Topping The Toppings

 One of the best parts of making homemade pizza is adding the toppings you like. They could be traditional or over the top, simple or lush. You can also create a variety of combos that pizzerias would dare touch.It's your pie. Have fun with it.

What are tradtional toppings? Pepperoni , onion, olives and mushrooms. These are good on their own but they're great in combinations and with other toppings as well .Pepperoni goes good with mushrooms but you can also try it as part of an Italian hero topping. Add some shredded provolone , capacola and prosciutto for a different yet surprisingly traditional take. YOu can still have an onion pizza but thro in another allium such as scaalions or spring onions. These zing up the pie and give the sauce more bite. Olives are good on their own but you can also create an Italian style tapas to spoon onto the pie , sort of like a bruschetta. Mushrooms can be the usual buttins ones but baby bellas add more flavor. These wiull give the pizza a steak like flavor , perfect for vegetarians and vegans wanting a "meaty" kind of topping. You can also combine onions and mushrooms too for a different taste. Another idea is slcing up all different kinds of the fungi and using them instead of tomatoes.

Of course you can also try lusher toppings. Chef J> Kenji Alt has created a Korean-Italian fusion with buldak chicken. This recipe appeared in the new York Times Wwednesday Food section. BUldak chicken is a charred chicken coated in paste of tomatoes, gochuchang and gochugaru. The first give the meat a sweet and tangy flavor while the other is spicy.  the chicken is cooked first and then chopped into topping size pieces and placed on top of the pie. You could also tone down the fire and just top the pie with a garlicky chicken for a chicken prm vibe. Layer on more cheese for this. Steak topped pizza is a great weekend pie, perfect for those at home football parties.it's cooking the steak first with garlic and herbs. You can cut it into strips or for a better bite into smalller pieces. Kids may go crazy for hanburger pie>It's browning the meat with chopped onions first and then spooning it over the sauce. Mozzarella is then layered on the top. A lusher pie is a shrimp one. It's taking shrimp scampi and putting it on top .

Pizza toppings can be anything you want. be traditional. Be bold. Just top your pie with whatever makes it memorable.

A Taste Of Moules

 Whatt;s agood fall dish ? Moules or the American version  mussels.They're a wonderful chill chaser, stilly briny with a taste of  lingering summer. Their broth is amazing too and can even made better with simple additions like beans.

Melissa Clark experimented with this in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. MOules or mussels are excellent with a simple garlic, white wine and butter sauce. Their juices cook up well with it and this is an added treat. Theyre's nothing like dipping hunks of crusty French bread in this for stretching out the dish and that lovely buttery,briny flavor. Ms Clark adds cannellini or white beans aong with rosemary springs and hot pepper flakes. There's also vegetable broth too in the recipe and the usual white wine. what is also good about this recipe is that's it's thrifty - something seafood is not these days. she can buy a rwo pound bag of mussels for around nine dollars.It's a few dollars less than shrimp and a lot less than lobster. They're also the best example of sustainable seafood too. You can buy farmed ones, constantly rated as one of the best foods to eat. Another plus about this dish it can be made in under just twenty minutes.It's a great weekend dish but can easily be whipped up on a busy weeknight.

One of the best aspects of this dish is that it's so simple evne a novice home chef can ace it. first come the beans which are briefly braised in olive oil with the red pepper flakes and garlic cloves (the recipe calls for eight of these but you can decrease if you want to tame down the garlicky flavor).If you're ambitious you cna cook your own beans, but using canned is much easier. At this point they're tender and the mussels should be added.As the mussels are steamed they release their liquid or juices which the beans soak up. THis makes them plumper and more complex. Rosemary is also added and this adds a punch of astringency.This is also when the vegetable stock and a quarter cup of white wine is added too.Keep inmind to rinse and clean the mussels before adding to the beans.Use cold running water for this and pull off the sharp hairly clumps called beards that nest around  the edge of the shells, You can use a fingernail for this but if that doesn't work then try a sharp knife. These are added and then cooked for five to eight minutes. You can serve this with a simple tomato salad or just a tossed one. For true Belgian goodness you can also serve fries with this too and dip them in the broth.

A hot bowl of moules and beans are the perfect fall dish.They're beyond delicious and easy to nake. Try a bowlof them for a tasty week day or weekend dinner.

