Sweet Treats For A Sweet Mom

 Mother's are known for their yummy sweet treats whether it's a batch of our favorite cookies or a plate of rich fudge. why not treat her with some homemade treats that give back the love.

Mom may be the maker of homey cookies like chocolate chip and oatmeal but what about baking her something fancy? Think aqua faba meringues . These are not only light and delicate but also vegan. The recipe doesn't need the usual egg whites but chickpea water or brine. It has the same protein as the egg whites and whips up nicely. A fun  flavor is coffee which is a nice perk for an afternoon snack. You could also make vanilla and chocolate ones too for a colorful plate. Strawberry ones are also a tasty and pretty treat. They do  require freeze dried strawberries turned into a powder. with these you can create that classic English dessert, Eton mess. This is layering the meringues with whipped cream and all sorts of berries from raspberries to strawberries and blueberries.. You could also bake vanilla meringues in rounds to create a pavlova. This Australian dessert is an upscale version of Eton mess but it's done in layers of whipped cream, and a mix of strawberries and blueberries. You can top it with a spray of edible flowers for extra prettiness.

Everyone loves candy. why not treat Mom to some homemade truffles. These are rich and creamy and can have many variations. It starts with eight ounces of chocolate bars. Don't  use chocolate chips because they won;t melt into truffle consistency. It's mixed with either heavy whipping cream or just heavy cream.If you're using milk chocolate reduce the cream to half a cup less because milk chocolate is softer. Use a scan t cup of softened butter too for extra creaminess and dash of vanilla for extra flavor. It's then just cooking the ingredients in a saucepan until completely blended. it's then put into the fridge for two to three hours to set. Afterwards  form into balls. Roll them in cocoa powder for an extra chocolate-y kick or chopped nuts. even crushed edible flowers provide a colorful coating.For a more boozy gift add some kahlua or orange liqueur. If you;'re making the kahlua one add espresso powder to bring out the coffee flavor. You can also add ground walnuts or almonds to the recipe too.

Treat Mom to some special homemade treats for her special. She'll love the flavor but also the love that went into them. It's time to give her some straight from the heart sweets.

Easter Light Eating

 As with other holidays Easter brings about rich meals and even richer desserts. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. You can easily create lighter fare that's just as tasty and packed with flavor.

Many families have either ham and lamb. While these are traditional, they can be a bit too much in flavor. They 're geared more to Christmas or New Year's Think a lighter taste for Spring. Cornish hen fits the bill especially if it's just roasted with lemon and herbs. As with other poultry like turkey and chicken  you can put butter or a plant sub in like Melt under the skin.It not only imparts a lovely flavor but also gives the meat some moisture too. One is perfect for a small aster dinner for two. What would go with this? Think a side of herbed wild  rice and that Spring favorite asparagus. Herbed rice is made with the chewier, wild version along with a chopped yellow onion and such herbs as  dried, rosemary, thyme and basil. If you want something lighter then think of roasted carrots simply rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper. The asparagus can be made with butter and Parmesan  to emphasize the green's earthy flavor. If chicken isn't your thing, then think salmon. You can go the sheet pan way with a garlic butter sauce  along with roasting it with fingerling potatoes and asparagus.

Easter cakes are always pretty and cute but they are also overloaded with tons of buttercream icing. Family and friends may prefer a simple Bundt cake.  Think one made with Meyer lemons or Cara Cara oranges and a simple glaze. A slice of pound cake would also be a nice ending to the Easter meal. You could bake a chocolate one which is dense but think of a  chocolate chip or a marble one. One of the airiest desserts to make is meringue. These can be made vegan by using aquafaba or chickpea brine. Whipped up it creates the same foamy lightness as an egg white meringue. Coffee meringues are a nice touch or you can try fruity ones, perfect with tea. You will need dried berry powder or freeze dried fruit. These also impart a lovely pink color, perfect to match those Easter eggs. There are two great desserts made with this. One is the Pavlova, named in honor of the great ballerina Anna Pavlova, This is a layer of meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit such as strawberries , blue berries and raspberries. The other dessert is an Eton Mess, a favorite of the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex. This is like a combination of a Pavlova and a parfait where the meringue is broken into pieces and layered with whipped. cream and berries.

Think Spring when you're cooking and baking for Easter. The lighter flavors are like the season itself - delicate and fresh. It's a nice way to celebrate the day.

A Dinner Trip Italian Style

 Many of us are longing for a culinary trip to Italy or at least a good meal out  at our favorite Italian restaurant. However it's not happening soon enough and with that we have to look to our own kitchens for culinary travel. Any home chef can easily recreate a good Italian dinner from antipasto to dessert. It's having the right recipes with fresh ingredients.

