Ready For A Wild Weather Summer

 To say the weather has been acting up this summer is an understatement RIght now there are tornado warnings around the New York City metro area. Tropical storms and hurricanes loom . These all can be a breeze to manage food wise. It's just selecting the right foods to exist on.

Water is usually the first thing affected. Make sure you have plenty of bottled water . This can be used for not only drinking but for adding to soups and baby formulas. Make sure everyone - including cats and dogs have their share too for complete hydration. Should you also pack soda and juices? Yes but keep in mind that drinks like Coke and Sprite will also make you thirsty  so balance them with water. You could add flavored water enhancers to  Stanley cups or Bubba containers (your local dollar store has their versions of these for much less). You get hydration plus taste. Instant coffee is also good because the caffeine can power you during some difficult situations. What about milk? It should be powdered however it can last in a fridge for four hours in an unopened fridge. The same applies to nut and oat milk. What about milk boxes.? If they've been out more than four hours then  no.THey're unsafe. Toss them   The same applies to dairy creamer. Toss it after two hours . Use powdered as well to flavor coffees..A;spwait before you buy any milk from stores. They too probably have had power outages so their milk and creamers may not be safe.

As for food - think canned. Canned proteins such as deviled chicken and ham along with fish like tuna salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines are also good. They can be made into salads or just eaten on bread or rolls as a sandwich. Beans are anothe protein that's a must have. Chickpeas are versatile and can be eaten straight from the can or be mashed into hummus. Any bean can be made into a patty . You don;t even needs eggs t bind then=m. Potato flakes or even oats can be subbed in instead. Veggies  - save for lettuce  right now can be eaten. A panzanella salad can easily be made with leftover bread, and sliced tomatoes. Just add shelf stable olive oil.  You can also create a hearty cold dish by using sliced tomatoes ,canned tuna and cannellini beans.Dried herbs can flavor it  as can salt and pepper. Sliced peppers mixed with tuman orslamon is also a good hearty and easy dinner to make. You can also use avocados, whether for bread or as a salad.  Keep fruits like apples and plums along with bananas for a quick snack or dessert. Snack cakes like Little Debbie or Oreos can hold too. Keep cereal ready for breakfast along with jams and jellies.

It's tornado seasonIt's soon to be hurricane season.Be prepared for when they happen. You'll feel better with filling foods and drink.

Salad Doesn't Always HavE To Be Green

 Thanks to cyclospora green salad is off the table. Yet its a staple, especially in summer dining.Whatto do? There are so many alternatives.By the end of summer, you many not even want a traditional greens alad.

Keep in mind that frozen is usually your best friend in this case.I've found that some of my best broccoli and green bean salads come from the frozen veggies packages. These are easy.No washing,No worries if they're bad. Just steam in the microwave for six minutes or more then add the dressing. It's then chilling the greens for at least two hours.I;be even made these in the winter ,just to add veggies to a meal. You could also add some almonds to the green beans  along with crumbled feta cheese and a dash of lemon juice.Broccoli salad could also have some freshly grated cheddar to it for more flavor. Frozen bell peppers can also be made into a similar salad. So far the fresh versions of these seem to be safe so you can easily make a salad with them.Try all three colors  for something colorful along with roasting them on your grill first. You could easily add leftover grilled flank steak to make it more nutritious and substantive . A simple olive oil and red wine vinegar will do here. Asparagus may not be in season right now but the frozen kind makes for a great side dish Again use a simple vinaigrette here along with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tomatoes and beans will never do anyone wrong and the first is definitely safe if garden grown. There are so many tomato salad recipes that every day can have a different one. One of my favorites is my version of panzanella. This is classic Tuscan UMbrian and Tuscan salad where tomatoes and stales bread are soaked in olive oil,tomato juices and vinegar. Some add sliced or diced onions to it but I like mine with just tomatoes and good ,squishy Italian bread. The bread is torn into bite size pieces.Usually it's  left to harden for a day or it;s crisped in an air fryer . It's up to you how to have the bread. I usually add in oregano and garlic powder. This is so good that it can be eaten as a main course ,especially with a side of burrata cheese or as a side with steak or chicken.Romato and bean salad is another tasty alternative to green salad. Use white beans which work the best with them. They;re sweet creaminess is the perfect foil for the tomatoes' tanginess.  Beans themselves are the perfect base for a salad.  YOu could make three bean salad but make it the more fun cowboy caviar. This is a zingy collection of black eye peas black beans ,onions corns and peppers. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette unless you want to add salsa instead.

Forget those pesky greens. You can make  an equally delicious salad using other veggies and beans. Try any of these if you want a different spin on a summer classic.

Rethinking Julia Child's French Chef

 Julia Child opened up American kitchens to a way of cooking that was both simple and sophisticated. Now local PBSstations  is bringing back her French Chef  shows. Can it hold up sity to sixty-five - almost seventy years later? Yes.A new generation can easily learn from her.

