Ferragosto Feasts

 This is a big day in Cahtolic and Orthodox Europe.I'ts hug ein Italy where many celebrate and observe the feast of the Assumption of Mary.--when the Virgin ascends to Heaven. It is a day full of grilling and feasting on harvest.

You can easily celebrate the feast's foods here. Many American Catholics go to church today and then have a brunch or dinner out where ever they are. If you stay at home you can have the classic Italian grigliate - any grilled meats.A typical dinner would be a variety of sausages, pork ribs and chicken this can be made at home.Use a light marinade of lemon juice ,olive oil and a mix of dried herbs.This last could be oregano, dried basil and rosemary. You can add minced fresh garlic or garlic powder, depending on your tastes. This can be used for beef and chicken. What about the sausages? A fiery one, filled with not only beef and pork but also red paper flakes toasted  fennel and garlic.Keep in mind that fresh sausage or saucisse takes a good fifteen to twenty minutes to cook.Pre cooked sausage takes only ten to twelve minutes. You don't have to oil them.Just put them on the grill and cook evenly by rolling them every so often.  They can be eaten plain or on long rolls. 

The sides are mostly veggie .A note here.Cylospora is still prevalent here in the US. Wash every fruit and veggie in warm for twenty to thirty seconds. Don;t use bleach or soap to wash.You'll ruin the taste.Many Italians, have bell pepper recipes.They can be stuffed with arborio rice and herbs You can also grill zucchini or eggplant too. Both  can be marinated in just olive oil with salt and pepper and grill for about three to five minutes on each side. You can also make a tasty panzanella - that tasty bread salad with ripe tomatoes. Dried bread cubes can be used for crunch but a better variation is using torn up Italian or French bread. Soak the chunks and quartered tomatoes in olive oil, Onions can be added if you want a stronger taste but a milder flavor can be had by using a pinch of onion powder. Add plenty of basil and oregano too. Another idea is creating a tomato and mozzarella salad.Cold pasta salads can also be made. Just skip the mayo and just add olive oil. Desserts can be sliced fresh peaches in Prosecco or Asti. Tasty dessert is afogato - drowned ice cream.Usually made with ice cream and hot coffee, you can add cold coffee to vanilla or chocolate ice cream for a lovely late into the night dessert.

A Ferragosto meal can be had at any time. It's especially wonderful  on this Holy Day. Feast and enjoy the summer harvest.

Ready For A Wild Weather Summer

 To say the weather has been acting up this summer is an understatement RIght now there are tornado warnings around the New York City metro area. Tropical storms and hurricanes loom . These all can be a breeze to manage food wise. It's just selecting the right foods to exist on.

Water is usually the first thing affected. Make sure you have plenty of bottled water . This can be used for not only drinking but for adding to soups and baby formulas. Make sure everyone - including cats and dogs have their share too for complete hydration. Should you also pack soda and juices? Yes but keep in mind that drinks like Coke and Sprite will also make you thirsty  so balance them with water. You could add flavored water enhancers to  Stanley cups or Bubba containers (your local dollar store has their versions of these for much less). You get hydration plus taste. Instant coffee is also good because the caffeine can power you during some difficult situations. What about milk? It should be powdered however it can last in a fridge for four hours in an unopened fridge. The same applies to nut and oat milk. What about milk boxes.? If they've been out more than four hours then  no.THey're unsafe. Toss them   The same applies to dairy creamer. Toss it after two hours . Use powdered as well to flavor coffees..A;spwait before you buy any milk from stores. They too probably have had power outages so their milk and creamers may not be safe.

As for food - think canned. Canned proteins such as deviled chicken and ham along with fish like tuna salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines are also good. They can be made into salads or just eaten on bread or rolls as a sandwich. Beans are anothe protein that's a must have. Chickpeas are versatile and can be eaten straight from the can or be mashed into hummus. Any bean can be made into a patty . You don;t even needs eggs t bind then=m. Potato flakes or even oats can be subbed in instead. Veggies  - save for lettuce  right now can be eaten. A panzanella salad can easily be made with leftover bread, and sliced tomatoes. Just add shelf stable olive oil.  You can also create a hearty cold dish by using sliced tomatoes ,canned tuna and cannellini beans.Dried herbs can flavor it  as can salt and pepper. Sliced peppers mixed with tuman orslamon is also a good hearty and easy dinner to make. You can also use avocados, whether for bread or as a salad.  Keep fruits like apples and plums along with bananas for a quick snack or dessert. Snack cakes like Little Debbie or Oreos can hold too. Keep cereal ready for breakfast along with jams and jellies.

