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

Warm Feelings

 With a dip of weather everyone s thinking of warm.Warm sweaters, warm jeans . Even warm flavors.What's the last? A variety of spices that makes you feel all cozy inside. They;re perfect for both baking and cooking.

Warm spices don't exactly physically heat you up.There are special chemical compounds that trick the nervous system into feeling heated.One is cinnamaldehyde and it's the reason cinnamon has it;s distinct flavor and smell.It activates the same nerve pathways that perceive physical warmth. This creates chemesthesis the scientific b=name for how your skin and mouth perceive certain chemical irritants as temperature or pain instead of actual taste.Many people feel these warm flavors evoke a sense of deep comfort, much like being wrapped in a favorite blanket and they're strongly linked to fall and winter. What are these flavors? Obviously cinnamon leads the list.There is also nutmeg,cloves ginger and allspice.Cardamon is also on the list. They can be used in hot drinks as well as sweet and savory dishes.Warm spices are what make Thanksgiving and Christmas so memorable. Keep in mind that they don't work well in any Spring or Summer dishes,

This is why pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage during the cooler months.Theres' something that is comforting about the taste even with iced lattes.It;s the same mix that makes pumpkin pies feel warm and cozy in the mouth.There's cinnamon,cloves nutmeg and ginger.Any of these along with cardomom can  be make into all sort soft dishes. One fun fall snack are snickerdoodle. These are the classic cinnamon cookie made with the spice along with such comforting ,homey flavors like butter and sugar . Another warming cookie is a ginger snap. This is a dough made with ground ginger and a pinch of cinnamon. Cardomom is mostly used in Indian cooking but it can also be used in cookies too.Breads  can get a touch of warmth too.Think a sweet cinnamon bread toasted for a lovely breakfast. These spices are also great in savory dishes like stew too.Korma curry from India has an abundance of cardomom pods for a warmly satisfying flavor. Cloves add warmth and lessen the saltiness in roast ham. Cloves can also be used in pilafs too to add warm to such chicken and lamb dishes.

Warming spices are the thing for cold fall days. They give a sense of heat and comfort to all sorts of dishes. Try them in sweet ,savory or even drinks.

Create Your Best Doughnuts

 What makes a good doughnut? Is it the yeast? The flour? The amount of cinnamon or vanilla used? That's the question. There are some tips to help making the perfect circle.

What are the key traits to a good doughnut. Not  surprisingly AI comes to the rescue with this.The texture is the most memorable. A yeast doughnut should be  soft and airy in your mouth .If you;re making cake doughnuts then think a denser cake like crumb. There should the a moist interior (especially the cream and jelly filled), Fried ones should have an all over crispy exterior thanks to a crust setting properly without soaking up too much oil.You can  either make cake or yeast. bake for fried.If you're making cake ones either use cake flour or all purpose. King Arthur and PIllsbury have the best.As for the yeast one, always use unbleached all purpose flour for a light , fluffy and tender bite. This type also provides a goods structure for one. The only oil that should be used is canola.It has a neutral taste and a high smoke point You can also use peanut or palm oil. However many homemakers don;t like frying because there is the possibility of a bad burn or hot oil splattering.Then its; time to use the air fryer which can produced hot tasty doughnuts in ten minutes.

Flavor is crucial to a good and memorable doughnut. Fall brings about the taste for anything apple and pumpkin spice. Many home chefs are looking to King Arthurs' boiled cider to give the perfect apple taste. You can buy a bottle on line or make it yourself which is easy. You'll need a two gallons jug which will boiled down to approximately two cups.You can use a Dutch oven for this or a soup pot that will hold five quarts.First bring it to a bowl over a medium flame. Then lower it and simmer the cider for about five to six hours..Give it a quick stir every hour in the beginning and then every fifteen minutes towards the end.It;s done when copper color bubbles come to the top. As for pumpkin spice, this is a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger , nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You can buy a jar from Mc Cormick and use it also uin other baking products as well as in coffee. You can also make your own.Keep in mind that most fall doughnuts have a cinnamon sugar coating. This is just sifting cinnamon and granulated white sugar together. You can vary the percentages according to taste.

A good fall diught starts with texture and taste. Try any of these for a tasty dessert or snack with your favorite hot coffee or tea. They;re sure to chase away that autumn chill.