Ready For A Wild Weather Summer

 To say the weather has been acting up this summer is an understatement RIght now there are tornado warnings around the New York City metro area. Tropical storms and hurricanes loom . These all can be a breeze to manage food wise. It's just selecting the right foods to exist on.

Water is usually the first thing affected. Make sure you have plenty of bottled water . This can be used for not only drinking but for adding to soups and baby formulas. Make sure everyone - including cats and dogs have their share too for complete hydration. Should you also pack soda and juices? Yes but keep in mind that drinks like Coke and Sprite will also make you thirsty  so balance them with water. You could add flavored water enhancers to  Stanley cups or Bubba containers (your local dollar store has their versions of these for much less). You get hydration plus taste. Instant coffee is also good because the caffeine can power you during some difficult situations. What about milk? It should be powdered however it can last in a fridge for four hours in an unopened fridge. The same applies to nut and oat milk. What about milk boxes.? If they've been out more than four hours then  no.THey're unsafe. Toss them   The same applies to dairy creamer. Toss it after two hours . Use powdered as well to flavor coffees..A;spwait before you buy any milk from stores. They too probably have had power outages so their milk and creamers may not be safe.

As for food - think canned. Canned proteins such as deviled chicken and ham along with fish like tuna salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines are also good. They can be made into salads or just eaten on bread or rolls as a sandwich. Beans are anothe protein that's a must have. Chickpeas are versatile and can be eaten straight from the can or be mashed into hummus. Any bean can be made into a patty . You don;t even needs eggs t bind then=m. Potato flakes or even oats can be subbed in instead. Veggies  - save for lettuce  right now can be eaten. A panzanella salad can easily be made with leftover bread, and sliced tomatoes. Just add shelf stable olive oil.  You can also create a hearty cold dish by using sliced tomatoes ,canned tuna and cannellini beans.Dried herbs can flavor it  as can salt and pepper. Sliced peppers mixed with tuman orslamon is also a good hearty and easy dinner to make. You can also use avocados, whether for bread or as a salad.  Keep fruits like apples and plums along with bananas for a quick snack or dessert. Snack cakes like Little Debbie or Oreos can hold too. Keep cereal ready for breakfast along with jams and jellies.

It's tornado seasonIt's soon to be hurricane season.Be prepared for when they happen. You'll feel better with filling foods and drink.

Salad Doesn't Always HavE To Be Green

 Thanks to cyclospora green salad is off the table. Yet its a staple, especially in summer dining.Whatto do? There are so many alternatives.By the end of summer, you many not even want a traditional greens alad.

Keep in mind that frozen is usually your best friend in this case.I've found that some of my best broccoli and green bean salads come from the frozen veggies packages. These are easy.No washing,No worries if they're bad. Just steam in the microwave for six minutes or more then add the dressing. It's then chilling the greens for at least two hours.I;be even made these in the winter ,just to add veggies to a meal. You could also add some almonds to the green beans  along with crumbled feta cheese and a dash of lemon juice.Broccoli salad could also have some freshly grated cheddar to it for more flavor. Frozen bell peppers can also be made into a similar salad. So far the fresh versions of these seem to be safe so you can easily make a salad with them.Try all three colors  for something colorful along with roasting them on your grill first. You could easily add leftover grilled flank steak to make it more nutritious and substantive . A simple olive oil and red wine vinegar will do here. Asparagus may not be in season right now but the frozen kind makes for a great side dish Again use a simple vinaigrette here along with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tomatoes and beans will never do anyone wrong and the first is definitely safe if garden grown. There are so many tomato salad recipes that every day can have a different one. One of my favorites is my version of panzanella. This is classic Tuscan UMbrian and Tuscan salad where tomatoes and stales bread are soaked in olive oil,tomato juices and vinegar. Some add sliced or diced onions to it but I like mine with just tomatoes and good ,squishy Italian bread. The bread is torn into bite size pieces.Usually it's  left to harden for a day or it;s crisped in an air fryer . It's up to you how to have the bread. I usually add in oregano and garlic powder. This is so good that it can be eaten as a main course ,especially with a side of burrata cheese or as a side with steak or chicken.Romato and bean salad is another tasty alternative to green salad. Use white beans which work the best with them. They;re sweet creaminess is the perfect foil for the tomatoes' tanginess.  Beans themselves are the perfect base for a salad.  YOu could make three bean salad but make it the more fun cowboy caviar. This is a zingy collection of black eye peas black beans ,onions corns and peppers. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette unless you want to add salsa instead.

