New Irish Cuisine

Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day and Irish-Americans will be overdoing the whole corned beef and cabbage thing.However these really aren't indicative of Celtic cooking. Real Emerald  Isle cooking can  be a mix of hearty and delicate, of land and sea, of old traditions and new methods.

The early Irish relied on a variety of grains and it's still evident in some of their foods today.Oat wheat and barley have been grown since Gaelic Ireland ,around the early 1000's. Oat cakes and oat breads were baked then and ancient households had such new fangled equipment as a kneading trough(?) a kneading slab along with a griddle and griddle turner.Twenty-first century bakers , throughout the island make oatmeal bread, a hearty, nubby loaf that makes for excellent toast and sandwiches.Of course there is Irish soda bread, which would have been for the very wealthy centuries ago. This is made with white flour and baking soda, the last used for leavening. It's one of Irish American bakers go to recipes and it's been amped up with raisins and sometimes currants or orange zest. Porridge is one of the most ancient of all Gaelic recipes and it is still being cooked today. Then, as it is now, drizzles of honey or melted butter is added for some oomph. Some even add a drop of whiskey or chocolate for fun.

Pork is another staple of the Irish diet. The use of it goes back to Neolithic times when it , beef and venison were eaten regularly. Modern descendants still enjoy it in the form of trotters, pigs feet or a dish called coddle.This is a soup laden with bacon, sausage , potatoes and onions, perfect for a cold St. Paddy's Day. Ireland has always been associated with the potato, yet it was the English who introduced the South American tuber to the country around the late 1600's. It was a good source of vitamins, especially Vitamin C and was widely cultivated up until the Great Famine of 1848, It was the potato that caused the migration too, along with introducing Gaelic food to America. A true dish that is made on both sides of the Atlantic is boxtie. This Irish potato pancake is flavored with onion and nutmeg.Unlike German  potato pancakes and latkes , they're fried in butter until they're crisp and golden.It can be served as a side or main dish but always plain without the usual accompanying sour cream or applesauce.

Modern Irish cuisine takes ancient ingredients and turns them into delicious , hearty dishes.It is not just corned beef and cabbage. It's grains and pork, potatoes and oatmeal, refashioned into easy to make recipes.It is Ireland, then and now.

The Cookie Baker's Must Have LIst

It is holiday baking time, Most home bakers have an idea of what snap or crisp they're going to make. Now it's time to make sure  the arsenal is well stocked. Print out the list below and circle or highlight what you need.

Cookie cutters - do you have enough for what you want? You can get by with one circle and one star cutter. If you want more variety then head to Target and buy the Wilton eighteen piece set. They have everything from a mitten to reindeer to Santa 's hat. You can also buy a Wilton three piece set that has a star, stocking and candy cane cutouts.
Ice cream scoop - use this for perfectly shaped and evenly distributed drop cookies.
Cooking spray - to use on the ice cream scoop. Dough just slides out without it sticking to fingers and rings. Prefrably use  butter flavored one. This can also be used in place of butter or margarine to grease cookie sheets
Appropriate flours - yes you may need the regular kind but also have a package of  gluten free flour for those family and friends with celiac disease.
Sweeteners - have plenty of white and brown sugar for doughs and confectioners sugar for icings..If you're going the alternative route, then make sure you have enough honey and maple syrup
Flavorings - make sure you have  vanilla extract or vanilla beans and pods, along with peppermint, rose water ,almond, coffee and cocoa extracts
Baking chocolate and unsweetened cocoa - for both cookies and icing.
Cream cheese bricks - for icing and some cookie recipes.
Eggs you'll always need them
 Unsweetened apple sauce  - an egg sub in for vegan cookies
Aquafaba  bean water from chickpeas. An egg white substitute that can be used for making meringues and royal icing.
Nuts - use for flour, texture or decoration. Have packs of slivered almonds, crushed walnuts and pecans.
Peanut butter- for peanut butter cookies and for sandwich cookie fillings
Chocolate chips for cookies and decorations
Sprinkles,  red hots,  dragees and sanding sugars - for decoration
Decorative tins and Saran wrap  - for wrapping them as gifts.

Once you have all these it's time to BAKE!!!!🍪🍪🍪🍪 Get that cookie factory in gear and create tasty memories!!!

The Savory Side Of Apples

There will be apple recipes galore now that it's autumn. This luscious fruit can be used in sweet dishes  and desserts, but try something different. Apples can be a great savory dish as well.

