An End Of Harvest Meal

 A meal co sitting of only veggies may scream summer yet an end of harvest one quietly ushers in fall. Farmers markets have the last  of the season fruits and vegetables. T hese can be turned into lush , flavorful  dinners and desserts.It;s a lingering taste of the warm weather with a nod of what's to cone.

Regular contributor and chef David Tanis gave these recipes in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. He advises home chefs to go to their local farmer'smarket. He scored  sweet peppers,herbs  and plums. Field  grown peppers have a better taste than their hydroponically grown counterparts.His fresh herb salad is paired with fresh mozzarella.It should be served cool at room temperature instead of cold from the refrigerator.It can be sliced from a larger piece or smaller pieces  called ovolini -egg sized or cieligni  cherry size or bocconcini -bite sized.The herbs  are a good mix of  strong and mild with mint and tarrogon leading the list. The next dish and the main one is risotto .There should be a brisk heat heating up the arborio and the broth should be a scant amount.Let the rice nearly dry. As for the dessert e is also into roasting plums as he did with the peppers for the risotto.He serves it with a variation of creme anglaise but vanilla ice cream can be used too.

His risotto is with Pecorino and roasted peppers.The peppers are usually yellow or orange to give the dish sweetness There is also cayenne for bite too. This is a typical arborio dish with the rice first being cooked in an onion and olive mix. Two cups of  white wine are added and then the chicken broth.Add the roasted peppers which have been marinated in a mix of olive oil,turmeric, saffron, water cayenne and garlic.Cook until the rice is soupy. Add three table spoons of un salted butter cut into pieces ,grated cheese and parsley The salad goes perfectly with this.Make the dressing first.It a cut small shallot mixed with either lime or lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Three loosely packed cup of herbs such a as the mint ,tarragon parsley  watercress, chervil,basil, shiso,sunflower shoots, purslane and small red sorrel are washed and added to  arugula. Dress the salad.Add sliced radishes along with mozzarella slices. Dessert is roasted plums which are swimming in a cardamon  creme. Coconut milk is cooked with sugar in a small sauce over a medium heat under the sugar dissolves.Add cardomon and steep for thirty minutes.Egg yolks are mixed in a smal lbow l and then add to the creme.This is put into the pot and cooked for three t five minutes or until it thickens. the plums are cut  into wedges ,tossed with sugar and placed in pan.They  should be ready when the sugar crusts and there is a sticky plum juice at the bottom.  They should be cooked at 400 degrees Farenheit for thirty minutes. Cool and serve the the cardamon creme.

There are still great bounties at the local farmer's market. Buy these. Then create delicious vegetarian meal that celebrate the harvest.

Celebrating A Regal Chef

 The Inn at Little Washington by all rights should d not exist.It has a rockybeginning filled with hatred and prejudice .Yet its' creator and chef Patrick O'Connell stuck with it ignored the noise and  bigotry and went on to create one of the greatest inns in the US. Now there's a book about this remarkable chef and his mission.

Regular contributor  Brett Anderson wrote about Chef O'Connell in today New York Times Wednesday Food section.Chef O'Connell's autobiography Main Middle and Gay : A Chef Finds His Place In The World Against All Odds. which is out now. His memoir begins long before his famed restaurant and inn. It actually starts when he was four and his favorite doll dropped in the mid.He let out a blood curdling scream  in their Washington DC neighborhood. The next day a groups of older boys dragged him into an alley, tore off his clothes and stuffed wads of paper in his mouth. His parents moved to rural southern Maryland where it was a safer place to raise children.Later he experiences more trauma being molested by a stranger on a bus trip to Wisconsin to visit his grandparents. He used repressed  childhood trauma and anger to channel his creativity. His trompe l'oeil cheesecake is inspired by an experience while eating a pear watching a train go by.Then there is the big moment when he and his partner moved to this Washington DC suburb to start the inn and restaurantThey were met with vicious prejudice and bigotry along with even harassment for planting trees.

The inn and eatery which also has a bakery is one of the area's most famous restaurants. Luminaries such as Barbra Streisand and Andrew Oloyd Webber have stayed there.Lloyd Webber even claimed"that this little hotel has the best dining experience I can remember in a long while, perhaps my best ever.) The dishes are a fusing of Southern ingredients with french techniques. Chef O' Connell's theatrical cooling anticipated the performative molecular gastronomy of the late 1990's and early 2000s. The restaurant has such unusual dishes as the carpacio of  baby lamb loin served with the surprising savory Caesar salad ice cream.This last is a savory custard mixed with chopped anchovies,Parmesan cheese ,garlic Dijon mustard and Worcester sauce. There is also his potato chip cannoli an amuse bouche which has sliced and fried potatoes wrapped around that Southern must have pimento cream cheese, It s bakery Patty O's has homemade butter pecan ice cream, along with its famed chocolate mousse and light airy croissants.

