A Need For Comfort

It's a crazy world out there between what's happening in the world and in the weather.It's time for comfort foods and foods that we can de-stress with , whether it's for a meal or a snack. It can be decadent or something relaxing.

Of course one of the best things to have is a cup of herbal tea.Not surprisingly it can help protect the body from stress as well as flood it with antioxidants to also reduce inflammation caused from stress. Chamomile and peppermint are the most recommended and every brand has a version, usually blended with green tea for more flavor. Other herbal blends are made from flowers such as lavender and rose. Lavender is the best for promoting a good night's sleep. Have a hot soothing cup in the evening. What foods can create the same calming effect? Turkey which contains tryptophan which makes you sleepy.It's also right up there with comfort foods ,especially when you have it with your favorite stuffing and homemade gravy. Pair it with green leafy vegetables that also help with calming. These are kale, collard greens, broccoli rabe and mustard greens. They're rich in folates which help the body manufacture neurotransmitters like seratonin and dopamine to regulate moods. Kale is good , both , cooked, crisped or raw. Try it like a spinach salad with bacon and sliced hard boiled eggs.Swiss chard is delicious with a mix of egg and vinegar,  all sauteed in butter.

Of course there are the old reliable comfort foods such as meat loaf and mashed potatoes.Think about making a loaf with ground turkey instead of beef for something different and for all that dopamine. You can still have it with gravy - but turkey gravy along with mashed potatoes. You could serve it with another comfort food Tater Tots. These are also great on their own , especially if you've crisped them up in the air fryer. These only take seventeen to eighteen minutes to cook up but the result is a crunchy on the outside , creamy on the inside bite that works well with different dips.Pizza is another one of those foods that can make us feel happy. Enjoy a meat lover's one from one of the best , Blaze. They also have variations that include  a cauliflower crust and topping with squash and even maple syrup. Of course homemade pizza is a great comfort food too. Everyone's childhood favorite is English muffin pizzas with sauce and cheese bubbling away on the muffin slices. You can also do the same with bagels too. Use the everything ones for a fuller flavor.Another home made comfort are chocolate chip cookies. You can stick with original recipe or toss in walnuts or almonds or sub in the chips with M&M's Have these with a glass of milk,  and a favorite book to get away from the world.

These are times to de-stress and stay inside. Have  a cup of lavender tea to warm up and relax or enjoy a turkey meat loaf They're perfect for an hour or two away from the cold and craziness around us.

In Celebration Of Ukranian Food

 Our hearts and prayers are with the people of The Ukraine right now.This country was the birthplace of Russian culture and some of their classic foods. They have contributed immensely to the international table.

New York City has the largest Ukrainian populations in the United States. If you live in or near New York, please show your support and visit the many eateries owned by Ukranian-Americans. Try  Vesslega  on Second Ave for borscht and pierogi.Also on Second is Ukranian East Village restaurant. What is good at these recipes and in the cuisine? Start with borscht , the famed beet soup. It's a mix of sliced beets,beef shanks  or ribs and potatoes. Carrots, tomatoes and the Slavic staple cabbage are also added along with garlic and red wine for flavor.each bowl is topped with a generous dollop of sour cream. This can also be made at home for a different type of  week day dinner.The Ukraine is also known for their dumplings or varenyky . They're identical to their Polish cousins the pierogi. The dough isn't a simple one. Sour cream, butter and milk are added for a rich , chewy dough. The fillings can be potato or an indulgent cheese one made with cottage or farmer's cheese. There is also a sauerkraut one , that's also filled with onions and butter and a sweet one made with blueberries, cinnamon and lemon zest.

Of course the best known and loved recipe of the country is the Paska or Easter bread made for the Russian Orthodox Easter.It' is a light sweet bread , baked in special tall tins and decorated with a glaze and sprinkles>lemon zest or orange peel give it extra flavor. There are other  recipes too, including deruny from northern Ukraine. They are similar to potato pancakes found in Germany and Poland , with the shredded potatoes mixed with onion and eggs to form cakes. These are fried and served with either sour cream or a mushroom sauce.Nalysnyky are another sort of pancake or crepe. Traditionally they're made with buckwheat flour, flour or cornmeal and filled with sweet cottage cheese and berries or fried mushrooms. what would Ukrainian cuisine be without chicken Kyiv? It's known the world over and served in the finest restaurants. Parsley is finely chopped with a clove of garlic and added to six tablespoons of butter. A pinch of hot pepper is added as is salt.  This is shaped into a cylinder and chilled. While it's sitting in the fridge, chicken breasts are tenderized with a mallet  The cylinder is then sliced in two and the breasts are wrapped around them. They're then dipped in egg , followed by bread crumbs and fried. They're a lovely , elegant Sunday supper , served with a simple salad.

Our hearts stand with this culinary giant. Their recipes stand tall like the proud , brave people. Honor and support them and their dishes.

What This War Means

 Sadly we're in another war and one that affects everyone on the planets. Along with the destruction of all life, it has a serious impact on our food and crops world wide. Expect some major and drastic changes  to how we eat and shop.

The Ukraine has bee known as the bread basket of Europe but also of Africa and Asia too. Many countries , from Egypt to Sudan, Nigeria and Tanzania to name a few rely on their

 wheat along with barley and maize.Lebanon will be severely hit because a good portion of their grains come from the area. The area is rich in sunflowers and sunflower oil is one of the staples in Chinese and Indian cuisines. From an agricultural perspective this does benefit some African farmers. There will be a need for grains grown locally and that means an increase in production. yet there's also an international ripple effect that touches us here back in the States. It's surprisingly a plus in all this darkness, Like African farmers US and even Canadian ones will step in and help with the supply chain as per Farm Policy News from University of Illinois. Another problem is that Russia is the biggest importer of fertilizer world wide. economic sanctions against it could easily result in farming and production products. (although we could always find another country to fill in for that).

