French Bread Pizza Your Way

 One of the best meals that's easy to make and easy to eat is french bread pizza.It's a quick fix that can be the perfect weekday dinner or weekend .Like pizza it can have many toppings, all good.

Dawn Perry, a cookbook author and food director at Real Simple gave her spin on this kitchen classic in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Pizza is a good meal, especially during these cold times yet to make  it from scratch is sometimes labor intensive. The dough is also finicky. An already baked baguette is perfect.There is one caveat about it. Lengths and widths will vary from fat squishy loaves to thin, crusty baguettes. Smaller loaves require less sauce and a thinner layer of cheese. Ms Perry recommends digging out some of the inside to make room for the sauce and the toppings. (I would just flatten it with a spoon or a fork). This extra can be pulsed into breadcrumbs in the food processor or torn into pieces, tossed with olive oil and salt and baked in a 350 degree Farenheit oven for some crusty breadcrumbs. You can also do the same with Italian bread too, but keep in mind that it's thicker and wider.

Ms. Perry gives three topping recipes , not unlike the giant of French bread pizza, Stouffer's. You can try her four cheese one with a Mornay sauce. This is an easy make involving flour, butter and milk (it can also be used for croque Monsiurs with the addition of grated Gruyere cheese). She uses mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan. The sauce is spooned over the bread then topped with the cheeses. You can top it with red pepper flakes if you want or a sprinkle of oregano. There's also a pesto and mozzarella version with a pesto that can be made with the original herb basil but also with parsley. arugula and baby spinach leaves. Pine nuts are also needed but almonds can be added too.A fragrant garlic oil, made by cooking garlic in olive oil is brushed on the bread before putting on the pesto and mozzarella. Pizza lovers will enjoy the pepperoni and sauce one. It's a homemade sauce made with petite diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano. It's mixed and spooned onto the bread. The pepperoni is tossed with mozzarella and Parmesan to coat it and it's then placed on top of the loaves. More cheese is placed on top for a cheesy bite.

A French bread pizza is the perfect meal on a cold night. It's easy to make and fun to eat. Try it with these tasty toppings.

The Suburb's America's New Food Mecca

 Usually suburban restaurant food can be only from, diners or chains. Food from other coutnries was a rarity until recently. The vibe is changing with more diverse menus entering small towns.

 Regular contributor and cookbook author Priya Krishna wrote about this new movement in today's new York Times Food section running a place in Mom and Pop America has pluses and minuses. Many suburban diners take to the idea of different cuisines coming into their sphere. At Jalea's in Saint Charles Missouri,sister and brother Mimi and Andrew Cisneros serve dishes that are new to locals yet they love it. The same is true of the Balkan based eatery Balkan Treat Box in Webster Missouri, another Saint Louis suburb. Owners edo and Loryn Nalyk worried that diners wouldn;t like their food or that they'd have to water down some recipes such as pidi, a kind of pizza and balik ekmek grilled fish in parsley and lemon. Tasting menus are also being introduced. These have largely belonged to the big city eateries like Lidia Bastianich's Felidia and Da Posto. Heritage dishes are also getting a chance in small town resttaurants. Another reason is that millennials are moving from the big cities to areas outside larger cities. They bring with them a more sophisticated and varied palate.

The suburbs allow chefs to shine. They dont need the big city gloss or attention. However there are a few caveats despite the easiness of opening a restaurant in a small town. traditional Baby Boom towns, those suburbs built to accommodate burgeoning families in the years following World war Two. These were meant for miles of residential property and very little commercial land..Unless the town has been established pre World War Two, there is no down town or shopping area where homeowners can walk to restaurants. Foot traffic is usually reserved to just the weekends. Restaurants also have to navigate through the sometimes tricky and sticky local government departments such as health,planning and zoning. There's also a lack of mass transit that can ferry locals from their homes to the town's hub according to Dr. willow Lung-aman, an urban panning professor at the University of Maryland. There are also prejudices too regarding black and gay restaurant owners according to Kristen Jeffers  founder of the media group Black Urbanist. Thankfully younger homeowners re speaking out about this unfairness.

The suburbs are calling. Young chefs and restauranteurs should heed its' siren's call. There's a whole world just waiting to try new flavors and new cuisines.

Turning Sides Into Mains

 Imagine just having sides for dinner. You can. Turning side dishes into  dinner time stars is easy.It's also a fun way to change up the usual supper.

One of the sides that's has been turned into a main for a long time now is salad. It may be a trifle chilly to serve it completely from the fridge. What you can do is add some hot ingredients such as chicken, London Broil, shrimp or salmon. These can be taken from the oven or grill, sliced and put directly into a bed or field greens. Another way of serving a steamy bowl of greens is creating a hot dressing. Yes , salad dressing can be hot.One popular one is made with bacon.It's frying up the bacon, draining it and them crumbling the slices. A roux is made using cornstarch, sugar, water and vinegar. The bacon is added to this and it's cooked over a medium heat until it thickens. It would be great generously spooned over a spinach salad , rich with sliced hard boiled eggs and  of course more bacon. In the warmer months you can easily serve a chilled salad Nicoise. This Provencale favorite has everything in it, from anchovies to artichokes to green beans to capers. It even makes for a nice lunch , especially with some crusty French bread.

