Gardein's Ultimate Burger Big and JUicy

 This is burger season. Everyone loves a juicy, patty dripping with juices. Unfortunately vegans and vegetarians don;t get this tasty experience - until now.Gardein has the Ultimate Plant Based Burger that's thick  juicy and tender.It's the perfect summer burger.

These burgers are really thick, weigning in at a whopping two and a quarter pounds. 

They took about fourteen minutes in the air fryer at 370 degrees Farenheit. They were flipped halfway through. The result was amazing ,especially on Lidl's brioche buns

This was a big ,tasty bite similar to what you;d get in restaurants. It was sheer perfection in the air fryer.It was juicy and  beefy tasting It will be wonderful on the grill.It doesn't go with it but I took leftover mashed potatoes mixed with Lidl's spinach and created a tasty if unusual side dish colcannon

It actually worked with the burgers. (I was going to air fry  Lidl's crinkle fries for the ultimate fast food at home experience but I had so many left over  mashed potatoes). Still the burgers go well with any side ,from salads to just sliced tomatoes.

Gardein's Ultimate Burgers are the perfect burger experience. Grill or air fry them to enjoy their juiciness .every bite is a treat.

A Vegetarian Mother's Day

 Mother's day is full of good homemade meals and treats. Yet what happens when Mom eschews those yummy strips of bacon or that great chicken dish? Not to worry of you have a vegetarian or vegan mother. There are plenty of substitutes that you can use for  tasty and delicious dishes throughout the day.

Nothing beats a Mother's Day breakfast.One of the best sub ins to serve is Morningstar Farms Bacon strips.

This is like the real thing, especially when it's microwaved crisp. It has the same crunch and flavor as the real thing and goes great with any of the Vegg products.

These can be bought on Amazon and both the power scramble - which resembles scrambled eggs when cook and the egg yolk are great. One of my favorite any time meals is bowl of the yolks which are easily cooked in the microwave, and the Morningstar Farm bacon strips. I love dipping the bacon in the "egg' yolk". Make a side of toast buttered fingers also for fun dipping. Add a mimosa and it's a great brunch.

As for lunch and dinner, you cannot go wrong with the Gardein soy meat products. I love their teriyaki chicken strips.

They're a quick fry in the air fryer while the sauce is heated in the oven. Serve with white rice and a Japanese salad with a carrot ginger dressing for a nice dinner in. Gardein also has turkey cutlets with gravy which tastes like the real thing. Serve with steamed asparagus for a lovely Spring dinner for Mom. For a more fun meal, definitely grill up their burgers for an old fashioned barbecue or serve their chicken sliders with air fried French fries.Finish with soy or almond milk shakes in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry.

Don't worry about cooking your vegan or vegetarian mom a meal. There are so many ways and so many products to give her memorable meals. She can have brunch , lunch  and dinner with a whole host of meatless products.

Lessons From Early On

If you think first jobs have no impact on lives, think again. That first one, whether at McDonald's or Wendy's can have a lifelong effect, especially on chefs and restauranteurs.These may seem menial and meaningless yet they are meaningful and important. They have formed an entire generation of professionals in the food service industry.

Priya Krishna, author of the popular Indian cookbook Indianish and regular contributor wrote about how those first jobs in yesterday's New York Times' Food section. Many who have gone on to culinary school and opened their own restaurants have spent either their high school or college years in some chain restaurant. This is not new. The famed French chef, Jacques Pepin actually had his first US job at Howard Johnson's. Even though he grew up in his family's eatery and trained in Paris, he also received life lessons during his time at the most famous of chain restaurants. He learned how to can ingredients to keep them fresh when transferred between restaurants, and how to cooks meats sous vide.He employed those techniques when he helped open up another famed restaurants, Windows On The world atop the World Trade Center.Chef Pepin believes that if you open your mind you can learn where ever you are.They can learn at the famed and fancy Per Se but also at the upscale chain Hillstone which receives good marks for its' food and service.

Yet chefs to be can learn these lessons anywhere.What is good about the fast food industry is that it is the only sector regularly hiring.The number of chain restaurants opening rose from 1,000 to a whopping 301,200 in 2017!!! Working at any one can lead to a job in food. Tiffany Derry , the chef and owner of Roots Chicken Shack, in Plano Texas got her start in an IHOP. Working there gave her the business skills needed to open her own restaurants. She learned to cost out a dish, do inventory, make revenue projections and input invoices. She teaches her employees the same. Katsuya Fukushima, executive chef and part owner of several restaurants including Haikan and Bantam in Washington DC started in Wendy's where workers are taught to be polite to all customers and taught to upsell meals. Another famed chef, Cassidee Dabney who creates amazing meals and runs The Barn at Blackberry Farm got her start at Applebee's in Fayetteville Arkansas which was considered a fancy restaurant out there. She made salads and cooked french fries which has shaped her experience at The Barn. Now she hires people with similar experiences. Even the influential Southern chef, Sean Brock, started in Waffle House, a place he loved so much he brought the famed chef Anthony Bourdain.

Working at any chain restaurant can be beneficial, especially to future chefs. It's a great way to learn about the industry and you get paid. It's a job worth considering.