Prices are already high  to begin with thanks to the pandemic and supply chain problems. Cold cuts are almost ten dollars for a package. Cookies are up thanks to the price of sugar. Dairy is going up too. what will happen a few months into this war. Could a roast chicken cost twenty dollars? Or will tomatoes be eight or nine dollars a pound? With hopes and prayers this conflict won't hast long thanks to  some kind of intervention. If not we may have to look to our own backyards for help. It is easy to live off one's land. It's time to think about growing veggies and berries. We can easily grow everything from those tomatoes to melons to even corn in our yards and community gardens. We may have to go vegan, eliminating dairy and meat, The problem is that soy prices may go up  which eliminate some vegan products. Again ,luckily for everyone mung beans are now a big part of vegetarian products like Beyond Burgers and Just Egg. We may not need to rely on purely soy products as a meat sub in ;

This conflict is not only vile and unnecessary but disruptive. It will affect every aspect  of the food chain , from farming to baked goods. Hopefully it will end soon with some kind of peaceful resolution.

Ebony's Food Lab Returns

 Ebony magazine has always on the forefront of Black American ideas and trends. One division of the famed world renown magazine was their food section. They were also known for their innovative recipes cooked in a funky for the times kitchens. Now both are being celebrated in a retrospect.c

Regular contributor and writer for the Btiiman Project Kayla Stewart wrote about the famed test kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Food section as well as including some of the magazines most classic recipes. The kitchen was quite innovative for its' time , around the late Sixties and early Seventies.It was at the heart of American Black Food culture thanks to the publisher John H. Johnson , owner of the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago.It was outfitted by a design team that included Arthur Elrod and William Raiser, both known for their adoration of Palm Springs decor. They used what were then state-of-the-art appliances like grills, mixers, a hidden toaster (!) a trash compactor and a refrigerator with an ice and water dispenser. It was almost lost to history when the publishing company closed its' doors in 2010 and sold the building to a Chicago developer. Luckily Landmark Illinois , a  preservation nonprofit was able to save the kitchen. The Museum of Food and Drink took temporary ownership and moved it to Manhattan where it was restored to all its former funky glory.

The kitchen was a try out for all sorts of new recipes thanks to its' innovative and well traveled editor Freda Deknight who first took over the job in 1946. Her articles "Date with A Dish" was laden with good recipes and pictures which spoke to Black home chefs with varying degrees of knowledge. Readers were encouraged also to submit family and beloved recipes as well, receiving a $25 prize and their recipe featured.After her passing in 1963 Charla L. Draper took over and doubled down on the recipes. Ms. Stewart has included three classics, One is stewed chicken and dumplings, which is cooking  chicken  in a Dutch oven  water bath. Celery and onions along with garlic, ground up chicken bouillon and paprika are added for more flavor and spice. The dumplings are the traditional ones , sweetened with sugar and spiked with parsley, A great side with are the honey glazed carrots, made with orange juice honey and butter, first steamed and then baked in the oven. The most beautiful and delicate looking recipe is the  Rose Petal Pudding,It's a cross between a bread pudding and a cake flavored with mace, rose water and lemon juice. The glaze is a mix of confectioners sugar, melted butter, seedless raspberry jam, mace and whole milk. It's decorated with rose petals and would be the perfect end to an Easter dinner or at a shower.

Ebony Magazine has always been at the forefront of trends and news. along with reporting on traditions. Its recipes were no different. They were a fine mix of the new and the classic with exciting dishes and desserts.

Food For Pet Parents And Pet Babies

 Every pet parent knows there is a long list of foods that you cannot feed your fur baby. Yet there are some human diets that actually are helpful to cats and dogs. These can make a world of difference in a fur baby's life.

Regular contributor and chef Priya Kirishna wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section.It seems all animals , even goldfish and hamsters are benefiting from healthy human diets. It benefits them and their quality of life if they're eating purer , more natural foods.Pet parents are devoting considerable thought and money to how they feed these creatures. For many pet parents it s the simple customization of their own diets to match their animals. Some pets get to munch on treats flavored like a turmeric latte or even made with CBD. Others are on Vitamin C supplements and probiotics. A few pet parents make up their own version of pet food similar to new parents creating their own organic baby foods.There are also companies that are jumping on this as well. Surprisingly though there are no  clear or simple rules for how to feed a pet. M ost get advice and diet print outs from their vets.Scientific research on certain diets is lagging way behind the research on human ones. It's sort of test it out and see kind of methodology.

What's behind this special diets? Mostly non processed foods which can have all sorts of horrors in them. Yet a vast majority of vets endorse begged and canned foods, stating those are the only foods cats and dogs can eat. Yet according to Kymythy R. Schultze,a human and pet nutritionist believes raw food is better for them. After all she reasoned they were eating natural and unprocessed foods for thousands of years and survived. Why not now. She self published The Ultimate Diet: Natural Nutrition For Dogs and Cats.It's a kind of Paleo and keto diet that focusses on eating as their ancestors ate. Wes Stiler, a writer in Bozeman , Montana  put his two dogs, Wiley, Bowie and Teddy on this plan. Their skin problems cleared up after a diet of ra w chicken drumsticks, chicken liver and salmon. Mr. Stiler  who also embraced a more natural diet feels that kibble is like fast food -poison - which he hasn't had in twenty-five years.Others such as Luke Hagopian who has 3.6 million Tiktok followers feed his goldfish bloodworms, boiled spinach and boiled cucumbers.However some of these raw foods can be dangerous , carrying salmonella and a host of parasites. Pet parents should listen to their vets and receive an honest assessment of works for their animal babies.

What should concerned pet parents do? Ask guidance from their vet  and then read up on the subject. Try a diet that benefits you both.

Air Fryer Chips

 One of the best aspects of owning an air fryer is that you can make fried treats without all that oil and calories. One of the best is potato chips, the perfect snack or side. They're easy to do with very little prep time.

I had two Russet potatoes that were just begging to be cut up and made into something tasty.Why not chips that have the crunch of a regular potato chip but with the mealy thickness of a French fry. The idea came from a recipe from Taste of Home.I had them sliced into varying thicknesses just to experiment.

The two spuds yielded two bowls of chips as you can see. It was then soaking them in a cold water bath for fifteen minutes.

Then draining them and then another cold water fifteen minute soak. Doing such removes the starch , ensuring for a crisper chip.

Afterwards they were patted down with a paper towel.

I coated them in olive oil and also sprayed the air fryer basket with Acme's O Organic brand of olive oil spray. This gave the chips  a milk, not overpowering flavor. They were also liberally salted with sea salt.

