Ten Things I learned about Licorice and Licorice International

On Saturday’s “Judy ala Carte” radio program (KFOR 1240 AM), I hosted two of my favorite people: Elizabeth and Ardith, owners of Licorice International (a.k.a. “The Licorice Ladies.”). As always, I learned so much about licorice and the other wonderful products they sell at their retail store located at 803 Q Street and online at http://www.licoriceinternational.com/

Here are the top ten things I learned:

1. Glacia Ice Box Water from Norway is amazing. The taste is incredible--natural spring water from the arctic glaciers of Norway. The best thing is that the package is 97 percent biodegradable (even the lettering is made out of vegetable dye), and the unique cardboard carton means no harmful chemicals from the plastic.  It’s available at the Licorice International retail store for a very reasonable price. (Elizabeth and Ardith discovered Ice Box water at the Fancy Food Show they attended in New York this summer.)

Glacia Ice Box Water.

2. When Elizabeth and Ardith first bought the licorice business in 2002, they thought they were doing great with a little over 40 different types of licorice.  Now they offer 160 varieties, and they realize there are so many more kinds they could carry. The best thing I like about the Licorice International Store is that you can stop in and sample their products. If you like sweet or salty or bitter licorice, have a taste before you buy it.

American Twists Sampler

3. A great fall treat is the American Twists Sampler, made of Kenny’s Licorice Twists in root beer, cinnamon, orange, and chocolate flavors. The colors remind me of fall leaves, and the sampler would look great on a table.

4. Because real licorice has the potential to raise blood pressure, anyone with high blood pressure should be careful not to eat too much. However, anise (which has a similar flavor) is perfectly safe for people with high blood pressure. Licorice International sells both real licorice and anise candies.

Jelly Squares

5. Licorice International has just started selling these great little jelly squares in black, anise and assorted fruit flavors at their retail store. These have a wonderful mouth feel and flavor profile and are gourmet quality. A package would make a nice, tasteful little hostess gift or “thinking of you” gift. I could also visualize serving these with a cup of espresso.

6. This fall, Licorice International again plans to sell chocolate covered licorice, both online and at their retail store. Yum!

7. Petite Deceit Sugar Free candies are delightful, both to taste and to look at. These pastel colored candies are individually wrapped, only 2 calories each, and come in six flavors: blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, pear, tart lemon and orange. These would be great to put out in a bowl.

8. Licorice International has recently expanded their line of French drops in cute little tins. These little mints are made of coated anise seeds and take 15 days to make. The tins are reusable, and at only $4.00 each, they make wonderful gifts. They now come in rose, orange blossom, mint, violet, licorice and anise flavors.

9. At the Fancy Food Show, Elizabeth and Ardith also discovered the best chocolate covered pretzels, and they plan to carry them for Christmas.  They were surprised and pleased to learn that the pretzels are made by the same place that makes their Irish Potatoes, a popular treat for St. Patrick’s Day.

10. American licorices are more like candy and don't usually have as high of percentage of licorice in the black ones. They also tend to be harder in texture. However, the European licorices are more gourmet, usually contain more licorice and have an excellent mouth feel.

Roasted Shrimp Recipe

Servings: 6
2 pounds shrimp, large, R-T-C, 12 to 15 per pound
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Judy's house seasoning
1 medium lemon
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 part sea salt
1 part black pepper
1/ 4 part dried minced garlic
1/4 part red chili flakes
Place seasonings in a coffee grinder and pulse to a medium-coarse grind.
Take shells off shrimps and devein, leaving tails on. Toss shrimp in seasoning and roast in a 450 oven for 10 min.
Squeeze lemon over shrimp. Serve with spicy cocktail sauce.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 184 Calories; 4g Fat (17.0% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;
233mg Cholesterol; 758mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Licorice Ladies to be on Saturday's Judy ala Carte Program

Elizabeth and Ardith, owners of Licorice International, will be my featured guests on this Saturday's program.  I just love the "licorice ladies." They've managed to grow a small mail-order business into a thriving internet business and local retail store. Plus they love licorice (and so do I).  You'll learn some surprising things about licorice, and you'll even have an opportunity to ask the Licorice Ladies a question about licorice and the products that Licorice International sells.

