The Vibrancy of Filipino Food

The Philippines are a combination of many  influences , from cultural to terrain. The end result is a bright, tasty cuisine that's now  a strong force here in the States. It's easy to replicate and fun for home chefs to try.

It was the subject of an article written by Angela Dimayuga with the help of New York Times Food contributor , Ligaya Mishan. Chef Dimayuga, who is not only was the chef at the famed Mission Chinese Food in New York City. and also a contributor to Bon Appetite Magazine. She returns to the food of her childhood, food that her mom made , food that the first Filipino migrant workers brought to Northern California , in the 1920's. Filipino food is just as complex and layered as the Italian and French cuisines she learned how to cook. It is also a very meticulous cuisine requiring just as much work and technique of any of those cuisines. Chef Dimayuga has the very good fortune of receiving the secrets behind family recipes from her lola,  before the elder passed at the age of 100. The family knows good food coming form the Lyon of the Philippines Papampanga. There were lessons on  bistek , steak with soy sauce and calamansi, a type of

lime. Her grandmother, who was former pharmacist also showed the chef  how to create her chicken releno, stuffed chicken with pork and sausage, similar to a farci, the French meat stuffing.  She realized her grandmother's recipe was exactly like Chef Jacques Pepin's galentine, after watching his video on it.

There are many recipes here. However Chef Dimayuga regrets that some of her favorites are not listed. The Philippines are an archipelago of 7,000 (!) islands, each with a strong culinary background. You'd need a cookbook just to list all the best. The article tries to do just that in a few essential dishes. There is the bistek recipe that has chunky rib eyes drenched in a sauce of garlic, lemon and orange juices., blended with olive oil, soy sauce and garlic. Of course there are rice dishes. There is an arroz caldo - hot rice - with chicken,collard greens and soy cured egg yolks. A fun appetizer or even a weekend meal is the lumpia  Shanghai cousins to spring rolls that Chinese traders first brought to the islands in the Ninth Century. The filling is a mix of beef and pork, with the usual spring roll  ingredients of water chestnuts,,onions carrots, and celery stalks. What's intriguing is that Chef Dimayuga and her five siblings dipped them in banana ketchup - which can be made at home. It's cooking over ripe bananas with tomato paste to create a kind of sweet and sour jam. There is also the famed adobo, brought by Spanish colonizers, however the vinegar laced chicken stew was always a staple in the cuisine long before European settlement. Hers is a coconut milk and coconut vinegar mix with chicken. To end the meal is bibingka, coconut rice cakes , with the surprising addition of salted duck eggs

Filipino food is delicious and complex. It is a treat to make and to try the many flavors and textures that represent the archipelago. The many dishes are perfect to recreate for their brightness of color and tang.

Discovering A Culinary Gem

Doreen Gamboa may not be known to many American chefs, yet she was a force majeure in Filipino cooking.  She was not a chef or a restaurant owner. She was a food writer who not only helped fellow Filipinos fighting for a better government but also one who captured the best of her country's cooking.

Ligaya Mishan, a regular contributor and restaurant critic for The New York Times food section wrote this informative piece in yesterday's Food section. Ms. Gamboa was , in a way, unusual for a food writer.She helped the National Democratic Front, the anti- Ferdinand Marcos government in the 1980's, tending to their bullet wounds and letting them recuperate in her yard. She also fed them elaborate meals in a lush , art filled dining room as she wrote amazing descriptions of all sorts of native.Even though she came from money and always had chefs and cooks at home , she wrote about all aspects of Filipino cooking. She was no snob as she rhapsodized about a wide variety of dishes. Some put her on a par with another great food writer, M.F. K. Fisher, Her writing style could be considered poetic and direct. Ms. Gamboa once described as having "a distinctive rasp and whisper" while in another essay she cataloged the textures of the giant fluted clam. Sadly she died relatively young at the age of 67 in New York City.

