Roar With Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions

 This is the time of year when our systems need boosts. This year is especially important because of the Corona virus. Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions is just the boost we need.

Roar has both the powdered sticks and bottled infusions. I like the already made bottled ones which are perfect with lunch or dinner. They're also great when you've got mid afternoon cravings  for something sweet and refreshing too. Another plus is that they're  seventy per cent less sugar than most juices and forty per cent less than power drinks. 

The infusions comes in four tasty flavors, all with a summery vibe. There is  cucumber and watermelon along with mango clementine.

The other two flavors are blueberry acai and Georgia peach, the last is quickly becoming my favorite, although they're all delicious. I'm thinking of turning them into Slushies too when the warm weather comes. Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions can be found at any Wal-mart or Costco.

Our bodies need food and drink that will give us our needed boost during these difficult health challenged times. Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions is just that. Try these refreshing drinks to replenish your body and quench your thirst.

A New Way To Eat Healthy

 Our diets and eating habits are going to be wrecked thanks to the ongoing Corona virus and upcoming holidays. Yet there's a new help/recipe book that can not only help us to eat healthier but diagnose the root of our eating habits and problems. It's an eye opening must have book that everyone should have in their home libraries.

Whole Person Integrative Eating : A Breakthrough Dietary Lifestyle To Treat Root Causes of Overeating,Overweight and Obesity (white River Press) was written by Deborah Kesten and Dr. Larry Scherwitz. The first half of the book is full of tests which everyone should take and the explanations behind the scoring. It's an eye opening study of how and why we eat.Part One of the book is where the tests are and interpreting their meanings. Readers can discover the cause of their eating problems along with prepping for any eating and lifestyle changes. Part Two deals with the seven principles of  whole person integrative eating. Some of the ideas deal with eating out with friends versus solo or dining alone and choosing fast food or fresh made.There's also good ambiance versus bad ambiance dining as well as eating without savoring the components of the food such as aroma, flavor and look. Our love of chocolate and what kind is best for us is also discussed and examined. There's also microbiome discussed too along with the age old advice of cutting down on sugar, caffeine and alcohol. 

Fast food and its' components are also demystified.Both Ms Kesten and Dr. Scherwitz write about how transfat and hydrogenated oils but there are also a host of chemicals that you 'd find in your cleaning products. That was an eye opener. It's best to eliminate any fast food from the daily diet and concentrate on what the book suggests. It's a good variety that even includes  such  fermented foods as kim chi and sauerkraut. They also recommend ancient legumes such as anasazi and adzuki beans as well as the more popular, kidney and pinto beans along with red and black. Yes, there are recipes but they're grouped into ethnic cuisines. Readers can try Thai dishes one week where they can make and eat Gai Pad Med Mamauang Thai chicken with cashew nuts and Pad Pak Bung Fae Daeng stir fried morning glory or water spinach. The next week could be soul or African American food with modified macaroni and cheese along with unfried chicken , a flavorful take on the classic dish.  Reformed eaters can also try Native American and Tex-mexdishes too such as corn tortillas and three sister salad that has beans in it.Italian cuisine lovers will love their take on Italian food with the fun but nutritious breakfast pizza.along with veggie lasagna. There is also Mediterranean which features labneh and Indian akki roti, a mix of spices and veggies. There are desserts but they're very healthy being made with fresh fruits along with nuts and ancient grains like Grandma Marian's cookies and lychees and bananas

Whole Person Integrative Eating ;A Dietary Lifestyle To Treat the Root Causes of Overeating,Overweight and Obesity is the must have book we all should read now. It can not only give us healthier bodies but healthier lifestyles. It's something we need, especially during the upcoming months where eating right can be difficult.

Coming Home To Indonesia

 Indonesian food is a vast array of flavor, color and texture. Not many know this, associating the archipelago with turquoise waters and white sugar sand beaches. However, there's a new cookbook coming out that  will change people's view of the country. Lara Lee is the author and her new book is a kitchen must have.

Kayla Stewart ,a freelance food writer interviewed Ms Lee about her new book Coconut And Sambal: Recipes From My Indonesian Kitchen (Bloomsbury Publishing), Ms Lee is originally from Australia with an Indonesian father and an Australian  mother. It was when her paternal grandmother, Margaret Thali moved from West Timor to their home. Suddenly there were dishes like roasted Balinese chicken, gado gado,a kind of hot salad with peanut sauce dressing and rendang,a spicy and colorful beef dish. Ms. Lee missed these dishes when she moved to London where there were only two (!) Indonesian restaurants in the entire capital. She had to cook her favorites and then discovered she loved to cook these classic Oceania dishes. The idea for a cookbook was born after she visited family there in 2016. She unearthed her grandmother's handwritten recipe book, an oddity because Indonesian family recipes are orally passed from one generation to the next. Back in London, she reached out to Sri Owen, the prolific food writer, cooking teacher and guardian of Indonesian cuisine. She worked with Ms Lee to help deepen her understanding of the cuisine.

There are recipes included and the ingredients are pretty common. Home chefs can try rendang daging, or beef rendang. This is cubed and defatted beef cooked with a spicy paste of chiles, shallots and garlic along with a host of such spices as cumin , coriander and ginger.Coconut milk, lemongrass and bay leaves are also added along with makrut limes leaves (which can be bought at an Asian grocery). There is also chicken nasi goreng, a chicken and  sunny side up eggs dish, spiced up with shallots, ginger and turmeric. Kecap manis a , kind of ketchup, and soy  sauce are added too. Kecap manis can be bought or made ,It's soy sauce cooked with light or dark brown sugar until a syrup forms and can be stored up to two weeks in the fridge.The chicken and eggs are served with crisp crackers and basmati or jasmine fried rice. Rib lovers will love iga babi bali, Balinese sticky glazed pork ribs. The marinade is a fiery blend of cayenne chilis, garlic shallots and kecap manis. After being marinated , the ribs are then slow roasted in a 350 degree oven for two(!) hours. This would be great served with fried basmati or jasmine rice.

Indonesia is beautiful beaches and the ultimate vacation getaway. It is also islands full of rich culinary history. Coconut and Sambal: Recipes from My Indonesian Cookbook will show that along with delicious recipes full of fire and flavor.

A Resourceful Cuisine From Puerto Rico

 The island of Puerto Rico has been through some rough times lately.. Hurricane Maria devastated this beautiful island three years ago and now the Corona virus is doing the same thing and then some. Luckily the Puerto Ricans  are resourceful and know how to create dishes from very little. Their recipes are nourishment for the body and for the soul.

Von Diaz, author of many cookbooks reflecting her heritage, wrote this informative piece for today's New York Times Food section. 

There are also classic island recipes too, home chefs can try.  This beautiful island has been dealing with hurricanes since recorded time, the earliest one being Hurricane San Roque in 1508. Islanders have been resourceful, relying on foraging and each other for food and ingredients when electricity and water have become scarce.A pandemic is different. People can't come together. They can't share. There is food insecurity and limited supplies. Yet they rally. The Puerto Ricans can take the ingredients given to them and turn them into filling and delicious dinners. This is true in the case of plantains which came from Africa to the Caribbean to feed enslaved workers.They're blended with Spanish based ingredients such as garlic, olive oil and pork cracklings to give the famed and flavor packed dish mofongo. Arroz con pollo is another dish which is a marriage of indigenous herbs and a European basic  - chicken. Then there is Spam which came to the island in 1947 with Operation Bootstrap. It may have wrecked Puerto Rico's agriculture but it became a beloved ingredient in many dishes.Crispy fried Spam figures in many dishes from Spam and eggs to Spam guisado with tomatoes, olives and potatoes.