The Germans have long used apples in savory dishes, mostly pork ones. One of the most flavorful and favorites is pork with apple laced sauerkraut. The shredded cabbage is mixed and cooked with  sliced apple, brown sugar and caraway seeds. The best kind for this is Braeburn or Red Delicious but you could use a Granny Smith for some zing. Ladle this over the chops and bake for about forty-five minutes until the meat is no longer pink inside. You can also stuff pork chops with the fruit as well.Mix the Granny Smith slices with pecans and mustard along with coarsely crushed Ritz crackers. You can add raisins too, if you' like. The chops should be split open and then stuffed. It only takes thirty minutes to cook at 145 degrees F.Surprisingly chicken and duck can also be stuffed with apples.Use the small Cortland apples shredded and blended with breadcrumbs, butter and corn flour. You can also try the apples with celery and raisins. It doesn't matter if you keep the peel on or not. Apple stuffed duck is another treat. Combine Macintosh apples with ginger along with maple syrup and onions for a zingy stuffing that goes well with the mellow meat.

Apples can also star in sides too. Golden Delicious ones can be used in a tasty slaw along with red cabbage Dijon mustard and caraway seeds, Apple cider vinegar and olive oil are the base for the dressing. Combine two different kinds of apple such as the sweet Red Delicious and the tart Granny Smith for a tangy side salad. Another idea is relish, a perfect side for roasted ham. It's combining four tart apples with apricots with sugar and vinegar,Orange peel and almonds are also thrown in for color and crunch.Even mashed potatoes can be zinged up with a sliced  Macintosh Empire or, Spartan  Shallots and butter are added so that the dish doesn't turn too dessert-ish. This would be a great side with any pork loin or roast ham. Apples can also be combined with mashed turnips too. For a fun holiday side tries mashed sweet potatoes with  apples. Cinnamon and nutmeg give it a warm, spicy flavor. This is the perfect accompaniment for any Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey instead of the usual marshmallow laden yam dish.For a smoother texture try applesauce instead.Applesauce can also be made savory by the addition of thyme garlic and cider.

Apples are just as good in savory dishes as they are in sweet. Use them as stuffing or in a slaw. Combine them with cabbage or apples. They make for a delicious ingredient in any main meal.

Medicinal Foods

Remember the old saying : feed  cold and starve a fever.It's true. What you eat can help or hinder your illness,whether it's a full-blown stomach virus or a slight sniffle.You need to be prepared since it's cold and flu season already.

One of the best elixirs I can recommend is that Jamaican classic ginger beer. It's great for taming a stomach virus along with helping to relieve gas and bloating.Many confuse it with its' milder cousin ginger ale. The beer is actually brewed and  another tummy settler - lemon juice - is added in.It's much stronger than ginger ale which is nothing more than fizzy water with ginger flavor added.The first was created surprisingly not in Jamaica but  in Ireland in 1851 while the other was created in 1907 by Canadian John McLaughlin. The company evolved into Canada Dry and they still make the mellow drink. Try to have one or the other (not many stores sell ginger beer,Stop &Shop has its;' own brand and Stewart's also makes it).Another must for virus season is any cola drink, whether it be Coke, Pepsi or a generic in house brand.Cola poured over crushed ice also helps soothe a troubled stomach, .All kitchen should have herbal teas, especially peppermint or chamomile.These not only help a stomach that's been ravaged by a nasty bug but great in calming a sore throat.Colds benefit from fresh pressed juices This is the time to get oranges along with apples and pears ad start juicing..

Boullion cubes should be in every kitchen. Individual cubes ca be turned into broths for one,They are a great bridge from not eating to be able to get down some food. It seems vegetable bouillon is the mildest. There's none of that slightly fatty aftertaste that you get with the chicken and beef kinds. They also make excellent bases for simple soups such as pastina, orzo and my all time favorite pompeist, the Piedmontese mix of broth, beaten egg and bread crumbs.Stay away from canned soup. They're not hat your stomach needs. Homemade is better. Have these with crackers and oysterettes.in fact these will probably be the only kinds of foods that you'll eat after a stomach virus. What about transitioning into regular food again.  Think dry as in sliced chicken or turkey.If you don;t feel like cooking a whole bird, remember that diners always have these two meats . Order a plain  no mayo sandwich from yours on toast.from your local one. The BRAT diet-bananas, rice, applesauce, toast  is a tried and true one for diarrhea. Bananas are chock full of potassium which will be depleted thanks to  it being forced out fo you. Rice with butter is another good transitional food. For more flavor cook the rice in broth as opposed to plain water. Use the applesauce if you're craving something sweet.


Be prepared this cold,  flu, and virus season with the right foods. These will help you get over those nasty bugs, sniffly noses and scratchy throats.Having them is your best for a speedy recovery.

Yup, It's Virus Season Again

This is going to be a short entry. It's January and that means virus season. Since I am a magnet for all things bacterial,I have fallen to the newest strain . It's been a RA diet, rice  and applesauce .A sleepless night was spent Googling all the foods I should be eating and drinking. at 2 AM I was quickly guzzling down hot peppermint tea and then finally got to bed.

This is a foodie nightmare.There are ao many things I would love to eat right now but can't . The thirst that comes with dehydration is awful  - luckily there is the tea and Pepsi(I shouldn;t have it, i know - extreme sugar and caffeine are off limits but a cold glass of it is refreshing and good on my stomach).

