Picnic For One

 If you want to have something indulgent this summer try a picnic for one. This can be your favorite foods in your favorite outdoor setting wither the park , the beach or the backyard. It's time to treat yourself to some good food and good rest.

An easy picnic would be getting a hero from any grocery store or Jersye MIkes. The last can customize the sandwich to what you want, whether you go for a vegan or an Italian one full of prosciutto and ham.With these you can easily grab an ice tea or soda and bag of chips. Take it to your favorite green or sandy spot with a blanket  and Kindle (or go old school with a book). Bring a sleeve of your favorite cookies too and maybe a thermos of iced coffee. Keep the mess both for yourself and for the environment down to a minimim.It's a sandwich so there's no need for plastic utensils. Throw all wrappings and empty bags along with cans and cups away too. Should you bring your favorite hamburger or chicken nuggets to the park?Or what about a salad?It's up to you but it can be messy. It helps if there are picnic tables nearby where you can sit and have a proper meal. If not, stick to the simplest and relax.

Of course you can indulge yourself in a backyard picnic. You can mess up as much as you want because your kitchen and garbage cans are near by. A mini version of a salad NIcoise is a great treat Make a small salad and add a half a can of tuna in oil (you could add the whole can if you really love the fish)along with one sliced hard boiled egg.Add tomatoes ,  an artichoke heart or two along with olives . Serve with a crust piece of french bread and olive oil and a chilled glass of white wine. Another indulgent salad for one is a panzinella or Italian bread salad. Take two vine ripened tomatoes and cut into slices. Add them to olive oil A small minced onion and a minced garlic clove will also add some flavor. Through in two torn pieces of Italian bread and stir. You can also  chill it for a more refreshing bite too.  A shrimp cocktail is the perfect meal outside . Cooked shrimp is an easy buy at your local grocery store.  Sit back under a tree, in your favorite lounger and enjoy. A shredded lobster or crab salad is another summer meal perfect for an indulgent meal  for one outdoors.

A picnic for one can be a relaxing meal time. You;re with your favorite foods in the fresh air.Try it and enjoy.

All Vegan French Toast

 Nowadays it's easy to make a vegan meal, especially one for breakfast - or breakfast for dinner. Thanks to Just Egg home chefs can make the classic French toast without any guilt. Best of all it tastes like the real thing, egg-y, custard-y and full of cinnamon and vanilla.

I had some left over Just Egg from yesterday's scramble so I decided to make a recipe I've been craving for a long time - French toast.

I went full vegan also using Blue Diamond Almond Milk. I followed Just Egg's recipe for the Frrench toast, omitting the two teaspoons of sugar. It was going to have enough thanks to drowning the slices in maple syrup later on.It was one cup of the mung bean mix to a cup of almond milk. A teaspoon of both the cinnamon and vanilla were added for that traditional sweet flavor.

                               The mixture was whisked for about five minutes to thoroughly blend all the ingredients.
I used Aldi's Artisenal bread because it looked sturdy . This was soaked in the custard for a few minutes.

                                                     I thought it would be a good choice.

   It wasn't. The bread got super mushy and didn't brown properly. The inside was too gooey , almost like pudding.The slices flopped when flipped and broke into pieces.

                                                        One slice managed to come out OK.

 Despite the texture the taste was pretty spot on to the real thing made with whole milk and eggs. I know the next time I make Just Egg French toast I will definitely use French or Italian bread,It's sturdier and can hold up to a good soaking. It's also has a great chewy texture that lends itself very well to the recipe.

Going vegan doesn't mean giving up favorite dishes like French toast. With the right bread it can be heaven, Try the vegetarian version with Just Egg and Blue Diamond Almond Milk for a tasty spin on this breakfast comfort food.

A Romantic Alpine Meal

 Unfortunately a ski week in the Alps is off the table for some of us. However  you can still have romantic food of the Alpine villages.The recipes can easily be made in your kitchen.

One of the most romantic dinners for two is fondue. It's nice to have the set, complete with the forks but you really don't need to. This classic Swiss dish  can be cooked on the stove top. Just use a heavy bottomed pan.  Set up a trivet or tile with tea lights underneath when you bring it to the table. (or just place a heavy pot holder on the table and then set the pot on top of it). Fondue is a cooked mix of Emmenthaler and  Gruyere cheeses flavored with white wine and a splash of  kirsch, the cherry liqueur.  You could add a clove of garlic for more flavor.  Once melted the fun starts with dipping  in chunks of French bread. You can also put in boiled and cut fingerling potatoes. A fun Valentine's Day meal comes from the Bavarian Alps. Think air fried wursts with mustard and pretzel bites with a good yeasty beer. A great dessert is kratizika or Kaiserschmarnn or scrambled pancake. It's making the pancake without baking powder. Whisked egg whites lift the batter into an airiness. The pancakes are cooked , then shredded. They can be be served with apple sauce but since it's Valentine's Day, sprinkle some apple jack on top.

