Buffets And Tariffs

 President Trump's tariffs affect not only home chefs but all chef;s. Restaurants will be greatly impacted which means higher prices for diners. The worst hit is the affordable all you can eat buffets, in casino towns in Reno, Nevada.Those easy on the wallet lunches and dinners may be a thing of the past.

Regular contributor and chef Priya Krishna wrote about this in Wednesday's New YorkTimes Food section. Prices will go up around the county but in casino towns it will be devastating.Reno has fifty all you can eat sushi buffets. A la carte sushi is becoming a thing of the past and those restaurants offering that are quickly going out of business according to Michael Higdon a local food writer and photographer, He also states there is a lot of pride in having many all you can eat places.There is cost in creating Reno sushi bars. The fish doesn't have the pristine simplicity of pure Japanese sushi. These are more baroque creations made mainly by Latino chefs who infuse their culinary traditions in them. The high cost of seafood and local restauarants' need to offer bounty and variety has created a flamboyant new cuisine. The fish is no longer the star but a supporting character.The menus have punchy names foillowed by a plethora of ingredients. There is the Playboy  -a wild mix of cream cheese with tempura shrimp, onion red snapper .avocado and jalapeno. There is the Mickey , so named because it;s supposed to resemble the Disney mascot. This is a mix of seared tuna, avocado, unagi and sriracha sauce.

Many restaurant owners - who are not Japanese  - adopt the all you can eat menu because it is cost efficient. Jongsoo Park who opened Kuma Sushi a couple of years ago said she wanted to serve premium species such as sea urchins and spot prawns. Yet their high price would have made her open up an ala carte eatery. That was unaffordable. An all you can eat restaurant was a better choice. It provided a quick cash return which made the restaurant immediately profitable.The prpblem with an all you can eat buffets is that it does take a high volume to make a lot of money. with fifty similar restaurants scattered throughout the town that can be come impossible according to Khai Duc Du, owner of Hinoki Sushi. Trump's tariffs on CHina has hit a whopping 145 percent, affecting such sushi essentials as eel and seaweed. It may affect the purveyor of all the fish served in  Reno, Miyuki Wong. She works for the local distributor Sierra Meat and Seafood and sells $200,000 a week of just seafood alone. Eel along has jumped from $8.40 a pound to $11.90 and then after the tariffs $13.95. The alternative is to serve non seafood extras like edamame and dumplings like Reno;s oldest sushi bars Reno Pier owned by Heejin Polon.

Will Reno's sushi bars be a thing of the past with all these new tariffs being slapped on the seafood? Possibly but maybe not. Restaurant owners will find a way of keeping customers , maybe with vegan sushi. The fish iis too expensive.

Where's The Kitchen

 All restaurants should have a fiully stocked kitchen, right? There should be a large range with plenty of space to cook three or four dishes, a big fridge to hold supplies and a huge table to create many mise enplaces. Yet what happens when an eatery has no kitchen? Can it still survive? Surprisingly yes!

Regular contributor and chef herself, Piya Krishna wrote about this phenomenon in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. She visited a handful of restaurants across the US to see exactly how chefs fare with little to no prep and cooking space. They do very well, relying on innovation to create mouth watering and memorable dishes for customers. Take Friends and Family in Oakland ,California where the only cooker is a panini press. Chef Gaby Maeda uses it to do all sorts of things, from griddling onions to charring cabbage. Without a fryer she bastes chicken wings in brown butter to give them that "unctiousness" only a deep fryer can give.Mexican food can be made without a grill. Chef and owner of Denver's Alma  Finda Fina Johhnny Curiel has to forgo this major component of south of the border cooking.Instead he whips up braises and crudos in a cooking space that consists mainly of three induction burners and a convection oven.There is a griddle in the back of the restaurant where he and his staff turn ground, corn into nixtamalized  tortillas..

Can a chef cook into a five foot kitchen? Yes! At Charleston, South Carolina's Kultura ,chef and owner Nikko Cagalaman makes Filipino recipes in a kitchen with just one(!) power plug. Guests sit at a bar just "one hand"away from cooking stations. He doesn;t pan fry scallops. Now they seared on top like creme brule and cooked in a sauce. New  York City has always been the city with zero space for almost everything. Chef Sunny Lee of  Sunn's knows this and this is why her Manhattan eatery is so miniscule She borrowed a wok from next door restaurant Tolo to char broccoli for nanui. Her kitchen accessories, microplanes ,scissors and strainers all hand like pictures on a wall. Since she can't char veggies she tosses shallot powder into a tangy dressing to mimic the taste of char.Her salads are all made from pickled veggies because she doesn't have a fridge for fresh ones.Cellar Door Provisions in Chicago runs under the same premise.Ethan Pikas shrank the kitchen by a third during the pandemic and now he and his chef de cuisine Alex Cochran steam buns ,simmer stock and roast a pig's head all in one oven. Most of his foods are brined which saves from cooking them. He creates a fig leaf vinegar which can dress up a beurre blanc for sole..Brined white asparagus punches up beef tartare.

Can a restaurant survive without a kitchen?Priya KrYes.It does take a talented chef and innovation to do so. It does work=/

Dining Alone

 Is there still a stigma for dining alone? Yes and no . Even though it is liberating to head into any eatery and not worry about what friends think of your eating choices people who go solo are still treated somewhat badly. Why is that? what's so bad with just having a good meal by oneself?