It's tornado seasonIt's soon to be hurricane season.Be prepared for when they happen. You'll feel better with filling foods and drink.

Salad Doesn't Always HavE To Be Green

 Thanks to cyclospora green salad is off the table. Yet its a staple, especially in summer dining.Whatto do? There are so many alternatives.By the end of summer, you many not even want a traditional greens alad.

Keep in mind that frozen is usually your best friend in this case.I've found that some of my best broccoli and green bean salads come from the frozen veggies packages. These are easy.No washing,No worries if they're bad. Just steam in the microwave for six minutes or more then add the dressing. It's then chilling the greens for at least two hours.I;be even made these in the winter ,just to add veggies to a meal. You could also add some almonds to the green beans  along with crumbled feta cheese and a dash of lemon juice.Broccoli salad could also have some freshly grated cheddar to it for more flavor. Frozen bell peppers can also be made into a similar salad. So far the fresh versions of these seem to be safe so you can easily make a salad with them.Try all three colors  for something colorful along with roasting them on your grill first. You could easily add leftover grilled flank steak to make it more nutritious and substantive . A simple olive oil and red wine vinegar will do here. Asparagus may not be in season right now but the frozen kind makes for a great side dish Again use a simple vinaigrette here along with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tomatoes and beans will never do anyone wrong and the first is definitely safe if garden grown. There are so many tomato salad recipes that every day can have a different one. One of my favorites is my version of panzanella. This is classic Tuscan UMbrian and Tuscan salad where tomatoes and stales bread are soaked in olive oil,tomato juices and vinegar. Some add sliced or diced onions to it but I like mine with just tomatoes and good ,squishy Italian bread. The bread is torn into bite size pieces.Usually it's  left to harden for a day or it;s crisped in an air fryer . It's up to you how to have the bread. I usually add in oregano and garlic powder. This is so good that it can be eaten as a main course ,especially with a side of burrata cheese or as a side with steak or chicken.Romato and bean salad is another tasty alternative to green salad. Use white beans which work the best with them. They;re sweet creaminess is the perfect foil for the tomatoes' tanginess.  Beans themselves are the perfect base for a salad.  YOu could make three bean salad but make it the more fun cowboy caviar. This is a zingy collection of black eye peas black beans ,onions corns and peppers. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette unless you want to add salsa instead.

Forget those pesky greens. You can make  an equally delicious salad using other veggies and beans. Try any of these if you want a different spin on a summer classic.

Super Salads

 One of the easiest Spring dishes is a good, healthy salad. To make it nutritious , fill it up with  anything you want  - protein  veggies , nits and seeds. Best of all be creative so that's it's not boring but delicious.

Everyone thinks that salads should be a variety of different greens and veggies. Not true !!! One of my favorites is broccoli salad.

It;s is tasty onit's own but I could add julienned ham to it along with a sprinkle of Parmesan. Both give it protein and the last calcium. You could also add peas to it for more color and flavor. The dressing is always simple. Oil, white wine vinegar ,sea salt and fresh ground pepper. A light sprinkle of garlic powder brings out the flavor.

Tomato salad is another favorite of mine I love the small grape multicolor ones. They have a high water content  so they 're a great side for those hot Spring days.

I bought the Sinset brand at Walmart and it was a good buy.All they had to do was be sliced into to three ,then dressed with a simple oil and white wine vinegar dressing. I added a good dusting of oregano for a kind of pizza flavoring. Keep in mind this would go well on a slice of Italian bread or even adding bread in t for a kind of panzanella salad. Keep in mind any salad can be loaded with low fat steak and chicken. Mozzarella would also be good with this salad .

