Your Favorite Superbowl Snack

Sunday  is the biggest party day  since New Year's Eve.Its the Super Bowl (along with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games). There will be all sorts of amazing foods  from crunchies to chili being served on Sunday night.

The question is what is your favorite? Are you excited about the fiery wings? The sliders full of fried onions and cheddar? Or is the sweeter side? The goal post brownies? Cupcakes in team colors? Mine has to be Acme's football cake. This is a vanilla one baked in that classic football oblong and of course decorated with chocolate icing. For some reason this signifies the game to me more than anything.

Let us know what  appetizers and treats you'll be cheering for when the Seahawks play the New England Patriots.

Frigid Night Hot Cheese

 Cheese is the ultimate comfort food and what better to have it  hot and bubbly on a cold winter's night Thrtr' something about the goodness  steamy and oozing onto bread veggies or meat.Fromage is the ultimate chill chaser and it's perfect for these days ahead.

The people who do hot cheese the best are the Swiss. Fondue is not only a fun winter party food , it's also hearty and rib sticking,. Do you need a fondue pot to make the edish? No, but it does help. Usually most have copper bottom which aid in melting the cheese  perfectly. Amazon ha a wide range of them so you can buy one for a relatively decent price.The cheeses are nothing fancy, reflecting the Swiss love of everything homey and hearty.The recipe is a combo of two cheeses not one,. It; mixing The mild and addicting Gruyere with Swiss and adding in dry white wine like Reisling or Sauvignon Blanc. You could use a good Swiss wine such as Chasseleas or Roussette de Savoie. Garlic is also added for flavor aking with a pinch of nutmeg and salt. Crusty ,w arm French bread chunk are dipped into it biut you can also have potatoes and even apples(they have the same consistency to hold up tot he hot mixture). A smiliarn dish is Welsh rarebit made with cheddar cheese stout or ale and butter Worcester sauce and mustard are added for zing and it's pureed over toast. However you can also use thick slice of sourdough bread too.

What about the American classic grilled cheese and its' Gallic cousins croque monsieur and croque madames? These ooey gooey cheese treats have been warming cold stomachs for ages. A good grilled cheese starts with a good cheese or Swiss , and sturdy  slices of white bread (although you can Alsop use wheat ro seven grained too for a nuttier flavor)Butter the inside of the  sandwich while slathering mayo on the outside this gives the exterior a golden brown crispiness.. You could go the diner route ad add a slice of tomato to a few slices of bacon for more deliciousness. For some zing think about subbing Montery Jack in for the cheddar. The sandwich's French cousin the croque monsieur us an excellent Sunday brunch sandwich or a hearty week day bite. Gruyere cheese is used for the filling as is thinly sliced ham.It's fried in butter and topped with a bechamel or white sauce and grated comte cheese. If you can't find Comte, use Parmesan or Beaufort cheese. A great brunch variation is the croque madame which has a runny egg on top. This is the perfect  breakfast for dinner weeknight sandwich and more filling than Eggs Benedict.

Happiness is anything hot and cheesy. Make a warm fromage dish to combat this winter chill.It's a nice and tasty way to combat the cold. 

SuperBowl Super Fun

 Next week it's the Super Bowl!!!  This means fun foods that are tasty and filling. This is an event that doesn't have a set menu.Anything you make or bake is good.

Salads usually don;t figure greatly in any Super Bowl party yet suppose it has pepperoni in it. A pepperoni salad is a fun way to bring veggies into the party.  Use a Spring mix along with banana peppers and cherry tomatoes Add diced cucumbers and chopped mozzarella cheese for more oomph. What about the dressing? A simple vinaigrette works  here. Keep the extra pepperoni for a massive charcuterie board. Charcuterie works well at any Super Bowl party. Also have slices of ham, salame and mortadella. Cheese could be anything from Swiss to cheddar. Yes you should have bread, a good Italian or French bread. Salty nuts like cashews and peanuts round it out. Bowls of olives are also good on a charcuterie board. Have both green and black out. A sea-cuterie board is also delicious if you want to splurge. This could could be tins of anchovies and sardines along with salmon and tuna. You can also buy a shrimp cocktail ring from your local grocery too. A lobster or crab salad works better than having whole lobster and whole crab legs. These can get a bit costly, especially if you're hosting a large crowd.

Dips are a must. One of the most famous and favorite is  artichoke dip.It's not just the artichoke hearts that give it the flavor,There are a variety of cheeses also. Add Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella for flavor and creaminess. The dip has to have mayonnaise to give it that famed silkiness. Of course there's spinach for color and more flavor. Use frozen or fresh.It;s up to you. Basil and garlic are also added as well as sea salt and pepper. The dip is famously served in a hollowed out bread bowl but a regular bowl can do too.Serve with bread chunks or even pita chips. Guacamole is another must make dip for any Super Bowl party. This is a super easy dish of mashed avocados, lemon juice and tomatoes. A drizzle of olive oil can be added to give the dip silkiness. Make a lot.This is one of the most popular dips out there and people go crazy for it. Queso is another Mexican dip perfect for any party. It can even be drizzled over tacos and burritos for extra flavor.It;'s made from a mix for shredded cheddar, evaporated and regular milk along with garlic, a small chopped white onion and chopped green chiles. Cornstarch or corn flour is used to thicken it. Serve warm for maximum flavor.

