The Dirt Candy Controversy

 What could a Texas farm and trendy Manhattan vegan eatery have in common? You would mayb e think thar veggies and fruit  grown on the farm were sent to the restaurant. However it's somewhat deeper - and darker.It all has to do with a name Dirt Candy.

Regular contributor Kim Severson delved into this battle in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday ZFood section. New York Dirt Candy,a popular vegan eatery on Manhattan's Lower East Side went up against an organic farm in Wimberly ,Texas located directly north of San Antonio.  The farm was started by husband and wife team Mitch and Tracey Cutler who wanted a better life. Although their restaurant  La Fondue in Saratoga California was doing well and receiving rave reviews .they wanted a simpler life. After suffering prostrate cancer Mitch embraced his wife's pure and ayuervedic way of life. Their children were also looking for a simpler life. They found the sleepy town of Wimberley and bought fifty-one acres .They came up with the name Dirt Candy  Farm after a night of brainstorming. The problem was Dirt Candy restaurant, owned by its' chef Amanda Cohen. She and her husband, the writer Grady Hendrix came up with the name. It would be perfect for a solely vegan restaurant with such specialties as  a kale and cabbage tasting menus. Chef Cohen is no stranger to name copyrights. Her famed fried dough , named Beaver tails, a specialty in her native Canada was challenged by Beaver Tails restaurant. They sent her a cease and desist notice. She no longer made them.

Chef Cohen did the same to the Cutlers. They changed the name to Dirt Candy Farms. They could lease the name from her for a nominal fee and no royalties. That worked - for a while. The question of Ms. Cohen approving artwork they may use on their farm - it's also a vacation spot with rental cabins - came up. The Cutlers hired a lawyer and tried to get a registered trademark. Their request was denied.They could still fight. After all they already spent $10,000 on legal fees, yet to continue would cost $40,000 more. Their son Sky  realized that forty grand could buy more farm equipment that they needed. After so many new names tossed around they changed their farm's name to Wild Candy Farms. It worked , yet not without some fall out.The story made it to local television stations as well as social media. Wimberley locals told Ms. Cohen to be kind on her Instagram. Facebook blew up with locals leaving kind comments about the Cutlers. LOcal farmers market who carried the Cutlers' produce fumed about the intrusion of an outsider. Vanessa Simpson who manages a local farmers market wondered why this ever happened. Many businesses shared the same name.

 Dirt Candy is more of a brand than a restaurant. It has been around long than WIld Candy Farm.It is a lesson for any entrepreneur to learn from.

Sweet Treats Tout Suite

 Sometimes there is a craving for a luscious sweet treat. Yet it takes too long to bake and ice cupcakes. It's too cold to make a quick run to the store just for a craving.What to do?Create something sugary and satisfying whether for dessert or just a fun snack.

Regular contributor Ali Slagle gives four tasty recipes in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. There are some fun recipes to choose from. All are perfect for a night in or enjoying something sweet and quick after a favorite meal. They serve one or two people ,c an be made with out a mixer and bowls and best of it all - can be made in only five minutes to half an hour to whip up. What could be better than that? The first is an Aussie or New Zealand party favorite. WHile we give our little ones cupcakes with elaborate toppings ,, they give theirs fairy bread. Even the name is sweet and magical.All it is is buttered white bread covered with sprinkles or "hundreds of thousands" as the Austrailans and New ZealandersThis is a no brainer .Just butter good white bread and then press the slice into a tip plate full of sprinkles (or you could just pour them over the slice).If you want something a little more adult then try the super easy berry. crisp.The topping is a buttery , crunchy ,topping sort of like streusel with the addition of cinnamon. The bottom is a mix or just one kind  - blueberry , raspberries and blackberries that can be fresh or frozen (mor e likely frozen.) The topping is microwaved, the fruit is cooked with brown sugar and lemon  -or white vinegar in a skillet. Sprinkle the fruit with the topping. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Everyone thinks chocolate chips cookies can be a chore to make. Yet Ms. Slagles area dream along with being eggless and flourless! It relies on white miso and any seed or nit butter like peanut, almond or tahini. Also another traditional ingredient - brown sugar is nixed for the light brown variety.Dark brown sugar darkens the cookies exterior before the inside sets. This makes  about eight cookies so they're perfect for sharing or a long weekend in.Then there is the British holiday favorite - sticky toffee pudding cooked in the microwave this tome. Sticky toffee It's sort of like cake in the mug with the addition of quarter of a cup of flour along with a quarter teaspoon of balking powder for lift.The pudding is all about the date so add two chopped and pitted Medjool dates.There's an easy caramel sauce that goes over it , also made in the microwave. This is a mix of butter , brown sugar and cream. This is set aside and the cake is made. It's creating a base of th e baking soda, melted butter,dates and more heavy cream. It's microwaved at thirty second bursts and the dates have to be mashed down Flour and more brown sugar is added to this and the cup is cooked for forty five seconds to one minute. Spoon ice cream, or fresh cream over the top and add the caramel sauce.

