The Perfect Parfait

 This is the time for cool treats and nothing says that better than a parfait. It could be a lovely way to start the day? It can be a cool treat after a barbecue .Anyway you have it 's a nice treat on a hot August day,,

As expected the parfait  was created by the French around 1890. The original recipe was the basis for our frozen custards of today. French chefs cooked eggs sugar and cream together as a custard then frozen. There are two versions. the french one which is made with whipped cream, simple syrup and any kind of flavoring, namely fruit. It's then poured into a tin, much like its' Italian cousin the semifreddo. Egg yolks are added , much like the original recipe to give it body. The American version is more layered like a sundae. There is also a Japanese one with a base layer of cornflakes! it also has more whipped cream and gelatin cubes than the American one. A breakfast parfait is a different and fun way to start the day. Use Greek yogurt which is thicker and has more body than the American and layer with different ingredients.Add old fashioned oats and for more nutrition and good helping of chia seeds. You could add frozen fruit but fresh is better especially now with all the harvests happening right now. Layer with sliced peaches and strawberries for a tasty treat.Sliced bananas and blueberries also work. Keep in mind that you can have this as a mid afternoon snack too. Add chocolate chips for some flavor and a boost of energy.

An ice cream parfait is a lovely way to use the fruit of the season along with good ice cream., As for the ice cream , you can make it yourself or get a good brand . A simple yet elegant one is layers if vanilla ice cream and fresh cut fruit. Try a French vanilla with pitted and chopped cherries is also good. You can do the same with other fruit for the season like peaches and strawberries. If you want more layers, add  crumbled vanilla wafers like Lidl's or Nabiscos and top with whipped cream. Of course a chocolate version is also  doable and delicious. Layer chocolate ice cream with strawberries or chopped , pitted cherries. Add a good chocolate syrup such as U-Bet or Fox's. (Hershey's also work well here).Top with a blob of whipped cream and more fruit. You can add a layer of cookie or even chocolate cake here too. A decadent dessert is a tiramisu su one. It starts with a homemade ice cream made from a mix of mascapone cheese and evaporated milk. Beat together until stiff peaks form and freeze until ready to use. You can also use coffee ice cream too. Cake is the base here and it's soaking either vanilla or chocolate pound cake in espresso. Layer the ice cream and cake, sort of like mini trifles .You can also sprinkle on cocoa powder too to give it a mocha flavor. Top with whipped cream and more powdered chocolate.

Beat the heat with the perfect parfait. You can make one for a breakfast treat or have one after a barbecue. Either way they're cool and delightful.

Free Range Snacking

We're a society that's overly protective of or kids.There's not an hour of the day when they're not monitored. Instead of teaching them even a whit of independence, we  breathe down their necks. Yet there's one area where we tend to be ore free range - snacking.

There's a reason why childhood obesity is high here in the States and following right behind us is Britain. There are way too many snacks and temptations.We may fret who they're on line with which is valid - yet we tend to look the other way with treats. Granted, some obesity and extra pounds may be due to metabolism and genes however some of the blame has to go to snacking and the accessibility of junk food. Shopping lists may reflect our healthy choices and wishes yet kids, especially tweens will have other ideas. Many go for those bags of chips and something sweet to drink. Some, who have been raised on just relying on bottled water for hydration with stick with that. Yet , most kids , mimicking their elders , will glug down a Red Bull or some other highly caffeinated drink.Or they'll go for a large , sugary latte, laced with either chocolate or caramel syrup and topped with a large blob of whipped cream. Then there are the ice cream parlors such as Sixteen Handles where large scoops are encouraged along with covering them with calorie rich toppings such as whipped cream and candies.

So what's a parent to do? It sounds like the tritest answer ever but set a good example. Snack and eat healthy foods at all times. Yes, that hidden box of chocolates or Hostess cupcakes help during the rough times. Yet what happens when the kids catch you and think it's OK to go treat crazy when they get a bad grade or their team loses?Save the cakes and cupcakes for special times like birthdays and holidays. Emphasize that a sweet treat could mean a nice, cold plum, nectarine or peach plucked from the fridge.Also, even though this has been stated time and time again, make fruit fun. Have fruit kebabs where you can skewer strawberries with melon and pineapple chunks.Layer it with Greek yogurt and homemade sugar free granola for a tasty parfait. Introduce them to extra dark chocolate if they still crave it. Try the seventy to ninety per cent for the older kids. Younger ones can start out with semi sweet which is thirty-five per cent. Be warned though, - all chocolate contains caffeine and should be eaten sparingly. Once a week is fine.

We need to be more restrictive with our food censorship. As we try to filter  out all the bed elements in kids' live, we need to do the same with food and drink. It won't be easy , but then neither are the other aspects in a kid's life.

Fior Di Frutta Jams All Natural All Perfect

The taste of fresh fruit is always heavenly.Nothing beats the burst of the sweet, earthy flavor of any summer fruit. Luckily we can have that taste all year round now thanks to Rigoni di Asiago's line of fruit spreads. They  let us have the summer harvests well after the season.

