HAPPY 250TH AMERICA

 HAPPY  250th Birthday America.

The world influenced how we eat and we influence the world  on what to eat.

We invented comfort food and soda.potato chips and ranch dressing. We created brunch and PB and J sandwiches. TV and microwave dinners are ours too.

We are brave - in everything - especially in eating and drinking.

Celebrate not just our values on freedom and democracy

But how we come together for feasting despite our differences

Happiest of milestone birthdays !!!!!!!

Brunch Or Sit Down

 With Easter a week away , there's an important question looming - which is better a formal holiday dinner or brunch where you can pick and mingle?

I'm kind of torn between the two. I love the formailty of a sit down dinner with the different courses however there's something about a brunch that is more relaxed and informal. YOu can eat what you like and talk with whomever you like.Anoher plus is sitting with people you already know and not having to deal with someone you've met for the first time.Although a formal dinner CNA offer a delicious sliced ham and elegant platters of asparagus.

What is your Easter vibe? Formal dinner or casual  brunch. Let us know here.

Easy Friday Potatoes

 It's the start of the weekend. It's time for just easy cooking whether for main meals or for sides. Air frued potatoes fills this need.

I just wanted air fried potatoes for lunch.It;s kind of like just wanting an order of fries, except air fried potatoes are so much better. I bought these from yesterday's Lidl's haul.

These are from The LIttle Potato Company. Their Little Yellows slice up and fry up nicely. I defiinitely plan on buying thm again the next time I visit Lidl.

It was first rinsing them off and then slicing each one info four slices or coins. I added half a cup of olive oil, salt and pepper along with garlic and onion powders.

Even small potatoes take a long time to air fry. It was cooking them for fifteen minutes at 400 degrees. Thyey were flipped at seven minutes, half way between the beginning and end of cooking times.

This yielded two batches. They were grat on their own but you could also serve them alongside of steak or even with eggs and bacon as a haerty Sunday brunch. Drizzle on melted cheddar and sprinkle with bacon bits for a tasty game day snack too.

These are asy friday potatoes but you could make them any day of the week. Save them for the upcoming weekend or make alongside a weekday grilled meat. They're good any day you serve them.

Ready For Easter Brunch

One of the most fun and delicious traditions is Easter brunch.It's a great way for family and friends to gather.Yet it does require a lot. The key is to be ready and well stocked for it.

One of the most important things to dois make a list of who is coming along with their likes and dislikes.If you have vegans coming remember to buy products like Morningstar Farms soy bacon and Just Egg egg substitute. Keep in mind that this last can also be used in baking. Also take into consideration kid's allergies. Keep the brunch free of nuts along with products that were processed where there were nuts.Gluten free is easy to get and create. There aremany gluten free flours so you can make everything from waffles to cupcakes .Once you have your list , ask yourself if the weather is nice enough for outdoor dining. You could set up tables and folding chairs set in various spits in the backyard or just have one set table. THis is also time to air out the good Spring linen tablecloth and napkins for indoor dining. Should there be a kid's table? Yes, They'll be a noisy , excited crowd after an Easter egg hunt fueled by chocolate eggs  Have fun favors you can get at your local dollar store or FIve Below or small cupcake liners filled with a Peep and jelly beans.

As for the food, you can easily ge tthe ham now along with any of the canned sides.Canned pineapple is a must have in many an Easter dinner so get it now before the stores sell out. Do you want to have an omelet bar? Try to buy eggs in the next few days, despite everyone using them for dying. Wal-mart has a good deal with eighteen eggs for only $3,13. You could get two containers with saving some for decoration.If you're planning on making egg cups make sure you have the right muffin pans for them. You  may have to buy a second one to accomodate a large crowd.If it's a true brunch , then it 's time to check your griddle to make sure it's working. the same thing for your waffle maker.That brings up the question do you have enough flour or Bisquick for waffles and pancakes? As for dessert , do you let guests bring their own creations or do you bake for the enire crowd? Now is the  time to buy the cake mixes , Dream Whip if you're making a lamb cake and confectioner's sugar for frosting. Also now is the time for buying the extras for baking like coconut and marashmallow for grass and bunny tails. Make sure your food coloring is usable and you have enough.

Easter brunch is a great way to celebrate the holiday. Make sure you're ready for it.Preparedness will go a long way in making a memeorable meal.

