Monday, December 31, 2018
New Year New Foods
One trend that will be popular this year is Middle Eastern.Try some of the amazing dishes of this cuisine.Yes, there are juicy and spiced kebobs and creamy hummus, but there's also Za'atar and baba ghanouj . I can' t say enough good things about Za'atar.It's fantastic with toasted pita and highlights chicken and tomatoes.Baba ghanouj is a tasty ,zingy dip that takes the simple eggplant to new heights.Thanks to trying these centuries old recipes, my culinary atlas has grown.I'm excited to try Russian cuisine along with rediscovering Indian and Greek.Even local cuisines should be on anyone's radar.Philadelphia is also my dance card and that is a city with a big platter of different cuisines to buy.
G
Another way to expand your culinary atlas is to take cooking classes.There are many good ones out there. Some community colleges offer them and bring in local chefs to teach.Definitely take advantage of these.Another venue is night school.Many towns offer such diverse courses as Thai and West African.You not only learn to cook the different dishes but some will have field trips to markets to show where to buy ingredients.Specialized markets are another way to further your knowledge.Take a walk down the many aisles.Taste the samples given and ask tons of questions.If it's all overwhelming, then buy some snacks or cookies and jump from there.Many chain grocery stores have a wide variety of multiethnic foods.Try some of the imported foods and spices there.Incorporate them in your Everest cooking.
A brand new years means brand new flavors.Expand your palate to include them.You'll be glad you did!
Saturday, December 29, 2018
A Party Time Cookbook
Elizabeth Heiskell , author of What Can I Bring , contributor to Southern Living Magazine and a well known caterer in Mississippi has written an updated version of the early Seventies book.oxmoor Press is the publisher.This is a must have for party givers.There are dozens of ideas for all sorts of get togethers, from a girl's night out to christening parties. I love how it's not just recipes but suggestions on everything from decor to games that can be played.There are even ideas for favors that guests can bring home.The book may reflect Southern hospitality and have a Dixie vibe but there are fondue recipes along with ones for a chick wagon get together.Also if you think it's hominy grits and fried chicken, there are sophisticated recipes and parties worthy of any urbane crowd.There are also section on the proper glasses for drinks and how to toast.A lovely touch is what gifts to give the hostess,something that 's really not done anymore. The Easter meal has a special how to on making golden egg name tags
The recipes are grouped according to the party.A Low Country shrimp boil will have, of course, shrimp,but also cocktail sauce and an accompanying slaw. Teas, big, in the South , are also featured,especially the sweet custom of a bridal tea.This has blushing mimosas,a twist on the classic brunch cocktail served with long stemmed strawberries authorities.Another aspect is the large amount of reasons for hoisting a glass and sharing a canape .I love the Graduation Coffee where high school (and this can definitely be extended to college grads) are feted with a morning meal of rich dark chocolate chai latte served with the easy to make petite cinnamon rolls and sausage balls.The chuck wagon dinner sounds amazing with cowboy steaks cooked on a skillet out doors. With it comes ranchero beans, Mrs. R's coleslaw and German potato salad.It ends with a giant chocolate cake.Of course there are The holidays,with flourishes added.Homemade Hollandaise sauce graces Spring asparagus, being the prefect side to a leg of lamb.Thanksgiving and Christmas have fun ideas.:-)there's old fashioned roared turkey and chocolate bourbon pecan pie along with a variety of fondues .
The Southern Living Party Cookbook is just a great idea book for party givers.It can guide any host through all sorts of gatherings and soirees.It's a home like daft must have.
Friday, December 28, 2018
My Air Fryer Adventure
It looks like a Keurig coffee and tea maker.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
A Wild Russian Feast
New Year parties mean a lot of food and a lot of drink.The Russians amp this up with feast that rivals any holiday party or dinner.They create tables that literally groan with the weight of many dishes ~and of course vodka .
Julia Moskin wrote about this as well as interviewing chef Bonnie Frumpkin Morales!, owner of the popular Portland,Oregon eateries, Kachka and Kachinka.Her family came from Belarus,which was a separate country (emigres use the blanket term Russia when asked where they're from).The Russian New Year revelry is less than one hundred years old, starting after the Russian Revolution.Vast properties of the Russian Orthodox Church were nationalized with religious instruction being outlawed, and the craziest - outlawing belief in miracles which probably meant the Virgin Birth. A decade later the Soviet regime completely banned Christmas.They twisted it into a day of work.New Year's Eve, however , was saved and declared a national holiday. Gradually Christmas traditions snuck in.There were trees, presents and sweets.Father Christmas was transformed to Grandfather Frost who handed out gifts with the help of his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden.It is now a big to do night.That means the meal or the zakuski course may start in the early evening and last until midnight There are braised short ribs, along with Georgian chicken tabaka, pressed flat and pan roasted with garlic.Another lush dish is chanterelle mushrooms and potatoes cooked in a Russian version of creme fraiche,
Chef Frumpkin -Morales (her husband, Israel, is of Latino heritage and fromKansas City,Missouri ) and
her family create these dishes along with many others.Her parents brought over their dishes of pungent smelling fish along with their recipes for pickled fruit and vegetables.There was also jellied calves feet and cured skeins of fish roe.One of the stars of any Russian New Year's feast is Salat Olivier, which has become Russia's modern national dish.Poached chicken is folded with diced potatoes,pickles, eggs, carrots and whatever is dictated by family tradition.During the czarist era, caviar and crayfish were major additions for the wealthy.During the Soviet era, luxury was replaced with baloney and canned peas for everyone. There is also salo ,a cured pork fastback and dark, dense breads.All this is washed down with endless vodka shots.The meal has to be hearty to absorb all that strong alcohol.There are recipes that anyone can recreate, including the mushroom and potato one.There is also a herbed grain salad with mushrooms, hazelnuts and pears.Spinach and the Soviet staple.,barley is also tossed in.There is a neat "cookie" recipe called chocolate kolbasa that's a blend of shortbread, graham crackers and a fudgy mix of chocolate chips, chopped nuts and cocoa blended with butter and condensed milk.It's mixed together, filled into a log and then chilled.It can also star at kids parties too.
