Picnic Fare With A Mediterranean Twist

 Picnics and barbecues usually have the same old food. It's always hot dogs, hamburger and some kind of bean and/or macaroni salad. Then there's the wedge of watermelon for dessert. Yet what if there's a twist - a bright sunny, Mediterranean twist on eating outside. That's enough to shake the picnic basket.

Regular contributor DaveTanis gave  recipes fo a deliciously different kind of picnic fare in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.he looked to Turkey for the main course which is chicken kebabs. These are usually made with ground lamb but chicken can do nicely too. They are zinged up with the , use a  of onion, red pepper flakes and paprika. Cu8min seeds are also added after they 've been toasted and crushed. Keep in mind you don;t need the grill to cook these. They can be roasted ion a sheet pan in the oven. If you do want a grilled kebab - similar to what most Turkish street vendors sell, use a fine meshed grate or a perforated vegetable grill pan. That way there's no danger of them  slipping through the grill and falling onto hot coals.They can be served with lavash flatbread or pita. These can be warmed on the grill too. Dip either bread in rosemary infused olive oil for a crispier , more fragrant flatbread.

As for sides, there can be salads.These have a Middle Eastern vibe to them. One is herbed cucumber yogurt salad while the other is a tomato feta one. Each has a fresh veggie taste that works well with the kebabs.Sliced Persian cucumbers are used for the first side. These are sliced and seasoned with salt,pepper and cayenne. The dressing is  a plain whole milk (but you could use a lower calorie one).yogurt based, flavored with onion , dill and garlic. Fresh mint is als added for a Middle Eastern  flavor.The second blends tomatoes and feta with chopped black or green olives in a simple viniagrette.Cilantro and parsley are also mixed in for more color. and is served om spinach and arugula. The dessert are simple shortbread cookies flavored with tahini ,sesame seeds and coconut. Butter and honey give them richness.They're dusted with confectioners sugar. Serve these with an iced mint tea for the perfect dessert.

Make a different kind of picnic this season. Add Middle Eastern flair and flavor. It makes for a tasty meal from beginning to end.

Warming UP A Chilly Barbecue

 The weather never behaves.It might be Spring and temps could be like a roasting July heatwave or chilly October afternoon. right now the US is experiencing a cold snap right in time for Memorial Day.everyone has a barbecue planned. Yet what happened when there a nip in the air? Heat it up.

Luckily barbecue food is hot food. Flame grilled hot dogs and hamburgers are great for warming up. Go the extra mile and warm up the buns too.Grill the hamburger and hot dog buns the same times as the meats. They'll get that the same smoky flavor as the hot dogs and hamburgers. You can amp it up a bit by buttering the soft or interior sides. Some grillers add a dash of Tabasco sauce for added flavor. Grilled London Broil could call for hot gravy made inside on the stove. You can make your own or get the jarred version (this last would be easier ).serve on Texas toast or grilled sourdough bread. What about chicken? Think a side of hot waffles .Yes you can grill this breakfast treat. even frozen Eggos respond well to a grill. It;s just toasting them for two to three minutes on each side and then serving them with chicken and a dash of hot honey.This last is created by adding fresh or dried peppers to honey and then letting it sit for a few hours. 

A big problem with a chilly barbecue is the cold sides. No one want an icy macaroni or bean salad when it ''s a frosty sixty degrees in May. Instead of salads try grilled veggies instead They're tasty and delicious  along with being warming. Cut onions  bell peppers and squash into cubes and along with grape or cherry tomatoes put them on a skewer. You can also add button mushrooms and cut up corm ears too. A simple brush with olive oil works but you can also try a marinade too.use a tangy Greek yogurt based dressing or a verdant chimichurri or salsa vefde sauce made with tomatillo,s onion s garlic and chile peppers. You can serve with microwaved hot rice or quinoa. Another hot dish, perfect for a chilly Spring day is elote or Mexican street corm. This is grilling ears of buttered  corn and then covering them with a slathering of mayo and Mexican crema - a mix of buttermilk, whole cream a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.It's then rolled in cotija cheese and sprinkled with chili powder. If you can 't find cotija then used crumbled feta instead.

The weather doesn't always guarantee a warm ,sunny day or hot balmy night for grilling. Sometimes the weather can be downright frigid. Don;t cancel your barbecue if that's the case. Serve hot tasty foods to warm up your guests.!

A Quick Colcannon

 The Irish dish colcannon is one of those easy dishes made with leftover mashed potatoes and any kind of green. It;s usually fried in butter in a frying pan.What happens if you're really hungry? easy ! Use a microwave!

This is what I did Saturday night,Leftover mashed potatoes call for colcannon. I wanted to make it a bit heartier for dinner. Greens such as kale and cabbage are always used. Yet I wanted to try something different . Monstingstar Farms soy bacona nd a package of Green Giant spinach.

These were microwaved  and then added to microwaved mashed potatoes. I didn'tfeel like doing the whole frying pan route .It was taking the cooked spinach and four slices of already cooked bacon and adding them an a good scoop of I Can't Believe It's Butter to the potatoes. You can add garlic if you want or other greens such as parsley and cilantro. Canadian bacom along with sliced pork roll are other additions.

The combination of bacon, spinach and potatoes was very good. It was similar to many of the Irish recipes I've seen on the Internet. Anything can be added to create a second main course .

Colcannon is what  a home chef makes it. Add what you want.It can be a variety of greens. Add some meat if you'd like to make it more substantial. Try it and then make it your own.

That Vacation Clean Out

 It's hard when you teach along with having other jobs. House cleaning, especially kitchen cleaning and clearing out suffers. Luckily most educators do have a lengthy summer vacation to toss and throw.