Even though she wrote for Filipino newspapers and magazines Ms Gamboa is still not widely known among Filipinos here and back in the Philippines. Yet a new generation of Filipino-American chefs are looking to her writings for guidance. There's only problem. Many of Ms. Ganboa's books are out of print. Luckily, one, Tikim is coming back into print. It offers a compilation of all sorts of Filipino cooking, from home recipes to traditional street food from vendors. The book can be found on Amazon and expensive (the hardcover is $198 on Amazon while the paperback is a whopping five grand!!!!). Her works were only published in the Philippines so finding them in the States is a rarity.  ,Filipino-American chef and owner of Bad Saint, Genevieve Villamora scoured used books sites to buy up every book that Ms. Gamboa wrote. Another chef, Charles Olalia of Los Angeles' Ma'am Sir found imported copies at No Serving, an LA cookbook store. There will be  a new printing of Tikim by the Danish publisher , Brill, thanks to lobbying from Filipino chefs.

Thanks to a vanguard of Filipino chefs, Ms. Gamboa's work is now coming to light. It is a fascinating insight into centuries old recipes and the people who created them. Her light will always shine on in kitchens around the world.

Food Treks

Foodies love to try all sorts of different food. They travel the globe enjoying the flavors of a country. It may be pasta in Tuscany or sushi in Osaka. Travel companies and guides have  up picked up on this and now offering food based trips. It goes far and wide, from walrus meat in Siberia to blackeyed pea stew in Ghana.

New York Times restaurant critic ,Ligaya Mishan, took a break from writing reviews to explore the new trend in foodie traveling. We have Anthony Bourdain to thank for this adventurous spirit. He gave Americans the courage and curiosity to go off the beaten path while on vacation and sample street fare and trying tasting menus in private homes. Attempts to follow Chef Bourdain's itinerary are typically orchestrated by by small, indy tour operators. They also have roots in the place so they know to bring visitors to home chefs selling pho from their kitchens or small business owners that also make sandwiches or kabobs on  a small stove at the back of their shops.Now international tour  companies are taking notice and planning their own culinary treks. One of the highest profile  contenders, the Monacan based Silversea, who has just partnered with cruise giant Royal Caribbean has planned a new 596 (!) passenger ship built expressly for culinary voyages.It will have a test kitchen that doubles as a clubhouse. However that launches a year from now in 2020.

Gastro-pilgrims, as they're sometimes called, won't wait. There are so many different tours right now, catering to the whopping ninety-three percent (!)food travelers.These are people who are not satisfied with local buffets. They want cooking  classes in Oaxaca, and even trips to floating markets like the one in Kashmir. More and more tour operators are  also trying to give these travelers a sense of substance of the lives of their chefs and servers.Mexico City food tour coordinator, Rocio Vazquez Landeta of Eat Like A Local is conscious of the class discrepancy between her tourists and the food vendors they visit. She makes a point of paying vendors full price for their goods and time spent making the foods instead of demanding discounts like other tour guides do. She has also hired an English tutor for the vendors' kids who at eight and eleven, are already working with their parents.She tips them for weekend tours they conduct.Then there is Mona Boyd, the Arkansas born founder of Landtours in Accra, Ghana. She arranged for small tour groups to not only dine with local home chefs but also to cook with them. An informal setting like this can foster a more candid cultural exchange. However , all homes and situations have to be vetted. Tourists can't get sick drinking unpurified water or freak out when they see the home chef accidentally drop the main course on a dirty floor.

It's now possible for foodies to travel the world looking for their wildest culinary adventures.The world is their oyster. Literally.

Summer's Best Part Two

Yesterday the New York Times Food section published the best of summer foods. The sections main writers  from Sam Sifton to Julia Moskin weighed in on what was summer's best. We covered the best fruits  - watermelon rules - as always along with the best fries - surprisingly McDonald's Today the rest of the list is dissected and commented on. What's the best hot dogs, road trip foods ice cream and veggies? Find out here.

