Happy All Hallows

 It's Halloween. Celebrate with the sppokiest of party foods and the best of candy, Here's a recipe for any parties tonight or evne for tailgating

Autumnal Potato Salad,

One can (about sixteen ounces) of sliced potatoes

Half a cup of  vegan mayo  Hellmann's is the best here.

One small  Macintosh apple sliced and chopped

One jar green olives

Three stalks celery chopped.

 Take the potatoes out of the can and let sit for half an hour to get rid fo that "canned" taste.Combine them and the rest of the above in a large bowl, Mix thoroughly until every piece is coated with the mayonnaise. Chil for an hour or more before serving.

Enjoy this Halloween treat.It's a fun dish for any party.Try it for your tailgating or holiday ones

A Quick Halloween meal

 Halloween can be a fun day but it can also be nightmare for parents trying to plan lunch or dinner. It's hard to eat let alone cook between answering the door and taking the kids trick or treating. what to do? Think simple.  A simple meal is a b ig help here.

Sandwiches are the way to go for lunch. Have cold cuts and bread or rolls on the ready. Use leftover chicken or roast beef from Sunday's lunch for a delicious lunch. Make yourself a hearty one if you're planning on heading house to house afterwards. Think a hero stuffed with not only your favorite slices of ham or salami but also with different cheeses like Provolone and mozzarella. Add tomatoes and pickles too. Extras like chips or pretzels can round it out. A hot lunch on a chilly day is a boon because you'll feel warm afterwards. If you're ambitious then spend tomorrow making a homemade soup that can easily be served on Monday. A good cauliflower or potoato one is not only filling but also delicious too. Round out the lunch with toasted cheese rounds using Italian ro French bread crisped up in an air fryer and a salad. Kids may just want to skip lunch and get to the trick or treating. Don't allow this to happen. Pack a favorite sandwich and a juice box if they refuse to eat at home. Take along napkins and wet wipes so there are no grubby or dirty little fingers begging for candy.

Another meal that will be affected by the holiday is dinner.Again you could also use Sunday's leftovers for Monday's supper. Cook extra pasta or sides to stretch the meal. That way you can concentrate on handing out treats. If the family still wants a hot dinner, consider take out. The addition of pizza , Chinese or burgers only adds to the excitment of the holiday. However if you feel the need to cook something fresh, then think easy. Pasta is a snap to boil and serve with a variety of sauces. Dont go homemade. There are plenty of good commercially made ones that can fill the bill. Acme and Stop & Shop have a wide range of tasty sauces,  Get a tomato basil or a four cheese one. Again make an easy garlic bread in the air fryer to sop up the sauce. A French dip sandwich is another tasty warm meal that's easy to make.Buy sliced London Broil or roast beef and long rolls. Use already made gravy and heat it up in the miicrowave. The result is a hot sandwich that will keep you filled long after the last trick or treater has gone home.

Don't let Halloween trick you into skipping lunch or dinner. Have a full meal before trick or treating or handing out goodies. It's a treat that will keep you going all day.

Help!! What Do I Cook?

 Every chef and home chef hits it - the culinary wall. What happens when you run out of ideas for what to cook? Ot when you haven't gone to the store to pick up supplies?Ingenuity helps.

We all have hit that wall.We look into the fridge and think "What am I going to make?" You read about those food writers and chefs who can whip up a hot tasty meal using just polenta, cheese and spices. This does work if you happen to have polenta in your pantry. What happens of you don't? What you can do is sub in rice or a small pasta like orzo or ditalini and cook in any kind of broth. After it's done, toss in some butter and top with cheese for a warm filling lunch or Sinday night supper. Keep a container of either beef, chicken or vegetable broth handy. They're great for cooking up pastas but also for whipping up a quick soup. Add veggies and even leftover chicken or beef and you have a quick minestrone. If you have bread and cheese you have a meal. You can easily grill the combo in the toaster oven or air fryer . Fry it  in butter and you have a croque monsiur without the bechamel sauce. Try to have slices of American or cheddar cheese or a good wedge of Brie or Gruyere in the fridge. These are also great on just plain Saltines too and these make for a light but satisfying lunch too. Add little squares of ham for mini sandwiches.

A loaf of French or Italian bread is a plus. Any of them can be used in a variety of different recipes. One of my new favorites is sliced Italian ro french bread cut in rounds  and slathered with layers of Melt plant based butter, Parma vegan cheese and garlic powder. The rounds are put into the air fryer for five minutes at 370 dgree Farenheit. These crisp, buttery cheesy bites were perfect with a premixed salad that I bought at Stop & Shop.It was a no brainer dinner but it was delicious and filling. I plan on making the rounds again with pasta . In the summer the loaves can be torn up and mixed with tomatoes , onions , olive oil and red wine vinegar for a panzella salad. This is just a great lunch but also a good side with barbecued chicken or beef.Take your leftovers and stuff them inside a loaf of French or Italian and you have a hero. Another multi tasker is the tomato. It can be made into hot or cold recipes. Slice them , top with bread crumbs and saute in a mix of olive oil and butter and you have tomatoes Provencale. Get the bigger tomatoes , scoop out the inside and fill with tuna salad for a refreshing mid day meal. Tomatoes are also perfect in a sandwich with toasted bread and mayonnaise.

Every hoime chef and eve chef has hit that culinary wall. what to do? Climb over it with using some basics creatively.

Brusnwick Stew Perfect for Fall

 A good stew on a chilly day is perfection. Abrunswich stew is even better than that.This American classic is making a big comeback - although to fans it enver really left.

Regu;ar contributor and famed chef wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Brunswick stews origins are a mix if Indigenous, African and  European influences..American>tribes like the Assiniboine, from the Northern great Plains made soups and stews in  taut aninal skin covered holes in the ground. Whatever they could catch and forage went into the stew. Of course there were the other influences , possubly German.The name could come from Brusnwick County Virginia or Chef Kim's hometown of Brunswich Georgia. The recipes have been passed down from geneation to geneatiuon. There is even a Taste of brusnwick Festival, entering its' twenty-fufth year in Lawrenceville, Virginia, in Brusnwick COunty. This town, directly west ofNorfolk Virginia features Stewie, the festival's mascot, a smiley cast iron pot.He's filled with the Virginia trinity of tomatoes corn and butter beans.A ll five feet eight inces of him are along with fans are spreading the word about this tangy bite that also has chciken and catsup as its' ingredients. It was a favorite of Franklin d. Roosevelt and has fed many a Virginia hunter over the years.

