Tasty Summer Slaws

This is the season for no fuss cooking and easy eating. What better than to celebrate with a good old fashioned cole slaw. except these days, the hallowed shredded cabbage is anything but traditional and old fashioned. There are so many new takes s on it that it'll make that head of Savoy spin. You can have a good US flavor or try something international.

Basic cole slaw is easy to make. All you need is four to five cups of shredded cabbage and about three cups of shredded carrots. Mix in two table spoons of olive oil and mayo and a tablespoon of vinegar. However with any salad recipe you can vary it to give it zip and taste. I usually like mine with a good dollop of horseradish and lemon. These last add bite and lift just plain ordinary slaw into a phenomenal side. Other zesty add ins are sliced peppers, red pepper flakes and buttermilk.

Another spin on cole slaw is the actual cabbage itself. You can make it with the usual green and cut into thicker than usual for a chunky, crunchy salad. Cut into one in wide strips instead of shredding it. You can also substitute red cabbage for a different look and flavor. Red tends to be more intense and this works well with stronger vinaigrette's' including those made with balsamic vinegar. You can also mix the two colors together for a more colorful mix too,.

Summer is all about tasty salads and that includes cole slaw No summer meal would be complete without it. It'sfun and different, yet still good for you.

The Ham Versus Lamb Controversy

Every Easter cooks are faced with the same dilemma. What to serve - ham or lamb? Both are traditional and appropriate for the Easter holiday. Both are well loved and non chef can go wrong with them. yet who is th e winner. What will guests like more?What will make the best leftovers and most of all what has the best best.

Ham is always a good main Easter dish. The Germans have been been making it for a few centuries now. It's good accompanied by fresh made potato sala d and baked beans. What's even better is that it can make good sandwiches later on and can be stretched out into the week. leftover ham can be deviled, sliced or chunked and put into salads ,omelets, you name it. Ham is also lower in calories It's only 220 a serving. Another good thing about it is that some supermarkets are offering it either at half price or free for return shoppers as an Easter gift.Ham is also easy to prepare. Depending upon the cut ham can take anywhere for an hour to two hours to roast. it requires little or no prep and usualyl you just need to glaze it with pineapple juice or ginger ale. Some cooks go to the trouble of studding it with clove and you can do that if you want. it;s not necessary however.

The other traditional Easter meat is lamb. It;s mostly a Mediterranean dish , typically served by the Greeks and the Italians. during this time, Lamb is the better choice if you're having a large dinner party because , depending o the size , it can serve more. However because of this it does have to roasted outdoors on a spit over an open flame. Conventional ovens are too small for it. Some diners can roast whole lambs for a price. You can also buy leg of lamb for a smaller crowd. Lamb is more flexible than ham in the sense it can be prepared a number of different ways.. it can be herbed with rosemary an d parsley, studded with garlic or covered with a sweet peach glaze. Unfortunately it's double the calories of lamb and also what can be served with it is pretty limited. It's usually more expensive than ham too however some butchers and supermarkets do offer great discounts during this time of year. Lamb can be reheated for th e next day and is delicious with pilaf or any kind of rice dish.

Ham versus lamb. Itss a tough call. What goes best on your holiday table? That;s your choice. Both are tasty. Ham is easier to cook while lamb offers a variety of preparations. Sometimes it's just easier to splurge and make both . Any way you , your family and Easter guests will enjoy a delicious and traditional meal

Lent Rules

This is the season of Lent where some Catholics give up their favorite foods as well as not eating meat on Fridays.This practice actually goes back to the Middle Ages when meat was scarce and people had to find a way of stretching food. As the centuries progressed giving up foods became a standard for the season. Lent ends with Easter, a time when there are spring banquets and parties.

Since Lent (which is derived from the German word lenct meaning to fast) is really a time of fasting, many people go on a kind of mini fast, that is giving up some food that they really love. Most skip cake and bread for forty days. Others forgo candy . It's a good way to lose weight however once the period ends, there's usually a feeding frenzy at the local bakery or in some poor unsuspecting kid's Easter basket. Myself, I usually give up intolerance or impatience which make for very high blood pressure until Easter morning

Another dictate that some Catholics (including myself) adhere to is not eating meat on Fridays (some like the Greek Orthodox also eschew meat on Wednesdays too). These are the days when we become reacquainted with Manhattan clam chowder and fish sticks. It's not as drastic as giving up a favorite cookie or snack. It's a way of showing respect to the Church. Years ago we were not allowed to eat meat on any Friday throughout the year. However in the last almost fifty years the Vatican has more or less relaxed the rule s and we can eat meat on this day.

Lent means a lot of thing to a lot of people. For most it's soul searching and looking to do good for one's fellow man and community. For others it's just giving up something they love. For foodies it;'s giving up a slice of Italian bread or a pastry until Easter.