A Ramadan Feast

This is the start of the holy month of Ramadan, a time of fasting and introspection. Yet it's also a time fo feasting between the fasting.This dinner iftar is not only shared with family but with community. No one understasnds this more than the SOmali community and their array of dishes.

First time contributor and chef Ifrah F. Ahmed wrote about Somali Ramadan cooking in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Somali cooking is special. As Chef Ahmed writes "henna stained finger fill and fold sabuus,a kind of samosa and then fried.There ares weet and tender buns to eat before sunrise and after sunset. There are dishes to share as friends and family compliment each other on their new holiday clothes and make sure everybody is well fed. The dishes are varied in tastes and flavors sambuus are easy to make. This samosa cousin uses tortilla s the flaky golden outside to a filling rich with garlic, cumin and coriander. Ground beef and onion make up the stuffing while cilantro gives them color.They're served with a the hot sauce basbaas cagaar, a green hot sauce. Chopped jalapeno peppers are mixed with serrano chiles and spiked up even more with garlic and white onions. To off ser the fiery taste, white vinegar and lemon juice is added.

For a more soothing dish, Somalians eat soor, a comforting hot stew of grits and tomatoes.Soor is white cornmeal cooked with salt while the tomato mix or Dalac Bilaash is mixed into it. This is first taking onions and cooking them in olive oil. Roma tomatoes and jalapenos are added to this. There is also garlic and cilantro added.They're ground into a chunky paste before, using a mortar and pestle.This is added to the tomaotes along with Vegeta, an additive that has an array of spices and herbs in it. Chopped green peppers finish it off. The soor is divided into plates and  topped with the dalac bilaash. To offset all this fieriness bake Rooti Farmaajo or honeycomb sweet rolls. These can be served before sunrise and also be bakedall year round. These are stuffed with a mild cheese like Laughing Cow and drizzled with condensed milk and shredded coconut.I'ts a yeast dough  that can be flavored with cardamon .The dough is  rolled and cut into balls, stuffed in the cheese and then press them togehter like monkey bread in a springform pan.It's brushed with an egg wash baked at 350 degrees Farebheit and then cooled. Condensed milk is drizzled on top an then gets a dusitn gof the shredded coconut.

Ramadan is a time for reflection community and fasting. It is also a time of all night feasts. The Somalis share and celebate theirs with delicious food and valued friends and family.

Veggies Doing Double Duty

 It's not just spinach steamed with garlic and butter anymore. Or cauliflower florets ready to be dipped into a viniagrette. Veggies now are getting double duty in foods and recipe usually occupied by traditional and time honored ingredients. The end result is a tasty new way of getting produce.

On e of the unexpected to find veggies is pasta. Many companies like Ronzoni are incorporating everything from broccoli to tomatoes in their spaghetti and rotelli.Barilla, the most tradtional of pasta companies is taking a different turn with their zucchini and spinach ones along with their red lentil and chickpea pastas. Yet are they worth it to those who love their whole wheat and Durham wheat kinds. Veggie based pasta is less in fiber and much less proteins than the traditional types. They are perfect for those with celiac disease, gluten sensitivites and wheat allergies.Keep in mind that they're not completely vegetable based.A mix of semolina and Durham wheat is added for body. Ronzoni 's has  The most important question however is how does it taste. Veggie pastas don't have the robust and distinctive flavor their one hundred per cent wheat cousins have. It won't work with a delicate butter and garlic sauce. Try a hearty tomato or fiery arriabiata one instead. The same applies to turning them into salads. Use a flavorful dressing and strong flavors like beans and broccoli along with vine ripe tomatoes.