America's Best Restaurants

 America is both a gourmand and foodie country.It's no wonder that we're home to some of the best restaurants. They're in the big cities. They grace small towns. They could be in your neighborhood. The bottom line is they offer delicious and memorable dishes.

Today's Wednesday's New York Times  Food section put out this fascinating guyide that not only mentions eateries in the US's big cities but smaller towns as well. Regular contributers such as Priya Krishna, Brett Anderson ,Kim Severson and Pete Wells to name a few. some are in big cities like Bonnies which is a favorite of Mr. Wells. Their specialty is Cantonese and Chef Calvin Eng adds American influences to his dishes like his salt and pepper squid with a hinese ranch dressing.Another Manhattan eatery  worth noting is Little Mad reviewed by Nikita Richardson. Its' highlight recipe is it' galbi, Korean grilled ribs. The city also offers The Musket Room which borrows ideas from everywhere from Spain to Lebanon to Japan. Los Angeles is another gourmand city. It has Here's Looking At You, which is favorite of contributor Tejal Rao. its' famous for its' frogs legs with salsa negra,LA. also is home to a fan favorite Kato which features Chef Jon Yao's Tainwanese dishes and tasty cocktails. Yes there are Chicago restuarants such as Dear Margaret which features the rare French Canadian menu. There is no poutine, that famed French fries and cheese dish. Instead Chefs Ryan Brousseau and lacey irby have created a smooth duck liver pate graced with pink lemon marmalade.

Smaller cities are also represented. Junco,Puerto Rico,a small town has Bacoa Finco + Fogon which features a rustic setting and good food. There is grilled shrimp over fideua with a crispy bottom. Way further north is Cafe Mutton located in Hudson New York, a bit south of Albany.It's a down home kid of place thanks to chef Shaina Loew -Bayanan's easy laid back style. You can try their fried  bologna or crepes with maple syrup.Arlington Texas has the famed Smoke "N Ash BBQ that's a fusion of Texas barbecue with Ethiopian fare thanks to owners Patrick and Fasicka Harris.Berbere spices are mixed into a spicy sauce called awaze and lacquered on brisket. Florida's sunny Coral Gables has Zitz Sim an interesting fusion eatery that Clumbian born Pablo Zitzman created. He grew up loving dim sum and teppnyaki restaurants in his native Columbia. His menu reflects it along with South Florida influences  with a guava hoisin slathered on brisket. ashland Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival offers Mas , a Japanese inspired menu with what Chef Josh dorcak calls Cascadian cuisine featuring the best of the region.

America is a food and foodie country. There are many great restuarants in this country. Check out the New York Times and visit one for a fun fall destination.

A Vegan Table For Two

 What do you cook for just two vegetarians? The easy answer would be a couple of Impossible Burgers on the grill. Yet there's a wide range of recipes out there that make for a tasty meal. For those wondering what sort of dishes  there's a new cookbook perfect for those fogoing meat. Vegan Cooking For Two 200+Recipes For Everything You Love To Eat.(American Test Kichen 2022) will guide anyone through all sorts of tasty vegan meals.

This is a great cookbook for hard core vegans and those just coming to it.Expect some good advice and cooking lessons since this comes from the PBS show America's Test Kitchen. For those plant based meat lovers there is a page devoted to it, along with recommnedations on what kinds to buy, namely Beyond Beef and Impossible Burgers. There are also recommnedations about what vegan butters to use, namely Earth Balance and Miyokos' vegan butter. They also recommnend using Just Egg egg subsritute and Hampton Creek vegan mayo (although Hellmann's Vegan mayo is just as good). There's also a dictiornary of what tools to use and how to use them as well as organizing your fridge, from the crisper to the freezer.Another plus is the section on basics. There are recipes for such vegan broths as a vegetable broth base made with a kind of mirepoix of clery, onion and onion with tomato paste. This si perfect for all sorts of soups and even stews.There are also recipes for the Arab spice mix harissa and quick pickled red onions along with tempeh crumbles and aquafaba mayonnaise. There's also recipes for vegan based ranch dressing and vegan cheeses like cashew ricotta and cashew Parmesan.These are made with cashews for a totally vegan take on cheese.