Happiness is a Super Bowl Party with good food being served. Try a;; sorts of dishes from seafood to meat for a tasty variety. Your guests and you will appreciated it.

OnThe Menu

 Has anyone ever taken a good read at their menus? Do you know what your favorite eatery serves?Or the font that it's printed in?what about the graphics and size?Well, there's a new survey that shows exact;y what's on those pages.

Regular contributors Priya Krishna. Tanya Sichynsky and Umi Syam wroteabout this fascinatingaspect of restaurant lif in today's New York Times food section. After dealing with the pandemic , plexiglass barriers, QR codes that brought menus to our phones , masked servers and curbside delivery menus are back, They've become works of art. Mses Krishna, Sichynsky and Syam looked over a whopping 120(!!!) menus and discovered some interesting trends that emerged.One is the Ceasar salad.There are dozens of varieties of it ,from a catfish Casar, redolent with fried green tomatoes ,boiled eggs and cheddar to a Thai one with puffed rice croutons to a Casar del jardin that is loaded with carrots.There is even a tofu Caesar that many places are serving.Another interesting point is that menus have literally shrunk in size. They're not as large as they used to be. Menu colors have become brighter too.  Some are a dazzling Barbie pink while others are a cheery canary yellow.

Restaurants have also become more creative with their fonts. There are many different types and they 've become smaller. They're now fiv points (in comparison to Times which is printed in seven to eight points)  . Another phenomena popping up on menus are mascots. They could be drawn by a creative employee or borrowed from Hnri Matisse and Jean Cocteau. Like fashion restaurants have become brands. Logos are too obvious but a mascot is a sublte way of advertising.A big trend  is informal. Most look likey they've been created by a design school freshman  .Cheesy fonts reign supreme as do wonky formatting and using printer paper.A more eco version is using an inkless embossing stamp to impress a restaurant's name on a menu. The anatomy is also changing. Restaurant employees are also getting salary increases thanks to their bosses cutting down on menu costs;There's also a service charge explanation also included as well as eateries telling  diners that they offer health benefits for their help. Also on the menu is having entrees explained as smaller or bigger along with listing mocktails with their sodas and teas.

Menus are the window to any restaurant. new innovations in them show new innovations in the kitchen. They are the bestway to introduce a new diner to great cuisine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

A Tomato Sandwich With Flair

This is the height of tomato season. The best way to have them is in a sandwich. Now there'sa different , snazzier way to enjyo these red gems.

I found this recipes in today's New York Times. There is usally four or five recipes printed on Saturday for  weekend and week day cooking. One, created by Ali Slagle who contributes to the Wednesday Food section caught my eye. It was an open faced tomato sandwich on toasted French bread slices.It had a mayo and Cheddar spread. I thought I'd try  it but give it a twist. Sub in Parmesan instead of the cheddar. Add basil for color.

       I first ground a mix of purple and green basil leaves (about eight or nine leaves to get this much  )

Then it was adding two tablespoons of vegan mayo and about two tablespoons of vegan Parmesan cheese.

                                                      It was a quick mix with a spoon

I rough sliced Roma tomatoes in varying widths. You can experiment with any kind, from grape ones for a sweeter taste to small beefsteak ones for a fleshy texture.

The bread was crusty enough so it really didn'tt need toasting. This was the perfect lunch it having a more Italian spin. It was really delicious and the two domimant flavors basil and Parmesan working well with each other. This is definitely going to be my new lunch or even Sunday supper go to.

This is tomato season. Try these open faced tomato sandwiches as a quick lunch or even an appetizer. They' 're flavorful and bring out the taste of the season.

Mom's Breakfast Choices

 Tomorrow is Mother's Day and that means one thing - what's for breakfast? Will it be savory or sweet?A combo of both?Traditional or something new? It doesn't really matter as long as it's delicious.

Many kids (and husvands) go for the traditional route of waffles and pancakes.. new York Times regular contributor Yewande Komolafe gives us three from wednesday's food section. You could make mom Ms. Komolafe's decadent chocolate waffles served with a side of strawberries and whip cream or maybe her savory one filled with toasted seasame and scallions. This may be good topped with an egg sunnyside up and a side of Canadian bacon. Another route is trying her blueberry buckwheat ones . Then there 's those stacks of pancakes.You can easily fo for the easy Bisquick ones and add what you want. Ambitious little cooks and their dads may want to try making scratch ones.  These have baking powder and baking soda to make light ,airy ones, perfect with a large pat of butter and syrup. If you're into something fancier, think French toast. Make an extra rich by using brioche bread intead of the regular white or whole wheat. An easier breakfast is  croissants from your local bakery , with a small sampling of jams.

A savory breakfast route is just as doable. Omelets are easy and can be made to suit mom's tastes. Try a yummy spinach and mushroom loaded one or that classic Denver style omlet. This is one made with ham peppers and cheddar cheese. Scoop it up with buttered toast. Mom may like  something simple like a scrambled eggs or a sunnyside up one. These are perfect with just a side of crispy bacon. What you can do with that is borrow a page from another New York TImes Food section contributor,Melissa Clark. Dip the bacon strips in maple syrup and give them a light dusting of chili powder. It's a fun way to jazz up any egg dish. Another idea is creating a strata which satisfies the whole family. This is a casserole which sort of ressembles a giany savory bread pudding It's layers of sliced bread , followed by either sausage patties or ham. Any kind of cheese is added, form sharp, tangy cheddar to a smoky Gruyere.An egg  - milk or cream mix is poured over it and then its baked for half an hour. It's a great way for the family to sit down and enjoy a meal together before any Sunday activity.

