Fall Refresh

 Now that we're on the cusp of fall it's time for a seasonal refresh.That means assessing and tossing, revamping and planning. It's time to get ready for the big baking and cooking season ahead.

As I've always pointed out every September, this is the time to remodel the kitchen, Do it now before November arrives. Replace the stove fridge and dishwasher now. right now Lowe's is having an excellent sales on stoves and you can easily get a Whirlpool model for four hundred dollars off The store is also having big sales on their refrigerators and a variety of dishwashers. This is also the time to invest in a good air fryers. These will come in very handy for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when there are endless sides to make. Target has a pretty lavender one for $28.00 .This can fry up little sides like Brussels sprouts and smashed potatoes For bigger jobs think about the Ninja for $128, also at Target . Its' fry basket  is perfect for cooking yams and potatoes as well as baking cakes .It's really a versatile addition that you can use all year round  - not just in the fall.Another cool weather addition is the immersion blender. This is perfect for turning chunky soups into creamy ones, You can make some beautifully santiny textured potages with it.

Early fall is also the time for reassessing the spice rack and pantry, The average shelf life of a spice is about three months. Get rid of the older ones now and replace with fresher versions. These will give both sweet and savory recipes the much needed flavor that makes dishes and cakes so distinct. Keep plenty of cinnamon on hand for baking , cooking and topping lattes and cappuccinos. The same goes for nutmeg which can be used in everything from dressings to topping custards. If you still have last year's flour toss it. It can only last up to a year in the fridge. Get a new package because you will need it  for everything form bake sales to Christmas cookies. Also get yeast too. It's good for all those Friday night pizzas as well as creating fun Halloween pizzas too. new baking powder is a must as well. It too is used in all sorts of savory and sweet baked dishes.Now is a good time to check all those cans of beans in the pantry. Usually they will only stay fresh in the can for one or two years. If they're nearing experation time then turn into a tasty crockpot chili or a curried stew. Save the chickpea water or aquafaba for making meringues,

It a' new season. TIme to reassess what you have. Revitalize. Throw out  . Stock up.  Begin the fall season with fresh starts.

Are You Storm Ready

 This is January and that means storms - all sorts of them Are you ready for them? What about your food supplies? Ehat can you cook with if you lose power? Be prepared and be ready,

It used to be that the month just brough blizzards and monster snowstorms.Thanks to global warming we're getting more and more hurricane like storms in a warming winter. The same advice I gave in September during that season I'll give now.Have plenty of canned food along with plenty of bagged and canned food for your animal companions. Winter flooding is getting bad here in the States. It may be hard to get to a store , especially if it's in a low lying flood zone. Make sure both people, and animals have enough of their special foods for special diets too. Keep in mind that your power may go out so that's a problem for fridges and freezers. Those frozen dinners will have to be cooked quickly, namely in a gas oven. No electricity means no air fryers or  microwaves.If you can and the weather breaks then get out your barbecue. Use charcoal and any relatively dry wood as fuel and cook up any meats and even vegetables. Frozen dinners will have to be deconstructed and cook what you can from them.

What should you buy? Usually most go for bread, milk and eggs. You can easily make French toast with these . Also think easy to store cheese slices. You can make everything from grilled cheese to stuffed tortillas with the slices. They can also go into salads too for extra protein. Cold cuts also work and they can also be used in salads for more protein. Some grocery stores will be flooded or will be powerless. A few will have generators and most industrial freezers can keep food overnight at the longest. Stay away from the creamy stuff like frozen dinner with sauces. Fresh meats and seafood can easily spoil. Avoid these. Stick with cereals for breakfast for the kids. Buy boxed milk , both plant and dairy for them and for your coffee. Again canned food will come in handy .Beans and tuna fish can be eaten cold right out of the can. Figure on bean salad and tuna mixed with vegan mayo (this is safer for you because there are no eggs in it that can go bad). Get fresh fruits and vrggies to eat too. Again these can be eaten raw and a good source of nutrients. Buy bagged snacks and cookies along with candy just to have as comfort food.

January is getting a bad reputation  as a stormy month these days. Be  prepared. be careful. You can weather any storm with the right food choices.

A Thanksgiving Up North

 Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian neighbors to the north. Like us , they have a day of feasting and thanking mixed with cooking and hosting. Their recipes reflect who they are and the great products the country is known for.

