Eat Green Eat Clean

Can changing our eating habits lessen climate change? Can our food choices deter global warming? That's what the New York Times Food Section posed today in an unusual but thoughtful section. It's a keeper section full of ideas and suggestions.

The writers at the food section teamed up with the environmental writers from the newspapers to create an interesting guide for cleaner and greener eating. Julia Moskin along with Brad Plumer wrote most of the articles. Usual contributors such as Melissa Clark and Tejal Rao delved into kelp and tomatoes. Answers to such common questions  as do what I eat have an effect on climate change and should humans stop eating meat all together. There are also answers to such questions as which foods have the largest impact and what kind of seafood should I eat. It is a good guide to bring along for green food shopping. There are also assurances to vegetarian worries and concerns, especially about switching over to a meat free diet.The section includes different charts such as the environmental impact of cow's milk as opposed to other milks such as soy,rice , oat and almond.Another chart on the percentage of various food waste is an eye opener.It will definitely change some habits. There is also a quiz on the back page that everyone should take. Home chefs may change their shopping and cooking habits after answering a few questions.

Of course there are recipes along with articles on food but with a sustainable twist.Two must reads are Kim Severson's piece on how climate change is affecting regional crops and Somini Sengupta's one on how different countries - including the US - and their eating habits affect global warming.Ms. Severson takes us around the US , from Maine where an erratic frost season is damaging the blue gems to California's year round artichoke season where warmer weather is encouraging the choke's enemy the artichoke plume moth.Ms. Sengupta's article is inspirational. She has been to different countries such as Venezuela and Viet Nam but it is Kansas that provides us with some green culinary advice. Professor Devon Mihesuah , a professor of indigenous history  and culture at the University of Kansas has a garden and diet of the original indigenous Kansans, the Choctaws. This is dandelion salad from her garden and wild onions from neighboring fields. She doesn't spray weeds, because bees need them to  pollinate.Melissa Clark gives us kelp recipes while Tejal Rao explores climate change's effects on tomatoes and how farmers are creating hardier breeds. Even Eric Asimov of  the weekly The Pour column weighs in.Wine drinkers should ask about all aspects of wine making ,from the bottle itself to mowing the cover crop and the amount of electricity used.

How we eat and drink affects the planet. Use the Times guide to help you make crucial decisions. Even a small culinary change is a change in the right direction.,

Let The Grilling Begin

Despite the cool weather right now, it's the start of grilling season. That means lazy weekends flipping burgers or chilling out  week nights cooking veggies or meats. Are you ready for it? Is the grill cleaned? Are the accoutrements ready for another season?

One of the first questions to ask is my grill still usable? Most grills usually last from two to three years. With the right babying and care their usefulness can be extended to four and sometimes five years. If there is rust, then junk it and start looking for a new one.If you are looking for a new one, do you go the thrifty or splurge route? Keep in mind that the more expensive models are made from stainless steel while the cheaper models are lower grade painted steel that may not have a long life. A few dollars more can make a difference. One of the most popular is Weber's Original Kettle. It fits perfectly in smaller back yards and patios.It can be used as a smoker as well if you're into smoking meats.A trendier idea that's taking hold is using a fire pit for cooking meats.It offers a bit more variety with how to cook food. Griddles and pans can be used along with cast iron meat grates. You can also cook the typical camp fire fare such as hot dogs and marshmallows using skewers. Another thing to consider is what you'll be cooking the most. Will it be steaks and whole veggies?Or chunks of them? If it's the second, then invest in a good pair of metal skewers. These last decades longer than just wooden skewers and can be used season after season.

Once the grill is settled, then look at your outdoor table set. Do you feel like you need a new one? Will it last another season? It should if it spent the fall and winter either in the basement or garage.
For  those who want a new set, then think of Target and Wal-mart for new tables and chairs. These big box stores  are always budget friendly and offer a wide variety of styles. An entire set including umbrella and base can be bought for under three hundred dollars. Your best bet is a metal topped table. A glass one can break along with expanding and contracting during hot and cold days. Wicker sets are always pretty but make sure the one you buy has aluminum frames and the woven material is from a  man made material like recycled plastic.Also consider having matching smaller tables where guests can put their drinks and hors d'ouevres.A nice outdoor table set deserves pretty silverware and plates. Amazon has Cutlerex ,a plastic cutlery set that looks like silverware.  It's a set that can be used over and over and has forty pieces of spoons knives and forks. You could also get stainless steel sets too. As for plates, think melamine which comes in a variety of different fun patterns. Target has so many cute patterns along with white ones that look like paper plates! These are a much better choice than paper ones and plastic utensils.

Get the backyard ready for eating out. It's time for grilling and chilling in the fresh, warm air. Have everything ready for the first barbecue of the season.

Spring Cleaning Your Diet

Now that Easter and Passover are over , it's time to Spring clean your diet. There are no more heavy calorie laden meals, desserts and treats. It's the season for lighter fare,not to mention lighter cooking and baking.

