The New York metro area will be inundated with all things German this weekend in honor of Revolutionary War hero, baron Von Steuben. The baron was one of our first European supporters along with General Lafayette and he helped turn the tide of the Revolution. To honor him New York City has its; annual Steuben Day parade. This is where German and German American groups combine to make for one wild food loving weekend.
The best part about the whole celebratory weekend is the food. German food rocks (albeit it , it’s a little heavy). There is always so much great tasting food , from wiener schnitzel or breaded veal to bratwurst which is the grand daddy of the American hot dog. I will be attending the parade with my class from China (I now teach ESL) who are new to America. They’re looking forward to the sites, sounds and , of course, the food. They’re college freshmen with very little travel knowledge and culinary experience(well except growing up on the American chains that invaded China). Eating anything from a hot salty pretzel to trying roast pork with spaetzle with be a new experience for them.
Of course anything German also means pastry as well I plan on having some today but also tomorrow when I visit another celebration down at the German Club, in Clark new Jersey. Here the club offers everything sweet, from bee sting cake to strudel to Black Forest. There are also blueberry and plum cake slices to enjoy as well. It is a fun time especially food wise. The club also sets up an ice cream stand where you can have fresh made ice cream drizzled with brandy (or with fruit for the kids).There’s also dancing and contests
This weekend I plan on celebrating my Swabian German heritage by attending the Steuben Day Parade. I will also celebrate this rich culinary history as well. There’s nothing like a weekend filled with spaeztle , bratwurst and cake!!!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Food Of The Rising Sun
Recently I wrote about Bento boxes , one small aspect of Japanese cuisine. However the Land of The Rising Sun has many different and delicious dishes. Some are native, some taken from the Portuguese sailors who once traded with the islands. It is a varied menu, full of soups, fried, raw and cooked foods.
Most Americans only know sushi and the Benihana style of Japanese cooking. Yet there's so much more. there's tempura, taken from the Portuguese which is fried batter dipped veggies. These are wonderful if done right and usually can be ordered as an appetizer or a main meal. There is also yakitori a savory sweet chicken kabob. Sometimes just the chicken is served sans skewers with just the yakitori sauce, It's usually made with mirin or sake and maple syrup or honey. Another favorite is miso soup, a clear broth made from fermented barley rice or soy beans seasoning,. Vegetables or tofu is usually added . A pork version called tonjiro is also popular.
Of course there is sushi. This is a staple now in American diet and is the fun Saturday night out go to meal. it's nothing more than vinegared rice with veggies or fish added. There are four different types of sushi, Nigiri-sushi: which is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice.
Maki-zushi:or"roll sushi", this is where rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed or nori and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and then cut into smaller pieces. Then there is temaki. It's basically the same as others except that it's rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll".
The last is chirashi: or"scattered". Chirashi involves fresh sea food, vegetables or other ingredients being placed on top of sushi rice in a bowl or dish.
Japanese food is an amazing and mouth watering array of different tastes and textures. it;'s been influenced b y tradition and foreigners, the land and the sea. It reflects the many facets of an ancient yet totally modern country in tune with itself and its' people.
Most Americans only know sushi and the Benihana style of Japanese cooking. Yet there's so much more. there's tempura, taken from the Portuguese which is fried batter dipped veggies. These are wonderful if done right and usually can be ordered as an appetizer or a main meal. There is also yakitori a savory sweet chicken kabob. Sometimes just the chicken is served sans skewers with just the yakitori sauce, It's usually made with mirin or sake and maple syrup or honey. Another favorite is miso soup, a clear broth made from fermented barley rice or soy beans seasoning,. Vegetables or tofu is usually added . A pork version called tonjiro is also popular.
Of course there is sushi. This is a staple now in American diet and is the fun Saturday night out go to meal. it's nothing more than vinegared rice with veggies or fish added. There are four different types of sushi, Nigiri-sushi: which is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice.
Maki-zushi:or"roll sushi", this is where rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed or nori and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and then cut into smaller pieces. Then there is temaki. It's basically the same as others except that it's rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll".
