Frosty Drinks

 This is definitely the time for a nice cold drink. It doesn;'t matter if it's store bought or home made. As long as it's filled with ice and wintry cold. 

One of th emost fun frozen drinks is A slurpee ro Icee. Mc.Donamds; is offering their version  in both the Fanta Blue raspberry and Coca Cola Classic/ The lastt is really a gift. It is cold sweet and numbingly icy. I've been choosing it over regular soda when I grab a burger there. Another must sip (or slurp) is QuikChek Quick Freeze Try their Coke and Jarrito's manadarin orange flavors. Jarrito's is really refreshing and has a tang to it. You can easily make something similar at home by using a Zoku Slush cup. This is two cups with the inner cup being put into  freezer.  Keep in mind to use only regular soda and not diet. The best slush comes from a good fizzy sugary soda like Coke or Pepsi.

Iced coffee is a must too these days. Starbucks has a rich almost liquid-y dessert brew Chocolate Java Mint. This is more of a coffee slushie that should be sipped slowly through a straw. Get a vente  of that or their Mocha Cookie crumble for a tasty cool drink. Another must drink is their refreshers which have all sorts of fruits in it. A good place to hang out is Dunkin Donuts. Nothing beats a huge cup of their iced cappucino which is more like coffee ice cream. It's so thick that it can be eaten with a spoon.A nother is their refreshers. These come in such tasty flavor combos as raspberry watermelon which I could drink down in seconds. Try their peach mango or their dragonfruit strawberry combos.

The weather is hellish. Coool or ice down with a big sip of something chilling. It's a tasty way of beating the heat.

Reselling Your Kitchen

 Can a kitchen be taken apart and sold?The answer is both yes and no. Some things can easily be given over while others are better off junked. what works in a garage sale and what doesn't?

Appliances can be resold.If you love in New Jersey you can "sell" your fridge to the utilities company and receive one hundred dollars for it. There are companies that will also buy your stove too if you're getting a new one. Keep in mind the newer or "younger it is the better the resale. No one is going to buy an appliance that's reaching it;s third decade. Think anywhere from five to ten years in age. Also there are some brand slike Frigidaire and Whirlpool along with GE that are going to be more preferrable. Think about selling your college graduate's mini fridge too. There are many college freshman who would jump on the chance to get a lower priced  one .What about the smaller appliances like air fryers and microwaves? Again the newer model ones have a better chance of being resold.These are coveted items at garage sales where just starting out home chefs will snap them up. make sure you hve any kind of warranty to pass on for any appliance. This will be vital if there are repairs.

Smaller kitchen items are always a guaranteed sale. Thrifty home bakers will snap up holiday themed cookie cutters and cake pans. Try to keep all themed bakery items together.  although you could offer an all year round cookie cutter or cake set that includes Christmas trees, pumpkins, flowers and Easter egg shapes.A cookie or dough shooter is also a coveted garage and yard sale item. Make sure the barrel is thoroughly cleaned before you sell it . Also make sure the discs that cut the dough are also clean and shiny.The same applies to an icing gun and the nozzles. Sometimes it is hard to get the frosting out of the last. rewash just to make sure. Also check to make sure you have all the discs and nozzles before you sell the guns.KNife sets, espcuially Cutco and Faberware are also much desired resales. Keep in mind that they should be sharpened and checked for any rust or scratches.Cookbooks are also big re sellers. These are the opposite of the other kitchen resale items. Vintage ones from decades and centuries pasts are much in demand. each tells a story especially through ancient stains and notes written ;

Yes you can sell off your kitchen. Just make sure they're all in working order , whether its'a fridge or a cookie cutter. It'sa fun way to make extra cash and get rid fo what you don;t need

The Peach Drought

 Peaches are a big part of summer dining. They're eaten fresh after a wash in icy cold water. They grace pues, crumbles and cobblers. Unfortunately there's a peach drought,impacting fruit lovers across the country.

 Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this problem in yesterday's New York Times Food section. It's well known that Georgia supplies the country with peaches.even South Carolina who supplies more peaches - namely seventy five per cent is also suffering from this. Yet the ones available are shining,, soft , fleshy and juicy. yet the peach drought can also be found in New England where harvesters are hard pressed to find one.Again it has to do with the weather where there was a blossom killing February cold snap that took temperatures below zero. One state is shining through and that's New Jersey. The Garden State now has a terrific peach crop. The weather here has been perfect, without excessive rain that can render the fruit mushy according to Pegi Adam f the New Jersey Peach associatiom..TRhis will be great for the many peach farms throughout the state that rely on July and August picking season for revenue. California is also have a good season, The California summer has been cooler which results in a sweeter, tastier fruit .