Bright Season, Bright Flavors

 It's time to retire those wintry flavors now that Spring is here. Lock up those cinnamon and nutmegs. Welcome citrussy zings and fresh herbal notes.It's time to bring a refreshing flavor to classic recipes.

Of course citrus always gives any savory or sweet recipe a lightness. Start with salads. These are a great way to introduce more greens into a warmer weather diet. A lemon vinaigrette has a lovely flavor, and it's not as overpowering as one made with vinegar. Keep in mind that other citrus juices make for tasty dressings as well. You can interchange lemon with orange, lime or grapefruit. Fish, especially salmon and chicken will benefit from a citrus marinade. Mix with honey or brown sugar and add in some chopped shallots and garlic  for a flavorful baste. Veggies such as the Spring favorite asparagus also is great with a lemon  sauce. You can even be extra fancy and make a homemade Hollandaise sauce. This is an easy blend of egg yolks, lemon juice  and Dijon mustard.A sprinkle of paprika finishes it off. This is also good for those Easter brunches where you have Eggs Benedict smothered in the sauce. Any citrus juiceis also a welcome addition to Spring baking. A lemon cake with lemon icing is the perfect Easter cake.You can even bake an egg shaped or lamb cake and decorate them with an orange, lime or grapefruit buttercream,

Sprign herbs are another way to bring a fresh taste to cooking. Basil is one and it's a no brainer when it comes to it and Italian food.Use it on a flatbread pizza or in a Caprese sandwich which tomatoes and mozzarella slices layered with lettuce and olive oil on Italian bread.  Another refreshing idea is making it into a pesto sauce and drizzling it on grilled steaks. Pesto is one of rhe easiest sauces to make.It's taking the leaves and pulverizing them with olive oil in a food processor. You could add pine nuts but keep in mind these shorten the sauce's shelf life. Mint is another Spring herb that's worth incorporating into your recipes. A nice Easter side dish are petit pois avec menthe. The peas are  cooked with spring onions and olive oil , then the mint is added. Lamb with mint is a definite springtime roast but you can also use the leaves in a garlic mint sauce for lamb chops. Mint can also be used in desserts too along with both mocktails and cocktails for a Sunday brunch. Another spring herb that's a must use is dill. Think a grilled salmon with dill. This is a wonderfully light warm weather dinner. Also add i to any salad.

It's Spring. Open the season with light flavors that emphasize the brightness of the season. Use them them for a more refreshing taste.

Breaking The Fast

 Yom Kippur is one of the holiest and somber of the Jewish holidays. It's broken with a fast. This could be meager or filling depending on how you want to go.

There are actually two meals associated with the holy day. One is the pre-fast meal known as seudah ha-mafesket - literall meal of separation or concluding meal. This is usually rice or kreplach or stuffed dumplings along with challah dipped in honey(this occurs ten day after Rosh Hashanah where Jews have to eat something sweet for a sweet New Year), chicken or fish. meals have to be made with a minimum of salt as this could cause dehydration while fasting.Plenty of water must be taken as well. The break-fast meal consists of hi-carb dairy meals , including some brunch recipes. Sweet kugel or noodle pudding is made as well as egg rich quiches and souffles. Some go the meager route with just bagels. Some go the lusher route by breaking the fast with homemade soup and brisket. The meal could end with a home baked cake. What is eaten depends on if the family has Sephardic or Mediterranean or Ashkenazi or Eastern European roots. The  Sephardim usually have a light bread or snack followed by a heavier meat meal.

Sephardic Jews have always been influenced by the places where they've lived. Many make baklava, usually associated with the Greeks and Turkish for their fast break. Turkish Jews break the fast with a teapsoon of quince jam and followed with a sip of water. They greet guests with pepitada or subiya, a milky drink made from the seeds of Persian, cantaloupe or honeydew melons. The seeds are dried toasted cracked open and then submerged in cold water for twenty-four hours..It's then chilled and served with a drop of sugar or rosewater. They also incorporate the famed Greek lemon and egg chicken soup, avgolemono. Ashkenazi Jews usually break the fast with more brunch dishes. There are quiches filled with much needed protein and can be filled with broccoli and mushrooms. There's also Brie with infused honey and crusty bread. It's a nice blend of sweet and savory. of course lox and bagels are the old stand by.Add a schmear of cream cheese if it's allowed by  dietary law. Bagles are  a great way of introducing food into the system.

