Everyone's Fave's

 The New York Times put out a fantastic guide of reader's favorite recipes this past Sunday. This is a please save because it will come in handy for the holidays. There is everything in here from the famed actress Kate Hepburn's brownies to Southern macaroni and cheese. These will be perfect for family dinners or every night and weekend dinners and snacks too.

The kind of cookbook is divided into five sections - The Icons, The Super Stars, The Chart Toppers, The Influencers and The Talkers. No matter what recipe you choose they;re all good.Some are extremely popular like the red lentil soup that has a pinch of red pepper to give it zing A quick dinner is the crisp gnocchi , fried in olive oil.Brussels sprouts or broccoli is first fried then the two are combined for  a tasty twist on a Northern Italian classic.

Yes, there are full meals as well.Try a caramelized shallot pasta for a Sunday dinner. This is a kind of puttanesca  with anchovies added but has a extra layer of flavor added, thanks to the caramelized shallot. A good Sunday supper is caramelized French onion grilled cheese.This is not the greasy diner version but an elevated salute. Gruyere cheese is used and blended with caramelized onions . This is then put on slices of bread - use artesanal here and then fried in butter. Finish with Kate Hepburn;s super fudgey brownies or a plum tart There are also drink recipes too from the Brazilian limoada to the heady  Tinto de verano,a mix of red wine vermouth and surprisingly Sprite.

This guide put out by the New York Times Cooking is a definite keeper. Use ot for fall Sunday dinners or for holiday get togethers. The recipes are not only popular but perfect

The Meeting House Princeton NJ

 Princeton ,New Jersey is lovely in the fall. The town has an academic charm similar to Britain's Oxford and Cambridge yet also has a distinctly American vibe.The main part of town around the University is full of all sorts of different restaurants .Yet there is one that's a few block away in the picturesque section of Princeton that stands out>It's The meeting Place on Witherspoon (yes, named after Reese Witherspoon's  ancestor  John Witherspoon who signed the Declaration of Independence and was Princeton's sixth president)

I liked the Meeting Place. It has Manhattan vibe even though it's deep in the country. The dcord is a sophisticated blend of farmhouse shingles and modern fixttures. The food is tasty and farm fresh.It's great to start with their flaky biscuits that come with a bitter blackberry jam and butter.

Their Sunday brunch is a wonderful mix of egg dishes. From a fiery huevo ranchereo to a creamy  Eggs Benedict diners cna enjoy these ample plates.

There is , of course, the traditional breakfast of  fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon

for a lighter nrucnh Meeting Pace offers a rich mushroom soup that's full of flavor. This is the perfect chill chaser for a fall day.It is even topped with fried scallions and croutons, with a swirl of truffle oil.

It may be brunch but there's always room for dessert. The eatery offers four only but they're excellent. Try their S'mores tart on a coulis of raspberry jam.

The tart jam rescued it from being too sweet as did the dark chocolate ganache.

There's also a light carrot cake with an even lighter than air cream cheese frosting. This was a perfect end to a lovely meal.

The Meeting Place is the place to go to if you're in Princeton.It's a wonderful escape into good food, especially after a fall day out. Try it when you're visiting the school and town.

Fall Finds

 All grocery stores are in full fall mode. THis is so true of Lidl where they put out a wide variety of sweet and savory fall themed foods and treats. They have maple drizzled kettle corn, home brewed pumpkin soda and a great find their Autumn Harvest pasta sauce.e

This was too good to pass up.It's a marriage of tomatoes, bell peppers , butternut squash and zucchini. It's the perfect cold weather sauce for any pasta and I cannot wait to try it/

What is great about this sauce is that , yes you can use it with everyday pasta but it will be great over gnocchi which I also bought.

Lidl gnocchi's,like their, spaghetti and rotelli, re always good, tasting like they've just been made and rolled out in your kitchen. They and the sauce will make a lovely autumn supper.I 'm also adding rolls to stop up the sauce. If you want to vary it, then sub in chicken or vegan chicken strips and serve over polenta for an equally hardy meal. This is perfect on a chil October night or brisk Sunday afternoon,.

It's fall and that means stores are going to be offering delicious harvest themed foods. Head to Lidl or your favorite store and see what's on display. You'll be amazed at the bounty of all sorts of autumn treasures.

The Perfect Fall Dinner

 It's fall and its a time for lush Sunday dinners/ What is your ideal dinner for crisp weather? Do you prepare pork chops stuffed with onions and apples. A family platter of pasta loaded with marinara and homemade meatballs. A juicy London Broil served with a buttery Yorkshire pudding? A plump capon roasted with new potatoes?

