Heat Wave Cuisine

 What do you do when the temps goes past 100 degrees Farenheit and you can basically cook anything on your driveway? Go for heatwave cuisine. This is simple cooking at it's best. You can still have some kind of protein and a side but's its easily and simply made.

The temps here in northern New jersey is around 100 degrees. I did want to make something filling but easy for dinner. Luckily I found daring Lemon and herb flavored chicken bits in my local Acme.The company has many other flavors like Cajun, teriyaki and breaded.

                                            It's a quick cook in the skillet.I added a few teaspoons of Lidl's olive oil and then fried them until they were crisp.

it usually takes about ten minutes to get both sides well cooked and deliciously crispy.

what to serve with it? My summer go to  - broccoli salad made with Acme;s Signature brand broccoli.Again any salad is an easy make during a heat wave. Mix olive oil, any kind of vinegar, and garlic powder, toss with the veggies and serve.

This was a really delicious, fast and easy dinner.It checked all the boxes. I loved the chicken and plan on buying it again. I have a feeling that  we;ll have more hellish days here in North Jersey and I'll need simple dishes to create for dinner.

Don't sweat it when the temps get high. Go for a simple easy to cook main and a salad. Be creative. It could be a plant based meat  or a simple turkey burger. Throw in a veggie salad and you're good to go.

More Like A Flat Tire

 road trips can be like a fork in the road. They can be fun and exhilarating or they could have the the same effect as a flat tire  - not fun. A recent road trip was definitely in the four flat tires catagory.

The area is known for cute and kitcshy and that includes Peddlar's Village.There are several neat places like the candy store that sells vintage brands and fresh ly dipped chocolates and the German store that has everything from Haribo Gummies to schnitzel mix. There there ate the cute restaurants that offer their version of sophisticated.my group and I startedthe day at Frescafe a funky little cafet that styled itself after a New York one. I chose the  tomato basil soup that was more like sauce than soup.Friends had the different sandwiches from grilled cheese to a a turkey pesto.

dinner was at the supposedly wildly popular Porterhouse Inn. in Lahaska PA. it was a loud , noisy place .I wish I could say that the food made up for it was OK.

I ordered  the steak sandwich au jus without the prolone.Others at the table ordered the filet mignon sandwich and a seafood cavatappi.The sandwich was good ,dipped in a gravy .It came with a mound of slightly darkened fries. The same with the filet mignon sandwich. The cavatappi has little chunks of lobster scallops and shrimp. There should have been more seafood for the price.

Sunday was spent at the Black Bass Inn on the Delaware RiverIt's historic enough and the views were gorgeous.

The food was so so.I ordered a chicken salad with a strawberry dressing.The chicken was placed away from the greens while the dressing looked like strawberry yogurt.

The other dishes were the French toast served with a mound of bacon and a pepper and caramelized omelet. The salad was just barely passable while the chicken was too dry.They opened up with vile tasting cheddar and chive biscuits. This is supposed to be a popular place although I really can't see the charm.It was in Loyalist territory 250 years ago and It still is, thanks to it's Royal Family corner.

This was the road trip that was not that great . It was not a good one food wise If you want to explore the area then do so. Just eat at your own risk.

Note I did get some nice soaps at Soap Opera and a pretty chambray dress at Cotton, both at Pedlars's  Village. Shop at these.

Rooooaaadddd Trrriiipppp

 Yes, Foodie Pantry is finally taking a breather from food writing for a short time. It's on the road to Trenton and New Hope! There will be plenty to see and eat there.

New Hope Pennsylvania has farmer's markets and across the Delaware River in Lambertville there are four star restaurants.I am curious to see and eat at D'floret one of Lambertville's best.They feature French food and I am dying to try their wild mushroom and lobster crepe.Their dessert menu is pure haute patisserie with raspberry tart and with creme Anglaise and a creme brulee made with Tahitian vanilla. There is also The Hawke which features steaks in an Ninetteenth Century house,New Hope hosts The Dubliner which features authentic Anglo-Irish foods such as fish and chips and lamb stew. There will be so many to choose from.It should be an interesting where I wind up.There's also going to be a lunch trip as well. This could be a roadside stand offering burgers or someplace fancier featuring farm to table soups and sandwiches.