American home chefs could use this day and the Candian recipes as a tester day for our Thanksgiving next month. Maple syrup is big in Quebec province and it can be used for both sweet and savory recipes. Of course the most obvious way to go with it for yams or sweet potatoes.The syrup's earthy flavor brings out the yam's or the sweet potatoes own sweet flavor, however be sparing with it. You don't want ot to taste like candy. Lemon juice is often added to cut the sugariness.Another take on them is cutting the sweet potatoes or yams into planks, brushing with a combination of melted butter or margarine and then air frying them  This gives the fries a nice crispy exterior while still maintaining a soft meaty inside. Maple syrup can also be used as a glaze for turkey too. This is sually made with the addition of orange juice, and vegetable stock. Wait thirty minutes before poring over the roasting bird. It's then poured over the bird again two and a half hours after the first glazing and when the oven temperature has been lowered. The extra glaze can be pured over the finished roast or served as a sauce alongside it.

What do you stuff a Canadian Thanksgiving bird with? A  French Canadian stuffing!!! It's usually a meat based one as opposed to the American  mostly bread kind. The Quebecois version is usually a mix of both pork and beef along with two large chopped onions. There is bread as a base but also some families add breadcrumbs as well. Their sides are like ours. There's always a big bowl of homemade mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts, the last usually served with crumbled bacon on top. Are Thanksgiving Day desserts the same up north as they are here? There are pumpkin and apple pies but there are also mouth watering butter tarts too. These are miniature pies usally filled with raisins, quarter of a cup of butter,corn syrup and brown sugar.Eggs are added for a custardy silkiness and vanilla for more flavor. The tarts can be topped with either whipped cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.Another popular Thanksgiving (and year round ) dessert is the nanaimo bar , named for the British Columbia city of Nanaimo. It's a rich layered bar , made with a chocolate and coconut laced cracker crumb  as the first layered topped with a custardy middle.It's then  topped with a chocolate candy topping. They have to be chilled between layers to get that neat tricolor look.Shortbread is also baked for the holiday with some home chefs adding maple syrup for flavor.

To all our Canadian friends, enjoy this holiday. Give thanks for delicious food and recipes handed down, Be grateful for what you have.

A Year

 It's been a year since our lives have changed. What have we learned? A lot. Whether it was about our inequalities and how they affect our eating habits or learning how to cook and bake. These twelve months have been eye opening, that's for sure.

What is striking about the past year is that the pandemic and loss of income and jobs brought many people to the edge of poverty.Families were teetering already when their companies shut down. Luckily there were angels, people who put together care packages that helped those in need during rough times. These provided enough food for everyday meals along with holidays and birthdays. Imagine the richest country in the world having millions of starving people, of kids going without meals so their younger siblings or grandparents can have their portions. What this pandemic should have taught us is that many Americans are living just above the poverty line. We need to raise salaries and offer better benefits - maybe even food credits for those with kids but can't qualify for food stamps.The SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program is not the best and our government needs to improve it.Again the new administration is well aware of this and there will be changes. Some cities around the country offer free gardens which means free fruits and veggies to those who need them. We must institute this in every US city and town. The financially challenged will be able to get the valuable nutrition they need.

On the lighter side if there is one -we all learned how to be better home chefs and bakers. People who didn't even know how to boil water embraced their inner chef and experimented with all sorts of recipes. Kids joined in and a whole new generation of junior chefs was born. Generations cooking together also provided valuable bonding time as well as supplementing their educations. Measuring cups were great at showing kids fractions with a cup and a half of water or a quarter cup of flour. They learned about the world through international recipes as they mastered the West African fufu or Brazilian feijoada or black bean stew. Everyone embraced their air fryers and immersion blenders with gusto as they also created some of their own recipes.Baking took everyone out of their cooped in funk. It was so popular that the US experienced four shortages thanks to home bakers taking the sourdough challenge. That bread was the star of the lock down and no wonder. The chewy tangy crumb and crusty exterior was the security blanket we needed in the past twelve months. It was perfect , either warm with melty butter or filled with our favorite meats and veggies.

This past year was historic and not in a good way. We learned  a lot , about ourselves  and our communities. Has it made us more caring and more innovative? Let's hope so.

Your Own Coffee Shop Treats

 One of the best things about fall was heading to our favorite coffee shops and getting a coffee and a baked treat.Yet now with the pandemic, it's still kind of hard to get a favorite sweet and relax . However scones, muffins and doughnuts can easily be baked in your kitchen. What's even better is you can tailor them to your tastes.

