A Simple Spring Salad

 Spring comes and our thoughts turn to all things fresh and green. There's nothing that exemplifies this more than a new kind of salad bursting with flavor. It's a chickpea , scallion and celery mix  that's good as a main dish or as the perfect side.

I found this recipe in one of the emails from one of the many food sites follow. I made it completely vegan by switching out the recommended sour cream and using Hellman's Vegan mayo as part of the dressing.

I cut the scallions into bit size pieces , getting rid of the tips which can be tough to chew.

As for the chickpeas, i used Goya 's for a change . Only drain half the  brine. The remaining half will be part of the dressing.

Then it was cutting up the celery . Use about five to six stalks, including the heart.

                                                         This is without the dressing

The dressing was five tablespoons of the vegan mayo mixed with about two tablespoons of olive oil and apple cider vinegar. A tiny dash of salt  and a grind of fresh black pepper rounded it out.

This is a chunky salad to mix so I'd recommend using a wooden spoon to completely coat the pieces. You can add salt and a little freshly ground pepper for bite. I like this salad a lot. The flavor mix is a combination of bite from the scallions and mild from the chickpeas and celery. I know it's going to be made a lot this summer as a perfect side to burgers and dogs. You could add green olives for more flavor and color but don't go overboard with them. 

This is  different kind of salad but it's sure to be a classic. Make it for any Spring meal or party. It is fresh and green, bursting with flavor.

Tarentella's Going Home To Classics

 Everyone has that one favorite restaurant. It's the kind that's been there forever and has never really changed its' menu. Tarentella's Ristorante of Clark is one such place that has been offering homemade Southern Italian classics for three decades now. It offers everything that's as comforting as a nonna's hug .

This is the restaurant for me.I was first introduced to it by coworkers twenty some odd years ago.It's always been on the radar of people living in Union and Middlesex counties here in New Jersey.It's kind of reminiscent of a Jersey shore restaurant with its' big waiting room and long bar(which is always crowded by locals).I was in the area yesterday and knew I had to stop in for one thing :

This is what was left of their individual eleven inch pizza.Tarentella's is one of the few restaurants  in the Garden State that make anchovy pie and I had to have it . At that moment. with extra sauce too.It was sheer heaven!!! The pizza crust itself was papery crisp, again perfect and the sauce and anchovies were plentiful. This is how pizza should be.I also loved the fact that there was half a loaf of an Italian boule bread a crunchy crusted round loaf with an sweet, chewy inside , perfect with butter or olive oil. The bread alone is worth visiting this place.

I plan on returning - and soon. I was always a big fan of their minestrone which was more of a veggie stew than soup.It was always thick with tomatoes and cauliflower along with green beans. Their chicken Cesar salad was a standout too, with large pieces of  grilled chicken breast in a huge bowl overflowing with Romaine leaves and Cesar dressing along with large, shatter in your mouth croutons. Tarentella's also has a good selection of hot and cold subs along with wraps and panini, perfect for a filling lunch or early Sunday supper. Try their hybrid wrapaninni which is a warmed wrap filled with everything from a vegetarian mix of veggies to ones filled, with turkey , chicken or Italian cold cuts.  Calzones and stromboli are also served and it;s worth trying the Italian hot dogs. Tarentella's also has an extensive array of  meat and seafood dishes for a casual dinner out. You can choose anything from Chicken Marsala to rack of lamb to New York strip steak. Seafood lovers will go mad for their shrimp scampi or filet of sole francaise along with their char broiled salmon and the different sole dishes, one featuring chopped clams. Yes, get the desserts!!!Their capuccino was always my favorite way to end a meal there.Of course they have cannoli and zeppoli but also an Oreo pie, Mississippi mud pie and a caramel apple (!!!) too.

We all have that favorite restaurant that's a huge part of our culinary memories. Tarentella's is mine. Its' food is homemade goodness , perfect and delicious.

