The Hassle Of Hasslebacks

 Hasselback potatoes have become one of stars of this crazy year. They look easy to make and all the sites say they're delicious. I thought I 'd give them a try.

I bought  a Hasselback grid from Gia's Kitchen on Amazon. It's a two piece affair with spiked wooden block and a grid on top of it.

It takes a sharp knife to cut into raw  russet potato which is like cutting into wood. 

It was hard to do even slices. You're supposed to cut almost all the way through, leaving about a quarter of an inch untouched. This is supposed to produce an accordion effect when cooked. All the online recipes have a variety of flavorings, from herbed melted butter to olive oil.I just brushed the slits and skins with olive oil and sprinkled on dried parsley.

They're supposed to be baked for half an hour in an air fryer at 350 degrees. This is what they looked like halfway through. a bit browned and promising.

Half an hour later they weren't. They were still raw so I gave them an extra ten minutes at 400 degrees F.

Most of it was OK, They didn't fan out and there were very few crispy bits. They did not look like golden accordions. Making Hasselback potatoes takes practice and making adjustments to the recipe.

Hasselback potatoes are a great side . Keep in mind you have to make them a few times to get those golden accordion slices. It's worth it knowing what the result could be.

Salsa Crudo A Summer Favorite Returns

One of my favorite summer time dishes is salsa crudo with rotelli pasta. I took the recipe from the blog A Sweet And Savory Life. and added some of my own twists. The basil is fresh from my pots in the yard and I also added a good dash of powdered garlic.

The tomatoes came from Target and Stop & Shop.I used six.

Six will give you the pound and a half required. They were coarsely chopped and added to a quarter cup of coarsely chopped fresh basil.

Then a good sprinkling of garlic powder and six tablespoons of  Filippo Berrio olive oil.

As for the pasta I used  Banza chickpea rotelli and cooked it for seven minutes.It has a slight chickpea flavor yet still as flavorful as ones made with white flour.

It's then draining the pasta and adding the raw sauce to it.

It was really delicious and the perfect summer dinner. It's one of my favorites to make and to eat.

You can use any kind of pasta but make sure it's the shaped kind like rotelli and fusilli along with shells. They hold the tomato chunks well.

If you want an easy and tasty summer meal, then make salsa cruda.It's a cinch to create , and the perfect way of using good for you summer produce. Try this delicious dish when the temps rise.

Eating Raw

Nothing is worse than a hot kitchen during a heat wave. No one wants to cook, broil bake, or even microwave .Yet what do we eat? Eat raw. There's nothing wrong with sticking to fresh veggies or fruit  to survive these scorching days.

Forget the cooked breakfasts. Save those for the cooler days or eating out. Cold cereal with fruit is the way to go. Eat healthy raw however. Think puffed rice or puffed wheat with chilled low fat milk. For a more healthier spin use almond, coconut, or soy milk. Add the harvest of the season for more color and nutrition. Think  of tossing in a few berries or sliced peaches. Another cool breakfast idea is a granola parfait.Layer vanilla flavored Greek yogurt with layers of granola and different fruits. You can also sub in cottage cheese for the yogurt It's a filling, protein packed way to start the day. Granola is another tasty and healthy way to begin a hot summer's day. It's the star of many a farmer's market, with many homemade varieties for sale..It also makes a good snack through the day too. If it's too sweet, then think a fruit cup for breakfast. Combine different types of melon with chopped peaches, plums and strawberries. Most of us can't function without  a cup of coffee or tea. Luckily there are already cold brewed coffees from Starbucks along with packets of teabags that can be brewed in cold water.

Most people turn to sandwiches for both lunch and dinner. The problem is that they get old fast. Look to the south of France for inspiration. One of the best recipes to create during these steamy days is the pan bagnat. It's slicing a French  boule or rounded bread (a baguette also works here) Take out the middle - which you can eat as a snack with peppered olive oil, . Brush the insides and lid with olive oil You can then have the first layer of peppers, then sliced onions followed by basil leaves. Finish with tomato and ham slices. Some pan bagnat recipes allow for tuna fish  instead of the meat You can make it as hearty or as light as you want. Add some flourishes such as sliced black olives or capers. A similar make is the Scandinavian loaf bread. This is taking another round bread (which you can easily purchase at Panera) , slicing it in half and filling it with a hard boiled egg and a mix of cream cheese, cornichons , dill and red onions. It's then adding salmon and sliced beets.Omit the egg if you don't feel like using the stove top.If you're not into sandwiches, then try salsa crudo. This is like bruschetta but poured on freshly cooked pasta.Take four cups of chopped tomatoes and mix with one fourth cup of minced basil.balsamic vinegar garlic  and olive oil. Mix and let stand thirty minutes before pouring on any cooked pasta.