The recipes are divided into sections, from breakfast to sweets. You can start the day with classic cinnamon French toast made more or less the same way as the usual one but with the addition of conrstarch. There's also a hashbrown  omelet chock full of cripsy potatoes. Their soups are perfect for lunch or dinner and there are recipes that can take you from summer to winter. Try their chilled watermelon soup made with basil, pepper and watermelon, perfect for hot days. Ease into fall with okra pepper pot a take on the classic spicy potage.Salads abound here and they're perfect for lunch. Their beet and watrcress is a definite must make along with their warm escarole and cannellini bean salad, a perfect dish on a cool day.Orzo salad is another one.  I love their pastas There are so many recipes that have to be tried.The spaghetti with the broccoli and avocado pesto is on my radar and I'm looking foward to making campanelle with roasted cauliflower and garlic sauce, there are also tofu recipes like crispy baked tofu peperonata and grilled tofu with charred broccoli and  peanut sauce.  the cauliflower steak and grilled eggplant are perfect for week days and weekends.There are dessert recipes like  crispy chocolate chip cookies and roasted pears, perfect for fall. I am definitely making their grilled pineapple with coconut rum sauce and the individual apple galettes.

Vegan Cooking For Two 200+ Recipes For Everything You Love To Eat is a must have in any vegan kitchen. It's chock full of meatless recipes full of flavor. B

est of all they're meant for two, perfect for a cozy meal in.

Rule Britannia's Foods

 Queen Elizabeth II reigned for seventy years, being one of the best ambassadors for the United Kingdom. The foods that she loved so well are also great ambassadors to this country rich in produce, dairy and meat. There are some good recipes out there for home chefs of any nationality.

One of the best loved is the English fry up or full English  breakfast. Think of it as a breakfast or brunch on steroids. It has everything from meats to eggs to beans to veggies even.Britsh bacon whuich is thicker than American (and ours comes from on the Irish)and sorts of resembles a pork chop.It may be hard to find here so use the regular kind. You start with frying up bacon and sausage, using the bacon fat to then fry up the eggs. These are usually made sunnyside up, perfect with runny yolk for dipping butter toast slices or soliders into. There are also tomatoes in these. These are seared but you could cook them in the bacon fat too for more flavor. Mushrooms are also added and these are cooked until they're brown and caramelized (you can use whatever is left of the bacon fat ro just saute them in butter)Beans are a must, You can use what they eat in the UK, the Heinz brand but Bush's is another tasty sub in. If you want you can make it vegan with vegan sausage and bacon and use Just Eggs instead of the real thing.Definitely make a lof of toast and liberally butter it. What to drink? Tea and plenty of it. Earl Gray is the best.It's the perfect mild tea to go with all those savory flavors.

Another tasty and easy to make British recipe is Yorkshire pudding. This is recipes dates back to the 1600's and the recipe hasn't changed much since then.It did come from Northenr England where chefs devised a way to use the fat drippings from Sunday roasts. This is a basic popover recipe made with four large eggs, flour and whole milk. You should use the beef dripping from roast beef but you can also use lard, vegetable, shortening or lard. Keep in mind to make the batter over night with just the first three ingredients. The drippings will be added the next day when you are cooking the roast. You will need special popover pans to bake them at 400 degrees Farenheir for ten to twelve mi nutes. Fill them up with gravy and eat with thick slices of roast beef.What about dessert? You could make any of the steamed puddings. These can be labor intensive  though and  best saved for the holidays. For a good week day or weekend sweet think about syllabub. This is a kind of zabaglione like pudding of white wine and heavy cream. The wine and sugar are first cooked over a low heat. This is stirred cosntantly until the sugar is dissolved. add the half and half once the sugared wine is off the stove and beat until frothy. Serve with whipped cream and nutmeg for a lovely and light dessert.

Queen Elizabeth was a constant in British life for seventy years. The foods of this great country are also  mainstays providing taste and comfort. Try them for a taste of British goodness.Queen 

A Late Summer Barbecue

 The weather's still warm. The grill is still viable. Why not celebrate the season with a late summer -early fall barbecue. Enjoy the taste of favorite summer treats while you can. They can even have a more fallish spin to them.