Tarentella's  1199 Raritan Road , Clark New Jersey 07660. It's right off the Garden State Parkway exit 135, the first left after the light.

Choux pastry For Saint Joseph's Day

 Saint Jospeph's Day is celebrated with lovely rich pasties. that can be bought at any Italian bakery. Yet it can also be made at home too and stuffed with a variety of traditional and not so traditional fillings.Creating it and  treats can be pretty easy.

Today's feast day features zeppoli but not the confectioner's sugar coated deep fried dough pillows we see at Italian feasts. The base is different, being made from choux pastry. Many home bakers balk at the idea of making choux pastry. It can be tricky and finicky yet it's a simple recipe. Unlike other pastry doughs , the butter and eggs are cooked with the liquids such as milk and water first. Sugar is added to this  as is the flour. It's the eggs, however, that give the dough that rich golden color when baked. It is also the airiest and crispest dough when baked, creating little puffs or cabbages - choux in French. The centers are hollow which are then filled with the San Guiseppe Day filling. The dough is first piped into a circle and then baked until golden and puffy for about thirty minutes. Cool them for ten minutes. The filling is crema pasticcera made with milk, egg yolks potato starch, sugar, salt, and vanilla. You can sub in corn starch for the potato one. The mixture is whisked over a low heat with the milk being heated  first. The heat is then reduced , thickening the filling. It's then piping the filling in and dusting with confectioner's sugar.  However you can add cocoa powder for a chocolate treat or even grated chocolate blended into the filling.

Making choux pastry is a great skill to have.Once mastered, you can try making all sorts of sweet and savory treats. Cream puffs are the most popular choice and you can try both savory and sweet fillings. Also they can come in large, medium and small sizes too.  For the smaller ones, use a scoop or a small spoon to place them on the baking sheet. The miniatures make great hors d'ouevres' for parties.  The savory ones are known as gourgeres. Think a ham and cheese one with a cream cheese base made creamy with a dash of mayo for smoothness. You can use freshly chopped ham or devlled for a silkier texture. Chicken salad is another great stuffing .Try this type of gougere for Spring wedding or baby showers for a different spin on finger sandwiches.. You could also filled them with chopped shrimp or lobster and serve with a small ramekin of shrimp sauce for a lush treat. Sweet cream puffs can be filled with any pudding from chocolate to vanilla to pistachio.Yet ones filled with ice cream and then drizzled with chocolate sauce make for a fun summer dessert at a soiree. You can also filled with a mix of chopped berries such as strawberry and blueberry and add a side puff of whipped cream.

Saint Joseph Day pastries are a treat. These and other choux pastries can easily be made at home. Try them for an delicious sweet or savory treat.

A Lenten Bonus For Your Diet

 If you're observing Lent then you're forgoing meats and some dairy until Easter. Doing such may be a nutritional bonus .The less red and fatty meats eaten, the less problems you have. Eating more fish and veggies can even lead to a pescatarian or vegetarian diet.

Salmon is usually the gateway fish for those fishless Fridays.It's an easy fish to cook and can be prepared in a variety of different ways. It is also a good source of protein and only two hundred calories.It's high in Vitamin B12 and potassium along with iron and vitamin D. One of the easiest ways to cook it is pan seared. Add melted plant butter like Melt along with salt, pepper and a squirt of fresh lemon juice. Some recipes add a touch of honey however that can make it a bit sweet. Dill works best with the flavor but you could also use rosemary and oregano too. Think about making salmon croquettes if you want to get the kids on board. These are a mix of  canned salmon along with flour and panko bread crumbs for body. Bell peppers, garlic and salt give it flavor. Mayonnaise provides moisture as does eggs. You can add Worcestershire sauce and cilantro for zing and color.It's then cooking them in olive or avocado oil as you would hamburgers. You can also make these in an air fryer .You can also go with a favorite - cod too.It can be prepared as the other. It's the basis of fish and chips which is an easy make ,especially if you use an air fryer. They're also good shredded in tacos too.

