The Boston Globe - 31.07.2019

G2 The Boston Globe WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019

Insider

For the convenience of home cooks, RSVP has a set of stainless steel mea-

suring spoons with extra-long handles and a 2-tablespoon measure ($19.99).

The 6¼-inch handles are long enough to reach the bottom of a canister or bag

of coffee while the 2-tablespoon size is about right for measuring the ground

beans for making a cup of coffee. The spoons come in sets of four (½ tea-

spoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, and 2 tablespoons) and are held together

with a ball chain that snaps tightly in place.Available at Kitchen Outfitters,

Acton Woods Plaza, 342 Great Road, Acton, 978-263-1955; and Kitchenwitch,

671 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-6800.

JEAN KRESSY

Long handles

come in handy

A nutty idea:

Nut crumbs

instead of

breadcrumbs

When San Diego mom Susan Laughlin
was looking to shake the baby weight after
her son was born, she chose to follow a Pa-
leo diet. Tinkering with tasty alternatives to
breadcrumbs, Laughlin created a mix of
nuts and seasonings to coat foods. The glu-
ten-free blend worked so well for chicken
cutlets and as a crust for fish to keep in
moisture, two years ago she introduced Nut
Crumbs, a combination of pecans, cashews,
pistachios, almonds, herbs, and spices. The
lineup comes in Original, Italian, Spicy, and
Coconut Curry ($12.99 for 8 ounces). The
Italian has basil and garlic; the Spicy gets
some heat from crushed red pepper, cay-
enne, and chili powder; and coconut flakes
and curry powder flavor Coconut Curry. All
add a delicious crunch to a dish. Try sprin-
kling some over a casserole, mac and
cheese, or on avocado toast. Use one for
meatballs or stuffing.Available online at
http://www.nutcrumbs.com.
ANN TRIEGER KURLAND

Ugly potatoes make

yummy chips

They’re too big, too small, or too sweet. They

have blemishes. But these are just beauty marks

to Dieffenbach’s Potato Chips of Pennsylvania,

which searches for potatoes that don’t pass

muster or meet chip manufacturers’ standards.

Instead of becoming food waste, the orphaned

potatoes are transformed into UGLIES, a line of

small-batch, kettle-cooked chips that are as deli-

cious as any on store shelves. “We’re taking

them the way nature produced them,” says

Dwight Zimmerman, the company’s sales and

marketing VP. “They’re perfect in our eyes. They

have character and flavor.” The chips’ size may

vary from bag to bag; some may have brown

spots or edges, others have a darker tone. Still

crave-worthy, they come in four choices — Orig-

inal Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Barbecue, and Jala-

peno ($3 to $3.50 for 6 ounces). The company

says it has saved more than 1.5 million pounds

of potatoes in the last two years. “Always Ugly,

Always Delicious” is its slogan, along with “It’s

Good to Be Ugly.” Potato beauty is more than

skin deep.Available at Donelan’s Supermar-

kets,BigY,andRocheBros.locations,orgoto

http://www.dieffenbachs.com.

ANN TRIEGER KURLAND

Beside a photo on Instagram of big freshly caught blues, a

friend recently posted this: “I just feel sadness for people who

don’t like bluefish.” But smoked bluefish is another matter entirely.

Everyone goes for it. The rich flesh, which is dark, turns even dark-

er and richer over a fire — and of course, smoky. It’s glorious sum-

mer food.

Many sport fishermen do the smoking themselves. But packag-

es of smoked bluefish are in fish markets now, through the fall. (If

you can’t find it, or it’s past the season, the same proportions can

be used with smoked trout.) Once you flake the fish, and remove

any pin bones and discard the skin, whirring it into a pate is min-

utes away. Add cream cheese, mustard, lemon juice, a little red on-

ion, and some cayenne for heat. Pack it into a bowl and garnish

with more red onion and capers. Something about the smoky

taste, slight heat, and the edge of mustard and citrus make you

want to keep dipping those toasts into the bowl. SHERYL JULIAN

Smoked bluefish pate

Makes 1 generous cup or enough to serve 4

½ pound skinless, boneless smoked bluefish

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon capers (for garnish)

1.Working over a plate, flake the bluefish into 1-inch pieces, discarding any

bones.

2.In a food processor, combine the bluefish and cream cheese. Pulse the mix-

ture until it is smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl as neces-

sary.

3.Add the lemon juice, mustard, 2 tablespoons of the onion, cayenne, salt,

and black pepper. Pulse again until the mixture is smooth.

4.Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice, salt, or cayenne pepper.

5.Tip the pate into a 1½-cup bowl, smooth the top, and cover with plastic

wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or for up to 1 week. Garnish with the

remaining 1 tablespoon red onion and capers. Serve with crackers or toasts.

Sheryl Julian

Smoked bluefish pate with a little heat

and a citrus edge is glorious summer food

THE CONFIDENT COOKGOOD FOOD AND KITCHEN KNOW-HOW

SHERYL JULIAN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE