A Steak By Any Other Name

Ever hear of a flat iron or tri tip steak?What about a porterhouse chop?If you haven"t then don't feel so culinary clueless.These are all pieces of beef and pork that have been rebranded or renamed.Butcher shops and grocery stores are giving ordinary cuts fancy new names in order to make them salable and tempting to consumers.Think about that as you're grilling your bavette more on that later. Kim Severson got the confusing job of untangling and deciphering these new meat names and where they originated in her article in today's Dining section of The New York Times. She herself had been on a quest for the tri tip, a triangular cut of beef that resembles a large ,fat marbled liver.It is hugely popular in California where it's turned into sandwiches or barbecued by just about everyone.However it's only native to the Golden State.She has tried to find it on the East Coast and the South but to no avail.It just isn't offered..Certain butchers ,depending where they're located stick to certain cuts that sell well..Also different joints of meat are called by different names also. A chuck might be labeled as pot roast.A pork chop is now called a porterhouse chop(and not to be confused with a porterhouse steak).The US Meat Council realizes those disparity and will issue a more uniform method to accurately naming cuts and chops.The flank or skirt steak you always order in your favorite,local steak house will now be the same kind you put on your grill.The new labels will have the common name for the cut followed by the type of animal it came from along with the meats characteristics.It is then followed with the barest of cooking instructions such as grill for best results. Ms .Severson also writes about the clever ploys meat sellers use to sell less manageable tougher cuts.That cut, the bavette is really a fancy moniker for flap steak.The inventor, CoryCorman who runs a grass fed beef farm in Oregon wante to give the difficult cut a name that would be both fancy and intriguing.It is a chewy piece, hard to cook into tenderness and hard on the gums to eat.Once it was renamed, it became a must have for chefs in Portland,this practice is common in artisinal butcher shops where simple parts are renamed to attract trendy home chefs.Another problem is that they cut the meat using Europeans or their own standard.Yes, this results in meat lovers trying cuts they normally would not but it does put strain on the pocketbook.What they don't tell buyers is that the meat is going to be tougher or chewier and may need an extra kick in marinAting or a certain way of cutting it up.Even large scale meat purveyors have succumbed to this ,despite the problems that it has caused.Look at the porterhouse chop.The beef people don't like this and how the pork industry have stolen the name from them. re naming also gets people to try different cuts other than the widely popular skirt and flank types. It opens up a home chef's range , letting them experiment with different methods, rubs and marinades. A rose by any other name will smell as sweet. Will a flank steak renamed taste just as delicious? Probably, if the home chef knows what to do with it.

NYT Dining The Cooking Issue

Today's New York Times Dining issue is the perfect guide for any level of home chef.It is the cooking issue and it has almost nothing but recipes as well as technique how toss .This is also a great refresher for those who spent the summer wiling away too much time grilling and taking out.It is a good one to really study for home cooking skills. The issue coincides with the new Cooking app (Ipad only) and website from the New York Times.It has thousands of recipes from years past.It's pretty neat because you start the site having you recipe box and then fill it with recipes and ideas suited to your tastes and skill levels.The section has former chefs like the great Craig Claiborne (whose recipes I instantly put into my recipe box) to Mark Bittman and Melissa Clark.Anyone can benefit from this as will families.Sam Sifton,the Dining section's main editor, has an easy meal anyone can make.It's just the great Craig Claiborne's smothered chicken recipe with a side of buttered green beans.It has the Southern technique that calls for covering the chicken pieces with an weighted inverted dinner plate.This presses the chicken skin into the pan and creates a seared piece.There are other good nuggets of advice laced throughout the issue.Florence Fabricant and Mark Bittman both show how a home chef should go shopping along with balancing cooking time to multitasking.For bakers there is sound advice from Martha Rose Schulman who gives pointers as how to create a perfect tart and how to freeze the dough. One of the best articles is an entire page devoted to many different sorts of technique.This page is a keeper, especially for novices.There are simple ones such as trimming meat along with clarifying butter and chiffonading basil (roll up the leaves and then chop into ribbons).There are practical techniques such as cutting eggplant for the perfect Parmesan or fried slices.There's also a how to on how to shock vegetables, which is plunging steamed veggies into a waiting ice bath.This is done to firm and brighten them for plating.There are methods on how to deglaze along with prepping ribs and poaching fish.The page is chock full of different cutting ,slicing and dicing methods that you can use for every meal.Beginnners can even use it to practice some of the more complicated techniques such as making a roux , butterflying any piece of meat or one of the diciest, deveining shrimp. Home chefs should rejoice at the new app and this Dining issue welcoming it.There are some great recipes from some great chefs.This is not only a way of expanding your repertoire but also improving it.

