Doughnuts..The Hole Story

I've been contemplating doughnuts lately. Which is really odd, because I don't eat doughnuts, period. Never. Seriously, I never touch them. When I was a child, my grandparents would bring Dunkin' Donuts whenever they came to visit us for the weekend. The adults were really into it, everyone had their particular favorite. My mother was a cruller fan, my grandmother always chose Buttercrunch. Buttercrunch was a great name for this doughnut. Big, round and glistening with a glaze full of crunchy little nibs, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. The first time I bit it into one of those sugary orbs, I tasted sweet, tender, doughy delightfulness. But not five minutes, later I was gripped by a hideous bout of heartburn. Sugary treats were not a common occurrence in our house and to give up such a rare pleasure was heartbreaking, nonetheless I quickly gave up on doughnuts.
So I grew up in a mostly doughnutless world, or donut less world..I do not do the donut. With one glaring exception. I would eat Mrs. Wing's doughnut holes. Mrs. Wing, who lived down the road from my family's house, made apple cider doughnut holes every year for Halloween. Maybe it was the cuteness of their petite size, or the tangy taste of the cider mingling with cinnamon sugar, the crumbly yet somehow compact cakiness. This was a most marvelous trick or treat for little mischief makers.
However she made them, there was no pang of pain deep in my chest cavity. Just the wonderful flavor of cake and apple and frangrant spices. I don't know if I would actually prepare them, but I wish I had her recipe. I'm sure she would have written it down on one of those wonderful old fashioned recipe cards, with the blue lines in the center and the script type at the top that would say “Recipe from the kitchen of__________”. I wonder if she would have written Mrs. Wing or if she would have written her first name too, in that spidery cursive type so typical of little old ladies.
I hadn't thought much about doughnuts for years, until I recently interviewed John Plasko, Sr. who owns Plasko's Farm in Trumbull. CT. For 93 years the Plasko family has been farming, and they continue to be the oldest working farm in Trumbull.
John is a charmer who really knows how to work a crowd. And in October, their busiest month,there is always a crowd. Moms, dads, and teachers chaperone busloads of kids who flock to the farm to go through the corn maze,buy pumpkins, race around on the lawn and prop themselves up on the fence to make friends with the four miniature Sicilian donkeys.
It just so happens that Plasko's Farm has a general store filled with all kinds of goodies you'd expect to find in an old fashioned general store, including their famous apple cider doughnuts. John thinks they are the best he's ever had, and Ct Magazine has voted them among the 5 best in the state.
John treated me to 2 boxes of his famous doughnuts. Wouldn't you know that when I ripped open the first box and tried a bite, memories of Mrs. Wing and many, many Halloweens ago came flooding back.
That intoxicating rich scent of cinnamon mixed with sugar, the fabulous texture, it was all there.
So now it seems that doughnuts are everywhere I am. The New Haven Advocate featured an article on the best local doughnuts in their recent “Autumntimes Issue”. I was merely looking for restaurant and live music info. At work my boss brought in a bulging box of doughnuts from Neils in Wallingford, CT. It's almost disturbing the way I can't get doughnuts off my mind. Something I never eat. Ever. Period. Seriously.
But there they are in the supermarket, neatly packaged, a display of eight perfectly lovely doughnuts glowing with glaze. I'm not only noticing, I'm craving.......god forbid..DOUGHNUTS!!
I know doughnuts are a pretty serious treat. They average a couple of hundred calories each, depending on flavor. According to livestrong.com, one cider doughnut has 201 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 of those being saturated, 31 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium....etc.etc., you get the picture. Or rather, I'm getting the picture. I never had to think this way about doughnuts before, because I was never tempted. Now I want to sample every type, yeast, raised, cake style, cream filled, jelly stuffed.
A food professional must be constantly doing research, yes? Please say yes.
I am a huge advocate of enjoying life and occasional treats make us happy, contentented, and fulfilled. If we didn't indulge from time to time, I think we could quite possibly go mad with desire and subject ourselves to the public humiliation of being caught red handed in the candy or chip aisle, ripping open plastic with our teeth and cramming an entire bag of cheez doodles in our mouths. Moderation is the key to mindfulfulness.
I started researching doughnuts and reading about their history. Some say the Dutch are responsible for bringing them to America. I discovered that fried dough is eaten everywhere in the world and foreign doughnuts have exotic, lovely names such as Beignets in France, Bismark in Germany, Churro in Spain and Mexico, Poori in India, Baursaki in Kazakhstan, and Zeppole in Italy. That's just to name a very few.
I wondered if there were any slightly more healthful ways of preparing doughnuts and found a recipe in the October 2010 issue of Health magazine for Baked Buttermilk Doughnuts. It requires buying a special pan, a Wilton Doughnut Pan, to be exact. Prep time is 8 minutes, bake time is 8 minutes. A simple cake like batter looks easy enough and several appealing variations are shown including lemon glazed, chocolate hazelnut and, best of all, cinnamon sugar. The recipe offers decent reductions in calories, fat and sodium, insignificant cholesterol differences.
I may decide to give it a try....then again, I think a once a year Halloween visit to any famous apple cider donut maker is a worthwhile and delicious tradition, and will quell the wild cravings of any conscious cook.