Sam Sifton covered hot dogs and sausages. His is an international list  that ranges from the North African merguez, spiked with harissa and cumin to the back yard friendly bratwurst. Also on his list summer sausage and andouille, rounded out by the German weisswurst and Latin America's morcilla. As for hot dogs, themselves, he really doesn't have a favorite or recommendation. I would say for the real kind  try Nathan's and for veggies dogs, always go with Morningstar Farms which tastes like the real thing, especially when grilled. Ligaya Mishan brings the healthy to the list with veggies. except there are only two choices - tomatoes and corn. These are the harvest of summer, and they're versatile Tomatoes can be the juicy , ripe middle of a mayo slathered sandwich or a key component in salsa crudo. Corn too, can be just as multitasking. It can be the base of chowders and salads. Unlike tomatoes, as Ms. Mishan's daughter pointed out , the ears bring people together Families gather to shuck the corns, removing the husks as strands of corn silk drift down to the floor.  Corn is also communal with people stretching across the table to roll their right from the grill corn in butter.Are there other summer veggies? Yes, carrots and radishes, both as versatile  but notably not popular.

Then there are the road trip snacks, Times regular contributor , Kim Severson gives her list. There is the roller hot dog which is a hot dog warmed on those descending rollers (I wonder what Sam Sifton thinks of them) Corn nuts and those Combos, cheese stuffed pretzel nuggets are also up there. There's also the bad for you stuff like beef jerky and pork rinds. These should be the locally made kind, she advises. The same goes for potato chips.She recommends the lard fried Gibble's from Pennsylvania and Alabama's Golden Flake  Her number one? The surprising choice of Mexican Coke. It's made with cane sugar  which gives it an old fashioned flavor. What would go with it? Ice cream! Tejal Rao gives her selections for summer's best. Hers are pretty straightforward. There is the classic Good Humor strawberry shortcake,It's a marriage of artificial strawberry and cake crumbs. - although to be honest Good Humor's Chocolate Eclair bar is twice as good. There's also the firecracker popsicle, a patriotic tribute of food coloring and fructose vying with the ultra classic Fudgesicle. Klondike Mint Chocolate Chip  Ice cream Bar along with Good Humor Giant Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich are also mentioned. Her number one is the Chipwich sandwich a mouthful of sweet ice cream and cookie, mine would have been her number five - Nestle Drumstick Little Drums With Choclately Swirls, simply because it had that nib of chocolate in the cone to prevent drips. It's always a fun surprise.

Are these the best of summer foods?Or are there better ones. It's up to you. What are your choices for the best  of summer foods? Rippers from the local hot dog stand? Cotton candy and shaved ice, form your boardwalk/ Or homemade ice cream from your favorite creamery? Don;t be afraid to share.

Summer's Best Part One.

What are the best foods of summer? Is it crispy fries eaten at the beach? Watermelon at a family picnic? Or the stuff bought at a rest  stop on that all important road trip. If you don;t have an answer, then go to the New York Times Food section. The section weighed in on what's the best nosh during the summer months.

The Food sections heavy hitters, Pete Wells, Sam Sifton, Julia Moskin KimSeverson , Tejal Rao and Ligaya Mishan weighed in on several summer staples from fruit to fries, veggies, along with picnic staples such as hot dogs and icy treats along with gas station goodies. There may be some disagreement out there from readers and foodies.Everyone has his or her warm weather favorites that they swear by or have always been a part of their lives. Yet some curious eaters many try their suggestions and discover something tasty along the way, Pete Wells covered  fruit  His picks are raspberries,peaches blueberries,  cherries, and at number one watermelon. They are all good and good for you.Peaches are my summer go to, although the others are also perfect  - not just for their nutritional value but also for their versatility.I agree with Mr Wells that the berries and the peaches are great in crumbles, betties and buckles.However we differ on watermelon, He wants to turn that luscious pink flesh into a salad with feta and tomatoes. My favorite way of eating it - cut into  wedges , straight from the fridge. There's something about sinking one's teeth into cool, refreshing sweet pulp - especially on a hot day

