During these hard times we have to get back to basics. Usually that means cutting out the lunch whether it's at a four star restaurant or Wendy's. There's nothing wrong with brown bagging it and it's always fun to create your own sandwiches. This food item, more than any other has a million variations.
If you want, get a good loaf of fresh baked rye or pumpernickel. Having this as your sandwich base adds another facet to the basic bread meat bread combo. The bread's texture is chewy , perfect for "hearty" meat s like ham and pastrami. You can just add a slick of sharp mustard or plain mayonnaise . A cold roast beef sandwich on pumpernickel is always a good choice. Just add a few grains of sea salt and a small, quick dash of cracked pepper to bring out the meat's deep rich taste and you're good to go. You can also put deviled ham mixed with mayo and celery seeds on this as well .
If you want a more traditional lunch, then stick with rolls. There are so many out there. My favorite is the onion pocket with has a small pocket of moist onions. This is excellent with ham . Another favorite is the egg roll where the bread is a deep, intense yellow. This is due to the large amount of eggs in the recipe. I usually like these stuffed with a chicken salad, the recipe came from Au Bon Pain years ago. It's simple to make. Just take a can of Underwood deviled chicken, mix with about two to three heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise and add about a tablespoon of dried tarragon. I've even made this for fancy luncheons, subbing croissants for the rolls. Sliced turkey and chicken are also good with egg rolls, especially if it's from left over roasters. Somehow sandwich meat tastes better if it's fresh carved off the bone.
For vegans., there's the good mix of tomatoes and soy cheese (or even mozzarella) with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of basil.Sliced red and yellow peppers are also good, served on a crusty roll . Put a few slices of artisanal goat cheese (consider this your one foodie luxury). For any veggie sandwich also consider a mash of olive sand capers to give them some texture and crunch.
Don't discount a simple sandwich. It's a great way of breaking up a day, not being too heavy but at the same time not being too light. It's a perfect meal to hod you over til dinner.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Rise Of The Mega Food Store
Americans love everything big. Houses. Portions. Even our kids and animals. It's no surprise that our supermarkets are huge warehouses , selling everything under the sun. here you can buy lobster, fresh baked bread, cleaning supplies and birthday cards. There's every kind of meat, cookie, veggie and fruit all under one enormous roof.
Yesterday my Mom and I visited a local Super Stop and Shop. I remember when these were smaller grocery stores, they still had a good meat and deli section along with an excellent selection of national brands. The new super kind surpasses it. We were agog with the vast of array of well priced cupcakes (24 for $14.99. That's like a little over a buck and a half each- excellent buy) and the variety of freshly made breads. They even have that rare loaf, the marble rye. Stop and Shop's deli counter looked like one block in length.Amazing. The store had long aisles full of any variety, generic and national brand. We only bought a few needed things, but promised to go back for a proper shop.
The rise of the mega grocery store isn't new. It's been happening here for the last ten to fifteen years. it probably has something to do with Costco, the company who has everything under the sun in a huge warehouse like building. the smaller chains couldn't compete with this (although you do need a paid membership to belong to one) and decided to enlarge. it seems we're the benefactors. Now chains like the A&P and Shop Rite along with Stop and Shop all have mega stores. These are great for suburban shoppers like myself who don't live within walking distance of a store. I can buy a week to two week sworth of food and supplies at these mammoth groceries. In the meantime I can pick up some fresh baked cookies, bread and fresh cut cold cuts for my dinner or lunch. They also have fried chicken , meatl oaf, grilled veggies and an array of salad s in case I want to o some entertaining.
The Mega food store is as much a prt of Americna life these days as voting or a bad economy. We love everyhing supersized things - including our supermarkets.
Yesterday my Mom and I visited a local Super Stop and Shop. I remember when these were smaller grocery stores, they still had a good meat and deli section along with an excellent selection of national brands. The new super kind surpasses it. We were agog with the vast of array of well priced cupcakes (24 for $14.99. That's like a little over a buck and a half each- excellent buy) and the variety of freshly made breads. They even have that rare loaf, the marble rye. Stop and Shop's deli counter looked like one block in length.Amazing. The store had long aisles full of any variety, generic and national brand. We only bought a few needed things, but promised to go back for a proper shop.
