A Summer Taco Spread

 Everyone loves a good taco. Imagine a taco party then instead of a barbecue. Guests can have fun creating their own. It just starts with a few basics nd goes from there.

Genevieve Ko wrote about this along with giving  the basics in yesterday's New York Times Food section, Her inspiration was Alejandra Graf who threw a taco party for her son's soccer team. Thye loved it thanks to the variety and the joy of customizing their tacos. This also gives the host time to mingle while guests are creating their own meals. There should be big flavors, spicy , fresh and savory . Chef Ko also looks to Esteban Castillo author of the cookbook Chicano Eats  and the upcoming Chicano Bakes  aand his family's experiences. The family would throw carne asada on the grill but to also vary the taco fillings there would be Cornish game hens, chicken, chorizos , cebollitas or scallions and white onions. Theere would be tables groaning with guacamole, arroz rojo, red rice, pico de gallo and salsa molacito  along with frijoles charros and tortillas that his aunt made. It also pays to get everyone involved too. There should be extra handsin the kitchen to help witht eh chopping and prep.Prepare before time.Some dishes like chicken tinga, chicken with adobo sauce  and lamb birria, a kind of spicy lamb braise takes days to creare as do frijoles de olla.

Another important aspect is the tortilla.Make sure they're warmed before serving You could do what Ms Graf did, heating them on a comal or griddle (even a crepe plate works), They 're then wrapped in a warm towel to retain their tenderness.For a really big party CHef Ko suggests buying a tortiellero a large basket that retains their warmth. (you can buy this on Amazon or at a Mexican grocery).  Lightly char them as Mr. Castillo does or make your own,  She includes a carne asada recipe that has a spicy steak sauce and red rice.  The steak seasoning is a fiery one  full of  dried chilis and  spices such as cumin and  coriander. Black pepper gives it extra kick. There is also a marinade that features  orange and limes juices along with Worcester sauce. The red rice has tomato sauce and a host of spices too.Make sure there are plenty of drinks. You could have buckets of iced Corona  but agua fresca is  also good. Have large pitchers of this refreshing Mexican drink on the table. You can create them in a variety of such flavors as cucumber and watermelon. Make sure there's good music too for a relaxing time too.

A fun summer party involves tacos with fresh ingredients. Throw one that's full of delicious fillings followed by tasty drinks. There's nothing like a night full of good Mexican party food.

Culinary Me Time

 After a few days of cooking and baking for everyone it's now time to take care of ourselves. It's time to either treat yourself to a good meal out or make something just for you. You've spent the last few days working like crazy making sure others eat well.It's time for yourself.

There are so many restaurants that you can visit right now. You can carry on the small shop weekend by visiting your local mom and pop eatery. Go to your favorite pizzeria or Chinese food. Get your  anchovy pizza that you've been craving or try the Drunken Noodle dish you've been wanting. Be adventurous too. Visit those eateries you've been wanting to try but have been held back by fussy or timid family and friends. Many towns and cities have off beat places too that specialize in certain cuisines like French or  Moroccan. Book a table for yourself and enjoy crepes Provencale or a chicken tangine.Bakeries are a must see if you're craving a flaky croissant or big buttery cookie. There are also some great candy stores if you want to feed a chocolate craving. Kilwin's a  homemade candy chain is expanding to towns throughout the US. Visit them if you want to try their caramel apples or hand dipped chocolates. Treat yourself to a box of buttery chocolate dipped caramels or brittle, creamy melt in your mouth fudge or a big piece of nutty chocolate bark. You deserve these goodies after working long hours prepping and cooking.

Indulge yourself at home of you don't want to leave your cozy couch. Let the family head to the movies or the park. Get lost in that book you've been meaning to read, sipping your favorite cup of tea and nibbling on your favorite cookies. If you're still in a baking mood, then go easy with Pillsbury's Slice And Bakes. The company now offers gingerbread, peanut butter and candy cane flavors for  Christmas. Their chocolate chips and sugar cookie slice and bakes are still a good choice and perfect for just having to yourself. You can also make yourself a quick and tasty mug cake. All this is is your favorite mug and a mix. You can make it yourself with just a quarter cup of flour , a quarter cup of sugar and just a tiny eighth of a cup of baking powder. There's no eggs needed, Just add the liquids of canola oil, water and vanilla extract. You can add cocoa for a chocolate treat or chocolate chips and a pinch of brown sugar for a chocolate chip one.Don't wan all that work? Then just use Duncan Hines packets that even now have icing too. Want something more substantial, then indulge in a steak with herbed butter. This is a great dinner for one, Have it on slices of Italian or French bread. Use your air fryer to indulge in stuffed portabellos or fried chicken.

You've worked too hard these past few days. It's time to treat yourself. eat out or stay in with your favorite foods and snacks. You deserve it!!!

Treats From Traverse City

One of my wish vacation destinations is Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The northern part of the mitten is full of pristine beaches and charming towns. it also has the soil and climate for growing amazing and abundant cherry trees. One town, the picturesque Glen Arbor, is home to Cherry Republic - a store that sells everything cherry. I had to try it. I' love the fruit and its' addictive tart taste.

Cherry Republic was started in 1989 and has an entire range of cherry-centric foods . There's salsa and chocolates, jams jellies and cookies that have the yummy mix of chocolate and cherry. I had to buy their juice.

This is tart and fruity, with a cinnamon-y aftertaste.I mixed it with Bubly's cranberry seltzer for a refreshing and not too sweet drink. It was delicious - a nice change from the usual too sweet juices I usually drink. I can see this being mixed with Prosecco or vodka for a cool spin on classic cocktails. I also love the dispenser where you press down on the little orange paddles and the juice runs out. 

