Category Archives: Food
Add something light to your Easter
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
We all tend to overdo it a little bit when preparing holiday meals, and Easter is no exception.
I think it’s important to stick a few lighter dishes into the mix so no one has to go too far into the macaroni and cheese.
These fruit salads should be just what the doctor ordered. I’m not saying everything here is low in calories. After all, marshmallow crème is not exactly diet food. But I can say that these are delicious.
Happy Easter, everyone.
From Wood to Table
With the local turkey season nearly upon us, many families will soon have the opportunity to put fresh wild turkey on their plates.
Although many people freeze the meat of their wild game for eating later, some prefer to cook and eat the meat as quickly as they can.
With that in mind , listed on this page are three delicious recipes featuring that most scrumptious of fowl.
Irish dishes make the day
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
St Patrick’s Day is here, and on this day we celebrate all that is Irish, whether or not that’s part of our ancestry.
This year I wanted to focus on something other than corned beef and cabbage, although that’s an authentic main dish for an all-Irish celebration, because there are lots of other foods the Irish embrace.
So let’s embrace our Irish links, whether real or imaginary, and honor that island by preparing some of these classic dishes.
A salute to Asian Cuisine
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Everybody has a favorite kind of food.
If you’ve never tried the great variety of Asian dishes now easily available, I encourage you to do so.
Whether it’s Thai, Korean, Japanese or Chinese, there’s something special about each of these.
If you make them yourself, you can be sure they’re free of preservatives and additives that aren’t particularly good for you.
So maybe it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and try one of the offerings this week. I hope you enjoy one or all
.
Perfectly delicious traditional pound cakes
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier. com
The reason I prefer traditional pound cake recipes is for the flavor, the richness, the moisture and the texture. And there is no substitute for real butter if you want to make a really good one.
If anyone can find a better chocolate pound cake recipe than my friend Jane’s, then send me a copy. It’s the very best.
My grandmama’s old fashioned pound cake recipe calls for a dozen eggs, real butter and a pound of
everything. There’s no substitute for anything, and it can easily feed 25 people.
And the lemon pound cake recipe is not run of the mill.
It’s near the top on the all-time favorites list.
If you’re cutting out sweets, don’t start until after you bake one of these cakes. You will not regret it.
Picking the chili of your choice
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
When the icy breath of winter comes our way, we want to eat something that will warm us up. And 
nothing does this better than chili. It’s filling, nutritious and is warm in temperature and seasonings.
If hot and spicy isn’t your favorite, reduce the number of chopped hot pepppers. Or you can even eliminate them if you like, or replace them with mild peppers.
Celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of February, this year’s National Chili Day is scheduled for Feb. 25. Give all these recipes a shot so you’re ready to mark the occasion with a bowl of your favorite.
To each his own. Enjoy.
Mix decadence and refreshment this Valentine’s Day
Chocolate is often described as “decadent,” and rightfully so. Few foods can make people feel as if 
they’re being indulgent as well as chocolate. Perhaps that’s what makes chocolate such a great fit for Valentine’s Day. When giving that special someone some chocolate on February 14, you’re not just giving them something delicious, but also a chance to indulge in a forbidden fruit.
But chocolate desserts can be more than merely decadent. In fact, this recipe for “Pasticcio di Cioccolato con Lampone (Individual Chocolate Cakes With Fresh Raspberries)” from Michael White and Joanna Pruess’ “Fiamma: The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking” (Wiley) is both decadent and, thanks to the fresh raspberries, refreshing. The individual cake is an ideal Valentine’s Day gift, as it serves to emphasize how that special someone is the only one for you.
Pasticcino di Cioccolato con Lampone
(Individual chocolate cakes
with fresh raspberries)
— Makes 8 servings
1 1/3 c. cake flour, sifted
1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 tsp. baking soda
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 large eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 pint fresh raspberries
Vegetable cooking spray
Pinch of sea salt
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray or fill 8 of the cups with paper or foil liners.
Sift the flour, 1/3 cup of cocoa, salt, and baking soda into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside.
Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Set the bowl over a pan partially filled with simmering water. The water should not touch the bowl. Using a whisk, beat the egg-sugar mixture until it feels very warm to the touch and all of the sugar has dissolved. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to the electic mixer.
Whip the egg-sugar mixture on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until it triples in volume and is very thick and light colored. Add the vanilla and whip 2 to 3 seconds longer to blend. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the flour-cocoa mixture.
Place about 11/2 cups of the batter in a separate bowl and fold in the melted butter. Do this gently, as you do not want to overwork the batter. Fold this into the remaining batter. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean. Remove and cool completely on a rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling, combine the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa, beat into soft peaks, and set aside.
Remove the cupcakes from the tin and place them on dessert plates. Spoon the whipped cream on top, divide the raspberries among the plates and serve.
Sour cream is full of surprises
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
The rich creaminess of sour cream is misleading. It tastes as though it has a zillion calories but in 
fact, two tablespoons of sour cream has fewer calories
than a tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Sure, the percentage of fat is high, but the total amount isn’t. Consider that a serving of sour cream is two tablespoons. That provides just 52 calories — half the amount that’s in a single tablespoon of mayonnaise. And that is also less saturated fat than the amount contained in a 12-ounce glass of 2 percent milk.
If it still worries you to eat sour cream, use the reduced fat variety. Remember that it isn’t necessary to eliminate everything tasty from your diet to eat healthy. Moderation
in all things is the key. So, enjoy these sour cream dishes and use good judgment when you cook as well as when you eat.
Cooking with grapes adds depth to flavors
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier. com
Years ago at my grandmama’s house, Fowler and my brother brought in duck they’d shot over the pond.
After they cleaned them, they were brought into the kitchen to be cooked. So we washed them thoroughly, patted them dry, salted and peppered them and stuffed them with sliced oranges and 
grapes. Then we roasted them in the oven, and when they were ready, removed them from the roasting pan and poured in wine to glaze the pan. After the liquid reduced, it was poured over the duck and they were served. It was a memorable meal.
That’s the first time I found out you could cook with grapes, and I was so excited to learn how much
Cook Mexican dishes at home
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
During these difficult times, we don’t have to give up everything we love. Just because we don’t want to eat inside restaurants doesn’t mean we have to do without delicious Mexican dishes.
So this week, I thought it would be fun to feature some favorites from South of the Border.
There’s an incredible variety of dishes with sometimes unfamilar ingredients, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious. So get your taste buds ready and try one of these.
If you don’t like a lot of heat, cut back on the hot peppers.
