Every foodie out there has a favorite dish that just transcends him or her. This could be just a simple sandwich or an elaborately prepared meal. It could be something exotic or something commonplace. All in all it's the food that excites us.
I have to admit a weakness for fresh tomato and mayo sandwiches. This has been my go to sandwich since I was twelve . I had read about it in one of those tween books and it had been the heroine's favorite. Yet there's nothing like a Jersey tomatoes sliced thinly and then layered on toasted white bread. Of course it pays to have the bread slathered with mayo. I have tweaked this simple recipe over the years. I've added tarragon to the mayonnaise as well as sprinkle don fresh ground sea salt and pepper. Still the original tastes the best. There's something satisfying about the tomatoes acidity mingling with the mayo's creaminess along with the toasted aftertaste of the bread.
Other foods that excite me are caramel apples. Again is is just simply caramel overlaid over an apple but the two tastes together are magical. There's something about the way these two sweet tastes come together. It's the same with strawberries s or raspberries and bitter chocolate. Both are sweet and you'd think the taste would be jarring but they're not.
What are the tastes that excite you? Is it something as simple as what I've described or is it more complex. Write to us here with your loves, your ideas and your thought on foods that get you going.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
That Extinct Breed -The Ice Cream Parlor
Where have all the ice cream parlors gone to? If you're of a certain age, you'll remember like that (quick finger snap here). They were everywhere. Even some towns here in North Jersey had them. Now try to find one. Some do exist here in my state but they're down at the shore. I haven't seen any in this area since the late Nineties.
Don't get me wrong . I can still get a decent sundae in my neck of the woods. There are Friendlys all over here yet I classify them more as a restaurant than an ice cream parlor. They do make brilliant sundaes filled with the right amount of syrup and whipped cream. There's also Dairy Queen and Baskin Robbins which serve the standard stuff like cones and banana splits. Yet there are really no family owned ones anymore. I'm sure there are a few left in Manhattan . Most of them are at the Jersey shore where the big seller's are just cones or cups. Luckily the ice cream is home made and some even have their own invented flavors.
Maybe entrepreneurs should bring back the old fashioned ice cream parlor. Look there are now a plethora of cupcake stores everywhere and this was a food that all but forgotten just a few years ago. It's time for old fashioned, brightly lit, long marble countered ice cream parlors to be revived.With them should come the ingenous and heavenly creations that not only we enjoyed but our parents and grandparents did as well. Who wouldn't want a melon or pineapple sundae made with fresh fruit and freshly churned vanilla ice cream? Or the bottomless banana split that can feed ten people? Or homemade malteds with real malt in them? There's nothing like getting a chocolate soda with friends or just spend a relaxing Saturday in a plush booth enjoying a simple chocolate syrup drenched sundae.
Ice cream parlors will be relegated to Americana soon enough. It's time to bring back these wonderful places. There's nothing like spending an afternoon in one enjoying freshly churned ice cream.
Don't get me wrong . I can still get a decent sundae in my neck of the woods. There are Friendlys all over here yet I classify them more as a restaurant than an ice cream parlor. They do make brilliant sundaes filled with the right amount of syrup and whipped cream. There's also Dairy Queen and Baskin Robbins which serve the standard stuff like cones and banana splits. Yet there are really no family owned ones anymore. I'm sure there are a few left in Manhattan . Most of them are at the Jersey shore where the big seller's are just cones or cups. Luckily the ice cream is home made and some even have their own invented flavors.
Maybe entrepreneurs should bring back the old fashioned ice cream parlor. Look there are now a plethora of cupcake stores everywhere and this was a food that all but forgotten just a few years ago. It's time for old fashioned, brightly lit, long marble countered ice cream parlors to be revived.With them should come the ingenous and heavenly creations that not only we enjoyed but our parents and grandparents did as well. Who wouldn't want a melon or pineapple sundae made with fresh fruit and freshly churned vanilla ice cream? Or the bottomless banana split that can feed ten people? Or homemade malteds with real malt in them? There's nothing like getting a chocolate soda with friends or just spend a relaxing Saturday in a plush booth enjoying a simple chocolate syrup drenched sundae.
Ice cream parlors will be relegated to Americana soon enough. It's time to bring back these wonderful places. There's nothing like spending an afternoon in one enjoying freshly churned ice cream.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Basque Cuisine
Along the bay of Biscay there lies a region called The Basque . It belongs to France and Spain, mostly to Spain. It's an ancient kingdom, Some think it could even be the lost city of Atlantis. It not onlyhas an ancient language and an ancient cuisine as well.