What's in it? Chef Kimsgives the recipe.Tomatoes and potatoes figure heavily in it. It's the potatoes that give it a thickness that gives it's body.Most stews are made in large cauldrons, able to feed whole small towns.  Yellow onions are first cooked in a Dutch oven and then bay leaves,c elelry seeds and cayenne are added.Then there's the plum tomatoes, g ranulated sugar and worcester sauce. everything else is added afterwards. Use  peeled Yukon Gold potatoes and chicken stock followed by two pounds of skinnned chicken thighs along with fresh or frozen corn and lima beans. The original recipe calls for squirrel meat but this is not doable. The thighs should be cooked for at least one hour or until the chicken meat is soft and easily shreddable. Chef Kim suggests shredding the meat with two forks - although you don't have to. large chunks fo meat taste delicious here. Adjust the taste if you want with more salt, pepper, cayenne or sugar. Many serve Brunswick stew with cornbread but I can see it with rice or even polenta.

Brunswick stew is the perfect dish for fall. It's a mix of tangy and sweet , fiery and savory. Try this chillc haser for a different take on stew

Phoenixes of The Industry

 Climate change affects us all. It is destroying our farming and now our food industry. However there are those dedicated farmers and chefs who look this global issue in the face. They are fierce ., They will not back down despite droughts, floods and wildfires.it's never more evident in the Oregon town Ashland in the heart of the Rogue Valley.

Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote this informnative piece for today's New York Times food section. Ashland Oregon is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare festival whose plays are the area's main draw. Yet' it is a produce rich area where there are good restaurants and wines. It's becoming a destination place to visit. and producing wines rivalling the famed Willmette Valley to its' north. All this in the face of the lingering effects of the infamous Almeda fire. It started in Ashland but spread and demolished the neighboring towns of Talent and Phoenix. Most towns and their residents would have shut down, Not Ashland. rogue Food Unite was created to help local chefs and restaurants , many shuttered by the pandemic to provide food to resdieitns now living in temporary housing. The organization's director Amber ferguson said that "It came together - a beautiful dream of lets find money, pay the restaurants buy from farms , feed the people.It's a resiliance program and feeding program all at once." She was not going to give up on t he town that welocmed her from Portland where she managed the restaurants Beast and Toro Bravo.

Many of her fellow Ashland residents feel the same way. Like her, they'rre transplants to this usually lush and fertile valley. Kelsey Jacques left her native Michigan to start Orange Marmalade farms last year.  She's optimistic about moving beyond her quarter acre of farm and expanding . It will be hard because lingering smoke deters any plant cultivation and crops from flourishing. Stillshe manages to supply such local restaurants with her Siskiyou orange tomatoes, and sweet Walla Walla onions. Another transplant who is thriving despite the fire's after effects is baker Carla Guinmaries who moved from Santa Barbara California in 2020. She moved to Ashland during the worst time, in the middle of the pandemic and and just before the fires. She opened up Vida Baking Company , highlighting her specialty gluten free pao de quiejo, a popular cheese bread from her native Brazil.It was hard to maintain customers. People just vanished from the streets, she noticed. Yet there is a new era of vitality. Even former restauranteur Charlene Rollins rebuilt on what was left of her family restaurnat Sammy.'Her husband is buried near there,a fig tree on hsi grave.It symbolizes life.

Every town will be affected by climate change. They can learn from ashland to not bend, They have to face climate change head on, work with it and challenge it.

Parma Vegan Cheese Your Holiday Must Have

 Cheese is always an important part of the holiday and cooler winter table.Grated cheese is the most verstile. it can be used in everything from soups, to pasta to hors d'ouevres. Yet it can be high in calories. What to do? Go vegan! Parma Vegan Cheese is the best sub in for dairy made Parmesan cheese.

This has always been my favorite go to vegan cheese.Unlike other vegetarian cheeses that are made with soy Parma, founded by Shannon Schnibbe uses ground walnut s, organic hemp and sunflower seeds. Nutritional yeast and Himalayan sea slat is added for flavor..I like the original flavor and Garlicky Green. Parma sells other flavors like Better Tan Bacon and Chipotle cayenne along with Garlic Basil and Jalapeno Bacon.

Of course I love it liberally sprinkled on pasta.It adds to the sauce and flavors it more. I plan on making Parmesan toast with it, This is slicing Italian bread, brushing the rounds and then air frying them for a few minutes at 360 degrees Farenheit. The cheese can be sprinkled over steamed and buttered Brussels sprouts too. It's also good sprinkled on a Caesar salad too or a different way to make grilled cheese. Sprinkle it on such veggie soups as cauliflower and broccoli.

Make Parma Vegan cheese your holiday must have this season.It's great as an add in to pastas and salads.Use it for cheesey bread as a breat appetizer. It's the perfect versatile ingredient.

Plainsboro's Asian Food Market A True Gem

 Plainsboro, New Jersey  may be in the shadow of Princeton yet this quaint Garden State country town is standing out. There has been an  uptick in building with restaurants, salons and stores gracing new malls. One that stands out is Asian Food Market a chain throughout South Jersey and Staten Island. This is a breathtaking market that makes American grocery stores pale in comparison.

I had to see this market and was amazed not just by its' size but what it sold. There are mini shops selling tea sets and hand painted ceramic tables. Shoppers can stop at the mini food court in the front of the store and enjoy Korean barbecue and bubble tea. Yet it's inside that's truly awesone.

This is a combo of American barbecue sauce and different sauces. There's all sorts of Asian specialties from Indian ot CHinese.

This is a huge market that has more of a warehouse/ Costco vibe.It's a no frills look, You can buy everything from rice steamers to

                                                             

                                                                 Japanese sweet potatoes.I could not get over the array of 

                                 Japanese milk bread sold around for the day

There are also fancy cakes and cupcakes 

You can also buy noodles,along with Peking duck, pork ribs  and chicken for a quick no cooklunch or dinner.

There are tables where you can eat and enjoy a meal before perusing the long aisles .It's even a great place to stop for a quick lunch.

If you;re in Plainsboro, stop by the Asian Food Market for a fun shopping trip.The store has everything you could possibly dream of.Go there for the variety and a tripo through Asia.

One Apple So Many Recipes

 This is apple picking season and that means many home chefs will have baskets of them. They'll also be asking themselves what to do with the Braeburns or MacIntosh's they've picked. Apples can go either savory or sweet. They're a versatile fruit.

My kitchen will also be filled with orchard grown apples. One recipe I know I will make is crockpot apple sauce. I've made this before and I like the easiness of the recipe. It's just cooking up six sliced and cored apples and slow cooking them with a splash of lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. I will probably sub in maple syrup for the sugar. This homemade treat is excellent with potato pancakes and both make a great fall dinner. Galette is on my  radar too. It's rustic look is appealing and a lovely dessert. Of course there are baked apples and I want to make them in the air fryer.