Scones may sound fancy but they're not.Scones are just a variety of Scottish flatbreads called bannocks. They were first cooked in a large mound and then scored to create triangular pieces. Even today the recipe is easy and simple enough for the most novice home baker. They can be either sweet or savory. The basic recipe calls for flour, sugar, butter, heavy cream or butter milk and eggs. Baking powder is mixed in to give the scones lift along with salt which lifts the flavor. You can add vanilla if you want for a sweeter , dessert taste. The best tasting ones however, have grated frozen butter which will create pockets and a moist, crumbly inside,The best part are the add ins. Think chocolate chips and cinnamon for a sweet combo or orange and blueberries for a healthier bite. Scones can actually  be turned into a main course with the addition of ham, cheddar and scallions Just reduce the amount of sugar added and, of course, omit the vanilla. Top with flaky sea salt. Another savory idea is adding different herbs to the dough. Try garlic, rosemary , parsley and basil. These are perfect with a hot soup or chicken or ham salad.

Our favorite coffee shops are also known for their muffins and doughnuts. Muffins have been around since the early 1700's and are one of the easiest baking recipes. They're a type of quick bread, made primarily of melted butter, sugar, eggs, and milk mixed with the dry ingredients of flour,baking powder, salt and spices. Again these can have tasty variations such as chocolate chips and pecans  along with cinnamon and nutmeg. Fruit studded muffins make for a nice snack. Blueberry muffins are the most popular but you can also use strawberries and raisins too.Banana muffins are also a nice treat with coffee or tea. Keep in mind muffin recipes are fluid. You can sub in maple syrup or honey for sugar along with whole wheat and almond flour for refined white. Doughnuts rank right up there with muffins as the perfect coffee go with.Many home bakers are turned off by the fact of frying them , remember you can use an air fryer to bake them. Remember to use yeast in them for flufflier ones. You can also use premade biscuit dough too. Cake doughnuts have an easy recipe that 's your basic vanilla cake one. They're made with flour , eggs, vegetable oil ,brown sugar, and baking powder for lift. Decorate them with an easy to make glaze of confectioner's sugar , milk and vanilla.

You can still have coffee house treats with your cup of joe or tea. All it takes is some time in the kitchen and creativity. They'll be even better tasting , fresh from your oven.

World Health Day A Day To Eat Healthy

Today is World Health day where we celebrate nurses and midwives around the world. We could also take the day to consider our own health and eating right. We have been indulging in too many snacks and too many pre Easter goodies It's time for a healthy infusion of vitamins and minerals.

A lot of us have been living off of canned food.Let's face it. It's easy to store and easy to heat up. It's not time consuming to make, especially in these days of endless Zoom meetings and home schooling.Many soups are high in sodium ,plus preservatives. Most  soups are high in salt. A better bet is homemade soup. If you have chicken or turkey bones boil them into a stock. You can also use leftover meat and the  skin for a richer flavor. There should also be celery, onions and carrots for more taste. Use all of the celery, including the leaves and the tops. You should also have parsley too along with salt and pepper. Simmer for about four hours. Chicken stock can also be cooked in an Instapot and crock pot too. You can put whatever you want in it, from  ditalini to orzo along with sliced tomatoes, more onions and celery.  Shredded chicken or turkey is always good too.  As for chicken itself, it's tempting to buy up the frozen fried chicken, but a better choice would be chicken cutlets if you can find them (you can always get frozen) and bread them yourself using a light egg wash and a dredging of spiced flour. Fry in the air fryer for a lighter but still crispy crunch.

Snacks are also a big concern right now. How many of us have ripped into endless bags of chips right now. They are tasty, especially if they're served with a rich sour cream dip. Yet you can make them healthier by buying bags of the baked chips along with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You can flavor the dip with onion or garlic powder or even chopped scallions for a different kind of flavor. Another healthier indulgence is pretzels. They're salty and crunchy but without all the calories. Plus pretzels can be put into all sorts of fun treats too, from sundaes to topping cupcakes. Tortilla chips and salsa are another good for you bite. Salsa can also be home made with sliced tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. Add fresh pineapple for a tasty different spin.A second healthy dip is guacamole, and again to give it an entirely different flavor, try cherry tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes to blend with the avocados. Sweet snacks are everybody's downfall right now. Yes, we all love those sandwich cookies, but try fruit  - even if' it's just an apple a day  with some cookies. Have fun fruits like grapes for the kids. These are fun nibbles , especially after a hard day of home schooling. Strawberries and pineapple chunks are also good and fun - especially if you have a vanilla Greek yogurt dip.

It is World Health Day, and we should honor all those brave nurses and midwives especially right now. Yet we should use the day to remind ourselves to eat healthier during this time inside. We'll feel better with better food in us.

Black Friday Kitchen

If there's ever a time to restock your kitchen it's this weekend, starting with today , Black Friday. There's so many deep discounts that that it pays to replace the appliances and gadgets that you have. Get to your big box stores, malls or internet for some good deals that will benefit your holiday cooking and baking.