The Italian Alps give us an array of romantic dishes perfect for the day. One of the lushest is bagna cauda. This can be made in a fondue pot on on  the stove. It literally means hot bath and is a tasty bubbling sauce of anchovies, melted with olive oil, butter and garlic. Savoy cabbage is usually one of the veggies cooked in it but you can also cook rare London broil cut into bite size pieces. Squares of Italian bread are a must here , especially after you've cooked the meat in it. The bread can sop up the flavorful mix of juices and bagna cauda - which is just a heavenly taste. How can you top this off? With chocolate cups filled with the Alpine city of Torino's signature candy  gianduja. It may have a fancy name but gianduja is easy to whip up. It';s a forerunner of Nutella and probably influenced the inventors.It's been around since the mid 1800's and the recipe hasn't changed. It's combining skinned hazelnuts, dark chocolate, sugar, butter and heavy cream. The hazelnuts are roasted and then pulsed with sugar. The chocolate is melted in the microwave and then blended with the butter, cream and hazelnut mixture. iIll chocolate cups with this or even use as a filling for cakes or cupcakes.

You don;t; have to go to the Alps for a romantic, snowy dinner. You can easily make the food of any of the Alps, Italian, German Swiss or French for a sweet Valentine's Day meal. It's a fun getaway in your kitchen or dining room.

Nigella's Panzanella's Recipe

 Nigella Lawson has a slew of interesting recipes sent to her fans and foodies every day. One caught my eye - her panzanella recipe. This is Neopolitan bread salad, chewy and dense,a flavorful throwback to summer. I had to make it. I gave it some tweaks and made it my own.

It starts with a dense chewy bread like Italian or sourdough. I chose a chunky Italian loaf.

This was perfect for ripping into thick pieces, sort of like stuffing. Use half a loaf for an average sized salad.

It was then time for the tomatoes.

While Nigella uses beefsteak ones, I like the deep rich taste of the vine ripes. I cut up six tomatoes 

It was then mixing the two with a good half cup of olive oil and a fraction of a capful of red wine vinegar. Ms. Lawson also throws in a pinch of sugar but I don't like the taste or the idea of it. I omitted it as I did the chopped onion and garlic. Instead I used the powdered versions which gave the salad a lighter taste.

Everything was mixed and then placed in the fridge for a couple of hours. Nigella's panzanella is chilled overnight in the fridge which is great for summer. This is winter and a few hours did it. The bread and tomatoes were nicely soaked, and still chewy.

I added a sprinkle of oregano for some color and a dash of more flavor.

                                             it worked perfectly and there was very little left - unlike other salads.

                                   It's good as is but you can add in anchovies, olives, or shrimp if you want. it's a salad that can be customized.

 This panzanella salad is the perfect cure for those suffering from the winter blues. Try this version of Nigella Lawson's summery dish.It's a kiss of warm weather during chilly times.

Fried Eggplant A Summer Favorite Redone

One of summer's favorites is fried eggplant. There's nothing like eating "poor man's oysters" as it was once called. I decided to update and veganize it a bit.

First it's slicing and salting or debittering it. This takes out the bitter flavor and sometimes itchy feeling after eating it.

This is just slicing it and sprinkling the slices with salt (I used sea salt). Brown liquid will come out after half an hour. This is just the moisture and that bitterness coming out. Also doing this gets rid of that sponginess sliced eggplant has. (I watched Chef Tony on You Tube for all this info. He's a great chef with must watch videos).

Usually breading it involves egg, flour and breadcrumbs. I went vegan with Vegg , the faux yolk mix. I used two teaspoons mixed with  half a cup of water. 

This was microwaved for two minutes and whisked.

The eggplant was dipped in it. with both sides completely soaked.

The slices were then breaded on both sides. I kept the skins on which I may not do the next time. 

I used Stop & Shop's plain breadcrumbs but you can use ones with Italian flavoring. You can also add vegan Parmesan cheese, oregano, parsley and garlic salt if you want a more flavorful breading.

I piled these  because my air fryer only takes two at a time. It's spraying the basket with cooking spray and cook both sides at 400 degrees F for six minutes each side.

This is the end result.

The slices were crunchy and tasty. They were a bit salty and I think I should have added some oregano and garlic salt to the breading. I will definitely make these again though. It was served with a simple tomato salad.

This is the recipe for those wanting a new twist on fried eggplant. The slices taste the same  - maybe even  better - than the original recipe. Try it and see how good this summer classic is updated with Vegg and fried in the air fryer.

Summer Food Fights

Hot weather usually brings about heated - no pun intended - debates. Namely it's about one summer fave versus another. What's the best way to make a tomato sandwich?Or ice cream versus ice What's is the best of the summer?

Sometimes it's just about a sandwich -namely a tomato one. There is a huge debate about adding mayo or no mayo. Without the condiment, the earthy sweetness of the tomato takes over yet with it, the fruit's flavor becomes more vibrant. It also adds a creaminess to the bite as well. A second debate is the bread. Toasted or  not toasted. Toasted gives the sandwich crunch and makes for a more solid base to sop up the juices. Not toasted, it's a nice chewy feeling. You could really throw a monkey wrench into the work by suggesting sourdough or French or Italian bread. These are perfect for chewiness and absorbing all the juices along with adding to the flavor. Yet so many would never try a tomato sandwich made this way. Forget about adding the garlicky aioli, Provencale's France's go to for everything from sandwiches to grilled fish and meats.Then there's the tomatoes themselves. Do you just go for the plump and luscious beefsteaks or try the ever sweet vine ripes? Should you think outside the box and used sliced grape or cherry tomatoes? Again, many have definite ideas about what sort to use.