Julia Child , surprisingly didn't set out as a cook or chef - or even a career in anything remotely culinary. She was born in 1012 in Petaluma California, named Julia Carolyn McWilliams.She came from an old New England family that moved to the Golden State early in the Twentieth Century .Julia went back to her Massachusetts roots to attend Smith College. She majored in History where she planned on becoming either a novelist or magazine writer.She graduated, going back to Petaluma after a magazine stint in New Yrok City. Her first foray into cooking was creating shark repellent for  sharks during her time in the OSS. During this time, during the Second World War she was stationed in Kandy Sri Lanka where when met her husband Paul Child, another OSS employee. He had lived in Paris and knew the world of haute cuisine. THey moved to Parus where she went to the famed Cordon Bleu  academy. Her first cookbookMastering The Art of French Cooking led to an appearance on a Boston news show. She created an omelet for them on air and this led to to The French Chef. The show was a triumph ,introducing reluctant home chefs to different cooking techniques and mastering such tasks like carving poultry and creating crusts.

Does her advice still hold up.?Yes !!!! This new generation is  interested .They were, after all, raised on the Food Channel where there was more flashy showmanship  than actual cooking. Novice chefs are eager to learn about boef Bourguignon with its' wine rich sauce and addition of tiny vegetables.Her episodes show the practical like how to use endives in salad to creating a three course dinner menu. There is also the fancy - also perfect for those first dinner parties  where home chefs can make homemade mayonnaise,lobster a l'Americaine and chocolate souffle. Watching her show was a refresher course in how to.  The one I watched was about quickest and crusts. She showed how to sift flour and create a good crust. She goes old school by adding dried beans in aluminum foil to have the crust bake evenly. These shows were made in the Sixties and early Seventies so there's no fancy gadgets to do all the work - which is better. Doing such there is a communion between chef and the ingredients. Being tactile allows the home baker to know when the dough is ready to proof or if the veggies and herbs  are finely chopped enough.

Is Julia Child relevant now? Absolutely yes. A new generation should be watching her to get accurate cooking lessons without the flash.

The New Relocated East Wok

 Sometimes an upgrade isn't always good for a restaurant. The food can go down in quality while going up in price. Old favorites are knocked off the menu . Even a new location can be bad. However for East Wok, formerly of Saddle Brook, New Jersey now in the neighboring town of Elmwood Park changing locations was a glow up.

I;be always loved East Wok. They have the best chicken on a stick as well as a very lush shrimp in lobster sauce Their soups have gotten me through a number of colds and stomach flus. Their chefs produced some of the best food in the worst space possible. All those great dishes were created in a cubby hole in an ancient strip mall. It was tiny , without any air conditioning./ Anyone could see the need for a move.

Move they did - to a corner shop with a revamped kitchen and new floors. This (above) is so much better than their old eatery. There are marble floors and a lovely bathroom. Seats and table line the curved windows where you can see the main street.

Their always delicious fried dumplings and spring rolls actually taste better. Is it because of the air conditioned and bigger kitchen Maybe? Or the fact that its a joy to be in? Maybe. They have added to their menu too. I am dying to try their salt and pepper tofu and chicken as well as their new seafood dumplings.There is also Mala style different meats and tofu, cooked with fiery dry Szechuan peppers..East Wok still has their lunch specials that has the main meal with the choice of wonton or egg drop soups and a soda.

If you're looking for a great Chinese restaurant to visit this weekend stop in at the newly relocated East Wok.It's a great place to get a variety of different Asian dishes. The food is beyond delicious.

EAST WOK
234A Market Street,

Elmwood Park ,New Jersey 07407

Tell.201-556-0032

A Better Grilled Chicken

 There is nothing as tasty or versatile as grilled chicken.It makes for a tasty sandwich on a kaiser roll, with naoy,.It's perfect in Caesar salads.It;s just good on its own, with a few veggies on the side. The problem with it is that it can also get dried out while cooking .Thsi results in tough,stringy meat. Yet there are ways to combat this.

Regular contributor and chef Genevieve KO gives tips and hints in her article in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section. There is also a recipe that will be perfect for this easy to make classic. It starts with the bird itself. Home chefs could go to chicken farms and get a small bird around four to eight ounces.Commercially s9old breasts are larger which means more meat but much less flavor.It isn;t only the lack of fat that gives them no flavor but also the monotony of texture , the inch or more of uniform threads and a cottony dryness. Still these can be tasty - surprisingly. The ideal option is a chicken that;s been recently slaughtered.Supermarkets wont have this info so look  the latest sell by r use by dates Also looks for terms :fresh" and keep refrigerated which means the meat is not frozen.Also how it;s cut matters .Cut the breast to a third of its' original height by slicing two shutters. Start with a deep slit from the center of the meat Thus can be done on the other side too. Once cut the chicken breast can be smacked into a thin layer Use the palm of the hand for this.The fibers are now not only shortened but also run in different directions which makes for a good chew.