Julia Moskin covered the fries. They are a big part of our summer eating,particularly beach eating. There's something about  crispy fries, with a fine layer of sand and salt on them - or better yet, eating them with sea salted lips.  She  lists shoestring ones last, comparing them to hot hay  not enough meat and too much crunch. There are  disparaging words about their opposite - steak or plank fries, These are too much potato and not enough crunch. Of course, there is criticism about the curly ones too,,usually bought at state fairs and some food courts.Ms. Moskin feels that French fries should be eaten in bites and not lowered into the mouth like a drone payload, She also does not like the dusts or flavored salts that people douse on these ringlets.Surprisngly she likes waffle fries, (she uses them as an interesting base for sunny side up eggs) They're good for holding pulled pork and melted cheese, As much as I love crinkle cut fries, she does not. She does  give my favorite, Nathan's a pass, These are the best, crunchy on the outside, meaty inside. Her number one? McDonald's - simply because they are the perfect shape and color. I would have gone with the boardwalk ones or the Euro , truly french frites, served in a spiral cone holder . The last is a must at almost every SoHo cafe in New Yorkn usually accompanying  moules, Belgian style mussels steamed in garlic and white wine.

Tomorrow , we 'll go through the best hot dogs, ice cream, gas station goodies and that summer staple, veggies. Will what's chosen be your favorite. Come back and see.

The Delicious Variety of Filipino Food

Filipino food is on the rise here in the States.It's no wonder.It's a cuisine full of rich flavors and tastes, from a milky sweetness to a mouth puckering sour.No wonder the cuisine is popular.It' 's full of exciting flavors melded together to create a  memorable taste.

Ligaya Mishan,  who normally writes the New York Times Food section's restaurant reviews, wrote this interesting article about the cuisine. Thanks to the influx of immigrants from this archipelago of seven thousand islands, Filipino foods are fast becoming part of the American culinary landscape.The cuisine is different from its' south Asian neighbors.Where their dishes are fiery , sparked with chilis, Filipino recipes are varying degrees of sour.Vinegar is a main ingredient  in many, used for centuries as a type of preservative. Since the islands are tropical, meats spoil easily, Vinegar is a way to keep them .One of their most ancient of dishes, kinilaw, possibly the precursor to seviche, is fish soaked in suka, extracted from sugar cane or sap from coconut trees or nipa palms. Another Filipino staple, daing na bangus which is milkfish, a tuna like fish, deboned. splayed and then soaked in vinegar.overnight. It's then crisped in a pan for a crunchy outside however the inside can be eaten with a spoon,thanks to the vinegar soaking.Even their version of spring rolls, or lumpia are dipped in a garlic laced dip called savsavan.

Adobe is the second flavor that define Filipino cuisine.Its' method of making and ingredients predate the Spanish name for it. At its' base it's meat being braised in vinegar and garlic for a long time. Other ingredients are added and that's when the  recipe varies.some put in a dash of soy sauce while others stir in achuete oil - made from annatto ,a peppery kind of nut. Some adobo recipes have coconut milk, sugar and even squid ink added. Every family has their own unique recipe.Funny enough it's not the national dish, despite its' popularity. That would be sinigang, a soup, according to Doreen Fernandez, born in the capital city of Manila and a food historian.. The first taste is usually so incredibly sour that it induces a shudder. The souring agent can vary according to where you are in the Philippines. Most use tamarind, a sweet -tart fruit that's usually made into a syrup to be mixed with water.It could also be guava alibangbang leaves - a type of orchid, the fruit of the sorrel tree kamia along with batuan similar to the mangosteen or unripe pineapple. Filipinos balance it out with kare-kare,  taken from Indian cooks who came with the Royal Navy.,a nutty-sweet stew of oxtail,bok choy, string beans and eggplant simmered in ground peanuts and achuete oil according to Nicole Ponseca who runs the Filipino restaurants, Malika and Jeepney in New York.

