Turkey Day Check List

These next few days are going to be crucial shopping days for any home chef. You have to be prepared for not only Thursday's Thanksgiving feast but also for whatever disaster (and there will be some) that coes your way. How to handle all of this? Organize! It helps to have plans along with fall back solutions that will see you through the day.

The first step is to write an extensive list of what you'll need. Always include the basics such as turkey , potatoes, both Idaho and sweet, , bread for stuffing, vegetables and the makings of dessert. From there add the secondary foodstuffs, such as frozen rolls, seasonings , non alcoholic drinks and after dinner mints or nuts. Make sure your list also has foil roasting pans and disposable containers for leftovers and extras on it . Keep in mind your guests 'dietary restrictions and also what kids may like as well (such as chicken nuggets for fussy eaters and chocolate turkeys and cookies for dessert).

Once you have everything home, it's time to get out the recipes. Hopefully you've tried out the new ones at least once. If you haven't you have three days to do so. Also make sure you have all the necessary spices and other ingredients like flour and nuts for baking. Doing a trial run on your electric carving knife and meat slicer won't go amiss either. Check coffee urns too,not that they go on the fritz in the middle of dessert . Now is also a good time to air table linens or buy new ones if the old ones are ratty or torn.

Make sure your Thanksgiving runs smoothly without any glitches or mistakes. Be prepared when you shop and when you cook. It makes for a calm, stress free and enjoyable holiday cooking and dining experience.

The Joy Of Japanese

There's nothing quite like Japanese food. It's a fun treat of textures melding with flavors and colors to create a different meal. The Japanese know how to blend simple ingredients to create just heavenly dishes. It's amazing how a few fried veggies can be turned into perfection.

After a long , dry spell I finally had the cuisine today! For me it's a welcome change from the usual Chinese and Italian lunches that I'm used to . What was even more fun is that it arrived in a bento box. The new local restaurant, Yama has brought authentic Japanese dishes and even dessert to my area. They have everything from the light but satisfying miso soup to teriyaki and tempura . What is even neat is that there is sushi included too. Their sushi bar has as much variety as larger Japanese restaurants, and their sushi chef can create both new and traditional rolls.

It was an absolute thrill to enjoy a crunchy tempura in a warmed soy teriyaki sauce . The light coating of panko breadcrumbs added instead of detracted as fried coatings often do. Another neat addition is adding broccoli to the mix which is delicious in tempura form.I also loved the fact that Yama gave veggie sushi rolls with the lunch. Again this was an added treat. It was chock full of carrots, avocado and cucumber. There was also a small salad with a special tomato dressing too.

Japanese food is always a fun treat. This local restaurant is a new favorite and I'm sure to be back soon. I'm looking forward to having their teriyaki and hibachi grilled dinners.

Yama is located on Main Street , Lodi New Jersey , 12 miles west of midtown Manhattan. Google or Bing for directions

Arizona's Food Controversy

Most states have some kind of state food. Ohio has barbecued pork. Massachusetts has - what else - Boston cream pie. Maine has blue crabs while Indiana has Indiana sweet cream pie. Now Arizona is getting into the mix by electing a food dear to its' natives hearts. The chimichanga. With it ,though, comes a controversy.

This was the subject of an article by Marc Lacey in yesterday's main section of the New York Times (not the Dining as you would suspect or think). It seems the tasty dish is the center of a huge fight over who created it. Carlotta Flores is claiming her great aunt Monica Flin first made it when the woman accidentally nudged a burrito into hot oil and let it fry. Others such as Sharon Johnson claims her dad, Woody, created the tasty dish back in 1946 . There there is the theory that the dish was originally another spin on a North Mexican dish chivechangas. The dish isn't found on authentic Mexican restaurants. It's sort of a hybrid food, kind of like th e Chinese American General Tso's chicken and Italian American garlic knots.

Chimichangas a re a part of Arizona culture however, like its' state tie , the bolo or its' state flower, the saguaro lily, along with its' official firearm, the Colt Revolver. Chimichangas are big in Mexican restaurants here in he States. It's a staple at Taco Bell However recently the dish, more or less a big fried burrito, has gone upscale. One restaurant El Charro in Phoenix is using lobster as a filling and it also offers fruit ones for dessert. Most just feature either beef , pork or chicken and few places do have a seafood one as well.

The controversy should be settled soon. Arizonans are eager to make this delicious dish their state one. It reflects their inventiveness along with its' rich Mexican culture as well.

Turkey Day SOS

Next week is Thanksgiving and with it comes all sorts of problems. The bird got over roasted. The relatives got over toasted. The sides are boring. Or worse - under cooked. Not to worry .There solutions to all of these, thanks to today's New York Times Dining section.

This section has thankfully turned into any home chef's guide for the perfect Thanksgiving. Its' writers not only offer advice but also recipes . There is everything from ideas on making interesting sides to dealing with alcoholic family members. There are even some unusual questions such as can an entire Thanksgiving dinner be cooked on a stove top. (Yes, it can). Another one is how can chocolate be incorporated into the scene? (By painting a pecan pie crust with melted chocolate or whipping up a batch of homemade brownies instead of fruit pies.)