The company is known for their yummy, all natural chocolate hazelnut spread or nocciolata. I'm a big fan of this, especially when it's slathered over a croissant. I am now a fan of their jams.The company is a throwback to an earlier era when spreads were made without all the preservatives and added sugar.It is owned by the Rigoni family since the early 1920's in the Altipiano de Asiago in the northern most part of the Venato province in northeastern Italy. The section is an idyllic farmland and recreational area, perfect for growing fruit  and nut trees.The matriarch of the family, Elisa Rigoni, widowed during the First World War , started first with honey to support herself and her children and then her grandchildren created their line of organic fruit spreads in 1997. The spreads(they're really not jams)are totally organic and healthy, being sweetened by apples.- not the usual refined white sugar.They are popular  throughout the world and are number one in Italy.Nocciolata followed and now they're launching a new product- an apple syrup which can be used in cooking and baking as well as in drinks.

The fruit spreads are a must have.They come in a variety of delicious flavors and have a just made that day flavor. They have apricot and peach  along with blueberry, cranberry and raspberry. There is also blackberry and the highly unusual grapefruit spread along with pomegranate and fig.There is also pear and black currant as well as the refreshing lingonberry, lemon and orange. Fioredifrutta has also created a tasty mixed berry  that is a blend of five different berries, black and red currents and the added fillip of rose hips. I love the blueberry and peach flavors, they are perfect as a topper on morning toast and croissants. Any of the spreads would be excellent in parfaits whether they be  layered with ice cream or Greek yogurt. Surprisingly they could also be used for barbecue glazes or even  sauces. Imagine paring chicken wings and legs with the orange, lemon or grapefruit for a tasty and different barbecue, Lingonberry and black current would be excellent on pork chops. Mix the spreads with olive oil, garlic and a variety of spices for homemade dipping sauces. Layer them on graham crackers with toasted marshmallows for a fruity spin on s'mores. Any of the Fioredifrutta spreads would be excellent in a vinaigrette sauce. Just add a dollop or two to oil and vinegar and mix well.

There's nothing like the taste of fresh fruit. Luckily the Rigoni family knows this and has created a variety of flavorful spreads perfect for any dish. Try them and enjoy the flavor of a ripe harvest

From Oops To Ooh!

We've all had them., Those kitchen disasters from baking to roasting where the whole cake or dish turns out to be a flop.What to do? Turn them into an entirely new dish. This actually works and can resuscitate a complete bomb , turning it into a tasty treat.

This was the subject of today's A Good Appetite Column in The New York Times Dining section. Melissa Clark writes of her own disasters and how she salvaged them. It's easily done. Any minus can be turned into a plus in the kitchen, For example overcooked meat or fish can be paired with sliced potatoes and fried into rosti , a tasty , and savory potato pancake.Overcooked and mushy veggies can be the main ingredient in a souffle. If a culinary disaster happens at a dinner party , then just rename the dish, Ms. Clark suggests. No one will be the wiser.

Desserts too can turn out to be bombs as well. Reconsider calling an unset pudding a creme Anglaise and use it as a sauce fruits and cakes. A bad batch of cookies or a gooey cake that didn't harden  can either be turned into trifle or individual parfaits using berries and whipped cream,There is also the  age old idea of adding more icing or whipped cream to cover the flaws too.This works well for cupcakes too. Sometimes they either wind up being undercooked or burnt. A mound of frosting can do wonders as can cute decorations.

Don's worry if you have any kitchen disaster. It can be reworked into an entirely new dish .In fact it may result in a better , tastier recipe.

Puddings That Pop

With the new year comes new trends. The sweet that's literally flavor of the month is pudding. This old fashioned comfort food is making a comeback as people clamor for its' classic creaminess. There are even pudding restaurants that are popping up, featuring different pudding based dishes along with new and old flavors.

Go to Manhattan and you can find trendsetters slurping up a well homemade pudding alongside cupcakes and macarons. The East Village has just welcomed Puddin by Clio,a small dessert bar that features what else -  customized homemade puddings. According to the creator, Clio, Puddin whips up high quality puddings with top notch ingredients. There is dark chocolate with the chocolate coming from Iceland and butterscotch with real scotch thrown in. There is the rare coffee along with lemon too. The puddings are layered with whipped cream and fresh baked cakes and cookies.This create a homestyle parfait that keeps bringing in and satisfying customers.

Anyone , though, can create an exquisite pudding dish. There are some good recipes on the web. I found one site that offers the classics such as chocolate and vanilla as well as as the eggier custards. However it also offers a blackberry - perfect for the summer and a peanut butter one - great poured into a chocolate crumb pie crust. This last is made with only three ingredients - peanut butter ,bananas and yogurt.There is also a burnt sugar one that sounds  like flan. Of course there is the famed banana pudding which really isn't a pudding  - more of a refrigerator cake.

Puddings are going to be hot this year and maybe it's no surprise. As we become more techno, we crave the simplicity of the past. An easily made dessert is what we need. It's unfussy and comforting.