Filipino food is an interesting mix reflective of the many islands that make up the country. It can be eye opening and adventurous but definitely chock full of flavor. It's like no other South Asian cuisine.

The Strong Lure Of Poke

One of the best things about growing up in Hawaii is poke, a centuries old fish dish that has been refined over time. Sadly for good poke  you do have to visit the islands. That's what Food contributor and restaurant reviewer ,Ligaya Mishan did, . She went back to her beloved home state in search of the best dish.

It wan an interesting article in yesterday's New York Times Food section. It's hard to get authentic poke in the States, especially in the New York area. It is a fish based dish, more of a side or a snack, according to Ms. Mishan. Poke originated with the indigenous Hawaiians, calling it i'a maka according to Martha Cheng in The Poke Cookbook. It was either kneaded with the fingers and called lomi or cut into sticks called poke. Salt was added to preserve it as well as crunchy seaweed,lima, for texture and  more brine . Buttery kukui nut hearts or inamona.Local fisherman caught the fish from shallow waters along reefs.The texture changed .The fish flesh became more like a poi like paste. The Seventies brought a change of tastes and Islanders started to want ahi or yellowfin tuna splashed with shoyu or Japanese soy sauce. This  reflected the influence of the Japanese to the Islands , first coming as early as 1868 to work on the sugar plantations.

There are many places to find the real deal in Oahu. Ms. Mishan likes Foodland's, a local chain. Theirs is made with ahi and shoyu. The recipe for the stores is overseen by a CIA graduate, Keoni Chang. He uses sea asparagus, truffle oil and gochujang, a savory and sweet red chili paste used in Asian cooking. It becomes a deconstructed California roll poke with the addition of avocado, sriracha and furikake - a Japanese seasoning consisting of chopped sesame seeds , seaweed and dried fish mixed with MSG , sugar and salt.. Another well made poke is from the Japanese born brothers Junichiro and Ryojuro Tsuchiya . Theirs is sold at the back of  Kekaulike Market in Chinatown. Their flavors are that of their native country , Ahi, bought from the nearby famed Honolulu Fish Auction is flavored with salted plum and spiked with the fiery wasabi. They also honor the Hawaiian version by spiking it up with lima. For those curious about poke, there are several recipes on the web you can try,Beginners  can use Allrecipes or What's Cooking America's versions.The recipe is not for the leery. Raw tuna has to be used.

Poke is a Hawaiian classic that's best eaten in the islands. It's a delicacy that can be replicated at home, if done properly. Yet's it's best eaten under a South Pacific sun, as Ligaya Mishan knows.

The Best of 2017

This is the time of year when the best of lists come out. The New York Times Food section is no different. Today's issue features some of the best eateries, whether they're large or small along with the Food section;s most asked for recipes. whether you eat out or dine in, these faves are worth trying.

New York City and its' boroughs have always had a thriving restaurant scene.Both restaurant critics ,Pete Wells and Ligaya Mishan weigh in on their choices. Mr Wells favored the grandma pizza at Loring Place.Usually this is heavy and the thick  crust is rubbery and sodden with oil. Not chef Dan Kluger's who bakes up one with a airier crust , and a pie bursting with flavor.Another favorite is the polenta at the Union Square Cafe.It's what everyone's nonna would make. - light and fluffy.Other palate pleasers were the mussels at Office NYC and crispy layered potatoes at White Gold Butchers.Ligaya Mishan usually covers the smaller eateries in the outer boroughs in her weekly column Hungry City. One unusual fave is Queens Night Market  The stalls offer such treats as curried Malaysian burgers and tender mouth watering Bolivian beef heart. It's also cheap with all entree costing under six dollars., thanks to market creator John Wang.If you want indoor dining then head over to Bayside, Queens to try Mama Lee's lion head meatballs,,a yummy mix of pork and cabbage.Another must try is the Bangladeshi restaurant Neerob. There is chicken heated in a pan of sweet-hot masala. They also serve fish gilded with turmeric along with pink hardboiled eggs nesting in rice and moong dal.