A sweet treat can be had in as little as a few minutes.Make any of these for a fun dessert or snack. They're quick treats to satisfy any sweet tooth.

The Most Expensive Food

Prices are sky high these days. Roast beef is sixteen to seven teen dollars a pound Eggss are ten dollars a dozen. Its' not s supermarket anymore.It's a gourmet emporium. 

What have you seen that's so expensive.Let us know.Personally its the $17 dollars a pound London Broil at Stop & Shop that has rattled me. Although the $57.00 baby formula that really was the eye opener.

Chocolate Chili? Yes!

 A secret ingredient can boost any recipe. This happens with chili along with any saucy dish.  A special dollop of this or a drizzle of something so unexpected it can make your tasters gasp.The last actually can give new life to a tired dish.

I found this out when I was making chili. These are the ingredients I used a long with a cup of water.

There is Lydl's excellent chili starter along with two kinds of beans and diced tomatoes. There was a also a package of Morningstar Farms Plant based beef crumbles. - and yes,a drizzle of Hershey's syrup. That was the secret ingredient. I knew it was a daring choice but I needed something sweet after tasting a somewhat salty , somewhat metallic flavor. I glanced around  the kitche and came up on the Hershey's syrup. Could it work? Why not. The sweetness would get rid of the metallic tang while the chocolate brings forth  a mole flavor.

The chocolate - a drizzle that's probably just a teaspoon in measurement.blended well into the chili. It didn't darken the color or turn it into a dessert.It was a lucky guess based on previously making mole and it worked.

The flavor was really delicious , a good blend of tomatoes, spice beans, crumbles and chocolate. It worked and reminded me of the mole sauce I used to make for plant based chicken strips. It was a surprise ingredient that really wasn't a surprise,considering some form of chocolate is used in many Mexican dishes.

A surprise ingredient can be a good addition to any recipe. In this case a drizzle of  chocolate syrup added to ordinary chili.It was a great treat with a great treat in it.

Can You Diet In Winter?

 Diets are usually summer things, maybe even Spring or fall. Yet a winter diet?It's hard when everyone is pushing dense  meals, rich with sugar and starch . This helps in keeping you warm against frosty  arctic blasts. Yet what happens when you have to lose weight? Can veggies and fruit help when the temps drop.

It'sa good question and yes, there is an answer. Surprisingly roasts can be low calorie.Roast chicken and turkey can help in dropping pounds. A simple roast chicken with lemon, thyme and garlic is not only healthy but also flavorful.Use heart healthy olive oil to rub all over the bird. You can also use sunflower oil which has Vitamin E and antioxidants along with grape seed oil, also rich in antioxidants .It' also milk tasting so you don't have to worry about any "oily" flavor lingering on the chicken. Another good choice is turkey breast which is low in fat but big in protein.Any roasted turkey is a perfect meal, rich in taste. Don;t make the thick gravy that goes with it. Keep it to a thin one. Also rethink that side of mashed potatoes. They're made with a ton of butter and whole milk or cream.Try roasted potatoes that will pair well with the thinner turkey gravy.What about a roast beef dinner? If you buy an eye of round roast that low in fat but big in protein. It does have a caveat.The meat can be tough and chewy. To avoid this, slow cook the cut and cut against the grain for a more melt in your mouth piece.

Veggies and fruits play an important part in any diet. For veggies think the easy sheet pan. You can have fun creating different variations. You can even add meat, poultry or fish to them as well and cook everything at the same time. Try a mix of sweet potatoes, beats carrots and parsnips for a colorful and flavorful sheet pan dinner that can be a main or a side. A good drizzle  of  olive oil will help caramelize them and keep them from charring and drying out. To flavor them you could add cayenne pepper for some kick or if you want a citrus-y flavor them squeeze lemon or orange juice over them. For a more Italian vibe season with garlic powder and oregano. Salads are always important to any diet. Warm them up by adding leftover and reheated meat from your roasts.Chicken , turkey and beef can be cut up reheated and added to any salad. The same for any leftover sheet pan veggies. As for fruit, there's an abundance of bananas and oranges right  now.frozen fruits can also be added to a winter diet. They're still good for you and perfect if you're craving out f season ones like strawberries and blueberries.

Yes you can diet during the winter. It just means getting away from all those heavy  calorie rich foods and desserts. Stick to lean meats and produce. You'll feel better even if the middle of a chill season.

