So Good: Food & Wine with Heather Johnston

Martha Stewart's Holiday Ham Gets my Vote

Here's an Easter tip for you Costco shoppers looking for something to cook for dinner: Martha Stewart Favorite Holiday Ham is the way to go.  Since her recent partnership with Kirkland Signature Brands, allows her to sell at the superstore, this last Christmas I was able to give it a try.  I'm happy to report, it is all I want in a ham: high quality, lightly smoked, bone-in, and readily available. As an added bonus it comes in a cute muslin bag that you can wash and reuse. So Martha. 

For those who need the convenience, it is not spiral cut, but it is worth the extra effort of carving. Just make sure not to overheat it.  If you're not near Costco, click here to find my post from last year to help you navigate the confusing ham labeling in most supermarkets. And don't forget to grab a lovely bottle of Riesling, it's ham's best friend, besides Macaroni and Cheese, of course. Happy Holidays.

My Jamaican Rice and Peas

Last week in the New York Times article Rice, Across its Spectrum, Mark Bittman included a recipe for Jamaican Rice and Beans.  Thus, as the granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants, I am forced to ask an obvious question. Where on earth were the fact checkers?  Beans?  The unofficial national dish of Jamaica, aka The Coat of Arms, is never, ever called anything other than Rice and Peas, and in that order, lest you be confused for a Bajan.

Simply put, Rice and Peas are dried legumes cooked with onions, spices, thyme, scotch bonnets, coconut milk and rice. Like Mr. Bittman's version, the dish often uses kidney beans, but peas are not a misnomer. My grandfather traditionally used what he called "gungo peas" or pigeon peas, while my mother chose black eyed peas, perhaps because they were more familiar and readily available in the US. 

To be fair, my Jamaican Rice and Peas are via New York not Kingston. Growing up we never used green onions or thyme, which grow wild on the island, but not in Hempstead circa 1972. We did, however, always include coconut, often fresh, and scotch bonnet peppers, in the form of the ever-present bottle of yellow hot sauce. In general, it's a pretty fluid recipe; you can try a pinch of allspice one time, a touch of salt pork the next, maybe even some adobo, but don't mess with the name or it becomes something else entirely.

It's a perfect dish for large family gatherings, especially with Jerk Chicken and a Red Stripe.  Just like "back home" even if that's Long Island!

But I've Been Writing, I Swear!

My posts have been thinner than usual because I'm working on a book proposal about, you guessed it, food and wine. Hip, hip, hurray, I'm just about done!  (Now comes the really hard work of getting a publisher, keep your fingers crossed.)

I've also been reading Michael Pollan's books The Ominvore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food.  I'll have more to say about them in the near future, but in short, both are excellent and worth a look if you are committed to ethical and healthy eating. The information about the food chain is profound, but not always appetizing.  Though Pollan describes four great meals (three if you don't count McDonalds)  the Omnivore's Dilemma, in particular, isn't exactly lunchtime reading.

We're back to video blogging tonight.  We're shooting my Superbowl Chili Con Carne recipe.  'Tis the season, whether you like football or not.   Thanks so much for checking in.  I'll be in touch.  Best, Heather

My Two Cents on the Seared Salmon Recipe

1.  The whole spinach E.coli thing:  The recent outbreak in spinach and other raw produce lead to a major loss in consumer confidence.  The industry and goverment seem to share the concern.  With better tracking systems and more regulations about the proximity of livestock to vegetation, let's hope things improve. In the meantime, it is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of the food that reaches your table is safe to eat. However, if you are pregnant, immune-compromised or just plain paranoid, choose veggies from your local farmers' markets.  Much of the contamination occurs in large processing centers.  Also, to kill E.coli, you have to cook the food to 160 degrees; washing is ineffective.   

2. Salmon is good, pollution is bad.  I like to saute the skin so that is gets crispy, but despite an excellent health profile, you can't eat it very often.  Too many PCB's in the farmed salmon skin, too much mercury in the wild.  So, by all means, take off the skin either before or after cooking, as that is where most of the problem lies.