Ginger also helps, and thank heavens I have a few ginger chews to calm my innards., The spice  also aids in digestion so it;s highly recommended for  any stomach flu or virus.. Also take fresh  ginger root , slice and then steep in boiling hot water. Fresh ginger tea is excellent in soothing an irritated stomach wall. Also ginger ale, and preferably the much stronger brewed ginger beer is another must have.

Anyway, it's back to the tenth cup of mint tea. wish me well. This only the beginning of the trip through  scary stomach flu land

Fresh Apples FreshTaste

we are in the middle of apple season.Our stores have them piled hog.These are good but what's eve better are the fresh from the tree ones.They have a certain , maybe even better flavor that adds to everything from apple sauce to salads. David Tanis wrote about them in his A City Kitchen column in today's New York Times Dining section.He has found out that most apples we buy now come from eastern Washington State and as far away as Peru and New Zealand.There are some stores such as Stop And Shop and Shop Rite here in the city area that sell locAlly grown apples but these are few and far between.Farms around the NY metro are no longer ,with valuable land being used for malls and McMansions.Luckily there is still. Warwick New York and Monmouth County NJ that have orchards that are just bursting with apples.Go there or to farmers markets for the just picked flavor. Mr.Tanis has given us one traditional and one exotic recipe for the fresh picked gems.One is apple sauce.This can be made with Cortland or Macoun apples and cooked over a stove as opposed to a pressure cooker.This creates a creamy mash perfect as a side for any German pork roast or pork chop. He also makes an Indian pickle using the apples along with cayenne , turmeric and the traditional Indian hinge.It is then sprinkled with toasted mustard seeds with more bite.Have this with a barbecued leg of lamb or even tandoori chickenThe apples used were the crunchy Braeburn and Mutsu ,although you could use Granny Smith. This is the season for pples.Avoid the stores, and head to the orchards.You'll have apples with better flavor.Not only that you'll have better apple sauce, pies and even candy apples.

Simple But The Best Small Appliances

In this day and age there are so many fancy kitchen helpers that it's heard to keep track.These are appliances and tools that give us tasty  but gourmet dishes fit for any epicure. Yet  some of the best and most versatile are literally under our noses. They give us hot , and yummy foods and concoctions, as they;ve given our families much the same for decades.

Even though it's had bad rep lately crockpots are wonderful smaller appliances to have in any kitchens. They make some really flavorful and tender chilies.They're also good for cooking pot roasts, rendering the meat juicy and butter soft.Slow cookers are also good for giving home chefs such diversity from gumbos to applesauce. There are many kinds out there and they're all affordable (given the amount of times you'll be using them).Toaster ovens are another versatile small appliance. They can be used to brown rolls and croissants for breakfast to baking meat pies for lunch and dinner. They;re also great for make pizza bagels and pizza English muffins along with broiling smaller pieces of meats.

Before the food processor there was the blender. It is still a remarkable machine, and not just for smoothies. You can puree in it, blend, mix and even chop nuts. It;s great for making homemade soups and pestos as well as whipping up airy and light dips for parties. Another classic is the handheld mixer. This is the must have gold stand for bakers. It give batter a lightness, perfect for making angel food cakes. It can also be used for whipped homemade whipped cr4eam to accompany the cake as well as batters and dough for cookies, cupcakes and breads. Using a hand mixer also ensure shaving a light fluffy icing, the perfect foil to any cake or cupcake.

It is nice to have a fully stocked kitchen with impressive gear.Yet it's the classic appliances that give us hearty dishes and ethereal desserts.No home chef should be without them. They may be basic and no frills but they are vital to having successful food prep.

The Season For Potato Pancakes

Winter is here with December first and that usually means hearty comfort food. I can think of no better one than potato pancakes. These seem to usher in the time of year when hot tasty treats are appreciated. These goodies can be eaten for lunch , dinner or even as a snack after a day of shopping or sledding. They're easy to make and even beginners can have success with them.


Almost every European country has a potato pancake recipe. In Ireland they're know as boxties in the Eastern European Jewish culture , they 're called latkes. German, Poles , Russians and Czechs also make them. They were part of my Swabian heritage growing up and there wa s nothing like the homemade kind serve with a side of chunky applesauce. These were called kartoffelpuffers. Nowadays people even make potato pancakes with sweet potatoes which have a sweeter, richer taste.

Potato pancakes are relatively easy to make. Regular potatoes will do just fine. Add one onion for flavor.usually three beaten eggs and flour. The mix is them spooned into a skilled with heated oil or butter in it and fried. For extra crispy pancakes, use only a small amount of the batter and flatten out. For thicker ones, ladle in heaping tablespoons of th e mixture. Fry on both sides. Potato pancakes are good with a side of both applesauce and sour cream. I usually like mine with just the sour cream along with a sprinkling of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

This is the kind of weather that calls for hot treats like potato pancakes. Start December off with a dish of this well loved comfort food. They're perfect antidote for the hectic , crazy days ahead of us.