The rise of the mega grocery store isn't new. It's been happening here for the last ten to fifteen years. it probably has something to do with Costco, the company who has everything under the sun in a huge warehouse like building. the smaller chains couldn't compete with this (although you do need a paid membership to belong to one) and decided to enlarge. it seems we're the benefactors. Now chains like the A&P and Shop Rite along with Stop and Shop all have mega stores. These are great for suburban shoppers like myself who don't live within walking distance of a store. I can buy a week to two week sworth of food and supplies at these mammoth groceries. In the meantime I can pick up some fresh baked cookies, bread and fresh cut cold cuts for my dinner or lunch. They also have fried chicken , meatl oaf, grilled veggies and an array of salad s in case I want to o some entertaining.
The Mega food store is as much a prt of Americna life these days as voting or a bad economy. We love everyhing supersized things - including our supermarkets.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Manhattan's Finest Its' Bakeries
Manhattan is an amazing island. It's really a foodie's version of Eden. You can get Chinese on one corner, Italian on the next , and Belgian frites across the way. It's also a mecca for great bakeries. too. After all it is the birthplace of the cookie.
New York is teeming right now with cupcakes, thanks to Sex and the City along with the famed Magnolia Bakery down on Bleeker Street. There is also Billy's bakery that makes the same versions and then some. New York cupcakes are what other cupcakes should aspire to. There's a dense , rich cake topped with a mound of butter cream icing and some decorations whether they be sprinkles, chocolate chips or silver dragees. Cakes are phenomenal, with everything from red velvet to cannoli cream filled ones.
Since this island birthed the cookie during the Dutch rule (and is a variation of a Dutch based fried cake), expect to find any and every kind. There is the black and white - made famous on that epitome of al l New York shows, "Seinfeld" along with buttery ruggalah and Lindzer tortes. There are some good small French meringues too, belonging to some of the city's best patisseries.
This is also the island for bread. You can get every kind, from Jewish rye and challah to loaves of crusty French and Italian. There is also German pumpernickel and Arab flat bread as well to fit the variety of sandwich fillings out there too.
Manhattan has some amazing sites , most of them belonging to the food industry. If you're visiting the island, make Manhattan's bakeries your first stop.
New York is teeming right now with cupcakes, thanks to Sex and the City along with the famed Magnolia Bakery down on Bleeker Street. There is also Billy's bakery that makes the same versions and then some. New York cupcakes are what other cupcakes should aspire to. There's a dense , rich cake topped with a mound of butter cream icing and some decorations whether they be sprinkles, chocolate chips or silver dragees. Cakes are phenomenal, with everything from red velvet to cannoli cream filled ones.
Since this island birthed the cookie during the Dutch rule (and is a variation of a Dutch based fried cake), expect to find any and every kind. There is the black and white - made famous on that epitome of al l New York shows, "Seinfeld" along with buttery ruggalah and Lindzer tortes. There are some good small French meringues too, belonging to some of the city's best patisseries.
This is also the island for bread. You can get every kind, from Jewish rye and challah to loaves of crusty French and Italian. There is also German pumpernickel and Arab flat bread as well to fit the variety of sandwich fillings out there too.
Manhattan has some amazing sites , most of them belonging to the food industry. If you're visiting the island, make Manhattan's bakeries your first stop.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Lincoln's Foods
This week, February 12th , marks the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. His family was very much like my father's ancestors, frontiersmen making do in a new Eden. Some dishes, popular in Lincoln's Indiana and Kentucky are still eaten today. There's the spicy stew burgoo and barbecue, a sweet mix of sauce and pulled pork. Squirrel and raccoon was eaten back then, as I'm sure , snake was. Thankfully, people have lost their taste for those meats.