This was my story.I was working many hours as a teacher and a tutor that I neglected my kitchen. The best I did was wash dishes and bleach te sink. Yes , old food got thrown out but that was the extent.  

This is my spice cabinets with spices going back ten years or more. spices should be thrown out every two ro three years. I stubbornly cling to mine - which is bad. I plan on throwing everything out and heading to Lidl where they have a wide variety of different spices at a good price.

My kitchen table is another must clean zone. I have extra spice jars there along with a wide variety of snacks. (my downfall, I know)Everything old needs to be thrown out.I have already taken out three bags of tortilla chips crumbs . The birds and the woodchuck will appreciate them. Kitchens need to be cleaned at least once a week. For me it will have to be a weekend to get everything up to snuff from the floor to the fridge.

It's hard when work interferes with life. Thankfully there are long vacations to toss, clean and scrub. This helps in maintaining a happy and healthy kitchen.

How Pure Are Our Foods

 RFK Junior wants to rid foods of all dyes that the Eurpoean Union has already banned. It would make our food safer. natural dyes would be used driving up the cost of some products like candy cakes and juices.

How do you feel?Do you believe a more natural , chemical free way is the way to go. Keep in mind there may be some limits on the amount preservatives put in. Breads and certain foods may get stale or moldy quicker then

Honoring Marcella

 Marcella Hazan changed the way Americans thought of Italian cooking. She opened American's eyes to sophistication and subtleness of  Northern Italian cuisine with her cookbook.Now there';s a new documentary out about her that;s enchanting a new generation of chefs.

Regular contributar and restaurant critic Pete Wells, wrote about Ms Hazan , her influence and her documentary in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Mr Wells saw Marcella back in Aprim where it was down at the Smithsonian Institute where some of her cooking implements are. .On display outside the theater  was here square cornered lasagna pan, her garganelli comb used to make the traditional lines in garganelli pasta.  her linen apron painted with grapevines and her risotto spoon. (Julia Child who was influenced  by her has her entire kitchen reconstructed in the museum's basement) > So many people were influenced by her work. She introduced Americans to a rethought Italian cuisine, one that explored different regions in both the North and south of the republic , and showed home chefs how to use the ingredients these regions were famous for. Before her, most Americans  lived on the cuisine that people from Calabria , Campania and Sicily .Most fled the brutal and feudal tenant farms  bringing with them recipes that relied heavily on sauces and pastas/Some immigrants were tradespeople bringing their businesses of selling olive oil and sausages to America.

Yet there was another cuisine - the  more varied cuisine of Northern and Central Italy. .Both Marcella and her husband were from Emilia Romagna The Hazans were Sephardic Jews with a thriving fun industry when they left Italy  - not because of poverty but because of rising Fascism.Ms. Hazan herself had two degrees in biology from the University of Padua and the University of Bologna. She taught herself how to cook in order to feed her energetic and hungry husband. She used the flavors and ingredients she was familiar with. As Americans embraced ultra sophisticated  Italian films , cars and fashion so did they embraced ultra sophisticated food. She told home chefs to cook vegetables in cold water for half an hour to remove grit. They should be cooked until tender but not mushy. She introduced Americans to balsamic vinegar, a move she later regretted because everyone from chefs to home chefs overused it.Foods didn't;t have to be fried in olive oil. She recommended the Northern Italian way of using butter with the American invention vegetable oil for a lighter taste. She showed a country what Italian food  had always been - art.

Marcella Hazan may be gone but her influence lives on . Restaurants and home kitchens have her to thank for bringing in the subtle sophistication of true Italian cooking. That is a legacy  that should always be treasured.

Keeping Fresh Herbs Fresh

 Herbs add so much strong flavor to any meal to even dessert. Yet they're plants and they're delicate.Storing and using them in the right way will insure maximum flavor.

Senior staff editor Adina Steiman contributed a guide to them in today 's new York Times Wedensday Food section.One aspect novice chefs should learn right away about choosing fresh herbs is to choose them with a degree of care. They should be perky and vibrant with well hydrated leaves and stems according to Nasim Alknai author and owner of Sofresh  - a cookbook and restaurant with the same name. Avoid bunches with limp and waterlogged leaves. Also avoid any discolored ones too. Skip the ones that are already packaged. Their freshness is hard to gauge. Prep for storage as soon as they're brought home is another key factor to having them retain their flavor.Once home spread them on a paper towel and pluck away any dried or discolored leaves. These could attract bacteria.Rinse herbs before storing them. Home chefs are more likely to cooked with washed ones because they're all set to be cooked.Use a salad spinner to dry them, or if that'd not available a paper towel to blot them dry.

Another must is keep them hydrated. Before using wash without drying and plunge into a bowl of ice cold water. Cut the stem for better hydration. Herbs should also be strategically packed . They'll last longer when they have enough moisture otherwise they'll turned into a swampy mess.What about well dried ones? Chef Alikhani recommends wrapping them in a paper towel before storing them in the fridge. She cautions to watch out because they could pick up moisture. As with any green, handle with care. Even herb plants can lose their taste if they're improperly cared for. Harvest early in the morning and use very sharp shears to cut. Keep in mind that herbs are not just garnishes but also food. USe them in everything. They punch up soups, rice ,pasta and polenta. They bring color and taste to otherwise bland dishes. Think of them like other greens. Ms. Steiman  gives a recipe for a  Greek herb laced salad called maroulasalata.It's a delicious blend of romaine lettuce, dill fronds and feta cheese. Scallions and lemon juice give it more flavor as does good Greek olive oil. Keep in mind that basil too,  is great in tomato salads.

Herbs are not just fun garnishes. They're an integral part of cooking and baking. Treat them well, They'll give optimum flavor.