Yom Kippur is the most holiest of all the Jewish holidays. The fast should be taken just as seriously. Fill up on good , nutritious foods that help  with introducing foods.

Recipes For Your Toaster Oven

The toaster oven is one of the most used , yet least praised of all the kitchen appliances. Most home chefs usually relegate it to toasting garlic bread or reheating leftovers. Yet it can be used for so much more from cooking meals to baking cookies and cakes.A new cook book shines a light on this heavy hitter of home cooking.

Linda Stephens has created a comprehensive cookbook centered on the toaster oven. 150 Best Toaster Oven Recipes (Robert Rose Inc. 2018) is perfect for those home chefs, like myself, who enjoy using their toaster ovens, Chef Stephens, who had her own cooking school and also wrote cookbooks featuring convection ovens  is a big fan of this kitchen must have. The recipe book is a comprehensive one that includes reasons why a toaster oven  outshines traditional ovens. She does recommend a larger sized one that can do everything from reheating to defrosting along with buying a name brand, She also states that a toaster oven is also more energy efficient than a range and is perfect to use during the summer because it doesn't give off the large amount of heat  that a stove does. Another plus is that she explains the settings. There's also a section on what types of cookware to use along with vital safety tips. Chef Stephen also advocates buying a meat thermometer to check roasts internal temperatures. The book is divided into chapters starting with Basics for simple but delicious recipes. There is also a chapter on meatless main courses, perfect for vegetarians along with a chapter on breakfast and brunch dishes.

I love this book!! Toaster oven cooking is a lot easier and less stressful than oven cooking and I'd love to cook most of my meals in it. There is a delicious tuna melt zinged up with Greek yogurt and scallions. Nachos can also be made in a toaster oven which gives the chips a nice crunchiness. Seafood lovers will love Chef Stephen's chapter on fish. Her recipe for baked scallops is flavorful, They're dipped in herbed breadcrumbs and roasted to be served with an accompanying tartar sauce.Chicken and roast beef lovers will marvel at the many different ways their favorite meats can be prepared, Whole chickens aren't used, just chicken breasts which is good if you're only cooking for two .She recommends using small cuts of beef and pork for cooking.Another plus is that she also has a chapter featuring meatless recipes, perfect for my vegetarian household. I am going to try chickpeas in tomato sauce and an interesting zucchini and feta flan.Of course there are chapters on sweets and desserts. Fruit lovers will enjoy baking the peach cobbler  along with a sophisticated pears in honey and rosemary. There are cookie and muffin recipes, from shortbreads to banana oat muffins. You can even make a baked Alaska in a humble toaster oven!

150 Best Toaster Oven Recipes is the must have book for all toaster oven affectionados . It is a comprehensive book, full of delicious recipes for dinners, parties and brunchs. It is definitely a kitchen must have.!!!!

Planning The Perfect Spring Brunch

Spring is the perfect time for an airy brunch, full of good food and good friends and family. It's also a great time to appreciate the abundance of  Spring harvest, full of freshness and flavor. Create a Saturday or Sunday one that reflects the season.

One of the first things to do is decide whether it's going to be an indoor or outdoor one. The temps are rising. It would be a shame to stay indoors when there are balmy breezes outside.  However keep in mind that the weather is iffy. There could be rain - or even an April snow shower - or the  opposite. -  a hot, sweaty day, Be ready for these last minute jabs  from Mother Nature. The next is the guest list. Do you want an intimate grouping of just four or a much larger one of fifteen or twenty. A smaller brunch doesn't require  the variety a larger gathering would. Larger brunches will require more structure. There may be a savory first course and salad followed by a light dessert. Also  a more intimate gathering can be held in the dining room or the patio. A bigger one, like a baby or bridal shower brunch needs seating plans. Can it be held in the garage if it's too hot a day or the yard? Do you borrow tables or rent them?  Another question is can you handle it yourself, or will you require the spouse and kids to help out? Or enlist a few friends to help with the cooking, serving and cleaning up. Then there's the plates and utensils. Hosts can get away with using their  regular luncheon plates and knives and forks. Paper plates and plastic utensils is a must for groups of five or more.

