The other day the Dude of Food discovered he had extra ground turkey in the fridge and wondered what to make. A quick online search brought his eyes to a site where he witnessed this delicious looking photo for a ground turkey pasta recipe and decided to follow up on it. It turns out the alluring photo was a creation from a food blog titled Krolls Korner.
A big thanks goes out to site creator, registered dietitian, nutritionist and chef Tawnie Graham who shares this recipe with us so we can all learn to easily create this spectacular looking and delicious dish in our kitchens at home.
Before ya’ll get started you’ll need the following items.
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz medium shell pasta
1 lb ground turkey
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced small
6 white mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 large diced white onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2.5 cups beef or chicken broth
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Begin cooking the ground turkey until no longer pink. Add some salt & pepper and when the pink is gone, pull from heat, put in bowl and set aside. I usually cover my set aside foods as they wait their turn in the mix.
Next add oil and sauté garlic, red bell pepper, white mushrooms, white onion, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. (about 5 minutes, stir occasionally)
Whisk in flour until mixed.
Add broth and tomato sauce. When it begins to simmer add cooked ground turkey to the mix. When heated add cooked pasta, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Stir and let thicken.
The choice of pasta shape is yours. Slowly add salt to desired taste. Remember you can always add more but it’s tricky to reduce. Some sharp white cheddar cheese might also be a nice addition. Other seasonings that could make a great addition include fennel seed, red pepper chili flakes, dried oregano, fresh basil or even a pinch of cayenne.
In cleaning up this article I’ll finish by saying, this dish was incredible. By following chef Tawnie’s directions, barring a couple minor tweeks of my own, it was easy to create this dish. If remembering correctly, I used beef broth and didn’t add any mushrooms or red bell pepper and it was still delicious. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of this beautiful pasta dish I created before it was eaten. Give this recipe a try and enjoy.
Thank you Tawnie G. It is a strange phenomenon but for some reason, the fact that you have food titles made the Dude of Food want to trust this recipe more.
The other day I saw calamari rings for sale and said to myself, “Dude of Food, you don’t see calamari rings at this market every day, especially on sale, so take a good look” and I did. The rings still were still vibrant, colorful and fresh looking. I had been wanting to make a red sauce anyways so I decided to buy myself some calamari rings to toss them in the sauce.
Once in the kitchen prepared something similar to a semi spicy Arribbiata sauce with chopped tomato, garlic, onion, chili flakes and the usual assortment of spice suspects. In a separate pan I fried the calamari rings in some olive oil and set them on top of the spaghetti and sauce I had prepared. There was no wine in this sauce. The dish was delicious and a photo is below.
So after this creation I went back to see how a dish like this was supposed to be prepared.
I read a couple of recipes and they recommended that I add a little sugar to my dish. Many folks do this to offset the tomato acidity but I never have and probably never will add any sugar to any of my sauces, coffee, tea or anything else I happen to be preparing, as I don’t have a sweet tooth and don’t like sugary things. The photos below are from other recipes I used to compare my mix to. Click on photo to link to their pages.
Other than that sugar difference, my recipe and process were pretty much on point. This is an easy to prepare dish that can be enjoyed by all. Go get in that kitchen and prepare a meal surprise for someone special.
Visit the Cadbury web address above and you’ll find the following statement; “From a grocery shop, to a factory, to the Cadbury we know today. This is the story of a father and two sons and how their generosity inspired generations to come. They poured a ‘glass and a half’ into their Dairy Milk and into their workers and communities too. At Cadbury, people always have been and will be at the heart of everything we do.”
Quaker John Cadbury was first apprenticed to a tea dealer in Leeds in 1818. In 1824, John opened a grocery shop at 93 Bull Street, Birmingham, England. He sold tea, coffee, hops and mustard along with cocoa and drinking chocolate. John prepared the drinking chocolate himself by using a mortar and pestle and crushing the cocoa. The treat became quite popular and eventually John decided to start commercial manufacturing. He opened a warehouse on Crooked Lane in 1831 where he started his drinking chocolate operations with the help of his 2 sons, Richard and George. By 1842, the Cadbury’s were selling 16 varieties of drinking chocolate and 11 varieties of cocoa. In 1850, John’s oldest son, Richard and his brother George were learning to handle operations and 11 years later John Cadbury retired from the business and Richard and George took over.