It was then frying small batches at 370 degrees Farenheit for twelve minutes, breaking every six minutes for flipping them over,.

It was a lot of work (two hours for about seven batches!!!!!) but definitely worth it.

The fries were a combo of a chip and a fry , with crunchy edges and a meaty, creamy inside. Of course I had mine with a good dollop of ketchup but they were also yummy on their own. These are definitely make agains, maybe as a snack or a possible side to vegan chicken nuggets or Beyond Burgers.

Create these air fryer chips for a tasty treat. They are a delicious way to enjoy a classic without all the calories and grease. Make a batch or two or three today.

A Slew Of Sweets

 Creating goodies is one of the most fun things to do in a kitchen. They're even more so when you have a  slew of recipes to work off of. Luckily the New York Times Cooking section put out a mini cookbook of sorts featuring all things baked , sweet or both.

This keeper was part of yesterday's New York Times Sunday issue. There are many good recipes, perfect for snacks, dessert and Easter.They can work at Spring showers or grad parties too, along with warmer weather get togethers. There are twenty-four recipes in total. Most are baked, but some are made thanks to a stove top, food processor or fridge. There are the traditional ones such as The World's Best Chocolate Cake, a lush devil's food with a creamy dark chocolate ganache icing and the plus of an espresso spiked marscapone cream. Chocolate chip cookies are there too.They are the classic New York Times version with their mix of bread and cake flour along the addition of  big chocolate disks. A lovely and classic recipe is Kentucky Butter cake, perfect for an Easter dessert. This has a cup of butter in it along with buttermilk taken from Nell Lewis of surprisingly Platte City Missouri. A glaze of more butter, melted and mixed with confectioner's sugar and vanilla is poured into the holes poked in the finished product. A dusting of confectioner's sugar tops it. There's also Puppy Chow and a traditional shortbread crust too.

Then there are the unique recipes. Shortbread afectionados should try the pretzel shortbread made with half a cup of blitzed pretzel crumbs added to the traditional recipe. There are tea cookies made with Earl Grey tea and spiked with orange zest for a zingy flavor. Those who like mochi should try their hand at the butter mochi bars with a passionfruit glaze. It's the mochiko flour that gives it that marshmallowy texture. For another kind of flour is semolina used in the Namoura, the Lebanese cake contributed by Amanda Saab which she got from her Lebanese grandmother. It's made with whole milk yogurt and semolina flour and flavored with syrup made with vanilla, granulated sugar and lemon juice boiled down into a syrup.Another tasty dessert which is a spin of the classic Hispanic one is a tres leches bread pudding. This is mix of heavy cream, evaporated milk and whole milk mixed with eggs and poured over buttery brioche.This can be served warm or cold with fresh made whipped cream.if you;re having breakfast for dinner finish with sheet pan chocolate chip pancakes. These can be topped with whip cream and fruit or maple syrup and butter. Another spin on the traditional are peanut butter cookies with miso for a different flavor or tapioca with lemongrass.

This issue is the perfect treat book. Make any of these for a fun and soothing bite. They're a fun day in the kitchen.

A Bite With The Tattooed Chef

 Cooking for one is never easy. It's not worth the chopping or peeling, then frying or sauteing. Luckily there is microwave bowls and not your run of the mill ones. These are good for you.

I recently discovered Tattooed Chef, during a shopping trip to Target. I was looking for something healthier than the usual fare and something I could just microwave. I came across these

I've had both and they are a great alternative to what's out there. I've also tried their cauliflower pizza bowl with plant protein pepperoni. These heat up within minutes and  are really delicious, My favorite is the cauliflower mac and cheese bowl.It's creamy cheddar cheese poured over riced cauliflower and topped with panko breadcrumbs. The veggie hemp bowl is another good choice, rich with good for you veggies. There is kale , sweet potatoes, hemp and chickpeas over riced cauliflower. A turmeric and almond dressing dresses it ,giving it more oomph in flavor. 

The company, started by chef Sarah Galletti in LA has other dishes, reflecting her LA upbringing and Italian heritage. Hers is the rare company that uses its' own fruits and veggies in the products.it is a true farm to table experience. which is why her bowls taste like they're homemade. She also offers cauliflower gnocchi, a lighter alternative to the potato version, along with zucchini spirals and organic greens , a mix of seasoned zucchini, haricots verts, broccoli peas and leeks.There is also a cauliflower crust pizza and of course more bowls. The emchilada and Buddha bowls are definitely on my radar as is her Mexican street  style corn with cojita, and her cauliflower veggie burgers.Her riced cauliflower stir fry is a nice alternative to the original. There are also breakfast (or snack) bowls containing granola, a  mix of berries including the ever healthy acai and chocolate chips. A fun snack or dessert is her  cold brew and dark chocolate bowl, livened up with granola and strawberries. Most dishes are around five to six dollars at Target. They're also sold at Walmart, Stop and Shop and Costco.

Look to the Tattooed Chef for a better dining for one option.The bowls are good for you and your taste buds. They're a great way for dinner alone.

What Happened To Longevity

 Years ago appliances lasted forever. You could keep a stove or fridge for decades, Not anymore. Now it's considered lucky if they last five years. What's happened? What's going on with our kitchen ware?

This is what I have been thinking ever since my Magic Chef microwave billowed out  black smoke last week. I only had it for two and a half years.It was only a little ways past its' warranty. What happened? This was a brand that my mother picked for a stove that lasted close to sixty years. I thought for sure this was the case for the microwave. a long life for a microwave. I used it often but not every day.It was cleaned so there were no clogged vents to cause any problems. It seems that Magic Chef just used inferior materials. Yet what does that say about their other products? Will their fridges go on the fritz after two or three years of use? I wonder if these newer generations of ranges will last as long as the one we had.My microwave was replaced with Walmart's Home Essentials brand.

It looks the same as the Magic Chef and actually works better. It cooks and reheats better and in less time too. It's perfect for popcorn, leaving less unpopped kernels than the other.

It may not have the roomy height of the other but it does the width  which is perfect for my larger microwave pots. I just hope this one lasts more than two years. It does make me wonder about my fridge  which I've had for eight years and my oven for just over five. It could be that manufacturers are making inferior grade models so we can go out and  buy new ones every few years.