Since brunch is a combo of breakfast and lunch, think eggs as the star of the meal. A Spring frittata is the perfect main course for entertaining your cadre of friends. Make it rich with asparagus , tomatoes and onions. Serve it sliced with toasted and oiled or buttered Italian bread Set out a  sparkling wine or better yet, champagne. Of course Bloody Mary's and  mimosa's are always welcome. After all, it's a relaxing get together. You could even serve a tomato and mozzarella salad on the side.For a different kind of dessert think the Italian fried pastry twists - crostoli. - a staple at many Italian bakeries.These are light and airy , made from fried pie dough and dusted with confectioner's sugar. . The meal can also end with bougies, a Piedmontese pastry stick,  a denser version of the crostoli, but still just as delicate. For a bigger gathering quiches, especially the mini variety a,re always welcome. You can have the classic Quiche Lorraine but also think of a  shrimp or crab one, Vegetarian friends can enjoy   spinach or again the veggie of the season, asparagus ones.Serve with  nice, crisp Spring greens salad and crusty French rolls. As for dessert, think, small, The British fairy cakes are perfect for an outdoor gathering. They're smaller than cupcakes and just have a drizzle of glaze on the top. Bakery made petit fours are another nice ending, also with candied almonds in pretty pastel colors.

Spring is brunch season. Start planning your perfect one. It could be big or small.It's the perfect way to celebrate warmer weather and balmy - hopefully - seasons.

The All Powerful Banana

Bananas have been a staple in kitchens for over one hundred years. It's usually the first treat we eat and one of the first fruits we use as an ingredients It's the snack we carry to school or the office.Bananas also are packed with nutrients - the perfect fruit. It even has its' own carrying case.

Surprisingly a banana is a berry growing from a large herbaceous plant.Since the plant body is large and thick, banana plants are often mistaken for trees. The leaves are comprised of a stalk and a blade. There are the dessert or Cavendish kind which are bright yellow or the plaintain. The last is usually grilled, baked or fried, usually sliced wafer thin and deep fried until they resemble  potato chips. Bananas are one of the world's oldest fruit, going back to 8000 BCE. The seeds traveled westward, across the Indian Ocean to Africa, where the Wolof  tribe named it banaana. The Portuguese took it to western Africa and New World where banana plantations sprang up in Brazil. The plant also thrived in Jamaica where most banana plantations began.There is the myth that bananas are high in potassium which is not true. They are packed with nutrients that aid in heart health, thanks to being high in pectin, a much needed fiber. Americans eat mostly the deep yellow Cavendish variety, named for William Cavendish, the sixth duke of Devonshire. He introduced them to England in 1834, when only the aristocracy could afford them. Now they're in  every one's kitchens, Shoppers can buy them green and let them ripen in a paper bag with either a tomato or an apple.

Bananas are a baker's delight. The most common treat is banana bread. Many novice bakers usually try a banana bread as their first effort. It is an easy bake, with a tasty mix of ripe bananas, brown sugar and walnuts mixed with butter, flour , baking soda and eggs. The batter is poured into a greased loaf pan and baked for about an hour. It's the perfect brunch bread, sliced and slathered with cream cheese,For those in a hurry there are the instant mixes that only require eggs, vegetable oil and water., The flavor won't be as genuine because there's dried banana instead of fresh,. They can also be turned into tasty muffins and cakes too.Melissa Clark gave a decadent banana cake recipe in the Wednesday New York Times Food section. Hers is a rich , lush one  made with roasted(!) in their skin fruit.Lime juice and coconut are also added for a tropical flavor along with sour cream for richness.It's frosted with a coconut cream cream cheese frosting. and sprinkled with a generous amount of toasted coconut flakes. Of course bananas can be turned into healthy and tasty smoothies. Try one with yogurt along with skin milk for a refreshing sip after a walk or afternoon drink to wash down veggies and dip, Honey and wheat germ give it more of a good for you boost. You can also add some strawberries and swap out the honey for  chocolate syrup.Try a coffee banana one  sweetened with agave nectar. Greek yogurt gives it its' creaminess

Bananas are the perfect ingredient or snack. They fun to eat as well as being a great ingredient that add rich flavor to anything from cakes to breads and muffins to smoothies.Always have this versatile fruit in the kitchen.