 

Salad Daze

 
I confess...I really do love salad. It's not just a component of being a healthy food advocate. Or a constant attempt at weight control. Or a way of cleansing my body of indulgences like rich foods and clever cocktails.
I really love fresh, delectable greens, with all their different textures and marvelous array of flavors. I adore the fact that there are so many varieties of greens available at both farmer's markets and supermarkets, providing endless opportunities to create exciting new salads.
Greens are much more than bland, limp, pale green leaves of nothingness. Whether it be peppery arugula, soft butter lettuce, crisp, firm leaves of romaine, or robust raddichio, its creamy white leaves streaked a bright shade of cranberry red, I love greens, and I love that eating something so delicious can also be so incredibly healthy.
When I prepare a beautiful salad using a variety of greens, I am preparing a lively, colorful dish that is low in fat, and high in nutrients. Greens supply the body with calcium and iron, folic acid and fiber, as well as vitamins A, C and E. Everything that I read about the health benefits of greens tells me that they are a powerhouse source of antioxidants, which can have a positive effect on our immune systems. Keeping the immune system in top notch condition helps our bodies ward off nasty diseases.
When good health and good flavor mingle, it creates the most harmonious of relationships. As a
devout foodie and advocate of healthy living, I am always seeking out new and exciting food items and products. I am interested in “going organic” as often as possible, not for any particular political reasons, but because I have found that the taste of organic foods truly is superior. When I discover a new product that is organic, delicious and socially conscious, then I feel I have hit the jackpot.
That's why I was particularly excited when I received an e-mail from the good people at Olivia's Organics, asking if I would like to sample their products. Olivia's Organics is based in Chelsea, Massachusetts and has a long history of selling fresh produce.
According to their website, Olivia's great grandfather, Giovanni, started the tradition by selling fresh celery hearts out of a produce stall in Faneuil Hall, over seventy years ago. Today the company focuses primarily on selling packaged organic salad mixes. Not only does Olivia's sell terrific tasting salad mixes, a portion of the proceeds goes to supporting community based children's organizations through Olivia's Organics Charitable Foundation.
Groups such as the Make A Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girl's Club, Toys for Tots, Produce for Kids, Children's Hospital Boston, and The Food Project have all been supported by Olivia's Organics commitment to eating healthy, having fun and giving back.
I am a huge proponent of teaching children about healthy food. I have taught healthy cooking classes for kids using healthy ingredients and have found it to be the greatest experience. They have
a blast and are amazingly open to trying new foods, when they themselves are preparing it.
I like Olivia's philosophy and I like their products....a lot. The packaging is 100% recyclable and is produced using wind and hydroelectric power. They focus on organic authenticity by adhering to strict regulations set forth by the National Organic Program. You can go their website and read all the ways they have committed to being a responsible and caring company.
I want to tell you that the salad mixes were excellent. The flavors were clean, light and utterly luscious. I'm a big fan of adding fresh herbs to my salad and Olivia's Herb Salad hit just the right note.
Containing a marvelous mixture of Tango, Lolla Rosa, Red and Green Romaine, Chard and Oak, Spinach, Mizuna, Raddichio, Frisee, Beet Greens, Arugula, Tat Soi, Red Mustard lettuces,as well as dill and parsley, this mixture is like a big salad party in a box. You scarcely need anything more than a simple, classic vinaigrette and a fork to savor this mixture.
The Asian Salad was a less involved mixture, containing Spinach, Red Chard, Mizuna, Frisee, Tango and Arugula. I tossed this about with some plump, grilled sea scallops and a warm ginger dressing. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Olivia's Spring Mix was much the same as the Herb Salad minus the herbs. I do prefer the added piquancy of the fresh herbs, but the Spring Mix proved a worthy bed for a shower of julienned red and yellow peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes from the garden and a creamy avocado dressing. A little bit of crumbled bacon would have been a fabulous addition.
Thank you Olivia's Organics for sharing some of your deliciousness and joy for life with me.


