Your Coronation Meal

 Next week Great Britain gets a new monarch. You can celebrate Charles III whether you support him or not. The question is what do you make?

One of the most classic dishes comes from his  mother 's Elizabeth  II's coroation, coromation choicken. this is a relic from post war Britain.it';s chopped poached chicken cooled and then mixed with mayo , curry ,raisins and mango or apricot chuney.It suspiciously sounds like a Southern country clib lunceon dish to be served on lettuceleaves or white toast. The curry is a nod to the queen's father George VI who loved curry as did her great great grandmother Queen Victoria. I would revamp this by getting rid of the rasins, maybe adding apples and only adding a small pinch of curry.Yes,I'd serve it on toast, as you would with any chicken salad.

What can you make? Try beans on toast. I may butter the toast first and add a layer of Morningstar Farms bacon to it fo crunch and more flavor. Then there's the English fry up breakfast.(The coronation starts at 5 AM New York Eastern time next week!!!! )Many will be waking up to seeing a king get crowned. A fry up breakfast consists of fried eggs,bacon sausages,. fried tomatoes and beans. There's usually fried bread with it to mop up the egg. If it's a bit too much , then just have eggs and bacon on toast. You coul;d also just have an Englsih muffin with butter  - or turn it intoa breakfast sandwich to celebrate. A breakfast scone would be good too along with a steaming strong cup of English breakfast tea.

How will you celebrate the coronation of Charles and his queen Camilla? That's up to what you want to eat. Have a hearty breakfast or a lunch of coronation chicken salad.Be the ruler of your kitchen.

Easy Cooking Easy Eating

 If you want a quick and delicious meal, think Di Lallo Risotto. This a a quick dinner or even Sunday lunch meal that's as tasty as it is quick to make.

Right now my  physical adeptness in the kitchen is limited. I have to cook easy and have ingredients that are pre chopped or pre made. This mushroom risotto filled the bil.

I add two cups of cold water and two packages of rice (about sixteen ounces each) and cooked for half an hour after the initial boiling. I added two heaping yablespoons of Melt plant based butter at the end for more flavor and smoothness.

The end result was a creamy, muchroom packed bowl of goodness.It was perfect on this chill April FRiday. There was very little stirring and prep time. I could add somepeas or broccoli to the next batch. However ths was perfect.

If you want a good meal, thinbk Di Lallo Risotto.It;'s a quick way of having a sophsiticated dinner in now time. It really is perfect.

Doughnut Land

 LA is many things, Home of the stars and fancy restaurants. it's known for In and Out Burgers and taco trucks> It's also a mecca for doughnut shops too.

Regular contributor Tejal Rao wrote abouth Los Angeles dougnut culture in yesterday's New York Times Food section. There are several right now , all popular , all offeringa wide variety of textures and flavors

Holey Grail ,a Hawaiian onehas tropical influeces in theirs. Colorado Donuts have a old fashioned vibe but uses bright colpr and flavors to sell theirs. Newer generations like Mochi Dochi pull a aprt ones. like mobhi onesThere is even Alice Gu's movie Doughnut KIng which highlights the LAS pastry scene.

Doughnuts are fun. Imagine them in a glam setting like LA. They're even more fun.

Corona Plaza A Weekend Treat

If you're looking for something different to do thos Spring then think about  the Corona Plaza Market in Queens new York. This is the place to go for a taste of the familiar and exotic It's worth the car bus or subway trip out.

Rrgular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about it in today's New York Times Food section. It'sworth the trip out You can try prok skin crackles over warmed potatoes or a tprtilla filled with sliced beef and onions.Blame the pandemic on this area. Many vendors lost their jobs and couldn't go back to their old jobs. They created new food and drink oriented ones.

It paid off. This area is popular with all sorts fo people, from hipsters looking for a new flavor to Latinos searching for a taste of home.The in gredients are fresh and seasonal. Freoilan and ZChristina Garcia not only make fresh tacos and totillas but also agua fressca, the refreshing water based drink. They use market boiught cucumbers and lime for it. Their corn flour based drinks have fresh peanuts and walnuts. Not allof it its rosy however. There have been raids where ,local cops take their gear and they have to retrieve it. This can be costly.

Still if you want to try Corona Plaza Market do so,It's a fun and tasty getaway It's a day trip worth taking.

Vitamin Plus

 Should it just be kids who take viamins. If your answer is yes, think again.Adults need them much more than kids and taking them is a good habit to get into.

I got into takin multivitamins thanks to the results of a blood tesr, My doctors recommended them after my panels showed I had a slightly lower white blood cell count. This is alarming because a low amount ,means a tougher time of fighting off infections. I went with Walgreen's multivitamin gummies, due mostly to their addition of  folate and B-12. This brings up the white blood cell or wbc count.Two a day does it and they are fun to eat, The flavors are pretty good, peach, orange and a combo of the berries.

Can you get this many vitamins with a healthy diet. Yes, but that means eating a lot of veggies and fruots. This is a good habit but sometimes you don't have the time or even the money to get fresh produce and meats. Let's face it too, a healthy diet can be a boring one too. Sometimes you want empty calories and junk food. 

Take those vitamins. Pick out what works for you. Gel cap, pill or gummy. You'll feel better and be better with a daily dose.

Slightly Ajar

 This blog is back - sort of  .I'll be writing shortened versions of it every day. 

Yesterday the New York Times put out their one hundred greatest Manhattan and borough restaurants guide. There are some good ones listed, ones that I'd like to visit and write about.It just bings to mind how important restaurants are , especially when you can't cook. i;ve relied on them in the last couple of weeks. 

Don't get me wrong. I miss cooking. I miss my spices and olive oil. I love tweaking a recipe I've just discovered. However even chain eateries like Blaze and Taco Bell have come in mighty handy lately. Celebrate your local places and if you can;t cook, then eat out. There's something fun about ordering your faves or eating the leftovers a day later.

Until The End Of Asparagus Season

 Foodie pantry will be taking a short break - probably until the end ofasparagus season - or maybe this week.

I am having , yet and yet again - surgery this time  yet again on my arm. COoking will be hard for now. Baking is out of the question. This is my last night to really cook so it's asparagus again  -yum - and plant based fish sticks from Good Catch.

I plan on writing about Good Catch as soon as I can. This is an intriguing company and I'm looking forward to try their products.

See you soon. Iwill be returning with some new recipes and products to try.