Mango Wars

 Who would think that a fruit as tasty and beautiful as the mango could start the war? Yet it's true, especially in New Jersey where Indian mangoes vie with Mexican bread ones and where mango sellers butt heads with each other. Why the to do over this delicious fruit?

Regular contributor Priya Krishna explains it in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Indian mangoes are much in demand by Indians because of the flavor and texture. It reminds many of what they ate as children, thanks to many parents and grandparents growing them in their gardens.Indian mangos have a buttery texture - not unlike avocados and a slight;y tangy favor.Mexican ones have a brighter - almost Candy like flavor.  They're both fragile and the window to sell them is always short.It gets worst when they arrive from India unrefrigerated. The boxes soaked in condensation from the fruit and some fo the mangoes have been crushed.This doesn't bode well for local mango sellers. They're ruthless because the profit margin is slim. The competition is aso ruthless, especially in New Jersey where there is the largest Indian population outside India. These are the customers. who willingly pay a lot for a couple of mangoes.Mangoes are not a rational buy according to Kahushal Khakkar who runs Kat Bee exports in Mumbai. This is a memeory buy where there is a deep connection to the taste and texture

Boxes of imported mangoes are sold to customers and businesses alike. The fruit can be used in such savory dishes as curry and dal along with condiments like chutney . It's also good in lassi,a creamy drink made with yogurt, milk and spices. One would think that this need for the fruit would make  them desirable to Indian food store owners. Yet many proprietors  show no loyalty to any importer according to Bhavik Mehta, an IT specialist who actually sells them out his garage in Edison New Jersey.Many pit one owner against the other in the effort to lower prices. also most stores allow customers to return boxes if they're not satisfied, This even includes f only one fruit is spoiled.No store wants this so mangoes are not offered in many Indian grocery stores. The grocery chain Patel Brothers terms them as loss leaders draws to get customers in the store to buy more expensive goods.The stores absorb the loss of them, instead of charging the importers for the return . This id due to customers returning them on a daily basis.some importers try to sell them as cheaply as possible but that hurts the farmers who need the money to survive. Some store owners want to work together to sell the mangoes.

THis is a mango war. Will it ever end? That's up to importers and sellers alike who sell this beautiful fruit.

Sweet For Voortman Sugar Free Cookies

If you're trying to watch your weight or you just want to cut back, then consider Voortman Cookies. These gems are sugar free yet taste just as delicious as a regular sugar filled cookie. Honest. These are a great boon to those on restricted diets. They satisfy both the sweet tooth and the need for crunch.

Being on a cirrhosis diet I had to give up regular cookies. Not that I'm a big Mallomar or Oreo fan but once in a while I do want a cookie or two as a dessert or a snack.I looked up and down on my local cookie aisle.I found Voortman's with a a big sugar free sign on them. I had to try them, dreading the taste. Turns out the shortbread I bought was just like regular shortbread.I had to try more.

I love oatmeal so I had to get the oatmeal which was amazing. They tasted liked my Mom's old fashioned oatmeal cookies, buttery ,oaty and crunchy,

Of course I had to try anything chocolate too.

I bought their fudge brownie chocolate chip which was a thousand times better than the regular sugar kind. The flavor was a rich, earthy cocoa with a satisfying number of chips.

Voortman is actually a Toronto bakery started in 1951 by two young brothers, William and Henry Voortman, fresh from Holland. They brought Dutch recipes with them and created such classic cookies as their almond windmills and Simply Social sugar cookies. Their array of cookies and wafers are as varied as any other cookie company. They have oatmeal stripes and fudge striped almondettes.They are known for their variety of wafers that include citrus flavors. Yet it's their sugar frees that shine. The flavor comes from maltilol, a sugar alcohol used in gum and mouthwash to sweeten them. I want to tr y their orange creme and lemon wafers along with their fudge stripes next. A bonus is that maltilol is actually O.K. for cirrhosis (however not OK for diabetics).

If you crave a cookie but can't have one because of dietary restrictions, think again. Reach for a Voortman's sugar free cookie. They're even better than the sugar kind,a truly tasty treat for any sweet tooth.

The Perfect Pantry

What makes a pantry perfect? By having   the necessary ingredients on hand. Surprisingly stocking one seems to be a lost art. Luckily there is a how to for both the novice and experienced home chef.