Regular contributor and chef Priya Kirshna wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. There is nothing wrong with dining for one. Many think of it as an adventure to try different cuisines or just have a relaxing meal with out the distraction of talk. It shows in numbers taken from Open Table, a site that takes restaurant bookings from all over the world.The percentage of people eating alone rose sixty-four percent in 2019 while between 2022 and 2025 it only jumped to twenty percent.The increase is probably even greater now since many people just walk into a restaurant sans reservations.. Yet more solo dining doesn't necessarily mean better accommodations. Many feel that they're taking up valuable table space by sitting at a full table. there's also the feeling of fearfulness this can bring along with the feeling of being judged by other diners.According to Rajika Shah, a Los Angeles lawyer the host or hostess's whole demeanor changes when just one walks in.It's either a look of panic as in what to do with this person or a look of sympathy.

Some places do accommodate the solo eaters Bar areas often have tables for one, Mind they're those mile high ones with stools people have to clamber up on. Bar dining has been the default way to go, providing there is space and seating. Many independent restaurants are taking reservations for the bar area but a majority does not. Luckily there are the chain restaurants like Olive Garden and Applebees that are happy to serve just one person.Tiktok features  videos of people eating alone at the OLive Garden. Their restaurants are designed with a bar in the center to make customers feel more comfortable instead of feeling  isolated.Other restaurants , both private and chain should take notice, There is a level of comfortableness in eating alone according to the interviews done for the article.Of course they' felt more at ease in a chain restaurant than a fancier high priced one.It's also easier to dine alone in big cities where there is always a level of anonymity. Still it's a trend to catch on throughout the country.

Dining olo should be a fun experience. There's no friends and their prejudices to weigh upon order selection.It's just the diner alone enjoying quiet time with good food.

Giving Prison Food Clemency

 It a nasty comparison when people say a bad meal t astes "like prison food". This is true in most US incarceration centers where most are  basically owned by large  corporations. However that's changing in one famous prison - Riker's Island. Inmates are getting a chance to eat relatively decent food.

Regular contributor and chef Priya Krishna wrote this interesting piece in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Riker's Island has always had a bad reputation. It's essentially a jail  - not a prison - that holds local criminals.There has been all kinds of abuse there in recent years, from sexual to physical. If it can be called lucky, there is a small bright spot. Thanks to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a fervent vegetarian, the jail's menu is having an upgrade. Now inmates get two plant based meals a week and it will be upped to four a week in the near future.The loyal cooks there are excited about this overhaul.Much of their time is defrosting frozen food like pizza pockets and burritos - two meals they know detainees don't like.Janelle Anderson a Riker's cook for ten years claims that most of the food comeback uneaten. There is more waste than consumption.New dishes will include a baked macaroni and cheese with the addition of butternut squash  and a cheese and vegan sanocho, a beloved Puerto Rican stew. The last is being made by Hot Bread Kitchens , a non profit managing Rikers' kitchen.

Any jail time can be rough.However the RIkers cooks are devoted to their charges as they are to this new style of cooking.One,Luis Reina, who has been with the jail for twenty-nine years adds a bit of soy sauce occasionally to the meals to liven them up. (Mayor Mike Bloomberg mandated that there should be no salt in the dishes in back in 2012. He was striving for a healthier diet for all those associated with the city government).Mr. Reina also has detainees working for him. He doesn't delve into their pasts or the reason they're there. He just accept them for who they are ,After all these cooks provide the inmates with a rare shred of humanity - a meal. His co worker ,Tamara, Craddock agrees. This is their only connection to staying sane.It also isn't just humanizing she states but stabilizing. Shortages could be the fodder for prison riots.She cheers them up and even improvises a barbecue sauce bu blending ketchup with jelly for a makeshift barbecue sauce. Some like Kay Fraser, a pastry cook is tougher with them,Her attitude is gruff to them, ironic given her former position was making sweets for little girls at The American Girl Cafe.

Riker's Island has never really had a good reputation. It is hell for those who stay there. Yet eating decent and tastier  food is one way to alleviate the dismal situation. 

Treats For Diwali

 Halloween has its' many treats, from caramel apples to festive cupcakes.Yet Diwali also has it's share of delicious sugary treats. The holiday starts tonight and start it with sweetness to represent good overcoming evil. These are bardem burif and pedi  South Asian confections that are easy to make at home.Try them for a different kind of treat.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about this sweet  in yesterday's  New York Times Food section.They're known as mithai, sweet usually made with ghee or clarified butter, nuts and dairy. Mithai wasn't always this sweet. Before colonization, the Indians used jaggery , a mix of sugar from sugar cane and the sap of the date palm.The flavor was toasty and not cloyingly sweet .Yet a robust can sugar industry emerged during thi s time according to Arun Kumar Singh, an associate professor of politicla science at Multianimal Modi College in Modimagar,India/,Now many Indian -American chefs are going back to the somewhat original taste. This means adding salt to counter the overpowering sweetness.It even appears in American desserts cooked by Indian chefs.Che Deepa Shrihars at Thali, Omikase, a popup create a pumpkin pie based on Mysore pak,,a fudgey chickpea based sweet that boasts jaggery - and salr.even in India mithai is changing. Flavors such as Bischoff crackers and tiramisu are popping up in sweet shops such as the one inMumba at the Bpmbay Sweet Shop

Creating both Badam barfi and pedi are relatively easy.The first is a blend of ghee, cardamon, almond flour, sugar and salt..It's creating a soft ball stage syrup of sugar and water,The almond flour, cardimon and slated and sifted together  The almond flour and ghee is then added to this and then cooked  until the sides pull away from the pan and becomes slightly puffed. Pour this into a ghee greased pan and pat down with a spatula. The top is a Barbie pink chocolate made from ruby chocolate. This is a kind of chocolate made with red cocoa beans and it has a fruity flavor like strawberry or raspberry. It's melted in the microwave with freeze dried strawberries and then it's poured over the barfi. Cut into diamond shaped squares. You can add edible gold flecks too. Ped is made with either sweet milk ice cream mixed with saffron threads and cardamon. Four cups of whole milk powder is added .Use the ghee for greasing your hands.It's melting the ice cream in a frying pan, then adding the saffron and powdered milk.Its then poured onto parchment paper. Pinch off a goofball size pieces and roll in your hands.Flatten and then make an indentation with your thumb.Andd chopped pistachios in each well and then chill for two hours.

