The Perfect Plate Of Scrambled Eggs

 Who doesn't like a plate of scrambled eggs? They're the perfect breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal, on their own or with any kind of breakfast meat. The key is creating a mix of creamy and firm curds together. Can it be done? Yes!

Chef J. Kenji Lopez Alt decided to experiment with this humble dish and write about his findings in yesterday's New York Times Food section. You would think a dish that only requires eggs butter and sometimes water would be a snap to create. It's not. Scrambled eggs can have textures that range from drippy to rubbery and sometimes with no in betweens. Chef Lopez Alt breaks down the recipe to give a dish of scrambled eggs something creamy and flavorful.  He first analyzes the egg - namely their proteins. All eggs contain ovalbumin and transferrin which start to denature as they're cooked over heat. The hotter these proteins become, the tighter the matrix becomes, resembling a sponge with all the moisture wrung out of it. Then there's the cause of this heat - the pan. It's best to start cooking in a cold pan which will result in dense and creamy eggs. The rising steam from it will give the texture an airy souffle like mouth feel. You could also preheat the pan with a bit of water in it, swirling it as the water evaporates., This also lets you know that the pans temperature is about 212 degrees Farenheit, the perfect temp for cooking eggs.

What about add in like salt and butter? Eggs that are salted before cooking will retain moisture better. Salt them and let them sit awhile. As for butter, yes use small cubes of it. Doing so will result in a more French style omelet. The eggs surround the butter cubes are kept cooler causing them to set more cooler. This creates a rich buttery sauce that mingles and coats the firmer curds. You could use creme fraiche or heavy cream too but butter is your best bet.Now, here's an ingredient you may not think of adding but it is vital in Asian egg dishes - cornstarch. Food blogger Mandy Lee was making a scrambled egg dish for her sick puppy and added cornstarch. She noticed how creamy the eggs were even though they were set. From there she experimented, adding a cornstarch slurry  to her own scrambled eggs , to keep them creamy and tender.Also the cornstarch, which can be replaced by potato and/or tapioca starch keeps moisture from escaping. The eggs will maintain their moisture thanks to the starch granules expanding during cooking. This means a scramble that's not dried out or tough.

Can you create the perfect plate of scrambled eggs? Absolutely! Follow Chef Lopez Alt's advice and you'll be enjoying a bite of creamy , scrambled deliciousness. It's easy now to turn something so simple into something so sinful!

Your Personal Spice Mixes

 Spices are a home chef's best friends. They add zing and oomph , giving any dish from dinner to dessert flavor. Imagine creating your own blends to be used as much as you like . You can. even the most complex blends can easily be replicated. 

Melissa Clark write the article and how to on them in today's New York Times Food section. She hits on some of the most popular such as za'atar and Chinese Five spice. There are a multitude of different recipes that are vital to flavorful cooking and baking. Best of all even a novice home chef can create these at home without any problems. Why make them at home? Because you get better flavors when you mix them yourself.  Also spice blends can be pricey, especially if you go for the organic ones.Once you've mastered the blends you can experiment with variations. Those that hate licorice can nix fennel seeds while those who love a good heat can amp up the chilis and peppers.Once made, keep the blends away from light and heat because they'll lose their flavor. Don't store them by the stove. Think a cool pantry or even your basement.As far as buying the spices, get them from a reputable spice purveyor. Ms. Clark has found out that spices tend to be passed from the distributor to the middleman , then stashed in stores for years before they finally get to the consumer. Try a company like the online Spice House for your basic blends (although they also sell blends too).

