The Birthplace Of Olive OIl

 Many think that the best and the birthplace of olive oil is Greece. Yet the Palestinian town of Rameh,Israel has also pressed olives for the last 5,000 years. The end result is a smooth sweet oil  that can go in either savory or sweet dishes.

Reem Kassis, a Palestinian food and culture writer wrote about this famed oil in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. she visited this  Northern Israeli town, located halfway between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee. It is high up in the hills where the olive tress abound and have been long before Jesus Christ. It has long held the reputation of being the area's best olive oil. Its' color is a bright liquid gold with an aroma reminiscent of wild grasses and dandelion leaves that grow around the trees.Users describe it as rich and smooth  with a mouth feel of ghee or clarified butter. This area has long produced this oil, being the main producer of the ancient world.Now Spain and Southern Italy are the now the main producer's of the world's olive oils. Rameh still has an amazing two thousand acres of trees surrounding this hill town. Th eolifes and trees have long been praised in newspapers articles, books and even poetry. The village declares itself as the "queen of Palestinian oil".

Why is Rameh's oil so delicious? It has to do with harvesting.The trees are harvested later in the season than  the other olive trees in the region.This is due partly to the olive fruit fry that comes in from the coast. It works inland which means the more western regions have to harvest unripe olives. This happens much later in Rameh where it takes a while for the infestation to hit along with being much higher up. The olives are allowed to ripen to their full maturity which directly affects the color and flavor of the oil. According to local MAzen Ali, this makes for a "pleasant bitterness but is still delicious and fruit." There's also the favorable climate along with being grown in a nutrient rich soil.It's tilled by livestock and not treated with commercial fertilizers. There's also meticulous  care and pruning. which produces green olives with purple spots.Unfortunately the groves were restricted and untended during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.Also closing the borders of Lebanon and Syria during this time helped too. Ms. Kassis also included  recipes for homemade pita and olive oil soaked za'atar and bugar majadura.a mix of lemtils and fried onions.

The world needs to know about Rameh's treasured olive oil. It would be perfect in cooking and even  baking. This is the epitome of oil, sweet, smooth and silky.

A Birthday Full Of Clotted Cream And Scones.

 Today is Samuel Taylor Colerdge's birthday. His birthday dinner would have been a table laden with delicious dishes from his native Devon. He would have feasted on apple dumplings and an apple crumb cake (imagine a crumb cake loaded with apples) along with cider chicken. a tasty dish with the bird cooked with not only cider  from Devon but its' delicious clotted cream. Coleridge might have had  potted crab too, the 18th century still known for serving as many diverse recipes that the cooks can make. He would have washed it down with Devon hard cider or perry a kind of pear cider.

Celebrate Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday with his poems and also the foods  and quaffs of his beloved Devon. Like his works the recipes are amazing. Try them for a taste of the South English coast.

An Environmental Take On Steak

Steakhouses have been on the American culinary scene for over two hundred years now. However they're also partly responsible for environmental damage.One restaurant, Bateau in Seattle Washington is helping to reverse its' carbon footprint. Will it become a model for other steak houses? Hopefully so.

Brett Anderson,a New Orleans food critic and regular contributor, wrote this interesting article for today's New York Times Food section.Bateau's chef, the forward thinking Renee Erickson wanted to create an eatery in the mold of her seafood company Sea Creatures which includes the popular oyster bar Walrus and the Carpenter.It's a tough balancing act , marrying age old tradition with green thinking.It's a tough time for steaks. Many diners are now asking for laboratory grown meat substitutes. There's also a fast growing vegetarian movement, Yet Chef Erickson continues to persist. Her cattle eat foraged grasses or pasture vegetation instead of the usual trough of grains that most are fed. This is more expensive and it does take a while for the herds to gain weight.Then there are the skeptical scientists who believe this kind of regenerative farming isn't doing that much for healing the planet.In the US livestock, no matter, where they are , are still the leading cause of methane,

