A Vegan Cacio E Pepe

 People don;t give Roman cuisine enough credit.It;s either the sophisticated food of the North or the friendly fun , food of the SOuth. Yet Roman food is a blend of sophisticated and fun. One dish that;s both is cacio e pepe. cheese and pepper in Roman dialect.

I have been cracving this for a while. It;s an easy make, usually reserved for snacking. It starts off with the pasta. I used Lidl's fettucine. This dish usually calls for long strand pasta.

I boiled it in only half the water (although I could have used more) Reserve a cup or two of the cooked pasta water to add to the sauce. This thickens and flavors it.

The other important ingredients are butter and cheese. I used a half cup of I can;t Beleive It's Not Butter and a cup of Follow Your Heart vegan Parmesan. 

Of course there's pepper. I used about a good teaspoon or so of LIdl's ground pepper. It's mixing the butter and the cheese with the pasta water which will melt both. It should  constantly stirred until it's a creamy.  I love a good peppery sauce so I added about four or five grinds of pepper.I then added it to a bowl of g feuttucni for a very tasty Monday meal.

Cacio e pepe is a great salute to Roman cuisine. It's quick to make. It's delicious and satisfying to eat. Make it for a quick lunch ro dinner.

 

A Food Weekend

 The New York Times had an excellent food themed weekend Sunday paper.The magazine was chock full of cuisine stories along with the Best US restaurant guide insert. It was a tasty read all around.

The magazine had six different food journeys. One was the amusing tale of their son Ollie by Peden and Munk.They went to France to get their son to like eggs. He even made homemade mayonnaise which has  - eggs.That he liked. It was fun to see which dishes got a thumbs up and a thumbs down.Then there was chicken that tastes like home about funding a chicken dish in Senegal.This was a spicy mix of chicken cooked in a flavorful spice stew that starts with MAggi broth and has fire added to it thanks to Scotch Bonnet peppers. Another story was about California sea urchins and how to fix a sex drive with them. Another interesting article was about Peruvian peppers. It can be made into a salsa to serve with various Peruvian dishes.The tastiest was about real Italian gelato, Tamara Shopsin wrote about trying to find the best taste after she lost her own .Italy now makes a yogurt version which looks creamy and tasty just like the milk based one

Then there's the Best Restaurant guide This is perfect for anyone traveling this fall.It could be a day trip to Mystic CT to eat at the Shipwright's Daughter. You would think it would be a seafood restaurant given it sits on the end of the Long Island Sound but it also has a mouth watering tete de veau and a roast chicken.If you;re going further failed look into North Of BOurbon in Louisville. This is Cajun country like fried cat fish served with Haitian pikliz, pickled vegetable relish. Chicago does have garden dogs but stop at the Spanish eatery Asador Bastian for Galacian ribe eye, rimmed with yellow fat or even plancha and a simple tortilla.Even small towns like Alna in rural Maine offer good and inventive food. Try The Alna Store for a buttermilk wedge of lettuce dusted with crispy fried shallots and capers or the shrimp on top of a creamy mound of grits.If you're not planning on leaving the New York area there's; Shaw-Nae's House ,a soul food house serving Soul Fries , fries buried under collard green ,fried chicken chunks and baked Mac and cheese.There's also Pennty for good seafood like grilled squid stuffed with tuna.

The Times always has excellent food articles. Yesterday's were no exception. Read them and get inspired. = and hungry.

A Peppery Bite Of Flavor

 Red pepper adds spark and brightness to any dish.They can be from anywhere in the world but they' share a spiciness and excitement. This is what makes cooking great.

Regular contributor Eric Kim knows this and wrote about them in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Capiscums or peppers are grown all over the world. There are the Aleppos , fruity tasting ones from Syria which go into labneh and baba ganhouj along with soups. The Koreans have gochuguro, those sweet red pepper flakes while the Japanese have their togarashi - an interesting mix of yuzu, chili, ginger, black and white sesame and sansho - Japanese cardamon. The French use Espelette which is grown in the Pyranees and used to flavor many Basque dishes.The US has ground chipotle and jalapeno that flavor many Tex -Mex dishes. What makes chili powder unique? According to Ethan Frisch , founder and chief executive of Burlap and Barrel it's really the terroir or the ground that it's planted in. It's much like wine and coffee. The dirt determines the flavor.It doesn't;t take long  for the Chile to meet the demands of the local climate.Ut's also shaped by human interest as well.