The recipes included are Spam macaroni and cheese and the classic arroz con pollo. The first is a nice departure from the usual mac and cheese. A whole can of Spam is used, as it's first fried for ten minutes until crispy.It will have a smoky ham flavor, sort of like bacon. Ms. Diaz recommends tasting it along away to decide what is the desired crispness. The rest of the recipe is not that far from the classic baked mac and cheese. The cheeses used are the spicy Monterey Jack and a sharp yellow cheddar. Milk and flower along with seasonings are added too. For a more involved recipe, definitely try the arroz con pollo. There is the adobo marinade which is a mix of garlic, olive oil and white vinegar mixed with oregano and black pepper.Then to give the chicken and rice more flavor there's sofrito, a mix of red bell peppers, aji or amarillo pepper, garlic,onion and the two herbs cousins, culantro and cilantro. Culantro can be bought at either Latin or Asian markets. Use boneless , skinless chicken thighs that have the adobo poured over them Let them marinate for at least thirty minutes and then cook them in a Dutch oven. Sofrito, tomato sauce and chicken broth are added. The chicken meat is pulled as the rice is added. It's fluffed together with green olives  to create a flavorful , filling meal, perfect for the cold days ahead. You can serve with salted avocado and tomato slices along with a squirt of lime juice.

The Puerto Ricans have been resourceful for a very long time. They can take the most basic of ingredients and turn them into the most flavorful dishes. It's a reflection of their resilient spirits and souls.

Chicken And Waffles Vegan Style!!!

 One of the most popular dishes right now is chicken and waffles. This Amish Sunday dinner and famed Black dish is being made throughout the US.I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and make it. The only problem? It has to be vegan.

The vegan chicken part was easy.It was simply air frying Gardein's chicken tenders in the air fryer.

This was the easy as pie part. It was just air frying the tenders at first 400 degrees F for eight minutes, then  turning. They were finished at 360 degrees F for five minutes.

The next part was hard.

I used Bisquik's gluten free mix which gives the finished product s dense texture. 

To make the waffles vegan it was adding two cups of almond milk which produced a creamier batter (the recipe called for a cup and a half but that was a mistake. The batter looked like wallpaper paste). The recipe called for three tablespoons of vegetable oil along with one egg. I used Vegg's Uncaged egg baking mix for the egg substitute. One teaspoon of the mix is mixed with half a teaspoon of granulated sugar and a quarter of a cup of milk. This is thoroughly mixed before added to the batter.

I chilled it for half an hour, simply because I needed time to prep the waffle iron and air fryer.

I used my batter distributor to evenly pour the batter onto the iron after spraying the plates with cooking spray (I used Stop and Shop's butter flavored one).

This is the batter precooked.It looks like gooey toast.

This was the first batch which was sorely disappointing. 

They were half cooked and stuck to the plates.

I didn't cook them long enough. Bisquick recommends cooking the waffles for five minutes.

 Depending on your waffle iron I'd say ten minutes should do it. This was the third batch.

They're not deeply golden but they are perfectly formed. Both were served with maple syrup which is an interesting add on (but not one I particularly like. There has to be another sauce to put on both)

Would I try this again? Maybe. I may  add soy cheese to the waffles to make them more savory and nix the maple syrup.Maybe a barbecue sauce????)

Chicken and waffles are the latest thing right now. I will try them again, - maybe less sweet and more sandwich like for the chicken. The best part is that it was all vegan, 

Stretching Your Stock

Times are still hard. There are more closings and layoffs thanks to spikes in the Corona virus. Pantry staples and fresh produce go all too quickly. How can we make our food last? By stretching it into several different meals and a variety of different ways for one product. It's an easy and economic way of saving what we have.

By now everyone has beans in their pantry. They're one of the cheapest to buy yet are possibly the most versatile.Try them as burgers as a nice breakaway from beef. Bean burgers are easy to make. You can make them without egg and dairy too for a really inexpensive meal. It's taking black beans, walnuts and rolled oats, the last too, equally as economical and mixing them with soy sauce, scallions and a variety of different spices. There's also maple syrup added along with paprika to give the savoriness balance. You can add garlic if you want along with red wine vinegar. Can beans be made into a loaf?Yes! Again black beans come to the rescue along with their versatile cousins, chickpeas!. Pulse and mix the two with cornmeal and liquid smoke. Save the chickpea liquid or aquafaba for binding.It's then adding sauteed onions along with different spices, and then molding a loaf. It's put into a parchment lined load pan and baked. Of course chili is  a must make. It can easily be made in a crockpot and eaten just with crackers or polenta. Use the leftovers for chili dogs or even poured over nachos for a treat.Go the English route and have beans on toast, a really cheap way to enjoy them.

Always remember that veggies as just as versatile as beans. Take advantage of when your grocery stores have a two for one or buy one, get the other half price. This is starting to happen with broccoli and cauliflower right now. Both veggies are good as soups and best of all you can double the batch for freezing. Broccoli proves to be a great ingredient for quiches and omelets too, adding color and nutrition. It's great by itself as a salad, giving your family one last taste of summer. Cauliflower makes for surprisingly good steaks. The recipe is easy.It's removing the leaves and cutting the head into large slices then drizzle with olive oil. This gives the steaks a lovely golden hue as well as making them crispy.Sprinkled on sea salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder for more flavor. The good for you veggie is also good riced or creamed. Potatoes have sustained generations for decades. It's also one of the least expensive veggie than can be made into all sorts of dishes. A fun twist are loaded baked potatoes. Fill them with leftover chili or leftover chicken and broccoli. Have healthy ones filled with beans and tofu and a light salsa. Try them twice baked, loaded with cheese and bacon or in a creamy soup. Freshly mashed potatoes are always a plus because the leftover can be fried into tasty puffs.

There will probably tough days ahead. Learn to stretch your pantry during these times. You'll still be able to have nutritious dishes along with the variety you and your family want.

Halloween Home Parties

 Halloween may be different this year but you can still have the same fun and foods. The parties will be smaller and there may only be family around. That doesn't mean a boring night. Make it fun. Make it delicious.

You can start with breakfast with some scary and tasty dishes. Think sausage links wrapped in dough to resemble mummies. Add some maple syrup in ramekins for dipping.Another idea is taking bacon and arranging it in a spiderweb shape.You could places this over an omelet for a delicious background. Cook the strips in the circular pattern and then gently lift onto a large plate or eggs. Eggs can also have a creepy vibe. Add a trickle of ketchup and a dash of hot sauce to simulate blood. Serve orange juice in jack o' lantern decorated scooped out oranges or make virgin Bloody Mary's kid style, with a glass of tomato juice complete with celery stalks. leave out the spicy Tabasco and Worcester sauces. You could even have a breakfast dessert with cinnamon raisin bagels  topped off with squeeze bottle cream cheese. Ice the bagels so they look like wrapped mummies and use blueberries for the eyes. As for lunch , make it fun too. English muffin pizzas can take a frightful look by cutting the mozzarella cheese in ghost shapes. Add olive bits for eyes. Coffin sandwiches (!) are another Halloween themed lunch , Get a dark bread such as pumpernickel and cut into coffin rectangles. Fill with favorite fillings and serve with potato chips.

