By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 25, 2001

I always wanted to be an actor, but the closest I've come lately is impersonating Pat and Betty from the Reynolds Wrap ads.

On TV, they are convincingly giddy about cooking in shiny foil. Folding packets of chicken and stuff is so much fun! The food stays so moist! The cleanup is so easy!

I'm not sure I can be as enthusiastic in my endorsement of this cooking method, but it is a nifty way to make dinner. The Keeler family got a taste of good things from small packages at several meals last week. My cooking earned higher ratings than my efforts as drama queen.

Packet cooking is not new. "Hobo stew" is a standard menu item on Scout camp-outs, and other hearty packet concoctions have kept the sleeping bag set nourished for years. (The popular potato in foil is probably the worst application of this technique. Trapped moisture, which is good for meat, fish and chicken, makes the potato soggy.)

We've heard more about packet cooking in the past few years because of an advertising blitz by Reynolds, which is pushing its foil cooking bags. The large bags are great for family-size dishes, but heavy-duty aluminum foil works just as well for smaller servings. Roasting bags made of plastic have been around for a while, but they are normally intended for large pieces of meat and for long cooking times. Foil cooking is built for high heat and speed.

The French were the originators of packet cooking, en papillote they named it, and parchment paper was their wrap. Many recipes can be wrapped in either parchment or foil, but those with more liquid are better suited for the sturdier foil.

Food en papillote makes a prettier presentation than foil. Parchment packets, slightly browned from the oven heat, can be opened at the table, emiting enticing aromas amid the steam. (See accompanying story on how to fold parchment paper.)

Parchment paper is not wax paper, which I learned after a rather unfortunate and smoky incident. Wax paper, coated on both sides with wax, is waterproof but not grease-proof like parchment paper. When grease from food gets on wax paper, it smokes and can catch on fire. Parchment paper resists both moisture and grease, making it the perfect wrapper for baking. Neither wax nor parchment paper are edible.

Foil doesn't have the same cachet at the dinner table as parchment paper. It's better to transfer the food to a plate or bowl in the kitchen rather than have diners scrape flatware across foil. That will conjure some squeaky chalk-on-chalkboard memories. I made mussels in a ginger-soy sauce and then slid the Asian-influenced melange from the foil packet onto a bed of hot linguine. This versatile recipe, which accompanies this story, can be made with clams or shrimp, too.

The advantages of packet cooking:

• Less fat is needed because food cooks in its own juices. This keeps the food moist and concentrates flavors.
• Vegetables and meat can be cooked together for a complete, nutritious meal. Cut vegetables in small, uniform slices to ensure even cooking. A slow cooker or covered roasting pan give similar results, but the cooking time is much longer, and they are better suited to larger quantities.
• Oven use is minimal, a plus during the long, wilting Florida summer. Most recipes call for cooking times of less than 30 minutes in a hot oven, about 425 degrees. You can also forgo the oven altogether and toss the packets on a hot grill.
• Meals are easy to make ahead. Assemble packets in the morning and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes that night. Also, if the family can't get to the table at the same time because of dance class, soccer practice and an overtime shift at work, cook the premade packets as stragglers arrive.

There are many recipes on the Internet, especially from Reynolds at http://www.dinnerunplugged.com, and in cookbooks for campground cuisine. You can develop your own if you know something about the process and what flavors complement one another.

Here are the basics for cooking in foil, according to Reynolds:

Place the food in the center of a sheet of heavy-duty foil, making sure it is big enough to wrap around the food. (Thinner foils tear easily; if that's all you have, double it.) Bring shorter sides up first and fold twice, then double fold the ends. The 1-inch wide folds should be tightly sealed so that steam and liquid do not escape. The package should be loose enough for steam to circulate inside.

• Layer the food attractively, and it will look appetizing when it is slid onto a plate. For instance, put colorful vegetables on the bottom and top of chicken or fish.
• To prevent sticking, especially with fish, lightly coat the foil with a non-stick spray such as Pam.
• Add liquids last. Leave one end of the packet unfolded, tip slightly, pour in liquid, then fold.
• Cook the packets on baking sheets. This makes them easier to put into the oven and will catch any juices if the packets tear.

To develop your own main dish recipes, use this formula: 1 serving of meat, fowl or fish; 1/2 cup of vegetables; and varying amounts of flavorings. The flavorings can include one liquid or combinations of liquids, such as sesame oil, chicken broth, soy sauce, tomato sauce or wine.

