Hunt and Gather On A Budget

It isbecoming harder and harder to go grocery shopping these days. Despite all the campaign promises we still have sky high prices for everything. Forget eggs. Thanks to the avian flu and pricing , these are about as affordable as diamonds. What to do? As always  - shope wisely.

Doing all of one's shopping at one store may not be viable anymore. Home chefs may have to visit two or even three stores .The best ones with the best prices are Lidl, Aldi and Wal-Mart. Lidl' is probably your best bet. Not only do you receive decent prices , you also get really delicious food in the bargain. Some of their prices ave raised. Their olive oil has gone up by two dollars and their cookies have also gone up in price. Still they're the best buy.  Another plus about Lidl is ts that their wines and beers are also at a good budget friendly price. Aldi also has good prices . Frozen pizza is around five dollars. A bag of their chicken fries - always a fun meal is only $4.95, Roma tomatoes are nineteen cents a pound. A three pack  of green peppers is $3.85 . As for meat, again Lidl can't be beat. You can buy London Broil for $7.39 while Acme sells relatively the same cut for close to sixteen dollars. Lidl' also has Gulf shrimp for $7.99  This is a true bargain compared to Stop & Shop's version at $24.95

If course there is also Wal-Mart. One interesting aspect about their food section is that they sometimes acquire hard to get products like Dolly Parton;'s cake mixes and frostings when other stores didn't carry them. They also have a good array of holiday cake and cookie mixes  along with decorations.Another plus is that they have family sized boxes.. You can get good buys on everything from instant oatmeal to bread. This pays if you have a big family. Keep in mind that Wal-Mart probably has the best prices on kitchen appliances and gadgets too. Apps come in very handy too when you;re shopping on a budget. Keep track of all your digital coupons and use them when you can. Lidl' offers rewards when you spend over one hundred dollars and a special reward when you spend three indeed dollars. Be on the look out for BOGO sales, buy one get one either free or fifty per cent off. Most groceries like Acme have designated Tuesday as their senior discount day. People over the age of sixty receive ten per cent off their entire order. Shop on  these days for discounts.  Also Stop & Sop offers what;s known as reward gas points. They come in handy when you want to save at the pump.

For now it's hard to shop. Yet you can do it and save wisely, It just takes  shopping savvy to get discounted food.

Christmas Your Way

 Many are stating home on Christmas,away from family. It's the joy of having freinds over for good food and fun presents.It's also a chance to get away from traditional dinners. People are serving what they like and not' what's dictated by decades of tradition. eat what you like. It's a feast to celebrate but it's your feast too.

One aspect of celebrating Christmas your way is breaking free of recipes you may not like. For many it's home made pasta with sauce instead of the usual ham or turkey. This is perfect for those who love cacio e pepe or even an Alfredo, with creamy white sauce. Another festive holiday dish is risotto Milanese or any risotto for that matter. This is the perfect celebratory dinner for two or even three. Add a good bottle of wine and enjoy. Keep in mind that you can also make a smaller version of the traditional holiday meal. You can get a turkey breast at any grocery like Acme or Stop and Shop. As for gravy and stuffing go for the best- LIdl. Their cornbread stuffing and turkey gravy are the best, very flavorful and just easy to make. Just have a slice vegetable if you want.. I went with Lidl;s  potato and squash puree. I'm having a small vegan Christmas with Gardein;'s turkey slices which are easy to air fry. Vegans can also have their own holiday away from me at loving relatives. Garden and Tofurkey offer small roasts that can be roasted in around an hour and a half. They come with their own wild rice stuffing and gravy . This is perfect for two and their might even be leftovers.

What about desserts? The good thing about Christmas your way is desserts your way. Don;t make the traditional trifle if you';re not into it. Buy a fancy ice cream loaf - my way of celebrating. Again this is a fancy, lacy looking ice cream log, full of , chocolate bourbon and vanilla. There is no way I could duplicate this dreamy sweet. It's perfect for two and a bit nontraditional  for Christmas sinc it is a cold dessert.. As for cookies again, don;t bake if you have to. All stores have trays of them and you can get a smaller one. If you just fancy fruit, then go for it. Nothing beats a  light dish of different fruit after a heavy meal. Pears and apples are still big right now. have a plate with sliced pieces . You can also do a quick poached pear . Add a sweet red wine to them and maybe a dab of butter.it just takes a few minutes and then they're done. Of course if you want to spend the night gorging on Christmas candy , then do so. Also break open the champagne. Drink your way  too. Pop open a bottle of bubbly or chill in front of a fire with a hot toddy or mulled wine.It's your celebration.

Do Christmas your way if you don;t want to celebrate it with family. eat what you want. Drink what you want. Make it a day to celebrate the Lord in the way you want.

Old Faithful Igloo Cooler

 It's that time of the year when many will be enjoying a late summer lunch at the beach or a tailgate party. If that's the case then it's time to bring out the Igloo Cooler These are perfect for toting food and drink to wherever you want to go.

The Bento boxes in yesterday's post made me think of my sturdy and trusty Igloo Cooler.