Rice is also getting a run for its' money. There is a trend right now for riced veggies.It's a much healthier alternative to the regular grains (although rice is lower in calories and is rich in carbohydrates,magnesium and protein).Riced veggies have more Vitamins K and C. You can easily buy it at your grocery store . There are several different brands to choose from like Acme's Signature brand to Bird's Eye and Green Giant. It comes plain ro with flavorings like regular rice. It's great on it's own but perfect for a healthy side with grilled chicken or even plant based meats. Riced veggies can be easily be made in your kitchen. One popular recipe is riced broccoli. This is just trimming the veggie's thick ends or woody looking stems. Cut the broccoli into equal sized florets and cut the stems into coins or thin slices. Place all of it in a food processor or blender and pulse until the pieces resembles rice grains. You can easily turn it into a side or a salad. even fellow vegetables like potatoes are getting a run for their money. Mashed cauliflower has a popular side since Michelle Obama introduced it at The White House.It's mashing the cooked florets with sour cream and butter, although you can also use almind milk for a healthier side.

Veggies are doing double duties taking over form rice , pasta and even their fellow veggies potatoes, They're a nice alternative to these, being healthier and more flavorful. Try them as pasta riced or mashed for a new taste in the New Year.

Topping The Toppings

 One of the best parts of making homemade pizza is adding the toppings you like. They could be traditional or over the top, simple or lush. You can also create a variety of combos that pizzerias would dare touch.It's your pie. Have fun with it.

What are tradtional toppings? Pepperoni , onion, olives and mushrooms. These are good on their own but they're great in combinations and with other toppings as well .Pepperoni goes good with mushrooms but you can also try it as part of an Italian hero topping. Add some shredded provolone , capacola and prosciutto for a different yet surprisingly traditional take. YOu can still have an onion pizza but thro in another allium such as scaalions or spring onions. These zing up the pie and give the sauce more bite. Olives are good on their own but you can also create an Italian style tapas to spoon onto the pie , sort of like a bruschetta. Mushrooms can be the usual buttins ones but baby bellas add more flavor. These wiull give the pizza a steak like flavor , perfect for vegetarians and vegans wanting a "meaty" kind of topping. You can also combine onions and mushrooms too for a different taste. Another idea is slcing up all different kinds of the fungi and using them instead of tomatoes.

Of course you can also try lusher toppings. Chef J> Kenji Alt has created a Korean-Italian fusion with buldak chicken. This recipe appeared in the new York Times Wwednesday Food section. BUldak chicken is a charred chicken coated in paste of tomatoes, gochuchang and gochugaru. The first give the meat a sweet and tangy flavor while the other is spicy.  the chicken is cooked first and then chopped into topping size pieces and placed on top of the pie. You could also tone down the fire and just top the pie with a garlicky chicken for a chicken prm vibe. Layer on more cheese for this. Steak topped pizza is a great weekend pie, perfect for those at home football parties.it's cooking the steak first with garlic and herbs. You can cut it into strips or for a better bite into smalller pieces. Kids may go crazy for hanburger pie>It's browning the meat with chopped onions first and then spooning it over the sauce. Mozzarella is then layered on the top. A lusher pie is a shrimp one. It's taking shrimp scampi and putting it on top .

Pizza toppings can be anything you want. be traditional. Be bold. Just top your pie with whatever makes it memorable.

Salads With Spin

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, chances are you're sweltering and uncomfortably hot right now. It's definitely the season for salads.They're easy to make , easy to eat and easy to put you to sleep. It's time to take this summer staple and give it a new spin.

 Home chefs and foodies have been avoiding romaine lettuce since the whole salmonella scare back in April. That's over and it's time to rediscover this tasty leaf.Romaine leaves are used mostly in Caesar salads which is a fine salad. Liven it up with un-traditional- add ins like seared scallops or crumbled bacon.Steak - always good on its' own adds an unami flavor to the mix and makes it more filling. If there's any leftover put it on a hero roll and turn it into a sandwich for the beach or the park.  Wedge salads are making a big  comeback, especially with romaine and iceburg heads. It's a nice alternative to a traditional mixed salad and makes for a filling lunch or dinner. It's quartering the heads and then pouring on the dressing. You want to use a lot of dressing so that it dribbles down into the nooks and crannies , sort of like butter seeping into an English muffin.Top with anything crumbled like bacon or soy bacon , almonds or sunflower seeds. Should any other veggie share the plate with it? Think sliced cherry or grape tomatoes for color and flavor. Another spin is roasting the wedges. Rub oil on them , season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and place on the barbecue, roasting for thirty seconds on each side.

