A Culinary Marriage Of Old And New

Yesterday was Columbus Day.It was when Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World.Yes, it was the beginning of the end for the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere however it was also the beginning of the Columbian Exchange.Foods were introduced to the denizens of both Europe and the Americas.If any thing this was the greatest benefit of the Age of Explorations.Diets were broadened which meant better nutrition and longer lives. Europeans should thank the New World for bringing them the tomato.It is used in so many dishes, especially in French and Italian.Without it there would be no tomatoes Provencale, tomatoes covered in crunchy bread crumbs and sauteed in a garlicky olive oil.Most Italian cuisine would not be as tasty without those silky sauces that grace every pasta dish from lasagna to spaghetti.Most Italian dishes wouldn't even be, if not for the Columbian Exchange.There would be no golden polenta or heavenly gnocchi because their main ingredients are corn and potatoes, two staples from Latin and North America( although there was always polenta however it was originally made with wheat,and was more broth like).Zucchini, another stole was also brought to Europe where they created all sorts of different dishes.Another protein came into the European diet and that was the many beans, from Lima to pinto to kidney.Healthy fruits such as blueberry and blackberry also became part of desserts.Thanksgiving staples such as turkey and cranberries are also from the New World and have been a staple of British holiday meals for two years now.Also one byproduct of the coca plant , chocolate enhanced European candy making and baking almost one hundred per cent. Without it, both Belgium and Switzerland would not have the lucrative confectionary businesses that have been supporting them for over a century now. Despite all the bad stuff that the Europeans brought to these shores, there are some plants as well as animals that were welcomed in the indigenous diet.Settlers brought chickens,geese, cows,pigs, and goats with them.Diets changed as children were introduced to dairy as well as domestic meats.This meant that tribes didn't have to hunt and could keep animals penned up and used when needed.Seeds were transported through the various groups and now every kind of fruit and vegetables,from apples to yams were brought over and introduced to the natives.Wheat also was introduced, and this meant that bread was made a staple in many countries ( although there was corn pone already baked for centuries in some tribal regions).Whether ,for good or bad, that depends on historians and nutritionists, sugar came to the New World.Colonists brought sugar beets,sugar cane and honey bees.The end product could be used in enhancing baked goods and used to placate children.What didn't change for the newcomers or the natives was the communal gathering of preparing and sharing food.As the cultures came together so did their dishes as seen in Mexican ,Southwestern and some French Canadian dishes. Christopher Columbus could be seen as both a hero and a villain.The one good and lasting aspect of his arrival is the culinary marriage of both the Old and New World. This changed the way the world ate and it is still chaining it fur hundred and twenty years after that.

Crackem An Egg Citing New Invention

 

 

 

Home chefs always dread prepping eggs. There's so much mess and gooey whites to contend with, not to mention that there may be shells lurking in the omelet or cake. That's all about to change thanks to a new invention [see above and this is a first for Foodie Pantry too) called the Crack'em. Dave Tennant , who is more accustomed to computers than the kitchen invented this neat little helper. It a small dish with a raised ridge. Crack the egg over the ridge and it collects whatever drips out . It also collects those pesty shell fragments , leaving any dish shell free. I recently interviewed Dave for  Foodie Pantry.

FP- what is your background?Is Crack' em your first invention?

Dave Tennant: I currently work for the Treasury Department in their IT operations department but worked with two consulting firms before that.I also served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2011.I have had many ideas of different ways to do things, but , yes this is my first invention.

FP: What made you want to create it? What was the inspiration behind it?

DT: I was cooking for my pregnant wife back in May of 2013 and broke an egg on the side of the pan.Half of it fell into the pan while the other half landed on the stove.It was a huge mess!When I was cleaning the egg off the side of the pan I noticed its' finish was wearing off from previous egg drippings and messes. I then decided to create something that would make cracking eggs easier, contain a mess and also provide dual functionality as a spoon rest.

FP:Have you noticed that egg prepping has gotten cleaner and less messier with it?

DT:Yes, I have.I haven't cleaned an egg mess since I made the Crack' em. The only messes I encountered were during research and development, but since I had the prototype made,it's been a wonderful mess free experience!