Diwali is full of sweets.Make these to celebrate the festival of light. They're a wonderful way to enjoy the holida

Deconstructing Carbone

 Carbone is a popular New York City restaurant. It has branches all over the world and their food has a reputation. Yet is the overly expensive restaurant worth all the hype and money? 

Regular contributor Priya Krishna answered the question in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. She toured all of them and discerned if they 're worth the good press.The chain is sort of like a Disneyland or another splashy New York eatery of long ago - Mama Leone's. Like MamaLeone's that closed in 1984, Carbone's attracts celebrities like Kim Kardashion and has the cache of expensive saucy dishes.Ms Krishna wanted to examine the mystique behind this chain. People either love it or hate it.s he wanted to know why and went on an American tour of the branches.The restaurant goes for fanfare, presenting diners with salami, bread, cauliflower salad and even a hunk of Parmesan cheese. Yet the food at the New York Carbone is just so so with some dishes, How was the MIami one. It seems only the desserts stood out, including the chilled rainbow cookies that every table receives/ The main meals were horrible / The shrimp was too rubbery and buttery tasting.The linguini vungole was  too oily to eat.

The Dallas Carbone had some bright spots. The crisp top on the lasagna Verde gave way to flavorful pesto and bechamel sauce. Their Negronis were well made Yet it stops there. The veal Parmigian crust, like its' Manhattan counterpart was tasteless. The broccoli was flaccid .The waiters were so schmaltzy that Ms Kirshna and her family has t  leave(after a waiter joked was her father on the cover of GQ) It did appeal to the rich tony types of the city but that was it. The Las Vegas one fared much better due in part to the owner Mario Carbone being in the kitchen. The shrimp cocktail had been upgraded to a lobster one.It was delicious. The sauces tasted homemade , as if they had been simmered on a stove all day .The vonglole was finally briny tasting. The best part it seems was the complimentary hunk of cheese. This Parmesan actually came from Parma and not Wisconsin. It seemed the Las Vegas Carbone was the best and miost authemticto Italian cooking.

Should you go to Carbone/s if one is nearby? If you want expensive so so Italain food ,yes. Keep in  mind that there are better restaurant to eat at in any of these cities.

New York - A Guide For Vegans

 You would think that Manhattan with it's many restaurants would be a paradise for vegetarians and vegans. Surprisingly the answer is no. It's not easy ordering  meat free in the Big Apple. Yet herbivores can survive with a few tips.

Regular Priya Krishna wrote about it on today's New York Times Food section.The city does have a lively and diverse restaurant scene. New Yorkers  can shop for plant based meats and some  eateries offer Impossible Burgers on their menus. It's not enough though.Many restaurants shrank their menus during the pandemic four and a half years ago.Plant based meats are not on the smaller or shrunken versions. Charlotte Brooks, a professor at Baruch College in Brooklyn has found that some places only have two options.Lawyer Tracie Lyons who lives on the restaurant rich Upper West Side has problems with finding one that suits her veganism. Choices are few and far between and looking for a suitable eatery is a chore.Ms Krishna heard this and decided to go out on her own to see the options. even the Times lsit of city restaurants have places that will not tweak their menus to suit non meat eaters What's a vegan or eve vegetarian to do?

One of the answers is go to pasta.This works except for vegans because with pasta come dairy based cheese and butter.Ms. Krishna recommends Ci Siamo which does have cheese and butter in their dishes. A better choice is just ordering pasta or gnocchi with marinara sauce. Diners could order a dish without meat or fish yet the dish like endive with anchovy at Estella is just endive. sometimes the vegan option does work as it does at Jeju Noodle Bar where their mushroom scallion pancakes are popular.Some eateries go ad hoc and will create a dish in seconds featuring no meat. Just ask nicely as she did at the Viernamese place Mam on the Lower East Side.The fancy eatery eleven Madison Park has gone vegan with its' tasting menus. Vegans and vegetarians love this .Le Bernardin also did this too. Of course if you want truly vegetarian, then head to Dirt Candy, Superiority Burger and Buddha Budai. These are truly meat and dairy free and have great menus.

Vegans and vegetarians can enjoy the Manhattan restaurant scene. One know where to go. Two enjoy the dishes whatever is in front of you. It'll make for a good dinner.

Burger Land USA

Americans love their hamburgers. This German import has been  a favorite in homes and in restaurants for well over a century. People love to eat the patties out in restaurants with innovative ideas. Which one has the best? It's not any fast food joints that's for sure.