Of course it's the evening when the festivities amp up. Imagine a spaghetti dinner with your meatballs staring up at you. These are meatballs with mozzarella rounds and olive slices put on them to resemble eyeballs.  Another bone rattling dinner or party idea is a spinach dip , made to resemble old moss studded with tombstones. This last is simply cutting tortillas into tombstones and baking for three to seven  minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Even more gruesome are handburgers. This is not a misspelling but patties formed in the shape of little hands. You can mold them yourself or use a hand cookie mold both Etsy and Amazon sell this). Cover in ketchup when served.What would go with these? Severed hot dog fingers. Cut out pieces of the tops to resemble nail beds and score the dogs at equal distances to resemble knuckles. Accompany these with cheese eyeballs. Use cream cheese mix with powdered ranch dressing, forming into one or two inch balls. Make them bloodshot with a sprinkle of paprika and top with sliced olives. How should the evening end? With a candy apple bar , of course. Have already coated and sticked  apples in front of bowls of M&Ms, cinnamon sugar , sprinkles and gummy worms. You can also use crushed or broken Halloween candy too for decoration. Bat brownies are another fun and sweet treat. Bake brownies and cut them into rounds. Halve chocolate wafer cookies for the wings and decorate with candy eyes and red icing for the fangs. 

Yes, Halloween will be different this year. Yet the parties and the gruesomely fun food will be the same. Go wild for breakfast, lunch and dinner and celebrate this fun holiday!!!!

The Importance Of Food Pantries

 Food pantries are a vital part of our lives today. Without them even middle class families could starve.Yet those in one of the hardest hit cities, New York have survive and still thrive because of it. 

Nikita Stewart and Todd Hesiler covered New York City's food panties in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Ms. Stewart, a Times reporter who usually writes about social services conducted the interviews, Mr. Heisler, a Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times photographer got into the various kitchens to photograph home chefs working with their food pantry  choices. It's inspiring yet at the same time saddening and disturbing. There is a bravery to these people as there is a bravery to the food banks such as City Harvest who manage to survive despite the overwhelming need for food. The same goes for the Bronx's Bronxworks. Before the pandemic, this last only served under five hundred a month . Now the numbers are up to four thousand per month, thanks to job loss or office  downsizing. The influx also has to do with the closing about one third of fellow pantries and soup kitchens closing due to lack of funds or lack of workers. Many quit afraid of catching the Corona virus.Sunset Park and Flushing Queens, two of the hardest hit areas have the biggest spike in food pantry visitors.

People do persist and survive. There is Jose Gavidia and his wife Leyla Moale, who manage to create dishes from their native Peru, thanks to their food pantry. Going there became part of their shared schedules and where they can get the ingredients to make limena, tuna between layers of potato. Leslie Johnson and her six year old daughter , Trinity, weren't going to go to a food pantry at first, letting others take the needed food. Yet they were in need of it themselves. Ms. Johnson was able to make chicken cutlets on her George Foreman grill, wishing she had learned how to make her mother's West Indian recipes. The Patel family of Flushing, Queens made a chichpea chole, a favorite stew from stretched out ingredients. They're not strangers to their local food pantry  at the nonprofit South Asian Council for Social Services. Before the pandemic they could select items bit now they have to accept prepackaged bags. In another section of Queens, Yuliya Matveyeva creates much clamored for tacos for her five year old daughter, Marie and a friend's children. The food comes from Masbia, a Jewish food pantry that also serves meals. This is an appointment only pantry which has angered some people. Ms Matveyeva also uses recipes from her native Belarus and fuses them with American cooking. 

Hopefully, the strain on food pantries across the globe will lessen as the virus abates. For now they are a vital part of our lives. Please donate or give to them. They need whatever help they can to deal with the vast amount of neediness.

An Aussie Favorite For American Tables

Every country has their comfort foods. We may have our meat loaf and chocolate chip cookies but the Australians have something a bit tastier - sausage rolls. This kid classic is loved  Down Under and with good reason. They are a flavor and texture explosion, perfect to make at home for a fall lunch or dinner.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark dedicated her entire A Good Appetite to them in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Sausage rolls were to Aussie school cafeterias as meat loaf and mashed potatoes were to ours. The school made ones weren't exactly made from the greatest ingredients according to Paul Allam, owner and baker at Bourke Street Bakery. Ms. Clark interviewed him, along with also getting his best recipes for them. Most school cafeteria rolls are composed of cartilage with the more upscale ones adding celery. His are different, a spin of the classic English sausage roll which is a puff pastry filled with sausage and sometimes an egg. His bakery sells ones with such fillings as a fennel scented pork  along with a turkey and cranberry, a riff on our Thanksgiving dinners. There's also a rotating menu of vegan ones stuffed with eggplant and chiles and spinach and feta. As far as the crust, the flakier the better. Mr. Allam uses his own recipe,a daunting feat but one that can be made at home.

What makes a sausage roll delectable is the crust. Ms. Clark found a  good all butter brand of puff pastry (you can use Trader Joe's store brand or Dufour's for this) but you can also use your favorite pie crust recipe or try your hand at making your own puff pastry. The fillings are mouth watering. There is aforementioned pork and fennel, plumped up with classic comfort food veggies like, peas, carrots and onions. You can use ground pork but ground chicken or turkey is just as good, Vegan meat crumbles are also recommended for  hearty vegetarian fare. Fennel seeds are used for flavor and also fro decoration as they're sprinkled on top. For a Middle Eastern spin there is a lamb and almond one, zinged up with harissa paste, a smoky blend of chiles. There's also couscous and currants added, the last to give it a kind of tangine vibe.Poppy seeds decorate the outside. Vegetarians will love the flavorful leek and mushroom roll.Any kind of mushroom is used and two large leeks. Tomato paste is added for more taste and color and almond butter is also included for creaminess and more substance . There's also garlic and soy sauce added too.

Sausage rolls are the perfect meal  for these cool days ahead. They are the perfect comfort food, filled with tasty flavors and textures. They may be Australia's comfort food but they sure' to be America's too.

Bruschetta For Coleridge's Birthday

 Samuel Taylor Coleridge never went to Italy but I have a funny feeling he would have loved any dish  of Italian food for his birthday today Bruschetta is one of those dishes.It makes for a great lunch or dinner. It can be used as an appetizer or hors d'ouevre. A big plus is putting your own spin on it  - which I did.

Double layers bruschettas are not widely made.I decided to give it a try, using a white bean bruschetta and the traditional tomato. 

I couldn't find cannelini beans at Wal-Mart where I bought all the ingredients so chose Goya's white beans. I drained them and mixed them with a drizzle of olive oil. It was then slightly pureeing the mix iwith the immersion blender.

It was a bit creamier than what I expected. Next time I'll use a potato masher instead to produce a chunkier bruschetta. The next step was creating the tomato one. This was dicing the tomatoes and milling the basil in the herb mill. I used  four tomatoes and a handful of freshly picked basil. Then it was mincing one clove of garlic.

All this was mixed with a good glug of olive oil and a capful of red wine vinegar.It was then adding just a bit of sea salt and a grind of freshly ground pepper.

I should have used the pretoasted rounds but opted for Italian bread slices. These were a bit soft but not bad.

I sprinkled the tops with  Parma vegan Parmesan cheese for more flavor and crunch. It wasn't a bad mix and I plan on making it again. The recipe will be tweaked to make it more flavorful and the bean bruschetta less runny.

Would Coleridge have preferred this to his Devon cream tea as a birthday dinner? Hopefully. It's tasty and different, packed with flavors and textures.

