Sometimes even the most delicious of recipes needs a little oomph.A tweak here , a dollop there can elevate any recipe from tasty to memorable.This is what makes a good cook, whether in a restaurant kitchen or in a home one.
This is my mantra.If I can make a recipe better,I will. Dishes and meals should not only be filling and nutritious but extraordinary . Even simple breakfast dishes can be turned into ambrosia with a tweak. Takes eggs for example. Even the simplest dish involving them can be boosted up by a dash of tarragon. Add this versatile herb to scrambled eggs for a nice brunch main dish. It can work wonders in an omelet au fine herbes. too.One of the best tweaks is adding club soda to beaten egg before scrambling. This results in the lightest, fluffiest scramble ever.I've also added whole cream to eggs which resulted in a more dense, custardy but insanely delicious dish. A cup of chopped ham also added oomph too.Waffle and pancake batters can also benefit from tweaks. Add a healthy dose of nutmeg or cinnamon for a spicier , earthier flavor. Almonds and pecans are another great add in, giving both crunch and texture. Syrups can be made special too. Add a squeeze of orange juice or for a different spin. Drop in some blueberries and strawberries right before serving for color and flavor.
Lunch and dinner recipes always benefit from a tweak. Everybody loves a grilled cheese however make it like a croque Monsieur for a truly memorable meal. Instead of baking it in an oven or broiling it, fry it in butter . I do my own spin on it by buttering the inside, subbing in Gruyere along with a layer of sliced ham. The traditional recipe claims that bread should be dipped in a flour and egg mixture before assembling but I feel this takes away from the crunch and flavor. Another favorite to tweak is the savory Italian bread pudding.The recipe has been in my family for decades. It's a flavorful layering of Italian or french bread,and Swiss cheese , baked or steamed with a good helping of beef broth. The last has been replaced by vegetable broth to be more vegan. Cabbage is added for crunch and color. Now I've been experimenting with aged Swiss will will give this usually mellow dish bite. Homemade Italian sauce is always deserving of a little twist. With mine , there comes a generous amount of oregano and vegan Iitalian sausage. The last is loaded with peppers so it gives the sauce a great zing.I love it on refried polenta but it can be perfect gracing rotelli too.
Tweaking here and there is perfectly fine.It add zings to everyday recipes, giving them pizzazz and zing. Go off the beaten path and revamp that family or favorite recipe.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Skillet Chicken Redone
Any skillet dish can be a boring one, especially if it involves chicken. Yet suppose it was livened up with tomatoes and crispy pancetta.It would turn from a snoozefest to a lively celebration. It can be done - and easily too. A novice home chef can even have fun with this.
It was the subject of Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.She takes's a beginner's dish and elevates it to something quite special. skillet chicken is simply taking cut up chicken brown it in wide skillet, add a splash of water or chicken broth and then finish it in the oven for a nice golden brown look.For variation, sometimes a dash of white wine is added or rosemary.sometimes American cheese or Velveeta is added, A few recipes call for Campbell's mushroom soup. However these tend to detract from the chicken however a simple recipe may beg for more flavor. - and that doesn't mean more broth a a discreet pat of butter added.
Ms Clark turns on the flavor,There is pancetta that is crisped in the pan before the chicken. the chicken is cooked in the rendered fat giving it much more taste. after that's been thoroughly browned save the pan along with the combined fats from the chicken and pancetta for plum tomatoes, garlic and pepper flakes. The wild card addition is anchovies which gives it depth.The final touch in this pizza like dish, balls of mozzarella , known as bocconcini. Grated mozzarella can be used instead to create a more blankety covering for the chicken. If anchovies aren't your thing, Ms.Clark suggests olives or capers for saltiness and richness. Swap onion for garlic for sweetness along with rosemary for basil.Also sub in all legs or breasts if you want. Wing lovers should just go for wings along with making it all dark or all white meat. I would serve this with a huge crusty loaf of Italian bread too to sop up everything.
Skillet chicken need not be boring.Add some tomatoes, mozzarella and pancetta, along with garlic and anchovies for an exciting dish. It's a different spin on a classic dish,
It was the subject of Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.She takes's a beginner's dish and elevates it to something quite special. skillet chicken is simply taking cut up chicken brown it in wide skillet, add a splash of water or chicken broth and then finish it in the oven for a nice golden brown look.For variation, sometimes a dash of white wine is added or rosemary.sometimes American cheese or Velveeta is added, A few recipes call for Campbell's mushroom soup. However these tend to detract from the chicken however a simple recipe may beg for more flavor. - and that doesn't mean more broth a a discreet pat of butter added.