Your Last Minute Christmas Dinner Check List

This is probably the most hectic weekend of the year. Home chefs are probably stressing about the big Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow or the one  on Monday >Now is a time to good to write up a list and check it twice - to ensure a hassle free meal full of good food and good cheer,.

First of all make sure all the holiday table linens are clean and up t snuff.If you want set the table tonight or tomorrow. Enlist your bored teen or tween to roll up the napkins and slide the  napkin rings on them. . Also check the good silver or gold cutlery to make sure that nothing is tarnished. The same goes for the matching ladles and serving spoons. Once you've done that it's time to assess the pantry and fridge.Do you have enough butter for both cooking and the table? Ditto for the margarine. Do you have enough spices such as sage for the dressing if you're serving turkey and cloves for the ham?
If you're making bked beans from scratch is there plenty of brown sugar or molasses? Are you low on garlic,or oregano? Now is the time to run to the store to get them.Make sure you have enough canned veggies if you;re going that route for sides. Eggs always factor into the holiday cooking equation too, whether as an ingredient or the star of a holiday brunch or breakfast. Buy enough so that you don't suffer a shortage..As far as rolls, they'll keep so get them now if you haven't already  The ham and the turkey should have been bought already. Waiting until the last minute could result in getting a smaller bird or  a canned ham as opposed to a fresh one.

Seafood has to be bought fresh if you're planning to celebrate Christmas Eve the  Southern Italian  way. However shrimp can be bought frozen and then thawed out.It can be done by either letting it sit in the fridge for twenty four hours or placing them in an airtight bag and running hot tap water over them.If you're planning on serving them as an appetizer, then also make sure you have enough shrimp cocktail sauce or the ingredients to make your own. Another question is  - do I have the proper pans for roasting? if not  now is a good time to head to the grocery and pck up a disposable f oil one (you can buy the read deal after the holiday during the January white sales) Make sure that your carving knives are all honed and sharp. The next step is looking over the smaller pots and making sure you have enough to cook the sides.Also check the sizing on your microwave ones too. You may have to use the old nuke machine if you don't have enough burners. For those planning a Christmas buffet make sure your sterno cans work, If one or more has dried out , then get new ones today. Luckily they can last twelve to fifteen years.


Keeping abreast of your Christmas dinner is important. it will make for smooth prep and cooking.. It's one less headache you have to deal with during a busy day in the kitchen.

Savory Cakes

We all have a notion of what cakes should look like and taste like. We expect a sweet, vanilla or chocolate flavor. Sometimes there's the zing of spice or punch of fruit. We never expect there to be a savory taste. Yet, there's a whole new breed of them out there - savory cakes.

The notion has intrigued me ever since I read about it in David Tanis' A City Kitchen column in last Wednesday's New York Times Food section. He offers a carrot cake, but not the kind loaded with raisins and frosted with cream cheese icing. This one has not a speck of sugar in it, save for the grated carrots. The base is white cornmeal mixed with white flour. Not only are grated carrots added but also zingy scallions along with cumin and black mustard seeds.Like sweet cakes, there are eggs to give it body as well as baking powder and baking soda to give it lift. Unlike its' sugary cousins, feta cheese is also added. Mr. Tanis frosts his with creme fraiche  and is decorated with cilantro sprigs and more scallions. It would go well with the potluck recipe from Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column. It can also go with salads too, as Mr. Tanis suggests or possible as something to dipped into the yolks of sunny side up eggs.

The entire idea of of a non-sweet cake is fascinating. There are savory cookie recipes,from wafers to shortbreads. These are usually served as hors'd'oeuvres or with soups, a different change up from crackers. Savory cakes? Are there any, besides Mr. Tanis' recipe? Yes.  Eating Well offers one loaded with cauliflower and garbanzo bean flour.  Roasted pepper and dill give it color while feta and eggs give it body.It's served warm  and alone so it's meant to be eaten as the main course. It would work with a plain  salad on the side or possibly grilled chicken breasts or salmon.  Food 52 has a recipe for a savory sausage breakfast cake that's chock full of  pork sausage, onion and cheddar cheese.  The cake element comes with the flour, baking powder and soda along with eggs and milk.Mayo is added for smoothness and a silky crumb. This would be the perfect brunch cake, with a slice accompanying an omelet or again dipped into a sunny side up egg. A slice would also make a good breakfast or even
 lunch on the go too.It would be interesting to make any of these savory cake recipes into cupcakes, frosted with creme fraiche or plain cream cheese or dusted with cumin or paprika.