I bought mine at Stop & Shop years ago and it has lasted me though countless beach seasons and long trips down to other parts of New Jersey. It's also a great one to take to work regardless of the season.

What I also like is its roominess too. A small hero or large sandwich along with a soda and a bag of chips can fit easily into it.it's also great for bags of veggies and fruit slices too along with dressing. Unfortunately Igloo discontinued this style but there are some other great totes and lunchpails that could easily be subbed in.  There are also hard plastic coolers for  drinks and ice too, if you;re planning on a big tail gate party.

Igloo totes are the perfect carry all to the beach or a tailgate party. Pick up one for the late summer .They're a great addition to any event.

A Low Budget Barbecue

 It's grilling season and that means barbecue and outdoors parties. There is a problemwith them. The rising cost of food. Can you have a decent and satisfying time outdoors.? With the right budgeting , yes.

Befire any barbecue you have to ask are there items that you can do without? Steak is one of them, with it coming in at $16  cut. Buy four of these and that's eighty dollars gone.even that money saver Costco, is selling a pack ofr four for a whopping $55, It's ridiculous.  Forget Wal-mart . Their ribeyes comes in at $23. Your only bet is sticking with hamburgers Acme is selling a pound of ground beef for $14.97  while wal-mart s brands are a few dollars cheaper. You can jazz up ground beef too  by adding butter or ground onions for a more flavorful bite. Are the already made burgers worth buying? Yes, if you don't have the time to make your. The best proice are the inhouse brands. Look to Acme's Signature which also has tasty turkey burgers and Stop and Shop's organic Nature's Promise one. Another idea is to go plant based. These are relatively cheaper than the real thing and they do taste like beef. Think about getting Beyond Meat's package of patties.

Keep in mind that turkey is also the way to go too.It's usually half the price of  red meat and is better for you healthwise. You could even served it on an opened faced bun with jarred gravy if you want to make them special.Is chicken a good buy for your barbecue?Most of the time chicken wings are the same price as red meat. Target does have the occassional sale with a pack of their Good & Gather wings selling for only $3.99. They're perfect if you are having a lot of people over or just love wings. What about chicken breasts? They're just as expensive as red meat.Acme is selling a pack for $17.45 for a three pound pack. Reserve these for a special occasion. If you really want togo cheap, then think of veggies. You can do a lot more with them than meat. Another plus about using veggies? Taking them from your garden for a fresh off the vine taste.Also leftover grilled ones can be put into salads the next day.You could even make them into a roasted version of ratatouille too.

You can have a bountiful barbecue without spending too much. Shop wisely. You'll wind up with an ourdoor meal that's both filling and tasty.

Shopping In This New Reality

 Food shopping used to be easy. You just bought the basics if you wanted to cut back. Yet suppose the basics are just as expensive as the frill foods? What do you do? Be thoughtful and open to alternatives.

This is the biggest complaint with eggs nowadays. New York City groceries are offering a dozen for a whopping eleven dollars . You can get a cheaper version across the Hudson River in New Jersey. Some stores like Target are pricng eggs at four dollars for twelve.Still it will be like this for a while thanks to the avian flu  which is rampant amongst wild and domestic birds. As far as having scrambled eggs and omelets  there are substitutes. Just Egg is one..This deep yellow egg substitute is only $3.95 for twelve fluid ounces. You can get two omelets or scrambles out of it. Two bottles is cheaper than a dozen of eggs in some areas. As for baking. you can use aquafaba or chickpea water or brine.This is a great vegan sub in for egg whites , especially if you want to make meringues.remember that three tablespoons of it equals one large egg. Apple sauce and bananas also work as well. With eggs comes bacon and in some areas of the US it has reached $11 a package!!!! You could go for the in house brands which are much less expensive and frankly taste the same. Another option is buying  the meatless varieties like Morningstar Farms which is selling for five dollars a package.

There are other  options you can go with to cut costs.The easiest way is buying all inhouse brands. Acme and Stop and Shop sell a twelve can pack of soda for four dollars , five dollars less than what the national brands like Coke and Pepsi. You won;t have the many variations of Coke but it's still not bad. These packs are great for a party too. As for th e flavor they bascially taste the same as the national brands.The same goes for cereals. You;re better off with buying your favorite store's inhouse brands. Another idea is coupons. now you can download all these different apps to help you shop. Also take advantage of those two for one sales, especially if its' frozen foods where you can store them for months.Those frozen veggies can be versatile too. They're good hot with butter and cheese added on top or turned in cold salads. Take advantage of the sales on them. Should you cut back on the stuff you like? The answer is don't go wild. The fancier foodstuffs like roasts and seafood can be reserved for special occasions only. You can add more veggies in your menu. Ratatouille is an easy and meatless blend of eggplant, tomaotes and onions. Pasta and rice are also cheap simple to make too and make for less expensive meals than one featuring meats.

This is a tough time for food shopping. Yet you can navigate those high prices by smart and thoughtful shopping.It can result in still having filling meals that are nutritious and tasty.

High End Versus Low End Baking

 Home chefs are starting to think of the heavy baking season ahead. There' are pies and breads to make for Thanksgiving  followed by the intense cookie race for Christmas.One of the big questions is do they go for the more expensive ingredients and implements or save money with buying cheape ingredients.