Ms Clark turns on the flavor,There is pancetta that is crisped in the pan before the chicken. the chicken is cooked in the rendered fat giving it much more taste. after that's been thoroughly browned save the pan along with the combined fats from the chicken and pancetta for plum tomatoes, garlic and pepper flakes. The wild card addition is anchovies which gives it depth.The final touch in this pizza like dish, balls of mozzarella , known as bocconcini. Grated mozzarella can be used instead to create a more blankety covering for the chicken. If anchovies aren't your thing, Ms.Clark suggests olives or capers for saltiness and richness. Swap onion for garlic for sweetness along with rosemary for basil.Also sub in all legs or breasts if you want. Wing lovers should just go for wings along with making it all dark or all white meat. I would serve this with a huge crusty loaf of Italian bread too to sop up everything.
Skillet chicken need not be boring.Add some tomatoes, mozzarella and pancetta, along with garlic and anchovies for an exciting dish. It's a different spin on a classic dish,
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Baby Cauliflower A Dish Is Born
One of the best winter dishes is cauliflower.It's versatile and beautiful, a creamy alabaster that can be turned golden brown by roasting and baking. The heads are large and can be either the star or supporting player. Either way it is dream vegetable and being celebrated in a new dish, a roasted style that'st taking the culinary world by storm.
Julia Moskin knows this and wrote about it in today's New York Times Food section. The veggie can be made a variety of different ways.It can go Italian,Indian, French or Middle Eastern.It's even becoming elegant, with chefs all over the world. It is the internationally reknowned Israeli cook, Eyal Shani who is famous for this new healthy phenomena. He blanches it in salt water and then its' oiled and charred in a wood fired oven. It has fans such as other famed chefs such as Jamie Oliver,Giada deLaurentis, and Rachel Ray.It's an easy dish that even home chefs can make as a weekday dinner or an impressive dinner party centerpiece.If there's a worry about cooking it in a wood fired oven, don;t A regular heated 375 dgree Farenheit oven will do the job nicely.Just make sure there is a pan of water with it to create steam.I imagine it could work on a closed barbecue grill too come Spring or summer.
Cauliflower is a lot like meat. It has a rough , outer surface like beef roast that can grab onto flavor elements like fresh herbs, lemon juices and crushed spices.. The whole head can be marinated or dry rubbed, basted, crusted or browned while the inside remains silky and tender.It can also be served ceremoniously at the table where it can be carved with a flourish.It can also be cut up and served as individual servings. It can be served with a sauce and Ms. Moskin makes an am anchovy, garlic almond sauce , kind of like a bagna calda one.This is an anchiode, a Provencale born one but you could also make a garlic tahini one with it.. Home chefs can also just have a lemon infused aoli one or or maybe an olive oil based za'atar infused sauce.
Baby cauliflower is the new star of the 2016 cooking scene. It can be easily recreated to produce a show stopping main dish or glittering sides. It is one heck of a baby!
Julia Moskin knows this and wrote about it in today's New York Times Food section. The veggie can be made a variety of different ways.It can go Italian,Indian, French or Middle Eastern.It's even becoming elegant, with chefs all over the world. It is the internationally reknowned Israeli cook, Eyal Shani who is famous for this new healthy phenomena. He blanches it in salt water and then its' oiled and charred in a wood fired oven. It has fans such as other famed chefs such as Jamie Oliver,Giada deLaurentis, and Rachel Ray.It's an easy dish that even home chefs can make as a weekday dinner or an impressive dinner party centerpiece.If there's a worry about cooking it in a wood fired oven, don;t A regular heated 375 dgree Farenheit oven will do the job nicely.Just make sure there is a pan of water with it to create steam.I imagine it could work on a closed barbecue grill too come Spring or summer.