Apple slices are good in savory dishes too, Many home chefs use them in German pork dishes.They're sliced and cooked with the meat. Some put the slices in sauerkraut to give some sweetness to the usually tart cabbage. I think I'll use mine in a salad, along with walnuts and grapes for a nice fall spin, For fun I may try an apple slaw which combines shredded or mandoline sliced apples with cabbage and a vinaigrette. This would make a good side to late season barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers.

It's apple season and that means a jaunt in an orchard. It's always a fun trip full of possibilities. A basket of apples equala weeks of tasty recipes .

It's Coleridge's Birthday!!!

 Celebrate this amazing poet , Samual Taylor Colerdige born this October 21st in Ottery, St Mary's East Devon, England  Celebrate the foods he would have enjoyed, namely clotted cream and jam on scones,a good tea, possibly a good beef roast dinner with all the trimmings and that frothy treat syllabub.

As for me, I'm celebrating with these all American cupcakes.

Une Souffle Parfait

 One of the most elegant desserts any home chef can create is the chocolate souffle. It's also the lushest sweet, airy and delciate as it melts against the tongue. Yet it fills home bakers with fear.It shouldn't.it's one of the easiest recipes to make.

Claire Saffitz, author of DessertPerson "Clarkson POtter 2020) and her latest book due out next month, Dessertperson: Recipes and Guidance for baking with Confidence. (Clarkson Potter) gave her spin on it in yesterday;s New Yorlk Times Wednesday Food section. Ms. Saffitz knows desserts. She loves desserts so creating the perfect chocolate souffle is vital to her. She crushes the many myths associated with the recipe, like don't slam the oven door while it's baking. It'll fall. Eat it warm or it will be ruined.However her deconstruction can help many a home baker recreate this French classic. One of the most important steps is stabilize your eggs.The dish requires three egg yolks and five egg whites. You need to understand the last in order to make a good souffle. It;'s the egg whites that are the most important. They're to be whipped and when this is dome air bubbles trap water and retain water.Older eggs provide this and Ms. Saffitz recommneds getting them from the local farmer's market. The eggs have to be cold as well when they're separated and then the whites are left out at room tmperature before beating. The whites have to be beaten into stiff peaks otherwhise there could be puddles.

Another must is buildng your base. Chocolate souffle needs an anchor of sorts This comes in the form of a thin pastry creme thickened with a little flour along with chocolate and cocoa powder. The gluten from the flour adds just enough structure to support the souffle without muting the rich chocolate flavor.Many souffle recipes rely on just the chocolate alone for support. The eggs whites are quickly added other wise the combination of yolk chococlate and milk could cause the whites to collapse. Another must is properly prepping the ramekins. They're first greased with room temperature butter and then coated with sugar to prevent cracking and the batter sticking to the sides while baking.It also acts like a grip for the batter to adhere to. fill the ramekins to the top and then scrape off the top for a perfect even cap, Sprinkle more sugar on top and run a finger along the inner rims wiping away the batter. This will ensure a perfect even rise.How do you know when it's done? Press the souffles centers down with a finger. There should be a certain springiness as the eggs begin to ser. Serve warm from the oven.

Any home baker can create the perfect chocolate souffle. It just takes myth busting and following the recipe ina thoughtful way.. The result is a chocolate fantasty , light airy and delciosuClaire Saffritz, New York Times chocolate souffle. eggsl whipp, ramekinds, butter dugr, flout 

The Sweetness Of Dewali

 Monday is the start of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. As with any holiday. there are fun foods and treats. One of the best spects of the holiday is that there is always freshly made sweets on hand to enjoy with fanily and friends.

Regular contributor and cookbook author Proya Krishna wrote about this celebration of light over darkness in today's New York Times Food section. There will celebrations worldwide along with ones here in the States.Ms Krishna heads to South Asian shops across the country to sample their special Diwali treats or mithai. There is Maharaja Sweets in Jackson Heights Queens. Owner Sukhdev Bawa employees  travel back to India on aregular basis and bring back ideas for regional snacks. He has the Bengali sweet amarkali filled with cherries and pistacchios. He ships these and other mithai sweets across the country.Kent , Washingon  outside of Seattle has Punjab Sweets offering such treats as besan burfi made with chickpea flour and milk cake. The owner Iqbal Dha hires only other women to bake a variety of desserts. It's also the central meeting place for many of the desi community.Jayasri Sweets of Herndon Virginia has got such a reputation that even people bring its' signature sweet, kaja a deep fried pastry back to India to show relatives the Americn version. Owner Jaysari Gampa and her husband Dilipkumar run this popular bakery. 

Some mithai makers have adapted American ingredients. Sohan Lal Gaba uses cow's milk instead of buffalo for his slabs of milk cake in his Brij Mohan Indian Sweets and Restaurant in Sharonville, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb.he also found the American versions of chickpea floir and sugar were much different too. Surati Farsan Market in Artesia, California, a big South Asian hub is opend for twenty hours a day during this time. The store is festooned with lights as owner Ashvin Patel sells such goodies as cashew based kaju katli and  coconut rich kopra pak. Ms. Krishna also includes recipes for coconut ladoos from Jaysari Gampa and Mr. Patels' caramel badam burfi. The ladoos are a mix of just unsweetened coconut, sugar and cardamon. The coconut and sugar are cooked together as they become a kind of candy. The spice is added later as the blend is rolled into golfball sized balls. The badam burfi is  like a milky fudge made with cooked milk , sugar and almond flour.It's then pressed intoa pan and caramel and nuts are poured over ir.

Celebrate Dowali with lights, love and sweets. These mithai are deilcious whether store bought or homemade. Enjoy them with family and friends.

Good Old Fashioned Sweet Breads

 This is definitely the season for baking. There are pies and cakes galore. ovens are producing cupcakes and cookies for bake sales and Halloween parties. Yet there's one baked good that's being over looked. The sweet bread. There's nothing like a slice of cinnamon or honey flavored bread slathered with butter on a cold fall day. 

