Category: Food

Granola

  • 2½ cups (222 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ to ½ cup chopped nuts
  • ¼ cup sesame/poppy seeds
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 310ºF.

In the largest bowl you have, mix the dry ingredients together. In a smaller container, mix the wet ingredients together.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients, mixing them thoroughly. Clean hands work well for this.

Spread the raw granola loosely on a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Stir, then pack down firmly with a spatula or a wooden spoon. This will leave you with big clumps of the finished granola.

Bake for another 15 minutes, during which time your kitchen will smell very, very good. If you’ve managed to get yourself in trouble with a wife or boyfriend, this will boost you 50 percent of the way out of the hole you’re in.

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least half an hour.

Eat it with — Oh, come on! It’s granola. You know what to do with it.

This is a solid delicious granola with a hint of saltiness and a tiny kick of spiciness. The great thing about this particular recipe — or any granola recipe, when you come down to it — is how adaptable it is:

Oats – This is probably the only ingredient you can’t mess with too much, but if you happen to run across some rolled barley or something, I’m pretty sure that would work too. Granola is very forgiving.

Nuts – You’re pretty wide open to improvisation here. I generally use roasted, salted nuts; my favorites are pistachios or pecans, but I’ll bet peanuts would be delicious. I’m very much not a walnut guy, but if you like them, they’d probably be delicious. My wife has asked me to use shredded coconut next time I make this.

Seeds – Again, it’s probably hard to go wrong with any seeds. I tend to fall back on a 50/50 mix of sesame and poppy seeds, but I’ve had good luck with hemp seeds. Sunflower kernels or pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds) would probably be excellent too. If you end up using a higher volume of seeds, add a little more of the liquid ingredients.

Brown sugar – Could you replace this with maple sugar or jaggery (Indian fermented brown sugar)? I don’t see why not.

Seasonings – You have just as many options here, but you might want to take a moment to think through any spices you add to your granola. I took this particular granola to a potluck breakfast at work once and the cayenne pepper made an otherwise kind and gentle coworker almost take a swing at me. I grew up in Vermont, at a time when salt and pepper was seen as dangerously adventurous. I should have remembered that people in this part of the world feel vaguely — or apparently not so vaguely — threatened by spicy food. With that said, I misread my notes and almost added cardamom to this recipe instead of cinnamon, and I think that might actually work. Your mileage may vary.

Oil – This recipe calls for vegetable oil, because it has a fairly neutral flavor and a high smoke point, but I’ve substituted hazelnut oil before and was very pleased.

Maple syrup – Honey works well here. If you’ve made syrup for cocktails — ginger or raspberry syrup for instance — that would work well, too.

Chocolate chips, M&Ms or gummy bears – Save them for your trail mix. If you decide to try them in your granola, mix them in after it is made and cooled. They wouldn’t make it through the baking process intact.

Featured photo: Granola. Photo by John Fladd.

Flavors of Girl Scout cookie season

Girls learn sales and leadership skills while selling Samoas and Thin Mints

Girl Scout cookie season is underway, combining tasty treats with the opportunity to support local youth initiatives. Ginger Kozlowski, communications and public relations manager for Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, and Sheila Morris, a troop leader in Concord, talked about this year’s sales, including how to buy cookies, the impact of New Hampshire’s Cookie Weekend, troop goals and ways to support without buying cookies.

What are the different ways people can purchase Girl Scout cookies across New Hampshire this season?

Kozlowski: It’s great to interact with a Girl Scout at her cookie booth. You will help her see that people support Girl Scouts and she will be happy to tell you all about the cookies and her goals. Booths are all over the place, but only until March 17. You can find a cookie booth near you by visiting girlscoutcookies.com and entering your zip code.

Tell us about the governor’s proclamation of Cookie Weekend and how you anticipate that impacting cookie sales.

Kozlowski: We are happy that Gov. Sununu proclaimed Feb. 16 through Feb. 18 Girl Scout Cookie Weekend in New Hampshire. We hope it will help us celebrate by supporting the Girl Scout Cookie program, which funds so much of our activities. Did you know that all the proceeds stay local?

Morris: Our troop has set a goal to sell 7,000 boxes of cookies so we can take one last big trip in 2025.

What are some of the goals or activities that local Girl Scouts are aiming to fund with the proceeds from this year’s cookie sales?

Kozlowski: Many Girl Scouts put their cookie proceeds toward summer camp, membership, community action projects, and fund cool experiences. On Facebook, Girl Scouts have posted goals like going to Space Camp and helping a women’s shelter food pantry. Many are looking forward to field trips.