The region is lucky to have the Bay of Biscay on its northern side and the fertile Spanish Ebro Valley to the south. The area is rich in tomatoes and capsicum peppers and both are used quite liberally in the cuisine. Seafood and grilled meats are also served, roaste d over a charcoal fire. The Basques are also known for a kind of tapas called txikiteo that features highly spiced hams and seafood. Cheese is also very big in the region , usually made from goat's milk . Quince jam is spread over it and it is eaten without bread.
The Basques area is also known for its' deep red cherries. Restaurants as well as homes serve a cherry soup. These are pitted and then poached in a light syrup . Creme fraiche, fresh cream or vanilla ice cream is added to give the soup some body. The Basques also make special cakes as well most loaded with crema or other fruits..
This ancient and mysterious region has some good dishes . They are not full of mystery like the land, and the languag . It's just simple good taste mixed with the local produce..
The region is lucky to have the Bay of Biscay on its northern side and the fertile Spanish Ebro Valley to the south. The area is rich in tomatoes and capsicum peppers and both are used quite liberally in the cuisine. Seafood and grilled meats are also served, roaste d over a charcoal fire. The Basques are also known for a kind of tapas called txikiteo that features highly spiced hams and seafood. Cheese is also very big in the region , usually made from goat's milk . Quince jam is spread over it and it is eaten without bread.
The Basques area is also known for its' deep red cherries. Restaurants as well as homes serve a cherry soup. These are pitted and then poached in a light syrup . Creme fraiche, fresh cream or vanilla ice cream is added to give the soup some body. The Basques also make special cakes as well most loaded with crema or other fruits..
This ancient and mysterious region has some good dishes . They are not full of mystery like the land, and the languag . It's just simple good taste mixed with the local produce..
Saturday, September 26, 2009
That Fun Treat Ppeanut Brittle
Now that the weather is cooler and ideal for candy making, it's time to start thinking about peanut brittle.This is a simple and yummy treat to whip up. It requires just simple ingredients and it's a good way to introduce older kids to candy making. Besides there's nothing like munching on brittle during a Saturday night movie.
Peanut brittle's popularity came about in 1903s thanks to George Washing Carver's mass introduction of th e legume to American palates. The recipe is actually probably been older thanks to the Southern folklore legend of Tony Beaver. It is said that he stopped a dam from flooding by using just molasses and peanuts. There are even recipes from around 1847 that call for ground nuts cooked in a mix of molasses and butter. The mixture was then left to harden in a baking tin. Other nuts used at the time were almonds and cashews but I suspect peanut brittle was probably the most popular and the most made.
Peanut brittle is a simple enough recipe to follow. A basic recipe is just cooking up granulated sugar, corn syrup, water and raw peanuts. Tthis produces a brown transparent brittle. If you want one that's the color of caramel add butter or margarine along with baking soda. I prefer the e first because I think the taste is purer. If you do want a buttery flavoring then grease a cookie sheet or brownie tuin with butter before you pore in the mixture. Also you can dip the hardened brittled pieces into melted dark chocolate for a more decadent taste.
peanut brittle is a fun and easy treat to make. It basically takes sugar and nuts and then cooking them together to form the best candy on earth. It's a fun way to spend an autumn Saturday afternoon.
Here is an easy recipe that I found at AOL Food.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups raw peanuts, blanched or unblanched
Vegetable oil, for the baking sheet
Cooking Instructions
1 Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in an 8-cup glass measure. Cook, uncovered, at 100% for 3 minutes.
2 Remove from oven and stir thoroughly. Add peanuts; stir again. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at l00% for 15 minutes.
3 Lightly coat a spatula and a large baking sheet or 16"x12" marble slab with vegetable oil. Remove syrup from oven. Pierce plastic with the tip of a sharp knife and uncover carefully. Pour mixture onto oiled surface. With the oiled spatula, spread peanuts to distribute them evenly through cooling syrup. Let harden.
4 When brittle is cool, break into chunks with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Store in an airtight container.
Peanut brittle's popularity came about in 1903s thanks to George Washing Carver's mass introduction of th e legume to American palates. The recipe is actually probably been older thanks to the Southern folklore legend of Tony Beaver. It is said that he stopped a dam from flooding by using just molasses and peanuts. There are even recipes from around 1847 that call for ground nuts cooked in a mix of molasses and butter. The mixture was then left to harden in a baking tin. Other nuts used at the time were almonds and cashews but I suspect peanut brittle was probably the most popular and the most made.