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Buffet Bonanza

In the last twenty years a phenomenon  has happened with American dining - the birth of the all you can eat buffet. These are all over the US right now, competing with fast food and slow food. Are they all that they promised? Yes and even more.

It seems that every town now has some kind of buffet. They used to be few and far between.I remember going to one twenty years ago for a bridal shower. It was amazing to see , with the variety of meats and sides.I had only ever experienced this in Atlantic City , where there was an all you can eat buffet in every hotel/casino. This probably was taken from Las Vegas where the concept is used to keep gamblers in the casino.Now it's one of the top industries for Chinese immigrants.providing employment for many young Asians..The buffets are taking over from the concept if a sit down restaurant where there is a set menu, usually  featuring Cantonese or sometimes Szechuan dishes or a combination of both.The buffets do offer such classic dishes as fried rice, lo mein and shrimp in lobster sauce but they also appeal to trends such as a sushi station along with other ethnic dishes such as ravioli and kielbasa.I know two local ones that also feature a weekend brunch menu that highlight bacon and sausages, along with pancakes and egg foo yung  (oh, well, they do try). Another non-Chinese idea is dessert. The Chinese usually just have fruit, namely oranges yet most buffets have a whole pastry  tray featuring Italian specialties like panna cotta and tiramisu. There are also neat little squares of vanilla, chocolate and carrot cakes as well as ice cream too. Fruit is there , thankfully, as a respite from all those calories..

Are these buffets good for a country known for overeating and obesity? Actually yes. Unlike most restaurants and fast food joints , people have more healthy choices. Any diner can make a plate of lean meats and veggies with melon or strawberries for dessert. It's just staying away from the sauced dishes and fried foods like chicken, cod, French fries and onion rings. Throw in a good portion of  plain white rice to fill up, This will fill you so you don't go back for seconds , thirds or even fourths. Another smart idea is portion control. Yes , you can have those fish sticks, just don;t pile your plate with them as some careless diners are wont to do. The same for those "fun" sides like crab filled mushrooms, and fried plantains. The idea also applies to dessert too. As tasty as your buffet's chocolate cake is, don't go hog wild and get three pieces. Share it table side.All buffets also offer bottomless drinks. Again choose wisely. Buffet foods tends to be salty which brings on massive thirst. Before you know it you;ve finished off your first glass and want more. Soda and sweet tea is loaded with sugar and calories. Stick with lemon water and unsweetened ice tea.Some buffets do offer club soda  and this is a great choice of having a fizzy drink without all the guilt.

Buffets are now a fixture in America. They're not going away any time soon People love them too much . After all, they are fun to visit and to indulge those foodie passions and crushes.

Monmouth's Mouthwatering Stops

New Jerseyans love two things: our cars and food. Road trips to interesting restaurants and food related shops are on our must do list especially with fall here. Monmouth County , a beautiful blend of farmland and waterfront provides that It's a great day trip to take, and it's only forty minutes south of Manhattan Island.

One of my favorite places to go in Monmouth is the beach front. The county has some of the loveliest beaches in the state.Not too far from the historic and windswept state park Sandy Hook is Bahr's  and Moby's These are owned by the Bahr family and have been since 1917 when the family switched from manufacturing neck ties to running a seaside eatery. A great grandson opened up the outdoor deck Moby's Outside deck a few years ago. Moby's is my summer and early fall hangout (it's closing for the season on October 18th)The clam chowder is the original recipe that Jack Bahr first made and it is a rich stew of huge clam chunks, potatoes and tomatoes. Bahr's the restaurant also features this and I recommend starting every meal with it.Both places also have delicious boiled lobsters  served with homemade coleslaw. Octoberfest is big here thanks to the family being German and they serve weiner schnitzel and sauerbrauten along with potato pancakes and pretzel soup! For quick fare try The Windmill in Long  Branch. It's part of a family owned chain and known for it's roasted to perfection foot long hot dogs as well as overflowing baskets of hot , crispy French fries..

Some of the best bakeries in the state are located here too. A  fave, with a statewide reputation is Atlantic Highlands' The Flaky Tart. It is truly the best bakery in the metro area with perfectly buttery croissants and mouthwatering chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. Cups and Cakes, of the tony town of Rumson also has some yummy treats plus a juice bar. You can buy sweet little tarts and fresh made carrot juice in one shot. Away from the shore front is western Monmouth county, This is horse and farm country, being charmingly reminiscent of the English countryside. Sadly there is no clotted cream but happily there are acres of pick it yourself apple , pear and peach farms. One of the most known is Delicious Orchards. This is a must see  no matter what time of the year. They have the best baked goods, from apple pies to brownies to English muffin breads. This is also the place to go for gourmet meats such as Serrano ham and all sorts of veggies like Brussels sprouts on the stalk and huge wedding bouquet sized cauliflowers.Other farms like the nearby Eastmont is know for their various pies made with their own fruit, and they also have pick your own peach and apple trees when in season.

Visit Monmouth County not just for the beautiful windswept beaches but also for their eateries, bakeries and farms The county has an amazing array of  homemade and fresh baked foods. Spend  a day or even a weekend there to experience them.