Cooking Tropical

 This is the time of year when many hit the islands, whether the Caribbean or the South Pacific. Unfortunately these are out of reach this year - however home chefs can recreate the islands' famed dishes easily in their kitchens. It's not quite a dinner on a balmy bay, but taste wise ti's close.

The Caribbean  has been one of the most desired winter getaways for over a century. There are around thirty four islands (not counting the tiny islets ) in the Caribbean Sea. It's  a cornucopia of different dishes from Europe, Africa , Asia and what's left of the indigenous culture.it is spicy but with spices easily found in everyone's spice rack. Most dishes include allspice, ginger, cinnamon,nutmeg, clove, garlic and paprika. An easy dish to recreate is rice and peas. This is really more rice and beans and is big in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Cook kidney beans in coconut milk with onion, garlic thyme and salt. The rice is added later and can be eaten on its' own or with jerk chicken. Jerk chicken is another tasty island dish.Jerk is a type of cooking found in Jamaica and can be applied to all sorts of meats. It starts with a marinade of  green onions, garlic, habeneros, and lime juice. To balance this brown sugar and thyme are also used. This is put into a food processor and pureed. The chicken is then placed in a plastic baggie with it for anywhere from three to twenty-four hours. The meat is then baked in a 375 degree oven for thirty minutes. You can also make the fiery Jamaican callaloo with kale or collard greens , tomatoes and Scotch Bonnet peppers. It's usually cooked with salted fish but you could also make it a side too.

On the other side of the world is the South Pacific. This is where islands have turquoise seas and warm balmy nights.It's also where luaus started. it;'s also where the first inhabitants came from the Asian mainland about 3,000 years ago. They brought such staples as bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes yams and breadfruit. The Europeans later brought, beef, chicken and sheep along with carrots and turnip. Pigs were indigenous and they're a main attraction at all sorts of celebrations and dinner. Try Kalua pork which is a mix of shredded pork butt with cabbage and liquid smoke. You can make this in a slow cooker if you don't have the time.A side dish would be Polynesian cabbage wraps. It's red cabbage stuffed with shredded chicken, brown sugar, and soy sauce along with a host of spices such as chili powder and cumin.Pineapple, lime juice and peanuts top it off. This is the area of dozens of islands so fish and seafood are mainstays. Try French Polynesian shrimp in coconut vanilla sauce. It's a French influenced dish that has rum, cream, coconut milk and vanilla beans, The Tahitians also make their version of ceviche which has raw tuna being cooked in lime juice and then sprinkled with coconut milk. 

You don't have to travel to have good island food. You can easily make these at home. Enjoy them with a cool, frothy drink and pretend you're on the white sand beach beside a turquoise sea.

The Perfect Stew

 January is a notoriously cold month. What better than to chase that chill than with a good, well made stew. There's something about the blend of veggies and meat with a good gravy. It's the perfect meal for these bone numbing days.

What makes a good stew? It starts with the meat if you're making a meaty one. Get cuts that are very tender and flavorful.If you can't, use a meat mallet to tenderize the beef. The end result is a tender forkful of melt in your mouth goodness. Chuck meat makes the best stew meat which comes from the cow's shoulder. You could use rump meat too even though it's not as tender. It is flavorful though which is a plus for any stew. Some home chefs prefer a good chicken stew during these frosty days. Use only thighs and breasts because they're the most meatiest. Fish stew is a bit different. Several different kinds of fish make for the most flavorful blend. Think a firm white fish like cod or halibut. if you can;t get these, then use tilapia or  red snapper. Steer clear of delicate fish such as sole and oily fish like tuna. You can also throw in some shrimp, clams and scallops for a brinier flavor.  All good stews need vegetables to round out the mix. Try different amounts of onion, chopped celery, carrots and waxy or boiling potatoes. Peas can be added for color and more nutrition. Herbs and spices can also bring out the flavors of veggies and meat. Oregano and bay leave are the most popular but you can also use parsley , basil and rosemary. It's up to you.

