Management Craft

Fireside Chat with Michaele Weissman - God in a Cup

Did you know that coffee has more aromatics than most other foods? Check out this podcast!

During this 23 minute podcast, I chat with Michaele Weissman, author of God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee. This is another great summer read. If you drink coffee and/or are interested in fine foods, you will enjoy this podcast and the book. Michaele goes deep into the world of the high-end specialty coffee industry - an exploration that takes her to several countries and behind the scenes of a enigmatic slice of the world.

You can listen to my podcast with the Michaele Weissman by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Super Bowl - The World's Best Chicken Nachos

I really don't give diddly about football or the Super Bowl. That said, Bill and I still watch parts of it and take the opportunity to make some not-so-good-for-us ooey gooey food. I am not much of a cook but I have two specialties - Moroccan Stew and Chicken Nachos.

I think my chicken nachos are the best - in the world! Something this good should not be horded, so here is how I make them.

I start with a bag of large corn chips - the larger the better. I prefer blue corn.

The key to these nachos is in the layering of flavors and the fact that every nacho is fully loaded.

Layer 1: Brown ground chicken, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and cayenne pepper. I often start with the onions and get them to the stage of being lightly caramelized. Lots of onion. Set this layer aside and allow to cool a bit (so that it is warm, but not hot). Just before you assemble the nachos, drain off any excess liquid (a little is fine) and then mix in sour cream (low fat is fine here and you won't noticed the difference).

Layer 2: Make a papaya salsa with fresh papaya, hot peppers like jalapeno or green chilies, cilantro, lime, a tiny bit of olive oil, and sweet onion. Everything should be chopped fine so it spoons well onto the nachos.

Layer 3: Provolone cheese, sliced as thin as possible.

Put on the oven's broiler and get ready to assemble!

Spread out the nice big corn chips on a cooking sheet with curled edges facing up so that the chip acts as a vessel for the layers. Put one heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture, followed by one tablespoon of the papaya mixture, followed by a thin covering of the provolone cheese (one layer of cheese). It goes fastest if you put all the layer 1 down, then layer 2, then the cheese.

Broil the nachos until the cheese melts and is bubbly.

Serve right away with a variety of hot sauces for those that like a super spicy kick.

YUM! If you try them, tell me how you like them. Seems like a lot of work for nachos, but they will be the hit of the meal.

Sensual/Aphrodisiac Recipes

I just put up a few sensual recipes for Valentine's Day over on the ThirdAge blog in case you are interested. Spicy!!

Winter Yum Yums - Homemade Dog Treats

I have tradition each holiday. I make homemade dog treats for my four pooches and for the pets of my friends. In previous years, I used recipes found in books or on the internet. This year, I created my own recipe for these Winter Yum Yums. These treats are very healthy and your dogs will love them. Carrot and pumpkin are recommended by vets for many ailments. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Garlic, oats, and wheat germ are good for dogs too.

Yield: Makes about 150 cookies, 1 1/2 inches square and 1/4 inch deep
Ingredients:

• 3 cup carrots - peeled, boiled, and mashed (this is about a 2 lb. bag of carrots)
• 15 ounce can of pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)
• 4 eggs (plus one more egg white if you want to brush the tops of the cookies to make them shine)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of turmeric powder (the yellow spice you likely have and don't often use)
• 4 tablespoons of minced garlic (use a garlic press if you have one)
• 3/4 cup of wheat germ
• 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats
• 5 to 5 1/2 cups of flour

Cookies keep fresh for 2-3 days depending on the humidity. You can freeze extra cookies for later.  Want to make a smaller batch?

Here's a smaller recipe that should yield about 50 cookies:

• 1 cup carrots - peeled, boiled, and mashed
• 5 ounces of pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of wheat germ
• 3/4 cups of rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups of flour

Here’s how I make them:

Peel and boil the carrots. Strain the carrots and let them cool and dry (you don’t want excess moisture). Mash the carrots. Combine the carrots, pumpkin, garlic, turmeric, and eggs. Mix well. Add the wheat germ and rolled oats and mix well. Begin adding the flour a bit at a time. You may find it easier to use your hands, but be ready to wear the batter because it is very sticky. The exact amount of flour depends on the moisture in your carrots and pumpkin and in the air. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness and use a pizza cutter to cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Bake on parchment paper at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool completely before giving your dog the first delicious bite!

Rare Product Endorsement

Other than my own stuff :-), I generally don't endorse things on this blog. But, it's the weekend, so why not.

For years, I have been trying the various energy bars as I think they are better breakfast and 3pm snack alternatives than many other things. But most are just too tough to eat. They can be dense, dry, and permeated with the funny tastes of six syllable ingredients.

But I have found something that is head and shoulders above the rest in taste and texture AND nutrition.

Luna Bars.

They are great and you should try them. Luna bars are marketed to women because they have more calcium and folic acid, but men can enjoy them too. They are made by Cliff Bars, but are better in my opinion.

So far, my favorite is Lemon Zest. Key Lime is great. Chocolate Pecan Pie is yummy. Tomorrow I will give Orange Bliss a try.