10 Years Of Foodie Pantry!!

2018 marks the ten year anniversary of Foodie Pantry! I can't believe it,because it doesn't feel like a decade has elapsed. It started  from  two little  paragraphs  and grew into pictorials about cooking polenta and icing cakes. There have been interviews with famous chefs , and cookbook reviews , analyzing Times Food section  articles and delving into the history of our favorite foods. Unfortunately I have lost my greatest adviser ,my Mom, on the long trip to this point.I will miss asking her for advice or how she made a certain recipe.

The upcoming year will reflect what this poor writer has been writing about  - trends, eating healthy , and recipes. There will be posts or my new favorite  - the pommelo - the granddaddy of the orange. along with forays into crockpot cooking and turns with Mexican and Indian cuisine. The fun thing about writing this blog is that I get to explore different cuisines from around the world along with tasting  new trends and traditional dishes.

I'm grateful for all you readers and promise that  this anniversary year will be a palatable one.

Special thanks to Pete Burley and Mitch Rappel fr for letting me create this blog for their Fyxx Caffeinated Water in the spring of 2008.

The Miracle Of The Instant Pot

Like toys, kitchen gadgets go through a popularity phase too, especially during the holidays. This year, it's the Instant Pot, a home chef's best friend.It is the newest must have in the kitchen arsenal .

The genius behind this is Robert Wang and the Times Monday Business section featured him. He has created the godsend of modern appliances. The Instant Pot can do everything from make chili to ferment yogurt.It is easily programmable which is why so many home chefs, especially novices, love it. The Instant Pot has many pluses. It is made completely from stainless steel so there's no  questionable plastic interiors to worry over. It traps the aroma inside the pot, promising a more flavorful creation. It has lids that are both left and right handed friendly. There are several different models, such as the duo in seven which has everything from a rice and porridge steamer to a yogurt maker and warmer. The deluxe model, the Duo Plus 9-in 1 has that and a sterilizer. It also has a choice of settings, from less, normal and more.It also has the handy Keep Warm setting  that makes sure the foods don't get cold. There's also the Ultra 10 in1 which has a setting to create soft pudding like cakes along with a saute and searing setting.What is truly fascinating is the Instant Pot with the Bluetooth which can be set from your tablet or phone. It also cooks food up to seventy per cent faster than the other pots.

The pot became an instant success thanks to Amazon. Mr. Wang was also very shrewd because the Instant Pot test units  were sent to two hundred influential chefs, cooking instructors and food bloggers (why not me???) Good reviews and recipes appear on line, drawing the attention of foodies and home chef. What is also amazing about the product is that the inventor and investors raised the money themselves. Wang was only a lapsed home cook when he created the better version of a crock pot..He tried to start his own tech company after being laid off from telecom and tech jobs. What he created to now revolutionize modern cooking. It was different from other pressure cookers because it has sensors that keep the cooker from overheating or exploding under pressure. There is even a cookbook , written by Coco Morante, who also has a blog dedicated to the Instant Pot. After seeing the website and reading the recipes, I'm kind of hooked on it myself. I'm pricing them along with figuring out that the Mini Instant Pot would be perfect in my kitchen.I could make my Mom's famous chili along with her sauce.It would be perfect making steamed butternut squash and mashed potatoes too.

Robert Wang has created a genius invention. The Instant Pot is revolutionizing  how we cook . It is more than a fad and trend. it may be hot but it is also  a modern kitchen neccesity.

Labor Day All Year Round

Happy labor Day to all my American readers home and abroad. It is a day of relaxation from work and in some areas the first week of school. Just remember that the people who grow and pick your food labor hard all year long. Many don't have the benefits or perks you have. Some are living below the poverty line.

Remember too that your servers and restaurant chefs and cooks work doubly as hard , almost never taking breaks or vacations. They work ten  - eleven  hour days creating all sorts of dishes, serving all sorts of dishes . Give them generous tips and reviews.. They rely on them for a living.

It may be your Labor Day just for the day but it's food worker's every day  of the year