Burgoo was a popular dish that everyone made. My great granny Roberts was an excellent cook and had her recipes for it. Burgoo came from 17th century English sailors and it was originally a thin gruel made of bulghur and cooked like a ragout. Say these two words quickly and it sounds like "burgoo." Another explanation is a slurring of "bird stew." Early burgoo recipes were great ways of getting rid of leftover game and vegetables. Most families and restaurants have their own recipes, with some using more beef and tomato or others using chicken and peppers. Originally cooked over a fire in a steel pot you can now make burgoo in a crock pot, letting it simmer for two hours. The tastiest ones have a mix of chicken, beef and pork cut along with veggies such as corn, tomato, okra along with red and green peppers. Seasoning is up to you. It usually has a sweet, spicy taste so you can add one or two tablespoons of brown sugar or molasses. A few shakes of cayenne and cracked black pepper won't go amiss here either. Burgoo can be frozen and microwaved for later meals.
Another dish, that was getting started in Lincoln's youth was barbecue. This was a passion of mine , pulled pork (and later soy meat) drenched in a spicy vinegar based sauce. In Lincoln's day cooks may have used mutton thanks to the extensive sheep farms in western Kentucky. The sauce was probably a mix of vinegar, water, molasses and spices and added to the meat. Carolinians and Virginians probably brought this dish with them when they claimed land s in the west. For th e last almost one hundred year barbecue has been served on a soft bun and eaten with a Coke . The dish was called "a soak and a Coke" as my dad and aunt would have said. Sadly enough you can't get it here in North Jersey although there are a few places in South NJ that do make it.
Basically Abraham Lincoln ate American foods; variations first brought over from his English and Colonial American ancestors. Foods like burgoo and barbecue are still being served today. Their taste is part of what makes America great, using traditions of the past for today's meals.
Burgoo was a popular dish that everyone made. My great granny Roberts was an excellent cook and had her recipes for it. Burgoo came from 17th century English sailors and it was originally a thin gruel made of bulghur and cooked like a ragout. Say these two words quickly and it sounds like "burgoo." Another explanation is a slurring of "bird stew." Early burgoo recipes were great ways of getting rid of leftover game and vegetables. Most families and restaurants have their own recipes, with some using more beef and tomato or others using chicken and peppers. Originally cooked over a fire in a steel pot you can now make burgoo in a crock pot, letting it simmer for two hours. The tastiest ones have a mix of chicken, beef and pork cut along with veggies such as corn, tomato, okra along with red and green peppers. Seasoning is up to you. It usually has a sweet, spicy taste so you can add one or two tablespoons of brown sugar or molasses. A few shakes of cayenne and cracked black pepper won't go amiss here either. Burgoo can be frozen and microwaved for later meals.
Another dish, that was getting started in Lincoln's youth was barbecue. This was a passion of mine , pulled pork (and later soy meat) drenched in a spicy vinegar based sauce. In Lincoln's day cooks may have used mutton thanks to the extensive sheep farms in western Kentucky. The sauce was probably a mix of vinegar, water, molasses and spices and added to the meat. Carolinians and Virginians probably brought this dish with them when they claimed land s in the west. For th e last almost one hundred year barbecue has been served on a soft bun and eaten with a Coke . The dish was called "a soak and a Coke" as my dad and aunt would have said. Sadly enough you can't get it here in North Jersey although there are a few places in South NJ that do make it.
Basically Abraham Lincoln ate American foods; variations first brought over from his English and Colonial American ancestors. Foods like burgoo and barbecue are still being served today. Their taste is part of what makes America great, using traditions of the past for today's meals.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Cauliflower The Most Versatile Veggie
I get excited every time I see cauliflower. Why? Because it's a vegetable you can do a million things with and each way is always so delicious. Not only that but certain grocery stores are having sales on it. That alone should make it popular in these dollar challenged times.
