For Dad Bacon And More Bacon

 Every man - even the vegans and vegetarians ;pve bacon.It could be made from prk, turkey plants and even beef. Dads love these crispy ,salty strips on their own or with other foods. Give them this for a great day to celebrate them.

What is bacon exactly? It'straditionally a cut from the pork belly , hence the streaks of fat in the strips. The Chinese first started salting and curing it as early as 1500BCE and the Amglo Saxons made their version called bacon - where we get the word from. Tomorrow morning would be the perfect time to serve this classic. Think a piled breakfast sandwich on a toasted English muffin.Piled with chive infused scrambled eggs and then add on the bacon. Another tasty breakfast dish is a riff on Eggs Benedict assemble the sandwich with a poached egg and then layer on the bacon. Pur on a mix Hollandaise sauce or a homemade one. A scratch Hollandaise  sauce is easy to make.It requires whisking melted butter and lemon juice in egg yolks - usually three - and then a dash of Cayenne pepper is blended in. Keep in mind that both egg dishes can  be made vegan by using  Just Egg plant based egg substitute,Morningstar Farms vegan bacon strips and Melt Bitter for cooking the eggs. What about the Hollandiase sauce?It's more trickier with some recipes requiring up to twenty-five (!!!) ingredients. One only has eight an d that one requires tahini and nutritional yeast to sub in for the egg yolks. A tiny pinch of turmeric is used to get that rich yellow yolk color.

Lunch and dinner can also have dad's favorite too. Nothing beats a simple BLT.TUse good quality bacon and sour dough bread for the best bite. Time tomatoes can be beefsteak but the Caprese or Roma actually have a sweeter richer flavor. Lettuce should be crispy. Try Iceberg for the best results. Again a  good mayo is crucial here so try to use Duke's or Hellman's .Again the vegan version involves Hellmans vegan mayonnaise and Morningstar Farms plant based bacon strips. PIle on the bacon and greasy on the other two fillings. You can vary it by having sliced avocados or caramelized onion in the sandwich as well. Every man love a good bacon burger or good cheese burger. This can be made out on the grill. Remember that the bacon too can be grilled outdoors as well. To avoid any flare ups from fat dripping into the flames. create a foil tray for the bacon to cook in. Any leftover bacon can be used for a sundae for the special guy. This can be any ice creamed topped with chocolate syrup, caramel, sauce ,nuts  and slice so f bacon on top. You can create a vegan version too using plant based ice cream and vegan bacon strips.If you have time bake Dad some bacon maple cupcakes using maple syrup as the main ingredient with a smattering of bacon bits added in. If you;re using the strips let them get cold first. Hot bacon can throw off the batter. and won;t allow it to bake and rise properly.

It;s Dad's day. Serve him his favorite food in any way you can. He;ll love this bacon fest all for him !!

The Spicy Way TO Warm Food

 It's January . It's cold. We need to be warmed up. It's easy to put on another sweater or  a pair of fuzzy socks. Yet, the warming should come from the inside. not the inside. This means having dishes and drinks that give a certain amount of heat. How todo that? Use warming spices.

What are warming spices? They are usually tropically grown spices that add heat to dishes. They're vital to warmer climates, creating dishes that produce sweat to act as a natural cooling. However, they're just as vital here in the Northen Hemishere warming up people until winter days are over.Of course  the most obvious is chili powder , a blend of dried and ground ancho peppers, paprika and cayenne. Sometimes cumin , oregano and garlic powder are added in to , for flavor. Chili powder, of course, can be used in both white and red chilies. Make yours a three alrm one or five if you can stand it. Also add plent of beef or turkey (depending on the type of chili you;re making) along with beans , onions and wither fresh or canned tomatoes. To amp up the heat try jalapemo cornbread. This is the classic that studded with tiny minced pieces of f the pepper(keep in mind that a square slathered with butter also makes a great snack). Chili powder can be added to pasta sauce to create an arrabbiata-type sauce. It can even be added to pizza sauce too and lasagna for something different and spicy.

Cumin and coriander are other warmng spices. Both are added tosavory foods like curry and sweet like the fudge like confection barfi. Cuminis great in a chicken curry.It adds flavor and colring along with giving off a warm feeling when eaten. Coriander is such more versatile.It's actually cilantro and can be used in all sorts of dishes from tacos to masalas.It can give heat to guacamole along with color to simple rice. Turmeric is another must use warming spice during these chilly days.It can be sprinkled into scrambled eggs for more flavor or added to hash browns to give them a rich ,golden hue., Chicken goes well with mostly all of the warming spices so create a dish using cutlets and a turmeric sauce.Use heavy cream and white wine to round out the saucealong with chicken broth.Cilantro and onion are used to give more flavor.It's a great fish to have with a bowl of steaming basmati rice. Of course there are cinnamon and nutmeg, two must add ins to cappuccinos and lattes. They're also wonderful in the spicy Indian tea, chai and even can be used to zing up plain hot cocoa.It's also the season to bake cinnamon buns. Add the spiciest kind of cinnamon you can for a hot morning bite.

