Be The Source For Others

 These are tough times. We need to be there for each other. It could be as simple as sharing garden harvests or helping with groceries. Home chefs need to be the source that others in need have to depend upon. It may take a lot but it's worth it. people need to be fed.

One of the best deeds is to share garden harvests. This is the time when tomatoes are in full bloom along with eggplant and zucchini. These can easily be given to those neighbors, friends and family who need them.If you're making sauce invite them over - it's a fun cooking experience and let them go home with a few jars. Give out a couple of boxes of pasta as a thank you gift for helping. Also if you have fruit trees ,make sure that family and friends get the extra peaches and nectarines. This is also late blackberry and blueberry season. Invite them to go picking with you and treat them to a basket. If you;re in New Jersey it's corn season. There are some corn fields where you can pay a small price and pick a bushel. Another idea is making sauces and chowders with your harvest along with main meals like eggplant rolatini or Parmisian  and give it to family and friends who are financially hurting . The dinner can be eaten now or saved for later on.

Everything these days are being cut  and that includes food pantries and food banks and veterans services. it's unfair to be sure but everyone can play a part in alleviating it.if you;re a manufacturer , think about donating something to help. The same goes for local farmers. Thanks to the cruelty and stupidity of this administration many schools and food banks will not be able to buy directly from local farms. This impacts the quality of food as well as the farmers themselves.If you own a farm, think about donating a small part of your harvests to schools. DOGE has also gone after urban farms which feed many of the inner cities across the US. Try to donate whatever you have to help them.Organize fundraisers and bake sales. Talk with local merchants to help and see what they can donate, whether time or money.The DOGE cuts also affects our  VA. Veterans will suffer too. Try to offer some time whether at the VA or with any veteran you know. They too will be affected. Share food and harvests with them. Invite them over for dinner or out to lunch.

Be the source for people to come to. These are tough times and they can be eased a bit if we all come together.  Be the source people come to.

A Highland Picnic

 Scotland and picnics may not seem to go together yet the Highlands are a beautiful place to enjoy the weather and scenery/. A hearty landscape requires hearty yet easy to carry foods.A dd a dream of whiskey too for a quiet buzz and to relax under sapphire skies,

A great picnic basket favorite is Scotch eggs. These weren't invented by the Scots but are much loved through the United Kingdom. it;s just hard boiling eggs and then wrapping them in layers of herb infused sausage and then bread crumbs.These are deep fried and can be eaten warn or cold. as for the herbs, try summer hetbs such as mint, thynes, rosemary and dill. You could add a tiny bit of hot sauce to give them zing.Anything cold and salmon also worked in a Scottish picnic. salmon runs throught the country and it's figures in many dishes.use a can of salmon instead of fresh for easiness.It's then mixing in mayo, chopped celery  and red onions or shallot.Add dill and lemon for more flavor and then chill.it could be served as a filling for sandwiches for a topping for water crackers. Keep in mind that you could add pasta or noodles to this. If you;re having a barbecue picnic then think salmon burgers.It's using the boneless fish mixed with lemon juice and bread crumbs along with Dijon mustard and shallots  . You do have to grind the salmon so that it forms a paste to mild into patty form. Its then grilling then on grill pan.They can't be put on a regular grill because the'll fall apart.

The Scots can turn oats into anything delicious. Think oat cakes to munch on with jam and butter along with a good thermos of tea. They only need a few ingredients such as oatmeal, butter and bicarbonate of soda. To this add a pinch of salt and hot water to bind. its' then creating a rolled out dough  and cutting out rounds with a large cookie cutter.Once cooked they can be slathered with a good homemade preserve and a rich butter. However a savory topping wouldn't go amiss. YOu could add salmon on top or even ham for a new spin on a pic nic sandwich.if you're feeling more adventurous then think of baking a loaf of oat bread.It's the same as white bread except made with oat flour and rolled oats. A fresh baked loaf is perfect for making sandwiches with ham. Another idea is store bought haggis than you can easily cook at home and bring along .It's more of a winter dish, being made at Hogmany or New Year's. Serve small bite soft it on the oat cakes. Of course shortbread is a must. You can make it or if it's too not then buy a package of Walker's it goes wonderfully with a cup of iced tea as a perfect end to the picnic. You can also make the whiskey infused white fudge called tablet too if you want.

A Highland picnic is a wonderful way to enjoy good food and nature around you. Create a good salmon salad and some oatcakes. Bring shortbread and tea .ENjoy a wonderful afternoon celebrating the best of Alba - Scotland.

Your Favorite Teams, Your Favorite Treats

Yes football season seems an eon away as does tailgating. Yet the season will be here soon enough. With it comes  a recipe book that has the yummiest tailgating dishes. Keep in mind that these also work at a barbecue too.