Patrick O'Connel has a create an empire and an amazing  life. The Inn At Little Washington is a Michelin starred eatery. It is thanks to him and his creativity that it is still thriving.

Fall Sweet Treats

 The weather is getting cooler.That means the joy of creating sweet treats is back. There are some great snacks and fancy cakes to enjoy. 

It is apple season for sure.  Everyone love a good candy or caramel apple. These are good on their own whether with the hard red candy or the meltingly delicious caramel; Candy apples are easy ,The candy coating is made with white sugar, water light corn syrup and red food coloring.The first four ingredients are cooked over a medium heat in a medium saucepan. Use a candy thermometer to determine the stage. You can also use the water test too. Drop a ball of the syrup in cold water If it forma brittle drop them it;s ready for the apples.Add eight  drops of the red food coloring .Dip the apples in this .If you want you can then roll them in coconut for that boardwalk candy apple look and flavor. Caramel apples are another fun treat.A fter they've been dipped in melted caramel, then you can roll in nuts or chocolate chips for an even more decadent bite.Of course you can make inside out baked caramel apples too.Core the apples  and then fill with a bit of caramel, butter and chopped nuts of any kind.Bake in the microwave for about three minutes. This is a great dessert after a hearty fall roast.

There are cakes and cookies too, perfect for the fall. Still going with the caramel apple idea A caramel apple cake is the perfect autumn birthday cake or a fun end to a dinner party.Apple and cinnamon add to a vanilla cake. The icing is a premade of caramel of brown sugar and buttermilk.This is added to vanilla powdered sugar and more buttermilk. Of course you could also make an apple pie but an apple galette is so much more elegant. This is a free form apple pie,first made in France. The  crust is flakier and more buttery than the usual pie crust.It;s rolled out flat and the apples along with cinnamon,brown sugar and nutmeg added. Serve with creme fraiche or freshly whipped cream for extra luxuriousness. It can also be  served with vanilla ice cream. Snack cakes are fine ,especially for an after school snack.This is atypical snack cake with a moist dense crumb.Vegetable oil is added  for that moistness .Brown sugar and pumpkin spice along with cinnamon are added for that fall flavor. Cream cheese frosting and sprinkles can be added bu these are great even without any embellishments.

Cool fall days are perfect for creating sweet treats.Make a batch of candy or caramel apples. Bake a cake and  a  galette to go with those hot coffees and teas. Celebrate autumn with a touch of sweetness.

Questions Are Back!!!

Those important and pertinent questions about food and drink have returned, except they start off the week instead of end.

So here's this weeks askance - what fall food or drink  are you most  looking forward to? Is it a Sunday roast with all the trimmings? Pumpkin spice anything, including hot and cold lattes? Apples ? Pears?This last pears are probably my favorite fall food. There's something about their sweet earthiness that calls for cozy fleeces and eating Boscs or Bartletts. in the back yard, watching the leaves fall.

What is your favorite autumn delight that you;re excited about? Let us know and happy Fall.

 

Are You Roast Ready?

 The weather is getting cooler. That means roasts either on a weeknight or weekend.Are you ready for them? You should be if you;re well prepared.

A good roast requires a good roasting pan.Keep in mind that roasting pans have various life spans, Some such as Teflon coated ones last only three to five years.It may be a  steal at twelve or thirteen dollars but there are a lot of caveats. It scratches and sticks as well as losing it's non stick properties due to high heat.Another metal to avoid is aluminum and hard anodized aluminum/.It too has problems in warping bending and degrading with intense oven heat. It'd better to spend a few more dollars and buy stainless steel which is the best or cast iron and enameled cast iron.The first lasts a good fifty or more years while the last two can serve you  anywhere from fifteen to twenty years and beyond. Stainless steel resists warping and rusting and just requires basic cleaning.Cast ironed just has to be seasoned and dried  with really no washing.It can be handed down for generations. Are they expensive? Yes A good one from Crate and Barrel can be $179 but you can find much cheaper ones for twenty dollars or more at Wal-mart.

What else do you need? A meat thermometer is a must.These can be found anywhere from Target to Wal-mart.one of the best tis the seventy-four dollar Thermopen,It has professional grade speed and precision. However you can also buy the Thermopen for twenty dollars and still have the same result.You should also have a roll of aluminum foil at hand too. It prevents the meat from burning as well as trapping in moisture for a juicy  bite.It also speeds up cooking and makes clean up a lot of easier. Roasting pans can be a pain to clean thanks to all that cooking on crust and fat.Of course you bypass all this and roast a small cut in your air fryer after. marinating in usually olive oil, lemon juice and spices the roast can be cooked at four hundred degrees Farenheit for fifteen minutes.Reduce the temperature to 320 to 360 degrees Farenheit for another thirty to sixty minutes.Keep in mind you can cook small cuts that are only two to four pounds. Think Cormish hens and pot roast along with a small pork roast.