Cauliflower is a lot like meat. It has a rough , outer surface like beef roast that can grab onto flavor elements like fresh herbs, lemon juices and crushed spices.. The whole head can be marinated or dry rubbed, basted, crusted or browned while the inside remains silky and tender.It can also be served ceremoniously at the table where it can be carved with a flourish.It can also be cut up and served as individual servings. It can be served with a sauce and Ms. Moskin makes an am anchovy, garlic almond sauce , kind of like a bagna calda one.This is an anchiode, a Provencale born one but you could also make a garlic tahini one with it.. Home chefs can also just have a lemon infused aoli one or or maybe an olive oil based za'atar infused sauce.
Baby cauliflower is the new star of the 2016 cooking scene. It can be easily recreated to produce a show stopping main dish or glittering sides. It is one heck of a baby!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Yup, It's Virus Season Again
This is going to be a short entry. It's January and that means virus season. Since I am a magnet for all things bacterial,I have fallen to the newest strain . It's been a RA diet, rice and applesauce .A sleepless night was spent Googling all the foods I should be eating and drinking. at 2 AM I was quickly guzzling down hot peppermint tea and then finally got to bed.
This is a foodie nightmare.There are ao many things I would love to eat right now but can't . The thirst that comes with dehydration is awful - luckily there is the tea and Pepsi(I shouldn;t have it, i know - extreme sugar and caffeine are off limits but a cold glass of it is refreshing and good on my stomach).
Ginger also helps, and thank heavens I have a few ginger chews to calm my innards., The spice also aids in digestion so it;s highly recommended for any stomach flu or virus.. Also take fresh ginger root , slice and then steep in boiling hot water. Fresh ginger tea is excellent in soothing an irritated stomach wall. Also ginger ale, and preferably the much stronger brewed ginger beer is another must have.
Anyway, it's back to the tenth cup of mint tea. wish me well. This only the beginning of the trip through scary stomach flu land
This is a foodie nightmare.There are ao many things I would love to eat right now but can't . The thirst that comes with dehydration is awful - luckily there is the tea and Pepsi(I shouldn;t have it, i know - extreme sugar and caffeine are off limits but a cold glass of it is refreshing and good on my stomach).
Ginger also helps, and thank heavens I have a few ginger chews to calm my innards., The spice also aids in digestion so it;s highly recommended for any stomach flu or virus.. Also take fresh ginger root , slice and then steep in boiling hot water. Fresh ginger tea is excellent in soothing an irritated stomach wall. Also ginger ale, and preferably the much stronger brewed ginger beer is another must have.
Anyway, it's back to the tenth cup of mint tea. wish me well. This only the beginning of the trip through scary stomach flu land
Monday, January 4, 2016
The Fun Diet
Yes, January is here and with it comes the dread of a diet. No one likes to give up that fun holiday diet of roasts and cookies, champagne and caviar. Yet suppose we could have a diet that's fun, one full of tasty dishes and treats that makes us want more?Is that possible? Yes!
Everyone love pizza and tacos. A low calorie homemade pizza is both healthy and fun. Start by making a whole wheat dough. It will be a denser, chewier dough but will be chock full of vitamins and minerals along with fiber. Use fresh tomatoes or other veggies such as broccoli, kale, and yes even cabbage. As for meat, think leftover chicken or steak. Tuna is another good topper and works well with tomato. Cheese can be held to a minimum unless you're using low cal mozzarella. Try an unusual and colorful topping of chopped scallions. Tacos re another fun meal that can be turned into a yummy diet treat. Instead of having iceburg lettuce, try red cabbage or arugula, Keep the tomatoes but zing it up with fiery tomatilloes and peppers. Fresh chopped onions add crunch, zest and sweetness. You can also saute the veggies fajita style before adding them to the tacos. definitely use guacamole but nix the sour cream (unless you use the low fat kind). Make a heart healthy guac by adding two to three tablespoons of olive oil. It not only is good for you but definitely makes the dip satiny smooth and super creamy.
Chili, done healthy is another yummy treat. Go with chopped turkey meat or vegan crumbles. This is a better fat free version. Serve with cornbread which surprisingly is not that high in calories. A fun dinner idea is taking corn muffins , splitting them in half and then pouring chili on both sides, kind of like a spicy sloppy Joe. Salads , a diet must , can be livened up simply by adding a flavored vinegar, Try infusing crushed blueberries or a dash of pure pomegranate in a regular red wine or apple cider variety. Textures make those greens sing. Toast some sesame seeds or almond slivers to sprinkle on. Dried cranberries add bother color ,tartness and chewiness. A great diet treat along fridge cleaner is getting rid of that leftover roast. Add cold cubed London Broil or chicken to just spinach and grape tomatoes. Dress with just oil and vinegar and serve with bread sticks.Everyone love breakfast sandwiches at any time of the day. Make them heart healthy by just using egg whites, soy cheese and soy bacon on an English muffin.It makes just as good a lunch or dinner as it does a day starter.