Another summer debate is ice versus ice cream. Which is the cooler, literally and the most refreshing? Ices are basically just shaved or crushed frozen water with some kind of fruit syrup or puree added in. They've been around since Roman times when servants would run into the mountains outside of Rome and bring back buckets of snow. Honey or crushed fruit were then heaped on top. Personally, I like ice more, namely the Slushies you can create with the Slushie cups. There's something infinitely refreshing about a cola that being transformed into cooling spoonfuls of ice crystals. Ice cream may do that for some people but not for me. Yet that's always been a big debate. Many prefer the creamy flavor and mouth feel of a scoop of vanilla or chocolate. Ice  cream is versatile. It can be easily topped with fruit and syrups along with whipped cream, nuts and sprinkles for a special sundae or parfait.Add a blob of vanilla to root beer for a special foamy treat.Unfortunately the more you eat  the thirstier you become. This is do to the sugar particles in it sucking out the water from the cells. Ice , somehow doesn't do that. Maybe because there's a good deal of water in the mix.

There will always be summer food fights.  Yet it's up to the individual to decide . Taste is always ours , whether others agree or nor.

Your Own Favorite Restaurant

People are even getting paranoid and understandably so about eating out. Yet, for many it's the highlight of the week or month. The food is tasty and fun. However you don't have to eat out. There are recipes for some of our favorite restaurant and fast food dishes. Why go out when you can bring the eatery to you.

Fast food is always a hit. Who doesn't love a burger with the works or a filled burrito? Yet you can easily make these at home. It's so easy to recreate the special sauce. It's just mayo with a dab of French dressing along with white vinegar and granulated sugar.This can be made healthier with using the vegan Nayonnaise and dark wildflower honey. Add sliced tomatoes , pickles and lettuce on a bun for the full effect. As for fries and onion rings use your air fryer.  You could get the bagged , frozen kinds but you can also buy already freshly cut crinkle potato and sweet potato fries.. Liven it up with some ground garlic and rosemary. Homemade onion rings are another easy make, thanks to panko bread crumbs and an egg wash. Love Taco Bell? Their bean burritos are so easy to whip up - as I know. It's easy to cook up kidney beans and chopped onions in a mix of vegetable and olive oil.Red wine vinegar gives it tang while chili pepper and cumin add flavor. Serve it on steamed tortillas. Have a side of melted nacho cheese  - basically a jalapeno cheese sauce. It's creating a roux of milk and flour and then adding chopped cheddar and butter. Diced jalapenos are then stirred in for fire.

Pizza and pizza sticks are always easy to recreate.The dough is a simple recipe of flour, water and yeast, along with olive oil, a touch of sugar or honey and salt for flavor. Top with already made pizza sauce also used for dipping with the pizza sticks  and a variety of veggies and meats. It's a fun way to teach the kids how to bake as well as create breads. Making a pizza can also be a great method of teaching nutrition and which is the best and healthiest to eat. Kids can learn about using vegan mozzarella and what veggies are the most nutritious and the tastiest for finishing a pizza. Another Italian classic that's always a take out is the hero. Yet these are so much fun to make at home.Take a good Italian or French bread, cut in half, and add slices of your favorite meats , cheeses and veggies.What really makes any hero sing is the dressing.it's just a mix of olive oil and red wine vinegar with a dash of oregano. So many chain restaurants have loaded potato skins.It's baking Russet potatoes and then scooping out the flesh so that there's a quarter of potato left inside. Then you can fill  them with anything you want, from bacon to pulled pork or shredded roasted chicken with taco spicing. You could also try topping them with  pizza sauce and mozzarella for a different spin.

Eat in if you have qualms about eating out. It's easy to recreate favorite recipes at home. You might even improve on them.

Snowstorm Scrounging

Any sudden snowstorm can throw anybody for a loop/ There's the craziness of trying to get home on icy roads along with unexpectedly being snowed in. What happens when you can't go to the store? Scrounge. It's time to get creative in the kitchen.

Every home kitchen should have the basics - bread, milk, and eggs.Of course these three make up the backbone of any French toast recipe but they're multipurpose on their own. Bread can be used to make croutons for soup, along with the crumbs being used as thickener for soups, stews and even gravies. Toasted bread drizzled with oil and grated cheese makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. Keep in mind that any Italian or French bread is the perfect base for French bread pizza. If you don't have pizza sauce ,  drained stewed tomatoes can do the trick. Pita bread is another versatile bread that can have a variety of uses in a pinch. Yes you can stuff it with salad, veggies and meats for a quick, low calorie lunch or even dinner. It can also be turned into a grilled cheese pocket. Raid the fridge for any kind of cheese, from cheddar to mozzarella along with  ham or Taylor ham to stuff into the pitas. This is a great snack ,especially when you're stuck indoors, watching movies. Also they make great breakfast pockets too.Fill with eggs, ham or bacon.It's the perfect breakfast before tackling shoveling snow.

Milk is another multipurpose ingredient. Use it and whatever fruit you have around to make smoothies. Apples and pears, usually not associated with the drink, can be tossed in if you don't have the usual bananas or strawberries. If you have any leftover pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, blend it into a pumpkin spice smoothie, a nice change up from the berry based ones. Yogurt is also versatile too. Add fruit bits or chocolate chips for a fun dip with any kind of shortbread or plain vanilla or chocolate snaps. If you do run out of milk during a sudden snow storm, then hit your freezer. Melted vanilla ice cream can be used if you need it for coffee or cereal, however be warned. The melted stuff can be a breeding ground for bacteria because the sugar in it feeds the microbes. Use it sparingly. Eggs can be your best source of protein if you have no meat in the house. A favorite is the Italian frittata. Use any leftover veggies to create a delicious breakfast , lunch or dinner. Also break into your spice rack for extra flavoring. A pinch of turmeric or garlic salt elevates any egg dish. You could also make scrambled eggs with the addition of tomatoes , peppers or onions too.