Baked potatoes have always accompanied steaks yet they too can be turned into a main meal. You can split them open and fill them up with a variety of stuffings. Many like chili on theirs  and this can be made either a meat lover's one with ground beef or a vegan ones with soy crumbles or just beans. Another tasty filling is sliced ham and broccoli with a topping of melted cheddar, A fun weekend meal is a pizza topped baked potato. This is first cooking onions and mushrooms in olive oil as the potatoes bake in a 425 degree Farenheit oven. Tomato sauce, pepperoni and oregano along with minced garlic is added. The potatoes are then slit open  and filled with this,. They'r topped with shredded mozzarella and returned to the broiler or oven for two minutes. You could also make stuffed baked potatoes too as a main dish.It's baking them first and then scooping out the insides. These are mashed and blended with melted butter. Sour cream, bacon or julienned ham slices and grated onion are added. The potatoes are then popped back into 350 degree oven for another fifteen minutes. You can do the same for Hasselback potatoes too. These are sliced potatoes that are brushed with butter and then baked. They're baked for thirty minutes first , then cheese slices are pit between the slits. and baked for another ten minutes. Top with crumbled bacon, sour cream and chives.

Forget the main dishes. Have sides for dinner.It;s a fun way to enjoy dinner and a change up from the ordinary. You won;t miss those roasts after eating these.

In The Spirit Of MLK

  Today is Martin Luther King Day and we do celebrate Dr. King as a great and once in generation civil rights leader. Civic duty is something we all should aspire to one day, especially now. These are tough times. We need to step up to help each other and our planet.

Again contributing to your local food pantry or food bank is an absolute must. Yes,there are shortages some might be feeling the pinch themselves yet  try to help. Many drive through food banks still need help in bundling the foods and handing them out. If you don't have the time for this then take it down to a smaller scale.Shop for  elderly neighbors and family members that are afraid to go themselves, fearing they'll get the Omnicron variant. If you can

 treat them to something from the store's bakery department, whether it be a fresh made baguette or square of cake. Add some veggies and fruit if you feel their diet is lacking (although check with them first. some diets may have certain fruits and veggies cut out). If you're going for a drive through coffee , buy an extra cup of it or tea for them. The same goes for military families and those who are feeling a financial pinch. Treat them to a gift certificate at their favorite restaurant. This also gives business to local eateries too.

Dr. King's widow, Coretta and his son Dexter were and are committed vegetarians. Mrs King came to it late in life and Dexter was influenced by the controversial activist. Dick Gregory. Hurting and eating other animals is often connected to rights for all. Other political trail blazers like Mahatma Gandhi and Susan B. Anthony also eschewed meat. You can also do this, along with rethinking your shopping and eating habits. It is hard to  just go vegan or vegetarian cold right away. Yet you can ease into it, thanks to the wide array of plant based proteins. Try Beyond Meat once or twice a week. Beans are a wonderful source of protein and there's a lot o recipes with them you can try. A warming bean soup or two alarm chili would be perfect right now to chase away the January chill. Field Roast has hot dogs and sausages that taste like the real thing and they make for the perfect lunch or dinner. The more you rely on plant based foods, the more you'll help the planet.

Dr. King left a rich legacy that can only inspire. Do what you can to make the world a better and cleaner place. Help not harm others, whether they're our species or another.

A Scary Supermarket Trip

 Going to the market these days is like sitting through the latest Scream movie. every corner holds some kind of horror, whether shortages or exceptionally high prices. how can home chefs navigate through these tough times.

I wondered this as I shopped at my local Stop & Shop today. There were certain shortages, not as bad as what's in other stores but still sobering.Many groceries  such as those in Pennsylvania have reported empty shelves in the cat food section, frozen food and drinks and meat department. People may gave to wait a long time to get such basic staples as orange juice an ground beef. Luckily store CEOs predict that these shortages will be taken care of by early February -  a little over two weeks from now. These current problems are caused by losing workers to the Omiron variant  along with weather snarls. Heavy snows have screwed up truck routes from vital ports to stores across the country.It's not as bad as last year's where even Lunchables and Ben and Jerry's ice cream were at short order. The other bad part are the prices. Stop & Shop is selling a large twenty-four pack of Bounty Paper towels for a whopping $21. It's good if you can stretch them out for two to three months however these last much less in messy households. In this sense it pays to shop around for them if you have the time. It's worse in the cities where lamb chops can go for almost as high as fifty dollars and tea for ten dollars a box.

What to do? Plan and plot.It's actually not too early to plan out your veggie and berry garden. There may be shortages this summer thanks to the unpredictability of both the Covid virus and the supply chain.You won't have to worry if you have most of  your ingredients in the backyard. start researching what works best in your area of the county and also what kind of soil is in your yard. If it's sandy then think about growing asparagus, strawberries and lettuce. A hardier soil can yield potatoes and turnips along with melons, kohlrabi and turnips. Fruit trees are a bit trickier because the harvest comes a few years after planting. You could forage , especially for wild apples, plums peaches and blackberries. What about meats? Go for the cheapest but also look into where you can get bargains. Aldi and its' sister store Lidl where even the pricey grass fed beef is a few dollars less than what other grocery stores offer. Even their seafood is  not above twenty dollars. Also think about going meatless, using beans  or pasta to sub for meat based dinners.