Another spin on salads is adding the fruits of the season. Cherries are in season right now. Those ruby red, rich in flavor gems would be perfect in a salad that features chicken or steak, To emphasize the flavor, you can also make a cherry infused  vinaigrette. Use Bing cherries , mix them with oil and apple cider vinegar and pinches of rosemary, garlic and allspice. Strawberries, good on their own, add a sweetness to a grilled chicken salad. Combine the two with red onions and almonds with torn romaine leaves as the base. You can try a peach version subbing in mixed spring greens  for the romaine. A fun variation is combining the peaches with cut nectarines.Blueberries are chock full of antioxidants and flavor. Imagine adding them to any salad. Combine them with a creamy feta cheese to balance the fruity flavor. Greens don't have total domain over salad. A refreshing one is a Neopolitan bread salad which pairs cubes of Italian bread with sliced vine ripe tomatoes.Bathe in olive oil infused with mashed garlic and basil leaves. For more bite toss in sliced red tomatoes.Broccoli and string beans make for excellent salad bases Sliced ham and shredded cheddar pair well with the first, although just a plain broccoli salad with garlic is a nice lunch. Add chopped onions to the string beans for a refreshing break from the usual mixed greens. Corn salad is both fun and tasty. It can be combined with all sorts of ingredients for a cool meal.

Liven up salads with meats and fruits for a refreshing new spin. They give a summer classic more zing and flavor. Try them for a tasty hot weather lunch or dinner.

Reinterpreting Francis Lam

Spoiler alert - this about the recipe in tomorrow's New York Times Sunday magazine.

There's nothing like an interesting recipe to get a home chef's creative juices going. That what it was today when I happened upon Francis Lam's recipe using red peppers. It was inspired by his two year old's love and constant demand of red peppers. Unfortunately the kid sometimes gets tired of them, leaving a fridge of bright red spears quickly aging. Mr. Lam who also is the host of  The  Splendid Host. on American Public Media looked to Justin Smillies cookbook, "Slow Fires" a book he edited. It is a kind of a red pepper jelly, made flavorful with onions and thyme and garlic -lots and lots of garlic.

Of course I put my own spin on it. I used four colors of peppers and two huge onions.

The onions were minced in my mini-chopper and I also added chopped tomatoes for more of a ratatouille vibe.

About four cups of chopped onions were added to a quarter of a cup of olive oil. The amount of oil was just not enough. I increased it to one half cup which worked very well. 

The peppers were cut into sticks as per Mr. Lam's recipe.

The onions were cooked down first with the tomatoess and garlic in the olive oil. As per directions four large pinches of sea salt were added to sweat out the juices. Thyme was in the original recipe but I felt oregano was more suitable and flavorful.

Mr. Lam used old  peppers however I used fresh ones that took about twenty minutes to cook down.

The end result was tasty. Mr. Lam served his over toasted slices of artisanal bread with a large dollop of  ricotta slathered on each. I'm not a big ricotta person and soft bread wouldn't work . I used Italian bread cut into four cubes. The peppers were poured over them in a large bowl.

The bread perfectly sopped up the juices and it proved to be very delicious.A plus is that there was so much left over I'll create a second meal with flavored rice for it.

 I plan on making this again with definitely less onions and definitely more peppers. I do want to keep in the tomato.It added more flavor and color.

A Comfy Oscar Party

Oscar night means Oscar parties. For many of us  - including those who weren't nominated  - it means watching them at home,with a favorite meal or snack to nosh on.Nothing beats enjoying favorite nibbles while watching favorite stars win.

