Hot Meals For A Blustery Night

 With March comes blustery winds and cold nights. This is the time for hot meals that are ribsticking and tasty. What to make? Anything from soups to casseroles,

Stock your pantry with a variety of different broths. These will act as the base for soups and chowders. You can make chicke, beef  and/or vegetable broths if you have the time. Store them in the freezer until they're ready to us. What is a good soup? Try a fragrant leek and potato soup.  This is an easy cook. You can add either freshly boiled potatoes or canned. Leeks are abundant right now. Use all parts of them for a tastier potage. A baked potato soup is also a good recipe to make, Top with shredded cheddar or a blob of sour cream.A good miestrone soup is another hearty broth to try. Add a variety of different veggies, from tomatoes to parsnips and carrots. Add beans for more protein. Try a mix of cannelini and kidnesy beans for color and flavor. Do you add pasta? Yes! Try smaller pasta like ditalini or shells. for a heartier fare try stews.Like soups all sorts of ingredients can be added. Try a beef stew with carrots and parsnips along with potatoes and corn. A chicken stew can resemble a pot pie without the soggy pastry bottom. Have a rich creamy gravy that's perfect with dumplings.

Cassaroles are a tasty and filling dish on a cold March night. The most famous and well liked is lasagna. This can be made several different ways. It can be filled with beef crumbles or it can be vegan, Add plant based crumbles or sausage for a different flavor. Ricotta gives it a creaminess but you don;t have to have it. Try a layer of vegan or regular Parmesan for a different flavor. Try adding sliced eggplant, and bell peppers. Another crowd pleaser is baked Macaroni and cheese. Again you can bake the classic or. vary it. The traditional recipe calls for elbow macaroni and a good sharp cheddar. Butter flour and milk gives it a creaminess and velvetiness. A layer of breadcrumbs is added to give it a nice crunchiness and crispness. You can  vary this with crumbled bacon or have laors of bacon between the macaroni and cheese sauce. You also can sub in other cheeses like a mix of Parmesan and Asiago  - sort of like what Panera offers. If the family is craving breakfast for dinner then try a cheesy strata. This is layering French or Italian bread with egg and cheese. You could add strips of ham ro bacon to it for a more flavorful bite.

A cold March night deserves a hot , filling meal. It can be a soup, stew or cassarole.Try any to warm up the family.

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.

Easy Winter Dishes

 The best thing about January is that it's a time to relax. Gone are the hectic holiday meals and harried work days leading itno parties. It's simply a month to just take it easy. That also applies to cooking.  A simple and easy meal and dessert is all you need.

Regular contributor David Tanis wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He believes on easing up on cooking and baking yet retaining flavor.It also doesn;t have to feel restrictive either and if you want to keep it festive then do so. he offers three dishes - carrot -leek soup with miso followed by baked fish with mushrooms and ginger. Dessert is  triple sesame tea cakes. Mr. Tabis uses Asian pantry staples like miso and ginger for the savory dn toasted sesame oil for the cookies.The influence gives all three recipes oomph and elevates them from just plain winter dishes to something special despite their easiness. The soup starts with a homemade vegetable broth made from the leeks and carrots. They're  first sauteed in butter  and then simmered in salted water to create a fragrant broth.Both sare preed to gether for a creamy mouth feel and then the miso is added,It can be yellow or white however the yellow is saltier . If you want to taste te veggies then use the white instead.

As for the dush Mr. Tanis recommends eihter halibut, bass or grouper. They;'re baked in just salt and pepper. while they're baking make the mushrooms. These are shiitake ones, without the stems cooked in soy sauce and ginger. This sauce is then spooned over the fishn and put back into the oven to be baked fo twenty minutes at or an  additional twenty to twenty-five minutes. You could sprinkle on scallions and cilantro springs for color and more flavor. Make sure to pou any gingery pan juicings over the fish. End the meal with simple triple sesame tea cookies.This is an easy cookie dough enhanced with the toasted seasame seed oil along with tahini or sesame paste.Te liquids are blended first with  a mix of  flour  and baking powder slowly added in later. It's then rolling the dough into walnut sized  balls followed by rolling them in sesame seeds. Bake them for twenty minutes at 350 degree Farenheit. A nice drink for this meal would be a hot  ginger or green tea ,

Janiary should be a simple time with easy meals. Make these recipes for that simplicity  but with flavor. They're a great meal that can be easy to make and delicious to eat.

