If you're along the Eastern Coast of the US right now, you're probably having worrying doubts about Halloween. Weekend costume parties right now are being cancelled thanks to this freak ealry season blizzard we're having. Moms are nervously looking towards Monday and wondering what to do with all those cupcakes and treats they've just baked for their little one's school parties.What to do? Have Plan B firmly in place.
Every holiday should have a backup plan just in case the first one gets screwed up. After all anything could happen on any holiday whether it be a bad thunderstorm on July 4th or a monster blizzard on Christmas Day. When the weather is frightful - such as today's rare Nor'Easter , it pays not to panic. After all food can still be eaten. Drinks can still be drunk. As far as those hors d' oeuvres you planned on serving rethink them as a fun dinner for the kids Little ones love the idea of stuffing themselves with pigs in blankets or veggies and dip. If you bought heroes, then cut them up and use them the next day for lunch or dinner. You can also use them on Monday for the lunch box or brown bag.
Another alternative for any postponed party is freezing your feasts. Roasts can be cut up and put into trays. Add some gravy and sides too and voila and instant dinner party. Lasagna along with other casserole dishes are also pretty easy to freeze. Just remember to add extra salt because it weakens in flavored upon being frozen. Also keep toppings separate too. If you had make a baked mac, then hold off on sprinkling the breadcrumbs on top. Reserve those for when you reheat the dish .Cakes and cupcakes can also be frozen and then thawed out.Wrap them in several layers of plastic wrap before placing them in your freezer. Don't freeze pies of any kind! Freezing will create too much moisture that will ruin both the taste and texture when thawing. Leave pies and even tarts to be eaten right away and just get new ones for your rescheduled gathering.
Yes it's scary to have to cancel a party whethe r it be a big Halloween one or just a small birthday get together. The key is don't panic. Fall back on a plan B that will ensure you still have great food and a good time even without guests.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Time For Fennel
Even though it's autumn you can still make a nice salad. Instead of the usual summery greens, though try fennel. It's big this time of year and makes a wonderful side whether if it's on its' own or with other veggies. Another plus is that it has a distinctive refreshing taste -a perfect foil against heavy main dishes.
Fennel is a bulb like plant usually grown in the early spring , namely June and July. However it's also big around the fall and many Italian homes have a fennel dish at Thanksgiving. It's name is derived from the Latin foeniculum. It's a hardy perennial being an actual herb as opposed to a green .It's been used from India to England where it was included in the pagan Anglo Saxon Tenth Century Nine Herbs Charm, an early medical manuscript. The Greeks called it marathon and it figured prominently in the famed Batttle of Marathon in 490 BC.Fennel has been used to treat everything from modern day hypertension to past century cures for digestive disorders and blood problems.
Fennel itself has a distinctive taste- not unlike anise (which it is often mistaken for). The Times had some lovely salad recipes th e other days for it.These included one with radishes and mushrooms. However a more popular one is a plain fennel salad (which was popularized by the late 60 Minutes journalist Ed Bradley). His recipe includes just cutting up an entire bulb and them dousing it a simple red wine vinegar vinaigrette. This is delicious even when it's a few days old. The fennel is great at absorbing the dressing which leave a tart, fruity aftertaste. Another way of serving it is just cutting up the bulb and stalks and dipping them into a simple oil and vinegar mix. Italians have been doing this for years and fresh fennel is always a big part of Sunday and holiday dinners.
Surprisingly this Spring specialty is a big part of fall dining. make a fennel salad for a refreshing alternative to regular salads. It's like a breath of crisp autumn air!
Fennel is a bulb like plant usually grown in the early spring , namely June and July. However it's also big around the fall and many Italian homes have a fennel dish at Thanksgiving. It's name is derived from the Latin foeniculum. It's a hardy perennial being an actual herb as opposed to a green .It's been used from India to England where it was included in the pagan Anglo Saxon Tenth Century Nine Herbs Charm, an early medical manuscript. The Greeks called it marathon and it figured prominently in the famed Batttle of Marathon in 490 BC.Fennel has been used to treat everything from modern day hypertension to past century cures for digestive disorders and blood problems.
