Celebrating St David's Day

 March first was Saint David 's Day , patron saint of Wales. it was definitely a time to celebrate teh rich and flavorful foods of this ancient land whose proper name is Cymru. It is a varied table celebrating the land and sea of this amazing country.

The leek is the symbol of Cymru and it is a versatile green. Its at its best pairing with potatoes in a rich soup. Cawn Cnnin (the Welsh name) easy to make and great for the still cold days ahead. Unlike the french version vichyoisse, this had the tasty addition of Canadian bacon. The bacon and leeks are cooked forst with the leeks being fried in the bacon fat first.Chicken broth is added along with cut up potatoes that are mashed into the soup. A cup of milk is added for creaminess. Another hearty meal is  the Welsh onion cake made with Caerphilly cheese. Caerphilly is made in the town of the same name and is a rich , crumbly fromage. The cheese is baked on top of the sliced potatoes and onions and then flipped over to be served. it's sort of like scalloped potatoes  with a creamy, cheesy bottom. Of course mashed potatoes figure in another dish that also features boiled leeks  hard boiled eggs and cheese sauce. wyau ynis mon has half and half in it along with nutmeg for flavor.

Yes,Cymru or Wales, also has it's most famous dish - rarebit. This is a delicious mix of ale. cheddar and butter. As you melt the butter warm the ale in abnother saucepan over a low flame.  To thicken it whisk in three  and a half tabkespoons of flour. Combine together and add cheese and Worcester sauce along with english mustard powder. Spoon over  thich slices of toasted  sourdough bread. Another Saint David's day treat that can be baked all year round is  an English muffin like scone called picau ar y maen. They're made from flour lard, currents and eggs and cooked on a griddle. This gives them a crispy exterior while having a melty inside. Usually suagr is sprinkled on top but you could als serve  with a fat pat of butter. Bara brith ro welsh tea cak loaf is another tasty baked tret.It's  a spiced loaf bread that can go well slathered with butter and served with hot tea. Mixed dried fruit is also added to it as well

Welsh food is a flavorful and robust cuisine, much like the countyr itself. Try the cuisine of Cymru and enjoy the flavor of rich cheeses and tasty cakes.  These are the flavors of a brave country with brave people.

Are You Game Ready?

 Tomorrow is the Super Bowl, The teams are gearing up for the kick off. Rihanna is practicing her half time gig. Now the question - are you ready for your big party tomorrow?

It always pays to do an inventory before any party begins. Do you have enough paper plates and napkins? Is there enough cutlery for the guests? If not then hit your local grocery store, Wal-mart or Target for these. Remember that extra pack of napkins or forks can always come in handy for future parties and cook outs.Another must have are Wet Wipes. Do you have enough for those wing and rib lovers? If you run out of these just wet and fold  paper towesl.This also helps cleaning hands and mouths( or if fingers are really messy and sticky  a quick trip to the bath or kithen to use hand soap will do). What about if you';re grilling ? Do you have enough tin foil or do you have to run out for an extra roll of  foil. Also keep a roll of Saran wrap on the ready in case guests want to take home leftovers.Tonight would be the night to get the kitchen ready too. Get out the air fryer or griddle along with spending the night to create marinades and rubs.Tonight is also a good time to thaw out those wings and ribs and put them from the freezer to the fridge.

The big question is do you have the right amount of food? Are there enough wings? The average person will eay anywhere from six to ten of them. A fan may wind up eating as much as twenty  or twenty-five. It's recommended that you have around a whopping two hundred  (!!!!!)wings for a party of twenty. If you do run out and your local grocery has run out of them, then think drumsticks. These can be just as tasty , especially if they're air fried. If you're serving ribs, then remember it's usually six per person. That's 120 ribs for  party of twenty. if you're barbecuing , remember to have enough charcoal or even wood to create a good steady flam.. What about the sides?Have the salads been made ?If not, do you need such basics as potatoes for potato salad and macaroni for macaroni salad? These are easy pick ups and can be bought even an hour before the do happens. Keep in mind that you can always run out or order in of there's not enough for your gang. Also make sure there's enough beer and ice along with soda and water for the ride home.

A good party depends on the host's preparedness. Make sure you're all set for tomorrow's big game. Be ready for your guests with what they need to enjoy the game.

