Decadent and Diabetic Friendly

For decades anyone with diabetes had to be put on a special diet. It was basically a bland low calorie one that ensured no weight gain along with no taste. However that's changing, thanks to a new cookbook,It's a chance to enjoy yummy dishes packed with flavor.

Devin Alexander ,a cook and TV personality has written You Can Have It (published by the American Diabetes Association 2018.) a true treat of a recipe book.. This has been approved by the ADA , the American Diabetes Association yet the recipes can be made by anyone watching their weight along with their salt and sugar intake.Ms. Alexander is known for creating low calorie dishes and has made appearances on the NBC show  "The Biggest Loser." which has inspired her to write four books centering around the show's recipes.. The introduction is good for novice home chefs because it tells  them everything from how to wash and dry vegetables to making olive oil spray a large part of cooking. What's interesting is there's really no introduction.They have to go to her website to read it (where they can also see clips of her TV appearances and other recipes) The book doesn't have chapters, instead she has recipes grouped into lists. They're under such clever  headings as "Bet Your Going  To Love Breakfasts" and "Devinly Desserts And Sweet Sips." Ms. Alexander has even coined an adjective "Devinly" meaning she created it and it's heavenly.

The recipes are sinful in taste but puritanical in calories and fats.For a decadent breakfast try the scrambled egg with sauteed shrimp. It's a variation of Manhattan's Bryant Park Grill, sparked with pico di gallo and freshly minced garlic.Those who want a healthier start could try the bacon and egg
sweet potato breakfast sandwich where the sweet potato subs in for an English muffin.Home chefs will enjoy the London Broil, spiked with chili powder and cayenne. There is also a Japanese version that uses seaweed or nori along with sesame seeds and ginger.The childhood favorite potato chip crusted chicken has been update to have the chicken marinated overnight in buttermilk. They're also baked instead of fried  which makes them only 220 calories.Sides include a take on seasoned curly fries and homemade baked crinkle cut fries. Green are represented here too. Anyone would love the Dijon roasted Brussels sprouts made crunchy by roasting. There's also a delicious papaya slaw that adds papaya and orange juice to shredded cabbage. Desserts are here as well There's a dark chocolate pudding  made with the healthy cheese quark, zero calorie sweetener and dark cocoa powder.It's topped with Devinly whipped topping, a mix of egg whites, cream of tartar, xanthan gum, and agave nectar. A lovely dessert for company would be the Perfect Pumpkin Pie-lets,made with pre made filo shells and topped with  - what else - Devinly whipped topping.

You Can Have It  gives delicious recipes that are tasty without being bad for you. They are big on flavor and goodness., the perfect combination. They make it easy to enjoy these heavenly

dishes and treats.

The Architecture Of Pastry

Imagine a dessert that has sleek lines and innovative design ideas.It's happening around the world  and especiacally in New York, thanks to former architects now becoming pastry chefs. They are creating mind bending and thought provoking afters using the simple elements of baking. Yet their creations are far from simple.

It was the topic of an article in today's New York Times Food section. Written by Priya Krishna, the author of  Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks, a cookbook that relies on college dining hall ingredients.interviewed several pastry chefs, who started out with blue prints instead of blueberries. The idea of applying architectural ideas to pastry is nothing new. Over two hundred years ago, in 1805  renowned  French chef, the famed Marie-Antoine Careme wrote  "Le patissier Royal" a treatise that codified how architectural principles like drawing and planning could be applied in pastry making. chefs have long played and experimented with the structural possibilities of sugar, egg whites, flour and other ingredients.Now pastry teachers are also using those ideas to teach . At the International Culinary Center in New York and Los Angeles the second half of the school's six month pastry course has incorporated lessons on sketching, making timelines and project planning. There's also a chapter they have to study about elements of design. Thy learn about architectural principles such as dynamism and scale in relation to desserts.