FP;Where can Foodie Pantry readers buy Crack'em? How much does it cost?

DT: Right now I'm running a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to help me pay for manufacturing.Right now they can go to www.crackemeggs.com and click on the "Click Here To Pledge" button to buy it now.After the Kickstarter campaign they will be able to buy them from the crackemeggs.com website.

FP:The Crack'em is a great help in the kitchen!Do you have any other kitchen gadgets on the drawing board?

DT:I don't have anything on board right now because I'm trying to get the Crack'em off the ground, but I'm sure I'll have other ideas in the future.

FP:I have to ask this - what is your favorite egg dish to make? To eat?

DT: I  actually love omelets! Typically I'll put as many vegetables and meat as I can in my omelets. In my mind the more the merrier!

Dave , this recipe for  Chock Fulla Omelet is for you!

Ingredients
1-2 eggs. well beaten
1/2 cup any meat (I like ham but you can put any kind from cooked ground beef to sausage to bacon}
1/2 cup mix of any veggies (I like onions and green peppers but you can choose your own}
1 tablespoon MELTED butter

Mix ingredients and pour into a microwave egg muffin cooker. Cook for two minutes. Serve on English muffin or toast. You can also add any kind of cheese too to the recipe.

Bridge Club Holiday Classics

The best holiday memories always come from the kitchen. We may not remember the fancy dresses or jammies we received or whose college team were the state's football stars, but we remember the roasts and grvies, sides and of course the desserts. Nothing beats a homecooked holiday meal or party/ Luckily there's a cookbout just out to help create those memories.

Best of Bridge Holiday Classics(Robert Rose Press) is a great compilation of breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes along with recipes for party foods and desserts. The authors are eight ladies who not only wrote and tried these recipes but  also played endless and ruthless games of bridge together. Bridge parties always have some kind of food to snack on and these Calgary  ladies brought some interesting ones to the bridge table. It has been almost forty years since the first cookbooks were published . They are extremely popular and have been passed down now for almost three generations.The recipes reflect the British  and French influence  with English spiced beef and beef bourguignon. SOme are similar to American Midwestern dishes like cheesy scalloped potatoes and pork roast.There's  also a whole section  on leftover recipes, a great help especially during the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas.Another good section is the one for food gifts. There are great recipes for Crazy Crunch, a homemade version of Fiddle Faddle along with the very interesting green tomato mincemeat.

Best of Bridge Holiday Classics is also the perfect book for party throwers. Even the dishes would make any Saturday night cocktail party or Sunday football gathering.Try the Bridge ladies recipe for crepes that can have either chicken or crab filling. These are perfect for an evening with the girls, followed with a lemon soufflé recipe ,also from the book. Any of the recipes would be perfect at a tree trimming party/There are recipes for spicy chili con carne and a tasty Sumptuous Spinach and Artichoke dip.Planning on an elegant black tie New Year's Eve party? Then make a variety of pates offered. There's a meatless one made with  sharp Stilton cheese blended with brandy and a chicken liver one spiked with mace and dry sherry. The holiday breakfast recipes are great when hosting the relatives or just waking up on a snowy day.There's Scotty 's Nest Eggs, a take on Eggs Benedict along with that recipe  and sausage pie, loaded with sausage and spices.Their chewy  French toast is zested up with orange liqueur and pure cream., a perfect dish to wake up to on a cold, frosty morning.
If you love holiday cooking , Best of Bridge Holiday Classics is for you. There are recipes for almost eveyr meal, from brunch to dinner , from parties to dinners..They will create culinary memories everyone will remember for years to come.