The Rusians know how to do New Year"s right:. It is feasting and fun for all ages.They ring in a holiday with gusto and passion .
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Trends of The New Year
It's the day after Christmas and there are already predictions for what will be trendy in 2019.What will we eat? Or drink? Will we be more eco conscious or more snack ready? Time and our palates will tell.
Regular contributor.Kim Sevrrson pondered this in an interesting article in today's New York Times Food section.One of the most intriguing is cheese teas coming from Taiwan. This is green or black tea sipped through a cap of cream cheese blended with cream or condensed milk.It 's already big in San Francisco where it's are with Meyer lemon and mascarpone cheese.Bet Starbucks will do e out with ,with Dunkin Donuts following.It may be good, who knows.Another beverage that will be gaining speed is dry drinks.The 18 to 34 age group are more involved in spirit free cocktails.What does that mean? High alcoholic liquors such as gin will be relegated to the back of the bar.Drinks will be mixed with lower alcohol wines such as the spark ly Prosecco along with shrubs(!), craft vermouth, botanicals, and also non alcoholic drinks like Seedlip ,distilled vegetable and floral extracts.
We will be having more of a conscious when we eat too.Plastic straws and bags will have more bams throughout the country.Also diners are demanding that their favorite eateries cut back on packaging.Cutlery and plates will also be more reusable.Another green dream is the plant based main course.Substantial vegetable entrees will become fixtures on menus.Many people have started to eat less red meat or abandon animal products altogether.There are even some corporations that have banned red meat from their campuses.Will this anger some carnivores? Possibly ,there may even be some law suits then?That said,another new trend is motherless meat, proteins that are laboratory grown that are entering mainstream dining.There will also be more creams, milk and cheeses made from soy nuts and coconut.Even everyone's favorite ice cream will be made with no cream.A big trend that I've embraced is Middle Eastern food.Many will go wild over the foods of Lebanon,Syria and Turkey.Za'atar and kebobs will rule.There is also talk that the Stans such as Kazahkstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will also give us the most popular dishes too.
2019 will be full of interesting trends that are both green and global.Embrace them or ignore them.Or come up with a few of your own.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Pace Your Christmas Cooking
That's the philosophy I'm following.As I pointed out yesterday I was going to bake two different kinds of premade cookies. Then on second thought it seemed kind of crazy, We'd be inundated with them and they'd lose their specialness. Plus I have a mess of other things to do between wrapping presents and the usual household chores.To spend an entire Sunday afternoon in the kitchen would seem too much. The chocolate chips can be made when the sugar cookies get all gobbled up.After all the holidays are supposed to last for twelve days until Three Kings or Tre Re day, January 6th. I have enough time to create all sorts of sweet treats, from cookies to maybe a cake or a giant sharing cookie for the New Year's. I do not want to go crazy with baking. It could lead to all sorts of disasters from under baked to burnt.Another reason for pacing the desserts is the pan d'oro I bought. I will be dressing it up in the Italian tradition where this airy brioche type bread is sliced horizontally and filled with vanilla cream pudding.The cake is a foot high and will be more than enough for three people.
Cooking should be treated in the same light.There are many who cook huge meals on Christmas Eve followed by a second banquet Christmas Day. This is taxing even for the most experienced home chef. There are usually two roasts, sides and salads. Sometimes two or three main courses share
the spotlight.Families spend the days before preparing sides. Then comes the letdown on St. Stephen's Day, or Boxing Day, December 26th. This day can be celebrated not with leftovers but with fresh cooked main courses and sides. My Christmas Eve will be making gemelli - those twisty pastas with homemade sauce. I could have saved it for our Christmas Day dinner but one, it would definitely be too much and two,it wouldn't go with a vegan turkey dinner.It would also be a day of nothing but cooking and a night of washing up. St. Stephen's Day is going to be when I take panettone the Italian fruitcake and turn it into French toast. This is the perfect "day after" lunch, just a lazy day to enjoy a long brunch y meal, and go over the gifts.Whatever wasn't made during these three days will be baked or cooked in the ensuing ones.