Here's the question - what is your ideal fall Sunday dinner? Let us know.

Emergency Eating

 Sadly more and more people are suffering severe weather thanks to climate change. it affects every aspect of life, especially how we cook and eat. Yet many don;t know what to do when a hurricane ,flood or fire hits. Luckily there is a how to to get through those tough times.

Regular contributor and cookbook author Kristen Migliore gave this handy and important guide in yesterday's New York Times Food section. First of all how much food and water should be kept? For water there should be a minimum of one gallon per person. There should be at least twelve gallons for a family of four. This will keep them hydrated for three to four days if you have space go bigger. Try to have enough water for two weeks. WHat about an emergency go bag? Store both together in a cool, dark place in your house. You may wind up in a place that will supply you with the basics. The more important is what foods should be stocked up - nut butters like almond and peanut along with rimmed fish - salmon and tuna.Tinned veggies and fruit long with beans can go a long way Canned potatoes are perfect because they can be drained and pan roasted with olive oil and salt for a tasty quick comfort food. Also get boil in bag Indian curries and Japanese just add water miso and ramen soups. pasta and rice are also musts because they last for a long time and make for filling meals wien cooked.

Hot drinks are a must. They can soothe and comfort. Store instant coffee and coffee drinks, tea bags and packets of hot cocoa. It's not mentioned but Gator Ade can also be good especially for kids if they need energy. Another must is some kind of cooking apparatus like a backyard grill, camp stove or chafing dish.what's the best way to make canned and tinned foods taste better? Also have shelf stable  flavorings to make that cooked food better.Like any powdered drink, spices like cinnamon , garlic and onion powder stay dry . Soy sauce and sesame oil are also stable and won't go bad. Sesame oil can last for up to two years once opened.Japanese furikake seasoning which is ground sesame, mixed with sugar,noei salt and sugar helps tinned veggies and tuna become tastier. Also try any kind of vinegar which can almost last forever and smoked paprika which can elevate food to another level are also good.Keep in mind all these foodstuffs have experitation dates. If you haven't used them already  then cook them before they expire.

These days are sadly filled with all sorts of disasters. Be ready .Be food prepared so your family can eat well. A hot comforting one goes a long way.

New York - A Guide For Vegans

 You would think that Manhattan with it's many restaurants would be a paradise for vegetarians and vegans. Surprisingly the answer is no. It's not easy ordering  meat free in the Big Apple. Yet herbivores can survive with a few tips.

Regular Priya Krishna wrote about it on today's New York Times Food section.The city does have a lively and diverse restaurant scene. New Yorkers  can shop for plant based meats and some  eateries offer Impossible Burgers on their menus. It's not enough though.Many restaurants shrank their menus during the pandemic four and a half years ago.Plant based meats are not on the smaller or shrunken versions. Charlotte Brooks, a professor at Baruch College in Brooklyn has found that some places only have two options.Lawyer Tracie Lyons who lives on the restaurant rich Upper West Side has problems with finding one that suits her veganism. Choices are few and far between and looking for a suitable eatery is a chore.Ms Krishna heard this and decided to go out on her own to see the options. even the Times lsit of city restaurants have places that will not tweak their menus to suit non meat eaters What's a vegan or eve vegetarian to do?

One of the answers is go to pasta.This works except for vegans because with pasta come dairy based cheese and butter.Ms. Krishna recommends Ci Siamo which does have cheese and butter in their dishes. A better choice is just ordering pasta or gnocchi with marinara sauce. Diners could order a dish without meat or fish yet the dish like endive with anchovy at Estella is just endive. sometimes the vegan option does work as it does at Jeju Noodle Bar where their mushroom scallion pancakes are popular.Some eateries go ad hoc and will create a dish in seconds featuring no meat. Just ask nicely as she did at the Viernamese place Mam on the Lower East Side.The fancy eatery eleven Madison Park has gone vegan with its' tasting menus. Vegans and vegetarians love this .Le Bernardin also did this too. Of course if you want truly vegetarian, then head to Dirt Candy, Superiority Burger and Buddha Budai. These are truly meat and dairy free and have great menus.

Vegans and vegetarians can enjoy the Manhattan restaurant scene. One know where to go. Two enjoy the dishes whatever is in front of you. It'll make for a good dinner.

Wngs Any Way

 Chicken wings are a big part of fall cuisine. They're served at tailgating parties. They grace Halloween party tables. They're the highlight of late season barbecues> What's best about them is that you can make them and their counterparts - drumsticks any way you want.

