Exotic Ad Easy - Mother's Day Meals

What do you give the woman who cooks for you all year round, including major holidays. A home cooked meal - and not a can of Spaghetti-o's heated in the microwave. Give your mom something out of the ordinary. Think easy and exotic. It'll be simple yet memorable - the perfect Mother's Day gift.

Many non chefs or novice home cooks look to ordinary for a lunch or dinner. It's usually a meat loaf or pasta with prepared sauce. Yet there are many dishes from around the world that are just as simple to execute. Think the Southern French or Provencale dish pain bagnat.It's a tuna sandwich amped up with tuna in oil (always a richer taste however if it's too much then stick with  tuna in water) There's also hard boiled eggs, anchovies and sliced bell peppers. Scallions and Dijon mustard are added for more flavor. Use a rustic bread like a hollowed out ciambatta or French bread. After constructing, soak in oil  and wrap in Saran wrap for twenty four hours. This allows all the flavors to meld into all these delicious tastes of briny and mellow, sweet and salty. If you want a cooked meal then think of Indian curried chicken. This is heating boneless breasts with onion in olive oil simmering in a large skillet.  One third of a cup of curry powder is then added and then the covered dish is cooked for forty five minutes over a medium low heat. Afterwards, remove the skillet's lid and cook for an additional fifteen minutes. Just be careful because curry burns easily. Cook up some basmati rice for real authenticity or serve with warmed naan bread.

Mexican food is always fun and super easy to whip up. Forget the tacos, unless they're mom's favorite. Think fajitas with either chicken, flank steak,or grilled shrimp. Of course its' the  chili powder and cumin mix gives it zing but it's also the addition of sliced bell peppers and onions that highlight this recipe too For vegan mothers, you can sub in any kind of mushroom from button to portobello. Make sure the lady of the day also gets a margarita Try a frozen watermelon one, made with Cointreu and tequila along with two and a half cups of cubed watermelon and one and a half cups of crushed ice.If mom likes sushi, surprise her with home made tuna or California rolls. It is a bit labor intensive ,but that's mostly comes from preparing the rice. Start with the glutenous white sort and rinse in a colander or sieve until the water pouring through is clear. It's then boiling it for twenty minutes.At the same time combine rice wine vinegar, sugar , vegetable oil and salt in a saucepan. Cook until the sugar dissolved and then stir into the rice  to create  that tangy layer. If you're unsure about using raw fish, then use cubed avocado and matchstick cut carrots,cucumbers ,green bell peppers and zucchini. Serve with a sake for a nice touch. Instead of sushi you can sub in the tasty , fried tempura. The batter is feather light, consisting of only egg whites, flour and water, beaten almost like a meringue . All sorts of meats and vegetables can be dipped in and then fried in vegetable. oil.

Treat mom to a easy and exotic  meal for her special day, Don't go for the ordinary. Travel the culinary globe for the right recipe that's fun and different.

Rib Ticklers

Barbecue happiness is a tasty rack of ribs slathered with a tangy sauce or fiery rub.Dogs and burgers can't compete with them.Done right ,they're almost as soft as butter and just as flavorful as any roast.Many home chefs are intimidated by grilling ribs.Yet they're pretty easy to work with and they require little tending while on the grill. The first step is deciding what kind of rib you want for your barbecue.Pork is the tastier of the two but it comes with warnings.Any pork cut has to be cooked thoroughly ,Eaters can wind up with trichinosis or even swine flu surprisingly.Despite this, pork ribs are still popular and many home barbecuers would get them before buying the beef ones.If planning a barbecue, figure five to six ribs per person.Beef ribs are the bigger of the two and a person can probably finish off two at a dinner.These kinds of ribs do require more work.The cuts have a thin ,gummy,membrane that has to be pulled away.You can do this ,by simply inserting a knife point or even a screwdriver between the meat and the membrane.A butcher can do this as well. It will make for a more tender, juicier rib.Beef ribs also have more calories and more grams of fat.If you're having a big party , it"s more cost effective to have the pork ones.Beef ribs are great for a small barbecue with just family and a few friends. Either one can be slathered with sauce or rubbed with a spicy jerk.You can buy both or make them on your own.One of the best sauces is made with Dr. Pepper.The soda is a fun summer drink on it's own however also is great blended into a homemade sauce.One recipe calls for the drink to be mixed with orange juice ,honey, cider vinegar and cayenne pepper.If this is a bit too sweet, then go with a traditional sauce.!Most of them do contain sugar however notvas much as the Dr.Pepper one.Most contain a good amount of ketchup and cider vinegar.Liquid smoke is often added for an even smokier flavor. Finely minced and onion are also added.If you want a more teriyaki styled one, then use a mix of saki, soy sauce and cut scallions.A dry rub is another good way to infuse flavor.Most rubs give a nod to the Jamaican jerks.These are super spicy ,packed with chili powder ,and two or three kinds of ground peppercorns.Most ribs have some brown sugar added and this works well on both pork and beef.As for cooking both , use wood chips and not charcoal briqueetes.Try either apple, hickory or pecan for more flavor. Ribs are the ideal barbecue meat. Prepped and cooked right, they are pure heaven.This is the best of the grill,get them and enjoy!