The blends are amazing and easily made. For those who make a lot of Chinese dishes, especially duck and goose along with pork belly there is the famed Five Spice. This is a mix of cinnamon stick or cassia bark, fennel seeds, star anise pods and Szechuan peppercorns. Cloves are added for a numbing sweetness.  Of course, there is garam masala, the must have for those who love Indian cooking. This is a marriage of black and green cardamon pods with mace blades, cloves and cinnamon sticks,Indian bay leaves are also added.One of the best spice blends out there is za'atar. This is flavorful mix of sesame seeds, marjoram, thyme and oregano, all dried. Sea salt is added to bring out these flavors. Then there's the lesser known Baharat blend. Cumin, coriander and peppercorns are ground with cinnamon sticks,cardamon, and allspice. Whole cloves, nutmeg and cloves are also put into the blend. This is an Egyptian blend that's great in meatballs and pilafs.  For bakers there's  sweet baking spice. This is a mixing of broken cinnamon sticks, cardamon, nutmeg allspice berries and white peppercorns. The last is for a jolt of heat that adds definite zing to anything you make with it. Try it in a shortbread recipe or to zing up hot cocoa and cappucino.

Mixing your own spices is a rewarding and flavorful way to flavor up recipes. Try these or create your own once you;ve mastered the basic recipes. They're a way to excite any type of dish , whether sweet or savory.

More Holistic Eating

 We are what we eat. How many times have we heard that adage? Yet it's true. If we eat better and more holistically , we'll feel better. It's just a question of eating what's best for our bodies and not our taste buds.

I felt this way yesterday when I underwent my third gall bladder cleanse. Yes, I finally got rid of what looked like hundreds of stones but I couldn;t stop wondering, what if I had eaten better? I wouldn't be in this dilemma It was a rough flushing out that did and didn't end well. (it was vile let's leave it at that).However if I had eaten sensibly I wouldn't have gone through all of this, the horrific prep and the even more so aftermath. This is where holistic  food shopping and eating comes in.  Holistic nutrition means eating food in its' most natural state.This means what we ingest has to be unrefined, unprocessed, and organic locally grown food. If I had been on a diet of these food stuffs, I definitely would not have the problems I have now. This is not only true for me but for others who succumb to taste over value. Can I reform my eating habits? Definitely. There's another old adage -you're never too late to learn. Anyone can refine his or her diet. It';s just a question of will power and determination. 

How do you start a holistic diet when you're feeding yourself one of sweet and salty fat and transfat laden foods?Take it easy for starters. Start with sweet. We're hard wired to reach for sweets since our Neanderthal days when sweet meant safe. We should go back to those fruit gathering days. Start thinking about having fresh fruit for dessert and when you're craving a cupcake or cookie. One  favorite snack/dessert of my  is a Winesap apple sliced and rolled in pure cinnamon. Don't add any sugar to the cinnamon. The Winesaps are sweet enough.  Pears are out right now and again, they're the perfect as an lunch or dinner time dessert. Groceries also offer containers of all varieties of cut melon. These are not only refreshing but low in calories. From the sweet graduate to the savory. Fresh veggies are hard to come buy right now however there are frozen veggies that  have the same nutritional value  more or less. Think about a broccoli salad with good for you olive oil and fresh garlic or even better a string bean salad. As for protein , yes you can have meat but only lean cuts. Try white meat poultry such as chicken or turkey breasts grilled with a little lemon and herbs. Fatty fish is a must so stock up on salmon, lake trout and mackerel. These can be steamed with sage or turmeric for flavor. Holistic dining can include beef but make it very lean sirloin and try to have it only once in a great while. 

Eating better means feeling better. It's just s question of steeling yourself away from the bad and eating the good. It will be hard but it's the first step towards a better life and a better body.

Keeping Diners Warm

This is not the season to eat outside , yet many restaurants have no choice but to offer it to during these pandemic days. It's the only way to bring in a few bucks. No it's not good, especially on snowy days but there is a solution - add a three season porch enclosure. It'll help in more ways than one.

I recently discovered 4 Track By DIY Porch Enclosures, in Mountainside , New Jersey. The company exclusively makes three season rooms for homes , however these can also be fitted over any eatery's outdoor deck or terrace to create protected space. What makes the enclosures unique is their vinyl memory film.

As you can see, it's a sturdy and unbreakable. It's not like a regular glass window enclosure where there could be possible breakage. This is really neat. Imagine eating outside on a windy day when there's all sorts of stuff flying around. Eating inside one of these enclosures ensures a meal where branches and leaves won't become part of the main course or dessert.  The vinyl memory film can be tinted as well, letting diners eat without any glare from bright sunlight.

