Bowls Of Comfort

What's round and soothing, good tasting and good for you? A comfort bowl. It's the perfect lunch , dinner and even snack You can get creative or nostalgic, depending on what you have in the house.

The perfect comfort bowl should start with some kind of grain. Pasta is the preferred because it's so versatile but you can also use brown or white rice along with cubed bread.Some even use polenta, because like the others it's versatile and relatively easy to cook up. How much can fill up a bowl? That depends on what how big your bowl is. It's usually a cup of pasta for two cups of water and  one cup of rice  to once cup of water.  To make the dish. more flavorful , cook the pasta or rice in any kind of broth, beef, chicken or vegetable. Many home chefs keep it simple. They add just a knob of butter or margarine and some shredded cheese. This works perfectly but if you want to zing it up a bit think about a sprinkle of ground herbs. Basil works as does rosemary or oregano. A small dose of garlic salt also does something to elevate a bowl.Spices, too, can make any bowl a bit more special. Think curry or garam masala for an Indian vibe or chili powder and red pepper flakes for a Mexican feel. 

A more substantial bowl can have all sorts of ingredients. Also a comfort bowl can take leftovers. They're a good way of using up that rotisserie chicken or steak tips from the previous night. Leftover hamburgers can be quartered and added. Canned vegetables can be used for color, texture and more flavor. A mix of carrots and peas are good both with small pasta such as rotelli or penne along with string beans and broccoli. Peas work well with rice for a spin on risi bisi. This last is usually made with arborio rice but you can use long grain white instead. Bok choy, tofu and cabbage work with long pasta such as spaghetti or angel hair for a Chinese influenced comfort bowl. Douse with soy or tamari sauce. Another idea is a bowl of savory bread pudding. This can have all sorts of ingredients from sausage to chicken to bacon. Veggies can be a range of different mushrooms from shiitake to cremini as well as different colored ones. Chop up any stray pepper or tomato you have and add them in with some chopped onions and garlic.

There's nothing like a comforting bowl of something hot and delicious . They're easy to make and fun to eat. Try one if you want something simple but substantial.

The Comfort Of A School Lunch

This upcoming school year is going to be fraught with all sorts of anxiety. A comforting school lunch can help ease some of those fears and stresses. Classic sandwiches, hot meals and snacks may bring a smile to those worried faces.

Fun lunches and riffs on cafeteria classics can easily be recreated at home. This is great if the kids are returning to classrooms right away and need to bring a lunch. Egg and tuna salad sandwiches are staples in any school and even college cafeterias. For the egg salad spike it up with some parsley or paprika for color. Tuna salad can be crunched up with the addition of celery which also gives it a shot of green too.Of course kids love bologna and turkey too.Many love the squish of both mayo and mustard. Combine these for a new condiment with the addition of toasted mustard seeds. The last  are easy to toast. It's just five minutes in a 350 degree Farenheit oven. Of course there is the loved for generations peanut butter and jelly . Vary it with crunchy peanut butte or all natural kinds. Change it up with either cashew or almond butter if the little ones are OK with that. (Keep in mind that some will freak out if you replace one kind of peanut butter with another). Get sandwich cutters to give them a festive look. what's good about these is that the cutters also seal in the filling so it doesn't squish all over the place. These will also come in handy when the little and not so little ones return to the classroom.

Some kids may not be returning to their classrooms until October or November. This means a hot or more substantial lunch. This is where your crockpot can come in handy. Make a big pot of chili for dinner one night and lunch the next (also remember that it can be used to top hot dogs too). Think about making crockpot tomato sauce which can be used over such kid favorites as spaghetti and ravioli. Kids love a good steamy bowl of tomato soup. Sure you can open a can but homemade is better - and much more flavorful. It's just taking plum tomatoes and cooking it with either chicken or vegetable broth. There's also diced onions, seasonings and garlic to round out the flavors. It's all stirred and cooked in the crockpot for six to eight hours.Grilled cheese is another kid favorite. Add a slice of ham for a croque monsieur vibe. Older kids may like it the French bistro version with a bechamel sauce on top. Bechamel is an easy blend of milk,butter and flour. Salt, pepper and nutmeg are the seasonings that elevate it. You could serve it with bistro fries or shoe string potatoes for a really fun lunch.

Start this  unprecedented school year off with familiar foods for lunch.It can be a hot soup or a cold PB & J sandwich. Whatever they like as long as it's a comfort to them.

Parcels Of Love

There are still many who are alone during this pandemic. They remain inside or yard bound . sometimes they're alone , eating and drinking by themselves.It's time to reach out  with parcels. These will bring a smile to anyone's face.

Food parcels are easy and fun to create. What's great about them right now is using the bounty of the season, Those voluntarily shut in would appreciate fresh tomatoes for sandwiches along with squash and eggplant, perfect for frying or ratatouille. Also an extra treat would be bags of fresh picked basil and dill along with other herbs. You could also create a barbecue themed parcel, with hamburgers or hot dogs along with rolls and ready made salads. If you can, stay and join them for the cook out. A shared meal, especially a barbecue is always welcome and can be turned into an entertaining night, even if it is just for two.Include graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate for s'more later on. Sandwiches are also a great bring over. Buy or make heroes and bring along chips or cherry tomatoes. Join the person (or people) for some talk and company. This will go a long way and buoy their spirits. Another idea is  ordering from the person's favorite restaurant. You could just order appetizers or a full meal along with a dessert for each.

A question that may be asked is should you bring alcohol? The pandemic has made many feel hopeless and anxious, stressed about all aspects of their futures. A bottle or can helps to relax and unfortunately a few have been emptying a bottle or two a night. I would say go with soda or sparkling water to accompany a meal. There's nothing wrong with bringing some iced coffees or teas that you can sip. As the weather gets cooler, then bring pumpkin spice lattes or hot cocoa. These are better. No one gets drunk or even sick. You may want to address the wine or beer indulgence if you're worried about the person. Just go easy and be subtle.Another way is introducing mocktails. These can be made at home and brought over in a container or thermos or made fresh at the person's house. Have Virgin Marys' with a breakfast sandwich or a Virgin Pina Colada with ribs or tacos. Bring the ingredients which are juices, different herbs and seltzer.If you're celebrating a birthday or just want a fun fizzy drink then think a non alcoholic champagne. Pair it with  something lush to eat like a shrimp cocktail or a small tin of caviar.

There are many shut ins these days. They are eating, and at times drinking alone. Bring them something tasty and fun to alleviate the loneliness, Stay for their company and food.

A Slice Of Watermelon Ham

Americans are slowly but surely embracing the vegan lifestyle. Barbecues now include Beyond and Impossible Burgers. Not Chick-N Broth is being used in soups and gravies. Cabbage and cauliflower steaks are now desired main dishes, Now there's watermelon ham. Yes, you can take the classic fruit and turn it into a tasty meat substitute.