The idea for Bateau came from her time at Le Severn, butcher- entrepreneur William Berner's steak oriented bistro in Paris and at Hawksmoor in London. She noticed how much the character varied among the different cuts.They were also from locally sourced cows.It opened her eyes , now knowing how far she was from the source. She even tried to raise her own French heritage bred cattle on Whidby Island in the Puget Sound. it proved to be too much and had to be ended after about a year. The rare cattle rancher has tried regenerative farming too. Fourth generation cattle rancher, Cory Carman in Northeastern Oregon converted her family's herd to grass fed in the early 2000's. The meat may taste better, and it helps with the environment but it is costly. There is considerable financial risks that make many ranchers fear this method>it doesn't produce fast results  with the cows taking longer to fatten up. Yet, like Ms. Erickson she persists. she lets her cows move to different pastures long enough to replenish the soil with their hooves and manure. This planned grazing not only lessens the stress on the animals but also eliminates the need to buy feed.. It also leaves a better soil, one that holds water and sequester carbon.

Perhaps other steak houses will follow Bateau's lead. It'll make for better cooking and more responsible eating.More chefs and cattle owners need to follow in Chef Erickson's and Ms. Carman's paths.

Squash Time

The yellow crookneck squash is our last connection to summer. It's still being sold in some farmer's markets  and it's a nice squash to cook. There's so many recipes for it but the best one is the simplest.

                   My local farmer's market are still selling them. They have a smooth skin and firm fleshy interior.

 I just sliced it into coins and then sauteed them in two glugs of olive oil and a heaping tablespoon of I  Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Two garlic cloves were minced and also added along with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Squash does take longer to cook than most veggies. The flesh should go from a woody white to a translucent color.

It takes about fifteen minutes to truly cook up. The end result is a tender garlicky side that worked well with Gardein's hamburgers. Yellow crookneck squash has a very mild taste and it can be enhanced with just a few flavorings. You could just add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you don't like that fried or sauteed flavor.

If you want a simple side with a taste of summer have the yellow crookneck squash.It's easy to cook up, and delicious with any main course.Try it tonight for a great complement to any meat or fish dinner.

A Comforting Classic Graham Crackers

 Everyone has nostalgic memories about Graham crackers. They are still the ultimate comfort snack along with being versatile in a number of recipes. This American favorite is a must have kitchen staple.

Graham crackers are truly a US invention.It was through the influence of vegetarian, temperance leader and preacher Sylvester Graham that these sweet crackers came to be. His followers were called Grahamites and Graham flours Graham crackers and even Graham bread was created for them. The shared ingredients in all three was coarsely ground whole wheat flour that gives the crackers their distinctive deep tan color. This was supposed to be healthier than finely ground white flour and believed to be a preventative against the 1829-1859 cholera epidemic. Graham crackers became so popular that Herman Melville mentioned them in his 1856 novel Pierre or The Ambiguities. They were easy to mass produce thanks to the simple ingredients of graham flour,oil, molasses, and lard. The molasses gives it that special sweet flavor along with fermented yeast added during mass production.. Nabisco started manufacturing them as early as 1898 and was in competition a decade later with the Loose-wiles Biscuit Company. In recent decades variations were added. Now we not only have the original but also cinnamon sugar topped ones and chocolate Graham crackers. Shapes like bunnies and bears have been added in the last thirty years.

As we all know Graham crackers are versatile. They make for the perfect after school or evening snack with milk or tea. The packets are perfect to take along to school or on picnics. The ultimate Graham cracker creation is the s'mores. It's a fun bite of marshmallows and a broken chocolate bar sandwiched between two crackers. You can make this really decadent by using the chocolate version and  80  % dark chocolate. Doing this cuts the marshmallows' sweetness and emphasizes the deep cocoa flavor.Graham cracker crusts have long been used in pies and cheesecakes. It's a simple mix of finely ground crumbs mixed with melted butter, white sugar and cinnamon. This crust works best with summery pies like Key Lime or lemon meringue. It also works for pudding filled pies like coconut cream and chocolate. They also work in ice box cakes too.Layer them with any kind of pudding and them top with either Cool Whip or whip cream based frosting. A sweet dessert perfect for a Saturday or Sunday gathering is chocolate graham crackers layered with a quick chocolate mousse of Cool Whip and instant chocolate pudding. Frost with Cool Whip and them grate dark chocolate over the top.