It is a scary time to shop. However smart planning can help ease the horror of grocery shopping right now. It's just knowing how to get the best deals and shopping around until you get them.

A Just Because Party

 January is that dry month - save for New Year's at the very beginning. It's not like it has fun food centered holidays like Christmas , the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day.It doesn't help that we're also in isolation and some of our favorite restaurants are closed. What to do? Have a Just Because party.

You can celebrate everything and anything. First snow day of the new year. Acing a test . Getting a phenomenal hair cut. Honoring a favorite book, movie or  TV show. It could be a virtual girls night out or a family party night.Just run with it. You can have it themed or unthemed. Keep in mind that there will be some shortages of favorite foods and ingredients. Be prepared to improvise or revise your menu. Still it can be fun and a great way to enjoy a weekend or week night. Kids love pizza parties. You can easily throw a Saturday night one that features a toppings bar. Let the kids go  crazy with a variety of different shredded cheeses that can even include Colby, Monterey Jack and cheddar. They can go wild with vegan and regular pepperoni, bacon and shredded chicken. Give the bar a dash of healthy with bowls of different veggies. The same concept can also be applied to burgers and hot dogs. You can even fire up the grill again and cook outside if the weather is warm. Everyone will get a kick out of a winter barbecue with a fixings bar. There can even be s'mores afterwards.

Even adults can have a fun party. Just make sure every one is vaccinated and boosted before planning a small do. a\A\

 tea is always a  lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.have a variety of different tea from Ear and Lady Grey to peppermint and chais.Think two or three trays of finger sandwiches filled with sliced chicken, ham or roast beef.  You can also have toasted white bread cut into quarters with a spread of egg salad or watercress and butter. scones are a tea must. You can either bake full sized or mini ones. You can turn this into a Devon tea and order clotted cream. It's not necessary and a good unsalted butter can also work.  Football lovers  can have a Super Bowl practice party. There are play off games that a small gathering can watch. Since it will be a little group, reduce the amount of food. Have one six foot hero as opposed to two or three. A small crockpot of chili will be better than a larger one. You could still have an outdoor barbecue but go easy on the amount of ribs and chicken you'll use. Having a smaller party means you also don't have to have a large supply of beer and soda. One or two cases should do it.

Throw a Just because Party whether it's for pizza or football, an English tea or winter barbecue.It's a fun way to celebrate anything this month. Have fun. Have a party.

A Glass Of The Fake Thing

 A good glass of bourbon on a January 's day is a comforting thing. It warms the soul and settles into chilled bones. Yet that shot may not be as genuine as you think. Surprisingly quality alcohol is the latest victims of fakery.

Clay Risem who write obituaries for the Times (!!!!) shared his knowledge of bourbon with his article on expensive fakes in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Mr Risen isn't stretching out here. He is the author of Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey (Ten Speed Press 2021).He is also a whiskey expert who is following the trend for pricey bourbons. It seems that both bourbon lover and neophyte are wanting the extremely expensive brands,It's an international problem  where sellers can find gullible customers on social media. A Swiss luxury hotel duped a Chinese tourist out of a grand for a bottle of fake bourbon.Luxury bourbon is in such high demand right now after years of being ignored. domestic sales of super premium american whiskey , selling for more than fifty dollars - nearly doubled between the years 2016- 2020. Four millions cases were sold.at the higher end  of the price range bottles selling for $500 or more are in such high demand that they've created long lines at liquor stores. A robust secondary market has now been created with secret trading through private social media groups. This is illegal but it still goes on, as with any counterfeit industry.It's big in Britain where counterfeiting is rampant 

How can you tell if you've bought a fake bottle?It could come without the required shrink wrap that encircles the cap. Yet  these too can be copied too, making it hard to tell what's real and what's not. Also bottles may look used. One brand, Pappy Van winkle seems to have a surefire way to discourage copying. Each of their bottles comes with a unique identification code. One aficionado, Los Angeles resident and producer of the American Pie franchise Adam Herz who is also an expert in spotting counterfeit bottles was able to read the number of an empty bottle that he found on EBay. He then visited on of the many  countless bourbon fan pages on Facebook. He  then saw the once empty bottle refilled and resealed selling for thousands of dollars.It bothered him that empty whiskey bottles were selling briskly on line. This also comes in handy when sellers are offering aged bourbon from the 1800's. Have the bottle checked to see if the glass is modern. Also check the corks too.. Another caveat  - don't trust any pushy sellers you meet on line.It  means they want the money and to get rid of their stock.

Yes it's luxurious to buy a thousand dollar bottle of good bourbon. Just make sure it's also the real thing. There are too many fakes out there. Don't waste good money on something that proves to be false.