Strawberry-blueberry jam in minutes!

A few weeks ago I explored making and canning orange marmalade. This week I decided to use my surplus strawberries to make fresh jam. While I don't eat alot of jam or preserves, I figured a small batch would be worthwhile and used by end of year. And, if I didn't eat it as jam, I knew it could come in handy when making a quick dessert topping (i.e. drizzled over ice-cream or poured over a slice of cheesecake).

When I made the marmalade, I bought these adorable Ball 8oz Platinum Jar. Yes, I find small jars to be adorable :-) They are very modern looking and perfect for gift-giving, which is exactly what I did with many jars of marmalade. I complained at the time how I couldn't find the same style of jar in a larger pint-size version. Well, the good folks at Ball came to my rescue and sent me sample set of pint jars, as well as a few other goodies.

Once again (as I do so often) I've got to reflect on my farm upbringing to put this in context - my mother canned and preserved the majority of food we ate. During the year we ate canned green beans, green peas, pickled beets, dill pickles, sweet pickles, numerous jams, and other wonderful goods. We honestly lived off the land and it was our Ball canning products that made it possible.

My mother swore by Ball jars and with her 30+ years of experience I tend to go with her opinion on this. So, it was nice that Ball reached out to me with such a generous set of samples with which I could carry on my family's food preservation heritage. Granted, they didn't know my backstory at the time, but I appreciated it.

So, recently I made jam and am behind in talking about my experience. It turned out delicious so I want to share my creation with you and tell you about the products I used. I received the following samples and put them to good use:

Ball Blue Book of Preserving
Ball Plastic Freezer Jars
Ball Simple Creations No Cook Freezer Jam Pectin

The book is a complete resources for all of the canning and food preservation do's and don'ts. It's 124 pages packed with equipment guidelines, step-by-step instructions, and plenty of recipe ideas. It's the perfect starter book (actually, it's more of a magazine format) for beginner's and good reference for everyone else.

I have never made freezer jam before but my mother does it every year. There are a few jars of raspberry jam in my freezer as I write this. I read the no-cook freezer jam package and was surprised at just how easy it is. You take 4 cups of fresh chopped fruit and mix with sugar and the pectin. Stir for a few minutes and let it set for 30 minutes. Then, package and freeze.



Although I had plenty of strawberries, I wanted to mix it up and used one cup of wild blueberries. The proportion of blueberries to strawberries was perfect. The recipe made about 5 8oz. jars ... and we only have 2 jars left. Hmmmm, so much for stocking up on jam! It's really quite good, very fresh tasting and satisfying.

I packaged the jam in the new 8 oz. freezer jars. My mother uses a variety plastic containers but this product is pretty slick. The jars are sturdy and have a no-spill plastic cap to seal in freshness. The jars also are stackable which helps with freezer storage. The jars lock into one another, so they don't tumble over easily.



The good news is that my jam jars will soon be empty and ready to be reloaded. I've used the jam over the strawberry ice-cream I made recently ... absolutely magical. And, from the photo above you'll see I've used it as a fruit dip with a big, juicy Asian pear.

Once my jars are empty, I'll try something new. Someone gave me a jar of cinnamon plum jam one year and it was incredible. I'm hoping to replicate it at some point, so maybe it will happen soon.

For more information on Ball products, supplies, and resource information please visit the Ball website.

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How to filet a fish without passing out

I was contacted recently to try the Kona Kampachi from Kona-Blue. The fish is sushi grade and known for high omega-3 levels and being free of detectable mercury. It's served at Morimoto's restaurant, so I felt confident it would be good.

I don't cook often with fish and knew this was a good opportunity to break out of my comfort zone. And when presented with the choice of receiving fillets, a gutted/headed fish, or the whole fish ... I somehow thought getting the whole fish would be neat. I underestimated the size of the fish :-) This little guy is sitting on my half-sheet pan which is 18" long!