The plant is a member of the Brassicacae family and more specifically brassica oleraca and is a cousin to kale , Brussels sprouts and broccoli. it is a cruciferous veggie and is loaded with cancer fighting sulfurophanes. These keeps estrogen levels down as well as providing much needed Vitamin C and folate.Cauliflower also has sulphur containing phyto nutrients that help detox the liver. The vegetable is low in calories and an excellent diet food.
What I love about this veggie is its' versatility. It's pure heaven when it's breaded and fried. It's makes a nutty, creamy soup as well as being delicious in a light cream sauce. It adds to any big meal , complimenting poultry and beef. Cauliflower is also a good crudite. The little white florets are fun to snack on raw with a healthy dip such as olive oil and red pepper. It can even be used as a substitute for potatoes and you can make a mashed cauliflower dish. (it's known as fauxtato).
Buy cauliflowers now that they're in season. They're so versatile. You can make them fried for lunch and then save the rest for a warm creamy bisque for the weekend. They're the best food bargain out there right now.
Breaded Cauliflower Recipe (my mom's/family recipe)
1 medium sized cauliflower washed and broken into pieces
2-3 eggs beaten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (you can add dashes of sea salt and cracked pepper to this if you like)
4 tablespoons margarine and two tablespoons olive oil for frying.
Boil cauliflower in unsalted water for about ten minutes . DON'T overcook or the pieces will fall apart in tiny bits. After boiling, drain and cool.
While the cauliflower is cooling off heat margarine and olive oil in a skillet over a low flame. Dip cauliflower florets in egg until evenly coated and then dredge in breadcrumbs. Fry until brown. You should have fifteen large pieces of cauliflower.
The plant is a member of the Brassicacae family and more specifically brassica oleraca and is a cousin to kale , Brussels sprouts and broccoli. it is a cruciferous veggie and is loaded with cancer fighting sulfurophanes. These keeps estrogen levels down as well as providing much needed Vitamin C and folate.Cauliflower also has sulphur containing phyto nutrients that help detox the liver. The vegetable is low in calories and an excellent diet food.
What I love about this veggie is its' versatility. It's pure heaven when it's breaded and fried. It's makes a nutty, creamy soup as well as being delicious in a light cream sauce. It adds to any big meal , complimenting poultry and beef. Cauliflower is also a good crudite. The little white florets are fun to snack on raw with a healthy dip such as olive oil and red pepper. It can even be used as a substitute for potatoes and you can make a mashed cauliflower dish. (it's known as fauxtato).
Buy cauliflowers now that they're in season. They're so versatile. You can make them fried for lunch and then save the rest for a warm creamy bisque for the weekend. They're the best food bargain out there right now.
Breaded Cauliflower Recipe (my mom's/family recipe)
1 medium sized cauliflower washed and broken into pieces
2-3 eggs beaten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (you can add dashes of sea salt and cracked pepper to this if you like)
4 tablespoons margarine and two tablespoons olive oil for frying.
Boil cauliflower in unsalted water for about ten minutes . DON'T overcook or the pieces will fall apart in tiny bits. After boiling, drain and cool.
While the cauliflower is cooling off heat margarine and olive oil in a skillet over a low flame. Dip cauliflower florets in egg until evenly coated and then dredge in breadcrumbs. Fry until brown. You should have fifteen large pieces of cauliflower.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Avocados - Good Tasting And Good For You
if you think avocados are just for guacamole , think again. This fruit is wonderful in salads and with eggs. It's also good just on it's own , thanks to its' rich buttery taste and texture. Avocados are very healthy for you , lowering cholesterol.
The fruit is a cousin of a pear and it has the same kind of shape as an Anjou pear. The name itself is derived from Nahuatl word and was indigenous to Mexico. Avocados are high in potassium which helps lower cholesterol. They also help to boost the immune system so incorporate them into your diet this winter.warning though., They are high in calories and fat. having one or tow a week is fine.
Avocados should be firm yet yielding to the touch when ripe. Try to pick them when they're in the ripening stage. If you do pick unripe ones just let them sit on the table or in a bag with an apple or banana to speed up the ripening process. Try not to have too much leftover because they blacken quickly and resemble mulch. I usually like mine with some sliced tomatoes and onions with a light dousing of oil and vinegar. You can mash them and put them on toast for a healthy breakfast or as a burger topping (known as a California burger).