A Spicy Take On Summer Corn

There's nothing like summer corn.It's sweet yet versatile, pairing with everything from butter to tomatoes.The best part is is that it can be made into any dish.One of the best is a tasty corncake,griddle cooked and topped with fresh from the garden toppings. David Tanis know this and wrote about them in his column ,A City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.Like most of us he prefers his ears of fresh picked and newly shucked slathered with butter and salt. However by now that can grow old.He suggests other recipes to keep up the veggie's appeal.First though, he gives a quick guide to picking the perfect ear.The husk should be a bright green and plump.There should be heft to it.That means that it's mature, with fully formed kernels and ready to take home with you.Cooking it is a matter of choice.You can easily boil it or grill it for a smokier taste.You can even microwave it.This last just requires the corn to be cooked with it's husk on and the silk(those strings that hang from it).One ear only takes three to five minutes to fully cook. Mr. Tanis opts to make corn cakes.These are a nice and tasty alternative to other corn based dishes such as chowder, creamed corn and succotash.He gives it zing with scallion and sliced jalapeño peppers.There's a homeyness to it by the addition of buttermilk and corn meal.This last is a cup and a half to give the griddle cakes a more corn cake like texture and chew.Keep the griddle medium hot to give the cakes a nice crunchy exterior.Mr.Tanis creates a kicky topping that goes well with them.This also can have your garden's or farmer's market's latest harvest.His salsa has bell peppers along with red onions and tomatoes.Lime is added to give it a Mexican vibe along with more chopped jalapenos and cilantro leaves.Sprinkle with quasi fresco, or if you don't have it, mild feta.You could also add ham bits instead of jalapeño to the batter and serve with a good dollop of sour cream or Plain Greek yogurt too for a heartier lunch or dinner. There's nothing like fresh corn to enjoy on a summer's day.However corm cakes, fresh from the griddle is taking it to a whole new level.They're a yummy way to enjoy the best of the warm weather harvest.

Gluten Free Not Just A FadAnymore

It was just a scant decade or so ago that we heard stars chatter on about the benefits of a gluten free diet.Everyone thought it was just one of those flash in the pan dietary restrictions. However we have now learned that it is a condition.A good portion of the American population now has some form of celiac disease, a serious allergy to gluten.Luckily restaurants and home chefs are well aware of it and are changing their ingredients to ease the condition. It was the topic of an article in Wednesday's New York Times Dining section.Regular contributor, Kim Severson, delved into this international problem.Celiac disease is a painful and scary allergy that at it's best, can cause diarrhea and bloating while at it's" worst cause severe malnutrition and irreversible damage to the small intestine, Liver and brain.For children it means intolerable stomach pain and severe malnourishment.It is caused by gluten, the protein in wheat that gives dough it's elasticity.It's a hard allergy to live with because sufferers can,t even have a slice of bread or enjoy a cake without it.Luckily that 's all changing.Homes and restaurants across the country are going gluten free, looking for other grains to fill the need. Now there is pasta made from rice flour and ground chickpeas, as well as pizzas, cookies and cupcakes. a child with the allergy now can have the same treats as friends can. Gluten free also means healthy.Many non sufferers are embracing this diet too.Dishes will be Lighter and simpler.The taste won't be that different either. It does mean losing weight, less intestinal inflammation and surprisingly less fatigue.It's also actually more adaptable than any other diet.If some restaurants adapted a low carb diet, they'd have to get rid of their bread including sandwiches along with most desserts Adapting a gluten free menu is much easier.It also gets diners to try new grains such as buckwheat and chickpea.The diet may meet with some opposition.Some hard core Christians as well as ethnic groups may be offended because grains are an important part of the Bible and their upbringing.They feel they will either be less Christian or lose their culinary history by adapting this kind of diet. Gluten free goods are here to stay.It's perfect for those with celiac disease, even better for those who want to eat better. It's a great diet and one that will be mainstream and fully acceptable soon enough.

Maya Angelou, Writer,Poet, Home Chef?