Sudden snowstorm happening? Don't panic. Scrounge around your kitchen. You'll be amazed at what you'll come up with - delicious dishes that will be family favorites and classics.

Tasting The Trends

After writing about avocado toast yesterday, I had to try it.I had all the ingredients and it was an intriguing recipe. I was also curious about the taste,especially on toasted bread.

First I started with the bread.Toasted Italian drizzled with olive oil was the best bet for this this breakfast turned dinner.

IT was cut in half  and I drizzled the oil on top.It went into the toaster oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.Meanwhile I cut up the avocadoes.

,

Coarsely chop the avocadoes, add some olive oil to make it workable.

Then one sliced and diced tomato.

I used a potato masher to mash them together.Avocado topping has to be coarser and C hunker than guacamole.

,

It was spooned on the hot toast.

How was it. It's an interesting departure from guacamole which I like better.I think the mash  and the bread  were at war with each other flavorwise. It must be  intense when the avocado and an egg are combined. I think any toasted bread is better with tomato not a cousin of guacamole.Still it's what trending.

Reinterpreting Francis Lam

Spoiler alert - this about the recipe in tomorrow's New York Times Sunday magazine.

There's nothing like an interesting recipe to get a home chef's creative juices going. That what it was today when I happened upon Francis Lam's recipe using red peppers. It was inspired by his two year old's love and constant demand of red peppers. Unfortunately the kid sometimes gets tired of them, leaving a fridge of bright red spears quickly aging. Mr. Lam who also is the host of  The  Splendid Host. on American Public Media looked to Justin Smillies cookbook, "Slow Fires" a book he edited. It is a kind of a red pepper jelly, made flavorful with onions and thyme and garlic -lots and lots of garlic.

Of course I put my own spin on it. I used four colors of peppers and two huge onions.

The onions were minced in my mini-chopper and I also added chopped tomatoes for more of a ratatouille vibe.

About four cups of chopped onions were added to a quarter of a cup of olive oil. The amount of oil was just not enough. I increased it to one half cup which worked very well. 

The peppers were cut into sticks as per Mr. Lam's recipe.

The onions were cooked down first with the tomatoess and garlic in the olive oil. As per directions four large pinches of sea salt were added to sweat out the juices. Thyme was in the original recipe but I felt oregano was more suitable and flavorful.

Mr. Lam used old  peppers however I used fresh ones that took about twenty minutes to cook down.

The end result was tasty. Mr. Lam served his over toasted slices of artisanal bread with a large dollop of  ricotta slathered on each. I'm not a big ricotta person and soft bread wouldn't work . I used Italian bread cut into four cubes. The peppers were poured over them in a large bowl.

The bread perfectly sopped up the juices and it proved to be very delicious.A plus is that there was so much left over I'll create a second meal with flavored rice for it.

 I plan on making this again with definitely less onions and definitely more peppers. I do want to keep in the tomato.It added more flavor and color.

Sweet and Savory Switch Up

Can salt and sugar be interchanged? Good question. Sugar is used primarily in dessert and baking, Salt and other savories are used in meat and vegetable courses. Change it up a bit. Both tastes unexpectedly used can create a new and exciting spin on ordinary dishes.

Salt has been primarily used in savory dishes for millennia. Maybe a pinch of it was used in baking recipes to bring out a cake or pie's flavor.. Things started to change with the invention of Crackerjack and tin roof sundaes.The first was invented in 1896 and married the flavor of salted  popcorn with a caramel coating. People love the rash pairing of two distinct flavors. It was around this time that a savory sweet concoction hit ice cream parlors first in the Chicago area then around the country. The creation was the tin roof sundae, a layer of salty peanuts on top of chocolate sauce, and ice cream and topped by a cloud of sweet whipped cream. Of course there's salted caramel, the best flavor sensation since - well salted caramel. It was sheer genius to combine flaky sea salt with the sometimes over sweet caramel.It's everywhere now, from cookies to ice cream to ice cream topping.It does make sense because the flavors are exact opposites of each other and together they balance each other out.Another good marriage is sea salt with dark chocolate Imagine a rich dark bark highlighted with nuts and crunchy nuggets of fleur du sel.

Just as salt enhances sweet, sweetness can add to savory dishes.The mark of a good tomato sauce is its' balance of sweet and salty. Generations of  chefs, both here  and  in Italy have added grated carrot to their sauces. Its' sweetness takes away the acidic tang of the tomatoes. Some here in the States had refined white sugar. I've tried this and was not happy with the candylike taste of the sauce. Instead I used dark wildflower honey which gives a sweet, earthy mellowness to the blend,Usually a teaspoon does the trick. The darker the honey the better.It has more nutrients and minerals than the light golden type. A teaspoon of this also helps balances out chili too, eliminating the tartness of store bought tomato sauce.For years  chefs , both restaurant and home, have gilded varieties of roast foul with all sorts of sweet glazes.Honey glazed chicken and Cornish hen have pleased palates for generations.It's usually mixed with both orange zest and juice to overcome the sugary taste. Fruits have always been used with different roasts, namely  pork, ham and chicken. The Germans have been marrying apples and pork roast for centuries, The apple's taste is enhances as well as tones down the meat's intensity.

