The Classic Mother's Day Dish Redone

 There will be  a lot of French toast made this Sunday, The American variation of the famed French pain perdu is a Mothers' Day classic right up there with macaroni necklaces and handmade cards. yet imagine doing it just a tad differently for a truly memorable holiday.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark gives her spin on it in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.French toast has been around, way before the French used stale bread to create a tasty dish.The Roman Apicius had a recipe for it using wine and honey to an Anglo-Norman cousin which was served with almond milk.There is also a Spanish version called torrejas made with cinnamon and syrup. There are modern variations that include peanut butter and condensed milk, French toast with a streusel topping and even ones with pears, pumpkin spice and pecans.If you want the perfect French toast make sure you use stale or dehydrated bread .Fresh bread is too spongy and it would dilute the egg mixture with moisture.Most recipes call for frying the bread but why go to all that trouble. Baking it works better.it may not give you that crispy buttery crust but  it will become crunchy and caramelized with a sprinkling of sugar.

Her two recipes are baked French toast with different flavors. Those who love the earthy mellowness of brown sugar should try her sheet pan version. What bread should you use. Anything that strikes your fancy.It could be croissants for a light airy bite or challah for rich one. Regular white bread or pain de mie can also be used. The first recipe is soaking the bread in the egg ,milk and cinnamon mixture on the pan itself.The bread should be allowed to soak from anywhere from four hours to overnight. It's then sprinkling the brown sugar on the sheet pan and over the slices,Bake in a 375 degree Farenheit oven for twetty-five to thirty-five minutes.The tops should be golden brown and puffy. The other recipe calls for heavy cream lemon and Gran Marnier to create a lemon souffle type recipe .Whole milk and heavy cream are also added. lemon sugar is first created by mixing lemon zest into white sugar. A dash of nutmeg is also added for flavor The egg ,cream and dairy are added to this.It's poured over slices of toasted challah and baked ina  buttered casserole dish. Set in a 375 degree oven for twenty to thirty minutes.

These are great recipes for Mother's Day.It's nice to have a classic dish but even nicer when it's updated. Try for a great Mother's day brunch or even a light supper.

From The Ocean To The Grill

 The grilling season usually starts out as a salute to anything from the turf. Yet what about the surf? The ocean  - streams and lakes give up some tasty morsels to be grilled.

Shrimp is always at the top of any griller's list.The best bet is buying large shrimp because they're the easiest to marinate skewer and place on the cooking grate. Smaller ones could fall through. They're an easy cook  - only five to seven minutes on each side and they're done. Should you use a marinade or a dry rub on them. Marinade is the better way to go. Many home chefs opt for a simple garlic butter one in which garlic  infused melted butter is brushed on the shrimp.You can also try an herbal butter one thats' rich with chives and oregano.  For a different spin , try a Vietnamese style marinade that combines fish sauce with soy sauce . lime juice and  a pinch of sugar. There's also paprika garlic and chili added to  sesame oil base. Another tasty grill is scallops.Like shrimp these can be marinated in a variety of different ingredients.Try them in a simple Italian style one that features lemon juice, olive oil and various spices such as oregano and rosemary. Lime juice and olive oil. Some enthusiasts want to try grilling a lobster. The best bet is grilling the tails in the shells as opposed to grilling the whole lobster. It takes five minutes grilling on the flesh side and one to two minutes on the shell side.

Many grillers  love to put salmon steaks on the coals. A good salmon steak is one that has been seared with a crispy skin and tender but bright orange pink inside. Salmon can be a bit bland tasting on it's own so its important to have a good marinade for it. Soy sauce is always a good marinade base. You can add fresh orange juice and ginger to it. Olive oil is another good marinade base. Add some lemon juice and freshly ground pepper for a lemon pepper taste. Another popular fish tuna is a great outdoor char. Make sure the tuna steaks are thick for proper grilling. A light lemon marinade works the best with iu.If you have fishermen in your circle then you've probably been the recipient of a few trout. This  fresh water fish is good on the grill too.They should be boneless and filleted. Some home chefs just bread them for a crunchy bite. Trout is usually cooked for five minutes on one side and then flipped and cooked for a minute or two more. You could also just brush the meat with olive oil and lemon to bring out the sweet fish flavor.Surprisingly cod is another fish that can be cooked on the grill. It should just be brushed with butter because of it's strong flavor. 