There are two ways to cook stew - with a reduction of  gravy  - sort of like au jus or thick like turkey or roast beef gravy, You can add red wine such as with the fancy beef bourguignon. A thin sauce starts with water and beef broth. A thicker one begins with a slurry made from a teaspoon of flour with a little cold water. How to cook the stew is another matter. The old fashioned way is on the stove top for about one and a half hours for beef and only half an hour for chicken. Fish stew is the quickest for only ten to twelve minutes and three to five for a really quick dish. Beef and chicken stews lend themselves to crockpots and Instapots and you can easily cook them in them as you can with another traditional stew  - lamb. What to serve with stew? A  simple green salad with a few grape tomatoes thrown is your best bet. It's a nice side and doesn't take away from the stew.A must is either a crusty bread like a baguette or sourdough. These are perfect for sopping up the gravies. Another idea is making dumplings to cook on top of the stew. These are a mix of flour baking, powder , sugar and butter or margarine. You can add herbs for a more flavorful one. They're cooked on top of the veggies, meat and gravy, producing a tender and fluffy bite.

This is the coldest time of the year. Warm it up with a good hearty stew. Enjoy the savory blend of meat , veggies and hebs.It will warm your heart as well as your stomach.

Ultimate Comfort Foods

 These are truly unsettling times. We need comfort- good food, a good book, a good wine. Mostly it's the first. There's something about indulging in a bite of something delicious and creamy or salty and crunchy. We don't need to eat it every day - just once a week can do it.

What is comfort food? It's basically any favorite dish that fills you with a sense of well being. It's usually high in sugar and/or carbs. Everyday or common comfort foods are tomato soup, meat loaf, chicken and waffles,. pizza and mac and cheese. It could also be a hot fudge sundae or a bowl of your favorite cereal for dinner. What is ultimate comfort food? It's taking it up a notch. Tomato soup can be homemade with fire roasted tomatoes added in.These are easy to make in the air fryer if it's too cold to use the grill. A dollop of pesto also elevates  the classic recipe.Grilled cheese is the usual accompaniment. It;'s good but it cam also be given some zing and oomph. Try sourdough instead of the usual white as the base and use good Vermont or Wisconsin cheddar. You could also sub in Camembert or brie for a creamier bite. A real ultimate grilled cheese is the French croque monsieur. This is a grilled cheese made with Gruyere and ham. You don't have to have the bechamel sauce that goes with it if you're eating it with soup,

What about Mom's meat loaf? You could easily elevate it with strips of bacon crisscrossed over the top or doing a mix of beef and veal. Another lush add in is grated cheese or sauteed mushrooms and onions.  A splash of Cabernet Sauvignon can also give it some oomph.. Chicken and waffles can get a  lift by whipping the egg whites first for a fluffier waffle. Get good Vermont maple syrup for both. You'll taste the difference right away.Pizza is one of the easiest foods to take up a notch. You can easily top it with filet mignon or lobster. It can be topped with shrimp too. These gourmet slices need good Asiago cheese and fire roasted tomatoes to really elevate them. Lobster can be added to mac and cheese too. It's a delicious way to turn this classic casserole into something special. You only need a cup of it. Going overboard with it may get in the way of the cheese. As for that , again, as with the grilled cheese sandwich , go for a good cheese like a Vermont or Wisconsin cheddar. You could also skip the seafood and create a four cheese one. Use  any combination of Asiago, Fontina, Gruyere and Gouda . End with a super special sundae with buttery homemade fudge sauce , layered with raspberries and strawberries over big scoops of Haagen Daz or Ben and Jerry's.

These are tough times. Tough times call for indulging in lush comfort foods that's been taken up a notch. They're a great way of escaping all the craziness that's going on.

Cooking One Step At A Times

 Does anyone actually follow cookbook directions these days? Don't we kind of adjust the recipes to our tastes, adding this, omitting that. Yet doing such makes home chefs miss out on the dishes history or the reason it was included in the book. Cooks will also miss the intended flavor of the recipes along with their nuances and subtleties.

