Your Favorite Fall Drink

It;s the time of year again for both hot and cold flavored drinks!! Do you prefer an iced latte for those warmer than average October days? Or a hot cocoa or toddy for those chilly autumn nights.

For me there's nothing like Lidl's peppermint hot chocolate .It's not as sweet as the other hot cocoas and it's creamier because milk is added  and not water. It's just a nice after dinner hot drink that works (ad it is good also during an afternoon break as well.

What is your favorite hot or cold fall drink? Let us know here and enjoy your sip.

Your Apple Picking Guide

 October is apple picking season.The weather is cooler.The skies are bright. Time to get a basket and go a picking. 

The first aspect to consider is how to dress. Wear comfortable clothes.Jeans and sweats are fine as are sneakers,Crocs and light socks. It's still summery out during the afternoon hours so you want to dress comfortably.Wear a tee shirt but have a hoodie on  hand in case the temps  drop. Even thought it is October, the suns rays are still strong.Bring a hat (like a bucket one) along with  sun screen and lip balm. Sunglasses are always a good choice too.A lot for farms won;t let you sneak an apple to eat so bring something like a sandwich or peanut butter sandwich crackers. Some farms like Delociois Orchards n Colt's Neck, New Jeresey offers hot dogs and hamburgers along with fries and chilled apple cider.Other farms will probably have food trucks in their parking lots too. You can bring water though if you get thirsty(although most farms also sell bottles.)What about baskets? Most places will provide with you one so you don;t over pick.

What apples are ripe for the picking right now. That actually depends on where you are. It is Red Delicious season no matter where you are These are mildly sweet and perfect for snacking..Some trees are producing the glossy red Idared, an apple with a tart slightly sweet flavor.These would be perfect for caramel or candy apples because the tartness is a perfect foil for the sweet covering.Another ruby red gem is the Cortland apple.Its' flavor is also tarty and fruity but also has a berry like finish.Try it thickly sliced in salads or slaws for a different spin.Other red skinned apples are the Mcintosh and the Empire.Both of these are refreshingly tart and make for a refreshing dessert.The bright yellow Golden Delicious is a different take on the fruit. It's flavor is very milk with almost a honey like sweetness with subtle floral undertones. These are a top choice for pies and sauces.There is also the green Crispin that have a combination of zestiness and honey sweetness to them.

It's apple picking season.Go out and harvest a basket or two. Then enjoy the varieties , whether sliced, candied or baked in  a pie.

The Main Ingredient Vinegar

 Somehow vinegar is not a favorite ingredient save for salad dressings. Yet its'differet varieties can be used in a number of savory and sweet dishes. It;s a tangy change up that add to any dish.A dash of vinegar gives a recipe much needed dzing.

Before you use any vinegar keep in mind that there are several different types. There is distilled white vinegar that's perfect for cleaning bathrooms and windows but it's also excellent for pickling and canning.It does have a neutral flavor so it may not hold up to other flavors like onion or chicken.Many home  chefs, like myself prefer using apple cider vinegar in all sorts of cold and hot dishes(it's my go to vinaigrette ingredient)It made from fermented apple juice and has a fruity tart flavor.It;s perfect for slaws ,marinades and health tonics. The one that most people use and are familiar with is red wine vinegar.Its made from red wine and has a punchy flavor.It pairs well with hearty meat dishes and tomatoes ones.It;also makes for a very flavorful vinaigrette. A lot of trendy home chefs use balsamic vinegar which is more syrup.It's made from pressed grape must or juice  that's been aged in wooden casks.It's dark sweet and syrupy, perfect for roasted veggies , salad dressings and glazes. A lighter choice is white wine vinegar.This is made from fermented white wine andh has a mild, delicate slightly sweet taste. Use it from chicken  dishes,There is also malt vinegar made from barley or beer and rice wine vinegar made  from fermented rice wine.