The holidays can drive anyone crazy, especially the home chefs and bakers. Pace yourself. Stretch out the holiday kitchen scene before you stretch out yourself.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Premade Or Homemade
For me this year the answer was a no brainer.Actually two answers:Pillsbury
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Recipes From The Red Cat
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
A Jamaican Christmas Up North
Famed cookbook writer and regular contributor, Priya Krishna wrote about it for today's new York Times's Food section. She not only got tot taste the best of Jamaican home chef Hazel Craig but also saw how she created these amazing dishes. Her assistant was her daughter , Jessica, the head pastry chef at L'Artusa in Manhattan's West Village.Hazel lives for Christmas celebration It has been the one constant n her family's trouble life here first in Queens , then Islip Long Island. They had even suffered a fire that completely destroyed their house. Yet Hazel would not be deterred during the holidays. She cooked curried goat, callaloo,ackee and saltfish in a small trailer. Even in their rebuilt house, she made sure they had the same feasting as they did before. It stems from Hazel's Jamaican upbringing. The island goes into full partying mode every December. She grew up in Spanish Town where people would dress up, playing drums and dancing in the streets. Her grandmother made her favorite dishes which included curried goat and a fruitcake rife with cherries and raisins marinated in rum since the Christmas before, Hazel's dessert nowadays is a sweet potato pudding , dusted with nutmeg.
The family comes from all over the US for a traditional Jamaican Christmas. Hazel makes the fiery callaloo which would be a perfect chill chaser. right now.It's a fish and greens stew chock full of all sorts of flavors. The original recipe calls for Amaranth and water spinach but Ms. Krishna suggests subbing in kale and Swiss chard with their stems removed. Saltfish or baccalao (cod) is also added for substance along with tomatoes and onions, Hazel adds a teaspoon of Lawry's Seasoned Salt which also has paprika and garlic.It's also cooked with vegetable or canola oil. The fish is first boiled and then shredded into little pieces. The tomato and onion are sauteed , then the saltfish and greens are added and stewed.The other recipe is for curried goat.If you do try this, remember that most supermarkets don't sell it. You'll have to go to a halal butcher for it.Onions and potatoes are added to it along with that famed Jamaican Scotch Bonnet pepper - which is pure fire.There is also the addition of Jamaican curry which also has allspice added ,a spin on the true Indian curry.It takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours to cook in a Dutch oven.
Jamaicans know how to do Christmas right. They make it a festival of food, both fiery and warming and sweet and calming. That's exactly what a holiday should be.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
A Small Quiet Christmas Dinner
Roasts are always the stars of a holiday table. Yet a twenty pound turkey or ham would be way too much not to mention providing leftovers until Valentine's Day. Think small. A four to six pound turkey will work and there will still be leftovers for sandwiches.Another idea is turkey breast. it can range anywhere from two to eight pounds. The smaller ones only take between an hour and a half to two hours to roast and there's not as much fuss to them.It can even be cooked in an Instant Pot. There can be gravy by using the pan drippings. Individual Cornish hens are a lavish yet not so overwhelming as a main dish as well . Like turkey, there will be crunchy skin and tender white meat and juicy dark.Ham has always been a Christmas favorite. Get a small one - a little over one pound will be satisfying to a party of two or three.What about vegans? Gardein has four turkey cutlets that come with a reasonable facsimile of gravy.If there's a table of four then think about their holiday roast. It's stuffed with cranberries and rice along with having its' own gravy packet. The taste is exactly like the real thing too.
What about sides? A full holiday table will have three or four plus a salad or two. This would be too much for two or even three people. Write down a list of favorite sides and narrow it down to two. That way dinner isn't so overwhelming and there's no waste or a ton of leftovers in the fridge. If you're having stuffing, then nix the dinner rolls. Decide on what kind of potato you want , whether the usual Idaho or russet or sweet. Think larger casserole type sides such as scalloped potatoes or candied yams may be too big a dish for two. You could just have baked russets with a fancy garlic or herbed butter.Or try just roasted yams, with maple butter. Something green is always a nice compliment to ham, turkey or tofu. Get the steamer bags of broccoli and green beans. There's just enough for two to three people.Serve with melted butter or vegan butter and sprinkle on some Parmesan.. Dessert should just be for two. Duncan Hines has their Perfect Size cake mixes with icing that makes for a sweet ending to a holiday meal. Jazz it up with a sprinkling of red and green sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
A Christmas dinner for two or three can still be lush and delicious. Just think small. It'll be a perfect meal, with the right amount of food.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Your Holiday Spice Guide
One of the most traditional spices are cloves.These dried little pin like buds have been used in Asian and Mexican cooking for generations.It is also a must for a Christmas ham.Not only does it serve as a nice decoration, its' dark earthy sweetness complements the meat's saltiness.They can also be used in another holiday treat mulled wine.This is a heady warmed punch that not only has cloves but also star anise, juniper berries,cardamon,and cinnamon. Ground clove can be used in the famed coconut Christmas cake too. Nutmeg is another spice that's a winter favorite.Usually it's dusted atop frothy cappuccinos but it can also be used with brown sugar as a dry ham rub or sprinkled on mashed sweet potatoes.Of course it's used in baked treats.Try nutmeg laced cupcakes with caramel icing or sugar and spice cookies that rich in butter, nutmeg and cinnamon. The star of the holiday spice rack is cinnamon.It can be used in a soul warming butternut squash soup or a fiery veggie hash. Snickerdoodles wouldn't be the same without it and you can add a pinch to regular sugar and butter cookies too.