Regular contributors Trjal Rao and  Priya Krishna compiled a list of the most original and best hamburgers in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Some  burgers reflect their surrounding areas such as Austen ,Texas' Camoechana restaurant with their cuantas hamburguesas recipe. This is a beef patty that chef Beto Robledo has added a carne asada sauce along with longaniza (a Mexican lanjager), chmichurri sauce cilantro and  a corn crusted Mexican cheese. For those wanting to try a different type of Asian fusion there's Seattle's Lao burger.It comes from Burger in Seattle and chef Khampeang Panyathong adds ingredients from his native Lao.  The burger is accented by toato jeow, a sweet earthy chili sauce  along with taro stems for lettuce and added pork belly.Brookly, always the birthplace of trendy has the tasty Made in Lagos burger at Akara House in Brooklyn. Chef Funso Akinya doesn't so much as create a meat patty but a bean based fritter, popular in his native Lagos.It's sandwiches between Ed tow plantains and is doused with the peanutty flavored suya dressing.

Chefs of other nationalities have made this simple dish all their own. There is the KRapow and Laab Smash burgers that Los Angelles; Ban Ban Burger . Sisters Katy Noochlar and Amanda Maneessilassan used their Thai roots to come up with a sandwich that has a thick smear of garlic holy basil and birds eye chilis on it while the laab is seasoned with an aromatic paste of lemongrass, makut lime chlis and toasted rice powder. Chef Eileen Andrade puts a fusion spin on hers at Amelia's 1931 in Miami. It reflects her Peruvian and KOrean roots. The patty is a beef and chorizo mix marinated in a blend of sesame oil, chili sauce and gochujang.. It's topped with Gruyere and served with shoe string potatoes. Yes there are American style burgers on the list as well. Abbas Dhananai whose family owns nine hundred Burger King and Wendy's franchises  creates a halal smash burger at Houston's Burger Bodega. Manhattan's own Haburger America has created the perfect smash burger.It a thin, crisp edged burger served on a buttered potato roll. Milwaukee has its' Lucy Goosy made at the Hot Dish pantry .This is a sandwich stuffed with a beef patty and slices of Wisconsin cheddar.Bozeman Montana gives us CHolms single from Cholms Burger a three ounce patty covered in gooey  American cheese on a potato bun it also has smoky bacon ends added to the meat thanks to Chef Cory Taber.

America has its' burgers. These are the places that make the best and the most original. Like America itself the patty is always changing , yet remaining true to itself.

Food For Olympians French Style

 Being an Olympic athlete means having an Olympian appetite. It has to be nutritious , full of the necessary vitamins, mineral, proteins and fibers for athletes to function well. However when the Olympucs are in Paris , it's sure to include delicious French twists. After all the Olympians have to have a taste of France with it's buttery rich flavors.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about this in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.There will be three large restaurants that more resemble  college cafeteria with all you can eat buffets ,cereal dispensers and soda dispensers. There are also cute ,kitschy decorations such as pipes with eyes drawn on them. Unlike college cafeterias there are definitely French dishes like blanquette de veau, a creamy veal strew from Burgundy, lemon tart and Paris-Brest, a lush choux pastry that's filled with a praline creme. There are also three famed French chefs who own world renown restaurants, Akrame Benalla,Amandine Chaignot and Alexandre Mazzia who will prepare such unique dishes as  coco beans with parsley ice cream and crispy mushroom croquettes. There will be more Gallic touches such as cheese plates and of course, that excellent French butter. Then there's the eating off fine French porcelain which will be washed in three colossal dishwashers made especially for the venue. Then there;es the bakeries scattered throughout the Olympic Village that feature not only mouth watering baguettes, croissants and pain Chocolat but also break baking lessons too, This is a welcome distraction from the pressures of competition.

Yet all this may go unnoticed. National athletes want what they want - comforting foods that are also rich in protein and fiber. The US team already has had popcorn, peanut butter, jerky, pretzels energy bars and protein shakes sent to their dorms at the Olympic Village. The Irish Olympic team may be open to new gastronomic experiences but they can;t start their day without their porridge.It's an essential part of the Irish diet which the French do not share. according to Sharon Madigan who oversees the Irish team's nutrition. The Kenyans need their ugali a carbohydrate heavy cornmeal and Kericho Gold tea according to their team nutritionist Purity Kamande. The Koreans also demand their kimchi while the Japanese need their miso.Luckily these needs were met , thanks in part to Carole Galissant who works with the nutritionists and is a part of Sodexo Live part of the Sodexo Restuarants. THere are six restaurants that also cater to not only the French but also to the Asians and halal diets.

The Olympics are here and with them an appetite to win. The athletes are going for the gold but also for the food. They will enjoy the best of healthy cuisine with a touch of Gallic flavor.

The Korean Food Empire

 Korean food is on the rise. However unlike other Asian cuisines it's stayed pretty pure in its'recipes and ingrdients. What's the reason for this? Namely that Korean chefs and the corporations responsible will not cave in to Amrcian tastes.

Regular contributor and chef herself Priya Kirshna wrote about this in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Korean food has never been more popular in Manhattan and the city has the Hand Hospitality to thank for this. This corporation has achieved what many non western restaurants still find difficult to do in America, win wide appeal while focusing on a narrow audience. This being young Korean and Korean-Americans hungry for a tasty of nergy pouring out of South Korea. Even Hand'sservers speak no or little English. Some dishes are only in Korean. They mean to cater strictly to this crowd however American are coming in droves to the eateries. Hand has imported some of the restaurants to New York and specialize only in one single dish - such as bulgoki thats served at Samwoojung.or the hearty soup gomtag at Okdonsig.Also trendy restaurants like Atomix and Atoboy, are also popular New York restaurants.