This is the time to keep the kitchen as cool as possible. Eat raw.It's an easy and healthy way of dealing with these ultra sultry days of summer.

The Raw Water Movement

There's a new trend that's dripping into the New Year  - raw water. It's actually not really new. Unprocessed water is what the world drank before the government took it over and loaded it with chemicals. Now many are embracing this most ancient of refreshments.

Nellie Bowles, who usually reports on the doings of Silicon Valley for The Times contributed this piece. It's an interesting one that raises a lot of questions about what comes out of our faucets and what we buy by the bottle. Since the Fifties our water has been saturated with fluoride to strengthen our teeth and reduce cavities. Many, including the owner of a raw or unprocessed water company, Live Water, Mukhande Singh believes that our water has been poisoned with these essential minerals. He believes it is a mind control drug used to create a more docile America. Surprisingly, the alt-Right agrees with him too, Alex Jones, the bombastic conspiracy theorist and founder of the right wing website, Infowars also believes such. People are starting to believe it too., with many buying unprocessed water and foregoing even bottled spring water. Again, according to Mr. Singh, waters like Evian and Fiji are what's considered dead water. There is no live probiotics in it which help with gut health and keep the body regular. Another minus for bottled water is that it is treated with ultraviolet light and ozone gas to remove "helpful " algae.

Unprocessed water  - calling it raw brings up a negative image of raw sewage - has health professionals worried. Like unpasteurized milk, it comes with a few risks, Dr. Donald Hensrud, director  of  the famed Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living Program has qualms about this new movement. His fears are real.Without any treatment, water has deadly and chronic risks. It is a breeding ground for Ecoli,  bacteria, viruses , parasites and even carcinogenic compounds. He points to underdeveloped countries where there is sad evidence of this.Again, as with unpasteurized milk, the very young and old are the most susceptible to the dangers Unpiocsesed water sellers do not comply with the various state  and FDA laws regarding water processing. These safety regulations allow water in bottling plants to be randomly tested to make sure that are no harmful contamenments going out to the general public. Still people are willing to take risks, Unprocessed water has a sweet taste - Those who grew up on well water will know this taste well It is also reportedly more refreshing and thirst quenching than any glass of tap or bottled H20.

UNprocessed water may be the drink of 2018. As with raw food and unpasteurized milk, it is a return to a purer source of nutrition. If it was good for our ancestors, it may be good for us too,

Cabbage Updated For St Paddy's Day

Sunday is St Patrick's Day ,a day of a few Irish treats and many Irish brews. One of those treats is cabbage. However in the Sunday New York Times magazine section,Mark Bittman transforms it from a soggy side to something unique and tasty. Most St. Patrick's Day cabbage recipes usually requires one over boiled cabbage, usually almost white in color and a huge hunk of corned beef.Mr. Bittman opts for a better vegetable.He gives four different ways to make a tastier side dish. He recommends one not cooking it,like Cole slaw but not drowning it in sugar and mayo.The second way is braising while the third is soup .The next takes on a more Asian than Irish side. Stir fry. Mr.Bittman recommends ways that enhance the cabbage's taste and texture. There are so many different ways to enjoy this heart healthy veggie.Try it braised in curry with chicken ,cilantro and lime Indian feel(India and Ireland do have a connection.They were both part of the British Empire). you can also try the raw ,crunchy way of Thai style or aCeasar salad vibe.You can also cook it in soups ,one with ham and beans ,the others include hot and sour,Chinese style or pho another Asian soup.Stir frying involves shrimp and mushrooms ,welcome reliefs over Corned beef.There is also a ground poke one while there is a tomato and egg one. St. Patrick's Day cabbage doesn't have to be mushy, white and over boiled .It can be reinvented into tasty soups ,curries and stir fries.It can be served braised or raw for variety.Any way you serve it ,it's a good intro or even end to a fun saint's day.