What Librarians Eat! Vol: 2 Issue: 5 May 2014

What Librarians Eat! V O L :

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I S S U E :

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M A Y

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Health Tip

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The Elvis Sandwich

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Angel Lemon Custard

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Banana Caramel Crunch Bites 5 Pumpkin Pizza with onions, mozzarella and apples.

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Oven Kalua Pork 8 Hawaiian Bread

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Sesame Peanut Noodles

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Pea, bean & bacon tart

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Ask Us Something!

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Dearest friends and colleagues, May is with us once again, we are paving our way to summer. This means that we shall see more fresh food and desserts.

This month we have prepared for you a varied culinary journey, starting with a popular American snack, moving down a sweet and decadent path to some bite size goodness. All in all, in this issue, we will explore possibilities you can try to taste.

We always invite you to try these recipes so feel free to tell us what you think or what you would have changed, and as always send us any feedback, suggestions or recipes you might have.

Special May Activities: Sunday 4th May - Family Fun Day organized by Furry Tails (for more info see email about the event or contact Sarita, Jessica or Katja) Wednesday 14th May - Traditional Maltese Ftira (Pizza) Lunch (for more info see email about the event or contact Sarita or Jessica) Sunday 25th May - Picnic & Laser Tag (for more info see email about the event or contact Sarita or Jessica)

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Healthy Tip for May MAY IS HEALTHY VISION MONTH: TIPS FOR HEALTHY EYES

Your eyes are an important part of your health. There are many things you can do to keep them healthy and make sure you are seeing your best. Follow these simple steps for maintaining a healthy vision well into your golden years.

Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your eye care professional places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye.

This procedure enables your eye care professional to get a good look at the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease.

Know your family's eye health It's important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition, as many are hereditary. This information will help you determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

Eat right to protect your sight Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens, is important for keeping your eyes healthy.

Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.

Maintain a healthy weight Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions which can have vision-threatening complications.

Wear protective eyewear Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home.

For more information on health issues please visit: (pressing Ctrl and clicking the link will take you to the link) https://ehealth.gov.mt/healthportal/healthyliving/healthier_you/nutrition/water.aspx

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The Elvis Sandwich According to Elvis’ favorite hangout, The Arcade Restaurant in Memphis, The Elvis is creamy peanut butter and sliced bananas on white bread, pan fried in butter.

The Elvis Special is the sandwich served with a side of french fries. However, there are several accounts of Elvis’ mother, Gladys Presley, making the King, Fried Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches with the addition of crisp bacon and honey. For my first Elvis, I decided to stick with Mama Gladys and add the bacon and honey.

Ingredients

Over medium-low heat, melt butter in a skillet.

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2 pieces soft white bread

Spread peanut butter on a piece of bread and lay, peanut

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2-4 tbsp creamy peanut butter

butter side up in the buttered skillet.

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1 medium banana, sliced

Add a layer of sliced bananas on top of peanut butter.

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1 tbsp honey

Add a drizzle of honey on top of the layer of bananas.

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4 pieces crisp bacon

Layer slices of cooked, crisp bacon over honey.

Top the whole thing with another peanut buttered piece of bread.

When the lower bread is golden and toasted, flip the whole sandwich over and cook until warmed through.

Cut into triangles.

Share and enjoy.

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Angel Lemon Custard This classic cake is a sweet ending to a lovely dinner any time of year. If you like, garnish it with curls of lemon rind. A citrus zester with a channel cutter makes this easy. To serve, cut it with a serrated knife.

Ingredients 

6 egg whites

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½ tsp. vanilla

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1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

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¼ tsp. salt

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6 egg yolks

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6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

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1 Tbsp. cornstarch

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¼ tsp. salt

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2 ¾ c. sugar

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½ c. drained crushed pineapple

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2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

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1 ½ c. whipped cream

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2 Tbsp coconut

Put 6 egg whites, ½ tsp. vanilla, 1 ½ tsp., fresh lemon juice and ¼ tsp. salt in a large bowl.

Beat these ingredients until stiff.

Add 2 c. sugar gradually.

Grease bottom only of a glass 9 X 13” pan. Spread in egg mixture. Bake at 275°C for one hour.

Open oven door for one minute. Then, shut off the heat and leave in the oven overnight. Next day, make the custard: Combine 6 egg yolks, 6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, ¼ tsp. salt and ¾ c. sugar in a sauce pan. Beat all ingredients together.

Add ½ c. drained crushed pineapple.

Cook all these together until thick, stirring often. When cool, fold in 12 oz. whipped cream and 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar. Put on top of baked meringue.

Sprinkle lightly with 2 Tbsp coconut, cover with foil. Store overnight in the refrigerator.

Top with maraschino cherry.

Remember to start making it 2 days in advance of serving it.

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Banana Caramel Crunch Bites These small bites are perfect for parties or simply for a quick snack. The combination of Chocolate, Caramel and Banana is heavenly.