It's a hard dilemma. Purists will want to use the best quality yet for some it's hard to do thanks to inflation. A simple compromise is using both high and low end in the same recipe.If you;re going high end then think King Arthur. This is one of the oldest flour companies in the country  first starting in Boston in the 1790's by Hnery Wood. Over two centuries later home bakers rave about its finely milled flours and pure extracts.Yes it is expensive.You can buy a pound fo flour for $4.95 online or at your local grocery. Acme sells their organic flour  for $7.19 , Their almind flour there is around nine dollars. Their cake mix is close to nine dollars for a box. You could easily go to your local Stop & Shop and buy a box of Duncan Hines cake mix for only $1.25 on sale right now. Again it's up to you. If you want to indulge yoru family then go for the more expensive. Their doughnut and muffins pans are high quality with prices as high as almost thirty dollars.Are they worth the money? You can probably get twenty years out of them so the answer is yes. King Arthur also sells extracts  and cocoa powder too. They are expensive with a tin costing $12,95. You can get ti for a lot less again at any store.

What about cookies? Many home bakers make tins of all different kinds for family and friend gifts along with for the office or class party. Family and friends can get the best.You can use the the better flour and Kerrygold butter along with the top grade vanilla extract. You can decorate them with the Wilton cookie decorating kit. This has the nozzles and bags to create sweetly stars and angels. you will have to supply the icing yourself. A better deal is Wal-Mart's cookie kits. Their own brand Great Value is offering some cool and inexpensive kits like their gingerbread one for only $4.97. It comes with the mix, cutter, two tubes of icing  and candy decorations. You can;t beat that! Another good Wal-Mart deal is their  BUild Your Own Brownie Tree kit which has the brownie mix , an icing pouch, cutters and candy decorations. These are perfect for the kids to make  but also fun on any holiday dessert table.  Another idea is cutting back on the amount you're planning to bake. Instead of two pr three pies for Thanksgiving choose one and stick with it. As for cookies opt for three or four as opposed to five or six. 

It's a dilemma about choosing high or low end baking. Base your choice on what works for you financially. Welcome  holiday baking. DOn;'t be fianancially drained by  it.

A Quick Halloween meal

 Halloween can be a fun day but it can also be nightmare for parents trying to plan lunch or dinner. It's hard to eat let alone cook between answering the door and taking the kids trick or treating. what to do? Think simple.  A simple meal is a b ig help here.

Sandwiches are the way to go for lunch. Have cold cuts and bread or rolls on the ready. Use leftover chicken or roast beef from Sunday's lunch for a delicious lunch. Make yourself a hearty one if you're planning on heading house to house afterwards. Think a hero stuffed with not only your favorite slices of ham or salami but also with different cheeses like Provolone and mozzarella. Add tomatoes and pickles too. Extras like chips or pretzels can round it out. A hot lunch on a chilly day is a boon because you'll feel warm afterwards. If you're ambitious then spend tomorrow making a homemade soup that can easily be served on Monday. A good cauliflower or potoato one is not only filling but also delicious too. Round out the lunch with toasted cheese rounds using Italian ro French bread crisped up in an air fryer and a salad. Kids may just want to skip lunch and get to the trick or treating. Don't allow this to happen. Pack a favorite sandwich and a juice box if they refuse to eat at home. Take along napkins and wet wipes so there are no grubby or dirty little fingers begging for candy.

Another meal that will be affected by the holiday is dinner.Again you could also use Sunday's leftovers for Monday's supper. Cook extra pasta or sides to stretch the meal. That way you can concentrate on handing out treats. If the family still wants a hot dinner, consider take out. The addition of pizza , Chinese or burgers only adds to the excitment of the holiday. However if you feel the need to cook something fresh, then think easy. Pasta is a snap to boil and serve with a variety of sauces. Dont go homemade. There are plenty of good commercially made ones that can fill the bill. Acme and Stop & Shop have a wide range of tasty sauces,  Get a tomato basil or a four cheese one. Again make an easy garlic bread in the air fryer to sop up the sauce. A French dip sandwich is another tasty warm meal that's easy to make.Buy sliced London Broil or roast beef and long rolls. Use already made gravy and heat it up in the miicrowave. The result is a hot sandwich that will keep you filled long after the last trick or treater has gone home.

Don't let Halloween trick you into skipping lunch or dinner. Have a full meal before trick or treating or handing out goodies. It's a treat that will keep you going all day.

Easter Savings

 Many home chefs are dreading the holiday.It's not the cooking or creating the perfect meal.It's the price of the ingredients plus the main course that has them freaking out. There are ways to have a less expensive holiday.