Avocados are a good , healthy fruit, perfect for the winter. They will help you lower your cholesterol and amp up your immune system. have a few on hand for some salads or as a nice sandwich topping.
The fruit is a cousin of a pear and it has the same kind of shape as an Anjou pear. The name itself is derived from Nahuatl word and was indigenous to Mexico. Avocados are high in potassium which helps lower cholesterol. They also help to boost the immune system so incorporate them into your diet this winter.warning though., They are high in calories and fat. having one or tow a week is fine.
Avocados should be firm yet yielding to the touch when ripe. Try to pick them when they're in the ripening stage. If you do pick unripe ones just let them sit on the table or in a bag with an apple or banana to speed up the ripening process. Try not to have too much leftover because they blacken quickly and resemble mulch. I usually like mine with some sliced tomatoes and onions with a light dousing of oil and vinegar. You can mash them and put them on toast for a healthy breakfast or as a burger topping (known as a California burger).
Avocados are a good , healthy fruit, perfect for the winter. They will help you lower your cholesterol and amp up your immune system. have a few on hand for some salads or as a nice sandwich topping.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Foods To Soothe A Foodie's Tummy
A foodie's life may be a great one but he or she has to have a strong stomach. Our kind love everything from the spiciest to the iciest when it comes to food and drink. However our stomachs may not like what we eat. What to do? Well, there could be that ever present bottle of Tums or Rolaids or you can fight fire with fire. There are a few foods that settle a dyspeptic tummy.
Ginger is one of the best cures for any upset stomach or nausea. I always have some on hand that I can eat right from the canister or drop a cube or two into my tea. It's been soothing stomachs since the beginning of timeand was considered a digestive aid in Colonial America. Ginger ale, beer or tea is perfect for anyone suffering through a bad stomach flu. The ginger will stop and settle the nauseous feelings while the sugar and liquid stave off any dehydration. Ginger is also good for curing motion sickness so have it in the car for long trips. You can buy the Ginger People's Ginger Chews for this. One or two taken with hot or cold tea should do the trick.
I found that peppermint is another good tummy soother. I always have a tin of the uber mints, Altoids in my bag. These little dynamos have gotten me through some greasy, spicy meals and their aftereffects for the years.Peppermint is good in tea and help a roiled stomach after a big lunch or dinner. Have a box of it at the ready for just such occasions. It may be a little daunting if you have some kin d of stomach bug however. Use it in moderation if you feel a little off. Ginger is the better choice here.
Don't reach for the Tums or Rolaids right away if you're not feeling quite right. Try the foodie remedy of all natural ginger or peppermint to cure an upset stomach. You'll feel better . Trust me.
Ginger is one of the best cures for any upset stomach or nausea. I always have some on hand that I can eat right from the canister or drop a cube or two into my tea. It's been soothing stomachs since the beginning of timeand was considered a digestive aid in Colonial America. Ginger ale, beer or tea is perfect for anyone suffering through a bad stomach flu. The ginger will stop and settle the nauseous feelings while the sugar and liquid stave off any dehydration. Ginger is also good for curing motion sickness so have it in the car for long trips. You can buy the Ginger People's Ginger Chews for this. One or two taken with hot or cold tea should do the trick.
I found that peppermint is another good tummy soother. I always have a tin of the uber mints, Altoids in my bag. These little dynamos have gotten me through some greasy, spicy meals and their aftereffects for the years.Peppermint is good in tea and help a roiled stomach after a big lunch or dinner. Have a box of it at the ready for just such occasions. It may be a little daunting if you have some kin d of stomach bug however. Use it in moderation if you feel a little off. Ginger is the better choice here.
Don't reach for the Tums or Rolaids right away if you're not feeling quite right. Try the foodie remedy of all natural ginger or peppermint to cure an upset stomach. You'll feel better . Trust me.
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