Special Days Special Meals

 It is tough to celebrate anything these days. Restaurants have only limited capacity or offer dining in bubbles or tents which may or may not have heating. Your best bet is creating a birthday or anniversary lunch or dinner is at home. It can still be festive with special recipes and treats. Best of all you can control the menu for the small event.

The one thing about creating a special meal is deciding what you want. If you love grilled steak, then get the barbecue out and start grilling,. Make the cuts fancier with a round of garlic or herb butter melting on top. This is an easy mix of pressed garlic or milled herbs blended with butter and then the whole mix is shaped into a log and chilled until serving. It's then slicing the roll into half inch thick coins to be put onto the meat. You can also make these flavored butters for lobster or shrimp too as well as for salmon or tilapia. What to serve with the steak? Hasselback potatoes!! These glammed up spuds are the perfect accompaniment and can be easily made. You can use any potato for them, from Yukon Golds to Russets to Red Blisses. It's then  continually slicing each one twelve to fifteen times right before you hit the potato's bottom. Each slice should be about a quarter of an inch wide. Brush the entire spud with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake for thirty minutes and then brush them again with more melted (or flavored butter) to ensure crispy edges. Add a side dish of string beans almondine for added lushness. This classic French dish is the perfect marriage of slivered almonds and green beans with garlic and lemon zest. Finish with a rich devil's food cake with a ganache topping and whipped cream or a cinnamon laced apple or pear galette.

Of course a birthday or anniversary can be fun.One of the easiest fun dishes to make is bruschetta. This , in in its' simplest form, is chopped tomatoes mixed with basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This is spooned over oiled and toasted rounds of Italian and French bread. You could liven it up with a few hot pepper flakes or sweetened with chopped bell peppers. A variation involves cannellini beans and sun dried tomatoes or just the beans and grated lemon zest mixed with olive oil. Another idea is a charcuterie platter, perfect for a family of four or five. A board or large plate can hold a variety of different cold cuts. Think favorites such as salami and mortadella along with the fancier prosciutto. Have cheeses everyone likes, such as sharp cheddar and Brie. You could serve all of this with water crackers but they taste delicious with Italian or French . bread. Sparkling wine such as Prosecco works but you can also crack open whites wines and light bodied reds. Mexican food is a fun and tasty way to elevate any celebratory dinner. Think about shrimp or London broil stuffed fajitas or tacos instead of the usual ground beef or chicken. These two meats can also be incorporated into a big cheesy nacho dish too.End with spicy Mexican chocolate cupcakes and Kahkua spiked coffee.

You don;t need to eat out to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Fancy and fun dishes can be made at home . They're even better than any offering from your favorite eateries..

Parma Vegan Parmasan Pure Cheesiness

 Vegans and vegetarians have a hard time with cheeses. Most of the time they can be gummy and zero flavor. It's even worse when it comes to Parmesan cheeses. They can be tasteless, adding nothing to the dishes they're sprinkled on. Yet there's a new cheese out there that tastes like freshly grated Parmesan.

These are Parma, vegan Parmesan cheese that comes in the original and Garlicky Green flavors as well as Chipotle Cayenne and Better Than Bacon.The company is a subsidiary of Sister River Foods which features healthy produces for healthy eating. I love the Garlicky Green, chock full of  dried basil and dried oregano in it. it is delicious on gnocchi. I sprinkled it on a plate of the potato puffs and it really amped up the flavor of both their flavor and the sauce.

I plan on making a cannllini bruschetta with it (which will be posted) along with using the Original for simple farfalla or butterfly pasta soup. The Parma cheeses will also be good for pizzas too, especially the Chipotle Cayenne and the Better Than Bacon flavor for extra taste and zing.  I may even sprinkle some on popcorn for a good for you version of cheese corn.They do need to be refrigerated, although thanks to their great taste, will not be there for long. The  cheeses are made from nutritional yeast, walnuts sunflower and hemp seeds. 

Vegan and vegetarians rejoice! Parma has given you four tasty cheeses that's perfect for Italian dishes and snacks. Try them today in your pasta or snacks.

Veggies Made Great Frittatas ; Tasty And Healthy

 There's something about breakfast for dinner. It's a fun way to get all the flavors of the morning meal for a tasty supper. The only problem is that breakfasts can be a nit unhealthy. Not to worry Veggies Made Great has created frittata cups that are flecked with Beyond Meat sausages.

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These are the perfect breakfast . lunch or dinner,They're called frittatas but are more like egg cups or muffins made from eggs, Beyond Meat, peppers and cheese. These were the ones I chose for a light supper. The company also make a mushroom and three cheese version along with a broccoli and cheddar ones.

You can make them in the oven or microwave, but they turn out better in the air fryer.

Keep in mind to turn them after being cooked for nine minutes at 350 degrees F. Then turn on their tops and cook for about six more minutes.They come out a golden brown, crispy on the outside , mousse like on the inside.

The taste is light and airy , with the sausage and peppers coming through.

The cheddar ones were flecked with a good amount of cheese. These would also be good with a salad for lunch or dinner. Veggies Made Great also has a variety of healthy muffin like cakes, packed with veggies along with veggie infused baked mac and cheese cakes.

These little egg cakes are perfect for those looking for a healthy alternative to bacon and eggs. They are flavorful yet light. Try them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Mighty Lil Lentils Mighty Big Taste

 No one really thinks of lentils as a snack, yet there's a new company that has taken this humble legume to new heights. Seapoint Farms has turned a kitchen staple into a fun new treat - Mighty Lil Lentils, This not only introduces snack lovers to a protein filled bean but also to a new kind of bite.

This Hunting Beach California company is known for its' healthy snacks, Seapoint Farms produces frozen and dry roasted edamame , both tasty as well as seaweed crisps. They also offer such riced veggie dishes as Buddha Un-fried Rice and Chik'n Tikka Masala along with organic edamame spaghetti and fettucine.

         Mighty Lil Lentils come in four flavors, Pink Himalayan Salt, and Barbecue.

                                                  Along with Cinnamon Sugar and Falafel.

The savory flavors are packed with taste. Any one of them is a perfect handful of snacking. They're all crunchy , sort of like dried chickpeas and have that kind of aftertaste. I can see the Pink Himalayan Salt and Falafel flavors being used in salads for extra crunch and more flavoring. The Barbecue flavored lentils could work as a crust  for pork chops or even chicken. Surprisingly the cinnamon sugar lentils isn't that wild tasting. These's a sweetness and a crispness to them which would make them perfect for sprinkling over cupcakes and cake and as a surprise on sundaes and cereal bowls. They'd also be good in a tangine, replacing raisins in the recipe. Another plus is that a quarter cup of any of the lentils is only 150 calories and that much is filling.

Mighty Lil Lentils are the perfect savory and sweet snack for those who want to eat healthy. Try them on their own or with salads or sundaes. They are the perfect little treat for those looking for something new and different.

