It's a blog for foodies around the world. Here you can read about recipes , new ideas and old techniques. You don't have to be a gourmet, just someone who really LOVES food and drink!!!!
Americans around the world - enjoy today. Have that hot dog or hamburger. Enjoy a drink by the pool or ocean.
What's your favorite barbecue food? Is it a plump and juicy hot dog? A side of potato salad?
What's your favorite July 4th drink? Icy cold beer? Sweet and chill lemonade?
Whatever you have enjoy the holiday?
What's the Fourth without dogs? They're as much a part of the holiday as fireworks and potato salad. Yet what makes them memorable is how they're grilled. Done the wrong way they can be rubbery and blah. Dome the right way and they're just perfect, especially in a warmed , buttery bun.
Regular contributor and cookbook author Ali Slagle gave some great tips in making good hot dogs in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.It doesn't;t involve the recently popular fad of freezing them or cut them like pineapples to have a dog covered in crispy bits. These are simple rules to create a dog with a juicy , well cooked bite. The first step, Ms.Slagle says is having a grill that's not fiery hot. A charcoal fire should go past blazing to smoldering.The coals should be covered in ash.Warming them slowly minimizes the risk of the bursting as well as giving them a smoky flavor.The grill temp should be between anywhere from 325 to 375 degrees Farehneit. You should be able to hold your hand six to seven inches above the grill for six to seven seconds.Skip the prep is the second suggestions. Hot dogs do not need to be halved or fancily carved. Keep them whole to ensure full juiciness.Just pat them dry with a towel.If they have an all natural , then prick them with a fork to release steam. That's it.
Arranging them on the grates is the most important step. Before doing this however,make sure the grill is fully cleaned. You can use soap and water for this or even rubbing the grate with half an onion.While grill marks may look neat a fully browned hot dog is better.Instead of setting them perpendicular to the grate settle them in between the rods like they do in cases at the baseball park or convenience store. This set up exposes more of the meat to the flame, toasting the dogs more quickly and preventing them from rolling.Leave an inc between them so heat can circulate and turn them every minute so they can evenly brown.The most important suggestion is don't think about them.Just put on the grill and turn.If you're using a gas grill then close the lid between turns. Grill them for about six to ten minutes until plump and browned to your liking.As for the buns toast them on an unused section of the grill. Should you butter them first?If you want extra flavor, then just brush them lightly with melted butter. Have all the toppings for dogs ready too. Make sure there is plenty of mustard, relish and chopped onions. Also have ketchup and barbecue sauce for those wanting something different.
Hot dogs are a big part of the holiday. Make them right for a tasty barbecue.They'll be memorable and delicious.
THis Fourth of July celebrate the many centuries of immigrants that contributed to America's culinary table. Try different and new dishes and spices for a truly memorable American feast. The recipes are varied but all are delicious.
Yes you could have the German based hamburger and hot dogs. These are always fun but how about celebrating Middle Eastern immigrants culinary contribution - the kebab. These are easy to make on the grill. It's just taking cut up chicken breasts and alternating them with grape or,cherry tomatoes, onions and peppers. You can marinate the meat in lemon for more flavor. Shrimp can also be used for an even tastier variation.Kabobs can easily made vegan with just having the veggies and omitting the meat. Tofu can also be part of the kabob. Marinate in Middle Easter spices like turmeric and sumac.Look to our Caribbean community for another barbecue must cook. Jerk chicken is a great addition to any outdoor party,It''s marinating or rubbing legs and wings with a combination of soy sauce, nutmeg, allspice and Chinese five spice powder. All of these symbolize the various ethnicities that make up the Caribbean.Marinate the meat overnight in this. You can also create jerk pork and lamb along with beef. Even shrimp can have that spicy , smoky flavor.
What about sides? Here look to the people who originally fed America -the indigenous tribes.Corn is an important part of any Fourth of July cookout.If you want moist, juicy kernels then soak int ears in their husks in water from half an hour to six to seven hours overnight. You can turn them into Mexican street corn by adding a sauce made of mayo, Mexican sour cream(or the america one if you can;t find the Mexican one) garlic ,lime zest and cilantro. Another indigenous staple was beans, A bean salad is always a welcome side when you eat out doors. Try a three bean type but add different spices. You could give it an Asian vibe by adding some soy sauce to the vinaigrette along with some freshly shredded ginger. Oregano garlic and red wine vinegar will give it an Italian spin. Italy does give us pasta and it can be fun to create a pasta salad but think more Italian. A panzanella or bread salad from Naples is perfect .Mix ripe thinly sliced San Marzano tomatoes with chunks of Italian bread and olive oil.YOu could add chopped red onion of you want more flavor along with garlic. Olives and mozzarella chunks can also be added for more weight. This is also good as a leftover for the next day.
America is a marriage of the indigenous and foreign. The same can be true of our cuisine. Try some of the recipes for this truly American holiday.
It;'s JUly and that means celebrating holidays - yes holidays.Of course there the Fourth of July barbecues but there's also the fun Summerween barbecues and Christmas in July trays.It means interesting spins on classic holiday treats.