Maya Angelou was one of the seminal writers of both the 20th and 21st Centuries.She was also nominated for a Tony award and also appeared on one of the first TV. Miniseries, Roots.Yet she had another talent - cooking.Dr .Angelou was an accomplished hostess and a home chef.Her parties were as legendary as her words. There was a very lovely memorial and remembrance to her in yesterday"s New York Times Dining section.Jessica B. Harris,who knew the great poet and writer, gives us a different facet of her life.In a way, it's no wonder that Ms. Harris memory takes place in California's Sonoma wine country.This is a region where the soil is rich and both fruits and vegetables grow in abundance.Any foodie or adept home chef would live in an area such as this.She was also a True hostess, always having a well stocked pantry.She loved en tertaining any kind of party from the small and intimate to the loud and noisy.Cooking for both was a snap and a pleasure for her.One of the best memories Ms. Harris has is Dr.Angelou's New Year's Day feast.It was a true Southern, affair with hop pin' John,ham roast chicken ,greens and candied sweet potatoes.It was held at her North Carolina house, a home with undoubtedly an ample kitchen to cook and create.Her New York parties had the literati and stage ,from Jimmy Baldwin to the great Nina Simone. It should come as no surprise that Dr. Angelou also wrote a cookbook, first published in 2004 ,Hallelujah!The Welcome Table: A Lifetime Of Memories With Recipes is mixed with her recipes and recounts of her life. It was a best seller, even rivaling her prose and poetry in sales.Like many writers she traveled the world but unlike them she collected recipes.She was adept at recreating many different dishes like her 12 boy curry, so named because it required twelve servants to carry it. This colonial dish ,despite it's somewhat dubious history, was a favorite.She also wrote a humorous poem ,The Health Food Diner, almost Ogden Nashian in it's humor and meter , lightly ridiculed vegans with their righteous ways as well as listing a long and yummy list of all sorts of meats from corned beef to prime rib. Dr. Angelou was an amazing writer but she also was an amazing cook and cookbook writer.Yes, she was remembered for her fiction and poems but she should. Also be remembered for her legacy of good dishes.She was a star, not just of Literary circles but of the kitchen as well.

Pub Grub Renaissance

American bar food has always been either salty , greasy or both.However there is a sea change happening.Those nibbles guaranteed to make patrons drink more,now make them want to eat more.They are little plates of gourmet treats and innovative snacks. Customers may head in wanting a drink but upon seeing these snacks, may just rather nosh instead. Jeff Gordonier explored this in his article in yesterday's New York Times Di ing section.Tasty bar food is nothing new. new.The jApanese have izakayas, Spain has it's famed tapas and even England has it's gastro pubs.Americans bars are picking up on this trend now as well.The gourmet plates do bring in customers who are looking for more than a simple beer or wine cooler.They also bring in revenu.Bar food is no longer gratis .There has to be a fee because of the ingredients and labor involved in making them.Some are only $12 to $15 a small plate such spiced nuts.The lounge at Manhattan's famed Bernardin offers the ultra luxe $45 for croque Monsiuers brimming with caviar.Bar food usually reflects the restaurants ethnic slant .A hungry bar hopper can literally go on a global bar food tour in New York City. Norwegian hangouts Aquavit and Torst feature snacks with a Scandinavian slant while Spanish restaurants such as La Vara or El Cornado feature Iberian tapas.If you want to savor pub grub head to Shakespeare or if you want Korean,then Hanjan.Sampling a restaurants bar menus os actually an ingenious idea.It shows how good the food is and creates a pull to come back and try the lunch and dinner menus. One restaurant is completely devoted to bar snacks.It's owner ,the innovative and soon to be culinary superstar,Wylie Dufresne serves snacky plates of chicken wings dusted with a powder that tastes like Caesar salad dressing and onion rings that pay an homage to French onion soup.Other chefs such as Mark Forgione ,with a restaurant of the same name has found a way to use up his potato peelings.They are converted into long, spiral versions of potato chips.These come with a super sized bowl of smoked onion remoulade.Variations of deviled eggs are popping up too .They have twists such as a sprinkle of chicharron and jalapenos. There are also takes on chicken and waffles ,hotdogs and subs. Pub grub has now gone beyond the usual nuts and pretzels.Chefs are recreating tasty snacks that do more than just bring on thirst.They awaken the taste buds,and create a tasty companion to great cocktails,beers and wines.

Green Eating Parisian Style

France has long held the tradition of being the arbiter of fine dining and new trends.Could it be that it could also be going semi vegan too? A Parisian standby ,L'Arpege is eschewing animal based dishes and going green.More and more vegetables are showing up , prepared in interesting new methods. New York Times food critic, the great Pete Wells, explored the restaurant and wrote about it in his Critic On The Road column in today's Wednesday 's Dining section.L'Arpege's chef,Alain Passard has created a unique , but probably soon to be copied, green tasting menu.Since this is France, there was nothing Spartan about the way the veggies were served.Turnips came out, quartered and buttered, accompanied by rhubarb. Vol au vents , usually filled with mashed chicken or pastry creme, now hold vivid carrots and peas surrounded by a milky white onion sauce.The taste is fresh and a jolt ,it seems, to the taste buds. There was a green garlic soup decorated with ham infused clouds of whipped cream.Ravioli is served too, but not the dense meaty kind in opaque pasta sacs.Instead translucent wrappers held a medley of Chef Passard's own grown veggies in a clear vegetable consomme.Mesclun and radishes were drizzled with a hazelnut infused vinaigrette for a nuttier, earthier taste. Is cooking green the start of a trend?It could be that Chef Passard is perhaps becoming bored with cooking his signature quartered meat and fish dishes.L'Arpege had been known for serving both lamb and lobster expertly cut into manageable pieces.These are successful.It could be that he is embracing another aspect of nouvelle cuisine.Another chef, Dan Barber, who has researched the other chef's career for his book about Passard"entitled "The Third Plate"suggests this.He's bucking from the unexpected ,giving him an enviable freedom that fellow cook masters would love to have.Another theory is that he is trying to bring people's attention s to a greener way of eating.Melissa Clark has a tasty bowl dish in her section today as well .It is filled with nothing but quinoa and spring vegetables,sic as artichokes,onions and peas.It makes for healthier eating and a weaning away of meat centered dishes.It could also be that vegetable dishes have been ignored for so long with no interesting and palate blowing recipes. Even the best restaurants, here and abroad ,have simply turned them into uninspired sides. Chef Alain Passard is creating a new trend with turning ordinary vegetables Bles in works of culinary art.Let's hope it inspires other chefs pick up on it.Green eating is healthy eating .Serving it in fancy and innovAtive ways will bring more diners and home chefs into healthier living.