An Easy Cheesy Sandwich

One of the best sandwiches is a grilled cheese.Nothing beats warm, gooey cheddar or Swiss on white , ray or whole wheat bread.Yet suppose you can amp it up a notch?How can you do that ?By adding Gallic flair. David Tanis decided to give American classic a French twist in his column City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Time Dining section.Mention a French grilled cheese to most people and they'll immediately think of a croque Monsieur.This is true but there's a slight difference between the two.Croques usually have ham underneath the cheese and are most often fried in butter.A tar tine is more of a pizza.Take a hunky slice of a rustic bread like ciambatta or a rounded Fremch loaf.Top it with savory vegetables, then a good French cheese and brown under a broiler until the cheese bubbles and serve.Line pizza it too can be served with a nice salad along with a good glass of wine.Another good thing about the tar tine is that it can be heated or cooked without any butter or oil.Both Croques Monsiuers and their counterparts the chicken filled Croque Madame have to be fried in a well buttered frying pan. Unlike the croque, a tar tine recipe can be varied to suit the eater"s tastes.Mr Tanis" recipe has red and yellow peppers along with sun dried tomato and olives.His topping options are fresh goat cheese or Camenbert.He also recommends walnuts and olives topped with a sharp Roquefort.There's also the suggestion of coppacola with Taleggio.Of course you could make it more like a healthier croque (sans buttery taste).Use any kind of sliced Ham and top with Gruyere if you want a more Gallic sandwich or lean towards the English with a slice of cheddar.If you make this last, you can vary it with some apple slices between the ham and cheese.You can also try pears and apples broiled under a layer of creamy St Paulin cheese.You can also create a pissaladerie with caramelized onions mixed with anchovies sprinkled with the pepper laced Crottin Poivre a Parmesan like hard cheese.Be creative.There are an infinite variety of fillings and topping you can experiment with whe you make your tar tine. Nothing beats a hot gooey grilled cheese.Ratchet it up a notch by creating a tasty bistro style meal.Combine your favorite cheese with your favorite toppings to create a new kind of cheese sandwich.

Bowls Of Fun

A bowl of anything has the promise fun and deliciousness.Now imagine that bowl with a variety of flavors and textures.The assortments of everything from crunchy to silky and sweet to salty isva guaranteed ride for the palate.The best part? You can whip it up in your kitchen to suitevyour tastes. This treat, also known as a grain bowl was the subject of Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column in today's New York Times Dining section.Grain bowls were usually found in some Chinese ,Japanese and vegan restaurants.They are one of the easiest dishes to prepare,so much so that a novice home chef can create masterpieces.The base is any kind of grain followed by a protein of some kinda layer of veggies is then added on, topped by any kind of condiment and a crunchy finish(imagine a savory ice cream sundae and you have this principle) .What you put into it depends on you.If you are big on beans then try two or three kinds as the protein layer.Veggie lovers can have a field day layering on sauteed peppers and onions while rice lovers can experiment with the different grains.The initial layer doesn't have to be just rice ,Ms Clark, advises, it can also be quinoa, grits or barley.However if you're using a strong flavored protein or vegetable, stick with the milder grains such as white rice, grits or barley.The topping should have a nice texture and snappy crunch although you could go with cracking an egg over the bowl and letting the ingredients' heat cook it up. This easy meal can unleash the creative side in any home chef.Ms .Clark suggests a green bowl of chard, collards, mustard and kale against nubby grains like barley .The hipster hangout in Bedford Stuyvesant Scratchbread serves a paper cup bowl blending bacon and kale over grits with a soft boiled egg acting like the sauce?Sauces should match the mood of the ingredients.Asian inspired ones should have a sauce made from soy, Ginger sesame oil and rice vinegar.with a squeeze of lime.Anything Mediterranean would be highlighted with a pesto sauce you want fire then toss in some Tabasco.For something a bit calmer, then just add a simple vinaigrette.Once the bowl is assembled top it off with a colorful and crunchy layer.This could be something as complex as kimchi or as simple as sliced raw carrots.You can also put seeds, nuts or toasted seaweed on top as well. Another great aspect of the grain bowl Is that you can use leftovers .There's really no set pattern? If you want to finish off last night"s steak bits or green beans , then you can.Leftover rice from your takeout dinner can serve as the base.Grain bowls allow you to have fun as you tailor it to your tastes. If you want fun and quick, then a grain bowl is for you. you can experiment all you want with creating a tasty .one.The result is always good eating

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.