Any kind of breakfast is the perfect one for mom. Go sweet or try savory. As long as it's made with love and care it's a gift mom will enjoy.

Help!! What Do I Cook?

 Every chef and home chef hits it - the culinary wall. What happens when you run out of ideas for what to cook? Ot when you haven't gone to the store to pick up supplies?Ingenuity helps.

We all have hit that wall.We look into the fridge and think "What am I going to make?" You read about those food writers and chefs who can whip up a hot tasty meal using just polenta, cheese and spices. This does work if you happen to have polenta in your pantry. What happens of you don't? What you can do is sub in rice or a small pasta like orzo or ditalini and cook in any kind of broth. After it's done, toss in some butter and top with cheese for a warm filling lunch or Sinday night supper. Keep a container of either beef, chicken or vegetable broth handy. They're great for cooking up pastas but also for whipping up a quick soup. Add veggies and even leftover chicken or beef and you have a quick minestrone. If you have bread and cheese you have a meal. You can easily grill the combo in the toaster oven or air fryer . Fry it  in butter and you have a croque monsiur without the bechamel sauce. Try to have slices of American or cheddar cheese or a good wedge of Brie or Gruyere in the fridge. These are also great on just plain Saltines too and these make for a light but satisfying lunch too. Add little squares of ham for mini sandwiches.

A loaf of French or Italian bread is a plus. Any of them can be used in a variety of different recipes. One of my new favorites is sliced Italian ro french bread cut in rounds  and slathered with layers of Melt plant based butter, Parma vegan cheese and garlic powder. The rounds are put into the air fryer for five minutes at 370 dgree Farenheit. These crisp, buttery cheesy bites were perfect with a premixed salad that I bought at Stop & Shop.It was a no brainer dinner but it was delicious and filling. I plan on making the rounds again with pasta . In the summer the loaves can be torn up and mixed with tomatoes , onions , olive oil and red wine vinegar for a panzella salad. This is just a great lunch but also a good side with barbecued chicken or beef.Take your leftovers and stuff them inside a loaf of French or Italian and you have a hero. Another multi tasker is the tomato. It can be made into hot or cold recipes. Slice them , top with bread crumbs and saute in a mix of olive oil and butter and you have tomatoes Provencale. Get the bigger tomatoes , scoop out the inside and fill with tuna salad for a refreshing mid day meal. Tomatoes are also perfect in a sandwich with toasted bread and mayonnaise.

Every hoime chef and eve chef has hit that culinary wall. what to do? Climb over it with using some basics creatively.

A Lenten Bonus For Your Diet

 If you're observing Lent then you're forgoing meats and some dairy until Easter. Doing such may be a nutritional bonus .The less red and fatty meats eaten, the less problems you have. Eating more fish and veggies can even lead to a pescatarian or vegetarian diet.

Salmon is usually the gateway fish for those fishless Fridays.It's an easy fish to cook and can be prepared in a variety of different ways. It is also a good source of protein and only two hundred calories.It's high in Vitamin B12 and potassium along with iron and vitamin D. One of the easiest ways to cook it is pan seared. Add melted plant butter like Melt along with salt, pepper and a squirt of fresh lemon juice. Some recipes add a touch of honey however that can make it a bit sweet. Dill works best with the flavor but you could also use rosemary and oregano too. Think about making salmon croquettes if you want to get the kids on board. These are a mix of  canned salmon along with flour and panko bread crumbs for body. Bell peppers, garlic and salt give it flavor. Mayonnaise provides moisture as does eggs. You can add Worcestershire sauce and cilantro for zing and color.It's then cooking them in olive or avocado oil as you would hamburgers. You can also make these in an air fryer .You can also go with a favorite - cod too.It can be prepared as the other. It's the basis of fish and chips which is an easy make ,especially if you use an air fryer. They're also good shredded in tacos too.

You can also try your hand at bean dishes too for Lenten Friday suppers.Bean tacos can be a tasty change up. You can do a mix of black and kidney beans for a more flavorful filling. They can be good cold or warmed in the microwave. Top with Greek yogurt , lettuce tomatoes and homemade guacamole for a substantial meal. Beans also work in a burrito too. Anyone can copy Taco Bells' recipe for it. The filling is a mix of red kidney beans, finely chopped onions and tomato sauce. Garlic salt and cumin are added for flavor while shredded Cheddar or American cheese adds creaminess to the texture What gives it that tang? Two teaspoons of  red wine vinegar. It's then mashed and spooned into microwave warmed tortillas. You could added chopped tomato and avocado slices to imitate Taco Bell's Grande version. You can also use this for tacos too. Another idea is using vegan "beef"crumbles for this too. Plant based "meats' are the rage right now. You can easily make a meatloaf  using Beyond Beef , complete with a mushroom gravy. Gardein has a wide variety of plant based meats, including cod filets and crab cakes.

Lenten Friday may actually help you and your family in eating healthier. Try a meatless meal one day a week then ramp it up to two or three. You'll still eat delicious but also better.

Last Minute Super Bowl Party Dishes

 Tomorrow is one of the biggest days  of the season for football fans. Yet thanks to all the precautions, many fans are having impromptu parties, inviting over only a close few. That means getting some good party grub together in a hurry. Don't worry. There are plenty of dishes.

