Ready For Spring Dinners

 Everything happens this season.Passover is next week with Easter and then Greek Easter closely behind.Then there are those April showers for those June and JUly weddings. Are you ready for all the planning cooking and baking?It's timet o check.

With Passover starting next week on, April !st,home chefs should;LD be planning dinners with both family and friends. What to make without getting too repetitive?Brisket is always a good choice , especially for a large group. There is also roasted chicken which can be perfect for a small family of five or four. Salmon is an elegant choice for friends visiting.As with any gathering there are always vegetarians. One way or avoid conflict is having allo the vegans over for a meatless Seder.  There are a slew of choices here.Think sliced portobellos with salsa Verde or chimichurri sauce. You could also make grilled cauliflower steaks.If you're catering to a big group try the New York Times classic matzoh lasagna. It's soaking the matzoh much like you would do pasta noodles so that they crisp up when baked.Easter and Greek Easter are the same. It's inviting family and friends over with the question of "What to serve"> Ham is very popular in many households. It makes for good leftovers and good care packages too. Some may want to try duck or Cornish hen for a more elegant Easter meal. The Greeks always have lamb which is delicious and very traditional.

Spring also brings all those showers.baby, and bridal. Here again there are so many lies from meat lovers to vegetarians. The obvious and popular choice is a charcuterie board. This is perfect for me at lovers because there will be copious amounts of coppacola, prosciutto and various salame. There should be bowls of both green and black olive switch a few Kalamara thrown in for some variety. Brie is very popular so a circle of it will go fast. Yet there should be other choices like Edam and Gruyere. Have a variety of wheat and rice crackers along with three or four baguettes. Little ramekins of butter should be placed on the tables as well. Vegans can be welcome at a charcuterie board as well. VioLife produces a large array of vegan cold cuts . You could even air fry crispy slices of vegan bacon too,.Miyokos' Creamery has all sorts of vegan cheese and cheese spreads, perfect for a board. These can be found at any grocery like Acme or Stop and Shop. Also have plenty of fresh sveggies and dips too . They are perfect for anyone and act like a palate cleansers.End with a sweet charcuterie board. There could be everything from  chocolate pretzel rods to macarons done in the bridal party's them color.

It's Spring.It's time for all sorts of gatherings. Be ready ,Be prepared for the busy season ahead.

What Is Your Dream Garden March Madnes

March madness is here and it also refers to planning the perfect dream garden. There's questions about where to put the plants.Will they get enough shade ? Enough sun? Will they produce a lot / that's the questions and uncertainties facing home chefs wanting a proper kitchen garden.

Alliums are on my to plant list. I love them,from onions or garlic to scallions. they elevate everything from,salads to sauces to marinades. It would be wonderful to walk outside and grab some for that night's dinner. Luckily I have a kind of hydroponic scallion garden (read scallion stalks in a glass half filled with water). I can cut the tips and use them for my Fire Horse Noodle recipe. Fresh scallions will definitely elevate the dish and infuse it with more flavor. The problem  is the onions, The plants need to be transplanted in early Spring or fall.They do require constant moisture meaning they need to be soaked daily along with a high nitrogen fertilizer, They also require a lot of space between three to six inches apart. Do I have enough room for them? Can I only plant one or two onions? They also have to be completely weed free. Will I have enough to time to constantly maintain an onion patch? These are questions that any home gardeners has to ask.

Wanting a garden ,I now realize is different than planning garden. I have to really scan my back yard and see what areas have constant sun and constant shade.There are also areas where there are equal amounts of both. There's also soil testing for the right pH, If your soil has a high pH then think about planting asparagus , beets,broccoli and cabbage. Other veggies include cauliflower, kale and spinach, all perfect veggies for a nutritious and tasty diet.Root crops are best for a low pH garden, Think potatoes, radishes and sweet potatoes. Radishes are great for young gardeners.They produce a crop relatively fast and they 're easy to take care of. Then there's the problem of those little visitors. Veggies will attract all sorts of wildlife.  Deers will be drawn to yards sprouting lettuce ,corn broccoli and kale. To be honest the best bet is to let them be. Feed them extra lettuce that you can buy cheaply from your local grocery.This should keep them well fed and satisfied. Raccoons eat everything from tomatoes on the vine to potatoes. Keep them at a distance and try to have sturdy fences build around the patches.

Planning a garden can be crazy. Yet with careful plotting you can have a successful garden with thriving plants. It'd just  a matter of know what to plant and where.

