Chez Panisse Still Perfect At Fifty-Five

 There some some institutions that stand the test of time. The great eatery Chex Panisse is one of them .It has been around since 1971 thanks to it's chef Alice Waters. Chef Waters has created a menu that is amazing and iron clad.It has gone strong through through its five and a half decades.

Regular contributor and chef herself, Tejal Rao l had the lucky chance to eat and review Chez Anisse in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. The restaurant was started in 1971 by the great and innovative chef Alice Waters who introduced good French restaurant cuisine to Americans and the slow food movement.  Hers is a farm to table cuisine, the initial one that influenced generations of young American chefs and taught people how to rethink cooking and eating. Chez Panisse still has her imprint . even thought it seems to have slightly changed. The restaurant is divided into two separate dining rooms with two separate kitchens. The downstairs half is run by chefs Amy Dencler and Martin Fabre while the upstairs is run by Nathan Alderson and Ann Cromley. downstairs there is a set menu that;s not a tasting but has four tight courses. A cheese menu can be added. There are pricey, however,One menu for this Monday is $135 while the dinners for the rest of week are  a whopping.$175 per person.

Is the food worth the price? Yes. There are smaller dishes in the bar, namely zucchini blossoms with small zucchini still attached.  There are also ala carte dishes as well.The salads(despite the scare of ingesting Cylospora) are finely calibrated offering fresh cranberry  bean and fennel with anchovies lemons and eggs. Chef Tejal loved the gougere, a cheesy choux  paste puff along with creamy butter beans swimming in broth and topped with olive oil and a halved hard boiled egg.The bar menu has Gulf shrimp so small they could easily be added to their fish stock. However they're fried and served whole with a splotch of lemon aioli. There are many strawberries dishes, thanks to the restaurant's relationship with supplier Swanton Berry Farm.Berries are surrounded by an airy Pavlova and freshly whipped cream. They rpdocued delicious savory and sweet baked goods. Their  lamb pie was beautifully browned and crispy all over while their almond cake. This had a deeply golden top that bubbled at the center.It was topped with early blueberries in a dark syrup and whipped cream.

Chez Panisse is legend. It has and will draw people who crave good food in simple yet elegant recipes. It is the creme de la creme of American restaurants.

 

NY Is A Burger Town

 New Yrkers are lucky. Visitors to the great city are lucky. Why? it's a burger city. There are so many different kinds and variations of this American classic in New York and it's boroughs.

The New York Times Wednesday Food section  put together a compiliation  of the best burger joints in New York today. Editor Nikita Richardson led the group consisting of Becky Highes,Ryan Sutton,Mahira Rivers and Luke Fortney.They went all over the boroughs and tasted some of the best patties. They found nineteen top choices that would make any burger lover weep. One of the best cheeseburgers is in Gramercy Park. Joe Juniors gives an  open faced one dripping with American cheese.There is also fried onion burger at Hamburger America It's served with passable fries and an frosty Arnold Palmer (a blend of iced tea and lemonade) For those who love a good organic burger there is the grain fed one at the Lower East Side's Eel BarChef Aaron Crowder uses meat fromhe flanl and the front leg to create a juicy, flavorful patty.Fans  f special sauce should grab the burger at Bar Americano.It;sa tasty mixture of brisket chuck and short rib and smothered in The best of cheeses Grueyere. There is also Bou  Jiamoat Famous Food which has a burger made out of pork belly.There is also the original Hamburg steak at Cafe O Te in Brooklyn. There is also the Pakistan influenced one at BK Jani's in trendy Williamsburg.

Burgers can come in other meats and even forms. Try Mommy Pai's chicken burger created by Ann Redding who was born in Thailand. She loved Mc Donal'ds as a child and her sandwich s an homage to them.It has Thai influences too with sour mustard greens.There is also the lamb burger at the Gramercy Parkl L'Express.It is a nine ounce patty spiced with Moroccan flavors, cumin, coriander and cinnamon.Pf course there are sausage and fish patties too. Try the bratwurst burger at Wekstatt.This is a brat inspired pork patty topped with Gouda cheese and bacon onion jam. To make it more German it[s served on a pretzel bun there is also chorizo frita at Frita Batidos. They also offer vegan and beef patties too. Fish can be turned into a tasty round.Win Son Bakery offers a shrimp burger made from seasoned shrimp paste and served on a milk bun,Mariscos  E; Submarino has their version and served with Muenster cheese.Tuna is also versatile and Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Company turned it into a smash burger served with special sauce and cheddar.

New York City is a burger city. Try any of these tasty patties for  great lunch or dinner. They're the best of the best.

An International Passover

 Jews all over the world will be celebrating Passover on Wednesday. Almost every  continent has traditional dishes for this holy week.It;s nice to incorporate these into traditional family tables for something different.

One of the most exotic of Jewish food is from the Sephardic sect. These are Jews from Spain,Portugal, NNorthAfrica and the Middle East.Their dishes reflect this with various spices and lamb dishes. There is mina de matza, similar to moussaka.This is a layered dish with soaked matzoh filled with spiced meat,spinach or cheese,Many Sephardim create kefkes de prasa,a deicious leek, egg and matzoh patty fried golden in oil. Potatoes and beef are added to them at times to create a heartier dish.North Africa is represented with fish and chickpeas.This is white fish cooked with tomato paste, garlic paprika, pepper and olives along wit chickpeas, The one thing that they shared with the Ashkenazi sect is tzimmes.Where they make theirs with sweet potatoes and dates the Sephardim add lamb to theirs for a sweet and savory flavor.There are also Spanish style pepper salad too along with a Tishpishti  cake made with ground nuts and matzoh meal.