Sweet breads (not to be confused with a calf or lamb pancreas that some bold meat lovers enjoy) have been around for centuries. As long as there was honey or rose water and dough home bakers could create loaves and rolls that could be perfect for breakfast or even with the main meal. The Portuguese are famous for theirs ,made with milk, sugar and lemon zest. Portuguese workers brought them to  Hawaii where they immigrated for jobs, These evolved into the famed Hawaiian rolls that now eveyone loves. The Italians have gubana, a sweet loaf that's filled with dried fruits and nuts. Of course they also bake pannettone and pan dolce for Christmas. Sweets breads can also take the form of rolls as in England's Chelsea buns which is a lightly iced  cousin to the American sticky bun and the Dutch rasin filled  krentenbollen and the Jamaican coco bread made with coconut milk.It's up to you what you;d  like to make, whether a loaf or rolls.If you're new to baking stick with loaves. They're easier to form and you dont; have to worry about a batch of rolls' sizing. equal sizing .

A simple sweet loaf recipe just calls for  a cup of milk and a half a cup of sugar.  Eggs enrich the dough ,giving it a cake like crumb while butter gives it a higher rise and a crisper crust along with a longer shelf life.Like any other bread recipe there's also yeast and all purpose flours. You can make it an all natural one by using whole wheat flour and honey for the white sugar. Another  healthier ingredient that you can use instead of sugar is maple syrup. This gives the bread a lovely earthy flavor and is perfect for that Quebecois dessert - Tarte Au Sucre where the bread is topped with maple sugar and a fluffy mix of sour and heavy creams. Use about quarter of a cup of the  pure kind (not the cheaper version mixed with corn syrup. You won't get the rich maple flavor ). One egg and four tablespoons of sweet butter are also added for a decidedly lush flavor. One you've mastered the art of making the sweet bread loaves you can graduate to rolls. One tasty one, perfect for breakfast or a snack is the mexican concha bread baked in the shape of a conch shell. You will need a special concha tin for this .It can easily be bought on Amazon. They can be made with chocolate or vanilla topping. Another fun try is the british Chelsea bun made similarly to our cinnamon buns. They';re filled with raisins and cinnamon along with brown sugar. They;re more fruity than spicy but still so good.

Sweet breads are a perfect fall baking project Start a chilly morning with a warm sweet slice and coffee. They're easy to make and even easier to eat.

Home Baked Breakfast Treats

 Breakfast sould be the most important meal of the day. It's sometimes the most boring , thanks to an every day rote of toast or cereal. Try home baked treats that are both healthy and nutritious to liven up the first meal of day . Another plus  - they can be eaten on the go.

One of the most fun breakfast treats is a good for you muffin.  Use healthy ingredients like honey and orange juice for sweetening and flavor along with mixing whiole oats with flour,. They can even be made eggless by subbing in flax seed or Just Egg vegan substitute and employing plant or nut milks for dairy. can a chocolate muffin be just as healthy? Yes!!!! You can even pack them with veggies for extra goodness. Spinach, kale, carrots or bananas can be added for extra vitamins and minerals. cooca powder, which doesn't have eany extra sugar or even fat is mixed into the recipe. You can amp up the flavor with tossing in chocolate chips. If these are too sweet then think about the classic bran muffin. This has whole wheat pastry flour along with wheat bran in it. Blackstrap molasses and apple sauce give the classic batch their deeply rich and fruity flavor.Blackstrap molasses is rich in antioxidants and helps with bone and hair health as well as alleviating anemia. Make ti an important part of breakfast baking.

Another tasty and healthy breakfast treat are breakfast bars. These are fun and a bit easier to make than muffins. Tne ingredients are basically the same as the muffins. Rolled oats give the bars their base and crunch while maple syrup or honey lend it sweetness. Flax eggs or regular ones are added along with bananas.As with any baked good, baking powder and soda are also tossed in  for lift and body. Peanut butter gives the bars a silky texture . Some home bakers put coconut oil in their bars to grve the bars a flakiness,It's a butter or margerine substitute. Add ins are encouraged. You can try dark chocolate chip or dried cranberries like "Craisins" for more color and flavor.  For more nutrition , try a half cup of pitted and chopped dates or raisins.Even though  it's not baked museli can still be made at home. it';s a nice change up from some of the store bought kind and better for the kids than all those high in sugar commerical cereals.Muesli starts with grains of any kind. You can use anything from rolled oats to quinoa flakes to millet puffs. Then it's adding dried seeds and dried fruits.agains there's a wide range to choose from. Try a combo of craiosns and pistachios or dried cheries and almonds.

Home baked and homemmade breakfast treats are just that - treats. They not only delicious but a great healthy bite. Make muffins or bars or whip of batch of muesli for a great way to start the day.

Fall's Other Stars of The Harvest

 This may be the season of apples and pumpkins but there are other stars coming out ofthose autumn patches.There's broccoli , cauliflower,and pears to name a few. They're great as main, sides , and desserts. Try them as a nice change up form those Macintoshes and gourds.

Broccoli is a versatile veggie.It can be served hot or cold. A great side is steamed broccoli with melted butter and just a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Many like it Oriental style, steamed with ginger and  sesame oil. Of course it can also be cooked with chicken or beef , flavored with soy sauce. Serve this on a bed of rice for a hearty and delicious quick meal. One of the best recipes with broccoli is broccoli salad. You may think this is a summer dish but's it's a refreshing side all year long.It's steaming the veggie in the microwave first and then dressing it. Use just olive oil and red wine vinegar along with dashes of garlic powder, sealt salt and freshly ground pepper.  You can add chopped onion for more flavor. Cauliflower , like broccoli is also versatile. Both veggies can be made into tasty homemade soups. Cauliflower soup is the perfect chill chaser and can be frozen for future use. Breaded and air fried cauliflower is a real treat and the perfect game day nibble. It's good on its' own but also served with ranch dressing.

The season has always been all about apples yet there's another fruit that's just as sweet and high in nutrition. Pears!!!! Bartlett, Clap Favorite and Orca are the main autumn ones. Bartlett's are the most popular anf have a love mild candy like flavor. A great dessert is a harvest pear crisp. This is six cups of cored and sliced bartlett pears that have been tossed with lemon juice and coated with a mix of cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon .This is well coated and then covered with a dry dough made up of flour, ,butter and more cinnamon. A mix of chopped walnuts and oats  are then sprinkled on top as a kind of streusel.It's baked for forty minutes at 375 degrees Farenheit. Serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.Orca pears which are a fall favorite in the Pacific Northwest are great for canning.They're cooked in a sugar solution and then canned. Of course you can make pear jams and even syrups with them. Clapp pears are good for baking and what better than a pear cake for a nice autumnal dessert.  You could even bake a layer cake and fill it with pear compote.

Don;t forget thare are other harvest gems that are perfect for any meal or dessert. Give broccoli, cauliflower and pears  a try this season. They're tasty and nutritious, the perfect fall produce.