This chicken dish is versatile. You can have them smoky and sweet one day and spiky with spice and flavor the next.The first thing to consider is not the flavor but the crunch. A soggy wing might taste good but it it doesn't;t feel good in your mouth. what needs to be done before flavoring and frying is dry brining. Use baking powder and cornstarch for a crunchy, crispy texture.A pitch of salt is added for flavor and then the wings are roasted in a 400 degree Farenheit oven for forty-five minutes. You could also make the wings less crunchier but more flavorful with a Buffalo chicken wing recipe.Mix melted butter and cayenne pepper or Frank's hot sauce. Fry or roast the chicken first then drench in the sauce. reserve a bowl of extra sauce for dipping later on.Serve these with mouth cooling celery and Ranch dressing or even carrots.If you want super hot but super flavorful then try Szechuan style wings This is taking the wings and first  dry brining them in salt and baking powder. Then there's the sauce . This is a mix of toasted and crushed peppercorns mixed with chili flakes, Shaoxing wine and a garlic and ginger paste.dark and light soy sauce is also added to this along with palm sugar. You can add chopped peanuts and more chili flakes on top too.

The weather is still good for barbecued wings. Again there are options. Grilled wings are cooked when the grill li d is opened; while barbecued is done with the grill lid closed.This last will give you extray juicy and tender meat. what about the sauces? D you put the barbecue sauce on when the wingers are being cooked? Yes but put a thin layer of sauce on them. Barbecue sauce contains sugar which burns easily and browns faster than the meat.This can. make it difficult to tell if the meat is completely cooked. A better idea is barbecue or grill the wings and even drumsticks without the sauce on them and serve the sauce separately.A  fun idea is having a few sauces out so family and friends can have a choice. Try a sweet barbecue sauce made from ketchup, honey molasses and liquid smoke. Zing it up with garlic and onion powder.If you want give it some bite with a tiny drop of hot sauce. Another sauce perfect for wings and drumsticks is honey mustard. Use a good grainy mustard like Grey Poupon and mix with a wildflower honey..

wings are a perfect addition to any taol gater or Halloween party. There are so many different ways to make them. ENjoy them your way, whether grilled or fried

The Best of Middle Eastern Food

 The Middle East has always been beset by conflict through the millennia. This overshadows the region's amazing array of both savory and sweet dishes.It's a shame because the recipes are so good and delicious. They should be the topic of conversation not war.

One of the tastiest (and my favorite )is za'arar. This is a mix of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram and cumin along with sumac cumin and coriander.OLive oil is added to create to create a smooth pesto like paste it can be made at home or bought at your store's spice section.You could easily use dry za'atar on chicken or steak  for a flavorful roast .It CNA be spooned in egg dishes or vegetable sautes tot. However the best way to enjoy the melding of herbs is over hot , crispy  fresh from the oven pita bread. It's sort of like a green pizza but with so much more flavor. Another delicious dish is tabouli.This is a salad consisting of chopped parsley , cucumbers and bulgur. Chopped scallions , tomatoes and garlic are also added. A dressing of olive oil, lemon coriander and cinnamon are whisked together.To give it cooling notes a handful of chopped mint tops off the tabouli.Serve with pita wedges or on its' own.Shawarma finishes off the Middle Eastern meal. This is roasted layers of lamb and beef and served with different sauces like tahini and garlic yogurt.

There are also sweets that shine in Middle Eastern cuisine.Baklava is made all over the eastern Mediterranean (including Greece).It is a labor intensive bake but so m=worth the work/It's ;Ayers of thin, crackly phyllo dough that can be made at home or bought. The layers are filled with ground pistachios and cinnamon The nuts are found in a blender or food processor and they and the spice are blended together . The phyllo dough has to be brushed with melted butter and then layered with the filling. At the end , the dough is scored into diamond shapes and baked in a 160 degree Farenheit oven. A sauce of honey, vanilla extract and lemon juice is made, cooked down into a syrup. This is poured over the cooled baklava and then served. Palestinian desserts , whether Muslim or Christian have religious meaning. Take Barbara named for Saint Barbara , whose resting place was a small village near Ramalleh.It looks a little like rice pudding but is made with wheat and different spices like anise and cinnamon.Raisins are added for texture.

The Middle East should be known for its' food not it;s conflicts. The world is missing out on delicious flavors molded together in tasty recipes. These should be known  and enjoyed

Tailgating Southern Style

 Southern food means good flavor and good times. Not surprisingly so is tailgating. Combine the two and you'll have a delicious way of enjoy your favorite team with friends and fans.

