Fried Green Tomatoes

This year my tomato plant went absolutely nuts. I am so happy to have a piece of earth to call my own in Los Angeles. My urban garden is 6X12' raised bed that my husband built for me. My tomato plants took over the garden then the eight foot wall and then the 12 foot lattice only to attempt to conquer my neighbors tree. So what to do with all the tomatoes? I have made sauces galore, bruschetta is a nightly occurrence and of course fried green tomatoes.

The most important aspect of making fried green tomatoes is after slicing them place them on a cooling rack with a paper towel to dry before frying.

Did I mention my 3 year old chocolate lab, Troubles, likes to pick tomatoes. She doesn't eat them, but instead very gingerly places them on the doorstep. My label for this years sauce is called "The Troubled Tomato" with her picture on it.

Did you know the average American eats 22lbs of tomatoes a year? To find out more tomato facts and how to prepare and buy the freshest tomato check out:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/tomato.htm

Pan Fried

My husband and I, like many newlyweds, received a beautiful high-end set of pots and pans as a wedding gift. We received a set a of Calphalon stainless steel pots and pans. Excited about all the culinary masterpieces I would create I jumped in and found out stainless steel requires different cooking techniques than non-stick. All these new shiny pans and my husband was actually upset I gave away his old non-stick fry pan because he was burning his morning egg whites. No matter what he did they would stick to the pan. Thank goodness for the internet! I found my new online cooking best friend. Rouxbe cooking school has amazing step by step tutorials. The trick is to determine the heat of a pan by performing a simple water test, making sure your oil has legs and then you let the sizzle lead you to success.

Learn how to pan fry like a pro:

http://rouxbe.com/cooking-school/lessons/170-pan-frying