You can never go wrong with wings. It's even better if you have an air fryer to quickly cook them. You can easily go with Tyson's already prepared wings. This saves the time of having to prep them or going out for specific spices.There are also chicken strips which are perfect with a variety of easy to make dipping sauces. Add some hot sauce to ketchup for a zingy flavor or toss in a dollop of honey to mustard for a good home made honey mustard sauce.Vegans can go with Impossible Chicken's plant based nuggets. What goes with these? Try Tater Tots in with a cheese sauce. Again these are made tastier by crisping them up in the air fryer. The cheese can be melted in the microwave. Use Velveeta which melts nicely. Save the cheese sauce for warmed pretzel nuggets. Sliders always are a fast and popular party favorite. White Castle has the frozen ones complete with buns as does Gardein with their vegan chicken ones. You can also make mini patties using ground beef and instant onion soup mixed together .For extra flavor layer on cheese and bacon.  Serve on Hawaiian rolls.

Those Hawaiian rolls are also good at creating a wide range of sandwiches. It's super simple to get a wide array of cold cuts and cheeses for a make your own sandwich. Have bowls of extras such as sliced pickles, tomatoes , lettuce and peppers. Set out bowls, of ketchup, mayo and mustard too. A bit more elegant offering is a charcuterie board.Include salami, prosciutto and mortadella along with a  couple of loaves of Italian bread. Let guests slie the thicknesses they want. Also have a good smattering of cheeses. Provolone is a good choice because it pairs well with the salume and cheeses but you can also have some cheddars and spreadable cheeses like Brie and Camenbert. You can set out a pretty array of different crackers to go with the cheeses too along with cornichons, , pickled peppers and black and green olives. What's a Super Bowl party without chips , salsa and guacamole? Homemade salsa is easy to whip up as is guacamole.Use fire roasted tomatoes for a richer flavor along with chopped onions and green peppers. The guac can be made with tomatoes and onion powder. drop in some lemon juice to keep it from turning brown.

These dishes can be put together in an instant for a last minute Super Bowl Party. They're fun ways of celebrating without hours of cooking or prepping. Try them and let the game begin!!

Turning Sides Into Mains

 Imagine just having sides for dinner. You can. Turning side dishes into  dinner time stars is easy.It's also a fun way to change up the usual supper.

One of the sides that's has been turned into a main for a long time now is salad. It may be a trifle chilly to serve it completely from the fridge. What you can do is add some hot ingredients such as chicken, London Broil, shrimp or salmon. These can be taken from the oven or grill, sliced and put directly into a bed or field greens. Another way of serving a steamy bowl of greens is creating a hot dressing. Yes , salad dressing can be hot.One popular one is made with bacon.It's frying up the bacon, draining it and them crumbling the slices. A roux is made using cornstarch, sugar, water and vinegar. The bacon is added to this and it's cooked over a medium heat until it thickens. It would be great generously spooned over a spinach salad , rich with sliced hard boiled eggs and  of course more bacon. In the warmer months you can easily serve a chilled salad Nicoise. This Provencale favorite has everything in it, from anchovies to artichokes to green beans to capers. It even makes for a nice lunch , especially with some crusty French bread.

Baked potatoes have always accompanied steaks yet they too can be turned into a main meal. You can split them open and fill them up with a variety of stuffings. Many like chili on theirs  and this can be made either a meat lover's one with ground beef or a vegan ones with soy crumbles or just beans. Another tasty filling is sliced ham and broccoli with a topping of melted cheddar, A fun weekend meal is a pizza topped baked potato. This is first cooking onions and mushrooms in olive oil as the potatoes bake in a 425 degree Farenheit oven. Tomato sauce, pepperoni and oregano along with minced garlic is added. The potatoes are then slit open  and filled with this,. They'r topped with shredded mozzarella and returned to the broiler or oven for two minutes. You could also make stuffed baked potatoes too as a main dish.It's baking them first and then scooping out the insides. These are mashed and blended with melted butter. Sour cream, bacon or julienned ham slices and grated onion are added. The potatoes are then popped back into 350 degree oven for another fifteen minutes. You can do the same for Hasselback potatoes too. These are sliced potatoes that are brushed with butter and then baked. They're baked for thirty minutes first , then cheese slices are pit between the slits. and baked for another ten minutes. Top with crumbled bacon, sour cream and chives.

Forget the main dishes. Have sides for dinner.It;s a fun way to enjoy dinner and a change up from the ordinary. You won;t miss those roasts after eating these.

Fall Picnics

 The weather is glorious right now. The summer heat has gone away and that makes it wonderful to take hikes or spend a cook day at the beach. It's the perfect time for a picnic basket.