The Return Of The Chesapeake Oyster

The Chesapeake oyster is making a comeback and in a big way.This gem of the famed bay is now wanted by some of New York's top restaurants.Thanks to a dedicated family the bivalves are now being enjoyed by a new generation of oyster lovers. Julia Moskin had the opportunity to interview the family, namely the two cousins who revived their family's century old oystering business.The Croxton family was one of the main stories in Wednesday's New York Times Dining section.The youngest generation, Travis and Ryan, inherited the Rappahannock Oyster Company and the leases on the Rappahannock River.If they didn't continue in the trade ,the government would take up the leases, and their great grandfather's legacy.Since they do have masters degrees in marketing ,the brothers went to New York's famed Le Berardin restaurant to sell their seafood and were an instant hit.The oysters, also known as the virginica were so rare that the chefs wanted them right then and there.They became can instant hit, Now they also have the Grand Central Oyster Bar as another client.The oysters themselves are perfect, plump and fleshy ,what they were back during the oyster's hey day in the 1870's. Why was there such aversion to the virginica oyster? It thanks to the horrific pollution of the Chesapeake Bay.When the Croxton family first bought the leases, the bay was rich with plankton and phyto nutrients that are the food that oysters need to survive.The waters were clean ,full of lush thriving marsh grass .Unfortunately as the Twentieth Century progressed, fertilizers and insecticides were dumped into it and contaminated the oyster meat. It created a problem with most marine life dying out.This meant no more oysters at any of the top East Coast restaurants.Luckily the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was started in 1967 to protect and restore the bay. There was even talk of introducing a Chinese breed, a disease resistant kind that grows to maturity in just a year.However that was vetoed, because a foreign variety could also bring a host of problems too as it happemded in the South, there with kudzu and the walking catfish. Oyster affectionados have the Croxton cousins to thank for bringing back the industry.Oysters are coming back with their ripe, briny flavor and texture.They are no longer a rarity but a treat.

Re working Casseroles

One of the most simplest, and sadly, the most boring, is the casserole.Maybe because it has been denigrated to be nothing more than a mix of canned soup and awful ingredients or whether ,we've just made too many of them in the last century, this easy and versatile baked dish has become a culinary joke.All that is changing.The casserole is moving beyond it's soggy, overworked past and re emerging as something exciting and new. Melissa Clark examines this revamped version in today's Wednesday"s Dining section of the New YorkTimes. It now has taken on a sophisticated turn while maintaining it's down home coziness. Gone are layers of mushy noodles and canned tuna.In their place, new ingredients bloom, turning the whole thing around.The dish is becoming as urbane as it's, French cousin, the cassoulet, that Gallic version of duck confit ,spicy sausages, and beans, topped with crunchy,garlicky breadcrumbs.You can create a lasagna or moussaka, both ,technically casseroles, for a family dinner or a welcome party.These dishes don't even have a soup can between them.Most mid century wives were told to make the perfect casserole Using Campbells soup, simply because it was quicker and even healthier.It just created a generation of bad casseroles. Now you can experiment.Take Chef Floyd Cardoz's recipe from his Battery Park City goes back to his childhood in India to create a casserole.He starts out with the typical birwani a baked dish of brown meat, fried onion and a mélange of spices ranging from cardamon to cinnamon, The famed Lower East Side's Fat Radish has a unique turn as well.Chef Nicholas Wilber makes his like a beet crumble.Beets, an unusual vegetable to put in the dish is layered with cheddar and a mix of beet greens and Swiss chard.The crunchy layer is a mix of oatmeal along with hazelnuts and Pecorino cheese and nutmeg.Chef Wilbur also amps up the dish's appeal by making it in copper and stone gratins.Leave the boring brownie pans or glass bakeware in the cabinets.The appeal of the new casserole's all over style serving it in a copper pan or gratin . This also explains the appeal of a Mexican style casserole where style and flavor trumps all.It's a bake of chorizo ,beans and a variety of chiles for a stylish take on the classic tortilla bake. There's a new generation of casseroles ,just waiting to be tried.They're chock full of new ingredients and new flavors. Try them now for a new twist on an old classic.

