A Culinary Winter Vacation

 even though it's a tough time to travel you can stil travel around the globe. Cooking and baking make it easy to have a tast eof the alps or the caribbean. It's a fun trip all within the confines of your kitchen.

Many regret not heading to the slopes this season. You can definitely bring a taste of the Alps to your dining room this January. Piedmonte in Northwestern Italy is known not just for its' challenging and fun slopes but also for it's robust foods, perfect at any chalet.One of the best dishes is bagna calda, literally a hot bath of anchoviies, olive oil, a little butter and garlic.It's usually made in a fondue pot and doners are encouraged to dip their forks in. savoy cabbage, native to this province is what's usually dipped in but you can also serve cubed and semi roasted London Broil or steak with it.Have loaves of crusty Italian bread with it to catch the savory drips of sauce. Another tasty winter dish that can be served is pescoi meaning "not fish" in dialect. This is polenta and butter cooked in savoy cabbage leaves and then pickled ina vinegar and savoia (a type of herb) brine. across the Alps in switzerland there is fondue. This a a perfect date night  supper, made with white wine,  a mix  of Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses , nutmeg and lemon juice. You could add a splash of kirsch for kick. Cubes of French bread or boiled potatoes are dipped in. Even heartier fare is German  which can be a good bratwurst grilled indoors and served on a dark rye with plenty of mustard or sauerbraten, a rump roast brined in vinegar, water, bay leaves and sugar and sprinkled with flour. The drippings are strained with gingerbread cookies to make a tangy , sweet sauce,

If you;re dying for heat and the Caribbean then think of jerk. The heat alone will get rid of that winter chill. Try the chicken one which is a Jamaican classic.It's a fiery sweet mix of two Scotch bonnet peppers, cayenne pepper, onions, scallions,nutmeg and allspice berries.A pinch of brown sugar is added to temper all this heat.Serve with another Jamaican recipe, the side dish of rice and peas.This is a  of the two made sweet with the addition of full fat coconut milk and fiery with more of the famed Scotch bonnet peppers.There is also thyme in it and to round it out scallions and onions.Puerto Rico may be known for warm , sunny beaches and turquoise waters but it's also known for its' variety of tasty dishes and drinks.Mofongo is a national dish and is as comforting as mashed potatoes.Everyone has their own recipe for it but the basic one is ripe plantains mashed with garlic.It can be served with meat or just veggies.Empanadas are also found 9n this lush island.8tss sorts of like a Cornish pasties stuffed with chicken,  beef or mixed veggies,Finish with a Coquitlam, akind of rummy nog, made with egg yolks ,rum and condensed and coconut milks.

Your kitchen can be your gateway to international travel.Try any of these dishes to fell like you're on a trip,It's a great trip to a fun destination

Praising Braising

Braising is one of those techniques that does wonders to any meat or vegetable. This two step process can turn even the most toughest cuts into mouth watering tenderness and create a gourmet meal out of the basest ingredients. Best of all it's an easy process that novice home chefs can try with ease.

Braising come from the French braise which comes from brazier or cooking over coals. Chefs and cooks originally do this but the technique has evolved into something more complex,It uses both dry and moist heats to cook either meats veggies and even fish. One of the most popular braising dishes is braised  short ribs. This is simply first browning the meat in a skillet with just oil and a light seasoning of salt and pepper. The next step involves baking them in a sauce of wine spiked chicken stock blended with various herbs.A popular recipe these days is beer braised ones . This can be made with anything from Budweiser to Guinness stout. Chicken and brisket can also be cooked this way,Brisket is made for braising and anyway it's made it usually comes out so tender that it can be flaked as opposed to sliced.There are even braised brisket sliders. Brisket usually works well with a red wine infused bath .One of the mot famous braises is sauerbraten, that delicious German dish.Made with rump roast  along with peppercorns and juniper berries , this dish is first marinated and then roasted in butter. the sauce is a gravy made with gingersnaps and the meats juices  for a flavorful, spicy dish.

Chicken can also be braised.It's usually done wIth lemon as seen as David Tanis A City Kitchen's column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Mr. Tanis recommends using the most tender part of the bird, the thigh. He first marinates them and roasts in an open Dutch oven for twenty minutes. The braising takes about  one hour. The result is amalgam of Mediterranean flavors from the citrus to the added mix of black and green olives along red pepper and fennel, If you want a more sophisticated dish, then try coq au vin, This French classic is a true braise and can be made a variety of ways. It's basically a butter rubbed chicken cooked, first browned and then cooked with white or red wine, bacon, onions and carrots.It's an easy and impressive dish  for beginner home chefs to make.Fish and veggies are also good candidates for the technique. Fish braising time is usually much less than beef or chicken simply because there is no muscle or sinew to break down. Braising makes the flesh melt in your mouth tender along with giving it a rich pan sauce. Any fish from fresh water to deep sea can be used.Try a braised red snapper puttanesca style>it has the bite of red and black pepper.  Veggies can also be braised , Try a side dish of braised root veggies such as carrots, potatoes and turnips , perfect for roasts. For the best flavors be generous with both the spices and the stock.
Use veggie or chicken with a splash of white wine.

Braising is a great way to elevate any meat or veggie to a flavorful dish. Use it to liven up you rmidweek chicken or  Sunday roast veggies. it will make for truly memorable dining

A New Jersey Classic Bahr's

The Jersey Shore is a pretty tough area. It has survived superstorms and pirates, beach erosion and overbuilding. One restaurant that reflects that solidity is Bahr's a classic must eat at in the Atlantic Highlands.it has been around for decades with generations of the same family serving classic seafood dishes and ones that reflect the family's heritage.

Bahr's Restaurant started back in 1917 when founders John Bahrs and his wife Florence  served simple meals to fishermen. John was familiar with the sea, being the son of a tall ship captain and he knew how the fresh sea ar could increase a seaman's appetite. They started out with their famous clam chowder along with stews and the catch of the day. Their were also breakfasts consisting of fried eels, scrambled eggs and buckwheat pancakes. As the decades progressed, the menu got bigger, Shrimp, lobster and clams were added as were sandwiches , ham and chicken. An out door stand, called Moby's was built on the other side of the parking lot , which attracts a younger crowd yearning for a quick hot dog or just a fresh boiled lobster and fries.

Nowadays Bahr's is the perfect restaurant when visiting the start of the Jersey shore. Located directly behind Sandy Hook , it offers beautiful views of the Navasink River along with the ocean on the other side of the Sandy Hook peninsula. The food is a mix of seafood and classic German (perhaps a nod to the areas famed but defunct Hofbrau Haus). Their broiled lobster is heavenly, meaty and cooked to perfection. There is also  several varieties of shrimp and tilapia dishes along with their famed giant crab cakes and shrimp platters. Bahr's also features the German specialties of potato pancakes , bratwurst and knockwurst along with traditional sauerbraten and weinerschintzel. These are only served from December to June.Every meal starts off with flaky buttermilk biscuits and butter- a pure bonus to go with the amazing dishes.

The jersey Shore will last and survive. The same is true for one of its' gems- Bahrs. It is a great place for both the views and its delicious platters. Make sure you visit it during your next trip to the northenr Jersey shore. The restaurant  truly is a treat.