Jon Ashton - Me Blog http://www.jonashton.com/ en-us Jon Ashton Enterprises Jon Ashton - Me Blog http://www.jonashton.com/images/logo.jpg http://www.jonashton.com/ 144 49 <![CDATA[Can't Just Wing It All The Time]]> Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am always amazed when I look at just how popular chicken wings have become. When I was first at Culinary school, we had never thought of them as a main course. Really, they was just apart of a saute  dish such as chicken chausseur. Moving to America opened up my eyes to the chicken wing eating capital of the world. Yes we are! So much so an estimated 1.25 billion wing portions was consumed during Super Bowl weekend a few short weeks ago according to the national Chicken Council. That's a scary amount of wings! My introduction to them in the USA was at Hooters.  Can you believe they sell over 30 million pounds of wings annually?

According to the Agriculture Department, the average wholesale price of wings in 2009 was $1.47 a pound, up 39% from 2008 and the highest it has been, adjusted for inflation, since the mid-1970s.

So I wanted to share a recipe you can make at home, and took the liberty not to make Buffalo wings as I wanted to shake things up a bit by making a sweet and sticky Asian style sauce that will perk up your taste buds. Hope you enjoy the following segment from the nationally syndicated morning show The Daily Buzz.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3FNasZnKIM


Betcha didn't know....

The Anchor Bar in Buffalo NY has been the favored stop of visitors and celebrities alike: from actor John Candy, to musicians Kenny Rogers, Bob Seger, Spyro Gyra, Glen Miller's Band member Dick Gerhart, and most sports figures: favorite spot of Fred Smerlas and Alexander Mogilny. The walls of the Anchor Bar are filled with awards, comic strips, and proclamations about  Buffalo's Famous Chicken Wings.
Opposing athletic teams that come to Buffalo visit the Anchor Bar the night before their game.

Vice President Mondale had chicken wings delivered to his plane on a visit to Buffalo, as did the former First Lady, Hillary Clinton.

Sonya Thomas, a 100 pound competitive eater from Virginia, holds the record for competitive wing consumption. During the qualifying round of the National Buffalo Wing Eating Championships in Buffalo, NY in September 2003, Sonya consumed a record breaking 134 wings in 12 minutes. .

In 1977, Buffalo Mayor Stan Makowski, proclaimed July 29th as Official Chicken Wing Day.

Anchor Bar Chicken Wings were proclaimed a winner in the Jan. '96 essay contest of "WHY I LOVE WNY."

Wings cost $.05/lb, in 1964.

Chicken wings in Buffalo are always served with cut celery and Bleu Cheese.]]> <![CDATA[Compassionate Carrot Cake]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT  
In the movie Julie/Julia, Amy Adam’s character (Julie) said something like:  “After a long hard day, I love it that when you come home, you know that when you take some chocolate and mix it with some eggs and cream you get this (wonderful mousse for chocolate cream pie)—it is such a comfort.”  Food, or preparing food, is both science and art.  Science—you have to keep to certain rules, like not over-mixing your cookie batter so the cookies won’t be rock-hard; and it is art—well, anybody who has ever had a good meal prepared by a skilled person can attest that preparing and cooking food can be considered art. 

Since preparing food is scientific, we are sure that once we master a particular dish, we can pretty much make that par consistently.  That is comforting, indeed.  To add to this wonderful fact, once you master the skills needed, let us say, for grilling, you can pretty much vary your marinade but still come up with a delicious grill every time.  So cooking is never boring, as it opens up a world of possibilities.

After granny passed away, I can say I have never stepped in the kitchen without wanting to share my love for life with the gift of food. Her genuine gift of baking for the neighbors has made me look at food differently. A simple basket of ingredients can speak to me, inspiring a dish that its ingredients are proud of being a part of.
 
So you see why it was easy for me to lose myself in the kitchen.  There is something about taking the negative energy in your life and making something positive out of it.  As my skill in the kitchen grew, so did my self-esteem, and eventually, that grew big enough that I did not need a large body to shelter it.  I was good at something so I was able to eat properly and love myself well enough for me to want to be healthy.