The box from FedEx was big and weight about 20lbs. As I lugged it to the kitchen, my fear and trepidation were growing. What had I gotten myself into? I opened the box and pulled out the ice packs to discover the kampachi wrapped in plastic. For a brief moment I thought, 'oh, he's not that big'. I grabbed its tail and lifted him up realizing that he was kinda hefty.

The fish was harvested the other day and shipped overnight to my house. Not surprisingly, there wasn't any fishy smell. I'm really picky about food smells and despise 'fishy' smelling fish markets and the like. I tried hard to smell this fish and there was nothing, not a single bad smell. Very clean and fresh.

I placed the fish into the sink and rinsed with cold water. Then, I stood there and just looked at it. I took a deep breath and thought through the how-to guide on cleaning and filleting a fish. Granted, the illustrations showed a fish the size of your hand. I decided that as long as I took it slowly, nothing would go wrong. The secret (I think) is that to filet a fish you do not need to scale it, nor gut it.

One guide that I found online stated that if you were going to filet the fish, you didn't need to scale it nor gut it. I opted for this approach fearing what would be inside this fish. I picked up my sharpest knife and started the incision near the tail along the backbone. My knife was stopped by the scales. Admittedly, I probably wasn't pushing too hard for fear that I would somehow wake him up.

I pushed a bit harder to get the knife in, then slid the knife on one side of the backbone up to the head. I continued following this path, each time slicing further down the bones. Before I knew it, I had one filet. I flipped over the fish and repeated.

Next, I laid the filet skin side down and worked my knife between the skin and flesh. I slid my knife along the skin and the filet came right off. Although my fillets are not as beautiful as they could be, I was proud that I accomplished it.



My first impression of the fish is that the flesh is so fatty and tender. My fingers were oily from handling it and it felt buttery smooth. We did visit a local sushi restaurant the other night and ordered Kampachi in anticipation of my fish order arriving this week. The fish was creamy and buttery, so delicious.



I still need to pluck out the bones, but will save that for later tonight. It's quite a bit of meat, so tonight we will have some sashimi and spicy kampachi roll. I've never made sushi at home, so this should be interesting. Tomorrow, I will like steam the remaining fish and serve with an asian/soy dipping sauce. I'll post both of these once they happen.

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Poaching pods and black century eggs

While shopping yesterday, Joe pointed out a neat little gadget for poaching eggs. He said that he noticed it as Christmas and had considered it as a stocking stuffer, but went in a different direction and ended up not buying it. Yes, these are the sorts of things I like to find in my stocking. For graduation from college, I asked my parents for a KitchenAid mixer.

I've been poaching alot of eggs recently to cut back on frying, so it seemed the Fusion Poach Pods would prove useful. The pods are made of silicone and float in a pan of water. You simply heat your water and place the pod into it, then crack your egg into the pod. Due to their shape, they won't tip over and stay effortlessly afloat.

When the egg is poached to your liking, pull out the pod and tip the egg out onto your plate. No mess! No losing half your egg to the water! The pods cost $9.95 for two which isn't too much to pay for the convenience they provide. They're easy to clean with soap and water, but if you're feeling less adventurous they are dishwasher safe as well. The package states they are safe up to 675 degrees, so they can be used as baking cups too.

I played with the pods, while Joe made a steamed custard from recently purchased century eggs and salted duck eggs. Being Chinese, these are delicacies he enjoys ... I tend to stay away from them. I'm not a fan of fermented eggs. The century eggs are black and the yolk is a creamy green/black color. I do shy away from extreme foods, call me a whimp, I don't mind.

I made a simple poached egg on toast and he made the custard, the base of which was 3 chicken eggs cracked and whipped with a fork. He sliced 1 century egg and 1 preserved duck egg and combined with the chicken eggs. He added about 1/2 cup water and mixed to blend. The dish is placed into a steamer and cooked for about 10 minutes until set. Joe poured a bit of soy sauce over it and would normally serve it with rice, but had it with toast instead.