Cold Comfort

A heat wave means one thing - a aversion to anything hot and that includes food and drink. Who wants to eat fresh from the oven roasts and casseroles? Or worse , fresh from the burner soups and skillet meals. Keep it cool -  have chilled foods, from morning to night.

As much as we love a bowl of hot oatmeal and farina, it's time to think of other grains.A cooler bet is a bowl of rice or corn puffs with chilled milk. Add some blueberries or strawberries to give it a healthy vibe. Another idea is chilled melon. Cube watermelon and cantaloupe along with chunks of casaba melon for a refreshing, low calorie starter. Another low calorie breakfast, is a chilled parfait. Layer various fruits, such as pineapple and blueberries with Greek yogurt and granola for the perfect beginning on a sweltering August day.Freeze it and you have a breakfast Popsicle, every kids' dream breakfast. Instead of spooning the layers in a parfait dish, layer them in Popsicle molds. Freeze overnight. Remember these also make great desserts and snacks for them and for the adults too. What to drink with these frosty starters? Iced coffees and teas. There are many cold brew options for both drinks in your supermarket to choose from. Smoothies and fruit slushies are other cool options that go well with breakfast.

Lunch and dinner can also be chill creations. The easiest is a sandwich, of course, Make it different by trying a pan bagnat a Provencale treat loaded with all sorts of good fillings.Use a long , baguette , slice in half and then layer on sliced cucumbers, onions,kalamata olives and hard boiled eggs. Cheese and tuna canned in oil can also be added.This also makes a great weekend supper, enjoyed with a chilled glass of wine.Salads are one of those easy summer meals. One of my new favorites is a chickpea one, loaded with not only those garbanzo beans (save the liquid for baking) but chopped peppers, onions and parsley. For color and more taste I add grape tomatoes and then dress it with a simple vinaigrette. Make it three or four hours before serving for a cool, flavorful bite. You don't have to use chickpeas as the protein. Leftover chicken, grilled steak, and even tuna can be subbed in. Any leftover meat can be paired with a veggie for a tasty and substantial cool dinner. Try grilled steak and tomatoes, or minced ham with broccoli and onions. A more sophisticated take is vichyssoise , the French leek and potato soup, first cooked and then cooled. There is also gazpacho,a garlicky vegetable potage that's not even heated. It's made cold and served cold. Perfect with crusty Spanish rolls and butter.

It's August. It's hotter than an oven full of biscuits. Cool off with refreshingly cold dishes and drinks. It's the best way of dealing with a heat wave. 

My Year To Fly

Every home chef needs to grow. I know I do and that will be one of my many New Year's resolutions . What will I do? What will I try?

Thanks to a new oven, I will be baking a lot. I've already baked Ghiradelli's Double Chocolate Brownies.They came out a little too gooey , so hopefully with more practice I'll be baking much more firmer ones. With baking comes decorating so I am definitely going to be honing my icing - hello again buttercream - along with practicing rose and leaf skills. Savory baking is also going to be high on my list. I want to experiment with strata, and rediscover the luscious leeks on toast ( double yum) and my Swabian zweibelkugen or onion pie (again double yum) a dense quiche like confection, rich with eggs, cream and onions. Homemade pizza will also be making quite a few appearances as well.

Another must is rediscovering roasts, hams, chickens, turkeys and London broils. It's going to be wonderful, with crunchy, crisp skins and slices of tender meat.There will also be sides  that will be cooked ( and all of these will be shown as Foodie Pantry how tos).I want to relearn how to make scalloped potatoes and baked Mac with bacon.As with cuisines, since French and Filipino are going to be big this upcoming year I want to expand into that, especially in creating the perfect crepe.

Every home chef and baker should resolve to expand their culinary arsenal.I know I will.I get to grow which makes for a better cook - or so I hope!

Hearty Veggie Soups

One of the best meals on a cold, wintry night is hot soup. It's even better if it's chock full of vegetables.They're not only healthy but tasty too, filled with all sorts of different kinds of greens and fungi. it's a nice way of getting a good dose of nutrients while shaking off a February chill.