Julia Moskin tackled my favorite subject in today's New York Times Food section. A well stocked pantry is a must.As Ms Moskin writes a truly functional pantry is the key to more and better cooking. The contents have to fit the home chef's real world cooking style and skills.A traditional English and American pantry just had dry ingredients like flour, sugar and bread. These were stored well away from the heat of the stove or ovens. There was always a larder for cured meats and the foods preserved in it and a buttery for cider, beer and wine barrels called butts. Now all of these - even the alcohol can be stored in a pantry.The list has been expanded to include such modern samples like lemons and yogurt which can be stored in a modern pantry - the refrigerator. Keep in mind what Ms Moskin has is not a prescription but a proposal. What goes into your pantry is up to you but it is good to have a jumping off point.

The list is divided into three categories :essential, expanded and expert. It is definitely a keeper guide, especially for those just starting out in the kitchen. The essential list contains simple oils like olive and canola and the three vinegars. For produce make sure there is garlic, onions and potatoes. The freezer should be filled with veggies, meat and berries. The expanded list has more complex oils like coconut and sesame. Sherry is added too.The sauces run the gamut from hoisin sauce to anchovy paste and harissa. The spices have become more exotic, growing from peppercorns and red pepper flakes to garam masala and Chinese five spice. The grains and starches include panko crumbs and rice noodles. The expert is for the worldlier chef. The oil variety has been expanded to walnut and avocado along with fancier vinegars like tarragon. The dairy selection includes ghee, creme fraiche and aged cheeses such as Gruyere and blue cheese. Lamb sausages,merguez and edamame are for the freezer and baking has everything from bread flour to sparkling sugars.

A well stocked pantry is a chef's best friend. No matter where you stand experience wise you should have ingredients at hand. It makes for better cooking and eating.

On Target

.It's no secret that I love Target and everything about the store. Let's face it it , the place has cool, designer clothing and neat stuff for the home and yard. I adore the soaps and som eof the cosmetics from there. Yet it's the food that's really something. You can buy national brands such as Pepperidge Farm and Wise there but you can also get Archer Farms and Market Pantry Target's in house brands.

I love Archer Farms 100 calorie packs of cookies. The flavors are so decadent , like the espresso flavor, that i forget that they're meant for dieting. There's a richness in those little rounds that other brands don't have. I also am a big fan of the Chai Petite tea cookies which taste like buttery pfefferneusse. Archer Farms also makes spritzes, buttery, ridged cookies in intriguing flavors like lime and raspberry. Another good product from this division is their Italian sodas which come in deeply intense flavors like blood orange and pomegranate.

Target's Market Pantry has some good stuff as well such as their staples like breads and soups. I also live the market Pantry popcorn.It's much better than any of the national brands and doesn't have that metallic taste some microwave popcorn's do. There's a whole grained version which I 've just bought. This should be interesting and I'm wondering if the flavor is different from regular popcorn too.

The next time you hit your local (or favorite) Target, head over to their food sections. they have so many different in house products. Soon enough you'll realize that this is not only a shopper's paradise but a foodie's one as well.

Viva le Patisserie Francaise

In honor of French Independence Day (or the day the Capet monarchy was destroyed in France, depending upon how you look at it) I'm dedicating today's entry to French pastries. These sinfully delicious treats have always been a part of French life. Luckily , they're a part of American life as well. The problem is what to buy when you go to to your local patisserie.

There's really so much to choose from upon entering this kind of bakery. It will be mostly sweets and very little breads. These are sold in what's known as a boulangerie , a store that sells nothing but bread and rolls. A pastry shop will have a variety of tarts and cakes. You'll can get every kind of flavor from chocolate Savoyard (which are a rich cream and chocolate ganache filled loaves) to fraise bavaroise ,(a filling strawberry cake)There will be baba au rhums, wine cork shaped yeast cakes soaked in rum. A typcal patisserie will also serve plum and apricot tarts. These are cream filled buttery shells topped off with the fruits and glazed with an apricot jam. You can also buy similar ones in apple and strawberry depending upon the season.The French love raspberries so don't be surprised to find a few tartes and cakes filled with them. There is also a plain cake known as a galette which is usually served on Twelfth Nigh t or Three Kings Day , January 6th.

Most patisseries here sell variations of eclairs and Napoleons. The first usually has a chocolate covering as opposed to the traditional caramel. It's usually filled with a vanilla cream but also can be filled with just whipped cream. Napoleon, that classic French treat is another dessert It is also called mille feulle meaning a thousand layers. This was a spin on Greek pastries with the name coming from the Greek word for neck. Patisseries will also sell variations on that sweet roll, the brioche, as well as almond and chocolate croissants.

The French love cookies but not the thick hearty kind. You'll be able to buy tuiles (French for tiles) which are thin crunchy butter cookies. Gaufrettes or wafers are also sold. These are rolled cookies sometimes dipped in chocolate.

Celebrate Bastille Day with a visit t your own patisserie. have a love tart au fraise or some tuiles with your afternoon coffee.