It was the subject of an article in yesterday's New York Times Food section . Once again the host of PBS's Project Smoke,  Steven Raichlen wrote about this interesting phenomena and how it's taking over the culinary world.It's not just watermelon ham that's taking the world by storm, but also radish prosciutto and burdock root jerky sticks. as with meats, these dishes are also cured and smoked, served as charcuterie. The clever Will Horowitz, chef and co-owner of the famed Ducks Eatery in Manhattan has created these new spins with all the ancient techniques. They're salted, cured, dried , fermented and smoked.He claims that its just finding the right cocktail of these will do the trick of preserving fruits and vegetables. Seaweed is also getting the treatment as it's turned into kelp jerky, thanks to Chef Horowitz's other company, Cured. This was developed for Akua City Greens , a company that also offers kelp pasta.

As for that watermelon "ham" , Chef Raichlen does offer a recipe for it along for recipes for crispy smoked shiitake and smoked carrots with roasted yeast, the last coming from Larder, a popular foodie hangout in Cleveland. Vegans and vegetarians will want to try all of these. Keep in mind to create a ham look alike , there is a lot of work, namely in paring off the rind. You have to be meticulous about it.It's then putting the peeled fruit into a bucket or container as you prepare the brine. This is a mix of different spices from peppercorns to juniper berries along with wood ash, salt and oregano.There's also creating "Juices" with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Then there's smoking it for two hours and finally roasting. The easier recipes are definitely the mushrooms and carrots. The mushroom recipe comes from Chef Rich Landau a co -owner with his wife Kate of the famed vegan eatery, The Fancy Radish. It's just frying and then smoking them for a smoky bacon crunch and flavor.  The carrots are also an easy fix. They're smoked first before being rubbed with a dry yeast rub that also has cocoa powder and ground pepper along with cumin and caraway seeds .Crushed juniper berries give them zing. The carrots are then glazed with a mix of maple syrup and olive oil.

Vegan meats are making big waves this season. Try the watermelon ham for something different or the shiitake mushrooms and carrots for a different spin on a main meal. Will they replace meat? From their popularity and flavor, yes.

Happiness Is A Pizza Farm

Eating  out at a farm may not be everyone's first choice for a dinner. Add pizza and then the idea becomes intriguing and definitely appealing. It's not a new concept but it's gaining a tremendous amount of popularity, especially during this time of social distancing. It's a fun concept and a healthy one too, with the ingredients grown right there.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin, wrote about them in today's New York Times Food section.Pizza farms are mostly a Midwestern concept.It started along the Wisconsin-Iowa border two decades ago. The  credit goes to  Ted Fisher and Robbi Bannen of the A  To Z Farm in Stockholm, Wisconsin who create the first pizza farm.(sadly they shut it down due to the pandemic) Other farms started to build wood fired ovens along with studying the basics of crust, sauce and cheese. Before long they were serving pizzas on summer nights.The pies are usually the only items on the menu. They don't offer garlic knots or calzones as other pizzerias do however there is a variety of season toppings. Spring brings baby onions and red peppers while August gives zucchini, fried eggplant and red pepper. Thanks to the other ingredients such as wheat and tomatoes, the farms are also a model of sustainability. This idea is spreading to other parts of the country too. The only problem is the season ends in September. Some farms could extend the season if the weather remains warm along with having enough stores for more flour and sauce.

There are farmers who are determined to do such. The pandemic has led to blockbuster bookings and many are not deterred by falling temps. Also the farmers are also expanding their culinary skills. Many are  raising cattle for cheese and pigs for meat toppings too The popular Iowa Margherita pie at Luna Valley Farm in Decoarah Iowa has farm made Italian sausage that the owners Tom and Maren Beard made themselves along with the homemade cheese and sauce. The basil also is grown there. The only imports are the alcohol and soda which come from local makers, Many pizza farmers see themselves as activists and teachers too. There are educational sites at Katchkie Farms the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley California and the Yale Farm at Yale University, New Haven Connecticut. They have taught not only about making pizza but also about diverse, local and sustainable agriculture. Other farms such as Amber Waves in Amangansett, New York, by the Hamptons, teaches kids the value of nutrition when they teach pie making. Kids make their dough balls and then wander out in the garden to look for fresh picked toppings. As one of the owners  , Katie Baldwin who owns the farm with Amanda Merrow, puts it "Once a cherry tomato is on a pizza it's no longer a vegetable but a topping."

Pizza farms are a great way of enjoying America's favorite food along in a fresh air environment. It's freshly picked and  hand made ingredients served in a beautiful setting. It's an idea that should catch on across the country.

Parties Separate But Apart

There are parties and gathering but they're different. We are celebrating but six feet apart. Does it work?  Sort of, for now anyway.

I recently went to a neighbor's twin granddaughters twelfth birthday party. An ice cream truck provided the treats and that was it. Everyone had the choice of whatever ice or ice cream along with going back for seconds. It was only one hundred dollars for their mom to rent plus the price of all the ice cream eaten. Neighbors were invited which was sweet and nice. There was a covered gazebo in the backyard where there was enough room for social distancing and eating. The girls had pizza earlier for their friends and saved the ice cream as the "cake. There was no Happy Birthday's sung, no games to win prizes. There were, however,  loosely clustered groups, all with masks and respecting social distancing. It seems this is common from what I heard from others.Many of their kids went to various ice cream or other food truck parties in the last months. Kids ate fun and tasty food while enjoying sorely missed company.  As for the twins' get together, neighbors caught up on gossip, masking up after they had their ice cream or ices. It worked. We all kept our distance and respected each other's new personal spaces.

Friends are also talking about socially distanced parties and get togethers. Of course, they'll be nothing grand. No one will be sharing salads and we definitely won't all be digging into one plate of dessert. We may just even bring our own prepared dishes , a kind of brown bag party. This wouldn't be a bad idea. Guests could bring their own sandwiches  and refreshments. After all it's the company not the food that matters.It's just a chance of being together and having some semblance of our former lives. If any host wants to supply food, then maybe brown bagging is the way to go. Subway and many grocery stores such as Acme have already made heroes, Serve these with individual bags of chips or sandwich bags of cherry tomatoes , broccoli and cauliflower florets and individual dip cups. Mini ice buckets filled with water and soda can be placed by chairs that are set six to seven feet apart. There should also be mini hand sanitizers and wipes too. As for dessert let people make their own s'mores. Have a little bag full of chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows.

Parties are meant to be fun. In this new era, they still can be with guidelines and respect. There is still a time and a place for good food and good company,

A Light Lemony Sauce

Lightness is all important when it comes to cooking in a heat wave. It keeps food from being too heavy both in taste and on the stomach. Luckily there's a classic lemon sauce from The New York Times Food that caught my attention. It was from the great chef Pierre Franey so it's more French than Italian. I decided to give it a vegan spin.