Finding The Perfect Sake

Sake is one of those beverages that people, think they know but really don;t. A lot of Americans only think there's one brand or one kind and that it goes with anything Asian.They're wrong , of course. Like any alcoholic beverage, there are varying degrees along with varied ingredients and tastes.Like any wine , liquor or champagne, once acquainted it becomes a lifelong love.

This was explored in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. There was an very good and interesting article by Jeff Gordinier, a new Dining regular. he explores the different kinds out there and in the city where sake is king - Las Vegas. yes that Las Vegas, home of cheese and cheap liquor. It 's also a hangout for "whales" high rolling gamblers mostly from Asia who demand the best food and drink. One of the best sakes served on the Strip is the twelve year old aged Frozen beauty or Ancient beauty(think of it as the Angel Champagne of sake) that sells for $2,300 a 750 ml. bottle.

There are several different kinds out there. One,Maborishi, is made from the yeast of apple peels which adds to the drinks' aroma. After all it's a fermented drink (not quite classified as wine or beer)made solely from fermented rice and water. There's also one called Ice Dome which ferments in an igloo and sells for forty dollars a bottle. Most Japanese restaurants serve Sudo Honke sake made form Japan;s oldest brewery. The brewery was started in 1141 and has been in the Sudo family for an amazing fifty-five generations.

Sake isn't complicated. It's a brew , not unlike other alcoholic beverages with a fermenting process and different types. Like with any alcoholic drink , once it's tried it will be a favorite.

Izakaya Bars - Japan's Version Of Tapas

Yesterday I wrote about izakaya bars . This idea of Japanese tapas intrigued me. Japanese food t me involves a soup and a light but filling dinner. The idea of having quick but well cooked or fried cuisine sounds like a delicious alternative . This is not typical bar food but more along the line of the Spanish tapas which features bites from all different food groups.

Izakaya bars have been in my area, the New York metr,o for the past forty years. I'm sure I've passed them on my trips to Manhattan and thought they were just small Japaneses restaurants. there are a few throughout the US. These bars offer not only sake, the Japanese rice wine and chuhai , a carbonated cocktail but also American whiskies and wines. The foods range from simple edamame , salted soybeans and karaage , a kind of deep fried chicken nugget. There are also soy dishes such as hiyayakko, cold tofu with different savory toppings. This is a popular summer dish perfect with cold beer on a warm humid night . Izakayas also serve yakitori, grilled chicken kabobs that have been marinated in some kind of ginger sauce and then charcoal roasted.

New York has some good izakaya bars. There is Sakagura , in midtown which offered sake lovers some two hundred varieties of sake. Another well loved place is Soba Totta where you can watch yakitori being grilled . Other big US cities like Boston, LA and Chicago have them as well. You can do a search of your area for them .

Izakaya bars are neat way to enjoy good Japanese food and drink if you're pressed for time. They also make great date spots and fun pre and after theater or movie hangouts. You get to experience the best of Japanese food if you're on the run.