Easy Summer Sandwiches

 Summer is here and that means little to no cooking. If you're going to make something then try sandwiches.They're easy and you can bring them everywhere and anywhere beach , camping , backyard. They're simplicity at its best.

THis was part of yesterday's  New York TImes Food Section  "City Of Sandwiches" guide. If you can''r go to New York , and enjoy their variety of sandwiches you can at least make some good ones at home.There is the Halloumi arugula and tomato sandwich taken from Brooklyn's Baby Blues LUnceonette Halloumi is a Cypriot cheese that's very salty .Its the perfect foil for sweet ,fresh from the vine tomatoes and peppery arugula.It's cooked in olive oil until it's  crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside Sourdough bread is used which is perfect to soak up both the dressing and mayo.You can toast it if you want. There is a homemade dressing - a vinaigrette spiked with lemon and oregano (Keep in mind this would be great on salads too).The mayo is also flavored with lemon and garlic powder. The Times recommends using the Kewpie brand because it's made with just egg yolks and not the whole egg. This gives the mayo a richer, more velvety texture .It's sold all over , from Acme to Target. Use your mayo, if you prefer it.

The other is the spicy cumin lamb burgers taken from the cookbook "New York's Favorite Noodle Shop"> This is a good departure from the average summer staple .There is the recipe to make the homemade buns or bao, which are like pillowy pita.These are a mix of flour, baking powder, dry yeast and sugar. Store bought English muffins can be subbed in for these, Boneless lamb is spiced with cumin but also scallions,ginger and Chile powder and cooked with onions and Longhorn peppers in a wok or a skillet. They're stuffed into the breads that have been fried in a skillet. For a meat free sandwich try the scuttlebutt taken from "Saltie A COokbook" by Caroline Roanch with Anna Dunn.  This is made with pickled beets and there's a pickled beets recipe included .However canned beets can do the trick just as well,Hard boiled eggs and julienned carrots join this along with mayo and a variety of spices. There are also olives and capers given for some saltiness.The spread is a pimenton aioli and you can make the mayo from scratch or you can buy it and add the pimenton or paprika to it. Slices of feta finish off this sandwich and you can use any bread.Try a French loaf for some crunch.

It's hot. Don;t cook.Make yummy sandwiches instead.

Sandwich City

 New York  is known for many things and many kinds of foods It comes as no surprise that it;s also the hub of sandwiches too. Tourists and New Yorkers themselves will love the new guide out today >There are so many to choose from, Try vegetarian one day , Italian the next. Save the classics for the weekend

Today's New York Times Wednesday Food section listed three (!) pages of delicious sandwiches to try around Manhattan and its' boroughs. It's not only the perfect guide for anyone visiting the city this summer but for locals looking for a fun place to take the kids on the weekend or having something different for a work day lunch.It's an international feast that features Xi'an's Famous Foods spicy cumin lamb burger which is a fluffy pita like bun filled with a cumin spiced ground lamb patty.It's one of the few dishes that owner Jason Wang enjoyed as a child. for those craving anything Italian then try BklynLarder's prosciutto with butter, The filling is  from whey fed Parma pigs and cured for thirty-six months before arriving in the States while the butter is Rudolphe le Meunier , one of France's finest,These are layered into a thick pile, almost as thick as both sides of the baguette.Mama's Too, a New York City chain has the chicken parm hero.They're more giant torpedoes that are quick blasted in pizza ovens before serving. They also have a version that has vodka sauce and strattichella cheese. Katsu, Japanese fried chicken is another popular filling, found in  many sandwiches throughout the city.

Vegans and vegetarians shouldn't be offended by this list.There is COurt Street Grocers Italian.The deli swaps the meat out for planks of zucchini in the summer and squash in the winter. There,s three kinds of cheese add along with sliced onions and arugula. For those who love lobster rolls try Aunts Et Uncles one made with hearts of palm. Diced red onions are added and it's all stuffed into a pretzel bun.Those who love  French onion soup will love Houseman's French Onion grilled cheese.It's loaded with caramelized onion topped with funky raclette cheese. It;;s served on a buttery brioche. American sandwiches are also featured in the guide. Hamburger America may serve everyone's favorite smash burger but they also featured a tasty hot ham sandwich .They slice the ham thin and then place it under a sheet of  Swiss cheese. Its encased in a hamburger bun.Agi's Counter has the absolute hot sandwich  - the tuna melt.It has oily cooked tuna layered with Alpine cheddar. pickled peppers, dill and slathered with Kewpie mayo on pillowy Pullman bread. The Commerce Inn has the patty melt with a patty that stretches the length and width of the rye bread it's on and topped with cheese and caramelized onions.

WHat would New York City be without its' sandwiches? This guide shows where to go for the best. Its'a great way to eat through the city.