One of the best dishes to makes, especially during Savoy cabbage season is  avariation of the Piedmontese cold weather dish pescoi. Our recipe is taking uncooked polenta ,wrapping it  in the cabbage leaves.These are tightly bundled with heavy sewing thread and fried in a mix of oil and butter.They're later pickled in a bath of red wine vinegar , garlic cloves and salvia leaves.The tart vinegar tastes make the rolls taste so wonderful.It gives the buttery  flavored cabbage and polenta that much needed zing. Another dish is vinegar chicken.There are two ways of   vinegar chicken - Italian and French.The Italian version  call for chicken breasts to be sauteed in a rich wine and vinegar sauce. The chicken is lightly floured to give it a lovely brown look while its'being first roasted.The sauce is a blend of red wine vinegar and dry white wine.A tablespoon of granulated white sugar is also used .Add chicken stock and an onion to this .As it;s simmering then add the chicken pieces.Cover the pan and place in a  preheated 350 degree Farenheir oven for twenty minutes.The French version is  rich with cream, butter and tomato paste along with a mix of white wine vinegar and white wine.It;s basically cooked the same way.

Vinegar is an ingredient that should be used in more dishes.It has a rich tang that elevates any dish.Try it to have a tastier, zingier dinner.

Adding Some Tea

 Most of the time tea is used as the  hot or iced beverage to wash down fantastic slices of cake and cookies. Yet it is a great ingredient to any sweet treat ,giving any slice or bite an earthy smoothness.Any kind ,from chamomile to Earl and Lady Grey are great additions to a simple batter or dough.

New contributor and supervising video producer for New York Times Cooking gave three recipes in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Mr Vreeland is an avid baker who loves to create all sorts of delicious cakes and cookies.His inspiration comes from that classic "The Great British Bake Off along with switching to tea and ditching caffeinated cups of coffee. These are wonderful recipes for a Sunday tea or brunch with friends but they're also great for a mid-afternoon or afternoon snack. Doing such lets people unwind and just enjoy the quiet , flavors and surrounding area.One cake , the recipe by Arlyn Osborne and adapted by another great Times Food writer Ligaya Mishan.has the spike of ginger along with the Filipino tea Salabat which is just simply boiling ginger root in water. It gets infused into the sponge along with ground ginger and honey.For a silky crumb sour cream is added a long with two large eggs.Lemon juice and zest are also added to cut the ginger's zing and give it brightness. The glaze mirrors the cake.It so made with confectioner;s sugar honey and lemon, Crystallized ginger is finely chopped and added for more zinginess.

Another New York Times Food section contributor Eric Kim gives his recipe for a loaf made with chamomile tea.It symbolizes the coming of fall while the glaze is a blend of  the summer flavors of lemon and strawberry Mr.Vreeland also compares the slices to a sunset which is fitting for fall. Two tablespoons of chamomile tea taken from the bag and crushed fine if coarse are used a long with fresh lemon zest.This is a buttery cake with half a cup of butter being used and two large eggs for body along with kosher salt. The glaze is freeze dried strawberries crushed through a mesh sieve to create a powder and into confectioner's sugar.Lemon juice is added to turn it into a thick glaze to be poured over the cake. Of course this is also the season for cookies.Carolina Gemen gives a recipe for London Fog ones made with Earl Grey and culinary lavendar.The tea is steeped into melted butter and lavender which Mr Vreeland avows as the most heavenly scent.The slick of butter laced vanilla frosting is reminiscent of the actual London Fog drink.This is where Earl Grye tea is mixed with steamed milk and a splash of vanilla extract.Brown sugar and twelve tablespoons of butter are also added to the dough making it for a smooth buttery bite. The frosting is butter milk and confectioner's sugar with a touch of vanilla extract.The cookies are decorated with lavender for a very pretty effect.

Tea is;t just for drinking.It's the perfect addition for these cakes and cookies. All kinds from salabat to Earl Grey to chamomile

Aga The Indian Super Restaurant

 Many mom and pop restaurants  stay small for years and decades.This is not the case with Aga's, an IndianPakistano restaurant in Houston ,Texas.It has  big Texan energy mixed with deliicous Siuth Asian food. It is the must see restaurant in her area, drawing in hundreds of people a night!

Regular contributor and chef Priya Kirishna wrote about this phenomena in today's New YorK Times Wednesday section. Aga's is the go to  place for a Saturday night, with long lines rivaling the lines for concert tickets.It's a super popular place.The eatery serves about four thousand guest a day!!!! Then there's another sixteen hundred take outs and deliveries on a daily basis.Their annual net is around eight figures a true rarity for any independently owned place in the world. According to the Uber Eats Company Indian and Pakistani food are not even in the top three cuisines it delivers and Houston is not even in the top Uber cities. Two reasons might be that the food is consistent and there are strong ties to the Houston area according to Safraz Maredia, and Uber Eats executive who oversees operations in Canada  the US and Latin America.Another reason comes from Houston Chronicle food critic Bao Ong  who gave Aga a top review says it's the community that makes the restaurant and the clientle is loyal.The food is incredibly authentic with such favorites as chicken handi -  a North Indian classic of barbecued chicken and roasted I in aspciy buttery tandoor sauce along with biryanis with all sorts of meats and vegetables.