There is also the Trenton Food market right outside the Trenton Train Station. This has all sorts of fun stands and different dishes to sample.Of course this is also farm country with them on both sides of the Delaware.I.m hoping for farm fresh tomatoes and corn to bring back along with some fresh baked goods. Hunterdon County where Lamberville is and Bucks County where New Hope is located has dozens of farms and markets.If you're in the Philadelphia  or New York areas, drive down and see what they have to offer. There is nothing like the fresh peaches out right now and abundant on New Jersey farms. The same goes for corn. Buy a few ears .Use some for grilling while the others can be turned into a yummy corn chowder.Farms are also great for buying fresh herbs and plants so scoop up some for cooking sauces .

Yes, there's a road trip planned. Yes there will be pictures Monday. Saturday is traveling and tasting  so have a good weekend.

A Sweet Vietnamese Classic

 Everyone things of spring rolls and pho when Vietnamese food is mentioned. yet the country is also known for a classic South Asian cake.It reflects the ingredients of the area while providing a slice of comfort, not unlike a slice of Bundt cake.

Regular contributor and master pastry maker Genevieve KO wrote about banh bo duong or honeycomb cake in yesterday's New York TImes Food section,This is a dense cake with a verdant jewel green crumb thanks to glossy green pandan leaves. These give a citrus like flavor to the batter an d it's considered the vanilla of Asian cooking.There's also the addition of tapioca and rice flour to give the crumb its' stretchy bite/ It has to be made perfectly which has always been the bane of Vietnamese home chefs.It's a staple of pot luck dinners in teh Vietnamese community with "aunties" judigng and criticizing other's cakes.Los Angeles based Hannah Pham baked it for her mother and three sisters hoping they'd give it high praise. She has spent years refining the recipe , making sure it was up to her family's standards."They were so impressed after their initial clucking that their happy surprise was captured on camera. She now makes the cake for parties , letting others enjoy the cake's "squishy sweetness."The cake was fist recorded in 1895 and its name means grilled cake because it was first made on an open charcoal fire.

What is banh bo duong made ofThere is tapioca starch and full fat coocnut milk for body.Six large eggs are added for extra body and to give it a rich crumb. Then there are those pandan leaves that give the cake it's beautiful lime green coloring.These have been grounded into a paste , much like vanilla beans and can be bought only on Amazon or in some Asian grocery stores. As for the tapioca use the Erawan brand which is commonly found in Asian supermarkets. Erawan also makes rice flour which Ms Ko recommends using in the recipe.It needs finely ground rice powder similar to white refined flour in texture.Never use any rice flour bought outside Asian markets, glutinous rice flour , sticky rice flour or mochiko kind which is also glutenous.The recipe can be a bit labor intensive with all the dry ingredients being whisked together first and then adding in the wet ingredients.It's then put through a sieve two or three times before it's poured into a greased Bundt pan.it's baked in a low oven at 305 degrees Farenheit for forty five minutes. Melted butter is brushed over the top after it'[s been baked It's then cooled and should be nudged out fo the pan with a spatula. Serve with a cup of Vietnamese coffee to balance the sweetness.

Banh bo duong is a tasty alternative to a Bundt cake.It's using new flavors and ingredients to create a classic cake. Try it for a summer time treat.

S]'Mores Any Way

 S'mores a re always a special summer treat but imagine making them year round. They can be put under the broiler or turned into a pie. They cna be gobbled during the dog days of July then or the frosty days of December.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about two variations of this treat in today's New York Times food section.S;m ores are actually almost one hundred years old having first debuted in the 1927 Girl Scout book Tramping and Trailing with The Girl Scouts." even though they were called Some Mores ,one is quite enough the book admonishes. . Ms Clark gives a gooey broiler one and a pie that features a rich pudding like ganache topped with a meringue. The broiler version can be varied. Ritz crackers or even Saltines can be subbed in for the sweet cracker(although I would add chocolate grahams to the list). What is great is that Ms Clark also has the option of dark and light chocolate. Dark chocolate works very well and cuts down on the sweetness of the marshmallows. The snacks are assembled without the tops and then broiled for about two to three minutes Watch them carefully so they don;t burn and create a black gooey mess.(unless you like this).

The pie is more or less similar except the marshmallow topping is homemade as is the graham cracker crust. The crust is a mix of whole wheat flour and white as it is with a graham cracker recipe.Cinnamon and brown sugar are also added for flavor and  half a cup of butter is added to bind the crust together. The ganache is like a homemade pudding that uses chopped bittersweet chocolate instead of chocolate chips. These also melts better too. A pinch of sea salt also helps bringing out the sweetness too. As for the marshmallow filling six eggs whites will be needed along with granulated sugar and cream of tartar.A vanilla bean is also used for flavoring.The crust is baked first and then cooled before the ganache is added.The tart is then placed in the fridge anywhere between one hour and up to twenty four hours for it to firm up.The meringue is then made and whisked constantly in a bowl over simmering water. The mixture has to turn white and the temp should be 175 degrees Farenheit (use a candy thermometer for this)The meringue is then put into a mixer and whipped more as vanilla beans are added. Place the finished fluff on the ganache and use a blow torch to toast it.