The next step is to marinate quickly.It bolsters flavor but only gives flavor to the outside.A thin breast only needs fifteen to thirty minutes to fully marinate . Ms Ko's recipe has olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. This ensures the meat tastes well and browns perfectly.There are also two cups of mixed ,fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro basil and mint,The herbs char nicely and bring freshness.Adding kosher salt keeps the meat tender and moist. The grill should be hot. The heat is right when a hand is held three to five inches above the grate .On a gas grill it's should be on the higher side of medium high and with charcoal the lumps should be asked over and glowing red beneath a grey white surface.Remove the meat earlier.If it;s still raw it can go back on the grate to cook more.These breasts should be done in only five minutes and should be opaque without with just the faintest tinge of pink like a faint blush.T o check for doneness, put the meat on a plate cut open so the top and bottom are exposed. It can be placed back on the grill for only a minute if it['s still too raw.

A good chicken breast should be juicy and flavorful. Following these steps will ensure such. It will be a great dinner,full of juicy ,tasty meat.

NY Is A Burger Town

 New Yrkers are lucky. Visitors to the great city are lucky. Why? it's a burger city. There are so many different kinds and variations of this American classic in New York and it's boroughs.

The New York Times Wednesday Food section  put together a compiliation  of the best burger joints in New York today. Editor Nikita Richardson led the group consisting of Becky Highes,Ryan Sutton,Mahira Rivers and Luke Fortney.They went all over the boroughs and tasted some of the best patties. They found nineteen top choices that would make any burger lover weep. One of the best cheeseburgers is in Gramercy Park. Joe Juniors gives an  open faced one dripping with American cheese.There is also fried onion burger at Hamburger America It's served with passable fries and an frosty Arnold Palmer (a blend of iced tea and lemonade) For those who love a good organic burger there is the grain fed one at the Lower East Side's Eel BarChef Aaron Crowder uses meat fromhe flanl and the front leg to create a juicy, flavorful patty.Fans  f special sauce should grab the burger at Bar Americano.It;sa tasty mixture of brisket chuck and short rib and smothered in The best of cheeses Grueyere. There is also Bou  Jiamoat Famous Food which has a burger made out of pork belly.There is also the original Hamburg steak at Cafe O Te in Brooklyn. There is also the Pakistan influenced one at BK Jani's in trendy Williamsburg.

Burgers can come in other meats and even forms. Try Mommy Pai's chicken burger created by Ann Redding who was born in Thailand. She loved Mc Donal'ds as a child and her sandwich s an homage to them.It has Thai influences too with sour mustard greens.There is also the lamb burger at the Gramercy Parkl L'Express.It is a nine ounce patty spiced with Moroccan flavors, cumin, coriander and cinnamon.Pf course there are sausage and fish patties too. Try the bratwurst burger at Wekstatt.This is a brat inspired pork patty topped with Gouda cheese and bacon onion jam. To make it more German it[s served on a pretzel bun there is also chorizo frita at Frita Batidos. They also offer vegan and beef patties too. Fish can be turned into a tasty round.Win Son Bakery offers a shrimp burger made from seasoned shrimp paste and served on a milk bun,Mariscos  E; Submarino has their version and served with Muenster cheese.Tuna is also versatile and Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Company turned it into a smash burger served with special sauce and cheddar.

New York City is a burger city. Try any of these tasty patties for  great lunch or dinner. They're the best of the best.

Yet Another Summer Outbreak

 Summer is supposed to be the time for good eating and healthy harvests. Unfortunately there are some summer s that re overwhelmed by an unwanted visitor - a  nasty little parasite. This year cyclosora makes an appearance  - right when vacation time kicks in.

This little bug has been bothering stomachs and plans for the past few weeks.It's been hitting the US hard however thankfully it's avoided Europe, Africa and South America.Asia has been spared as well along with Australia It may seem into Canada and Mexico so be careful when visiting those neighboring countries.This is not the first outbreak.There have been several over the years, usually. coming out every two years or so. What is this bug?It's a microscopic organism usually spread through contaminated food or water. It can easily be contracted by swimming as well as eating.It spreads fast through berries, lettuce and cilantro. The symptoms are downright nasty, resembling those of stomach flu.There are bouts of watery and explosive diarrhea, along with stomach cramps, bloating and gas. Sometimes there is also low grade fatigue and fatigue . Weight loss and lack of appetite is also common too.Keep in mind that the parasite doesn't go into effect right away. It does take two to three weeks after ingesting contaminated food for it to kick in. Focus on the BRAT diet, bananasa,rice applesauce and tea. Drink plenty of fluids to replace what fluid has been lost.