Pasta Salad Days

 The weather is stifling hot. There's no way anyone wants to cook an elaborate meal in a hot kitchen.These are the salad days, whether they be tomato or pasta. They easy makes and easy eats.

One of my favorites is tomato salad

This is super simple. Just slice any kind of tomato.I like the larger San Marzano tomatoes or the beefsteaks. Since Drizzle olive oil on it. and then season with salt, pepper garlic cloves and otregano

These are the basics for any good summer salad. I like Lidl's olive oil the best along with their fresh pepper.Garlic is a must  along with oregano.

These also support a good pasta salad too. I used Wal-Mart's brand which is always a good buy.

Elbow macaroni is always a good buy for pasta salad. It;'sa quick boil in salted water. DO add salt or the macaroni will clump together.

 Now for the add in . I Sliced mini peppers and the San Marzano mini tomatoes leftover from Saturday night.

Slice them into bite size pieces.

You can add any Italian cold cut like sliced prosciutto, pepperoni or even both to add more weight to it.I like this salad for a dinner  on a very hot day.It's cool and refreshing while also being filling.Another plus is that it's even good a day later. This was dinner two nights in a row.

It's hot. Why cook? Boil up some pasta, slice some tomatoes, add some olive oil, and seasonings and voila - a meal! what an easy way to make a dinner during a heat wave!

Chinese Food And Kitties

 It's funny how animals have certain human or people food they love.Cats are especially guilty of this. They will eat anything and everything that their pet parents have.

This was true for my little king Otto who passed early yesterday morning. He had his favorites, chicken skewers from our local Chinese restaurant, Popeye's and anything from Acme or Stop and Shop.He did have to stick to his urinary tract diet. a special food hey never really too to . He had been in an dout of the animal hospital with various UTI infections. The staff there knew him well and even then I went to they nearby Stew Leonards to get him fried chicken.I'd eat the crunch skin part while I'd cut up the meat for him to eat. Like anyone else, he hated hospital food. He loved stealing Nutri from the other cats and he adored his Friskies broths and shreds. It was human food though that Otto adored. He'd come out when one friend would visit us and we'd order.I;d always order chicken skewers for him and for Lucky .Otto would devour a whole skewer's worth of chicken. He loved those crispy  crunchy pieces.He also like East Wok's shrimp in lobster sauce but not as much as with chicken.

He also went wild for Popeye's I'd always get the three piece dinner, eating the leg and part of the wing there along with their crunch coating . Everything else would be for Otto and for Lucky too. Both loved the succulent juicy meat.I 'd make sure they received as many pieces as they could eat - which for cats were a lot.As with any cat Otto loved his ham so I would buy the containers of ham ends from my local Acme, They were solid chunks that had t be sliced into little pieces for easy eating. Otto would eat piles of these along with the chopped turkey Acme also sold. He also had a fondness for Country Crock plant based butter as did Lucky. Both loved receiving teaspoons of it after they had their meds. Otto also did  love frosting . He licked an entire tablespoon of buttercream that I had scraped off a cupcake. Cat parents however have to be careful with how they feed their kitties treats. It's fine once in a great while but not too often.I know I overindulged Otto but he was irresistible. I could not resist his kitty charms.

Cat parents should be diligent with feeding their babies the right food. It can result in  a lot of diseases such as heart and diabetes. A treat is good every once in a while.

For my beloved Otto, here's to all the chicken in heaven you're having.

Burst Tomatoes WIth Sausage Dad's Treat

 For Father's Day think outside the box. Create a burst tomato sauce with sausage fro a twist on this  classic.It's a great way of celebrating the man of the house.

I went the vegan route using Fieldcrest's Italian style sausage with fennel. Fennel will give it a mild flavor but still a strong one. 

These were cut up and first grilled in COuntry Crock.

These give the sausage a nice crispy edge to it before it's added  to the sauce.I used mini San Marzano tomatoes for this. Be warmed they do have a tough skin so they will take longer to cook and burst.

Garlic is needed for this too. The recipe calls for six cloves but I feel this is too much, Four will suffice.

This was minced into tiny pieces and added to the sausage now sauteing in a mix of Lidl olive oil and plant butter.

The sausage cooked up a bit too quick and next time I 'll add it last.I also added freshly ground pepper and oregano for more flavor.

While this was cooking I sliced up a loaf of Melissa's Organic polenta. These were  quickly fried on a griddle.

Fry until golden yellow and crispy

The sauce takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to cook up.  When the skins  start to peel off the tomatoes then take a spatula or even a fork and smash them/ Give ti a quick stir and serve.

Layer three to four slices of the polenta on a plate or in a bowl and ladle a good amount of the sauce over them.

I  truly loved this. It was an interesting take on the burst tomato recipe. Adding the sausage gives the dish more oomph and compliments the tomatoes sweet flavor. You can try this with with a chunky pasta too.I may try this with rotelli this next time although I like the polenta as a base too.