We;re heading into roast season.Be ready with the pans and meat thermometers. Have the ring foil ready.Or just use the air fryer for an easier cook.It'll make for a hot and hearty dinner.

A Meatier Salad

 After a summer of not eating green, its time to embrace a earlier salad for those weather transition days. There's still the taste of summer yet it has the meatiness of a fall meal. There's all sorts of fun ingredients to add while boosting the flavor. 

New contributor and chef Ashley Lonsdale gave great suggestions and recipes in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section. Salads can be boring It some kind of green, maybe tomatoes of any sort added in and dressing.Once in a while there broccoli or julienned ham. Dressings can be yawn inducing too - with most opting for a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar vinaigrette. Chef Lonsdale recommends tossing in beans or lentils.A half cup of these add five grams of protein For a tastier salad,. crisps the beans with a sprinkle of olive oil in the oven They can be simmer in  a pot of green or black Beluga lentilsEven yellow lentils are God and the best part are that beans can last in  a salad for several days in the fridge.Cheese is another great add in and a also a good source of protein Try a scoop of cottage cheese or shredded mozzarella Parmesan or fetaDo the unusual like pairing the mozzarella with plums and dressing with a citric based dressing.Nuts and seeds also make a salad meatier. If you have time roast  or.toast them for a better, richer flavor.Any nut butter can be added to basic dressings for a different flavor. Real meat can be added in the form of shredded rotisserie chicken canned or fresh fish along with fresh or frozen shrimp.

Chef Lonsdale also has some tasty recipes to try out,There is a tomato avocad salad with a creamy feta dressing/ This has a surprise of toasted walnuts mixed in with the tomatoes of any kind and avocados. The dressing is a smooth blend of feta, lemon  juice and olive oil. Avocados are used in another hearty salad [It's paired with shrimp and Gem lettuce. The dressing has  unsalted peanuts garlic and sesame seeds. Homey and fennel seeds are also added to this along with olive oil as the base.Another seafood bowl is roasted salmon mixed with broccoli florets and jasmine rice The dressing is a simple one. Dijon mustard is mixed with Dijon mustard ,anchovy fillets and lemon  juice. Red onions and either watercress or arugula is also added for color and crunch. Chicken is added to tomatoes along with couscous.It;s jazzed up with cumin and ginger for some bite along with fresh lemon juice. Tasty salad, reminiscent of summer nights is a mix of plum and mozzarella.The dressing is fresh  lime juice  red wine vinegar and honey serrano chule gves it bite .There is olive oil but it's only drizzled on top at the end.

Salads can be fun and hearty at the same time. Add some protein ,Jazz up the dressings .Enjoy a tasty meaty salad that's the perfect transition bowl.

The Shake Behind Shake Shack

 Shake Shack is one of the pillars of the Manhattan dining scene.Yet the man behind it and the restaurant's story is a bit shaky _ non  pun intended. This is a story of a creator who wanted to make a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy . Did it  happen? Yes. There are Shake Shacks all over and it has a wide fan base.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about the owner Danny Meyer and his creation in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Danyy Meyer created one of the greatest burger and shack joints since Richard and Maucice McDonald started  started McDonald's in the 1950.s/ His new book < an autobiography "What COuld Possibly Go right?" is out September 29th. He shows a life with a lot of false starts and blunders but with also great successes too. He was the one responsible for Eleven Madison Park,Gramercy Park and the Modern. He also powered up he careers of such great chefs like Tom Colicchio and Daniel Humm. Funny enough he wasn't;t from a food family. He was born in St.Louis Missouri sixty-eight years ago. He lived in the shadows of his grandfather, both great businessmen and civic leader. His father,r although an alcoholic was a charismatic travel entrepreneur while his mother who ran an art gallery.Mr.Meyer lived in the shadow of his star sister and was rejected by Princeton and Brown, finally being accepted by Trinity College in Connecticut. 

One would think that he wouldn't;t be successful given this background yet he was. He is happily married to Broadway and TV actress Audrey Heffernan and they raised four kids in the city and western Connecticut. His restaurant offspring  were some of the cits' most famous and thriving eateries. Shake Shack made him. he often visits branches in different cities to see how they're doing. he always orders a plain Angus burger  to see how the quality and taste of the meat is.With it is the restaurant's' ubiquitous shake another menu must have The eateries success is due in part to Mr. Meyer's belief that employees rather than customers are the first consideration This create happy guests along with a strong community. Suppliers and investors can also make money from this as well..Shake Shacks history is not without controversy though. He decided to change the French fries in 2013 which drew sharp criticism from New York Times food critic Pete Wells. Gone were the fresh made ones. A better kind of frozen replace them. Then there was the the deep self examination when George Floyd was murdered and was the restaurant along with his others racially correct. He also eliminated tips and roasted wages too during Covid.

Is Danny Meyer one fo the greatest restauranteurs? Some say yes. while others are skeptical. Yet he created a restaurant that rivalled. traditional and well loved burger joints of