As a matter of fact, it is so popular in Italian that they make an gelato with the same name.

Zuppa Inglese Gelato

Even though we don't know specifically where Zuppa Inglese came from originally, there is, as always, some speculations. Today we offer two:

1. Zuppa Inglese is a uniquely Italian dish, which evolved through Italian cuisine and, by chance, resembles English trifle, or

2. Italians of wealth and standing often travelled to England as early as the 1600's and experienced trifle, which is a distinctly English dessert. They brought the dessert idea back home and developed their own version resulting in Zuppa Inglese.

Theory Number 2 seems to make more sense if you consider the name of the dessert, itself. Without an English influence, it seems the Italians would have chosen another name. And speaking of the name, zuppa means soup, which is somewhat confusing. The theory behind this confusion is that the Italian word inzuppare means to sop or soak. It is possible that a misunderstanding of the word made for the word Zuppa (soup) instead of Inzuppare (soak). That seems plausible, right?

Anyway, whether you are souping or soaking your Zuppa Inglese, this is a can't-miss dessert.  It consists of layers of sponge cake (or pound cake or lady fingers) that are soaked with some kind of liqueur, along with layers of Italian custard. What's not to like about that!?!? You can make as many layers as your dish can hold and garnish it with fruit, shaved chocolate, edible flowers, etc.

Please note that the alcohol is not cooked out, so if that is an issue for you and your family, you can easily substitute a simple sugar recipe and include fruit syrup for the cake.

We offer you the 2 Prickly Pears' version of Zuppa Inglese.  We will be using pound cake and have included the recipe.

Here's what you need:

1 pound cake (see recipe below)

For the custard:

4 cups milk

1 cup + 6 Tablespoons sugar

10 egg yolks

2/3 cup flour

3 oz chopped dark chocolate

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

For the syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Grand Mainer

Whipped cream and strawberries for garnish 

Here's what you need to do:

For the custard:

Bring milk and 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar to boil in heavy large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks with remaining 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar in large bowl to blend. Sift flour into yolk mixture and whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk over medium heat until custard boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Divide custard between 2 medium bowls. Add chocolate and cinnamon to custard in 1 bowl and stir until chocolate melts. Add vanilla to custard in second bowl and stir to blend. Press plastic wrap onto surface of each custard and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.

For Syrup:

Stir water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cool. Mix in rum.

Assemble:

Cut pound cake 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange enough cake slices on bottom glass dish in a single layer.  Brush 6 tablespoons syrup over.  Spread half of vanilla custard over cake. Top with another layer of cake slices. Brush with 7 tablespoons syrup. Spread half of chocolate custard. Top with another layer of cake slices. Brush with 7 tablespoons syrup. Spread remaining vanilla custard over. Top with enough remaining cake slices. Brush with 7 tablespoons syrup. Spread remaining chocolate custard over. Top with enough remaining cake slices to cover. Brush 7 tablespoons syrup over. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Whip 2 cups chilled cream in medium bowl to soft peaks. Spread cream over cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings and candied fruit, if desired.

Pound Cake

Here's what you need:***

3/4 cup soft butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Here's what you need to do:

Beat butter until creamy at medium speed in your stand mixer.  Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time just until blended.  

Add flour alternately with buttermilk, ending with flour.  Mix at low speed just until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour batter in greased and floured loaf pan.

Bake for 60 - 65 minutes at 325 degrees.   Cool pans for 10 minutes and remove cake.  Allow cake to cool completely.  

*** This recipe is easily doubled if you are making a large Zuppa Inglese.  It also freezes well.

Go ahead and make your own version of Zuppa Inglese!!!  You can use any fruits you like. Add your favorite liqueur or try run or whiskey.  It will be delicious!

Now go out and make something good!

When is a pudding not a pudding? When it's a Yorkshire Pudding.

How much do you know about Yorkshire, England? Well, we didn't know all that much ourselves. It turns out that, like all places around the world, there is a rich history of Yorkshire that dates back into antiquity.