First of all , I didn't use the recommended linguine but zucchini spirals. from Green Giant.

This is just a quick cook up in a skillet for ten to eleven minutes. Chef Franey's recipe calls for making the sauce first and adding the pasta. I did the opposite.

Lemons and lemon zest are the stars of this recipe. I zested about one tablespoon of the lemon and squeezed about half a lemon

I tried with my hasp. It didn't work I used my Mom's grater for a better result.

It was then four tablespoons of almond milk

Along with two tablespoons of Earth Balance non butter spread.

Some sea salt and a few rinds of fresh pepper were added for more flavor.

The result?

A really delicious and light dinner with an airy sauce. This would be perfect with meat or fish if you want a more substantial dish.I  will probably make this in the fall and winter too, with pasta and maybe Gardein's chicken cutlets. It was served with a fresh tomato salad which balanced it out.

This  lemon sauce is the ideal one to make during these late August heatwaves.It's cloud light and delicate. Have it with zucchini spirals for a healthier spin or pasta and meat for something a bit more filling.

Finding A Kitchen Treasure My Mom's Herb MIll

Where would we be without those dozens of kitchen gadgets that make our prepping and cooking easier and much more fun? Recently I discovered my Mom's herb grinder , a Christmas gift given a few years ago from a good friend who was family too, Eunice. She never used it, the gadget was  still in its' packaging.

It's the Microplane Company  herb mill  which finely cuts fresh herbs into perfectly shredded pieces. I don't know why my Mom never used it. It really is perfect . The company also has other mills and graters like their garlic and ginger ones that are worth looking into.

There's only two pieces and they fit puzzle like together. The fresh herbs,(I used my fresh basil) are put in the cylinder. The pestle like piece is then put inside.

It's worked like a pepper mill.

The leaves are ground with those small blades , producing perfect pieces. I wish I had used this before for my sauces because it really is a big help. I plan on using it with chives (one of my Mom's favorite herbs besides basil and fresh dill (Eunice's favorite herb which she used liberally on salmon and cucumbers). There's so much that can be made with it. I plan on making basil butter for corn and using it also on fresh rosemary for pizza.

Where would we be without our gadgets? Finding my Mom's herb mill was a godsend. It really will be used much more for a variety of different herbs.

The Fun Of Cooking For One

Single people usually get sympathetic looks when it comes to the subject of cooking. even they wonder if there's more to life than just microwave meals for one and endless take out orders. There is. Thanks to a new cookbook, cooking for one can be fun.

America's Test Kitchen  that informative PBS cooking show now has a new cookbook Cooking For One: Scaled Recipes,No-Waste Solutions and Time Saving Tips (America's Test Kitchen Publications 2020), perfect for those single home chefs. This is a brilliant book, chock full of delicious recipes that can easily be doubled for two. Cooking and even baking (yes there is baking for one!) can be exciting and fun. The book has the usual chapters on sandwiches and soups , salads and one pan dinners along with main meals. The chapter on sides shows how a side can go from a supporting player to the star with some additions.A few pages are even dedicated to fun cocktails, made with ingredients found in the fridge and pantry. What is great is, like all America's Test Kitchens books , is that its' introductory chapter  tells singular chefs what to stock up on and how much. Get a smaller skillet along with a small whisk and cutting board.There are also a couple of pages on microwave's usually a single's best friend. Listed are suggestions about using it to peel garlic(!) and how to dehydrate citrus zest. There are also recipes for fried shallots and kale chips. The book will show how to shop smarter, cutting down on items  likes meats and cheese that are usually sold in larger qualities.Leftovers are also written about along with menu plans to help reduce waste and save time.

I absolutely the recipes in this book. They are truly inspiring and fun and I plan on making many , if not all of them. I love the sides and the way they can be transformed into main dishes. There's cauliflower rice that can be easily made at home.Another plus is that every recipe has a kitchen improv section that offers suggestions about how to vary the recipe. The cauliflower rice suggests adding curry or Thai curry paste for more zing.Another yummy dish is the roasted butternut squash.I can see pairing it with the roasted carrots for a tasty healthy dinner. The main dishes are also delicious. There's skillet roasted chicken and potatoes that's reminiscent of Sunday dinners along with sheet pan sausages complete with sweet potatoes and broccoli rabe.It's served with a dollop of chive mustard butter. Sandwiches and salads are also wonderful, especially if you do have to go to the office.There is the ever popular avocado toast zinged up with red pepper flakes or feta cheese depending upon your tastes. Lamb pita sandwiches are perfect for weekend eating and easy to make. Salads include a tasty quinoa chock full of different spices and feta cheese and a warm spiced couscous salad. There are several pasta dishes that are sure to become instant favorites. The desserts are also amazing. You can make chocolate chip cookies for one - honest. However this recipe may call for several batches. There are also the tantalizing haystacks - chocolates mixed with pretzel sticks and nuts and chocolate peanut butters truffles too yummy. Of course there are mugs cakes and solo sundaes , perfect for an indulgent night in.

Cooking For One :Scaled Recipes,No-Waste Solutions And Time Saving Tips is the perfect book for those single chefs wanting good, tasty food. The recipes and advice are amazing, great for one or even two home chefs living on their own. This book means good bye to those sad microwave for one dinners and many cartons of take out.

Masking And Menus

Eating out is always a pleasure these days. It's a chance to get dressed up and sit down with friends. It's enjoying a lunch or dinner at a favorite eatery that hasn't been visited in months. There's only just one problem. Mask protocol. Do you wear it after you've been seated and order or take it off as soon as you sit?

That's the question New York Times restaurant critic, Pete Wells posed in his Critic's Notebook column in yesterday's Food section. He , himself, has an unusual one, homemade by a friend. It has shoelaces to hold it in place. This can get a bit too much as the laces have to be untied and tied every time it's worn. This can be disconcerting and uncomfortable, especially for a restaurant critic where the mask has to come off in the middle of a fine eatery..  Yet, it's what the New York Department of Health And Mental Hygiene recommends although the recommendation  doesn't have to be carried out. According to their guidelines " face coverings are not required when diners are seated but wearing a face covering as much as possible once at the table is the best way to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission for restaurant workers and dining companions." Mr. Wells has observed this has reached very few diners. Very few people keep their faces covered until the first plate of food or drink has arrived. Here in New Jersey, diners need only to wear a mask when going into an eatery's interior. Children under the age of two and those with medical problems (this could mean respiratory problems) don't have to wear any face coverings.

