Road Trip Goodies

This is the time of year people take road trips.It's the perfect time to see the leaves or even have a picnic on the beach.Unfortunately the cooler temps not only generate wanderlust but also a healthy appetite.Pack sone hearty order to avoid trips to fast food joints and questionable diners. Sandwiches are always a good start, especially if you're planning on an all day trip.One of the best and most satisfying to create is a mini hero.Buy mini baguettes and then fill them with a variety of meats and fillings.Try ham and cheddar or roast beef and a tangy Worcester sauce.You can also make an Italian hero with caracole, salame and prosciutto along with a variety of different cheeses. if you do stop at a farm, then pick up bottle of cider.This is a nice accompaniment to the sandwiches.Another good cider go with is sharp cheddar with slices of whole wheat bread. Some big farms such as Delicious Orchards of Colts Neck ,New jErsey ,sell varieties of cheese along with breads that can make an on the road picnic possible..Some farms also have delis that can make sandwiches too, if you want something spur of the moment. Sometimes you just want nibbles when you're driving.I find that the best bring alongside are the dry stuff.Flavored crackers are always a good choice as are pretzels and plain cookies.These keep hunger at bay and are perfect for a quick stop.They're great for passengers and the kids won't create a mess with them during your break from driving.Popcorn is another fun snack,Feed the puffs to the gulls or whatever birds you chance upon.Fruit is another nice snack on a road trip.Black grapes are in season right now. And they"re refreshing to bring on a road trip.Keep them in a cooler because they're at their tastiest when chilled. Apples and pears also make excellent bring alongs.You can pick them yourself and munch on a few on the ride back home. Fall makes us want to visit farms and forests.Pile up the car with tasty snacks and the kids and explore.See the foliage, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy a sandwich or some fruit al fresco.

Omelet Fun

One of the easiest meals to make for breakfast, lunch or dinner is the simple omelet.This French classic is a quick yet elegant way to enjoy eggs alone or with a host of ingredients.It could be full of meat, cheese veggies or all three.This is one of the most fun and most versatile dishes to make. A n omelet is really basic.At it's simplest it's just eggs, milk,and water , well blended with butter and then cooked in an omelet pan or just simply a frying pan.One side is flipped over the other, creating a d Runny middle.If you cook it on both sides, then it turns into a frttata.It should always be fried in butter, because of the taste but you can also use margarine or cooking spray.The pan is ready when the butter stops foaming.I'm a huge butter fan so I tend to use more than needed.(the drippings are good for frying up any toast or can be drizzled on accompanying toast or English muffins.For those who want an exact amount try a heaping tablespoon of butter.Some home chefs separate the whites and yolk.Both are whisked separately and the whites are added second , creating a puffy, souffle like omelet.At this point you can add the extra ingredients.Keep in mind that omelets cook up quickly so the add Ins should already be prepared. Make sure the ham is diced while the bacon and sausages are already cooked and drained.I like adding my veggies fresh although some experts will say sauté them first.I would rather have that burst of freshness so my omelets have freshly cut veggies like onions , peppers and tomatoes. Many just think that omelets should just have cheese in them.We see that ideology is challenged thanks to Marican diners that offer up to ten to twenty variations, filled with everything from crab to even strawberries. One of the best is the Western.This traditional diner and luncheonette special.It cameos from the cowboys who liked to have hearty breakfasts.These are great,, a flavorful mix of ham, peppers and onions.You can create this however you want.Ham lovers like to put a good cup of chopped ham.Veggie lovers usually toss in more onions and peppers.Some love the diner classic, the meat lover 's omelet.This has a more meat to egg ratio.Every bite has the trinity of breakfast meats: sausage, bacon and ham in it.It's served smother in what else - bacon.Of course there are healthier omelets.Nothing beats a tomato laced one, especially when it's cooked with fresh tomatoes.It takes on the flavor of that Piedmontese classic tomatoes and eggs.Of course there is the traditional cheese omelet.For just fancy try one filled with Brie and herbs such as tarragon, chervil and chives. Sharp Vermont or English cheddar is another good cheese that brings the egg dish to another level. one of the best is an Italian frittata, liberally laced with grated Parmesan. Omelets are an easy meal.It's a quick but filling breakfast, a satisfying lunch and an easy solution to dinner.Crack open an egg , mix it with your favorite ingredients and fry up in butter.They're classically simple and yummy.

