Helping Other Help Themselves

 It is tough to be on your own or in a new country. That's where being a neighbor comes in. Sometmes a cooked meal can do more than anything else. Food is always a good way to connect.

Elderly neighbors or shut ins can appreciate having their grocery shopping done for them. Volunteer when you go on your own shopping trip. Sit down with them to write out a list that should include nutritional foods like fruit and veggies. Yes, they can have treats within limits but also make sure they get a wide variety of good produce too. Ask them also what their allergies are along with restrictions too. They may be diabetic which means restricting sweets and even some fruits or have hypertension issues which means buying low sodium products and staying away from some processed and canned foods. Also include necessities like toilet paper and paper towels. If you have newly arrived neighbors in your neighborhood ask if they'd like to visit the local groceries and markets. You may also benefit when they introduce you to ingredients and spices that are native to their cuisine. Another big help is looking on like for specific shops that sell food they're familiar with. There are always Asian ,  AfricanSouth American and Caribbean markets that are within walking and driving distance

Cooking brings everyone together. Always keep older friends, fmaily and neighbors in mine when you have a Sunday dinner or a late season barbecue. Even an invitation to an at home tail gating party will be fun. A plus is asking them if they have any favorite dishes or desserts and then creating them for them.If they want to help let them. You can also use a pair of extra hands however make sure that they don't do anything too strenuous or that can do them harm. As for new neighbors, co-workers and classmates  treat them to a dinner featuring the best of either American or your own ethnic cusine. They 'll appciate the work that went into it and enjoy both the food and the company. Keep in mind  that there may be dietary restrictions. You could try making Impossible Meat or Beyond Beef hamburgers or Gardein's plant based chicken nuggets. Roasted veggies like eggplants, tomatoes, ,peppers and asparagus make for a tasty barbecue. You can even grill fruit such as pineapple and peaches. Introduce them to that great American dessert s'mores. It's a fun treat for adult and kids alike.

Today is a day for remembering. Remember the elderly and the newly arrived  when you shop or plan a dinner or party. They'll like that you kept them in mind  as they enjoy good food and good conversation.

Your Community College The New Culinary School

 Let's face it - culinary schools are expensive. That's horrible for so many who want to be chefs and restaurant owners. However there's always community college. This staple of suburban life is stepping in and stepping up helping those to achieve those dreams.

Regular contributor, cookbook author and chef herself, Priya Krishna wrote about this new facet of American education in today's New York Times Food section. Thanks to their high tuition,  and pandemic many culinary schools are closing. The only ones still opened are the famous one like the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde park and ICE The Institute of Culinary Education in the heart of the world's restaurant capitol, new York ity.Even the famed Johnson & Wales , a college with a culinary bent has closed their Denver and Miami campuses. Community colleges will always be open, offering a variety of majors from communications to nursing and now aspects of the food industry.They are also much cheaper. A student ca receive a certificate for only $6500 and $14,000 for a two year Associates Degree. One semester at the CIA is $20,000.There is already too much student debt and starting out line cooks can''t afford that on their beginning salaries. 

Many companies and local governments are realizing that the culinary departments are worth investing in . The state-of-the-art kitchens at North Essex Community College in Haverhill Massachusetts were built and equipped from funding from the state and Lupoli Companies. The last is a Massachusetts real estate developer that owns the culinary arts building.Graduates are then hired at Bosa, owned by Lupoli. There are also perks too such as breaking down meats at Haverhill Beef Company, a local butcher. Other have gardens planted on site such as Butler Community College in El Dorado Kansas. This allows students to cook in the farm to table method. At Mott Community School in Flint, Michigan run the student coffee shop that in turns  fund scholarships. Yet there is criticism despite all the good they do. Jeffrey Gardner , a consulting chef in Atlanta feel the community college grads have an outdated French  cuisine background along with teachers not having adequate restaurant backgrounds. There's also no ethnic diversity in the training either. None have backgrounds or classes in African and Asian cooking. Yet these courses and programs do fill a need. Local businesses need the grads and they are hard working according to Sussex Community College's superviser Martin Kestner. His grads help out the local restaurants in Newton, New Jertsey

Community colleges have a lot going for them. Their culinary programs are worth looking into. Young chefs can get a good education at a reasonable price.

Pumpkin Season With The Pumpkin Queen

Imagine if your whole life revolved around pumpkins.Imagine growing different types from all over the world and turning them into all sorts of dishes. This is the life of Sarah Frey, the pumpkin queen who is steadily changing the way we think about pumpkins. They're not just for Halloween anymore but for fall dining.

Kim Severson interviewed this interesting pumpkin mogul for today's New York Times Food section. The squash has been good to her as she plants such diverse varieties as the rough skinned peanut and slate green Jarrahdales from Australia as well as the blue green Marina di Chioggas from Italy. Her jacks, industry shorthand for Jack'o lantern, the tradtional bright orange ones are sold at Lowe's and Walmart. Now she's after other big box stores such as Target and Trader Joe's to sell her line Pumpkins of the World for home chefs. She researched and also knew from her experience that only the most dedicated cook would crack open a twelve pounder so she looked into growing smaller ones that would good on the front porch while being tasty and versatile in the kitchen,There's only one problem. Americans can't seem to get beyond pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads. All over the world the gourd is used in a variety of dishes.It shows up in Indian curries. Mexicans make a mole out of it.It graces stews across Africa.It can go beyond pies as any Piedmontese chef will tell you. We've been turning it into a creamy milk and butter laced soup for generations.