Pizza is always a fun party food.It's so much better coming straight from the oven.If you don't want to  go through all the steps, there are the instant ones like Celeste's that offer pizzas for one. These are big enough to be shared for two.For those who love the idea of a fresh from the oven pie, try Pilsbury's pizza dough. It's already made and just needs to be rolled out, topped and baked, Top with such toppings as an all meat that includes salami, pepperoni and capicola, or a veggie one that has peppers onions and olives.another variation is English muffin pizzas. These are super easy to make and super fun to eat.These can be made in a toaster oven although they do come out crisper if they're baked in the oven. Want something a tad more glam? Think bruschetta. This is an easy make that just involves cutting up plum tomatoes and mixing them with basil, olive oil and garlic. You can add a dash of balsamic vinegar for some tartness. serve o toasted rounds of Italian and French bread.

A fun home party food is pigs in blankets. Take regular hot dogs and cut them into thirds. Wrap a crescent roll around them and bake  for thirty minutes. dip into sauces such as forty karat mustard , made extra golden like Oscar himself with the addition of curry. Also try a homemade honey mustard one made with wildflower honey and a spicy barbecue one. One of the easiest and tastiest - and my favorite is homemade guacamole and chips.Use the blackest ones  to create the dip. These are the ripest and will produce an ultra creamy dip . I like to use vine ripe tomatoes for a dash of color
and a jolt of needed sweet and tart. Remember to drizzle some olive oil in to give the texture some smoothness. Of course, the night is all about movies and that means popcorn. Go old school with air popped , then bathed in real butter. A sweet fun variation is kettle corn.It's an easy recipe that just involves adding sugar to kernels and oil and then popping over a low flame.Use white sugar for a popcorn ball taste or brown sugar for a caramel corn one.

Oscar nights mean Oscar treats, full of fun and flavor.Make your faves or try something new and adventurous. sit back, nosh, and root for your favorites to win.

The Future Of Our Imports

What will the  new administration be like for food importers and overseas growers? It's going to be a tough time however long it lasts. What should we do? That's a good question and there's not a solid answer.

This blog has stayed away from all things political - that's not my direction with it. I write about trends and recipes, nutrition and new products However with the new American administration, Americans are going to be hurt by certain bans, Our fruits and vegetables that come in from Mexico will now be higher in price thanks to our president wanting to build a wall on our border  with the Mexicans paying for it. How does that affect us?  Mexican farmers will charge more for the vegetables they grow. That means tomatoes and avocados will cost more and to many families that means going without. Some fruits such as strawberries will also be in the crossfires along with bananas and raspberries. The Chihuahua region gives the US most of it' pecans, contrary to the popular belief that they come from Georgia. Pecans are usually used in pies around the holidays so many  home chefs and bakers won't be that affected by them. Restaurants, however, do use them, namely in salads and some chicken dishes. This will increase in pricing. with the larger chains and smaller, privately owned ones.

Beer drinkers will also be affected. Corona and Dos Equis both come from there as does tequila. These along with drinks made with them, across the US will also go up in price thanks to the building of this "wall". Agave syrup, now popular with hipsters and health, will also be affected. Organic agave is expensive enough with prices ranging from eleven  dollars to fifteen may go up  in pricing starting at sixteen at the cheapest and twenty at the most expensive. If all this occurs what can we do? Luckily the US has some great summer harvests with fruits and vegetables coming in from all areas of the US. The winter will be a little more trickier. We'll have to rely on Hawaii, California, and Florida for produce. Americans will probably be returning to  using Georgia raised pecans. Since New Mexico and Arizona have the same kind of desert conditions as most of Mexico, they can be the producers of both agave syrup and even tequila.  We can also protest the wall and stop all this nonsense too.

Hopefully, this new president  will renege on his pledge to "build that wall". It will not only create animosity with the Mexicans but also hurt our trade and eating habits. He should come to his senses and realize a wall is not the answer.