Forget those pesky greens. You can make  an equally delicious salad using other veggies and beans. Try any of these if you want a different spin on a summer classic.

Rethinking Julia Child's French Chef

 Julia Child opened up American kitchens to a way of cooking that was both simple and sophisticated. Now local PBSstations  is bringing back her French Chef  shows. Can it hold up sity to sixty-five - almost seventy years later? Yes.A new generation can easily learn from her.

Julia Child , surprisingly didn't set out as a cook or chef - or even a career in anything remotely culinary. She was born in 1012 in Petaluma California, named Julia Carolyn McWilliams.She came from an old New England family that moved to the Golden State early in the Twentieth Century .Julia went back to her Massachusetts roots to attend Smith College. She majored in History where she planned on becoming either a novelist or magazine writer.She graduated, going back to Petaluma after a magazine stint in New Yrok City. Her first foray into cooking was creating shark repellent for  sharks during her time in the OSS. During this time, during the Second World War she was stationed in Kandy Sri Lanka where when met her husband Paul Child, another OSS employee. He had lived in Paris and knew the world of haute cuisine. THey moved to Parus where she went to the famed Cordon Bleu  academy. Her first cookbookMastering The Art of French Cooking led to an appearance on a Boston news show. She created an omelet for them on air and this led to to The French Chef. The show was a triumph ,introducing reluctant home chefs to different cooking techniques and mastering such tasks like carving poultry and creating crusts.

Does her advice still hold up.?Yes !!!! This new generation is  interested .They were, after all, raised on the Food Channel where there was more flashy showmanship  than actual cooking. Novice chefs are eager to learn about boef Bourguignon with its' wine rich sauce and addition of tiny vegetables.Her episodes show the practical like how to use endives in salad to creating a three course dinner menu. There is also the fancy - also perfect for those first dinner parties  where home chefs can make homemade mayonnaise,lobster a l'Americaine and chocolate souffle. Watching her show was a refresher course in how to.  The one I watched was about quickest and crusts. She showed how to sift flour and create a good crust. She goes old school by adding dried beans in aluminum foil to have the crust bake evenly. These shows were made in the Sixties and early Seventies so there's no fancy gadgets to do all the work - which is better. Doing such there is a communion between chef and the ingredients. Being tactile allows the home baker to know when the dough is ready to proof or if the veggies and herbs  are finely chopped enough.

Is Julia Child relevant now? Absolutely yes. A new generation should be watching her to get accurate cooking lessons without the flash.

The New Relocated East Wok

 Sometimes an upgrade isn't always good for a restaurant. The food can go down in quality while going up in price. Old favorites are knocked off the menu . Even a new location can be bad. However for East Wok, formerly of Saddle Brook, New Jersey now in the neighboring town of Elmwood Park changing locations was a glow up.

I;be always loved East Wok. They have the best chicken on a stick as well as a very lush shrimp in lobster sauce Their soups have gotten me through a number of colds and stomach flus. Their chefs produced some of the best food in the worst space possible. All those great dishes were created in a cubby hole in an ancient strip mall. It was tiny , without any air conditioning./ Anyone could see the need for a move.

Move they did - to a corner shop with a revamped kitchen and new floors. This (above) is so much better than their old eatery. There are marble floors and a lovely bathroom. Seats and table line the curved windows where you can see the main street.