For those who prefer to eat in, Julia Moskin lists and has the most popular recipes of the year. One is the famed Yottam Ottolenghi's blueberry,almond and lemon cake. This is the perfect antidote to all those spicy and chocolatey holiday tortes. Readers have varied the recipe with them using raspberries, cherries , apricots and plums. Fans of the Food section also went wild over British chef Jamie Oliver's chicken in milk, a spin on the traditional roast pork and milk.It's a combination of sweet and savory due to the marriage of cinnamon and garlic.Lemon and sage are also added to round out the flavor.Another favorite chicken recipe was the baked chicken tenders from Alison Roman.It's oven baked instead of being deep fried .It still has crunch thanks to the meat being dipped in panko crumbs. The accompanying dip is Greek yogurt mixed with chives, parsley and olive oil. You can pan fry it if you want, however for that deep fried taste.The most popular recipe is Julia Moskin's best black bean soup.Unlike other recipes that are usually sludgy and bland, this one has a fine, creamy texture and fabulous taste.It has heat and kick , thanks to adding jalapeno peppers and garlic.There are also carrots and onions thrown into the mix as well, to give it a nce vegetal taste.

Whether eating out or staying at home, the Food section has the best of the year Visit, some of the restaurants mentioned. If not try this year's favorite recipe in your kitchen.

New York Biscuit Town?

New York is known for many things, fashion, night life, biscuits. Biscuits????! Surprisingly the most sophisticated city in the world and its'  boroughs are becoming purveyors and experts on that Southern specialty. Some are traditionally made while others are given a fillip of spice. It's all part of the new city eating experience.

Ligaya Mishan wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section.Ms. Mishan, a restaurant critic for the section went on a city wide quest for the best biscuits. There are many Southern  restaurants that are standouts in New York and with them comes the traditional fare.The cuisine is becoming  so popular that there  are even biscuit shops  opening   up too throughout Manhattan and her boroughs. Who has the best? Ms. Mishan visited several. One is the Beehive Oven, a Williamsburg hot spot where the owner and chief baker Treva  Chadwell makes an approximation of her Texan grandmother's recipe.. These are tall biscuits , perfect little towers of married denseness and fluffiness..Chef Chadwell sometimes stuffs them with fried chicken or shrimp remoulade. One of  Brooklyn's best known Southern style eateries Pies N Thighs , baker Sarah Sanna who also has Southern roots, takes on a more modern twist. She uses low gluten flour for airiness and European butter for  richness. The biscuits are then brushed with a wash of raw egg and heavy cream.Chef Din Yates uses a similar recipe at Cheeky Sandwiches. The New Orleans born chef also adds butter milk too for tang.

Some bakers decide to go an entirely different route. They eschew traditional recipes and go their own way.The  East Village Root & Bone make tiny ones, the size of petit fours as Chef Jeff McInnis serves them with a dipping sauce of dark chicken jus fortified with honey and sea salt. There are also twigs of fresh thyme and benne or sesame seeds for double dipping .Other  biscuits from other restaurants and biscuit shops have the inside surprise of black pepper, homemade strawberry peach jam and dark chocolate as a rebel homage to pain au chocolat.. Some bakers, like Liz Santiso of Brooklyn Biscuit Company sprinkles grains of coarse sea salt on top to give it extra saltiness and crunch One batch has a dusting of chipotle on top with a smoky Cheddar filling. Even goat cheese has been added for a certain creaminess. Some bakers even nix the white flour and use cornmeal, creating a cakier kind of biscuit. All are served with either butter or honey butter.