Morris: We are known as the ‘travel troop.’ Our main focus has been travel and community service. We’re looking forward to kayaking and hiking in August in the Lakes Region and taking one last big trip in 2025. These trips have been amazing. They have given girls new adventures and bonding. Some of these girls might never travel without this troop. To see a girl overcome her anxiety to do something is priceless. To see them enjoy new experiences is delightful. The trips have also given them travel skills in budgeting, exploring places to go, getting around and safety. We also have tried to do a service project on our trips when it is possible. For example, we spent a day at a local school doing crafts and teaching them games and songs when we went to St. Lucia last spring. This is such a rewarding experience.

Can you explain the ‘Unbox the Future’ theme and how cookie sales help Girl Scouts achieve this vision?

Kozlowski: Unbox the Future simply refers to how you support the growth and future of girls by buying Girl Scout cookies. Girl Scouting is all about giving girls the opportunity to explore the world and follow their dreams in a supportive environment. Our mission is to create young women of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

Morris: And I see that in all my Girl Scouts. I have seen them come out of their shell and become a confident leader. I have seen them mentor younger girls. I have seen them learn to discuss and decide as a group, while being respectful of different opinions. It’s amazing to see them tackle community issues or plan an overseas trip.

What are some key skills that Girl Scouts are learning through cookie sales?

Kozlowski: Oh, that’s easy. Girl Scouts is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, so we have five specific skills we find essential to leadership, success and life in general: goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

Morris: I have seen these girls flourish in all aspects when dealing with the public at booths and become more confident as the years have gone by. I have personally seen my Girl Scouts grow in all these areas. And isn’t that what every parent wants for their child?

For those looking to support local Girl Scouts but who may not want cookies themselves, what options do they have for contributing to the troops?

Kozlowski: The Council’s Gift of Caring program is perfect for this. Every Girl Scout has the ability to take donations at their cookie booth to put toward this program, which provides cookies to the military and hometown heroes. And if you don’t run across a cookie booth by March 17 when sales end, you can still donate at the council’s website at girlscoutsgwm.org.

Morris: If you do that at our cookie booth, you will also directly help our Girl Scouts.

Cookies!
Here are this year’s cookie flavors, according to girlscoutsgwm.org. Cookies cost $6 per box.

Adventurefuls — “brownie-inspired cookies topped with caramel flavored creme”
Do-Si-Dos — “oatmeal sandwich cookies with a peanut butter filling”
Girl Scout S’mores — “graham sandwich cookies with chocolatey and marshmallowy flavored filling”
Lemon-Ups — “crispy lemon cookies”
Samoas — “crisp cookies with caramel, coconut and chocolatey stripes”
Tagalongs — “crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolatey coating”
Thin Mints — “chocolatey cookies made with natural oils of peppermint”
Toffee-Tastic — gluten-free buttery cookies with toffee bits
Trefoils — “shortbread cookies”

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of GSUSA.

The Weekly Dish 24/02/22

News from the local food scene

• Bourbon dinner: The Homestead’s Bristol location (1567 Summer St.; 744-2022, homesteadnh.com) will hold a Penelope Bourbon Dinner on Tuesday, March 5, at 6:30 p.m., with a sparkling wine reception at 6 p.m. The cost for a four-course pairing dinner is $90 per person. The dinner includes cheese & crackers and crudites with the sparkling wine, bourbon brown sugar smoked salmon latke with creme fraiche as the first course, crispy pork belly taco with a smoky bourbon mole for a second course, Bourbon Street glaze filet for the third course and vanilla bean panna cotta and bourbon caramel sauce with a grilled peach flambe for the fourth course, according to an email. Call for reservations.

• Cider flights: The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will host an adults-only (21+) Cider Flights & Tasty Bites night featuring North Country Hard Cider on Saturday, March 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. Taste five of North Country’s hard ciders and enjoy eats from area restaurants, according to the website. Tickets cost $35 per person, $25 for designated drivers; a VIP admission ticket for $50 ($35 for a driver) includes a 6:30 p.m. entry and an extra cider pour (for the non-drivers). Purchase tickets online.

• New owner: According to a Concord Monitor article first published on Feb. 7, “a team including the owner of Tandy’s Top Shelf in Concord bought Hermanos Cocina Mexicana.” The new owners plan to keep Hermanos the same, according to a quote from Greg Tandy in the article. The story also reported that Vinnie’s Pizzaria is reopening soon.