Marry Me Any Food

 Somehow its seems appropriate to mention "Marry Me Foods on today" the day of love. It/'s a trend that stretches from dinner to dessert. Are these recipes that good that they create a marriage proposal? That's up to the home chef.

It could have all started with Lindsey Fungen's recipe in Delish.com back in 2018 when she created a riff on vodka sauce.Chicken breasts were cooked in it.According to Ms. Fungen her videographer Chelsea took a bite and then declared "I'd marry you for that chicken!" It 's basically sauteed chicken cooked with chili peppers and oregano in sun dried tomato oil. The sauce is a mix of sun garlci , heavy cream and sun dried tomatoes.Parmesan is added as well fro more flavor. The chicken is removed from the pan to make the sauce and then added back in. Chef Eric Kim did his riff on it with salmon. This is a lighter version which doesn;t have garlic This is perfect with noodles or just a salad. Yes, there is a heartier version featuring steak. You just need to sub in beef broth for chicken stock and use New York strip steak. Add some pasta and it makes for a nearby, romantic dish on a winter's night. There is even Marry Me beans which subs in butter beans or chickpeas for a vegetarian version. I'm sure there will be versions featuring Impossible chicken and beef soon enough.

The Marry Me food  craze extends to desserts too.There are all sorts of sweet treats that can bring on a marriage proposal.There is a blueberry pie that All Recipes Magazine published.It is a simple, old fashioned one that was taken from JERKIE3 's grandmother. The crust is blind baked or prebaked for  super crispy crust. The filling is incredibly simple. Two cups of blueberries are mixed with  a cup of sugar, a quarter cup of flour , two tablespoons of butter , a  tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  It's one of those recipes that is simple but good. If you're looking for more of a decadent bite then check out blogger Amanda Rettke's Marry Me Bars from her I Am Baker blog. They're a Blondie loaded with both white and dark chocolate chips along with oatmeal and browned butter. It's a perfect dessert after any Marry Me meal. She also has a Marry Me cookie recipe which is what the bars are based on.These are perfect for any day  with their buttery ,oatmeal flavor . There is no Marry Me Ice cream recipe - yet but Publix Grocery store makes has an in house flavor  - Marry Me Strawberry which marries chocolate . strawberries and cream together.

Make any Marry Me dish today or this weekend for a romantic night in. There may be a proposal. what is guaranteed is a delicious meal or dessert cooked or baked with love.

The Perfect Valentines Day Gift

 What's better than to celebrate Valentine's Day with a homemade dish that starts off with "Marry Me -"? IN thos case - and there are many other "marry me" dishes" its. salmon, a healthy and elegant way to celebrate with your loved one. This is a riff on the famed "Marry Me Chicken", yet its till holds the impact of that dish,

Regular contributor and chef Eric Kim wrote and created this recipe for yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Delish.com writer Lindsey Funston created the original version using chicken in 2016. It went viral on Tiktok, The New York Times featured the recipe back in October 2023 and its'a riff on chicken Tuscan style.The name came about when her producer took a bite and proclaimed "I'd marry you for that chicken". She instantly named it "Marry Me CHicken,a creamy tomato sauce over chicken breasts. There have been variations. Some home chefs add a pinch of jerk spicing while others serve it with any kind of pasta. With Chef's Kim s recipe, it's salmon steaks bathed in a creamy sun dried tomato sauce.he adds a kick of oregano and red chili flakes. It has a broth of clam juice to give it a more seafood taste. He recommends serving it with a fluffy crusty bread and a green salad.It could also be accompanied by a favorite pasta dribbled  with the sundried tomatoes olive oil.

What kind of salmon is used for this? Use filets with the skin still on for the best results. Half a yellow onion is a must here to give the sauce a mildly sweet flavor. Do no t use garlic. It may work with Marry Me Chicken but its too overpowering with fish . Again chicken broth CNA be used here but clam juice give it a lovely briny taste(a tip he got from fellow Times contributor Genevieve Ko). Use a splash of heavy cream for a vodka sauce vibe .It's mostly pan searing the filets in the sun dried tomato oil and then gently and briefly poaching the flesh side to get the skin shattering to revel plush meat. This is a quick dish, allowing home chefs t spend the day creating an equally impressive "Marry Me" dessert. The filets are only pan seared for five to seven minutes or until the skin turns opaque in color.The heat is reduced towards the end and the filets are transferred to a plate. More sundried oil is added to the empty pan and then the oregano and chili flakes.The tomato paste is then added  followed by the splash of heavy cream.The salmon is returned to the pan and then simmered for a few minutes more. Serve with pasta or a simple salad.

Valentine's Day is a day for "Mary me : anything. Try this salmon dish to impress a mate. They will be pledging a troth in no time after tasting it.