Patti Jinich's Chalupa Moment

Would it surprise anyone that famed Mexican chef, Patti Jinich , has never been to a Taco Bell, She hasn't - and with good reason. Why settle for mediocre fast food when you can create the authentic , tastier version at home.Yet, as the intrepid food authority she is , she went

Kim Severson wrote about Ms. Jinich's first trip ever to the Taco Bell near her home in Chevy Chase,Maryland.It did not go well. She, Ms. Severson and two of her three sons made  a visit to this staple of American fast food.Like Chinese- American and Italian -American dishes, Taco Bell's offering are a pale version of what is actually cooked in Mexico.It's kind of like how we overly  celebrate Cinco de Mayo,which is  just a small holiday there. Ms. Jinich ordered nineteen (!) items to try,all suggestions from her fans. The first was a  ground beef taco in a soft tortilla.Maybe it needed salsa. She tried all four of Taco Bell's salsas  on it and that didn't help.Then there was the chicken chalupa which Ms Jinich declared to be only marginally better. She could see being super hungry and eating it then. The one that finally got her approval was the Dorito Locos Taco Supreme. You have to wonder if she got the Mexican pizza sauce and red strips - the last questionable. (it could be dyed red taco strips). She briefly wondered why is it would called supreme which  is nothing more than an upgrade of sour cream and chopped tomatoes. In the end , her youngest son, Julian or Juju got sick from the food.

It's no wonder. As he told Ms. Severson. he has the best Mexican food at home. Why should he go to Taco Bell. He is right. His mom was beneficial in bringing , true Mexican food from the many different regions to American kitchens. Cooking is in her blood, thanks to her family, especially from her father who ran two restaurants in Mexico City. It did take her a while to grow into it, being a serious and studious child who grew up to receive her master's in Latin American studies at Georgetown University. She wrote policy papers for Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. From there she realized she was more interested in food research than policies.Ms. Jinich enrolled at  night school the L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda Maryland and  new career opened up for her.After creating a culinary program on Mexican cuisine at the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington DC. After conquering crippling stage fright it was onto TV. She went first to the Food Channel, which was not for her and switched over to the more serious PBS station. There she could not only introduce Americans to true Mexican cuisine but also the history of such classics as flan and dulce de leche. Her cookbooks, a must for any cooking enthusiast, show the real side. rich with chorizo and native chiles.It is certainly not the garishly colored, intensely flavored Taco Bell offerings.

Ms. Jinich hopes Americans discover real Mexican cooking. It is one flled with ancho chiles and mole sauce. It's not one loaded with cheese and strange ingredients.

Roger Mooking:The Man of Man,Fire ,Food

Chef Roger Mooking truly is an adenturous cook. This Trinidad born , Toronto raised chef has a new show on the Food Network Man Fire Food. He travels around the US , obsrving and participating in fire based cooking techniques.It's an interesting culinary ride, especially when he gets to try pine needles. Foodie Pantry was honored to have a recent interview with him

Foodie Pantry-What exactly is the show about?Who thought of the concept? Who is your audience?

Roger Mooking:Man Fire Food is all about cooking with fire in its various ways – we smoke, we grill, we bake, we boil; everything you could imagine and then everything you couldn’t imagine as well. The show was born from the brain of Irene Wong of Irene Wong Productions, the Executive Producer and more than occasional Director of the series. I got involved when the Cooking Channel brain trust put us together. Our audience is very broad, I get a lot of emails and social media comments from all walks of life, broad range of ages, gender, race, income, and any other kind of marker. Food is universal and man has been cooking with fire for a VERY LONG time now.

FP: What was the most unusual fire cooking method you’ve seen on the show so far?
RM:There are too many to hone down into one definitive answer but later this season you will see some truly unusual techniques. No spoilers.
FP:What was the most dangerous?
RM:Fire is potentially always dangerous so I suppose they all are in some way.

FP: What were the most unusual ingredients used? Did you try them?
RM:Pine Needles. And of course I did.

FP: What was the most low tech grilling method? The most hi tech sophisticated one?
RM:Low tech was also Pine Needles, you will have to keep watching to see that one; its pretty amazing actually. Most high tech was...not sure you can get very high tech when cooking with fire. There have been some impressive contraptions but Im not sure I would call them high tech. No rocket launcher chicken...yet.

FP: Who was the best griller on the show? Did you like his or her offering?
RM:This is a loaded question but we don’t just cover grilling. I do all things with fire from grilling, smoking, steaming, direct coal cooking, etc...Cant just limit the scope to grilling.

FP: Did you pick up any marinating or grilling tips?
RM:Countless. The universal one being – put the cold thing on the hot thing and take it off when its done. All cooking can basically be summed up into this idea. Check out my social media feed and I;m posting weekly grilling tips. Check 'em out.

FP: I have to ask this - did you finish any meals with s”mores?
RM:Not yet. Not yet.


Man ,Fire ,Food will be on the Food Network Monday night at 8PM EST.

Hopes For The New Year

What to expect in the New Year with Foodie Pantry? As the blog heads into its' fourth (!!!!) year there will be some interesting ideas coming forth. I plan on a trip to the famed Chelsea Market in New York and there will be several articles with that.Hopefully there will be pictures and video too.

I also will be focusing on nutrition. You are what you eat is very important to me. Although there will be plenty of posts and articles on junk food (I am American and a Jersey girl after all and it's in my DNA to eat a burger and fries and boardwalk candy apples) there will be some informative pieces on what's better to eat. I will always promote garden fresh and garden grown ingredients along with healthier food choices. Don't eat that pasta with jarred sauce. Try some whole wheat spaghetti with your own recipe of sauce.

Of course Wednesdays and Thursdays will  still be devoted to the New York Times however if the Daily News has an interesting recipe, then I'll be covering it.There will also be some Food Channel reviews as well as discovering new eateries and new products.

Myself and Foodie Pantry wish all our readers a very healthy and nutritious New Year. Eat well, but most of all eat happy.

Bouillabaisse A Different Kind of Seafood Dish

August has two great harvests right now - seafood and vegetables. Combine them together to create a Southern French classic bouillabaisse. This rich , briny soup is a perfect dish to make for a late August supper or party. It has the appeal of both freshly caught fish and crustaceans along with just picked produce.Not only that , bouillabaisse can be tailored to everyone's tastes.

This classic dish originated in Provence and is comprised of actually two dishes. The first is the actual seafood itself and true Marseillaise one will have conger eel, sea robin, John Dory, bream along with monkfish and sea urchins. The fish would be washed in seawater and then added to a mix of vegetables and spices. The second part is the rouille which is an egg yolk beaten with olive oil,garlic and saffron and served with the fish and broth.It's smeared on waiting crusty hunk of French bread and then the bouillabaisse is poured over it.

For an American style bouillabaisse, use mussels, sea bass and shrimp. You can also throw in lobster if you wan t or oysters for some variation. Use your garden harvest of tomatoes and leeks along with potatoes for the vegetable part. Garlic and saffron are the biggest must haves for this because they represent the flavors of Southern France. You can also use bouquet garni for taste as well. Most recipes from Julia Child to the Food Channel all include the rouille which is again just a simple mix of egg yolk, olive oil and lemon juice. Some recipes call for chili peppers or parsley to give it more flavor. What you want to do with it is up to your tastes. Once made smear on slices of crusty French baguettes, then place the bread in the bowls. Pour the soup over it to cook the rouille and to have it mix with the seafood.

This is the time to enjoy August's twin harvests of seafood and veggies. Their flavors alone are amazing, together they're perfect together, complementing each other perfectly.Why not combine them in this French classic sure to be a crowd pleaser.