• Trivia and beer: TailSpinner Brewery (57 Factory St., with an entrance at 40 Water St., in Nashua; ramblingtale.com) hosts trivia nights on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., with seating starting at 6 p.m., according to the Brewery’s Facebook page.

• Saucey: The Salem-NH-based Cucina Aurora, known for its infused oils, mixes and coffees among other items, has new jarred marinara sauces. The Magical Marinara comes in Roasted Garlic Pomodoro and Sweet Basil Pomodoro and costs $10.99 on the website. See cucinaaurora.com, where you can find a list of places that sell Cucina Aurora products.

The Brain Cell

About a week ago I found a truly excellent photo online of Walter the Muppet and the Great Gonzo posing for a selfie at Epcot Center. If you are unsure who Walter and Gonzo are, just know that they are extremely cool to nerdy Muppet enthusiasts.

I saved the picture to a file on my computer, not entirely sure what I would do with it. I have a habit of doing this; I have a collection of hundreds of funny, strange or just interesting pictures to attach to emails or use in presentations. I never know when one of them might come in handy, so I keep them around, just in case. Yes, I suppose this is hoarding, but it’s digital hoarding, so at least I can still navigate my living room.

After an hour or so, I thought, “You know who would love this picture? The Artist.” Our only child is a freshman at art school in Chicago, and this might make a nice surprise.

So I uploaded the photo to a drug store to be printed. Later that afternoon I picked up my prints, then went to an art supply store and bought a frame. I had to juggle a couple of cards and my cellphone at the register while I tried to find a coupon for the frame, and ended up throwing everything into my bag as I left the store, because I didn’t want to hold up the line behind me.

When I mailed the framed Muppet photo to The Artist, I used the art supply store bag as cushioning, to protect the glass in the frame, and long story short, I’m pretty sure I mailed my debit card to Chicago.

I’ve dedicated this week’s cocktail to my lone remaining brain cell.

The Brain Cell

  • 1 ounce Ol’ Major Bacon Bourbon
  • 1 ounce Howler Head Banana Bourbon
  • 1 ounce Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
  • 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 ounce ginger beer – not ginger ale; this drink needs the extra bit of ginger
  • 4 drops Tabasco sauce

Combine all three whiskeys, the lime juice, and the Tabasco over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake to chill.

Add the ginger beer and stir gently.

Strain over fresh ice in a rocks or coupé glass.

Sip, while listening to “Yalili Ya Aini,” by Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart. It’s a strange and beautiful song that will match your — OK, my — mental state.

This can be a slightly befuddling cocktail, even before you make it. The list of its ingredients are surprising, perhaps even intimidating. Bourbon, bacon, banana and peanut butter don’t seem to make a lot of sense together. And yet the combination works.

Many people are familiar with an “Elvis Sandwich” — peanut butter and banana. It seems pleasantly wacky, but the sweetness of the banana complements the proteiny solidity of the peanut butter. What most people don’t know is that the sandwich Elvis Presley actually loved was a grilled peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. There’s a common thread there of saltiness, sweetness and umami. (Clearly, my own exhausted brain cells have a strange priority in what they are dedicated to.)

So there’s our drink’s whiskey taken care of. We know that bourbon pairs well with sweet tastes, and certainly with other whiskeys. But won’t that leave this drink too sweet? It would, if not for the lime juice, which brings everything back in line. Its acidity and fruitiness pair well with the peanut butter and banana flavors.

The ginger beer and the Tabasco give a little bit of a bite to the operation, and the ginger beer also adds a slight tingle of effervescence.

This is one of those cocktails that comes at you in waves. The bacon and peanut butter hit you first, followed by fruity, tingly aftertaste. You’ll know that you like it, as soon as you taste it, but you will probably drink at least two of these, trying to wrap your head around it.

Without having to go to Chicago.

Featured photo: The Brain Cell. Photo by John Fladd.

Get a taste of Africa

Learn from Mola Foods founder at Nashua North this spring

By Eleanor Quarles
[email protected]

LaFortune Djabea, founder of local African food company Mola Foods, is bringing African cooking to New Hampshire. This spring Djabea will be hosting an African cooking course as one of Nashua Adult Education’s enrichment programs. The class will run on Thursday evenings from March 28 to June 6 at Nashua High School North.

The goal of the course is to introduce people to African foods and dive into the history and culture of the cuisine.

