Warm Weather Tastes

 The warmer weather brings the returns of many favorite's McDonal'd's frozen Cokes. Dairy Queen's Dilly Bars, Rit'a Italian ice, anything from the Jersey shore boardwalks. 

What's your favorite warm weather return food? Mine has to be MCDonald's frozen Coke and Bahr's frozen  chocolate covered banana from their ice cream stand. 

Let us know what yous is and get whatever it is and enjoy it!!!!!!

Beef- It's Still What's for Dinner

Could the carnivore life be making a comeback? It seems that way.More and more Americans are wanting beef on the supper table as well as on the lunch one. What used to be a vilified ingredient is now a much loved one.

Regular contributor Kim Severson delved into this in yesterday's New York times Wednesday Food section. Red meat has always been a staple of the American table, more so after the Second World War. meat consumption went up and Sundays were spent roasting London Broils in the oven or out on the grill come summer. The pace took off in the 1970's when fast food joints sprang up everywhere and hamburger consumption rose tremendously.Meat;s popular, in the ensuing decades either rose or fell , depending on the economy, health advice or dining trends.This was fine until I've years ago when meat consumption hit a wall. Now home chefs and diners wanted the new plant based - and meat tasting - substitutes. even editors at the recipe website Epicurious announced in 2021 that beef would be banished from all future content. They cited its' contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.That same year Daniel Humm of Manhattan's  eleven Madison Park would rid its' expensive ($335!!!!) tasting menus of all animal products. Other restaurants followed suit, giving health and environmentally conscious diners more plant based dishes.

What brought back the change then? It could be the keto diet that emphasizes meat or the Republican "bro" culture where red meat is king. It also has to do with Robert F> Kennedy Jr's endorsement of it. He also endorses fast foods like French fries to be fried in beef tallow. He claims tallow is better for the body than seed based oils. People who follow his Make America Healthy Again philosophy also believe this as they eliminate and preach about the evils of processed foods.One restaurant Steak N Shake is doing just that and RFK Jr and the MAGA podcaster Joe Rogen haven tried the tallow fried fries.In fact Rogen is  nothing but  a carnivore touting a diet devoid of vegetables and grains. experts say this can increase the risk of heart attacks and other health problems yet both men insist that it may be a healthier way of eating. There is no processed food. even liberals with a green agenda are embracing beef eating thanks to the nose to tail movement. It's better for the environment to eat all parts of the cow, similar to what the Europeans do. Grass fed beef is being embraced by everyone, Nicolette Hahn Niman, author or the 2014 book "Defending Beef" fights against the pollution caused by animal waste. (she also worked under Mr. Kennedy when he was an environmental lawyer).

Does this mean everyone should embrace beef and meat eating in general again. That's up to the individual and their beliefs, whether they be health or environmental. Just be wary.Meat eating does come with a lot of caveats.

Korean Comfort Food

 every country has it;s comfort food.It's eaten in childhood that brings joy til the adult year. Koreans have theirs in the form of noodles called jjangmyeon,These are black beans noodles that are not only flavorful but a jot to eat.

Regular contributor and chef, Eric KIm wrote about his childhood favorite in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Jjangmyeon  came from the Chinese zha Jiang mien wen Chinese immigrants to Korea made the dish in the early Twentieth Century.Over time the flavors has become sweeter and richer matching Korean tastes.It's hard to actually describe the flavor according to Chef Kim. It's both sweet and salty and there are variations that alter the ratio. He visited another Korean chef Keechang Kim of Dong Bo Sung in Fort Lee who slow cooks onions until they're caramelized and rendering pork fat into a cooking oil.It exudes a savory sweetness exemplified by the jet black fermented soybean paste chunjang. that'sfried in the fat , then thinned into a gravy for the noodles. CHunjan has long stood in the shadows of its' more popular cousins, gochujang and doengchang, both much used ingredients in Korean cuisine. It's different than them, resembling the taste of tiammian sauce, which is more sweet than hot.

Like other comfort foods.jjangmyeon has variations, albeit slight ones. For cookbook author Sarah Ahn, author of Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family recipes that means a splash of vinegar for acidity and a shake of gochugaru for heat, shaking up the dish's mellowness.It was a tip from her mother, Nam Soon, that surprised many Koreans  when she shared the recipe on social media. Vinegar really sin;t added to any Korean cuisine.Chef Kin's mother also has her own variation in the form of grated potato instead of the usual slurry of powdered starch and water to thicken the sauce without gloopiness.The potato's earthiness also adds to the dish's vegetal flavors.There is also charred cabbage along with the onion for flavor and substance.It also pays to get the right noodles namely the elastic and freshly made jiajang wheat noodles. Home chefs can buy these at any Asian grocery store.Regular pasta won;t work here. They;re first boiled and then rinsed off in cold water. to remove the clingy starch. They're then returned to the arm to warm up.