Frigid days require hot foods. Use warming spices to zing up every day dishes and drinks. You'll feel toastier when the temps drop.

Zesty Zucchini Fries

 Mid August is the season for zucchini.It graces gardens and farmers markets. Its also on e of th e more versatile squashes and can be used as ingredient in ratatouille as well as turned into crunchy fires. If you haven/ yet then do so. It;s time to enjoy zucchini fries.

I made them for a fun Sunday lunch yesterday.It;s more about prepping them.It starts with a vegan batter.

I used the recipe I found on Nourished By Nic site and modified it. There were no measurements so I had to figure them out myself. One cup of flour beaten with a half of cup of almond milk makes for a pancake like batter. I added pinches of salt ,pepper and garlic powder. The sticks would be dipped into this first them rolled in bread crumbs for a really crunch coating.

These are the spices .If you want some zing, the add a pinch of cayenne pepper.You could also try cumin or turmeric too 

It was then slicing the zucchini.First slice it in half.

Then cut in half again

/

Now cut those in quarters .They'll look like pickle spears.

It's then dipping and rolling until they're all completely coated.

Fry in small batches (about six to eight ) for fifteen minutes at 380 degrees Farenheit. Cook for seven minutes first , then flip them over and cook for another eight. They should be golden and crispy.

These were way too good and all five batches went quickly I would add more garlic powder  though for more flavor along with more salt and pepper. I plant on making these again very soon.

It's zucchini season . Make these crunchy fries for a fun meal, side or even snack. They 're good for you while being deliciously crunchy and crispy.

Beef Stew Different Ways

One of the most comforting and delicious late winter dishes is beef stew.It's a bowl of rich goodness with a heady mix of a variety of parts, veggies and spices. What's great about it is that there isn't just one recipe,. There are ones from all over the world.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this classic and its' variations in today's New York Times Food section.This is a great article for novice chefs because Ms/ Moskin include basics musts. Yes you have to use beef stock, The meat won't make its' own. The stew should always be covered when simmering,There's also a question of is any stew the same as soup, a braise or a pot roast? Not meaningfully. They're more or less all the same. What about the cuts? Start with a leaner meat . Look with cuts that feature cartilige, tendons and even a few bones.You can pick up beef labeled stew beef. Most grocery stores sell these in two inch chunks and smaller. Keep in mind that beef goes with all alliums, These are onions, leeks, garlic and scallions.Of course you can be brave and add potatoes for thickening and carrots for color and sweetness.The writer Laurie Colwin throws in bright green peppers while Manhattan cookbook store owner Nach Waxman did the outrageous  and tossedSin tomato paste. As far as other add in,s try red wine for an Italian spin or brown sugar for a south Asian or Caribbean vibe.Pork can be added too for more flavor . This is a staple in Mexican stews.

For those that are still undecided , there are four recipes to try out. You can try the absolute classic by The former Times food critic Mimi Sheraton. Generations of home chefs have used her recipes with great success. sShe uses brisket but you can use bomeless chuck or short ribs. Cheeks cna be used too. She adds tomato paste and paprika along with onions and carrots. It's served over potatoes or egg noodles. A different spin is braised short ribs with anchovies and peanuts adapted from the late Indian chef and entrpreneur Floyd Cardoz.It's not the usual mix but's still packed with  flavor. there are onions and short ribs along with Savoy cabbage and fresh ginger.It would be a nice chage up on a weekend night.Another Indian stew is Nihari taken from "Masala :Recipes from India _The Land of Spices  (Tenspeed Press) by Anita Jaisingham. GHee is used in this along with chickpea flour and garam masala. There is also turmeric for kick and color . Patti JInich gives it a Mexican twist by adding ancho and pasila chiles. There are also tomatillos cooked with Roma tomatoes . The veggies serve with reflect it's heritage. There is zucchini , corn, green beans and chayote squash(if you can find it right now.) Squeezes of lime are added for some zing and brightness.

Beef stew on a cold night is always the best. Try any of these whether a classic , Mexican or Indian one. The're all rib sticking good .

Warmth On A Winter's Night

 January is cold.We need fortifying dishes and drinks to see ou through the chills and blizzards , the snow and frost. There's nothing like a good chill chaser to make us feel warm - and happy.