What would I do now if I encountered those bullies?  I certainly would not beat them up even if I have my karate black belt.  Okay, so I am kidding about the black belt.  But basically, I am still very good-natured, and I really hold the belief that forgiveness is the key to a life well lived.  So, you know what?  I will bake them a cake.
 
Why a cake? Who doesn't like cake? We mark celebrations with a cake and it’s such a warm offering of kindness that is hard to ignore, even if someone is mad at you. We all have colleagues we don't get along with at work, you know you they are. Sometimes we just don’t get along due to personality differences, opposing opinions, or polarizing religious views. No matter what our differences, we all share a commonality in our need, and in my case, love of food!  How many of life’s problems could simply fade over a single slice of shared cake? For at least a few moments, our differences are set aside.

We just celebrated Valentine’s Day, and we have been ushered into Lent:  both markers in time that remind us about love and compassion.  There is no better time than the present to reach out to someone that you may have hurt, or someone who has hurt you in the past.  Bake them a cake.  It should be a cake that is friendly, terrific and moist.  It has to be cake that is good when eaten warm as well as after sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two.  It has to be a cake that is as delightful without icing as it is divine with a cream cheese frosting or whipped Italian butter cream.  It has to be a cake that is fool-proof and easy to make.  The perfect cake will not add additional stress to the task at hand but rather bridge a gap towards a peaceful existence with someone.

Fortunately, I have just the cake recipe for you.  I have tried this cake many times, just because its crumb breaks away like tiny orange crenellations and it tastes like a ray of sunshine.  Try this cake, first for yourself, and then for that person whose relationship needs some extra repair.  The gesture alone needs no words. Sometimes you have to find forgiveness in someone's heart the long way, through the stomach.


For the  Compassionate Carrot Cake recipe, please email hello@jonashton.com
]]> <![CDATA[Chicken Wings and Doing Good Things this Super bowl ]]> Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT This morning when I turned the TV off, shivers went down my spine knowing that rescue workers were giving up on looking for survivors beneath the rubble in Haiti, a country only 900 miles away from my home in Florida. The graphic images of orphaned children huddled in makeshift refugee camps and the gruesome streaming videos of a country left in ruin filled me with feelings of guilt. After all, turning the TV off allowed me to close my ears to what had been difficult to hear and close my eyes from what was so hard to see.
 
How often have we all thumbed through the newspaper, read about a young child killed by a drunk driver, perused the world news only to come across a catastrophic natural disaster and then paused to say, "That could have happened to me". However, we tend to be desensitized to such news and become more engrossed in Apple's latest Ipad launch or the state of celebrity indiscretions. It's not that we don't care, we're just programmed to move on the minute we realize we're late for work or have an important errand to attend to. Our guilt is merely superficial and although we are well versed in the statistics, rarely do we stop and look beyond the hard numbers. Do we even ask ourselves about the child whose life was taken too soon? What was his name? Whom did he leave behind and what suffering has his family endured?
 
Sound familiar? I know this routine all to well because its called: Life. Our 24 hours a day are consumed with obligatory duties like paying bills, grocery shopping, chasing cars (or in my case chasing planes) and pursuing the American dream. How often do we say, I'll be happy... 'When I earn this much money, when I lose those extra pounds, when I get that promotion'? Perhaps the tragedy in Haiti is a fresh reminder that everything can change in a moment and we should all focus on happiness NOW instead a month(s) from now?
 
It is inherently evident that from tragedy, unity is borne. It's interesting to discover that when scientists analysed the suicide rate in England and Wales after the September 11th attacks and again after the July 7th bombings in London, number of suicides dropped by 40 per cent in the two countries. It made me realize that such large scale disasters brought society together in a common cause. This greater social cohesion takes us away from our narcissistic tendencies as we forget ourselves, our political agendas, religious beliefs and social and economic status for the greater good. If only we could operate this way as a society naturally, without needing tragedy to jolt us into action, we would be a much more peaceful community.