Melissa Clark knows this and wrote about it in her A Good Appetite Column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She gives us three soups, golden leek and potato soup,mushroom-spinach and one that's kind of outside the box caramelized kohlrabi.These can be tweaked with different add ins or whatever can be found in the freezer and the fridge.Just keep the basic vegetables required, in other words, roots for roots, leafy greens for leafy greens , and other alliums for garlic.Another suggestion is  caramelizing the veggies. This eliminates the needs for using stocks or meats to give the soups depth and richness. The veggies melt down to give an intense broth of their own Ms. Clark also recommends using a lot of salt, namely the vastly intense kosher kind.If you need to add stock use the homemade kind.Ms. Clark warns against using the canned or boxed. I usually go for the HerbOx veggie broth cubes which impart a mild yet flavorful taste.Aromatics also count here. Add plenty of them, from herbs to spices to garlic and onions.These are not time intensive recipes luckily , and can be made up within twenty minutes. Home chefs could double the recipe and then freeze what's left for  those busy week nights when cooking is not an option.

The soups are not your usual veggie blends. The first, golden leek and potato starts with a base of golden brown leeks which impart a lovely  sweet taste. There are more of them than potatoes so it does have  more of an  onion-y flavor.Parsley, sage and thyme zing it up, eliminating the usual blandness that sometimes accompanies this soup.You could add chives too as well as scallions for more bite A drizzle of cream is used to decorate the soup afterwards. Her mushroom spinach soup is zested up with Middle Eastern spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon and allspice. The mushrooms are mixed with a blend of cremini, oyster,chanterelles and shiitake, chopped and mixed with baby spinach leaves. This really shouldn't be changed, The veggies and spices work well together and give a walk through a souk vibe.Ms. Clakr adds a dollop of yogurt on top for more authenticity.if you want. Serve with hot toasted pita that can be dipped into the soup. The wild card in the trio is caramelized kohlrabi. a kind of turnip,Turnips can be used in this too.. The first step is caramelizing them in a broiler s the onion and garlic are being sauteed. The veggie mix is then pureed  using an immersion blender for a creamy texture.It's topped off with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan and pinch of chili powder.

Nothing beats a bowl of hot vegetable soup, especially when they provide rich, deep flavor. Make any of these, from the leek and potato to the mushroom spinach to the caramelized kohlrabi. These are perfect to keeping away from February's icy chill.

Bean Time

A cold January day means a hot , home cooked meal and what better than simple beans themselves. They're an easy cook and can be made a variety of ways. Best of all, they're not as challenging as some think. Any novice home chef can make them with very good results.

Melissa Clark knows this and offered her advice on them in her A Good Appetite column in today's New York Times Food section. Beans are the perfect meal for those watching their diets and budgets. They're a healthy alternative to meat along with being one of the cheapest foods to buy. Already cooked beans are also perfect for freezing for later consumption. Some home chefs prefer using the canned variety simply for convenience's sake. Don't. Buy dried beans and just let them soak.It's an old wives tale that it takes anywhere from four to twenty-four hours for a good bath . Home chefs can soak them for however long they want to.The  practice does have its merits, so don't rule it out entirely. Soaking will help beans cook faster along with leaching out the sugars that can cause intestinal distress.If that's the case, then soak. Just remember to add a good tablespoon of salt to the water.It speeds up cooking by breaking down the beans' skins..Keep in mind you could wind up with old beans (many grocery stores are guilty of selling ones that are past their sell by date). Their meat may not be tender and there could be a bit of a chew to their texture.

One of the great things about beans is that they're incredibly versatile. They can be cooked up in herbs rosemary and thyme broth, or for a more flavorful dish, bay leaf, oregano or sage.Putting a bouquet garni into the pot also will yield up a flavorful dish of beans. What are known as soft herbs such as cilantro, basil , parsley and chives can be used not only for enhancing the dish  but also for adding some color and decoration, Beans and spices are always a good pairing. Think cumin  and coriander.for an Indian vibe. Cinnamon and allspice are out of the box suggestions but they add a kind of smoky sweetness to the dish, To get the spices' full effect, do what Ms. Clark does :toast them in the pot for a few minutes until they release an aroma  before adding the beans and water.Of course, the best seasonings are the aromatics. Cooking with  celery or  carrots along with any of the members of the onion family such as garlic leeks and shallots to create a savory broth . Ginger gives beans a fiery kick , perfect for a cold night,Most people love adding a huge chunk of ham or bacon to any bean dish, but especially to Boston baked beans,Usually beans are served over rice but feel free to try them poured over polenta or faro.


This is bean season. Pick out whatever one looks appealing ad get creative with spices and ideas. The end result is a tasty filling dish that will warm you on a cold winter's night.