Their always delicious fried dumplings and spring rolls actually taste better. Is it because of the air conditioned and bigger kitchen Maybe? Or the fact that its a joy to be in? Maybe. They have added to their menu too. I am dying to try their salt and pepper tofu and chicken as well as their new seafood dumplings.There is also Mala style different meats and tofu, cooked with fiery dry Szechuan peppers..East Wok still has their lunch specials that has the main meal with the choice of wonton or egg drop soups and a soda.

If you're looking for a great Chinese restaurant to visit this weekend stop in at the newly relocated East Wok.It's a great place to get a variety of different Asian dishes. The food is beyond delicious.

EAST WOK
234A Market Street,

Elmwood Park ,New Jersey 07407

Tell.201-556-0032

A Better Grilled Chicken

 There is nothing as tasty or versatile as grilled chicken.It makes for a tasty sandwich on a kaiser roll, with naoy,.It's perfect in Caesar salads.It;s just good on its own, with a few veggies on the side. The problem with it is that it can also get dried out while cooking .Thsi results in tough,stringy meat. Yet there are ways to combat this.

Regular contributor and chef Genevieve KO gives tips and hints in her article in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section. There is also a recipe that will be perfect for this easy to make classic. It starts with the bird itself. Home chefs could go to chicken farms and get a small bird around four to eight ounces.Commercially s9old breasts are larger which means more meat but much less flavor.It isn;t only the lack of fat that gives them no flavor but also the monotony of texture , the inch or more of uniform threads and a cottony dryness. Still these can be tasty - surprisingly. The ideal option is a chicken that;s been recently slaughtered.Supermarkets wont have this info so look  the latest sell by r use by dates Also looks for terms :fresh" and keep refrigerated which means the meat is not frozen.Also how it;s cut matters .Cut the breast to a third of its' original height by slicing two shutters. Start with a deep slit from the center of the meat Thus can be done on the other side too. Once cut the chicken breast can be smacked into a thin layer Use the palm of the hand for this.The fibers are now not only shortened but also run in different directions which makes for a good chew.

The next step is to marinate quickly.It bolsters flavor but only gives flavor to the outside.A thin breast only needs fifteen to thirty minutes to fully marinate . Ms Ko's recipe has olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. This ensures the meat tastes well and browns perfectly.There are also two cups of mixed ,fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro basil and mint,The herbs char nicely and bring freshness.Adding kosher salt keeps the meat tender and moist. The grill should be hot. The heat is right when a hand is held three to five inches above the grate .On a gas grill it's should be on the higher side of medium high and with charcoal the lumps should be asked over and glowing red beneath a grey white surface.Remove the meat earlier.If it;s still raw it can go back on the grate to cook more.These breasts should be done in only five minutes and should be opaque without with just the faintest tinge of pink like a faint blush.T o check for doneness, put the meat on a plate cut open so the top and bottom are exposed. It can be placed back on the grill for only a minute if it['s still too raw.

A good chicken breast should be juicy and flavorful. Following these steps will ensure such. It will be a great dinner,full of juicy ,tasty meat.

NY Is A Burger Town

 New Yrkers are lucky. Visitors to the great city are lucky. Why? it's a burger city. There are so many different kinds and variations of this American classic in New York and it's boroughs.

The New York Times Wednesday Food section  put together a compiliation  of the best burger joints in New York today. Editor Nikita Richardson led the group consisting of Becky Highes,Ryan Sutton,Mahira Rivers and Luke Fortney.They went all over the boroughs and tasted some of the best patties. They found nineteen top choices that would make any burger lover weep. One of the best cheeseburgers is in Gramercy Park. Joe Juniors gives an  open faced one dripping with American cheese.There is also fried onion burger at Hamburger America It's served with passable fries and an frosty Arnold Palmer (a blend of iced tea and lemonade) For those who love a good organic burger there is the grain fed one at the Lower East Side's Eel BarChef Aaron Crowder uses meat fromhe flanl and the front leg to create a juicy, flavorful patty.Fans  f special sauce should grab the burger at Bar Americano.It;sa tasty mixture of brisket chuck and short rib and smothered in The best of cheeses Grueyere. There is also Bou  Jiamoat Famous Food which has a burger made out of pork belly.There is also the original Hamburg steak at Cafe O Te in Brooklyn. There is also the Pakistan influenced one at BK Jani's in trendy Williamsburg.