One example of this is a school friend of Mr. Kim;s James dong grew Korean peppers in their Georgia hometown. While Mr. dong bought the seeds on Etsy , the peppers took on the fragrance of Mexican chipotle while they were being smoked and crushed to make gochugaru. The blazing perfume was so intense it felt like Mr. Kin was carrying around a flame. He used it in a variety of different dishes but the one recipe it clearly shone in was a pizza sauce. HOme chefs can use this type in the sauce but they can also use Aleppo, Espelette and red pepper flakes. Also add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to give it smokiness and depth. He recommends using a mix for a unique tasting sauce.It's an homage to the great chef and cookbook  author Marcella Hazan. You do have to switch the order of ingredient though if you are familiar with Hazan's recipe.Five tablespoons of butter has to be melted first so it can bloom, then the chiles are added.There's also a teaspoon of sugar added to eliminate the tomatoes tang.It would be also good warmed as a dipping sauce for garlic knot.

Peppers can make any dish sing. Use any combination for a kick.They'll turn anything into an exciting bite.

Patates Limonates An Easter Side Dish

 Greek food is one of the most delicious cuisines on the planet. They not only do every day meals right but also holiday ones.One dish that's perfect is patates limonatas, .These can be a tasty side or even main dish for a lunch/

I made mine in my air fryer. These produce , very crispy, French fry like slices, especially if you use the small red potatoes.It was just using these ingredients to flavor them.

Most prates limonate recipes call for two tablespoons of lemon juice to mix with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.I only used a tablespoon and it still elevated the potatoes flavor.

Coat them in the olive oil lemon juice mix and them pnlace them in the air fryer's basket. Cook at 400 degrees Farenheit for eight minutes .

Give the basket a good shake at the is point and cook them for eight minutes more, again at 400 degrees Farenheit.

They should be crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.You can add extra salt if you'd like. The lemon juice really elevated them and give them a more interesting , delicate flavor. I plan on making  air fried potatoes this way all the time.

Try patates limonatas for a different Easter side dish.They're a refreshing change up from the usual roasted spuds. They add to any holiday lamb or ham.

Easy Friday Potatoes

 It's the start of the weekend. It's time for just easy cooking whether for main meals or for sides. Air frued potatoes fills this need.

I just wanted air fried potatoes for lunch.It;s kind of like just wanting an order of fries, except air fried potatoes are so much better. I bought these from yesterday's Lidl's haul.

These are from The LIttle Potato Company. Their Little Yellows slice up and fry up nicely. I defiinitely plan on buying thm again the next time I visit Lidl.

It was first rinsing them off and then slicing each one info four slices or coins. I added half a cup of olive oil, salt and pepper along with garlic and onion powders.

Even small potatoes take a long time to air fry. It was cooking them for fifteen minutes at 400 degrees. Thyey were flipped at seven minutes, half way between the beginning and end of cooking times.

This yielded two batches. They were grat on their own but you could also serve them alongside of steak or even with eggs and bacon as a haerty Sunday brunch. Drizzle on melted cheddar and sprinkle with bacon bits for a tasty game day snack too.

These are asy friday potatoes but you could make them any day of the week. Save them for the upcoming weekend or make alongside a weekday grilled meat. They're good any day you serve them.

Helping Other Help Themselves

 It is tough to be on your own or in a new country. That's where being a neighbor comes in. Sometmes a cooked meal can do more than anything else. Food is always a good way to connect.

Elderly neighbors or shut ins can appreciate having their grocery shopping done for them. Volunteer when you go on your own shopping trip. Sit down with them to write out a list that should include nutritional foods like fruit and veggies. Yes, they can have treats within limits but also make sure they get a wide variety of good produce too. Ask them also what their allergies are along with restrictions too. They may be diabetic which means restricting sweets and even some fruits or have hypertension issues which means buying low sodium products and staying away from some processed and canned foods. Also include necessities like toilet paper and paper towels. If you have newly arrived neighbors in your neighborhood ask if they'd like to visit the local groceries and markets. You may also benefit when they introduce you to ingredients and spices that are native to their cuisine. Another big help is looking on like for specific shops that sell food they're familiar with. There are always Asian ,  AfricanSouth American and Caribbean markets that are within walking and driving distance

Cooking brings everyone together. Always keep older friends, fmaily and neighbors in mine when you have a Sunday dinner or a late season barbecue. Even an invitation to an at home tail gating party will be fun. A plus is asking them if they have any favorite dishes or desserts and then creating them for them.If they want to help let them. You can also use a pair of extra hands however make sure that they don't do anything too strenuous or that can do them harm. As for new neighbors, co-workers and classmates  treat them to a dinner featuring the best of either American or your own ethnic cusine. They 'll appciate the work that went into it and enjoy both the food and the company. Keep in mind  that there may be dietary restrictions. You could try making Impossible Meat or Beyond Beef hamburgers or Gardein's plant based chicken nuggets. Roasted veggies like eggplants, tomatoes, ,peppers and asparagus make for a tasty barbecue. You can even grill fruit such as pineapple and peaches. Introduce them to that great American dessert s'mores. It's a fun treat for adult and kids alike.