Are any of these OK? Many either take the masks off, stashing them in their pockets or wearing them around their necks like doctors. Some just push the masks down on their chin making them look like they've just seen a medieval dentist according to Mr. Wells. However restaurants sometimes give you your rolls and butter or oil before you even order. Yes, you could wait until after your ordered has been taken and the server gone, but who does? We arrive at restaurants hungry and a roll, even a slice of bread look downright good.Another thing is it is hard to talk with them on, and it is more freeing with having them off.  Afterwards, it's nice to just hang out and talk while waiting for coffee. Then there's the idea of masking up between courses.It is safer but for some an annoyance.Putting it on and off for at least three times during the meal can be irritating. Many forget, rapt in the meal or conversation.It is required and good manners to wear it if you have to use the restroom or entering or leaving the place. A better idea is taking diner's temperatures before they sit down although some can be asymptomatic.  Wearing your mask constantly could work if there are signs gently reminding people. It's hard to say how people will react however.

Should you wear your mask more at a restaurant? It does make sense and it is better for everyone. Yet will we? If we 're gently reminded , possibly

The Inequality of Craft Foods

There are many  excellent Black food crafters out there yet it's the white ones that get all the credit It's a system, like much of the food industry based on decades of racism. Will it end? Will there be equality? Hopefully there will be and soon.

 Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote this eye opening piece for today's New York Times Food section.  She interviewed Shakirah Simley who works in food policy  who also had an artesinal jam company Slow Jams. Food artesans of color have been ignored and shunned  while creating some of the country's best craft foods such as jams and pickles. Surprisingly a bucket of moldy jam started it all off.It belonged to Jessica Koslow owner of the hip Sqrl. This is a trendy breakfast cafe in Los Angeles famed for its' homemade type jams and Instagram pictures of those jams on toast with a slick of ricotta cheese. Yet this prize winning eatery got sloppy and let mold take over it's foodstuff, so much so that workers had to scrape the stuff off in layers.It infuriated Black artesans whose own jams were looked over and passed over in competitions. A few like New jersey jam maker Ashley Rouse, a jam maker who also has a  successful jam company, Trade Street Jam Company wondered how Chef Koslow got a book and all this success after a visit to LA and Sqrl.

Racism goes deeper than just jams. It seeps into every aspect of craft food making, excluding people of color along with women and the LGBTQ community . Slowly but surely it is changing thanks to Ms. Simley who is  now the director of the office of racial equality in San Francisco. She urged The Good Food Awards, held in San Francisco to waive their $78 entry fee for people of color. About twenty percent  of the entrants identified as Black. Only one of the fifty-five companies entering the preserves category is black owned. There's a new equity task force  set up by the Good Food Foundation to examine how to make its' premier competition for cheesemakers, beekeepers and other provisioners less white.The organization is rethinking the very natures of its' rules and categories. For example the rules require that ingredients be seasonal, local and preferably organic. This may disqualify a brilliant Jamaican hot sauce maker in the Bronx that gets his or her peppers at a corner produce store.  

People will be surprised that there are Black food artsesans. Yet they should be more surprised at the inequalities they face, from funding to food competitions. Will it change. Hopefully soon.

Fried Eggplant A Summer Favorite Redone

One of summer's favorites is fried eggplant. There's nothing like eating "poor man's oysters" as it was once called. I decided to update and veganize it a bit.

First it's slicing and salting or debittering it. This takes out the bitter flavor and sometimes itchy feeling after eating it.

This is just slicing it and sprinkling the slices with salt (I used sea salt). Brown liquid will come out after half an hour. This is just the moisture and that bitterness coming out. Also doing this gets rid of that sponginess sliced eggplant has. (I watched Chef Tony on You Tube for all this info. He's a great chef with must watch videos).

Usually breading it involves egg, flour and breadcrumbs. I went vegan with Vegg , the faux yolk mix. I used two teaspoons mixed with  half a cup of water. 

This was microwaved for two minutes and whisked.

The eggplant was dipped in it. with both sides completely soaked.

The slices were then breaded on both sides. I kept the skins on which I may not do the next time. 

I used Stop & Shop's plain breadcrumbs but you can use ones with Italian flavoring. You can also add vegan Parmesan cheese, oregano, parsley and garlic salt if you want a more flavorful breading.

I piled these  because my air fryer only takes two at a time. It's spraying the basket with cooking spray and cook both sides at 400 degrees F for six minutes each side.

This is the end result.

The slices were crunchy and tasty. They were a bit salty and I think I should have added some oregano and garlic salt to the breading. I will definitely make these again though. It was served with a simple tomato salad.

This is the recipe for those wanting a new twist on fried eggplant. The slices taste the same  - maybe even  better - than the original recipe. Try it and see how good this summer classic is updated with Vegg and fried in the air fryer.

Overbuying

The pandemic has made us all hoarders. Now it seems we buy much more than we need. The result? More wasted food. Can we break this newly acquired habit? Or will it be a new part of our lives?

That's the question many home chefs are asking themselves. I find myself wondering why I bought what I did.  It  eventually gets left  for the wildlife that frequent my backyard. It seems I've been over buying all sorts of things, from soda to produce, from snacks to sides.It stems from a few months ago when shopping trips were limited and we had to buy in bulk. Thanks to this mentality I now have twenty-four packs of Pepsi in my hallway. Yes, they were bargains with buy two, get the third free at my Stop & Shop, but now realizing I'll have them til September. The same for snacks. I've had to get rid of everything from pretzels to half eaten bags of tortilla chips. Then there's the Well Yes soups which we loved but now deem too much . I overbought them and we're stuck with four or five cans. There is cherries that are drying out too quickly along with peaches and oranges that are greening with mold. These will also have to be chucked. You can't save rotten fruit.

Like everyone else around the world, I have to again rethink how I shop. I can see multiple buying essentials such as oatmeal and milk. Those are everyday foodstuffs that are eaten almost daily. Buying two or three containers of each is a good idea. They won't go bad either. As for produce. that depends on if you cook fresh or not. It may be tempting to buy those on sale chicken breasts or skirt steaks but ask yourself if you will use them. You could put them in the freezer however that's probably still full of the frozen veggies you bought in March.Maybe get one package, especially if you're not planning on using it right away. As far as fruits and veggies,again don't overbuy unless you're planning on making sauce with tomatoes. A big bag of baby spinach isn't really necessary for a salad. You'll only use half. Get the smaller bag instead. If you do buy the bigger bags plan other dishes such as using spinach and other greens for omelets or curries. Don't buy a huge bag of peaches or nectarines. These spoil quickly. Only take home two or three of them. Select a small bag of cherries if you want them. A bigger bag may mean ignored ones that can rot and dry out.

Once again, it's time to readjust our shopping habits. It's cutting back and cutting down. It means  not wasting food and buying what you need.

Fruit On The Grill

It is harvest time for many summer fruits. They are good on their own, but grilling them adds another layer of complexity and flavor. They may be versatile when raw but grill them and they can be added to any dish , sweet or savory. It makes for a nice change in flavors.