Go ahead. Mix it up by giving savory dishes a touch of sweet and sugary dishes a jolt of saltiness. It's a great way of enhancing opposite flavors and making them stand out and memorable.

Eating Your Feelings

This time of year brings a cornucopia of feelings. We're either stressed out from shopping, tired from all those parties or even "Hangry" at ourselves for indulging in too many holiday goodies. Luckily there's a new book that helps us eat ( yes, eat!) through our feelings. This new diet will help us and our bodies feel better.

The food and inspirational blogger Lindsey Smith has written, this funny and insightful book, Eat Your Feelings : The Food Mood Girl's Guide to Transforming Your Emotional Eating with recipes (Wednesday Books 2017).It's definitely the must have and must give gift for anyone that has issues with diets and moods. Ms. Smith is one of us, She eats junky food, she scrimps to save calories, the book could have been written by anyone, from millennial to baby boomer. The first half of the book offers explanations of why we eat what we eat. It even includes ancestry as one of the reasons for our tastes in food - not surprising  because genetics affects every other part of our lives. What I love about this book is how she parses out what makes us eat, how hormones and moods influence our meal and snack choices. Cravings are also spelled out  and it helps that she explains why they happen as well as the recipes that will help ease them.A big plus in the book is how not to rely on the scale but on our jeans.If they're too tight, then diet.Another bonus is how to create your food mood for the day. This includes making your bed right away along with planning the night before and setting your intentions.Comncerned foodies will also like the food additive descriptions and how they can mess up lives and diets.

Yes, this is a recipe book, but it also has explanations of every fruit, vegetable, nut, and grain. It's an excellent guide to bring to the supermarket. It's a great way to plan out meals and snacks. Another plus is the basic cooking guide that even the most novel of novice chefs can follow.  She also has a flavoring guides for the most popular cuisines, right now, from Italian , Chinese and Thai to Greek, Indian and African.The recipes themselves are grouped according to what they can do. If you're feeling sad then make peanut butter chip banana ice cream or dark chocolate sea salt brownies (that would cheer up anyone) There is also spinach lasagna soup to lift spirits too, Feeling exhausted and tired this holiday season? Then whip up a happy quinoa bowl full of mood boosting grains, cinnamon and blueberries or fun mini quiches made with an almond meal-Parmesan cheese flour. Boredom can be relieved with a quick nut butter fudge or a falafel burger with za'atar fries. This is the time of year when many feel stressed or anxious.Make  cookie dough contraband  complete with chocolate chips or a warm soothing bowl of comforting coconut curry to combat those feelings. Hanger pains get soothed with chunky monkey banana bites or the more filling roasted cauliflower mash,

Lindsey Smith had come up with the perfect recipe book.Eat Your Feelings is a great way to eat healthy and to train yourself not to always rely on food. It is fun and insightful - the perfect book for those who want to improve their lives and moods.

Salmon Days

One of the most popular dishes at restaurants is salmon. People love it, seared or broiled, zinged up with lemon or herbs or both. Yet it never is that popular at grocery stores.It's rarely seen in shopping carts or checkout counters. It's strange because it's such a versatile fish to work with in the kitchen.

Salmon is a cousin of trout and whitefish, two meats that home chefs feel confident cooking.It's considered an oily fish , rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.Indigenous peoples , especially those in the Pacific Northwest. Always look for orange or red flesh although there are some varieties that are white in color.The color comes from the fish eating shrimp krill and other tiny shellfish. Go to a fish monger for the best cuts and advice however such grocery stores as Acme and Stop & Shop have excellent seafood sections. As with any other cut, look for salmon that has a bright color and NO smell.If you're buying the entire fish, make sure there are no brown spots on its'belly. Also go in knowing your types. There are five different ones ; king,  sockeye, coho, pink and chum. King is the most expensive with a rich , buttery taste. Sockeye has a deep red color and is deliciously fatty due to the fish gorging themselves to make fuel to move. Coho is the most popular and freezes well while pink is mild in flavor and fragile, It doesn't freeze or age well, however. Chum is also referred to as dogfish and is the best candidate for smoking.Its' also harvested for its roe and breeds at only the mouth of rivers and streams.

You can also buy canned salmon. Bumblebee has one that's packed in water as does Chicken of The Sea. Both offer packs too.  These are great for making quick salmon dinners such as a lower calorie spin on salad Nicoise where it's subbed in for tuna. An easy recipe is salmon burgers, a nice change up from the usual ones. Fillets can also be used in this tasty blend of fish, Dijon mustard,panko bread crumbs and scallions Add a healthy pinch of the famed Old Bay seasoning to zing them up, and give them a crab cake vibe.  Want a really quick and yummy salmon dish? Then try the fish in a crunchy croquette.  Egg is used for binding while celery is added for crunch and color along with green onion and dill. They're then rolled into balls , flattened and fried in oil. The fillets are also good grilled, They can be simply marinated with some oil, a squirt of lemon and seasoning. Soy sauce along with ginger and scallions makes another good marinade .Like any other fish , it can also be baked. Try it with butter and white wine, zested up with tarragon or Italian style  with crushed tomatoes,oregano and garlic, Serve with a side of buttered spaghetti or with green beans.

Home chefs should be embracing salmon.It's a versatile fish that can be coned, baked, roasted and grilled in a variety of ways.Don't bother with the restaurants. Make it on your own.