Snacks For Dinner

 Sometimes a regular meal can be boring. It's the same old meat loaf or roast chicken. How can you liven up dinner or even a weekend lunch? Serve snacks.it's a fun way to add zing to the table.

I't;s not so much as giving the family a bowl of pretzels or chips to nosh on. It's taking those appetizers and bites you see at restaurants and recreating your version of them.Pne of the most popular are loaded nachos. There are so many different variations of this, from the hearty brickyer's version that's rife with bacon and chorizo and lighter versions, that have sliced veggies scattered over them. The best version is one that your family likes.If they are bing on beans then go heavy on them. If they like a meat lover's version add more ground beef or shredded chicken. If they're vegan, then go with soy crumbles and non diary cheeses like Miyoko's . Sauces can be added before cooking or they can be added afterwards.  You can also make your own tortilla chips by frying or baking them. The crisp chips can be made into a Mexican pizza, now being served at Taco Bell. This is a fun sandwich of crispy tortillas with a layer of refried beans, meat and tomatoes. Again you can make these to suit your familes tastes as well.

Pretzels are the ultimate snack. Now imagine them as the ultimate snack dinner.Buy the big Bavarian ones (your freezer section has them). After they've been baked , slice and serve with warmed cheese and sliced bratwurst. You can also turn it into a fun Baviarian influenced grilled cheese by adding sauerkraut and sliced Black Forest ham. Another fun and cheesy dish , epsecially for a weekend is fondue.  The classic Swiss recipe has Emmenthaler  and Gruyere cheeses grated and cooked in a fondue pot with garlic, kirsch, cornstarch and dry white wine. Boiled potatoes can be dipped into it but the real stars are the crusty chunks of French bread. It may look like a sophisticated snack but the kids will get a kick out of it too.The fondue pot can also be used for that Piedmontese treat bagna cauda. This requires the fondue pot but it's cooking anchovies in a sauce of garlic, butter and olive oil. Stir unti there's a smooth looking sauce. Savoy cabbage pieces are usually dipped into it but you cna also partially broiled London Broil and finsh up with chunks of Italian bread.

Forget the ordinary. Serve snacks tonight for dinner. Enjoy them and the fun they bring.

A Sip Of Peru Chicha Morada

 Th e colorful and interesting countyr of Peru is mostly known for its' ceviche, beef and chicken recipes. Yet there's a drink Peruvians cannot live without. It's a homeade brew and it's becoming everyone beverage of choice.

Regular contributor Christina Morales wrote about chicha morada in yesterday's New York Times Food section. It's like what sweet tea to Southerners. Chiccha morada is a homemade brew made of corn simmered with pineapples, limes and apples. Warm spices such as cinnamon and clover are then added the the brew is cooled overnight. The result is a flavorful deep purple colored fruit drink. Chef Erik Ramirez , owner and partner of LLama Inn in Williamsburg " Brooklyn calls it "Christmas on the beach". The spices are warming even though it's as refreshing as any lemon or orange ade. He simmers the drink for forty five minutes and then adds sugar and a squeeze of lime. The drink cna also be used in cocktails savory dishes  and desserts too. His most popular drink has a chicha morada base.Many Peruvian chefs have used it in one of their most famous cocktail, a pisco sour, a frothy mix of egg white, limes, pisco, a type of brandy and sugar.

The drink's origins are preColombian according to University of Texas sociologist Nino Bariola. there is evidence that it was served in precolonial times however it became veyr popular in the Nineteenth CenturyWriters and travellers of the time mentioned it.It was a part of everyday lives and even depicted in the paintings of artist Pancho Fierro. At that time people were also enjoying the drink's cousin mazamorra korada, especially in the capital city LIma. The last is a pudding version of chicha morada , thickened with potato flour. Both were featured in cookbooks in the 1960;s and also figure heavily in Peruvian festivals honoring the Senor delas Milagros, the Lord of Miracles held through out October. It's now being made into cady and fruit powders. Chef Jose Luis Chavez of Manhattan's Mission Ceviche uses the drink for a short rib glaze and has been experimenting with it and octopus. he plans on creating a dessert with it , in the shape of an ear of corn.

Chica morada may be the next big thing. It's a tasty drink that can be used in a number of dishes. The drink represents the best of Peru's harvest.

Celebrating A Culinary Heritage

One particular cusine doesn't not define a country's culinary hisotyr.It's a combination of different recipes from various areas. The dishes are basically the same yet infused with the flavor of each region, This is true of Mexican cuisine. There is no right or wrong way to cook. It's simply cook.

Rick A. Martinez , author the just published cookbook Mi Cocina Recipes and Rapture From My Kitchen In Mexico (Clarkson Potter 2022) wrote about this in todays New York Times Wednesday Food section. As with his cookbook ,he travelled throughout Mexico , looking for recipes similar to what his mother and grandmother made. He came up with a stunning array of regional dishes after touring the entire country. he flew to Mexico City bought a car and went to the various Mexican states. He drove 25,000 miles and visited 300 (!) cities across all thirty-two states of Mexico.He discovered that classic dishes like tamales, pozoles and mole have an infinite mumber of variations. THis is due to the style and sazon - flair and style) of the cook taking center stage.Mr. Martinez biught into the idea of one perfect recipe when that's far from the truth. There are always different variations with subtleties and nuances. He'd order the same dish over and over at different recipes, taking notes on the dishes similarities and differences. The reasons for this is that Mexican cook love their indiviual recipes.

He offers his favorite recipes. There is a mole negro which is rich in Mexican chocolate.This is a grainy paste loaded with cinnamon and sugar. . Instead it's a smooth silky black mix of chilichuacle and guajilo chiles cooked with roasted whole almonds and roasted whole peanuts. A variety of different spices from peppercorns to star anise , cloves and cardamon  amp of the flavor as do raisins and pumpkin seeds. It's the tomatoes and tomatillos that lend the sauce its' silkiness. This is usually served on roasted chicken or turkey.There is also chorizo sandwiches with tomato guajillo .  like a zingy sloppy joe with the chorizo sausage cooked in a sauce of guajillo chiles and chicken broth. The sandwich also has lettuce and  sliced onion on it. Mr. Martinex also includes a chicken soup, rich with the often used veggies of Mexico, such as squash and corn along with onions. It's decorated with fried chiles and crunchy tortilla chips.Yes, there is a recipe for chiles relenos or stuffed chiles. They filled with Mexican cheese , dipped in an egg batter and fried.They're served with  a roasted tomato salsa. Mexico has a coastline bounding with seafood. There is also a recipe for grilled fish  - pescado with a chile lime sauce.Red snapper is used for this and brushed with a mix of achiote paste , orange and lime juices.Iyt's served on wamred tortilla. with lettuce and sliced onions.