You can also try your hand at bean dishes too for Lenten Friday suppers.Bean tacos can be a tasty change up. You can do a mix of black and kidney beans for a more flavorful filling. They can be good cold or warmed in the microwave. Top with Greek yogurt , lettuce tomatoes and homemade guacamole for a substantial meal. Beans also work in a burrito too. Anyone can copy Taco Bells' recipe for it. The filling is a mix of red kidney beans, finely chopped onions and tomato sauce. Garlic salt and cumin are added for flavor while shredded Cheddar or American cheese adds creaminess to the texture What gives it that tang? Two teaspoons of  red wine vinegar. It's then mashed and spooned into microwave warmed tortillas. You could added chopped tomato and avocado slices to imitate Taco Bell's Grande version. You can also use this for tacos too. Another idea is using vegan "beef"crumbles for this too. Plant based "meats' are the rage right now. You can easily make a meatloaf  using Beyond Beef , complete with a mushroom gravy. Gardein has a wide variety of plant based meats, including cod filets and crab cakes.

Lenten Friday may actually help you and your family in eating healthier. Try a meatless meal one day a week then ramp it up to two or three. You'll still eat delicious but also better.

Another Green Holiday Nowruz

 Today is Saint Patrick's Day , a holiday for green beer along with corned beef and cabbage. Yet another Spring holiday, older and more religious happens on Saturday  - Nowruz the Persian New Year.Its is a time of renewal to welcome in the season of Spring. The holiday brings all sorts of feasting and fun.

Naz Deravian , an actress who was in the CBS show "Jag" and author of the Persian cookbook Bottom of the Pot contributed Afghani recipes to yesterday's New York Times Food section.It is a New year celebrated not just by Iranians but countries in the Silk Road route.This also includes the ancient kingdom of Afghanistan.It is from the Zoroastrian tradition,  withe the religion being the oldest monotheisstic one in the world. Their beliefs have influenced Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Nowruz is Persian for "new day". The foods and even their preparations have meaning. Rinsing and soaking  fruit and nuts to be used in water symbolizes brightness and life. Sweets , of course, celebrate the sweetness of life while green ingredients like spinach mean new life . However the holiday will be subdued in cities like Kabul because of the Taliban takeover and the group does not like the Zoroastrians or their religion. Still there will be quiet celebrations where entire families will prep the food and the women will sing traditional songs.

Ms Deravian gives a variety of different recipes for a New Year's celebration. There is sabzi, a lamb and spinach stew that is spiked with chili and garlic. Two pounds of spinach is used  and it, the lamb and a large yellow onion are cooked. Cilantro and chives along with scallions are added to intensify the flavor and color of rebirth . It can be served with challaw , rice spiced with green cardamon pods and cumin seeds .(you can go to any Asian food store for the cardamon pods) The rice is first parboiled and then finished cooking with the pods and seeds for three minutes. It is then simmered for another twenty minutes. One of the most important dishes is haft mewa, seven fruits in Persian. Seven is a lucky number in the culture however more can be added to the recipe. This is a collection of walnuts,pistachios and almonds rinsed and soaked with golden raisins, apricots and black raisins,Oleaster or senjed , a type of olive with a sour tomato taste and dried sour apricot are the chief ingredients however they can only be found at Afghan or Iranian markets or online. Ms. Deravian suggests using figs and dried cherries instead.All the ingredients are soaked for  to days and served chilled.

Nowruz is another Spring holiday, ancient and sacred.It is also joyous celebrating a new year full of life and promise.Its' foods reflect this.

Flameless Stoves A Burning New Trend

 For millennia fire and cooking have been entwined.  Yet it turns out that those helpful flames are not only bad for the environment but also our kids. What do we do? Switch over to a different kind of cook top.It's time for home chefs to consider .