Most of the game day foods are Southern.What's a tailgating party with out ribs and fried chicken? Ribs can easily be grilled on  a grill.It's all in the seasoning. Try a savory dry rub consisting of paprika, onion powder brown sugar fresh ground pepper and salt. Cook until crispy and almost blackened (it pays to bring a meat thermometer along just to see what the ribs interior temperature is)> Serve with a Southern style barbecue sauce.This is an easy blend of ketchup molasses, and cider vinegar.Mix and then add the  dry ingredients such as onion salt, brown sugar, and garlic powder.Mix and keep in a large container. Of course fried chicken is the epitome of Southern cooking at its' best. Yet what's an authentic recipe?Use one that features a buttermilk batter. Add cornstarch for an extra crunchy coating along with herbs such a as thyme, basil, oregano and dried ginger . the last if you want a zing of flavor. A better way of cooking it in a parking lot is by air fryer.It's less messy and also less greasy.

Should you make grits for a tailgate party?It would be a different taste, especially with shrimp added. The grits can be made in a slow cooker  brought to the stadium parking lot. You can cook up some shrimp to go with it. An easy way of cooking is is again using the grill. This will also add a smoky flavor to the  dish.The shrimp can be marinated in a barbecue sauce but you can also make a lemon and butter sauce as well. The grits can be buttery or cheesy.It;s up to you and your fellow fans how you like them. Cornbread is another must and this can be made the day before and then wrapped in plastic to keep fresh. Even though people will be stuffed they still clamor for dessert. Dr. Pepper cake is a must around the holidays in the SOuth. Why not make it perfect for the party by making Dr Pepper cake cupcakes.These are a sweet mix of everyone's favorite soda and chocolate. For more depth add buttermilk and light brown sugar. As for the frosting why not carry the theme and create one that mimics the foam on top.This is a buttercream that also has the soda added too.It's a nice way to carry on the flavor.

A Southern themed tailgating party is always a great one. Southern food is delicious and perfect for any gathering. whip up ribs slathered with barbecue sauce, fried chicken, or shrimp and grits. Bake corn bread and Dr Pepper cupcakes for a treat.

Apple Time

 It  is apple season -a time when we go into the orchards and pick it the juiciest and reddest of fall's bounty.here's the questionnaire - what is your favorite apple dish.Is it a cinnamon spiked pie? A creamy apple sauce? Do you like just the apples plain  and sliced or the more decadent candy or caramel robed apple on  a stick? Pr do you like the kick of a cold glass of cider?

🍎What is your favorite apple dish? 🍏

A Rosh Hashana Dish's Journey

 All holiday recipes have stories.It;s no different with a Rosh Hashana dish that went from Spanish Morocco to Switzerland to Martha;s Vineyard.it represents a variety of heritages that have significantly contributed to thmelange of vegetables and spices.

Regular contributor and family cook book author  Joan Nathan wrote about this historic dish in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The recipe is legumbres para rosana and it  was Marina Pinto Kaufman's family recipe that goes back hundred of years to Spain.Her family lived for centuries  in Tetouan in what was then Spanish Moroccom after escaping the Spanish Inquisition that started in 1478. In Morocco recipes were a very important to the status of the cook and her family. Ms Pinto Kaufman herself was born in Casablanca in 1940 and later moved to Tangier as a child and then Geneva shortly after Tangier lost its' international zone status in 1956. She worked for the UN , coming to the US ,first in 1960 and then 1966, She met her husband Srephen. She started cooking when they married, devouring Jewish cookbooks, even finding a picture of her grandmother Myriam Abensur in Claudia Roden's Book of Jewish Food.Paula Wolfert was another influence in her life.

The dish itself abides to the traditions f the Talmud."every man should make a habit on New Year's of  eating pumpkin, fenugreek, leek, beet and dates"it states. The harvest foods are served raw or cooked and vary by country. Ms. Pinto Kaufman is a secular Jew continues the custom only with her cooking, tampering with it slightly to make it easier for the home chef.It;s a vibrant,colorful dish with bright orange sweet potatoes and yellow squash.There are also caramelized onions, zucchini, raisins, chickpeas and carrots.it's a distant cousin of the Ashkenazi, or Eastern European tsimmes which is also made with carrots and  sweet potatoes.The best part of the recipe is that can be made a day or two in advance and reheated for the main meal.it can be the perfect side to roast chicken, a brisket or Ms. Pinto Kaufmans' cumin flavored meatballs with peas.It definitely has a Moroccan vibe thanks to the addition of cardamon , ground cinnamon, coriander and sliced almonds.The dish is a bit labor intensive with the veggies being first boiled then roasted.Spices are added later.