Savory cakes instead of the traditional sweet? What an interesting idea? It certainly changes the way we think about  and eat cake.

Easter And Passover Catered Or Home Cooked?

Nothing beats a holiday with a table full of food and tradition especially the. Easter and Passover ones. With them comes the question of catered or home cooked? Would it better and easier on the home chef if the whole brunch or dinner was cooked? Or are family recipes important and vital in keeping up tradition?

Easter may be the easier dinner - especially in the States - to have catered. Every family has different traditions. Southern Italians and Greeks are the most traditional, cooking and baking foods and bread recipes that have been passed down for centuries.Everyone else usually just makes ham and a few sides.Some groceries such as Acme and Stop & Shop will work with you to create the perfect holiday dinner. They'll offer sliced ham and/or turkey along with sides such as potato  and macaroni salads along with throwing in a festive Easter cake.Easter brunch is always popular and there are shops and caterers who will bring in such brunch favorites as quiche, scrambled eggs and even French toast.Of course, all of this can be made at home and there is a lot of control as to the ingredients. If you don't want an elaborate Easter meal, then think of a German style one.It's a roast ham with do it yourself potato salad and handcrafted baked beans. All these are labor intensive but the homemade taste is worth it. Dessert can be a simple lamb, bunny or egg shaped cake, and again these can be baked on Holy Saturday.

Passover is a bit trickier because there are strict family traditions involved.  Some Kosher markets can cater the entire menu, creating even better versions of tsimme  - a sweet stew of carrots and dried fruit and charoset - the sweet paste of apples, cinnamon, and raisins, symbolizing the mortar used in building the pyramids. Many caterers will offer such traditonal dishes as kugel but with a hip twist such as broccoli and spinach added.The main courses could be an entire brisket or roast chicken or both if you're hosting a crowd. caterers can also supply chopped liver and gefilte fish too. yet there is something in making decades old family recipe too.Relatives may want the family version of charoset which is not only rich in flavor but also stories too. They also make want just your matzoh ball soup, because of the way you make the balls or because you add scallions for bite and color. Unlike Easter, Passover lasts  a week and you could easily cook one night and have the second night seder catered. It's up to you and what you can handle.

Catering or home cooked? What makes for a better holiday meal. It's up to you and what you want.

Summer Spritzers And Sparklers

One of the most refreshing summer drinks is anything made with seltzer. The fizz makes any wine or juice festive and it's a nice departure from the usual cocktails and ades. They're perfect for barbecues or even just enjoying movie night by yourself.

The New York Times Food section on Wednesday gave some good advice regarding making the perfect spritzer. Robert Simonsen wrote about going to and looking towards Northern Italy for inspiration. Generations have made the perfect spritzer. All it takes is three factors : bitter , bubbly and low in alcohol.Sadly , us Yanks made a blander version popular in the States during the Seventies and Eighties.It was known as the white wine spritzer in which any white was combined with seltzer. It wasn't a memorable drink , neither in taste or character. The true Italian spritzers should be more wine than seltzer or soda water. What is used is up to the bartender. Seltzer is the best because there's  more of a lightness and fizz. Soda water has a definite mineral taste in it that can detracts from the flavors of the other ingredients One of the best spritzes is the Aperol, composed of the bitter orange liqueur, prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine, and seltzer.Another refreshing combo is a mix of California Chardonnay with Bruto Americano, a liqueur with such diverse ingredients as coffee bark, bitter Seville oranges and balsam fir, Pink grape juice give it a blush color in this spritz called Cali Spritz, created by Jon Santer, owner of the Emeryville California bar Prizefighter.