“Those who want to learn are welcome to join and learn how to cook authentic African food the simplest way possible,” Djabea said. The class is not only about introducing new dishes, but also about adapting them to be made easily at home.

If you’re still a beginner chef, don’t feel intimidated. When Djabea started learning to cook at 10 years old, she “didn’t have any knife skills or anything like that … you just jump in and start!” she said. The class is open to all abilities. The only thing you need is a willingness to learn, she said.

Growing up in Cameroon, Djabea learned how to cook dishes from all over Africa. She credits this experience to Cameroon’s unique diversity among African countries.

“Cameroonians call themselves ‘the continent,’ as in the African continent, because we have all the other African countries [represented] in Cameroon,” she said. That environment gave her versatility, and she has a passion for sharing that with the community through her business, Mola Foods.

While the specific dishes taught in the class are still to be decided, Djabea shared two of her personal go-tos when introducing people to African cuisine. She likes to make thieboudienne, a Senegalese rice dish with fish and vegetables, of which Cameroon has its own Jollof version.

Another one of her favorites is ndolé, a classic Cameroonian dish made with ndolé (also known as bitter leaf) and meat or shrimp in a peanut sauce, eaten with boiled plantains or fermented cassava. When washed well, the ndolé leaves have a distinct bittersweet taste to them. To easily make the dish in New Hampshire, she often replaces ndolé with spinach, as it’s much easier to get, and peanuts with cashews, to accommodate peanut allergies.

African cuisine tends to be flexible that way. You can make a lot of dishes to be vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, etc. Most diets can be accommodated, Djabea said.

In the class, students will get the chance to practice with everything: meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. They’ll use Mola Food’s spice blends to season dishes authentically without having to hunt down specific spices and ingredients that could be hard to find in stores here.

Mola Foods also hosts Taste of Africa dinners, where diners get a chance to try cuisine that is usually completely new to them. And these are not just food events; they’re cultural experiences with music, dancing and conversation. Djabea finds that some people come into the dinners not understanding African cuisine or having preconceived notions about it, but when they try the food, they love it.

There are 54 countries in Africa, she pointed out, so it’s impossible to get a taste of every country or even every region in one dinner, and every dinner is unique. There are not currently any upcoming Taste of Africa events scheduled, but they will be returning in the future.

It’s Djabea’s first time formally instructing a cooking course, but it’s not her “first rodeo” as an instructor, she said. She taught her kids and her best friend how to cook African cuisine, and before Mola Foods, she was a medical coding instructor for several years.

“It’s heartwarming to be able to go back and be an instructor again, this time just doing something that I love to do. I am excited to share the gift of cooking that my grandmother taught me when I was younger with the rest of the community that wants to join me,” she said.

African Cooking class
When: Thursdays, March 28 through June 6, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nashua High School North, 8 Titan Way, Nashua
Cost: $105 for Nashua residents, $130 for non-residents, plus $100 fee for lab/food
Register: www.nashua.edu/domain/213

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 24/02/15

News from the local food scene

• Unwined open: The wine bar Unwined (1 Nashua St. in Milford; unwinednh.com) was slated to hold its grand opening on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and will be opening for reservations only through February, according to a post on its Facebook page, where you can also get a look at its menu. Offerings include bar snacks (such as curry toasted chickpeas and hand-cut fries with feta cheese, lemon zest and garlic oil served with a house aioli), salads, tapas (such as cheesy arancini, creamy bacon Brussels sprouts and fried calamari, as well as a mezze platter and cheese board), entrees and desserts.

• Goings on at WineNot: On Thursday, Feb. 22, from 4 to 7 p.m., WineNot Boutique (25 Main St. in Nashua; winenotboutique.com) will hold a “Tasting of Big and Bold Winter Wines.” Admission costs $25. The evening will feature 15 wines paired with cheeses and a light appetizer, according to the event website.

• Tasty vacation camp: The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St. in Derry; culinary-playground.com, 339-1664) has some vacation week classes for kids. On Tuesday, Feb. 27, there’s an adult and child (age 5+) “Homemade pizza and cupcake decorating” class at 3 p.m. ($45 for an adult/child team). On Wednesday, Feb. 28, there’s a “Sushi for T(w)eens” class at 3 p.m.; an adult/child team will make veggie and California rolls for $55. On Thursday, Feb. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. there’s a “Make-A-Meal” class (featuring baked chicken chimichanga, Mexican rice and Tres Leches Cake) for $58 for an adult/kid pair (8+).

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!