Try this burst tomato with sausage for a Father;s Day treat.This is the perfect Sunday lunch for the man of the house,. Add a glass of his favorite wine and enjoy.

Cat Food

 I's amazing what our little companions like and love as far as people food. Cats go crazy for salt and fat, dogs love peanut butter.It's amazing what they want when they see us eat.

My little Lucky, a handsome grey tuxedo cat loved his potato chips. These last years with him saw me always adding a bag to the shopping list. He loved any kind,. Walgreens Nice, LIdl's Lays Wise - anything. He'd meow and reach for it, swiping it out of my hand. I broke it into pieces and let him eat it. He relished each crunch . he was mad for chicken too, He loved the Acme's ends of the cold cuts as well as from Popeyes' When he was younger he ate baby food with my British short hair Shelby. He had a passion for Gerber's ham and turkey. He'd lick the spoon clean . This wasn't part of his normal diet . Cat's should not live on people food. Surprisingly enough they can eat a good variety of our veggies such as cucumbers and celery while it's safe to give them such fruits as melon and pumpkin. However my crew was more into fast food and any kind of deli meat I'd bring home. Healthy was not in their vocabulary. I did have to watch out for dishes made with garlic along with onions, both extremely toxic to cats.

Dogs too are big affectionados of our food. Peanut butter is at the top of the list along with ice cream. There are even recipes for how to make peanut butter dog biscuits and doggie ice cream. You can also buy these at any grocery store too. Yet dogs can eat a wider range of people food , more so than their feline counterparts. Just be careful of the salt and fat content which can play havoc with their health.Some dog parents make their own food for the canines in their lives.There are even cookbooks that can help. A basic recipe is rice with any kind of meat. Most home chefs use brown rice for its' healthy content. Ground turkey is not only flavorful but not filled with a lot of fat like other meats. Some dog parents also use lamb , for its;' mildness.You can add spicing like dried rosemary that wont't harm the doggie.Add frozen vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower along with peas for more nutrition and flavor.The turkey and the rice are cooked in six cups of water in a Dutch oven. The veggies are added when the mixture is simmering. Serve lukewarm or cool. it can store easily in the fridge.

Cats and dogs are such a big part of our lives.They also share a big part of our meals as well. Treat them to some yummy human food every now and then.

For my little Lucky

A JUneteenth Feast

 JUneteenth is a relatively newly celebrated holiday so traditional foods  are yet to be established. The one thing they have to be is red to symbolize the joyous day that Texas slaves heard the announcement of freedom. Foods and taste can vary with the day but they should be delicious and mindful of the past.

Renown chef and new contributor Millie Pear tree wrote about the holiday as well as giving some excellent recipes in yesterday's New York Times Food section. JUneteenth foods vary . KIva Willliams has food with pops of red such as barbecued ribs and watermelon.Sometimes food from her past, like fried fish,coleslaw  and even spaghetti are served.The red foods symbolize the resilience and the ingenuity of the enslaved who found out about Emancipation Proclamation two years after it was passed.For others such as second generation Congloese French KarenTshimanaga it means more. The Parish raised American celebrated only after the tragic murder of George Floyd. She and her friends have a West African potluck where they eat dibi -Senegalese grilled lamb and attiekea  -a slightly sour cassava couscous. There is always a good meat strew served over rice too. Ms. Peartree;s recipes could easily be included i n any family cookbook,They are light and bright for the season along with being fresh and joyous.

She offers a roasted shrimp jambalaya, full of not only shrimp but also andouille sausage - you can use kielbasa too along with the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, celery ,peppers and onions There's also hot sauce and Creole seasoning to zing it up along with garlic and Worcester sauce. This would be perfect on its' own but there is also garlicky chicken sandwiches with red coleslaw.Chicken thighs are cooked with a variety of spices along with garlic to give it a rich flavor. Garlic is inserted into the chicken thighs along with more being smashed up into a paste with the chicken juices from the pan. The slaw is a simple one made with red cabbage and an apple cider based vinaigrette. Celery salt is added to it for more taste. The side is crispy okra with a spicy honey sauce.Okra is fried until its' crispy and served with a sauce made up of Scotch Bonnet Chile, garlic, ginger and honey. The okra is dipped in this and then dusted with mustard powder and a squeeze of lemon.Of course there is dessert and it is strawberry pretzel bars. This is a layered bar with pretzels graham crackers and butter being baked in a crust. A filling of cream cheese blended with heavy cream , vanilla and confectioner's sugar make up the Middle the topping is a mix of strawberry jam and fresh strawberries.Ms Peartree also includes a strawberry ginger limeade that is easy to make.

Juneteenth is about tradition. It's also about eating food that symbolizes resilience and ingenuity. It is a time of feasting but also about recollection