Fennel itself has a distinctive taste- not unlike anise (which it is often mistaken for). The Times had some lovely salad recipes th e other days for it.These included one with radishes and mushrooms. However a more popular one is a plain fennel salad (which was popularized by the late 60 Minutes journalist Ed Bradley). His recipe includes just cutting up an entire bulb and them dousing it a simple red wine vinegar vinaigrette. This is delicious even when it's a few days old. The fennel is great at absorbing the dressing which leave a tart, fruity aftertaste. Another way of serving it is just cutting up the bulb and stalks and dipping them into a simple oil and vinegar mix. Italians have been doing this for years and fresh fennel is always a big part of Sunday and holiday dinners.
Surprisingly this Spring specialty is a big part of fall dining. make a fennel salad for a refreshing alternative to regular salads. It's like a breath of crisp autumn air!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Mozzarella Time
Mozzarella is one of those cheese you either love or hate. Unfortunately it's always had a bad rap thanks to it being a vital, if greasy part of pizza. Yet the true Italian style version of this cheese can be heavenly . Its' taste and texture is what creates new mozzarella lovers every day. One bite of the real thing and you're hooked.
True mozzarella is the subject of a brand new book called The Mozza Cookbook, written by a true California girl, chef, Nancy Silverton. She is also the owner along with another great chef, Mario Batali of Los Angeles' most popular restaurants, Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza. Yesterday's New York Times Dining section had an article featuring her in its' Feed Me column, written by Alex Wichtel. Ms, Silverman is something of a pioneer out west. She championed artisanal breads in a town not known for embracing anything yeasty or high in calories. She now is behind promoting mozzarella in its' truest form. Some of the book does feature pizza recipes but there are other ones, equally mouth watering highlighting the cheese.
Ms. Silverton is not only big on mozzarella but also burrata a type of mozzarella. Burrata basically translates into buttered an dis called such because it is a mix of hard cheese and soft cream. The exterior has a hard shell while the inside is soft and runny. The chef puts it as a topping to amazing sandwiches that also have caramelized shallots and sauteed escarole. In these she also adds hunks of smoked bacon , and then tops it with creamy blobs of mozzarella. It's a different and more true to form spin on this cheese,it is used as a topping but in a different way.
True mozzarella is heavenly. Buy Ms. Silverton's book, The Mozza Cookbook to discover it and what you can do with it. It'll be a far cry from just your typical pizza topping.
True mozzarella is the subject of a brand new book called The Mozza Cookbook, written by a true California girl, chef, Nancy Silverton. She is also the owner along with another great chef, Mario Batali of Los Angeles' most popular restaurants, Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza. Yesterday's New York Times Dining section had an article featuring her in its' Feed Me column, written by Alex Wichtel. Ms, Silverman is something of a pioneer out west. She championed artisanal breads in a town not known for embracing anything yeasty or high in calories. She now is behind promoting mozzarella in its' truest form. Some of the book does feature pizza recipes but there are other ones, equally mouth watering highlighting the cheese.
Ms. Silverton is not only big on mozzarella but also burrata a type of mozzarella. Burrata basically translates into buttered an dis called such because it is a mix of hard cheese and soft cream. The exterior has a hard shell while the inside is soft and runny. The chef puts it as a topping to amazing sandwiches that also have caramelized shallots and sauteed escarole. In these she also adds hunks of smoked bacon , and then tops it with creamy blobs of mozzarella. It's a different and more true to form spin on this cheese,it is used as a topping but in a different way.
True mozzarella is heavenly. Buy Ms. Silverton's book, The Mozza Cookbook to discover it and what you can do with it. It'll be a far cry from just your typical pizza topping.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Mini - Yums
Good things come in small packages. That age old adage is true, especially with the latest food trend: mini sweets. Cupcakes are shrinking. Ice pops are melting while muffins are minimizing. Even more interesting - this trend is here to stay.
