A Whole World Of Passover Of Dishes

 Passover is a holiday that's celebrated all over the world.With it comes worldly influences that impact the dishes.THis make s the Passover Seder more interesting and flavorful. Variety is always welcome.

Both regular contributors Joan Nathan and Melissa Clark have given interesting recipes in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Ms. Nathan gives a miso matzoh ball soup. She writes of Jews in Japan celebrating but with an Asian twist.There are only about one thousand Jews in  Tokyo, a very small minority in a city of twenty-eight million. Substitutions are prevalent here. Wasabi  root stands in for the traditional horseradish while miso stands in for chicken broth. Ms Nathan's recipe for matzoh ball has shiso an herb only grown in Japan and has a minty basil taste. Ginger, is also added as well as ichini togarishi, a fiery chili powder, made solely fron chili powders. This gives the usually bland matzoh balls a zingy kick. As for the soup , tofu and a variety of mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake and enoki, torn into bite sized pieces. Daikin radish is also added as well as two kinds of seaweed.What really gives the soup it;s flavor is the addition of two to three tablespoons of white or red miso paste.

To balance out a dish like this is a calming dessert. Ms. Clark gives her take on crumble using a popular Spring root  - rhubarb. She is also mindful that many home chefs may not be able to afford eggs or there may be a shortage of them in certain areas. The recipe is then egg free. Other bonuses are is that it's gluten free and vegan for guest s who  can't have animal products. Home bakers can also tinker with the recipe subbing  in the rosy pink rhubarb for inky blueberries and also subbing in frozen for fresh.Almond meal and shredded coconut stand in for the usual flour and oats. As far as thickener, tapioca starch is kosher and it works beautifully in the recipe  - as does cornstarch if the other can't be found. almond butter is used instead of regular butter for a silkier mouth feel. Over all the texture is sandy  - almost like a cake. Crumbles are a snap to make.It's just cooking the fruit first usually with the tapioca starch and cornstarch, vanilla or rose water and lemon juice.The topping is a mix for the almond butter coconut and almond meal. The two mixes are layered and then baked thirty-five to forty minutes in a 350 degree oven.It should be cooled at least twenty minutes before serving.

Passover is a time of tradition yet it can also be a time of something new. These recipes are proof that a new spin makes for an interesting Seder. Try these for a different holiday flavor.

The Rise Of Omakase Sushi

 Sushi is not just sushi anymore.In most cases it's now omikase  in which  diners thoroughly trusts the chef to decide what they should eat.It's becoming popular with wealthy young men.Are omikase sushi houses becoming the next steak house? Possibly

Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this in today';s New York Times Food section. Omikase sushi is the culinary trend that'[s growing stronger and not limited to just the East and West Coasts anymore.Omikase means "I leave it up to you" and it's at the chef's discretion what to serve. It's usually expensive and fresh ingredients, sometimes frown in straight from Japan.it's also making an impact on men, from their twenties to their forties as well. It's even garnered the nickname "bromokase" because it's such a male bonding experience. These sushi houses are now as popular as steakhouses. They are popping up all across the country. A short five years ago omikase sushi restaurants were only located in New York . Now Austen Texas is home to the popular SUshi Bar ATK, frequented by  popular podcaster Joe Rogen. Austen has become the American capital of omikase., also having it become part of mainstream American dining.

Omikases have been glammed up. Some have cocktail lounges, hip-hop soundtracks and colorful sauces. Some sushi chefs have even infused their personalities into  their restaurants. Chef Saine Wong of Toshokan is even known to pull out his guitar and to lead singalongs after nigiri, a mound of rice topped with different ingredients. His include potato  pave, a kind of scalloped potato and braised short ribs.These new school omikases are similar to previous sushi restaurants. They are extremely high priced and have limited seating. This is turning them into steakhouses which have always been known for their exclusivity and top notch ingredients.There is some criticism regarding this.Ryan Sutton, ANew York City restaurant critic  disapproved of this in his podcast " Free Food Podcast". A dinner for two in New York can easily top one thousand as he implies that omikase restaurants are aimed squarely at the financial industry and the super wealthy. They don't contribute to the food culture in any meaningful sense. Yet they are still popular .