The big stars of the season are ginger and peppermint. This is the time of elaborate gingerbread houses and sweet gingerbread boys and girls. Yet ginger root can be used in main and side dishes too.It works perfectly with ham or even roast pork. Mix it in a marinade of chili peppers,honey soy sauce and rice wine for a more non-traditional but delicious Christmas dinner or holiday buffet.This fiery root can also zing up side dishes too.Everyone will rave over honey ginger carrots that also have a spritz of lemon juice . For a cleansing dish, make a salad with the ginger and beets dressed with simple oil and vinegar. You could make gingerbread cookies but how about a Christmas ginger cake, sweetened with molasses and zinged with ground ginger mixed with cinnamon and cloves. The strong flavor of peppermint is also prevalent right now. A nice peppermint tea is soothing after a heavy meal and perfect for a quiet read with a new book. Add a drop of peppermint oil to hot cocoa for a tasty night time treat.The pairing also works well in cookies. Think a plate of chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies or pinwheels. Bark also is a great way of highlighting the two flavors too.
Spices are what give holiday food and drink their special flavors. Use one, Use them all to make the holidays even more delicious.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
The Cookie Baker's Must Have LIst
Cookie cutters - do you have enough for what you want? You can get by with one circle and one star cutter. If you want more variety then head to Target and buy the Wilton eighteen piece set. They have everything from a mitten to reindeer to Santa 's hat. You can also buy a Wilton three piece set that has a star, stocking and candy cane cutouts.
Ice cream scoop - use this for perfectly shaped and evenly distributed drop cookies.
Cooking spray - to use on the ice cream scoop. Dough just slides out without it sticking to fingers and rings. Prefrably use butter flavored one. This can also be used in place of butter or margarine to grease cookie sheets
Appropriate flours - yes you may need the regular kind but also have a package of gluten free flour for those family and friends with celiac disease.
Sweeteners - have plenty of white and brown sugar for doughs and confectioners sugar for icings..If you're going the alternative route, then make sure you have enough honey and maple syrup
Flavorings - make sure you have vanilla extract or vanilla beans and pods, along with peppermint, rose water ,almond, coffee and cocoa extracts
Baking chocolate and unsweetened cocoa - for both cookies and icing.
Cream cheese bricks - for icing and some cookie recipes.
Eggs you'll always need them
Unsweetened apple sauce - an egg sub in for vegan cookies
Aquafaba bean water from chickpeas. An egg white substitute that can be used for making meringues and royal icing.
Nuts - use for flour, texture or decoration. Have packs of slivered almonds, crushed walnuts and pecans.
Peanut butter- for peanut butter cookies and for sandwich cookie fillings
Chocolate chips for cookies and decorations
Sprinkles, red hots, dragees and sanding sugars - for decoration
Decorative tins and Saran wrap - for wrapping them as gifts.
Once you have all these it's time to BAKE!!!!🍪🍪🍪🍪 Get that cookie factory in gear and create tasty memories!!!
Friday, December 14, 2018
The Breakfast Book For You
Breakfast :The Most Important Book About The Best Meal Of The Day (Oxmoor House Publishing 2018)was compiled and written by the editors at Extra Crispy, a blog about what else - breakfast. The site is rife with celebrity interviews and where to find the best hot chocolate along with recipes on how to turn leftover tinned popcorn into breakfast.It's a fresh approach to eating fun, healthy and/or traditional and the book also reflects that.I love this book.It has a plethora of really good recipes along with the why of what we eat in the morning or afternoon or evening. The history of the egg is fascinating, starting with the CroMagnons. Another interesting section, written by Jim Behrle. is the one on Taylor ham, why it's call what it is and why we cook it with four slits in it. Following it is an essay on livermush, a North Carolingian breakfast specialty. Coffee and , especially cappuccino affectionados will love the chart detailing the amount of espresso, milk and foam that go into our must have morning joes. There is also an excellent section on the mimosa, that ubiquitous brunch must have along with eight variations on it.Contributors have also written reminiscences about the breakfasts that defined their childhoods along with an eye opening essay on Anita Bryant, she of orange juice and old fashioned homophobia fame.
What about the recipes themselves? There are so many that I am going to try during this holiday season and well afterwards. I love the advice for making the perfect poached egg. There is also the perfect Hollandaise sauce to go with them, explained with such exactness that it'll be your go to recipe for this delicious , lemony sauce. The chart for five easy smoothie recipes will come in handy for those who want a healthy "green" start to the day. All of them just have five ingredients which makes for an easy blend.Then there are the decadent Dutch babies, those puffy oven baked pancakes that feed four or five. Want more baked goodness? The Extra Crispy writers have a chapter on such tasty AM classics as DIY toaster strudel, made with phyllo dough and sticky toffee cinnamon rolls, based on the English sticky toffee pudding. Home bakers will love the recipes for buttery brioches and old fashioned fruit filled muffins. International breakfasts are also featured here.Dal pakwan ,a fiery standard in Indian household would be perfect on a cold winter's morn along with the yeasty, sweet Shibuya honey toast, popular in Chinese and Taiwanese households. The best recipe by far is their take on a gingerbread house constructed out of Pop Tarts and decorated with a variety of breakfast cereals.
Breakfast The Most Important Book About The Best Meal Of The Day is the must have holiday gift for breakfast lovers and foodies alike. It is informative and entertaining. Best of all it is chock full of yummy recipes that you can create for any meal, breakfast lunch or dinner!
