Golden Lentils: ZOUQ South-Asian Inspired Snacks

Food For Thought:
A series of thoughts on food products that I was initially introduced to at the National Food Product Expo in Anaheim, California.

Today Zouq arrived!! ZOUQ is a new specialty food that is a delicious and nutritious snack that is vegan, dairy-free, gluten free and contains no cholesterol or MSG. I should say that the yummy snacks consisting of exotic South-Asian inspired spices of golden lentils, Indian spices, chickpeas, turmeric, rice flakes, watermelon seeds is a vibrant  blending of different cultures and flavors.

Today I tried the Golden Lentils. It is the perfect snack lightly salted lentils in oil and sea salt, small kernels of goodness. Crunchy and satisfying.
http://www.bridgepointfoods.com

Love at First Bite: Spice-Rubbed Salmon with Cucumber Relish & Capers and Chocolate Raspberry Mocha Cheesecake

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to get out your old standby recipes, but also a great time to try something new. These easy and fun recipes are from my Valentine's Day Dinner Date Cooking Class, enjoy these and all of my other recipes and cookbooks at: http://www.ginameyers.com

Have a great time,

Gina

Spice-Rubbed Salmon with Cucumber Relish & Capers

The bold spice rub works well with rich-flavored salmon and would also be tasty on pork. Serve with an angel hair pasta, mashed potatoes or even a spinach salad.

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon of salt, divided

¼ teaspoon of dried thyme

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned

Extra virgin olive oil or Olive Oil Cooking Spray

2 cups of chopped cucumber

½ cup of chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup of chopped onion (red preferred or white onion)

2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh mint

1 Tablespoon of capers

1 Tablespoon of cider vinegar.

Directions: Preheat the broiler. Combine first six ingredients, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and dried thyme; rub evenly over fish. Place fish on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Broil eight minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Combine ¼ teaspoon of salt, cucumber, and remaining ingredients; serve with fish. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fish fillet and about ½ cup of the cucumber relish)

Calories: 312, 39% from fat, 13.6 grams (saturated 3.2 g, mono 5.7 g, poly 3.3 g); protein 37.3g, fiber 2.3 g, Chol 87mg; iron 1.7mg; sodium 450mg; calc 53mg.

Easy Chocolate Raspberry Mocha Cheesecake

2 teaspoons of espresso powder

1 package of cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup of sugar

3 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 container of whipping cream

1 graham cracker pie or chocolate pie crust

1 pint of fresh raspberries, washed.

Directions: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, espresso powder, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, mix until smooth. Fold in the whipping cream, mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared chocolate pie crust. Refrigerate for three hours. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar. 

Aunt Rose's Tallerina, Zucchini Relleno, Pasta with Creamy Garlic and Walnut Sauce, Veal Scaloppini

