A Glazing Guide

 What makes a holiday table sing? A perfectly glazed ham . Yet glazing is a headache to many home chefs, including the most experienced. Can the perfect glaze be made? Yes. It just takes  some good ingredients and knowing how togive ham that glossy look.

Ham is nothing new at Christmas. Long before Germanic tribes embraced Christianity ,Teutonic pagans celebrated the winter solstice  or  Yule with roasted wold boar. Throughout the centuries ha was the star of any German Christmas table. It went over to England and then to the American colonies where many Founding  Fathers enjoyed cured ham as part of their holiday meal. yet glazing ham come about in the 1880's and it was usually with a savory stock that was either reduce or thickened with butter and flour .This was flavored with various herbs and spices. Any sweetness came from added wine . Ale could be added to this glaze too.The modern glaze that we know came about in the 1930's created by Harry Hoensellar in Detroit, Michigan He offered honey glazed hams to curious housewives.It clicked .The sweetness was a great foil for the meat's cured saltiness. He also in vented the spiral cut ham which made it easier for home chefs to carve at the holiday table

Throughout the recent decades home chefs have used all sorts of sweet ingredients to glaze holiday  hams, both Christmas and Easter. They include  everything from ginger ale to pineapple juice / A simple one includes dark brown sugar (which as more flavor than light brown sugar) along with honey or real maple syrup. Kickiness comes from the addition of Dijon mustard and ground cloves. Ground cinnamon and nut meg can also be added. You could go 1950's and create a different and fruity pineapple glaze. this  is more than just pouring juice onto an uncooked ham. The glaze also has brown sugar and honey to give that skin that burnished, glossy caramel look.Dijon or stone ground mustard along with apple cider vinegar cuts all that sweetness (no one want a ham that tastes like a candy). Cinnamon and clove can also be added. How do you glaze a ham? Usually with a brush and its done during the last hour or so of baking. This is usually done four times - figure every fifteen minutes.. This is also the time to score the game -r creating those squares on the outside. Add water so the bottom doesn't;t burn either.

The perfect Christmas ham is a glazed one. You can go from a simple glaze or a more elaborate one. Pick the one that you feel the most comfortable with using. The result with be a perfect marriage for salty and sweet with a kick for mustard and spices.

Hearty And Meatless

 There's this myth that meat has to go into a stew.It's what makes it's filling and flavorful, right? Yet there are vegetable only ones that can b prfect for an end of winter night.They're full of good things and taste too.

Melissa Clark gave three hearty recipes for vegtarian stews in ysterday's new York Times Wednesday Food section. Meatless stews actually cook up quicker than their meat laden cousins simply because sinew llaced joints have to be softened. All home chefs needs is a base of alliums such as onions or garlic along with sauteed veggies.Liquid is added along with more vegetabes and possibly grains beans or tofu>it's simmered until everything is tnder Keep in mind that starchy vegetables like potatoes or beans will thicken the broth, turning it rich and silky. You can add wine as done with traditional stews. what's chosen is up to the home chef. Ms. Clark offers her first recipe is based on the Japanese nimono which is sweet potatoes simmered with soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms. There is also sesame oil and rice wine added for ricness. Ginger is added for tang while the tofu cubes give it a silkiness and oomph.. Extra tofu is crisped and added on top for crunch .

The other two  are a hearty and spicy white bean and tomato stew and a red lentil and barley one. The whit  bean is chock full of white beans and tomato cooked in a chicken broth.If you want avegan version, then switch to a veggie broth which will have the same flavorful impact.It's quick to make  - another plus on a busy day .It is also chock full of garlic - seven cloves and red pepper flakes. You could add crumbled bacon to give the stew mor color and taste and again if you want a vegan version, add Morningstar Farms soy bacon strips. The other is a typical veggie laden one.Leeks are sauteed with carrots fennel -including the fronds. Lentils and barley are cooked in , giving it protein and texture. Garam masala is also added for more flavor and fire .It's simmered for two hours to meld all the flavors. ALl of these would be perfect with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up the sauce or even a side of rice.