Yewande Komolafe, a regular contributor for the New York Times Food section wrote gave us some good warming recipes in yesterday's issue. They are not heavy rib sticking casseroles or chilis but soups. Soups are great because they flood you with heat while not overwhelming. Ms. Komolafe keeps a good stock of infusions , broths and tinctures. Her mother was an excellent influence this way being a food scientist and nutritionist who always was able to hunt out nutrition rich elements. She passed this down to her daughter who suffers from chronic ailments. Ms. Komolafe has to be careful when ti comes to cold and flus. Her pantry has spices roots and herbs. She puts lemongrass stalks in a tea made with lemons , oranges and ginger. It is Vitamin C rich  Her broths are fortifying as she drinks it on long and short walks  her recipes are rich with turmeric and garlic , She recommends a container that will not retain their flavors.

You can start with her tonic.It's a citrus and herb one, rich with a variety of citrus such as lemons limes and oranges. Lemongrass stalks and turmeric. There's also ginger and oregano - another great antibacterial herb and also rich in Vitamin K added after the others are brewed in eight cups of water. Serve hot as a tea, You can also store it and reheat.It will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge. (You could probably have it chilled in the summer as well.) The soups are a bone broth enhanced with ginger and turmeric too along with iron rich greens such as spinach, kale and mustard greens. Dandelion or beet greens can also be added. It's cooked with either bone or chicken stock with garlic added.A squeeze of lemon tops it off. Think of it as a light lunch or light snack. A heartier recipe is her  brothy Thai curry with silken tofu and herbs. This is a stew of tomatoes, curry paste,silken tofu and vegetable stock. A Dutch oven is used to cook the shallots in oil, then then curry paste ginger and garlic are added. It's then the tomatoes , followed by coconut milk and vegetable broth  The tofu, which is cut into three slices. is added to a bowl and seasoned with soy and cracked pepper. The broth is then ladled on top.

This is the time to fortify yourself and your body. Eat healthy .Eat right with these tasty  dishes and tonic , rich with ginger and turmeric. They'll make you feel better.

Warming Up The Winter With Alco Eats Spices

 Nothing warms up a chilled body than a bowl of spicy food. It's so easy to create a flavorful bowl of veggies and meat, zinged with a variety of spices. Alco Eats knows this and have created the perfect blend of them for cooking and fiery treats for snacking.

This India based company has created a wide variety of Indian blend spices made from mixes of dried veggies and fruits spiked with such spices as turmeric, ginger, cardamon and white pepper. Dried onion, tomato and even muskmelon round it out. Each spice bottle has a recipe for such Indian classics as butter chicken.

This is great for those home chefs wanting to  dip into South Asian cooking. They could start out with sauteed veggies with the spice designed for them if they don't want to make an entire meal.These are great to make and serve with rice  but also with oven warmed naan. Also consider incorporating a few bottles in a holiday basket, with basmati rice and naan bread.

The company also Funny Nuts. These are cashews coated in biting black pepper and fiery peri-peri sauce.

I love any kind of cashew and these were amazing. The black pepper had the right bite while the peri-peri had the right amount of heat. There is also masala mirch and sour cream and onion. These are perfect stocking stuffers as well as being a good snack for hikes and picnics.They also would be a zingy addition to any holiday buffet table. 

Alco Eats has some amazing spices mixes plus a tasty selection of Fun Nuts. Try any of them for a tasty way to warm up this winter. Their fiery heat is delicious both as a meal and as a snack.

Freezer Bingo, Cooking Roulette

Our freezers have taken on a new aspect in the past few months. They've been vaults to all sorts of frozen foods. Boxes of frozen essentials have been crowding out those containers of homemade sauce and ice cube trays. It's time to use them with interesting combinations for meals.

Many overbought waffles . They are tasty and make for a satisfying and comforting breakfast . However as the weather turns warmer, the kids may want cold cereal to start the day. Not to worry. There's always chicken and waffles.  You can easily make fried chicken or even buy tenders along with fake chicken such as Gardein's. Serve with maple syrup or syrup with a kick of cayenne added like Ree Drummond's recipe. They're also great as the bread for breakfast sandwiches holding scrambled eggs and sliced ham. They are also good stuffed with bacon and cheddar cheese as a fun lunch.  You may have also bought Texas toast during one of your grocery foraging trips. It's very versatile. It makes the base for pizza if you just add sauce and mozzarella. Have the kids add chopped fresh peppers and onions along with pepperoni and olives for a fun dinner. Another idea is spooning sloppy Joe mixture on top for a different take on this classic sandwich.

Your freezer must look like a frozen vegetable garden right now. You may have overbought a ton of those easy to steam packets. Now the freezer is  bursting with them. Luckily many can be turned into salads. Frozen green beans can be turned into a salad just in time for barbecue season. Broccoli can be turned into a flavorful salad or as part of a cheesy bake. It , along with other frozen veggies like peas can be cooked with rice along with fresh cut onions and soy sauce for an interesting side dish. Peas have a versatility too. You can make the classic dish risi e bisi which is arborio rice cooked with frozen peas and garlic. It's a great weekday dinner that's a snap to whip up. You could also just cook them up Italian style with olive oil and garlic along with onions and chicken stock. Cauliflower can also be turned into a salad or a side. Try roasting it in your air fryer or oven after it's been spiced up with turmeric and garam masala, that great blend of Indian spices. You can also pan roast it for a crunchy side or even snack with a ranch dressing.

Forage your freezer. You'll be surprised at what you'll find to make interesting dishes. It's a fun way to create new dishes from all that over buying..

My Ethiopian Stew Adventure

Ethiopian food has been on my radar for a long time. I was all set to try it at an Ethiopian restaurant  in Montclair North Jersey. Unfortunately quarantine happened and that idea was shut down. I recently found a lentil rich Ethiopian stew on this website Immaculate Bites. I decided to give it a shot.

Unfortunately, since this is quarantine, I had to make do with what was out there. I could not find ANY lentils at my local Stop & Shop. I decided to use kidney beans and pinto beans. They won't have the silky taste of lentils but they will add a robustness to it.

I also used a yellow onion and fresh vine ripe tomatoes. The last isn't included but I felt they would add more flavor.

It also requires oil and spiced butter. I used olive oil, richer in taste and Country Crock. Spiced butter is butter mixed with Berbere spices which I will have the second time I make it.

The onions and tomatoes were roughly diced and added as were the beans. The recipe also calls for two teaspoons of minced garlic. I used two cloves, sliced.

I feel it adds more flavor than the minced.

There are also the spices. I didn't have the Berbere spice mix so I created my own, more or less according to the recipe.

As you can see , there's crushed red pepper for bite along with cumin,turmeric and curry powder. The recipe called for smoked paprika, I didn't have that or ginger for that matter. I used a heaping tablespoon or two of Pereg's Spanish paprika.

Also added to the mix were three cups of vegetable broth (I used Knorr's) cooked quickly in the microwave.

This is the beans added.

I realized it needed the tomato paste required.It was too soupy  without it.

I cooked it for half an hour and it came out perfectly. The texture was satiny and the taste was a well blended mix of tomatoes , onions and spices .I liked it a lot and served with with brown rice. I would have liked to have served it with the Ethiopian bread, injera. Another recipe I have to try.

Will I make this again? Most definitely and with lentils and ginger for a more authentic taste. I like this and will serve it again.It's a great week night dish that easily translates into leftovers. I can't wait to try more Ethiopian dishes!

The Cirrhosis Diet

The liver is one of the most important digestive organs humans have. Yet it can be damaged, thanks to bad eating and that means a special diet. The cirrhosis diet can help and can even prevent liver damage.

I am interested in this because i may have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This is a the onset of cirrhosis and untreated  can lead to liver cancer or liver disease. It can be stopped or slowed down. The liver won't return to normal but the disease won't progress. How did this happen? Eating way too much sugar and fried foods along with an addictive passion to fast foods.I had been diagnosed seven years ago by a doctor who had a very cavalier attitude towards it. I did try to stave it off for years , taking milk thistle which helps every day.I plan on taking it up again and recommend others with CDL chronic liver disease to do the same. Dandelion also helps. Both can be bought at GNC  chain store around the country. I will also be cutting out fried foods  along with ones heavy in salt and sugar. It's no more cookies and candy - which were my downfalls. Soda and fruit juices are definitely out. In fact they cause more liver damage than alcohol. White grains such as refined flour and white rice are also off the table -literally. Potassium rich foods like bananas and cod should be nixed. Potassium contributes to liver disease so avoid other foods such as peas and sweet potatoes too.