Seltzer can also liven up the non alcoholic as well. These are called sparklers and can be made with a variety of juices. You can use store bought  fruit juices or crushed fruit. For the first try to get the purest and the most natural. The Simply Juice company sells juices as if they've just come from the juicer itself. Try their lemon or limeade for a truly refreshing thirst quencher. The two can be combine and mixed with seltzer for a tart drink, perfect for those holiday barbecues.Their orange juice is another one that can be mixed with any fizzy seltzer for a drink that can be sipped all day long. In fact it make for a perfect virgin or clean mimosa for any brunch.Cranberry fans could make a clean Cape Codder spiking up the juice with seltzer. As for fresh juices you can use a juicer. The drinks will have a different, more fresher taste. Home mixologists can also use fruit simple syrups, a variation of the classic bar staple. Basically it's a cup of sugar and water mixed with one and a half cups of fruit.They're boiled together and then strained through a fine mesh strainer. Any fruit can be used. Think tart for some flavor contrast. Take advantage of the blackberry and raspberry season right now. They not only make for flavor packed drinks but also for pretty ones too. The cooked berries tint the seltzer  lovely shades of pink.

It's summer, the perfect time for both spritzers and sparklers. Open a few bottles of seltzer and create a cool and bubbly thirst quencher,excellent for a hot summer's night. Sit back, look at the stars and sip.

A Vegan Birthday

Can vegans have a tasty food filled birthday?After all nothing beats a pepperoni pizza or cheeseburger followed by an egg and butter laden  cake. Yet - suppose you're a hardcore animal lover who eschews any animal products or you have allergies that prevent you from eating dairy and meat? Can you still have a fun party? Of course you can! It's easy with a wide variety of choices.

Barbecues aren't  limited to just meat lovers. Vegans can celebrate their special day , thanks to companies like Morningstar Farms who make a variety of burgers and dogs . They have twelve (!) different kinds of patties to choose from, like a spicy black bean to a quinoa and mushroom one. They also have added soy turkey burgers and there are yummy chicken patties. Their hot dogs are just as tasty and even meaty as the real thing and they are delicious roasted over a fire. If you're looking to have a meat free party then buy their soy crumbles to turn into a hearty pot of chili or taco stuffings.If you're throwing a birthday brunch, you can easily use Morningstar's soy bacon strips for the base of Eggs Benedict. As for the Hollandaise sauce that goes over it. you can make it without the eggs, using avocado and lemon pureed to make a creamy sauce. Pepperoni pizza is a snap to make too , especially when you just add soy pepperoni on top. Also everyone loves a build your own pizza bar too.There are also soy meatballs and sausages for a tasty, and healthier marinara sauce.

Birthday desserts can be tricky.Most do have egg and butter in them as binders.Melissa Clark had a recipe for dairy free ice cream in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.It's taken from the Van Leeuwen Brothers cookbook on ice cream. The brothers have a small chain of ice cream shops featuring both dairy and non dairy cold treats. To create a milk free scoop sub in  cocoa butter and coconut oil  to replace the necessary dairy and egg. It creates a smooth, creamy texture that is exactly the same as milk and cream based kinds.Cakes are another vegan conundrum. How do you get a perfectly light creation without the use of vital ingredients? You can use substitutes  for the eggs and milk such as Ener-G - Egg replacer  along with soy, almond or cashew milk. Trying to make a vegan frosting has always been the hardest but now you can , thanks to using coconut oil in place of butter.  Arrowroot powder can be used to make it thicker but it does result in a  fluffy topping that can be dyed pretty colors for variety and fun. Of course if there's a vegan bakery nearby, take advantage of it because they can create some awesome treats and even favors.

Yes , vegans can have a tasty, treat filled birthday. Use soy products along with stand ins for creating a no cruelty party .It's not only healthy but kind too!

Christmas Eve And Sore Feet

This will be a short entry. Being the main cook here in Pantry land I am everything from chief sauce maker to chief dish washer.  I managed to recreate my Nonna's gnocchi and homemade sauce with a side of fennel - artichoke salad and a caponata spread. As any home chef will tell you , cooking is grueling work, especially if you have no help. Yet you persevere. It's kind of like running a marathon, from first chopping the onion and garlic for the sauce to serving the finished dish on the holiday table.

I am looking forward to later - a chilled glass of sparkling peach wine, sipped with my feet up and encased in my footie pajamas (and yes I still wear jammy onesies). Tomorrow is Christmas and a day to make Eggs Florentine for a Christmas brunch and a Spanish tapas for a light holiday supper.

Happy feasting  and cooking..Treat the cook well. Its a lot of work creating holiday meals.