George heard about a Dutch chocolate maker, Coenraad van Houten, who had devised a method of extracting most of the fat from cocoa, which made it a more appealing drink. George went to Holland to see Van Houten and returned with a cocoa fat removal machine which proved successful. By using the cocoa press, Richard and George found they were able to make their cocoa 100% pure. They focused on making totally pure cocoa and in 1866 the Cadbury’s launched their “Absolutely Pure Therefore Best” cocoa product. This product line enabled the Cadbury’s to grow their company into a successful enterprise with a reputation for quality products and for treating its employees well.
Cocoa ad
George had big ideas. He asked, ‘Why should an industrial area be squalid and depressing? If the country is a good place to live in, then why not work in it?’. George wanted to build a place full of green spaces, where Cadbury workers could leave the crowded, dirty city behind and enjoy a better quality of life. He began to draw up plans for his new country factory with Birmingham architect George H. Gadd.
In 1878, Cadbury acquired 14.5 acres of open land, four miles (6 km) south-west of Birmingham. In January 1879, Cadbury, his architect and their construction team building began the factory, along with the first 16 houses for some of his 200 plus employees. September 1879, 230 workers by train to begin their lives in the new town and facility. The name of this new town would be Bournville. This new country live/work concept was a significant upgrade from the poor living conditions of the urban environment. In Bournville, families had houses and could enjoy yards, gardens, parks, schools, medical care and fresh air. Children enjoyed new playgrounds, country outings and summer camps. The men played football, hockey and cricket in the open park spaces. Tennis and squash courts were built, along with a bowling green and swimming pools with heated changing rooms an kitchens for heating up food. All employees were encouraged to become good swimmers. There were no pubs and no alcohol was sold in Bournville and none is sold there still to this day.
Old Bournville street photo
For workers to have facilities and a home life like this was unheard of in Victorian times. Cadbury became one of the first firms to introduce a 1/2 day of work Saturday. “People told us it would mean ruin, but I don’t think any men could have been happier.” said George. By 1899 the company had 2,600 employees and was incorporated as a limited company on June 16, 1899. Richard and George owned all of the ordinary shares in their business.
Bournville locals biking
By 1900 George Cadbury renounced his proprietorship of the estate and set up the Bournville Village Trust. There were 313 houses for various social classes. In 1902, 30% of Cadbury’s capital expenditure was spent on the welfare of its workers. By 1960 the Bournville Village Trust held 1,000 acres with 3,500 houses and to this date, the town still offers affordable housing. After Richard passed, George opened a works committee for each gender to discuss proposals for improving the company. He also pressed ahead with other ideas, like a deposit account and education facilities for every employee. The site also states, “We’ve come a long way in 200 years but one thing that will never change is the generous spirit we bring to everything we do. Another exciting opportunity came along in 2010, when we found a new home alongside the Kraft Foods family. Kraft created a new division in 2012, called ‘Mondelez International’ which we are still proud to be a part of today.”
John Cadbury – Aug 12, 1801 – May 11, 1889
Richard Barrow Cadbury – Aug 29, 1835 – March 22, 1899Geo. Cadbury Sr. – Sept 19, 1839 – Oct 24, 1922
Many lives have been touched by the sweet philanthropic gestures of the Cadbury family and to this day 10% of the company profits are still donated to charity.
Clicking on these photos will lead the viewer to the various recipes.
The Hot Brown sandwich (also known as a Louisville Hot Brown or Kentucky Hot Brown) is a variation of a traditional Welsh rarebit in which early variations can be traced back to the Welsh caws pobi or ‘baked cheese’ sandwich from back in the 1500’s. A Welsh rarebit blended with tomato makes a sandwich called the Blushing Bunny.