Autumn in France

 One of the most desirable countries  in the world is France. Even better is when cooler weather descends on this country of sophisticated cities and seaports and rustic mountains and valleys. Traveling there with the lockdown is virtually impossible. There is one way to have a delicious French meal.Cooking it from your kitchen,it's a way of getting a taste of Gallic cuisine

David Tanis provided an amazing slew of recipes in yesterday's New York Times Food section. This is a hearty fare, perfect to make for the chilly days ahead.He starts out with a salad he once had in Normandy. He had it was when he was working in Paris, and taking weekends to this  historic northern country side on the English Channel. He combines beets and tomatoes with scallions, dill and watercress. Two kinds of beets are used, golden and ruby red. The tomatoes used can be yellow or red. It's dressed with a simple Dijon mustard infused  red wine vinaigrette. The beets have to be cooked separately (and no, Mr Tanis doesn't recommend using the canned ones - no flavor) in baking dishes in a 400 degree F oven.They can be cooked up to two days in advance to make it easier timewise. They can be served first or with the main dish pan roasted duck with wild mushrooms. Mr. Tanis suggests using magret or the large breasts of the Muscovy duck.Each is twelve ounces which translate into two portions each.as in typical Gallic style with a sauce flavored with red wine and trumpet mushrooms.It is a labor intensive dish with washing the mushrooms and prepping and scoring the duck breasts. The sauce and meat are made separately.More mushrooms are sauteed in the extra duck fat that's been trimmed off the breasts and then served with the meat and parsley.

The piece de resistance of any French dinner is the dessert. Mr. Tanis doesn't disappoint here.He offers up the classic Gallic lemon tart with a buttery cookie like crust. This recipe is beautifully balanced.It's neither too sweet or too puckery. There's a hint of more color thanks to the addition of freshly grated lime zest. The tart starts out with a crust made with  half a stick of butter and one egg. There's white flour and sugar too in it . Like a good cookie dough, it's refrigerated for an hour in the fridge so  it's not too soft when handled. You can even make it two days in advance. It's chilled again after it's been put in the pie pan and until the filling is added. The filling is a mix of lemon and lime juices and zests along with four large eggs and four large egg yolks.Granulated sugar is added to counterbalance the tartness. This is a type of lemon curd and like it , butter is added to make it creamy.This is made in a saucepan over a medium heat and try not to curdle it. Everything is then whisked together and then poured  through a sieve into the crust where it's baked in a 350 degree F oven for only ten minutes. Dust with confectioner's sugar for a nice touch.

There's nothing like France in the fall. This dinner will make you feel like you're there, with rich flavors and textures. It's the perfect culinary visit , right from your kitchen.

A New Kind of Thanksgiving

 Usually mid-October is the time for home chefs to plan their Thanksgiving meals. Most usually host large dinners of up to even thirty guests. However that's changed thanks to the pandemic. There will still be turkey  but a smaller one shared by the immediate family.

Kim  Severson wrote about this subject in today's New York Times Food section. Industry experts are predicting we'll still have the same holiday but with the immediate family. That means smaller birds and possibly a main course of just breasts and legs. executives at Kroger Supermarkets are closely studying their own data which indicates their shoppers will limit Thanksgiving to people living within their households. It's estimated that there's going to be a thirty percent rise in smaller more intimate meals than last year's eighteen percent.There will be more and more younger people  hosting more compact dinner parties too. This means their first time cooking a turkey and recreating dishes their parents and grandparents made. Yet the industry isn't that rosy. It's hard to predict the exact sales right now along with the threat of some home chefs opting for a big chicken or capon instead. Turkey farming is not easy either. Birds are allowed to mature to give is the ten and twenty pound roasters we're used to. They won't be in high demand  this year as they were in years past. Then there's the problem of some processing plants being breeding grounds for Covid -19 which means they  have to be shut down.

However there is some hope, despite the fact that raising small birds is not that easy. It boils down to genetics and economically driven feed formulas. These are the factors that determine when a bird matures at a predetermined size in a set amount of time. Cody Hopkins  who runs a livestock cooperative of forty farms, mostly in Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri will ship out about thirty thousand broad breasted whites - the most common breed of American turkey -  thanks to  tweaking feeding and raising methods. Since the cooperative sells directly to families, instead of to supermarkets, farmers have been able to move processing timelines in an attempt to produce smaller birds.They will also process and sell more  turkey wings and breasts. According to John Peterson who owns Ferndale Market in Cannon Falls Minnesota and is president of turkey research and promotion council for Minnesota stated that the decisions  for the birds have to be made in March and April and they can';t be easily changed. A turkey matures to full size in only four or five months. There are poults, young turkeys, that can be sold instead along with some companies like Stew Leoanrd's  selling dinners for four , instead of eight. The industry can be saved more or less.

Thanksgiving will be different this year. Yet both home chefs and turkey farmers can rejoice. There will still be a need for the birds, albeit, smaller ones to satisfy smaller dinners with fewer dinners.

Your Own Coffee Shop Treats

 One of the best things about fall was heading to our favorite coffee shops and getting a coffee and a baked treat.Yet now with the pandemic, it's still kind of hard to get a favorite sweet and relax . However scones, muffins and doughnuts can easily be baked in your kitchen. What's even better is you can tailor them to your tastes.

Scones may sound fancy but they're not.Scones are just a variety of Scottish flatbreads called bannocks. They were first cooked in a large mound and then scored to create triangular pieces. Even today the recipe is easy and simple enough for the most novice home baker. They can be either sweet or savory. The basic recipe calls for flour, sugar, butter, heavy cream or butter milk and eggs. Baking powder is mixed in to give the scones lift along with salt which lifts the flavor. You can add vanilla if you want for a sweeter , dessert taste. The best tasting ones however, have grated frozen butter which will create pockets and a moist, crumbly inside,The best part are the add ins. Think chocolate chips and cinnamon for a sweet combo or orange and blueberries for a healthier bite. Scones can actually  be turned into a main course with the addition of ham, cheddar and scallions Just reduce the amount of sugar added and, of course, omit the vanilla. Top with flaky sea salt. Another savory idea is adding different herbs to the dough. Try garlic, rosemary , parsley and basil. These are perfect with a hot soup or chicken or ham salad.

Our favorite coffee shops are also known for their muffins and doughnuts. Muffins have been around since the early 1700's and are one of the easiest baking recipes. They're a type of quick bread, made primarily of melted butter, sugar, eggs, and milk mixed with the dry ingredients of flour,baking powder, salt and spices. Again these can have tasty variations such as chocolate chips and pecans  along with cinnamon and nutmeg. Fruit studded muffins make for a nice snack. Blueberry muffins are the most popular but you can also use strawberries and raisins too.Banana muffins are also a nice treat with coffee or tea. Keep in mind muffin recipes are fluid. You can sub in maple syrup or honey for sugar along with whole wheat and almond flour for refined white. Doughnuts rank right up there with muffins as the perfect coffee go with.Many home bakers are turned off by the fact of frying them , remember you can use an air fryer to bake them. Remember to use yeast in them for flufflier ones. You can also use premade biscuit dough too. Cake doughnuts have an easy recipe that 's your basic vanilla cake one. They're made with flour , eggs, vegetable oil ,brown sugar, and baking powder for lift. Decorate them with an easy to make glaze of confectioner's sugar , milk and vanilla.

You can still have coffee house treats with your cup of joe or tea. All it takes is some time in the kitchen and creativity. They'll be even better tasting , fresh from your oven.

Fall Pantry Keeps And Throws

 Fall offers a lot in the way of cooking and baking. Yet like anything in the house , the kitchen needs to be cleaned and scoured. There are some ingredients that need to be cleaned and some that need to be kept.  It makes for a more organized area , perfect for the heavy schedule ahead.