How to avoid it. Stay away from lettuce ,especially the bagged kind and salad kits. Go for the heads of fresh lettuce  but remove the outer layers first. Usually handpicked veggies  and fruits may have  it, thanks to workers having poor sanitary conditions while picking.Wash all store bought produce in hot or warm water for twenty minutes and then thoroughly dry. Should you use apple cider or white vinegar  to wash them? Contrary to popular belief ,this was not help. It has the same efficiency as hot water. Another good idea is to have the veggies cooked. Forget the gazpacho  - as delicious as it is_ and go for the ratatouille. This is an easy bake or saute of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. It;s perfect served with thick slices of French bread. Grilled veggies are another way to go. Brush them in olive oil and pop on the grill. As for fruit, stick to rind or peel  ones like bananas, avocados and oranges. If you do have a hankering for berries then think frozen ones .These are cleaned thoroughly then treated with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and then frozen. You could also cook fruit and create compotes and crisps.Also try baking fruits into pies or bread if you truly crave them/

Yet another bug to ruin the summer. Be smart . Be savvy in what you eat. Avoiding cylospora is avoiding major trouble.

Fun Frosty Treats

 This is the summer for hot , HOT weather. It'd even too hot for the kids to play at the beach or in the pool. If that's the case keep them inside and creative. Have them make cooking treats for a fun snack or dessert.

One of the tastiest treats is a chocolate covered frozen banana. This is a super easy make with just a banana and semi sweet chocolate chips. You'llk need long wooden skewers which you can buy anywhere from the dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General.to  grocery storeThe bananas should be big and rip. Prep the fruit first. Place the bananas on a parchment line baking sheet and then melt  the chocolate. This can be done in thirty seconds increments in the microwave. Do this until all the chocolate is melted.Hold the banana over the bowl of melted chocolate and ladle the chocolate over it, slowly rotating the banana until  the batch is all covered. You can also roll them in sprinkles, shredded coconut (an absolute must) or chopped nuts. Another sweet treat is banan ice cream. Again take bananas and cut them into chunks Keep them in the freezer overnight and then take out. Put the pieces in a food chopper and blend until  the banana chunks become smooth custardy consistency . You can add peanut butter for more creaminess. My favorite way of having it is with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

Of course the kids can try their hand at homemade popsicles. Before you embark on this, make sure you have the right molds.Temu has  amold set of twelve  for  as low as $1,77 while Wal-Mart has them. on hand for $2.02 They do have better made ones,, a ten piece one  now on sale for $9.99. Kohl's also offers something similar at $11.19  for six.A fun and colorful version is a fruit and yogurt one. Use one pound of any sort of fresh fruit and two cups of vanilla yogurt. This will make for ten popsicles. It starts with pureeing the fruit in a food processor .Pour into a resealable bags or squeeze bottle when done. Do the same with the yogurt, spooning it int either resealabe bags or squeeze bottles. (Actually squeeze bottles will be a better choice if kids are making them.) Swirl the two ingredients into the mold,c resting swirls and whirls. when they;re all done, pop in the freezer to solidify over night.Eliminate the yogurt if you want all fruit ones. Soften any flavor ice cream and then spoon into cupcake papers. Add a bit of either chocolate or caramel sauce and then refreeze until the cakes become solidly again. Take out ofthe freezer and decorate with whipped cream and sprinkles or any kind of candy. Top with a cherry for a more festive look.

A super hot day needs a super cold and fun treats. Make any of these to keep the kids chilled and happy. They;ll love making and eating them.

 

Budget Cuisine

 There is a phenomena right now . Maybe though, it;s not so much of a phenomena. More and more people are now shopping at the cheapest places available for not only kitchen ware but food as well. It's even has a name - sort of = Dollar Tree or Dollar General Cuisine. Thanks to food insecurity in this country many are relying on these places along with food pantries to survive.

Dollar Tree and Dollar General do have really good kitchen ware. I 've bought quilted pot holders at the first and they are as nice as any that you;d byuy at Macy's or Kohls for far more. Both have excellent utrnils and gadgets along with containers for storing  food. The food offered is pretty varied and interesting too. My Dollar General has fresh fruit and vegetables which can come in handy when making everything from sautes to ratatouille. I can even make something as fancy as gazpacho or tomatoes Provencale using all ingredients from Dollar General and probably for under ten dollars too. What I recommend buying from Dollar General is any products from their inhouse brand Clover  Valley. Their products like their ranch salad dressing is very creamy and a much better price then what you;d find at Acme or Stop &Shop. Their Clover Valley chocolate syrup , tastes better than Hershey;s and can be used in a number of desserts and drinks (think a frosty , frothy egg cream). Dollar Tree has an excellent array of cookies, snack cakes, snacks and candy. The Mrs Freshley's brand of Swiss rolls are much better than Rake's yodels They're moister and have a lot more creamy filling. They're a great snack for only five quarters.