Why aren't today's appliances lasting like they used to? It's due to manufacturers seeming to want us buy new ones every two or three years. It's not quality anymore.It s how long will they function before they die on us,.

In Praise Of Chocolate Chips

  Chocolate chips rule as much as baking snobs hate to admit it. These tiny little morsels shouldn't be discounted. Their tininess can add a big impact and flavor to any dessert recipe.

Regular contributor Genevieve Ko knows this and wrote about the tasty nibbles in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It's partly for nostalgia's sake. How many of us always snuck a few while making homemade Toll House cookies? Yet there are other reasons too, namely composition. The bars that some chefs use is high in cocoa butter which makes it more fluid when melted. It's perfect for coating bonbons, look at that shiny , snappy shells coating truffles and caramel. However what works for candy making doesn't necessarily work for baking according to Jacques Dahan, president of the chocolate company Michel Cluizel USA. Bakers want less cocoa butter for baking chocolate.Cocoa butter may give the recipe more  fat but so does dairy add ins like butter and milk. It is also expensive which is why the mass produced chocolate morsels have less of it. They have more cacao solids instead. These also yield more flavor too. Also you need a stronger flavor when mixing the chips with other ingredients like you'd find in a brownie recipe. In a flourless chocolate cake they shine through the creaminess of the butter and the richness of the eggs. They also help bind the other ingredients together in absence of flour.

Another plus to using chocolate chips is that they hold their shape in a hot oven. They give structure and height to chunky cookies and banana bread. There's no worry of them melting and creating gullies in the treat's surface. It was Ruth Wakefield, a Massachusetts housewife who first created the chips in the 1930's and the cookies named after the famed Toll House Inn. She sold the idea to Nestle for only a dollar and since then other companies have copied idea. To be honest there really isn't  the best. They all taste good, They all bake well.Donald Wressell, an executive chef at Guittard Chocolate Company suggests sampling a wide range first.This is what pastry chef  Jacqueline Eng and owner of New York's Partybus Bakery, She feels like she is a bread baker first so she experiments with the sweet ingredients. She feels that approaching chocolate can be intimidating because you can deep dive into sourcing beans from other counties. The best way is to just taste them and decide what works. she finally decided on Callebaut 54 percent cacao pellets. However during the pandemic she used chocolate chips from her local grocery and still received compliments on her cookies. 

Chocolate chips rule. They are perfect for baking yummy cookies or tasty banana bread. It doesn't matter what brand is used, they deliver a great taste and texture.

The Fake Or The Real Thing

 Can a chicken be cloned? Or a filet mignon copied? They may someday soon and wind up in our supermarkets. It may sound like a science fiction story but it's true.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this new facet of the food industry in today's New York Times Food section. Cloning has been around for decades, and a form of it is interesting a number of people.Ms. Severson spent time at Upside Foods in San Francisco. The scientists there take healthy cells from chicken ad create cutlets that even taste better than the actual birds. They soon will be experimenting with beef and lobster. The idea for this came from Dr. Uma Valeti, a cardiologist who helped start the company in 2015. He was convinced that the same medical technology used to grow stem cells or repair a human heart  could now grow food. Now tissue engineers and scientists  in several countries are trying to transform stem cells in the pricey Wagyu steak, oysters and sushi-grade salmon. Nearly three billion dollars in investments are funding this , the money coming from such giants as Archer-Daniel-Midlands and the Brazlian meat giant JBS. Bill Gates and Leonardo di Caprio, a big environmentalist are also funding it as is the Agriculture Department and Qatar Investment Authority

Despite their potential good, lab grown meats have their down side. Opponents say that the process ignores both culture and nature. It could be scientifically risky,  creating potential allergens and untested byproducts.It could also create waste that would be a biohazard. Stem cell meats also ignore the time tested regenerative agricultural practices in favor of unproven gains of environmental gain. Alan Lewis, one skeptic who works for the Natural Grocers health food chain. He questions why eat this meat when you can have the plant based ones. The leap to consume synthetic protein seems entirely unnecessary. How does synthetic meat come into being? It begins with stem cells from an animal biopsy, an egg or even a feather. These multiply rapidly in a stainless steel tank called a bioreactor or cultivator. The cells feed on a complex broth that contains nutrients like carbohydrates and amino acids. There's also some type of unnamed growth factor that can turn into muscle fat or connective tissue.  Taste and nutrition are controlled by cell selection and the broth they grew in. Some find the meat tastes better than the real thing and chefs like Jose Andres and Dominqu Cren are behind it.Yet only one in ten Americans would try this while only a third in Britian said they would give it a shot.

Is cultured chicken, beef or lobster the food of the future? Possibly. If plant based burgers  can make it , then so can this,

Bahr's Big Time Moment

 One Super Bowl commercial can make or break a product. In this case there is a by  product that did well  and it's Bahr's the much beloved seafood restaurant in New Jersey's Atlantic Highlands. It's on the map any way thanks to its' great food and great atmosphere.

Bahr's has  been a part of the jersey shore for one hundred and five years.The original owners, Jack and Florence Bahr were not in the seafood industry. They owned and operated a small neck tie company in Newark's Ironbound or Dutch Neck section, The only connection to the sea was that Jack';s grandfather was a tall ships captain. After their business suffered several robberies, the Bahr's went south to the Highlands where they purchased a small boat rental company.The Bahr's and their four children sold bait ,rented towboats and cooked dinners for fishing parties that came down by the local train. Soon they were offering lobster and fish dinners.. The menu was expanded to include their famed Manhattan clam chowder along with dishes reflecting their German heritage. They have attracted all sorts of celebrities from the famed swimmer Gertrude Ederle to actor Ernest Borgnine in the fifties. Recently Bahr's was alluded to in Ronan Farrow's 2019 Catch and Kill: Lies, spies and A Conspiracy To Protect Predators. According to Farrow former spies used to meet regularly , discussing what to do with the author after his expose on Harvey Weinstein. The latest brush with fame is a Chevrolet commercial featuring Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler reprising their Sopranos  characters Meadow and AJ Soprano  meet in front of the iconic sign and eatery.