Items that need to go are the ones that made summer fun. If you have any ice cream left over from the summer  you can either eat it or throw it out. The sweet creamy treat is still good if you bought it in late August or early September. If you bought it earlier, you can still eat it  but it won't have the same vibrant taste. Sherbet is the same, lasting for two to three months. Luckily ice cream cones can last a surprising two to three years, however they will develop a rancid taste after two years in storage. These can be repurposed in fun Halloween treats by turning them into  cupcake cones. They also make cute containers for popcorn balls and Halloween candies as well as mixed berries. A fun dessert is layering different kinds of berries with whipped cream in cake cups. You can top off with sprinkles. Another long lasting summer treat is a box of Popsicles. These can go well into the new year and keep in mind that they're great for soothing sore throats. If you have boxes from the beginning of the year, throw them out.

You probably spent the summer creating all sorts of mayo based salads and slathering your dogs and burgers with all sorts of mustard and ketchup. Keep in mind that egg based mayonnaise has a shelf life of only two months. You won't die from eating it, but you'll become very sick.A better alternative is vegan mayo which can easily last six months once opened. That barbecue sauce you slathered on all those chicken wings and ribs may have to be thrown out, especially if you opened it in May or June.It lasts only four months. If you have a lot of it and it's still good, then think about adding it to meat loaf or hamburgers. You can also use it for pulled pork or pulled chicken. Horse radish is another condiment that has a short shelf life, expiring after  only four months. Throw it out if you bought it at the beginning of the summer. If it's under three months, then think about using it for roast beef sandwiches or to give salad dressings some zing. Ketchup is still good even after six months while mustard can last up to a year. Those pickles that graced the picnic table in the summer can also grace the winter table.Olives last even longer , staying in the fridge from one year to eighteen months.

It pays to clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer after every six months. It also pays to know what foods have a long shelf life and can be used in some cold weather recipes. See what you have and either use it or toss it.

Tooth Healthy Foods

Our teeth are probably ready to fall out  after six months of devouring cookies, and ice cream, Add to that sugary drinks , from soda to coffees to even alcohol, and you have a recipe for mass cavities and rot. Yet you can help your teeth. A good  calcium and protein diet can help in reversing the effect of too many Oreos and mocha lattes.

What should you eat if you want to preserve your teeth? Cheese and yogurt are very good choices. If you're not averse to dairy , then think about incorporating it into your diet more. An excellent choice would be a spinach salad with grated Gruyere or a Cobb salad with cheddar cubes instead of croutons. Incorporate more cheese in your charcuterie platters. Try slices of Provolone or  Gouda along with blue and Brie. Yogurt is another must eat. Greek yogurt is better for you because it has double the amount of protein than regular yogurt. A healthy treat is a parfait of Greek yogurt, mixed berries and honey. This is a plus because honey , itself is good for teeth , preventing all kinds of gum disease and tooth decay. The compound prevents dextran, a polysacceride created from bacteria from forming on the tooth enamel. You can also create delicious dips with it, using spices and even onion powder to create a tasty veggie dip. Use it in cooking too, especially in marinating chicken.

Leafy greens are another important ingredient for healthy teeth.Spinach is an excellent choice, because it's not only healthy but versatile. A tasty dish is choley , an Indian stew made with fresh spinach leaves , curry and turmeric  along with onions and chickpeas.  Another idea is spinach filled crepes. This can be served with cheddar cheese sauce for a fun change from the ordinary. A spinach salad chock full of other veggies is another tasty good for your teeth plate. Other leafy greens are kale and collard greens which both can be incorporated in a variety of different dishes. The two are interchangeable in recipes. Both can be made into tasty vegan stews along with peppers and tomatoes, spiked with garlic and red peppers. Another leafy green is cabbage, good both cooked and raw.  It makes for a great salad, especially Oriental style with soy sauce and ginger or cooked and pickled in savory and vinegar. For a good snack try celery chunks or almonds. Celery acts like nature's toothbrush, scraping bacteria and food particles from the tooth's surface. Almonds are high in calcium and protein which make for the perfect snack. 

Eat for your teeth as well as for your body. It'll make for fewer dentist visits and less cavities. It'll also make for stronger teeth and better digestion.

Friday Night Fun

 Kids are feeling pretty down these days with most sports and after school activities being cancelled. Yet there's one thing that can't be exed out and that's Friday night. It 's meant for fun dinners and activities to welcome in the weekend There are plenty of neat dinner ideas and snacks to keep everyone full and fun. 

Pizza has always been a Friday night standard. It's easy to make at home with the dough consisting of just flour water,  yeast, olive oil, salt , and yes, a teaspoon of sugar. What makes it special is what you put on top. A fun idea is creating individual ones and let the kids put what they want on top. Vary the toppings. Have chopped bell peppers along with  chopped and diced broccoli and cauliflower. Kids love pepperoni so you can always make that one of the toppings too along with extra cheese. A spin on pizza is a calzone. The name means big sock however you can make them little sock size for your little ones. Another way of looking at it is as inside out pizza. Usually the toppings and sauce go on the inside and then the whole thing is baked in a 375 degree F oven for thirty to thirty-five minutes. Omit the pizza sauce and save that for later dipping. Like pizzas , calzones can vary . Kids can stuff them with sausage and bacon along with Canadian bacon and sausage. They can also be stuffed with the traditional ham and ricotta cheese but different veggies can be subbed in for the ham. You can also season or not season them too. Kids love barbecue and if the weather is still warn in your area then think about a cook out with their favorite burgers and hot dogs. Since it's Friday serve up a bowl of potato chips or tortilla chips with nachos too.

The end of the week usually means movie or game night. The fun food that comes to mind with both of these activities is popcorn. A tasty version is subbing in olive oil for a richer flavor. You could also make a variety of different flavored corn. Add a heady sprinkle of cheddar cheese powder or finely grated Parmesan.Caramel corn is another sweet treat perfect for munching during a marathon or Scrabble game. The caramel is a mix of butter,vanilla and the two sugars brown and white cooked over a stove top. The already cooked corn is then tossed into the mix and coolers. There's a great recipe in the Two Sisters Food blog (where I get all my frosting recipes). Another fun Friday night treat is a bowl of potato chips. However the store bought kind can be greasy, especially when eaten at night. This is when the air fryer comes into play. Air fryer chips are crispy and just as tasty as any of the commercial brands. You just need Russet potatoes sliced thin with a mandoline.It's then soaking them in cold water for thirty minutes. Before frying coat both sides of the slices with cooking spray and then cook for sixteen minutes at 300 degrees F and then the last few minutes at 400 degrees F. Remember to salt them too.

Nothing will take away Friday night fun. Bake that pizza , pop some corn. Have fun foods and fun treats for the best night of the week.

The Secret of Mapo Tofu Sauce

 One of China's best known and most sought after dishes is mapo tofu sauce . This fiery blend , usually reserved for Szechuan restaurants can be made at home. It's a relatively easy mix that can have a lot of uses with other dishes. Once made it's sure to be a kitchen staple.

Andrea Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American food writer and chef wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times Food section. It's definitely on my must make list because of the promised flavor and how it can be used with other dishes like nachos (!) and even spaghetti. (!!) Chef Nguyen fi rst came upon it in a Chinese restaurant in Southern California where she grew up. She fell in love with the melding of meat and tofu , the sweet and savory along with the silky texture.  The fascination stayed with her. As an adult she visited Chengdu, the capital of Szechuan Province and the dish's birthplace.It's a relatively new recipe, compared to other Chinese ones, starting in the late 1800's. The originator, Mrs Chen, created the sauce in her family's restaurant and the dish is named for her.It's an unflattering nod to her pockmarked skin. Ma refers to pockmarks while po signifies old woman. According to the story, porters lugging oil to the market would frequent her eatery. One day they wanted an affordable dish made up of tofu and meat cooked up with some of the oil they brought in. Mrs. Chen obliged , also throwing in such Szechuan staples as Szechuan peppercorns and fermented bean paste.