David Tanis offered this in yesterday's New York Times Food section He has the perfect week night or Sunday meal, complete with home baked  Sicilian almond cookies. The meals starts with a mozzarella and charred radicchio. Salsa verde, the  classic Northern Italian sauce is drizzled on top for a sharp jolt of flavor. This is an easy antipasto which also can make for a light lunch too.Start with fior di latte or Italian mozzarella. You can use the American type if you can't find it. It's paired with charred radicchio, an easy cook. Cut it into wedges and grill under the broiler if you don''t have a cast iron pan to cook it in. The salsa verde is simple to create.Parsley, cilantro, chives  and capers are put into a small bowl with lemon zest,olive oil lemon juice and sumac. It's blended and then spooned over the mozzarella and radicchio. Another easy make are the Italian or Sicilian almond cookies. These are similar to macaroons , chewy on the inside and crunchy on the out. They made with egg whites (but you could use aqua faba here) along with granulated sugar and almond extract. They're finished with a dusting of confectioner's sugar and either a whole unblanched almond or Amarena cherry in the middle. These pretty cookies would be perfect for Easter too.

The star of this whole meal is the main course.It's rigatoni al forno with cauliflower and broccoli rabe. There's nothing like a baked pasta and add to that the healthy kick of cruciferous veggies. What makes this dish stand out is a creamy white bechamel sauce made with half and half and virgin olive oil along with nutmeg.Home made tomato sauce, is also added but at the table when it's being served. This is the classic recipe with tomatoes, onion garlic and basil cooked with olive oil and then blended down into a rich , thick sauce. The pasta and veggies are cooked in the same pot, with the rigatoni being boiled first then the cauliflower and broccoli rabe. These are mixed with the pasta and bechamel sauce along with garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. More olive oil is drizzled one. Pecorino and Provolone cheeses are added too and then all of this transferred to an oiled baking dish, It's baked in a 400 degree Farenheit oven for forty minutes until it's nicely browned and crisp on top. It's served in either bowls or plates, each serving should have a nice crispy top. The tomato sauce is spooned around the pasta and more cheese is sprinkled on top.

A trip to Italy is a long way off. Even visiting an Italian restaurant can be chancy. Yet we can recreate a three course meal with the flavors of both the North and South right in our kitchen. It's a fun culinary trip, that's easy to recreate.

Holiday Baking For Vegans

 Baking comes with its' own set of challenges. Now add vegan restrictions of no butter, no dairy and no eggs. What do you do? Sub - and be flexible. You can create tasty treats perfect for any hard core vegan.

Before using substitutes understand what each animal product does. Eggs add color, structure, leavening color and flavoring in our cakes and cookies. Milk softens, and contributes moisture to the entire product, along with adding tenderness and flavor. It also lends structure and support while whole cream adds more flavor and contributes to the browning effect. Butter is the most important ingredient in holiday baking.  It gives flavor, tenderness and flakiness. Cakes need it for moisture and richness. What about sour cream and cream fraiche? One will give added moisture while the other gives both added flavor and moisture. Can you bake without any of them? Absolutely not. You need some form of them and luckily there are vegan substitutes. For egg sub in use Vegg's Uncaged Baking Mix which can be used for any kind of baked good even challah bread. The only problem is that you have to buy it exclusively through Amazon and there may be delays right now. You can also use baking soda and vinegar along with unsweetened applesauce or soy milk. Ripe banana or flaxseed can also fill in for those yolks.

Milk is one of the easiest to sub in thanks to the arrival of almond, soy, cashew and oat milk. Yet which is the best one for baking? Almond is the most preferred because it cooperates nice with other ingredients and has a naturally sweet taste  - just like milk. Yet some vegan bakers will tell you to go with soy. It has the most protein of all the plant based ones. What about if you need whipped cream? Use aquafaba, or chickpea brine. Mix it with cream of tarter , vanilla extract and powdered sugar for a sub in that will fool everyone. Keep in mind that aquafaba can also be used for egg whites and are excellent for creating  meringues.You can experiment, using one milk for one recipe such as cookies  and another one for cakes.As far as the faux butters, one of the best (and an absolute favorite) is the I Can't Believe It's Butter sticks. These have all they buttery flavor of the real thing and the right texture for both baked goods and frostings. I Can't Believe It's Butter gives icings a melt in your mouth feeling and also whips up nicely  perfect for airy frostings.  You can also use it and almond milk to create a creamy fudge too.

Vegan bakers should breeze this holiday baking season. There are many substitutes that will produce delicious cookies and cakes along with creamy fudge and frostings. It's easy to forgo animal products in your list of ingredients to produce true vegetarian treats.