Olivia's Organics
www.oliviasorganics.org


Robin Glowa, “The Conscious Cook”, is a healthy cooking teacher who specializes in teaching both
children and adults the joy of eating well with local, natural or organic ingredients. For more
details or to schedule a cooking class, please go to www.theconsciouscook.net.

Salad Daze

 


I confess...I really do love salad. It's not just a component of being a healthy food advocate. Or a constant attempt at weight control. Or a way of cleansing my body of indulgences like rich foods and clever cocktails.
I really love fresh, delectable greens, with all their different textures and marvelous array of flavors. I adore the fact that there are so many varieties of greens available at both farmer's markets and supermarkets, providing endless opportunities to create exciting new salads.
Greens are much more than bland, limp, pale green leaves of nothingness. Whether it be peppery arugula, soft butter lettuce, crisp, firm leaves of romaine, or robust raddichio, its creamy white leaves streaked a bright shade of cranberry red, I love greens, and I love that eating something so delicious can also be so incredibly healthy.
When I prepare a beautiful salad using a variety of greens, I am preparing a lively, colorful dish that is low in fat, and high in nutrients. Greens supply the body with calcium and iron, folic acid and fiber, as well as vitamins A, C and E. Everything that I read about the health benefits of greens tells me that they are a powerhouse source of antioxidants, which can have a positive effect on our immune systems. Keeping the immune system in top notch condition helps our bodies ward off nasty diseases.
When good health and good flavor mingle, it creates the most harmonious of relationships. As a
devout foodie and advocate of healthy living, I am always seeking out new and exciting food items and products. I am interested in “going organic” as often as possible, not for any particular political reasons, but because I have found that the taste of organic foods truly is superior. When I discover a new product that is organic, delicious and socially conscious, then I feel I have hit the jackpot.
That's why I was particularly excited when I received an e-mail from the good people at Olivia's Organics, asking if I would like to sample their products. Olivia's Organics is based in Chelsea, Massachusetts and has a long history of selling fresh produce.
According to their website, Olivia's great grandfather, Giovanni, started the tradition by selling fresh celery hearts out of a produce stall in Faneuil Hall, over seventy years ago. Today the company focuses primarily on selling packaged organic salad mixes. Not only does Olivia's sell terrific tasting salad mixes, a portion of the proceeds goes to supporting community based children's organizations through Olivia's Organics Charitable Foundation.
Groups such as the Make A Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girl's Club, Toys for Tots, Produce for Kids, Children's Hospital Boston, and The Food Project have all been supported by Olivia's Organics commitment to eating healthy, having fun and giving back.
I am a huge proponent of teaching children about healthy food. I have taught healthy cooking classes for kids using healthy ingredients and have found it to be the greatest experience. They have
a blast and are amazingly open to trying new foods, when they themselves are preparing it.
I like Olivia's philosophy and I like their products....a lot. The packaging is 100% recyclable and is produced using wind and hydroelectric power. They focus on organic authenticity by adhering to strict regulations set forth by the National Organic Program. You can go their website and read all the ways they have committed to being a responsible and caring company.
I want to tell you that the salad mixes were excellent. The flavors were clean, light and utterly luscious. I'm a big fan of adding fresh herbs to my salad and Olivia's Herb Salad hit just the right note.
Containing a marvelous mixture of Tango, Lolla Rosa, Red and Green Romaine, Chard and Oak, Spinach, Mizuna, Raddichio, Frisee, Beet Greens, Arugula, Tat Soi, Red Mustard lettuces,as well as dill and parsley, this mixture is like a big salad party in a box. You scarcely need anything more than a simple, classic vinaigrette and a fork to savor this mixture.
The Asian Salad was a less involved mixture, containing Spinach, Red Chard, Mizuna, Frisee, Tango and Arugula. I tossed this about with some plump, grilled sea scallops and a warm ginger dressing. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Olivia's Spring Mix was much the same as the Herb Salad minus the herbs. I do prefer the added piquancy of the fresh herbs, but the Spring Mix proved a worthy bed for a shower of julienned red and yellow peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes from the garden and a creamy avocado dressing. A little bit of crumbled bacon would have been a fabulous addition.
Thank you Olivia's Organics for sharing some of your deliciousness and joy for life with me.