A Vegan Breakfast For Dinner

 One of the most favorite - and one of my favorite's is breakfast for dinner. It's  kind of hard when you're cooking for a vegetarian household though. Yet there are a lot of subs you can use to create more or less the same as what meat and egg lovers have.

I was able to get Lightife Smart Bacon  a mix of soy and wheat gluten. I haven't cooked this before so this was interesting to fry up.

It's clumped together in a plastic bag  .

It looks like the real thing however it's harder to separate than real bacon.

I cooked it for three minutes on each side on my mini griddle. I brushed vegetable oil on the griddle first and placed the pieces.

As you can see the slices crisped up like real bacon.

Of course with bacon comes egg. I had the Vegg fake egg yolk. This was an easy make, with three teaspoons of the powder mixed with half a cup of cold water.It's then blended with an immersion blender and cooked for two minutes in the microwave.

It has a nice yolk consistency , thick and runny at the same time.

Of course you have to have bread with this and I has an artisinal rye from Stop & Shop. This was a great dinner. The bacon and egg tasted like the real thing, made even more perfect with dipping the bread in the yolk. The bacon was crispy and flavorful, while the yolk was the perfect texture and very eggy tasting. It was filling and best of all easy to make. You can also create variations with Vegg;s power scramble and Lightlife's sausage patties and links.

A vegan breakfast for dinner is easy to make. All you need is the Vegg egg substitute and Lightlife Smart Bacon. Add a thick hunk of bread to toast to finish off this great meal.

Gifts For Your Valentine's Chef

As much as anyone appreciates a box of chocolates or a pretty necklace or fine tie, a home chef appreciates any gift kitchen. It's easy to win their heart with an intriguing gadget or something simple as a silicon spatula. What's best is that there's so many ideas for a really memorable present.

What would a home chef love? Some of the hottest trends may do the trick. Air fryers are big and they are always much appreciated. There are so many brands to choose from. The Power Vortex is a great one and is perfect for those home chefs who don't want to rely on their stove top too much. Target sells a two quart one , the Dash 900W Compact Air Fryer in cute kitchen friendly colors. Another trend setter every home chef lusts is the Instant Pot. This comes in a variety of sizes and is perfect for the home chef who has a busy work schedule. The mini ones are not that expensive and cute, perfect for just a duo.There are even air fryer and instant pot cookbooks, some with six to eight hundred recipes!!! If you're buying these then think of a smaller bag that has different cooking sprays (Stop & Shop has a good variety of these, from olive oil to butter) for the air fryer and different spices for both. A more practical gift is a surge protector if your beloved doesn't have enough outlets. As for gadgets there are some fun ones. Why not give the 3-in 1 breakfast center that has a griddle, coffee maker and toaster. Or for the herbalist and greens lover, a leaf stripper that give you the important stuff and not the stems.

There's a lot you can buy home bakers. Collapsing mixing bowls are a must. They can hold everything from batter to buttercream frosting for two cakes. Best of all they're silicone which means they're easy to clean and store as they nest into each other. Think a new stand mixer if your beloved is an avid baker. These's are sturdy and can be used for savory recipes such as bread kneading and mashing potatoes too.An absolutely fun gift for any cookie lover is Wilton's cookie press. It's relatively easy to load and comes with a wide variety of discs to create bakery level trees and flowers. Add to the discs by giving a Christmas gift of their holiday themed ones. Frosting bags and new tips are also always appreciated. An amazing must give is Wilton's Master Decorating Tip Set. It has fifty-five pieces decor from simple line making ones to flower nails for creating gorgeous buttercream roses. If you're giving this, then throw in Wilton's Icing Colors 12 count gel based colors that has the four basic colors, red, green, blue and yellow but also such dynamic ones as teal, copper and burgundy. There's even black (!) brown,violet and pink. Imagine the decorating possibilities with this rainbow! A more decadent decorating gift is the cake decorating airbrush kit from US  Cake Supply Company.It comes with ten colors and two metallic shades and is easy as pie to use It's expensive at $89.96 on Amazon but worth it for artistically finished cakes and cupcakes.

A home chef or baker may appreciate chocolate but only if it can be used in baking or cooking. Give Valentine's Day gifts that he or she can use. They'll be much appreciated and gobbled up!