There is also their cherry jelly and dark chocolate cherries and nuts mix.

The jelly was delicious - not too sweet and perfect on the croissant. I plan on using it as crepe filling as well on brioche bread. The mix ii absolutely tasty Almonds, cashews and dried cherries

 are coated in a dense dark chocolate robe. These are the perfect sweet snack or even a dessert. I plan on buying their milk chocolate version along with their Boomchunka oatmeal-cherry cookies.

One day I will visit  Michigan's Upper Peninsula and my first stop with be Cherry Republic. I will have to try everything they have from salsa to jam.Between the beaches and it , will be the best vacation ever.

Spins On Classic Cakes

Classics are always in need of updating.This applies to almost everything, from main meals to sides to desserts, especially the last.Sometimes it takes a little tweak here and there as seen with snack cakes. Sometimes it takes a complete makeover like turning crepes into cakes.

These two updates were written in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Melissa  Clark wrote about sprucing up the classic snack cake in her A Good Appetite column.. We've all eaten them, whether from Tastikake, Entemann's or home baked.. She creates a more lux one, thanks to the inclusion of pears and a brown butter glaze.It has a moist tender crumb, not unlike banana and pumpkin breads.Instead of baking it in a loaf pan , it's baked in a cake pan, easy for cutting squares. What is great about this recipe is that it can be baked in muffin tins and given extra spice with nutmeg and clove. The icing is optional  if home bakers decide on this. Yet the cake is a  perfect treat, even as a dessert.  What gives it flavor and moisture are the pears.This is the season for them.Use the bigger Anjou kind. Don';t get the  smaller Forell or Seckell pears, These are two small and more intense in flavor than the delicate Anjou. Not only is there flour but also  three quarters of a cup of rolled oats,Toasted walnuts or pecans are also tossed in for crunch although these are optional. Four large eggs are used for body because there's no liquid in it, hence the dense texture. The glaze  is equally mouth watering.It's a marriage of butter and brown sugar combined with heavy cream that creates a kind of caramel. The cake would be perfect at any Sunday dinner or holiday table.

Another classic that's been updated is the crepe.They are good on their own, whether as a savory, filled with chicken or ratatouille or sweet with a filling of ice cream or with butter and sugar. Another regular contributor to the Food section,Samantha Seneviratne creates a chocolate hazelnut  crepe cake. She takes the basic crepe recipe and adds a cup of hazelnut meal. It is richer than a cake  thanks to the inclusion of egg yolks, whole milk and heavy cream. It does have to have body, one to withstand the intense heat of the crepe pan and two able to stand up to the cream.As with any batter it does have to be refrigerated before using, usually between two and forty-eight hours (it's actually easier to make the batter the day before  and spend the next day entirely on the cake's creation). Home bakers don't need a special crepe maker for this. A skillet will do just as well, however remember to use about three tablespoons of batter for each crepe. If there's too much , the result is thick, unwieldy layer. There should be twenty crepes. The chocolate cream is a mix of high quality chocolate (think Valrhona brand) along with good quality cocoa powder (Droste would be the best choice for this) along with milk. Brandy or coffee is added, the choice is up to what flavor is wanted.Stacking it is easy, Lay on the cream then a crepe and stack. The cake is decorated with whipped heavy cream and more hazelnuts.

Classics need to be updated every no and then. As with the snack cake and crepes, the update is a yummy new classic, full of flavor and moisture. They are so good, the original recipes will hardly be missed.

Snow Day Gourmet

Snow days offer home chefs a lot of free time.These free hours can be spent trying out new recipes, perfecting favorite dishes or experimenting with new gadgets. They're also good because they provide you with a captive audience, family , neighbors and roomies, to test out and critique those new creations.

One of the biggest deals about a day off is having an actual breakfast with the family. No one is going anywhere so there's not that mad dash to eat and run. This is a great time to try out new egg dishes or perfect your breakfast crepe recipe. Instead of the usual fare you can whip up that new recipe for stuffed French toast as opposed to the regular kind. Add a cup of ham and chives to that waffle mix to create a bed for sunny side up eggs. Try those hoecakes in bacon grease or  spicy Mexican hot cocoa.A snow day is always a good time to try out those new gadgets you received for Christmas or picked up at the January white sales.There's no rush and you can sit down and read the appliances instruction  as well as browse through the recipe book before the family wakes up. Another good thing about a snow day is that it lets you prep things early on such as crepe batter and diced veggies and then you can go back to bed to sleep for an hour or two.

Most home chefs , both big and little, love to take the time to bake. It's a great day for fresh from the oven cupcakes and cookies (especially for the rest of the family  after  hours of shoveling or sledding). This is the day to finally give that complicated croissant dough a test because it's all about time and patience.Those spare hours are also needed if you're making and baking bread.Free time can also be helpful in perfecting your merengue recipe or experimenting with even baked Alaska. New ingredients  such as whole wheat can be tested out and what better than serving a whole wheat pizza  to a crew hungry from a day spent outdoors. Some home chefs can also  use a snow day to try out party recipes and tweak them before the actual event.Also it's fun to play , and try new ideas or put spins and twists on everyday recipes.The family can be introduced to panko breadcrumbs coating veggies or chicken wings. Instead of a cup of chicken noodle soup home chefs can offer their brood the more elaborately made apple squash soup.Croque monsieurs can be a more lively supper than just a ham and cheese.Better yet. Get out that brand new fondue pot and give it a test run with some Gruyere and baguette slices.

A snow day is a day that can be spent in the kitchen. Use the time to test and try out different ingredients and ideas. It will be a day off well spent.