Chef Tim Lopez  who created dishes for the Philadelphia Eagles for sixteen yeatr put together Kickoff Kitchen  Sixty-Four Game Day Recipes inspired by Every Pro Football Team.(quarto Publishing Group 2025). He has divided the recipes into the eight divisions where the teams stand.The first chapter has a playful picture guide to what home chef's will need in creating recipes.There are pictograms of blenders and even toothpicks. There is some great advice about not combining both hot and cold dishes along with how to cook with cleanliness when dealing with tailgating cooking. Home chefs should bring both thermal bags for keeping foods hot and bags of ice for keeping cold ingredients frosty.what is good about all of these recipes is that they would fit right in a backyard barbecue. Tailgating foods are not just hot dogs and hamburgers. Chef. Lopez takes into consideration the local ingredients and culinary traditions of the teams ' home cities.The Miami Dolphins has a mini Cuban sandwich  which has roasted pork and ham. Also there are extra points section that offer good tips about the ingredients or cooking process. The back of the book has interesting tidbits about the teams such as their mascots ,when they were first formed and hometomwn fun fact

The recipes are perfect for any cook out and party too.Being from Northern New Jersey I love the recipe for the NY Giants disco fries this is a big plate of crispy fries smothered in a homemade beef stock based gravy rife with onions, celery and carrots. Mozzarella is melted on top of all this. It's definitely going to be a fun weekend dish.Another alluring dish is the roast beef on weck sandwiches celebrating the Buffalo Bills. This is Buffalo's much beloved sandwich with a large pie of roast beef on a flavorful kummelweck roll with a slick of a horseradish and mayo spread on it. Tailgating food doesn't have to be all beef. Chef Lopez shines a light on the Atlanta Falcons with a tasty shrimp and  cheesy grits bowl.It's shrimp cooked with bacon and paprika along with other spices  and ladled on the grits redolent with cheddar. Then there's the Cincinnati Bengals Skyline chili,a fiery and spicy chili that's served over spaghetti with a sprinkling of shredded cheddar on top. This is the perfect meal for a chilly autumn night. Yes there are hot dogs here There are Sonoran dogs full of veggies  that celebrate the Arizona cardinals.and Coney dogs from Detroit .This last is a chili dog with cheese.

Tailgate season will soon be upon us. Use the fun  and filling recipes of Kickoff Kitchen  for your menu.everyone will love their teams and even the opposing ones favorite bites.

Tasty And Good For You

 We hear it all our lives. Eat more veggies. Yet there are many who just hate the site of a broccoli florets or a Brussels sprouts. However there's a delicious and somewhat sneaky way y to incorporate the good stuff into every savory and sweet dish. A new cookbook shows home chefs howl

Author Heidi Herman who has written popular  fiction and non fiction has come up with such a book . Her Hidden Vegetable Cookbook (Hekla Publishing 2025)  has endless recipes that bring vital veggies into a variety of yummy dishes. The cookbook starts with a guide for all vegetables from their description to their flavor, along with how t store then for both long and short periods of time. Another section that I liked is her guide to the gadgets used, from graters to mesh strainers. This is perfect for any home chef planning on incorporating more veggies in their diet.A big 0plus is how tos on how to chop ,mince and puree because this is the easiest way to incorporate vegetables in any  recipe.Some of these , liked riced cauliflower are perfect on their own ,sauteed in olive oil and garlic. There are also recipes for juices which can be good on their own or in snoothies. Ms. Herman also encourages home chefs to add their notes and observations in the books as well. She gives advice about dealing with flatulence from cruciferous or "gassy" vegetables.

The recipes actually start off with sauces jellies and condiments that can be used for meats and tofu.The carrot and beet root jellies sound intriguing, especially the carrots because it's made with brandy.Ms. Herman has some very fun appetizers such as the savory cauliflower cheese ball made with pepperjack and Parmesan cheese. There is also ginger and paprika for heat. The tangy meat balls, perfect appetizers have the added ingredients of carrots and broccoli. Yes there are soups and they are chock full of the good stuff. The main courses are interesting too. She includes a recipe for pumpkin beef stew .its a classic stew recipe but with two cups of pumpkin puree , along with rutebega and a  stew must have carrots. Her chicken pit pie also has a good dose of peas and carrots to add to this classic recipe. What I found fascinating are the dessert recipes. There are beet doughnuts, with a  delicate  pink hue thanks to beets added (keep in  mind beet sugar was long used before cane sugar processing was invented).There is a  beet crazy chocolate cake made with beets .It also has a dash of apple cider vinegar in it as well.Riced kohlrabi gives much needed nutrients in a glazed loaf cake.Another chocolate cake recipe has zucchini in it. Both would be perfect cakes for birthdays.

We all need to eat more veggies. The Hidden Vegetable Cookbook will give really good recipes loaded with much needed vegetables. Buy it for healthier cooking and baking.

A Fun, Summer Birthday

 How do you celebrate a summer birthday? There's humidity and high temps to deal with. Forget about baking a cake. You can still have fun in a very cool way.