Peanut brittle is a simple enough recipe to follow. A basic recipe is just cooking up granulated sugar, corn syrup, water and raw peanuts. Tthis produces a brown transparent brittle. If you want one that's the color of caramel add butter or margarine along with baking soda. I prefer the e first because I think the taste is purer. If you do want a buttery flavoring then grease a cookie sheet or brownie tuin with butter before you pore in the mixture. Also you can dip the hardened brittled pieces into melted dark chocolate for a more decadent taste.
peanut brittle is a fun and easy treat to make. It basically takes sugar and nuts and then cooking them together to form the best candy on earth. It's a fun way to spend an autumn Saturday afternoon.
Here is an easy recipe that I found at AOL Food.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups raw peanuts, blanched or unblanched
Vegetable oil, for the baking sheet
Cooking Instructions
1 Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in an 8-cup glass measure. Cook, uncovered, at 100% for 3 minutes.
2 Remove from oven and stir thoroughly. Add peanuts; stir again. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at l00% for 15 minutes.
3 Lightly coat a spatula and a large baking sheet or 16"x12" marble slab with vegetable oil. Remove syrup from oven. Pierce plastic with the tip of a sharp knife and uncover carefully. Pour mixture onto oiled surface. With the oiled spatula, spread peanuts to distribute them evenly through cooling syrup. Let harden.
4 When brittle is cool, break into chunks with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Store in an airtight container.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Food Dictates
recently New York State has it to tax soft drinks. They'll be after salt next if Manhattan mayor, Mike, Bloomberg, has his way. Yet is it really fair to make us pay extra for food?Granted too much Coke or Pepsi along with salty french fries are bad for us, but still. Does our local government have to interfere with our diets? Can't we be trusted to guide ourselves through the tricky path of healthy eating?
What the local or even federal government should do is go after the food companies. There should be laws as to what constitutes healthy foodstuffs.Have inspectors look into the amount of "bad" ingredients" that go into a product Maybe there should be bigger tax breaks for corporations that create nutritious , low salt, low fat, no or low sugar foods. There should also be more funding for farms that produce solely organic harvests. In this sense, good eating will be promoted .
Another big problem is how do we wean ourselves off sugary drinks and the like? It's not like we can wear a patch as one can with nicotine. We can try to steer ourselves s into drinking healthier stuff, such as unsweetened tea (will this be taxed as well? ) or just plain spring water.It's the same big job with eating healthy. It's going to be a slow process of weaning ourselves off favorite foods and leaning towards fresher, less preservative laden foods.
If those of you out there who think the taxation is a bad thing, then think about our Prohibition Era. Remember the whole idea of banning alcohol? It could happen with salt and sugar. A glass of Coke could be considered the new crack. You could get pulled over for driving with an illegal bag of chips. Hopefully it won't come to this. Hopefully we'll just eat smart and live better.
What the local or even federal government should do is go after the food companies. There should be laws as to what constitutes healthy foodstuffs.Have inspectors look into the amount of "bad" ingredients" that go into a product Maybe there should be bigger tax breaks for corporations that create nutritious , low salt, low fat, no or low sugar foods. There should also be more funding for farms that produce solely organic harvests. In this sense, good eating will be promoted .
Another big problem is how do we wean ourselves off sugary drinks and the like? It's not like we can wear a patch as one can with nicotine. We can try to steer ourselves s into drinking healthier stuff, such as unsweetened tea (will this be taxed as well? ) or just plain spring water.It's the same big job with eating healthy. It's going to be a slow process of weaning ourselves off favorite foods and leaning towards fresher, less preservative laden foods.
If those of you out there who think the taxation is a bad thing, then think about our Prohibition Era. Remember the whole idea of banning alcohol? It could happen with salt and sugar. A glass of Coke could be considered the new crack. You could get pulled over for driving with an illegal bag of chips. Hopefully it won't come to this. Hopefully we'll just eat smart and live better.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Cupcakes Gone Global!
Well it looks like that American standard has gone international. What am I writing about? Not Coke or Pepsi. Not hamburgers or popcorn but cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes. In yesterday's Food section of the Times (remember it's Thursday and one article is always dissected) there was a piece about cupcakes shop hitting theMiddle East. Who on earth can resist this classic sweet. There's nothing like a moist tender cake under a big fluffy mound of buttery frosting!