A sizable Jewish population migrated to the Caribbean.There the dishes were influenced by African and tropical flavors. Fried chicken even gets makeover with using matzoh meal instead of regular white flour. Cinnamon and ginger  are added a long with paprika and cloves are added for zing and color.Red  Red is a Ghanian based dish ,suitable for the holiday .This is a savory dish full of black eyed peas, tomatoes, and onions. habanero give it a distinct fire  along with red palm oil. The bitter herb dish can be replaced by mustard greens or cilantro.Matzoh ball soup can also be served but there's a twist The matzoh balls are stuffed with turnips greens for more color and taste. Sweet potatoes are used in many of the dishes because they also represent hope in African cultures. South American Seders have their own take on dishes. too.There is the specialty huevos haminados taken from Mediterranean Jews .These are eggs cooked with coffee grounds, onions and olive oil.It results in eggs in a creamy brown sauce that has a unique flavor, There is also a matzoh babka made with matzoh eggs and nuts, probably taken from German Jews relocating to Argentina.

Passover has many dishes from all over the world.Try them for a different taste. They're interesting and exciting.

Ham Or Lamb Or Vega Easter Choices

 What should you serve at Easter dinner  next week? I'ts always a question when it comes to this holiday. You could cook a ham yet do you want a repeat of Christmas? Is lamb good? What are the vegan options. Don;t worry .A guide is here.

Ham is always a good choice for any  sit down dinner or buffets.It;s an easy prep and cook as well as being a crown pleaser.It's also fun to create a tasty glaze whether from ginger ale ale or pineapple juice and brown sugar. A large one, around ten to fifteen pounds can feed a whopping twenty to thirty people. It;s perfect for a large family gathering and there could even be leftovers for guests to take home. Sides with it are also simple Spring asparagus with butter and Parmesan on top ios always a good side as are baked beans and a simple potato salad. Keep in mind that these can be used for an Easter Monday picnic the next day.If you want a more traditional Easter main course then think lamb.The deep mineral rich flavor is perfect with such flavorings as lemon and oregano.Is lamb easy  to cook? Yes it's a nother easy roast like lamb.It only takes fifteen to twenty minutes per pound. You could have Greek sides such as stuffed grape leaves or a garlicky spinach dish as sides along as a fresh salad with feta.

What about the vegan options. You actually could serve ham - seitan ham which is a form of  wheat gluten (this si not good for anyone with celiac disease).It;s basically combining yeast with white beans along with other ingredients such  the binder a cup and a half of white wheat gluten.This is what sticks everything together and it forms a stick dough  - not unlike bread dough.It's glazed and cooked. You could save yourself the trouble and just buy a stuffed tofurkey loaf at your local grocery store.This is a  one hours and twenty minute roast in a  350 Farehneit degree oven. Another option is risotto. This is a wonderful change up from a meat dish and is satisfying. It can be made with asparagus for a Spring-y green flavor or it can be made with portobello mushrooms.If you;re pressed for time then  get Lidl's risotto mixes where all you add is the flavoring and water. Other ingredients can be added later. It;s a perfect Spring dinner especially when it;s served with a nice salad.

Don;t worry about next week. There are so many options for your Easter dinner. Go with meat. Go vegan.It;s up to you.

Ready For Spring Dinners

 Everything happens this season.Passover is next week with Easter and then Greek Easter closely behind.Then there are those April showers for those June and JUly weddings. Are you ready for all the planning cooking and baking?It's timet o check.

With Passover starting next week on, April !st,home chefs should;LD be planning dinners with both family and friends. What to make without getting too repetitive?Brisket is always a good choice , especially for a large group. There is also roasted chicken which can be perfect for a small family of five or four. Salmon is an elegant choice for friends visiting.As with any gathering there are always vegetarians. One way or avoid conflict is having allo the vegans over for a meatless Seder.  There are a slew of choices here.Think sliced portobellos with salsa Verde or chimichurri sauce. You could also make grilled cauliflower steaks.If you're catering to a big group try the New York Times classic matzoh lasagna. It's soaking the matzoh much like you would do pasta noodles so that they crisp up when baked.Easter and Greek Easter are the same. It's inviting family and friends over with the question of "What to serve"> Ham is very popular in many households. It makes for good leftovers and good care packages too. Some may want to try duck or Cornish hen for a more elegant Easter meal. The Greeks always have lamb which is delicious and very traditional.

Spring also brings all those showers.baby, and bridal. Here again there are so many lies from meat lovers to vegetarians. The obvious and popular choice is a charcuterie board. This is perfect for me at lovers because there will be copious amounts of coppacola, prosciutto and various salame. There should be bowls of both green and black olive switch a few Kalamara thrown in for some variety. Brie is very popular so a circle of it will go fast. Yet there should be other choices like Edam and Gruyere. Have a variety of wheat and rice crackers along with three or four baguettes. Little ramekins of butter should be placed on the tables as well. Vegans can be welcome at a charcuterie board as well. VioLife produces a large array of vegan cold cuts . You could even air fry crispy slices of vegan bacon too,.Miyokos' Creamery has all sorts of vegan cheese and cheese spreads, perfect for a board. These can be found at any grocery like Acme or Stop and Shop. Also have plenty of fresh sveggies and dips too . They are perfect for anyone and act like a palate cleansers.End with a sweet charcuterie board. There could be everything from  chocolate pretzel rods to macarons done in the bridal party's them color.

It's Spring.It's time for all sorts of gatherings. Be ready ,Be prepared for the busy season ahead.

Sweet Homemade Easter Treats

 More than any other holiday Easter is the  holiday for all sorts of sweets.Not only does this include chocolate bunnies and eggs but homemade treats too. These are wonderful; after a savory meal of ham and asparagus.