A stew doesn;t have to be laden with meat to be good and hearty. Veggies and beans can certainly fill in fr it. Try these stews for a fresher take and taste on a winter classic.

The Crispiest Crackliest Pizza Ever

 What makes a good pizza? Surprisingly its' not the toppings. Or the sauce  or even the cheese.It's the crust that pizza lovers rhapsodize about ,Now there'sa recipe influneced by a famed pizza town to try that gives you the best crust ever.

Regular contributor and chef J Kenji-Lpez Alt wrote about this perfect pie in today's New York Times Food section.He gives tips and tricks on how home chefs can create the perfect Chicago thin crust pizza. THis is the one Chicagoans adore, not that deep dish one that's more like a pizza rustica.It's not like the beloved New York ones with puffy handlebar crusts. There is not crust really. The sauce and cheese literally stretch to the end of the dough with the cheese dripping over in crunchy burnt pieces.Most notable the true Chicago style is cut not in triangles but in bite sized squares that would be perfect as a cocktail party nibble.It was intentional. These bites would make people thirsty . The custom s tarted in the 1940's at such family taverns as Vito and Nick's in the South Side.It was also always free and loaded with sausage thnaks to the slaughter houses in the vincinity.Cracker crust pizza became so pouplar it was the pizza that became number one throughout the Midewest.

Any home chef can recreate this American classic. Chef LopezAlt give the recipe for both the crust and a homemade pizza sauce along with Chicago style sausage..The crust should have less water and more oil for a nice crackly texture.Another Must that he discovered quite by accident is leaving it out on the counter for too long. This produces overfermentation which severely weakens the gluten structure which leads to dough that refuses to rise when it's baked. This is bad for a loaf but perfect for a pizza.It can also be cured, a process developed by Billy and Cecily Federighi. It's leaving the dough out overnight so it dries out. This also produces a crackly crust. Then there'sthe sauce. Homebakers could get a bottle or jar of it but his sauce recipe is worth trying.It's a quick blend of whole peeled tomatoes and tomato paste plus the usual seasonings. The surprise lies in the adddtion of a  tablesppon of granualted sugar and two teaspoons of  red wine vinegar. You could also make the pizza with just the sausage/ This is a taking ground pork shoulder and mixing it with fennel seeds and garlic cloves along with various herbs like oregano and marjoram. You could easily make a CHicago style pizza.

Happiness is a good crispy pizza. Make this true Chicago style one to enjoy that crackle and crunch.it will be a memorable one for sure.

Recipes Past , Recipes Best

This is my Mom's second birthday without her. I think the best way to pay homage is by posting one of her best recipes and my all time favorites - tomatoes Provencale. This is a great way to use vine ripe tomatoes. Just be sure to have a whole (!) loaf of Italian  bread to sop up all that delicious tomato infused oil when you've polished off the tomatoes..

Ingredients
Olive oil
two finely chopped garlic cloves
1 cup breadcrumbs , preferably plain
5-6 vine ripe tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste


Pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a medium frying pan. Mince garlic and add to bread crumbs along with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Slice tomatoes and lay them side by side in the frying pan.Spoon large heaps of the breadcrumbs over them and cook them over a medium flame. Put a glass lid over the tomatoes to steam them. Doing this will give a more tender flesh. Cook for about ten minutes or until tomatoes look wilted and breadcrumbs are browned.

Usually tomatoes provencale are served with a roast chicken or barbecued or grilled steak. You can do  this or better yet, just have the tomatoes on their own with a good iced hard cider. Dip hunks of Italian bread into the olive oil and enjoy!!!