Spring salads can be hearty and delicious. They don;t have to be a million ingredients. Stick wit one like broccoli or tomatoes and add to them.

The Best Salads

 These are indeed days meant for cooling and easy to make salads.What's great about them s that they can be classic or innovative. Add whatever's in the fridge for a tasty lunch or dinner. A home chef can never go wrong with any combination.

Today's Wednesday's New York Times Wednesday Food section gives some very good recipes.Various Food section writers give their recipes for not only a bowl for great greens but also for dressings. An interesting note - salads have been around for 2,000 years having been first made by the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians . They were the first to dress various greens with oil and vinegar. Now it's' put in what;'s tasty and make it simple too. Any salad is the perfect meal during a heat wave or even a busy cooler day,.One of the most classics is Alexa Weibel's feta -ranch wedge salad. Wedge salad is taking an iceberg lettuce and cutting it into quarters. It;'s an American classic , being first created in the Forties. Ms. Weibel  also add refreshing cucumbers to this while the dressing is a classic ranch with the addition of briny feta. Layered salads are a perfect summer dinner option. Lidey Heucks' has a seven layer salad that features  everything from lettuce and tomatoes to frozen peas, hard boiled eggs and Cheddar. Then there is Hetty Lui McKinnon's gado-gado or Indonesian salad that has fried tofu mixed with hard boiled eggs ,cucumbers new potatoes ,Napa cabbage and bean. sprouts. It';s dressed in a sweet and tangy peanut satay sauce.

For heartier fare there is pork Laab from Sherry Rujikarn.,This is a hearty Laotian dish made with chopped pork and toasted rice powder. It's served with cabbage wedges and cucumbers, their coolness offsetting the zing of added chili peppers.There is also one of the best summer salads panzanella - bread salad with watermelon dressing.The dressing is unusual, a mix of the fruit and whole grain mustard along with red pepper flakes and garlic. The salad has day old ciambatta chunks but Italian bread also works well here too. There is also Greek salad again contributed by LIdey Heuck. This is classic Greek salad complete with feta cheese and the eye opening salty Kalamara olives. The feta is cut thick, all the better to absorb the simple red wine vinaigrette. There is no lettuce here,just tomatoes bell peppers, capers and a yellow or red onion cut into rings. Add anchovies  to make it a into a heartier meal and serve with pita wedges.It wouldn't;t be summer without a fruit salad and ALi Slagle gives one that is redolent with a mix of watermelon, pineapples , any Berry ,kiwi stome fruits, pomegranates and grapes. Like juice gives it a refreshing flavor along with  two tablespoons of sugar. It's a perfect palate cleanser or a nice dessert.

It;s summer .It's salad season. It's time to enjoy all the harvests, dressed deliciously, ready to eat on a scorching day,

Barbecue On A Budget

 Happiness is a barbecue yet it can get expensive? What to do ? You can cut corners and still have a tasty spread. It's just knowing how to budget and create flavorful dishes.

A barbecue and garden produce go hand in hand. You can easily take those early ripened beefsteaks and use those to top burgers. They also are great for all sorts of salad too.One of my favorites, panzanella requires just sliced tomatoes - any kind, fresh basil chiffonaded and olive oil. Garlic from the garden can flavor the salad and any salad for that matter.If you;re luckily enough to have corn in your garden take advantage of it. Grilled corn is a great side but it can also be used in corn salads for a different take on barbecue dishes. Add onions tomatoes and cucumber for a tasty colorful dish. A simple vinaigrette is perfect here so it can let all the different flavors shine.Shiny, purple eggplant are gracing garden patches right now and it's time to enjoy their creamy textured and earthy flavor. These are a great meat sub for any barbecue and they can be barbecued in a variety of ways.Brush slices with an herbal oil and grill both sides for a few minutes. A homemade bruschetta is also a great topping for eggplant along with Parmesan cheese too.