This was the topic of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. , The piece, written by Dining regular, the great Julia Moskin, tells of everyone's favorite treats getting smaller and smaller. It's like the famed scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice eats the bite size cake that has "Eat Me" written on it. The same is becoming true for cupcakes that are perfect for baby dolls and macaroons that are dime sized. Even the famed Sicilian pastry cannoli, is being made smaller. Usually two or three inches in length , it's' now being shrunk to only an inch. Creating such treats proves to be a challenge for bakers. Minis tend to easily break apart easier . Finding molds for them is also somewhat difficult as well.
Why the trend to bite size goodies? It's because we're drawn to smaller, more fun sized snacks. It also means that we can still have our guilty pleasures but with much less sugar and fat. No one is going to chow down on three cupcakes. That's too many calories to be consumed. However it's perfectly OK to gobble down three mini cupcakes. It's still the taste without all the sugar and fat. The same holds true for any other mini treat. A muffin may be too much for one person however shrink it to a fingernail sized bite and its perfect. manufacturers already know this and such companies as Hostess are jumping on the baby muffin and treat trend.
One thing is that we'll never get tired of these bite sized sweets. They're fun and colorful. They also have the allure of less calories too.They really live up to the phrase - good things really do come in small packages!
This was the topic of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. , The piece, written by Dining regular, the great Julia Moskin, tells of everyone's favorite treats getting smaller and smaller. It's like the famed scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice eats the bite size cake that has "Eat Me" written on it. The same is becoming true for cupcakes that are perfect for baby dolls and macaroons that are dime sized. Even the famed Sicilian pastry cannoli, is being made smaller. Usually two or three inches in length , it's' now being shrunk to only an inch. Creating such treats proves to be a challenge for bakers. Minis tend to easily break apart easier . Finding molds for them is also somewhat difficult as well.
Why the trend to bite size goodies? It's because we're drawn to smaller, more fun sized snacks. It also means that we can still have our guilty pleasures but with much less sugar and fat. No one is going to chow down on three cupcakes. That's too many calories to be consumed. However it's perfectly OK to gobble down three mini cupcakes. It's still the taste without all the sugar and fat. The same holds true for any other mini treat. A muffin may be too much for one person however shrink it to a fingernail sized bite and its perfect. manufacturers already know this and such companies as Hostess are jumping on the baby muffin and treat trend.
One thing is that we'll never get tired of these bite sized sweets. They're fun and colorful. They also have the allure of less calories too.They really live up to the phrase - good things really do come in small packages!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Soupcon of Soups
Cooler weather demands soups. Whether they be bisque or chowder, they are wonderful chill chasers, perfect for lunch or dinner. The question is what soup is what. Is a bisque easier to make than a chowder? Is a cream based one a bit more complicated than a regular one? What are the differences?
One of the easiest soups to make is broth. You can start off with either the easy or the hard method. The easy one just involves bouillon cubes and water. The hard way is boiling an entire chicken with onions and celery and then skimming off the fat. Making beef both is a little easier.It just involves soup bones and water, along with the required onions and celery. You can also add ground peppercorns, marjoram thyme and oregano along with garlic for flavor. This last is up to you .Fish stock is again like these other two except you add heads, fins and spines for a more fishier soup base. For a true soup you can then add other ingredients like the appropriate meats, more veggiessuch as tomatoes and peppers along with pasta. For cream soups add a cup or more of milk or cream . You can also add butter too for extra richness.
What's the difference between chowder and bisque? Chowder is chunkier, usually with chunks of any kind of vegetables and seafood, hence Manhattan , New England and Rhode Island clam chowders. However you can make a potato or corn chowder too , just by using these veggies alone. Bisque is more refined, being smoother in texture and creamier. Bisque is also made more with seafood and has the extra oomph of cognac or wine added. Both soups are French in origin. Chowder comes from chaudiere , the large pot French fisherman used to boil their catches along with foraged vegetables. They came to the New England coast in the 1750's bringing this recipe with them. Bisque is from the Bay of Biscay in southern France on the Atlantic and the word is a derivation of Biscay. There is also another similar soup called biscay where heavily spiced game birds are subbed in instead of the fish.