Recipes Of Unity

 The African Disa[pra , has been one of the worst in all of history. yet the strong survivors do a have legacy. They have given us good food for al sorts of dinners and desserts

Regular contributor Yewande Komolafe put together this amazing issue (read cookbook) in the Sunday New York Times. This is a keeper because it has all sorts of dishes from savory to sweet. She also gives three menus that are perfect for any weeknight or weekend.One menu begins with Somali beef dumplings/A robus peanut and pumpkin soup, celebrating Africa's comtribution to the American palate.It's followed by roasted shrimp with okra and tomatoes.Dessert is the creamy ice cream like mango kulfi. Another meal plan is a Liberian collard green dip inspired by Chef Komolafe's chat with chef Ope Amoso.Zanzibar is seen int eh second dish a bright ,bouncy soup called Utojo, a mango based potage. The main meal is Karwash braised lamb shanks . There's also a party menu that features moin  moin for a gathering along with cargar a spinach  stew and tofu with rice. Caramelized plantains round it out and dessert is spiced coconut tapioca pudding with fruit.

There are other dishes that are perfect.A fun dish for a group is chat party.It has crunchy bases made from chakro, chickpea flour crackers and chekkalu rice crackers it's full of tomatoes and other veggies and fruit. like pineapple and mango. Sauces are a variety of chutneys from tamarind to cliantro mint to green Chile There are more crunchy toppings such as peanuts and roasted cashews and spices like Chaat masala and red chile powder. Another crowd pleaser is Zanzibaro pizza The filling has ground beef, chicken turkey or lamb mixed with garam masala and shallots the crust is a mix of flours ,onions and paratha, roti or Tawainese greens scallion pancakes The final product looks more like a panino with the meat layered between veggie cheese and bread. Desserts are also wonderfully spiced and fragrant. There are malawax, crepes delicately flavored with cardmon, pan baked with ghee or clarified butter There is also rooting farmaajo a sweet and savory honey comb bread. sort of like a cheese Danish.

African food has an amazing amput oof 

Spring Awakenings

 It's and that means a whole new set of recipes and flavors.It could be bright and tart citrus dishes. Salads made with ramps Or that warm weather classic asparagus.

Here;s the question of the week, -what flavor are you looking most forward to .Mine is asparagus with butter and Parmesan on top

Let us know yours

Voice La Poule Cher

It may be surprising to hear that the most beloved dish of Quebec and Montreal is rotisserie chicken. THis simple dish has fed the Quebecois for decades.It isa  filling  dish with  gravy and a side ro cote of fries.  It is a plate worth trying

Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this almost national Canadian dish in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. To be honest it would be an easy guess to think that poutine, those creamy cheese curds with gravy or anything maple would be an up North favorite.Yet it is rotisserie or barbecue chicken that has been warming the hearts and stomachs of the Quebecois for many decades, since the 1930s.One place is Lalune, which has become increasingly popular for roasting whole birds Marc-Olivier Frappier has loved the dish since his childhood and it was the impetus of him starting the famed restaurant with his partners.LaLUne also serves fries or frites with  it along with gravy and Cole slaw.The idea actually came from trips to Europe with his partners,Jessica Noel, Alex Landry and Marc-Antoine Gelinas It was an answer to the the brasserie and trattoria that dotted the city's restaurant scene. He wanted to to do  the roast chicken justice There is  even wine served with them, although this is mostly a take out dinner.

Montreal's thriving Portuguese community has their take on the dish as well. It was Francisco Pedro Castanheira who introduced Portuguese style to the table. He couldn't;t get over that the Quebecois had to dip the chicken into something to get t flavorful He introduced chicken marinated in the red hot piri-piri sauce,a blend of red bell peppers, onions and garlic with olive oil,vinegar and lemon juice.His grandson, Glenn, Castanheira is the chef of staff  to Montreal's mayor, Soraya Martinez Ferrada but has fond  memories of the still active restaurant Coco Rico. They do offer other dishes such as chorizo roast pork and pastel de natel. Even Greek cooks like George Karaglanis and his wife Vickie have opened  up Portuguese style rotisserie restaurant Romados. A second one is opening up in the Montreal suburb of Laval. Many Portugiese style ones are opening up. Yet nothing beats the taste of the original rotisserie complete with a coleslaw that has equal parts mayo and vinegar(there is a recipe include with this). There is an egg yolk in it too and Dijon mustard. Chopped sweet cornischons are added in to counter the tang.

