The Master Home Chef

 Prince Harry recently described his grandfather , the Duke of Edinburgh as "a master of the barbecue" This was true of men of Philip's generation. They loved to cook only outdoors while the kitchen remained the domain of the women of the household. Yet as we 've discovered from the last two generations and lockdown that's all changed. Men have become as adept as women and in some cases more so at cooking and baking.

There have been some men who have always loved to cook and bake (namely my grandfather, Poppy, and his son my uncle).it was a chance to get creative and test their skills. High school Home Ec classes even taught what was known as "Bachelor in the Kitchen" where boys learned how to make pizza from scratch and even whip up a buttercream frosting. Now single and stay at home dads are just as enthusiastic at finding the right sourdough starter as moms are. They're getting excited over catalogs from Williams & Sonoma and King Arthur Flour. They're buying air fryers and immersion blenders at Target or Wal-Mart. The best part is they're enjoying it, as they include the kids in various aspect of meal preparation. Kids are learning their their kitchen skills from their fathers as a generation or two ago learned how to throw a baseball or drive a car. Sons and daughters are taking direction from how to make the right pasta dough to basting a turkey. It brings them closer because they can then sit down and eat together and share their day's experience.

What are dad home chefs cooking?Mac and cheese is probably number one on the list. It's a comfort food , harking back to their childhoods. They may have even gotten the recipe from their moms and grannies.Some  are probably putting their spin on it by adding in Gruyere or Parmesan or subbing in rotelli pasta for elbow macaroni. Hamburgers are another must cook. These are not the already made patties but hand made ones, with the addition of  minced onions and bacon bits. The more advanced home chefs may try their hand at Cornish game hens with a wild rice stuffing or a prime rib. Of course the male home chef shines not only at parties but super events like the in house Super Bowl gathering. This is a chance to get creative with those wings, homemade pizza and of course, grilled and smoked meats. They'll probably make all sorts of sauces for the wings like the tangy lemon pepper flavor to four alarm wing marinade. Male home chefs will bake up the kind of guy pizza their friends love with layers of steak and pepperoni topped with mozzarella and Parmesan. Of course they grill. The steaks will probably have a gourmet touch with a medallion of herb butter on top or spiced with chimichurri sauce.

Home cooking concepts have changed from Prince Philip's generations to his grandsons. Male home chefs are expanding their skills and their palates as they claim the kitchen as theirs. They're making  their stand and becoming good at it with time honored recipes.

Good Nutrition Start Early

Baby Boy Sussex will be a child of two cultures - or more accurately culinary cultures.Yes, he'll be spoiled by a grandfather who has a fondness for sweets and will no doubt sneak him a toffee or two when he's older. He'll also grow up with a mother and grandmother guided by SoCal love of fruits and vegetables.That's the regimen that he and other kids should have for healthy lifestyle and a long life. It can work, if you start early enough.

When can babies eat solid foods? As any parent will tell you anywhere from four to seven months.This is when puree is introduced into the little one's diet. You can always buy jars of puree such as Stage One Beechnut's Naturals or you can make it yourself. The first is convenient if you don't have the time however homemade allows you control over what you feed your baby.There's also another reason - even though the jars may say natural or organic, they're not. The company  may load up the stuff with additives and preservatives - the last things any parent wants in his or her kid.Unhealthy fats may be added as fillers too along with thickening agents and starches. This means refined corn, wheat or rice is also part of the recipe.It's not only more less nutritious but also more expensive too. It's more cost efficient too. As they get older you can introduce them to different meals that can be not only packed full of nutrients but packed full of fun. Think broccoli tots or easy baked zucchini fritters. Homemade hummus with pita chips or crackers are also a good lunch  and let's the kids feed themselves.