The poaching pods worked well -- I enjoyed the novelty of it the most. They're also pleasing to look at :-) Joe's custard turned out good, of course I'm taking his word for it. He has turned me on to making savory custards with things other than black eggs, so I'll have to post about them soon.

Time to run for today -- gotta let the pup out before heading to my brother's for Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, Bobby did not have any eggs for breakfast, but he enjoyed laying by our feet as we cooked up a storm. Hope you're all having a great Sunday.

You might also like these posts:
Poached egg with basil and meyer lemon confit
Frenched eggs
Food Fight #3: Eggs (round-up)

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Progresso Light Soups - Weight Watcher 0 Points

When you are running low on time and need a quick lunch or snack, a hearty heat-and-eat soup can really hit the spot. Progresso recently launched 5 'Light' soups with a Weight Watcher's 0 points value per serving: Italian-style vegetable, Vegetable & Noodle, Homestyle Vegetable & Rice, Savory Vegetable Barley, and Southwestern-style Vegetable.

I picked up a couple cans yesterday and heated one up for lunch today. As you've noticed from the titles ... vegetables are the star ingredients here. If you're expecting a little bit of meat for 0 points, then you'll have to look elsewhere. It's important to note the serving size and actual nutritional values. A single can is actually 2 servings.

Each single serving (1 cup = 60 calories, 4gm fiber, 0 fat) is 0 points, however you can't assume to eat the whole can for 0 points. When you double the serving size and calculate based on Weight Watcher's system, the full can is 2 points. So, be careful when something says it's 0 points, you can't assume it's a free food that you can eat in mass quantity :-)

I'm sipping on the Southwestern-style vegetable soup right now -- it's actually satisfying for a canned soup. The broth has a bit of tomato in it and is filled with carrot, celery, beans, and corn. It's much spicier than I would have expected, but find that it's a nice, soothing warmth. I tend to find spicy foods more satisfying when I'm cutting back on fat-filled foods.

Overall, the soup is a nice change of pace from my typical lunch. And yes, I'm eating all 2 points of it!

You might also like these posts:
Asian pears: a crispy 0 point snack
Jazzin' up parmesan crisps, .5 points
Rustic & comforting bean soup, 2.5 points

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Stocking Stuffer Ideas: Wok Accessories!

I recently posted an article about finding a cast iron wok and I thought it would be good to include a follow-up on useful accessories. Even though these products are practical ... I wouldn't mind finding them in my Christmas stocking!


7" Cleaning Whisk You've got to keep your wok clean and this brush does the job quickly. It may look like some sort of torture device, but it truly works well to get off stubborn bits stuck to the wok. It can also be used on other cast iron pots and pans. There are also stiff bristled brushes that work great, but they are slightly more expensive.



16" Wok Chuan (spatula) This spatula is designed to fit the contour of a wok and allows you to stir fry without burning your hands (i.e. long wooden handle keeps you out of harm's way). The size of the spatula should be in proportion to the size of wok you are using.



300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes

Over 300 pages of easy to make stir-fry recipes, like Chicken with honey-ginger sauce and Shiitake mushrooms with Napa cabbage and peas. I love looking through big cookbooks like this to get new ideas about how to use my wok.






Wok Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Meals in Minutes (Learn to Cook)

From author Nongkran Daks, the chef-owner of Thai Basil, this book focuses on the simplicity and quickness of wok cooking. You'll find great ideas for making nutritionally balanced meals (wok cooking is such an easy and healthy way to cook vegetables). Quick-fix dinners are possible during the week, even after a long day at work -- this book will give you plenty of new ideas.

If you've found any useful wok tools, let me know. I love hearing what others have found and recommend.

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On sale: Henckels 7" Santoku Knife

Are you looking for a wonderful stocking stuffer this Christmas? I love the Henckels Twin Gourmet 7-Inch Santoku Knife and use it every night while preparing dinner. I am considering it for my mom and noticed it's now on sale for $45! If you've ever watched Rachel Ray, she uses one all the time. She now has her own brand, but I still prefer Henckels for quality and durability.