The designs are incredible. Ukranian born pastry chef,, Dinara Kasko has created a cake that looks like two layers of cherries along with one that has three D chocolate sculpture floating atop a tart. Baruch Elsworth 's signature dessert has a large chocolate spiral sitting on what looks like light chocolate ganache spikes.In the hands of a architect come pastry chef, a lime tart becomes a tube as in pastry chef's Jennifer Yee's case. It's the shape of a bone and it's filled with a tangy lime curd. Toasted meringue is piped around it , not just for more texture and flavor but to anchor the tart in place. Pomegranate seeds are then scattered around it for color and bite. However not everyone is impressed. Stella Parks, a senior editor at Serious Eats and creator of Bravetart feels that the culinary element may be forgotten. She compares them to a trip to a  modern art museum.it's fine there but ot at home. People would rather have a memorable slice of cake or cookie.Agatha Kulaga, a self taught baker  and found of Ovenly, a Manhattan bakery has stated thus. Also diners are more willing to eat something that reminds them of their usual dessert as opposed to a puff of this or a tube of honeyed that.

Floating layers of pastry? Squares of cake that look like cherries. Is it art ?Or just dessert. Thar's up to the eater to decide

The Loving Kitchen,The Best Cookbook Ever!

Everyone should have at least one really good cookbook in their library.This should have a mix of comfort foods, fun dishes and culinary classics.If you don't have such a cookbook, there is one that has all of these components.TheLoving Kitchen (Nelson Books Publishers) is a great must have or must give. Leeann Rice has crafted this perfect cookbook.Every kind of dish is mentioned, Every meal is covered.What I like and that is so striking about it, is the the book is very homey.It's like a favorite relative or a best friend giving you both advice and recipes.Ms Rice's personality comes out strong ,a rarity in any cookbook.The end of the book is dedicated to creating memorable and fun family dinners along with ideas about reaching out to both neighbors and community, Ms. Rice a food blooger includes recipes that could easily be used in a church pot luck dinner or at a sophisticated summer party.This is a great book due to it's variety.Another plus is that she spells everything put.There may be many steps in a recipes but they are clearly written out so there will be no errors.Also there's no need torun down to some specialty food mar let to pick up an unusual spice or odd vegetable.Everything is readily available from the nearest grocery.To be honest you can have a whole day's worth of recipes from this cookbook.Start off with her eggs in a cradle, simple poached eggs cooked in dinner rolls, have one of her salads or soups for lunch and end the meal with either a casserole or meat dish ,followed by one of her many given desserts. Again the variety of The Loving Kitchen is just astounding.The breakfast dishes alone come in two categories and reflect her life in Nashville, TN?There is the must try sugared bacon that would go well with any egg dish along with the baked oatmeal.which is a kind of breakfast casserole.She laso has Sweidsh pancakes as well as the buttermilk kind too.Since she is a transplanted Southerner., Ms. Rice does have some good old fashioned casserole recipes.There is a chicken and rice one, great to make when there's dinner guests along with a hot chicken salad one.The Fiesta Noodle Bake is sure to be a family favorite.It is rich with simple spices like chile,cinnamon and red pepper.There are also very chic recipes too.Ms.Rice has penned down some excellent seafood ones such as pan seared scallops with orange butter sauce and lemon herb crusted fish filets.There are recipes on whole wheat pasta as well as on lasagna pinwheels.What is also unusual about this book is the special attention give to sides.To be honest, they could easily star as the main dish in a meal.She gives us the elegant green bean bundles, that are tied together with bacon and roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta.Serve these with Ms Rice's roasted chicken for a truly simple yet classy dinner for guests.Sandwiches are not forgotten either and she includes a great guide to making different types of panini.Finish with any of her desserts such as her Nickerdoodles, her take on the classic cookie, nake after her son,Nick or her oh so sweet strawberry cupcakes.There are also yummy crisps and cobblers too along with a dark chocolate strawberry shortcake and frozen margarita pie. TheLovingKitchen is the must buy must have book.It is a great cookbook, chock full

A New Season , A New Diet

What better time of year to change your diet than autumn. You can  rid yourself of the excesses of summer and gear up for the gorging of the holiday season. right now you can take advantage of what the farms  have to offer. There are many heart healthy foods out there  that are going to be fresh picked.It's also a good time to tweak your diet  and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Fall means bounty and luckily there are a number of veggies out there that are ripe for the picking .  Kale and squash are reappearing in big numbers right  now. The first is one of the most versatile greens ever.It can be made into everything from a snack to soup to  salad. One of the most popular is kale chips - a simple recipe that just requires baking leaves until they are crisp and crunchy. Kale can also go into soups as well. Try it instead of spinach in an Italian wedding soup. Supermarkets are almost overstocked with squash. You can enjoy an acorn one, brimming with olive oil and garlic or a butternut one, cut into cubes or mashed.