Yet what are Southern cooks and bakers doing about this? They're still using Southern grown peaches. Steve Satterfield , chef at Atlanta's Miller Union is not about to supplement his precious allotment of just two cases. He does not want it use New Jersey or California peaches. Instead he is building recipes around the deficit.His pastry chef, Claudia V. Martinez is slicing them extra thin for layering on a cornmeal cake with vanilla ice cream. Tomaores and cucumber s paly supporting roles in a peach salad that also has ricotta ,herbs and crunchy granola. The bartender is pondering whar to do with the peach pits for non alcoholic mocktails. Some chefs are simply giving up. Erika Council who runs the Atlanta breakfast spot Bomb Biscuits is making jam with pineapple and canteloupe, Customers will have to wait next year for her peach reaper sauce made with Georgia peaches and Carolina reaper peppers. She doesn't want to use canned or frozen peaches because they wouldnt give the sauce that fresh taste. Theere also too expensive as well

Hopefully this peach drought will just be temporary. The world needs the sweet goodness of Georgia peaches. They are true gems tha thopefulyl make a comeback.

A Historic Take On Masa

 Mexican cooking would be nothing without masa, This ground corn meals yields everything from tortillas to tacos.it is one of the cooking traditions that migrated to the US and became a staple here. However it's not the same as the original until now.

Chef and host of the TV show Mi Cocina Rick AMartinez wrote this interesting piece on Mexican corn in today's New York Times Food section. For decades Americans have been eating tortillas and tacos made with processed corn loaded with preservatives. Even though we're used to the taste the flavor is very often musty and sour or bland. However a new generation of Mexican  American chefs are going back to using heirloom qualities of Mexican corn.Chefs are infusing traditional flavor into their tortilla along with tiocoyos, a street food made of a thick fried corn dough filled with pork cracklings and beans along with tamales and taquitos. Making true masa requires nixtamalization a three thousand year old practice of Mesoamerica.It's even been documented back to 1500 BCE.it's simply simmering dried corn in water and calcium hydroxide or cal until the kernals soften. They're then ground into a homogenous dough that holds what ever shape the cook wants. There are thin circles for tortillas , thicker ones for gorditas and plump triangles or ovals for huaraches or dumplings. Masa is also the backbone of a well loved chocolate drink chappurado. it cna also be crumbled into stews for body too.

There are many diffrent kinds of Mexican heirloom corn. Red ruby colored corn glints and grows in the Mexican state of Tiaxcala. Oaxaca give the Mexicans green corn while in the west  central state of Nayarit has fields full of corn stalks. These varieties are making their way to metro areas across the US. Tortilla and totopo - corn chip makers have the masa. They most likely nixtamalize the corn daily for their own products.Chef Martinez also gives recipes for tortilla made on comal or a tortilla maker. If you don;t have one a skillet works well too. They're  like pancakes being flipped every thirty seconds. There are also recipes for gorditas de maize, fat versions of pita or naan.These are slit open warm and filled with a variety of different meats , beans and cheeses.Chef Martinez also includes a recipe for tetelas de frijos negro or black bean filled dumplings. The black bean filling is easy .it's cooking black beans and sixteen cuoso f water with avocado leaves, garlic and white onion.The dumplings are stuffed with this and sprinkled with cotilla, the crumbly fresh cheese. They're cooked in a skillet or comal.

True masa requires true Mexican corn.It can be hhad here in the States. use it to create authentic tasting tortilla, taco, goritos, huaraches and gorditos

Barbie Party Time

 The girl of the summer is definitely Barbie. Thanks to the Margot Robbie -Ryan Goslin movie , the original girl power is everywhere. There are Barbie Crocs, dresses , jackets and even pillows. Now Barbiephiles can celebrate the doll and the movie with a Barbie core do,

