An Air Fried Fall

 Air fryers were every home chef's best friend during the sweltering summer months. It can still be a vital kitchen appliance during the autumn too. It's great for cooking up tailgate and foot ball party nibbles along with creating great dishes with the season's harvest.

Air fryers are perfect for any tailgating party.You could buy a travel one.Amazon has them for as little as $ 37.99 for the Elite one quart one. Keep in mind you'll also need a portable generator for it since air fryers require a lot of power.9although this can be saved for when you want to bring your air fryer on Spring and summer camping trips) What tail gating treats can you make? Chicken wings and thighs are perfect for it. They fry up crisply and evenly without all that fat. Coat the wings with seasoning and then cornstarch to  ensure a nice crunch. If you;re looking for a low calorie alternative then look no further than cauliflower "wings," These are the florets rolled in a fiery mix of cayenne pepper, hot sauce and smoked paprika. Worcester sauce and apple cider vinegar give the florets more zing as onion and garlic powders give them more flavor. Another fun , crunchy bite are zucchini chips. Again this is simply cutting the squash into very thin coins and then seasoning them with sea salt. They're then brushe d with olive oil and fried for a few minutes.You can serve these with a homemade ranch dressing. 

Other squashes can be air  fried for the main course or a tasty side. Butternut squash is the most versatile.You can cube it or air fry it whole , cut into two sides. The cubed way will produce a nice crispy bite, especially if they're well coated in olive oil or melted butter. You can also toss them in garlic powder , sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Give them a sweeter bite by dredging the cubes in a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon. This would be a perfect side for turkey or capon.  You can air fry the whole squash ususlly for five minutes. Brush the sides with olive oil or melted butter or margarine and season with just sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Again, this makes a great side for any poultry. Kale is another fall veggie that is perfect for the air fryer. Kale chips are not only a fun side with burgers and hot dogs but they're also a great snack. Use fresh and try to get the curly leaf variety. remember to thoroughly dry the leaves too after washing them otherwise you'll just have soggy chips. Don't include the ribs or stems in this., They're too tough to eat, even when cooked. Tear them into bite size piece s and then toss in olive oil. Sesaon with what you want, Add hot pepper flakes of you want a fiery bite or sprinkle some vinegar on them and salt for a salt and vinegar flavor.

Make the air fryer the most important appliance this fall. It's great for cooking up tailgating faovrites and delicious sides. Try it with autumn's abundant harvest.

Lent The Season Of Sharing

 Today is Ash Wednesdy , the beginning of Lent. It's a time of sacrificing - giving up our favorite foods.Yet we should be giving up our time and what food we have during these terrible days. Giving also make us feel more empathetic to others struggling.

Food pantries will be packed as food prices go up. Donate what you can - even if it's two or three can. Those who work in groceries should convince their bosses to donate slightly expired food or day old breads and sweets. Some like Stop and Shop in the New York metro area already have partnered with not only food pantries but homeless shelters to ensure that any challenged individual will at least have one hot meal daily. You can also donate to the World Food Program USA which provides nourishment for the Ukrainian people fleeing to the Polish, Moldovan and Romanian borders. You can make a donation as low as fifteen dollars if you don't have that much to spare. You can also donate cans of food too.Many Ukranian Orthodox and Catholic churches are taking donations  of not just them but also bottled water  along with clothing , blankets and toiletries. Again give what you can.

You can also do this for your local circle too. Ask elderly neighbors over for a dinner or weekend lunch or supper. Take them to church and then treat them to the usual after services breakfast at the local diner or pancake house. Shop for them and sometimes throw in a treat just to show your appreciation for them. Do the same for friends who are struggling too. Invite them and their families over for a  lunch or bake an extra loaf of bread. This also applies to those in the military too. Now more than ever military families will need our support and gratitude. Our troops can and probably will be deployed to eastern Europe at any moment. Treat  them  now with a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. Make it into a date night by offering to babysit their kids. Again a shared weekend meal where you can enjoy good food and company is always welcomed.Have a pizza night which is always enjoyed by all, or try a game or movie night. Set up a buffet with  tasty hot snacks like loaded potato skins and chicken wings.