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Finding a cast iron wok

I recently purchased a 16 inch Traditional Cast Iron Wok from The Wok Shop and absolutely love it. However, I didn't realize how many choices there were when deciding to buy a wok -- cast iron vs. stainless steel, flat bottom vs. round bottom, long handle vs. side handles, nonstick vs. no coating ... and the list goes on.

For me, I wanted a wok that would be functional and as authentic to the traditional wok as possible. I did most of my research online to understand the pros and cons of each wok element, then visited a local and well-known wok shop (i.e. The Wok Shop) located in San Francisco's China Town. In retrospect I could have skipped much of my research and just visited The Wok Shop as they are the professionals when it comes to woks and can answer any question.

Woks are all about cooking food quickly and extremely high heat, so choosing a wok depends greatly on what sort of range you are using. I use a gas range and therefore a round bottom wok worked best, especially since I could purchase a wok ring attachment for my rangetop. The attachment replaces one my burners with a ring that the wok sets into, stabilizing the wok but also allowing the fire to have more contact with the wok. Flat bottom woks are primarily used on electric stoves to provide as much surface contact with the burner.

I decided to get a cast iron wok instead of a stainless steel or hammered steel version. I love cast iron and think it's so much more functional that very expensive alternatives. The cast iron wok is surprisingly not heavy and the metal is actually quite thin (hmmm, like 1/8" thick). The Wok Shop noted that the cast iron round bottom wok is also the most traditional. Other woks with longer handles or nonstick surfaces were available, but these were not features with the cast iron wok.

I've had the wok for a few months now and find myself using several times a week. It is easy to use -- it heats up very quickly and allows me to make a killer fried rice or stir-fry dish. Clean-up is simple -- hot water and a good scrub. I purchased a stiff bristled brush that makes easy work of any bits that stick to the wok, however the surface becomes naturally nonstick within a matter of a few uses. I find that hardly anything sticks to the surface and clean up is often much easier than other cookware.

Of course, I forgot to mention the biggest criteria for selecting a wok ... the cost! When I visited stores like Macy's, I found woks ranging from $100-200 and they weren't very authentic. The wok I purchased was about $20 and I love it.

Need ideas for which wok accessories work well? Check out my posting on practical and useful wok accessories.

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Investing in a Dependable Kitchen Timer

When we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, I allocated a large portion of the budget to buying a professional range. I was excited to take it out on its maiden voyage only to discover expenseive professional ranges do not have simple (and useful) functions like built-in timers.

A kitchen timer is an essential tool for baking -- if you don't have one, it's a good investment to make. It's important to select one that will meet your personal needs. You should consider how far you tend to wander from the kitchen when baking and whether the timer is loud enough and/or portable. If you bake for long durations, make sure the timer can be set for long periods.

Fortunately, just after our kitchen remodel my sister-in-law surprised me with the Pyrex Digital Probe Oven Thermometer/ Timer. It's compact, portable, easy to use, and has saved many dishes from fiery deaths.

This timer is easily set for a few minutes or several hours and rings loudly enough to be heard throughout the house (so I have no more excuses for burnt bread). With a magnetic backing, it sticks to the fridge or even to our outdoor grill when I take it outside for barbecues.

Also, the timer features a detachable thermometer feature which is a nice perk. Just plug the thermometer into your roast beef or turkey, and program the desired temperature for the meat to reach. When the meat reaches the desired temperature, the alarm goes off.

I use it every time I bake and have started to take it for granted. Several weeks ago the timer stopped working as I was about to place a batch of muffins into the oven. I nearly freaked out and feared it was broken (ok, so it's possible that I may have dropped it a few times). Fortunately, it wasn't my abuse but instead a dead battery which was easily replaced!

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