Yet go to Bahr's not for its' celebrity cache but for the wide variety of seafood and German dishes. One of their best is the Manhattan clam chowder, a savory classic, rich with large ,chewy clam bits and redolent of herbs such as rosemary and sage. Another must have is their shrimp cocktail , an icy cold but flavorful appetizer of plump shrimp with cocktail sauce. I am also a big fan of their lobster.It's just good with  butter sauce, perfect with tender tail and claw meat. It's usually served with their homemade cole slaw and homemade biscuits. It's also great at Moby's served with a side of fries that you can also dip in the butter sauce. Keep in mind they also offer scallops along with flounder and salmon. Their chef has a creative streak, evident in his seafood chili , a mix of fish, tomatoes and clam broth and his lobster pot pie, a dish that brings you back to the Gilded Age. Puff pastry covers a creamy melange of lobster cream sauce, carrots and peas.They also have  a plate of wurst along with filet mignon and Florence's pot roast recipe. You may be too stuffed afterwards to enjoy a treat but Bahr's has a good selection of pies, cakes and creme brulees.

Bahr's has always attracted a good deal of attention .It s mainly for its' excellent seafood and home cooked sides. Go to this iconic restaurant for just that - not for its' refound celebrity cache.

 

Last Minute Valentine's Treats

There's still time to celebrate this day of love  It's easy to do even without going to a fancy restaurant. There are plenty of savory and sweet  treats you can whip up. 

You may not have the time to run out and get a lobster and then cook it. However you could make a yummy, lush shrimp dish with just the air fryer. It's just spritzing the seafood with an olive oil spray and them dipping them into a quick mix of garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano. It's cooking them for only eight minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit. Serve them on lightly oiled and toasted Italian bread slices.Those slices can also be covered with a simple bruschetta using plum tomatoes, chopped onions and chopped black olives. A charcuterie board is a lovely and romantic way to celebrate the night . Have a variety of different crackers along with  regular and Genoa salami, along with pepperoni. Spreadable cheeses are always a nice addition too, so have a wedge of Brie and Camenbert(don't worry about having too much, all of this will make a nice lunch for tomorrow). Cornichons and gherkins finish it off. An impromptu barbecue under the stars is a great  get together if you're in a mild climate. Just have two burgers and dogs. along with two cold beers - or upgrade it with a split of champagne.

Sweet treats are also a welcomed gift. Chocolate fondue is a fun sweet, perfect for two. It's just melting dark chocolate with whole cream until it becomes satiny and smooth. Use fondue forks or even skewers to dip in everything from marshmallows to strawberries. Also have pound cake chunks and plain vanilla doughnut holes too.Sharing a hot fudge sundae is another romantic treat. The sauce is a delicious mix of dark chocolate chips evaporated milk, butter and a dash of vanilla. Spoon it over coffee ice cream and top with a good dollop of Reddi Whip for a frozen mocchaccino taste. You can also make the traditional hot fudge sundae with vanilla ice cream , sauce and whipped cream. Add sliced strawberries and bananas for more flavor. You could also layer on salted peanuts for a tin roof. If you're outdoors, think about a more sophisticated version of a s'more. Use good Valrhona dark chocolate with the marshmallows and place on chocolate graham crackers. You could add a sprinkle of candied ginger for heat and to cut the over sweetness.

Celebrate your love with the love of good foods. You have time to create these simple yet lush treats. Enjoy the night with them.

Last Minute Super Bowl Party Dishes

 Tomorrow is one of the biggest days  of the season for football fans. Yet thanks to all the precautions, many fans are having impromptu parties, inviting over only a close few. That means getting some good party grub together in a hurry. Don't worry. There are plenty of dishes.

You can never go wrong with wings. It's even better if you have an air fryer to quickly cook them. You can easily go with Tyson's already prepared wings. This saves the time of having to prep them or going out for specific spices.There are also chicken strips which are perfect with a variety of easy to make dipping sauces. Add some hot sauce to ketchup for a zingy flavor or toss in a dollop of honey to mustard for a good home made honey mustard sauce.Vegans can go with Impossible Chicken's plant based nuggets. What goes with these? Try Tater Tots in with a cheese sauce. Again these are made tastier by crisping them up in the air fryer. The cheese can be melted in the microwave. Use Velveeta which melts nicely. Save the cheese sauce for warmed pretzel nuggets. Sliders always are a fast and popular party favorite. White Castle has the frozen ones complete with buns as does Gardein with their vegan chicken ones. You can also make mini patties using ground beef and instant onion soup mixed together .For extra flavor layer on cheese and bacon.  Serve on Hawaiian rolls.

Those Hawaiian rolls are also good at creating a wide range of sandwiches. It's super simple to get a wide array of cold cuts and cheeses for a make your own sandwich. Have bowls of extras such as sliced pickles, tomatoes , lettuce and peppers. Set out bowls, of ketchup, mayo and mustard too. A bit more elegant offering is a charcuterie board.Include salami, prosciutto and mortadella along with a  couple of loaves of Italian bread. Let guests slie the thicknesses they want. Also have a good smattering of cheeses. Provolone is a good choice because it pairs well with the salume and cheeses but you can also have some cheddars and spreadable cheeses like Brie and Camenbert. You can set out a pretty array of different crackers to go with the cheeses too along with cornichons, , pickled peppers and black and green olives. What's a Super Bowl party without chips , salsa and guacamole? Homemade salsa is easy to whip up as is guacamole.Use fire roasted tomatoes for a richer flavor along with chopped onions and green peppers. The guac can be made with tomatoes and onion powder. drop in some lemon juice to keep it from turning brown.

These dishes can be put together in an instant for a last minute Super Bowl Party. They're fun ways of celebrating without hours of cooking or prepping. Try them and let the game begin!!

A Savory And Sweet Valentine's Day Meal

 You don't have to go to fancy restaurant for a delicious Valentine's Day meal. Everything from the main to dessert can be made in your kitchen. It's a fun cook that both can enjoy making.