Today is a day for remembering. Remember the elderly and the newly arrived  when you shop or plan a dinner or party. They'll like that you kept them in mind  as they enjoy good food and good conversation.

Yee Haw It's Cowboy Caviar

 There's a fun summer dish in town and it's Cowoby Caviar. It's a zippy mix of black beans - hence the name and different veggies. It's one of the easiest and tastiest dishes ro make during August.

This has been on my radar for some time. It was finally time to make it and it was a fun make.It was the perfect lunch and dinner during a steamy 100 degree day.

The original recipe first made in Rexas during the 1940's calls for an avocado , a bell pepper , cherry tomaotes, black eyed peas and sweet corn. I changed up the orginal recipe by omitting the black eyed peas and olives - maybe next time,.

I used two chopped avocados simply bhecause I love avocados.

These were cut into long strips, You can chop them into smaller pieces as per the original Cowboy Caviar recipe.

                                     

 Then the tomatoes. I love a summer dish with a lot of tomatoes so I added three chopped ones.I added their juiice too which adds to the vinaigrette.

Thne the green pepper. I used green instead of red because it added color. This was sliced and chopped into small pieces. As for the corn, I'm not a fan of it so I let others add their own. 

You should use a red onion but that can be too intense in flavor. I opted for a sprinkle of onion powder along with a dusting of garlic powder. Since this was is a Texan dish, I switched the lime for a teaspoon of chili powder for a real cowboy Tex-Mex flavor. It gave the vinaigrette a zingy flavor,

A quarter of a cup of olive oil and red wine vinegar is all it needs for the vinaigrette. Add seasalt and freshkly ground pepper for more flavoring.

                                                           Here it looks like a tomato salad.

                                                         I added these. Stop & Shop's Blue corn chips which have a deeper,        mellower taste than their yellow corn counterparts

It made them much better. This was one of the best salads I've had. It was delicious , thanks to the different veggies and the kick of chili powder. I plan on making this again - soon. It's the perfect weekend dish and even for a party.

Coeboy Caviar is the dish of the summer. It's the perfect cool and easy dish for a steamy day. Make it and enjoy its' tasty mix of veggies and chili powder.

A Classic Air Fried

 Baked potatoes are great as a side or loaded to make for a perfect dinner. Even better is air fried baked ones that elevate it to a new level of tastiness. Once you'v had these, you will not want them any other way,

I decided to try this , craving a Wendy's baked potato. I found a good recipe at www.natashaskitchen.com. I tweaked the recipe for more flavor. It starts with two meaty baking potatoes.

Keep in mind you'll need to scrub them good.I used just cold water and a paper towel, but you can also use a vegetable scrubber to get rid of the dirt too.

These have been washed and waiting to be coated.

I rubbed them in olive oil and then used a rub of sea salt and pepper.Make sure the skins are completely covered in this mix. Poke holes in them using a fork with sharp tines or the tip of a sharp knife. Doing such will prevent them from exploding in the air fryer basket avoiding a mess.

It was then air frying them. This can be tricky, The website recommends cooking them for first thirty minutes at 400 degrees Farenheit, then flipping them over  and cooking for another fifteen minutes.I did this and after the second baking/frying, they were still not done. A knife is supposed to sink into a thoroughly baked one.It didn't with these. I had to cook them an extra fifteen minutes again at 400 degrees to get them sift inside.Now I realize that they needed to be cooked for forty-five minutes for a fluffy, cooked interior.

The wait was well worth it. The inside was food magazine perfect, the skin , crispy and flavorful like a potato chip.

I had mine with a big dollop of Melt plant butter and broccoli.

It was also good loaded with the broccoli , butter and Good Foods Nacho dip. You can add anything to these, from chili to butter to sour cream. I am a new big fan of these spuds.  Normally I don;t eat the skins. However this crispy version is tasty. The whole potato was gone.

Air frying is the only way to bake potatoes.It  gives the skins a wonderfully crispy outside while maintaining that meaty white perfection inside. Try them today fro a meal or a side.