One way to combat the high price is varying where you shop. You may find a bargain for your ham or lamb at one store while another may have better buys on veggies.Another idea is heading to more dollar friendly stores like Aldi and Lidl. Right now Aldi has spiral cut ham for only ninety-five cents a pound!! Their lamb leg roast is just $7.49 a pound.Lidl has a whole young chicken for $2.69 a pound.Both stores have excellent pricing on their veggies too. A cheaper alternative to meat is portabella mushrooms which can be prepared a number of ways. Air fried caps are delicious with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and oregano. You can also  grill them if you're planning an outdoor holiday meal. Pasta is another low cost alternative. Think of having a pasta primavera , chock full of veggies,You could also make a carbonera with a bacon laced sauce. This you can have a little splurge with since the eggs and bacon are costly. A veggie lasagna is a great way to go for a crowd. This and a salad can make for a filling holiday meal. As for dessert a home baked cake works well or just cupcakes topped with homemade buttercream icing.

Another idea is having a pot luck dinner. You can provide the main course which means you can spend a little more on getting a bigger cut of meat . Ham would be the best bet. It can feed a lot. As for dishes , you can have people make their signature dishes.  Suppose two guest have the same signature dish?Make a list of who is bringing what otherwise you'll wind up with duplicates. If there are double recipes then persuade the second person to make their second favorite dish.Keep in mind there shouldn't be any dishes left out. Check to see if everything is going to be on the menu, from salads to desserts. Also let the vegetarians and vegan create their dishes while the non vegans bring theirs. That way  everyone is happy with the meal.Also e mail a list of everyone's allergies too to prevent any problems. Suppose it's just a dinner of only three or four people. Condense. A small ham or just a chicken will do  along with  a side of asparagus. Serve the asparagus with butter and cheese for a tasty dish. Also a simple salad is a nice touch. As for dessert you can get a simple small cake at Acme or Stop and Shop. A homemade pound cake also works too.

Don't worry about money this holiday. You can create a low cost yet delicious meal  for very little. It's a memorable feast for a lot less.

A Scary Supermarket Trip

 Going to the market these days is like sitting through the latest Scream movie. every corner holds some kind of horror, whether shortages or exceptionally high prices. how can home chefs navigate through these tough times.

I wondered this as I shopped at my local Stop & Shop today. There were certain shortages, not as bad as what's in other stores but still sobering.Many groceries  such as those in Pennsylvania have reported empty shelves in the cat food section, frozen food and drinks and meat department. People may gave to wait a long time to get such basic staples as orange juice an ground beef. Luckily store CEOs predict that these shortages will be taken care of by early February -  a little over two weeks from now. These current problems are caused by losing workers to the Omiron variant  along with weather snarls. Heavy snows have screwed up truck routes from vital ports to stores across the country.It's not as bad as last year's where even Lunchables and Ben and Jerry's ice cream were at short order. The other bad part are the prices. Stop & Shop is selling a large twenty-four pack of Bounty Paper towels for a whopping $21. It's good if you can stretch them out for two to three months however these last much less in messy households. In this sense it pays to shop around for them if you have the time. It's worse in the cities where lamb chops can go for almost as high as fifty dollars and tea for ten dollars a box.

What to do? Plan and plot.It's actually not too early to plan out your veggie and berry garden. There may be shortages this summer thanks to the unpredictability of both the Covid virus and the supply chain.You won't have to worry if you have most of  your ingredients in the backyard. start researching what works best in your area of the county and also what kind of soil is in your yard. If it's sandy then think about growing asparagus, strawberries and lettuce. A hardier soil can yield potatoes and turnips along with melons, kohlrabi and turnips. Fruit trees are a bit trickier because the harvest comes a few years after planting. You could forage , especially for wild apples, plums peaches and blackberries. What about meats? Go for the cheapest but also look into where you can get bargains. Aldi and its' sister store Lidl where even the pricey grass fed beef is a few dollars less than what other grocery stores offer. Even their seafood is  not above twenty dollars. Also think about going meatless, using beans  or pasta to sub for meat based dinners.

It is a scary time to shop. However smart planning can help ease the horror of grocery shopping right now. It's just knowing how to get the best deals and shopping around until you get them.

Is Peach Melba The One

Peach Melba is an elegant dessert first made at London's Savoy Hotel by the great chef Auguste Escoffier in 1892 for the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. It;s a lovely blend of a raspberry coulis with peaches and vanilla ice cream.

I decided to give it a try today in my search for the perfect holiday dessert. 

It starts with twelve ounces of raspberries. I used Driscoll's fresh ones but you could use the frozen ones instead.

Then there was the sugar factor. Most recipes call for a cup of refined granulated sugar. I didn't like this idea so I added a more natural source  - a quarter cup of lite maple syrup (you could also add honey too , especially the ones made from lavender or wild flowers).

I liked Stop & Shop's Lite maple syrup but again you can add any of your choosing. A quick squeeze of lemon is also needed.

I used about five tablespoons of water too. I first cooked it on the stove.

The gas went off and I then had to use the microwave which I was reluctant to use. There's this Internet rumor that raspberries spark when heated in one. I put mine in for two minutes and crossed my fingers that they would come out OK They did.

It was then blitzing them with my immersion blender. The coulis should have been strained through a muslin cloth but I like it with a thicker, seedier mouth feel.

The dish itself is just scoops of vanilla ice cream arranged with peaches (usually fresh but canned work during this time of year) The raspberry coulis is drizzled over it.