There is no right or wrong way to cook Mexican cuisine. It all depends on the person cooking the recipes. It 's up to the chef's taste and flair to make it memorable.

Floridian Foods

 Florida has been in our thoughts and prayers lately. It is  a beautiful state , rich with scenry, sunshine and culture. It also had a wide array of different dishes that are worth trying.They can be Cuban influenced or made with the states's citrus crops.

One of the most popular dishesin the Miami area is the Cuban sandwich. This is a hearty hero type of sandwich that has layers of hot roast pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese and pickles.It's served on thick Cuban bread and hasn;t changed since it was first introduced to the state in the early Twentieth Century, Miamians also snack on chicharrones, deep fried pork belly rings  They're fried in their own fat like bacon and spiced. Croquetas or ham croquettes are another popular Floridian dish, reflective of the heavy Cuban influences. These are a tasty mix of minced ham and onion, bonded together by eggs  and then rolled in cracker meal These are then deep fried and can be eaten plain or with sauces. Of course fish are eaten on this peninsula. Fish lovers enjoy broiled flounder, pompano or snapper along with grouper. There are also  stome crabs and pink shrimp to try too. Do Floridians eat gator? Yes!! The tail is

usually deep fried and tastes like chicken nuggets. Restaurants feature it as an appetizer along side wings and crab cakes.

The state has always been known for its' citrus, The Spanish brought the fruits over in the 1490's when they first  colonized the Caribbean. There have been orange groves since the mid 1800's and Floridians and visitors have been enjoying fresh juice ever since. Lemons have been grown there  for commercial use since th e late 1800's. Grapefruit is another citrus fruit that the state produces and it originates from the Indian River area in Melbourne Florida near the Atlantic Coast. They're shipped everywhere from the United Kingdom to South Korea.The warm climate and sunny days are also perfect for growing limes and even homeownrrs have a tree or two in their backyards. This brings about the state's most popular and delicious dessert Key LIme pie.it was first made in Key West. home of Ernest Hemingway in the 1890's. the main ingredient was coindensed milk which people fo the time used since fresh milk was so scarce. Most long time Floridian families have their version of this  but it's mostyl an eggless custard zinged up with the juice of eight to ten limes.

Our hearts and prayers are with Floridians right now as they try to rebuild after Hurricane Ian. See the state as a great culinary one. It's full of interesting dishes and flavors.

A Thanksgiving Up North

 Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian neighbors to the north. Like us , they have a day of feasting and thanking mixed with cooking and hosting. Their recipes reflect who they are and the great products the country is known for.

American home chefs could use this day and the Candian recipes as a tester day for our Thanksgiving next month. Maple syrup is big in Quebec province and it can be used for both sweet and savory recipes. Of course the most obvious way to go with it for yams or sweet potatoes.The syrup's earthy flavor brings out the yam's or the sweet potatoes own sweet flavor, however be sparing with it. You don't want ot to taste like candy. Lemon juice is often added to cut the sugariness.Another take on them is cutting the sweet potatoes or yams into planks, brushing with a combination of melted butter or margarine and then air frying them  This gives the fries a nice crispy exterior while still maintaining a soft meaty inside. Maple syrup can also be used as a glaze for turkey too. This is sually made with the addition of orange juice, and vegetable stock. Wait thirty minutes before poring over the roasting bird. It's then poured over the bird again two and a half hours after the first glazing and when the oven temperature has been lowered. The extra glaze can be pured over the finished roast or served as a sauce alongside it.

What do you stuff a Canadian Thanksgiving bird with? A  French Canadian stuffing!!! It's usually a meat based one as opposed to the American  mostly bread kind. The Quebecois version is usually a mix of both pork and beef along with two large chopped onions. There is bread as a base but also some families add breadcrumbs as well. Their sides are like ours. There's always a big bowl of homemade mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts, the last usually served with crumbled bacon on top. Are Thanksgiving Day desserts the same up north as they are here? There are pumpkin and apple pies but there are also mouth watering butter tarts too. These are miniature pies usally filled with raisins, quarter of a cup of butter,corn syrup and brown sugar.Eggs are added for a custardy silkiness and vanilla for more flavor. The tarts can be topped with either whipped cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.Another popular Thanksgiving (and year round ) dessert is the nanaimo bar , named for the British Columbia city of Nanaimo. It's a rich layered bar , made with a chocolate and coconut laced cracker crumb  as the first layered topped with a custardy middle.It's then  topped with a chocolate candy topping. They have to be chilled between layers to get that neat tricolor look.Shortbread is also baked for the holiday with some home chefs adding maple syrup for flavor.

To all our Canadian friends, enjoy this holiday. Give thanks for delicious food and recipes handed down, Be grateful for what you have.

A Season of Comfort And Warmth

There's mothing like comfort food on a chilly October night. It could be a roast chicken or a bowl of chili .It's definitely a recipe that brings so much joy and happiness that''s it's easy to forget a not so great day or bad news.

That's how I feel about my Mom's chili recipe. This has been a staple in my life since childhood. (I think she got the recipe from my father's aunt, my great-aunt but I'm not sure). It's been passed around the family and everyone has loved it. 

This is such an easy recipe that I adapted to my crockpot. It;'s a yummy mix of two dfferent kind of beans, kidney and pinto, Gardein crumbles, and Acme's Signature brand salsa roasted tomatoes. There are dashes of salt , freshly ground pepper along with  chili ,garlic and onion powders.Olive oil and water are added for smoothness and a small squirt of liquid stevia (yes stevia!!!)  cut out the tomatoes' acidity.Ghere are even fresh cut tomatoes added to temper the spice and add more flavor.

It's cooked for two to three hours however I'm always taking tablespoons for tasting every five minutes. That's how good this is. It' served here with corn muffins but crackers, polenta or rice also make for good bases. This is one of my most favorite comfort foods. We need these during these crazy, uncertain and often mean times. A mouthful of our favorite recipe is like a flavorful secuirty blanket . Ther'es something soothing in usuing familiar recipes and ingredients. 

What are your favorite comfort foods? Are they family recipes or one you've had forever. Are they savory? or sweet? Whatever they are , they all shore one thing - comfort on a cold fall day.

Are Food Magazines Still Tasty

Are food magazines still relevent in this digital age? Are they worth the money when recipes could be got for free on the internet? Some home chefs and bakers think so as do their publishers.

