A Culinary Road Trip For Dad

 father's Day is usually about grilling dogs and burgers on the grill. There's the occasional steak but that's it.It's time to liven up dad's special day  with some international recipes.

Red meat is always important to the man of the house. You could go the way of the English and serve him Yorkshire pudding  with roast beef. It's a simple make because the pudding is nothing more than a savory popover. It's a mix of egg flour , milk and water. You can add the roast dripping along with a pinch of English powder mustard if you want. Finish with  chocolate stout cupcakes with a Guinness  infused buttercream frosting. Of course homemade sausage rolls, sausages encased in a flaky puff pastry crust and doused with HP sauce is another British treat dad would love, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon. A picnic French style is always a fun way to reconnect with dads. Pack not just the soccer ball and bubble wands but  some good flaky croissants  that can be slathered with Brie or layered with slices of Gruyere and ham. A charcuterie style one is a great way for fathers to sample a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and different breads. Bring along a baguette too for quick sandwiches. Include grapes and wine  - if your local parks allow it.Dessert could be a box of macarons in all sorts of tasty flavors. You could also do a German style with wursts, hard rolls and mustard. Make sure you pack homemade potato salad too.

What father doesn't love Italian food? You could easily treat dad to a sausage straight from the grill and pepper sandwich. The peppers can also be grilled for added smoky flavor and you could add some grilled onions for more taste. A meatball sub  brimming with homemade meat balls and sauce is a fun late lunch.Another idea, and in keeping with the season is pasta con vongole, or with clams.  This is spaghetti made with a very easy sauce of manila clams,garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes.Chopped parsley is sprinkled on top for coloring.What could finish this? Affogato or drowned ice cream. This is a yummy treat of vanilla or chocolate  ice cream drowned in a shot of very hot espresso. Place the ice cream in a glass or metal dish or bowl that's been chilled. This will cool down the coffee somewhat.  Add a splash of amaretto if you want. even better, crown it with some whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate on top.A culinary turn  East and dad could have homemade customized sushi,it is a bit more labor intensive , especially when making the rice. This can be made in an Instapot with Japanese short rice being mixed with salt sugar and rice vinegar. You will also have to have the dried seaweed or nori to wrap it in. Most grocery stores do carry it.. You can fill the rolls with dad's favorite from shrimp to crab for a tasty lunch. Have sake to drink for an authentic lunch or dinner.

Treat the man in your life to culinary trip for Father's Day, it could be an English country lunch, or French or German  picnic. He could feast on Italian Japanese or any international dish for his special day.

Thrown Together Meals

What happens when you have nothing in the kitchen and you're hungry? Improvise. There has to be something there that can be quickly turned into a meal of some sorts.It's amazing what you can create with limited resources.

Any kitchen should have the three important basics:milk, bread and eggs. These three together can make a savory or sweet French toast.If you're going for a savory check your crisper. Add some tomatoes or kale sauteed in garlic  or just salt and pepper to top it. Sweet French toast needs cinnamon and vanilla, but if you don't have these then sub in nutmeg and almond extract.(even orange extract can work here). Eggs and bread together can be turned into the American version of toad in the hole.It's just cutting out a hole in the middle of the bread slices and filling them with eggs. Fry in butter but if you don't have that vegetable or olive oil will do the trick too.Scrounge around for cheese that can be put on top. Eggs are also great a variety of different ways and pair reasonably well with most ingredients. If it's just them and a spice rack, then think about the French classic omelet aux fine herbes. Milk plus eggs can make a creamy scramble. Add some whole peppercorns for bite.