Hand has picked a good city to showcase its'restaurants. New york and its' boroughs have roughly twelve million people of Asian descent along with a dining crowd that's well acquainted with a myriad of different cuisines Hand Hospitality's influences goes beyond its' own restaurants and extends to such places as Korean Southern C as in Charlie. This is a fusion place whre popcorn chcken has a sweet gochujang glaze and there is a Seoulsbury strak with Gruyere grits.The chef David Jun woo serve swett tea alongside his meals. More and more Korean chefs are also combinging their American experience with their Asian backgrounds. Hand also maintains the cool and sometimes stern Korean style ethic to their restaurants . They are brutalist or minimalist lines. This again appeals to the downtown crowd used to warehouse design.  This also appeals to a ounger Korean crowd although not necessarily their elders. The older generation still wants traditional food in traditional settings. 

Korean food is on the uptick thanks to Hand Their restaurants not only attract Koreans longing for a taste of home but adventurous New Yorkers. It's the best of both worlds for them.

OnThe Menu

 Has anyone ever taken a good read at their menus? Do you know what your favorite eatery serves?Or the font that it's printed in?what about the graphics and size?Well, there's a new survey that shows exact;y what's on those pages.

Regular contributors Priya Krishna. Tanya Sichynsky and Umi Syam wroteabout this fascinatingaspect of restaurant lif in today's New York Times food section. After dealing with the pandemic , plexiglass barriers, QR codes that brought menus to our phones , masked servers and curbside delivery menus are back, They've become works of art. Mses Krishna, Sichynsky and Syam looked over a whopping 120(!!!) menus and discovered some interesting trends that emerged.One is the Ceasar salad.There are dozens of varieties of it ,from a catfish Casar, redolent with fried green tomatoes ,boiled eggs and cheddar to a Thai one with puffed rice croutons to a Casar del jardin that is loaded with carrots.There is even a tofu Caesar that many places are serving.Another interesting point is that menus have literally shrunk in size. They're not as large as they used to be. Menu colors have become brighter too.  Some are a dazzling Barbie pink while others are a cheery canary yellow.

Restaurants have also become more creative with their fonts. There are many different types and they 've become smaller. They're now fiv points (in comparison to Times which is printed in seven to eight points)  . Another phenomena popping up on menus are mascots. They could be drawn by a creative employee or borrowed from Hnri Matisse and Jean Cocteau. Like fashion restaurants have become brands. Logos are too obvious but a mascot is a sublte way of advertising.A big trend  is informal. Most look likey they've been created by a design school freshman  .Cheesy fonts reign supreme as do wonky formatting and using printer paper.A more eco version is using an inkless embossing stamp to impress a restaurant's name on a menu. The anatomy is also changing. Restaurant employees are also getting salary increases thanks to their bosses cutting down on menu costs;There's also a service charge explanation also included as well as eateries telling  diners that they offer health benefits for their help. Also on the menu is having entrees explained as smaller or bigger along with listing mocktails with their sodas and teas.

Menus are the window to any restaurant. new innovations in them show new innovations in the kitchen. They are the bestway to introduce a new diner to great cuisine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Versatile Roti

 Roti is the type of flatbread that can be used in traditional and non traditional dishes. It cna be sweet or savory, served with lamb or jaggery sugar. The one thing it is is tasty and can be made in any home chef's kitchen.

Regular contributor and cookbook author Priya Krishna wrote about this basic yet versatile bread in today New York Times Wednesday Food section. Roti is a staple at many Indian restaurants but thnaks to both forced and voluntary migrations is alsoa staple in such diverse cuisines as Caribbean, Malaysian and Guyanese. The name itse;f derives from Northern Indian according to Professor Krish Ray who teaches food stiduies at NYU. However the basic recipe was common. Early people made rounds of unleavend bread cooked over open fires and either eaten plain or with somekind of meat and /or veggies. You can make it at home or even buy it at any grovery store. Caribbean chef Peter Prime gets the rounds at his local Caribbean mart in Mary;and. He does create his own too  - theTrinidadian buss up shut which has butter giving the bread a smoother texture. Keep in mind that it can also be made much easier wirh the help of the Rotimatic which sells for $1299 .

However Ms Krishna also includes a recipe for it. it calls for ghee, the clarified melted butter but you can use melted unslated butter too. There is flour, usually refined white will do along with baking powder for rise. A tablespoon of light brown sugar imparts a sweet taste making it perfect for dessert recipes too.The ingredients are added to the flour and baking powder by the well method. The dough at first will be shaggy looking but as tablespoons of water are added , it should evolve into a smooth ball. when this happens cover it with either plastic wrap or a kitchen towel  and let it rest  for anywhere between one to four hours. In the meantime combine the ghee or melted butter with coconut oil. When the dough has rested them roll it out on a floured surface. Formronds, and cut a slit in the middle Add the butter coconut oil mixture, then roll the dough onto itself, It should form cone. Sealt the ends , return to a buttered pan and allow it to rest for thirty more minutes. The dough is cooked in al large skillet with the butter mix to fry it. Keep brushing it with butter and shredding it with two spatulas. Repeat until allk the pieces are cooked . Serve with curry or a sweet filling.

Roti is a delcious bread that can be served with a variety of fillings. Have it sweet or savory.It''s a delicious treat either way.