A cool way to celebrate is to look to Northern Italy. Piedmonte, wich is graced with cooling Alpine breezes is big on salads. A Piedmontese potato salad is filling on its own or as a side. It's taking small, boiled potato, cornichons or gherkins  and tomatoes mixed with with a dressing made with red wine vinegar oil, and Dijon mustard. Another great meal is peperoni Al acciuga or peppers with anchovies. These are pure heaven on earth with grilled and charred green peppers dressed with an richly anchovy dressing.salsa Verde,  a ground parsley pesto can be added on top but the sweet peppers married with the anchovies braininess are ideal alone. Anchovies are also a main ingredient in the wintry dish bagna calda. They create a rich sauce  blended with olive oil, butter and garlic. Savoy cabbage is dipped into it along with filet mignon. yet it can be made with red leaf lettuce for a lighter summer birthday treat. Just as the main summer meal in Torino is lush, so are the desserts.The area is known for hazelnuts so a homemade hazelnut cake is the perfect end. It can be dusted with coca powder for a Nutella vibe. fresh fruit with Prosecco is also a nice birthday dessert.

On the other side of the Alps there is German food namely the intensely flavored Swabian cuisine. A really fun birthday lunch or dinner I grilled bratwurst, Make sure the skin is crispy so that every bite is filled with flavor. Serve it with Swabishe kartoffel salat. What makes it tastier than just regular Potato salad is the addition of beef or chicken broth , The potatoes -usually the deep yellow Yukon gold is left to marinate in the broth that's also mixed with  minced onion, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.Another dish that would be perfect with grilled bratwurst is spaetzles salad.Spaetzle is good on it;s own or served hot mixed with great beans but it's also excellent in a salad. This type of pasta is mixed with sun dried tomatoes, , zucchini, peppers and greens.  You could also fry up priest pockets or maultaschen filled with meat and spinach. These are fried  for extra crispiness.Dress it with a simple vinaigrette or pesto Most rich Swabian cakes are usually made for the Christmas holidays. A summer birthday calls for a fruit laden cake. There can be pum tort currant cake and apple cake. Serve these with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Birthday's don;t have to be the usual summer fare of hamburgers or ribs. Vary the menu. Try a Piedmontese or Swabian dish for something more delicious and fun.

Graasi Barley Water A Good Summer Sip

 This is the time of the year for hydrating. The question is what's good to drink. Do you go for a sugary power drink or just plain boring water. There is an alternative - the refreshing Graasi Barley water. Chilled its perfection.

I found that a bottle of Graasi Barley water. It's not just a refreshing sip but it's also a boost to the immune system and the body.

These are not only tasty but good for you. They loaded with Vitamins C and D along with zinc , the last supporting cell growth and wound healing. Barley water has long been drunk over the centuries. It manages cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The Victorians used it to boost health and to drink when they were sick. Graasi updates this with such kicky flavors as  Citrus Mint, Lemongrass Ginger and my favorite Cucumber  Lime. Take chilled bottles to the beach or just to kick back in the back yard.

Graasi Barley Water is the perfect summer sip.It not only hydrates but boosts the body with vitamins and zinc. Grab a bottle to help with combating this brutal summer yheat

A Chef's Fire

 Most chefs , like the artists they are are driven. Yet for Curtis Duffy, chef of the great Chicago restaurant Ever it's more than drive , it's fireborn of hardship and determination. This is what has made hom the success that he is.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about his m in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Some may recognize him and his restaurant from the FX series"The Bear" His restaurant servers at the set for the fictionalized Chicago restaurant run by Jeremy Allen White as mercurial chef Carmen Carmy Berzatto. He;s quick to point out that the show isn;t based on him nor is the restaurant based on Ever. Yet he and the main character have the same amount of torture and angst in their lives.It will come out in his memoir due out in August. He wrote Fireproof: memoir of a Chef  with his friend Jeremy Wagner, a novelist.It's not just an autobiography of how he learned to cook and his background. It brings on the worst day of his life when his father took his mother hostage at the supermarket where she worked. Bear, his wild father , a tattop artist shot Jan and then himself. Chef Duffy had just come home from culinary classes at Ohio State University and received a day off from his job at the local country club.After it was all over he got his father's, leather biker jacket, his tattoo equipment and a blue spiral notebook, There was a good bye  telling Curtis that he would someday  be the best chef in the world.

His father also issued a warning Dont walk in his footsteps "It is a world of pain hate, and  sure won;t be loved and won;t be ablet  show love." Instead he has channeled his feelings into martial arts dogs and running. He is scheduled to run a triathlon soon.His love of cooking did not come from his mother or father  but from his sixth grade HOme Ec teacher Ruth Snider. Thanks to her his first dish was a pizza with a frozen's biscuit crust.She also taught him to sew and he made is first backpack for his skateboard from the material she bought him because his parents had been to broke to afford it. She served as a balm when his parents died. Ms. Snider was the most important guest when he opened up his first eatery Grace. He wound up at the famed Charlie Trotter working with the great Chicago chef in 2000. he had convinced his  first wife Kim to move from Ohio. He was also influenced by Thomas Keller and Grant Atchatz ,chefs who believed in minimalist menus and kitchens.It was a militaristic kitchen brigade where everyone worked in sync to create tasting menus worth hundreds of dollars. He's looking for the next generation of chefs who have the same beliefs.

Curtus Duffy has come through the fire to produce great food. He will be an inspiration to younger chefs. His is a menus that will stand out for decades.