There are also the Dollar Tree and Dollar General chefs. Check out Tik Tok Chef Moe. He is an inspiration . He shows shoppers what to buy an what to use. There are flavor profiles to create the tastiest meals.Many meals are under ten dollars which is perfect for those on a budget. There is also Doilar Tree Dinners  which provides in store shopping guidance - like Chef Moe - and ow to cook these meals. She makes a five dollar Cajun rice dinner with sausage and Cajun rice, She can also stretch twenty bucks to cover four meals !!!!. This is important for those who are receiving help Many Dollar Tree chefs are single moms and dads who have to feed three to four kids. This is hard but they miraculously manage to create  a full diner,  Sauces go a long way as does pasta which can be served hot or even cold as a salad. Rice is helpful too because it can be cooked and then refried into tasty cakes squares. Canned tuna or chicken can be mixed with egg , bread crumbs and various dried herbs to for m croquettes. Soups are great too because they can double as sauces too or have sausage or veggies added to them to stretch .

We're living in a time of food insecurity. People and especially kids have to eat. This is why it's important to visit lifesavers like Dollar Tree and Dommar General

Dollar General Haul

 It;s getting tougher and tougher to food shop on  a budget. Thankfully there are stores like Dollar Genral and Dollat Tree to help out with feeding the family.These stores actually have pretty good choices and at a good price too,

I had my Dollar General haul today.. Tehy;re a bit more expensive than Dollar Tree but they have really good choices and fun ones at that. Dinner was Lily's Toaster Grill,s I bought them in plain and garlic flavored.Theyr'e from Lily.

Pop them in the microwave for three minutes and they;re just as good as homemade. I really liked these and they;re perfect with a couple  of pickle slices or cherry tomatoes.

Another Dollar General  must have is their mac an d cheese bowls. These are from in house brands Clover Valley (which also makes excellent croutons and salad dressing) It;a a cheap dinner at $2.95 as opposed to grocery store brands that can cost as high as eight dollars.!

The store also has fresh veggies, fruits and baked goods. Their French rolls, croissant like rolls filled with chocolate or vanilla buttercream are the perfect dessert. It;s like someone stuffed a cupcake inside a croissant.

These make for yummy desserts and are perfect chilled.

Times are tough. Shop at your local DOllar General to combat the rising high prices. There;s' some good food choices out there that can stretch your dollars.

The Greatest American Dish Potato Salad

 What is the greatest American dish> It could be hamburgers or French fries. it could be turkey and gravy. yet since it;s summer and salad season - it's potato salad. This mix if spuds ,onions,eggs and mayo is the dish of the summer reflecting everyone's heritage and taste.

Regular contributor and James Beard winner, Wesley Morris,a food historian wrote about this classic in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. He believes it truly is an American dish because anyone from the most novice home chef to the most experienced one can make it. Every ethnic group in this country has there version of it. The Spanish invented it, first dressing the newest sensation from the New World with boiling them in wine or vinegar and serving then with herbs. Yet it was the Germans who recharged the recipes for Kartoffelslat ,  a warn version with bacon eggs and herbs.It changed in the 1920's when mayo was added and became a cold dish.In Peru ,it;s insalata rusa and in Spain it's ensaladilla rusa , both made with potatoes carrots and peas.Sometimes  cubed beets are added with mayonnaise.The Japanese version has rice win e vinegar added while the French version calls for a light vinaigrette plus a heavy sprinkling of such fresh herbs as tarragon chervil ,parsley and chives.

Mr Morris gives his recipes. he has been making his mother version since  the age of eleven.By the time he was fourteen he took on more responsibility , mincing the celery, pulverizing a dozen eggs, peeling and dicing the potatoes and drizzling n the mustard. What kind of potatoes are recommended? Mr Morris uses Yukon Gold which are always recommended He also uses a yellow onion and  four meaty celery stalks. Five hard boiled eggs are also used  a long with a cup of mayonnaise. A sweet pickle relish is mixed in to give the salad a sweet flavor. Don;t use a dill pickle one because I would be too tangy.A quarter to a half cup of mustard is used to tingle the salad its' traditional yellow hue. Remember to use the freshest one (check the experiation date when buying it)White granted sugar is added - but just a tiny pinch to meld out the other flavors. He sprinkled hot paprika on the finished salad l Sweet paprika along with the tiniest pinch of cayenne can be subbed in too. There should be a subtle hotness that's felt at the back of the throat

America's favorite salad and side has to be potato salad. It is  a perfect blend of textures and flavors. What better to celebrate a country on its' 250th anniversary?

The Branding Of Simple Berries

 Years ago it was a big deal to go strawberry and blueberry picking in June and early July. There was a thrill to getting baskets and and finding ruby and sapphire gems, stealing a few to nibble on while picking Not any more. Berries are now a year round food tat has been well branded and well cultivated.