It's Ash Wednesday. It's  time to give up but instead of giving up a favorite food try giving up your time or donations. It will be welcomed and appreciated. 

Tail gating At Home

 Tomorrow is the Superbowl and that means partying. However it's a different kind of party with just the family.It still can be fun. Just make classic tail gate recipes, sit back and hope your teams wins.

Tailgaters love ribs, You can easily make a sheet pan version using short ribs with a spicy rub of cumin and red pepper flakes along with onion and pepper sauce. You could easily make a wet sauce , This is just an easy blend of apple cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar and honey. Some add molasses but that's up to you. add a splash of lemon juice and either hot sauce or red pepper flakes for heat. You can use the sauce for burgers if you're also making them or save it for week night meat loaf. Wings are also a tailgating must.  You can oven roast them or do the easier air frying. Air frying them will give the skins an extra crispiness. Yes, they're good fiery but try them with a lemon pepper seasoning for a lighter, tangier taste. Lemon pepper seasoning is easy to whip up. It's just grated rind or zest mixed with ground pepper and then baked for anywhere from twenty five to thirty minutes. Sea salt is added later. You can also use this on grilled chicken breasts and fish too.Of course every football party has to have hot dogs. Make them extra special with the addition of a sharp cheddar stuffing. It's a nice change up from the usual dogs.

Every tailgate party has to have one or two dips. Yes you can make the usual onion one but you could also change it up with subbing in scallions and a little dill. Want to splurge on your family? Then try a crab meat dip that has jumbo lump crab blended with sour cream and cream cheese. Mustard, chopped onion and garlic powder are added for kick. This can be served with either Ritz crackers or potato chips. Sub in lobster meat and go easy on the onions if you want an over the top dip that's perfect not only on chips but crostini too.Tortillas and guacamole are a football party must. Guac is also an easy make. Cube two to three avocados and then mash with one minced vine ripe tomato. Vine ripes give the dip a rich flavor that pairs well with the avocado's buttery taste. Add a small drizzle of olive oil to give the dip a creaminess. Should you add minced onion which can be overpowering at times? Go for it if the family likes strong flavors. If not a small 1/8 teaspoon of onion powder mixed with garlic powder should season it nicely. Remember to add salt a pepper. salsa is another easy dip to create. Again use vine ripes mixed with minced red onions and garlic. Add a dash of hot pepper for some zing or pineapple for unexpected sweetness.

There may not the big Super Bowl parties of years past but there will still be parties. Treat your family to some tailgating classic as you root for your favorite team. It's a tasty way to still enjoy the big game.

The Air Fryer Controversy

For some the air fryer is a blessing. It's a handy way of cooking certain foodstuffs without having to rely on the oven. It's small, and compact. There's no preheating and cleaning it is a snap. So what's wrong with it?

According to the New York Times and it's subsidiary Wirecutter, this genius machine has a lot of flaws. Melissa Clark wrote an article about it in today's New York Times Food section. There are also recipes too which highlight the air fryer's good points. To be honest, I don't see why there are any complaints.I was skeptical at receiving it at first but that quickly dissolved with the first use. For me, it's better than using the stove. No annoying preheating time. Just set the temp and the minutes and cook. Since it's  a convection oven ,every part of the food being cooked is perfectly "fried" to golden perfection. Hot air is circulated around by high speed fans in the machine's upper part.The food is placed in a perforated basket and the grease drips down into the basket beneath.It's a simple clean up - another plus. Yet Wirecutter claimed that it was over hyped and overpriced. (Mine was a gift bought during a pre- Christmas sale at Target. $60 dollars marked down from $100)

The machine was first introduced in Europe in 2010 and since it's introduction to the States, nearly ten million were sold. Sales increased 69 % in 2018 alone. Those are numbers not to be sneezed at