Peaches are in season now.They're all over grocery stores and fruit stands, just waiting to be turned into something delicious. Yes, they're good in crumbles and cobblers but roasting them takes the fruit to a  whole new level.It's a simple cook with the peaches being cut in half and pitted, then brushed with olive oil. Doing the last will prevent them from sticking onto the grill grate. Use semi ripe or firm to the touch peaches for this . Too ripe ones have a lot of sugar in them which will burn quickly and are too tender to take the heat.  Grill for four to five minutes on both sides. Serve with with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of brandy for a lush out there summery dessert. You can also have them with grilled pork tenderloin or better yet chicken. The last works well with the peaches in a salad , whether for lunch or dinner. Nectarines are also big right now and these too can be grilled. They're prepared the same way as the peaches are but use melted butter instead of olive oil.  Grill for only three to five minutes on each side. They can be dusted with brown sugar and served with vanilla ice cream or served with feta cheese for a tasty sweet-savory side dish. Serve with chicken or lamb kabobs for a different outdoor grilling experience.

Smaller fruits can also be put over the coals. Many home chefs would never think of grilling plums but they are delicious this way. Again they're halved , pitted and brushed with oil. You could use olive oil or a lighter one like vegetable for this. Keep the skins on and grill them flesh side down for only five minutes. You could roll them in granulated sugar before grilling for a sweeter treat or cardamon for a spicier version. For a savory side, brush the plum halves with olive oil and then sprinkled with minced rosemary or chili pepper. Both  versions would be perfect alongside a grilled steak. Freshly grated ginger can be added to the olive oil before brushing it onto the fruit. Serve ginger plums with grilled pork ribs for a tangy Asian inspired dinner. Another fruit that's worth grilling is the cherry. You will need a grill pan or grill mat  for them however you could use foil in a pinch. First pit and halve about a pound of  cherries , then spray the grill pan, grill mat or foil with non stick cooking spray. Flip constantly so all sides are cooked. Do this for  three to four minutes or until they become lightly charred. Grilled cherries can be served with chocolate or vanilla ice cream for a crepe Suzette type of dessert.  Season them with salt and pepper  as a savory side with steak or pork They're also good in a salad. Add them and grilled chicken to a mixed green one along with crumbled feta for a truly delicious summer salad.

Grilled fruit is not only a great way to use the summer harvest but a delicious way too. Add any of them to a sweet or savory dish for a unique flavor. Enjoy the bounty of summer , grilled to  sweet  or savory perfection.

Veganizing A Classic

 Zuppa di pompeist or breadcrumb soup has nourished my Piedmontese side of the family  for centuries. It's just three ingredients: chicken broth , beaten eggs and bread crumbs. It's hard to reckon with these though in a vegan household. Yet , there is a way around it and a pretty delicious one too.

I recently discovered Not Chick'n Bouillon Cubes. These taste like the real thing which got me thinking upon first tasting them. I can make pompeist with this. I have Vegg :The Plant based egg yolk powder. Combine these two with bread crumbs and I have the family classic.

It's just taking two of the bouillon cubes, and dropping them in two to three cups of boiling water.

They're were mushy to begin with and had to be thoroughly broken up with a fork. 

Then I added two teaspoons of the Vegg and stirred vigorously. Next time I 'll use a whisk which I think will give the soup a smoother consistency.

Then about a cup of breadcrumbs (I used Stop & Shop's brand).

Stir or whisk these in as the soup simmers. Serve.

It looks and tastes exactly like the pompeists I've made and my Mom has made in the past. The flavor is exactly the same as the ones with real eggs and real chicken broth. I intend on making this a lot , especially as we go into fall. 

If you want a cup of comforting vegan goodness, then try this no meat no egg pompeist recipe. It is just as soothing and delicious as the real thing. It will also make you feel good ,knowing no animals were harmed in making it as too.

The Taste of Tamerind

Tamerind is a comforting and exotic  flavor all at once.It's tangy  and sweet, perfect for all sorts of dishes. It's great as an addition for summer dishes and drinks.

Nik Sharma, creator of the award winning  A Brown Table that highlights Indian cuisine  wrote an interesting piece about this fruit(?) in yesterday's New York Times' Food section. Tamarind is actually a hard wood, not unlike teak and it produces pods. Those pods contain a sticky sweet and sour pulp that's made into a syrup. The Italians mix it with either mineral or even tap water for a refreshing cola like drink. It's also used in Worcester sauce for that unique flavor yet it's the Africans and Indians that have made the most use of it. It grows well in hot climates, originating in Africa and migrating over to India. Tamarind is great for any pantry since it lasts for months. Use it now or use it for baking and cooking in the fall and winter. You can make the extract at home by  boiling the pulp, then steeping  and softening it for a few minutes.  Buy the packaging that says "SOUR" which is the best for cooking and baking. You can get the sweet  as Mr. Sharma does but that's just for eating out of the package.There is also the liquid concentrate. This also can be heated up to reduce its' volume but it will lose its' fruity flavor.

There are several different recipes. Try the roasted new potatoes with garlic and tamarind. It's a sweet and savory side that has new yellow potatoes flavored with the pulp along with date syrup (although you can also use honey or maple syrup). This is a syrup poured over the potatoes after they've been oven roasted with olive oil and salt.  Cumin and serrano chiles are added for fire and bite so it's not too tangy. Seafood can also benefit from tamarind. Mr. Sharma gives us shrimp, cilantro and tamarind soup.The last is only a tablespoon so it doesn't over power the briny seafood taste. There's also a yellow onion and tomato paste added along with green chile and black pepper along with cilantro.A sweeter dish is an almond, black pepper and fig cake  drizzled with a tamarind paste glaze. The cake combines these diverse flavors with the figs being dusted with the black pepper. The batter is made from almond flour which has a delicacy that works with the other intense flavors. The glaze is unusual because it combines olive oil the tamarind paste and confectioners sugar. Usually water is added to make a glaze but the olive oil gives it more heft. Water can be added to thin it out of it is too thick.

Tamarind is a wonderful flavor , perfect in a refreshing drink or interesting dish. Try it in a savory side or soup. Use it  to give more flavor to a homemade almond, black pepper and fig cake. It's a great add in for any savory or sweet recipe.

The Ritual Of Carne Asada

Carne asada is more than just a meal. In the Northern Mexico , in the Sonora region it's a family gathering. With it also comes ones of the best dinners, so different than what is often thought of Mexican food. It is tacos and guacamole but much more traditional and delicious.

Pati Jinich, the great host of PBS's Pati's Mexican Table and winner of two James Beard awards. wrote this fascinating piece in today's New York Times Food section. She visited families who hosted these weekly dinners before the lock down shook the world. You have to be invited to these and invitations are few and far between in this area  on the Gulf of California.  Chef Jinich also got to interview cooks, growers, ranchers, and butchers along with farmers merchants and even artists for her television show. What is surprising is that it's not the most expensive cut of meat that's used but more a fresh tasty piece of meat. The traditional cuts are unfussy and unfriendly. Think diezmillo or chuck roll or palomilla or top sirloin. These cuts are commonly cooked low and slow but in Sonora sliced thin and cooked fast over a high heat. It's usual for people to opt for one cut or the other but most choose both. The meat is cooked over mesquite on an open charcoal grills. The grill grate is first cleaned with a white onion and then greased with a chunk of beef fat.