What will I be able to eat? Luckily my favorites - cruciferous veggies are on the list. That means I can have them and Brussels sprouts with a small amount of butter. Other veggies include another favorite Brussels sprouts and avocados. Spinach is another must eat green that can help the liver. Have it in a salad  with olive oil and lemon. No vinegar because it's toxic to the organ.Tomatoes are a must eat and and a must drink. Tomato juice makes a great snack, especially if it's jazzed up with turmeric. If you have CLD please add this amazing spice to your spice rack. It can retard the disease thanks to its' anti-inflammatory properties.Ginger is another spice perfect in helping this disease. It, too has anti-inflammatory properties, namely proteins that help in reducing scar tissue. You can also make a ginger tea by slicing up the fresh root and boiling it. Keep in mind that it's also good for stomach aches and colds too. As for drinks it will be coffee, flavored seltzer and green tea. It will be hard to give up fruit juice and soda but this is something I have to do. To be honest in a few months I'll wonder why I even drank them at all.It'll be the same thing for all those bad foods too. I'll look at them and wonder what i saw in eating them.

I do not look forward to this diagnosis.I do look forward to healing myself with good foods and good beverages. Hopefully I can take myself back to what it was.

Holiday Desserts Go Big Go Sweet

Forget the cookie board at any holiday party. These are sweet little ornaments but they're 're not as substantial as a cake or trifle. A hearty holiday dinner requires a hearty slice or scoop of dessert. There are some great endings that can top off any turkey or ham dinner.

Alison Roman, a regular Food section contributor wrote about these amazing and toothsome desserts in today's New York Times issue. She gives us four holiday desserts - strangely without the yummy Buche de Noel, the chocolate sponge roll made to look like a decorated forest log. Still , her choices work  - not just finishing a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meal, but also at New Year's Eve party and New Year's Eve buffets. What is great about them is that they're fuss free. No special icings. No fancy decorations or split time baking where you have lower or raise  oven temps. They're kind of old fashioned recipes with an updated twist. Ms. Roman creates a salted chocolate pudding with a whipped sour cream. This is a homemade one with bittersweet chocolate  and cocoa powder, six whole eggs and heavy cream to give it richness and flavor. As with countless other homemade puddings  cornstarch is the thickener. The pudding would be good on it's own , but it's layered with sour cream blended with heavy whipping cream and any kind of snap cookie. You could use plain Christmas sugar cookies, but there are also ginger snaps and those famed chocolate wafers. These are layered to create a memorable trifle. Eat it the day you make it so you get the crunch of the cookies.

The other desserts include a sunny cheesecake with an easy graham cracker or vanilla wafer crust. The cake is enriched with your choice of either full fat  Greek yogurt or sour cream. Juice is added and it can be either grapefruit, lemon, lime or orange. Grapefruit would be a nice original touch.The zest is also used for more zing. There may be some leftover filling so you may want to create mini cheesecakes with it. Citrus slices and flaky sea salt  are scattered on the finished product for a festive look.For a fun  treat, try the Boozy Cherry Walnut Tart. This is a treat topped with bourbon soaked cherries and chopped walnuts. The crust is the classic butter one, that tastes like a spritz cookie. The filling is toasted walnuts, butter and one large egg. Flour binds us so it will have a cookie like quality to it. Top with more walnuts and cherries. It would be great served with vanilla ice cream. Some traditionalists will want gingerbread. Liven up the dessert table with Ms. Roman's Golden Ginger Cake. This is a mix of freshly grated ginger and cinnamon. The cake is made a sunny yellow with the addition of turmeric, It's also very buttery and sweet  thanks to the addition of 3/4 of a cup of butter (!) and molasses.Buttermilk mixed with either coconut or vegetable oil is added for a silkier batter. A cake like this only requires a blob of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to highlight the spices.

Keep the cookies for tins and holiday teas. Create satisfying puddings, tarts cheesecakes and cakes. These are definitely  great endings to any Christmas ham and turkey, filling and delicious as the main courses themselves..

Persian Best

Persian cooking is one of the oldest in the world, yet the flavors are vibrant and fresh.It's a cuisine of color and brightness, texture and flavor. It incorporates a multitude of herbs and even flowers to create different and unique tastes.

The ultimate Persian-American chef, Samin Nosrat gave the New York Times Food section a wide array of the different dishes she grew up on.Ms Nosrat who writes regularly for The Times and Sunday magazine also has a Netflix show "Salt Fat Acid Heat" where she deconstructs cooking. She and her brothers embraced all things American yet they came home to a strictly Persian home. There were Saturday lessons in Farsi,setar music and celebrating the Persian New Year Nowruz. The biggest influence were the recipes her mother brought with them. For the article which contains a cross section of the best of their recipes Ms. Nosrat relied on family recipes along consulting with Iranian cooks .(Iranian and Persian can be interchangeable although there are differences). Ms. Nosrat's family comes from the northern part where herbs are a mainstay. They're treated like a vegetable which explains the huge amounts in the recipes. One kuku sabzi -  a Persian herb frittata - has a pound of cilantro and Italian parsley . A yogurt dish has a wide variety of parsley , dill, tarragon and basil.