Tune in to the live program, this Saturday, August 28 at 1 p.m. Central Time on KFOR 1240AM in the Lincoln area or at http://www.kfor1240.com/ online.

Mirepoix – The magic of carrots, celery and onions

Three vegetables you should always have in your fridge are carrots, celery and onions. These three vegetables, chopped fine, add zest to meats, beans, casseroles, and causes. The French call this combination mirepoix. I use it in my Red Stag Bourbon Baked Beans. (See recipe below.)

Recently I used it with stew meat. I simply tossed the stew meat in some seasoned flour, browned it on all sides, added my onions, carrots and celery, and then hit it with vodka to glaze it. I added a jar of pasta sauce and let it simmer for about two hours. Incredible!

Judy's shows for the week of August 9-13

Tune in at KFOR 1240-AM in Lincoln or online at www.kfor1240.com

Monday…Judy talks with person eliminated Sunday night from the Next Food Network Star. The show is now down to the last two standing. Judy will find out the experiences of the person who left the show and what they have gained from the experience.

Tuesday…From Billy’s restaurant it is Chef Nader around the table from Judy as she talks to Nader about the history of Billy’s and Nader’s love of food.

Wednesday…Around the table with Judy is Billene Nemic from Buy Fresh Buy Local, along with James Caruso owner of Caruso-Rozzano Farms. He raises Italian heirloom vegetables and is also one of the founding members of the Old Cheney Farmers Market.

Thursday…Around the table with Judy is Jane Reason of the Nebraska Pork Producers, and without a question the two of them will be talking Rib Fest.

Friday….Around Judy’s table is Jeff Parker owner of Parkers Smokehouse….Judy and Jeff will talk ribs, sauces and rubs.

Bing Cherry Wisconsin Cheese Cake Recipe

Here's the first recipe I created using Wisconsin Cheese.I love being a Chef Ambassador for Wisconsin Cheese.

Servings: 8

• 1 Cup Graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground all spice
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 15 ounces Wisconsin ricotta cheese,
• 8 ounces Wisconsin Neufchatel cheese
• 1 can cherries in syrup, drained, syrup reserved
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 ½ packages gelatin
• 8 ounces Wisconsin mascarpone cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Place graham cracker crumbs and allspice in food processor with steel blade and plus add in melted butter. Place mixture in a 8 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper. Press mixture down with the palm of your hand or a flat bottom glass. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 min take and let cool.

In the food process with steel blade whip Wisconsin ricotta cheese and Wisconsin Neufchatel cheese until very smooth, about 5 min.

In the reserved cherry syrup add 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar, heat juice in microwave for 30 seconds than sprinkle the 1 1/2 packages of gelatin and stir until dissolve. With food processor running pour the gelatin mixture in and continue processing for 1 min. Put cherries in the processor, leaving 8 out for garnish and plus 2 times. Let cool 30 min than pour into spring form pan, refrigerate until set.

Place Wisconsin mascarpone cheese, milk and 1/4 cup turbinado sugar in food processor and process until just mixed; be careful not to over mix as it will become butter.

Gently spread the Wisconsin Mascarpone mixture over the top of Cheese Cake,
Garnish with remaining cherries.

Per Serving 483 Calories; 32g Fat (58.8% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 100mg Cholesterol; 249mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Jellyroll with Lemon Curd Recipe

Servings: 8
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup torbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (minus 2 tablespoons) - I used whole wheat white flour as a healthy alternative.
2 tablespoons corn starch

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup lemon curd
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl beat egg whites until still but not dry and set aside. In another bowl beat the egg yolks until light. Gradually add the sugar, lemon rind, and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Add the sifted flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the egg whites and pour the batter into a 15 by 10 by 1-inch jellyroll plan lined with waxed paper or parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cake is golden. Loosen edges of cake, invert cake onto a towel dusted with confectioner's sugar. Gently peel waxed paper off cake. Trim 1/4 inch of hard crust off each long side of the jellyroll cake. Begin with the narrow side and roll the cake and towel up together. Cool cake on rack, seam side down, for 10 to 5 minutes. Once cake has cooled, gently unroll and spread cake with lemon curd and re-roll. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or cover with whipped cream.

Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon Recipe

• 2 pounds new potatoes
• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and place in a bowl. Grate lemon zest over all, then squeeze lemon juice over potatoes. Add salt and pepper and olive oil. Add chopped parsley and gently toss.

Green Beans, Diced Tomatoes & Garlic Recipe

Servings: 4

• 10 ounces frozen green beans, whole (I use Haricot Vert extra fine green beans)
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (I use Demi-Glace)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste 
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

Defrost green beans under cold running water. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a skillet, add garlic paste and green beans. Stir to mix and heat through. Gently mix in diced tomatoes.

Pork Piccata Recipe

Servings: 6
1 1/2 pounds pork loin, cut in 6 cutlets
4 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 1/8 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/8 teaspoons lemon peel
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
6 slices lemon
1 clove garlic, roasted and chopped
1/2 cup capers
vermouth

Pound cutlets thin (about 1/8 inch thick) evenly. Dredge lightly in flour, black pepper and lemon peel. Melt butter in large skillet along with grapeseed oil over medium-high heat.

Saute cutlets, turning once, until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes (total time). Add lemon juice and a couple shots of vermouth to skillet; shake pan gently and cook 2-3 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve cutlets garnished with lemon slices and capers.

Crab and Avocado Wrap

Servings: 8

• 4 1/4 ounces crab meat
• 8 ounces imitation crab
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon horseradish (or wasabi)
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1/4 cucumber, julienned
• 1 large avocado
• 4 large leaves red leaf lettuce
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 4 medium flour tortillas

Mix crab meat, celery, parsley, mayonnaise and horseradish together. Place layer of crab salad 1/4 from the end of the tortilla. Place carrots, cucumber and lettuce alongside crab. Sprinkle with rice wine vinegar. Roll tortilla tightly and wrap in foil. Chill. To serve, slice on an angle.

Christmas in July Cooking Demo at Schaefer's

I enjoyed demonstrating how to cook a holiday meal during Schaefer's Christmas in July Sale. My meal consisted of Crab and Avocado Wrap, Pork Piccata, Green Beans, Diced Tomatoes and Garlic, Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon, and Jellyroll with Lemon Curd.

Terri (right) and her daughter, Ashley.

A beautiful plate

I cooked in the Kitchenaid Kitchen, using the Kitchenaid appliances.  The guests enjoyed learning some new tips for cooking, such as how to make julienne carrots and the wonders of whole wheat white flour. Some commented that they didn't realize how easy it was to make a jellyroll.

Terri and her daughter, Ashley, attended when a friend invited them. It was the first time they'd attended one of my demos. Afterwards Terri described the demo as "fun and delicious," and she said she will definitely be back.

Click here to see more pictures of the event.

Judy's shows for the week of August 2-6, 2010

Tune in from 10-11 a.m. Central Time on KFOR 1240AM in the Lincoln area or online at http://www.kfor1240.com/

Monday…Around the table with Judy is the person eliminated Sunday night from "The Next Food Network Star." Judy will find out their experiences on the show and how it has made them a better chef.


Tuesday…Around the table with Judy is Kelsey Nixon, former contestant on "The Next Food Network Star" season 4 and fan favorite, is now one of the hosts on "The Next Food Network Star After Party." On the cooking channel, the show has exclusive interviews with the contestants voted off and true stories about the behind-the-scenes drama …don’t miss the inside information that Judy will find out from Kelsey.

On the second half of the show Iron Chef Michael Symon joins Judy to talk about his new show on the cooking channel, "Cook like an Iron Chef."

Wednesday …Open Harvest Supplement specialist Melissa will be around the table talking with Judy about what new items they are gettting in.
This is Farmers Market week. Judy will be at the Havelock Farmers Market from 3 to 4 to kick it off.

Thursday …Chad Winters, head Foodie and owner of Leon’s Gourmet Grocer, joins Judy around the table as they talk about kabobs and the rubs and marinades to use on them..

Friday …Elaine Cranford from Old Cheney Farmers Market is around the table with Judy, and they will talk about how Old Cheney’s farmers market is celebrating Farmers Market Week. Of course they will also talk about some recipes using the fruits and vegetables of the season.