New contributor and author of the newsletter Kitchen Projects, Nicola Lamb, give sus two classic Easter treats in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section one treat is more of a candy and it comes from Britain.These are called nest cakes although there's nothing cakey about them. They're the first thing British chefs and kids learn to make and they're also a favorite here in the US.It;s just melt chill portion them out in cupcake papers and then chill.It;s really a buttery treat because the recipe has five tablespoons of butter in it. Almost two cups of chocolate chips are used in it - although some American recipes also add in a quarter cup of peanut butter and/or marshmallow fluff.  Also white chocolate or milk chocolate can be used instead of dark for variety.Four cups of plain cornflakes are used . It's not a sin , though, to sub in Rice Krispies or CHinese fried noodles. Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, place the mixture in a muffin tin lined  with cupcake fullers. Chill until the chocolate is set although not too hard. Fill with Cadbury or robin;'s eggs, M& M's or Whoppers.

The second recipe which could also grace any shower dessert table comes from Sweden,Princesstarta or princess cake. This was first made for Swedish princesses Margaretha, Marta and Astrid in 1948 by Jenny Akerstron, a home economist teacher who also wrote a cookbook. It was originally called grintarta or green cake thanks to the lightly tinted marzipan icing. The royal association is still strong.The country sold out of them in 2012 when Princess Estelle was born.The cake itself is a dome of three layers of sp onge cake along with a cream and jam filling. This may be daunting for beginner bakers , especially the assembling and placing the marzipan on top. Yet it can be done. Home balers will need a springform or an eight inch round cake pan.It is a typical sponge cake made with three eggs and r=two an half tablespoons of vegetable oil added for a smooth ,spongy texture. The custard is a rich cream that has yolks and even butter added. There is also the marscapone cream added that combines teh cheese with heavy cream. There is the recipe for marzipan but a store bought one can be used if it;s tolled out. for the cake. Save a small bit for th pink rose on top.

Easter is the time for sweet goodies. Make something simple as the chocolate nests or something more involved as the Princess cake. either treat is a guaranteed show stopper.

Budget Easter

 This Easter may be a bit tough for some home chefs/ Prices are spiraling out of control. It's hard to get eggs. what to do. Budget wisely. You can have a bountiful table , full of delicious foods if you shop wisely first.

The main course for any Easter dinner is usually ham. Luckily Aldi and Wal-Mart have very good prices.Aldi starts at $12.75 for a boneless spiral one while Wal-Mart offers Kentucky Legend smoked ham. Lamb can also be served , with the ham or on it's own.Lidl has Butcher's Specialty boneless half lamb leg for $6.99 while Aldi offers ground lamb for $58.5 a pound. This can be turned into Greek kebabs, highlighted with lemon and a mix of ground cinnamon garlic and oregano. Another idea is getting smaller cuts of meat and letting the sides shine, Asparagus season is right now and many stores hare selling the stalks for under five dollars a bunch. These are versatile and can be made a variety of different ways. It's best Piedmontese style with melted butter and Parmesan cheese on top but you can also grill it after a bath in olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Smashed potatoes are another light and affordable Easter meal side.Baby gold potatoes are being sold  at $2.97 at Wal-Mart and $3.99 at Target. These are perfect for the recipe and can be made in a few minutes.

Of course the other star of the Easter meal or more specifically brunch is quiche. It's primarily made up of those  elusive ingredients: eggs. The prices of these have dropped significantly so you can create an affordable pie.One quiche does require six eggs but that's because it's basically an egg pie, You can add everything from julienned or deviled ham to chopped asparagus, cheese and peppers. since this is a rich meal, think fruit salad for dessert or even a side. Melon is a good price right now Shop Rite is offering cantaloupe for $2.50  Three of these mixed with other fruits such as sliced bananas and oranges. A bag of fresh naval orange;s are $4.99 at Wal-mart. You can also use them to create miimosas  for a lovely brunch drink.Speaking of which a bottle of Asti Spumante is only $2.79 a bottle at Total Wine and More.Acme's Liquor store is selling Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato Champagne for $11.99. Don't worry about Easter chocolates. Lild has a wide array of chocolates at very good prices. The chocolate is German made and the taste is that of a much more expensive candy.

This is the year for a budget holiday. Yet it can still be a tasty feast if you shop smartly for it. Don't fret. You'll still  have the Easter dinner of your dreams.

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Tastes Of Spring

 Spring brings with it a freshness.It happens in fashion, weather and cooking.Cooking and baking brings a plethora of natural ,refreshing tastes that liven up any meal.

Mint is a lovely addition to any meal. It can be grown in the back yard and bloom sometime in May if you live in the Northeast.Another Spring ingredient lamb is perfect with this herb.Add garlic to a lamb chop sauce rich with mint and soy sauce.  The English have perfected English sauce creating one that also has apple cider vinegar boiling water and just a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. It's just cooking all of this to two cups of fresh mint(which you can also buy at your local grocery store),It's a ten minutes cook and pureeing when the sauce cools. You can also use this brightly flavored sauce on leg of lamb too.Surprisingly enough chicken and mint pair well together. The sweet herbiness can bring out the bird's earthiness and take it up a level.MInt pairs wonderfully with peas. Add two tablespoons of mint sauce  to mushy peas if you;re making this side dish with fish and chips. Mint tea is also a perfect drink for warmer spring days. Use a mint infused simple syrup for this. It's easy to make and store. It;s boiling a half a cup of sugar with a cup of water and half a cup of mint leaves. Strain to remove mint leaves and cool.

