A Chef With A DAsh Of Courage

 Cooking and baking are not easy despite what chefs and recipes say. Those with physical disabilities have a harder time with both. Yet one chef managed to conquer these and she's a brilliant writer for the Wednesday New York Times Food section. 

The writer is the great Nigerian born chef and author Yewande Komolafe who detailed her story in today's issue.It started with her sickle cell anemia that flared out of control. Sickle cell is a genetic blood disorder striking mostly those of African , Mediterranean ,Middle Eastern ,Indian and Caribbean ancestry. It's when the hemoglobin ,usually round compresses into a sickle or semi circle shape,It is a blood disorder that cause Ms. Lemonade to have severe pain.This lead to her being in a coma and being intubated for several months. It also led to her legs being amputated below the knee and both hands losing fingers. She had the good fortune f being able to eat her beloved Nigerian food thanks their mother and having Nikita Richardson, her editor and friend bring her treats from pastry shops all over the city. One was a brown butter cornmeal cake that was bought at Radio Bakery in Brooklyn. It became her favorite and Ms. Komolafe longed for the day when she could bake it,recreating its's crunch exterior and pillow soft crumb.

Maybe the cake was a hidden incentive to sally forth. Ms. Komolafe did get better . As of this date she is getting around on artificial legs and has prosthetic hands, She did returned to cooking and waiting for the paper.She has a small rotating army of assistants who help her .like Stasia de Tilly Together they go over recipes step by step. They''re in charge of prep, from slicing to chopping. They;re the ones who bring, Ms. Komolafe;es wonderful recipes come to life and flavorless. The creator herself is present during all steps. She listens ,she tastes she smells to see how the dish is coming along.It is frustrating though because its not her going through all the process. She gets impatient because the kitchen, like many chef;s is their domain and she feels possessive about it. She will also have to rely on how to reuse her prosthetics as she relearns how to whisk a bowl of cream from liquid to soft white peaks,.It will take time but she will get there.She has managed to recreate that brown butter cake (and she includes the recipe). taken from pastry chef Kelly Mencin. Ms. Komolafe's recipe varies a bit She adds dark cherries but keeps the other ingredients to give it crunch and flavor to create this buttery, fruity treat

There is triumph in getting over a tough physical problem. There is triumph in creating a good dish. Ms. Kamolafe has managed to do both with admirable grit and determination.

A Passion For Produce Produce Pete

 The culinary world lost a true gem yesterday when Pete Napolitano died. Although he lived a good life , he will still be missed- namely by foodies around the world,

It's amazing how a green grocer from Bergenfield, New Jersey received such claim and media attention. Yet everyone fell in love with the gravelly voiced expert . He was born in the thriving New Jersey town of Bergenfield New Jersey in February of 1945. His family more or less always had a green grocer or fruit and veg stand. It was his mother,however that fornly planted the roots of the business when she sold watermelons that her husband, Pete's father found for he on a gas station property.It became a success and Napolitano Farms was born.They sold seasonal things, like fir trees at CHristmas, lilies at Easter and pumpkins for Halloween. Of course there were veggies and fruit, perfect for new young families moving in from the cities  and looking for a taste of farm fresh  The Napolitanos provided them with all that. They grew and Pete Senior became so successful he bought summer and winter homes.

Yet it was the son who became famous, taking over the business in the 1970's. By then there were a few farms left in busy and rapidly growing Bergenc county but none were really in the center of a town. People had to drive towards Montvale and Upper Saddle River to get a taste of freshly grown anything.Not so for the people for Bergenfield and the neighboring towns of Teaneck, Dumont and New Milford,Pete could also be seen at the Hunts; Point Market in the Bronx where he was a regular feature for many years.Local new station NBC New York took notice of this man and gave him a weekly spot on their Saturday morning news show. His advice was priceless even when he was on the Italian American network too (check out his videos for them on You Tube. There is info and recipes every home chef should have). He acquired a fan base that included Tina Fey of Saturday night and Thirty Rock Fame. She loved his advice too as did everyone.

It is tough to lose a person as valuable and loved as Produce Pete. Yet his advice will live on with every recipe and visit to the store. He was one of a kind.

Snowed In With Tastiness

 This was one heck of a snow day.Hopefully people stayed in eating all sorts of hot food. It could have been from scratch.It could have been already made. What matters is a hot meal to bolster you up.

Mine was already made and an easy cook. I had Green Giants.Parmesan and Garlic smashed potatoes.

These were more like scalloped  potatoes without the cream. It only took a few minutes to cook inthe air fryer, about eleven to twelve minutes at 380 degrees Farenheit.

I paired these with Lidl's Prince Edward Medley veggie mix. This was a quick cook - eight minutes  - in the microwave.It;s a yummy mix of green beans and carrots, a perfect dose of daily nutrition.

I just added copious amounts of "County Corkc's plant butter to give ti a buttery sauce.

Together they made a really nice vegan meal. I would definitely make this together again or even with Impossible chicken strips . It was a filling and even hearty dinner,

This weather calls for good meals to get you through the cold. They can be from scratch or already made. Either way they are your best bet to combat these snowy days.

Yoor Blizzard Check List

 Tomorrow is going to a the Snowzilla of all snow storms. Are you prepared for the bad blizzard ahead? For some you still have until tomorrow morning to go out and food  shop.