The Hot Brown was created to serve as an alternative to late-night ham and egg dinners by the chefs at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY which opened in 1923. By 1926 these Hot Brown sandwiches were a huge hit for hotel patrons and locals alike and quickly became the meal choice for 95% of the Brown Hotel’s restaurant customers.
The original Hot Brown included sliced turkey stacked on the open face of white toast with Mornay sauce covering it and then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and broiled until the top bubbles. Pimento and bacon strips were then added on top before serving. I like adding a slice of tomato on mine. Some folks make this with sliced ham instead of turkey which is a tasty alternative.
Ham Hot Brown
Q: After the Welsh rarebit which came next, the Hot Brown or the Turkey Devonshire?
A: A few years after the Hot Brown was created Frank Blandi, former owner of the Park Schenley in Pittsburgh, created the Turkey Devonshire. It was 1934 and Frank was running a restaurant by the name of the Stratford Club located on Devonshire Street in Millvale, PA and the name of his edible creation was secured.
Turkey Devonshire
The Turkey Devonshire and a Hot Brown are basically the same hot open-faced sandwich on white bread with turkey, bacon and tomato. The key difference is that a Hot Brown uses a rich Mornay sauce made with Gruyere cheese, while a Turkey Devonshire uses a cheddar cheese sauce. The Hot Brown tastes richer and more creamy compared to the Devonshire due to the cheese sauce ingredients.
Other variations from around the globe include :
Croque_Monsieur
In 1891 the Croque Monsieur sandwich was written about.
Khachapuri
Khachapuri – a Georgian dish probably dates back to the 1100’s and may be a cousin to pizza which came later in history.
Savoury Toast
Savoury toast from Tasmania is a similar creation but wasn’t mentioned until 1865.
Whatever you sandwich preference, there are many good options available to enjoy.
It is certainly no secret that people like to gather in friendly surroundings to enjoy food and drink. This behavior dates back well before the Roman Empire and Cleopatra’s famous feast. One thing you might not be familiar with is the oldest gathering spot in Manhattan, NYC. This distinction goes to a building located on the corner of Pearl St. and Broad St. in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.
The plot of land that is 54 Pearl Street (a landfilled water lot) was purchased from the city by Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1686. Stephanus Van Cortlandt’s daughter, Ann, married a young French Huguenot merchant, Stephen (Etienne) De Lancey in 1700 when De Lancey purchased the lot from his father-in-law.
In 1719, De Lancey applied to the Common Council for three and a half more feet to be added to his plot of land on the northwest corner where he planned to build ‘a large brick house’. The large brick house has gone through some changes since but has been a private residence, hotel and one of the most important taverns of the Revolutionary War.
The Provincial Congress hosted a banquet in the Long Room at the tavern on June 18, 1776, for General George Washington, his staff and his officers to express their gratitude for the defense of the colony. The party raised 31 toasts throughout the evening, starting with the Congress and the American Army and ending with “Civil and religious liberty to all mankind.” It was a party and officers sang campaign songs while music played. The final bill presented by Samuel Fraunces, totaling £91, included 78 bottles of Madeira, 30 bottles of port and 16 shillings for “wine glasses broken.” Fraunces Tavern served as a headquarters for George Washington during peace negotiations with the British and housed a few federal offices of the Early Republic.
British troops evacuated New York on November 25, 1783. This day is historically known as ‘Evacuation Day’. George Washington led his Continental Army in a parade from Bull’s Head Tavern in the Bowery to Cape’s Tavern on Broadway and Wall Street. New York Governor George Clinton’s Evacuation Day celebration was held at Fraunces Tavern. In true American fashion, Evacuation Day was celebrated for a week. George Washington was in Manhattan and made use of Fraunces Tavern by dining in and ordering take-out.
General Washington meets at the tavern
A week later, on December 4, 1783, the tavern hosted an elaborate ‘turtle feast’ dinner, in the building’s Long Room for George Washington during which the general bade farewell to his officers of the Continental Army.