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Rum Balls With Zing
Melissa Clark did just this n her recipe for them in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Her A Good Appetite centers around the recipe, marrying another Christmas flavor, gingerbread. Hers was a happy accident, thanks to the scraps left over from a gingerbread house. She was left with weeks of nibbles and still had more remaining. As with any frugal home baker, she pulverized the pieces.
,using the crumbs for both the balls and a few cheesecake crusts subbing them in for graham crackers. The first were a big hit.People like their heady, boozy buzz and the gently spiced bites. This year she deiced to make them again, using packaged gingersnaps.along with pecans and amber rum. You can also use bourbon or brandy too, just to vary them.Ms.Clark also uses cocoa powder to give the rum balls an earthy mellowness along with freshly ground ginger, and freshly ground cardamon along with ground cardamon and more ginger. this time ground. Get rid of the usual corn syrup and put in maple for a warmer, deeper flavor. The cookies can be coated in either confectioner's sugar for a moist exterior or granulated sugar for a nice crunchy crust.
The recipe is simple and a no bake one. What brand of gingersnaps should you use? Ms Clark doesn't have any favorites. You could use Nabisco's new and improved recipe which features real ginger and molasses. For a buttery flavor then go to the cream of the crop - Tate's gingersnaps which have the lovely addition of butter flavor too. She does specify what kind of rum to use. The amber variety has
a mellower flavor than the white but she recommends using the one you like. It starts off with pulsing the cookie crumbs and pecans in a food processor until coarsely ground. Do not over process. The nuts have to have some texture. Alternately finely chop reserved nuts and add them to the crumbs. In a separate bowl stir together 3/4 ths of a cup of confectioner's sugar , rum.maple syrup and the cocoa powder. Also add the spices. Stir in the crumb mixture, adding more ginger if you want more fire. Squeeze everything together in a mass. Roll the dough into one inch balls, finishing in a roll of either confectioner's or granulated sugar -your choice. Store them in an airtight container where they'll last up to two weeks (although they'll probably go in a day) Drizzle more rum onto the older ones to keep them moist.
Make these zingy balls to add to a cookie swap or end a holiday dinner. They're easy and fun. Bestof all they're delicious and boozy - the perfect Christmas bite?
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The Best of 2018 Issue
So, what where the best recipes? One turned out to be the one that was my biggest disaster Julia Moskin's chicken franchese. Done right it must be magic.I realize that some recipes just don't translate to vegan. It is a great dish,perfect to make for a holiday dinner party with friends. Add some fettucine along with a flute of Prosecco for a really festive meal.Another chicken recipe also became a Times reader fave - Melissa Clark's sheet pan chicken , Even novice chefs can make this tasty mix of chicken, bell peppers and sweet potatoes. It's spiked with sage,paprika , and cayenne. If you prefer mild then try Alison Roman's baked mac and cheese - creamy with sharp cheddar and given texture with a sprinkling of bread crumbs. There is also Sam Sifton's adaptation of Jonathan Wu's beef and broccoli using chuck steak, and butter! End with salted chocolate chunk shortbread cookies, from Alison Roman . These new classics won hands down as one of the best recipes, as it married everyone's favorite flavors dark chocolate and butter.
The best restaurants and quick bites are internationally varied. Reviewers went wild over Lagman House that produces the varied noodles, from Gulshat Azimova. a Dungan cook. She is from a small minority from southern Kazakhstan. with ancestral influences from the Muslims who traded on the Silk Road and the Han Dysnasty. Bab Marrakesh gave reviewers a taste of Morocco. with lamb shanks amid prunes and almond and the meat pie, bastilla, dusted with confectioner's sugar. Ho Foods has its; lu rou fan, pork belly soaked in a combination of Taiwanese beef and rice wine, along with orange peels. What wines were the stars of 2018? Eric Asimov cites the grand Chateau Lafite Rothchild Pauillac 1868 (!), He was fortunate enough to attend the 150th anniversary celebration of Lafite's acquisition by the famed Rothchild family. According to Mr. Asimov,this was the wine of a lifetime. For more down to earth wines, there's the Noel Verset Cornas 2004, a syrah and the Italian La Stoppa Emilia Macchione from northwest Emilia -Romana,known for its' purity and depth.
These are some of the best - tastes and flavors that made 2018 sing . Will they continue on in 2019?Or be replaced by even better and tastier foods and wines. Time will tell.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
A Very Paleo Christmas
Ham is a big deal and a classic Christmas main dish for centuries. Guess what? It's also the star of many a Paleo dinner too. Instead of crusting it in brown sugar and ginger ale use a mix of coconut crystals, raw honey, along with maple syrup. Zing it up with dijon mustard and coconut vinegar which has the similar taste to apple cider vinegar.It can still be decorated with pineapple rings and cloves. Another choice is of course,turkey.Keep it moist with constant basting. so there's no need for gravy. Since a flour based gravy is taboo, try a barbecue sauce mixed with chicken broth for a different spin. Every Christmas dinner table is also laden with sides. Think a simple grilled Brussels sprouts with just olive oil or better yet a melange of veggies. Try a colorful mix of cauliflower, kohlrabi, and butternut squash baked in coconut oil and spiked with thyme and rosemary. For fanciness, try a sweet potato Dauphinoise, made with almond milk.There is some decadence with the addition of butter and Gruyere cheese. You could also just roast them in the oven and serve with a small dab of butter or coconut oil.