Will omikase restaurants replace regular sushi bars? Possibly. They appeal to a certain type of wealthy young male.They can succeed with that following.

The New Year Throughout Asia

 The Lunar New Year isn't just solely Chinese. Many other countries such as  Singapore,  Hong Kong  Thailand, and Japan to name a few celebrate it with traditional dishes. each country has delicious recipes , perfect for dinner with family and friends.

The Malaysian country of Singapore celebrates with a nod to both its' land and sea  heritage. One popular dish is Bak Kwa or barbecued pork jerky It's thin slices of pork that's been marinated in a mix of coriander,ground white pepper and cinnamon.It's first air dried and then barbecued  reflecting Singapore's Chinese roots from the Fujian province.Home chefs may make a raw fish salad which features raw salmon and pickled julienned veggies like carrots, cucumbers, white and green radishes along with ginger and onion slice.Pomelo, the grandmother of grapefrui,t is also added to the salad for more tartness and possubly to cook the fish much like ceviche. The former colony of Hong Kong celebrates with tong yoon or rice dumplings.The name is similar to the phrase tun yun which means reunion in Cantonese. It's traditionally filled with either black sesame paste or chopped peanuts but more updated versions have red bean paste, chocolate,smashed taro and even custard as fillings.

Thailand's New Year's celebrations start with a whole roasted chicken which symbolizes prosperity and unity.It's s tuffed with small shrimp, sea cucumbers and  crispy pickled squid. Also part of the stuffing are chestnuts which represent wealth and pork innards representing wealth. if that's not enough celery and bell peppers are also added along with, smoked duck breast, gingko and noodles. The filling is stir fried before it's added to the deboned chicken and the whole thing is fried until it's deep caramel brown and crispy. An abalone sauce is added.Japan's New Year's foods are not that elaborate yet still delicious in their simplicity. The meal  starts with ozoni or ozouni a clear broth soup, chock full of chicken and different vegetables such as daikon radishes, shiitake mushrooms and carrots. Sometimes tofu is added along with mochi, a short glutinous rice usually reseved for desserts. The Japanese also enjoy Osechi, an assortment of different foods.  They're served in a giant bento box . There are black beans that symbolize hard work , datemaki, a sweet egg rolled in a fish cake and rolled kelp. Shrimp and herring roe are also served in this box along with the burdock root which represents stability. The meal is finished with mikan a type of fruit ressembling a tangerine.

All of Asia is celebrating the Year of The Rabbit (or Cat in Viet Nam).It's a time of coming together for good foods and good cheer. Families gather as they enjoy traditional customs and recipes.

A Legend Says Good Bye

 One of the most innovative restaurants in the last twenty  years is Noma in Copenhagen.Next year, 2024 is going is going to be it's last as a popular eatery.It will come back , with the same innovative food and original recipes. Yet it won't be the same.

The New York Times Food critic Pete Wells wrote about this legend of a restaurant in today's New York Times Food section. He was lucky to get reservations (although he had to piggy back his with a friend's) when he reviewed it in 2018.The top chef and owner Rene Redzepi took Nordic cooking and turned it on its' ear. It's a mix of new and old, with bringing in traditional ingredients and using them in different ways. He used the bright orange berries of the sea buckthorn and used them in all sorts fo recipes from jams to cocktails. Chef Redzepi and his assistants foraged wood sorrell and other plants , long used in Scandanavian cooking and made it a part of the new Nordic cooking manifesto. He used burning hay to perfume certain ingredients along with using parsnips instead of fruit in desserts(!) Noma made a big deal of serving  a variety of pickled foods as an appetizer. Even Chef Redzepi also renamed the appetizers, calling them snacks. 