Tiktok's Culinary Stars

 If you want to be the next Julia Child your easiest route would be TIktok. This uber popular app has created some new culinary stars that are being shot into the popular media stratosphere.will this trend last? Possibly

Regular and cookbook author Priya Krishna wrote this fascinating article for today/s New York Times Food section. Tiktok has been responsible for the meteroric rise of such novelists as Colleen Hoover thanks to the ever popularBookTOk. Now foodies around th eworkld are diiscovering good  recipes by  personable home chefs and bakers. Thes people have no experience , no culinary school or even restaurant experience. Some have only come to cooking and baking recently like B. Dylan Hollis. He started baking in his Wyoming kitchen during the pandemic. yet it was the usual sourdough recipe. Since he loved vintage Mr. Hollis decided to try recipes from antique cookbooks and hisa pork cake, meat loaf meets pound cake (!!!????) became a smash hit, viewers loved it. Now he even has a lucrative cookbook that came out in JUly. Baking Yesteryear  has evne sold more copies than the Obamas books and Prince Harry's autobiography.

Other home chefs are following suit. Joanne Lee Molinaro has racked up sales along with garnering thousands of fans with her Vegan Korean videos. There;s a story with each video as she creates tasty nonmeat dishes. JOn KOng is another Tiktok home that has not only garnered a following but included QR codes in his cookbook that links them to his videos. Then there's Nadia Caterina Munno who parlayed her 3.1 million Tiktok followers into a deal for a cookbook. Her "The Pasta Queen" released last NOvember debuted at number five on the New York TImes "Advice, How To and Miscelleneous " list Her career took off when she posted a video in 2020 crtiticizing how another made lasagna.  Jenny Martinez was selling bulldozers before she made My Mexican Meso videos and then got a cookbook deal. Barbara Costello,  a 74 year old retired teacher has just aced a deal for a cookbook, thanks to her "Celebrate with Babs" Tiktok videos. These are homey fun recipes that wouln't go amiss at a tailgating party. 

Will these Tiktok chefs have the lasting power fo JUlia CHild?They could. Their recipes are just as good as any chefs

A Kiwi Sweet Treat

 Imagine a different kind of ice cream. It's fresher less sweet and airier. Can there be a new twist on tis classic? Yes.It's coming from New Zealnd and it's their take on the iconic cone.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about this different kind of cold treat in yesterday's New York Times food section. I'ts now coming to the States with shops  selling it in Boston, Portland Oregon and Austen , Texas. The New Zealandrs call it  real fruit ice cream and it's a scoop of vanilla blended with fruit in a machine that produces a barely sweet swirls with a buttery texture. Real fruit ice cream probably originated in the country's berry orchards and has been the desired dessert for decades. However when the Americans took it over they made major changes. Cookies and other sweets are being added , much to the chagrin of New Zealander manufacturers of the Little Gem, the ice cream  blender that makes the blended ice cream. Dennis and Chris Little, brothers who make the machine  say that  they've been getting  alot fo requests from America but feel that adding cookies or candy to the mix would not make for a big seller.

This is upsetting to a culture that  leads te world in ice cream consumption An average New Zealander eats about 5.3 gallons a year while Americans eat only 3.5 gallons annually. What separates the two cultures is that the US is almost hedonisitc when it comes to the frozen sweet according to August Radhill, owner of Far Out Ice Cream in Brookline Massachusetts.It serves cones of real fruit ice cream.He and his business partner, Drew Beja opened up their store in 2021 wit just two flavors and four toppings. Yet customers asked for more toppings. Zeds Real fruit Ice Cream in Austin offers several flavors and toppings along with sundaes like berry Butterfinger, a strawberry real fruit ice cream with chocolate sauce and Butterfinger candies. sales have been so brisk that the onwer Mack Brown is looking for a second location.Its te drizzles or sauces that get the Americans not the ice cream itself. The reaction is mixed .some like it  like Kelly Ferrarosome like Otan Oy don't claiming it's too drippy. Americans ar enot used to the taste of fresh fruit in their ice cream.

Will real fruit ice cream replace American soft serve. That's a hard question. Americanslove their sauces and toppings yet the idea of a new kind of ice cream is intriguing.

The Summer of Good Eating

 New York City and it's surrounding area   is a summer paridise. There are musems, beaches, outdoor concerts and plays. Best of all are its' restaurants. You can always find a good meal in Manhattanno matter what the season.

Almost every New York Times Food section contributor from Pete Wells and Florence Fabricant to Priya Krishna,Alexis weibel and Nikita Richardson have their favorites. even Eric Asimov who writes The Pour about wine and other alcohol weighs in. It's not just limited to Manhattan. There's even a short list of Jersey City eateries such as Filipino bread House which features petite enseymadas a kinf of cheese Danish.The city offers a wide range of Mexican places like Mezcal Kitchen and Indian like Honest. Of course the boroughs have some great restaurants too.Umi Syam covers Queens which has excellent Korean barbecue places like Yong sam Gyup Goo Yi where diners can customize their dinners and the Japanese Beat Mazesoba which features soba noodles with washugyu beef.Of course there is trendy Williamsburg and its' rooftop dining. These places are perfect for tourists looking for good food and stunning night time views of Manhattan There's westlight with dining influences from Asia and south america and  the Wythe's Hotel Bar Blondeau wit its' high end menu. Try Philadelphia's based Laser Wolf on top of the Hoxton Hotel for fun nibbles.