Let's take a look at where Yorkshire is, exactly:

Yorkshire is in red

It is separated into North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire. The populations in 2011 was 5,234,700. The name Yorkshire comes from the Viking word for city, jorvik (york). Shire is an old English work meaning care or official charge. Yorkshire was named as the administrative area or county of the city of York. Cities that make up Yorkshire are Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Kingston upon Hull, York, Huddersfield, Middlesbough, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Hallifax.

In addition to Yorkshires great beauty and rich culture of architecture, music, and art, there is the ever popular Yorkshire pudding, the topic of today's blog. 

Yorkshire Pudding with beef, potatoes, peas, and carrots

It isn't possible to talk about the cuisine of Yorkshire without talking about pudding. But not pudding like most of us think. In fact, Yorkshire pudding is proudly the national dish of the wonderful country of its origin.

Apparently the very first time a recipe for Yorkshire Pudding was recorded was in a book entitled, The Whole Duty of a Woman, in 1737.  It seems that is was part of a woman's duty to make a proper pudding from the drippings coming off the roast on the pit in the fire place. This pudding wasn't yet named Yorkshire.  In the day it was called Dripping Pudding. According to the book :

"Make a good batter as for pancakes, put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little, then put the pan and butter under the shoulder of mutton,  instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it will be light and savoury, and fit to take up when your mutton is enough, then turn it in a dish and serve it hot."

That really isn't much of a recipe for those who don't know what to do, but a "good" woman would know understand it perfectly.  The first recorded recipe was from one Hannah Glasse who wrote the book The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy, in 1747.  And Hannah was the one who renamed the pudding which we now call Yorkshire pudding.  Her recipe was:

"Take a quart of milk, four eggs, and a little salt, make it up into a thick batter with flour, like a pancake batter. You must have a good piece of meat at the fire, take a stew-pan and put some dripping in, set it on the fire, when it boils, pour in your pudding, let it bake on the fire till you think it is high enough, then turn a plate upside-down in the dripping-pan, that the dripping may not be blacked; set your stew-pan on it under your meat, and let the dripping drop on the pudding, and the heat of the fire come to it, to make it of a fine brown. When your meat is done and set to table, drain all the fat from your pudding, and set it on the fire again to dry a little; then slide it as dry as you can into a dish, melt some butter, and pour into a cup, and set in the middle of the pudding. It is an exceeding good pudding, the gravy of the meat eats well with it."

As with many things, over time changes happen.  The a modern version of Yorkshire Pudding is a higher rising version of the original which was more like a pancake.  The newer version is very much like a popover, using a very similar method.  We'll get to that in a minute.  

In a 2008, a ruling from the Royal Society of Chemistry stated that a "Yorkshire pudding isn't a Yorkshire pudding if it is less than four inches tall."  

As you might guess, Yorkshire Pudding is a staple of a British Sunday lunch.  In some cases, the pudding is eaten prior to the main course of meat.  It is served with a rich gravy from the meat drippings. This tradition was established when meat was not so easy to come by and was expensive. The idea was that the pudding and gravy would fill people up so they would eat less of the more expensive foods.  That traditional has not been lost over time.

Sometimes Yorkshire Pudding is made in a large pan that is served as part of the main portion of the meal, like the images below:

The meal served in the Yorkshire Pudding

Sometimes Yorkshire Pudding is made in small cups, like in this image:

And almost always Yorkshire Pudding is served as a savory side with gravy.  We said almost always, because you can serve the puddings as a dessert with jam and butter.  However, we sort of think that might offend the sensibilities of those who stick to traditional.

Today we offer you a Yorkshire Pudding made from beef slow cooked for dripping to make the pudding.

Yorkshire Pudding with slow cooked roast beef

Here's what you need:

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

1/2 cup beef drippings (can use lard)

2 Tablespoon water

Here's what you need to do:

Heat over to 425 degrees.

Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.  Let rest for 10 minutes  In another bowl mix flour and salt.  Mix egg mixture with flour mixture until smooth.  Let set for 30 minutes.