Of course every picnic has to have sandwiches. Think heartier ones with a variety of meats and cheeses. You can even use leftovers from a week day roast for them. Autumn is the time for cheddar. A roast beef and cheddar sandwich on crusty sour dough bread.If you have leftover chicken or turkey shred the meat and layer it on think on a hero roll. You can add cheese , what's left over from your tomato harvest and kale or spinach. You could also make an ultra sophisticated  one with Brie spread on split croissants. What to have for sides? Since it's apple season try a slaw loaded with the Gala kind along with dried cranberries and shredded cabbage. To give it some color and crunch , add in scallions, matchstick carrots and almond slivers. You can sub in walnuts for the almonds for a different spin on flavor.Pears are also in season right now. A pear salad is unusual, easy to carry, and tasty. Think of one with arugula and goat cheese. Keep the dressing simple with a vinaigrette made with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Should you bring soup on a picnic? You could if it's two or three people or just yourself. Get yourself a large mouthed thermos which makes pouring easy. A great one is the classic tomato soup , a perfect companion for a cheddar cheese sandwich. You could also bring chicken soup or a potato soup. Pack a packet of oyster crackers along too. What to drink? If it's a bit chilly then think a hot tea or coffee , again brought in a thermos.If the weather is warmer , you could go for cider. It's always a great drink that works with any type of food. If not sparkling water is great as is cold brewed iced tea which can be brewed on the ride over. Picnics should end with some kind of sweet treat. Homemade shortbread is perfect. It travels well and won't get sticky or melty in the afternoon sun. Oatmeal raisin is another great bring. You could bake a double batch, one for the picnic and one for school and office lunch bags. A simple apple cake , easily cut into manageable squares is a good picnic cake. You could also make a spiced or nut snack cake too. Skip the frosting  though because it can get messy if wrapped in Saran wrap.

The weather calls for a picnic. Pack a lunch grab a blanket and set out to enjoy the beautiful season and sunny blue skies. Then enjoy a tasty meal in the cool fresh air,.

Delights Of Delaware

 Hopefully President Biden  will bring some of his state's foods with  him when he heads to Washington, Delaware may be a little state but it has some big flavors. There's a combination of seafood and produce, Philly influence and in state classics. It's a fun cornucopia of different tastes that will appeal to everyone.

Delaware is part of the Delmarva Peninsula, consisting of it , along with parts of  the Maryland and Virginia coastlines. Seafood plays an important part for this state that not only has the Atlantic Ocean but also the Delaware Bay. Blue crabs abound in the last. Delaware's coastal areas have a variety of different seafood eateries that feature everything from steamed to crab cakes. Another popular dish is crab dip served with Ritz crackers. The dip is a mix of the seafood mixed with Miracle Whip and sour cream zinged up with white wine and onions. Almonds are put on the finished dip for decoration. Peaches are another Delaware product, grown in the northern part of the state. Peach pie and cobbler are two desserts prized by Delawarians as well as the fruit itself when in season. Apples are another fruit grown by The Diamond State so there are plenty of pies and apple cider donuts come fall. Delaware also has a thriving corn farm industry as well. The state has a whopping 3500 acres set aside for growing ears and what goes better  with steamed crab than corn on the cob.

Of course there are two other strong influences in the Delawarian diet. The first is Philadelphia  which is only half an hour north of Wilmington. It's not surprising then that cheesesteak, that delicious meld of thinly sliced  steak , melted cheddar cheese and sometimes onions have made their ways into the hearts of everyone from the cities to the shore area.  There's even a hybrid that has crab meat topped with cheddar on a hoagie roll. Another Philly favorite is the breakfast meat scrapple. This is a mix of corn grits and pig offal however  it's heaven when fried and served with eggs. Soft Philly pretzels have also made their way to Joe Biden's state ( as he did. He was born in Scranton and moved to Delaware as a kid). Some seaside restaurants serve them with either cheddar or crab meat. Another great influence is the Rehoboth Boardwalk where there's all sorts of goodies to munch on. Many love Sno-Cones, those mounds of pebbly ice soaked in different syrups along with frozen custard, a yummy scoop of rich flavor and texture. There's also the Nico-Boli from the beach's' famed Nicolo Pizza. This is a stromboli filled with sauce, cheese and a wide variety of different fillings like chicken and anchovies.

Delaware is in the spotlight now. Take time to discover the amazing and varied cuisine of the state when it's safe to travel.  It's a wonderful array of land and sea, Philly and Boardwalk, all perfect for White House cuisine.

A Winter Classic Gone Vegan

 Winter means ones thing - a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches. Yet what happens when you forgo dairy? Sub in with good vegan ingredients. You'll still get the same taste without the real thing.

I love a good grilled cheese but it's impossible  to make in a vegan household. That's when Violife aged non dairy cheese comes in handy.

It's partially hidden by the bread. (I used artesenal instead of white or whole whear). Violife is an unusual  potato starch  and  corn based cheese , coming out of Thessalonika Greece.It's more sold overseas but  it's also in stores like Stop & Shop, Shop Rite and Whole Foods. here in the New York area. The company has everything from feta to different types of cheddar and Colby.

It's important to slather mayo on the bread before grilling or frying so I used Nayonnaise for this.

 You can also use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or an oat butter like Miyoko's. Mayo helps keep the bread moist during cooking (this is a tip from the New York Times Food section)
Wafer thin tomato slices were then added and the whole sandwich was fried in I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.

  They're very thick sandwiches which made flipping impossible. It was still delicious, especially with the aged cheddar taste of Violife. You can add Morningstar Farms bacon for a different , diner influenced vibe. This can also be the perfect accompaniment to tomato soup.

Vegans can have this classic sandwich. Just use a cheese like Violife and create a warm gooey bite , perfect for these chilly days. It's a great way to eat healthy while still having  flavorful cheesy goodness.

Little Chefs At Thanksgiving

 Any home chef needs help in the Thanksgiving kitchen, Now with the holiday winnowed down to immediate family, it'll get even crazier. Yet if you have kids, you have help. Any age can help you and can delight in creating a tasty and memorable holiday dinner. They'll think of it as fun too. 