Nothing beats any kind of soup in this chilly weather. it's easy to make and is always a treat , whether for lunch or dinner. You can try your hand at any one, a chunky chowder or a refined bisque. You can even just make a simple chicken soup to warm up empty tummies.
One of the easiest soups to make is broth. You can start off with either the easy or the hard method. The easy one just involves bouillon cubes and water. The hard way is boiling an entire chicken with onions and celery and then skimming off the fat. Making beef both is a little easier.It just involves soup bones and water, along with the required onions and celery. You can also add ground peppercorns, marjoram thyme and oregano along with garlic for flavor. This last is up to you .Fish stock is again like these other two except you add heads, fins and spines for a more fishier soup base. For a true soup you can then add other ingredients like the appropriate meats, more veggiessuch as tomatoes and peppers along with pasta. For cream soups add a cup or more of milk or cream . You can also add butter too for extra richness.
What's the difference between chowder and bisque? Chowder is chunkier, usually with chunks of any kind of vegetables and seafood, hence Manhattan , New England and Rhode Island clam chowders. However you can make a potato or corn chowder too , just by using these veggies alone. Bisque is more refined, being smoother in texture and creamier. Bisque is also made more with seafood and has the extra oomph of cognac or wine added. Both soups are French in origin. Chowder comes from chaudiere , the large pot French fisherman used to boil their catches along with foraged vegetables. They came to the New England coast in the 1750's bringing this recipe with them. Bisque is from the Bay of Biscay in southern France on the Atlantic and the word is a derivation of Biscay. There is also another similar soup called biscay where heavily spiced game birds are subbed in instead of the fish.
Nothing beats any kind of soup in this chilly weather. it's easy to make and is always a treat , whether for lunch or dinner. You can try your hand at any one, a chunky chowder or a refined bisque. You can even just make a simple chicken soup to warm up empty tummies.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Spaetzle German Comfort Food
Spaetzles are every German or German American's go to comfort food. These versatile noodles can accompany everything from string beans to sauerkraut, from goulash to hoxen . They're even good on their own with melted butter. Anyway you have them is wunderbar- the perfect comfort food for a chilly fall day.
Spaetzle comes from the Southern German or Swabian word spatz for sparrow. The Swabians add "le" to indicated the diminutive and so the name translates into "little sparrow".Spaetzles been around since medieval times and the first recipe was written down during the 1725. It's also big in the Tyrol, along with, Alsace Lorraine, in France, Austria and Switzerland. The dough is easy to make. It consists of simply eggs flour ,water and a sprinkle for salt. The dough is then pushed through a colander and cut into two inch pieces.They are boiled like pasta is however use just plain water instead of salted.You can also buy spaetzles premade as well.
The noodles are good with almost anything. They compliment and take the bite out of sauerkraut, while being perfect for goulash , They absorb the gravy and mellow the dish's spicy taste. They are also good next to hoxen, roasted pork shoulder. Every Swabian family has their own spin on them. Mine likes them with green beans in a butter sauce. I also like them just plain with melted butter as a main meal. I have cousins who prefer them with grated cheese on top, similar to pasta. Some other Germans have them covered with just fried onions,or with only lentils or in a stew.
Spaetzles are the perfect cool weather dish. They are a great comfort food with other specialties or on their own. Their hearty homemade flavor , keeps the chill at bay.
Spaetzle comes from the Southern German or Swabian word spatz for sparrow. The Swabians add "le" to indicated the diminutive and so the name translates into "little sparrow".Spaetzles been around since medieval times and the first recipe was written down during the 1725. It's also big in the Tyrol, along with, Alsace Lorraine, in France, Austria and Switzerland. The dough is easy to make. It consists of simply eggs flour ,water and a sprinkle for salt. The dough is then pushed through a colander and cut into two inch pieces.They are boiled like pasta is however use just plain water instead of salted.You can also buy spaetzles premade as well.