Tomatoes, onions and chiles are also grilled. This lets their juices run and they are then mashed into a roasted salsa. After them comes the meat. seasoned with only sea salt. How to test if it's hot enough. According to local chefs hold a hand out a beer can's length above the coals for four or five seconds. If; it;s less ,it;s too hot and the heat has to be reduced. Too long and it's needs to be hotter. There are other recipes that round out the meal. Chef Jinich includes a fire roasted salsa  that's so simple to make. Yes, there's guacamole but without the lime.Hers has two kinds of chiles, both Anaheim and serrano, along with a lot of cilantro. There are also refried beans. These are pinto beans cooked with dried Colorado (also known as California and New Mexico) pepper. Any kind of Mexican cheese can be added, from
asadero, quesadilla, Montery Jack or Oaxaca. The beans are actually cooked twice, not really refried. They're first boiled with the onions and chiles , then blended in a blender. It's then cooking them in a casserole dish with the grated cheese. As a side there's a grilled corn ,asparagus and spring onion salad. The veggies are grilled first then cut and the corn kernels shucked off the corn cobs. This is where the lime juice comes in  with the dressing.Maggi, a kind of soy sauce is added for unami notes along with Worcester  sauce and vegetable oil.

A carne asada is a special meal in Sonora. Try these recipes to recreate all the wonderful flavors and aromas of Northern Mexico. They're a tasty reminder of a great dinner with friends and family.

An Easy Basil Tomato Sauce

                                                           

 It is basil season.         

If you're like me, you have these herbaceous bushes all over your yard. They are every home chef's best friend. You could make pesto with them but that's an intense flavor and not easily liked. I decided to take a page from the magazine All Recipes and create a simple but tasty sauce to be served with gnocchi. I used DiLallo's gnocchis which  are the closest in taste to homemade.They're a five minute cook.

First pick about a cup and a half of basil leaves. Vary them with selecting the very big and small leaves. Add the stems as well because they are the most flavorful part of the plant. You could tear the leaves in half if you want. I didn't because I knew my food chopper would do a good job of chopping them.

Use your food chopper or food processor to chop them into an almost pesto like mash. This will only take a few minutes. Give  the chopper a few pulses.

 Add them and diced tomatoes to a medium sized saucepan (about two quarts)  I used Stop & Shop's diced tomatoes. You can also use coarsely chopped fresh ones instead if you want too. Skip the sauce and the paste here. You want a fresh garden taste.

A few glugs of olive oil were then added. Again Filippo Berrio is the best.

Along with one clove of chopped garlic.

I always add honey to my sauces to get rid of that metallic tang. This time I used Bee Konscious California Raw sage honey. I usually use dark wildflower but this went with the fresh garden flavor.

It's all cooked for only twenty minutes !!!!.  The sauce was then spooned over the cooked gnocchi.

This was an easy cook and I loved the fresh flavor of the basil and tomato. It was simple yet delicious, and I plan on making this a lot for myself and for friends.

It is basil season. Use your leaves for this simple but flavorful sauce. It's an easy summer cook using the best of summer's basil harvest.

The Joy of Dining Out

As risky as it it is nowadays, dining out with friends is just such a welcome relief. Eating at a restaurant is now a fun and big event. Will it continue? Possibly - until November when the weather gets cooler and it's too chilly to eat outdoors.

I spent Saturday night with friends eating out at Fontana Tritone in Leonia New Jersey, a lovely old town right across the Hudson River from New York City. Eating there is always a treat. Leonia is a beautiful old town, with charming Victorian homes and a quaint main street. The restaurant chosen was a good choice and despite it all did take getting used to , especially with all the protocols. There had to be a reservation and then once we got there dined in the parking lot. It's nice eating outside, It always reminded me of dining out in Italy. From there we scanned our phones on a QR code. The menu came up right away and we were able to see what was offered. That was neat and this may be the new way to order, even after the virus has hopefully gone. Then the bread comes out with a server coming around with a basket of rolls and thick slices along with tongs. Everyone is masked. Some are gloved with protective plastic gloves. Despite the abnormal circumstances it still was a fun night out.

Dinner was the same as usual. I ordered Fontana Tritone's pollo scarpiello after their lavish antipasto Tritone. This was a wonderful mix of paper thin prosciutto and soprasetta and large pieces of artichoke hearts and  roasted peppers. It was dotted with black olives. I would have just been happy with this and the company. The chicken was equally delicious, just being served on the bone with fresh rosemary and garlic in a white wine sauce. Buttery mashed potatoes and mixed veggies were served with it. I have to admit, I'm not a big mashed potatoes fan but these were superb.There was a creaminess to them that other versions I've had lack. The entire dish was just wonderful. It is exciting to eat out again, with getting dressed up and even putting on make up. Then just picking out dishes from a menu instead of foraging for the ingredients in a grocery store. No cooking. No washing up afterwards. There's something exhilarating about that, even though it's a relatively small deal. It's also nice to see other diners dressed up and enjoying themselves. Somehow being in or eating in your car just doesn't cut it.

If you can and it's safe, eat out. You are supporting your local restaurant but also lifting yourself out of a rut.It's a fun night , enjoying good food and good friends.Try to do so soon.

Easy Veggie Meals

A meal comprised out of just veggies (and fungi) is one of the healthiest and easiest. Get the "steak" of the vegan world, portabella mushrooms, season and air fry and it's the perfect dinner. Add a salad and it's even better.

Before you start it pays to have these . They're what I call the trinity of spicings. Garlic salt , onion powder and oregano. Use this for really flavorful portabella mushrooms.

A sprinkle of each on the gill side after the mushrooms have been brushed with olive oil (Use a pastry brush and Philip Berrio oil for this) If the caps are too big cut them in half.

It's then air frying both sides for eight minutes on both sides at 390 degrees. F. 

As for the salad, go with a simple green bean. Steam them in the microwave (it's easier) for four and a half minutes, then dress with olive oil, apple cider vinegar ,onion powder, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Chill for two to three hours before serving.

Together this is a filling and tasty vegan meal, perfect for a summer's evening.

. The portabella cooks up and tastes exactly like a steak and the green beans are a crunchy, fresh complement.

There is no simpler meal than this. It's an easy cook. Try it for a nice break away from the usual fare.

The Rise Of Cauliflower Crust Pizza

It slowly crept into our lives , shaking up our culinary world. Some embraced it. Others were wary. What is this phenomenon? Cauliflower crust pizza. Once an outsider, now it's a big part of home cooking. What's the deal with it and why are so many embracing it?