Melissa Clark wrote about this in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She , herself, is putting her own twelve year old daughter to work, mostly as a diversion. As with other kids across the country, she won;'t be able to see her grandmother or play with her cousins. Thanksgiving will be a remote activity this year for  her. It applies to tweens and high schoolers where  Thanksgiving football games and dances were always the highlight of the season. Yet cooking is fun and tasty. It allows kids to become deeply invested in the process, along with experiencing the joys and flavors of holiday cooking. She gives three recipes which can involve all ages, even three year olds. What about clean up, some worried parents may fret. Cleaning as you go is as vital as properly holding a knife according to Ms. Clark.  Yet kids will be messy. Her advice? Let them. Just take a deep breath and let them drop a Brussesl sprout  on the floor or splash gravy on the stove top. There are two useful tips - one, have a damp cloth at the ready for wiping up splatters and spills, and two, use trash bowls that are easy to reach.

Ms. Clark gives recipes that even adults would love.  There is a scallion cheddar cornbread stuffing, a traditional one zinged up with a topping of grated sharp Cheddar and Parmesan. Little ones - and bigger ones can easily crumble stale cornbread into big crumbs for the base.  Supervised older kids can saute the veggies such as celery  and scallions on the stove top , Tweens will love making sweet potatoes with sour cream and pecans. This is cutting the potatoes into wedges, like those popular potato wedges most restaurants serve. It's then mixing with garam masala and coconut oil. They're then roasted in a 350 degree oven for half an hour. a mix of sour cream, lime juice and salt is drizzled on top and them finished with a sprinkling of toasted pecans. The dessert is a tasty kid and adult friendly  pumpkin fudge torte. The base is a deeply rich cocoa torte that also has pumpkin puree added along with brown sugar. It's topped with a pumpkin cream  which is blend of pumpkin puree, confectioner's sugar, ans heavy cream. The kids can easily make the topping, then serve it over the torte. It's finished with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, which even little ones can do.

This Thanksgiving will be different for the kids.  Make it fun by getting them involved in holiday cooking and baking. They'll enjoy it as will you.

Eating Out Under An Autumn Sky

Autumn is officially here and with it comes cool days and chilly nights. We can still take advantage of our back yard, night or day with eating out. It can be elegant.It can be fun. It's up to you.

A cozy evening for two or with the kids could consist of eating around the fire pit. Everyone seems to have one these days and it makes for a lovely night despite falling temps.An easy supper under the stars is a charcuterie platter, complete with veggies and fruit. What is great about charcuterie is that there are no set rules about what to serve. The variety is usually a pate alongside salame, mortadella, prosciutto and speck, an uncured, smoked piece of pork, You could put out beef tartare if you want or bresaola, a dried salted beef from Italy. A luxe one would be jamon, Spanish ham, sliced wafer thin. Charcuterie boards also demand cheese so have wedges of Brie or Gruyere. A sharp Vermont cheddar would be the perfect fall choice as well. Make sure you have a sliced baguette too, already sliced. You could add a crusty artesenal rye or sourdough one too. Small bowls of olives , grapes, and peppers would round it out as well as bowls of herbed olive oil for dipping. As for drinking, a hot mulled wine could be a great option, You could also go with Zinfandels or  Sirahs too. Finish with brandied coffee , a fruit galette and a blanket to snuggle into  to watch the stars.

Of course it's not time to put away the grill. An autumn barbecue is just as fun as the ones you had in the summer. In fact make it like the tailgate parties of years past since we can't go to the stadiums this year. If you ate beef burgers for the past three months, then switch it up. Lamb is very flavorful. Add some fresh mint , parsley and garlic along with cumin, paprika and oregano for a Greek spin. 

Serve with Greek yogurt.  Beyond Meat is another choice  as is Gardein's Ultimate Beefless Burger. They deliver the same juiciness and flavor as the real thing. Instead of hamburger buns, think artesanal bread instead. You can also go full tailgate with brats and hot dogs too. Think of splitting them and filling them with cheddar or Swiss.  As for sides, a black bean and corn salad is a different idea after months of macaroni  salad and cold slaw. You could also make a simple but delicious beet salad. Bathe sliced beets in a classic vinaigrette seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Another fun side are bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers. This is first splitting the peppers in half and then stuffing them with a spicy cream cheese mix. Bacon is then wrapped around them and fastened  into place with toothpicks. Dessert could be s'mores made with different chocolates, white ,  milk and dark or just old fashioned brownies with mugs of hot coffee and tea.

There's nothing like eating outside and you can still do it. Enjoy a beautiful night sky with a good charcuterie platter or a warm fall day with an at home tail gate meal. It's just a nice way to enjoy the change of weather with good food and good drink.

Your Own Favorite Restaurant

People are even getting paranoid and understandably so about eating out. Yet, for many it's the highlight of the week or month. The food is tasty and fun. However you don't have to eat out. There are recipes for some of our favorite restaurant and fast food dishes. Why go out when you can bring the eatery to you.