A True Taste Of Ireland

With St Patrick's day arriving on Monday ,everyone starts thinking about Irish cuisine.Unfortunately there are still some Yanks who think that it must consists of boiled cabbage, boiled corned beef and beer.It's much more complex than that,being richly layered with flavors and textures.It reflects the island's harsh history and determination to live better. Both David Tanis and Melissa Clark wrote about Gaelic foods in both their respective columns in today's New York Times Dining section.Mr Tanis created and wrote about a type of fish and chips in his A City Kitchen.He combined Arctic char with a spinach butter. influenced by the Ballymaloe House cooking school.Their belief reflected Irish sensibility to cook with "fresh , local and seasonal" ingredients.That means freshly churned butter and freshly caught fish.It also is using seasonal veggies from the garden as opposed to imported,frozen or canned.Mr Tanis sticks to this philosophy when he sautes an Arctic char in creme fraiche and serves it with a spinach butter.New potAtoes act as an elegant side.If the local fish market doesn't sell char then substitute it with local pink trout Melissa Clark takes that other traditional St Paddy's Day dish, cabbage and trAnsforms it into something completely amazing and down right addictive.Instead of either putting it as a side or in a salad, she turns it into a main dish in the form of an empananda or tort a.She uses the sweeter Savoy cabbage ,a staple in Piedmontese cooking and first sautes it to make it tender.Fontina cheese is also added along with ham and onions for flavor.A dash of cider vinegar is thrown in for bite(although this is reminiscent of the Piedmontese stuffed cabbage and polenta dish pescoi.The result is pasty, with a crunchy butter crust with a mélange of flavors inside.Since Savoy or any cabbage has a tendency to retain water, bread crumbs are added.These can be plain however Ms. Clark adduced the flavor kind for extra oomph.Other fillings can be used such as stewed tomatoes, browned mushrooms, and olives and potatoes. Irish cooking is not what people think.It 's a rich array of simple ingredients made into complex and flavorful dishes.Try these foods for St. Patrick's Day for a more sophisticated turn.

Tastes Change

Everyone's tastes changes.What we adored when we were four, we hated at eighteen. What we craved at twenty ,we now despise.Even what we cringed at last year, we now can't get enough of to eat. Frank Bruni explored this in his De Gustibus column in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Like us, he had food faces that used to be on his do not eat list.His was beets.At first he saw them and thought they were slimy in texture and lurid in color.Luckily for him ,he changed his minds.Now they are silky and gem like.It could have been the way They were first served to him .Many kids hates veggies because they're overcooked and mushy.As he states some veggies just haven't met the right chef and this is true.Any detested food made the right way, with a lot of spice and pizzazz will undoubtedly be loved. Hopefully Mr. Bruni experienced beet salad which led to his conversion. Made way with a light vinaigrette and onions the whole root veggie deal can be absolutely heavenly.. Emotional and psychological factors also play important parts in what we like to eat.Sometimes it's the way people are introduced to them.Family and friends push us into trying dishes that we are reluctant to try it and being forced is not a great way. the best bet is to discover it on your own on your own. Go to restaurants by yourself, experiment in your kitchen sans anyone.Find out what other foodie's are talking about.Appetite is another factor, as is the need for nourishment.Sometimes you just want something filling no matter what the taste. sometimes it's just a matter of outgrowing a certain flavor.You may love milk chocolate for thirty years., then completely switch off it because of the taste.You start craving less sweet such as dark or even one with a pinch of chili pepper added. Tastes change.Our food ones change as much as we do.They morph into new ones, giving us a whole new area of exploration.