Biscuits are not just a staple of the South anymore. They're becoming a Manhattan staple  and a favorite.Like the city itself, they can be both traditional and funky, down home and chic at the same time.

Feast Of Sweets

What could be better than having dessert for dinner? There's something decadent about cutting out the nutritious middle and heading right for the sweets.That's just what some of the more trendier Manhattan restaurants are doing.They're letting patrons order fun and exciting desserts in stead of the usual mains and sides. Ligaya Mishan got this fun assignment for her Hungry City column in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. She visited some hot eateries as Per Se, Chikalicious and Picholine to name a few.Many restaurants serve what is known as tasting tables where dishes of unusually made desserts and sugary novelties are served.Doing this serves two purposes,one it highlights the pastry chef, often overshadowed by the restaurant's chef and two ,gives diners a chance at trying a less expensive tasting table.Most tasting menus can go as high as three hundred dollars while a dessert one is only eighty dollars or much less.It also is a great way to draw in foodie's who normally wouldn't visit a restaurant due to it's pricing. What did Ms Mishan get to sample? A lot on interesting creations,basically dessert with a Joan Miro twist.ChikaLicious pastry chef and owner Cjika Tillman,a native of Japan makes sweet little amuse bouches worthy of a Bento box.There was a duo of an Earl Grey infused cotta sitting next to a sorbet made from tart Meyer lemons.She also offers a Japanese style cheesecake resting on a bed of ice.Per Se offers a little scoop of pear sorbet along with a mound of vanilla custard.The plate is decorated with oat streusel crumbs.There's also a cappuccino semifreddo served in a coffee cup.It was paired with airy doughnuts that were more like sugary wisp.Chocolate pudding came with a whiff of apple wood smoke and a halo of olive oil.Unusual desserts were also tried. Such as a lemon thyme gelatin cubes set against chocolate and butternut squash purée tucked under a cranberry sorbet.Picholine offered sweets with twists such as apple crescents poached in caramel dabbed with cider purée along with a Gorgonzola(!) semifreddo. Desserts are what diners remember most about their restaurant experiences.What better way to really impress them than with a tasting table of sweets.It's a great introduction to the place along with satisfying a sweet tooth?

The Best Of Summer Flavors

Summer is a multitude of flavors and textures. Even though the season is winding down you can still have a juicy barbecue or delicious veggie or fruit based dish.This was the subject of today's New York Times Dining section. Instead of one big article there are several small ones written by regulars,Julia Moskin, Jeff Gordinier, Sam Sifton and Kim Severson. A new writer,Ligaya Mishan also has a great mini article on the subject.

Luckily the farms and even home gardens have some bounties left. Julia Moskin writes about that tasty treat, conr fritters made with niblets fresh from the cob.Hers is one that is more pancake than fritter but still has crunch and texture. She serves them with maple syrup but I think a freshly made salsa would be better. Kim Severson contributes as Southern field pea salad.It combines blackeyed peas alone with fresh Vidalia onions, sweet corn and tomatoes. She adds a dressing made with Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. Sam Sifton offers a grilled flank steak, perfect with these two dishes It is a teriyaki style, one that can be barbecued well past Labor Day and into the fall.

Of course summer also includes fruits and there are some great recipes concerning them. Sam Sifton brings his mom's blackberry cobbler to this table. This is the perfect dessert for any meal, with tart berries and lumps of sugary dough pressed over them. The dough recipe is a scratch one ,made from flour and sugar . The entire dish is easily made first in a skillet then baked in an oven. for a more exotic treat try Ligaya Mishan's grilled peach recipe. This takes an exotic turn by sprinkling the Egyptian spice mix called dukkah. This is an easily made blend of spices, seeds and herbs and gives backyard peaches a rare , mysterious flavor, redolent of faraway spice markets. For a twist add yogurt as a side.

The summer is winding down however there's still time to take advantage of it' bounty and flavors. Try what these food writers offer or do your own spins. There is enough out yet to create delicious warm weather meals and desserts .