Most fans will probably have a pink themed party with Cosmos and trays of little girl pink Double Bubble gum. However Barbie herself may have more sophisticated that. yes , you could have Cosmos to celebrate the Nineties version (and yes, there are Sex and the City inspired barbies) along with putting the gum with ahost of other pink candy as favors. However Barbie has always been a California girl, right down to her Malibu Beachhouse. HAve a California themed party featuring burgers to symbolize the In and Out ones along with a host of food truck food to symbolize Los Angeles food truck culture. Think about fish and bulgoki tacos where guests can put all sorts of toppings from traditional pico di gallo to kim chee. Tater tots with a cheddar topping is another big food truck iitem and they're easy to make in an air fryer.Avocados are a big  Southern California product so think about a refreshing salad made with them and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. what to serve afterwards? LA's own chiffon pie fist made in 1929 by Los Angeleno baker Monroe Boston Strause, It's a kind of  a vanilla mousse fillling in a graham cracker crust. Serve with strawberries if you want a bit of pink.

Barbie has been around since 1959 so another party idea is picking a decade themed party. The Fifties and Sixties brought an era of both  hominess and sophistication. You could feature a baked ham with pineapple alogn with an ambrosia salad fullof marshmallows and citrus fruit like pimeapple and oranges. You could also end with a pineapple upside down cake, very popular in the era. The Sixties also brought us Camelot and Jackie Kennedy's love of anything French. Think croissants filled with tarragon chicken salad, or steak Diane with a creamy Bearnaise sauce.Dessert could be Barbie pink  strawberry macarons (although you can throw in some chocolate and pistacchio ones along with lemon ones) The Seventies brought us fondue but it's too hot for that. Try cheese balls dipped in chopped nuts along with a platter of  devilled eggs. You could also serve party franks with a tangy sauce and mini crabcakes. Barbie embraced the glam Eighties and you can too. Serve lobster canapes and champagne along with caviar topped crostini. What about the NIneties and the early Aughts? Try comfort food, like pizza bagels and beer that got us through the Y2K anxiety. You could also make comfort sweets like cupcakes which had a revival twenty years ago. Think Funfetti ones with mounds of homemade strawberry icing.

It's the summer of Barbie! Get wild with a LA - So Cal themed do or pick a decade and celebate. All are perfect for toasting this doll  of a woman. Enjoy the movie and the food of her life.

J 'Aime Tarragon

 One of those herbs that is over used and underestimated is tarragon. It can be employed in a variety f different dishes. You can use it to season chicken or Cornish hen or add zing to mayo. There's so many fun recipes with it.

I was glad to get the plant (which I highlighted in Saturday's post). Tarragon has a wonderful flavor both dried and fresh.Use it fresh if you have the plant.

What is it exactly? It's formal name is estragon and grows wild throughout Euope and North America. What home gardeners grow is really French tarragon. There is also Russian tarragon which is a hardier and more robust plant. Freshly picked leaves have a licorice - anise type of flavor.I've used them in mayo. They worked and the condiment was good slathered on  plant based chicken patties. However in the future I plan on using my Mom's herb grinder to make tarragon flakes.

I like tarragon in mayo but you can also try it in a creamy sauce,made with whole cream, lemon, shallots  and butter. Chicken breasts are cooked in this and you could serve them over herbed rice or pasta. Salmon also benefits from the herb.Think of combining the fresh leaves with a mix of Dijon mustard, mayo and lemon juice along with a pinch of sugar. Spoon over grilled salmon for a delicious dinner. Keep in mind that the herb is perfect in both viniagrettes and creamy salad dressings.I'ts usually mixed with Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil. You could add shallots for color.This would also be good over grilled veggies like eggplant and tomatoes for a different spin on a summer salad.

Plant tarragon to boost your summer cooking and grilling.Its' flavor lends an earthy sweetnss to any dish and elevates it. This silvery leafed plant is the perfect addition to any dish.

A Summer Herb Garden

 One of the best aspects of summer cooking is having fresh herbs on hand. There's nothing like a garden brimming full of tasty leaves that can enhance any dish.

I have the gamut here, from both green and purple basil, parsley and tarragon. 

This is the purple basil and parsley.Purple basil can be used the same way as green leafed basil. I may try a pesto with it or just use it in sauces. The parsley was a much needed herb which I'll use in my potato puffs. Fresh parsley takes the flavor up a notch

You can see how bright and full the leaves are .They 're also going to add to smashed potatoes too. In the upper right is the tarragon which has a wonderful sweet earthy flavor.I;ve already used in in a mayo .This made a wonderful condiment for a chciken patty sandwich. 

Nothing beats an herb garden. It means fresh flavor added to summer cooking. Grow your garden now to enhance your favoriite dishes.
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