I had success with something I've named Artichoke Chicken. A large spoonful of canned, chopped tomatoes and a handful of julienned green pepper and yellow squash made up the bottom layer. Next came a boneless, skinless breast smeared with bottled artichoke tapenade that I had in the fridge. More squash and a couple of turns from the pepper mill finished it off. Twenty minutes at 400 degrees, and dinner was done. The chicken was moist, and the tomatoes and tapenade combined for a wonderful sauce.

Success gets the muse dreaming about future meals. How delightful pork chops with apple slices and a little maple syrup would taste. How about packets Florentine filled with spinach, a red snapper fillet, a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese, green onions, nutmeg, salt and pepper? I might go Mexican with cumin and salsa, or Indian with chutney and yogurt. Maybe lamb chops with pine nuts and lemon peel. Perhaps orange marmalade and chicken; peanut sauce and shrimp; beef and blue cheese. Oh, the possibilities.

Have I sold you on the idea? Forget what my family says about my stage presence. Do you think I'm ready for my close-up?

Linguine and Clams in Ginger-Soy Broth

• 1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 tablespoons canned low-salt chicken broth
• 6 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 6 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 4 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
• 4 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeno chilies
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 32 littleneck clams, scrubbed (see note for substitutions)
• 12 ounces linguine, freshly cooked
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place two large baking sheets in oven to heat. Cut four sheets of foil, each about 18 inches long. Place one foil sheet on work surface. Arrange 1/4 cup cilantro on half of foil. Top with 1 tablespoon broth, 11/2 teaspoons soy sauce, 11/2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon jalapeno and 1/2 teaspoon garlic. Arrange 8 clams atop. Fold foil over, enclosing contents completely and crimping edges tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining three foil sheets, cilantro, broth, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, jalapeno, garlic and clams.

Place foil packets on heated baking sheets. Bake until clams open, about 20 minutes (discard any that do not open).

Divide linguine among 4 bowls. Open 1 foil packet over pasta in each bowl to retain juices. Sprinkle with bell pepper and green onions and serve.

Note: One pound of mussels or 11/2 pounds of shrimp also work well in this dish. Treat mussels the same as clams; peel shrimp before cooking.

Serves 4.

Source: Bon Appetit, March 1998.

Fish and Vegetables with Pesto

• 2/3 cup pesto, homemade or prepared
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 4 5- to 6-ounce red snapper or orange roughy fillets
• 16 asparagus spears, each trimmed to 4-inch length
• 10 ounces plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 yellow crookneck squash, thinly sliced on diagonal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend pesto, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce in small bowl. Arrange four 12- by 12-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil on work surface.

Place 1 fish fillet in center of each. Sprinkle fish lightly with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Spread each fillet with 1 tablespoon pesto mixture. Top each fillet with asparagus, tomatoes and squash, then dollop with remaining pesto mixture. Fold sides of foil over fish and vegetables, covering completely; seal packets closed.

Using long spatula, transfer foil packets to large baking sheet. Bake until fish is just opaque in center and vegetables are crisp-tender, about 25 minutes. Serves 4.

Sorce: Bon Appetit, December 1999.

Miracle Baked Pork Chops

• 4 boneless center-cut pork loin chops, 1/2-inch thick
• 4 teaspoons honey mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. For each chop, cut a 10-inch length of aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray and place a pork chop on each sheet. Smear 1 teaspoon of honey mustard over each chop. Fold foil into a tight packet using a drugstore fold so it is completely sealed.

Place packets on a baking sheet and bake until the chops are no longer pink, about 15 minutes; do not overcook. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Source: http://www.busycooks.about.com.

Low-Fat Beef Stew

• 2 small red potatoes, cube
• 1/2 of a 16-ounce package of peeled baby carrots
• 1/2 of a 12-ounce jar of beef gravy
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium-high. Spray two 12- by 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil with non-stick spray. Cut steak into 1/2-inch cubes.

Center half of beef, potatoes and carrots in an even layer on each sheet of foil. Spoon gravy over beef mixture; sprinkle with onion salt and pepper.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make other packets.

Bake 30-35 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill, 14-16 minutes on covered grill. Stir before serving. Serves 2.

Source: Reynolds.

Tropical Chicken

• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cups hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium-high. Divide onion and center on two 12- by 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Top with chicken, pineapple and red pepper. Combine teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and ginger; spoon over chicken and vegetables.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make another packet.

Bake 16-18 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 13-15 minutes in covered grill. Serve over rice with additional teriyaki sauce, if desired. Serves 2.

Source: Reynolds.

Cajun Sausage and Beans

• 1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 of a 141/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to medium-high. Combine sausage, beans, tomatoes, green pepper and seasonings.

Center half of mixture on 12- by 18-inch sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make another packet.

Bake 18-20 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 12-14 minutes in covered grill. Serves 2.

Source: Reynolds.

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