One of the biggest and most important items to buy for your kitchen is an air fryer. It really is a time saver and makes cooking dinner that much easier. Right now Target has their air fryer brands such as As Seen On TV (which is what mine is) on sale for half price - only $69.97 instead of the regular full price of $129,99. I can't  begin tell you how vital one is  to cooking. It's something that will get used four to five times a week. Target also has the mini fryer at $39.99 along with other version that can fry up to three and four quarts at prices under $60.00 Another big item on sale right now is the Instant-pot. This another must have for any kitchen and if you don't have one now is the time to buy. Again Target seems to be the go to store for them. Their pricing is amazing, with the store slicing off thirty dollars off of most prices.If you don't feel like leaving the house or waiting for Cyber Monday., then check out Amazon. They too are having a sale on some of the Instant Pots offered. The sales prices are not as good as Target's but you can still save anywhere from $20 to $80 and shipping is free if you have an Amazon Prime subscription.

One of the best stores to shop at for  kitchenware is Macy's . You can buy a variety of much needed gear at very good sales prices. Calphalon is now priced $200 below its' usual sales price. One lavish set has everything a home chef needs from a ten inch frying pan, a five quart Dutch oven with lid and two sauce pans. That kitchen classic, Pyrex is also discounted. Macy's has their mixing bowl set on sale for just $27.00 instead of the usual $47. This is a must buy because you can not only use the bowls for leftovers but for mixing cookie dough in this upcoming holiday baking season.Even Pyrex measuring cups are a few dollars off and again these are important in the kitchen all year long.Martha Stewart has long been a standard at one of the US's oldest department stores. Now all her baking utensils have discounts that novice and pro bakers would love. Her non stick doughnut pan is only $5.99, perfect for those who want to bake those yummy rings for holiday brunches. The madeleine pan is twenty dollars off  at only $11. This is a great gift for those enamored with French pastry. The spatulas and cake pans are also discounted. Cookie makers  should buy the OXO cookie press at only $29.99 The designs include Christmas themed ones with wreaths trees and snowflakes.

Take advantage of  this Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday  to restock your kitchen. The deals are incredible and perfect for the home chef looking for bargains. Start shopping now.

Kitchen Wants And Needs

Every home chef wants the perfect kitchen. It has to be perfect for cooking and baking, outfitted with the best equipment and appliances. Yet is all of it worth it?Or will it just be a room full of unused junk? What makes a kitchen want and kitchen need?

Writing about food makes one want every gadget and appliance under the sun. That's what happened to me. I read and saw what professional and home chefs have and instantly craved their gadgets and gewgaws. I still have a madeleine pan from four or five years ago. I really wanted to make them but never got around to making them. The recipe is very labor intensive, involving melting butter and high speed beating. Now I recently bought two doughnut pans, one for plain baked ones and the other for fancier ones. Will I use them? Hopefully.  Should home bakers have all these fancy pans? Yes, if you're really into baking. The pans and the molds are not that expensive and if you have the room go for them. What home bakers really need is two cookie sheets, especially around the holidays and for bake sales.Also a roll or two of parchment paper will always be needed, especially if you make a lot of meringues or meringue based desserts such as pavlovas and Eton mess.Do you need icing and cookie guns? Again if you do a lot of baking. Cookie guns are great for making those buttery bakery style cookies and they can create a variety of pretty shapes. Sturdy , long lasting loaf and cake pans are a must. One loaf pan will suffice while two or three simple cake pans are all you need.

What about those gadgets that are more or less like appliances? All home chefs should have a crock pot. That's a given.It's wonderful in making homemade tomato sauce and slow cooked chili.It's also good for making homemade soups and chowders like minestrone and corn chowder. Many have embraced the all encompassing Insta-Pot which is like a crock pot on steroids. Using it a lot will pay off the price which can range anywhere from $59.00 to $99.00, depending on the make and the store selling it. They can cook everything from pasta to pot roast. Some can even be used for baking  - a boon for those who have participate in bake sales and cookie exchanges. Assess your needs before springing for one. If you feel you need something that can do a lot freeing you from the kitchen , then buy one. However if it's just one or two people or you need slow cooking once or twice a month then opt for the crock pot. Air fryers are another popular kitchen must have. I'm a big fan of them , using mine at least three or four times a week. Air frying is a lot easier than oven roasting and stove top frying. My favorite part is the beeping timer , letting you know  when the food is done. Another plus is that air fryers cook in half the time of a regular oven.Get one. You won't regret adding it to your arsenal of gadgets. Now there are smaller versions of these pods , and they 're selling for only $29.99 at Target.

It's up to you to decide what you want and need for your kitchen. As with any purchase think about if it's a need or a want. If you can use it buy it. Make that your rule for future kitchen buys.