Having said that, I do have to say this - I am so fortunate and grateful to be living in a country filled with generous hearts. Soon after the earthquake hit, aid poured in from all over the world. France dispatched two planeloads of rescue personnel, Iceland sent a 37-man search-and-rescue team,  Russia sent a mobile hospital with a staff of 45, including 20 doctors and even China offered help. Islamic Relief USA,(which describes itself as America's largest Muslim relief organization), announced it would fly $1 million in aid to Haiti in coordination with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. George Clooney's amazing telethon raised a whopping 58 million. How wonderful it is to have that sort of societal pull, encouraging folks to give so abundantly?

While Haiti's current plight is deeply tragic, the call to action has been responded to with such urgency, passion and quite frankly, brotherly love.  We all have ways of giving. Some of us give monetarily, while others give of their time or talents. Point is, give of what you can.  I don't think there is anything as moving or inspiring like the recent story of four children (all under seven years young) selling candy for 25 cents each with a little table top sign reading: "Funds to Haiti".
 
This current tragedy in Haiti seemed a world away from my sheltered and privileged existence, only I decided at the moment I clicked the red button on my remote this morning, that I could build a communal table to share with my friends and family that will hopefully inspire you to do the same.  A table is a great way to not only give thanks and gratitude for our daily blessings but to create mobilization for community action through sharing.  As a chef and a human being, I have the resolve to initiate neighborly love and compassion through what I know best...food. As an expression of prayer and appreciation for our brothers and sisters in Haiti, I've chosen to honor her people by hosting a dinner featuring her cuisine. I'd like to bring her to life for those around me by helping them understand her culture and food traditions, to put a face to her soft-spoken and feminine name: Haiti.

This weekend  will be Superbowl 44. As we all know, this wonderful event is celebrated in America, by either visiting or attending a party. I pray that you can take advantage of this great opportunity to help raise money for Haiti. Whether you are throwing a party or attending one the recipe below will be a  surefire hit. It is a twist on the all American favourite, Buffalo wings. You can raise money by charging everybody $1 per wing.

Please, please take time to make this recipe. It's super simple, only needing a quick whisking of ingredients in a bowl, marinating the wings and baking. I promise not only will you be the party's hero, you will play your part in helping the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere rebuild lives.  

It's about the gift of sharing our talents and kinship. It's a way to start our kids on community spirit. So, open your kitchen to friends and celebrate the beautiful island of Haiti. You may think your contribution is only a drop in the bucket, but as Mother Teresa said: "That drop is necessary".


I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.  ~Edward Everett Hale

Good Things Chicken wings
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
 pinch salt
11 bottle hot sauce (not tabasco)
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tablespoons soy sauce
50 chicken wings
To make the marinade, In a large bowl whisk  all ingredients until smooth and well blended, add chicken thighs.

 Preheat oven to 450°F.

Pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn the pieces to make sure they are all well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange the pieces on a baking pans  Using tongs, transfer chicken wings to large baking sheet. Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

]]> <![CDATA[Good Ole' English Toffee Day

]]> Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT
It seems preposterous that I would even consider complaining about the chilly weather on this 8th day of 2K10 in Florida. When I say chilly, that is really all it is; compared to other parts of America. Although Jack Frost rarely visits the Sunshine state, this week the temperature dipped to 27 degrees. Now I know many of you are saying, “Phooey Jon, what a load of cobwebs... Try spending a week in my home town".

Shamelessly or even unashamedly, I pray for days like these. It reminds me of my English childhood. Sitting in our bay window with our Jack Russell, Patch, watching snowflakes swish swooshing  ever so daintily  to the ground, I can't think of a natural phenomenon more fascinating than a snowflake. Like people, no two snowflakes are alike, with their ultra tiny crystals shaped like needles or prisms ranging from two to  24 pretty points.  Unbelievably astonishing when you really start thinking about their magical, yet scientific make-up.