This is Korean comfort food.It's an easy make.It's also rich in flavor and satisfyingly good.

Repuposing Easter Dinner

 Yes, there are still leftovers from Easter. What to do with them? Turn them into tasty new dishes the family will love. Food is too expensive to waste these days. Turn it into something tasty and that will go a long way.

There is always leftover ham. You can turn it into a nutritious and filling meal by adding it to any casserole. Add cheddar ,cheese, butter and potatoes and you have a delicious main dish.Onion is  also blended in a long with flour and milk. Another idea is a luxurious ham and cheese panini or a quick croque Monsiuer . The ham can  be sliced as thin or as thick as you want it. Layer it with cheese between tow slices of rye or sourdough.If you;re making a croque Monsiuer use a sourdough bread and butter to fry in.Ham can be also cut into small chunks and mixed with mayo and peas for a tasty salad.Leftover lamb can be made into a spicy curry. It should be  deboned and diced before using. Tomatoes onions curry paste and ginger give it that distinctive , fiery zingy flavor. serve over basmati rice. Another dish for leftover lamb b is croquettes. This works perfectly with those leftover mashed potatoes. These are blended together and rolled into logs. They're then breaded with panko crumbs and can be air fried for fried din oil.

What about those hard boiled eggs? They too good and expensive to waste. YOu could make deviled eggs- which are everybody's favorites. The basic recipe is mixing the yolks with ketchup  or Dijon mustard and mayo until they turned the classic pink orange. You can sprinkle paprika on them or try chives for something different top each one with a shrimp to make this leftover more luxurious. Deviled eggs also are good  in an  egg salad. Use good quality mayo for creamy texture. Egg salad can have add ins too. Think bacon bits or even a cup or two of the leftover ham, finely diced. There is a trend now to add avocado to the salad. This requires two avocados and less mayonnaise. The  mashed avocado makes up for the mayo's creaminess. leftover dinner rolls or toasted sourdough. The hard boiled eggs would also be great in a salad Nicoise a long with any leftover veggies like asparagus or string beans. Add some tomatoes a can of tuna in oil and greens for a protein packed, refreshing bite.

Easter leftovers can be repurposed into delicious hot and cold dishes. Try them for a fresh flavor on ham , lamb and deviled eggs.  They're a great way to celebrate Spring cooking.

A Taste of Kindness

 One thing Pope Francis taught us was kindness to others. He was very much like St. Francis ,of whom he took his name. we can learn from both ,especially during these are times.

Food is one of the best ways to reach out to anyone.If you do have a family member, neighbor or friend who is alone and wanting company share a meal with them. Nothing lifts the spirits more than a meal and good conversation.It doesn't;t have to be a fancy meal, McDonald's or even a sandwich in the back yard will do the trick.Invite them over for a Sunday family dinner. It's soon to be barbecue season so save an extra set at the outdoor table.Remember our veterans, especially the elderly ones. Not only share a meal with them but shop for them as well. You can also volunteer at soup kitchens too. It's strange that many just volunteer only on Thanksgiving or Christmas. The needy are hungry all year long. They need food in the  Spring and summer months too. The staff would greatly appreciate the extra hands too. There are also food pantries that will need help and food too.Donate what you can if you can.

It is hard to share however with food prices always rising to astronomical highs and not enough time, thanks to busy schedules.Yet , we lose our humanity when we only think of ourselves. If you're having struggles yourself  reach out. There's no shame in visiting a food pantry. You have to eat. Your family  and animal companions have to eat. Keep in mind that they also have necessary items too, such as diapers, detergent, soap, and paper towels to name a few. Another idea that can work is the community are aptly named community gardens. Cities such as Paterson and Newark, both  New Jersey  highly urban cities have these. Everyone in the neighborhood pitches in, from tilling and hoeing the soil to planting the seeds to weeding and then harvesting the crops. It means fresh veggies and fruits for all. Some gardens even offer cooking classes that show how to make nutritious yet tasty meals with the harvests. They also offer classes for kids for gardening too as well as other classes such as yoga and meditation. It's all about helping each other.

Pope Francis ,like St. Francis helped all. It's time to do the same. The best way is through food.

An Easter Full of Treats

 everyone have a good Easter.enjoy all the candy and those oh so expensive eggs. It is a time for all sorts of sweets and traditional foods.

I cannot wait to crack my chocolate Fiorina egg from Lidl. It;s chock full of little  chocolate treats. There's also a bunny from my friend Harry and chocolate eggs from Walgreens.

A good Easter to everyone! Go on an egg hunt. Much on chocolate eggs.Revel in the season of rebirth

Good Friday Request

 With today being Good Friday, the usual question about food and drink is being replaced with a request. Consider your neighbors this Easter and Passover season as well as family. Feed and nourish them if they are having difficulty feeding their own. Lend them a couple of dollars or share bounty from upcoming gardens this summer.

This is Holy Season by the generous, thoughtful, and considerate the rest of the year too.