Historically stated, The time drew near when General Washington intended to leave this part of the country for his beloved retreat at Mt. Vernon.
"On Dec 4, 1783 at 12 noon General Washington entered the room. His emotions were too strong to be concealed which seemed to be reciprocated by every officer present. After partaking of a slight refreshment in almost breathless silence the General filled his glass with wine and turning to the officers said, ‘With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.’
After the officers had taken a glass of wine General Washington said ‘I cannot come to each of you but shall feel obliged if each of you will come and take me by the hand.’ General Knox being nearest to him turned to the Commander-in-chief who, suffused in tears, was incapable of utterance but grasped his hand when they embraced each other in silence. In the same affectionate manner every officer in the room marched up and parted with his general in chief. Such a scene of sorrow and weeping I had never before witnessed and fondly hope I may never be called to witness again.”
It’s easy to see that George Washington was highly respected and well loved. This kind of closing ceremony goes a long way in explaining why Washington was elected as the nation’s 1st President and why he is so well remembered by history.
On February 2, 1790, the Supreme Court dined at the Tavern to celebrate the opening of the Court. Guests included Chief Justice John Jay of New York, Justices John Rutledge of South Carolina, William Cushing of Massachusetts, James Wilson of Pennsylvania and John Blair of Virginia. Also in attendance was Robert Hanson Harrison of Maryland, who later declined to serve.
On July 4, 1804 under the management of David Ross, the Society of Cincinnati held a meeting at 54 Pearl Street. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton both attended this meeting which was a week before their famous duel.
Re-opening 1904
Fraunces Tavern and historical team have much rich American history and they do a great job at preserving, sharing and teaching the subject. More can be learned by visiting their site.
The Dude of Food has noticed that America is particularly funny when it comes to regional foods. For example, many folks who grew up on the east coast do not like avocados. Folks from the north don’t really eat squirrel/ possum stew but might take a road killed deer home to eat. Similar peculiarities exist for some folks from the west as they don’t like lobster as much as folks from the east side of our nation. It could be due to abundance but who knows. I grew up near the beaches of Los Angeles and personally like avocados as well as lobster, crab, oysters, mussels and shrimps. I’ve wondered in the past why do I like all the crustaceans. I like fish too, but aren’t these bottom feeder animals sort of like the liver of the ocean that’s job is to clean up the mess? Also, I can honestly say that possum and squirrel are not items I’ve ever tried nor have sought to try. Slowly coming back from my digression, I’ll add that during the Covid19 timeout I learned to home brew beer. I had some practice time at home and eventually met the owner of the Lobster and Beer chain of restaurants, Mike, who had an available space and he was interested in brewing beer too. Mike let me practice in the empty space and I worked on making brew while I redid the interior design of the place. Six months later the building and my process were both more functional.
When the Covid19 lock down was over and restaurants were allowed to open back up our little neighborhood bar in Hawthorne surged with local business. People loved both the lobster and the crab rolls and many local folks spent time socializing at our little spot. I served the beers and a cook made the food. We were both kept busy as we also took online orders for a couple food delivery services. We would do nearly $2k in sales and generate decent tips in 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon with just 3 little sidewalk tables and maybe 8 bar stools.
It was during this time that I learned how to properly prepare these delicious sandwiches to the Lobster and Beer standard. I learned to portion the meats, make the aioli, chop, clean, stock, cook, box, answer the phone and serve as well as run the bar. It got hectic sometimes but it was always fun and I look back fondly to these times sharing with our customers, getting feedback on my beers and operating a fun environment. Thank you Mike and partner. (I forget his partners name but he was cool and taught me a lot.)
Recently I’ve had the craving for a lobster roll so I finally decided to make one and squash my cravings. Below is a photo of the one I made.
Home made Lobster Roll photo: p3
The preparation process is simple.
Procure Lobster and some form of roll from your favorite spot. Soft, split top New England style buns, Hawaiian bread or hot dog buns work well. I used a dinner roll. You’ll also need butter, mayo, chives, minced celery, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Try adding minced tarragon, red onion or chopped green onion for some variety.