Pressed against the chilled, misty windows, our breath would fog up the window pane as the tips of our noses turned the colour of beet root.

I passed such days awaiting unsuspecting passer-by neighbors, hoping they would slip and slide.  I'm unsure what sort of dark amusement I relished watching unfortunate neighbours  carelessly dance on the frozen grounds of England, but my dog was just as guilty, apparent by his wagging tail.

I sit here reminiscing the sweet smells that snuck under the kitchen door to our living room, up past the coal fire, the floral coach, and past Mum's old trusted chair with worn out armrests, to greet me.

"Oh! Patch! I smell Dessert!” Patch agreed with a quick twist of his head. My dog seemed to understand me.

Winter days grew shorter as nightly routines began earlier. After bathing, I'd sit crossed legged in front of the crackling coal fire, blanketed in a transparent serenity only a winter's fireplace can kindle. I loved staring into the blazing fire as the flickering reds tangoed with amber flames; watching them intertwine, embrace, then disappear towards Heaven.

Granny taught me that winter puddings were one of the most comforting surprises people cherished on icy days. Her delicious puddings clung to your ribs and made your soul purr. Our all time favourite was her unbeatable Sticky Toffee Pudding, a dessert that not only brightened dull winter days, but also elevated the status of British cuisine.

If you have never made this toffee sauce smothered warm date cake, I will go on record saying that your family will certainly love it, every single sticky bite. Its history is  a little disputed. It appears that sticky toffee pudding was not a staple in the UK until  the 60s. I don't know though. On a snowy night, served over candlelight I believe it has a Dickens feel to it.

In my Bionic Man hand-me-downs from my big bro (who would be sporting a new set of Everton pajamas),  Derrick would rub his hands together to warm up, in anticipation of the evening's highlight - Granny's dessert. I'd mimic him, as younger brothers do. The old wooden kitchen door would swing open and Granny Ashton would emerge carrying a tray with two red and white china bowls and a hot-out-of-the-oven cake.

The proud cake looked like it was swimming in a pool of toffee sauce, "Yes! Its sticky toffee pudding!" Derrick would exclaim excitedly. I'd echo with a similar expression of enthusiasm, again, as little brothers do. Our saucer sized eyes would follow Granny's hands as she cut into it. "Who'd get the larger piece? " we'd secretly ask. The sweet, syrupy smell would  only make our mouths water more.

Granny would serve it with a teaspoon, something I still have a tendency to do. I find that this not only brings back memories, it makes the family eat more slowly and savor every morsel.

I always watched Derrick take the first because it always bemused me to watch how big of a chunk he could fit on a one-inch-stained teaspoon. His response would be almost identical every single time...   "Mmm.... this is sooooo good". While Derrick's dessert routine would start and finish within 60 seconds, I'd drag my experience out for as long as I could.  I'd cup the bowl with my palms to take in its warmth while watching the sauce slowly drip down the side of the hot moist date cake.  For me it was as exhilarating as meeting Leonardo's Mona Lisa's smile for the first time. Looking back, it is only now that I realize my outlook on food had always been one of respect, admiration and awe, from a very young age.

Whiffs of fragrantly sweet cinnamon, intoxicating vanilla and decadent butter escape as my sense of smell gravitates towards the bowl. Then all senses ignite, as I hear the spoon clink the bowl for the first bite, my eyes widen as the spoon approaches my now over-excited appetite. Then there is  that all important first bite, where every flavor and texture hits your tongue with full intensity. The combination of the soft, warm, sweet cake, silky mouth feel of toffee, with the added depth of flavor from the recipe's best friend, brown-sugar, is a perfect union where only one's taste buds and culinary senses can fully appreciate; and words fail.

I'd chew in slow motion, sailing my spoon through homemade toffee sauce, knowing that after four more teaspoons this indulgent trip to toffee land would conclude.