The noodles are good with almost anything. They compliment and take the bite out of sauerkraut, while being perfect for goulash , They absorb the gravy and mellow the dish's spicy taste. They are also good next to hoxen, roasted pork shoulder. Every Swabian family has their own spin on them. Mine likes them with green beans in a butter sauce. I also like them just plain with melted butter as a main meal. I have cousins who prefer them with grated cheese on top, similar to pasta. Some other Germans have them covered with just fried onions,or with only lentils or in a stew.
Spaetzles are the perfect cool weather dish. They are a great comfort food with other specialties or on their own. Their hearty homemade flavor , keeps the chill at bay.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Jams and Jellies
This is the time of year that calls for jam or jelly on a hot buttered English muffin or toast. It's the perfect weekend afternoon snack.However these versatile preserves can also be used for a number of other dishes as well. Whether for glazes or fillings, jams and jellies can be put to good use in any kitchen.They're not just for afternoon tea.
Jelly is actually one of the oldest recipes in the world. The ancient Romans had recipes for preserving fruits.Jelly and Jam making reached high art status during the Renaissance and it's during this time that marmalade was created, invented especially for Mary Queen of Scots. Her physician made a special mix of oranges and sugar to prevent the young queen's sea sickness when she moved from the French court to the Scottish. one. There is even the lore that the word comes from "Marie est malade" or Marie is sick (however it could come from marmelo , the Spanish word for quince).The American colonists too jam making to heart and several varieties were invented, using indigenous berries and fruits.Commercial jam making came in the 1800s and in 1897 even a jam council was created. The biggest jam maker of the time was Jerome Smucker, whose jellies are still big sellers today. The Twentieth Century brought about the invention of everyone's favorite grape jelly by Paul Welch in 1917.
Jam and jellies are versatile. You can easily spread them on French toast for a different spin on a breakfast classic . Marmalade as well as apricot jam along with apple butter (a type of jam) are excellent fillings for dessert crepes. Tired of maple syrup on your pancakes? Then try a strawberry or blackberry jam for bite and texture. These two also make wonderful cake fillings for jelly rolls and devil's food cakes.Jams can also be used as glazes for meat. Apricot jam is wonderful as a glaze for pork loin as is marmalade and plum jam.Peach jam can be used on chicken to give the skin a crunchy, savory- sweet taste. You could also use it on chicken kabobs too.
jams and jellies can be used for a variety of dishes from savory to sweet. However they're also good topping a hot buttered English muffin or slice of toast. Have them as you please, either in a cozy tea or as a different ingredient in any meal
Jelly is actually one of the oldest recipes in the world. The ancient Romans had recipes for preserving fruits.Jelly and Jam making reached high art status during the Renaissance and it's during this time that marmalade was created, invented especially for Mary Queen of Scots. Her physician made a special mix of oranges and sugar to prevent the young queen's sea sickness when she moved from the French court to the Scottish. one. There is even the lore that the word comes from "Marie est malade" or Marie is sick (however it could come from marmelo , the Spanish word for quince).The American colonists too jam making to heart and several varieties were invented, using indigenous berries and fruits.Commercial jam making came in the 1800s and in 1897 even a jam council was created. The biggest jam maker of the time was Jerome Smucker, whose jellies are still big sellers today. The Twentieth Century brought about the invention of everyone's favorite grape jelly by Paul Welch in 1917.
Jam and jellies are versatile. You can easily spread them on French toast for a different spin on a breakfast classic . Marmalade as well as apricot jam along with apple butter (a type of jam) are excellent fillings for dessert crepes. Tired of maple syrup on your pancakes? Then try a strawberry or blackberry jam for bite and texture. These two also make wonderful cake fillings for jelly rolls and devil's food cakes.Jams can also be used as glazes for meat. Apricot jam is wonderful as a glaze for pork loin as is marmalade and plum jam.Peach jam can be used on chicken to give the skin a crunchy, savory- sweet taste. You could also use it on chicken kabobs too.
jams and jellies can be used for a variety of dishes from savory to sweet. However they're also good topping a hot buttered English muffin or slice of toast. Have them as you please, either in a cozy tea or as a different ingredient in any meal
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