. As for the recipes, I feel Ms. Clark gets too elaborate with them, especially the fries.She bakes them twice , first at 350 degrees F for ten minutes and then 400 degrees F for another ten minutes

 . There's a cooling period in between that I think is unnecessary (but that's just me). I would probably go for 360 F for ten minutes then, turn, then cook again. There's also a Brussels sprout one, with them being baked with garlic. The sprouts  sound good and something I would try, but without the balsamic soy sauce. As for the chicken wings, again they sound tasty but , again, Ms Clark puts a lot of work into a simple dish. She coats them with baking powder, salt and pepper, then refrigerated for anywhere from an hour to overnight (really?) Then the pieces are placed along the edges

 of the basket and air fried for 400 degrees F for twenty minutes. One, I don't think it has to have all that overnight waiting and two, placing the wings on the basket's edges is too much. They can be placed on the basket's floor and flipped after ten minutes of cooking.

Are air fryers worth it?  YES! I would urge to get one if you don't have one already. They are definitely worth the money and the counter space. Buy one. You won't regret it.

?

A Super Bowl Party For Everyone

It's going to be Super Bowl Sunday in two days and by now every party thrower in the country should be well stocked.Or are they? Unfortunately there is no one guest's tastes fits all. There will be allergies and limitations to deal with , let alone likes and dislikes.

Dips are high on any Super Bowl Party list. There's nothing like a creamy, spicy guacamole to enjoy,but what about those guests who have gallbladder and pancreas issues? Avocados , as I sadly found out recently are on the do not eat list.What then? Hummus! Luckily most restricted diets endorse garbanzo beans , along with any other beans. If the taste is too intense, then mix a can of cannelini beans with chichis . Drain and puree the white beans first, then drain and puree the chickpeas. Mix together with a tablespoon or two of light olive oil. You can add the juice of half a lemon for freshness. This is a great , delicately flavored dips that's far from heavy . Serve with toasted pita wedges. Now what about the crunchies? Many have gluten allergies  and again, those with stomach problems , can feel discomfort with regular crackers. It's time then to try the glutin free . One brand, Crunchmaster has excellent ones that are not only free of gluten but also cholesterol and saturated fat free. I love these and they and the white bean hummus have replaced tortilla chips and guac for me. Salsa is another tasty party dish however it can be too spicy for some. Try a milder one with fresh tomatoes and just bell peppers. You can add chopped onion for more flavor but if it's too much then just add a dash of dried onions or onion powder. Have a dish of sliced jalapenos on the side for those who want to add heat to their individual scoops of dip.

Everyone loves wings - or do they? Many people are on diets that ban them. Try roasted ones that have been marinated in lemon or garlic. Grill roasted chicken is tastier anyway and has a nice crispy bite to them. Another point to consider is that some people cant have the skins because they're full of fat. Try grilled chicken or turkey breasts instead. You can serve them on home baked gluten free rolls with a smear of tarragon laced Nayonnaise This last is an egg free soy based condiment that can sub in for mayo. As for the rolls there are several recipes on line you can make If chili is your Super Bowl go to , then you can make several different kinds. Purists will go crazy for a four alarm beef one. However you may have fusspots who are not into having the roofs of their mouths seared or their diets ruined with beef. Try a turkey or chicken one with maybe half the heat. You can also sub in vegan beef crumbles too. Everyone loves a pepperoni laden pizza to much on during the plays. Yet eating it can cause your guests to reach for the Pepto Bismal. Go for the margherita style which has fresh tomatoes, a scant covering of mozzarella and a big  dose of basil. Also the old fashioned  cheeseless or Nonna pizzas are also very good. it's a thick crust topped with a good dose of onion laced tomatoes.  

A good Super Bowl party caters to  everyone. Make sure you;re ready to deal with likes, dislikes dietary restrictions and allergies. It may cost more and be more labor intensive but the end result - happy guests - is worth it.