Other restaurants like El Bulli in Spain and Chez Panisse have dozens of imitators and both eateries have given chefs inspiration with all sort of dishes. Yet it's Noma that all turn to for ideas. They can copy it's use of slates, rocks, seashells (!) longs and mismatched pieces of hand hewn pottery. There are influences from modern Scandanavian furtniture to not serving tomatoes in anything as Noma does. Yet as much as they copy  they cannot get it compeltely right. Mr. Werlls desctibes having a dish painted with edible paint in the shape of an iridescent starfish covered with the sparkling roe of Danish trout. Yet according to him its excellence may be inseparable from the culture of overkill. Maybe once Chef Redzepi gets rod of those "pesky diners" he can work on newer innovations and more original recipes that reflect the Nordic heritage. Or maybe he 'll be influenced by Asian cooking since Noma is now in Japan. He coud easily use sea weed in a new way or reinvent sushi or tempura,

Noma may only have a year but it will probably be a glorious one. Diners from all over th e world  still want to try its' innovative dishes. It still has spark and the ability to change the food world.

The New York Times Food Section Predicts

A new year means new predictions. The  New York Times food section has theirs today for the year ahead. Will they be right? Do they have a thumb on the pulse of what America and New Yorkers want to eat?

My predictions yesterday were off compared to the ones Food section regular contributor , Kim Severson , had. She predicts that Japanese food will be the hot cuisine of choice. This is due to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a rise in travel to Japan. Japanese toast is already , made from pan de mie,becoming popular. India also will be on the culinary radar too, namely the spicy Keralan cuisine from southwest India. This is a cuisine heavy on the spices along with being rich with coconut, rice and fish. West Africa, Laos and Vietnam will also be popular too. I thought for sure it would be more Middle Eastern, but maybe that's been played out already. However Ms. Severson also predicts generational cooking where young chefs will be influenced by their immigrant parents and grandparents. New dishes and family recipes, which may include some Middle Eastern recipes and spices.

There is even a predicted color of the year : blue and its' deeper variation indigo.Butterfly pea powder, which could be the new matcha is showing up in moon milk, a sleep remedy based on Ayurvedic recipes.Ube, a purple root vegetable and orach, mountain spinach , a purply cabbage like veggie will also be the stars of this year's tables.. Ms. Severson and I do agree on sustainability. She predicts that restaurants and food producers are and will be doubling down on earth friendly ingredients and practices. Vegan dishes and meat alternatives will show up on more menus. It's what I wrote yesterday about more home chefs will be offering their families Beyond Burgers and other plant based "meats". Also I think more fast food chains such as Wendy's Taco Bell and possibly Chipotle may switch over to Beyond Beef. Ms. Severson also foretells that finer dining places will also offer faux bouef. There will also be a rise in regenerative plants such as chickpeas and buckwheat which farmers use to regain soil between harvests. Also look for more biodegradable utensils from fast food places.

These are just some of the predictions for the upcoming year. There may be something new that arises that wasn't on the culinary radar. Guaranteed this year will be  a year full of interesting tastes .

Sweet Reading From The NY TImes

Ever wonder what 's behind the science of candy and flavoring it?Or what people around the world like? Or how it's even made. Spoiler alert. Tomorrow's New York Times Sunday magazine is devoted to candy - all sorts.it's their version of a big bowl of Halloween treats.

The articles are interesting and not , from a foodie's a sweet tooth's perspective.There are pieces on how candy is made along with that curiosity from Finland - salmiakki - salted licorice. Samin Nosrat who usually writes for the Wednesday Food section has an interesting article about tasting a candy's flavors. It's an eye opening account of sampling different flavors and how he rediscovered green Haribo gummy bears, his least favorite turned to his new most favorite. even more eye opening is Mark Binelli's venture into the world of salty licorice. (you can find it on Amazon, surprisingly Lolli & Pops doesn't sell it - yet).This mix of anise and either hydrogen chloride or hydrochloric acid is not for the faint of heart. It's can be eye watering at times and throat cleansing, something the author found out. Another article - more of a pictorial  features scenes from a Brazilian candy factory  which is riveting with pictures of how fillings and lollipops are made. Read about  food writer and famous chef, Tejal Rao's article about how the simple Kitkat Bar took over Japan. They turned making it into a high art with such wild flavors as banana and wasabi .They even have a dark chocolate one that would be a big seller here in the States.