1lb lobster meat ¼ cup minced celery ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon minced chives 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest ¼ teaspoon salt 4 buns ¼ teaspoon ground pepper 4 approx tablespoons butter
PREPARATION:
Heat lobster in pan with butter. Don’t over cook.
Mix everything but the lobster and bread in a bowl.
Cut bread and place face down on hot buttered grill to lightly toast.
Mix warmed lobster in a bowl with some of the mixed ingredient sauce and load into grilled face bun.
In 1935 The Clamato Corp had filed a patent in NY as the Clamato Products Co as early as January 23, 1935. In 1938, House & Garden magazine Vol 74 printed a recipe for “Tomato-Clam Juice Cocktail” consisting of tomato juice, clam broth, salt and celery salt. In 1940, “Lobster King” Harry Hackney was granted the Clamato trademark.
In 1957, McCormick & Company Inc. applied for and acquired the Clamato brand name for the seasoned blend of tomato and clam juice. This trademark is still valid and now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper.
San Diego Red claims it was in the Acueducto Bar, located inside the renowned Hotel Lucerna in Mexicali, where the drink was invented. According to Hotel Lucerna in 1967 a client entered the bar with an awful hangover and asked for a fix. The bartender chose to mix tomato juice with some of the broth from “abulón rojo” (red abalone). The abalone broth was eventually changed to a more affordable product like clam juice and today many sauces are added during preparation like traditional ‘Maggi’ sauce, soy, Tabasco, horseradish, english sauce, Worchester and lemon or lime juice among others. Maybe Hotel Lucerna did help create the formation of the michelada.
Clamato Original is the main ingredient in the Authentic Clamato Michelada and a primary go-to for many michelada makers. You can mix it with your favorite lager beer or mix it with a little vodka.
While reading the label recently I noticed a huge reason for me to stop using this product. I have a huge problem with the 3rd ingredient. Sorry, but the Dude of Food is a hard no on having High Fructose Corn Syrup unnecessarily in my food. The 4th ingredient is Monosodium Glutamate, which I also try to avoid. I discovered these are a main part of what makes Clamato and decided that I’m done using it. I now make my michelada mix from scratch.
Being the son of pioneers I’m not well rehearsed in modern kitchen tools. One gadget that has been getting quite popular recently is known as an air fryer and has me wondering about kitchen tools. Questions like ‘How am I this old and have never used one of these cooking devices?’ and ‘Do I really need this thing?’ kept floating up to the top of my head along with all the things I daydreamed that I could potentially prepare. My neighbor ended up purchasing an Instant Pot Vortex Plus from Amazon and I had to go over and check out the unboxing.
Food Network says the following about the Vortex Plus; “While it’s very similar to the 4-in-1 air fryer, the standout feature in the Vortex Plus is the dehydrator. If you’re looking for a reliable air fryer that can also produce perfectly dried fruits and veggies, the Vortex Plus is for you. Just like the 4-in-1, the Vortex Plus has a roomy, 6-quart basket with a nonstick coating for easy cleanup. Equipped with pre-programmed settings and a temperature-controlling dial, the interface is also super user-friendly. The only downside to this model is the broiler function, which is preset to 400 degrees F for two minutes and didn’t perform well for us in testing.”
The Instant Pot Vortex Plus has 6 cooking options:
Air Fry (increments between 180°F and 400°F)
Roast (180°F–400°F)
Bake (180°F–400°F)
Reheat (120°F–360°F)
Broil (350°F–400°F)
Dehydrate (95°F–175°F)
I’m still curious and can hardly wait to prompt my neighbor into making some cauliflower buffalo wings and some of the other things that look really good on the Eat with Carmen page.
Established in 1990 the pub was owned by Tony Moogan from Liverpool, England. It was voted the best soccer bar in the USA in 2002 by FSC.