A True Zuppa DI Montagna

One of the best dishes to come out of my great-grandmother's region of Piemonte is zuppa di montagne or soupe de la montagne. This savory bread pudding is a snap to make and a good way to get rid of stale Italian or French bread.

The first step is to make a broth. It can be any broth but my family has always used chicken and then vegetable. broth. Make about four cups of broth.At this time preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

It's then slicing the leftover bread into one inch thick rounds and placing them in an UNGREASED glass casserole dish. The pieces can be split to fit the dish.For more color and texture you can also put parboiled Savoy cabbage leaves on the bottom. Swiss cheese is the final layer

It should look like this, with every inch covered with the slices.

Now about that broth. Cook it and then ladle it into the dish, about half the depth of the dish

Bake for only fifteen minutes in a 325 degree F oven or until cheese is melted and browned .

This is the finished product. (disregard the Altoids over in the corner)It is so tasty , with its chewy texture and blend of cheese and bread . I suggested the sacrilege of adding ham but that was met with raised eyebrows and "Noes!!!" The only acceptable variation are Stella Doro breadsticks.,

This is so super easy to make and super delicious -perfect for a chilly late March night!

Cleansing Moments

Palate cleansers may sound like they belong in the bygone aristocratic days of Downton Abbey, but they are relevant on today's table. They provide a refreshing  break from a  course that is too spicy or too gamey.They're also  a nice way of slowing down a party dinner, giving guests time to digest and relax a bit.

This mini-course came about from the Italians who named it intermezzo. Basically it's a very small plate served halfway through  a meal of several courses.It's usually a light two  bite affair. A true Italian one features light neutral flavors such as basil, mint or parsley. It can also be any piece of fruit, sparkling wine or a sorbet. The last is usually a liqueur, wine or fruit flavor. The French, too, enjoy palate cleansers. They have a slightly different belief about them than the Italians do. In the Gallic diet, the cleansing plate is not only to wash away any lingering strong flavors from the previous course but also to aid in digestion, avoid heartburn and stimulate the appetite for the next course. In Normandy,  the French province known for their apples, apple brandy or Calvados is used. It is a strong , fiery shot called trou Normand,  Palate cleansers should work with the cuisines.. They shouldn't be overpowering and leave an aftertaste of their own  the next course.If it's a homemade cleanser, then be sparing with the flavorings.Don't go  overboard .The taste buds only have to be refreshed , not hosed down.

What is a good palate cleanser? Sometimes it's just a glass of water, well chilled with ice. Sparkling water can also be used, usually graced with a slice of lemon or lime, Surprisingly enough tea can also be used.Try a lightly brewed green, black or mint tea with the barest of sweeteners.It can be served hot or cold, but for fall and winter feasts serve it hot and save the iced version for spring and summer meals.Celery sticks or sliced Granny Smith apples make wonderful , informal palate cleansers. Serve them on a fancy plate after the first course. A sprig of parsley can also work too. Most palate cleansers are usually sorbets. It's usually lemon, lime or mint and it's easy to make. It's just taking
one cup each of water, sugar,  lemon,or lime juice for the fruit sorbets. The mint requires one packed cup of chopped mint leaves two cups of water and two and a half cups of sugar. A quarter of a cup of sweet wine is also needed.It 's simmering over a low flame and then putting the liquid into an ice cream maker . One scoop is placed in a fancy silver or glass bowl and decorated with lemon, or lime zest for the fruit sorbets. The mint sorbet usually is decorated with a curled mint leaf.

A palate cleanser is a nice way to prepare the taste buds for the next course. Make it a sorbet or a plate of celery. It will be a hit with guests who want a refreshing change of pace.

Loafing Around

One of the best hot meals for fall is meatloaf. It's an easy cook and it offers creativity.Add this,subtract that, Anyone can master it, from novices to old pros. Best of all it is great left over as a sandwich.

Meat loaf has been around since ancient Roman times and was featured in French cooking in the 1600's. The Germans and Amish brought it to the states in the 1700's here it remains a staple. It has its' origins in scrapple a mixture of  corn meal  and ground pork. Almost every country has their take on it. The Italians call it polpettone and put ham, eggs and cheese in it while the Middle Easterners call it kefta and sub in lamb for the beef. The Vettnamese boil theirs and call it gio. South Africans spice up their  loaves or bobeti with curry, dried apricots  and almonds. They then cover it
with  a whipped egg and milk topping, sort of like a meringue.Americans fill ours with everything  from Saltines, cereal grains and bread, a hold over from the Great Depression when meat and money were scarce. Adding wheat products gave it consistency and made it filling. it's usually served with ketchup . There is a meat loaf sauce, surprisingly, made from ketchup and brown. sugar. Barbecue sauce can be added to the recipe or just served on the side to give it more tang. Some recipes call for hard boiled eggs and gherkins to be included to give the loaf color and flavor.