Ingredients 

3 small bananas cut in ½ inch slices

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1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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2 tbs. fat free, sugar-free caramel topping

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¼ cup turtle crunch sprinkles or chocolate crunch sprinkles

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2 packets small chocolate biscuit or crisps

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1 tsp. vegetable oil

In a large microwave-safe bowl melt chocolate chips for approximately two minutes OR until chocolate is smooth and glossy. Stir every 30 seconds to prevent burning. (add a teaspoon of vegetable oil if chocolate appears clumpy) Using a small fork dip each banana piece into the warm chocolate shaking off the excess. Immediately rest on wax or parchment paper. (I like to line a small baking pan with the paper to make the transferring process easier) Sprinkle the top of each chocolate covered banana with sprinkles and immediately place the tray in your freezer to set.

Lay out the chocolate biscuits or crisp uniformly on a freezer-safe platter.

Once the bananas are firm, remove from the freezer and rest each one on a piece chocolate biscuit or crisp. Gently press down.

Drizzle caramel in a zig-zag pattern on top of each treat and store in freezer until ready to SERVE! Nic’s Tips – If the banana isn’t holding on to the biscuit or crisps, dab a dot of caramel onto the bottom of each crisp to glue it together.

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Pumpkin Pizza with onions, mozzarella and apples.

A new innovative way to look at pizza. This can be done with other different combinations and we also recommend trying out different pizza sauces for the base.

Ingredients 

Pizza dough (pre-made)

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Diced Pumpkin

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Apple

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Chopped garlic

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Red onion

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Rosemary

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Bacon

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Sweet corn

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Honey

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Mozzarella or Brie Cheese

In a pan add some olive oil and as it starts to heat add the diced pumpkin with the chopped garlic.

Fry the pumpkin for 20 minutes.

In a blender, add the hot pumpkin and blitz. This will serve as the base of the pizza.

Gently roll out the pizza dough and place it in a pizza oven tray.

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C.

Add the toppings to your pizza. For this recipe add sliced red onion, the cheese, a sliced apple, sweet corn, small pieces of bacon, rosemary and a drizzle of honey.

Cook in the oven until the crust starts to turn golden.

Slice up into portions and serve warm.

Food From Around The World: Hawaii

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Hawaiian Cuisine The Cuisine of Hawaii is a fusion of many foods brought by immigrants to the Hawaiian Islands, particularly of American, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian and Portuguese origins, including plant and animal food sources imported from around the world for agricultural use in Hawaii. Many local restaurants serve the ubiquitous plate lunch featuring the Asian staple, two scoops of rice, a simplified version of American macaroni salad (consisting of macaroni and mayonnaise), and a variety of different toppings ranging from the hamburger patty, a friedegg, and gravy of a Loco Moco, Japanese style tonkatsu or the traditional lu'au favorite, kalua pig and beef, and curry.

Popular Hawaiian Dishes Lomi Lomi Salmon The popular luau dish is named for the Hawaiian words for rub, massage, or knead. Traditionally, the salt is rubbed onto the salmon, and the salmon, onions, and tomato are then massaged together with your hands. We opted for a tidier preparation. Soaking the diced white onion mellows the flavor by taming its sharp bite.

Tuna Poke In this sushi-like dish, raw tuna is marinated in soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil, and served atop cucumber slices as a finger food. Be sure to use sushi-grade tuna, as the poke isn't "cooked" with citrus juices as in

Men cooking pork in imu, the Hawaiian earth oven. This

seviche.

ancient practice of cooking continues to this day.

Poi This Hawaiian national dish is made from taro root, a starchy tuber early Hawaiians brought with them from Polynesia.

Poi is considered a traditional Hawaiian food because it was eaten before the cuisine was influenced by the Western world.

Taro is boiled, peeled, and pounded into a paste (the white or pink flesh often turns purple when cooked). In our recipe, we've let the blender take care of pounding.

Hawaiian Bread This famous bread is actually a Portuguese sweet bread. It's delicious toasted for breakfast or used to make sandwiches.

Kimchi This Korean salt-pickled cabbage dish is a very popular side in Hawaii. It can also be served on a pupu, or appetizer, platter.

Chicken Char Siu Brought by Chinese immigrants to Hawaii, this dish is typically made with baby back ribs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are a tender and tasty substitute with less fat.

Chicken and Pork Adobo It may be the national dish of the Phillipines, but this recipe of meat braised in a vinegary sauce is also popular at luaus.

With both pork and chicken to choose from, it's a good way to satisfy a wide variety of guests.

Oven Kalua Pork Roasting a whole pig over an open fire, though delicious, isn't very practical for a backyard or indoor party. Recreate the flavor in your oven with this tender, slow-roasted recipe.

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Food From Around The World: Hawaii

Oven Kalua Pork This more accessible version of the classic slow-roasted pig enjoyed at luaus is cooked as a pork roast in a regular oven.