Chef Nguyen has tried the dish at the original restaurant as well as trying ones here in the States. She has eaten it out and in Chengdu homes where she saw different variations. Mapo sauce has a lot of potential and can be used in so many dishes like lasagna and Mexican.Any home chef can make it. It's blending silken tofu until it's liquified and then heating Szechuan peppers in oil, preferably canola or vegetable until fragrant. Let the peppers cool and then grind them up. It's then preparing the rest of the ingredients which range from the all important doubanjang or fermented red bean paste  and douci  fermented black beans, along with fresh ginger, sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Remember to add pork or beef (it's up to you to decide.  I would go  with tofu crumbles for a truly vegan dish). It's then adding the spices and meat , frying the mixture until it's a rich reddish brown. The next step is  reducing the heat to medium low and adding the sugar and soy sauce. Scrape in the blended tofu, cooking well for about three minutes. Orange oil will rise to the top. Don't fret. This is normal. This is also the time to taste and adjust the flavor. Add sugar to tame the heat or salt to add more flavor. You can even add the bean paste. Chef Nguyen adds scallions and a cornstarch  and water slurry to thicken the sauce. The Szechuan peppercorns are added for more fire. Again, this works for all sorts of dishes. I would used it as a sauce for ants climbing a tree, a tasty and classic Szechuan dish.

Mapo tofu sauce is a versatile dish that can easily be made at home. Use it on a variety of different dishes.It'll make any recipe sing.

Helping Regufees In A Sweet Way

 Everyone needs help these days. Refugees have it the hardest yet some are being helped in a very sweet way, They are providing treats while being treated themselves. It's something they long deserve.

The refugees are the Sahrawi women of Western Sahara and the New York Times Food section featured them in a stunning pictorial today. Italian photographer, Matteo De Maya captured pictures of the women who started bakeries in an Algerian resettlement camp. For forty-five years they've  lived with their families . They fled Morocco in 1975 after their political group Polisario Front fought for independence from that country. Sadly the conflict is still unresolved today. The settlement now is home to $150,000 people, and generations have relied on humanitarian relief as they wait for a permanent homeland.It's one of the the longest running refugee camp in the world.One thing about the Sahrawi is that they love sugar, even believing it can cure various illnesses. An average family consumes eight-eight pounds a month!! Type 2 diabetes is a big concern. Yet sugar was a necessary must eat in their community. They needed to consume a huge amount of calories to walking long distances. It's long figured into their cures. Hot water and sugar can supposedly cure stomach and intestinal problems. Barbecued camel topped with sugar is good for the liver.

Yet their love of sugar can be put to good use. They can bake cakes and pastries, bringing in money for themselves. This  started in 2018 when women of the Sahrawi Trade Union reached out to the Italian nongovernmental groups, Africa 70 and Nexus about organizing a baking workshop for the settlement. Those group turned to Maddalena Borsato,a pastry chef and researcher at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy located in  the Piemonte region. She's helped thirty women so far. Sara di Lello , a project manager for Africa 70 said that holding the workshops in the women's homes reinforced the sense of community and solidarity typical of the Sahrawi's. Yet there are snags. The women don't have access to the ingredients most bakers have at their fingertips. They have to rely on natural ingredients such as  the roselle flower, a type of hibiscus that has a red dye to color the pastries.Luckily  there is the moringa tree, a fast growing plant whose protein laden leaves can be milled into a greenish flour to make pastries and other foods. The home businesses are thriving and the women recently asked for refrigerators for their newest addition - wedding cakes.

The Sahrawi women are making inroads, financially and emotionally thanks to groups helping them. They can bring in money for their families while boosting their confidence. It's the best that can be done for them, and possibly a way out of life in the camps

Weddings Now

October was usually the time for lovely fall weddings however that's all changed. The pandemic has forced us to look at how we gather and throw parties.It's not a question of what shall we serve but rather how can we do it without getting guests sick. There are ways of maneuvering  around the restrictions. 

In the old pre-pandemic days there used to be wedding receptions full of endless courses.There was the sushi bar followed by the pasta buffet. Everyone took from bountiful trays of hors d'ouevres and appetizers. a fun idea would be different food trucks set up along the street or in the wedding venue's parking lot. This is a plus because everyone likes what food trucks produce, The bride and groom can have their favorite foods served, whether it''s pizza or tacos. Several trucks can be set up because they're not that expensive per person. have hamburgers and corn dogs along with pizza and bulgogi, if you want a truly international affair. As for dessert, ice cream trucks are fun but just a bit messy. People will be wearing relatively fancy dress and the last thing anyone wants is a drippy cone or Popsicle. A better idea is a cupcake truck that doles out mini wedding cakes. These can be a variety of flavors too or the happy couple's favorite ones. You can also have already made meals that have been boxed in fancily decorated cardboard containers or plastic tubs. Fill them with  filet mignon sandwiches or lobster rolls. For a side think a small cup of grape tomatoes with a side of dressing. As for the cake, it can be cut in front of everyone and then instantly boxed to take home.

Can there be a relatively normal sit down dinner? Yes but keep it very small. Limit it to the immediate family and the  bridal party. This is reminiscent of weddings of the past where only a few were invited. The family can become involved , especially if the reception is held in the parents' backyard. You could bake a large ham or roast beef and serve it cold, if you 're involved in the wedding. leave it to rest for thirty minutes  - about the length of the ceremony. Slice it right away so that not too many people handle it or are around the meat. As for sides , think scoops of potato or macaroni salad in individual ramekins to cut down on contact.If you want some kind of salad, think hollowed out Roma tomatoes filled with cottage cheese. The cheese be glammed up with the addition of chopped red, yellow and green peppers along with oregano. Decorate with parsley sprigs. Should you have a traditional cake  with just a small group? Yes!!!! Bake a simple two layer with just butter cream frosting and flowers. If you feel it's not enough . then go for a southern tradition and bake a groom's cake. as well. This is usually the groom's favorite flavor, namely chocolate but it could be any flavor - except the wedding cake's. It can be decorated with the groom's favorite team colors or reflecting his hobbies.

Weddings and how we celebrate them will be different for the course of the pandemic. Make the best and most of the day with delicious foods. They can be from food trucks or from your kitchen. What matters is that they celebrate a day full of love and hope.

Happy 100th year wedding anniversary to my grandparents, Joe and Rina Helble.

A Vegan Breakfast For Dinner

 One of the most favorite - and one of my favorite's is breakfast for dinner. It's  kind of hard when you're cooking for a vegetarian household though. Yet there are a lot of subs you can use to create more or less the same as what meat and egg lovers have.

I was able to get Lightife Smart Bacon  a mix of soy and wheat gluten. I haven't cooked this before so this was interesting to fry up.

It's clumped together in a plastic bag  .

It looks like the real thing however it's harder to separate than real bacon.

I cooked it for three minutes on each side on my mini griddle. I brushed vegetable oil on the griddle first and placed the pieces.

As you can see the slices crisped up like real bacon.

Of course with bacon comes egg. I had the Vegg fake egg yolk. This was an easy make, with three teaspoons of the powder mixed with half a cup of cold water.It's then blended with an immersion blender and cooked for two minutes in the microwave.

It has a nice yolk consistency , thick and runny at the same time.