One of the most Springtime flavors is fresh asparagus. It's abundant as we head into April. It;s delicious Piedmontese style steamed and dressed with melted butter,sliced hard boiled eggs and Parmesan cheese. However you can make  a vegan version by using plant based butter and cheese and omitting the eggs. The taste is still the same with the asparagus' earthy greenness shining through.The grills will be getting fired up once warmer weather arrives and it's a good time to try grilled asparagus. This is an easy cook.It 's coated in olive oil and then simply seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook on a preheated grill, lightly turning the spears.They will be done in anywhere from three to five minutes. Keep in mind you can add them to a salad too for more flavor.Peas are also a tasty Spring veggie and make for a perfect side to any main course. Sauteed petit pois in butter sauce make a good accompaniment to Cornish hens. A pea salad is a great early barbecue dish. You can just dress cooked and cooled with  a simple vinaigrette or the traditional pea salad dressing. This is am mix of mayonnaise, , bacon ranch dressing and red onion. This is the perfect dish for a Spring barbecue.

Spring is here and with it comes fresh flavors. Use these for a taste of brightness.Like Spring flowers hey'll liven up any table.

A Winter Spring Fusion

 Even though it is Spring the temps have a wintry chill to them. You  still need something warm and rib sticking. Yet you can have something satisfying but with hints of spring to it.

One of the best winter Spring fusion dishes is a cream based pasta primavera. This combines veggies with whole cream and milk.You can use the  fresh veggies that your grocery is offering right now or use frozen. TRy it with peas, broccoli and cauliflower. Saute the vegetables in butter or plant based butter and garlic . t Add the cream or plant based milk . You can use chicken , or vegetable broth to thicken the sauce along with cornstarch. A chunky pasta is the best with this, Think penne or bow ties. Another fusion dish would be a homemade veggie soup.Again you can use frozen or fresh vegetables for this. It can easily be turned into pasta e fagiole.Beabs and small pasta like macaroni or ditalini can be added. The base can be beef, chicken or vegetable broth . You can also make pea soup but add mint for a bright, fresh flavor. This is not like a traditional one with ham as a base.This has onion for more flavor along with a clove of garlic.One cup of fresh mint leaves (your grocery can  produce you with these) are the main flavor point here.

Roasts figure into this time as well however there not the heavy ones served on snowy cold days, Think a lighter meat sich as chicken or Cornish hen.The flavor is not as heavy and pares well with such early Spring vegetables as asparagus, Cornish hens can be glazed with orange marmalade for a crispy, salty and sweet skin. You can do the same with chicken too. Lamb has always been associated with the coming of the new season. You could roast a whole leg of lamb if you want, just to do a dress rehearsal for your Easter dinner. Lamb chops are an easier way to go.They can be grilled or roasted with lemon juice and herbs for a fresh flavor.What do you serve with any of these roasts? Nix gravies and stuffing. You can still have mashed potatoes but make try a garlic mash or potato croquettes or gratins (which you can buy at Lidl). Roasted carrots are always good too. They can be glazed or just brushed with butter and then roasted. Asparagus is ccming into its' own . Create a dish of steamed stalks drenched in butter and then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, You could add sliced hard boiled eggs too.

This is the time of year when there's still a lingering nip in the air.Create Spring forward dishes that are rib sticking yet fresh. It's a nice way to keep warm but have a Spring greenness to it.

Burger Land USA

Americans love their hamburgers. This German import has been  a favorite in homes and in restaurants for well over a century. People love to eat the patties out in restaurants with innovative ideas. Which one has the best? It's not any fast food joints that's for sure.

Regular contributors Trjal Rao and  Priya Krishna compiled a list of the most original and best hamburgers in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Some  burgers reflect their surrounding areas such as Austen ,Texas' Camoechana restaurant with their cuantas hamburguesas recipe. This is a beef patty that chef Beto Robledo has added a carne asada sauce along with longaniza (a Mexican lanjager), chmichurri sauce cilantro and  a corn crusted Mexican cheese. For those wanting to try a different type of Asian fusion there's Seattle's Lao burger.It comes from Burger in Seattle and chef Khampeang Panyathong adds ingredients from his native Lao.  The burger is accented by toato jeow, a sweet earthy chili sauce  along with taro stems for lettuce and added pork belly.Brookly, always the birthplace of trendy has the tasty Made in Lagos burger at Akara House in Brooklyn. Chef Funso Akinya doesn't so much as create a meat patty but a bean based fritter, popular in his native Lagos.It's sandwiches between Ed tow plantains and is doused with the peanutty flavored suya dressing.

Chefs of other nationalities have made this simple dish all their own. There is the KRapow and Laab Smash burgers that Los Angelles; Ban Ban Burger . Sisters Katy Noochlar and Amanda Maneessilassan used their Thai roots to come up with a sandwich that has a thick smear of garlic holy basil and birds eye chilis on it while the laab is seasoned with an aromatic paste of lemongrass, makut lime chlis and toasted rice powder. Chef Eileen Andrade puts a fusion spin on hers at Amelia's 1931 in Miami. It reflects her Peruvian and KOrean roots. The patty is a beef and chorizo mix marinated in a blend of sesame oil, chili sauce and gochujang.. It's topped with Gruyere and served with shoe string potatoes. Yes there are American style burgers on the list as well. Abbas Dhananai whose family owns nine hundred Burger King and Wendy's franchises  creates a halal smash burger at Houston's Burger Bodega. Manhattan's own Haburger America has created the perfect smash burger.It a thin, crisp edged burger served on a buttered potato roll. Milwaukee has its' Lucy Goosy made at the Hot Dish pantry .This is a sandwich stuffed with a beef patty and slices of Wisconsin cheddar.Bozeman Montana gives us CHolms single from Cholms Burger a three ounce patty covered in gooey  American cheese on a potato bun it also has smoky bacon ends added to the meat thanks to Chef Cory Taber.

America has its' burgers. These are the places that make the best and the most original. Like America itself the patty is always changing , yet remaining true to itself.

Piedmonte's Stufffed Agniolotti

 Piedmonte has many delicious foods. There's polenta with a good tomato cacciatore, pescoi polenta stuffed into Savoy cabbage and of course that anchovy rich treat bagna calda. Yet there's also agniolotti , ravioli.Yes it's made through Italy but stuffed pasta reigns here along with the rest of Northern Italy.