Cauliflower pizza surprisingly is nothing new. It's been around since 2009, and its' invention was credited to the founder of the blog Your Lighter Side. A quick look at this blog and it's still has all sorts of cauliflower based recipes, including cauliflower pizza sticks and garlic roasted cauliflower. The recipe even made it to The Today Show. The idea was a hit with everyone, especially pizza lovers who wanted to have something light but with the same flavor.  Now everyone and every store seems to have a version from Trader Joe's and Stop & Shop. Even the glam mall pizzeria, California Pizza Kitchen has their version where it's topped with caramelized onions and fresh tomatoes. There's even a Los Angeles Skinny Bitch Pizzas that will deliver them. From their inception and first pictures on Pinterest, cauliflower pizza has become the star of the foodie universe. It's a great idea. A gluten free low carb pizza that still offers the great flavor and toppings. Who wouldn't love it?

The pies are all over, even creating entrepreneurs out of ordinary people. Gail Becker, a working mother of two boys decided to try the recipe at home. It seemed perfect for her, because she suffered from celiac disease and was looking for an alternative. The problem was its that the recipe is labor intensive. It takes ninety minutes to rice, drain and bake the cauliflower. There had to be an easier and better way. No such luck. Ms. Becker scoured every supermarket in her area. Not finding any she create her own frozen crust that combines tapioca and almond flour with the cauliflower and coconut oil. Caulipower was born, The company, a big success, now offers eight (!) different kinds of pizzas. She also used the cauliflower crust on chicken to create a new kind of tenders. Other companies, namely Green Giant have followed suit. The crust is an easy bake - only sixteen minutes in the oven , then it's taken out , topped and put back in. Does it beat regular pizza? That depends on the pie. Nothing can beat Blaze Pizza, yet there are others it can surpass.

Cauliflower pizza is here to stay and it will ride out any trends. People like it and have embraced it's veggie flavor and crispy crust. It's a nice alternative to the traditional pie.

A Different Spin On Empanadas

Empanadas in North America are not quite like the original ones from South America. Something is lacking. Surprisingly an ingredient from the US is making empanadas better tasting and better to fry. The ingredient? Popcorn!

The great chef J.Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote about this and gave the recipe plus a filling one for yesterday's New York Times Food section. He was able to get the truest recipe thanks to chef  Carlos Gaviria in Bogota, Columbia. he and his Columbian born wife, Adri had visited Chef Gaviria, who's also a food professor at the University of La Sabana. He's also written two cookbooks, the first is Tecnicas Profesionales de Cocina Colombians or Professional Techniques Of Colombian Cuisine  which is an in depth guide to the country's regional cuisine' The second is Arepas Colombianas, an entire book dedicated to Colombia's staple food corn cakes or empanadas. The best dough for them? One that comes from everyday popcorn kernels. Chef Gaviria realized it was also the easiest to find in American markets. He boiled them in a pressure cooker and them passed the softened kernels through a hand cranked grain mill. They're  then kneaded with a bit of water to form masa. Chef Lopez-Alt claims that the flavor and texture were outstanding, with the right crunch and corny flavor.

Kneading it is the same as kneading dough for flaky pastry .It's a smearing motion onto a board known as the fraisage method. Chef Lopez-Alt uses a wok and a slotted spoon to fry them up. A Dutch oven also works. As for the filling he give a traditional beef and potato one.It's first cooking the cubed and peeled potatoes and then sauteing ground beef or even pork with onion, scallion and paprika, granulated chicken bouillon is added (Just smash a bouillon cube with the back of a spoon). A grated, ripe beefsteak tomato and its' juices are added at the end. stir until the mixture is quite dry for about five minutes. Spread it out on a large plate. Season if you need to with salt pepper and more bouillon grains if you want, then put it into the fridge. The masa dough should already be madeand the texture of Play-Doh . The masa is divided into twenty-four golf ball size balls. Place one ball at a time into a sandwich bag, and press into a three inch circle. Use your skillet for this.After they've all been flattened , put two teaspoons of meat inside each and seal the edges together. It's then frying them in canola or peanut oil. Chef Lopez-Alt also give the recipe for aji, Columbian style salsa. It's just scallion , onions and cilantro mixed with a grated beefsteak tomato.Lime juice, water and kosher salt is then added and then everything is mixed together.

It takes a North American classic to create the best South American one. Popcorn gives the right crunch and flavor to empanadas, elevating them several notches.  Try this for the most authentic tasting corn cakes.

The End of King Chef

For too many years chefs have ruled the roost in restaurants across the world. They were and some still are kings of the kitchen. However thanks to the different movements as well as the pandemic it's all changing. Will they be seen as they were fifty and sixty years ago? Probably.

Tejal Rao wrote about this interesting subject and facet of the culinary world in today's New York Times Food section. Celebrity chefs have been around for the past forty years, starting with Wolfgang Puck. Before that chefs were
 nothing more than work horses in the kitchen, not receiving any recognition. The profession was seen as unglamorous. They weren't a brand or a visionary. One or two may have been exceptions to the rules but those were few and far between. The Seventies kicked off the shift. It was Chef Puck who really started this movement. He had a reputation for innovation as he went from head chef at the famed Ma Maison to his own, Spago. Other chefs followed in the bad boy manner. One of the first was Marco Pierre White,a British known for his rock star good looks and an enfant terrible. In his book White Heat, published in 1990 he wrote about putting cooks inside trash cans to punish them along with other forms of intimidation.Anthony Bourdain was famous for bringing the plight of undocumented workers but also was impossibly demanding to his staff too.

Then there is the famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten who locked his long time dishwasher "Sam" in the restaurant's freezer and pummeled him. The reason? "Sam" took a forty-five minute break while there was a critic in the house. Chef Vongerichten was stuck doing his dishwashing. Mario Batali, the chef who wound up on several cooking shows and in a business partnership with Joe Bastianich, son of the famed chef Lydia Bastianich is also guilty of bad boy behavior , He famously sexually harassed several women, thanks to his name and power. The tide is changing thanks to the pandemic exposing the fragility and inequality of the business. Thanks to the #MeToo movement as well as Black Live Matters, women and people of color are being recognized and heard. The white male hierarchy is crumbling. Workers are unionizing at such popular places as Voodoo Doughnuts and San Francisco's Tartine. Chefs are starting to see their workers as teams. At Somni in Beverly Hills , the chef Aitor Zabala printed a menu that credited everyone. The pastry chef, Ivonne Cerdas received as much recognition as the porters Josue Rodriguez and Mario Alarcon. This may be the wave of the future.

The restaurant hierarchy will be abolished soon enough, Chefs won't be the king of the culinary castle. They'll be part of a hardworking team , responsible for running a well oiled eatery.

To Bake Or Not To Bake

The problem with August birthdays is that they're well in August. Like July birthday's they're in some of the hottest weeks of the year. The question is do you bake a lovely homemade cake or do something else? There are alternatives, yet are they the best choice?