This is my favorite issue . I was excited to see the recipes and plan on making a few.The first on my list is the kuku sabzi.It's an interesting mix of herbs with eggs, butter and even baking soda.Some ingredients such as barberries ,I'll have to get through Amazon. There are also leeks and fenugreek added. The greens are cooked first , cooled and then added to egg mix. Another must cook is the polo ba tahdig ,a giant rice cake - which comes with some fun instructions. Ms. Nosrat writes on flipping it by first gathering up your courage and praising your ancestors.A dish for a cool Spring night is the khoresh-e ghormeh which is a Persian herb bean and lamb stew.Of course it has a pound of cilantro and Italian parsley but also has a pound and a half of lamb shoulder along with turmeric and kidney beans. It is a lengthy cook, taking three hours . Ms. Nosrat also gives us a chicken stew that's sweetened with both pomegranate juice and molasses.Ground walnuts are also added. As a side there is mast-o khiar a Persian cucumber and herb yogurt that  is a mix of herbs,raisins, and dried rose petals.

Persian cooking is must have experience for any home or professional chef. It is a whirl of colors and flavors, textures and tastes. Make some of these amazing recipes now.

A Vegan Stew ; When Comfort Meets Healthy

Anything vegan and dairy free is good, especially when you have to cook for a die hard vegan. A recipe in today's New York Times Food section caught my eye. Weekly contributor Allison Roman created a  chickpea stew with coconut milk and turmeric checked all my culinary boxes- meat free, no eggs or butter, full of flavor and  color. Perfect/

These are the star players

The highlighters are the coconut milk and chickpeas, along with the greens. Ms. Roman recommended Swiss chard or kale.I went with a mix of baby spinach and kale.

It's first cutting up the onion.Use a yellow one as Ms. Roman recommends.It does impart a sweeter flavor than the white ones,

Then an inch of finely chopped ginger (mine was a tad too chunky, which kind of is a jolt when you get  it in a spoonful.

Turmeric gives it an Indian vibe.One and a half teaspoons were needed but I felt it was just a little too bland so I amped it up to two teaspoons for a real impact.

Along with hot pepper flakes about one teaspoon, but I love heat, especially on a cold night so another teaspoon was added.

Two cans of chickpeas drained. Remember to save the aquafaba (for cocoa dusted meringues!)

Fry all of these in a large pot using a half cup of olive oil. (it originally was a 1/4 cup but I felt it wan't enough.)

Add the garlic, onion, spices and chickpeas and fry until chickpeas are crispy and brown.

Then add two cans of full fat coconut milk. I used Goya.

and two cups of vegetable broth I used Swanson's.

Onto the greens. My pick - Stop & Shop mix of kale and baby spinach.

This is the stew before.

And after.

It was delicious with naan, with a variety of different flavors melding together. It was a burst of sunny heat on a chilly night. I have a lot left over and it will be even better reheated over rice.

The Most Perfect Pop

What's movie night without popcorn, especially popcorn that's been made on a stove top?There's nothing like it, with the fluffy kernels buttered and salted to perfection.Now it can be made even better - if that's at all possible.

Melissa Clark tackled this in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section, She had been making stove top corn the way everyone has for decades, cook them in oil and then coat them in melted butter and salt. That changed when she had Jessica Koslow's recipe.Ms. Koslow is the owner and chef of the trendy Los Angeles eatery, Sqirl, She has a knack for taking the familiar and turning it into the extraordinary. Her toast is what put her on the map. Slices of brioche are toasted until burnt then  slathered with creamy ricotta and served in a puddle of homemade jam. Her tweaks are not for the faint of heart home chef - or family popcorn popper .She uses two to three times the amount of oil for cooking the kernels. Think half a cup of oil for one third of a cup of popcorn kernels.That much oil gives the corn a richness and the fluffy whites a sturdy extra crunchiness, what Chef Koslow calls "potato chip sturdiness"/Her way of seasoning is also different. Toss the kernels in dry ones before cooking. That way the fluffy whites aren't sogged down by the  seasonings .

What kind of popcorn and what kind of oil should be used? Ms. Clark doesn't give suggestions on the first. Some food blogs recommend Amish Country which you can buy on Amazon. An easier buy is Orville Redenbacher .from your local grocery store. As for the oil, Chef Koslow recommends grapeseed for its' high smoke point and clean flavor, but you can use another other oil such as sunflower, safflower, canola and corn. Ghee can also be used.Ms. Clark pops hers in a mixture of oil and butter for a buttery taste without the sogginess. She has also combined oils with low smoke point fats such as duck(!) and bacon (!).If you want flavored corn, then stick with dried seasonings such as ground spices, seeds, chiles, nutritional yeast,seasoned salts and dehydrated herbs. Stay away from anything with a high moisture content such as Parmesan cheese lemon zest and fresh herbs.They'll turn the popped kernels into mush. The recipes included are a spicy Pimenton or smoked paprika, a vegan cheesy one that has nutritional yeast filling in for the real thing, and one that's combines cane sugar with turmeric for a unique take on kettle corn. Any of the three is the perfect snack for movie night or or even as an appetizer at a barbecue.