Another idea of thrown together cooking is scouring the fridge, freezer and pantry for what's there. Everybody should have some kind of pasta. You can whip up a simple pasta con burro, by just getting rid of any butter or even margarine you  have, melting it for sauce. No garlic? Add garlic powder or garlic salt. Oregano can be tossed in to give the dish some zing.Smaller pasta such as orzo or stars can be thrown into any kind of plain broth for either soup or a pasta lunch or dinner. If there's a vine ripe tomato or two, cut it or chop it , then include it into the mix.One of the best  ingredients to have around is any type of greens. Salads can be easily made and can be hot or cold. Think a hot salad with spinach and sausages being quickly sauteed in olive oil and Dijon mustard.Any leftover roast can be cut up and mixed into spring greens and kale.If you have tomatoes and stale Italian or French bread lying round, then cube the bread , toss with the tomatoes and a good glug of olive oil. This Neopolitan bread salad usually be benefits from onions but if those aren't in the house, use onion powder.

Be creative with what your kitchen has to offer.Anything thrown together is a good mix and will be filling. It just takes some quick thinking and even quicker cooking.

Bread Pudding That Comfort Dessert

Winter days demand comfort food including sweet , homestyle desserts.Nothing fits the bill better than bread pudding. It's the perfect end to hearty stews or casseroles. It's also great ending to a Sunday lunch on a snowy day. Best of all bread pudding is a yummy snack, enjoyed while cozied up with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

bread puddign is one fo the oldest desserts. Even the ancient Egyptians had a variation of it as did the Syrians and Indians. They all involved some kind of stale bread mixed with milk ,stale bread and some kind of sweetener such as honey . Custards and puddings didn't come about until the Middle Ages so that's when eggs were added to give it body. During the18th Century the dish was given mostly to sick people as a kind of nourishment It was also a good way of getting rid of stale bread. Bread puddings can be savory like the Italy's Piedmont's dish zuppa montagna where bread is cooked with chicken broth and then layered with Swiss cheese or sweet like the American and British versions. French toast or pain perdu is a cousin of bread pudding

The dish is one of the easiest to make. It requires leftover bread . This is up to taste. Most prefer a good white bread that will chewy yet absorbent of all the other flavors. Some prefer a denser type such as Italian or French. Challah is good type of bread to use too. Eggs are also added to give it a custardy taste ans texture along with vanilla extract butter and sugar. Raisins are a must however if your family doesn't like them sub in sliced almonds. or dried cranberries. Sauces are the recent addition to bread puddings. They're usually made up of buttery rich caramel you can also have a citrus sauce such as a lemon or orange. Chocolate is good too if you're working with sweeter breads. Use bourbon for extra kick or stick with vanilla for tradition's sake. Some bread pudding fans even top their servings with a good covering of whipped cream or make a dusting of powdered sugar.

There's nothing like a big bowl of bread pudding on a wintry day. It's like a security blanket for your taste buds!This treat is the ultimate comfort food and dessert. It's sweet and soothing, perfect with a good hot cup of coffee or tea!

A Dinner With Coleridge

As we all know today is both Trafalgar Day and Samuel Taylor Coleridge;s birthday (and mine as well.) Both Trafalgar and the poet lived during England;s Regency period The era was lavishly described in all of Jane Austen;s novels. What did Lord Nelson who commandeered the famous naval battle and Coleridge feast on ? Surprisingly many things. Their meals were just as varied as any modern day menu,.

Probably both Horatio Nelson and STC drank fortified wines with dinner These were sweet wines such as port or Madeira, fortified with brandy. They probably also had punches, real punches with a lot of different liquor mixed with whole cream and eggs.(sort of like our modern day egg nogs). Kitchen s were just being modernized so stoves and ovens were being improved. This meant more baking and roasting at unified temperatures. English muffins were a big drawn and were often served at high tea. They have;t changed much in their 200 year history Roast beef and vegetables were a big draw and I'm sure both men ate a lot of that fare.

It was also the introduction of French and Italian cooking to England. This was due to the French Revolution and t o immigrants setting up shop in early 19th Century London. The English enjoyed Italian ice for the first time during this era along with fine French cuisine. Didi Coleridge and Nelson? Probably, especially if they were invited in to wealthy households.

As I celebrate my day I think of what has happened and who was born on this October 21st. I think of Coleridge , writing his epic works and wondering what he dined on? I think of Nelson in his last battle on this day , off the coast of Spain and hope he enjoyed a fortifying drink with his men. I know they ate well, I know they drank well too.