Unfortunately there will be outside influences once the kids get into the play date and pre-K age. Meghan and Harry will discover that their little one may not want those bean sprout sandwiches and turn his nose up at avocado toast. School friends and even his cousins may influence him to gobble up Cadbury's treats and go wild with fairy cakes - cupcakes - at birthdays and holiday parties.Again it's time to make eating fun whether for a young royal or your prince or princess. A fun playdate and even birthday party treat is banana stacks. It's layering banana slices and low fat cream cheese on mini rice cakes. Dark chocolate or carob chips can be sprinkled on. Veggies such as squash are so vital to anyone's diet. However it can  be boring - and green to kids. Liven it up by turning  squash into pizza boats, chock full of homemade tomato sauce and vegan mozzarella cheese. Instead of cake  pops try corn  flowers. It's cutting cooked corn cobs into one inch thick slices and inserting sticks into them. As for birthday parties and holidays, homemade vegan cupcakes and cookies can do the trick instead of ice cream and candy.

As the Duke and Duchess will eventually find out raising a kid to eat healthy will be a daunting task. Yet they can rely on fun ways to serve fruits and veggies to appease a royal appetite. He'll have the  best of good foods .

A Marriage Of Tastes

When Meghan Markle married her prince. it was not just a marriage of souls and hearts but a marriage of tastes. Yes, we have a lot in common with the Brits including some foods. Not much though. It should be interesting to see the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex adapt to each other's cuisines.

The one thing Harry and Meghan have in common cuisine wise is the big breakfast. We got the whole idea of eating meats with eggs along with griddle cakes or pancakes. Most countries around the world, especially on the Continent, start the day with just a roll and coffee.We have adapted some of that here, thanks to Starbucks, offering us versions of cafe au lait and cappuccino. Yet we still turn to the UK for our morning inspiration, with mounds of bacon, ham and sausage gracing a dish of eggs. Lunch is a mash up of American and British. The newest royal couple probably had the treat of McDonald's hamburgers and fries growing up but Meghan was also influenced by SoCal living . Her mother is a yoga instructor so there was probably a push for healthy food with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. She probably continued this with fresh salads or smoothies for lunch.The English Sunday lunch would never work in a town where appearance is everything. Even an every day lunch consisting of fatty sausages in flaky pastry would be too rich  and caloric.This is not an arugula salad with a squeeze of lemon.

Will Meghan ever adopt to the lush English suppers? These are lavish meals, rich with roast beef and gravy soaked Yorkshire pudding. This last is a popover made with three eggs and the beef's drippings. There are veggies, usually the meal is called meat and two veg. These are typically carrots, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. The last is a staple and is cooked in a variety of ways..The most popular is chips, our French fries ,fried in fat. They're best served with fish, usually cod or plaice coated and fried in - what else - chip fat or lard. Do the English  eat California healthy at times? Yes, chicken but it is served but with mashed potatoes and gravy.Meat pies are another British  favorite. Pot pies, which is where ours come from,are usually filled with steak and kidneys, or fish. The last is popular in the romantic , sea surrounded county of Cornwall (of Poldark fame) Stargazey pie which would create shudders in the States is a pie of sardines, eggs and potatoes. Little fish heads, namely pilchards , stick out of the crust, gazing at the sky - hence the name. Will Meghan like it? Or ever taste it? Maybe , if she and Harry head off to Truro or Mousehole in Cornwall.

Meghan and Harry have married each other 's lifestyle's and eating habits too. Let's hope the California girl adds more fresh fruits and veggies to the prince's diet. It'll be a nice change up from traditional fare.

A Royal Breakfast

Tomorrow most of us Yanks will wake at the crack of dawn to watch one of our own marry into the British Royal family.How do we celebrate? By having a Brit breakfast - or at least one influenced by the United Kingdom

A British fry up breakfast is a great but heavy way to greet the day. It is an eye opener that does require mostly frying.It starts with meat. Most English like breakfast sausages, one made of pork called a banger. The best we have here is the Jimmy Dean sausages and for vegetarians - Morning Star Farms. Some like bacon - our bacon called streaky Irish with it. The bacon provides the perfect fat for frying up the other components.Every breakfast plate usually has one or two eggs, always cooked sunnyside up.This way the eater can dip either bread or a sausage into the yolk.About the bread. it cannot be toasted. It has to be fried, in the bacon drippings, or if that's all used up, butter.Iit shouldn't be too soggy with oil, A minute or two in the pan should do it.it wouldn't be a fry up without that Brit staple - beans. Heinz is the popular brand. Tomatoes give it some bite and also are a perfect foil for the meat and eggs. Usually the beefsteak kind are used but try the vine ripe for a sweeter , more vibrant flavor.Another must have is the vinegar laced HP sauce..It's kind of like a tart version of Worcester sauce  which can be used.If that's too intense at five in the morning, switch to ketchup.