Of course there are great stores like Lidl that can help you with a budget barbecue. Try their onion burgers which taste like the burgers your mom and Gran made. These have bits of sweet onion in them. Lidl' also has pure beef and turkey patties too , ranging anywhere from $11.99 to $7.99 Walmart also has a good price on the meat patties being a dollar more than Lidl (although I think Lidl has the more flavorful patties)Bubba 's Burgers which can be bought almost everywhere are also a  good deal. Acme me has a twelve pack of the turkey kind for $9.99 . Keep in mind you can also sub in veggie and bean burgers too.Are homemade bean burgers just as moist and tasty as the store bought ones? Yes and much cheaper too. It's a mix of black beans (which are usually sixty cents a can), bread crumbs and a egg. These last are for binding. You can add chopped onions as you would with regular burgers. Spices such as ground ancho peppers and chipotle also give some zing and zest. 

You can have a good barbecue on a budget.It's just takes planning and ingenuity. Try it for some delicious flavors at low cost.

A Vegetarian Grilled Feast

 Summer has two very good things - the grill and fresh veggies. Now imagine combining the two to create a feast of tasty fresh dishes. They're better than all those barbecued dogs and burgers. There's a delicious freshness to them,perfect for any dinner.

Regular contributor Ali Slagle wrote about this vegan feast in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. There are also five recipes , perfect for any warm weather main course. Cooking veggies on the grill transforms them.It sizzles out moisture and creates a soft  caramelized inside that rich in flavor. There is a soba salad with grilled mushrooms and tofu.These two bring out the soba's nutty quality.Snap peas,  serrano chile and herbs add flavor as well.Lime juice, miso and maple syrup serve both as a marinade and a dressing as it enables the tofu to char instantly as soon as it hits the grill. Cook the noodles in the kitchen and mix in. This is a perfect dinner for a Sunday night. Another good dish is the barbecue vegetable salad.There's a kick of sweetness from the grilled peaches added along with a tangy barbecue sauce.Use the more flavorful Romaine as the base and cut the barbecue sauce with lime juice to make it more manageable. Crushed cron chips add crunch but croutons also work here too.

Taco lovers will also like bricia's Lopez taco encuarado or naked taco. She stuffs mild chiles with cheese and grills them until they're sweet, spicy and gooey. wrap them in tortilla and they become dinner. The cheese used is queso Oaxaca which you can get at any Mexican grocery.If not salted mozzarella will do just fine.The recipe calls for the Mexican herb epazote which has a fresh citrus-y flavor but you can use cilantro instead. FLatbread or focaccio along with naan, pita or roti can also be used. For those who love the Neopolitan panzanella salad there's a variation that has grilled corn and cucumbers. Yet' it's the homemade croutons that make this salad shine. There's a drizzle of vinaigrette along with a squeeze of lemon or lime for freshness. YOu could also add stone fruits like plums or cherries to this as well.A comforting summer meal is grits with charred peppers and broccoli. You can even cook the grits on the grill instead of running back to the kitchen to cook them on the stovetop. Just put them on the back section. Use a cast iron grill to cook the grits. As for sauces you can try barbecue, buffalo, tamarind or teriyaki. Butter also could work here as well.

These are the perfect veggie dishes for a summer's night. Try them instead of a meat laden barbecue. They're healthier and tastier.

Help!! What Do I Cook?

 Every chef and home chef hits it - the culinary wall. What happens when you run out of ideas for what to cook? Ot when you haven't gone to the store to pick up supplies?Ingenuity helps.

We all have hit that wall.We look into the fridge and think "What am I going to make?" You read about those food writers and chefs who can whip up a hot tasty meal using just polenta, cheese and spices. This does work if you happen to have polenta in your pantry. What happens of you don't? What you can do is sub in rice or a small pasta like orzo or ditalini and cook in any kind of broth. After it's done, toss in some butter and top with cheese for a warm filling lunch or Sinday night supper. Keep a container of either beef, chicken or vegetable broth handy. They're great for cooking up pastas but also for whipping up a quick soup. Add veggies and even leftover chicken or beef and you have a quick minestrone. If you have bread and cheese you have a meal. You can easily grill the combo in the toaster oven or air fryer . Fry it  in butter and you have a croque monsiur without the bechamel sauce. Try to have slices of American or cheddar cheese or a good wedge of Brie or Gruyere in the fridge. These are also great on just plain Saltines too and these make for a light but satisfying lunch too. Add little squares of ham for mini sandwiches.