A good movie deserves good popcorn. Pop them this new way with more oil for the ultimate snack experience. Just remember to make a lot. This flavorful new corn will be more of a hit than the movie.

Stuffed: From Empenadas To Pasties

Stuffed foods are always fun foods. How many times have we bit into a pasty and enjoyed the savory  middle.Or sunk our teeth into a Jamaican patty, relishing the mixture of spices and beef. They're a wonderful marriage of crusty shell with flavorful stuffing.

Meat and vegetable pastries are nothing new. They have been around since the 1200,s and were even given a Royal Charter from Henry III of England, The recipe was part of an early cookbook, LeViander while another cookbook from 1393 offered a recipe for meat pies or pastes stuffed with venison, veal, beef or mutton.Pasties are part of the Cornish culture in southwest England, where miners used to take them for their lunches as they descended into the surrounding tin mines. These mini meat pies are known for their flaky crusts, made of a short crust dough and delicious fillings of skirt steak  and lamb, using mixed with mashed potatoes and onions. There are also vegetable ones stuffed with swede or turnip along with potatoes or onions. It spawned the Jamaican beef patty when the English took over the island. There it got a redoing thanks to the inclusion of  cumin and curry along with the ultra fiery taste of the Scotch bonnet pepper. The crust, still in the traditional "D" shape color became a rich golden hue thanks to adding either egg yolk or turmeric.Jamaican home and professional chefs expanded the variety by including seafood such as lobster and shrimp along with pork and soy.

Latin and South Americans have their own version , the empenada first made in the Galacia region of northern Spain and Portugal around the time of the spice trade .The name comes from the Spanish word empanar to wrap or coat with bread.It is the Argentinians who elevated the recipe to a high art. The crust is a mix of wheat flour and beef drippings,similar to Yorkshire pudding while the fillings vary from province to province. Fillings range from typical such as chicken and beef to raisins, boiled eggs and olives. Some also have ham or sweet corn inside too and they can be either baked or fried..There are special ones for Lent and Easter filled with tuna and fish. The Arabs have something similar in fatayer.,Its' spinach and onion filling is spiked with cumin. Arab cuisine is also responsible for the Indian samosas. These delights were introduced to the Indian subcontinent around the 1300' to 1400s. from traders. They are also called shingaras in East India and are fried to a crunchy, golden crisp. Both pies are filled with peas,potatoes,onions and almonds along with chutney and yogurt.

Whether it's pastie or empenada or samosa,  a meat or vegetable pie s a great treat. Have it for a snack or as a light meal with a salad. They're flavorful and fun.

Chili Chasers

This is the weather for hot food both temperature and taste wise. There's nothing  like a fiery  dish, full of exotic flavors to warm you from head to toe. It'll keep you toasty ,perfect for battling all these Arctic temps.

Chilis will give any dish fire and heat.Cooking with them is fun but it does come with a few caveats. The spiciness comes with the seeds where it's at its strongest. You may ant to handle the peppers wearing rubber gloves to avoid any major skin irritationsa. add them to a rich chili, full of different beans and tomatoes.The recipe is flexible. You can add beef for a hearty dish  while chicken and turkey give you a lighter one. Soy crumbles can be tossed in for a healthier vegan version.For a blood boiling heat add two tablespoons of fresh jalapenos along with two heaping tablespoons of chili powder. . To temper the fieriness serve it with mild side dishes like polenta, rice or even cornbread. You can also add a layer of just plain Saltines or tortilla chips. Chilis are not just relegated to the dish with the same name. Make a hot chili salsa for just chips or add a layer of sautéed and chopped jalapenos on hamburgers and hot dogs as a five alarm relish.