Aunt Rose’s Tallerina (Great Aunt Rose Caffaratti) 3 Tablespoons shortening 1 Onion, minced 1 Pound ground round 1 Can, (26 ounce) tomato soup 1 (15-ounce) Can tomato sauce 1 Cup cold water 2 Tablespoons salt 2 Cups uncooked broad egg noodles 2 Cups canned corn 1 Can, (6 ounce) ripe pitted olives 1 Cup grated cheddar cheese 1 can, (4 ounces) mushrooms, pieces and stems preferred. Directions: Melt shortening in a large pot on medium; add onions and cook until brown. Next, add meat and cook thoroughly. Add tomato soup, tomato sauce, noodles, water, and salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove pot from stove and add corn, mushrooms, and part of the cheddar cheese. Stir and then pour mixture into a baking dish 1 x 8 ½ inches. Cover with remaining cheese, and bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Zucchini Relleno 1 1/4 Pounds zucchini, cubed 4 Eggs 1/2 Cup milk 1 Pound Monterey jack cheese, cubed 2 Teaspoon baking powder 3 Tablespoons flour 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes 1 Small can diced green chilies 1/2 Stick of butter or margarine 1/2 Cup of dry bread crumbs Salt and pepper to taste Cooking spray Directions: Boil squash for five minutes and then drain and cool. Next, blend eggs, milk, and all of the dry ingredients, except bread crumbs. Spray a 9- by 9-inch pan with cooking spray and then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Layer three layers, first the squash, then the chilies and lastly, the cheese. Pour liquid mixture over the squash layers and top with cut up butter or margarine pieces. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until set. Cut into squares and serve as an appetizer. Pasta with Creamy Garlic and Walnut Sauce 1 1/2 Cups heavy cream 1 Cup walnuts 3/4 Cup shredded Romano cheese 2 Garlic cloves, peeled 1 Teaspoon salt 1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper 1 Pound bow tie–shaped pasta Directions: Place cream, walnuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic into a food processor, and blend until mixture is smooth. Cook pasta according to the package directions and drain. Toss pasta with the sauce, and return to a pan to heat the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and additional walnuts, if desired. Tip: Candied walnuts give the pasta a little sweet kick. Veal Scaloppini 2 1/2 Pounds boned veal shoulder 1/2 Cup flour 2 Teaspoons salt 1/4 Teaspoon pepper 1/2 Cup minced onion 1/2 Cup vegetable oil 3/4 Cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1 3/4 Cups tomato juice or strained tomatoes 1 Teaspoon sugar Directions: Cut veal into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Roll the cubes lightly in flour combined with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper (or a dash of salt and pepper, to taste). In a skillet, over medium heat, sauté onion in hot vegetable oil. Once the onion is browned, remove it from the skillet and place it in a 2-quart casserole dish. Next, place floured veal in the same skillet and brown on all sides. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, sugar, remaining salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Chicken Cacciatore 3 Pound whole fryer chicken, cut into pieces and washed 1/2 Cup oil ¼ Cup of flour, for dredging Garlic salt to taste 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley 1 Clove garlic 1 Pinch thyme 2 Leaves sage 1 Sprig rosemary 1 Small can Italian stewed tomatoes, chopped 1 Small can tomato sauce 1 Jar (4.5 ounces) button mushrooms, drained Directions: Cut and wash chicken pieces. Dredge the washed chicken pieces in flour to coat lightly. In a deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add cut pieces of chicken, sprinkled with garlic salt, and cook until chicken has browned. Once browned, add the herbs and spices, as well as the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, and mushrooms. Cook on high heat for 30 minutes.

Lauren Rose's 2014 Outgoing Madonna De Lume Speech

Lauren Rose's Outgoing Madonna De Lume Speech

If anything, to stand before you all today as the outgoing Queeon of La Madonna del Lume.

First off, please excuse my voice, I'm fighting a losing battle against a cold.

Since becoming La Madonna del Lume Queen, I have been privileged, honored, it has been spiritually enriching, a humbling experience. A lot of change, but there has always been that guiding light. Mary points the way to Jesus. Being Queen of La Modonna del Lume has helped me to share my faith with other

people and share my spiritual experiences with my friends. Overall, an enlightening experience.

Thank you to all who are involved, have been involved in the past, and who are planning on being involved in the future.
Thank you for taking some time out of your day to celebrate in this amazing festival with us.

viva La Madonna del Lume, viva!

Whole Grain Soda Bread

Whole Grain Soda Bread

1 Tablespoon of Cornmeal

1 cup of quick-cooking rolled oats

1 ½ cups of buttermilk, divided

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of caraway seeds

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of butter or margarine, chilled, cut into pieces.

2 eggs, lightly beaten, divided

1 cup of currants

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal. In a bowl, combine oats with ½ cup of buttermilk; let stand ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flours, sugar, baking powder, caraway seeds, baking soda and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs: set aside. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of egg; combine remaining egg with remaining buttermilk (1 cup). Stir into oat mixture; stir in currants. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until stiff dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Shape dough into round loaf; place on baking sheet. Brush top of dough with remaining egg. With serrated knife, cut an “X” in top of bread, extending cut over sides of loaf down to baking sheet. Let stand in warm place for fifteen minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool slightly on pan on wire rack before serving. https://www.serendipitymediagroup.com

Happy Anniversary Bewitched, 50 Years!

By, Gina Meyers

How do you pay homage to a television show? A show that completely changed my life. A show that changed millions of people's lives and still reruns even today. "Weeelll" as Samantha Stephens would say, you just wiggle your nose and go for it! Before I wrote The Magic of Bewitched Trivia and More Book, I was an aspiring writer. After writing the Bewitched Book, I became an author. Not only that, I became a  Bewitched Expert and traveled the United States on a book signing tour, and started a fan club, that reached people in Japan, England, Australia, and even some prison inmates down south. My children got to join in the fun of exciting Bewitched talks, Halloween Parties, book signings, trivia contests, mall extravaganzas, meeting celebrities, traveling to Salem, Massachusetts to see the Samantha Statue and so much more. They got to go on the radio with me, participate in an internationally televised television show (called Bewitched Fanatical), help me prepare for television segments, create food for television segments, join in the newspaper interviews, etc. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy magazine interviews, live television cooking demonstrations, participating in fun Bewitched related events.