Try surf for your next barbecue.It's a nice chageoff from turf. There's a wide range of delicious fish and shellfish to place on those coals.

Do You Want Elaborate Or Effortless

 Entertaining is not easy . You can create a simple meal but lose the wow factor.You can try for a more elaborate table but its;' more labor intensive  in the kitchen. Imagine if you can have both together. It's perfect for a great dinner party.

The Sunday New York TImes created this inset with recipes that can start and end a meal. It's the perfect keeper for those wanting to have those outdoor dinner parties now that the weather is warm. The effortless one allows home chefs to spend time with guests as opposed to being in the kitchen.it starts with an herby  feta and yogurt dip.these can be served with pita chips or crudites, It can be made in a big bowl or served in individual ramekins for each guest. The main course is olive oil salmon How you flavor it is up to you Try smashed garlic or rosemary.A mash up of chives olives and even anchovies can also give the fish some zing It;s served with a dill and basmati rice mix called sheveed polo. The salad is light and fresh too -  it 's a sesame cucumber and avocado tossed together with a sweet and tangy sesame dressing. The dessert is an easy bake too. Think strawberry spoons bread with smashed strawberries baked over a buttery cake. The drink of choice is a refreshing non alcoholic dirty lemon tonic.

The elaborate menu has great recipes too and relatively easy to make.it's basically classic recipes that are sure to please both chef and guests.It starts with a classic shrimp cocktail that;s spiked with celery seeds,  and any kind of chili powder , from cayenne , sweet paprika and gochugaru. The dipping sauces id the classic red shrimp cocktail one but there is also garlicky dill butter and curried honey mustard. The main course is roasted orange chicken.Tangerine or clementines can be used to give the chicken that zingy citrus flavor. Delicious roasted mushrooms cooked with braided black lentils and parsley croutons. The salad is an Herby tomato salad with  a ramarind maple dressing. Fried shallots give it extra crunch and flavor. The dessert is an elaborate and decadent Baked Alaska. Fresh strawberries and blueberries are paired with vanilla ice cream.It;s covered with a rich Swiss meringue that has a kick of Kirsch, the German cherry liqueur. What the perfect drink with this meal? The classic 50.50 martini that has equal parts gin and vermouth.

Whatever you choose whether it;s effortless or elaborate this menu is perfect. Create a Spring dinner party with these recipes. Enjoy their easiness and deliciousness.

A South Of The Border Twist

 Tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo and that means an abundance of good Mexican food. Yet any dish can benefit from a little salsa, or a slice of avocado.it's just adding a Mexican twist on things.

Beans can easily be spiced up with a variety of different spices.I made an all bean chili dish that had chili spices in the,.This is what I got on my Lidl haul and thought it would be a fun and easy dish with Lidl's instant rice. Cumin and cayenne are what give Mexican food it's unique flavor. You can easily use these in a day rub for chicken or beef. You could also create a carne asada. which is a mix if any kind of citrus juice with a splash of soy sauce. Rich spices such a as cumin, paprika  and chili powder are added for more flavor. Olive oil is added for smoothness. A typical marinade time for carne asada is around twenty four hours.

Adding anything with avocados to a dish s always a good thing. I cannot resist Lidl's Avocado Fritters.These are tasty breaded strips that can easily be air fired

The photo is  a bit dark but you can see the fries Yet avocado can also be added to a ciambatta with tomatoes and onions .This is a recipe from the famed British chef and baker Mary Berry.Adding avocado gives a creaminess and balance to an other wise tangy sandwich. You could also add a layer of guacamole to any chicken or turkey sandwich too for something different. Salsa, another Mexican classic can be mixed in to any tomato sauce or bruschetta for a zingy twist on Italian classics.

It's Cinco de Mayo.Yet the Mexican influence can be used all year round. Try adding a dash of chili powder a slice of avocado or a splash of salsa to any  dish.

Asparagus Three Ways

 It is still asparagus season which means they can be turned into lovely sides to accompany any man meal.Most home chefs opt for just simple steaming yet there are a number of ways to prepare these verdant stalks.