Some Americans may feel that eating a huge meal that early may be too much. Try a Thomas' English muffin instead. These are based on the English , crumpet, a spongy kind of muffin brought to the US by Samuel Bath Thomas, from Plymouth in 1879. Slather clotted cream, another UK treat, on them, and then your favorite jam or marmalade. Clotted cream came from the Phoenicians who traded tin in Cornwall.It's cooked milk but has a wonderful buttery , nutty flavor. If not , try Kerry's Irish butter on a hot, toasty English muffin. Slather a rich , flavorful jam on top such as Aldi's Specialty Selected blackberry. You could celebrate the Scottish way with oatmeal.Don't go crazy with cooking the old fashioned rolled oats.. A packet of the instant will do.It may be too late to bake up a loaf of oatmeal bread but many stores do sell it. Toast up a few slices , slather on butter and that other English must have - marmalade. Tea is another must have. Coffee just won;t do.. One of the best is Typhoo tea which can be bought in the international section of some supermarkets like Stop& Shop.It's been around for over one hundred years and has a lovely , mellow flavor. If you can't find it, then go for Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea.

Celebrate an Anglo-American wedding with a Brit breakfast. Go wild with a full on fry up or nibble on an English muffin. Either way, it's a great way to enjoy Harry and Meghan's big day.

Easy Spring Desserts

Believe it or not , the blustery ,cold Spring weather will give way to warm days and high temps. That means easy desserts , perfect for barbecue and picnics. Good-bye to elaborate winter sweets, it's time to create effortless afters.

One of the easiest desserts is pudding pies and tarts. Jello has recently come out with a line of all natural puddings, made without any preservatives and dyes. They're call Simply Good and that's an apt description of them. They'd make perfect fillings for any pie or ice box cake,Pudding pies are a snap to make. Buy an already made crust (you can make them yourself if you're that ambitious) and fill with one of the Simply Good packets. These usually take two cups of milk but for a thicker , more set filling using only a cup and a half. Then it's just placing it in the fridge to set. One tasty combination is banana pudding in an Oreo crust .For a fancier take , decorate with puffs of Reddi-Whip and shaved chocolate. The last is an easy embellishment.Use a micro grater and dark chocolate  and grate a dusting over the pie's surface. You can do the same with a chocolate filling too. Another easy idea is individual tarts .Use the small sponge cakes , usually found in your grocery's fruit section. Fill first with an even layer of chocolate or vanilla pudding then add a second layer of sliced strawberries or peaches. If you;re using vanilla  pudding, lace it with brandy for a fun kick.

Another spring dessert idea is trifle. True , this treat is often associated with Christmas or New Year's but it can easily made for warmer days.Use fresh fruits such as strawberries and blueberries, layered with vanilla pudding or for a fruitier fix, use the banana flavor. An even cooler and tastier treat is an ice cream trifle, perfect after the first barbecue of the season. Take store bought cake, whether a sponge or pound cake tear into pieces and place in the bottom of a trifle bowl, Lberally sprinkle with brandy or sherry . Fill with French vanilla ice cream and cut seasonal fruit.,Top with berries and serve right away. Want something more decadent to chase those burgers and ribs? The try an ice cream version of Death By Chocolate.Use store bought chocolate pound cake, add a sprinkle of chocolate liqueur  such as Godiva and then a layer of chocolate ice cream. It can either be topped with more liqueur or syrup and Cool Whip. You can add either a layer of strawberries or cherries. For a simple and elegant English  dessert, think the inelegantly named Eton Mess. A favorite of William and Harry (and possibly Kate and Meghan). it's a simple mash up  of crumbled store bought meringues, any kind of whipped cream and fruit. It can be made as a trifle or as individual parfaits.

It's Spring. That means easy meals followed by easy desserts. They're a snap to make, and fun to eat.