Olivia's Organics
www.oliviasorganics.org


Robin Glowa, "The Conscious Cook", is a healthy cooking teacher who specializes in teaching both
children and adults the joy of eating well with local, natural or organic ingredients. For more
details or to schedule a cooking class, please go to www.theconsciouscook.net.

The Sins of Summer

 

Are you considered a glutton if you are doggedly determined to enjoy every last bite of fresh summer produce that you can possibly fit into your stomach? Is it sinful to constantly covet the taste of red, ripe tomatoes hanging heavy on the vine, just begging to be plucked? St. Thomas Aquinas, in all his wisdom, stated that gluttony is expressed in 6 ways:
1.PRAEPROPERE-Eating Too Soon
2.LAUTE -Eating Too Expensively
3.NIMIS -Eating Too Much
4.ARDENTER -Eating Too Eagerly
5.STUDIOSE -Eating Too Daintily
6.FORENTE -Eating Wildly

So I understand all the references, with the exception of #5, eating too daintily? Well, as that technique doesn't match up to any of my dining expressions,I shall discard it as being irrelevant. Perhaps I eat summer produce far too wildly and with far too much pleasure. There is no evidence to support eating too expensively, as eating fresh summer produce is the optimal time to enjoy economical nutrition. Eating too soon-I am fairly befuddled by that thought also,
and have decided that it has no relevance to this essay either.
But wise,old St.Thomas hit the nail on the head with #3 and #4. Too Much and Too Eagerly..based on the Aquinas scale, I may just qualify as a glutton and am giving serious thought to formally changing my name to Nimis Ardenter. It has a perfectly peculiar, yet fine ring to it. Ah yes, Nimis Ardenter, eager and excessive ingester of fresh tomatoes..that's me!!
Look, I just can't help myself! There are so many varieties of these succulent fruits to tempt the tastebuds. Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are one perfectly pleasureable specimen, that explosively pop in the mouth and dissolve in the tongue like little sugar bombs. I really love Sweet 100's. Several years ago, when I had a plot in the Milford, CT community gardens, my plot neighbor, Ed Bensen, turned me on to these treasures. He insisted they were THE tomato to grow, and by God, every crop of them I've ever raised, has been filled with sweetness, just like Ed.
I'm finding that most of the local farm stands this summer are offering Sun Golds, another winning, winsome variety of cherry tomato. A gilded, glowing shade of yellowy orange, the candy like flavor of Sun Golds makes them the perfect tomato to turn on non-believers.
I've also noticed a proliferation of heirloom tomatoes surging in popularity. They have become more widely available in supermarkets, as well as farm stands and many home gardeners are embracing the unique flavors, colors and characteristics of these hearty throwbacks to earlier times.
I am rather fond of Brandywine, an heirloom variety that grows, not perfectly spherical like other tomatoes, but to a pillowy plumpness with a soft, pinkish red color. I have also tasted a bright yellow variety, but prefer the red myself. Brandywines are nice and meaty and are my tomato of choice for a perfect BLT. Their sweet juices marry well with slabs of good quality bacon (splurge on Nodine's, you will never regret it. Go to Google and check them out.)
Oh yes, I eat bacon. Particularly when it's sandwiched between luscious artisinal bread with thick slices of Brandywine and heaven forgive me, homemade mayonnaise. You can substitute Hellman's, it's a perfectly acceptable stand-in. But you have to make it yourself, just once. It's so simple and decadently delicious. You take 2 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, put these in the work bowl of a food processor. Combine 1 cup of light olive oil and 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil. Turn on the food processor and add the oil, drop by drop, until you have a thick mixture. Then add the remaining oil in a steady stream until it's all used up. Put your mayonnaise in a bowl, cover it and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare all sorts of gorgeous, gluttonous summer dishes with it.
I'm of the opinion that moderation in all things makes for a happy, well balanced life and a happy well balanced belly. The word moderation being the key. It would appear that moderation is not my strong suit when it comes to summer tomatoes.
It's not just the tomatoes, it's all the lovely bread, panfried in good olive oil and sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt, the golden, crispy slices serving as a perfectly tanned and toasty base for garlicky, basil strewn tomato topping. A most magnificent bruschetta! It's all the incredible pizza, thinly rolled dough, rubbed with olive oil and capped with fresh buffalo mozzarella, big slices of Big Boy tomatoes and baked to a bubbling state of beauty. Pulled out of the oven, and scattered with shards of basil atop each slice.. this is a taste of tomatoey heaven.
As Nimis Ardenter, glorious defender of gluttony, my quest for tomato titillation shall continue until the summer sun sets on the last remaining vine and the final fruits of summer tumble onto my table.