Regular contributor Melissa CLark wrote about these ways in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. All of these methods bring out the veggie's  sweet, earthy flavor. Ms. Clark has fallen for roasting them. Doing such actually brings out their flavor even more. Roasting caramelizes and sweetens the stalks while the tips get crisp.It's just simply roasting them anywhere between 375 to 450 degrees Farenheit, Use a good olive oil and then sprinkle with sea salt before throwing a pan of them into the oven.She adds a drizzle of yogurt or more olive oil. A sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper wouldn't;t go amiss here either. Chopped herbs or scallions can add more flavor along with a sprinkling of lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice. Another method she recommends is broiling This is similar to roasting however roasting surrounds the stalk with a gentle and even hear. Broiling full on blasts them until they are blackened on the outside, with a tender sweet interior. Since it has an intense flavor, she pairs the stalks with a pungent sauce, This is a simple miso glaze flavored with sake, mirin and sesame oil.

Pan searing is  is another suggested method. here Ms. Clark cut the spears into bite sized pieces . She also pan toasted cashews, coconut flakes and sunflower seeds until they were fragrant.Bore adding the asparagus garlic is sauteed in a moisture of coconut and sesame oils.the asparagus bites are cooked for six to seven minutes. Soy sauce and lime juice are then added red pepper flakes. She suggests serving this over rice which would work the best or with a fried egg on top. It would also work well with air fried tofu cubes glazed in the same sauce as the asparagus. The third method is sauteing.She used butter for this to mellow out its grassiness and bring out the plant's sweetness. I would top this with sliced hard boiled egg and Parmesan cheese Piedmontese style but Ms. Clark mixes it with peas, mint Parmesan cheese and cream for a pasta primavera style dinner,Red pepper flakes can be added for zing and color too.

This is asparagus season. These are the different ways you can cook those amazing stalks. Try any of them for a fresh Springtime tate

Your Favorite Kid Chef Recipe

 Every kid wanted to cook on Mother's Day, It was a chance to shower mom with love but also show off budding culinary skills. Here's the question - what was your favorite ? Cinnamon toast with a heaping amount of cinnamon sugar on top? An omelet with a few shells left in? Or Mom's favorite sandwich with a side of chips or a dill pickle.

Let us know here  just in time for Mother's Day.

Everyone Loves Black Forest Cake

 Black Forest Cakes conjures up images of the luscious creamy cake served in Bavarian coffeehouses or made in kitchens from German Alpine towns like Obernheim to big metropolises like Munich. Not surprisingly this famed chocolate cake is also big in other parts of the world. Let's face it , it is hard to resist.

Regular contributor Priya Kirishna wrote about this delicious treat in today's New York Wednesday Food section. Black Forest Cake had been a staple on German dessert tables for decades.It began in the 1500's thanks to young married couples who planted cherry trees and its'design is taken from the colorful outfits called Bollenhut that Bavarian women were.Now it's all over the world from Chile to Nepal.It's a favorite everywhere from Zimbabwe to Trinidad to Singapore where it's actually made with blueberries.How did the most German of cakes become an international favorite? it occurred when Germans moved around the world, as immigrants, missionaries and chefs or as Nazis fleeing the country after World War II according to Jose Lopez Gamen of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute in Cambridge Ma. It's a cake that's easily adapted to the norms of any country. The liquor can be be omitted in Muslim countries while Caribbean ones sub in the kirschwasser or cherry liquor with strong rums.

Many , including Bavarians and Swabians find the dessert passe and bakeries in the two provinces don't; even make it. Christopher Tan, author of the Singaporean cookbook  "The Way of Kuah" tried to find a slice in Ulm.He was told it was  too passe and they didn't;t make it. Famed chef and Food Times contributor Dori Greenspan gives a theory about why Black Forest Cake is not popular with older dessert lovers. She claims today's desserts are more sophisticated. They;re sparer and not over the top. Yet a whole new generation is discovering it and posting pictures of it all over Instagram.At the bakery Thistle and Leek in Newton, MA serves it as a roulade. At Swadesi,a new Indian inspired bakery in Chicago it's served in a jar.Its wonder Sujan Sarkar once believed it came from the Christians in Kolkats.Lebanese chef Karin Bourgis makes his version with vanilla ganache and dark chocolate cremeux,a chocolate version of creme anglaise. it can be made at home with a chocolate sponge and a homemade cherry compote laced with Kirsch and homemade whipped cream.

Black Forest Cake should be revered. It;s a delicious  dessert full of flavor. Make it today to find out it's tastiness.