The recipe is an  easy one that even the most novice of home chefs can follow and create a successful dinner. Basic meat loaf takes a pound and a half o f good ground beef along with one egg for binding and a cup of milk for smoothness.There's also a cup of dried bread crumbs for consistency (without it , it would be too crumbly and fall apart) along with one chopped onion. This recipe can be varied. For fun , try a Tex-Mex style that has a combination of chopped chili peppers and chili powder. Grated cheddar cheese is sprinkled over the top for color and flavor. The slices can be served on a bed of tortilla chips along with some hot sauce for extra fire. For a more grown up version add  three quarters of a cup of dry red wine along with cremini mushrooms. This recipe also calls for thyme, rosemary and garlic. Try this type of meat loaf with wild rice or a simple tomato risotto. if you don;t want to use ground beef, then think ham loaf. This is a yummy mix of ground smoked ham and pork mixed with chopped celery and red pepper. There are still breadcrumbs used as a binder along with two eggs. The spicing is nutmeg and allspice for more verve.Serve with apple rings or applesaucef for a nice autumnal dinner.

Meat loaf may be considered basic but it's a delicious blend of complex  flavors and textures.It is one of the tastiest and easiest recipes to make. Keep to the recipe or add your own spin on it, the result is always a tasty slice.

The Popular Plum Torte

The New York Times have been giving us all sorts of excellent recipes for the past forty years. Many have made them, bringing gourmet and colorful cooking to home audiences. One of their most famous is plum torte. This mouth watering dessert is back again, delighting a whole new generation of home bakers and gourmands.

Margaux Laskey, author of Motherlode Blog,  wrote about this classic fall dessert in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The recipe originally was published by the famed food writer Marian Burros in 1983. It wasn't her own , though, belonging to her childhood friend Lois Levine. It first appeared in a self published cookbook , "Elegant but Easy" in 1960.The name was first Fruit Torte and it had a fortuitous note "This deserves a ten star rating on our list." As with most tortes, it was easily adaptable. There was a "New Age" version published eight years later, in 1991. The lush ingredients of butter and eggs were replaced by the healthier bananas and egg substitutes. There was also an apple cranberry version in 1994. Food contributor Melissa Clark had her own take on it for Rosh Hashana , subbing in whole wheat flour for white. Ms. Burros, now retired from The Times, still makes the torte, In the summer she uses blueberries and peaches. She doesn't use the summer plums, instead waiting for the smaller , more intensely flavored Italian plums that come in early autumn. Home chefs can use their own spin, and even tweak the recipe to put their thumbprint on it.

The plum torte is a an easy recipe. It's no wonder that a recent Google search yielded nearly 80,000 search results with links to popular food bloggers who laud its' easiness and versatility. It's basically taking 3/4 to a cup of sugar, then adding flour, baking powder salt and eggs. The batter is then spooned into a spring form pan of either eight, nine or ten inches. Then it's splitting and pitting  a dozen Italian plums to place them  skin side up on top of the batter. sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice.Home bakers can add more sugar if they feel the plums aren't sweet enough (it pays to have a taster plum for this). Another dusting , this time ,of cinnamon, is sprinkled on the top. It's usually about a teaspoon but a pinch more is always welcomed. Baking time is one full hour. Let cool before serving with whipped cream.The Times Food site suggests variations  such as subbing in late season peaches and nectarines or apples and pears as the weather gets cooler. Try spicing it with any kind of spice from tame nutmeg to exotic cardamom  or  zingy rosemary. For a healthier spin  try spelt or whole wheat. flour instead of  white.The torte  can also be served with creme fraiche instead of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.. You can also bake it in a regular pan along with doubling the recipe for holiday gifts..

Nothing beats a classic. This include Marian Burros famed plum torte recipe. It' still delicious and the recipe still holds up for a new generation of home bakers ready to make it

Basil Season

Late August brings about many harvests, tomatoes, eggplants  and of course basil,It's one of the most prolific plants with each plant sprouting hundreds of leaves. What's great about it, is that basil is so easy and addictive to use.It can add punch and flavor to everything from pizzas to pastas.

Basil is one of the most ancient herbs, originating in India over 5,000 years ago.It was the Greeks, however to name it,,from basilius, the king and has been associated with the Feast of The Cross,in the Greek Orthodox religion.It refers to St Helena's Emperor Constantine's mother's pilgrimage to Jerusalem,According to some, it could have been used to perfume ancient royal oils and baths. Many chefs  consider the king of herbs.The plant is a staple in Italian cooking but also is popular in Southeastern Asian cuisine too,Italians use the sweet or Genovese kind while Thais, Laotians and Vietnamese cook with Thai basil.The last has a spicier taste, perfect for rounding out  red and green curries along with drunken noodles.The herb's benefits are bountiful.It's high in Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting, along with Vitamin A and beta carotene. The leaves are also loaded in such minerals as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese Vitamin C and potassium,It's volatile oils such as estagole and myrcene give it antibacterial qualities too, which are important in restricting the growth of harmful bacteria.It's best to use freshly picked leaves to take advantage of all it has to give.

Basil gives so much flavor to various dishes . One of the most famous is pesto sauce, originating in the Northern Italian seaport of Genoa. The basic recipe is two cups of fresh leaves pureed with Parmigiano or Romano cheese ,extra virgin olive oil, and pine nuts. Garlic cloves and fresh ground pepper are also added to round out the sauce. It works well with any kind of pasta, but it great served with ravioli or tortellini, It can also be used on toasted Italian bread as alternative to garlic bread or even as a green pizza. Basil does have a strong, herbal taste that may be too overwhelming at first.You may just want to use it sparingly at first. Try chiffonading the leaves. You can do it with one individual leaf  or a pile of stacked (I prefer individual). Tightly roll the leaves - think little cigars., and then using a sharp kitchen knife.slice the roll into four pieces . The result is pretty bright green ribbons that go well in a tomato salad or addg oomph to a Margherita style pizza. Basil gives a fresh "green" flavor to tomato sauces, whether salsa crudo or a mellowed one that's been on the stove for an hour.  Basil can be easily frozen too.It's just snipping off the stems , then washing and drying them before putting them in freezer bags.They can last up to a year, hile stile maintaining their distinctive flavor.