The Sins of Summer

 
Are you considered a glutton if you are doggedly determined to enjoy every last bite of fresh, summer produce that you can possibly fit into your stomach? Is it sinful to constantly covet the taste of ripe, red tomatoes hanging heavy on the vine, just waiting to be plucked?
St. Thomas Aquinas, in all his wisdom, stated that gluttony is expressed in 6 ways:
1. PRAEPROPERE-Eating Too Soon
2. LAUTE -Eating Too Expensively
3. NIMIS -Eating Too Much
4. ARDENTER -Eating Too Eagerly
5. STUDIOSE -Eating Too Daintily
6. FORENTE -Eating Wildly

So I understand all the references, with the exception of #5, eating too daintily? Well, as that technique
doesn't match up with any of my dining expressions, I shall discard it as being irrelevant. Perhaps I eat summer
produce too wildly and with far too much pleasure. There is no evidence to support eating too expensively, as
eating fresh summer produce is the optimal time to enjoy economical nutrition. Eating too soon-I am fairly befuddled by that thought also, and have decided that it has no relevance to this essay either.
But wise, old St. Thomas hit the nail on the head with #3 AND #4. Too much and too eagerly. Based on the Aquinas scale, I may just qualify as a glutton and am giving serious thought to formally changing my name to Nimis Ardenter. It has a perfectly peculiar, yet fine ring to it. Ah yes, Nimis Ardenter, eager and excessive ingester of tomatoes..that's me!!
Look, I just can't help myself! There are so many varieties of these succulent fruits to tempt the tastebuds. Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are one perfectly pleasureable specimen, that explosively pop in the mouth and dissolve on the tongue like little sugar bombs. I really love Sweet 100's. Several years ago, when I had a plot in the Milford, CT community gardens, my plot neighbor, Ed Bensen turned me onto these treasures. He insisted they were the tomato to grow, and by God, every crop of them I've ever raised has been filled with sweetness, just like Ed.
I'm finding that most of the local farm stands this summer are offering Sun Golds, another winning, winsome variety of cherry tomato. A gilded, glowing shade of yellowy, orange, the candy like flavor of Sun Golds make them the perfect tomato to turn on non-believers.
I've also noticed a proliferation of heirloom tomatoes surging in popularity. They have become more widely available in supermarkets, as well as farm stands and many home gardeners are embracing the unique flavors, colors and characteristics of these hearty throwbacks to earlier times. I am rather fond of Brandywines, an heirloom variety that grows, not perfectly spherical like other tomatoes, but to a pillowy plumpness with a soft, pinkish red color. I have also tasted a bright yellow variety, but prefer the red myself.
Brandywines are nice and meaty and are my tomato of choiced for a perfect BLT. Their sweet juices marry well with slabs of good quality bacon, (splurge on Nodine's, you will never regret it.) Oh yes, I eat bacon. Particularly when it's sandwiched up with thick slices of Brandywine, and heaven forgive me, homemade mayonnaise. You can substitute Hellman's, it's a perfectly acceptable stand-in. But you must make it yourself, just once. It's so simple and decadently delicious. You take 2 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, put these in the work bowl of a food processor. Combine 1 cup of light olive oil and 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil. Turn on the food processor and add the oils drop by drop, until you have a thick mixture. Then add the remaining oil
in a steady stream until it's all used up. Put your mayonnaise in bowl, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to make all sorts of gorgeous, gluttonous summer dishes with it.
I'm of the opinion that moderation in all things makes for a happy, well balanced life and a happy, well balanced belly. The word moderation being the key. It would appear that moderation is not my strong suit when it comes to summer tomatoes.
It's not the tomatoes themselves, it's all the lovely bread, panfried in good olive oil and sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt, the golden, crispy slices serving as a perfectly tanned and toasty base for garlicky, basil strwen tomato topping. A most magnificent bruschetta! It's all the incredible pizza, thinly rolled dough, rubbed with olive oil and capped with fresh buffalo mozzarella, big slices of Big Boy tomatoes and baked to a bubbling state of beauty. Pull the pizza out of the oven, scatter shards of basil atop each slice and prepare for a taste of tomatoey heaven.
As Nimis Ardenter, glorious defender of gluttony, my quest for tomato titillation shall continue until the summer sun sets on the last remaining vine and the final fruits of summer tumble onto my table.