The last is chirashi: or"scattered". Chirashi involves fresh sea food, vegetables or other ingredients being placed on top of sushi rice in a bowl or dish.
Japanese food is an amazing and mouth watering array of different tastes and textures. it;'s been influenced b y tradition and foreigners, the land and the sea. It reflects the many facets of an ancient yet totally modern country in tune with itself and its' people.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Season For Rosh Hashana
There was an interesting article in the Times food section yesterday. It was about celebrating the upcoming holiday Rosh Hashana as it was celebrated in `1919. In some ways , the recipes haven't changed in ninety years.There are the still traditional ones that can be eaten today and are even considered comfort food. if anything Jewish holiday cooking has become more mainstream , being adopted by other religions and ethnic groups.
The article, written by Joan Nathan , tell about a recreation village in Strawberry Banke, outside of Portsmouth , New Hampshire. Other ethnic groups are represented such as the English who founded the area There were a small group of Eastern European Jews who also emigrated there, primarily for the farming. Many owned the local chicken farms which played an integral part in local cooking. The primary reenactor is Barbara Ann Paster who portrays ShHiva Shapiro, an actual towns person there. She makes of all the recipes that the Shapiro family have given her. there are homemade bow tie noodles, chicken stuffed with kashi and honey and poppy seed cake.The dishes wouldn't seem out of place in a Rosh Hashana table of 2009.
The recipes are easy to follow even though they are time consuming. there isa great recipe for crispy kale (a staple in Jewish gardens of the era) that is simple to make, Anothe is for chicken stuffed with kasha or buckwheat. it;s almost reminiscent of Julia's Child's chicken except chicken fat is used where Child used butter.The poppy seed cake is involved but not so time consuming to make as any other holiday cake.
There's not much difference between holiday foods of the early Twentieth Century and today.It just requires a love of tradition and adhering to religious laws. otherwise it;s the same meal that has been enjoyed by generation after generation
The article, written by Joan Nathan , tell about a recreation village in Strawberry Banke, outside of Portsmouth , New Hampshire. Other ethnic groups are represented such as the English who founded the area There were a small group of Eastern European Jews who also emigrated there, primarily for the farming. Many owned the local chicken farms which played an integral part in local cooking. The primary reenactor is Barbara Ann Paster who portrays ShHiva Shapiro, an actual towns person there. She makes of all the recipes that the Shapiro family have given her. there are homemade bow tie noodles, chicken stuffed with kashi and honey and poppy seed cake.The dishes wouldn't seem out of place in a Rosh Hashana table of 2009.
The recipes are easy to follow even though they are time consuming. there isa great recipe for crispy kale (a staple in Jewish gardens of the era) that is simple to make, Anothe is for chicken stuffed with kasha or buckwheat. it;s almost reminiscent of Julia's Child's chicken except chicken fat is used where Child used butter.The poppy seed cake is involved but not so time consuming to make as any other holiday cake.
There's not much difference between holiday foods of the early Twentieth Century and today.It just requires a love of tradition and adhering to religious laws. otherwise it;s the same meal that has been enjoyed by generation after generation
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Steaked
There's nothing like a juicy cut of steak. What foodie hasn't enjoyed sinking his or her teeth into tender meat, seared on the top and tender on the inside.It's the carnivore in us. Yet a wonderful cut of meat can be rendered inedible with the wrong cooking methods. Another result of meat gone bad is buying the wrong cut. What's the best cut of steak ? That depneds on what you buy and howyou cook with it.
The first aspect to look for in buying steak are the grades. There are prime, choice and select. Most prime grade beef ends up in restaurants. What's left for the groceries and private butchers are choice and select. The best bet for your money is choice. The second facet of a good steak is marbling . The more fat it has, the tastier the cut will be. Yes, this is unhealthy so you can try for a leaner steak (but you won't have the rich flavor) A happy balance is one with a few veins of fat running through it. The cut of be f is also important as to what you want to do . There are the ribs, the short loin and the sirloin. The rib gives you the rib roast,the rib steak and the rib eye steak along with back ribs. This is the toughest of all the cuts and can be quite chewy if not cooked well. The short loin produces the T-bone, top loin steak, tenderloin and the Porterhouse. The sirloin gives us the sirloin steak, and the top sirloin. Other steaks like the chuck, round and flank steak come from those respective areas and tend to be tough cuts of meat. Strip steaks, like the New York cut is derived from the T-bone portion. Most people prefer this last for dinner because it is easy to pan fry and serve .