A Better Biscuit

Biscuits have been much misaligned in recent years.They're returning to their glory where they're golden gems, flaky and light.Not only that they're also easy to make and even the most novice of bakers can create the perfect round. Julia Moskin explored them in her column in todays's New York Tomes Dining section.As she has found out biscuits have been an American standard since our early days.They're the child of scones and the only difference in the two recipes is just a bit of sugar and an egg.(actually two eggs).Scones are Scottish in origin ,first being made from barley or oat flour with fat and some kind of liquid.Triangular pieces were baked on a griddle .As the ingredients improved and became lighter .so did the scones.Biscuits veered off in another direction.Southern cooks added buttermilk, lard and a low protein wheat.This last was only available in the South and gave the rounds their tenderness.Biscuits can be used as a base for jam and butter as well as for small sandwiches, preferably ham in the true Southern style. Baking both are easy .Ms .Moskin includes one recipe with slight variations for making both scones and biscuits.Scones require eggs and water while biscuits require more butter. both need heavy cream for texture and richness.What both kinds need is basically a hands off way of making them.The dough should not be over kneaded .Just gently knead until all ingredients are mixed.They also need butter,which gives them the needed flakiness.Both recipes are versatile.Cheddar bits can be added to the biscuit to create a Cocktail nibble.Scones can benefit from dried blueberries or cinnamon, or herbs if you'd like a brunch one.Ms .Moskin also includes a recipe for a honey butter liberally laced with sea salt as a sweet savory spread to vary the flavor. Homemade biscuits are always a treat.They're easy to make and a true treat to eat.Make a batch of them or Scones to enjoy their goodness.

The Sunny Goodness Of Plantains

Winter cooking can be blah at times.It 's the same old ingredients in the same old dishes.It , like any bored foodie needs a jolt.Luckily this comes in the sunny yellow form of a plantain.It's a great addition to any recipe or good on it's owm. Melissa Clark raved about it in her A Good Appetite Column in today's New York Times Wednesday Dining section. Plantains or plantanos are a cousin of the banana.It is less sweet but more meatier than it's relative.They are bigger and firmer too which makes them excellent for any kind of cooking or frying.Like bananas ,they are best bought and cooked when they are over ripe.The skins should be black however you can buy them both yellow and green skinned and let them ripen as you would bananas.The outer layer ,exactly like a peel ,will slide of easily when gently tugged. The recommended recipe is a chicken stew.It's one of the easiest plantain dishes that require stewing a whole chicken with various spices along with tomatoes and green olives.Ms Clark uses the flavors of the Caribbean ,such as cumin and chile with a squirt of lime juice.She also throws in oregano and red peppers for added zing.If you want to make a true WestIndian plantain dish ,try mofongo. This is a trickier recipe that calls for green plantains?it involves garlic ,pork and crackling for flavor.You can also just slice the plantains lengthwise and then fry them.They're sort of like sweet potato fries and make a fun side. If yo want to liven up your winter cooking then throw in a few plantains.They can make an ordinary stew zesty.They are also a great departure from regular fries?Try then and get a taste of the islands!

Cheese Lesson

Cheese is so common you would think the average foodie would know it inside and out.Surprisingly this age old food has several varieties.They come in all sizes, from wheels to wedges and flavors ranging from sharp to mild. used the right way with the right accompaniments, they can be just heavenly.The question is do most people know their cheeses? Suzanne Lenzer asked this in her column in today's New York Times Wednesday Dining section.Luckily she has expert help thanks to Liz Thorpe , a cheesemonger and author of the 2009 book "The Cheese Chronicles". Ms. Thorpe breaks this fermented casein down into six categories.They are fresh, bloomy rind , washed rind, pressed,cooked and blue.Ms Lenzer decided to first try the bloomy kind so called because the soft mold or yeast rind blooms on the cheese's exterior.She selects a creamy Brie first and uses it for a dressing.It works well with emulsions such as salad dressings and dips.A fresh cheese such ricotta or mozzarella softens rather than melts in direct heat ,which makes it an excellent topping for pizza. Ms.Lenzer also discovers some misconceptions about cheese too.Most. Think that cheddar is the perfect cheese for melting.It is not.Thanks to its high acidity( which gives it that sharp bite of taste) the texture only melts into small oily globules or nubbins.If you want a melty cheese go with a Gruyere which is the backbone of any good croquet Monsieur sandwich.For a perfect wedge that compliments fruit ,think about ones with a washed rind,.These hold up really well as just slices.For another good melting cheese consider the cooked kinds, such as Parmesan and Gouda. Everyone's fave ,blue cheese should have fewer blue veins which signifies a sweet taste.Blue cheese with huge pockets of blue are best for crumbling over soups and salads. Cheese is as complex as wine.It has different varieties and flavors, textures and properties.Like a good Merlot ,it should be taken with seriousness.

