Jubilee Foods Fit For A Queen

 This is the weekend to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's seventy years ruling England and the Commonwealth. There are celebrations galore across the world. There was even a Jubilee pudding  - a dessert- fit for a queen . You don't have to be a subject to enjoy the party. You can have one where ever you are.

The highlight of the celebration is the Jubilee pudding. This is reminiscent of the Coronation chicken which was created when Her Majesty ascended the throne. The Poulet Reine Elizabeth  was conceived by Constance Spry , an English food writer and flower arranger andRosemary Hume. Both were chefs and principals at the Cordon Bleu Cookery in London. Their dish is cold chicken mixed with curry powder or paste. Apricots and almonds are then added along with creme fraiche. Raisins can be subbed in for the apricots. You can still make this today,serving it on a hearty sour dough or toasted potato rolls.  You can also  serve it on it's on on a few Bibb lettuce leaves. The Jubilee pudding is a but different. It is a lemon  Swiss roll and amaretti trifle, created by Jemma Melvin, a copywriter from Southport ,Merseyside outside of Liverpool. Hers is a bit labor intensive but still perfect for any summer party. It's creating Saint Clement's jelly a combination of orange and lemon  along with baking sponges for the Swiss rolls. You also have to make that British classic lemon curd to fill them. Amaretti biscuits must also be made along with a vanilla pudding for the layering. Ms. Melvin decorated the cake with white chocolate and almond shards along with amaretti biscuits.

Of course you could have what many of the street parties have. Sausage rolls,. those yummy cousins of pigs in a blanket graced many a table today  and will tomorrow too.These are easy to make , using a puff pastry crust filled sausage meat and onions. You can also make vegan ones using Beyond Meat's ones. The beautiful county of Cornwall gives us pasties.It's filling a dough square, not unlike an empanada, with beef , potatoes and onions. These can be made in the fall and winter, using winter veggies like parsnips and turnips. You can also make meatless ones , stuffing them with a good sharp Cheddar and potatoes like that great British shop, Greenwich Village's  Myers of Keswick does. A tea would be a fun way to celebrate Her Majesty's reign. Think lovely finger sandwiches filled with egg and ham salads along with salmon. watercress sandwiches are a must as well. Teas also have a sweet side. Think biscuits dripping with rich clotted cream or whipped cream if you can't get the first. A heaping teaspoon of strawberries are placed over this. Small cupcakes called fairy cakes are also served. These are lighter than their American counterparts and have just a drizzle of icing instead of a mound of buttercream. Different teas, from Earl and Lady Greys to Assam are served. These are usually served hot  but you could have them iced too.

Celebrate Elizabeth's reign with a party full of joy and food. It's the best of Britain for the best queen of Britain. Enjoy and raise a glass to Her Majesty!

Macaroons The New "It" Dessert

Just like with fashion and Hollywood, foods, especially sweets go through trends. The new "it girl" this year is the macaroon. Like any celebutante, it's petite and sweet , along with being sophisticated and French. It's being served at runway and birthday parties alike. Everyone from the super models to your neighborhoods five hear old is happily munching on this sweet these days.

Macaroons have a long history. They were first made in Italy as early as the 1400s. Their name comes from the Italian ammaccare which mean to beat. Almonds and eggs whites were first beaten together and then baked. They became a Parisian favorite (and nowadays French staple) when Catherine de'Medici married Henri II in 1533. The very first ones were more like amaretti cookies with a crispy shell and a softy chewy interior.Coconut was later added to the recipe by the Italian Jews which are still popular today for Passover.

Macaroons. are now replacing the cupcake as the sweet of choice.More and more bakeries are featuring the French style ones. These are light airy crisps, either as large as your palm or as small as a silver dollar. There's usually a jam, cream or chocolate ganache filling.The treats are being bake d in such yummy flavors as chocolate, raspberry , lemon, lime and strawberry. There is also the traditional vanilla almond one too for purists.

Macaroons are the new celeb of the dessert table. Who can resist them though? They're in fun colors with a tasty filling. They're also light and airy so you do n;t feel guilty gobbling up a few.