Sandy's Sausage Sandwich

Posted by Sandy Gluck

I love hitting the road and trying lots of new things. It inspires, and energizes me. Just last week, I was in Portland and nearby Willamette Valley. Boy did I eat well. Fresh Dungeness crabs, lots of wild mushrooms, tons of cheese, and of course, wine.

What I noticed several times were signs at libraries and public schools for classes on preserving and cooking from scratch. I was inspired. So, for Sandwich Day I made my own sausages patties and homemade rolls to put them on. The patties were a mix of ground pork shoulder, cumin, a spicy paprika, marjoram, salt, and pepper. So easy and you can season them however you like. A tip-before you shape all the patties: cook up a small one to make sure you're on the money for seasoning.

The rolls, known as pan de sal were mentioned by a listener a couple weeks ago and I found this great recipe (if you're game, the recipe can easily be halved). Split rolls, filled with sautéed patties and topped with a simple mix of Chinese hoisin sauce and ketchup. A big shout out to Oregon for the inspiration.

Word of the day: chock-full

Posted by Alexis Tirado

If something is filled to the point that it can’t fit anymore more, we describe that circumstance as chock-full. If your closet is overflowing with books, to the point that you can’t find anything else in there, then it is chock-full. Some say chock is from the word choke. In literary uses in England, the formal usage is choke-full, as in something filled to capacity is “choked full.” Keep in mind that in Old English, choke also meant “cheek,” so perhaps there’s lineage in the lower part of your face. Some say the chock in chock-full was once spelled C-H-O-K, a verb meaning “crammed full.” Chock by itself is a block that keeps a wheel from moving. The word chockablock (no hyphens) was originally for two blocks right next to each other. Today it applies to anything in extremely close quarters.

Visiting Deep Cut Gardens in New Jersey

Posted by Stacey Hirvela

I've visited dozens of public gardens in this country but as far as I know, none of them have had quite as colorful a past as Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, New Jersey. While most of its history is pretty innocent, it was occupied for a period by notorious gangster Vito Genovese. When he acquired the property, he had the gardens redesigned to remind him of his native Naples, Italy by constructing an extensive rockery out of native New Jersey "peanut stone", including a stone replica of Mount Vesuvius. The entire property makes for a great visit, but it is Vito's additions that imbue Deep Cut with quirky charm. Read on for the full report...

Terri interviews Martha & Alexis

Posted by Terri Trespicio

I recently appeared on the Martha Stewart Show alongside both Martha and her daughter Alexis to promote the October cover story of Body+ Soul. I wrote about them and their healthy living tips. It’s always fun to go on the show, of course, but this was really doubly fun because I got to interview both Stewarts at once. I knew pretty much what I was going to say, and what they might say, but what really brought the segment to life was the lively and playful mother-daughter sparring and teasing that went on. It was actually quite fun.

So take a look -- and find out what these two women do to ease stress and stay healthy!

Word of the day: quixotic

Posted by Alexis Tirado

A quixotic person is impulsive, offbeat, and even a little erratic. A quixotic character’s actions are unpredictable, and are marked by strange personality traits. Sometimes, it’s difficult to determine what, exactly, a quixotic person’s motives are. It’s not difficult to determine the origin of the word quixotic -- Don Quixote de la Mancha, written by Miguel de Cervantes in the early seventeenth century. Its title character, Don Quixote, was one of those people nobody could figure out. On the one hand, he was chivalrous and passionate; but his pursuit of those ideals left many shaking their heads. Perhaps you remember his battle against La Mancha’s windmills, which he called “monstrous giants.” Talk about an oddball! Today you don’t have to declare war on sheep to be considered quixotic, but the word still evokes that quirky yet compelling Cervantes character. And we’re celebrating Don Quixote today, the day Cervantes was likely born, in 1547.

Word of the day: sorry

Posted by Alexis Tirado

Feeling a little regretful? If you’re sorry, it implies that you did something wrong -- or at least something you hadn’t. Sometimes you’re sorry for saying something bad about another person. Sorry is also a general feeling of sadness. You might be sorry your friend isn’t feeling well. But you won’t be sorry about learning the story behind this otherwise lamentable word. The Germanic root of sorry means “pain.” Without question, that’s because our bad behavior hurts others. Not always physically, but always mentally. Today sorry is tossed around a lot. It’s more than just a pain, physical or mental. It’s been watered down to a general statement of pity, like a sorry state of affairs.

Flavorful Fall Cocktails

Posted by Naomi Gabay

Fall has officially begun! This means rich flavors abound this season like pear, apple, and honey. Today, Allen Katz takes some of our favorite fall flavors, and tops them off with a splash of chilled Champagne. So get your sweaters out of the closet and curl up this weekend with one of these sparkly fall cocktails.

Autumn Down
Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka
1/4 ounce passion fruit syrup
1 ounce pear nectar
1/2 ounce pear puree
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
Splash of chilled rose Champagne

Directions:
1. Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with chilled rose Champagne. Garnish with a thin wedge of fresh pear.

Chin Up
Ingredients:
1 barspoon runny honey
2 ounces Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 ounce fresh apple juice
Splash of chilled Champagne

Directions:
1. Stir ingredients together until honey is dissolved. Shake over ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne.

SEE MORE COCKTAILS

Fruit & Vegetable Challenge: Time for Tomatoes

Posted by Lisa Mantineo

Fall is one of our favorite times of year to celebrate fruits and vegetables. Betsy often talks about her special affinity for Jersey Tomatoes, and looks forward each year to canning them, or "putting them up." So this week we've chosen to share with you a little Canned Tomatoes 101, along with two delicious tomato-packed recipes, perfect for the autumn season.

For new listeners: If you're interested in making your meals a little healthier by using more fruits and vegetables, then you might want to sign up for our Fruit and Vegetable Challenge. The goal of the program is to incorporate more produce into your busy schedule. If you want more info on the challenge, read our first post about it.

Don't forget: Keep track of the amount of servings you are eating throughout the week. Simply email us -- everydayfoodradio@yahoo.com on Thursday night with the fruits and vegetables you've consumed and the number of servings per day.

Canned Tomatoes
Classic Minestrone
Ratatouille on Grilled Bread

SEE MORE RECIPES FROM PREVIOUS FRUIT AND VEGGIE CHALLENGES:

Project Runway's Nina Garcia chit chats with Morning Living.

Posted by Alexis Tirado

Recently on "Morning Living," Nina Garcia called Kim and Betsy to give her Fashion Week recap. She said it's still all about flowers and color. Betsy also asked Nina, "What was the one thing you wanted to wear?" And Nina responded with "Denim. Ralph Lauren showed a lot of denim. His show was terrific." She went on to geek out about denim overalls (of all things!?). Nina also said that shoulder pads and acid colors are coming back, so break out all those 80's clothes from your attic. It's all in the first mp3 below.

In the second mp3 of the 10 minute interview, Nina reveals that the current season of Project Runway is "all about the ladies." Looks like we should keep our eyes peeled for a female winner. She's also excited about Season 7 of the show because it was filmed in NYC. Yay! We can't wait to tune in.

Word of the Day: satire

Posted by Marc Bailes

Among our oldest literary devices, satire has been twisted around quite a bit over the years. Satire scrutinizes another person’s faults to achieve its biting humor. It’s comedy and criticism used together. Its Latin root, satur, means “well fed,” and satire owes its English entry to the Latin phrase lanx satura, which referred to a dish filled with fruits. Today you’ll also find satur in sate and saturate.