  Former editor of Bon Appetit magazine Dawn Davis The new York Times Travel Sunday magazine wrote about it in tomorrow's paper. Agniolotti de Plin or stuffed ravioli. According to Ms Davis friend Karina Moyer-Nocchi . a professor at the University of Sienna theorizes that ravioli and other variations came about during the Middle Ages as an off shoot of torta  ,a meat pie stuffed with veggies and different meats. They liked to miniaturize food among other things and want a smaller- bite sized version of pie.ravioli itself comes from riavolgere or to wrap, it was first written about by a Thirteenth Century friar Salabiene de Adam wrote about them A lot of Piedmontese like to stuff their agniolotti with rabbit - a common meat there along with pork or chicken. Another staple of Piedmontese cooking, Savoy cabbage, a fragrant, chewy cabbage is shredded and added to the filling. Spinach is sometimes added as well.The name itself has many origin stories. Some believe that it was named for a chef called ANtonio while others believe that it comes from lamb -agnello.Other believe it;s named after the instrument ugliot in dialect to cut the dough.

Like so many upper class dishes agniolotti de plini made its' way  into the homes of the ordinary ,Some restaurants like Guido's in Costiglie d'Asti there's an almost religious reverence and way of serving the stuffed pasta.It's served two ways,  thanks to Chef Ugo Alciati, Guido' thirty-seven year old chef.one in a shallow bowl with a rich veal sauce topped with grated Parmesan.The other way is that they're made bite sized with a nutmeg filling, heaped on a large linen napkin - a local custom) which is a nod to the Eucharist and the Last Supper.Many Piedmontese connected to the dish during the economic boom of the 1960's as a way t  remember their distant past.Is it easy to make in today's kitchen .It is. It's just making the dough , rolling it out and cutting it into squares.It's then pinching the dough  hence the name plini. It's hard to get rabbit here but you could easily use lamb which was used or chicken , along with a combination of spinach and Savoy cabbage. A simple brown butter sauce works with this,

There will always be good food in Piedmonte. Agniolotti is one of these tasty ones, enjoyed the world over. These ravioli are stuffed with goodness and flavor.

Braising ABCs

 braising is a great way of cooking any kind of meat.It adds a tenderness to it along with giving it flavor.It;s also an easy cook perfect for  those novice chefs Even better is that any meat can be braised.

To start with you need a good braising pan.Who has a good braiser? le Creuset is the best. it has a spacious cooking surface, a large lid knob for easy grabbing and easy to grip handles. Any Le Creuset surace is perfect for cooking. It is expensive with the price varying from $380  on Amazon to $290 on Amazon. A nuch cheaper one is Crock Pot Artisan.It's almost the same as Le Creuset but has a smaller cooking surface. yet it's only $67 at Wayfair and $62 on Amazon. You can also score a $50 one at Target too. Keep in mind that the cheaper ines have trouble with the enamel eroding. Braisers can be used for other types of cooking too.it's greati for browning chicken wings and thighs as well as such roasts as London Broil.The pans are not delicate. You can easily put one in your dishwasher witout any worry of scratches ro nicks.

What meats are perfect for braising? Beef short ribs and chuck work. As for pork think the shoulder also known as  Boston Butt. You could also braise lamb shoulders or shanks as well as chicken thighs or legs. You should season your meat first, usually just sea salt and freshly ground pepper will do. You could add some herbs such as thyme or oregano  along with either onion or garlic powder for flavor. Add oil to your braiser. Both Italian and Greek olive oil work the best. These are the most flavorful and will enhance the meat's taste. You can add veggies  such as carrots and peas. Braising requires some kind of liquid in the second part in the cooking.Red wine works rhe best with braising. Stock is also necessary. Beef or chicken works the best. Use beef broth for both the lamb and the pork too. The lid is then put on the the meat and veggies are cooked for a good hour to an hour and a half.

Braising is an easy way to have a delicious hot meal. All it takes it  a good braiser and a great cut of meat. Put them together for a tasty dinner.

Relying On Tradition

 The holidays teach us one thing - to rely on tradition.It's what guides us through celebrations and holy days. This also includes time homored recipes used in many an Easter or Passover meal.

This was on my mind as I bought spaetzle and risotto at Aldi's today. It's a Swabian German custom to have noodles and eggs on Good Friday, one of the holiest and most somber days of the Christian calendar. I'm taking a family tradition and updating it by subbing in the spaeztle for egg noodles. (although I suspect the original dish used them.) It's served with a side of sliced peaches as all German dishes have some kind of fruit incorporated in the dish.As for Easter it's a new tradition of risotto and fresh asparagus This replaces the old one of again the Swabian influenced ham served with beans and potato salad. I've made this every year for the past few years. Yes, I'll bake the Easter lamb cake  , following in my Mom's step. I'll mix in the Dream Whip  as she did for a denser, richer cake, but add my own spins. There willbe Just Egg instead of real eggs, almond milk instead of cow's. The icing will have vegetable shortening like hers in it to give it the perfect texture for the crumb coat and rosettes.I may give it a dash of either lemon or grapefruit juice just to zing it up.

Others are also relying on family recipes. Many will be observing Passover starting April 5th. There will be variations on moms' and grandmothers' brisket recipes.  Home chefs may add cayenne pepper for some spike and heat.Others will try a brown sugar rub that gives the surface a crackly crust.. Tzimmes, the carrot and stewed prune side dish is always served  but the family recipe will get some new ingredients.It could be lemon or lime juice to cut all that sweetness or maybe star anise .Kugel that Passover staple may be savory on a few tables this year.It's suually a sweet dish but there are several savory ones that feature spinach and mushrooms. Easter is usually ham or lamb. A few home chefs are eager to try Eric Kim's pineapple ham featured in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. This is like a retro dish from the Fifties, complete with golden pineapple rings. The glaze is made with Dijon mustard ,brown sugar and fresh juice from both pineapples and lemons. Some may use their granny's recipe and add a ginger ale based glaze on it. as for th elamb, it's usually baked with rosemary sprigs.and fresh lemon juice. There will be updating with an olive oil rub or the addition of red wine vinegar.