Today is English Toffee day, I'm thankful I got the chilly day I prayed for, and even more so treacly memories of wintry England that made me feel cozy inside. It reminded me of Granny's sole cooking mantra: to share through the love of cooking. I'd would like to take a page out of her book of wisdom by passing on the recipe that is a take on her original.  Please make it for loved ones and raise a cuppa tea to me darling Granny Ashton.

PS: In England Golden syrup was used in the recipe, however  brown sugar is used in the recipe below.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Date Cake
12 ounces pitted dates, (14 dates)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Toffee Sauce 

2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2  cups brown sugar 

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 



For the cake


Preheat your oven to 350°.

In a sauce pan place the dates and cinnamon stick and boil water. Then, let stand for 10 minutes. Butter an 8-by-12-inch glass baking dish. Once the minutes have sailed by discard the used cinnamon stick and blend date mixture with cooking water. 


In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar. Add vanilla until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition. Add date mixture. In another bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder with the baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar egg mixture and beat at low speed until thoroughly blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until the date cake is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Toffee sauce
In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil with the brown sugar. Add the butter and stir over moderate heat. Boil for 4 - 6 minutes, then keep warm.

Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the warm cake. Drizzle hot toffee sauce over it. Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.  The toffee sauce should bubble around the edges. Let the cake cool by resting it on your counter top, and most of the sauce will have been absorbed (I tend to poke a few more holes every 20 minutes). After an hour, cut the cake into squares, heat slightly in microwave and serve. I love it with ice cream or a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 8
]]> <![CDATA[National Whipped Cream Day]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Growing up in the less elite Liverpool, strawberries and cream was eaten only by the wealthy in London. You know, the ones who ate the upper crust of the bread too..,

When granny Ashton would sit with the neighbors in the summer days, they would all chat about the horrendous prices they charge at Wimbledon for the summer treat.  However, living in Florida I am fortunate to not be that far from Plant City (Where they are hosting their 75th Annual Strawberry Festival this March) where strawberries are abundant. It still often bemuses me eating strawberries and cream in winter.

My first ever visit to a Strawberry Field will forever be a happy memory. Our neighbor Fred told us to eat as many as we wanted. I misinterpreted that as to eat as many as my body could fit! Derrick and I split up so we wouldn't be seen stuffing our faces. Crouching down, looking at the fat, seedy, glossy red fruit, just hanging there with some of its brothers green with envy for its maturing. As I picked it from the plant and popped it into my mouth I realized I had just picked a sweetly perfumed juice bomb. Chewing slowly I peeked over me shoulder to check if anyone was witness to my gluttony. Coast clear, I spent the next 25 minutes challenging the world record for fastest eater, picking up the pace like Lance Armstrong on the last lap of the Tour de France.

The bottle of Irn-bru (pronounced iron brew ) I drank on the ride to the farm had me wanting to nip to the loo. When I did, it was only then I realized, my tongue and teeth, chin, hair, fingers and clothes were stained sticky red. And not one fruit had actually made it into the basket...

Upon return from the farm, Granny Ashton was over the moon at the sight of the small punnet of strawberries, so much so she splurged on a large tub of whipped cream. She made 2 flavored whipped creams that day,  one with Whisky and the other with vanilla. The word "Heavenly" doesn't even remotely do it justice!!

This year, I am celebrating National Whipped Cream Day with a visit to The Daily Buzz and shall be making the recipes below. Some quick tips when making whipped cream.

- Ultra-pasteurized cream is harder to whip, and the texture isn't the same.

- Put the beaters and bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before using.

- One cup of heavy cream will yield about 2 cups of whipped cream.

Citrus Whipped cream

1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon Cointreau or other orange liquor

Beat cream and all in large bowl until stiff peaks form.             

Espresso Whipped Cream

1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
1 tablespoons Van Gogh Double espresso vodka
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Beat cream and all in large bowl until stiff peaks form.

Minty Whipped cream

3 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Beat cream and all in large bowl until stiff peaks form.

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