Truvia Brown Sugar Tastes So Good.

Fall is the time for baking tasty treats.Unfortunately those are laced with sugar and calories galore.The problem is if you make them without sugar or even a sugar substitute, you sacrifice flavor.The sweetener company Truvia has now come up with a brand new brown sugar blend.Home bakers can make the same sweets as they did before.This time they're not threatening to anyone's diet. The company is known for its use of the stevia plant and turning it into a healthier form of sweetener.It contains the plant and erythritol, a form of sugar alcohol that causes little or no side effects.It can be used in everything from sweetening tea to creating baked goods and desserts. Now with the introduction of the brown sugar blend more home chefs can try it out while providing their families with healthier dishes .This is a great sugar substitute.It provides as much as seventy five per cent less calories than the real deal..It has the taste and gives the baked products the same crumbly texture as the one hundred per cent kind.Another good point about it is that you only have to use half of the sugar needed.One half cup of the Truvia blend equals one cup of brown sugar.Truvia also has some good recipes with the brown sugar blend. Try it when making sweet acorn squash recipe that has a hollowed out squash filled with a mix of the blend and butter.Of course you can make some yummy baked treats like blondies, chews and shortbreads.It would also male a great glaze for baked ham whether on it's own or mixed with mustard. If you have any of your own recipes that involve both white and brown sugar, send them with your two minute long how to video to Truvia's Baking Star contest.It's open until Tuesday October 7th.You can then vote for yourself or others" recipes between October 15 and October 29th.Shortly after that the winners will be notified that they have whom an all expense paid trip to New York City.The final prize is the Truvia Baking Star Contest title after showing the judges, You Tube stars tasting and rating. their winning recipes.With Truvia you can go wild.The brown sugar let's home bakers try some traditional autumn recipes such has the brown sugar cake with brown sugar and butter sauce or a brown sugar Bundt cake. The regular Truvia is great for everything from simple loaf cakes to buttercream frostings.As with any baking contest be creative.Originality always stands out and wins, so keep that in mind . Truvia brown sugar has come put vat just the perfect time.Create yummy baked treats or savory dishes with a kick.If you think you've got the right one ,then enter it in the company's baking contest.You may be a winner already,

It's Fall Veggie Time!

One of the best aspects of the turn of seasons is the turn of vegetables.By this month we have been over saturated in tomatoes and zucchini.We want fall veggies, rich with complex tastes.They are versatile in variety of different dishes,from soups to casseroles. One of the most interesting harvests is the cauliflower.Most people associate it was just that crudite you dip in ranch dressing or overcooked with a covering of gummy cheese.Think again .Cauliflower is a great veggie with so many prospects.David Tanis of The New York Times Dining section explored it in his A City Kitchen column.He makes it with rigatoni and sears it in a hot skillet This browns, caramelizes and mellows the taste, bringing it to another level.Mr Tanis cooks it with cumin and mustard seeds but you can also try just sea salt and fresh ground pepper.My favorite is breaded cauliflower, fried to a crisp and browned to a nice nutty color. .As calorically lethal as it is, it is also the tastiest , each piece having a nice ,satisfying crunch.Cauliflower is also good in soup.An easy recipe ,starting cooking down the veggie,then mashing them into a chunky paste.Finish with a simple roué and broth combined.It's a nice creamy potage that 's great on a cold autumn night.Squash is another fall treat.You can make it into a squash or a creamy mash.The deep yellow is also good cut into pieces and grilled. serve with French style butter and a good sprinkling of sea salt. You can also cook butternut squash the same way too. Brussels sprouts also come out when the leaves turn. These are an incredibly fun medium.One of the best recipes are Brussels sprouts chips.Wash and peel the leaves off them, then place on an oiled cookie sheet.Drizzle with more oil and sprinkled with seasalt.A more traditional recipe calls for boiling them for a few minutes.Then put in a shallow baking dish and top with pats of butter and Parmensan cheese.Broil for a minute or two until the cheese turns golden.The sprouts are also good when just simply roasted.These too can be spiked with red pepper flakes or fresh ground pepper.Only foodie's and chefs know about another autumn bloomer, Swiss chard.It's a popular veggie in Piedmontese cooking and easy to cook.Take the white stem part ,cut into two-inch pieces and boiloncecooked then put into a pan with butter.Add a mix of two beaten eggs , a quarter of a cup of vinegar mixed with water.Pour over the chard and let it cook up.Swiss chard leaves are exactly like spinach, including in taste and you can cook the leaves. Like the other, serve with butter for an alternative to the other green stuff. Now is the time to say goodbye to summer vegetables.Embrace the fall harvest with delicious veggies and dishes made from them.They are a welcome change in a welcome season.