Burgers can come in other meats and even forms. Try Mommy Pai's chicken burger created by Ann Redding who was born in Thailand. She loved Mc Donal'ds as a child and her sandwich s an homage to them.It has Thai influences too with sour mustard greens.There is also the lamb burger at the Gramercy Parkl L'Express.It is a nine ounce patty spiced with Moroccan flavors, cumin, coriander and cinnamon.Pf course there are sausage and fish patties too. Try the bratwurst burger at Wekstatt.This is a brat inspired pork patty topped with Gouda cheese and bacon onion jam. To make it more German it[s served on a pretzel bun there is also chorizo frita at Frita Batidos. They also offer vegan and beef patties too. Fish can be turned into a tasty round.Win Son Bakery offers a shrimp burger made from seasoned shrimp paste and served on a milk bun,Mariscos  E; Submarino has their version and served with Muenster cheese.Tuna is also versatile and Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Company turned it into a smash burger served with special sauce and cheddar.

New York City is a burger city. Try any of these tasty patties for  great lunch or dinner. They're the best of the best.

Yet Another Summer Outbreak

 Summer is supposed to be the time for good eating and healthy harvests. Unfortunately there are some summer s that re overwhelmed by an unwanted visitor - a  nasty little parasite. This year cyclosora makes an appearance  - right when vacation time kicks in.

This little bug has been bothering stomachs and plans for the past few weeks.It's been hitting the US hard however thankfully it's avoided Europe, Africa and South America.Asia has been spared as well along with Australia It may seem into Canada and Mexico so be careful when visiting those neighboring countries.This is not the first outbreak.There have been several over the years, usually. coming out every two years or so. What is this bug?It's a microscopic organism usually spread through contaminated food or water. It can easily be contracted by swimming as well as eating.It spreads fast through berries, lettuce and cilantro. The symptoms are downright nasty, resembling those of stomach flu.There are bouts of watery and explosive diarrhea, along with stomach cramps, bloating and gas. Sometimes there is also low grade fatigue and fatigue . Weight loss and lack of appetite is also common too.Keep in mind that the parasite doesn't go into effect right away. It does take two to three weeks after ingesting contaminated food for it to kick in. Focus on the BRAT diet, bananasa,rice applesauce and tea. Drink plenty of fluids to replace what fluid has been lost.

How to avoid it. Stay away from lettuce ,especially the bagged kind and salad kits. Go for the heads of fresh lettuce  but remove the outer layers first. Usually handpicked veggies  and fruits may have  it, thanks to workers having poor sanitary conditions while picking.Wash all store bought produce in hot or warm water for twenty minutes and then thoroughly dry. Should you use apple cider or white vinegar  to wash them? Contrary to popular belief ,this was not help. It has the same efficiency as hot water. Another good idea is to have the veggies cooked. Forget the gazpacho  - as delicious as it is_ and go for the ratatouille. This is an easy bake or saute of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. It;s perfect served with thick slices of French bread. Grilled veggies are another way to go. Brush them in olive oil and pop on the grill. As for fruit, stick to rind or peel  ones like bananas, avocados and oranges. If you do have a hankering for berries then think frozen ones .These are cleaned thoroughly then treated with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and then frozen. You could also cook fruit and create compotes and crisps.Also try baking fruits into pies or bread if you truly crave them/

Yet another bug to ruin the summer. Be smart . Be savvy in what you eat. Avoiding cylospora is avoiding major trouble.