Tradition guides us.it guides our cooking.It gives the template for traditionak dishes that can be given new spins and updates.

Your Spring Baking Musts

 Spring gives us a busy baking season, almost as busy as winter. There are the holidays, Easter , Orthodox Easter Passover and Ramadan along with all sorts of showers and college  graduations. Are you ready for the baking that comes with them.

Of course ingredients should be at the ready. There should be flour for the Easter and Orthodox Easter cakes and breads. You should be stocking up on confectioners sugar for icings.As the holidays progress think about bargain shopping for eggs (still expensive) along with deals on butter and cake mixes.It's also time to get those pastel gel icings if you don't already have them. Once the ingredients are taken care of then its time to look at your molds. Thsi also includes candy and cake pop molds too. Most cake molds last decades if they're made from good aluminum or even steel. If you're a neophyte when it comes to baking lamb and egg cakes now is the time to buy the molds. You can get a cute bunny cake mold at your local Wal-Mart for under seven dollars. Michael's has the silicone molds for cookies as well as Easter themed  cupcake papers. Buy these now instead of waiting for next week. if you're planning on making a lamb cake for the frst time then head to Amazon.  They have the Wilton one for $24.00 and you can have it sent overnight. Also get ready for candy and cake pop making. Make sure you have plenty of sugar along with lollipop sticks and decoarations.

It's shower and graduation season once the holidays are over and done. D o you have large baking pans for sheet cakes along with the tiered ones for showers and smaller weddings? If not you may want to invest in RAQK one hundred pieces cake pan set plus decorating supplies. This is a must have have for any home baker planning on supplying the cake for any shower. It comes with a large, medium and small sized springform cake pans along with icing nozzles , a cake leveler to create more layers and three scrapers to create fancy sides on the cake. It's a great buy on Amazon for $23.99. Of course showers and some grad parties also have smaller cakes for easy nibbling. Do you have enough cupcake pans for a crowd of fifty or sixty ? It pays to buy another tin  which can also be used for muffins if you're planning on a brunch shower.  Check your supply of pie tins for baking that shower staple quiche ,Most showers usually have three different versions so it pays to have a few sturdy tins. These can be used later on to create ice box  pies or ice cream filled ones. Do you also plan on baking petit fours for shower teas.If not you can buy one or two now and try practice baking with them.

Be ready for Spring baking. Make sure you have the right ingredients and the correct molds. doign this will make holiday and baking for all t hose patrties a snap.

All Those Easter Leftovers

 The day after Easter means ones thing -- leftovers. what do you do with all that ham, lambs and sides? What about that extra candy and sweets? Get creative ? THere's a ton of new recipes you can try with all that food.

Ham can be turned into tasty hot Croque Monsiurs or a cold, refreshing salad. For the French classic, you can cut the ham extra thick for a heartier sandwich.It would also go well in a grilled cheese too.As for a ham salad, prepare it like you would  a tuna salad. Add mayo along with chopped celery and onions. For added flavor serve on Hawaiian rolls. Their sweetness will offset the ham's saltiness. You can also turn it into a main meal by combining it with rotelli or elbow macaroni. Add peas, chopped carrots and broccoli florets to round it out. As for the dressing you can stick with just mayonnaise or create an Italian dressing to pour over it. What to do with that leftover lamb? Shepherd's pie is a nice way of repurposing it. You can even use those leftover mashed potatoes as the crust. Fill it with chopped carrots and onions along with celery and thyme. A lamb curry is also a great recipe for what's left of that roast leg. It's a great time to experiment that garam masala and curry powder. Serve with warmed naan and yogurt for a different spin on dinner.

You probably also have all that leftover candy too. it may sound strange but you can add chopped jelly beans to a cookie recipe. You could also incorporate them into a fudge if you like a super sweet bite. What about those other super sweet Easter treats - Peeps. A really neat idea is Peeps popcorn balls. This is melting down those chicks and adding plain salted popcorn. To make them even more fun, put  a lollipop stick in them and have a new kind of treat. What about Peeps s'mores? Use that leftover chocolate along with the Peeps on a skewer(think rotisserie Peeps, heated to gooiness over a stove top. Serve on either plain or chocolate Graham crackers. You could also heat just the bottoms and place on cupcakes for a different kind of topping. if those bunnies and eggs  haven't been completely devoured, break them into little bits and serve over anything and everything. They're fun mixed in with hot oatmeal or cold cereal. A layer of them is an extra kick in an ice cream parfait or sundae.

Those holiday leftovers can be repurposed into new and exciting meals and desserts. it's a fun way to reuse them and enjoy them a second time.  Try them  to still celebrate the holiday in a new way.

Easter Savings

 Many home chefs are dreading the holiday.It's not the cooking or creating the perfect meal.It's the price of the ingredients plus the main course that has them freaking out. There are ways to have a less expensive holiday.

One way to combat the high price is varying where you shop. You may find a bargain for your ham or lamb at one store while another may have better buys on veggies.Another idea is heading to more dollar friendly stores like Aldi and Lidl. Right now Aldi has spiral cut ham for only ninety-five cents a pound!! Their lamb leg roast is just $7.49 a pound.Lidl has a whole young chicken for $2.69 a pound.Both stores have excellent pricing on their veggies too. A cheaper alternative to meat is portabella mushrooms which can be prepared a number of ways. Air fried caps are delicious with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and oregano. You can also  grill them if you're planning an outdoor holiday meal. Pasta is another low cost alternative. Think of having a pasta primavera , chock full of veggies,You could also make a carbonera with a bacon laced sauce. This you can have a little splurge with since the eggs and bacon are costly. A veggie lasagna is a great way to go for a crowd. This and a salad can make for a filling holiday meal. As for dessert a home baked cake works well or just cupcakes topped with homemade buttercream icing.