Little Vegans, Big Ideas

Getting kids to eat is always a tricky feat.Some days they"ll scarf up anything from a baloney sandwich to a cold Tater Tot.Some little ankle biters can be picky.For parents the worst is when the or seven or eight year old turns- gasp- vegan.What does one do ? Go with the meatless flow, of course. This was an interesting article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.New Dining section contributor Paul explored this as she dealt with her own young vegan's demands and questions.Surprisingly enough a growing percentage of kids between the ages of eight and eighteen are going not only meatless but dairy and egg free as well according to a 2004 poll.A decade later it still is the same thanks to the refining of soy and quorn product as well as the vast variety of different products.The writer herself gave up red meat at the age of fourteen ,due to squeamishness.She happened upon the meat locker in the Turkish restaurant where she worked.Her daughter, like others, may have happened upon those anti meat and fur pamphlets given out at street fairs and grocery markets.She also has eschewed sugar and non organic fruits.It should elicit a good response from adults although some may find her just obnoxious.However , thanks to all the diseases out there today , a healthy,pure diet is probably the best for any school age child. Eating nutrient packed veggies and fruits, along with legumes, will protect them against minor colds and sore throats as well as giving them the armor, so to speak, to deal with the more serious viruses floating around out here. The meatless transition is a relatively easy one.Vegan copies of different meats are everywhere.There are so many different varieties of veggie burgers.Kids can choose from the black bean type to the Italian Parmesan style.There are also chicken nuggets that could stand in for the real deal along with hotdogs that can pass for Nathan's.If the mini non meat eaters have their own recipes, then use them.Ms .Paul delighted in one her daughter"s ,a Rosemary infused white bean dip.She also has relied on her Bean By Bean cookbook ,that the younger Paul found and dusted off.There are several good vegan cook books out there.Dr.Mayim Bialik. known for playing Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory came out with a comprehensive no meat, no dairy and no eggs cookbooks.Even the meat loving kids will fight over her broccoli chips or creamy enchilada casserole.Dr.Bialik's recipes are healthy but also great fun.They not only would be fine for dinner but excellent at any birthday party.Parents should keep in mind that the transition ,usually goes well forcsome kids, but not all.Don't force the others of your brood to go cold turkey. Ease them into the lifestyle, using tasty and fun recipes but don't make a big deal of it.Usually when they see an older sibling eat something different, they will want to try it.Also don't turn your kitchen into a restaurant where one meal could have three different main dishes.If they don't like the dinner's star course, let them eat the sides. Veganism is a great lifestyle to adapt no matter what your age is.If your child wants to embark on this lifestyle encourage him or her.It's a step in the right direction.