Regular contributor , cookbook author and chef, Eric Kim created a menu in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. It's the perfect cooking for two, let new lovebirds get to know each other while long standing couples a nice reminder to check in on each other. His first course is a radicchio salad not cold, but warmed, perfect for a chilly February night. It's spiked with gooey cheese choices that melt well, You can either try Camembert, Brie or Taleggio cheese from Lombardy.It's very similar to the other too and cooks nicely. The radicchio will smell like Brussels sprouts or kale and the greens are taken off the stove top before the leaves wilt. A drizzle of sherry vinegar and honey gives it bite and sweetness, perfect with the cheese and counteracting the radicchio'd sharpness. The next dish is the luxurious beef Wellingtons' These are individual loafs not the grand one with a decorated crust.It's taking two filet mignon cuts and enrobing them in pastry. They cooked first and then brushed with Dijon mustard for extra flavor. Instead of adding pate de foie gras and prosciutto, standards in the traditional Wellington., Chef Kim subs in cremini mushrooms which are cooked in a combination of honey, an acidic red wine such as pinot noir or cabernet franc and cream. These and the filets are then encased in either homemade or store bought pastry dough and baked.

As with any Valentine's Day meal, the dessert is the star .Of course it has to be chocolate-y and Chef Kim does not disappoint with this recipe for no churn olive oil ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It's a riff on Atlanta's Ecco restaurant's sea salt olive oil ice cream. Use extra virgin olive oil for the oil to give it a fruity flavor.It's whisked with the sweetened condensed milk and sea salt. In another bowl beat heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. A dollop of this is added to the condensed milk and olive oil mix and folded in. Repeat this folding to keep bubbles form forming. Once blended it's put into a container in the fridge. The hot fudge sauce is again made with sweetened condensed milk and two ounces of coarsely chopped dark chocolate. Microwave on high for thirty second increments. After the first time add a tablespoon of fruity extra virgin olive oil for smoothness. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over a low flame, stirring until smooth and glossy. Let the ice cream thaw for ten minutes before scooping into bowls and adding the sauce. You could add candied rose petals for more romance.

Celebrate your love and your love of cooking at home. There's nothing more romantic than a home cooked meal. Enjoy it and each other.

Back With Meringue

 Foodie Pantry is back open thanks to a reprieve on the gallbladder. With it comes the magic of meringue.It's the elegant topper on citrus pies or  delicate puffs of goodness. Best of all it's not complicated to make as people think it is.

Melissa Clark wrote about it in her Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Many home bakers shy away from making this classic. Meringue can be tricky to make and bake. When it comes out good it's phenomenal, When it comes out bad, it can be drippy , weepy or just gooey. Meringue is one of the oldest recipes having first been made in the 16th Century. Making it was real chore with bakers of the time using everything from birch branches to knives to bundles of  straw.It only improved with the invention of the wire whisk in the 19th Century. The basic make up of it is just foam. Shake or agitate any liquid and bubbles will appear However the specific proteins in the whites and its' vegan counterpart aquafaba (chickpea water) allow them to turn into a billowing mousse. when beaten these proteins uncoil, trapping in tiny bubbles.The proteins thin out the more they're beaten and they become more and more aerated with each whip. Add sugar or heat or both will help stabilize them by firming up the proteins as their structure remains intact.

There are three different types of meringue. The simplest is commonly called French meringue,It made solely from egg whites and sugar.It's the lightest and most voluminious of the three. It's also the least stable and can break down. It's used to boost sponge cake and macarons and gives those crunchy meringue kisses. The second is Swiss meringue, where the egg whites and sugar are heated in a double boiler until the sugar melts, then beaten until buoyant and creamy.It's the coating on baked Alaska and added to buttercreams for richness. The densest, smoothest and most stable is Italian meringue.It's also the most challenging to work with. The sugar is heated to 240 degrees Farenheit and it's then carefully beaten into a bowl of whites.It's kind of like making candy and it can be used interchangeably with the Swiss version. Ms. Clark gives a wide array of different recipes. You could try her extra lemony meringue pie, made with  sharply bright Meyer lemons or the chocolate meringue raspberry tart. This is a fruit tart  with a meringue zinged up with cocoa powder and frozen dried raspberries. There is also a blood orange pie with a butterscotch meringue made with brown sugar to create that butterscotch flavor.

Whipping up a meringue for any of these recipes is a nice touch. It does practice to make the perfect one. Once mastered the end result is  amazing.

Emergency In The Pantry

 I'm in my local hospital's ER waiting for emergency gall bladder surgery.This is what happens when you don't eat right.Foodie Pantry will be closed for the next month or so.Expect new dishes with a much healthier spin upon my eventual return

Baby Pasta

  Baby pasta may sound like they're perfect tiny ones  yet they're really perfect for the older folk.They're tiny bits of flavor that are as versatile as their bigger cousins. These small nuggets of flavor are perfect for anything from soup to salad.

What are these small bits of dough called? Technically they're all macaroni with the classification belonging to all one to two inch shapes. These even apply to the tinier ones. There are many of these "baby" or little pastas. They are more versatile than the larger sorts. You can easily make a salad or soup with them along with turning them into a soothing bowl of goodness just by adding butter and grated Parmesan.Some of the more popular kinds are pastina and orzo. Pastina is what every Italian mother feeds a sick child. These tiny (about the size of a large pinhead) stars are also popular in Turkish cuisine where they're also used in soup. it can also be cooked in broth and then served with butter or a plant based butter and any kind of grated Italian  cheese. Orzo can be served both hot or cold. This rice shaped pasta is great in any kind of broth and enhances minestrone soup. It is also a great summer dish , served cold as a salad. You can also make it for your Super Bowl Party this weekend. Add sliced cherry or whole grape tomatoes along with small broccoli florets,  black or green olives and cucumber slices. To make it heartier, toss in salami chunks or pepperoni along with chunks of Provolone. dress with a garlic vinaigrette made with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

There are other baby pastas too. A close cousin to pastina is acini de pepe or peppercorns. They're actually not the size of a peppercorn but a pearl of couscous. They represent fertility which is why they're always in Italian wedding soup. since they're like couscous, you can make them in similar recipes. A nice warming dish is cooking it with saffron, white wine and saffron, sort of like a risotto Milanese. You could also serve it with dried apricots and pistachios as a side to grilled chicken. Ditalini or small fingers are another baby pasta that can be used to zing up  soups. Like acini de pepe it is also good with a meaty Bolognese sauce for a different kind of comfort food.Anelli or little pasta rings are a fun addition to chicken soup or minestrone. They're one of the chief ingredients in the Sicilian dish timballo. This is a baked casserole that looks like a Bundt cake and is rich with meat sauce , ham and squares of Provolone cheese. There is a coating of bread crumbs but you can also use fried eggplant. It's baked like a cake and served in slices. There is also a smaller version of anelli called anellino, tinier rings that are perfect in soup or just with butter and cheese.