Regular contributor julia Moskin wrote about this new way of seeing and selling simple fruit in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Branding fruit is nothing new. Dole did it with their pineapple in 1933 Chicquita branded their banana in 1944. However it's reached new heights with the Twenty-First Century. A popular company and staple in many produce aisles, Driscoll's now offers all sorts of berries year round. It used to be that any kind of berry, from blackberry to raspberry cane out during the summer  and early fall. Now comsumers can get them all year round whether for smoothies cakes, or just healthy snacking.They can be seen around the world, from Costcos in Korea to bakeries in Dubai. In just the past decade alone strawberries have gone from a fragile seasonal fruit to a worldwide refrigerator staple. Global production has tripled since 2000 according to research from the UN's Food and Agriculture. Berries are the fastest growing category in American produce.

Driscoll's is behind that growth. The company started out as a small multifamily farm in 1904, with Ed Reiter, a farmer from Alsace France and Ed Driscoll. Along with Thomas Loftus the three formed a partner ship to protect and promote strawberries in northern Shasta County, California, North of Sacramento.  Driscoll strawberries were first sold in San Franscisco. Every crate was  wrapped in ribbon, giving them the name Banner. Driscoll's started breeding new varieties of berries in the 1920's after a blight  and then patented them in 1957 after taking ten years to develop. Now there are panels to evaluate and rate everything about all the berries they produce. There are 210 strains of raspberries  p[produce but only two  will actually make it to market.  For example Maravilla raspberries many look great on the outside but taste tart dry or stiff. The mission across Driscoll's thirty-five test plots is to eliminate them. Try test not only for the overt sweetness and raspberry flavor but also undertones of cotton candy rose and banana to name a few. Also how they're grown is evaluated for easy picking  for the workers.

Berries are not what they used t9o be .Thanks to Driscoll's they['re an international brand that everyone , n o matter where they are can have. They;re not just fruit anymore.They're super fruit.

Healthy Summer Eating

 After a weekend of celebrating - and still some celebrating it;s time to look at good , healthy eating. Tis is the perfect time of year for it. There are so many fruits and veggies to use.It;s impossible NOT to eat nutritiously .

Look to the fruits of the season for dessert. A simple peach or plum is the perfect breakfast on the go.  Slice them into the latest morning craze = overnight oats. Put the oats in a small container with enough milk. These will soak the grains until they;re a pudding like mash. The oats themselves are healthy and using plant, nut or low fat milk also adds toteir nutritional value. Slice any often stone or pitted fruits in them along with berries  such as strawberries,raspberries and blueberries Sweeten with all natural honey or agave. Hot oatmeal can benefit from fresh fruit slices as well along with cold cerial such as Rice Krispies  and Cheerios. Even a meal as decadent as brunch can be made healthy. Think the egg substitute Just Egg with such fresh veggies as spinach and bell peppers in a tasty omelet Whole wheat Crepes can be made and filled with both sauteed veggies for a savory main  course or fresh fruit and Greek yogurt for the dessert. Serve with mocktails for added fun.

Lunches and dinners can be made with the harvests of the season. The Spanish cold soup gazpacho is the perfect lunch or dinner course.It is so delicious that you'll want to put in on your meal rotation two to three times a week.It's a blended mix f tomatoes, green bell peppers, cucumber ,olive oil and red wine vinegar.Chill it for two to three hours in the fridge before serving .I;ts great with a crusty whole wheat bread but also crackers work too. Another favorite veggie dish is ratatouille. This Southern French classic starts with sliced eggplants, tomatoes , onions and garlic. I prefer the stovetop method where the veggies are cooked in a skillet in olive oil plus a tablespoon of the plant butter Melt. I also sub in zucchini - which is in abundance right now for the eggplant since the eggplant sometimes has a bitter taste. Do use fresh picked herbs to flavor this. It goes well with a crusty bread but try a whole wheat boule wit it to sop up the sauces.Any stuffed veggie is a good lunch or dinner. Us brown rice and spicing for fillings for tomatoes , peppers and mushrooms

It;s time to eat healthy again.It;s easy to do in the summer. The harvests are in full force right now and it's time to take advantage of them.

Quiet Times Quiet Meals

 July has started with the biggest of blow outs. it was a party weekend  between FIFA , America's 250th anniversary and Taylor 'sand Travis' big day /It was party, party  and party until we collectively almost burst. now it;s quiet time. Time for quiet meals al fresco or a simple barbecue.