Squash Time

The yellow crookneck squash is our last connection to summer. It's still being sold in some farmer's markets  and it's a nice squash to cook. There's so many recipes for it but the best one is the simplest.

                   My local farmer's market are still selling them. They have a smooth skin and firm fleshy interior.

 I just sliced it into coins and then sauteed them in two glugs of olive oil and a heaping tablespoon of I  Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Two garlic cloves were minced and also added along with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Squash does take longer to cook than most veggies. The flesh should go from a woody white to a translucent color.

It takes about fifteen minutes to truly cook up. The end result is a tender garlicky side that worked well with Gardein's hamburgers. Yellow crookneck squash has a very mild taste and it can be enhanced with just a few flavorings. You could just add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you don't like that fried or sauteed flavor.

If you want a simple side with a taste of summer have the yellow crookneck squash.It's easy to cook up, and delicious with any main course.Try it tonight for a great complement to any meat or fish dinner.

Veggies Made Great Frittatas ; Tasty And Healthy

 There's something about breakfast for dinner. It's a fun way to get all the flavors of the morning meal for a tasty supper. The only problem is that breakfasts can be a nit unhealthy. Not to worry Veggies Made Great has created frittata cups that are flecked with Beyond Meat sausages.

a

These are the perfect breakfast . lunch or dinner,They're called frittatas but are more like egg cups or muffins made from eggs, Beyond Meat, peppers and cheese. These were the ones I chose for a light supper. The company also make a mushroom and three cheese version along with a broccoli and cheddar ones.

You can make them in the oven or microwave, but they turn out better in the air fryer.

Keep in mind to turn them after being cooked for nine minutes at 350 degrees F. Then turn on their tops and cook for about six more minutes.They come out a golden brown, crispy on the outside , mousse like on the inside.

The taste is light and airy , with the sausage and peppers coming through.

The cheddar ones were flecked with a good amount of cheese. These would also be good with a salad for lunch or dinner. Veggies Made Great also has a variety of healthy muffin like cakes, packed with veggies along with veggie infused baked mac and cheese cakes.

These little egg cakes are perfect for those looking for a healthy alternative to bacon and eggs. They are flavorful yet light. Try them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Stuffed

 Stuffed meats and veggies are a nice change up from the usual lunch and dinner fare. The family will get a kick out of breaking into them for a flavorful surprise. Stuffed main courses also a great way of using leftovers and repurposing them into something tasty and fresh. 

One of the easiest stuffed dishes to make is stuffed tomatoes. These are a diner favorite but easy to make at home.it's just hollowing out a beefsteak tomato and filling it with tuna salad. You could sub in egg salad if you want to but tuna is the usually preferred one. This filling is just a simple mix of tuna mayo and celery. You can decorate the top with dill or parsley leaves or just put the tomato top back on. Chopped avocado can be added for color and flavor. It also gives the stuffing a creaminess too.  You could also turn this vegetarian by subbing the tuna with leftover cooked rice, vegan cheese and a variety of different vegetables. A popular mix are peas, chopped peppers and chopped onions. You could add a tablespoon of the faux mayonnaise  Nayonnaise to make it creamier. Of course stuffed tomatoes can be hot too. Stuff them with a savory mix of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and various herbs. One of the most classic stuffed dishes is stuffed pepper.  These are everyone's favorite and , again, simple to make.  It's using any color bell pepper and scooping out the middle. What is great about them is that the stuffing can be anything. You can use leftover chicken or turkey or fresh ground beef. Stuffed peppers can also go vegetarian. Add beans and spiced rice for a meatless version. You can also stuff onions in the same manner.

Meats can also be farci or stuffed. One of the most famous and most loved is braciole, stuffed Italian beef roll. It's a bit labor intensive but worth it. The filling is a tasty blend of breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil ,Provolone cheese and parsley. The hard part comes next.It's pounding flank steak to the desired thinness. This requires a meat mallet but you can use a rolling pin if you don't have the first. The bread crumb mixture is sprinkled evenly over the steak and then rolled up. You'll need toothpicks or twine to fasten them. it's then cooking until done in a Dutch oven. Stuffed pork is a great fall dish. Again you can change up the fillings. You can try a sausage and apple one redolent with flavorful onion and celery There's also bread that's been pulsed in a food processor with rosemary, thyme and sage. These are then lightly toasted in butter for more flavor and crispness. Remember to use a mild sausages because hot ones will overpower the pork. The entire roll is made similar to a jelly roll with a boneless pork shoulder. Another filling is made with artichoke hearts and mushrooms mixed with parsley and an herbed stuffing mix. Beef tenderloin is another cut that can be filled, usually with a tasty mix of spinach and mushroom, with a bit of flour added for thickening.