It didn't start out like that for the Maredia family of six brothers and sisters who bought Agas' (they're not related to the Uber Eats executive mentioned earlier). The restaurant was struggling and there was a fact that none of them had any restaurant experience.They had just moved from California and were finding limited business One brother Shankat even asked another brother if he really wanted to buy it. Their persistence paid off The inconsistent food became consistent and the space got revamped. They added regional specialties from their childhoods in India and Pakistan  such as Hybera badi gosht made with slow cooked lamb and Balti gosht  a slow cooked lamb curry with an aromatic sauce of tomatoes and garam masala.Youtube and their spouses provided cooking instruction. Customers were slow r come at first,even from the local mosque (although that is due to a mosque member  owning a rival restaurant). It was word of mouth that made the masses come.They became so popular that they opened dup in Katy Texas (Renee Zellweger's'  home town) thirty miles away,. They're planning on more restaurants throughout the region.

Aga's is a phenomenon that no other restaurant could match. It has good Indian and Pakistiani food that rivals no one. They are the super eatery of the US

One Recall After Another After Another

 It seems like everyday some food in the US is being recalled. It started with lettuce with cylospora , Now it's mice in pepperoncini. There's no telling when it will end.There is telling how to shop during this time.Carefully and alertly. That's the best advice for now.

How did we end up here? We've always had recalls, dating back to the early 1900's thanks to the great writer Upton Sinclair who exposed the meat packing industry in his groundbreaking novel The Jungle.  Thanks to him we have federal food safety legislation which seemed to work for over 120 years. However thanks to RFK Jr and the Trump government there haven;t been so many enforced regulations.The FDA here in the States has been under all sorts of cuts.The number of people making inspections have been axed and companies have been allowed to get away with all sorts of shortcuts. That means the consumers are now getting lower quality foods and drinks. It also has reached ingredients like  eggs and flour along with milk. It;s a crap shoot as to what could affect you.It could be cylospora or cylosporiasis derived from the nasty little parasite that causes explosive diarrhea and stomach cramps.People have been hospitalized for a along as seven weeks with it.Salmonella is another problem that's making the rounds too.This rod shaped bacteria has also caused the same stomach tsunami as those parasites. Then there are the findings of everything from a dead mouse in pepperoncini to shards of glass and metal.

What's a home chef to do? Get on X(formerly Twitter) and get the latest updates on what's contaminated and what's recalled. If you don;t trust X then head to FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts. Type in the product you want researched and a whole list of stores will come up with the recalled products.This should help. The best bet is shop smartly. Any frozen food as well as fresh can also be recalled whether from bacteria or some foreign object that got in during the manufacturing process. The problem is you can;t be too judicial or prudent.That hamburger you bought today may be recalled two days from now. That cookie dough you planned on baking this weekend may be reported  with metal shavings or mouse droppings in a week. Maybe the safest bet is picking your own. It is apple picking time so these can be safe if you pick them yourself. Some farms are offering fresh picked Brussels sprouts,kale, winter squash beets,carrots ,broccoli and cauliflower along with Swiss chard.A few farms will let you pick them yourself. If that's the case go for these, and wash them thoroughly in white vinegar and water before doing anything with them. 

As long as we have loose regulations ;we'll keep having recalls . Maybe the best advice is to shop at the farms and be alert to what's being recalled. It is a tough time but home chef's will get through it. 

Your First Big Cook Or Bake

 Autumn is officially here and with it cooler weather. That makes it easier to cook and bake. What will be on your to make list? Will it be cookies ? A big pot of chili Homemade soup or an entire toast?Will you look forward to baking pies and spice cakes?

My first major fall cook was a huge pot for chili.It's an easy one with a lot of stirring and tasting for the tight spicy flavor.However risotto Milanese and baked  caramel apples along with poached pears in wine are also going to be made during these cooler times.

What are you looking forward to cooking and baking now that it's fall? Let us know here.