One of the best aspects of Spring is foraging. There is a wealth of healthy greens right outside your back door. Think about adding some of  your local woodland's best in a salad.One of the most traditional and most widely used is the dandelion. The slightly prickly leaves can be eaten on their own or with other greens. Dress with a tangy lemon -honey vinaigrette and serve with grilled chicken or scallops. Another woodland green to consider is the tongue tingling garlic mustard which can be made into a pesto or cooked with pasta similar to broccoli rabe.Mushrooms can also come from the parks and forests.Many home chefs are leery about foraging them and with good reason -half are poisonous.Buy a book on foraging (your best bet is Amazon) and read it cover to cover. Think about making your bounty in a light mushroom sauce spiked with garlic and onions. The mushrooms can also be pickled and served as a side to grilled chicken, steak or fish. Those dandelion greens can also be pickled and would be a light and interesting side.

With the weather growing warmer, it's time to get out the grill. This is chance to have delicious meats and veggies simply cooked. Don't stop at the proteins. Try a light meal of grilled asparagus with peppers and eggplants. Ramps from foraging can also be grilled . Spritz them with olive oil and cook on a grill pan until ready. A fun way to welcome in the warm weather is kabobs. Think cherry and grape tomatoes with scallops and shrimp. Or try marinated mushrooms skewers for something light and different. Climbing temps usually mean the taste for grilled burgers. These too can be lightened up. Portobello caps are a great sub in for beef patties.Marinate the caps in canola oil - which is lighter than even virgin olive oil - along with  chopped onions, balsamic vinegar and garlic.Instead of plopping it on a heavy bun, think an open faced sandwich on Italian and French bread. Gardein also has veggie burgers that taste like the real thing. Instead of the usual burgers and potato salad - just have the patties plain with grilled veggies .As for desserts, we're heading into blueberry and strawberry season. Finish the meal with a bowl of mixed berries, sweetened with dark honey and topped with Reddi-Whip's coconut or almond milk whipped creams.

It's Spring. Lighten up your diet. Go for fresh picked greens and kabobs. Get rid of the greasy burgers and try the ethereal portobellos or soy burgers. Invest in the fruits and veggies of the season. You'll feel better- and lighter. 

The Lamb Experiment

Since mid March  up to today I have baked and iced five lambs, using my Mom's Wilton Easter lamb mold, along with her cake and icing recipes.

What have I learned?

That greasing and flouring any cake pan is vital to having an easy to remove baked product. 

Dream Whip is crucial to producing a dense yet surprisingly light pound cake. I plan on making cupcakes with it.

Crumb coats are very important in creating a smooth first coat. You need this in order to create fancy stars squiggles and rosettes.

Vegan cakes don't work. This little lady's head fell off .Also the taste wasn't as great as the Duncan Hines mixes I used.

Variety is truly the spice of life. I made a chocolate cake with coffee icing for my friends who love chocolate. This is the flavor combination I will be flirting with for the next few months.

As for everyone else, it was vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream.I also learned that it takes time to master Russian tips . Mine have come out like pink blobs.Also all lambs require seven cups of icing not five.

Another thing I've learned. Not to bake five lamb cakes and then ice them. It is a lot of work, well received but still labor intensive.

Your Own Tea Garden

A tea garden conjures up pretty images of an abundant garden, rife with a profusion of colors and scents. Anybody can grow this and then harvest leaves, petals and roots for a delicate brew. It's not as complicated as thought to be. A new book explains the basics.

Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide To Growing and Harvesting Flavorful Teas In Your Backyard (Fox Chapel Publishing 2019) is the must have guide for tea lovers who want to create their own blends.Jodi Helmer, a freelance writer  who has written for The Guardian and  National Geographic has compiled the perfect tea and nature's lover's guide. This is a wonderful book, chock full of beautiful pictures and illustrations on gardening. Tea lovers will go crazy over the variety of different botanicals listed to make all sorts of brews.There is the history of tea along with the explanation of tisanes which are not surprisingly mistaken for brews. differences between white, green and black teas are explained (it has nothing to do with different types but the leaves at various growth stages, white is the leaf bud, green is from the tender young leaves that arrive in the Spring and black tea comes from the more mature ones). There are also suggestions on where to plant and recipes for various blends, from  a tasty hibiscus iced tea to a soothing tummy troubles tea made with echinacea and hyssop leaves. The back has growing season maps of the US and Canada along with where to get the seeds.

I love the book, not just for the recipes but also for the cornucopia of information on the different plants.Each root, flower and leaf comes with the scientific Latin name along with what growth zone fits it. The explanations are in depth and will show you how to plant a successful tea garden. Each plant also has a side bar For The Best Brew which explains how to get the best tasting cup of tea from them. What is surprising is that there are dozens of plants , roots flowers and even fruits that can go into a cup.I love the idea of a strawberry tea which is more of a pureed fruit drink over ice. There is also a persimmon tea with the  fruit being simmered with ginger root and turmeric for kick.  A black current tea, is not only healthy but tasty as both berries and leaves are simmered together.Some plants are a surprise. There is witch hazel, which I always thought was for cosmetic use (namely in skin toners)but can also have its leaves and bark made into a tisane to cure sore throats , colds and flu. The same surprise is also for stinging nettles which helps to ease muscle ache and infections.

Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide To Growing And Harvesting Flavorful Teas In Your Backyard is the perfect guide for tea lovers who want their own special blends. It is informative and beautifully presented. Buy it and get started on your own fragrant tea garden,

The Truth About Marsala

Marsala wine has had a bad rap for the last century. Many people associate it with sauces and that's it. A few have even called it a sauce. That's wrong. This sweet , fruit dessert wine is so much more than just an ingredient in a main course.

Charlotte Druckman,a food writer and author of Stir, Sizzle,Bake : Recipes For Your Cast Iron Skillet, wrote an informative piece on this popular dessert wine in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Marsala is a  misunderstood wine. In its' native Sicily it's considered an aperitif and dessert wine where its' mixed notes of dried fruit, caramel, and nuts. According to cookbook author and importer of fine quality Italian products, Rolando Bermendi, "Marsala is still unknown in the US as a good wine. It has a bad connotation and the name has been destroyed." Another  view is from Roberta Corrodin, a Sicilian food writer and restauranteur likens the drink to olive oil. observing the low quality bottles found at the supermarket have become the standard. Maybe this feeling has something to do with the wine's beginnings. It came to America as early as 1773, thanks to English trader, John Woodhouse who docked his boat in Marsala on the island's western shore. He discovered that the wine was similar to sherry. He added brandy to extend its; shelf life along with must, the unfermented juice from whole crushed grapes. Americans and the English love the sweetness of it and it became an after dinner favorite.

By the late 1920s, Marsala lost its glam status . Knockoffs and cheap copies were in abundance. It was at this time that its' popularity took off. Ironically it was granted dispensation during  Prohibition where it was relegated to a medicine, Italian- American restaurants were also putting it on their menus, dousing chicken and veal with a mushroom based sauce. The 1980's saw it being added to the dessert of the moment tiramisu during a Northern Italian craze. Now the regional foods of Sicily and other areas of Southern Italy are being celebrated by chefs ,entrepreneurs and diners. Marsala is having a resurgence. Chef Amy Brandwein of Centralina in Washington uses the wine in a braised chicken ragu. New York eatery Don Angie  uses it  to flavor the dashi for a pink snapper crudo and to pickle the trumpet mushrooms that grace the dish. Marsala comes in three colors - ambra - amber, gold-oro and ruby - rubino. Baking calls for the sweet or dolci while savory cooking needs dry or seco. There are two recipes too. One is a spin on the classic chicken Marsala which also has cremini and shittake mushrooms while the other  is a strawberry Marsala cake. which is a vanilla scratch cake with a kick.

Try a bottle of Marsala , whether to finish a dinner or as a part of a recipe. It is a sweet interesting wine with a distinct flavor. It's worth adding to a kitchen arsenal.

True Texas Mexican

Ask anyone to name Tex-Mex dishes and they'll probably rattle off a Taco Bell menu. Yet the cuisine, which should be properly called TexasMexican isn't about fajitas and bean dip.It's much more. It's a cuisine that goes back for milennia, full of indigenous produce and rich spices.

Rachel Wharton, a freelance food writer and new to the paper, wrote an interesting piece for today's New York Times Food section. She visited Houston, a city thriving in this Texan-Mexican cuisine.  She spent time and interviewed cookbook writer and chef Adan Medrano who is also trying to get the story out there.Many Americans think Tex-Mex has fajitas and margaritas, finished with fried iced cream. That is far from the case. True Texas-Mexican restaurants such as Cafe Amiga in Brownsville and Maria's restaurant in McAllen serve chicken with striped green squash and corn along with a tomato noodle soup call fideo.There  also the beef and and potato stew called picadillo. Gulf shrimp is mixed with cacti in a stew of red chilis. The name came to Chef Medrano after he enrolled in the CIA - Culinary Institute of America in 2010. He didn't want to use the phrase Tejano which has the "J" from its' colonial Spanish rule. He came up with the description  after learning about the distinct regional cuisines of Mexico.

How did it evolve from Texas Mexican to Tex Mex? It started in the early 1900's when local Mexican-American home cooking was first made in restaurants by Anglos for Anglos.Yet it was in the Seventies when the cuisine was finally given a name, mostly from  food writers. There  it was refried beans, chili made with powdered spices and stock instead of chile con carne  based on whole red chiles and of course fajitas with anything other than skirt steak. Then there was the problem of cheese - cheese everywhere.Even on the other side of the Rio Grande the cuisine held with newer generations, unlike here.They are eating the same dishes their nomadic ancestors ate as they moved around both sides of the Rio Grande for generations.There are recipes with the article that demonstrate the natural ingredients. There is tacos de picadillo with ground beef with cumin and carne giusada with papas or potatoes.The last is laced with Serrano chiles and peppercorns.

Texan Mexican cuisine has been around for centuries. It is making itself known as  vibrant  and flavorful. The colorful dishes will be the true taste of Texas.