The Bounties of Summer

It's still summer despite the fact that many are falling forward in time. We can still grill outdoors. We still can enjoy fresh veggies. This is the time to take advantage of both in flavorful exotic dishes..

Both Melissa Clark and David Tanis did just so in their individual columns in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Ms. Clark wrote about Mexican street corn in her A Good Appetite column. This is a great recipe for those ho love corn but are tired of the traditional boiled then slathered with butter or margarine. The corn is first grilled for only seven to ten minutes, giving it a subtle smoky flavor.The ears can be grilled longer for a deeper, almost charred flavor.It also increases the crunch. They're then slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise blended with lime zest, ancho chili powder salt and pepper. You could sub in butter for the mayo if you want or to appease those purists. The Mexican cotija cheese is then crumbled over it .Feta or ricotta salata cheese can be subbed in if the first can't be found .(although Amazon and Walmart do carry it. also look in any nearby Latin American grocery).Chopped cilantro is also sprinkled on. Ms. Clark suggests that guests slather on their own mayo and toppings, adjusting the recipe to individual tastesThe kernels can also be sliced off and served in a bowl with the spiced mayo and toppings.

It's not just corn that's in abundance right now.There are still tomatoes and peppers along with squash and okra. David Tanis turns to North Africa in his A City Kitchen column, He actually adds corn to couscous along with butter and saffron,cinnamon and turmeric. The stew is a tasty melange of the traditional such as chickpeas,along with two kinds of onions, the red and the small yellow kind. Zucchini,  okra, tomatoes and a variety of different peppers round it out.Home chefs can use any kind , from the colorful bells, cubanelle, gypsy or corno del toro. Cumin and coriander are added as well as paprika and pepper flakes to give it a Moroccan flair,There is also a non traditional  pesto to be drizzled on later. It's not basil but chopped cilantro mixed with serrano chiles also spiced with more cumin and garlic cloves. Lime juice is added for some more zing,The trick to a tasty couscous is cooking it slowly, until they're soft to eat with a spoon, It's cooked in a Dutch oven for fifteen minutes which give home chefs time to create the pesto. Mr. Tanis recommends serving in large wide bowls or deep plates. Have a rose alongside this exotic dish or for more authenticity iced mint tea.

It may be September but it's still summer, ripe with harvests. Take advantage of what the garden and farmer's markets have to offer.They can be turned into exotic and delicious dishes.

Shakshuka, Simple Yet Exotic

Northern Italians have a wonderful dish called tomatoes and eggs. It's just a simple mix of the two ingredients with a hint of garlic usually eaten with a crusty loaf of Italian bread. Surprisingly enough it has a Middle Eastern cousin called shakshuka. It's a spicier version and just as tasty.

The dish was the subject of Melissa Clark 's A Good Appetite in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Ms. Clark first ate this wondrous dish in Israel during Passover. It fit in with the dietary rules of the holiday .however it would make a nice brunch or lunch  dish for any Spring  weekend. Unlike the Italian version it has many different spices such as cumin and paprikaalong with cilantro. It also has rich chunks of feta cheese added to it (although I suspect you can forgo the cheese so you can enjoy the taste of tomatoes and eggs)

Cooking it is also similar to pomodori e uovi.Both require skillets and olive oil.Unlike pomodori e uovi though, the tomatoes are cooked first until they thicken WIth the Italian version the eggs are  mixed in,and cooked til they're scrambled Shakshuka has the eggs dropped in with the yolks intact , and cooked similar to sunny side up ones.The feta is then added o n top. Since it's not  a cheese that melts,it adds some texture to the dish. You can serve shakshuka with any kind of crusty bread or pita as well as with hummus, the way Ms Clark ate it in Israel.

Tomatoes  and eggs are always a good combination. Try them with an exotic twist with added spices and feta in this traditional dish.It makes for a tasty brunch or lunch treat.