It's still warm enough to have hamburgers. You can easily go with beef , plant based or turkey. Yet if you want something different along with a nod to autumn then think pork based ones.Add sage to ground pork for more flavor along with bacon ground with garlic. Remember to make a two inch indentation with your thumb in each patty before placing over the flame to prevent bulging. grill them for five to six minutes on each side. What can go with this?Try an apple chutney from the season's first harvests. This is a kind of relish made with Granny Smitth apples, onions, and raisins. This are chopped and cooked in a mix of cider vinegar andd freshly squeezed orange juice. Spices such as hot pepper flakes and ginger are added for heat while brown sugar is added for sweetness. You could also put mustard seeds in if for flavor and color. Another idea is baked potatoes instead of  the ususal potato salad. pre cook them in the microwave for ten minutes before you put them on the grill. This ensured that they'll be fully cooked when you're ready to eat them.

What other dishes would compliment a late summer barbecue? Some gardens are still producing tomatoes. You can still whip up a salad with them with a nice creamy burata. Grilled toamtoes are also tasty side for any late summer barbecue. You can even give them a sprinkle of breadcrumbs for a take on tomatoes Provencale. They are just good rubbed in olive oil and garlic and then served on grill toasted Italian bread.Some gardens are still producing zucchini. These are wonderful too after being cooked on the coals. Slice them lengthwise instead of in coins and give them a light brushing of olive oil and a sprinkle of rosemary and oregano. What to drink with this? Try a French cider that's not as dense or heavy as  the regular cider that's just coming out now. The Duche du Longeville, a fizzy tasty quaff is too perfect with those late summer burgers. It'll chill nicely. If the night becomes nippy then bring out a thermos of flavored coffe or herbal tea. have these with grilled apples cooked in a foil pcket with brown sugar and butter and spiked with ginger and cinnamom.

Yes, you can still have a good barbecue depsite what the calendar says. Enjoy a late summer cookout with good food and good drink. There's still time.

Vegan Tailgating Go Meatless

 Yes, it's tailgaiting time in the US. it's where rabid fans camp out in their local arean's parking lot and cook like crazy. There's a wide array of meats , from sausages to hot dogs, wings to hamburgers. Yet what do vegetarians and vegan have? Their own equally delicious menus!! It's time to go meatless!! Yay team vegan!

Of course you can have the same yummy burgers that meat loving fans enjoy. Beyond Burgers, Gardein and Impossible Burgers carry plant based patties that grill up just as good and crispy as the real thing. if you want a more authentic hjommade burger taste just give the burgers a very light dusting of onion powder.  They'll taste like those homemade ones with the chopped onion added to the mix. You can even make bacon cheeseburgers too.  Top the burgers with slices of Go Veggie cheddar and slices of Morningstar Farms bacon. The last should be made in the microwave ahead of time. They get their crispiest there. You can pack them in paper towels os they don't break or get crumbly.  Hot dogs are another fun tailgating food. Go for Field Roast ones that have a smoky flavor. These are also tasty grilled. You can turn them into cheese dogs with the addtion of vegan cheese or turn them into Chicago dragged through the garden dogs complete with chopped white onions, tomatoes , pickles and peppers.A squirt of mustard completes this. Try Field vegan sausage too with peppers for a Sicilian treat.

Chili always figures in tail gating parties. A vegan one is just as tasty and fun as one containing beef or turkey.The best soy "beef" crumbles come from Morningstar Farms or Gardein. Both brands have crumbles that cook up juicy and tender. Keep in mind this is one for hardy crowds so make it a two or three alarm one. What about  that staple of many an arean cookout chicken wings? There really aren't any comprable ones on the market yet however you can create your own version. Use seitan to emulate the chicken meat and bamboio sticks for the "bones". It's basically a dough made with flour and water and then boiled in vegetable bouillion, They're then fried in either peanut or grapeseed oil because these oils have a high smoke temp. Once they're done you can slather them in a spicy or bought homemade sauce. Another idea is cauliflower wings.First give them a thorough washing and then pat them dry.  Coat  them in a barbecue sauce and grill for a few minutes until the edges become charred.

Vegans can als have a delcious feast as they cheer on their favorite teams. It's easy with all the meat substitutes out there. You can have a tasty time with all sorts of fun vegetarian dishes.