Stuffed veggies or meats make for  a nice main course. They're bursting with the surprise of flavor and color. Try them for a different change of pace.

A Light Lemony Sauce

Lightness is all important when it comes to cooking in a heat wave. It keeps food from being too heavy both in taste and on the stomach. Luckily there's a classic lemon sauce from The New York Times Food that caught my attention. It was from the great chef Pierre Franey so it's more French than Italian. I decided to give it a vegan spin.

First of all , I didn't use the recommended linguine but zucchini spirals. from Green Giant.

This is just a quick cook up in a skillet for ten to eleven minutes. Chef Franey's recipe calls for making the sauce first and adding the pasta. I did the opposite.

Lemons and lemon zest are the stars of this recipe. I zested about one tablespoon of the lemon and squeezed about half a lemon

I tried with my hasp. It didn't work I used my Mom's grater for a better result.

It was then four tablespoons of almond milk

Along with two tablespoons of Earth Balance non butter spread.

Some sea salt and a few rinds of fresh pepper were added for more flavor.

The result?

A really delicious and light dinner with an airy sauce. This would be perfect with meat or fish if you want a more substantial dish.I  will probably make this in the fall and winter too, with pasta and maybe Gardein's chicken cutlets. It was served with a fresh tomato salad which balanced it out.

This  lemon sauce is the ideal one to make during these late August heatwaves.It's cloud light and delicate. Have it with zucchini spirals for a healthier spin or pasta and meat for something a bit more filling.

Finding A Kitchen Treasure My Mom's Herb MIll

Where would we be without those dozens of kitchen gadgets that make our prepping and cooking easier and much more fun? Recently I discovered my Mom's herb grinder , a Christmas gift given a few years ago from a good friend who was family too, Eunice. She never used it, the gadget was  still in its' packaging.

It's the Microplane Company  herb mill  which finely cuts fresh herbs into perfectly shredded pieces. I don't know why my Mom never used it. It really is perfect . The company also has other mills and graters like their garlic and ginger ones that are worth looking into.

There's only two pieces and they fit puzzle like together. The fresh herbs,(I used my fresh basil) are put in the cylinder. The pestle like piece is then put inside.

It's worked like a pepper mill.

The leaves are ground with those small blades , producing perfect pieces. I wish I had used this before for my sauces because it really is a big help. I plan on using it with chives (one of my Mom's favorite herbs besides basil and fresh dill (Eunice's favorite herb which she used liberally on salmon and cucumbers). There's so much that can be made with it. I plan on making basil butter for corn and using it also on fresh rosemary for pizza.

Where would we be without our gadgets? Finding my Mom's herb mill was a godsend. It really will be used much more for a variety of different herbs.

An Easy Rice Salad

Salads are one of the easiest summer meals to make for a lunch or dinner. Yet greens can get boring. Macaroni is the same. Try something different like a rice salad. It's really an easy make and it can be customized to suit tastes.

I decided ti try it after being bored with the usual salad choices. Brown rice is more colorful and nutritious than white. I used Acme's Signature brand.

I used three cups of it and three cups of water to make six servings.

It was boiled,

Then put into a large bowl to cool in the fridge. I let it sit for an hour but for a colder, more refreshing rice try to make it about three hours before serving, Also DO NOT keep the freshly cooked rice out for more than four hours.It can attract bacteria which will cause salmonella - or food poisoning.

The fun part comes with what you put in.

I used sliced Roma tomatoes  along with diced  orange and yellow bell peppers,  red kidney beans and sliced black olives. For more flavoring I used a generous amount about a teaspoon of onion powder along with a large dousing of garlic salt. You could add diced garlic if you want a fresher flavor. Half a cup of olive oil was added along with a teaspoon of red wine vinegar.

It was a flavorful bowl of all sorts of tastes and textures.

What's good with this is that you can add what you want. it would be good with leftover chicken or pepperoni slices. You could add almonds or broccoli for an Oriental vibe. Feta cheese and kalamata olives can give a Greek feel. Have fun with it. It's easily stored and you can have it either for lunch or dinner the next day.

A rice salad is a nice way to beat the heat with easy cooking. Make up a big bowl for a tasty lunch or dinner. Then enjoy this cool and filling alternative to a traditional greens or macaroni salad.