S'mores are a true treat. Make then under the broiler on into a pie. Both are tasty treats.

Those TikTok Food Crazes

 Can one app dictate what people eat? Yes if it's Tiktok. It's responsible for all sorts of fads, trends and crazes regarding food.Do people follow them? Yes!

It seems everyone is on this app. It's responsible for some of the strangest food crazes lately that everyone is passionately following.One that is super popular now is the pickle sandwich one coming out of New York's Long Island. Back in January a deli called Seven Brothers Gourmet Food market started to sell subs that were not based on bread but pickles!!!! The sandwiches didn't;t blow up until May when a popular food blogger posted her review back in May. She posted a few more videos regarding her love for them and people were curious about this twist on the classic hero. Now a New Jersey deli Elsie's Sub Shop in Red Bank has created their version of this tangy bite.It can be made at home with halving a fat dill pickle , scooping out the guts (save these for snacking or salads) and then filling it with your favorite cold cuts. Seven Birthers has a turkey, cheese and bacon one that people are going mad for. There are two and three hour waits , with lines heading out of the deli and down the block.

What are other TikTok trends? This new Summerween is one. This is where Halloween is stretched out into four days from July 7th to the 11th and all sorts of fun Halloween foods are melded with summer classics. There are TikTok videos that show how to make Jack o lanterns out of watermelons and pineapples with the fruits' insides being turned into fun cocktails and mocktails. Then there's the Jack o lanterns burgers where a pumpkin face is cut out on  a slice of cheese and then placed on a sizzling on the grill burgers. They melt over the meat so the patties sort of look like decorations. Another fun Halloween treat, mummy dogs , hot dogs wrapped in dough strips also were big on Tiktok recently. Then there 's vampire ice, basically shaved ice with cranberry or cherry juice and bloody s'mores where the treats ooze cherry juice.Tiktok has also been respomsible for the Dalgona coffee craze which had coffee lovers whipping their brew into dark brown mousselike peaks and create a zingy French cake using yogurt. It also had followers putting cottage cheese in everything too.

Tiktok is one of the most influential apps in recent history. It really guides people around the world to different food trends.What will the latest trends be? Find out on Tiktok.

Cooking Holidays

 Foodie sand gourmands have one thing on their mindc- creating the perfect dish. Even their vacations revolve around the perfect dish.Luckily there are vacations for those who love food > They 're everywhere from Tuscany to Cambodia.

How do you find  cooking holidays? The obvious answer is online. There are many to choose from so pick one that sings to you.The top countries foodies want to go to is France and Italy. THere are packages that feature four days in Normandy for $4000. This is i a crash course where you learn everything. from balancing to more elaborate cooking methods.All three meals are included as well.Some cooking schools are located in farmhouses so there students can pick their ingredients along with retrieving fresh eggs for dishes and desserts. There is also a Normandy pastry vacation where students can learn all the intricacies of French pastry making , form mille feulles to croissants.Of course Italy is another desired location  and there foodies and gourmands can be shown the intricacies of making a good homemade pasta along with the various sauces.Th Italian trip also features talking with local artesans , from wine makers to cheese makers and discerning how to buy the best.

More exotic locales can also be found too. Cambodia offered culinary trips. There foodies and home chefs learn about Khmer cuisine. These also include trips to local markets to become familiar with and shop for important ingredients. A Cambodian cooking vacation is actually cheaper than a European one. A few days is $2700 , as opposed to an Italian one of $5000. There is also a twelve day culinary tour of Vietnam which features seeing Hanoi with a well known food blogger and trying everything from pho to egg coffee.It['s mot just Southeast Asia that features culinary vacations. India offers a few interesting trips throughout the country. There is a three day culinary tour at Agra which also highlights a trip to the Taj Mahal. Four dishes will be featured along with breakfast, lunch and dinner included.Another Indian culinary trip features food walks in such famed cities as Dehli, Jaipur and Agra. A plus on this tour is an introduction to Indian spices which is important when the students return home and recreate the dishes.

A vacation is fun. A cooking vacation is just special. Think about taking one sometime this summer for a fun and tasty trip.