Another problem is that some fresh pumpkins don't translate well into pie. The flesh comes out stringy and cloying, perhaps a bit too "squashy" tasting for some. Home chefs should stick with the heirloom variety. These are deep bright orange in color and resemble the quintessential Halloween decoration.Mostly it's best for savory dishes,something Ms. Frey is trying to impress on American home chefs.Professional chefs have also urged this too. Chef Dorie Greenspan, author of  "Around My French Table" has given an interesting spin on stuffed pumpkin. Hers is Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good and features a baked whole pumpkin filled with bread, cheese and bacon.It became popular with food bloggers and also on food shows but then went nowhere. Since then there hasn't been a breakout recipe featuring the many varieties from the Japanese kabocha to the Italian ans Australian ones Yet pumpkin is wonderful in ravioli with a sage butter sauce and it can even be turned into gnocchi.Ms Severson includes Ms. Frey's stuffed pumpkin recipe.It's a mix of scallions and Gruyere cheese heated with red pepper flakes Kale and scallions are added for color and flavor.The article's second recipe is chicken and dumplings with pumpkin from the cookbook, My Two Souths by Asha Gomez.It's a marriage of chicken with not only raw pumpkin but with celery and ginger too, Dumplings are added at the last for more body.


Ms. Frey is turning America into her pumpkin kingdom. It's time we get past those pies and breads and discover just how tasty the gourd is. One day we'll realize what Ms. Frey already knows, that they're versatile and easy to cook with.

Be Daring In The New Year

This is the time for resolutions.Most go for a better and heather dietOthers vow to give up certain foods.Why not be different and be daring?Make 2013 the year of trying new and interesting dishes . There are so many different foods and cuisines out there that's it's easy to explore.If you're tired of Chinese, then go for Thai or Malaysian. the food dissimilar but there are differences that give the cuisines zing. African cuisine is always an adventure and you can always get any recipes on line if you don't live near a major city.Arabian food itself is welcome change with it's rich lamb dishes and exotic couscous. Sometimes it's just a matter of changing up a recipe. Instead of the usual pizza, try one with shrimp or duck. Add a huge dash of hot pepper to your sauces for a spicy arrabiata.Switch from regular hamburgers to emu or bison for a leaner but tastier treat. try exotic grains or classic ones like quinoa or millet for a different mix up.Use more sauces if you don't already.Vary your veggies too for excitement. add asparagus and artichokes to your salads. Be fun and daring this New Year. See cooking and eating as new adventures. it'll heat up your kitchen and spice up your life!

Food of Africa

Like Europe and Asia, Africa has a wide variety of cultures and cuisines.What makes their food so special is that mnany countries do not have an abundance of it. Unlike the other continents, famine is rampant. Yet , despite this , every area has a weath of dishes that are unique and flavorful.

African cuisine ca nbe divided into regional rather than by separate countries. There's north, east, central, south, and west. The North is facing the Meditererenean and like it's European neighbors of Italy, ,Greece and Spain, there is an abundance of olive sand olive oil. North Africans eat many rice dishes and there are an abundance of spices in the cuisine.East Africa is influenced by them along with East Indian cooking. They too have dishes that are flavored with cardamon and cinnamon and mostly all have a side of rice.East Africans also have ugali , a polenta type corn mash that is used to sop up stews and gravies. Saffron and pomengranate also are popular and much used flavors there too.Unike the Muslim North, the East Africans do have pork in their diet along with chicken and lamb.

The continent is also a study in the traditonal and the foreign. Central Africa is possibly the most untouched of all the regions and therefore has the purest. One standout out dish is a savory spinach stew made with fresh spinach leaves, peppers and onions., The only foreign influences there are tomatoes, chilis and peanuts - sad reminder s of Central Africa's link with the slave trade. South Africa is by far the most worldly of all the areas. It is inflkuenced by the Dutch, french,m english as well as the East Indian and Asian. It is called the rainbow cusines because of the rich variety of dishes and flavors.

American Southern cusine has West Africa ot thank for its's origins. Sadly, this was the area where most of the indigenous people were taken into slavery. Their cooking influneced the way the South ate. They brought their love of fried foods as well as yams, sweet potatoes and black eyed peas. The West Africans also eat a polenta type dish known as fufu. Fish is also on the menu and it is usally cooked in oil and then flaked. The West Africans also produce a wine made from fermented palm leaves.

Africa has just as many varied and rich cuisines as Europe and Asia. Unlike these continents it has to endure famine and hardship. Yet it produces some of the best dishes in the world,

Back In The Pantry Again!!!!!

Hey everyone,

It feels good to be back in the pantry again!!! My prehistoric computer of 8 years finally went to techie heaven and I was stuck! I'm working on a laptop right now (big adjustment) but I'll be able to write more informative entries for all you foodies out there! There's a lot to write about to be sure. I wanted to cover African and Dutch cuisine along with fall favorites but couldn't. Now I can and give you the same good quality foodie info as before

Tomorrow I'll be writing about the various tastes of the African continent.

Ciao

Liz