The article written by Anna Louis Sussman write;s about Sugar Daddy's, a new cupcake shop in Amman, Jordan>, The owner FadiJaber, had an epiphany after eating at the famed Magnolia bakery in Greenwich Village. His customers, mostly women, fell in love with them, thanks to Sex and the city reruns that feature Carrie and friends munching on the famed treats. He has also opened shops in Lebanon, Isreal and Tel Aviv. Not only does he sell American style cupcakes but also brownies and cheesecakes.
You might wonder how well the cupcake translates for international tongues. Everyone from England to China seems to like this low key treat. They can also be adopted to fit the country's tastes. Mr. Jaber makes a "Blind Date" cupcake that's made with chopped dates and a cream cheese icing. Most people worldwide love chocolate and vanilla so even these flavors are nothing out of the ordinary. What may be startling or new to some palate is the amount of icing that every cupcake requires. This may come off as super sweet to countries who prefer plain cakes.
Cupcakes are not only favored by our celebs but by the entire world these days. Let's face it. Who can resist these sweet and colorful treats No one on the planet can!
The article written by Anna Louis Sussman write;s about Sugar Daddy's, a new cupcake shop in Amman, Jordan>, The owner FadiJaber, had an epiphany after eating at the famed Magnolia bakery in Greenwich Village. His customers, mostly women, fell in love with them, thanks to Sex and the city reruns that feature Carrie and friends munching on the famed treats. He has also opened shops in Lebanon, Isreal and Tel Aviv. Not only does he sell American style cupcakes but also brownies and cheesecakes.
You might wonder how well the cupcake translates for international tongues. Everyone from England to China seems to like this low key treat. They can also be adopted to fit the country's tastes. Mr. Jaber makes a "Blind Date" cupcake that's made with chopped dates and a cream cheese icing. Most people worldwide love chocolate and vanilla so even these flavors are nothing out of the ordinary. What may be startling or new to some palate is the amount of icing that every cupcake requires. This may come off as super sweet to countries who prefer plain cakes.
Cupcakes are not only favored by our celebs but by the entire world these days. Let's face it. Who can resist these sweet and colorful treats No one on the planet can!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Dates To Remember
Dates are not a popular fruit. You may see them at Christmas time or in Arab grocery stores here in the US . A lot of Americans won't eat them because they're too sweet or gooey or whatever. yet, like other fruits, they're packed with vitamins and minerals . Another plus - they're pretty tasty too.
Dates come from the date palm tree which is cultivated in Northern Africa and the Middle East. they have been growing there for centuries and dates have been a part of th e regional cuisine for 6,000 years. They were the food eaten by the ancient Egyptians . Egypt is the third largest date grower and importer of them. The Iraqis are first with the Saudi Arabians being second. Dates are chock full of vitamins and minerals, being high in potassium and magnesium. along with calcium and iron. The only drawback is that they are high in calories because of the sugar.
What to do with dates? Most Middle Easterners stuff them with almonds or cream cheese as well as with candied lemon or orange peel. Americans stuff dates with peanut butter and usually serve only at Christmas. However there is the famous date and nut bread along with date pies and date cookies. It can also be used in some North African recipes, such as Moroccan tangine recipes.
Don't discount the date. it is tasty and nutritious. Plus it give you a dose of much needed vitamins and minerals. It's sweet and healthy treat from the oasis.
Dates come from the date palm tree which is cultivated in Northern Africa and the Middle East. they have been growing there for centuries and dates have been a part of th e regional cuisine for 6,000 years. They were the food eaten by the ancient Egyptians . Egypt is the third largest date grower and importer of them. The Iraqis are first with the Saudi Arabians being second. Dates are chock full of vitamins and minerals, being high in potassium and magnesium. along with calcium and iron. The only drawback is that they are high in calories because of the sugar.
What to do with dates? Most Middle Easterners stuff them with almonds or cream cheese as well as with candied lemon or orange peel. Americans stuff dates with peanut butter and usually serve only at Christmas. However there is the famous date and nut bread along with date pies and date cookies. It can also be used in some North African recipes, such as Moroccan tangine recipes.
Don't discount the date. it is tasty and nutritious. Plus it give you a dose of much needed vitamins and minerals. It's sweet and healthy treat from the oasis.
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