Take advantage of the basil harvest right now. The leaves are great to use in fresh or cooked dishes, adding color and flavor. Celebrate this royal plant in a number of ways.

A Hawaiian Treat ShaveH Ice

Hawaii knows how to do summer right. They're kings at creating the perfect outdoor luau, or outdoor party. They have excellent konkatsu along with other street foods. They've taken shaved ice or as they put it shave ice to a whole other level. Hawaiian ice is what other ices should aspire to be.

Kim Severson got the lucky chance of reporting about these treat  for yesterday's New York Times Food section. It is also the subject of a doctoral thesis written by  Hi'ilei Julia Hobart who was born and raised on the eastern shore of Oahu. Ms. Hobart left paradise for N.Y.U. where she is one of the nine doctoral students earning a doctorate in food studies. The program there is a lot more interesting than other doctoral programs with past thesis exploring the cultural and historical importance of bourbon, bottled water and even the masculinity of cooking. What is interesting about shave ice's history is that it was always mentioned in numerous trade agreements.It  seemed odd that the US would protect it but ice signified status along with providing comfort to settlers who preferred chilled drinks and ice cream.over the sour tepid foods that native Hawaiians were used to eating.. Yet it wasn't the Americans that brought shaved ice to the islands.We have the Japanese to thank for the treat that's now being sold across the mainland United States.They  brought it over when they were hired as sugar plantation workers.

The Japanese shave ice is called kakigori and dates back from the Heian period , from around 794 to 1185 AD. Japanese immigrants opened up small stores in the early 1900's to serve the plantation workers, some of which sold shaved ice. By the 1950's it was sold at many Japanese mom and pop stores like the M. Matsumoto Grocery store on Oahu's north side.Now it's just Matsumoto's Shaved Ice where there's a half hour wait at times. How is shave ice different from those Sno-Cones or Italian ice that we're so used to here in the summertime? It starts with shaving ice from a huge block of ice, usually a machine does it  (although it can be done by hand as well). The ice itself should be slightly melting with a sheen. The goal is to create soft , fluffy flakes that can accept generous pours of syrup. Sno cones , on the other hand are nothing more than ice pebbles that are so hard the syrup runs off them and into the bottom of the cone. Italian ice is ice that has the syrup already  mixed in and then frozen, There is also an art to shave ice, with the shaver catching the ice as it falls from the blade and then mounding it into a  firm dome. The dome must be sturdy enough to hold the syrup yet soft enough to yield to a spoon. There can be one flavor or several together as President Obama likes his.
sometimes there's a scoop of ice cream underneath or sweet condensed milk drizzled on top.

Shave ice is a Hawaiian treat with an interesting history. It is also a  light and fluffy cooler on a hot summer's night. If you can get it. It truly is a treat.

Fava Beans A Taste Of Spring

The season brings about a plethora of fresh tastes, letting us know Spring is here. The fava bean is one of those.Its' "green" flavor makes it perfect for everything from soups to pate.They're definitely a great addition to barbecues and al fresco dining.

David Tanis knows this and wrote about them in his City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.This is the time for  them,late spring, and they are tender enough to eat with the pods still on.Fava beans should be incorporated into the diet. They are high in folate and manganese as well as being rich in dietary fiber.The beans are a staple in the Mediterranean diet and figure prominently in Italian, Greek and Spanish cuisines.They are great gracing a minestrone or in salads, thanks to their creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor.The only bad thing about them is ridding them of their pods.It's a tedious chore as Mr. Tanis can attest to. You can avoid this by getting immature pods with no beans inside. These outer coverings can be grilled and are just as versatile as the mature pods and can be grilled over coals or served a la plancha ,cooked on a griddle. They can also be stir fried in a hot work too along with being added to a Spring vegetable soup.. Peeling the older ones is tedious but worth it . Make the work easier by employing the family to help out and doing the day before using is a big help too.

Mr Tanis gives a lovely recipe with the beans being mashed on toasted baguettes slices. The beans have a silky texture that makes them wonderful as a kind of pate. He adds garlic cloves and red pepper along with rosemary. The pepper can be omitted if considered too hot. Try freshly ground black pepper instead. The beans  are first dropped into boiling water and then they're plunged into ice water. They have to be skinned when cooled and this is an easy task.Pierce the skin with  your thumb and then slip it off. These can be prepared up to a day in advance if you don't have the time to do it the day of.The fava beans are then sauteed in olive oil in a skillet over a medium hot heat.  They should be cooked for only a few minutes  but not browned. A half cup of water is added  and then the beans are simmered until softened. Do this for about ten minutes or until most of the water has been cooked off.You can use a potato masher (preferred) or a wooden spoon to roughly mash the favas.Return them to the stove  and cook on a medium heat. This is the time to add the pepper and rosemary along with a little water if the mash is too much. Transfer the bean mash to a warm bowl as you prepare  the baguette slices.Smear a tablespoon or more on each slice. You can drizzle some olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt on them if you want.

This is the time of year for fava beans. Make them in a tasty pate or add to  a Spring vegetable soup. They are a great addition to any dish.