Christmas means cookies and treats. The Paleo diet allows for a wide variety of ingredients to be used so that means a variety of goodies. Paleo sugar cookies have an extra nuttiness thanks to homemade cashew flour being added to the recipe. This is easy to do. It's just taking raw cashews and grinding them in your food processor. Coconut flour is added for more substance, Tapioca flour is also added as a binder along with the clarified Indian butter ghee,one egg and honey. It may sound like a bit too much for a simple cookie but the end result is worth it. Want more variety ? Then try the caveman's version of the chocolate chip. It's more or less the same as a regular one, but the standard brown sugar is replaced with raw honey (keep in mind that the taste won't have that earthy sweetness regular ones have). Blanched almond flour mixed with coconut flour is used instead of white.The Paleo recipe does require organic dark chocolate chips and not the usual bag of morsels. If these recipes are a bit off putting then think about Paleo peppermint meringue trees. These don't vary too much from the original recipe. They're made with egg whites, tinted with a natural green dye , and piped into three blobs on top of each other. After baking, the bottoms are dipped in a mix of peppermint oil and dark chocolate . This is a great treat for kids and adults alike.
Paleo doesn't t mean basic. You can have some good for you holiday treats Paleo style that are relatively healthy and fun. It's still a Christmas with a good meal , followed by tasty treats.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Junior Baking Made Easy
The easiest, and least worrisome are the no bake recipes.One of the most fun and the most candylike is the recipe for cow patties (horrible name but a tasty bite). It's adding butter, sugar, and milk,along with milk and cocoa powder in a four quart sauce pan. It;'s boiled for a minute and then taken off the stove. Peanut butter and vanilla are then added , finishing with the oats. The "dough" is then dropping by heaping teaspoons on wax paper lined baking sheets. You can add red and green cherry halves for a festive holiday look.If you feel that the kids can't handle a burner then think about Rice Krispie cookies. Heat up the butter and marshmallows in the microwave for three minutes on high. Stir and then microwave again. Stir a second time to make sure marshmallows are completely melted. Then add six cup of the cereal,. Mix until all the rice puffs are coated. Pour mixture on a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Use the cooking spray on the spatula and spray liberally on the cookie cutters.Decorate with icing, chocolate chips, silver dragees or anything that catches the kids' eyes. You can also make a Rice Krispie house too, using all sorts of candies and cookies to decorate it.
Older kids such as the nine to twelve age range can have fun with simple sugar cookies. Try a drop recipe instead of a rolled , put in the fridge dough. It's a mix of flour, baking soda, salt and butter along with one egg and vanilla extract. Sprinkle on holiday sprinkles before popping into an oven.Peanut blossoms are another fun holiday cooking and can be varied with both milk and dark chocolate kisses. The dough is a peanut butter one, sweetened with light brown sugar. Continuing in that vein, have the young bakers trying their hand at peanut butter cookies. For even more deliciousness dip the ends in either milk or dark chocolate and then blitz with red and green sprinkles.Chocolate chip cookies are everyone's favorite and the homemade ones are the best. A simple recipe is one that contains all the stuff that makes these snaps a decades old classic. It's an alchemy mix of flour , butter eggs, brown sugar (it has to be BROWN sugar, white just won't work) and of course chocolate chip or chunks. Dark chocolate is the best.
Encourage young bakers with simple recipes. They'll enjoy making and baking them. Let these future pastry chefs go wild with flour and sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Pick Your Party
Many Christmas parties are family and friend affairs. A fun one is a potluck dinner. Everyone can bring this favorite dish , whether savory or sweet.Make sure that they're are no duplicates unless the recipes somewhat differ.No one wants every dish to be pasta based. If someone's signature dish is already taken , then suggest their second or third favorite recipes.Some areas are blessed with mild Decembers. Think about an outdoor party, complete with a barbecue.eschew the heavy winter dishes and think summery potato salads and slaws. Instead of cookies, think a hot chocolate s'more where dark chocolate is subbing in for milk chocolate and then sprinkled with cinnamon.Have plenty of outdoor lights on since it gets dark early. A tree trimming party is another option. This is an informal one so think a crockpot of tomato sauce with a big pot of any kind of pasta simmering on the stove or chili, poured over piping hot polenta. Guests can bring dessert, namely homemade cookies. You can
even have a cookie contest with prizes. Create stockings filled with Peeps marshmallow trees , along with chocolate and peppermint bark for kids (and any adult with a sweet tooth).
Then there's the elegant route.This is time to get out the good or holiday themed china along with name cards and a slew of utensils gracing plates and chargers.. It' tempting to set the table with poinsettias but these can be too big, obscuring guests' faces. Think something small and classic such as a quartet of white and red roses in small square vases. You can work with a florist to achieve this. (there is also a great company, Venus Et Fleur that can create these with perfectly preserved roses) . Start with two or three amuse bouches. These can be shot glasses full of gazpacho followed by Camembert bonbons and small skewers of grape tomatoes and mozzarella cheese , with a balsamic drizzle. As for dinner, you could go for a standing rib roast or roast capon. Think grilled asparagus with lemon or roasted squash with thyme and onions for sides. Also having a simple side salad with a plain vinaigrette dressing is a must.Dessert can be that American classic - baked Alaska using aquafaba on trend right now. Even more impressive is croquembouche , a pyramid of cream puffs, filled with chocolate ganache and champagne cream.