Food magazines have been around since the 1800's. One of the earliest was the strangely titled Berney's Mystery of Living  from 1868 that offers "tasty morsels" of recipes. There was also The Table 1886 , American Cookery,1876 the Caterer Philadelphia 1882, Cooking Club  1895 and The Boston Cooking School Magazine 1896. These were undoubtedly aimed at young housewives who had the benefit of an education but not the luxury of a cook. They probably were bored of the tried and true dinners and desserts their mothers and grandmothers clung to. They wanted to try what the families of the Gilded Age ate.(look at the dates of these magazines, they' began publication right after the Civil War when American wealth was exploding and ordinary people wanted to emulate the magnates and tycoons). Young home chefs were also eager to replicate fancy French and English dishes and sweets.Women's magazines also had offered recipes .These were usually featureing some  popular product of the day, like evaporated milk or Jello. The first serious magazine was Gourmet created in 1942. This was for serious home chefs who were taking advantage of their modern kitchens. Dishes and desserts were more complicated thanks to publisher and writer Earle McAusalnd. Fifties housewives could appreciate recipes from James Beard who wrote for the magazine in its' early days.

The question nowadays is are these food magazines worth buyig?. Most , including Gourmet are on line. It and many other require a subscription to look at recipes. There are tons of different blogs from mommy ones to cake to air fryer ones that offer free recipes along with suggestions and variations. They're easy to access and also there's no worry of ruining pages with ingredients or messy hands. You just have to quickly wipe a tablet off if there's a splotch of frosting or a drip of gravy on it.  Then there's the ecological dilemma of wasting paper  - and trees for them. Yet there are some home chefs and bakers who love these magazines. They do offer some great theme ideas , especially for upcoming Halloween parties. There are always some interesting and fun recipes for cakes and treats.Next month there will be a plethora of Thanksgiving recipes , from different kinds of turkey brines to variations on pumpkin pies. There are even smaller sized food magazines that feature such dishes as dump cakes and keto desserts. 

Are food magazines worth buying. The answer is yes if you're a devoted home chef. They're fun reads too as they offer advice and suggestions. They are work picking up.

The Popularity Of West African Restaurants.

 People are noticing how good West African dishes are. The food can be tasty and quickly made, perfect for today's hungry customers. It seems that these places are popping up all over, introducing an ancient and flavorful cuisine.

Regular contributor Kayla Stewart wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. West African immigrants are coming in large numbers to the US. In 1980 there were only about 40,000 West Africansliving here. By 2019 the mumber was 890,000, mostly Nigerians living in the bigger cities of Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, new York City and Washington D.C.. This means a growing need of restuarants that offer fast and casual dining that appeal to everyone.They're proliferating everyhwere, from shopping centers to strip malls to food halls. Second generation owners are showcasing traditional and family recipes.They're also trying to reach out to non-African diners as well.There are also some well established myths that chefs such as Pierre Thiam, onwer of Manhattan's Teranga restaurant are trying to dispel. He sees people think of the African continent as a place of scarcity.It isn't,. There is an abundance of ingredients and creativity. Chef Thiem shows this by creating lush grain bowls , full of jollof rice, sweet potatoes, black eye peas, chicken and shrimp. 

Some second generation chefs have incorporated the American influences that they've grown up with into their dishes.At Suya Suya West African Grill in Philadelphia chef Dera Nd-Ezuma who developed a love fo tacos believes in this.Chef Nd-Ezuma uses them to hold such Nigerian traditional recipes like steak marinated in yaji spice, a fiery blend of ground chiles,ginger garlic and onion powders along with ground peanuts and a crushed bouillon cube. He feels that the reason for his success is that people want to experience it in a way that feels comfortable. He even feels overwhelmed when going to other African eateries. He can only imagine how non Nigerians feel. Germine Awad , a psychology professor at the University of Michigan calls this "openness to experience" -  which means piquing a potential customer's customer rather than how something is served. Yet many of the first generation Africans have a problem with the "Americanization" of  their dishes. Many chefs ignore this criticism. They want to showcase their talents and bring their version of traditional dishes and flavorings to the world.It's just finding a balance with adding avocado kale to suya bowls.

West African food is now a part of the American table. It's a joyous fusion of traditional and non-traditional ingredients and flavors. The dishes are becoming popular with everyone.

Linda Ronstadt's Harmony Of Food

 Linda Ronstadt is legend. Her smoky ,silky voice has led to many platinum records, both hard rock and nods to the Big Band Era.Surprisinngly this icon is going into food with a new cookbook clebrating her Sonoran Desert roots. It's an inreresting look at cooking of that region.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about the singer in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. To talk to Ms. Ronstadt about her career is a treat in itself but it's another interesting facet of a life that's captivating. What is really interesting however is that Ms. Ronstadt doesn;t cook despite her heritage , equally  as fascinating. One grandfather invented the electric stove while the other was a master of meat and mesquite. Yet she does like helping out and she does host legendary brunches,. When her children were little she made sure they had breakfast with linen napkins despite the fact she never cooked breakfast for them. In fact the cookbook surprised them. Ms. Ronstadt's only culinary dish is peanut butter and jelly  or honey. 9although she does makeit lush by buttering the bread first and them layering on Laura Scudder's  organic peanut butter. When she does cook she brings the same precision to her recipes that she brought to her music. Broccoli has to be steamed three minutes.Vinaigrette can't be made with balsamic vinegar.

Her recipes for the book are party family ,part traditional. Feels Like Home: A Song For The Sonoran Borderland  (Heydey Press 2022) cowritten with New York Tiomes journalist  Lawrence Downes who also met Ms . Rondstadt when he was writing about traditional Mexican music. Yet it was her friend, CC Goldwater, granddaughter of the famed Republican senator Barry Goldwater who suggested the cookbook. Ms. Goldwater imagined it as a fundraiser for Parkinson Diesease research,Ms. Ronstadt suffers from the disease.They and friends Bill and Athena Steen who have made a name teaching people to build from adobe wanted to contribute family recipes. The recipes featured in the article are El MInuto's Crisps a, cheesey , crunchy snack, Ms, Ronstadt ate regularly at  the famed Tuscoon eatery El Minuto that was across the street from where her brother was chief of police. Tortillas are fried in oil followed by green chili  strips.  These strips are put on top of the fried tortillas and then layered with both Cheddar and Monterery Jack cheeses to be broiled until gooey and crisp.. There are her grandfather's meatballs or albondegas , braised in water as opposed to being fried in oil. They're loaded with beef and tomatoes along with garlic,mint, Mexican oregano and cilantro.

Linda Ronstadt is legendary. Now her favorite and family recipes are too. They represent her love of heritage and her beloved Sonoran desert.

Breaking The Fast

 Yom Kippur is one of the holiest and somber of the Jewish holidays. It's broken with a fast. This could be meager or filling depending on how you want to go.