Of course you have to have bread with this and I has an artisinal rye from Stop & Shop. This was a great dinner. The bacon and egg tasted like the real thing, made even more perfect with dipping the bread in the yolk. The bacon was crispy and flavorful, while the yolk was the perfect texture and very eggy tasting. It was filling and best of all easy to make. You can also create variations with Vegg;s power scramble and Lightlife's sausage patties and links.

A vegan breakfast for dinner is easy to make. All you need is the Vegg egg substitute and Lightlife Smart Bacon. Add a thick hunk of bread to toast to finish off this great meal.

A Tasty Homemade Celery soup

 What do you do with a lot of celery?Make soup.  There's nothing like a homemade one , made with fresh ingredients. Best of all it was a vegan one and one I'll be making again.

I got the recipe from The Simple Veganista website. It's a relatively easy one  with the labor lying with cutting up all those celery stalks.

Since these were eventually going to be pulverized with an immersion blender.This was the most work.

It was then chopping up one yellow onion. The recipe said that you can use leeks but I felt they might be too strong in flavor. 

Then it  was four cloves of chopped garlic.

Afterwards the veggies were sauteed in about five to six tablespoons of Earth Balance spread. I like this one because its' taste is the closest to butter.

What's soup with out the stock?  Two Not Chick'n bouillion cubes  were stirred in along with about five cups of water.

These are great because they do add a real chicken taste to the stock. It was then adding the potatoes. The recipe called for Yukon Gold.I went the easy route and used  two cans Del Monte sliced potatoes.

It was then simmering everything for twenty minutes until the celery became tender.

The chunks got pureed thanks to using the immersion blender until the soup becomes smooth and creamy, th e last thanks to the potatoes.  Add a pinch of sea salt and a grind of fresh ground black pepper.There were some celery and potato chunks but I like the occasional chunk.  They added to the texture. This is one of my new favorite recipes. The taste was perfect and I love how the garlic and onion zinged up the celery's flavor. It was also good reheated.

Celery soup is the  perfect soup for fall or for any time. This one was delicious and flavorful. Make this vegan gem for the cool days ahead.

Stuffed

 Stuffed meats and veggies are a nice change up from the usual lunch and dinner fare. The family will get a kick out of breaking into them for a flavorful surprise. Stuffed main courses also a great way of using leftovers and repurposing them into something tasty and fresh. 

One of the easiest stuffed dishes to make is stuffed tomatoes. These are a diner favorite but easy to make at home.it's just hollowing out a beefsteak tomato and filling it with tuna salad. You could sub in egg salad if you want to but tuna is the usually preferred one. This filling is just a simple mix of tuna mayo and celery. You can decorate the top with dill or parsley leaves or just put the tomato top back on. Chopped avocado can be added for color and flavor. It also gives the stuffing a creaminess too.  You could also turn this vegetarian by subbing the tuna with leftover cooked rice, vegan cheese and a variety of different vegetables. A popular mix are peas, chopped peppers and chopped onions. You could add a tablespoon of the faux mayonnaise  Nayonnaise to make it creamier. Of course stuffed tomatoes can be hot too. Stuff them with a savory mix of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and various herbs. One of the most classic stuffed dishes is stuffed pepper.  These are everyone's favorite and , again, simple to make.  It's using any color bell pepper and scooping out the middle. What is great about them is that the stuffing can be anything. You can use leftover chicken or turkey or fresh ground beef. Stuffed peppers can also go vegetarian. Add beans and spiced rice for a meatless version. You can also stuff onions in the same manner.

Meats can also be farci or stuffed. One of the most famous and most loved is braciole, stuffed Italian beef roll. It's a bit labor intensive but worth it. The filling is a tasty blend of breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil ,Provolone cheese and parsley. The hard part comes next.It's pounding flank steak to the desired thinness. This requires a meat mallet but you can use a rolling pin if you don't have the first. The bread crumb mixture is sprinkled evenly over the steak and then rolled up. You'll need toothpicks or twine to fasten them. it's then cooking until done in a Dutch oven. Stuffed pork is a great fall dish. Again you can change up the fillings. You can try a sausage and apple one redolent with flavorful onion and celery There's also bread that's been pulsed in a food processor with rosemary, thyme and sage. These are then lightly toasted in butter for more flavor and crispness. Remember to use a mild sausages because hot ones will overpower the pork. The entire roll is made similar to a jelly roll with a boneless pork shoulder. Another filling is made with artichoke hearts and mushrooms mixed with parsley and an herbed stuffing mix. Beef tenderloin is another cut that can be filled, usually with a tasty mix of spinach and mushroom, with a bit of flour added for thickening.

Stuffed veggies or meats make for  a nice main course. They're bursting with the surprise of flavor and color. Try them for a different change of pace.

A Harvest of Cookbooks Part Two

Baking is one of the mainstays of the fall kitchen, whether for holidays or just dessert. There's nothing like whipping up a cake or pie. Luckily there is a whole range of new cookbooks that center on the different sweets and treats that are hot off the presses right now.

The New York Times Food section reviewed an entire array of them yesterday. The savory ones were written about yesterday  and they covered  a wide range of interesting cuisines from East African to Ina Garten's comfort food recipes. Contributors to the New York Times Food section also reviewed these baking themed cookbooks.Julia Moskin, Pete Wells, Melissa Clark and Kim Severson along with Emily Weinstein and Margaux Laskey critiqued all sorts . Pie lovers will go mad for Pie For Everyone : Recipes and Stories From Petee's  Pie, New York's Best Pie Shop (Abrams) is by Petra Paradez who owns the pie shop. She is a whiz at creating pies and tarts for all sorts of pie lovers, from the vegans to the buttery crust lover. She even has a way of sneaking more butter into her crusts for  a melt in your mouth bite. Chef Paradez includes a classic and almost forgotten New York favorite, the chestnut filled Nesselrode pie. Another book that features classic recipes is The Good Book Of Southern Baking :A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes and Cornbread, (Lorena Jones) features the chef of New Orlean's famed Willa Jean, Kelly Fields. She elevates classic recipes such as angel food cake flecked with two kinds of shaved chocolate and airy pancakes made with egg whites.

Fun cookbooks also are here as well. Snacking Cakes : Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings (Clarkston Potter) by Yossy Arefi a contributor to the Sunday Times T magazine, is the perfect book for any one who loves a good hunk of cake. The book is full of such mouth watering recipes as gingerbread and powdered sugar doughnut cakes. For more adventurous bakers there is A Good Bake : The Art and Science of Making Perfect Pastries, Cakes Cookies, Pies Breads at Home (Knopf) by Melissa Weller,a former chemical engineer and Carolynn Carreno.Ms, Weller shows how to make a sugar cookie top extra crackly and how to make toppings stay on focaccia. Advanced home bakers will love reading through Claire Saffitz's Dessert Person : Recipes and Guidance for Baking With Confidence (Clarkson Potter) Ms. Saffitz' is a pastry chef who has contributed to The NY TImes along with being contributing editor to Bon Appetit  magazine. She has detailed recipes with step by step how to recipes on almond butter banana bread and salted halvah blondies. Fans of San Francisco's 20th Century Cafe will love Baking at the 20th Century Cafe: Iconic  European desserts From Linzer Torte to Honey Cake (Artisan). Author Michelle Polzine puts' fresh spins on staid classics and allows home bakers to try their hand at elegant cookies and sweet and savory strudels.

Fall is the season for baking. Any of the cookbooks can give the recipes perfect for the cooler months ahead. They have a plethora of treats and desserts for home bakers looking for something new to create.