Picnic Fare With A Mediterranean Twist

 Picnics and barbecues usually have the same old food. It's always hot dogs, hamburger and some kind of bean and/or macaroni salad. Then there's the wedge of watermelon for dessert. Yet what if there's a twist - a bright sunny, Mediterranean twist on eating outside. That's enough to shake the picnic basket.

Regular contributor DaveTanis gave  recipes fo a deliciously different kind of picnic fare in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.he looked to Turkey for the main course which is chicken kebabs. These are usually made with ground lamb but chicken can do nicely too. They are zinged up with the , use a  of onion, red pepper flakes and paprika. Cu8min seeds are also added after they 've been toasted and crushed. Keep in mind you don;t need the grill to cook these. They can be roasted ion a sheet pan in the oven. If you do want a grilled kebab - similar to what most Turkish street vendors sell, use a fine meshed grate or a perforated vegetable grill pan. That way there's no danger of them  slipping through the grill and falling onto hot coals.They can be served with lavash flatbread or pita. These can be warmed on the grill too. Dip either bread in rosemary infused olive oil for a crispier , more fragrant flatbread.

As for sides, there can be salads.These have a Middle Eastern vibe to them. One is herbed cucumber yogurt salad while the other is a tomato feta one. Each has a fresh veggie taste that works well with the kebabs.Sliced Persian cucumbers are used for the first side. These are sliced and seasoned with salt,pepper and cayenne. The dressing is  a plain whole milk (but you could use a lower calorie one).yogurt based, flavored with onion , dill and garlic. Fresh mint is als added for a Middle Eastern  flavor.The second blends tomatoes and feta with chopped black or green olives in a simple viniagrette.Cilantro and parsley are also mixed in for more color. and is served om spinach and arugula. The dessert are simple shortbread cookies flavored with tahini ,sesame seeds and coconut. Butter and honey give them richness.They're dusted with confectioners sugar. Serve these with an iced mint tea for the perfect dessert.

Make a different kind of picnic this season. Add Middle Eastern flair and flavor. It makes for a tasty meal from beginning to end.

Snacks For Dinner

Let's face it, sometimes you need a fun dinner to end a lousy day . what better than some snack food Nothing is more fun than pizza or nachos and chicken wings certainly can add excitement to a late fall night.Best of all you can make it as healthy -recommended - as you want .It is supposed to be fun, and snacky after all.

One of the easiest snack dinners to make is pizza.You could cheat and order from your favorite pizzeria or pop a frozen one into the oven. Try an English muffin or pita bread based one instead. The sauce could be a jarred premade pizza one or take some fresh sliced plum tomatoes for a kind of margherita. Choose a low salt mozzarella or try a sprinkle of Parmesan. Toppings can be decadent  such as traditional pepperoni or load it up with bacon and ham. Veggies such as broccoli and onions are great scattered on top but you can also have a good dollop of anchovies for a real salty treat. Nachos, that late night go to can be made dinner ready by adding pulled chicken or chili beef. Whip up an easy guacamole along having sour cream  or if you want it a tad healthier , use plain Greek yogurt. Tacos or taquitos are another fun snacky dinner. You can make them with a variety of different meats, from pork to cod. Also the kids can stuff them silly with guacamole and sour cream.

Kids love sliders as do their folks. Instead of making boring hamburgers, shrink them down and make mini ones. Use ground beef and add chopped onion or even chili powder for some added zing. Use the smaller and squarer Hawaiian rolls  because they make for the perfect slider. Pile them up with tomatoes, pickles , gherkins and different kinds of lettuce. Pile on bacon and cheese for a tiny cheeseburger or add some ham and pepperoni for a meat lover's burger. You can also use the Hawaiian rolls for pulled chicken or pulled pork sliders too,Baked mac is always a treat but you can also used the leftovers for fried mac bites. Divide the back mac into bite size pieces and then first dip in flour. The second bath will be in bated egg and the third and final will be bread crumbs or even you want more crunch, Japanese  panko crumbs . You can use  deep fryer or a skillet to fry them up. Serve plain or with a spicy  mustard for added zest.

The days are long and hectic. Put some fun into your evening meals by serving snack food for dinner. It'll bring a smile to everyone's face when they sit down to enjoy supper.

Turkey ABCs

With Thanksgiving two weeks away it's time to talk turkey. Literally.Many people , even experienced home chefs, are flummoxed when it comes to this bird. Questions and fears abound. It's time to take it easy. Turkey is a simple bird to prepare and roast.

Melissa Clark gave a simple how to on turkey in a huge  article in today's New York Times Dining section. The best piece of advice that she gave: buy a smaller bird. Instead of wrestling with a twenty-five pounder, go for the twelve or thirteen pound turkey. Buy extra turkey pieces whether all light or all dark ,if you feel you don't have enough. Another good idea is dry brining the bird as opposed to wet brining. All this involves is just rubbing salt and pepper all over it. Also prepping it with just oil and not glancing in the  oven every half hours is also recommended. This makes for crispy skin that's as crunchy as a potato chip.

Ms. Clark also suggests spatchcocking the bird.This may sound complicated but all it is is removing the backbone before cooking.This gives for a  juicier bird with an even more golden skin. Any butcher can remove the bone for you, however it can be done at home using very sharp poultry shears. Spatchcocking allows the cook to spread the bird flat in the roasting pan and cook for a quicker time than one with a backbone.Another must is having a meat thermometer on the ready.The internal temperature must be 165 F .Also home cooks have to realize ,that unlike chicken, a roast  turkey will have pink spots. This is normal, the meat isn't raw as it would be in the other.

Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey shouldn't;t be daunting .It should be as easy as roasting chicken. Follow the above recommendations and it'll be fine. You'll have a glistening golden bird with an amazing flavor and , crispy , crackling skin.