The Frenc Canadians do chicken right. They know how to create a well roasted spatchcocked bIRD THAT 

A Pasta Dish For Love

 Sports figures influence kids to go  into a sport they love. They influence adults to chase after their dreams .o they ever influence home chefs? Surprisingly yes! One tennis player influenced a chef to create a delicious dish.

Regular contributor and chef Yotam Ottolenghi followed  this in today 's New York Times Wednesday Food section. His inspiration?Arthur Ashe who won Three Grad Slams and died too young at the age of fifty.Chef Ottolunghi used his advice " Start with you are.Use what you have. Do what you can." How can this translate into a delicious shrimp sauce  for pasta?It 's a paeon to resourcefulness  about working with what is ever around. Chef Ottolenghi knows this as he's just coming off a tour. He had to set up an improvised kitchen every night and use pantry ingredients. Luckily  the dishes more or less made themselves thanks with the help of one magic -yet ordinary ingredient olive oil.It is a fat and it carries flavors in way s that water can't. He cooked whole garlic cloves in them and the end result was  a sweet mellowness. The sharp pungency associated with the cloves was softened. A chickpea stew made with tomatoes and garlic bubbled away ,creating a wonderful mix of flavors thanks to a half cup of olive oil.

His shrimp recipe follows similar principles. He used the shrimp to infuse the olive oil with sweetness. Some of it builds the tomato sauce, carrying that seafood flavor in every bite. The rest of the oil is tossed with the cooked prawns along with almonds and coriander. The result is part garnish part sauce. It was the same oil with two different ingredients. That means zero new ingredients to shop for,saving time and money. In front of him were the bones of a simple tomato -pasta,Yet by infusing the oil, the dish is elevated . It will require good extra virgin olive oil (there are several to choose from ,like  the in house brands from Lidl, Stop and SHop and Acme along with the national brands like Bertolli). The shrimp should be of the large variety , and they should already been peeled and deveined Onions and crushed tomatoes (any brand) are also used There are also fennel and cilantro for added taste. Angel hair pasta is used but  also spaghetti is good with this too along with fettucini.

Arthur Ashe inspired many . To inspire a famous chef is even more of a gift and a win.Follow HS advice for a tasty meal .

Cabbage BesidesTHe Corned Beef

 Cabbage consumption us up today as it graces corned beef. Yet this leafy green is just great on it's own.It's good for you and good for your recipe book.

Today's New York Times Tuesday Science section has a whole article about this cruciferous gem. Alexandra Petrillo highlighted the veggies main points.It's chock full of VitaminK , perfect for those with deficiencies. Vitamin K promotes blood clotting and wound healing. It;s also good for the gut.Its'been linked to a greater blood sugar control and also  lowers the risk of colon cancer.Try to eat more fermented cabbage like kimchee and sauerkraut. It's fiber acts as a probiotic.Every leaf is full of antioxidants too.One serving of cabbage has around thirty-eight  per cent of the recommended dose f Vitamin C> The vitamin is known for forming the highly needed collagen, which aids in creating connective tissue. Remember to keep the cabbage intake colorful.Red cabbage lowers the risk of any heart problems and it improves blood sugar management. A good red cabbage saw reduces the risk of high cholesterol as well.Eat stuffed cabbage and watch body inflammation disappear.

How should it be cooked? Actually raw cabbage has only twenty five calories a serving. Try an Asian spin on Cole slaw. It's creating a dressing that's; oil and soy sauce mixed with fresh sliced ginger and scallions.It  doesn't have the floppiness of mayo soaked slaw and is a refreshing side to any barbecued meat  Air fried cabbage steaks make for a healthy yet filling dinner. This is  slicing them horizontally so they resembled meat cuts and then cooking each side for  six minutes each at 380 degrees Farenheit. These are usually drizzled with olive oil and lightly seasoned with pepper and sea salt. YOu could add a layer of Parmesan cheese for something a bit heartier. Stuffed cabbage is also good. For an even healthier spin use plant based meat instead of real beef. They can also be stuffed with ground chicken, turkey or veak and served with tomato sauce on top. They're a hearty way to have the green You could also make pescoi,Piedmontese stuffed Savoy cabbage, filled with polenta and butter and then fried in oil. They;re ten pickled in a combination of savia and vinagar

Cabbage isn;t just for St Paddy's Day. Have it all year round. Try it as a slaw or stuffed. Enjoy a good cabbage steak.Theyre all healthy and delicious