Are there seafood restaurants? Yes, since New York is a port city. Visitors cna easily go to The Bronx' City island located in the norteast section of the borough. Seafood lovers will love Johnny's Reef which has a wide range of seafood. of course you can also visit the Rockaways and Coney Island too, to escape the hot city streets. You can surf in the wild waters off the Rockaways and then head to Margie's at The Rockaway Hotel for a lobster BLT or go to Tacoway Beach for fish tascos with pineapple.There's also Uma's and LaCerviccheria. Nathan's is the place to go at Coney Island for their famed franks and super crunchy fries. Also try denas Sweet Shoppe for boardwalk faves like funnel cake and Paul's daughter for fried clams.  Also check out Staten Island including a  roller rink. Yes there are good places in Manhattan proper too.check out the chicken parmesan at Cafe Fiorello on upper Broadway and the lemongrass pork banh mi at salguette at Columbus Circle.Tourists will appreciate the burgers at JG Melon and West African food at Teranga.Those wanting to eat al fresco can enjoy Panzon in Greepoint Brooklyn or a night out eating great snacks at shea Stadium.

New York and its' environs is a food lover's paradise. There are so many goodies out there to try. This is the summer to go wild and taste everything.

Dallas The Next Big Foodie Town

 Dallas has always been known for rich oilmena nd luxury stores. Now this always thriving Texas city is beginning to be known for its' food scene. The city is hosting a wide and unique varity of restaurants catering to the next generation.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about the city 's thriving food scene in today's New York Times. dallas has become a magnet thanks to new development and new money. Not only that the population increased by a whopping 122,000 residients in the Dallas - Fort Worth area.Another plus is that Dallas households spent more on eating out than ones in the bigger cities of New York and San Francisco. even though the area does have it's share of poverty. (around 17.7 of the population lives in poverty) Yet fancy restaurant chains are wanting in The famed Sadelle's has been there for a year , having diners making reservations three months in advance. The owner of the wildly expensive Las Vegas based Neta Cocina y Lounge Ryan Labble prefers Dallas. he feels that people go to restaurants for the experience where in Las Vegas an eatery is just a quick stop to a casino or show.

Dallas wasn;t always on some  restauranteurs radars. Eugene Remm had to be convinced to see what was happening and was surprised to see packed dining room and guests spending money. He now plans to open an upscale seafood restaurant Catch in the city's fast growing Uptown neighborhood. He's surprised that the city is much like his native Manhattan. There are member;s club as well as famed designer stores like Dior and Gucci. even bakery chains are joining the thriving scene. Sprinkles  Cubcake creator Candace Nelson opened  a Dallas branch as early as 2007 and recently opened up a branch of the Los Angeles Pizzana. She observes that  it's exciting for residents to have a place that they've visited come to their city. There are prpblems with the influx of these big corporate owned places. the chain restaurant Carbone's was sued by Julian Barotti the owner of a smaller Dallas restuarant  also named Carbone's. erinn willis owner of the french restrauranr RM 12.20 Bistro had to close. Her custoemrs were stolen by larger , glitzier french restaurants.

Dallas is getting on the culinary map. it may be the destination city to go to for a good meal instead of being known for cattle and oil fields. It will draw money and food lovers.

Corona Plaza A Weekend Treat

If you're looking for something different to do thos Spring then think about  the Corona Plaza Market in Queens new York. This is the place to go for a taste of the familiar and exotic It's worth the car bus or subway trip out.

Rrgular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about it in today's New York Times Food section. It'sworth the trip out You can try prok skin crackles over warmed potatoes or a tprtilla filled with sliced beef and onions.Blame the pandemic on this area. Many vendors lost their jobs and couldn't go back to their old jobs. They created new food and drink oriented ones.

It paid off. This area is popular with all sorts fo people, from hipsters looking for a new flavor to Latinos searching for a taste of home.The in gredients are fresh and seasonal. Freoilan and ZChristina Garcia not only make fresh tacos and totillas but also agua fressca, the refreshing water based drink. They use market boiught cucumbers and lime for it. Their corn flour based drinks have fresh peanuts and walnuts. Not allof it its rosy however. There have been raids where ,local cops take their gear and they have to retrieve it. This can be costly.

Still if you want to try Corona Plaza Market do so,It's a fun and tasty getaway It's a day trip worth taking.

America's Best Restaurants

 America is both a gourmand and foodie country.It's no wonder that we're home to some of the best restaurants. They're in the big cities. They grace small towns. They could be in your neighborhood. The bottom line is they offer delicious and memorable dishes.

Today's Wednesday's New York Times  Food section put out this fascinating guyide that not only mentions eateries in the US's big cities but smaller towns as well. Regular contributers such as Priya Krishna, Brett Anderson ,Kim Severson and Pete Wells to name a few. some are in big cities like Bonnies which is a favorite of Mr. Wells. Their specialty is Cantonese and Chef Calvin Eng adds American influences to his dishes like his salt and pepper squid with a hinese ranch dressing.Another Manhattan eatery  worth noting is Little Mad reviewed by Nikita Richardson. Its' highlight recipe is it' galbi, Korean grilled ribs. The city also offers The Musket Room which borrows ideas from everywhere from Spain to Lebanon to Japan. Los Angeles is another gourmand city. It has Here's Looking At You, which is favorite of contributor Tejal Rao. its' famous for its' frogs legs with salsa negra,LA. also is home to a fan favorite Kato which features Chef Jon Yao's Tainwanese dishes and tasty cocktails. Yes there are Chicago restuarants such as Dear Margaret which features the rare French Canadian menu. There is no poutine, that famed French fries and cheese dish. Instead Chefs Ryan Brousseau and lacey irby have created a smooth duck liver pate graced with pink lemon marmalade.

