Instagram Ready

 Instagram isn't just cute pictures and fashion ideas. It's now a place for people to order food and create new restaurants. This once lightweight app is now becoming a heavy weight for foodies and cooks alike.

A chef, herself Tejal Rao wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section. Instagram is now a great way of advertising pop up and cloud kitchens. The last is basically a restaurant that rents out its' cooking facilities to two to three cooks from different pop ups.Last year, before the pandemic went full throttle, chefs only dreamed of starting a successful business. Then Covid-19 hit and eateries closed.It was possible for smaller, independent chefs to prepare meals in their or their parents backyards and kitchens or reached out to restaurants that found their business drastically reduced. Then Instagram introduced Shop and Reels which allows prioritizing popular brands and influencers. Chef Rao worried that the platform would be hostile to these tiny pop ups but cooks do make it work. They rely on direct messages and linking out to forms, custom built shopping pages or third party apps. It's paid off. It can be difficult for diners however. They have to follow each business closely and remember each pop-up's schedule,pick up rules and payment methods.

Yet they survive. Kevin Hockin's pizza has gotten a huge following. On a busy weekend he sells a whopping six hundred pizzas through a gap in his fence in Altadena, California. Side Pie is a small operation started after his Collage Coffee closed in March.  He was smart to post cute pictures of chihuahuas in cute hats and pizzas on the app. This led to a small but devoted fan base for his charred thin crust pies and then tie dyed merchandise He even has a former pastry chef at the famed Sqirl bake seasonal slab pies for him to sell as dessert. Chef Hockin has reopened his coffee shop and is hoping to incorporate Side Pie into it.  Then there is Persian Sophia Parsa who with her mother, Farah, makes the famed mound of rice for their pop up Golden Rice. It can be a challenge for them because they're not fluent in English. It is tough because there's so much to do, from writing advertising to writing menu descriptions. However the Parsas are still successful. One night there were forty domes of tah dig, Iranian style rice complete with barberries and herbed yogurt.It was the same for Jihee Kim who went from working in a Mexican restaurant to creating her  popup that reflects the best of Korean banchan shops in busan. She cooks Japanese yams in soy sauce and delciate omelets with seaweed. There is also fried chicken from Anwar Herron in Napa, California and Trina Quinn's pelamin in Brooklyn along with Erik Piedrahita's succssful pop up barbecue place.

Instagram is the way to go for any burgeoning chef wanting to gain customers and fans. It allows them to start in one of the toughest industries and become wildly successful. It's now the backbone of the pop up restaurant  business.

Happy Meals For Dark Days

 The weather is lousy, the news is depressing. What's worse we can't go out and enjoy a fun , tasty meal. The antidote? Create one at home. Plan a perfect dinner and enjoy.

That was my plan today. I made Gardein's Beyond Burgers, always a favorite with crispy crinkle fries made crispier in the air fryer. Both were a fun and easy make, only taking at best maybe fifteen minutes. I placed the burger on a slice of brioche bread from Walmart or an extra treat .I added broccoli salad, for the healthy part  along with it has such a great flavor.

  Again such a simple make. A quick microwave of six minutes and then dressed with an easy mix of olive oil and apple cider vinegar along with dashes of salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

                                           Dessert was fudge topped cupcakes from Acme.

Who could resist Fudge Week where the cupcakes are top heavy with fudge? One frosting even slid off.

Anyone can create the perfect fun dinner. It doesn't have to be burgers and fries.It could be baked mac and cheese, lobster tails and champagnes, if you're more incline. You decide what you want and make it. Add some festive decorations even. Cook and bake or buy whatever makes you happy.

Freezer Restocking

 Once again the freezer is important , thanks to possible snowstorms and lockdowns. It's time to look into it and see what needs to be thrown out and what needs to be added.

Before stocking your freezer check to see what you have in there. Frozen foods will last forever but there's a caveat - freezer burn.If any food is left in the freezer for more than three months, it will lose its; flavor and shape even, Upon reheating or heating you'll have tasteless, mushy food. Some brands can withstand this but its'a a matter of freezer roulette. It's basically try and taste. Ice cream is much more delicate. It can only last two to three months in an unopened container or tub while an opened one is only good for one or two months. Sherbet is a little more hardier. It can survive three to fours months if left unopened, while an opened two to three months after being opened. Once you've cleaned out , then think about defrosting and cleaning too. Wash out those ice cube trays and soak the shelves in warm soapy water. Set aside to dry. As far as the freezer itself, a mild, natural cleaner will work the best. Use a spray of one part apple cider or white vinegar and one part of water . Spray liberally inside and then wipe down with a sponge. Dry it with a clean dish rag and then replace the shelves.