What I like about this issue is that it imagines every situation possible. After all Thanksgiving is the time when all things that go wrong do. This is te perfect answer to any T-Day SOS. Another plus is that Dining's section team of seasoned writers supply the answers. Everyone from Florence Fabricant to Eric Asimov to Jlia Moskin to Jeff Gordonier. I also like the fact it has alternative recipes too that can be made all year round. The recipes for the Thanksgiving sides can be used even on Christmas and Easter or just for a regular Sunday dinner.

Save today's Dining section for next week's serious round of cooking. It should be right at any chef' fingertips. It's the lifesaver to have to insure a perfect feast!

Bath Time :Washing Veggies and Fruits

We've all been told early on to wash our produce as soon as we get it home. We're also told that keeping it damp and dewy is the best way to preserve it. There seems to be a debate about that.Is it OK to mist greens ?Or is it potentially dangerous? And what about the practice of constantly washing fruits and veggies? Don't the stores do that for us?

I ran across this reader question in today's Science section of The New York Times. The person writing in wondered if greengrocers were doing more harm than good in misting their produce. The answer was no. Misting is the best thing for any cut plant. Their roots usually carry water to them, bringing hydration to leaves and stems. Picked green s no longer have this vital system, so no, it is a good otherwise they will wilt and die. Contamination can occur rapidly too and that means bringing home spoiled greens.Once home ,greens should also be submerged in cold tap water for five to fifteen minutes. Afterwards they should be blotted dry with a paper towel,and then placed into plastic bags.

This also brought me to another thought. Are we just being overprotective when we wash fruits and veggies before eating?Or are we just being too over cautious? The answer is a resounding no! Bacteria can lurk anywhere on a plants mostly in leaves but sometimes can linger on the skins. Any one of these diseases. E coli,listeria( the beginnings of meningitis) and salmonella can be found. Remember when the salmonella outbreak in spinach occurred a few years ago? Then there was something similar that happened in a Wendy's in central New Jersey. Both were the result of inadequate washing. So wash. You can use just regular tap water although there are vinegar based sprays you can also use for more cleanliness.

Misting and washing are good for your produce. They not only keep them fresh but help protect you from some nasty bugs. Don't be afraid to give your fruits and veggies a bath. There's nothing wrong with a good dousing!

The Almighty Meatball

meatballs are just a fun food. They add zip and flavor to just plain spaghetti and sauce. They're great on sandwiches and even better at parties. Another plus is that you can create you own. They're open to interpretation and can be made with any kind of meat.

The dish has been around for centuries, starting with peacock meat being ground and then molded int fried balls in ancient Rome. Go forward a few centuries and meatballs as we know them start making their debut. For centuries , Southern Italians have made them marble size however that all changed when the recipe came to the States. They grew and some home cooks as well as restaurants offer grapefruit sized ones with their pastas.Traditional recipes call for a combo of veal pork and beef combined with breadcrumbs Parmesan cheese and garlic. You can vary it though and have to with more of the meat of your liking. Another idea is to sub in chicken or turkey meat for healthier low fat ones. Use the leftover meatballs and sauce for a nice hot sub sandwich the next day.

A fun party dish is Swedish meatballs. This has been around since the 1750s when Swedes first made them. Again they can be made with beef or pork . As a party dish they can be made handball sized and served on their own. As a hearty family dish they can be made with brown gravy and served with a side of mashed potatoes and lingenberries. You can also try making the Greek version, keftedes for your next holiday gathering. These are sort of similar to Swedish however they have mint added. For an entirely different spin go Chinese. Shanghai style pork balls are great steamed or fried and can be served with a scallion soy sauce.

Meatballs mean fun eating. You can have them the traditional way with spaghetti in a tasty marinara sauce or as party food whether it's , Swedish , Greek or Shanghai style. Either way you'll enjoy a tasty combo of meats and spices in bite sized perfection.

Ancestral Foodies

Ever wonder what some of your ancestors ate? Did some dishes make it through the millenniums or fall by the culinary wayside? Did the Age of Exploration or a great migration factor into diets? You many be surprised at how some dishes changed and some stayed the same.

The Romans tended to be the most formal of the ancients . They had a set breakfast, lunch and dinner that most follow today. Breakfast was bread in watered down wine while lunch was something we could easily recognize and eat today - leftovers along with bread fruit and cheese. Supper varied with the classes. The poor would just have fresh vegetables with olive oil. The rich could indulge in all sorts of treats. Up north the Vikings had their own hearty menu. It consisted of whale and horseflesh but also preserved veggies and fruits. The last is an important part of the modern diet, whether it's from Norway Sweden,. Finland, Iceland or Denmark. They evne had a variation of lutefisk, but it invloved the basking or Greenland shark.

Further East the Chinese had the same rice and meat diet that's popular today, They were the first to really cultivate and some of their foods go back to 5500 BCE. The Northern tribes used sorghum and millet as well in their cooking. Meat was added for special occasions. The Chinese have always been associated with tea and no wonder. They were drinking it as early as 3330 BCE. Since meat was a rarity, ancient Chinese cooked with tofu or bean curd - and their dishes were similar to what is served today. There also were fortunate to have a variety of fruits and veggies such as lemons, apricots and cucumbers in their diets.

Our ancestors were foodies in their own right. They passed down some dishes and foods that we still use today. We may live in the modern age but our culinary traditions are rooted firmly in the past.