Yet it's the piece on international candy that's the star of this issue. Most of the countries of the world are represented with a picture of their favorite sweet and a small write up. Twizzlers is the US's most  eaten treat.(although many would argue that, preferring Hershey's Kisses or DumDum Lollipops). Some international goodies have been in America's mouth for years. One stand out is the rich and creamy Baci from Perugina. This classic came about in 1922, when Luisa Spagnoli, gathered up leftover hazel nuts and put them atop whipped milk chocolate and nuts. Spanish favorite Chupa Chups, those wildly flavorful lollipops have been the darlings of celebrities like Madonna and the common folk. Unfortunately Canada's favorite Coffee Crisp, a kind of coffee flavored KitKat has yet to make it here, Some candies, like India's Pass Pass Pulse reflects the country's taste. These are raw mango flavored lozenges with a masala bomb - a mixture of strong spices that have a sulphuric taste. Even wilder  is Durian candy from Malaysia. This is made from a foul smelling fruit that gives the candy a bizarre combo taste of custard and garlic.Ghana  and South African actually prefer pastilles and licorice instead of the chocolate grown there.

Candy is dandy. We all know that. The Sunday Times Magazine explains why everyone around the world thinks that.

Down Home Sushi

Where's the best place to get good Japanese food?Not where you'd think. Austen Texas, once home to many a Tex-Mex place now has a large number of Japanese  restaurants. Why here? Blame it on one restaurant that started the spark.

Brett Anderson, the famed New Orleans food critic, wrote about this in today''s New York Times Food section. For a long time Austen, Texas was primarily known for its' amazing Tex-Mex  food as well as barbecue. Thanks to one restaurant,Uchi, the spark of Japanese restaurants grew. Chef Tyson Cole created the eatery due in part to his love of the TV show, the campy "Iron Chef". He also had a job as a dishwasher and server at a sushi place in the downtown part of the city.A big part is is love of Japanese food along with being mentored by Takehiko Fuse, a locally revered Japanese born chef. Uchi gave birth to Uchiko, with its' fusion of Japanese  classics and Texas standards. Chef Cole, winner of the 2011 James Beard award, has been called responsible for rewiring Austen's palate.. There are other chefs , many non-Japanese , who are also expanding the city's tastes. There is Otto Phan ,a Vietnamese Texan, along with Taiwanese Stacy Chen who moved o the area when she was a child. Then there is Paul Qui who won Top Chef in 2011 . American chef Amanda Turner who apprenticed at Uchi is coming back this summer to open up her own Japanese eatery.

Fusion food had to happen. Takuya Matsumoto and Tatsu Aikakwa, chefs and business partners came up with Loro\,a marriage of Texas smokehouse and Japanese bar food. The meat is cooked in a hardwood cooker and served with Asian inspired sauces and sides.Candied kettle corn is made with the burnt eds of brisket and togarashi, a fiery seven spice blend. Diners can get a brisket sandwich and a tofu rice bowl. They can be washed down with alcoholic slushies or beers. Even Loro's decor is roadhouse with a tea house vibe.Another restaurant , their Kemuri-Tatsu-ya also follows this philosophy. They asked themselves what if a Japanese guy came to Texas a century ago . would he be cooking at a roadhouse? Their menu offers everything from Tokyo street corn to  a hot pocket type brisket sandwich.Octopus fritters are topped with chili and jalapenos. There's a sticky rice tamale  that's filled with chorizo, beef tongue and shiitake mushrooms. Even the desserts are  fusions. Roasted banana pudding is flavored with caramel miso and kokuto crunch while the pecan pie has azuki beans in it.

Austen may be in the heart of Texas, but its' heart is in Japan.It's now the center for sushi and ramen. What is great is that it can meld with Texan tradition and create an entirely new cuisine.

Exciting Sauces From San-J

Sauces are the best way to liven up any meal. The centuries old San -J realizes this and has some exciting and different sauces such as Sweet And Tangy, Teriyaki  and Thai Peanut that can be used for almost everything, from salads to barbecue , from salads to egg rolls. They're perfect for adding zest to any summer meal.