One of the biggest pluses in installing one of these three season porch enclosures is that it ensures more space.  There's no worry of being seated close to anyone (hence the reason I eat outdoors). The new closed in space is perfect for bringing back those loyal customers who just don't want to eat outside or inside with groups of strangers. A few extra feet of space is all the difference between keeping the restaurant going or losing it for good. Another reason any restaurant should install a three season porch enclosure is that they can start having larger gatherings like showers and small parties. again. These are the backbone to any place because they bring in the most money. Install one of these three season porch enclosures and there will be bookings once again and a better cash flow. 

Restaurant owners , please consider calling 4 Track DIY Porch Enclosures at 908-228-9600 or contact at www.porchenclosuresdiy.com. They will make a world of difference in getting back on track and making more money. 

An Easier And Healthier Way To Cook

 Imagine cooking delicious and easy recipes with just five ingredients. You can, thanks to a new cookbook, 5 Ingredient Semi-Homemade Meals (Mango Publishing Company 2021) . This is a helpful way to eat better and also shop better. The book will help many  home chefs improve their lives and habits.

The book is written by husband and wife team Bobby and Dessi Parrish. They are the creators of the very popular Flav City videos on You Tube. There  they and their toddler daughter Rose teach fans how to shop correctly in stores such as Aldi and Costco and cook cleanly - that is without scary sounding preservatives and additives. The beginning of the book explicitly explains the difference between free range and farmed meats along with showing healthy pantry staples such as olive oil and grass fed ghee. The Parrishes also have a list of clean baking ingredients like grass fed butter and pure vanilla extract. They have also paired with Thrive, the sponsor for their six year old You Tube series. This is not your typical cookbook, There are testimonials about how the Parrishes changed  followers lives with their clean and easy cooking as well as non traditional chapters called  Happy Hour for bar nibbles and one for Dessi's Paleo Sweets -  which features  everything from immune boosting tea to sticky date pudding. Other chapters revolve around comfort food and carnivore style. There are also ones on seafood and one primarily featuring broths and soups.

The recipes are a wide range that are delicious, There's nothing diet about them. Breakfast lovers will enjoy the easy cook of Mini Meatball Breakfast Hash, made with only ground turkey,spinach , bell peppers and eggs . It's served on a bed of cauliflower rice for extra flavor and goodness. Busy parents will appreciate the no bake five ingredient cinnamon and cacao powder infused. granola and breakfast tacos bursting with eggs, bacon and avocados.  For an easy lunch or dinner there is the comfort food fried wild rice and chicken with homemade mirepoix, the mix of celery, red onion and carrots. Another comfort dish is the  cauliflower mac and cheese , a different spin on the classic casserole. Grilled Korean short ribs are another simple but flavor packed dish, enriched  by the spicy Korean chili sauce gochujang. Those who love bar nibbles will love the Parrishes' recipes for crispy pan cauliflower pizza and crispy baked chicken wings. along with a sugar free margarita recipe !! For those wanting something much simpler and cleaner there is nourishing beef bone broth featuring beef bones, celery, carrot and onions. The seafood too is a simple and good like  crunchy  shrimp tacos and salmon Cobb salad. Of course there are sweets, from date brownies and a dairy free berry panna cotta made with coconut cream.

If you want to eat and shop better then get 5 Ingredient Semi Home Cooked Meals. It's chock full of good ideas and good recipes. It's the first step in getting healthy.

A Basket Of Brownies

 One of the best baked goods to come out of any kitchen is a pan of brownies. Who doesn't love a square of chocolate decadence/ Yet can you make them lusher and richer? Yes! You can!

Melissa Clark knows this and gave us three variations on the treat in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Her recipes are true to her tastes - and they reflect ours as well. She has salted pretzel ones that brings in savory and crunch and ones that are an homage to the classic Mounds bar. Those have a well of coconut in the middle. Then there are her pecan pie brownies rife with the flavorful nut and the sweet filling that goes with it.  The salted pretzel brownies have the added surprise of a graham cracker and crushed pretzel crust underneath to also give them a cookie vibe. There's also the richness of one stick of butter added to this , giving the treat a nice buttery flavor too. The rest of the recipe is the classic brownie one, with processed Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips. A whole pretzel is placed  on top so each square gets a whole pretzel. You could sub in one of those buttery checkerboard ones for a fancier look or even sticks for a more rustic appeal.