A Movable Feast

One of the most fun aspects of having or renting a summer house is having people over. It's nice to celebrate bonds with a refreshing dip or hike followed by a meal. It's enjoying locavore dining by  the sea or the mountains. What better way to honor the season.
?

If you own your summer home, then it's easy to transport some of your kitchen gear to it.Think about packing the blender and food processor along with some of your best knives. Your summer house probably already has pots and pans. Another idea is replicating everything for the summer house. Kohl's , Target and Wal-mart are having sales right now. Get smaller and cheaper versions of what you already have.  Also use them for multi-purposes .Remember that a blender can be used for everything from blending soup and making pesto to crushing ice for drinks and slushies. A griddle can be good for making breakfast pancakes and bacon but also use it for burger and dogs during rainy days inside.If you're renting, then think compact. Bring or buy an immersion blender. This is easy to pack and can be used for making everything from smoothies to dips like hummus and guacamole. A small gas griddle is a good investment. You can cook anything on it and also bring it to the beach. Rented beach houses may not have pots and pans. Try to just bring a large frying or saute pan. This can be used for any meal, from omelets at breakfast to even grilled cheese for lunch and steaks for dinner.

Being in a new town, even though you've been going to it for years , can be daunting when shopping. Get familiar with the times and days of the local farmers' market. These are the best places to go for locavore eating. Take advantage of the stands that sell tomatoes and corn, because these are the most versatile to use. Tomatoes can be stuffed or sliced, used in sauces. Corn  is not only good grilled and slathered with butter, it's also good in chowders and salads. Farmer's markets also sell homemade jams and jellies along with artesanal baked goods and sometimes fresh butter. The cakes and cookies at these may not be overly fancy but they're a nice way to end a dinner party Beach houses are often located in areas where freshly caught seafood is sold. Visit these if you're planning a clambake or entertaining guests hungry for lobster. Sometimes these markets sell already prepared dishes like shrimp cocktail or lobster salad.Buy these for your party if you want no fuss and no muss. The local grocery stores also can create party platters . Another easy idea is just serving a variety of hors d'ouevres and local wines. Many vacation spots have wineries within driving distance. Visit these for locally sourced wines and champagnes.

It's easy to throw together a getaway get together. Just remember to pack the gear you need and take advantage of local shopping. These together can make for easy , breezy parties after a day of sun and sand.

A Student's Kitchen

It's that time of year again when many college kids are packing up and heading off to school. For many , it means living off campus or living in a dorm where there's a shared kitchen.  That means cooking  even though it's quick. It also means assessing what will be needed to survive,

Luckily all kitchens are more or less equipped. Every one should have a working oven/range and fridge. What may be needed is a microwave(should have) and possibly a toaster oven (ought to have but not necessary). The first is valuable in heating up everything from hot pockets to leftovers. However a microwave is also invaluable for heating up ingredients such as melted butter or warmed milk along with cooking such dishes as stuffing and even spaghetti, The last can be boiled in one however it doesn't taste as good as pasta boiled on the stove. A toaster oven may take up room yet it is handy.It does more than toasting. It's great for making English muffin pizza giving the muffin's edges a nice crispness. It's perfect for making grilled cheese and tuna melts along with reheating leftovers such as pizza and egg rolls.Another reason to have a toaster oven is that it's easier to use at times rather than the conventional one, especially if you come home tired after a full day of work and school.

What other kitchen items should head off to college?A good, all  purpose knife is a must. Farberware has some excellent ones and these can be used for slicing dicing and even cutting into pies and cakes. A small paring knife is another invaluable must have. It  not only skins fruits and veggies it can be used for cutting up butter and margarine sticks for baking.Good pots and pans are also high on the list. Remember, that with the proper care, they can last well into that first apartment and even into the first house. You could buy some fun but useful ones such as the omelet pan  for one or the grilled cheese griddle for one . A stock pot is another must. Use it to make large quantities of soups that can later be frozen for future eating. It's also good for pasta too. Many students are big fans of the Insta-Pot. They've seen the successes their parents have had with them. These can do everything from steam rice to braise beef.If you feel that it's too expensive (some can run close to $200 ) then just get the three quart one . Another option is the crock pot which can be had for only $9.00 at Target. It does the trick too, especially when making tomato sauce or chili,.

It's time to pack up the gear for dorm or apartment life. It's also time to pack up or buy the kitchen gear that will make cooking easier. Choose smartly.