Thanks , Mom!!!💓💓💓

Get Squashed

We are getting into squash season.Many home chefs are actually flummoxed by it. They wonder what to do with it?Stuffed?Mashed? Pair it with wild rice or marshmallows? The recipes for it and it's cousin are versatile.There are so many that tout its earthy sweetsness and satiny texture.Best of all they make fo great leftovers. There are several different types of squash.There is the summer one like zucchini that are fresh and green tasting.Winter squash have a denser flesh and sweeter flavor.Thue most popular are the pumpkin along with acorn and butternut varieties but there is also the buttercup and spaghetti types too.One of the easiest and most satisfying is soup.Use butternut along with chicken broth and heavy cream to make a rich , hearty potage.Since it is sweet tasting you may want to use garlic, onions and an olio of spices to cut it.you could also try fresh Ginger for heat and spices such has cloves and cinnamon, as Martha Stewart did. You can also try soup with pumpkin.Piedmontese pumpkin soup is simple, with all the emphasis on the pumpkin.It has vegetable broth mixed with it along with a fresh onion.It is then mashed with rice, butter and cream mixed in.This kind is the easiest to freeze as well.Make up a double batch so you can have a ready meal on a night when you don't feel like cooking.Of course mashed squash is an excellent side.Butternut makes for the creamiest and the most flavorful.It takes only eight to ten minutes to cook.Cut the squash in pieces and then place in a shallow microwavable pan.Mash with a potato masher. You can add butter or even milk for a creamy texture and taste. Squash is also great baked into breads.Again butternut work s the best although you can also use pumpkin too.A squash tea bread is a nice loaf to bake, especially for a fall Sunday brunch.It is loaded with a variety of spices such as allspice and cloves as well as Ginger and cinnamon.What is great about this is that you can use any left over bread as French toast .You can also use this veggie in muffins.Again home chefs can make this super healthy with the addition of raisins and whole-wheat flour.Serve with huge dollops of cream cheese for a tasty after school treat or as a nice breakfast alternative to corn or bran muffins.Surprisingly both pumpkins and squash can also be an ingredient in cookies.Of course, as with anything with it, there is a lot of heavy spicing a Ong with raisins.There are even squash chocolate chip snaps.Because squash is fibrous and watery , expect the cookies to be cakey and chewy.Candy can also be made from it as well.It's a neat way of combining healthy with wicked ,just to get the kids to eat veggies. This is the height of the squash and pumpkin season.Try these versatile gourds in everything from soup to candy.It a great way to vary the family's diet as well as making it healthy one too.

Add Some Spice

Every dish can be perked up with something. That‘s why we have spices and sauces to help us along the way. A bland meat loaf can be given zing with just a dash of soy sauce. Chicken salad can soar with a pinch of dried tarragon. Even a simple fruit salad can be called sophisticated with just a sprinkle of candied ginger. Spice is not only the variety of life it’s the savior of dull cooking.
Everyone should have some kind of semblance of a spice rack in the kitchen. It could be in those cutely organized tubers and holders or you could just have bottles in a lined up in a cabinet. Just make sure there’s something there, Some herbs can be used fresh such as chives. Some are usable both fresh from the garden or commercially processed like tarragon parsley oregano or rosemary. If you can try to grow these in a regular or window box garden. These add to sauces as well as to roast chicken and roast beef. .Fresh rosemary and oregano are wonderful sprinkled on just made focaccio Another good herb is thyme. Sprinkle it in soups for a lovely , peppery taste. Thyme is what gives Manhattan clam chowder its; unique flavor but it’s also good in minestrone and vegetable soup as well.
Spices are also very good. These are dried from plants such as bark (cinnamon and nutmeg) buds (cloves ) fruits (paprika) and roots such as ginger. These you can add to even cakes to sweets as well to make distinctive breads and cakes along with cookies. Spices usually associated with baking such as nutmeg can also be used in sauces to give a different spin on regular brown sauces or gravies. Ground vanilla seed can be added to squash to bring out its’ earthy flavor better than salt could. The best bet is to experiment and see which works for you and your tastes.
Don’t; let blandness force you to be a dull cook. Liven up your dishes with herbs and spices. These will not only make simple roasts and sauces better it will also excite your palate. There’s nothing better than adding a little real spice to your life!