It's a very summery tasting dessert and ti does have a fun,fruity flavor. I may make this for the holiday. I did try the coulis with chocolate syrup and the soy vanilla ice cream a second time and that was phenomenal. Chocolate and raspberry work so well together. that that may be the Christmas dessert.

I stored the coulis in a jar kept chilled in the fridge. It can also be stirred in plain yogurts along in oatmeal. You can make a fruity, pulpy soda with it too.

Peach Melba may be the perfect Christmas dessert.It is an easy elegance that is also delicious. Try it for a tasty end to a holiday meal.

Burst Tomatoes And Gnocchi My Version

The New York Times Home section had an interesting recipe for gnocchi in a a burst tomato sauce last Sunday. it was too good to pass up and it did sound yummy. Besides the burst tomato part sounded like fun.

The recipe  required  grape or cherry tomatoes. I used Cherub grape ones which produce a more intense flavor than their bigger beefsteak cousins.As for the gnocchi , Dececco works the best. Their potato dumplings are soft yet chewy and they work very well with the sauce. Basil is a must. I miss just plucking off leaves fresh from my garden but that's a couple of months away. Groceries such as Stop & Shop have little packages of picked leaves. Don't worry if they're wilted. They will cook up in the sauce.

The recipe calls for baking the gnocchi in the oven for a few minutes. I went the traditional route and boiled them in salted water. 

As for the sauce. it was six tablespoons of I can't Believe It's Not Butter melted with a good glug of olive oil.

                  This makes for a really rich, buttery base . Four cloves of thinly sliced garlic are also added .

                                   Along with a quarter of a teaspoon of hot pepper flakes.

                                                    Then there are the tomatoes  - pre-burst.

 The basil was also added. I should have cut or shredded it into smaller bits  but it did cook quickly despite being uncut. The tomatoes were ready to burst after eight minutes  of sauteing. Some had to be helped along with a quick squash from a spatula.

                                                

 The sauce is a thick buttery one.It just needs a small pinch of sugar or a drop of honey to take out the slight bitterness from the tomatoes. They burst nicely , leaving a pulpy texture which is perfect for  gnocchi or   any kind of chunky pasta as well.

The original recipe has the gnocchi placed in the sauce and then topped with torn mozzarella pieces for two to four minutes. I thought this would be too much so I just topped the gnocchi with the sauce and then sprinkled shredded vegan mozzarella on top. The effect is more or less the same. The taste was good  although I will probably omit the hot pepper flakes the next time. The bite was a bit too strong and kind of muted the tomatoes. Still it was delicious and definitely will be made many more times. It's an easy cook, and great to make for  a summer dinner.

Gnocchi and burst tomatoes are a tasty way to try grape tomatoes. It's a quick cook up in a pan , ending with a rich sauce that works with gnocchi or pasta. Try it today for a different kind of Italian meal.

Gourmet Dining for One

 Many singles feel that they can't enjoy a good meal. Yet they can. Why deprive yourself because it's just you. You can splurge  because it's just dining for one.

There's nothing like a good steak for a treat. You don't have to make this a weekly thing. Twice a month is good enough. Again treat yourself to a top quality one at your local butcher or a specialty grocery store like Stew Leonard's which offers specialized cuts. The last can cut the meat into various thicknesses from half an inch to two inches.  You can also buy a good porterhouse from Stop & Shop too. Serve with a round of herbed butter on top. This is an easy make  taking butter and mixing it with dried thyme, lemon juice , rosemary,  sea salt and fresh ground pepper. What do you serve with this? A baked potato won't cut it for gourmet. Try a Hasselback potato. This is slicing  a Russet potato three quarters of the way down and then stuffing the slits with olive oil or melted butter along with chives. You could add cheddar strips and bacon crumbles too. If you want it to be truly gourmet, spoon caviar and sour cream. over it Another great and gourmet side is asparagus. Simply steam it and serve with a rich Hollandaise sauce. Again this is an easy cook, involving egg yolks melted butter and lemon juice. Dijon mustard is added for zing.It can also be used for Eggs Benedict or Eggs Florentine too.

Shrimp and lobster also make for lush gourmet dining for one. You can easily make a shrimp scampi witch peeled and deveined shriimp. The sauce is a rich mix of melted butter, garlic white wine and red pepper flakes. The shrimp are sauteed in this for two to four minutes and can be served over angel hair pasta or with crusty Italian bread to sop up the sauce. Pair with a green salad that can also have grape tomatoes along with crumbled feta and slivered almonds. Lobster tails may seem decadent but they are a great dinner for one.Best of all they can be made in the air fryer.They just have to be butterflied , and then brushed with a mix of melted butter, lemon zest and garlic. Cook only for seven minutes at 380 degrees Farenheit. What to serve with it? A fresh spinach salad or creamed spinach with butter, cream cheese and onions. Another fun gourmet dinner choice is  a plate of lobster fritters. This is lobster meat (Namely the tail) cut up and made into batter dipped fritters. Serve these with a plate of hand cut fries and a cup of homemade aioli or garlic sauce.