Another idea is having a pot luck dinner. You can provide the main course which means you can spend a little more on getting a bigger cut of meat . Ham would be the best bet. It can feed a lot. As for dishes , you can have people make their signature dishes.  Suppose two guest have the same signature dish?Make a list of who is bringing what otherwise you'll wind up with duplicates. If there are double recipes then persuade the second person to make their second favorite dish.Keep in mind there shouldn't be any dishes left out. Check to see if everything is going to be on the menu, from salads to desserts. Also let the vegetarians and vegan create their dishes while the non vegans bring theirs. That way  everyone is happy with the meal.Also e mail a list of everyone's allergies too to prevent any problems. Suppose it's just a dinner of only three or four people. Condense. A small ham or just a chicken will do  along with  a side of asparagus. Serve the asparagus with butter and cheese for a tasty dish. Also a simple salad is a nice touch. As for dessert you can get a simple small cake at Acme or Stop and Shop. A homemade pound cake also works too.

Don't worry about money this holiday. You can create a low cost yet delicious meal  for very little. It's a memorable feast for a lot less.

Spring Food Musts

 Spring is the time of longer and warmer days. Gone are heavy winter days and heavy winter food. It's time to celebrate with classics like lamb, asparagus and rhubarb , perfect for dinners and desserts. Think light. Think delicious.

Lamb is usually served all year round but it's most popular in the Spring thanks to Easter and Greek Easter. You could easily make a lamb stew with Spring vegetables. Use a boneless lamb shoulder and cook with, tomatoes carrots and petite pois or pearl onions. Red wine could be added along with the beef broth. The good thing about stew is that it can be made in an Insta Pot or crock pot  which leaves you free for a few hours.Another idea is cooking the meat in  herbs. Garlic and lemon are added for more flavor with such herbs as tarragon, dill and cilantro. Cumin and coriander seeds are also used. Greek Orthodox Easter is next week and there will be lamb served at almost all Greek homes. Try their version which is roasting a leg of lamb. Its first studded with garlic cloves and then generously sprinkled with a mix of  sea salt, pepper and paprika. Olive oil and lemon juice are then drizzled on it and then it's first braised and roasted.if the cut is too much then think about lamb chops. They can be marinated the same as the shoulder and sprinkled with oregano. You could easily serve these with crunchy and lemony Greek style roasted potatoes, 

Of course the best side is asparagus. This is a Spring must have and can be made a variety of ways. The best is with  the classic Hollandaise sauce. Home chefs always feel that this is hard sauce to create but it's really not. It's just combining egg yolks, lemon juice and a dab of Dijon mustard. Cayenne can be added for some heat but it's mot necessary. Melted butter is them streamed into the sauce and it's blended with an immersion blender. (you can use a regular one for it too).Another is Piedmontese style with the spears drenched in melted butter  and topped with sliced hard boiled eggs and Parmesan cheese. You can also grill them as well. Grilled asparagus is perfect with chicken or steak. Rhubarb is another culinary star of Spring. It's usually paired with strawberries but it's great on its' own. Stewing it into a compote is easy and it's a nice topping for vanilla ice cream.It;s slowly cooking chopped stalks with sugar and water. You can add a dash of cinnamon for more flavor. This veggie, similar to celery also makes for a good crisp or cobbler. These are easy desserts with mixing oatmeal, flour sugar and topping to form a tasty crust on top of the rhubarb. Strawberries can be added too for a variation. Serve any crisp or cobbler with freshly whipped cream for a down home but still fancy dessert.

Lamb, asparagus and rhubarb are the stars of the Spring table. They make the season even brighter and sunnier with their distinct flavors. Plan a dinner, make a dessert with these gems for a warm weather treat.

The Perfect Stew

 January is a notoriously cold month. What better than to chase that chill than with a good, well made stew. There's something about the blend of veggies and meat with a good gravy. It's the perfect meal for these bone numbing days.

What makes a good stew? It starts with the meat if you're making a meaty one. Get cuts that are very tender and flavorful.If you can't, use a meat mallet to tenderize the beef. The end result is a tender forkful of melt in your mouth goodness. Chuck meat makes the best stew meat which comes from the cow's shoulder. You could use rump meat too even though it's not as tender. It is flavorful though which is a plus for any stew. Some home chefs prefer a good chicken stew during these frosty days. Use only thighs and breasts because they're the most meatiest. Fish stew is a bit different. Several different kinds of fish make for the most flavorful blend. Think a firm white fish like cod or halibut. if you can;t get these, then use tilapia or  red snapper. Steer clear of delicate fish such as sole and oily fish like tuna. You can also throw in some shrimp, clams and scallops for a brinier flavor.  All good stews need vegetables to round out the mix. Try different amounts of onion, chopped celery, carrots and waxy or boiling potatoes. Peas can be added for color and more nutrition. Herbs and spices can also bring out the flavors of veggies and meat. Oregano and bay leave are the most popular but you can also use parsley , basil and rosemary. It's up to you.