Holiday Party Treats

With New Year's beckoning and holiday open houses happening ,it's time to look into fun party nibbles.These are the kind that everyone loves (or will love).After all nothing defines a party more than its'food.Keep guests sated with hors d'ouevres that rock the house and satisfy your guests. There are two great recipes to try , thanks to the Christmas issue of the New York Times Dining section.Melissa Clark offers a Southern classic grits while David Tanis gives us a spin on blinis.Ms. Clark gets her recipe from chef Kyle Knall at New York's Mayville Restaurant.This is a supremely easy recipe.The only labor intensive step is cooking the grits for an hour to an hour and a half.Afterwards fry them in grape seed oil.The golden squares are topped with shredded ham slices and bourbon mayo.The mayo is a quick recipe,with homemade mayo.Dijon mustard and lemon juice is added for more flavor.To continue the theme, you could serve bourbon shots with the squares. David Tanis of the City Kitchen column offers a more traditional fare in the shape of blinis.Inspired by ano D Eartha Kitt song "Mink Schmink" that has a line about chicken blintzes.Mr.Tanis fills them with roasted chicken along with rich Chanterelle mushrooms.Along with the golden fungi,leeks are also used to impart more flavor.Creme fraiche is also added.On it's own this filler would be elegant over toasted brioche as a kind of luxe chicken ala king.The blinis can be made in advance but you could also make them with crepe batter too.Mr.Tanis adds a dollop of more creme fraiche and mushrooms on top of the blinis.He recommends them with a glass of celebratory champagne but a good white wine will do too. Good food means a good party.Have an update of a Southern classic or a Russian favorite for your holiday party.If you're a busy host or hostess ,serve both.They are delicious treats your guests will truly love.

The Times Holiday Gift Guide

Gift giving for your favorite foodie (or yourself) can either be an easy or a hard ordeal.Today's New York Times Dining sectron solves that. Their gift giving guide is extensive with some really neat and practical ideas for everyone. Luckily there are so many different gadgets and treats out there that any foodie can be easily pleased on Christmas Day.

Cookbooks and cooking magazines are always appreciated gifts. One cool cookbook is Balaboosta(which means perfect housewife in Yiddish) and is from the restaurant of the same name.It has recipes for sufganiyot,Israeli doughnuts and shakshuka, eggs poached in tomato sauce and chili peppers. A subscription to the biannual Gather Journal and the quadri annual Modern Farmer can show cooks how to cook field to table  for more natural eating. Foodies  can rejoice at the gifts of food such as Sicilian Anchovy and Caper spread from nudo italia. This is perfect for spreading on filet mignon or roasted peppers. Chocolate buffs will go made for Chocolate Treasures that are filled with everything from Sichuan peppers to raspberry and passionfruit.

Practical kitchen gear and gadgets are also mentioned in this extensive gift guide. Open classic and beautiful gift is a wooden salad bowl from Holland Bowl Mill of Holland , Michigan. This simple bowl comes in  red oak, cherry  walnut and beech woods.Miyako Cereamics kitchen knives are perfect for those home cooks who love to  dice and pare. For true luxury, think about giving your favorite chef or even yourself the French made Atelier de Cuivre cookware.These are copper pots with silver plated interiors and cast iron handles. Gadget lovers will swoon over Quirky's Pluck  a truly innovative kitchen gizmo that helps separate yolks from whites.Crate and Barrel's cocktail spoons are the perfect present for those hosts with the mosts.

The New York Times Dining section gift giving guide is an excellent map for navigating shopping  for your favorite foodie. You can find anything , form food to cookbooks, from gagets to classic cookware in it. Have it  it with you whether you're in the mall or at your laptop.

Your Thanksgiving Guide

Cooking a Thanksgiving meal can be daunting even for the most experienced of cooks. After all , unlike Christmas and Easter  where it's the presents or the treats that are under scrutiny, it's the food. The dishes must not only be perfect but true to tradition as well.Luckily there's the Times Dining Thanksgiving guide.It's chock full of recipes and suggestions.(and hopefully not on your recycle pile right now).

Dining greats Melissa Clark and Julia Moskin helm this special edition. Their ideas and hints are truly helpful and also aid in taking the stress out of cooking and baking. Theirs is a practical, don't worry mantra that all cooks , whether old pros or novices should adopt.Every part of the meal is covered from what to drink to the variety of sides to the riffs on pies. They offer a recipe on make ahead gravy which is helpful because it's one less worry on Thanksgiving. Both  dispel fears about cooking the stuffing inside the turkey(it won't give your family salmonella if you do such )There are also classics such as mashed potatoes , elevated with a breadcrumb crust as well as them in an au gratin style dish.

Ms. Moskin and Ms Clark also give spins on classic dishes as well. Cranberry relish gets a fiery kick with the addition of cayenne pepper. Cranberry jelly is zinged up with Grand Marnier, port wine  and juniper berries. Squash, long a Thanksgiving favorite is made exotic with the addition of the Greek tahini sauce  drizzled on top. Yams, another staple, is turned into a sophisticated side thanks to maple syrup, creme fraiche and chipotles. Pies, the must have Thanksgiving dessert classic, becomes totally gourmet with the addition of various liqueurs to the recipes.Apples are not only added toa buttery crust but also , cranberries ginger and rum. The last is used to cut the pie's sweetness. The chocolate pecan pie has bourbon while the pumpkin pie rocks with brandy.