Baby pasta may be little but it has a big flavor.Use it in hot and cold dishes for a tasty main course or side. They are just as versatile and fun as their bigger cousins.

A Taste Of Chinese

 With the Chinese New Year and the Beijing Olympics it's time to celebrate Chinese food. It's easy to make at home along with being a fun dinner. It's time to ring in the Year of The Tiger.

Some home chefs think a wok is necessary to make the best Chinese food. Not true. You can easily use a saute or fry pan so long as it's flat and close to the flame. If you do want to buy one then consider a carbon steel or cast iron one. The original woks were made out of cast iron and the tradition continues. Look for one with a wood handle because wood is the best material to diffuse the heat. Stir fries are easy and can be tailored to your family's tastes. Vegetarians will love one that's purely plant. Crunchy water chestnuts and baby corn give it color and crunch while broccoli, carrots and corn a boost it with vitamins and flavor.Make sure sugar snap beans along with green and red bell pepper slices are also added. For heartier and meatier fare add chicken.Shrimp or pork is a nice change up too. Soy sauce or homemade ginger sauce  can be drizzled into the stir. fry. Ginger sauce is made with light soy sauce,rice wine ginger, brown sugar and spring onions or scallions. These can also be used as a dipping sauce for dumplings too.

Dumplings or pot stickers are another dish that can be made at home. You can buy the wrappers that encase the filling or make them yourself. The wrappers can also be used to make egg rolls too. Home made ones are nothing more than a dough of flour, eggs, water and a pinch of salt. They're rolled out in cornstarch instead of more flour for a crisper , crunchier bite. Any Asian grocery store has them  though, usually under the name gyoza.  As for filling, you can try any kind of minced meat. You can try only beef or pork or combining them.  For a really luxurious filling think lobster spiked with ginger. They're a great treat , especially with a ginger sauce.  Of course there are the noodle dishes, Lo mein is a good dish for the family.It can be made like spaghetti and all sorts of veggies and protein can be added to it. Chicken or beef  lo mein is a good week day dinner., You can also throw in snow peas and mushrooms  along with bean sprouts and ginger slivers. It can also be a veggie one with more mushrooms and tofu added.

It's the Lunar New Year and the Beijing Olympics. Celebrate with great homemade Chinese food. It's a tasty way to honor this country and its' people.

A Hearty Vegan Colcannon

Colcannon is a great weekend meal, using up leftovers from the week. They're transformed into a tasty Saturday night dish, hearty and  perfect for a chilly night.

Butter is always used to "fry" the mash. For a vegan version I used my new favorite half a stick of Melt plant based butter.

It takes just a bowl of leftover mashed potatoes along with spinach to form the base. Usually cabbage is used along with leeks and onions for more flavor. I wanted to keep my version mild so I used baby spinach from Aldi. Two cups did it.

Typical colcannon has some kind of bacon or ham. Since this is vegan I used Lightlife' 's Smart deli ham.

I julienned four slices which was the right amount. You could use vegan bacon bits if you want just a whisper of a taste or more slices if you want a heartier mix.

                                                         Garlic also gives it flavor.

 One fat clove should do it but you can add two for more taste. Mince it into the potatoes. Big hunks may not be to everyone's liking

It was then constant stirring until the spinach was completely cooked, usually about ten minutes over a medium heat. You can add extra butter if you want along with salt and pepper.

                                                      It was a flavorful delicious scoop.

 it was a bit soupy but that could be from the water from the just washed spinach leaves. Add more potatoes if that's the case. It was a good meal on it's own but you could also serve it with a ham if you're not a vegan. You can also used leftover homemade mashed potatoes too.

Vegan colcannon is a great Saturday or Sunday night supper. It's flavorful and hearty.It's the perfect meal on a frosty February night.

Pretty Dishes And Bowls

 Just like wine glasses dishes and bowls can make dining at home a wondrous affair. It;s just picking out the right pattern along with a good sturdy make. These can be the heirloom pieces that long and well treasured.

The big question is do you buy matching bowls and plates? Or go for a kind of mishmash  restaurant vibe of mismatched crockery?Personally  I like the mismatched effect.

This is one of  the china bowls I bought from Target >it doesn't really go with my plates also from Target. The plates are gray with a spattering of gray dots. They work together because they do share one thing in common : their square shape. You can get those that match , from Wedgewood , one of the most classic companies that's been in business since 1759.  There are some unadorned plates and bowls that you set together for a cool, elegant look. Keep in mind that this is the creme de la creme and one plate can range between $35 to $65 dollars while one bowl can range from $27 to $60. The craftsmanship on these is impeccable and they would be perfect for holidays and special occasions. 

There are other  top quality brands like Spode which is known for its' Christmas china and Royal Doulton.  Spode ware comes as a set with bowls, dessert plates and cups. Like Wedgewood, Spode has been around since the 18th Century as has Royal Doulton. A plus is that Spode is a lot less in price than the other with a twelve piece set coming in at $199. Royal Doulton is another sturdy brand with a much more modern look. The plates and bowls have bold geometric patterns as opposed to the usual Oriental, floral or nature patterns. Again they can cost anywhere from $175 to $225 a set. Not surprisingly Target and Kohl's also have reasonably priced crockery. Target has the brand Gibson Elite  which features  two sets of bowls along with dinner plates. An entire set costs only $82. They also have very luxe brands with a set costing close to $1,000. Kohls has Mikasa with a sixteen piece set costing only $119.

The plates you choose should be sturdy but also beautiful. Pick which is right for your decor and needs. It will be an heirloom, no matter what the choice.

Pretty Glasses For Pretty Drinks

 What we drink affects us. where we drink it from also has an effect on us as well. A sophisticated wine deserves a glass of the same order. Yet which is the best? what works with our bottles of  Merlots and Shirazes.