Indian curries can be both delicious and spicy.These are also perfect chill chasers and sunny bright pick me ups on bleak winter days .They're also loaded with health benefits, thanks to the addition of both turmeric and cumin, Like chili , curry recipes can be flexible. A chicken curry is always good but so is one with chickpeas and cauliflower. Most of the dishes are braises which  means that the ingredients are seared at a high hear first and then covered with liquid in a pot. It's an easy cook. For a real six alarm stunner try phall. This is a  super fiery dish that has twelve (yes twelve!) chilis added along with an ounce of fresh ginger and two tablespoons of chili powder. Garam masala is also added. This is a mix of lack and white peppercorns,  cloves, cinnamon and mace, with the addition of cardamom , bay leaf and caraway.If it's too not then cut back on the chilis and only use six.Another dish, vindaloo a popular dish from the eastern province of Goa, and is a dish of pork marinated in wines, vinegar and spices.It was originally from the Potuguese carne de vinha d'alhos. and can be also made with chicken or beef. marinated in cayenne and fresh ginger . Serve with basmati or jasmine rice to cool off.

The weather outside is frightful however a fiery chili or curry inside can be delightful. Make either to ward off those chills and freezing temps You'll feel all warm and sunny inside.

A Rainbow Of Spices

Indian food is a variety of so many different colors and tastes.It reflects this mysterious, ancient country with it's exotics recipes and amazing ingredients.It is also a fun cuisine to cook,from it's" appetizers to desserts. There's a new cookbook put there showcasing these, and they are the perfect dishes to welcome in the summer. The cookbook is Spices And Seasons,Simple Sustainable Indian Flavors (Hippocrene Books,New York)written by Rinku Bhattacharya.This is her second book and she has written for newspapers and appeared on television.I love this book, not just because I love Indian food but because Ms. Bhattacharya also explains and show how to make your own arsenal of Indian spices.These are vital in creating the right flavor and can be made for a few pennies.Not only that she lists the health benefits of them as well. Another plus is that she uses farm fresh vegetables from the far den.With spices, such as turmeric and cardamon ,mixed with tomatoes, peppers and eggplants she creates dishes that are not only flavorful but also better than any tonic or medicine.These recipes are also the direct opposite of Indian take out which is usually sodden with cream and butter.Most of her recipes don't have these, opting for a tiny bit of ghee or clarified butter.Even the dessert recipes such as the Ginger and cardamon cookies and the frozen treat, raspberry mufti are far from being rich. The other recipes are drool worthy.This is not all curry, although there are recipes for it.There is also chutney ones and many focus on dal, the creamy lentil dish that's made a variety of ways.You could try lentils with cabbage or slow simmered for a tasty dinner.Ms. Bhattacharya includes some great recipes for these warm days.Tofu is put on skewers with tomatoes and onions.There's a long list of salads to choose from ,such as a black ,bean corn and stone fruit one and an essential Indian one that have cucumbers and tomatoes drenched in spices and dusted with crushed peanuts.Eggplants and potatoes are curried with tomatoes to create a light summer dinner.There recipes for winter too,fiery pilafs that contain chickpeas and mushrooms.Another is a chicken orzo spiced one ,fragrant with cinnamon, cardamon and saffron.A different kind of holiday dish is the Surprise The Guests Pink Chicken Biryani, chicken cooked with a tomato rich tika sauce. Breads are a must at an Indian table and there are several recipes to choose from naan to parathas.There's even a version of crostini which is perfect for dipping into the curries or dal's. Spices And Seasons, Simple , Sustainable Indian Flavors, is a great cookbook for any Indian food lover like myself. it also is a great book for a home chef wanting to try cooking of the Subcontinent too. The recipes are flavorful and healthy, a perfect combination for modern eating.

The Spice of Sri Lanka Cooking

Sri Lanka conjures up bright colors and fiery spices.The same is true for their foods. They are hot yet sweet, flavorful yet full of regular ingredients. A dish from this tropical island is the perfect antidote for a cold day's dinner.

Dave Tanis tried Sri Lankan food in his City Kitchen  column in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. His recipe is the tasty and flavorful coconut chicken curry with cashews. This is a meal to make either for guests or simply for a regular weekday. it;s also the perfect chill chaser with turmeric and cayenne to give it heat. Sri Lankan food is similar to Southern Indian food  and the dish is laced with the spicy coriander and, cardamon and ginger.> Cashews are added for crunch and  they work well with the chicken , Tanis uses.

Sri Lankan food is pretty easy to make, especially if you're familiar with cooking  southern Indian food. it is highly spiced, perfect to go with the tea the island is known for (remember  that Sri Lanka was formerly known as  Ceylon and was a huge tea colony under British rule)Cashews are also a hallmark of the cuisine and the Portuguese who also ruled the island in the 1600's. Coconut milk is also used in the dish. Rice is usually served.with it but if you want you can also serve roti to scoop up the sauce and meat.

There's nothing like a fragrant hot meal from an exotic country to liven up a winter's table. Try this dish to give color and flavor to your dinner or party. It's like a culinary vacation for your palate.