What's the best way of cooking steak? Everyone has their own ideas. Some love it seared over the grill with a charred exterior and juicy pink inside. Other, like myself, enjoy a pan fried steak. I usually fry mine in a combination of olive oil with a dab of butter along with some very small pieces of chopped garlic. This last is done to give the meat a more robust flavor. I also sprinkled fresh ground sea salt and cracked pepper over the meat as it's cooking too.
Steak is a wonderful treat. You just have to know what you're buying. This helps in creating the best lunch or dinner ever. A good steak done well is the perfect meal.
The first aspect to look for in buying steak are the grades. There are prime, choice and select. Most prime grade beef ends up in restaurants. What's left for the groceries and private butchers are choice and select. The best bet for your money is choice. The second facet of a good steak is marbling . The more fat it has, the tastier the cut will be. Yes, this is unhealthy so you can try for a leaner steak (but you won't have the rich flavor) A happy balance is one with a few veins of fat running through it. The cut of be f is also important as to what you want to do . There are the ribs, the short loin and the sirloin. The rib gives you the rib roast,the rib steak and the rib eye steak along with back ribs. This is the toughest of all the cuts and can be quite chewy if not cooked well. The short loin produces the T-bone, top loin steak, tenderloin and the Porterhouse. The sirloin gives us the sirloin steak, and the top sirloin. Other steaks like the chuck, round and flank steak come from those respective areas and tend to be tough cuts of meat. Strip steaks, like the New York cut is derived from the T-bone portion. Most people prefer this last for dinner because it is easy to pan fry and serve .
What's the best way of cooking steak? Everyone has their own ideas. Some love it seared over the grill with a charred exterior and juicy pink inside. Other, like myself, enjoy a pan fried steak. I usually fry mine in a combination of olive oil with a dab of butter along with some very small pieces of chopped garlic. This last is done to give the meat a more robust flavor. I also sprinkled fresh ground sea salt and cracked pepper over the meat as it's cooking too.
Steak is a wonderful treat. You just have to know what you're buying. This helps in creating the best lunch or dinner ever. A good steak done well is the perfect meal.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Eating On The Run
Let's face it. We're all on the run these days now that school has started and the office work load is gearing up towards a busy (well relatively busy) holiday season. It brings us to the problem of eating on the run. Where do you go? What do you do? What do you chow down on to keep you going til you drop exhausted into bed?
It pays to rise earlier than usual to make a fulfilling and satisfying breakfast. After all, this is the most important meal of the day This is a good time to fill up on those much needed proteins to keep you going. The problem is trying to get up instead of having that extra half hour or hour of sleep. I usually opt for the extra shut eye and just grab a piece of fruit fir a fast breakfast. If you have to stop at your local Dunkin Donuts or any fast food buy a quick breakfast sandwich along with a coffee or tea. Bagels are a another solution as well but they're high in calories and you're better or with a bran muffin. Another option is bring instant oatmeal with your to the office and eat it at your desk. It's nutritious and filling - maybe not the best breakfast ,but at least a breakfast.
Lunch and dinner tend to go by the wayside too. We tend to fill up on empty calories and fats thanks to all the drive through and little or no lunch hours.If you have to go fast food then try the healthier alternatives like Subway or Wendy's. Subway allows you to create a low calorie but satisfying lunch . The sandwich combos and dressings are always tasty too. Wendy's lets you to choose from a variety of yummy salads as well as healthy baked potatoes. Even their chili is a good lunch or even dinner. Which bring s up that subject - dinner. Fast food or frozen? Sometimes the best bet is making a fresh cooked meal but sticking to simple techniques: barbecue, grill and saute. A 1-2-3 suppercan be a can of tuna or sliced cold cutswith a salad and low fat dressing. make a Cobb or chef salad that can last two nights as well.
September begins the season of crazy hours and no time for proper sit down and relax meals.Try to avoid this by eating right. It's hard when you're on the go. Just don't go withhout or yoou'll be running on empty.
It pays to rise earlier than usual to make a fulfilling and satisfying breakfast. After all, this is the most important meal of the day This is a good time to fill up on those much needed proteins to keep you going. The problem is trying to get up instead of having that extra half hour or hour of sleep. I usually opt for the extra shut eye and just grab a piece of fruit fir a fast breakfast. If you have to stop at your local Dunkin Donuts or any fast food buy a quick breakfast sandwich along with a coffee or tea. Bagels are a another solution as well but they're high in calories and you're better or with a bran muffin. Another option is bring instant oatmeal with your to the office and eat it at your desk. It's nutritious and filling - maybe not the best breakfast ,but at least a breakfast.
Lunch and dinner tend to go by the wayside too. We tend to fill up on empty calories and fats thanks to all the drive through and little or no lunch hours.If you have to go fast food then try the healthier alternatives like Subway or Wendy's. Subway allows you to create a low calorie but satisfying lunch . The sandwich combos and dressings are always tasty too. Wendy's lets you to choose from a variety of yummy salads as well as healthy baked potatoes. Even their chili is a good lunch or even dinner. Which bring s up that subject - dinner. Fast food or frozen? Sometimes the best bet is making a fresh cooked meal but sticking to simple techniques: barbecue, grill and saute. A 1-2-3 suppercan be a can of tuna or sliced cold cutswith a salad and low fat dressing. make a Cobb or chef salad that can last two nights as well.
September begins the season of crazy hours and no time for proper sit down and relax meals.Try to avoid this by eating right. It's hard when you're on the go. Just don't go withhout or yoou'll be running on empty.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Good Breading
There’s nothing like a crispy fried piece of chicken, pork chop or even veggie. What makes these ordinary foods so delectable? The secret is breadcrumbs. A crispy fried or baked food starts off with a good coating. You can use the store bought or something of your own creation , American or Japanese.
A good rule of thumb is to always have a canister of bread crumbs in your kitchen. You can use them to thicken soups (like the Piedmontese pane pesto) or a quick additive to a sparse stuffing. You can buy the commercial made which come plain or Italian style. Another option is making your own. Use dry Not stale bread . Stale bread will mean stale breadcrumbs and you don’t; want your food to taste that way. If the bread is to fresh just dry it out. A better solution is using lightly toasted Italian or French bread. Slice and bake for ten minute sin a 300 degree oven. Cool and then add to your food processor Store in an air tight container. I fyou want you can add garlic, or onion powder as well any herb such as, oregano or thyme to flavor them. Herb flavored bread crumbs are perfect in making veal Milanese , chicken or eggplant parmesan.
Another craze right now is breading with the Japanese panko breadcrumbs. These are a finer , spicer version of our American version. The coating is much crisper and crunchier and goes well coating chicken and especially pork . Panko breadcrumbs can come in a bag or jar. Again these are easy to make. Instead of bread you use Saltines or oyster crackers. These are crushed and mixed with thyme , chili powder as well as dried basil and black pepper. The next step is drying these in 325 degrees Farenheit oven fro 6 to 8 minutes. You can freeze these or store these in a jar.
Breadcrumbs, especially homemade are a nice way to liven up a meal. There’s nothing like a crunchy chicken leg or pork cop with a light coating of crumbs. Even better consider breaded vegetables for a nice appetizer or hors’ d’oeuvre. Bread crumbs whether American or th e Japanese panko liven up any fried dish.
A good rule of thumb is to always have a canister of bread crumbs in your kitchen. You can use them to thicken soups (like the Piedmontese pane pesto) or a quick additive to a sparse stuffing. You can buy the commercial made which come plain or Italian style. Another option is making your own. Use dry Not stale bread . Stale bread will mean stale breadcrumbs and you don’t; want your food to taste that way. If the bread is to fresh just dry it out. A better solution is using lightly toasted Italian or French bread. Slice and bake for ten minute sin a 300 degree oven. Cool and then add to your food processor Store in an air tight container. I fyou want you can add garlic, or onion powder as well any herb such as, oregano or thyme to flavor them. Herb flavored bread crumbs are perfect in making veal Milanese , chicken or eggplant parmesan.
Another craze right now is breading with the Japanese panko breadcrumbs. These are a finer , spicer version of our American version. The coating is much crisper and crunchier and goes well coating chicken and especially pork . Panko breadcrumbs can come in a bag or jar. Again these are easy to make. Instead of bread you use Saltines or oyster crackers. These are crushed and mixed with thyme , chili powder as well as dried basil and black pepper. The next step is drying these in 325 degrees Farenheit oven fro 6 to 8 minutes. You can freeze these or store these in a jar.
Breadcrumbs, especially homemade are a nice way to liven up a meal. There’s nothing like a crunchy chicken leg or pork cop with a light coating of crumbs. Even better consider breaded vegetables for a nice appetizer or hors’ d’oeuvre. Bread crumbs whether American or th e Japanese panko liven up any fried dish.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Bake Sale Season
September ushers in a ton of things to do. There's school, soccer, dance , not to mention church socials and garage sales. Every one of these has one thing in common - bake sale. They're alo held to benefit some school or sports group. Teas sometimes have bakes sales as well as do yard sales. The question is what to bake and what would sell the best? What dough will bring in a lot of dough and garner huge sales?
The safest way is to bake your specialties or simple cakes and cookies. Also people are not going to go wild over anything too elaborate or too messy. Cookies are good. Even if you have to cheat and use the slice and bake logs, they still have a home baked taste and will be crowd pleasers. Molasses drop cookies are another bake sale favorite. Cupcakes are trendy right now, especially those made with homemade butter cream icing. They 're easy to whip up and decorate. All it takes is a couple of boxes of cake mix an easy butter cream recipe and some sprinkles.
Should you make the more elaborate cakes pies and tarts? Yes if one you're planning on selling individual pieces of cake and two, if you're thinking of selling the goods in their entirety. Remember that a homemade sweet is a nice gift for those invited to a Saturday night dinner or a Sunday brunch at someone's home. You don't have to go wild. A simple vanilla or chocolate Bundt cake is easy especially if it has an easy to create glaze on it. With pies you can already buy premade dough and cans of filling. You can also use any sort of pudding as a filling and top with Cool Whip. tarts can be made with the same kind of packaged dough but you can add fresh fruit like the current season of apples and raspberries.
Don't despair if you tapped to bake for a bake sales. There's a number of ways in which you can produce a money making tasty treat. It's just simply using dough to make dough.
The safest way is to bake your specialties or simple cakes and cookies. Also people are not going to go wild over anything too elaborate or too messy. Cookies are good. Even if you have to cheat and use the slice and bake logs, they still have a home baked taste and will be crowd pleasers. Molasses drop cookies are another bake sale favorite. Cupcakes are trendy right now, especially those made with homemade butter cream icing. They 're easy to whip up and decorate. All it takes is a couple of boxes of cake mix an easy butter cream recipe and some sprinkles.
Should you make the more elaborate cakes pies and tarts? Yes if one you're planning on selling individual pieces of cake and two, if you're thinking of selling the goods in their entirety. Remember that a homemade sweet is a nice gift for those invited to a Saturday night dinner or a Sunday brunch at someone's home. You don't have to go wild. A simple vanilla or chocolate Bundt cake is easy especially if it has an easy to create glaze on it. With pies you can already buy premade dough and cans of filling. You can also use any sort of pudding as a filling and top with Cool Whip. tarts can be made with the same kind of packaged dough but you can add fresh fruit like the current season of apples and raspberries.
Don't despair if you tapped to bake for a bake sales. There's a number of ways in which you can produce a money making tasty treat. It's just simply using dough to make dough.
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