Using a muffin tin, divide the beef drippings between the cups.  Place tin in heated oven and allow to heat until nearly smoking.  Remove pan and fill each cup to about 1/3.  Put back in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

Serve hot with your beef and whatever vegetables you like.  Consider potatoes, peas, carrots or anything else you like.

Left over puddings do not heat well, but can be served cold with butter and jam.

There you have it....Yorkshire Pudding.  Easy to make and a really tasty addition to your Sunday meal.

Now, go out and make something good.

   

Xavier Soup, who claims the name?

Bet you were wondering what we would do for the letter "X"... well so did we...LOL!!!

There are many foods that are named after people. For example there is Banana Foster, Eggs Benedict, Beef Wellington, Potatoes O'Brien, to name a few.

Such is the case with Xavier Soup. There are two competing stories as to whom this soup was actually named after.  

The first story says that Louis XVIII (1755-1824), also known as Louis Stanislas Xavier of France named the soup.  Louis was quite a gourmand, in other words, someone who enjoys eating, often to excess. 

Louis XVIII

The other story is more of the general consensus. The soup was named after St. Francis Xavier who was a Catholic missionary. Oddly enough, he is the patron saint and namesake of Louis XVIII.  

Xavier saw it to be his duty to travel to Asia and Africa preaching to word of Jesus Christ and baptizing everyone he could convert to Catholicism. 

St. Francis Xavier

Perhaps we will never know which story is true.  What we do know is that today it is Catholic tradition of celebrate Advent with the Feast of St. Francis Xavier. The traditional dish at the feast is Xavier Soup or Xaver Suppe.

Xavier Soup is a simple, yet elegant soup consisting of a broth with dumplings.   We offer you a recipe made easy.

Xavier Soup

   

What you need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cream

1 stick butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish

8 cups chicken stock **

What you need to do:

Melt butter in a saucepan, add cream, flour, cheese, salt and pepper.  Remove from head. Mix into a dough and stir in eggs and yolks, along with the parsley.  Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

Heat chicken stock in a large sauce pan.

Bring salted water to a boil in a sauce pan.  Using a small teaspoon, scoop dumplings into the boiling water to cook.  They will rise to the top as the cook.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the dumplings from the water and add to the chicken stock.  When all the dumplings are added to the broth, adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve with a nice crusty bread.

This recipe is the traditional Xavier soup.  There are many variations on this them. You can add milk or cream to the broth to add richness.  You can add cooked chicken and vegetables, if you like a soup with more body.  It is a nice base for any number of ideas for a tasty chicken soup.

**  If you wish to make your own stock, here's a recipe for you.

Now  go out and make something good.

Let's drink a toast to Wine!

You probably thought wine was originated in a place like France where all the wineries are, right? In truth, while France makes an outstanding wine and has made it their business to refine the wine making industry, history indicates that countries such as China, Greece, Armenia, and Egypt long ago made some of the first wines. In fact, wine making is difficult to track historically because it is believed to predate any form of record keeping. Turns out that humans have been stomping grapes and fermenting them since there were grapes to be stomped.

Today's European wine producing regions were established during the Roman Imperial time. Viniculture, or the study of grapes used for wine.  Because wine making became such a major force, it became necessary to create the very first wine laws. Production of grapes for the specific purpose of making wine began to take over Italy.

For most of us, wine is synonymous with vineyards and grapes and Tuscany. But have you ever heard of mead? Mead actually is believe to be the precursor to all fermented drinks. It is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water. Often spices and fruits are added to create more exotic flavors. Pottery vessels containing remnants of a honey mixture, rice and fruits were found in Northern China from 6500-7000 BC. The earliest evidence of mead in Europe dates to before 2000 BC.

Mead with spices and fruit

Mead was popular in Central Europe. In Poland mead is called moid pitney, which means "drinkable honey." In Russia it's called medovukha, which also means "drinkable honey." In Finland, a sweet mead called sima is essential to their May Day festivities. In Ethiopia, tej is their mead, and in South Africa, they enjoy iQhilika.

If you want to know more about mead, here's a site that is helpful.