The coconut macaroon ones have the added creaminess of condensed milk and egg white to create a homemade macaroon. These would be good on their own but they'll take the simple but delicious brownie to the next level. Ms. Clark makes the brownie batter first and then the coconut. A tablespoon of the last is put in what would be the middle of each square or four by four rows. Flaky sea salt such as Malden's is sprinkled on top and then the batter is baked for half an hour. The pecan pie brownie is another decadent treat. The top is true pecan pie filling with dark sugar and the nuts. Usually the filling has corn syrup added but Ms. Clark subs in a quarter cup honey and omits the egg. It is still rich with a stick of butter and two tablespoons of heavy cream. The topping then poured on top of the brownie batter and spread in an even layer. Again sea salt is scattered over it to give it a jolt of savory. It's then cut into squares. You could sub in walnuts which has always been a brownie add in. Another idea is grating eighty-five percent chocolate over all three to cut the sweetness and add to the decadence. All three would be a great dessert with a scoop of chocolate gelato or an afternoon snack with a big glass of milk.

Brownies are a treat unto themselves. However make them extra special with either a pretzel crust, a mound of coconut macaroon or a layer of pecan pie. It's taking them to the next layer of goodness.

Little Pop Ups Of Sweetness

 All it takes is creativity and flour. It seems out of work pastry chefs are making their dreams come true during these rough days by starting their own pop up bakeries. It's a great way not only to make money but get your product out to a sweet tooth hungry crowd.

Food section veteran Pete Wells wrote about this phenomena in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Pastry chefs have experienced hard times in the past few years. Restaurants have concentrated on serving a plethora of appetizers and main dishes on smaller plates. Diners are not enthusiastic when dessert comes, , ordering something simple like a shared panna cotta. It also doesn't help that these eateries are not creative or enthusiastic anymore either when it comes to desserts.Instagram is also to to blame here. It's lured talented pastry artists to create the next meme , like the Cronut. Yet there is still a need for pastry chefs and bakers to create interesting and delicious treats.Joy Cho realized this when a miniature Bundt cake pan caught her eye during a shopping trip with her mom to Williams -Sonoma. She bought it and the next day she was busy making up a sour cream batter . By February first she was taking orders for the mini Bundts. The initial batch of gem cakes sold out. People were picking them up at her home in Clinton Hill Brooklyn,

Other pop ups are arising.Kelly Miao who worked in the pastry departments at such top restaurants as Bar Boulud and Dominque Ansel Kitchen now gets creative. She bakes snack sized pound cake cubes called Kemi Cubes. These are about the size of an iced cube and are cloaked in vanilla and chocolate icings similar to black and white cookies. Boy Blue Coffee and Goods , run by Michael Davis offers mostly savory baked good like sourdough pretzels and everything but the bagel focaccia, which is a focaccis dotted with an everything bagel seasonings like poppy and sesame seeds , along with garlic and onion bits. He also sells sour dough bread kits with flour and starter included. Shuna Lydon runs Seabird bakery out of her Flatbush Brooklyn apartment. Here she creates kits of sourdough English muffins with preserves and salted butter. along with Rice Krispie treats made with browned butter and matcha powder . Two pastry chefs, Marissa Sanders and David Yang started Wrightwood and Sawyer give the element of surprise . Each week two boxes , one savory , one sweet and one mostly savory arrive with a dozen different treats. Every  pop up is legit thanks to a state licensing exemption that allows home processors to sell baked goods with minimal oversight. All they need is consumer grade ovens and fridges for storage, supplemented by a utility shelf and sawhorses to work.

Pop up bakeries may be a new facet of pandemic life. They'll introduce to the talents of many bakers and pastry chefs, allowing us to sample their creations. It's a way of becoming New York favorites.