Smaller cities are also represented. Junco,Puerto Rico,a small town has Bacoa Finco + Fogon which features a rustic setting and good food. There is grilled shrimp over fideua with a crispy bottom. Way further north is Cafe Mutton located in Hudson New York, a bit south of Albany.It's a down home kid of place thanks to chef Shaina Loew -Bayanan's easy laid back style. You can try their fried  bologna or crepes with maple syrup.Arlington Texas has the famed Smoke "N Ash BBQ that's a fusion of Texas barbecue with Ethiopian fare thanks to owners Patrick and Fasicka Harris.Berbere spices are mixed into a spicy sauce called awaze and lacquered on brisket. Florida's sunny Coral Gables has Zitz Sim an interesting fusion eatery that Clumbian born Pablo Zitzman created. He grew up loving dim sum and teppnyaki restaurants in his native Columbia. His menu reflects it along with South Florida influences  with a guava hoisin slathered on brisket. ashland Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival offers Mas , a Japanese inspired menu with what Chef Josh dorcak calls Cascadian cuisine featuring the best of the region.

America is a food and foodie country. There are many great restuarants in this country. Check out the New York Times and visit one for a fun fall destination.

Going Broke For Dinner

 It used to be that a dinner out, especially at  a fancy restaurant wouldbreak your bank account. Now it's a simpe homecooked meal that's causing financial anxiety and stress. Why? There are these new buy now pay later apps that are getting home chefs into hot water.

Regular contributor and chef Pria Krishna covered this new phenomena in today's New York Times Food section.Many young people are using appls like the Swedish company Klarna which came about a decade ago.Initially it was and is used for buying big ticket items that break down the paymnents into affordable chunks. However more and more millennials like Josh Roberts(no relation) was spending beyond his means on food, as he also supports his sister and his girlfiend. His buys are not extravagent, chicken breasts , chips bananas and cereal. However he owed one thousand dollars to Klarna, thnaks to late fees , mostly of one hundred dollars. Bad enough he has student loan debt of $11,000 and two grand worth of unpaid medical bills. The app is temptation to others like Mr. Roberts. There is no interest or extensive credit checks. It's easy to sign on and get a layaway plan.Users already use it for a quick coffee or lunch. It seems that the next step is grocery shopping. 

This has spawned the growth of other companies like Klarna, There is Zip, Zilch and Affirm and they're immensely popular in Korea and Australia. It can be a blessinf for customers who keep up with payments. Jessiee Blum of Rutherfod New Jersey didn't need convincing to sign up. She doesn't have to worry about groceries, concetrating on other problems, like the electric and internet bill. For other tis can take some juggling.Noelle Platt a stay at home mother of one in Kerry North Carolina, uses both Zip and Sezzle, another buy now pay later app. She used them first at the start of pandemic and had trouble with saving and payment. With smarter management she can stay ahead of bills.Phoenix hair dresser Hannah Brown has a fluctuating payckeck so buy now pay later works for her. There is a down side she feels. She has a tendency to splurge, especially on take out meals. because she pays so little up front. Her coworkers aren't so lucky. Yet these apps are taking over thanks to many food stamp programs are ending. There is also investigation in it too but ti skirts the Truth in Lending Act.

will the buy no pay later idea catch on? Yes, if food prices keep rising. There may be pushback from some but these apps will become necessary for all to eat properly.

In Praise of The Cone

 It's almost summer and that means one thing - ice creamed scooped and piled into all sorts of cones. Yet where would the icy treat without its' sturdy base? The cone is just as important as the treat itself as the Joy Baking Company knows

Regular contributor,cookbook writer and chef, Priya Krishna wrote about this amazing company in today's New York Times Food section.Joy Cones have been around since 1918 when two Lebanese immigrants,Albert George and his brother-in-law Thomas J. Thomas, started the company in Brookfield, Ohio.It nearly went bankrupt in 1943 thanks to a fire breaking out in the factory.. Joe George, father of the current owner,David  took over that year and focused on building proprietary or commercial ovens to bake thousands of cones. Within five years the company became profitable. Now Joy handles all the big companies from Dairy Queen to Mister Softee. Even local, privately owned ice cream shops use Joy. The company sells three types, cake , sugar and the ever popular waffle. The recipes for all three are simple. The cake cone is made from batter of water flour and sugar. Tapioca flour is added to give the cone it's sturdiness and absorbent like quality. The sugar and waffle ones have brown sugar added for the rich tan color.

Is there competition? There is from Keebler  but they mostly distribute to stores. Most home chefs use them to create cones. There are some ice cream shop owners like Kristine Tonlonow of the Konery in Brooklyn who have different ideas. When she started her business in 2014  she looked at the cones and their blandness along with their uniformity. She felt that there should be different flavors to match or compliment the creamery's variety of flavors. The cones should be as exciting as the ice cream itself. Her cones come in bright colors and even brighter flavors like orange Creamsicle and salted blue corn along with gingerbread and peppermint.. They do cost three to four times more than Joy's. However stores like Whole Foods and theme parks are buying them along with independent shops like Malai Ice cream in Cobble Hill Brooklyn. Some ice cream shop owners such as  Washington D.C.s Susan Soorenko feels the flavored ones can be a distraction. Customers have enough choices and may not like their eventual option. She'll stick with the classic Joy ones instead which let the flavors shine.

Joy's cones are one of the joys of summer. They're a part of the whole ice cream on a hot day experience. They make those sugar , cake and waffle cones for warm weather memories.