Eating single doesn't have to be dismal sandwiches or microwave dinners. Treat yourself to gourmet dining. Enjoy dining by yourself and eating lush meals.

Three Years Without The Master Chef

 It is now three years without the Master Chef, my Mom in my life. I can't believe that even during this year time has gone by so quickly. I wonder what she would have made of this pandemic.

Actually I do know what she would have done. Stocked up and worried that what she had bought was not enough. I know she would have bought essentials like pasta, knowing it would keep for long periods of time. We may have had one too many dishes of spaghetti and penne over the weeks. She definitely would have made an excess of pesto for us and for family and friends. As far as frozen food, the freezer would have been well stocked and even organized. There would be variety too, with everything from frozen spinach to squash to peas. She may have even thrown in some pints of ice cream (real ice cream, what we eat now - the oat and almond milk types would have made her gag). As far as baking - maybe. We were never big cake and pie eaters. She may have tried baking a sourdough loaf - just to try it.  As far as eating out, which was her favorite past time in later years, that would have bothered her to no end. She loved going out to any kind of eatery - fast food, diner , restaurant.It wasn't just for eating but to try new dishes and talk with people. Staying in for six months would have done her in. We would have probably wound up in a lot of parking lots , eating from containers.

The pandemic would have definitely brought out my Mom's generosity. She was famed for it, inheriting it from her parents. She would have cooked whole meals plus desserts for friends who were sick or went through loss. Recipes would have been doubled or even tripled just so those close to us wouldn't have to go out and get their own meals or do their own food shopping. As far as shopping, no, we would do that. Surprisingly she never liked food shopping. The lines were too long. It was too tiring at times. She would have let her kids do all the work, worrying about us like crazy. She may have used services like Stop & Shop's Peapod or Amazon Prime's Delivery. She may have gone with Target's too, making sure we had more than enough staples plus toilet paper. (that would have gotten her going on some funny riffs). I'm sure she would have over ordered from these places as well, giving the extra to family and friends so they wouldn't have to go to the stores. 

My Mom would have been a pro at this pandemic, It would have worried her  - never scared her. Our kitchen pantry would have been filled. Our fridge stocked, and us well fed. She was a master chef but also a master planner too.

Fried Eggplant A Summer Favorite Redone

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

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

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

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

This was microwaved for two minutes and whisked.

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

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

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

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

This is the end result.

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

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

Veganizing A Classic

 Zuppa di pompeist or breadcrumb soup has nourished my Piedmontese side of the family  for centuries. It's just three ingredients: chicken broth , beaten eggs and bread crumbs. It's hard to reckon with these though in a vegan household. Yet , there is a way around it and a pretty delicious one too.

I recently discovered Not Chick'n Bouillon Cubes. These taste like the real thing which got me thinking upon first tasting them. I can make pompeist with this. I have Vegg :The Plant based egg yolk powder. Combine these two with bread crumbs and I have the family classic.

It's just taking two of the bouillon cubes, and dropping them in two to three cups of boiling water.

They're were mushy to begin with and had to be thoroughly broken up with a fork. 

Then I added two teaspoons of the Vegg and stirred vigorously. Next time I 'll use a whisk which I think will give the soup a smoother consistency.

Then about a cup of breadcrumbs (I used Stop & Shop's brand).

Stir or whisk these in as the soup simmers. Serve.

It looks and tastes exactly like the pompeists I've made and my Mom has made in the past. The flavor is exactly the same as the ones with real eggs and real chicken broth. I intend on making this a lot , especially as we go into fall. 

If you want a cup of comforting vegan goodness, then try this no meat no egg pompeist recipe. It is just as soothing and delicious as the real thing. It will also make you feel good ,knowing no animals were harmed in making it as too.

The Flavor Of Naples

One of the best comfort foods to have is any dish from Naples. The recipes are redolent with rich spices and freshly picked and made ingredients. It is worth revisiting the cuisine and the solace it brings.

Every Neopolitan family has a recipe for tomato sauce. They may all seem the same yet each family recipes varies sometimes slightly - sometimes a lot.One favorite recipe involves the inclusion of pork in the "meat" sauce.Usually called Bolognese by fancier restaurants many Southerners  just call their meat and it can have anything from sausage to ground chuck. Some add pork, usually lean ground into it too for more flavor. It give the flavor a sweeter, richer taste. You can also add pancetta or as it's occasionally  called Italian bacon. It's actually pork belly that's been cured  like bacon then cold smoked, or partially cooked. It melts into the sauce and gives it a richer flavor. Of course, the most important part are the tomatoes themselves. Many use fresh when they're in season, but most home chefs usually go for San Marzano ones. What is the best one here in the States? Surprisingly a panel of New York Times Food and the online zine Wire Cutter picked Target's Market Pantry sauce as the best. You can also try Muir Glen along with Stop & Shop Nature's Promise Organic Sauce and tomato paste.