Their web site claimed “British pub and restaurant in Santa Monica – we serve British beers and British Food such as Fish & Chips. All of our food is home-made in our kitchen. Try our delicious pies! We are a renowned Sports Bar and have won many awards as the Best Soccer Bar in the USA – come and watch the live English Premier League games, World Cup, Champions League, NHL, NFL and International games on our large Hi-Def screens. We are home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and have the NFL package. Home to a friendly British staff and customers. Frequented by Santa Monica locals and visitors alike.”
This place was great. A typical Irish pub in that you could be from anywhere, walk in and enjoy a pint and bite while feeling like you’re in a local living room. They shared this experience with me. The staff was a family of friendly faces. Everyone was cool and got along well. Davey was a cool bartender. He had a thick accent and I don’t think he heard as well as he could have but his mind was always going. Barney was always cool with everyone and always hand his finger on the pulse of the neighborhood doings. All the staff girls were locals and just lovely. All were strong, smart and driven.
I loved going there for Happy Hour and getting $5 pints. Rich, the road worker, would almost always be there along with all of the other locals. For breakfast they offered King Size, English or Scottish Breakfast and all were a solid plate’s worth of food to help anyone feel better.
I’ve watched many big sports games in that place. The Kings winning the Stanley Cup was a good time as was any Sunday during the NFL season. During big English football matches the place could be so packed the crowd would spill into the parking lot and out onto Lincoln Blvd as seen below.
Sunday nights were reserved for the famous lamb dinners they prepared. Sometimes they would sell out if you arrived too late. The other option was the roast beef dinner. Personally, I much preferred the lamb and almost never asked for the roast beef. On a couple of occasions I actually stuffed 2 lamb dinners into my face!
Sunday lamb dinner
They also had a low rise stage that many entertainers performed on. The photo below was the image painted on the wall behind the stage.
The Cock n Bull was an awesome place and is forever cemented into the history and souls of many south side Santa Monica locals.
Currently, after a couple years of closure, the old place is being renovated to become another Mexican restaurant. Oddly, there are a few well established Mexican restaurants within a couple blocks walk, so competition for Mexican food might swing in the favor of the consumer.
Thank you very much and forever cheers Cock n’ Bull.
In 1989 Project Angel Food was founded by a woman named Marianne Williamson. She was joined by David Kessler, Ed Rada, Howard Rosenman, Freddie Webber and dozens of volunteers who bonded to create a program that prepared and delivered food to folks living their lives with HIV/AIDS.
Their Mission Statement: ‘Project Angel Food nourishes the health and spirit of vulnerable people facing critical and life-threatening illness, by preparing and delivering medically tailored meals with love, care and dignity.’ Their service is an outreach of the Los Angeles Center for Living which helps people with life-threatening illnesses. The Center for Living provides numerous programs such as The Clean Team, Project Night Life and hospice care. They would also prepare lunch for drop-in clients, but as fewer and fewer were able to leave their homes, lunch was delivered to them.
It was then that Project Angel Food was born and 36 years later the program is still cooking and delivering.
After running a red light in a scam supported by disgraced, racist idiot and former LA City Council member Kevin de Leon at the 1st street bridge, I was ordered to do community service. Being interested in food I chose to help out at Project Angel Food. Their operation is set up in the old Otto Nemenz camera rental store on Vine St. in Hollywood which I was familiar with. Upon entering I noticed the place is organized and very clean. In the kitchen the first thing you notice is a huge banner announcing the million meals prepared in 2020 spread across the wall. Their brochure claims they produce 2700 daily meals or 1.5 million meals a year. Once you see how this place operates you’ll see how they’re able achieve these big numbers. Project Angel Food can produce large amounts of food and they have technology helping the pro-active staff to package the numerous nutritious meals. There is a huge amount of kitchen activity and the team keeps this place extremely clean.
Project Angel Food operates by an extremely efficient kitchen staff led by Chef Juan who sees all and keeps all the meals rolling out on time.
The people here worked really well together and everyone seemed genuinely happy. This operation is doing so well in their Hollywood location that they are expanding.
