Food Holidays: April 16th

I would like to share this mornings series for Food Holidays: April 16th with you. Being Eggs Benedict Day is something Charlie can prepare in our #HomeschoolCookingClass or we can create Fried Mushrooms for David as its #DayoftheMushroom

National Eggs Benedict Day

On April 16th, National Eggs Benedict Day celebrates a long favored breakfast or brunch dish. Eggs Benedict consists of poached Eggs with Hollandaise sauce and Canadian bacon or Ham on English Muffin halve

Five things about Egg Benedict:

1. Eggs Blackstone substitutes streaky Bacon for the Ham and adds a Tomato slice.
2. Huevos Benedict substitutes Svocado for the Ham, and is topped with both Salsa and Hollandaise sauce.
3. Eggs Sardou substitutes Artichoke bottoms and crossed Anchovy fillets for the English Muffin and Ham, then tops the Hollandaise Sauce with chopped Ham and a Truffle slice. The dish was created at Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans in honor of the French playwright Victorien Sardou. A more widespread version of the dish starts with a base of creamed Spinach, substitutes Artichoke bottoms for the English Muffin, and eliminates the Ham.
4. Portobello Benedict substitutes Portobello Mushrooms for the Ham, and is a popular alternative for Catholics observing the Friday Fast.
5. Eggs Provençal replaces the Hollandaise sauce with Béarnaise Sauce.

Fun Fact:

Historians attribute the invention of Eggs Benedict to two different events.

Origin Story 1:  In the 1860’s, a regular patron of the restaurant, Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, finding nothing to her liking and wanting something new to eat for lunch, discussed this with  Chef Charles Ranhofer (1936-1899), Ranhofer came up with Eggs Benedict.

#HomeschoolTeachingMoment

Look up the Chef and write down three facts you learned about him

Origin Story 2: In 1894, Lemuel Benedict, a Wall Street broker, who was suffering from a hangover, ordered “some buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of Hollandaise sauce” at the Waldorf Hotel in New York.

The Waldorf’s legendary chef, Oscar Tschirky, was so impressed that he put the dish on his breakfast and luncheon menus after substituting Canadian Bacon for crisp Bacon and a toasted English Muffin for toasted Bread.

Recipe:

• 8 pieces of bacon or 4 pieces of Canadian bacon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar
• 2 English muffins
• Butter

Blender Hollandaise: 10 tablespoons unsalted Butter (if using salted butter, omit the added Salt) 3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon Lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt Dash of Cayenne or Tabasco

Cook the bacon

Heat a large skillet on medium low heat and add the strips of Bacon or the slices of Canadian bacon. Slowly fry, turning occasionally, until the bacon is browned on both sides. If using strip bacon, much of the fat is rendered out after about 10 minutes.

Set on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.

Bring poaching water to a simmer

While the Bacon is cooking, bring a large saucepan two-thirds-filled with water to a boil, add the Vinegar. Bring the water to a boil again, then lower the heat to a bare simmer. Make the Hollandaise sauce in a blender

To make blender Hollandaise, melt 10 Tbsp unsalted butter.

Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of Lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender, blend on medium to medium high speed for 20-30 seconds, until Eggs lighten in color.

Turn blender down to lowest setting, dribble in the hot melted Butter, while continuing to blend. Taste for salt and acidity and add more salt or Lemon Juice to taste.

Transfer this to a container you can use for pouring and set it on a warm—but not hot—place on or near the stovetop. Poach the eggs

Essentially, working one egg at a time you crack into a small bowl and slip it into the barely simmering water. Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking.

Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes. (Remember which egg went in first, you’ll want to take it out first.) When it comes time to remove the eggs, gently lift out with a slotted spoon.

Note that the timing is a little variable on the eggs, depending on the size of your pan, how much water, how many eggs, and how runny you like them. You might have to experiment a little with your set-up to figure out what you need to do to get the eggs exactly the way you like them. Next Toast English Muffins

As soon as all the Eggs are in the poaching water, begin toasting your English Muffins. If you can’t get all the Muffins toasted by the time the Eggs are ready, gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set in a bowl. Assemble your Eggs Benedict

To assemble, butter one side of an English Muffin. Top with two slices of Bacon or 1 slice of Canadian Bacon.

Put a poached egg on top of the Bacon, then pour some Hollandaise over. Eat.

have you have had Eggs Benedict because I haven’t and I don’t think I want to. I asked David and he hadn’t either and Charlie and David don’t want to try them either.

Day of the Mushroom

Today is Mushroom Day, or Day of the Mushroom. This is a special day to enjoy and appreciate the culinary value of ‘Shrooms. Mushrooms first entered the culinary scene in the 19th century, when French chefs first began using them.

Since then, the popularity of Mushrooms has bloomed around the world.   Mushrooms is a fungus. It grows in a dark and damp area. There are over 14,000 varieties.  #HomeschoolTeachingMoment

No matter how much you love them, don’t go out into the woods to harvest mushrooms yourself. You really have to know your mushrooms, as many varieties are from mildly to highly poisonous.  

One thing we know for certain, recipes abound for mushroom lovers. Find a mushroom recipe, and have a very happy Day of the Mushroom! Holiday: Stuffed Mushroom Day

Fried Mushrooms:

• 10 ounces fresh white mushrooms, wiped clean
• 1 cup flour
• ¹⁄₂ cup cornstarch
• ³⁄₄ teaspoon baking powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (Panko if you can find them)

• Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Add water to make a batter.
• Dip clean mushroom into batter letting excess batter drip off.
• I find it easier to stick a toothpick into the mushroom to dip it.
• After dipping into batter roll in Panko breadcrumbs to coat.
• Deep fry in oil until golden.

David likes to dip his Mushrooms into Ranch Dip. What about you?

Its National Baked Ham with Pineapple Day as well

Baked Ham with Pineapple

Ingredients

• 1 (5 to 7 pounds) smoked picnic shoulder (fully cooked)
• 1 (15-ounce) can pineapple slices (in juice)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed, light or dark)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries
• Optional: whole cloves

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Remove the skin from the Ham.
3. Place the Ham on a rack in a baking pan, fat-side up.
4. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
5. Bake at 325 F for about 30 minutes a pound, or to 140 F on ​the Meat thermometer.
6. Drain the Pineapple.
7. Measure 1/4 cup of the Pineapple Juice into a saucepan.
8. Add the brown Sugar and honey to the saucepan and then cook over low heat until Sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
9. Remove the foil from the Ham and score the fat.
10. Brush the ham with the Pineapple-Honey Glaze mixture.
11. Arrange the Pineapple slices and Cherries in a pattern over the top of the Ham, securing with toothpicks.
12. Stuff with Cloves, if desired, and brush again with the Pineapple-Honey mixture.
13. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes at 325 F, basting with ​the Pineapple-Honey mixture.
14. Remove the Ham from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates