Mm Mmm Good Weeds

Now that all the meat eating is over with, It's time to go green. The best place for that is surprisingly still in your back yard or even woods by your home. I'm talking heavy duty foraging It;'s a new again trend that Wednesday's Times Dining section picked up on. The problem is knowing what to pick.

The article, written by Oliver Strand and Joe DiStefano tells of New York's chefs taking a walk back into nature. Instead of choosing regular greens they try sea rocket or sea buckthorn, wild asparagus or morels. Some chefs even use Douglas fir needles. Foraging is not a new trend . Scandinavian cooks have been doing it for centuries, thanks to a lack of greens and an abundance of hearty weeds.

There is a caveat with foraging. Beware of what you pick. there are some goods books on the market as well as Internet sites that can help you. One is Ecosalon which has a good listing , the other is Wild Food School which allows you to download their in color guide and take it with you when you go foraging. There are also classes that you can take as well.

It's good to get back to nature, especially after a decadent holiday meal. Even better is when you can use nature to create healthy and tasty dishes. Forget the canned string beans. head for the woods.

A Happy And Tasty Thanksgiving

To all my American readers

I hope you are still having a good Thanksgiving full of good food, good family and good friends. Remember and pray for all our troops overseas and that they too had a good holiday.

LIZ

An Early Thanksgiving Greeting

For all my readers wherever you are,


This is an early Thanksgiving greeting. I'm not botheringtowrite a column today. I know for the most part Amertica will be elbow deep in pie making and brining today. There will be no time to read this (and if you are - stop , there's gotta be some potatoes that need peeling r dinnerware that needs polishing)

Remember not just to enjoy your feast wherever you are - be it under the tree lined streets of the American Midwest or the dry deserts of Afghan and Iraq. Be thankful for what you have. hard won freedom as an American, the right to vote whomever you please into office, and the choice to enjoy wither dark or white meat, scalloped or mashed potatoes. be thankful for family , that drives you crazy and friends who need you for the rough times. be thankful for the things that make you happy,

Above all be thankful for a good holiday meal. There are so many people worldwide that don't have food. Think of them this day and remember them in your holiday donations.


It's a day for food and fort the celebration of it. Just remind yourselves to give thanks that you're lucky enough to have it.

As American As Squash????

This time of year gets me thinking back to the indigenous peoples and what they ate at the time of the first Thanksgiving. The phrase American as apple pie is kind of inaccurate because the early English settlers brought that over.. What really is true American food? All good for you natural stuff like unprocessed fruits and veggies - not the burgers (from Germany) or the fries (from Belgium and France) like we all think.

Squash corn or maize make up the heart of the indigenous diets.This was supplemented by any meat or fish that original peoples hunted. The American staple , succotash is really native in its 'origins. What is great about the staple is that they can be made a variety of ways, even to this day. Squash can be baked and then mashed. Corn can be ground for fritters or for pone or cornbread. Beans can be mashed or boiled and then flavored. Pumpkin , part of the squash family was also cooked and probably mashed. All these are loaded in antioxidants and vitamins giving the natives a better diet than the European settlers.

The tribes that the Pilgrims ate with gave them maple syrup , cranberries, apples and pears to add Io their vitamin starved diets. Also oysters and fish were in abundance, both loaded with nutrients. Most of the early settlers from the Virginia colonies up to the Massachusetts , relied on the Indian for food. Here in New Jersey the Lenni Lenape , showed the settlers how to gather shellfish from the great Raritan Bay along with hunting wild turkey and geese. There was also wild asparagus and onions too.

As American as apple pie??? Not quite. Try as American as popcorn and squash. The native American knew how to eat and how to respect the earth. They passed that down to us - and we should be grateful for those beliefs.

PBS The Original Food Channel

Long before there was the Food Channel, long before there was the cult f the celebrity chef, there was PBS. Fro decades the Public Broadcasting brought about good shows about cooking. Like today's super glitzy knock offs they were full of good ideas.Unlike said knock offs they brought real gourmet cooking to homes from Boston Mass to Anchorage. Alaska. There are still some good ones on the amazing channel.

PBS started with the famous Julia Child back in the Sixties. Consider hers th e prototype that all cooking shows sprang from. She wasn't afraid to introduce Cordon Bleu to the masses and from her we learned how to debone and glaze properly. There was also graham Kerr, the Gallopign Gourmet who had his own way of cooking. This Aussie is still popular today and has an extensive website any food should visit. One of my favourites was Jacques Pepin , a quiet , almost scholarly chef . He did not have the out there personality of a Paula Deene or a Guy Fieri, His was more commanding, - imagine a college prof instead of a loud mouth show off.

PBS also launched the career of the soft spoken Lidia Bastianich . it was PBS who turned her into a celebrity and they did so quietly.Again watching her half hour program was like watching a favorite relative show you how to cook.and appreciate good Italian food. Another low key but impacting show is America's Test Kitchen with the bow tied also scholarly Christopher Kimball. he did a very fascinating show last year on recreating a late 19th Century feast with Fannie Farmer's recipes. Again it was a very academic approach as is the usual shows. This is a great learning program for beginner chefs and home cooks. Everythng from syrups to utensils are tested and there are some interesting recipe sin this packed full half hour.

PBS has long had a sort of snob appeal. Yes it is loved by intellectuals. but it should be love d by foodies as well. it has produced some of the greatest cooking shows in television history. That;s something the Food Channel should take into consideration.

To Bake Or To Buy That is The Question

For most Americans, this is going to be the craziest cooking week of the year. Thanksgiving usually demands home cooked and home baked everything. The cooking part isn't so bad . The baking part sometimes is. which brings about the old question is it easier to bake or to buy? there's nothing like a fresh from the oven pie or cake however there;s also the stress and time making it. Store bought is easier but what about the taste: is it as good as yours?

I have to agree with all those purists out there. Anything from your oven is going to taste a million times better - that is if you're a good baker. Home bakers tend to add a dollop more butter in the frosting to make it creamier or one more eggs to make for a richer batter. There's always the satisfaction too of seeing your creation appreciated and drooled over.With home baking you can also add variety. A store won't add a dash of bourbon to their pecan pies or blend in cheese to dough to make cheddar biscuits. Bakers can also modify recipes to suit those with special health issues too.

However some store and bakery bought items are to die for as well. There's nothing like fresh from the bakery oven bread to compliment a roast turkey and gravy sandwich. Ditto for the rolls. If you're a lousy baker, then store bought is the way to go. There are no burned crusts or strange aftertastes . You can also concentrate on the mechanics of the main meal as well without having to worry about the extra work, time and ingredients.Plus the ingredients are measured out just right so you don't have a cake or pie that's too lumpy, bland or just dried out from over baking.

What to do for Thanksgiving and the holidays to follow. That' s up to you. If you are a good baker then whip out the sugar and flour. If you're not , there's no shame in getting your holiday desserts via your local supermarket or store. Everyone has done it.

Overwhelmed And Undercooked

This is the time of year that even gets the most seasoned of cooks. A lot of cooking - not enough help. It can be daunting to cook one feast after another.In times like these delegate, delegate and then delegate some more. Even the most experienced chefs like Gordon Ramsay have help. You will too.

The first thing is ask yourself can I do it alone. No matter how great a cook you are the answer is always a no. You can;'t do everything by yourself unless you're willing to spend a day or two before preparing everything. Ask yourself what you want to do alone. Then think of others , such as family and friends to help. What are their strengths. You may not want your six year old to carve the turkey but he or she can help in setting the table. You can get older kids to help with the peeling, slicing and dicing. Also they can help in preparing certain dishes while you concentrate on the main one. Employ visiting relatives to help put too. Another thing '- make after meal clean up a family affair. That way you won't be up til three AM washing and drying dishes and glasses.

Another idea and one I've already stressed in this blog is getting friends and family to bring their own. If your cousin is known for his cranberry sauce then let him make and bring it. If your friends and coworkers want to bring dessert, let them. This alleviates the onus of the whole meal from appetizer to dessert on you. Also this also means freeing up your fridge . Sides and extras will be in family and friends' ovens and fridges - not yours.

Don't be so overwhelmed that you wind up having undercooked meat and raw sides. Have help. All the great chefs do and you're no different! It's all the difference between a disaster and a dream holiday meal!