As for restocking it, you can easily make meals for the week ahead of time.Cook up family favorites that you know will go quickly. Think lasagna or baked mac. These are hearty and filling , perfect for a cold snowy night in. You can also make crock pot chili along with stews. These can be thawed out quickly and cooked for both lunch and dinner. As far as with frozen foods, pizza is always good. Get a few plain ones so the family can add some toppings and make it their own. Family style frozen dinners is another must stock.Stoueffer's is your best bet here. They have everything from chicken enchiladas to cheese manicotti. There's also chicken Alfredo for those night when you don't want to make a pasta dinner from scratch. Also stock up on hot lunches. Here you can always rely on Marie Callender. The company has tasty and filling chicken and turkey pot pies along with pasta and rice bowls. The company also has turkey and stuffing family meals along with meat loaf and Salisbury steak ones. Remember to also restock such sides as frozen veggies and French fries.  These are great for accompanying chicken or steak.

It's time to clean out the freezer and restock it for those days ahead. Fill it with tasty foods that are easy to thaw and easy to cook. They're perfect for time indoors.

California Eating

 California is on everyone's radar, thanks to one of its' most famous inhabitants Vice President Kamala Harris. Everyone outside the Golden State is curious not only about her but also the cuisine this state has. Like the East Coast, California has been not only on top of the foods trends but creating them as well.

There are really two Californias, since the state is so big.Its' top two cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles have been known for their restaurants for decades. San Francisco , where Madame Vice President hales from, has Fisherman's Wharf where locals and tourists can sample a variety of different seafood and fish. Los Angeles has the celebrity studded Spago and Musso's and Frank. Of course San Francisco has given the works one of its' greatest inventions sourdough bread.This came about during the famed Gold Rush of 1849, although variations of ti have been around since ancient Egypt. Yet the city embraced it and by 1853 there was a whopping fifty-three bakeries selling the tasty bread. The most famed bakery is Boudin's , founded in 1849 by Isidore Boudin of Burgundy France.So Cal has the equally famed In N Out Burger. This well loved chain was created in 1948, in Baldwin Park, a Los Angeles suburb. Founders Esther and Harry Snyder created one of the first drive throughs in the country. Nowadays diners, like then, can chow down on the three kinds of burger, such as the Double Double, two patties and two slices of cheese on a bun along with the famed Neopolitan shake.

Californian cuisine is also influenced by the variety of different cultures that have been there for centuries. The south has been heavily influenced by Mexican cuisine. Burritos and tacos were part of the diet long before  they reached other parts of the US, This gave way to the fast food chains, Del Taco and Taco Bell. Baja California, cuisine, inspired from the Baja Peninsula, directly south of the state, also is a big influence. It emphasizes fresh ingredients cooked into tacos and tortilla. California also has a big Central American population and there are pupuserias, serving the crepe like roll made from corn meal or  rice flour. Asians, from Chinese to Vietnamese , Japanese to Filipino are also contributors to the state's diverse cookbook. Sushi is big all over California even giving birth to the famed California roll. This is also part of the state's fusion cuisine. Chef Wolfgang Puck, owner and founder of Spago's is the father of this. He popularized such dishes as Chinese chicken salad and influenced younger chefs to come up with such dishes as taco pizza. Of course there is a fresh food movement too, created by famed Napa Valley chef  Alice Waters. She emphasized  just picked produce in everything from appetizers to desserts.

We have our first dynamic female vice president from a dynamic  food rich state. California has a cornucopia of various flavors to serve us and the world. It's truly a golden state to foodies and gourmets alike.

Birthday Feasts At Home

 There are still birthdays. There are still reasons to have fancy foods and cake. The best part is that you don't have to cook or bake any of it. There are restaurants that can handle everything for you. Que Pasta in Saddle Brook New Jersey is one eatery to take care of birthday feasts.

The restaurant has been known for their delicious pastas and sauce for twenty-five years. They've also been catering fantastic parties, full of all sorts of Italian classics for that long too.. We had a party , thanks to them - at home.

                                      We ordered their Megapack which has one baked dish, salad, bruschetta, garlic bread and brownies. 

It was baked penne which went in a heartbeat along with the included garlic bread , also devoured in a second.

With this came bruschetta and an ample house salad with balsamic vinegar. These were heavenly too, perfect with the cheesy, saucy penne, Dessert was bite sized brownies.