The European grape varieties were brought to South America by the Spanish. The Catholic Church had a large influence over this, as the church used wine as part of the Catholic Holy Eucharist. The Spaniards planted the grapes in missions in what is now called Mexico. Today there are still "Mission Grapes" planted. Mexico soon became a most important wine producer starting in the 16th century. This threatened Spanish commerce and the King of Spain called a halt to Mexico's production of wine.

In the late 19th century, Europe experienced a blight that was devastating to their vineyards. It was soon learned that the Native American vines where immune to the pest. The first grafting of European grapevines to American vines happened as a measure to protect the vineyards. This practice is continued today.

Up until the mid to late 20th Century, American wine makers were considered inferior to any European wine makers. However, American wine has shown itself to be surprisingly strong in wine competition and has taken her place in the world of wine making. American wine makers have adopted grapes and wine making from the old world ways. At the same time, the wines have a distinctly American slant.

Regardless of who make the wine, all countries can thank the ancient Greeks because they are the ones who perfected the wine making industry and turned it into an industry, making it an internationally recognized part of our everyday lives.

With that briefest look at the history of wine making, let's talk about wines in general.  Is it true that one should only serve red wine with meat and white wine with fish?  We've all heard this.  It turns out that there is a certain science behind this belief. Wine will add flavor to a meal depending on what it is paired with. The rule of thumb now is you should match the weight of the wine and the food, finding a balance in their intensity.  For example, if you are serving steak, the full body of a red makes sense.  However, a full-bodied white will work just as well.  There is a whole study of what wine to serve.  If you'd like to know more about wine pairing, here's a site for you.

Now, what about cost?  Why are some wines so expensive while others more affordable? There are three factors that make a wine expensive:

1.  Oak - the most expensive wines are aged in oak, which adds very specific flavor notes, while allowing oxygen in.

2.  Time - allows wine to mellow with a fruitier quality as well as giving it a rounder taste.

3.  Terrior - the area where the grapes are grown matters.  Grapes that have to struggle to grow and are limited to quantity of fruit baring have a more intense flavor and produce a more intense, flavorful wine.

Having said all of that, are we left with only expensive wines as an option?  Absolutely not. While there are many fine vineyards is Tuscany and France that produce the most expensive wines know to us; there are quite a number of wineries that produce lovely wine that you can more easily afford.  A quick search revealed that Wisconsin alone has 74 wineries. Minnesota has 68, one which is totally sustainable and uses all natural ways of controlling pests, and Illinois has over 50.  And that is just the upper Midwest! These micro wineries dot the country.  And they are worth a visit.  Most offer tours and wine tastings.  It is a fun way to learn a little more about wine and spend enjoyable day.  Some even let you into the vineyard and learn about planting and harvesting.  

Now that you know maybe a little bit more about wine, it's time to talk about what you are going to do with that have empty bottle of white wine you didn't finish at last night's dinner. 

The 2 Prickly Pears offer you a recipe for Chicken Piccata.  

Here is what you need

4  skinless, boneless chicken breast

1/2 cup of flour ounces all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon  ground  pepper

3 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided 

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine 

3/4 cup  chicken broth, divided 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped f parsley

Here is what you do

• Flatten chicken breast to about ½ thickness. Place all but 1 teaspoon of the flour in a shallow dish.  Place 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl.  
• Salt and pepper both sides of all the chicken breast. 
• Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off the excess flour. 
• Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Place chicken in pan and  sauté 4 minutes on each side or until done. 
• Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
• Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in pan.
• Add onions and garlic to pan and sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add wine; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally.
• Add 1/4 cup broth to reserved 1 teaspoon flour; stir until smooth. 
• Add remaining 1/2 cup broth to pan and bring to a boil. 
• Cook until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Stir in flour mixture; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. 
• Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, and capers. 
• Place 1 chicken breast on a plate and top with about 2 tablespoons sauce. 
• Sprinkle  with about 2 teaspoons parsley.

Serve with your favorite sides.   We made buttered parsley red potatoes and freshly cut cucumbers.

Now, go out and make something good.....with wine!