There's always been some sort of Christmas in July. Mostly people may set up a mini fake fir tree and decorate it with seashells and lights. As for Summerween this is brand new yet growing in popularity. There are some really fun ideas for a ghost and pumpkin themed barbecue. I think the pumpkin cheeseburger will be making an appearance at my upcoming outdoor party. This is taking a slice of cheddar and cur out a jack o' lantern face .It;s then laying the slice on the burger and eating it open faced. You can do the same thing with a slice of MUenster to create a ghost on a burger. Then there's the mini pizzas with the mozzarella ghosts which can be made on a grill.The piece de resistance is the watermelon carved like a pumpkin. It could filled with fruit as the centerpiece or lit with votive candles for light. The flesh itself can be turned into balls and added to fruit salad or pureed for tasty mocktails and cocktails. Try mixing it with lime juice and water and sweeten with agave syrup for a refreshing drink.End the night with bloody s'mores You can dip the marshmallows in red food coloring to get that sanguine look.Also serve black and red fruit like blackberries and cherries for a dessert treat.
What about Christmas in July? Look to Australia and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Whiles it's winter up here ,it;s summer down there. Many have barbecues that feature chicken and London broil. You could serve this with Stovetop stuffing or Yorkshire pudding which surprisingly can be made on the grill. You will need some kind of pan to collect the drippings for the gravy. An easier plate would be a Christmas tree charcuterie board. This will have all the components of a regular board but the lines of food are arranged so it forms a giant triangle with a small trunk.. Make the trunk out of crackers or slices of French or Italian bread. Decorate with green olives and cherry tomatoes to represent balls. You also use strands of string cheese for tinsel. This idea can be carried out in veggies along with seafood too.Of course a picnic salad is de rigeur. Have a macaroni salad heavy with broccoli florets and sliced grape tomatoes. What would be the perfect dessert? It's too hot to make a slew of cookies but you could buy chocolate wafers and make the famed chocolate log . Dust some cocoa powder on it for a true Buches de Noel feel. Another idea is chocolate peppermint sundaes. Have chocolate ice cream with syrup and crushed Starlight mints for a fun ending. Top with mounds of whipped cream and more crushed peppermint.
Yes the JUly 4th barbecue can be tasty and fun?Yet what could be better than Halloween and Christmas in a month that's also full of beach fun.Celebrate with gusto and tasty food.
One thing Lidl is known for its it's treats. They have everything from tasty pizza to a wide array of sodas.If you're looking for fun eating this is the store to visit.
As everyone knows I"m a big fan of the store and love anything they sell.One of my favorite weekend meals is their vegan flatbread pizza from
If you're looking for some tasty treats for fun weekend meals, then shop at Lidl. They have the no doubt the best for interesting foods .Try them for a Saturday and Sunday full of treats.
Imagine combining your two favorite things. That's what it is with Dr.Pepper Cotton Candy. Cotton candy is special but adding this soda flavor elevates it to an epic level.
This is what I discovered today on a a fun trip to my local Five Below.
Of course I could not resist this.It ;s that deep cherry red that Dr Pepper is. Did it taste extra sweet with the soda flavor added?
It was super sweet as any cotton candy would be. Yet the soda's flavor came through perfectly. it was a fun once in a great while treat. I'm a big fan of freshly spun cotton candy, especially if it's down the shore yet this is a nice alternative. I do wonder if there will be a Coke,Pepsi or Fanta flavored cotton candy next.Would I buy any of those? Maybe.
If you want a different treat then try Dr. Pepper flavored cotton candy.It's just a fun summery treat. Enjoy it like you would a icy glass of the soda.!
Countries will go crazy over another country's food.It's evident here in the States when we order pizza ro munch or croissants.Even though Jamaica has its' fair share of tasty food, Jamiacans go mad for lychee cake.
New contributor and cookbook author Ramin Ganeshram wrote about this new island classic in yesterday's New York TImes Wednesday Food section. Chinese cuisine has been a part of the Jamaican table since the late 1800's when many came over to work the sugar cane fields not just of Jamaica but also Trinidad and Cuba .Lychee remains one of the ingredients most associated with the descendants of Chinese immigrants. Lychee trees though have a longer history on the island as they were first imported in the 1700's,The fresh fruits aren;t used on the cakes though.According to Virginia Burke, author of Eat Caribbean and Selena Wong who created the recipe, the trees have a fickle bearing cycle which makes them expensive. Also Jamaicans would prefer to eat them fresh out of hand.The fruit itself has a flavor that's sort of a combination of a strawberry and pear with a hint of citrus. They lend the,shelves well to the cake , first created by Ms Wong in 1988. She created a light sponge cake that featured canned lychees and their syrup.It not only became a family hit but a national hit that grew into an obsession.Now every bakery and grocery sells it.
It's an easy cake to replicated.Ms Ganeshram gives the recipe and its; very much a Caribbean cake too.It's a scratch cake with a creamy fruit filling and topped with fruit. Rose water also flavors the cake, which again appears in most island dessert recipes. Every Jamaican has a recipe but they're all secret. Ms.Wong credits her invention with giving her a successful pastry business. Yet any home baker can make it for a lovely summer event .The cake is a vanilla one with lychee syrup added. It's added to the egg yolks while the whites are whipped into thick peaks The syrup can be made on the stove top simmering it and stirring it often until it coats the back of a spoon. The filling is a mix of marscapone cheese, heavy cream, confectioner's sugar and more rose water.The cake is also iced with this and then topped with six to seven freshly peeled lychees, strawberries,kiwi and mandarin slices. Before frosting place the bottom cake layer puffy side down on the plate. Do the opposite with the second layer with the puffy side up,Brush the fruit with the remaining lychee glaze.
Lychee cake is now a classic in Jamaican cuiine.It's a fresh , fruity take on a summery cream cake.it;s the perfect end to a summer party.
Posts