Don't be discouraged by the thought of a diet. Make it fun with fun good for you dishes. You'll still have a good time but will be losing weight instead of gaining it.
Everyone love pizza and tacos. A low calorie homemade pizza is both healthy and fun. Start by making a whole wheat dough. It will be a denser, chewier dough but will be chock full of vitamins and minerals along with fiber. Use fresh tomatoes or other veggies such as broccoli, kale, and yes even cabbage. As for meat, think leftover chicken or steak. Tuna is another good topper and works well with tomato. Cheese can be held to a minimum unless you're using low cal mozzarella. Try an unusual and colorful topping of chopped scallions. Tacos re another fun meal that can be turned into a yummy diet treat. Instead of having iceburg lettuce, try red cabbage or arugula, Keep the tomatoes but zing it up with fiery tomatilloes and peppers. Fresh chopped onions add crunch, zest and sweetness. You can also saute the veggies fajita style before adding them to the tacos. definitely use guacamole but nix the sour cream (unless you use the low fat kind). Make a heart healthy guac by adding two to three tablespoons of olive oil. It not only is good for you but definitely makes the dip satiny smooth and super creamy.
Chili, done healthy is another yummy treat. Go with chopped turkey meat or vegan crumbles. This is a better fat free version. Serve with cornbread which surprisingly is not that high in calories. A fun dinner idea is taking corn muffins , splitting them in half and then pouring chili on both sides, kind of like a spicy sloppy Joe. Salads , a diet must , can be livened up simply by adding a flavored vinegar, Try infusing crushed blueberries or a dash of pure pomegranate in a regular red wine or apple cider variety. Textures make those greens sing. Toast some sesame seeds or almond slivers to sprinkle on. Dried cranberries add bother color ,tartness and chewiness. A great diet treat along fridge cleaner is getting rid of that leftover roast. Add cold cubed London Broil or chicken to just spinach and grape tomatoes. Dress with just oil and vinegar and serve with bread sticks.Everyone love breakfast sandwiches at any time of the day. Make them heart healthy by just using egg whites, soy cheese and soy bacon on an English muffin.It makes just as good a lunch or dinner as it does a day starter.
Don't be discouraged by the thought of a diet. Make it fun with fun good for you dishes. You'll still have a good time but will be losing weight instead of gaining it.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
The New Age Of Saffron
Saffron is one of the world's most ancient of spices. It has been in use since Cleopatra and Alexander the Great. Now after over 2,000 of cultivation something new is happening ushering in a new age for the spice. It is being scrutinized as never before.Why? Because , like anything lux product it is being upstaged by cheaper, less purer variations and forms.
Elaine Sciolino wrote the investigative piece for last Wednesday's New York Times Food section. It seems that these much prized pistils of the crocus plant is under some controversy right now. The grains have been tampered with, cut , the same way cocaine is cut or diluted down to sustain the harvest.This creates an inferior grade product which leads to it ruining dishes that require it(think of that luscious recipe, risotto Milanese with inferior grade saffron.It would lose that amazing , unique flavor). Today there is a battle to stop this along with the halt of cheap substitutes, diluted shipments,and false labeling.It is called Saffronomics. This is where scientists and growers get together and improve saffron production along with determining purity and place of origin. They also impose order on a wildly unregulated market.After all some manufacturers are a little more than family farms, more or less off the grid in small farms.some of these go to the local market, Some go to Spain., all unregulated.