Legumbres para rosana brings together religion, history and culture in one dish.It is bright and colorful. Make this dish for a New Year's feast.

CHicken Tenders An American Classic Explained

 CHicken tenders are ubiquitous in the American diet. They are everywhere from , dine in move theaters to school cafeterias. Yet how did they become into being and what makes them so popular? How did this simple chicken dish become a national treasure.

Regular contributor and Food section superstar Pete Wells wrote about this tasty treat in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. It is their  fiftieth anniversary and according to legend they were created in Manchester, New Hampshire in the Southern part of the state.There probably were dishes that featured this part of the chicken breast but it was a Greek family living in Manchester that turned it into a delicious dinner and snack.The children of one of the owners of PUritan Candy store Arthur Pappas (the either was co owner LOuis Canotas) took this little used part and turned it into something indescribable.It'ss basically the tenderloin of the chicken which came loose when the breast was being sliced .It wasn't;t a muscle used by the bird like the wing or the thigh, hence the tenderness.Charlie Pappas saw that this piece was often separating from the rest of the cut and that struck him with an idea. The rest is history.It was not what a typical Greek restaurant would serve.It was siaked in a kind of duck sauce and then coked. It soon became a popular item on the Puritan menu.

It caught on. Burger King was one of the first restaurants to serve it in the 1980's/ It needed a good Chick'n snack to compete with McDOnald's chicken nuggets and hit upon the chicken tender. It was so popular that the fast food chain had to pull ads across the country when restaurants fan out of it. Other places also cashews din on its' popularity, Soon chicken tenders were at birthday parties, weddings and eve bar mitzphas. that the Puritian hosted. The restaurant stills sells them with super Sized buckets containing a whopping 150 pieces.On a typical week Arthur Papps fries up four tons (!) of them, on a super busy week he fries up five tons. It's funny how the strips became so popular. Without breading and sauces , they meat has little flavor..This is sio mild that it won;t offend anyone which may be a reason for its popularity. Yet there are now variations of it , from coconut crusted tenders to it being dredged in Ritz cracker crumbs and even Capt'n Crunch before frying.One brew pub offers them with different sauces like Western apricot and Korean barbecue.

No matter how you have them, chicken tenders are good. THey're here to stay.These strips of white meat are as classic as apple pie and roast turkey on the American table.

Parent Dash

 Mothers and  fathers will always worry  - and cook for their young.It doesn't;t matter if your two or twenty-two, they'll be there if you need food.Yet what's good to make and to give? There are the classics and not so classic/

Most college kids appreciate and miss their mom's cooking. THis is when mothers - and even dads should think about make a double batch of sauce. A plus is that tomatoes from a late summer - early fall harvest cna be added for more flavor. If  the kids are vegan or vegetarian add in some plant based meat balls. Lidl has excellent ones from their Vendomo brand. Keep in mind if you do that the sauce then makes  for a great meatball sandwich too. Non meat meat balls can be frozen too , whether thye're in sauce or not. Add some ground beef , cumin and chili pepper to make a tasty chili. Throw in kidney and pinto beans for a heartier dish. This too can be frozen and stored in the freezer for months.Do you feel like your offspring needs a nudge when cooking? Then just send a care package or better yet - a gift certificate from their local grocery store. A care package could included canned soups , boxes of pasta and many a mini spice selection. YOu could also include a mini griddle and frying pan which can be found at any store.

Homemade treats have always been sent to kids away from home. Mothers  have a lways sent cakes and biscuits for their sons at the front and for those going to college. Now moms and dads are also experimenting with breads too. Since these go stale quickly try to make the bread the day before.It's Ok if it's a day old. It cna be turned into toast . Another idea is bringing the sourdough starter and baking with kids in their apartment or dorm (if it has a kitchenette) A good  idea is bringing pizza dough with you .This can be tuned into tasty [ies along with calzones for a hot filling meal.PIzza dough can be formed into balls and then frozen. They should be fine for transport Include pizza sauce and mozzarella too.Of course a ton of homemade cookies is always welcomed. Think one kind like chocolate chip or a variety that can include sugar , peanut butter and oatmeal. If you don't feel like baking then make cow patties , those non bake cookies that are a mix of peanut butter oatmeal and cocoa. These are fun and great to share.

Forget Door Dash.There's mom and dad who can cook and bake. Create tasty meals and desserts for your kids to have a taste of home.