Genevieve Ko, cooking editor of the Los Angeles Times and the author of the healthy baking cookbook,  Better Baking wrote this interesting article in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She feels that home chefs can get to know the creators better, understand their backgrounds and figuratively  leave their kitchens and enter someone else's. She gives ideas about how to get the most out of executing a recipe. The first is look for recipes written to be followed precisely. To assess the deliberateness of a recipe creator, took to recipes and instructions guaranteed for success. Another must is choose recipes that will work as published. Ms. Ko suggests flipping to the cookbook's acknowledgements to see if testers are thanked. Most major media companies do professionally test and edit recipes before publication. One of the best pieces of advice is pick recipes that sound surprising in some way. Try something different that's out of your wheelhouse. Ms. Ko tried an East African dish  from In Bibi's Kitchen  written by Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen. She followed contributor Jeanne Razanamaria's recipe to the letter and came out with a tangy dish with earthy flavors.

Ms. Ko offers more advice.  Home chefs must track down ingredients, even ones that are hard to find. The search is part learning about other cuisines and cultures. You can get any ingredient on Amazon or at other sites. Also check the internet to find where ethnic groceries in your area. They too can offer advice and steer you to the right ingredients.As with any set of instructions read the recipe carefully and stick to it. Before you start anything, read the top note or even the whole cookbook to contextualize the dish. Another important must do read the recipe carefully to anticipate the steps because methods may differ from what you expect. Also resist the temptation to alter it especially if it's close to a recipe you know. Sticking exactly to the instructions will reveal the surprise of a vibrant flavors. One of the most important things to do is taste with an open mind. We tend to think we know what dishes should taste like but if there's a variation or new ingredient it may be a bit off putting. Our palates will evolve with the recipes we try. Ms. Ko also includes a coconut chicken curry and , that Madagascar white bean stew and a dulce de leche chocoflan.

Look though your cookbooks and reread the recipes you want to try. Stick to the recipes. It'll open up your mind to new methods, techniques and ingredients. Adhere to the instructions and create memorable dishes.

Saluting Our Essential Food Workers

 They pick our produce, they stock our shelves and deliver our foods. These are the ones who are our heroes, the ones who keep us fed and healthy. They need to be honored and saluted.

The New York Times Food section did just that today. Reporters Mahira Rivers, Rachel Wharton and Aidan Gardiner interviewed several different food industry workers. There's Sandra Sibert from Sioux Falls , South Dakota who works at the Smithfield meat processing factory. Like most of her coworkers she caught the Corona virus. After almost losing her life she pushed for the company to have more sanitizers on the break room table. They did. Yet she still had to take a shower and change her clothes every day. Jane Singer is an Instacart shopper in Harrisburg ,PA There are times when she has to buy 115 items for a family while becoming close with a family with a special needs son. She was rewarded with hand sanitizer and soap.Antonia Rios Hernanadez is a farm worker from Immokalee, FLorida. She left picking fruit for landscaping because there was no recognition for her hard work. LUckily where she worked had their tables wiped down with Clorox. Chet Gordon is a long haul trucker from Greenwood Lake, New York who drove 2,500 miles a week.Again he went through protocols to keep himself and his cargo safe.

Higher ups are also an important  David Turner handles the customer hotline at King Arthur Baking Company. He's had to deal with the influx of first time bakers during this pandemic. The worst part was when there was a flour and yeast shortage and callers phoning in asking where could they get these vital ingredients. Mr. Turner had to assure them that yeast and flour were on their way to stores. Then there's Reva Hoover, an assistant customer service manager at Bashas DIne Market in Tuba City Arizona in the Navajo Nation.SInce her grocery store was not one of the top or popular ones, they had to wait for toilet paper in the middle of losing customers and workers to the virus. Some essential workers like Allegra Brown of New York who works in the Avenel, New Jersey Amazon plant are treated badly. They were lauded and even given two dollar raises only to work non stop as a picker  and getting both her and fellow coworkers raises yanked from them. Randy Petersen who is co-owner of product development at Bridgewell Agribusiness in Clackimas Oregon, also works hard, namely for twenty-four hours dealing with factories and farmers. His team runs the raw materials that are then transformed into organic oils , flours and coconut products. It is demanding work, as they give us our olive oils and baking ingredients.