There are two ways to cook stew - with a reduction of  gravy  - sort of like au jus or thick like turkey or roast beef gravy, You can add red wine such as with the fancy beef bourguignon. A thin sauce starts with water and beef broth. A thicker one begins with a slurry made from a teaspoon of flour with a little cold water. How to cook the stew is another matter. The old fashioned way is on the stove top for about one and a half hours for beef and only half an hour for chicken. Fish stew is the quickest for only ten to twelve minutes and three to five for a really quick dish. Beef and chicken stews lend themselves to crockpots and Instapots and you can easily cook them in them as you can with another traditional stew  - lamb. What to serve with stew? A  simple green salad with a few grape tomatoes thrown is your best bet. It's a nice side and doesn't take away from the stew.A must is either a crusty bread like a baguette or sourdough. These are perfect for sopping up the gravies. Another idea is making dumplings to cook on top of the stew. These are a mix of flour baking, powder , sugar and butter or margarine. You can add herbs for a more flavorful one. They're cooked on top of the veggies, meat and gravy, producing a tender and fluffy bite.

This is the coldest time of the year. Warm it up with a good hearty stew. Enjoy the savory blend of meat , veggies and hebs.It will warm your heart as well as your stomach.

The Many Dishes Of India

Indian cuisine is having a moment right now thanks to Holi, the Spring festival along with the Trumps' trip to the subcontinent. Then there's the question of India's true identity with powerful waves of Hindu nationalism . Even though Islam is also a part of the history, it and its' culture are being suppressed almost to the point of eradication. Yet nothing can hurt its' multifaceted cuisine. Indian regional cooking is as strong as ever.

Tejal  Rao, a regular contributor wrote about this and offered a variety of recipes in today's New York Times Food section. Ms. Rao herself has Gujarati and Konkani roots,  her family coming from India's west coast. She has created a good array of recipes representing all of the country and recipes garnered from home chefs outside her family. What is great about her selection is that they are welcoming to the home chef new to Indian cuisine. They're great for anyone who loves all aspects of the cooking as well as looking for something unique to cook. You may have to find some of the ingredients at Indian groceries but the trip is worth it because it will help broaden culinary knowledge. Ms. Rao does include some family recipes such as keema or spiced ground meat. This is an interesting easy dish made with ground beef, red onions and ground Roma tomatoes (I plan on making this tomorrow so it will be the subject of tomorrow's entry).It has a fiery mix of serrano chilies, cayenne pepper and garam masala. It's served with Indian bread roti but you can also use naan to sop up the gravy

The other dishes Ms. Rao provides are representative of all the different states of India. There is toor dal Gujarati style made with split yellow pigeon peas with Roma tomatoes and peanuts. The tempering or sauce is made from ghee, an Indian staple of clarified butter, fresh curry leaves, and cinnamon, Chilies  and mustard seed also give it flavor along with a pinch of asafoetida a resinous gum.Lamb biryani is included and this is a dish most restaurants make.It is part of India's Muslim heritage, a richly spiced dish of lamb, bombarded with spices served with onions over basmati rice. Lamb chops or a shoulder of lamb is used , cut into pieces and marinaded with finger chiles, garlic and ginger.Onions and tomatoes are added to this. Yogurt spiked with mint, cilantro, coriander, cumin and chili powder is then added to the mix and the lamb is marinaded overnight in the fridge. There is also saffron milk, an easy blend of whole milk, saffron threads and cilantro layered onto the meat and rice.The southwestern area of Karnataka gives us carrot salad or gojjara kosambari. It's sweetened with coconut and sugar and fired up with serrano chile along with cumin, white sesame and black mustard seeds.Moong dal or cooked lentils can be added too.Ms. Rao also adds a roti recipe too, perfect of any of these recipes.

India is having a moment right now with Hindu nationalism and warring with its' Muslim heritage as well. These recipes help to unite in a way as well as introduce people to the cuisine. It represents every aspect of the pluralism of Indian life and its' heritage.

The Perfect Meatball

Everyone loves a good meatball. It is the yin to spaghettii's yang,It is the back bone of a good hot sub. Yet there's one problem. It get s soggy and fall apart - usually in the middle of eating. Nothing is worse than mushy meat. However there is help - and the promise of a crispy orb of meaty goodness.

Alison Roman rethought this classic recipe in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She is not a fan of mushy meatballs nor is she an admirer of tomato sauce or the one that graces the Swedish kind. She gives us lightly spiced and pan fried - the last all the better for a nice , crispy exterior. There is also the absence of binders - such as the usual bread crumbs,egg or dairy. She classifies them as round sausages made with not beef or pork but with lamb. It's more of a Lebanese vibe, kind of like kibbe.What does she serve with it with? Eggplant and chickpeas. There is a yogurt sauce with it , again there's that feel of a Middle Eastern vibe.The meat balls are cooked first and then the eggplant. Since the last is more or less like a sponge, fry the eggplant slices in the leftover oil which will now be mixed with the lamb fat. This will definitely give them more flavor. The chickpeas are cooked last. It may seem labor intensive , taking forty-five minutes from start to finish -but definitely worth it.

Ms. Roman says lamb is the best for this but you can also use pork or beef. You could do a mix of all three for a more flavorful meatball. Fennel seeds are also added. This would give it a sausage flavor however there is a zing of red pepper flakes added.The meat is rolled into one to one and a half inch balls.They're sauteed in olive oil  and rolled around the skillet to completely brown them.After this transfer them to a plate, leaving the fat and any browned bits behind. This will flavor the eggplant. The recipe calls for one medium eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch slices. More olive oil, about four tablespoons are added and the slices are browned on both sides. Each side will take six to eight minutes for that perfect , crisp crust. These are then transferred to the plate holding the meatballs. The chickpeas are cooked separately. They won't crisp up as the others but Ms. Roman assures that they will have a nice edge to them. This only takes three to five minutes. Before plating , smear seasoned yogurt on the bottom of a large serving plate or platter. Put the meatballs, eggplant and chickpeas on top. You could add a sprig of mint or parsley if you want.

This is the meatball recipe you want if you like to have crisp. It's an easy cook, and made even better with crisp eggplant and chickpeas. Try it and get away from those soft mush ones.