There was a global conference in Almagro , Spain back in September.There was discussions of the huge amount of fraud saffron being sols worldwide. According to Professor, J.S. Heslop-Harrison who teaches genetics at England's University of Leicester this is a major problem that is robbing foodies , chefs and home chef's worldwide of the spice 's exotic tangy taste and highly aromatic smell.Luckily diluted saffron doesn't pose a health hazard.The meeting also produced talks about fraud detection through a variety of more sophisticated tests from simple spectroscopy that tests the pollen's color to more sophisticated DNA tests.They want to know if samples were artificially dyed or if plant compounds such as corn silks or safflower thistle has been added. Saffronomics is in the process of developing detailed databases of adulterants and regional varieties (Spanish and Iranian saffron widely differ yet look the same).As home chefs know the spice is one of the most expensive on the market.It can sell for up to $10,000 a pound.
Saffron is still the most desired spice as it had been in Cleopatra's and Alexander's day.Yet now the financial stakes are much much higher.There is intrigue and illegal deals Luckily there are now Saffronomics to rein in this new age of spice trading.
Elaine Sciolino wrote the investigative piece for last Wednesday's New York Times Food section. It seems that these much prized pistils of the crocus plant is under some controversy right now. The grains have been tampered with, cut , the same way cocaine is cut or diluted down to sustain the harvest.This creates an inferior grade product which leads to it ruining dishes that require it(think of that luscious recipe, risotto Milanese with inferior grade saffron.It would lose that amazing , unique flavor). Today there is a battle to stop this along with the halt of cheap substitutes, diluted shipments,and false labeling.It is called Saffronomics. This is where scientists and growers get together and improve saffron production along with determining purity and place of origin. They also impose order on a wildly unregulated market.After all some manufacturers are a little more than family farms, more or less off the grid in small farms.some of these go to the local market, Some go to Spain., all unregulated.
There was a global conference in Almagro , Spain back in September.There was discussions of the huge amount of fraud saffron being sols worldwide. According to Professor, J.S. Heslop-Harrison who teaches genetics at England's University of Leicester this is a major problem that is robbing foodies , chefs and home chef's worldwide of the spice 's exotic tangy taste and highly aromatic smell.Luckily diluted saffron doesn't pose a health hazard.The meeting also produced talks about fraud detection through a variety of more sophisticated tests from simple spectroscopy that tests the pollen's color to more sophisticated DNA tests.They want to know if samples were artificially dyed or if plant compounds such as corn silks or safflower thistle has been added. Saffronomics is in the process of developing detailed databases of adulterants and regional varieties (Spanish and Iranian saffron widely differ yet look the same).As home chefs know the spice is one of the most expensive on the market.It can sell for up to $10,000 a pound.
Saffron is still the most desired spice as it had been in Cleopatra's and Alexander's day.Yet now the financial stakes are much much higher.There is intrigue and illegal deals Luckily there are now Saffronomics to rein in this new age of spice trading.
Friday, January 1, 2016
What Will The New Year's Bring?
What are going to be the trends and tastes of the new year? Will we be beset by another year of Middle Eastern spicing? Will a new gadget spark our interest? What will 2016 bring?
One trend is getting back to our culinary roots. In other words that General Tso's chicken and buffalo wing pizza will be foods of the past. Foodies want authentic food not Americanized versions. You'll see more regional dishes in restaurants of all ethnicities. This may also lead to discovering one's culinary roots and a push to delve into family cookbooks for the real thing.This may have lead to the next trend -less processed food.TV dinners and microwave snacks will no longer have artificial coloring or flavors nor will they have preservatives.This will lead to another predicted trend of the new year - organic fast food. Amy's has already opened up their first fast food joint, enlisting local farmers to help them out .Hopefully the big guns, McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King will also follow suit.The big flavor of the year - pineapple. The tropics are coming back and in a big way.
Another trend is baby chefs. We're going to be inundated by new waves of Junior Master Chefs. Foodie babies have come of age and they're hot on the trails of their elders to slice dice , and inherit the family sous vide. That said, there may be a rush to enroll's one's to, not in tetherball but in baking and grilling classes.They'll probably be going gaga for gadgets like their home chef folks however there's a twist in this.The thingamabobs are not brand new. They're what our grannies and great-grans used to create delicious dinners and desserts. Get ready to swoon over (again) for baking sheets and broilers. More dinners will be cooked on a baking sheet than in any pot or pan. This makes sense because you can roast the main and the sides together for an evenly cooked meal.
These are just some of the predictions for the new year. We'll never really know until the trend is literally on fire. New ideas and recipes come along all the time. The trick is will they be the spark that lights up the foodie world in 2016?
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