Hipster Condiments From Home

One of the biggest trends of the artisanal food movements is freshly made condiments. A new generation is discovering what their great -grandparents made on a weekly basis homemade mayos and ketchups, not to mention sauces . Any of these are a great addition to the summer menu, heightening the taste of ordinary meats and salads,

Mayo is always in demand.It gives a creaminess to dry sandwiches and helps with creating tasty dressings. It's also relatively easy to whip up.It's taking one egg and mixing both the yolk and the white with lemon juice,dry mustard and distilled or white vinegar. Some recipes call for minced garlic for more of an aioli taste. After these have been blended it's then adding a steady stream of either canola, vegetable,  or olive oils. I would go for the last , simply for the flavor and richness it gives. You can also add a small dash of paprika or for more color and flavor, dried parsley, tarragon or basil. Can the all time favorite Miracle Whip be duplicated in a home kitchen? Yes and it has a surprising ingredient -powdered sugar!! It 's sort of like mayonnaise however with a thicker, pastier texture. This comes from making a roux out of water, dry mustard,flour and white or distilled vinegar.  It's cooked over a low flame and then added to the mayo mixture. Remember homemade mayo and Miracle Whip contain raw egg which is risky for pregnant women, the elderly and the very young.If you're leery about using the raw egg, then switch in aquafaba or chickpea water.It creates the same density as an egg would and just as easy to make. The only difference is adding a table of rice or maple syrup for more flavor..

Ketchup is another table must have, especially if you cook up a lot of burgers and steaks. It's great to make in the summer thanks to the abundance of tomatoes. Just keep in mind you  will need  A LOT of them - namely five pounds. Thankfully there are plenty of farmer's markets plus farm stands to buy them from.Apple cider vinegar is also called for to give it that tart taste as well as Dijon mustard and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. Honey is also added for sweetness along with a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon. Some recipes call for two thirds of a cup of white sugar too, along with celery salt. Ketchup does require a slow cooker and it's usually a four to six hour cook.Once you've made ketchup it's an easy leap to making barbecue sauce. Ketchup is the main ingredient in any barbecue sauce. It also requires apple cider vinegar for that distinctive bite along with light brown sugar, dried mustard and Worcestershire sauce, Some recipes do call for molasses but you could sub in dark honey instead for a less intense sweetness..Lemon juice and onion powder are also added to the mix and the entire sauce is cooked in a slow cooker for six to eight hours.If you want to add zing then, pour in a cup of Tennessee bourbon or whiskey. Bourbon barbecue sauce  is good slathered on beef ribs, or even pulled pork.

Look to artisanal condiments to give your backyard grilling some oomph. this season. They're easy to make, without any fuss.It's a great way of bringing the hip and the old fashioned back to family cook outs.

Just Desserts For Your Holidays

Everyone obsesses about the Easter and Passover dinners  - what to serve and how its' going to be cooked. Yet dessert is just as important . It provides not only an end to the meal but the time to really relax and chat with family and friends. There should be just as much thought put into it as the main meals.

Easter can be a time of  gravity or fun.  An easy idea for a cross is buying  five pound cakes and arrange in a cross shape. It's then decorating them with white buttercream icing and marzipan flowers. Craft shops do sell cross cake molds so making one is doable. It's usually double the amount of batter and icing.Another religious themed cake is the Easter lamb. You need a special mold for this which can be bought at any kitchen store along with a dense pound cake batter. Ice with buttercream and coconut to simulate the lamb's wooly coat along with colored icing for the eyes, ear interiors and nose.  Another idea is just a regular round cake decorated with buttercream or cream cheese icing lilies. Then there is the fun shaped egg, bunn,,y and carrot cakes. Bake these in a simple chocolate or vanilla or for whimsy  - carrot. Decorate an egg cake with colored icing, pastel sprinkles (which can be bought at your local grocery or Target) and colored sugar.. A bunny cake can also be coated in flaked coconut for a fuzzy look. If there are kids, then think fun cupcakes iced in Easter colors. You can do a two color swirl on top for extra fun or turn the cakes into mini baskets. This requires green icing for the grass. Use red string licorice or green pipe cleaners for the basket handle and of course, jelly beans for the eggs.

Passover presents a different but exciting challenge - baking without flour.  There are many cakes and cookies that are flourless, and would work well ending any seder. For the first night, you may want to try a show stopper. Think a chocolate sponge made with ground almonds and ten eggs to give it a chewy , sweet density. A real crowd pleaser would be the Passover brownie cake, made with finely ground matzoh which many cooks use  to create all sorts of baked goods.It, too, is rich in eggs, using five along with a cup and a quarter of almonds.Passover cakes can even be layer cakes and there is a seven layer one created from  not surprisingly - matzoh sheets. It's creating a kind of mousse with eggs, melted chocolate margerine, and sugar and spreading it on layers of  kedim soaked matzoh. This is made with raw eggs, so be careful with who it's served to. Macarons are another holiday tradition. It's creating airy puffs from egg whites, and white sugar along with desiccated coconut. You can go trendy and use aquafaba - bean water.It's the protein rich water that chickpeas are canned in and since it has the same make up as egg whites can be made into a glossy meringue . The bean flavor dissipates with cooking and the finished product is a glossy , light as a feather treat.

Easter and Passover are all about the traditional foods. Just remember to just make dessert as important as the min meal. It can be serious or fun,. but always full of sweetness and flavor.