Fast food is always a hit. Who doesn't love a burger with the works or a filled burrito? Yet you can easily make these at home. It's so easy to recreate the special sauce. It's just mayo with a dab of French dressing along with white vinegar and granulated sugar.This can be made healthier with using the vegan Nayonnaise and dark wildflower honey. Add sliced tomatoes , pickles and lettuce on a bun for the full effect. As for fries and onion rings use your air fryer.  You could get the bagged , frozen kinds but you can also buy already freshly cut crinkle potato and sweet potato fries.. Liven it up with some ground garlic and rosemary. Homemade onion rings are another easy make, thanks to panko bread crumbs and an egg wash. Love Taco Bell? Their bean burritos are so easy to whip up - as I know. It's easy to cook up kidney beans and chopped onions in a mix of vegetable and olive oil.Red wine vinegar gives it tang while chili pepper and cumin add flavor. Serve it on steamed tortillas. Have a side of melted nacho cheese  - basically a jalapeno cheese sauce. It's creating a roux of milk and flour and then adding chopped cheddar and butter. Diced jalapenos are then stirred in for fire.

Pizza and pizza sticks are always easy to recreate.The dough is a simple recipe of flour, water and yeast, along with olive oil, a touch of sugar or honey and salt for flavor. Top with already made pizza sauce also used for dipping with the pizza sticks  and a variety of veggies and meats. It's a fun way to teach the kids how to bake as well as create breads. Making a pizza can also be a great method of teaching nutrition and which is the best and healthiest to eat. Kids can learn about using vegan mozzarella and what veggies are the most nutritious and the tastiest for finishing a pizza. Another Italian classic that's always a take out is the hero. Yet these are so much fun to make at home.Take a good Italian or French bread, cut in half, and add slices of your favorite meats , cheeses and veggies.What really makes any hero sing is the dressing.it's just a mix of olive oil and red wine vinegar with a dash of oregano. So many chain restaurants have loaded potato skins.It's baking Russet potatoes and then scooping out the flesh so that there's a quarter of potato left inside. Then you can fill  them with anything you want, from bacon to pulled pork or shredded roasted chicken with taco spicing. You could also try topping them with  pizza sauce and mozzarella for a different spin.

Eat in if you have qualms about eating out. It's easy to recreate favorite recipes at home. You might even improve on them.

A Political Hot Dish

Food and politics bring like minded people together. Nothing is more like that than voter house parties that are  popping up all over Iowa.Hot dishes and candidates are becoming part of their diets these days.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this interesting tradition in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It works in one candidate's favor . Amy Klobuchar is well familiar with a variation of this, the Minnesota church gathering and a dish specific to the state - the hot dish. This is a mix of protein, starch and vegetables held together with a creamy sauce baked until it bubbles. It helped conserve meat a century ago during World War One and helped feed families during the Depression. Nowadays it's topped with Tater Tots and/or mixed with rice. Hot dishes offer working parents an inexpensive way to get an easily made  dinner on the table after a long work day. Ms. Klobuchar 's Taconite Tater Tot Hot Dish, named for a rock mined in the Iron Range, located in northeastern Minnesota. Hers is a mix of chicken and ground beef with onion, typical ingredients yet she zings it up with the addition of cheddar jack cheese. Some found it too spicy, others liked it.

It's not the first time hot dish made political news. Disgraced pol, Al Franken created a hot dish competition as a way of uniting the state's congressional delegation. Not surprisingly Senator Klobuchar won. In 2017 an unusual dish won, thanks to Representative  Democrat Colin Peterson. His dish , A Right To Bear Arms had bear (!) meat in it!!!!Representative Betty McCollom, also a Democrat created the Asian inspired Hot Dish A-Hmong Friends that had cabbage and ground beef topped with fried egg roll wrappers. She paid homage to the large Hmong population from China, Laos and Vietnam who made up her district. Controversial Ilhan Omar made a hot dish full of chickpeas , chutney and , of course, Tater Tots. It's called Moga-Hot-Dishu and was inspired by a Minnesota blogger's samosa chaatdish. For something closer to the Midwestern heart there was Republican Jim Haggedorn, Ms Klobuchar's close competition, who created Make'n Bacon Great Again. His hot fish had two pounds of bacon and a pound of sausage mixed with eggs and cheddar. Hot dish can be made fancy as "What's Eating America" host and Senator Klobuchar friend Andrew Zimmer can attest. He has created fancy versions with turkey legs and veloute. He does go back to a more humble recipes of green beans, turkey, beef and Tater Tots.

The Minnesota Hot Dish not only unites families but also Iowa voters too. This hearty dish can help soothe tensions and create long time allies. It's also a good dish to serve on a winter's night too.

Alpha Food's A Vegan's Fantasy Come True

The meatless revolution is real. There's another company, Alpha Foods that's adding to it. The company has a wide array of yummy prepared plant based  meals, strips and crumbles that  will make any vegan smile. It may also convert a few meat lovers to herbivores too.

I tried their Buffalo Chick'n pot pie tonight for supper. It's one of many flavors that I want to try.

This southern California company has a wide array of must taste dishes. The pot pies also come in beef and cheddar, feta and spinach, chick'n pesto, chick'n veggie and pizza. There's also tamales  - and burritos with such taste combos as pizza , chick'n fajita, Philly and Mexicali. The company also produces burgers, crumbles , sausage crumbles and chicken nuggets. I want to try all their products now that I've fallen for the pot pies.Another plus is that even their cheese, from the cheddar  in the pot pies and burritos. to the mozzarella on the pizzas  is plant based and not dairy. The products are perfect for the lactose intolerant along with those with milk allergies. They're relatively low in calories. One pot pie is 580 calories.

