Category Archives: Food
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.
Keep focus on fun during family baking sessions
Baking is a beloved tradition in many families. Though family baking sessions tend to be especially 
popular during the holiday season, there’s nothing stopping families from breaking out the flour and having some fun in the kitchen at any time of year.
Fun is the focus when families bake together, and the following are some
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Cookies with a taste of the holidays
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
We often associate cookies with Christmas, but I believe there are plenty of other holidays that can 
do with a good cookie, like Thanksgiving and Easter.
For one thing, there are usually so many rich foods on the table, even thinking about a heavy dessert can make a person a little queasy.
So maybe it’s time to turn to a treat that’s just a little lighter. One cookie will not have as much impact as one slice of pie or cake.
I really like the featured cookies this week.
You certainly don’t have to make all four varieties, and if you choose gingerbread men, remember, you can always use a different-shaped cookie cutter if you think it’s not the right time of year for the familiar figure to appear on the dessert table.
Please enjoy and have a safe, happy and possibly Zoom-filled holiday.
Get lost in great cakes
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Some of these recipes go back a long way.
One of my all-time favorites is the old-fashioned pineapple upside-down cake my grandmother used to make in a cast-iron frying pan. This was a specialty of hers for Sunday night suppers. It never lasted long enough to make leftovers.
The upsy daisy cake was popular in the 1930s, and there are versions of this recipe in old cookbooks.
The banana split cake is easy to make and is a really decadent dessert, and the black bottom cupcakes are popular party fare.
None of this stuff is calorie-free, but sometimes you have to let it go out the window and just enjoy.
Four ways to use up your green tomatoes
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
This is that time of year when gardeners are faced with
lots of green tomatoes that probably won’t be able to get ripe. So, what do you do with them? Of course you can always fry them. And that’s one way.
These four recipes offer a little more variety. We like 
the chow chow as an accompaniment to field peas in the winter. Use it any way you like.
None of these are difficult, but some do take a little more prep time than others. It’s important to use green tomatoes before they begin to lighten in color and soften. The firmer, the better.
For the pickles, I use the smaller ones, about the size of a golf ball. For the chow chow, I always ask for a little chopping help. Please enjoy these.
Sweet Potatoes make the cake
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
We take sweet potatoes pretty much for granted around here,
and I admit a really good baked sweet potato is hard to beat. They’re moist, naturally sweet and a real comfort food when the weather starts cooling off.
Baking is not the only way to cook sweet potatoes, and you may be surprised at their versatility. One of the things most pleasing things about sweet potatoes are their color. The bright, vivid color really adds to their appeal.
Serve your peppers – hot or not
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
There are many different varieties of peppers on the market, and different levels of heat for each variety.
This week, we feature recipes with very mild to hotter peppers. The jalapeno poppers are the hottest dish featured, then the stuffed Poblano, the baked banana pepper poppers and the mildest sweetest recipe, the stuffed pimento peppers.
We are very fortunate in having access to many varieties of peppers brought to America from other countries, and we enjoy them prepared many different ways.
Cream pie has many variations
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
If given a choice between pie or cake as dessert, pie is usually picked around our house.
Our crowd claims that all but a few cakes dry out too quickly.
They like the moist richness of cream pies. Favorites include 
chocolate, vanilla, banana and butterscotch.
This is fortunate for the cook, as all are variations of a basic cream filling.
This week we are featuring a basic cream filling with meringue topping and a chocolate, banana and butterscotch version of this pie.