A loaf of French or Italian bread is a plus. Any of them can be used in a variety of different recipes. One of my new favorites is sliced Italian ro french bread cut in rounds  and slathered with layers of Melt plant based butter, Parma vegan cheese and garlic powder. The rounds are put into the air fryer for five minutes at 370 dgree Farenheit. These crisp, buttery cheesy bites were perfect with a premixed salad that I bought at Stop & Shop.It was a no brainer dinner but it was delicious and filling. I plan on making the rounds again with pasta . In the summer the loaves can be torn up and mixed with tomatoes , onions , olive oil and red wine vinegar for a panzella salad. This is just a great lunch but also a good side with barbecued chicken or beef.Take your leftovers and stuff them inside a loaf of French or Italian and you have a hero. Another multi tasker is the tomato. It can be made into hot or cold recipes. Slice them , top with bread crumbs and saute in a mix of olive oil and butter and you have tomatoes Provencale. Get the bigger tomatoes , scoop out the inside and fill with tuna salad for a refreshing mid day meal. Tomatoes are also perfect in a sandwich with toasted bread and mayonnaise.

Every hoime chef and eve chef has hit that culinary wall. what to do? Climb over it with using some basics creatively.

The Pantry Is Open Again!!!!!!

 Yes, it's wide open and its' been a frustrating month thanks to a fractured (And Now fixed humerus) I'm still not 100 per cent healed that will take physical  therapy.By the time that happens I'll be needing cooking therapy.

It's funny when you're injured how friends and family come with food. Friends cooked my favorite recipes, ordered from goo restaurants and ordered food baskets. All this helped tremendously especially in those early days when i couldn't even was let alone cook. I miss cooking and food shopping. There's something soothing about cooking a curry rich choley or a flavorful spinach and mushroom sauce for pasta. I was even going to plant a garden which brings me to an interesting article in today's New York Times Food section today. It's an article about old fashioned watermelon breeds, written by regular contributor Nicole Taylor. Ms Taylor interviewed  film maker and fourth generation farmer, Gabrielle E. W. Carter. Ms. Carter grows heirloom watermelon in her family's farm in Apex ,  The delicious fruit was indigenous of Africa and is kind of related to cucumbers, pumpkins and loofah Yes, that loofah that gives us those scrub sponges. Ms. Carter is reviving an original breed. with ebony seeds and sweet candy pink flash.

Why is it important that original strains like  Sugar Baby thrive? One  , because it connects the past to the present. This was emphasized in the Netflix "High On The Hog" series on African cooking. Both Ms. Carter and her uncle Andrew were featured in it. The heirloom varieties were a connection to ancestral lands. The second reason is that the melons are more flavorful than the hybrids we have now. What our stores have is just a pale imitation. Ms. Carter also includes her country panzanella with watermelon dressing. This is  a sweet and savory salad perfect for the upcoming Juneteenth  celebrating the end of slavery in Texas/ It also is good at every summer barbecue or elegant backyard supper. Ms. Clark takes cut watermelon and mixes it with red onion, cucumbers and feta cheese.Toasted and oiled cubed ciabatta bread is the base , absorbing the blend of juices and herbs. The dressing has the watermelon along with garlic and red pepper flakes to give it zing.

The pantry is wide open again There will still be recipes like the watermelon panzanella and soon cooking too. The how tos will be back as well. 

Special thanks to Lou who ordered us food and took me food shopping at WalMart < Lili and Polly for cooking my favorite stuffed tomatoes and rice, and Debbie who sent one of the yummiest food baskets.  You are my salt and pepper , olive oil and vinegar.

Also thanks to Dr V, for giving me the OK to write again, This is the nutrition I need to survive.

Time For Summer Treats

It has been a strange summer with restrictions on both coasts along with shark sightings off of New York's Long Island. Yet we can still celebrate summer with the foods and treats we love so well.