The pot pie is small - think doll size, but it still packs a flavor punch. What I really loved was the crust with a taste that reminded me of Pillsbury Grands biscuits. The spicing was a bit fiery but what do you expect from Buffalo chicken. It was still delicious and I can see serving it or the other flavors with a salad for a more satisfying meal. The next one on my must try list is the spinach and feta cheese that also has tomato and sausage crumbles. The pizza looks good too and that will be tried soon. 

Alpha Foods is helping us eat better and just be better. Their wide array of plant based meats and meat dishes are not only delicious but helpful in keeping our carbon footprints small. Give them a try for another alternative to plant based products.

The Amazing Stew Leonard's

There are supermarkets and then there are supermarkets. Stew Leonard's falls into the last. It's is a mind blowing combo of Disneyland and large grocery/deli. This is a shopping experience for any foodie.

I recently went for the first time at the one located at the Paramus Park Mall, in Paramus, New Jersey.I'm sort of reluctant to head into these super stores, because I've always felt  them to be over hyped. After all, you can easily walk into any averaged sized Acme or Stop & Shop and find what you're looking for. I was wrong about Stew Leonard's. Just walking into their huge liquor section was eye opening. I have never seen that many brands or types of wines and liqueurs. There were even different brands of Prosecco which were selling for a reasonable price of $7.45. Just when I was getting over the awe of that I went into the food section. There were animatronic singing milk cartons above the dairy section. Imagine the Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland turned dairy. It was wild!!!! Then there 's this duck that pops out of a giant soda can like container. Again, too wild!!!! It is a kid friendly store. Parents can throw their little ones a Stew Leonard birthday party and there are "cooking" classes for kids. They learn to prepare such dishes as mashed potatoes, chicken tenders, and broccoli and cheddar bites.

I had to try their fried chicken which again was mind blowing. As much as I love Popeye's, the Stew Leonard's version was much more flavorful, with potato chip crispy skin. That was the best part of an already delicious dinner. The legs were so huge that I honestly thought I was eating turkey drumsticks a few times.Again, they were downright delicious. I plan on going back for them again as well as trying out the intriguing chicken cordon bleu bites. These are balls of chicken meat stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese, then battered. I also want to try their cold buffet too. As for the products, it really is a home chef's paradise.I bought their vegetarian seven layer dip which was excellent. Again, I'm not one for those layered dips but theirs changed my mind. It was a tasty blend of cheddar, sour cream, guacamole, and different layers of tomatoes and beans. I really enjoyed it with breadsticks and potato chips. The store's produce department is a home chef's fantasy come to life. Stew Leonard's prides itself on buying fresh from local farms as well as family owned farms in Mexico (hence the avocados). There are a wide variety and again the choices are amazing. I plan on getting their giant onions for stuffing on my next trip (which will be very soon).

If you're in the Paramus ,New Jersey area, please stop in and visit Stew Leonard's. It's an amazing blend of entertainment and grocery shopping. You'll leave, not wanting to visit a regular grocery store ever again.

A Quiet New Year's In

New Year's,especially this one, is a time to celebrate. How to ring in not just a New Year but a new decade? With a quiet night at home. Somehow it's just better than getting all gussied up and eating at a too fancy restaurant or at a too boozy party. Home is where the celebrating begins.

You can just serve hors d'ouevres or appetizers or go for a full on sit down dinner. The thing is to make both choices easy and fun. For hors d'ouevres , think about buying the trays of mini  spinach pies or mini quiches.Another idea is creating flatbread rounds tops with bruschetta and shredded mozzarella. Top it with pepperoni and olives, anchovies and sliced peppers. A charcuterie board is another fun option .Everyone can create their own sandwiches. Go to your local deli counter. Order ham , prosciutto, mortadella and salami. If you want you could add in slices of turkey and chicken, and possibly some tuna in olive oil for a more Mediterranean vibe. Also have slices of hard cheese as well as some gooey soft ones. Think slices of smoky Gouda and sharp cheddar with gooey Brie and Camenberts. As for breads, you can't go wrong with a few crusty baguettes , sourdough boules and shiny rye loaves. Pumpernickel would go well here too.Add some pickles and olives for nibbles. As for drinks - champagne and hard cider are your best bets. You could also have white and red wines too for those who prefer it.

As for  sit down dinners, fondue or bagna calda are fun ways to get together at a table. Fondue is an easy cook. It's a tasty mix of Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses with kirsch, a clear colorless brandy made with Morello cherries.If  this is too strong then use dry white wine. Cornstarch can be added to thicken it. Have plenty of crusty french bread cut into cubes for dipping. Again you can serve champagne with this for a festive flair. A Piedmontese treat - and something I grew up on is bagna calda. This is an infinitely delicious dish translated into hot bath starts out with melting olive oil and butter together along with garlic. Usually a tin or about twelve anchovies are added. You can add more if you want that rich unami flavor. We had always used Savoy cabbage which adds a sweetness and also chunks of semi broiled London Broil. The beef and the fish together are heavenly, especially if you put the pieces on Italian or French bread. Have more bread to sop up the sauce until there's nothing left. Another variation of this is fileto Piedmonese with bagna sauce topping steak served on buttered toast. This is an easy but tasty dinner party dish. Serve with a crisp salad and a good red wine.

The best New Year's Eve is a quiet one. Have it at home away from the maddening crowds. Serve up hors douevres or a hot dinner for a delicious, memorable evening.