Many will say the heck with baking,It's just too hot and humid to pop a cake into the oven. Keep in mind that a good size cake can range from as low as $25 for one that serves six to one at $39 for half a sheet cake. Yes it's easy but it's also expensive, especially when you factor in decorating costs. Cupcakes are a better way to go , depending on the bakery or grocery store. You can easily get   a six pack of fresh made ones from Stop & Shop for $3.99 providing it's a small get together. Vegan cakes and cupcakes are a bit more expensive. Vegan bakeries such as Sweet Avenue in Rutherford, New Jersey charges $4 for one single cupcake. Granted they are OK and there's a wide array of different kinds from simple vanilla and chocolate to S'mores cupcakes and strawberry shortcake ones. Their cakes are $35 for a six serving cake and $95 for a larger one that can serve twenty-four. If you can stand the heat, then bake. You don't have to create an elaborate scratch although it's a great way of using up all that flour you bought. The birthday boy or girl would surely appreciate a Duncan Hines,Pillsbury. or Betty Crocker one. All of these companies have frosting if you don't feel like making your own.

What about microwave cakes? They're all over You Tube and they look easy. It's just a five or six minute pop into the microwave. The ingredients are the same from the flour, and milk to the baking and cocoa powders. There are even no egg and no dairy versions that only require vegetable oil or melted butter.  You can bake two layers and then frost how you want. If you feel that butter cream is still too involved then use Cool Whip.It's a great icing and filling. To jazz it up, add a few drops of mint flavoring if it's frosting a chocolate cake. A layer of strawberries, blueberries or peaches work for a vanilla one. Another idea is an ice cream cake. It's just filling a silicon mold with ice cream and making the crunchy filling. This is taking those Nabisco chocolate wafers or any similar kind and grinding them down in a food processor or chopper. Mix these with microwaved melted butter or margarine and spooning it onto the first layer of ice cream. Then add the second and finish with Magic Shell, If not decorate with whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles. Freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

Do you bake or not bake for an August birthday? There are alternatives from buying to microwave to ice cream cakes. Pick what works for you during these warm days. The birthday boy or girl will enjoy it.

Hurricane Hampers

Bad enough we still have a pandemic to deal with, we now have hurricanes. What makes it worse is that we can't really rely on friends, family and neighbors now for food or supplies. We have to build our own stores , with whatever we have around.

One of the worse things about any bad storm is that the electricity is usually cut off. That means all that frozen food you stocked up on may go bad. Keep in mind that those burgers can be grilled on your barbecue (which may be your only way of cooking for a few days).Frozen veggies can be thawed out and boiled for sides or then cooled for salads.Also have a hurricane hamper or cooler where you can put any of the frozen packages for a few days. Store your milk and dairy here as well as your eggs. Nearby streams can also be used for refrigeration. Just make sure the wildlife doesn't get to the food first. Eggs  should be used first, whether in dishes or as scrambled and omelets. Refrigerated eggs can easily turn bad and the yolks and whites become breeding ground for bacteria. The shell doesn't even have to be broken. Try also, to cook the leftovers first. They too can turn bad quickly. Repurpose them into different dishes with different spins. Again these can be reheated on your outdoor grill. Just put them into foil packets and roast for fifteen to twenty minutes.

As for your hurricane hamper. make sure you have enough for three meals. Think beef , chicken,pork or turkey jerky for lunch or dinner. They provides protein as well as something filling. There are several different brands such as Jack Links and Oberto's, the last features turkey.  Some cold cuts such as pepperoni will keep too and make great fillings for sandwiches.Cheeses will keep without refrigeration and, are again excellent sources of protein. The kids will love any kind of cheddar but adults will appreciate Gouda and Edam. Have crackers and bread for the slices and squares. Veggies will keep for a few days and should be added to the hurricane hamper.Salad dressings don't have to be refrigerated and you can buy a few to liven up the  produce. You can also make your own with using olive oil, any kind of vinegar and different herbs and spices. Try a garlic infused one with red wine vinegar or a honey one with apple cider vinegar.Veggies can be grilled too. Stock up on grillables like eggplant, tomatoes, cauliflower and onions These can be turned into tasty sheet pan meals or spins on ratatouille. Ice cream is off the table but you can satisfy sweet tooths with fresh fruit such as cherries, blueberries and peaches. These will keep. Another treats are cookies and for a healthier bite graham crackers. Get marshmallows and chocolate to make a special treat s'mores. These will be a welcome bite.

Hurricane hampers are a must during these strange days. Be prepared. Be stocked up and ready for whatever the weather brings you.

Time For Summer Treats

It has been a strange summer with restrictions on both coasts along with shark sightings off of New York's Long Island. Yet we can still celebrate summer with the foods and treats we love so well.

August is the time of so many harvests.Tomatoes are still in abundance. Nothing says summer than a tomato and mayo sandwich on white bread. You could give this classic a Mediterranean twist by replacing the mayonnaise with olive oil and a good sprinkle of oregano. Of course this calls for a heartier bread such as Italian or French.Another summer favorite is Neopolitan bread salad  or panzanella which calls for tomatoes , cucumbers and onions. Another summer favorite is corn. Grilled corn with seasoned butter is a summer staple and one of the best sides. Lemon or herbed butter works as does honey butter. Add some flaky seas salt and fresh ground pepper for bite. Unfortunately most of the peach orchards are closed to families right now. You can still buy baskets of them at local farms and your supermarket. A plain one is good just on it's own but you can also slice and peel them for crumbles and pies. You could also make a peach sundae by splitting one in half and pitting it.Add vanilla ice cream and top with honey and toasted oats.

Boardwalk foods have always been a summer must.Some are open and take advantage of what they have to offer. A typical favorite is fried clams. You can make these at home using corn flour and cayenne pepper.Sausage and pepper sandwiches are another seaside must eat, especially in New Jersey. Use fresh green peppers and any kind of sausage from sage to vegan and fry up together. Core and julienne the peppers and then saute in oil. Add the sausages along with salt and pepper. Generously heap onto hoagie rolls. Cotton candy and candy apples are what really make those Boardwalk trips memorable.If you can go just for those however you can easily get them at home. Amazon has the best array of them , ranging from $57.00 to $400 in price. Get the most affordable along with the flavored sugars and cones. If you have qualms about making it, watch the many YouTube how tos on how to use the machine and swirl the floss onto the cones. Candy apples can be bought on line at Nandy's Candy's  of Jacksonville ,Mississippi if you can't make it to your favorite boardwalk. You can also make the coating at home using light corn syrup, granulated sugar and red food coloring.It's boiling  all three into a syrup and then dipping the apples into them. You could add coconut flakes the way the boardwalk stands do.

It's the summer and despite it all , it's a time to enjoy hot weather favorites. Grab that buttery ear of corn or chomp into that candy apple. It's all part of the fun that's the season.