What is unusual about any San-J product is that they are gluten free and have been made that way for  two centuries.San-J  or San Jirushi is one of Japan's oldest companies, having been founded in 1804 by the Sato family. They started with miso and Tamari, a thick sauce  and  now have expanded to gluten free Asian cooking sauces,.This allows those with celiac disease to enjoy dishes and sauces without any worries about bad side effects or reactions..There is a wide range to choose from, such as Szechuan with the zing of ginger, traditional teriyaki along with the fiery Thai Peanut and fruity Sweet and Tangy.Rounding then out is zingy Asian BBQ along with the zesty  Orange Sauce and the smoky tasting Mongolian Sauce. All have natural ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, soy beans along with plum juice concentrate and ginger. Another good thing about them is that they don't have to be refrigerated once they're opened )although to be honest  you won't have them around long}.

I recently tried the Teriyaki, Thai Peanut and Sweet And Tangy sauces and marinades. The Teriyaki is perfect right now for marinating chicken and beef for the grill. It has a lovely mellow taste that only adds to the meats. I would definitely recommend it for grilled wings and legs, perfect for a Saturday night party. The Thai Peanut has a  flavor that 's tempered by peanuts and red pepper. You could use it  to vary a Pad Thai dish to zing it up . It can also be used in making an easy Thai noodle dish. Just use angel hair pasta along with chicken breasts, julienned carrots and diced onion to create a tasty and exotic dinner.Thai Peanut can also be used  as a dressing for a yummy and refreshing Thai salad. Pour it over shredded cabbage and  vegetables of your choosing. You can add grilled chicken or shrimp for more weight. San-J 's Sweet And Tangy sauce  proved an excellent dipping sauce for veggie egg rolls. It had a nice bright flavor that didn't over power the wraps. It also makes an excellent sauce for Chinese style fried chicken too along with dumplings and spring rolls.

Liven up your summer barbecues and parties by adding San -J's Asian cooking sauces.They will add zest and zing to chicken and beef along with salads and Thai dishes Try them for some warm weather fun.

Ramen,The Perfect Summer Soup

If it's too hot to cook then think ramen.This Japanese import and new American standard is a great way to have a light ,hot meal without too much effort.What is extremely likable is that home chefs can customize it to their tastes.Have it as a broth or a really quick pasta dish.Toss in what's good and what"s fresh and it's a 1-2-3 dinner for one person or for a family. A brief history of ramen is that it was originally Chinese called lamina and a cousin of lo mien.The noodles are soba or wheat.It was starting to become popular as early as the 1900'sin Japan where it was mispronounced ramen. The soup hit the States in the Eighties ,courtesy of Momofuko Ando , the Taiwanese founder of Nissin Foods.It was an instant success, first being slurped down by dorm students and busy professionals.Original Japanese ramen is very thick and rich with all sorts of meats, vegetables and fish.Different regions such as Tokyo have their own spin using a soy and chicken broth and topped with pork cops,egg nori, chicken or even seaweed.Yokahama is known for it's ramen chock full of pork and onions.Hakata ramen has the zing of mustard greens.There are even ramen stalls throughout the big cities there as there are here in the States.Such cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles boast some of the best soba noodle restaurants int the world.There are also homemade ramen recipes but save these for the winter. This is the height of summer.Buy the easy pre made kind.It's only three minutes on the stove and then it's done. One of the best parts of ramen is that you can customize it how you want.You can definitely give it a Tokyo spin by cooking pork chops with it.Of course it will take longer to cook up however the soup will have the chop's juices mixing in with the flavoring.A quicker and easier take is sliced ham chiffonaded.Add some scallions too for more flavor.One of my favorites is a recipe that was just recently published in the New York Times Dining section.Just add a whole egg to ramen and cook up.The result is not unlike the Italian, primarily Roman based, stratichella soup.The egg cooks up into stringy bits that wrap around the noodles.It's a nice way of getting protein without a heavy meal.Home chefs can also add any of their garden harvest.Corn practically goes hand and hand with ramen and adds crunch as well as sweetness.Think about quartered tomatoes along with cubed bell peppers.Spinach is also good as are sliced onions.Another good thing about these amped up ramens is that they're great reheated .You can also add more ingredients on the second cooking to change it up a bit. Ramen soup is a summer staple.Have it plain or toss in some meat veggies or eggs for a heartier dish.It's the best choice for a hearty but light meal on a hot summer's day.