These were the perfect ending. The best part was that this entire feast was only $39.95 for four people. It can be stretched to five.They have a Monsterpack for ten dollars more with a chicken dish  such as francese , Foresto ,(with artichoke and spinach) Marsala or Parmesan Other restaurants are offering party packs, Take advantage of these. They're a great way of celebrating at home. Some even offer delivery.

Birthdays will still happen. Celebrate the way we used to in our favorite restaurants. Order the party packs and enjoy a festive feast.

A Leashed New Orleans

 New Orleans has always been a city perfect for hedonists. There was always an abundance of food and drink. Revelers went wild during the city's peak time _Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Thanks to the pandemic that's all changed. The city is subdued.

 Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this change in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Last year's Mardi Gras 2020 was the last gasp of normalcy and fun . it was also an accelerant of the virus' spread, in the early days of the pandemic. Now that's all changed. The parties are cancelled as are the famed parades.Luckily there are still places to go to. The bar scene has been brought to their knees, which not even Hurricane Katrina could do.  Activity has been moved primarily outdoors, especially for bars that also serve food. It doesn't work for those whose only serve cocktails, beer and wine. Bars with food permits can serve indoors but only at a twenty-five per cent capacity.The town is known for tourists and locals walking around with a large cocktail or bag of beignets  Mayor LaToya Cantrel will allow everyone to stroll the streets but they have to follow pandemic rules, namely social distancing and mask wearing. There is also the eleven PM closing time, jarring for a city that parties well into the early morning. 

The city will endure as it has for the last 340 years. Bars such as d.b.a. ,a music club in the Faubourg Marigny section of the city, is allowing its' musicians to play to audiences on the street. Tom Thayer, the owner says its' future depends on the rate of infection.  Yet they still plot and plan. Some are luckier than others. Cure, founded by Neal Bodenheimer   is successful. His is a bar that straddles the line between  eatery and restaurant and it and his other ventures,a taqueria and another bar, Val, have ample outdoor space for customers. He even has the luxury of hiring more employees, and makes sure that they get a twenty per cent from all patrons.  Yet, they too are vulnerable and most bar owners worry about their own health.Chris Hannah, owner of the famed Jewel of The South and one of the most respected  cocktail makers in the city, became increasingly worry about his well being. Gone was his nightly glass of spirits when reading. It was replaced by echinacea tea. He also started to eat raw garlic to boost his immunity and became obsessive about yoga.

New Orleans is a city that lets the good times roll. The good times may slow down but they  will never die.That's what makes the city what it is, full of good food and tasty drinks.

The Stretchable Pantry

 One thing the pandemic has taught us is that our pantries are expandable. We can make do with a little if need be. We can be creative with a can of beans or a box of pasta. There's no need for long , elaborate lists.

 Famed chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section. He too has changed his shopping and cooking habits thanks to the shutdowns in his hometown of London. His philosophy is  it's OK to use what you have on hand. it doesn't matter if you have the wrong herbs. Use something similar.  Don't despair if you don't have certain kind of pasta needed for a recipe. Rifle through your pantry and see if there's a similar fit. As options become more limited, then become more resourceful and creative. With this , Chef Ottolenghi gives a tasty recipe for fried tagliatelle with chickpeas and smoky tomatoes. Home chefs don't have to follow this to a tee. You can use other "nested" pastas like fettucini or pappardelle. The sauce is a smoky tomato oil. Play around with it. Add different chilis and spices instead of the ones he recommends.Try cumin instead of sweet paprika, Do't worry if there's no parsley. The dish will taste just as good without it.

His recipe is a good one, perfect for now or months from now when hopefully we go to a new normal. The star of the recipe is the smoky oil sauce. This is datterini or cherry tomatoes charred and then cooked with olive oil and tomato paste. Chipotle chili flakes and sweet paprika bring the fire and heat. It's all cooked for fifteen minutes and then the tagliatelle nests are added. These are basically fried on both sides until golden, namely about two to two and a half minutes.. It's then setting them aside and rinsing out the pan (save the oil). Boil the  soaked chickpeas in a mix of water and baking soda, skimming the scum off the surface as needed. Cook them for fifteen more minutes on a medium low heat after boiling. Cover them.  They should be sift in texture yet retaining their shape. It's then nestling in garlic and the tagliatelli nests. Cook until the pasta is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Squeeze juice from freshly squeezed lemons over this and then spoon the oil. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Panties and how we cook is changing thanks to the pandemic. It's more of using what's in the pantry instead of what's not. Be creative. Be resourceful and you can still come up with delicious dishes.