Celebrate and honor our essential workers. They toil for us , making sure we're well fed. We need to make sure they're well appreciated.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips

 A fun lunch side is always a plate of homemade chips. Amp it up with sweet potatoes. These are a different spin and are even healthier, especially when fried in the air fryer.

The hardest part is slicing the potatoes. Sweet potatoes are just as solid and woody as their tuber cousins.

I should have used my mandolin to get thin slices but I wanted something a bit more meatier. One sweet potato is enough. it yielded about ten slices which is perfect for two people for lunch. The slices were uneven but cooked up pretty much all the same.

It's then tossing the slices in a mix of olive oil, oregano , salt and pepper.

  You can use any herb such as rosemary or dill but I felt oregano had more oomph than any of these.

The slices were well coated and then put into the air fryer for eight minutes at 400 degrees F.  I then turned them over to make sure they were evenly cooked.

Again the sweet potato is woody so it required more cooking. I put them in for another eight minutes , again at 400 degrees F.

The end result a crispy tasty chip, flavored with oregano.Next time I think I'll add a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan . You can also add some garlic powder for a savory taste or brown sugar for a sweet one. You can make a quick aioli dip for them using mayo, lemon juice and garlic.

For a tasty lunch treat air fry  some sweet potato slices. They're a great healthy side , perfect accompanying anything from sandwiches to soup. You can even eat them on their own, that's how delicious they are!

Forget Sourdough Try These Breads

 For some reason sourdough bread was the hit of the lock down. Home bakers took to it like a duck to water. Yet there are so many other breads to try - from white to rye to whole wheat. These are just as delicious and even easier to whip up.

White bread always gets a bad wrap. It's probably because of the store bought processed kind which has the taste and texture of a kitchen sponge. However homemade white bread is an entirely different kind. It's soft and chewy, perfect on it's own with butter or jam or used for sandwiches. The ingredients are fairly straightforward - flour yeast, water, honey, salt and butter. some home bakers add a tiny bit of vinegar to keep the texture soft and the flavor not too sweet. As for flour, yes you can use regular white but some home bakers prefer bread flour which gives it a much more chewier bite. Keep in mind you can also make bread rolls too. These are fun to make and can be topped with an egg wash and poppy/sesame seeds. A variation is the baguette. The dough recipe is slightly different, with the omission of honey and butter. A few tip before making it. You can buy French bread loaf pans at good kitchen stores such as Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table. Another instrument to buy is a baker's  lame which looks like a toothbrush with a small razor at the end instead of a brush. This is used for creating those classic slashes and "rips" on the top of the bread. Ice  - yes ice is used to create that ultra crusty crust. Toss three to four cubes on the oven floor to create steam that will crisp up the loaf.

For those wanting a  healthier slice,  think whole wheat. King Arthur brand has the best wheat flour and it can be bought at any grocery store or super store like Wal-Mart. Most recipes call for honey(if you want to continue with the all natural vibe, then use organic honey) along with water, yeast and salt. Again like with white bread the dough can be sectioned off into rolls whether for dinner or just lunchtime sandwiches. Another dark bread that's easy to make - and even easier to eat is pumpernickel.Its' dark color comes from the blend of whole wheat flour and dark cocoa powder while the unique taste comes from unsulphured  molasses. These would be great baked into rolls and served with a hearty steak dinner or  beef stew. The most classic brown bread is rye. This is a blend of rye flour - again use King Arthur or arrowhead Mills brands for this along with butter and warm milk. Carraway seeds are added for the traditional anise flavor. It isn't done much but you can make rye rolls, which are perfect for ham or pastrami sandwiches.

Try new breads if you're tired of baking sourdough. Try something different with the same amount of flavor and crusty crust. It could be a baguette or a rye roll. Get creative and expand your bread repertoire.