Ingredients 

4 1/4 pounds Butt pork roast, trimmed

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2 tablespoons barbecue smoked seasoning (such as Hickory Liquid Smoke)

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3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 275°C. Rub pork with liquid smoke.

Wrap pork tightly in foil; place on a jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 275°C for 5 hours.

Cool slightly. Remove pork from bone; discard bone.

Shred meat with 2 forks. Combine shredded pork and salt in a large bowl, tossing well.

Note: It is typical to stir any reserved meat juice into the shredded pork. If you do, we recommend that you skim the fat first. Place a heavy-duty plastic bag into a measuring cup; pour collected juices into the bag. Let it stand for 10 minutes or until fat rises to the top. Using kitchen shears, snip a small portion of one bottom corner of the bag, and pour the juices over shredded pork, stopping before you reach the fat layer.

Hawaiian Bread Ingredients

Place pineapple juice in a medium microwave-safe bowl.

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1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice

Microwave at high 45 seconds or until 100-110°C. Dissolve

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1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

yeast in warm pineapple juice; let it stand 5 minutes.

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3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Place yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand-up mixer fitted with

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1/2 cup warm 2% reduced-fat milk

a paddle attachment. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring

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1/2 cup egg substitute

cups; level with a knife.

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1/3 cup sugar

Add 1 cup flour to yeast mixture; beat until combined. Add

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1/4 cup butter, melted

warm milk, egg substitute, sugar, butter, and salt, beating to

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1/2 teaspoon salt

combine. Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined

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Cooking spray

(dough will be very soft and sticky). Beat at medium-low speed



2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Lightly coat sides of bowl with cooking spray.

Cover bowl with a damp towel. Let dough rise in a warm place (85°C), free from drafts, for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Preheat oven to 350° and coat 2 (8-inch) round pans with cooking spray; dust each pan with 1 tablespoon flour.

Divide dough evenly between prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85° C), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake at 350°C for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Lunch Ideas

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Sesame Peanut Noodles These are perfect for packed lunches and one can always make a large vat of these since they're lovely to pick at in the fridge. Plus, although they're easy to make, you do need quite a few ingredients - and this holds true whether you're making a small or big batch, so you might as well go all out.

Buying ready-cooked egg noodles from the supermarket, makes these even faster to fix.

Ingredients FOR THE DRESSING

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1 tablespoon sesame oil

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1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil

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1 tablespoon soy sauce

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2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

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100 grams smooth peanut butter

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2 tablespoons lime juice FOR THE SALAD

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125 grams mangetout

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150 grams beansprouts (rinsed)

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1 red pepper (deseeded and cut into small strips)

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2 spring onions (finely sliced)

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550 grams egg noodles (ready prepared)

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20 grams sesame seeds

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4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl or jug.

Put the mangetout, beansprouts, red pepper strips, sliced spring onions and the noodles into a bowl.

Pour the dressing over them and mix thoroughly to coat everything well.

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped coriander and pack up as needed.

One can always add his or her favorite ingredients in there. They can be prepared a day in advance for a packed lunch. One can eat them cold or heat them up in a microwave. However, if heating them in a microwave prepare some extra dressing set aside as in the microwave they tend to get a bit stick and dry. By pouring the extra dressing after heating them, they will loosen up a bit and keep moist.

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Pea, bean & bacon tart

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First we eat then we do everything else - M.F.K. Fisher

Ingredients: 

500g block all-butter shortcrust pastry, thawed if frozen



plain flour, for dusting

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175g each podded broad beans and peas

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12 basil leaves, plus extra for scattering



300ml pot double cream

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140g smoked bacon lardoons

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4 large eggs

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100ml milk



50g parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until large enough to line a 28cm loosebottomed tart tin. Make sure the pastry is pressed snugly into the tin. Leave the remaining pastry overhanging the sides.

Lift onto a baking sheet. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake blind for 25 mins. Remove the paper and baking beans, and return to the oven for 5 mins more to dry out the pastry on the base.

While the pastry is baking, boil the broad beans and peas for 5 mins until just tender.

Drain and rinse off any starchy froth that appears.

Tip into a bowl with the basil, 3 tbsp cream and plenty of seasoning.

Purée with a hand blender (or in a food processor) until smooth.

Dry-fry the bacon for a few mins in a non-stick pan until starting to turn golden.

Beat the remaining cream with the eggs, milk, Parmesan and seasoning.

Smooth the pea and bean purée over the base of the tart case and scatter with the bacon.

Carefully pour on the egg mixture.

Turn down oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and bake for 35 mins until set and golden.

Cool a little, then carefully trim off the overhanging pastry with a sharp knife. Scatter with extra basil and serve with a salad for a picnic, summer buffet or lunch, or on its own as a starter.

“Ask Us Something!�

This month we found some interesting information about strawberries. We hope you enjoy this and that you try out some recipes with strawberries and share them with us.