There are actually two meals associated with the holy day. One is the pre-fast meal known as seudah ha-mafesket - literall meal of separation or concluding meal. This is usually rice or kreplach or stuffed dumplings along with challah dipped in honey(this occurs ten day after Rosh Hashanah where Jews have to eat something sweet for a sweet New Year), chicken or fish. meals have to be made with a minimum of salt as this could cause dehydration while fasting.Plenty of water must be taken as well. The break-fast meal consists of hi-carb dairy meals , including some brunch recipes. Sweet kugel or noodle pudding is made as well as egg rich quiches and souffles. Some go the meager route with just bagels. Some go the lusher route by breaking the fast with homemade soup and brisket. The meal could end with a home baked cake. What is eaten depends on if the family has Sephardic or Mediterranean or Ashkenazi or Eastern European roots. The  Sephardim usually have a light bread or snack followed by a heavier meat meal.

Sephardic Jews have always been influenced by the places where they've lived. Many make baklava, usually associated with the Greeks and Turkish for their fast break. Turkish Jews break the fast with a teapsoon of quince jam and followed with a sip of water. They greet guests with pepitada or subiya, a milky drink made from the seeds of Persian, cantaloupe or honeydew melons. The seeds are dried toasted cracked open and then submerged in cold water for twenty-four hours..It's then chilled and served with a drop of sugar or rosewater. They also incorporate the famed Greek lemon and egg chicken soup, avgolemono. Ashkenazi Jews usually break the fast with more brunch dishes. There are quiches filled with much needed protein and can be filled with broccoli and mushrooms. There's also Brie with infused honey and crusty bread. It's a nice blend of sweet and savory. of course lox and bagels are the old stand by.Add a schmear of cream cheese if it's allowed by  dietary law. Bagles are  a great way of introducing food into the system.

Yom Kippur is the most holiest of all the Jewish holidays. The fast should be taken just as seriously. Fill up on good , nutritious foods that help  with introducing foods.

A Good Hot Lunch

 Think hot  If you're lucky to be home for lunch. It's a nice change up from dinner and breaks up the day. It'll keep you full for the afternoon and keep you from snacking too.

The easiest hot lunch is soup/ You can easily open a can of Progresso orCampbells' but a quick homemade soup is a better choice. Take any kind of broth, vegetable, beef or chicken  and use that as the base. Then add what you want. Tomatoes and peppers will give the potage color and flavor. Add cut celery and onions too along with any kind of bean.This will give it protein. If you want it to be heartier. then add smaller pasta like pastina, ditalini or orzo.. Serve toasted Italian or French bread with it and a simple salad. Another hot  lunch treat is a mild chili, This can eaily be made in a crockpot or Instapot. You can use ground turkey and cannekini beans for a  white chili. You can also make a vegan one using morningstar or Grdein soy crumbles. Have plentty of crackers and sliced avocado to put on top. What's great about chili snd soup, you can either have a bowl or cup if you're not that hungry. A different spin is putting a fried egg on top for more protein and flavor.

Of  course eggs are perfect in creatin a hot lunch. You can easily make a filling sausage scramble. Again you canuse pork  , turkey or vegan for a tasty, hot bite.  Add tomatoes an garlic for thar  Piedmontese lunch favorite, pomodori et uovi. Make sure you have plenty of Italian bread to mop it all up.Sub in chopped peppers foe that Sicilian favorite uovi e pepe. Serve on hoagie rolls . Omelets and frittatas can be fun , expecially with all the different add ins. A western style omelet is a tasty and filling lunch, especially if you load it up with extra ham and peppers. go Greek styke with a good cup of spinach. A cheese one full of Cheddar is a yummy, gooey lunch. Try subbing in Brie or Montery Jack  for a fun change up. Keep in mind that Eggs Benedict are not just for Sunday brunch. They work every day and it's a neat change  up for an ordinart day. You cam nake it with an egg sunnyside up or even scrambled ones. Make it a Florentine one by changing outthe Canadian bacon with spinach. You could also sub in crab meat too for a rich and satisfying lunch.

Nothing beats a hot lunch on a cold day. Make a soyp or an omelet to start off with to chase away that autumn chill. You'll fee warmer 

An Air Fried Fall

 Air fryers were every home chef's best friend during the sweltering summer months. It can still be a vital kitchen appliance during the autumn too. It's great for cooking up tailgate and foot ball party nibbles along with creating great dishes with the season's harvest.

Air fryers are perfect for any tailgating party.You could buy a travel one.Amazon has them for as little as $ 37.99 for the Elite one quart one. Keep in mind you'll also need a portable generator for it since air fryers require a lot of power.9although this can be saved for when you want to bring your air fryer on Spring and summer camping trips) What tail gating treats can you make? Chicken wings and thighs are perfect for it. They fry up crisply and evenly without all that fat. Coat the wings with seasoning and then cornstarch to  ensure a nice crunch. If you;re looking for a low calorie alternative then look no further than cauliflower "wings," These are the florets rolled in a fiery mix of cayenne pepper, hot sauce and smoked paprika. Worcester sauce and apple cider vinegar give the florets more zing as onion and garlic powders give them more flavor. Another fun , crunchy bite are zucchini chips. Again this is simply cutting the squash into very thin coins and then seasoning them with sea salt. They're then brushe d with olive oil and fried for a few minutes.You can serve these with a homemade ranch dressing. 

Other squashes can be air  fried for the main course or a tasty side. Butternut squash is the most versatile.You can cube it or air fry it whole , cut into two sides. The cubed way will produce a nice crispy bite, especially if they're well coated in olive oil or melted butter. You can also toss them in garlic powder , sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Give them a sweeter bite by dredging the cubes in a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon. This would be a perfect side for turkey or capon.  You can air fry the whole squash ususlly for five minutes. Brush the sides with olive oil or melted butter or margarine and season with just sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Again, this makes a great side for any poultry. Kale is another fall veggie that is perfect for the air fryer. Kale chips are not only a fun side with burgers and hot dogs but they're also a great snack. Use fresh and try to get the curly leaf variety. remember to thoroughly dry the leaves too after washing them otherwise you'll just have soggy chips. Don't include the ribs or stems in this., They're too tough to eat, even when cooked. Tear them into bite size piece s and then toss in olive oil. Sesaon with what you want, Add hot pepper flakes of you want a fiery bite or sprinkle some vinegar on them and salt for a salt and vinegar flavor.

Make the air fryer the most important appliance this fall. It's great for cooking up tailgating faovrites and delicious sides. Try it with autumn's abundant harvest.