Neopolitan kids go wild for mozzarella in carrozza. These are a kind of grilled cheese- croque Monsieur sandwich that's filled with gooey, melted cheese. It starts with white bread and mozzarella.  You can cut off the crusts if you like. The sandwich is then cut in half and dipped into a bath of beaten egg and a sliced garlic clove. The next step is dredging the triangles into breadcrumbs and frying in a quarter of an inch olive oil. Fry until the crusts or ends are brown and the cheese is oozing out. You can use the homemade sauce for dipping for a kind of pizza taste. To vary it , slather a layer of pesto on the mozzarella or add a slice of prosciutto or a couple of anchovies. Anchovies also figure in a savory zeppoli. (Some Neopolitan home chefs also put a bit of prune with this for a sweet -savory flavor). Zeppoli are usually a sweet treat , dusted with powdered sugar after being deep fried. However they can also be savory , with a simple dough of flour, water and yeast. The dough is proofed for two hours then rolled into balls. An anchovy filet is placed in the center and then the balls are fried in six cups of oil. Serve the golden puffs with hot homemade sauce.

There is nothing like Neopolitan comfort food. It is soothing and savory, perfect for these times. Create their best recipes for a delicious lunch,dinner or even snack.

Per Rose Russo Garguilo. Mille grazie per avermi insegnato alcune delle migliori ricette.

Are You a Forager Shopper

Do you dedicate one day of the week to go food shopping. Is it more of a treasure hunt for bargains as you drive  from one grocery to another? Then you may be a forager shopper. Is this a good thing? Or bad? There are pros and cons to it.

Many people do spend a whole day foraging for different bargains. Another reason for their madness is that certain stores may have something the others don't I'm familiar with this. I know that Acme has an oatmeal and flax hot cereal that Stop and Shop doesn't have. If I need ingredients for baking I will most definitely head to Stop & Shop which probably has the best stocked baking aisle.Vegan cream cheese? Then i go to Shop-Rite. Yet I won't go to all three stores in one day. To me that's kind of a waste of gas and time. I have a full day everyday. To take away precious minutes from cooking or work is silly. Yet many do this , preferring to have a completely stocked kitchen at all times. An idea like this may work in a big city like Paris or London where there are a variety of stalls that stretch blocks and food shoppers have to traipse from one end to another. New York and other big American cities have long avenues where there are still butchers and green grocers. There's a lot of  traveling  simply because there aren't any fully stocked grocery stores in these areas, only specialized shops.

What about the bargain side of foraging shopping? Do you really want to go gadding about for the best price for tomatoes or pork chops? This can be tiring, especially on the busiest shopping days - Saturday and Sunday.  Then there's the fear of having the store sell out of what you want. The best bet is down loading the stores' apps. These alert you when there are sales and buy one get one free. It's a great way of planning your shopping experience. Also club cards help in discounts too. Many stores such as Stop & Shop, Foodtown and Shop Rite have them in both card and key chain charm form. These give you instant discounts which are always welcome. Another way of catching all the good bargains is scanning the circulars in your local papers. Write up a list of what you need at one particular store and get everything there. If they don't have one item, wait til you go to another store to get it (unless it's immediately needed for that day's eating).

Is foraging shopping a good thing? That depends on the shopper. it can be too much , especially on the weekends. The best bet is sticking to one store at one time. It makes it easier to shop and makes life easier too.

Supersized Supermarkets

Imagine a store that feels like it's the size of a football field. It has everything , from all sorts of fresh and frozen foods to books, toys , soaps and detergents. That's what the Keyport, New Jersey Stop &Shop is. Now here's the question - do we need  super sized grocery stores?

As we all know I'm a big Stop & Shop fan.I will always choose my local one, on the Hackensack-Lodi border over my local Acme and Shop-Rite. Don't get me wrong. I like those two other stores. They each have something Stop & Shop doesn't have but for a large variety  especially for baking- Stop & Shop wins hands down. They do have the some of the best  tasting baked goods and a wide range of fresh fruits and veggies, perfect for my cooking needs.I like their in house brands such as Nature's Promise and Taste of Inspiration. Now imagine my delight when I walked through the double the size one down at the New Jersey shore. Mind you I just stopped in for a pit stop and a bottle of water. I walked out with much more. The Keyport Stop & Shop has the dimensions of what seems like a football field. The aisles are twice as long as the Hackensack-Lodi one. It was amazing to get almond milk and see that I had a large variety of choices to choose from. I would have spent an hour just on the natural food aisles alone. Honestly I even spent more than enough time browsing and restraining myself from buying other things like shampoo and paper plates. These last two, like everything else, offered a wide array to choose from.

The thing is with super sized stores is that they may give us way too many choices. I walked in to this Super Stop & Shop with just the idea of one bottle of water. I walked out with much more.I can only imagine what would happen if I lived near it. It's one thing to have a well stocked kitchen ; it's another to have a hoarder's paradise. I know I would buy items and foodstuff I may not need but felt like I would. Does this mean that smaller grocery stores like Foodtown are better to shop at? Yes and no. I've been to some of the Foodtowns, now mostly located at the Jersey shore. They're much smaller than the superstores, reminiscent of the A&P's that once dotted the landscape.They're  easier to move around in. It's not a hike to get from one end of the store to another and then make the trek  out to the parking lot. Then there's the whole concept of choice. A smaller store has less variety , hence less temptation and dithering about what to buy.It's also cheaper. You don't feel the need to try every flavor and every brand. You may not have the wide variety of fruits and vegetables but then again, you don't have to deal with picking over and rotting and moldy unsold produce.