Graham crackers are the classic American comfort food. enjoy a plate of them with cold milk or hot tea or coffee. Use them as crusts or bases for pies and ice box cakes. They are versatile and perfect for snacking.

Air Fryer Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

 One of the best comfort foods is a stuffed pepper. It makes for a perfect meal - a tasty mix of proteins, grains and veggies. Yet making a few of them for dinner can be a bit too much if you use the oven. That's when the air fryer comes in.

A friend gave me autumn peppers from her lush Princeton garden. 

They were perfect for stuffing and I knew the easiest way to cook them . Their tops were cut off and minced to be added to the stuffing. They were easy to core too.

I used the recipe from Air Fryer Fanatic's blog.. I tweaked it a bit and made it vegetarian - with the addition of Morningstar Farms crumbles. These were sauteed with minced onion and garlic.  with about two good glugs of olive oil.

                      I used the entire package because I wanted to use the filling as a leftover dish  for tomorrow.

 The original recipe called for sage and Italian seasonings. I preferred dried parsley and rosemary for the ultimate flavor.

As for the tomato sauce, I added a cup and a half  a half cup more than required but again, I wanted extra.

I used Stop & Shop's brand .

This was simmered for about fifteen minutes. It was then cooking the rice. I made three cups of it.

It was time to stuff the peppers.

The filling should have been mixed but i decided to layer them. It was a base of  two to three tablespoons of rice followed by two to three tablespoons of the sauce. 

The recipes calls for cheese or breadcrumbs.I opted for the breadcrumbs with a dollop of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter to get the topping nice and crispy.

Set your air fryer at 360 degrees Farenheit for five minutes. Check on them during this interval.

Then lower the heat to 350 degrees Farenheit and cook for another seven to eight minutes until the topping is browned.

                                                     This is the green pepper. the topping is perfectly crisped.

                                                          This is the red pepper dug into.

I was never a big stuffed pepper fan but these turned out good. I loved the crunchy topping and the still fresh taste of the peppers. The sauce and rice was good and I liked them combined on their own. The mix will make a nice Sunday lunch tomorrow.

This is the time for comfort food. Make these air fryer stuffed peppers for a cozy meal on a nippy day. The flavor alone will warm you to your heart.

Are We Over Pumpkin Spiced

 It's everywhere these days. Pumpkin spice is like the mold of the fall season. why is it here and why is it so popular? When did it become part of our autumnal ritual?

Surprising the mix is a lot older than the US.It's around thirty five  hundred years old.It  first came  into international being with the spice trade with the Indonesian islands known as the Spice Islands by the Dutch.They called a mix of similar spices soeculaaskruiden, that also has pepper and cardimon. By 1791 it reached cookery or cookbooks written by a Scottish housewife known only as Mrs. Frazier. This was a mix of nutmeg, clove and Scottish pepper which was likely allspice. The spices were also coming from the Caribbean too at this point. This 18th Century version of pumpkin spice wasn't used in hot beverages. Mostly fried flounder and pork chops benefited from this. It only became a sweet spice when it hit the US and went into pumpkin pie. The blend had evolved into mace, nutmeg and ginger. It was a while before it made it into out coffees and other baked goods.

Blame the big spice purveyor McCormick for its' rise. It introduced a spice blend  named what else - pumpkin pie spice in 1934.It never really took off as a savory save in Vietnamese cooking where cinnamon is widely used. Indian cooking also uses the spices too. It came into lattes in 2003 thanks to Starbucks. The company did well with its' tasty Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog. The big guys at the top figured that the mix of spices would go well in coffee and they did. Soon Starbucks' rival Dunkin Doughnuts was making a similar coffee and it was a no brainer to add the flavoring to their doughnuts and doughnut holes. Now it's like the Godzilla of spices taking over everything. Stop & Shop sells a pumpkin spice soda along with cookies and cupcakes. The last are covered with  mounds of cream cheese frosting which also covers their pumpkin spice cakes. Now there are even Oreos filled with pumpkin spice.. There is even candy corn with the flavoring but that's its for now. Luckily there are no Reeses Cups stuffed with it or M&M's. Yet.

It's time we think of a new spice blend for the fall. Something smoky that works well in sweet and savory. what will it be? we should put our heads together and think.