There;s a variety of party types to choose from. There's no right or wrong choice. - just your choice. Have fun planning and throwing it.
Friday, December 7, 2018
The Gift Of Giving Back
One of the best ways to help is volunteering at your local homeless shelter or soup kitchen.For those without family,this is the best way to spend Christmas instead of at the movies or just home alone. Shelters and kitchens also throw small holiday parties and if they let you , bake something. Have the kids help. A fun sheet cake , plates of cookies and trays of cupcakes help to make everyone's season brighter. It is also a good time for the kids to start on a lifetime of public service. They can also make up stockings full of candy for kids there too. If they're older they can also assist, from serving food to washing up and drying.Another idea is organizing a holiday bake sale with the shelter or church . This is a chance for a kind of cookie swap where you can shine and bring your best recipes. A great idea that definitely gives back is having a group get together and bake a gingerbread village. Raffle it off with the proceeds going to the poor. Any one with a sweet tooth would love wining a munchable town.
The feeling can extend to neighbors and friends of friends.If you know they're alone for Christmas eve or Christmas day, then think nothing about inviting them. They'd appreciate a meal with family and lively discussions. Another idea is "adopting" a nursing home resident and baking him or her cookies or even creating a fruit basket tailored to their dietary needs. If you have more time them think about contributing to the nursing home holiday party.The families would greatly appreciate it and it would be like bringing a little bit of home back to them,Military families also need a bit of cheer . If there are any on your block, then invite them in for a cup of cheer and some holiday savories and sweets. For any service person coming home surprise them and their spouse with a gift certificate to fancy restaurant for one of their favorite restaurants. It's a small way of saying thank you. Another way is throwing a holiday welcome home party where everyone in the neighborhood or family can contribute a sweet or savory dish.
This holiday season - give back. It's a way of spreading good will and good cheer. That's the best present of all.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Homemade Food Gifts
The New York Times Food section touched on this in an article written by regular contributor, Kim Severson. Food gift swaps are kind of like culinary Facebook events. Everyone finds out on line and then people are paired with gift givers who also expect a home baked or home cooked gift in return.As with Facebook and Twitter it is a fun way to meet fellow foodies from across the country. There are moderators such as the website Food52 which is dedicated to cooking and decorating brings food lovers together. This year 1,1507 from fifteen countries signed up, (it's closed for this Christmas but you can sign up for next year's). Gifts can be anything from homemade jam to peanuts raised in an Alaskan backyard garden. A new mother, Adrienne Kerrigan, a Seattle food blogger received a container of frozen apples cooked forever from her food exchange couple. They had found out she was expecting and sent her the same first food that they had fed her baby. As for people with allergies, celiac sufferers are paired with other allergy sufferers.Europeans are given names of foodies on their continent while Canadians are matched with fellow ones.
You don''t have to use Food 52 to have a food swap. If your family and friends love your cooking and baking then gift them with edible gifts. The Food section online has an amazing array of recipes for making fresh from the oven and stove top presents. Snack lovers will go wild for Melissa Clark's tamarind spiced nuts with mint. It's taking cashews and coating them in a blend of tomato paste, light brown sugar,honey butter and tamarind. The nuts are then baked in a 300 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Candy lovers will enjoy opening up a box of Florence Fabricant's buttery English toffee made with a pound of Lindt or Tobler chocolate and two and a half cups of butter. Then there's David Tanis;' chocolate bourbon truffles , rife with heavy cream, crushed pecans, or hazelnuts and of course, bourbon. He also has a savory pecan cookie, spiked with rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Give a tin of them with a dry sherry for a one of a kind gift. .If you have jam lovers in your circle surprise them with bacon onion jam, a blend of bacon, Spanish onions, and mustard seeds cooked down with dark brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Bake a loaf of sourdough to accompany it for a great lunch or hearty snack.
Food gifts are fun to make and fun to give . Join a food swap or give a holiday treat to friends and family. It'll be enjoyed and remembered throughout the entire year.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
The Holiday Issue Of NYT Food
Most of the pieces are about baking and one article about edible gifts (more on those tomorrow). The baking articles are keepers. There are some seriously good recipes that can be made not just for the holidays but all year round. Kim Severson interviewed top cookie bakers or "cookiers" as they named themselves in the "Tao Of Dough". Top cookier, Georganne Bell lent her chocolate sugar cookies.This is a nice change up from the average vanilla ones. With it comes Ms Bell's recipe for the fluffiest royal icing.Usually it's made with egg whites however her recipe calls for meringue powder which will give it a lighter consistency. The chocolate sugar cookie recipe could also be used in making homemade Oreos.with a peppermint or vanilla buttercream filling Ms Severson also has a sidebar on how to decorate like a professional.One of the most important musts is getting the right consitency. Ms. Bell bangs the bowl five times against a counter to get a smooth surface. Two other musts - don't go crazy with icing gadgets and a slew of cookie cutters. Keep it simple with one holiday set.Also find a recipe that works for you and that you're comfortable with mixing and baking. Other points include switch to gel food colors and rolling out the dough to a quarter inch.