Eric Asimov asked these questions in his weekly column  The Pour in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He has chosen the best of the best, namely lead free ones that cost anywhere from sixty to ninety dollars a glass (you can get much cheaper if you don't care how the glass affects the wine's flavor and notes). They should be esthetically appealing although again it depends on your tastes and if you wish to compliment them to your dishes . According to Mr. Asimov choosing one is like choosing the right car. The better it is , the smoother the ride. Luckily his choices are all dishwasher safe and durable. His one choice is the Zalto Universal designed by Kurt Josef Zalto a decade ago. It's sort of a hybrid between a champagne flute and a wine glass.It doesn't have a curved bell bowl (bottom) but one that is slim tapering upwards. A wines flavors and clarity are best presented, They are a luxury with a set of six costing $408. Mr. Asimov has also tried the Gabriel-Glas and the Janci . the Janci is very similar to the Zalto save for a shorter stem. and a more gently rounded bowl. The Gabriel-Glas was wider at the base of the bowl. He preferred the Janci which is $112 for a set of four.

There is also the Sensory glass designed by Roberto Conturno,proprietor of the  Barolo producer Giacomo Conterno.It's perfect for champagne and sparkling wines.It goes against the usual ideology that serving champagne in smaller goblets channel the bubbles and aromas upwards. Instead it was full flavored, forceful and intense,. With wines the flavors had more clarity,intensity and precision.  Again it is pricey with two costing $85 .it is different looking and an eye catcher, perfect with fine china like Wedgewood and Scully and Scully.There is also the Josephine which again resembles the Zalto with a major difference. The bowl slightly bulged around the lowest part of its' circumference as if it had a circular love handle before beginning to taper to the rim. This creates a gentle arc instead of Zalto's straight line. The reason for this unusual shape is because when the wine is agitated in the glass the kink breaks the movement and allows the wine to flow back into the belly in a spiral motion.In doing thus it absorbs additional oxygen. This is another Zalro creation costing $68  a glass.

What makes for the best glasses. Namely shape. These five are perfect for savoring the best vintages. They may be pricey bit worth it for tasting a good wine's flavor.

Climate Change And The Cajun Coast

Climate change is affecting all areas of the food chain. One is the seafood industry, especially in Loiusiana. Rising tides and pollution threaten people who have been fishing the waters for generations. Is there any hope for them?

 Regular contributor Brett Severson alerted us to this in today's New York Times food section. Louisiana's Cajun Coast is facing one of the most dire situations in its' history.  The coastline is vanishing thanks to ravaging super hurricanes like Ida and Katrina. The water is changing due to fossil fuel pollution is eradicating some species and forcing others to look for cleaner habitats. There is also off shore oil exploration, another damaging factor which is causing for sea levels to rise. These are chipping away at the wetlands , home both to marine and land life. everything will disappear according to Melissa Martin owner of the Mosquito Supper Club and cookbook author. Her book title says it all : Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes From A Vanishing Bayou. Not only is the climate challenged, but culture is also in question too. Residents are moving to higher ground , taking their family's histories  and recipes with them.

This is another point that is affecting the shrimping and fishing industries. The storms have destroyed boats  along with the waters. in 2019 heavy rain and snow runoff flowed down the Mississippi River from the Midwest inundating the coast and flooding the area with fresh water. It killed off millions of oysters ,a vital ingredient in Louisiana cooking. Land loss and flood control have also altered the salinity of coastal lakes, forcing fishermen to look at other areas. Between this and families going bankrupt and being more concerned for their own homes, there is little chance for fishing fleets to trawl the waters. Then there's what's known as the graying of the fleet where younger generations are either moving away or just not going into their father's and grandfather's business. There is some hope. Louisiana is  still second in the nation to Alaska in producing the country's seafood along with newcomers like Scott Maurer. Mr. Maurer fell in love with the oysters and area when he came to build homes after Hurricane Katrina. He created the Louisiana Oyster Company and is sticking with it no matter what.

We have to treat our land and water with extra care. It's never more so with the Cajun coast. Is there hope? Yes, but with our help and concern.

Everything And The Kitchen Sink

 Kitchen sinks are often not thought of as being a vital part of a kitchen, yet they are. They're part of the prepping process along with being the key to clean up. They should not only be in sync with the surrounding decor but in good working order too.

Sinks have been around since our Neanderthal days. These early ones were simply a rock with a concave middle i n which rain water collected. Hopefully our ancestors knew to wash greens and veggies  plucked form the dirt or washing excess blood from animals before roasting them. Throughout history castles had some kind of sink and drainage in the kitchen.It wasn't until the 1800's that a proper kitchen sink was invented. They were first made of metal and were basically a sink within a sink. These metal troughs were built into cabinets and home chefs then used them for the same purposes we do now, washing and cleaning food, utensils and dishes along with pots and pans. Wealthy homes had copper or nickel silver ones. The last is an alloy made from a combination of zinc copper and nickel. Poorer homes probably had ones made from tin. Rich homeowners had what's known as a butler's sink, one that's inserted into a counter  where food prep happened. Other homes had what's known as farmer's sinks which has a sink on the edge of a counter ,making ti easier to do washing. By the 1920's homes had indoor plumbing and that meant sturdier sinks. They were usually made from manganese silicon and carbon. Porcelain was standard after the Second world War.

Now sinks can be any style and made from any material, There are a lot of choices to choose from if you are looking to replace. your old one Many homeowners have fallen in love with stainless steel sinks. These are low maintenance and require very little upkeep (unlike porcelain ones that have to be constantly scrubbed and bleached). However they do show water spots and scratches They have different thicknesses called gauges, yet it doesn;t really matter about the thickness.Granite sinks are also at the top of the popularity list. They are not only pretty but sturdy. Old school copper is another fine choice and thanks to its' consistency copper sinks are always hand wrought. it will come with a patina, or shiny finish which will brown over the years. This is normal due to being exposed to air and water. You can also choose another sturdy material - namely  stainless steel. These retain their beauty for decades if they have an enamel coating .Otherwise they will rust.Other materials used are fire clay, a type of ceramic fired to dry at high temps. You can also go for stone or enamel acrylic or solid surface sinks are less expensive than all of these however they have to be treated with kid gloves. They can easily scratch if scoured with steel wool pads.

Sinks are one of the most vital parts of a kitchen. They help in prep and washing up. Choose one that fits your needs.