August is the time of so many harvests.Tomatoes are still in abundance. Nothing says summer than a tomato and mayo sandwich on white bread. You could give this classic a Mediterranean twist by replacing the mayonnaise with olive oil and a good sprinkle of oregano. Of course this calls for a heartier bread such as Italian or French.Another summer favorite is Neopolitan bread salad  or panzanella which calls for tomatoes , cucumbers and onions. Another summer favorite is corn. Grilled corn with seasoned butter is a summer staple and one of the best sides. Lemon or herbed butter works as does honey butter. Add some flaky seas salt and fresh ground pepper for bite. Unfortunately most of the peach orchards are closed to families right now. You can still buy baskets of them at local farms and your supermarket. A plain one is good just on it's own but you can also slice and peel them for crumbles and pies. You could also make a peach sundae by splitting one in half and pitting it.Add vanilla ice cream and top with honey and toasted oats.

Boardwalk foods have always been a summer must.Some are open and take advantage of what they have to offer. A typical favorite is fried clams. You can make these at home using corn flour and cayenne pepper.Sausage and pepper sandwiches are another seaside must eat, especially in New Jersey. Use fresh green peppers and any kind of sausage from sage to vegan and fry up together. Core and julienne the peppers and then saute in oil. Add the sausages along with salt and pepper. Generously heap onto hoagie rolls. Cotton candy and candy apples are what really make those Boardwalk trips memorable.If you can go just for those however you can easily get them at home. Amazon has the best array of them , ranging from $57.00 to $400 in price. Get the most affordable along with the flavored sugars and cones. If you have qualms about making it, watch the many YouTube how tos on how to use the machine and swirl the floss onto the cones. Candy apples can be bought on line at Nandy's Candy's  of Jacksonville ,Mississippi if you can't make it to your favorite boardwalk. You can also make the coating at home using light corn syrup, granulated sugar and red food coloring.It's boiling  all three into a syrup and then dipping the apples into them. You could add coconut flakes the way the boardwalk stands do.

It's the summer and despite it all , it's a time to enjoy hot weather favorites. Grab that buttery ear of corn or chomp into that candy apple. It's all part of the fun that's the season.

Make Ahead Dishes Easy Summer Recipes

Summer is the time for parties easy cooking and simple dishes. This means salad barbecue and Jello parfaits. Unfortunately this gets olds fast . what to do? Try other premade dishes such as fried chicken and panzanella followed by an easy  to whip up cake. It's a refreshing change on easy warm weather cooking and can be made for a large party or small get togethers.

Melissa Clark realized this and wrote about it in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.She is a hostess who hosts a lot and, like any of us, would rather spend preparty time getting ready. This works with winter foods such as short ribs and lasagna that can be made a day in advance and then reheated. For summer it's having a host of the usual green and pasta salads, with the main dish being either fish or  something that's easily thrown on the grill. She gives us a throwback, fried chicken , but with her stamp on it. The classic recipe is tweaked with more spices such as Tabasco and Old Bay seasoning. Mustard powder and cracked pepper is also added to a buttermilk based marinade.The chicken pieces should be marinated overnight for the best results. Since fried chicken can lose some of its crunch as it cools, Ms. Clark double coats  the pieces namely legs and wings.Also the meat should be room temperature before frying. Doing this helps the center to cook through. Another must is don't overcrowd the pan. Let the pieces have enough space to bob around and get evenly browned in the oil.

As for the side dish  go with that Ms. Clark recommends, Panzanella, the Neapolitan bread salad,while it may seem an unusual partner , it is a better choice than the usual macaroni salad that gets mushy or the green salad that becomes soggy. It's a great way of using any too ripe tomatoes and stale Italian bread. Cucumbers and onions are added for crunch and mozzarella slices are tossed in for creaminess It is a great salad to pair with steaks and ribs also. Dessert should be simple too. She recommends a coconut cream cake with peaches.it can be assembled three days before making it.This is a flourless cake with the coconut being the cake's base, The filling is a heavy vanilla cream with peaches, the fruit of the season. You could sub in strawberries or even blueberries for a variation.Another idea is just making a chocolate cream - go easy on the cocoa powder for a more decadent dessert.

Summer parties should be a snap to throw. These easy pre made recipes help in creating that breezy atmosphere full of good food. Make them before and spend the rest of the day prepping and primping.