Allison Roman also contributes to the holiday issue with an article chock full of all sorts of spins on classic cookies. She has one recipe on toasted coconut shortbread, It has crunch and more butteriness thanks to the addition of unsweetened , shredded coconut. They're also finished with sanding sugar that gives a nice crunch when eating them. The end result is like one of those pure butter Danish holiday cookies that come in that blue tin this time of year. She also reconfigures this classic Scottish treat with salted pistachios, however walnuts,pecans or hazelnuts can also be swapped in.It is a bit harder than the average cookie dough. It does require a food processor however if that doesn't work, then old fashioned hand kneading to thoroughly mix the dough. It's baked in a traditional tart pan, similar to the original recipes.It's then sliced in wedges. She also has a chocolate molasses snap, that are slightly different than Georgeanne Bell's.Hers are spiked with freshly grated ginger mixed with butter for heat and spiced up with cinnamon. Simple granulated sugar is the only decoration this cookie needs. The issue also highlights cookie- centric cookbooks, reviewed by Margeaux Laskey. There is Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big Hearted Bakery and Rose's Baking Basics to name a few.
Holiday cookie baking and decorating should be fun. Follow the recipes in The New York Times Food section. It'll make for easy and tasty Christmas time memories.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Fresh Baked Ornaments
If you want cookies without the calories, then think salt dough ornaments. Why a dough heavily laced with NaCl? Salt , as we all know, is an excellent preservative. It will contribute to the ornaments lasting a longtime without crumbling or breaking.it also deters mold from forming which would shorten the decoration's shelf life. Start with preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. What you'll need is four cups of all purpose flour, one cup table salt and one and one half cups of warm water. Pour the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and slowly stream in the water as you stir . Keep stirring until all the water has been added in. It will take on the consistency of bread dough so it will be hard to work with. It's now time to use your hands. The dough should be smooth and pliable like pizza dough.It's then rolling it between two large sheets of parchment paper.The bottom sheet should be placed on a cookie sheet. The dough should be 1/8th of an inch thick. If it's too thick the ornament will crack and break due to the air bubbles trapped in the middle. Then cut out the shapes while the dough is still on the parchment. Peel away the excess dough from the cutters. You can then make designs, using a fork, straw or paring knife. Use a drinking straw to poke a hole in the top for the ribbon.
Now it's time for baking! They should go into the oven for about an hour. You'll know they're done when they feel hard.(Tap with a fork or spoon to gauge hardness). Don't worry if they turn brown. You can always paint over those. The real fun part comes after. It's time to get the paints, glue and glitter!! You can mist the newly baked ornaments with a thin coat of white spray pain to even out any brown baking spots. They can be left white to look snow dusted which would be very dramatic on any tree. Some use puffy paints, others use paint pens for more precision. A fun idea is using them as place tags at a holiday party and personalizing them with guests names. Use gold and silver paint pens to write the names. Another idea is outline the ornaments in glitter, rhinestones or garlands . As for the type of ribbon to use, you could use classic red and green velvet or go a little more fancier with metallic.If you want really festive ones then look into Paper Mart. This site has a wide variety of printed ribbons that would complement any ornament.
Baking fun and decorating Christmas trees is combining two holiday loves. Whip up a batch today and have some fum. Create memories and ornaments!
Monday, December 3, 2018
A Very Vegan Hannukah
A cold December night calls for a hot soup and what better than a vegan matzoh ball one. It starts with vegetable broth, whether homemade or bought, If you make it from scratch remember you can add whatever veggies you want. Start with carrots and celery and toss in tomato and bell peppers if you want. Onion is very flavorful and then also add such herbs as marjoram, rosemary and thyme. Here comes the hard part - making eggless matzoh balls. Can it be done? Eggs are the binding force that keeps the dough balls from coming apart once they hit the hot soup.Instead use aquafaba that all purpose and on trend bean water left from chickpeas. They have a composition similar to egg whites and can be used in the recipe.You will have to par bake them . For a simpler take use silken tofu instead of the aquafaba.This is taking about half a cup of firm silken tofu, pureeing it and then adding one half cup matzoh meal and two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Boil them separately from the soup and drop them into the cooked broth.
Of course it's not Hannukah without latkes. These crunchy potato pancakes traditionally have used eggs to bind and shape them. You can omit them and continue on with the recipe.It's taking two large russet potatoes and combining them with a diced yellow onion ,flour and baking powder. Fry in vegetable or light olive oil. Latkes are always good with sour cream and vegans can still enjoy this - by using vegan sour cream. You can buy it or make it by using silken tofu and mixing it with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.Then add minced garlic and sea salt and blend. Jelly doughnut or sufganiyot are treats that Israelis love at Hannukah, It taking yeast and mixing it with almond milk and then adding it to the blend of salt, flour and sugar.Coconut oil and ground flax seed is also incorporated into the dough. Fry them first in vegetable oil, then roll the hot doughnuts in a bowl of granulated sugar. It 's now time to fill them. Fill a pastry bag with raspberry or apricot jam, Put the insertion nozzle tip on the bag and stick in the doughnuts. One squeeze should fill them.
A vegan Hannukah is a fun one. It is still full of tasty treats but without harming animals. Celebrate the miracle of all life on earth.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Aquafaba Meringues Finally
I used the recipe from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken blog and I think it was one of the best. Before you do anything line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can attach it with a dab of meringue. I didn/t I laid a jar of salt on it to flatten the paper.
It starts with a cup of aquafaba. Mine came from Stop and Shop chickpeas.