Pears and grapes , other heart healthy and also cholesterol lowering fruits, are also gracing markets. You can just eat a pear plain but also try it baked. Add some low fat Greek yogurt sweetened with dark honey as a side. Black grapes are big right now as well. These can be added to sauces to give them sweetness as well as to salads. Black grapes or deep purple ones are perfect for making fresh grape juice as well as homemade jams (without all those preservatives.) Of course we all know that seasonal standard , the apple is big. There are so many varieties  to chose from, from Gala to Granny Smith.. These can easily be added to a salad to give it zing or baked with some cinnamon and wine for a simple but elegant dessert.

Fall gives us the perfect opportunity to eat healthy and change our diets. The bounty out there is rich and varied, ripe for trying out good for you recipes. Give any of these fall standards a chance and you'll not only eat well but be well too.

Last Minute Craziness

Christmas in America is like a wedding day. You only have twenty-four hours to get it right. Other countries have two, like England with Boxing Day. The Caribbean along with the rest of Europe stretch it out til the New Year. Too bad we can't do the same. It would save us a lot of angst and headaches. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

There's always the chance that you'll run short.Then just sub. Margarine can easily fill in for butter whether at the dinner table or cooking. Pureed cauliflower can fill in for mashed potatoes (and they're healthier too). Rice is another substitute that can work as a side. What happens if the roast burns? Salvage it. Try to save as much as the meat as you can.A good idea is drowning it in gravy to give it some moisture. A dried out turkey or goose can be made juicy again by cooking it again in a stock bath. If the potatoes are too runny then add extra potato flakes. Too gummy? Add some milk or cream.

What about the dessert? Usually shortages happen, especially around the cookie tray. See which ones are going fast and stay away from them. Let your guests nibble the best. Also if the cookie supply is diminishing then don't feel shy about breaking out the packaged ones. There's nothing wrong with serving Oreos and Fig Newtons in a pinch. If you run out of Cool Whip then think about pie and even cake a la mode. Any kind of ice cream can be a welcome treat and the kids will probably like it. If there's not enough coffee, then push tea. (or if worse comes to worse borrow some java from the neighbors)

Christmas comes but once a year and it has to be perfect. The problem is that sometimes our dinners aren't .If stuff happens let it. There's always a way to fix it even without Santa's magic.

Autumn In New York

Yesterday’s New York Times Food section centered all around the new season in New York. To a foodie, autumn in the big apple doesn’t mean the start of the opera or football. It doesn’t mean all the festivals coming out of Lincoln Center or the new rush of fall clothing and trends. It means what new restaurants are opening. We have quite a lot and a lot to get excited over.


The article, entitled “ One Restaurant’s Closing Is Another’s Fresh Start” was complied by Food section regular, Florence Fabricant. There’s a lot of buzz going around the isle of Manhattan about chefs and new eateries. The most talked about is the Momufuku siblings’ fifth restaurant. This nest of uber talented siblings have created the Noodle Bar, Ko, and Ssam along with Milk Bar. Their secret weapon is the young Vietnamese born chef Tien Ho. The restaurant will feature coffee and dessert ,a new thing for th e Momufuku chain. Another chef that is creating noise is Nate Appleman who appeared on the Food Network‘s The Next Iron chef and has also won the prestigious James beard award. He will be performing his magic at Pulino‘s Bar and Pizzeria on Houston Street. He is also part owner. I‘m sure there will some wonderful dishes and pies coming out of his oven.


I’m excited about a few new places too. There is the Village Tart which will be down on Kenmare Street near the famed Mulberry Street. This is a spin off of the Village Bistro but will only serve dessert. I’m also thrilled about the future crop of hot dog places too. I love hot dogs and I‘m sure there will be a lot of variations on this classic. There are also going to be some good barbecue joints blossoming as the leaves are falling. Manhattan streets are going to be filled with sweet aroma of pork and beef ribs roasting away. Yummm.

New York is going to be bursting with just hatched restaurants this fall. It’s a great time to visit the city. Foodies will definitely not be disappointed with this fresh crop of good eateries.