Yes, the larger Stop & Shop store is a home chef's dream. It is dazzlingly huge. Yet it's also a bit too much. However it does pose the question  which is better- a larger store with endless choices and more temptation or a smaller one, with less variety and no temptation?

Your Fall Baking Must Haves

It's now perfect weather for baking. The're no  more summer humidity and scorching days to put you off baking. It's time to bake luscious pies and fun Halloween treats. It's also time to gather up your fall baking must haves.

October is pie month. It's time to reevaluate your metal and glass pie tins.Aluminum pie tins last forever however if there are dings or discoloration, then buy new ones. (the old ones can make excellent trays for outdoor flower pots). Glass pie pans should be crack free. If you see one , then replace. Buy new Pyrex ones from Target or Walmart. For a fun addition buy pie birds if you don't already have them. These are blackbird (for four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie) shaped funnels that let the steam out of the baking pie. Using these aid in venting steam from double crust pies and prevents the filling from bubbling over. If you're more into baking tarts, check your tart pans. Some can get rusty. This requires cleaning with just baking soda and water along with a thorough drying before using. If not, then just replace them with newer, cast iron ones.  As for ingredients , make sure you have plenty of Crisco for the pie crusts and butter for the tart crust. Always have a bag of flour on hand along with the fruit for filling. Make sure your corers and parers are up to par too. You'll be needing them to create the filling.Another must have?Cinnamon and sugar. Don't run out of these when your making apple pie. Also make sure you have pumpkin pie filling and the necessary spices for it too.

October not only has Halloween parties but school bakes sales as well. It's a big time for cupcakes , cookies and sweet treats. You can stock up on cake, brownie and cookie mixes if you don't have to the time to make the scratch versions.Many stores like Stop & Shop are offering a  dollar a box on certain brands like Duncan Hines right now. Take advantage of this , especially if you have a big bake sale ahead. If you're planning on baking from scratch make sure you have the appropriate flours, including gluten free ones for kids who have allergies. Also make sure you have plenty of confectioners sugar for icing. Since it's Halloween it goes without saying to have a good amount of orange , black and purple food coloring. Get the thicker textured gels if you want more intense hues. Before baking, check your cake and brownie pans. Are they up to snuff or do you have to replace them? The same is true for cupcake pans and cookie sheets. If they are too dark or rusted , get new ones. It's best to stock up now than before the Christmas baking season begins. Another must  is parchment paper, especially if you're bent on making meringues. It also comes in handy for cake baking too. As for icing, check your icing bag quantities. You made need to buy another box, especially if you had a lot of Spring and summer decorating to do. Also you may want to add an icing knife or spatula. This makes frosting all that more easier.

Fall is here. That means a return to baking. Make sure your kitchen is ready to handle it. Have all your tools and ingredients ready for a fun, sweet season.

A Family Classic Updated

It's almost fall and that means zuppa di zucca, Piedmontese pumpkin soup. Nothing beats the mild sweet flavor married to cream, veggie broth and sauteed onions.Unfortunately there was one problem with finding the ingredients - no pumpkin. Luckily there were cubed butternut squash to sub in instead.

I used two packages of Stop & Shop's Nature's Promise butternut squash cubes and half a yellow onion. The last is crucial in forming the flavor . Chop it up and saute it in a mix of butter and olive oil. I used Country Crock's plant based butter with avocado oil. It does the trick in subbing in for butter when cooking.

Let the onion pieces sweat on a low flame while you make the broth. (if you're smart you'll buy the already made veggie broth. One less step to worry about.)

I used two cubes for two cups of water.

This is a quick boil and it will turn a golden brown color.

Add this and the two cartons of squash to the onions.

Squash takes about ten minutes to cook over a high heat. I steamed it , by putting the lid on top.The cubes cooked up pretty quick.

Then it's the time to use the immersion blender.

Except there was another problem to face. It didn't work  - possibly because I gave it a forbidden thorough washing when I was using it to make gazpacho almost on a weekly basis.. Sooooooo_

To give it that satiny, creamy texture I had to call in an old fashioned potato masher . This is what my Mom, Nonna and great-aunt,  used for decades when cooking their versions. I imagine my bisnonna - my great- grandmother -used something  similar too. ( immersion blender update - I ordered one right away from Target)

Then it was adding the milk, in this case almond milk.

Use a cup and a half of it to create the traditional creamy texture.

Was it as good ? I would have liked a creamier more satiny texture but the taste was exactly like my Mom's Nonna's and Great Aunt's. It was a vegan version but it tasted like the original recipe, traditionally made with chicken broth, cream or milk and real butter. I loved it and plan to make it again with my new (!) immersion blender. I may add rice which was another delicious variation of my great aunt's.

This is the perfect fall soup.Try it with either butternut squash or pumpkin puree for a rich flavorful bowl. It's a lovely way to celebrate the new season!