My favorite memories are too many, but I'll try.
1) Having a book-signing in Glendale, California at The Barnes & Noble with Kasey Rogers, Louise Tate, the "bosses wife". A boy came for his fourteenth birthday to my book signing as his birthday present. I remember my son Lucas was a baby at the time and my husband took him for awhile during the event. Me, my daughter Lauren, Kasey Rogers, and her mate, Mark Wood laughed and had a great time. We met many fans of Bewitched that day and each person had a story to share.

2) Hosting a Bewitched Bash at our  custom home in North East, Fresno. The best part was donating proceeds to NAMI and Make A Wish Foundation. The amount of work that went into the party and my type A personality when it comes to details I wouldn't wish on anyone, however, the event was very fun and memorable.

3) My (former)husband surprising me with a Bewitched Play in Shell Beach, California. A dinner party murder mystery  Bewitched theme was held at The Cove in Shell Beach. 

4) Staying at The Historic Hawthorne Hotel, where the Bewitched Cast and Crew stayed during the filming of their Salem Segments.
5) The librarians in Salem giving me dozens of newspaper clippings about Bewitched.
6) Aloha, my Bewitched Book Signing in Hawaii. The best part was being presented with a lei.
7) Oscar, the manager, at the now defunct San Francisco, California Fisherman's Wharf Barnes & Noble. He always made me feel welcome.
8) The countless events at the Edwards Theater, now defunct Sierra Vista movie theater.
9) The complimentary coffees, double chocolate frappuccinos that everyone in the family was allowed during my autograph parties at Barnes & Noble.
10) The hundreds of people that I have connected with as a result of Bewitched.

It all started because I loved a television show. From that passion grew a joy of writing trivia tidbits, honing in on my marketing skills, creating events, hosting trivia contests, creating culinary classics. Bewitched, spans decades and generations. It unthaws the proverbial TV Dinner and brings it to life with a charming cast of characters that everyone can relate to. We all have had an overbearing boss, or a neighbor that was just way too noisy,  a kooky cousin, crazy relatives and a mother or father-in-law who just gets our goat.

It's magical, like life.... Thanks Bewitched for making my dreams into realities, cheering me up on  bad days, being there through it all, and teaching me so many lessons.

You Always Want To Be Samantha!

You always want to be Samantha!

My childhood neighbor and friend Rosalie and I would often get together after school and play. My idea for playtime involved acting out scenes from the television show Bewitched. I chose myself for the role of Samantha. Samantha Stephens is a blonde, sexy wife and mother, with her cauldron hooked to the rotisserie. She can twitch her nose and get anything she wants, but she abstains to make her husband think he wears the pants in the family. Serena, Samantha’s cousin, dark haired, is a free spirited, hippy, single witch on the prowl for anything that suits her fancy. Serena purrs when she wants and an occasion howls too.

Rose never wanted to be Serena, she always wanted to be Samantha. She was forever going home and crying to her mom Rachel whenever I suggested it was Bewitched Playtime. (Though, I honestly didn’t know I was upsetting Rose).

“Why does Gina always get to be Samantha?” Was a typical tome said by Rose to her mom. She didn’t really tell me though, so it was only when we were filming for a reality show called Bewitched Fanatical that the situation came full circle, or so I thought.

In 2005, I was living in my “dream house” with my version of Darrin and Tabitha and Adam Stephens, when I got the call from a television producer that I had been recommended by Mark Simpson, The Bewitched Collector, to be the co- guest  on a reality show about fans of the television show Bewitched.

I invited Rose and her mom Rachel to be a part of the filming of “a day in the life of a Bewitched fan”. So, in August of 2005, TV Tropolis,  a Canadian Television Production Company, sent a crew over to my home.

 Rose, as usual was a good sport about the whole day. She graciously did not mention my monopolizing the role of Samantha, however, in between takes, Rachel imitated Rosalie when she was little.

 “Mommy…. Why does Gina always get to be Samantha?”

Fast forward to 2013… A friend came over for a publishing/brainstorming meeting.

She looked at a large painting I have of Mary and Elizabeth. She pointed to Mary and she said, “I’ll be Mary and you can be Elizabeth.”

“Ok”, I said. (Smiling).