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this neat invention in today's New York Times Food section. An induction stove basically runs on electromagnets. These offer a stove much more responsiveness,power and precision. They are also a dream to clean. There's no going under or between messy burner grills to pick or mop up burned pieces of food or spills.Keep in mind there is a learning curve. It will take some time to get used to this new way of cooking.Robert Osbourne of Brooklyn had one installed after his co-op board rejected his request for putting in a gas line for a gas stove. He resisted at first but then became acclimated . He had to adapt to the mental process of looking at a number instead of gazing at the centuries old orange blue flame.It starts off cool and works up to a heat.However unlike regular stoves, they are expensive. Only five per cent of American homes have one. They can range anywhere from $690 to $1600. An expensive gas range tops at $1,000 while the cheapest is only $395.

Yet converting to an electric range is worth it. Gas ovens and stoves emit potent greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere, What's even more surprising and worrying is that seventy-five of these emissions happen when the stove is shut off. Then there are those noxious fumes that are more harmful to kids.It brings about indoor nitrogen dioxide that spike quickly , reaching hazardous levels in the time it takes to bake a cake. Children with asthma suffer terribly.Yet many home chefs are reluctant to switch over. Only five per cent of American homes have them. It could be the cost or the whole idea of cooking on cook top that eventually heats up. It is something homeowners have to get used to though. New York and other cities across the country are enacting legislation that will limit the amount of gas hook-ups in new construction. Luxury buildings not only see them as more efficient and functional but also as more upscale and lux.  Induction ovens are also going to be put into NYCHA apartments throughout Manhattan to help the organization meet its' city mandated sustainability requirements.

Think about an induction oven for your next stove.It's better for the environment and family. It makes your kitchen more sustainable and better for the planet and you.

Careful Planting

 Everyone should start thinking about planting their gardens right now. It's the best ammunition we have to fight high prices which will definitely go up by the beginning of summer. Growing our own fruits and veggies will help in whittling down the food bill.

City , suburban and country families can benefit from growing their own food. Many cities have their own community gardens where all sorts of fruits and veggies are grown. There are even exotic ones like bok choy and Scotch bonnet peppers. However apartment dwellers can also benefit from their own little farms. Pots of tomatoes can be raised on balconies along with lettuce and spinach. You can also grow Meyer lemons and strawberries too, The key to success is placing them in plenty of bright sunshine and watering them on a regular basis. Feeding them is also crucial. Use a water soluble fertilizer. Of course these may be tempting to animal companions and kids so try to keep them out of harm's way. Luckily brownstones have small gardens where you can even keep chickens for eggs. These are perfect for gardens but just be warned There is shade and some veggies like tomatoes and strawberries won't give you a full harvest. There are veggies that can thrive in cool shady areas. Think collard greens , broccoli and any of the root vegetables. Carrots, potatoes , yams and turnips are great and they are versatile for all sorts of dishes.

Suburban and country gardens can be as big as you  want. Start with a list of the most versatile fruits and veggies. Strawberries and  blueberries can be used in a variety of recipes from jam to salad dressings to pies and cakes. Set aside a portion of your yard fro them. Tomatoes are a must. You can eat them fresh but also make everything from salsa, and ketchup to sauces and even jams. Bell peppers are also a good choice. These can be stuffed or turned into a tasty summery gazpacho. If you have a lot of space think about starting your own cornfield or melon field, It will take a few years for an orchard to produce. Apple trees take two to three years as do peach trees. You can plant them now and wait for the return. The same is true with grapes. Vines will take at least three years for a full harvest. If not them then think about growing fig, apricots and cherries. The second step is creating a plan and a key to your garden. Think about what areas are sunny and shady and plant accordingly. It;'s then getting the right soil and fertilizer as well as fencing to keep out the wild life.

Prices are going up. Food bills will be astronomical. Cut them by growing your own fruits and veggies. It's not only economical but fun too.