Oscar Nibbles

 Tomorrow is Oscar night and that means parties. You can still have treats if it's just you and your TV set.Whether it's for a big party or a cozy sit on the couch ,bring on the bites.

Pizza in any form is always a fun nibble during this classic awards show. Make one with a different twist.Use Middle Eastern lavash bread  for a truly crispy crust. Two flat breads can fit n one large cookie pan.You can have one loaded with meat while the other can be pure veggie. If it's just yourself or another person, then think that kid classic English muffin pizzas. Again you can have fun with the toppings and put evertyhing on from anchovies to olives You can do the same with everything bagels too. For even crispier crusts and even quicker cooking use an air fryer. Both types can be baked in under a few minutes. You could also buy a bag of Totino's pizza rolls and air fry them for  a tasty hors d'ouevres.  Of course popcorn is de rigeur for this ultimate movie night. Your best bet is popping kernels in a Colonel Popper for a healthier pop. These can be popped in olive oil and then flavored with Kernel Season;s popcorn seasonings. This  brand is neat with all these different flavors. Try the movie corn one which os a blend of butter and salt along with their ranch.They also have caramel along with chocolate and sugar cookie for a sweet bite.

If you're having a party or just have a appetite, then think appetizers.PF Chang's has some interesting ones like their vegan egg rolls which come with a sweet duck suace and their Kung Pao cauliflower. These are perfect bites to watch as favorite movies and actors wins. If you want something a bit more sophisticated then then think spinach cups.These are puff pastry cups filled with a spinach -cream cheese and feta cheese mix, spiked up with sauteed onions, lemon zest and dill. Egg binds the filling together and gives it a custardy feel. These only take twenty -five minutes to bake up in muffin tins and the filling can be made well in advance.Serve these along air fryer crab cakes for a lovely sophisticated bite. Crabcakes are an easy make , using lump crab meat, egg for binding galric powder and chives Panko crumbs give them body and a golden hue when fried in an air fryer. Wash these down with a good champagne to celebrate. If you want something heartier, then think small French dip sandwiches with individual ramekins of gravy for guests. If it's just for you then, soak the sandwich  in a big bowl and enjoy.

Oscar night means Oscar nibbles. These can be  homey English muffin pizzas or sophisticated crab cakes.Make it a fun food night no matter what you serve.

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Sharing Love And Food

Food and love should be shared freely. Gullah cook Emily Meggett know this as she doles out equal parts  of them in the heart of South Carolina's Low Country Her cooking and attitude get love back, It's no wonder that she and her dishes are well known and adored.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about Ms. Meggett in today's New York Times Food section. The entire world will be knowing Ms Meggett in two weeks time when her cookbook,"Gullah Geechee Home Cooking:Recipes From the Matriarch of Edisto Island (Abrams Publishing) The 123 recipes centers on  the staples of the Gullah Geechee table: rice seafood and locally grown fresh vegetables.Ms/ Meggett gives reader the definitive chicken perloo and okra soup along with one pot dishes. Other dishes reflect her own creativity to feed a large family or countless friends. She created leftover meat casseroles and canned pork and beans over rice and smoked sausage. Her wildcat sauce is made with crisped salt pork,flour and sauteed scallions with a splash of coffee. Ms. Meggett also has made countless shrimp and grits lunches for the Charleston car dealership where she gets free tune ups.The cookbook has a mix of complex recipes such as making wine(!) from muscadine grapes and stuffing shad with parsley and rice and serving it with roe. This is a two day prep. Then there's easy ones like pancakes made with melted butter and corn syrup and making juice pops called thrills or bears with Tropical Punch or Kool Aid.

Ms. Severson includes two of Ms. Meggett's recipes. One is the Gullah favorite crab cakes and the other is the classic benne wafers. The crab cakes are  made with homemade toasted bread crumbs as the filler. There's also self rising flour too (although you can sub in a mix of flour and baking powder,Mace and onion give it that distinct flavor as they're whisked into a cream sauce that also features , flours eggs, white vinegar and milk. Lump crab meat is added to the sauce and mixed lightly. They're then divided into thick rounds and coated with the bread crumbs. They're fried in half a cup of vegetable oil and then drained. Of course the benne wafers could follow these. This classic Gullah cookie gets its name from the benne seeds used

 in the recipe. They're actually sesame seeds so you can use these as well.These are rich  cookies thanks to th the addition of half a cup of butter used. There's also the mix of brown and white sugar for more flavor and baking soda for lift.Eggs and vanilla are also in the mix too. These' are a lovely ending to any meal.

Emily Meggett carries on the Gullah tradition of making good food and sharing it with those she loves. Thanks to her new cookbook, now the world can also love her good food and share it with those they love. It is food from the heart.

Cooking Vegan With Gardein

Running a vegetarian or vegan home kitchen is hard. What do you sub in for protein? How do you make a plant based meal appetizing? The answer lies in Gardein, a company that makes a variety of faux meat products. Use their products and any home chef can expand their meatless repertoire.

Gardein was started by a Canadian chef twenty-five years ago. He had a vision about using the power of meatless dishes t create a healthy version of fast food. The company  strongly believes that eating plant or soy based meals will help the planet and cut down on the global need for killing and eating animals.It is a great company. I discovered them , looking for some kind of change from other brands of veggie burgers and chicken nuggets.  What I like is their variety. They have soy fish  and crab cakes which the other types don;t have. For a fish  lover like myself, this is a huge deal. I can have a Friday night fish and chips dinner, without hurting any sea life.Theirs tastes exactly like cod, especially with the crunchy  beer batter coating.Another plus is that Gardein has a variety of beef flavored soy. It's not just burgers and crumbles. They have steak tips which can be used for all sorts of recipes.The company also has hot pockets and has just introduced skillet meals  which is kind of like Hamburger Helper with the addition of  "meat". I 'm hoping they expand their breakfast foods line. Right now they only have a hot pocket , filled with  scrambled "eggs and sausage", red peppers and spinach.  and a sausage patty that can be used in sandwiches or as a side to eggs.Hopefully faux Canadian bacon and bacon are on their radar.

Still Gardein is my go to main ingredient. I love their variety and t enables me to create all sorts of dishes.An easy and tasty recipe is sauteing the beef tips with minced garlic in olive oil. I could end it there and serve it with mixed veggies however I add a tablespoon of soy sauce  and steamed pea pods . It's ladled over flavored rice (namely white rice cooked in vegetable broth). It's delicious and filling, and definitely more tastier than using the real thing. Gardein's ultimate beefless burger tastes so much like the real thing, that any carnivore would give up beef patties for this. It has the same juicy mouth feel and mineral flavor.. Another favorite is the Mandarin Crispy Chik'n. I served it with edamame for a PF Chang's vibe.Again it was so flavorful  and the feel was very much like the real thing.I  would  love to try the Chipotle Lime fingers, a perfect Saturday dinner served with french fries and home made cole slaw. The only hiccup is their crab cakes.They're  a little too fishy along with being a bit too peppery.Since they're meant to be hors d'ouevres, they should be served with some kind of sauce. I just had them plain, I should have made some kind of cocktail sauce to compliment them to balance out the over crablike taste.

Gardein's products are a must have for any vegetarian or vegan kitchen. They can be used in a variety of dishes, being the perfect subs for the real thing. Try any of their faux meats or fish  for a tasty, healthy meal..