Use the Times Dining Section Thanksgiving Guide for a perfect and tasty holiday meal. There are some great tips and excellent recipes to create the best turley and sides ever. It'll have your family and guests talking about how well you cooked it for months' afterwards/

Weeding Out Your Food

The next time you spruce up your lawn pay close attention to your weeds. Yes, they can be pesky little suckers, ruining a fall landscape, yet they can add to any salad or even cooked dish.It's a delicious walk on the wild side.

It was further explored in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.newcomer Ben Paynter described what wild plants can be used and how restaurants are employing them in different dishes, Foraging is nothing new. Humanity has been doing it since our earliest days, Mostly then it was a tremendous hit or miss deal. Pick a weed  then and hopefully it was not only tasty but non toxic.;Nowwe and farmers are better read and equipped to pick out weeds that will go well in various dishes. Many farms now are just growing weeds  to supply the wave of wild plant chefs.

Many chefs are embracing this natural plant cuisine. Mr.Paynter focused on the ones in Kansas City however trendy New York restaurants  such as Daniel, Gramercy Tavern and Acme are also embracing the foraging craze.Weeds can provide an entirely new facet to cooking and cooks can create some new spins on old classics. Chicory is one of the most popular,It can be used in salads to give them a kind of  earthy coffee flavor. The ever common dandelion is turned into an amuse bouche in Kansas City. Sous chef, Josh Eans turns the petals into a tasty morsel while the stems and the rest of the flowers were battered dipped and fried into a tasty tempura.

Foraging is not only a great way of getting rid of those pesky weeds. It;s also an interesting way to change up your menu. Hit the garden and woods this weekend and start looking for your next culinary creation.

NOTE: If you are thinking about foraging , read up on it first whether on the Internet or on a books solely on the subject. ,Be aware of which  plants are poisonous  and which ones are safe.

The Time For Figs

Late summer brings a lot of fruit harvests. Right now it's the season for figs. Unlike peaches, and strawberries these can be an acquired taste, However fresh picked figs can be delicious as well as versatile. They can be used for meals as well as for desserts.

Dave Tanis had a field day with them and wrote about his  experiences in his Wednesday's City Kitchen's column in the  New York Times Dining section. Figs can a tough fruit to grasp. many are put off by their sweet earthy taste or many seeds.Unlike other summer fruit figs can go both sweet or savory according to Mr. Tanis. The best ones are from backyards. Store bought  ones tend to be under ripe which results in a hard green fig with a tendency to rot quickly. You can put them on a towel covered try to soften and ripen but this is iffy. Some will improve with age, some won't. It's a gamble but one well worth it.

Mr. Tanis gives us some great recipes. Imagine sun ripened figs with creamy goat cheese and salty prosciutto. This is a perfect Sunday evening dinner after a day at the beach or lake. You can also make an awesome vinaigrette with them or better yet encase them in a buttery crostata. Mr. Tanis prefers sliced figs  topping an almond cake which would make a nice summery dessert. Another suggestion is serving them with either creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

If you want a different kind of   summer fruit veer towards figs .They are good paired with almost everything from wafer thin cured ham to scoops of ice cream. Try them for their earthy sweetness and tender but juicy flesh,.

A Good Rub

Mostly everyone has spent the last two or three months grilling meats.They also have been soaking those cuts and chops in marinades,thinking that they've doing the meat a favor. They aren't The best treatment for any cut is a good dry or semi dry rub. This is what brings out the flavor of the meat, whether it be beef, poultry  fish or lamb.

It was the subject of an article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section., The piece cowritten by Dining's latest regulars, John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger tells of the minuses of marinades and the pluses of a dry rub. A rub is infinitely better. It brings out the flavor of the meat better along with letting the rub's melange of flavors shine through.A marinade simply doesn't do this .It imparts a kind of washed out flavor. You may taste some of what's left over but it won;t be the robust zing as with the other . The two writers/chefs recommend adding the rub after the grilling for a better , sharper more focused taste

Both Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Schelsinger give very good recipes for meats and even vegetables.They use both traditional and nontraditional ingredients. Baby back ribs have a rub composed of dry roasted peanuts along with chili powder. It is actually a semi dry because again the unconventional orange juice and traditional hoisin sauce are also included into the mix. There is a chicken with a deconstructed pesto where the chicken is grilled first then tossed They also offer a simple lamb kebab with traditional Greek flavorings. What is different is the added twist of tomatoes with a simple salt and pepper rub and then a  toss into curry and minced golden raisins after a yogurt bath.

Put away those marinades. Think rubs, especially a rub after the meat's already been grilled. It means a tastier barbecue and a more flavorful and memorable taste