Popcorn Renaissance

Popcorn is one of the best (and actually) the most authentic of all American foods.However it's been in a slump in the last few decades.That's all about to change.Popcorn, like many other foods, is going artesanal.It will be getting back to it's roots as a flavorful, ,fluffier snack. Kim Severson wrote about this great American classic in today's New York Times Dining section.Popcorn has faced a slump in recent years, partly due to Orville Redenbacher over breeding it to suit his company's needs.The result was a bland flavored, full bodied popped kernel .The original corn developed by the indigenous people of what is now modern Indiana bred a kernel that was small but had an intense taste.Luckily an Iowam farm family is behind this revival.Gene and Lynn Mealhow are producing smaller ears of corn, no bigger than a child ,s hand is producing small flavorful puffs with a big toasty flavor.This is the way popcorn should be.Popcorn was poised to be transformed back into the artesanal.Once defunct breeds such as Dakota Black, ,Tom Thumb and Lady Finger are being popped not in the usual vegetable oil but in coconut or olive and flavored with just a kiss of salt and butter.The taste is not akin to the usual dull cardboard says another grower Glenn Roberts( no relation)who also grows another traditional brand, Appalachian heirloom sweet flint.The flavor has a floral note and this appeals to both home and professional chefs The nutritional value on these traditional corns is actually much higher .Their hulls are also smaller and won"t get stuck between teeth either. This renewed breed is a blank canvas for home chefs.The best oils for popping are again olive or cocunut. Also popping it should not be a minute or two in the microwave.Go old school recommends the Popcorm Board spokesperson, Wendy Boersema Rappel.Use a pot.The ratios are simple.A layer of oil is first then the second layer should be evenly spread kernels.From there it's just popping.Ms .Severson also recommends using a heavy pan and her own measurements:three tablespoons of fat to half a cup of kernels.Now here's the part that trips up even popcorn lovers.As soon as the first few kernels explode ,take the pan right off the burner and let them pop sans the flame.The pan is hot enough to heat up the late bloomers.So many people keep the pot or pan over the burner which leaves a good amount of scorched snack.If you are using artesenal corn. Remember that there will be a good amount that won't be popped.You can save this for feeding the birds or try to re pop them.You can use butter as flavoring or try the Indian gar am masala for fire or even herbs like Rosemary and oregano(if you want this then sprinkle the herbs on the unpopped kernels before cooking)for an earthy flavor.Soy and Ginger can also be used too for a tinge of exoticism and heat. Popcorn is not not only healthy but fun too.Made right with the right corn and it's amazing, a meld of flavors and textures. Go old school with artesanel kernels over a flame for a tasty snack.

Hot Breads For Cool Weather

There are many good things about fall.One of them is that the cool weather gets everyone in the mood for baking.One of the best products is a simple loaf of bread.Unlike cakes and cookies, it's versatile.A loaf can be used for everything from sandwiches to French toast.Also nothing beats an evening snack of fresh baked bread with butter and honey on it.Another plus of baking bread.The aroma.It's welcoming and warm chasing away the chill of a fall day. Many home chefs shy away from bread baking.They feel that it can be too labor intensive or express worries about working with yeast.Have no qualms.Bread dough is relative easy to create. The mixing is more or less the same as mixing up cake batter.Ingredients are simple as well.They are just yeast, flour and salt blended with milk, melted butter and salt.The only tricky ingredient is yeast because this is what makes the bread rise.If you leave the well kneaded dough covered with a towel in a warm place ( usually your stove top)and let it set for an hour you should have the beginnings of a very tasty and airy loaf.keep in mind however that different flours work differently when it's being mixed and kneaded.Rye and whole wheat flours will behave differently than white.The first can be very sticky when you begin to roll it out while the second, whole wheat usually requires half a cup less than your regular one.Once you start ,then 's there is no stopping.Bread recipes are versatile.You can try a whole wheat one week while the next you can experiment with raisin bread.If you feel really confident then you can make the Classic baguette.This requires two packets of yeast plus honey but no dairy at all in it,This is what gives regular bread it's cake like texture, while the lack of it gives the loaf it's traditional crustiness and chewiness. I can't say iterate this enough.There's so much you can do with bread recipes. One of the heartiest and perfect for tailgating picnics is sausage bread.This is a relatively easy recipe to replicate.Use an Italian bread recipe and already browned beef or pork sausage.Serve with a bowl of homemade tomato sauce for a fun appetizer or snack. Tomatoes can also be added to the dough , namely in juice form.Oregano and rosemary are also added for some zing.People who have made this type, add cheese to the finished loaf, to create a kind of pizza.One of fall's favorite loaves is cinnamon bread.Everyone loves this type, especially when it's gently toasted and slathered with butter.It's basically rolled put like a jelly roll, then generously dusted with the cinnamon and sugar mix(you can also add chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts to the mix or vary the spices with the addition of nutmeg).The finished loaf is then put into a generously buttered pan.As you become more proficient ,you may want to experiment with sourdough.This does require a starter .most bakers are given it from other bakers, however if you're not that lucky, don't worry.You can make your own.It's just a simple mix of flour and water ,left to stand for a few days.It creates what is known as wild yeast, which gives sourdough it's snappy flavor. Fall is the perfect time to bake a variety of yummy breads.There's nothing like warming up with a hot cup of tea and a large slice of bread slathered with butter, jam or honey. Fire up the ovens and get kneading!