Waking Up Brunch

Sometimes brunch can be a sleepy affair.It's the same old omelets, French toast and eggs Benedict.Once in a while a delicate salad or quiche is thrown into spike it up a little.Yet it still remains the same - a sedate meal for both the mind and the palate.However it's time to give this weekend tradition a well deserved jolt. Melissa Clark got the chance to do this and garner some interesting recipes from some of Manhattan's best chefs.New York City is notorious for its brunches . In fact the town probably invented them but as with every meal ,dishes can become boring .Chefs stuck on the shift resentfully whip up the same over used recipes.Luckily that's all changing.Cooks are tapping into their creative vein and inventing new recipes that are sure to be favorites.The ingredients are all the same, eggs,bread, and sausages along with fruit but they're being reconstructed. Instead of a frittata, eggs are now being whipped into a silky terrine ,more like a savory bread pudding.The reasonably priced restaurant El Rey Coffee Bar and Luncheonette. Chef April Bloomfield will still serve a variety of egg dishes at her place, the Breslin. She gives brunch goers, eggs poached with curried lentils and and yogurt or fried with cotechino sausage and beans.There are even baked eggs, flavored with tomato and chorizo. These new dishes will bring in new diners too,looking for something different as well as keeping regulars happy.For most restaurants brunch is the most lucrative meal of the week.Many who can't afford the restaurants dinners will usually try the cheaper Sunday brunch menu.Brunch is also cost effective too.It has given rise to nose to tail cooking.Every part of the animal is used in these new recipes. At the famed Hearth restaurant, the chef serves a slab of pork blade steak, that works well with breakfast menu but not with a lunch or dinner one.Also fruits and vegetables never go to waste.Danny Amend of the Brooklyn hotspot Marco's reconfigured grapefruit slices as a savory salad,drizzled with olive oil and seasalt,served with chorizo sausages.The fruit would maybe be used as decoration otherwise and in this recipe, the entire fruit is being used.As for the booze that always accompanies brunch,that too has been reconfigured.The new star of the city cooking scene,Wylie Dufresne serves popcorn seasoned with Bloody Mary spices, such as Tabasco at his restaurant, Alders. Brunch is no longer a snooze affair in New York restaurants.New recipes are waking up brunch lovers. It's eggs and sausage but with a spark .

A Better Brunch

Brunches are supposed to be sophisticated affairs yet it seems both home chefs and restaurants still are stuck in the 1950s or 1960s.There are the same old dishes, namely gooey Eggs Benedict and omelets stuffed with soggy veggies and gummy cheeses.It's time to actually serve sophisticated foods made with ingredients suited more for lunch and dinner. David Tanis tackled this problem in his column in yesterday's A City Kitchen column in The Wednesday New York Times Dining section. Brunches both in and out have become pallid affairs.There's no imagination anymore.People ,brunch lovers and even foodie's aren't craving change or any new ideas.This is sad..Mr.Tanis tries to remedy this with spins on classic dishes, even throwing in a variation of a classic Italian dessert.The meal should also be pushed up half an hour to better be classified as more of a weekend lunch.It should also reflect the season.Summer lunches may mean grilled fish with a side of fresh herbs gracing a freshly picked salad . Fall and winter lunches should have a long simmered braised along with featuring the produce of the season. Mr Tanis gives us a truly Spring like lunch.It's great for now or for later on in the season ,perfect for an outdoor gathering.He starts off with a bright and sunny citrus salad , spiked with bubbly Prosecco.(think of this as an homage to that classic brunch libation the mimosa)It is graced with grapefruit ,and Meyer lemon sang with three kinds of oranges, blood, navel and the new Cara Cara.Sugar and almonds are added for sweetness and crunch with a dressing of Prosecco.The main dish is egg free, with it being a crab linguine with creme fraiche.It has mustard and green chile to shake things up.For dessert, it,s a play on the frothy zabaglione.This time it's frozen and espresso flavored. It also has a dash of Cognac along with cocoa powder.It's a great and surprisingly light end for a light meal.Prosecco should be served from beginning to end of the meal instead of mixed drinks. A weekend brunch or lunch should not be weighed down with heaviness.Indulge in good but different than the norm ingredients for something special as well as unique.It will make for a memorable weekend lunch for family or friends.