This is the time to enjoy a meal outdoors - without all that hoopla and spangles. Why not try a simple pasta con salsa al cruda for a lovely dinner? Pasta cruda is one of the easiest sauces to make. Take ripe -tomatoes and roughly chop them. Marinate in good olive oil for about half an hour as the pasta cooks. I like mine with some garlic powder but you can also add chopped onions, basil and then at the last minutes mozzarella chunks. The pasta will cook the sauce to give to a semi cooked taste and soften the tomatoes. Any kind of pasta is used,Spaghetti is a good choice but chunkier pasta is also tasty too. Another quiet meals ,perfect for an al fresco dinner is spaghetti with lemon sauce. This is a mix of lemon zest , minced garlic and butter cooked while the pasta is  cooking. When t epasta is dine coat it wit this sauce with half a cup of the pasta water. Toss well until the pasta is coated.Add  quarter of a cup of Parnesan cheese. Mix it coat. then ad the another quarter cup and  one to two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to taste.  Serve with a light white wine.

Te Fourth may be over but you can still barbecue .Do it without the hullabaloo. Simple burgers work  A good homemade recipe is ground chuck mixed with egg yolk to hold it together. Flavorings can be a dash of Worcestershire sauce, diced onion or minced garlic , and of course salt and pepper. You could serve it on buns but it actually tastes better on slices of rye toast. Serve with simple salads like tomato or broccoli , These are nothing fancy..Just good veggies mixed with a simple vinaigrette and flavored with minced garlic. Barbecued chicken is another nice meal that has all that flavor without all the fancy .Rub the chicken wit either melted butter or olive oil , then rub on sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Barbecue for forty-five to sixty minutes if you have the whole chicken (Spatchcock or butterfly it first for all over heat distribution.) Again any plain veggie salad is a great side here along with grilled corn. Forgot all the cheese and fixings on the corn. Just smearing it with butter is the best taste.

All the b ig shebangs are over with it and so are those party foods. Go back to  quiet dinners with simple quiet food. Enjoy them without all the razzle dazzle but with delicious simplicity.

HAPPY 250TH AMERICA

 HAPPY  250th Birthday America.

The world influenced how we eat and we influence the world  on what to eat.

We invented comfort food and soda.potato chips and ranch dressing. We created brunch and PB and J sandwiches. TV and microwave dinners are ours too.

We are brave - in everything - especially in eating and drinking.

Celebrate not just our values on freedom and democracy

But how we come together for feasting despite our differences

Happiest of milestone birthdays !!!!!!!

Happiness IS American Food.

 As the nation celebrates it;s 250t birthday ,it;s time to also celebrate the American cuisine. It's is the comfort food that not only we Yanks crave.The world also love our food too and considers it a big comfort.

What is American food exactly? It's a combination of both indigenous ingredients and international recipes. It;s succotash , a tasty combination of corn and Lima beans. Some home chefs add chopped bell peppers and tomatoes. The name comes from the Narragansett tribe's work for broken corn kernels You can add garlic and herbs to it. I usually like it plain wit just butter added.It;sa great side dish with nay meat from chicken to beef to pork and can easily be made for a Thanksgiving or Other holiday side. Surprisingly America's most comforting food ,meat loaf has it's origins in ancient Rome. yet it came over with German immigrants to Pennsylvania.  They adopted European meat puddings to scrapple , a mix of pork and cornmeal. Modern meatloaf usually has chopped meat, eggs and breadcrumbs. There are variations that also add in chopped onion and ketchup. Many love it drowned in brown gravy with a side of homemade mashed potatoes.Another American classic comfort food is tomato soup. Everyone loves this ,especially on a cold fall or winter day. . It started in the MesoAmericas and found it's way to Spain where the Spanish turned it into gazpacho and then France where cream was probably added. It was mentioned in American cookery books in 1857 and Campbells turned it into a condensed easy to cook soup. The US Navy added grilled cheese to the dish during the Second World War.

What about that Yankee summer must have - ice cream.  This ancient Mesopotamia sweet, also loved by empowers such as Nero is a US freezer must have. It's the Americans that elevated it and improved it.The first crank ice cream maker was manufactured by Nancy M. Johnson in 1943, This innovation eliminate hours or stirring to create a smooth creamy textured.African American inventor Alfred L.Cralie first patented te mechanical ice cream disher which was a precursor to the scoop. e waffle cone was first made at the St. Louis's World's Fair were waffles were rolled into cones to old ice cream scoops. The best ice cream dish the sundae was also inventedd ere wit several different towns claiming to be it's birthplace.It was created to avoid selling the ice cream on sundae law. In Two Rivers Wisconsin  Edward Beaners first drizzled chocolate syrup on ice cream while in Ithica <new York Chester Platt first poured cherry syrup on  vanilla ice cream.A local minister suggested the concoction be named after the day of the week it was made on. Nothing beats a sundae.Make it an American one wit piling blueberries and sliced strawberries on top of scoops of vanilla. You have to add chocolate syrup and wet walnuts too for the ultimate sundae experience. Top wit a huge puff of Reddi-Whip and the add a dusting of sprinkles or a cherry.