Here's a checklist:
Bread __
Eggs__
Milk, plant and dairy based ___
Butter____

Fruits_____

Veggies____

Tea/Coffee________

The above are the basics where you can do a lot with them. Here' are the extras

Ingredients for any kind of chili_____
Beans__
Tomato sauce___
Pasta_______
Parmesan cheese______
American or Cheddar cheese slices _____
Mayo______

Bacon_______
Breakfast patties or sausages, vegan or meat____

Then there are the e fun foods

Hot cocoa mix or packets______

Frozen pizza_______

Soda /Flavored sparkling water______

Cookies_______
Snacks popcorn - potato chips - pretzels _____

Candy_______

Chips_____

Salsa______

Add whatever you want to the list. Print it out and bring it with you for any storm shopping. It'll come in handy during any snow storm.

YOur Fave Snow Day Foods

 A walloping great blizzard is going to hit the East Coast this Sunday night into Monday morning. That means one thing - (well besides shoveling) - a day in to eat favorite foods. will it be a gooey grilled cheese? Home baked chocolate chip cookies Or a pit of spicy crock pot chili.

To be honest I am going to be making a big pot of veggie strew in Sunday that will take us into the next day. There will be a warmed baguette to go with it, along with plenty of oil and COuntry Crock Plant butter.  This will be perfect on Monday too. I will be shopping at Lidl for treats such as their sandwich cookies and salty snacks to get us through the day There's also going to be Lidl's hot cocoa aplenty too.

So what is your snow day favorite food? Let us know. Stay warm and keep full.⛄⛄☃

Are Calories Important Anymore.

 Do Americans still need to count calories? Are they even vaguely important. No, according to  new study. This will definitely change the way American see food and eat.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this new phenomenon  in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section, Calroes have been a part of American life for the last century or so. However the calorie is older than that and was used to explain the energy  burned by early made steam engines. thanks to French scientist Nicolas Clement .It only became attached to food in the 1880;s. It was Wilbur Atwater, a Wesleyan chemistry professor who applied the theory to food to help poor families get the most nutritional foods. Some modern day food scientists still use a modern version of that era's essential equipment , the calorimeter. This is burning food to calculate their caloric worth,People embraced this new idea that food fuels bodies the same way as a new invention of the era - the automobile was fueled by gas.This caught in a long with box scores It helped in World War One telling diners what to eat that would be equivalent to the red meat, sugar and flour that were being sent to the troop sverseas..Dr Lulu Hunt Peters, a California pathologist ran with this , writing about calorie restriction and how healthy being thin was.

It didn't help that the Roaring Twenties brought in the wafer thin flapper look followed by decades of Hollywood starlets having almost zero waistlines. Fat , once considered a sign of wealth was now considered unhealthy(and rightly so). Diets like the cabbage soup, Pritikin Atkins and now the Paleo arose,It also didn't help that Oprah Winfrey also had  been on various diets, telling her fans, urging her fans to count calories back in the Eighties. They too joined  he rin low calorie high carb diets .Oprah outlines her struggles in a new book :"Enough. Your Health. Your Weight and What It's Like to be Free". Her co author is Dr. Ania Jastreboff. It redefines obesity not as a personal failure but as a Neuro metabolic disease made worse by umtraprocessed food,lack of sleep, little exercise and stress. She says that calories are just a piece of information. They are a way  in which to easure energy within a given nutrient, but they don;t tell people about the nutrient itself. Just follow the new guidelines. Stay away from the ultra processed and ea t more protein and dairy. Eat nutrient dense food that will satiate for hours.

Is the calorie dead? Not now. It will be as the science os reassed and hew guidelines come out. The best bet is eat more fruits and veggies. Live healthy. That's all that tmatters.

Can Chicken Soup Be Improved,

 Ir';s as classic as toast and a staple of sick households. Chicken soup has been around forever, giving comfort and nutrition. However can the basic recipe be improved on> Surprisingly yes,

Regular contributor and  chef Ali Slagle says yes in her article on it in today's New York Times Wednesday's Food section. She gives  tips and tricks to make the soup even more tastier and more beloved.One of the most important is use broth  not water. Water tends to impart a bland flavor while broth contributes a richness and tastiness.Any store bought kind will do  some good brands are Lidl, Stop and Shop and Acme Signature lines).Ms. Slagle doesn't;t mention the low sodium kind but use it it there are dietary restrictions. Another important tip is use herbs and spices. Don't be afraid of them. Turmeric annatto seeds and paprika give it an earthy taste while dried oregano and rosemary along with red peppers give a more Italian or Green flavor.Switch up the veggies. Do use alliums  such as onion and garlic for a stronger, more robust taste, Dont; be afraid to add diced tomatoes and peppers along with lemongrass , radishes and squash . Bay leaf is an important addition,It gives a soft and much needed earthiness and greenness to the broth.

what about chicken?Cooking a whole chicken for soup (and even stock ) can take up precious hours simmering. Ms. Slagle recommends using store bought already cooked meat,Rotisserie chicken cooks up only three minutes in hot broth A pat of butter also helps too, bringing richness to the soup. Garnish with any kind of bright green herb you can find. She offers a variety of different chicken soup recipes  some subbing in store bought gnocchis for dumplings. There is also the Greek avologomo which has the tanginess of fresh lemons. 

This is chicken soup weather. Make a big pot of it during t his blizzard. Then enjoy it's rich goodness.