American food is just that. It reflects our heritage, and our tastes. It's fun and comforting all at once. It's America at its' best.

America The Food

The US has always been a food forward country. America has given the world great dishes and even greater inventions and innovations. This is what makes this country great.It's recipe.It's chef. Its' people who love a good dish.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about all this in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday  Food section. It starts with the indigenous tribes coming to the colonizer's help by swing tem how to use fish asferti;izer and introducing them to the Three Sisters corn, beans and squash to survive.Their johnny cakes, a mix of waterand corn helped many COlonial troops from starving. Of course there are and will be foreign influences in the cuisine. Baked Mac and cheese is one of the country's old recipe imports. Thanks to Tom Jefferson. James Hemings, half brother of Jefferson's wife Martha and brother of Sally was the first haute cuisine chef in the nation. He created baked Mac and cheese from the French macaroni pie, pasta cooked in milk and then baked with cheese.Throughout the centuries waves of immigrants brought such Americna classics as spaghetti, ots dogs, hamburgers and French fries. Today American can appreciate Kim chee and sushi. America hosted the first iimmigrant restaurants too. The Chinese brought their cuisine to the California Gold Rush in 1840.It was the Swiss-Italian brothers Pietro and Giovanni Delmonico who opened up the first fine dining watering, Delmonico' s in New York City['s Financlia District. Diners enjoyed steak Delmonico a tick cur basted in butter along with Oysters Rockefellar. Type were the first eatery to also promote women dining without any male escort.

This country is also the country of innovation. The first American cookbook was written by Amelia Simmons in the 1700;s. Yes there were plenty of British influences tere but there;s also cranberry sauce paired with turkey. and pumpkin pie  Canned food came about in the 1840'with the first cannery opening in New York City. It brought fruits and veggies to cities and helped to preserve veggies during the winter months. The country also created the automated harvest in the 1850s.a decade later Cyrus McCormick created the automated reaper which  can create arvests in fewer hours with lesser hands.This also created a global market for wheat wit America providing grain for France.The US also invented the refrigerated rail car. Packed with ice from frozen lakes it enabled meat packers like Swift and Armor to deliver goods from coast to coasrOf course America also was the first country to sell sliced bread.Otto Rothwedder created a machine that could slice and wrap bread in minutes which helped America;s housewives. Thanks to a great American authors, Upton Sinclair the country has the FDA. Major federal laws were enacted after his eye opening story that took place in Chicago;s meat packing industry.America also gave the world Cheetos, Mc Donald's and Coke.  What would the world be without them.

America is the land if Great food and great inventions. The country represents what's best in diets . The country is the original influencer.

Baking For Freedom

 The old saying "An Army marches on it's stomach is true,." It was especially true in George Wasington;s time when the Colonists were fighting for independence. Yet what did they eat exactly.?Luckily there is a strong and tasty connection to the past.

Regular contributor  and culinary historian Ramin Gaminsham wrote about this in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. There are a lot of reenactors for the country's 250th anniversary yet there are really no chefs nd cooks involve. However there is Justin Cherry of the Half Crown Bakeouse. Mr. Cherry even dresses like a baker of the time wit a smock and sticking along with buckled shoesHe normally bakes at Mount Vernon', George Washington;s home but he is in demand this year during the nation;s milestone birthday, He has already been at Monmout Vattlefield in New Jersey and Washington;s Crossing in Pennsylvania. His It actually started at the age of f eight wen he parent.s also reenactors, took her and his brother to sites, After working wit a chef he realized e could bake bread on a hearth.It was then baking a clay oven according to Saltzburgers a community of bakers near Savannah Georgia in the 1740s. He uses grains that bakers of the time used to recreate what the troops were given back then.

Mr. Cherry als owns the Half Crown bakery that goes to the reenactment sites. Wit I'm come his wife, eleven year old daughter and parents. They too all dress in Colonial outfits as they sell bread and sweets of the time.They also chat with customers about the 1700;s and baking . I addition to selling one pound loaves- the exact amount military men were given and such goods as salt pork butter - a kind of bacon, butter llocally made cheeses and salted fish. His gingerbread is formed with hand carved 18th Century reproduction molds and takes three(!!!) days to make. The loaves are fifteen dollars each His bakehouse is named for the price of bread in the mid 1700's which would be around three and a half dollars today.Mr. Cherry as a particular focus on one Colonial baker, Christopher Ludwick,a  German baker who opened a successful Philadelphia bakery and confectionery store. Lucwick managed scores of local bakers wo supplied Washington;s armies. according to Mr.C herry try were turning out hundreds of not thousands of loaves. One of Ludwicks bakers was African American Cyrus Busthill who later went on to be a successful brewer and baker.

Bread is the backbone of American cuisine. Mr. Cherry shows how important it was in keeping the troops well fed.His loaves are the link to that time