Fondue is making a comeback and in a big way. This Sixties staple is being served throughout the US and there are even fondue restaurants randomly popping up allover New York and New Jersey., Fondue is a great for celebrating winter and enjoying a fun cozy dinner with family and friends. Cheese fondue is great and requires very little ingredients and cooking skill. It's also a good way to use up leftover wine and cheese.
The dish started in Switzerland in the 18th Century when the Swiss needed to get rid of the hardened cheeses. the dish was invented int he Swiss Canton of Neuchatel when the locals melted cheese and wine together. the name however is from the French fondre meaning to melt. However fondue can refer to anything that can be melted , dunked or dipped into a small Emmanthaler cheese mixed over a small sterno and the minced garlic is added in. the traditional dipping choice is chunks of stale French or Swiss bread but you can add apples or potatoes for more flavor.
Fondue is one of the easiest party and dinner dishes to make. Modern recipes call the same basic ingredients , that reall Swiss fondues have however cornstarch or flour is added for body along with dry mustard and nutmeg for some spiciness. Sometimes kirchwasser or cherry liqueur is added to give the fondue it's slightly tart taste. Also you can use Swiss cheese however this can be very gummy. Stick with a good Gruyere or Emmenthaler. Luckily with fondue there are no leftovers so you won't have to worry about storing it.
During these chilly nights make a comforting fondue for you and your family.It's perfect chill chaser and a great way to get together for some fun and conversation. Everyone will enjoy this tasty , rewarding treat from the Swiss Alps!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Just Like Our Ancestors Ate
Would we really want to eat lie our ancestors ate? Surprisingly the answer is yes. After all the animals back then were not pumped full of growth hormones nor where they treated cruelly. They were raised on farms and had good diets. Now there’s a movement to genetically engineer farm animals and bring back breeds that have become more or less extinct.
Say what you will about it but it has become an obsession with foodies. it’s part of the locavore revolution , the ones who want to eat what’; growing in their neighborhood. Already scientist s have brought back the fainting goat and which has a lot of meat and some breeds of cattle that came to North America via the Spaniards in the 1500s. The animals are packed with flesh which make them desirables for butchers and the flavor is probably more intense too.
Right now agrarian schools like Tufts University are handling the genetically engineered breeding. This is where endangered breeds are having their ovum frozen along with being artificially inseminated with a more everyday kinds One experiment is Hogg Island sheep, on e of Virginia‘s indigenous breeds and known for their dense, flavorful being mated with amore common breed to produce a hybrid with the best traits of both parents. Dorrance Hill Hamilton, heir to the Campbell Soup fortune, is another driving force behind these goings on. . She also believes that cryopreservation will help in preserving the animals incase there is an outbreak of Mad Cow Disease.
I suppose it is a good idea, to create a better locally farmed meats . I’m sure the idea will spread to the poultry farms as well . Do we want to eat richer meats like our ancestors did?. There are bonuses here, as in less fat and more flavor? There’s nothing like bringing back a rich taste and texture.
Say what you will about it but it has become an obsession with foodies. it’s part of the locavore revolution , the ones who want to eat what’; growing in their neighborhood. Already scientist s have brought back the fainting goat and which has a lot of meat and some breeds of cattle that came to North America via the Spaniards in the 1500s. The animals are packed with flesh which make them desirables for butchers and the flavor is probably more intense too.
Right now agrarian schools like Tufts University are handling the genetically engineered breeding. This is where endangered breeds are having their ovum frozen along with being artificially inseminated with a more everyday kinds One experiment is Hogg Island sheep, on e of Virginia‘s indigenous breeds and known for their dense, flavorful being mated with amore common breed to produce a hybrid with the best traits of both parents. Dorrance Hill Hamilton, heir to the Campbell Soup fortune, is another driving force behind these goings on. . She also believes that cryopreservation will help in preserving the animals incase there is an outbreak of Mad Cow Disease.
I suppose it is a good idea, to create a better locally farmed meats . I’m sure the idea will spread to the poultry farms as well . Do we want to eat richer meats like our ancestors did?. There are bonuses here, as in less fat and more flavor? There’s nothing like bringing back a rich taste and texture.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Extrending The Holiday With Ukranian Cuisine
Even though the holidays are over with and Epiphany was done with on January 6th you can still extend the taste of the season with Ukrainian food. Yesterday's Times Dining section gave an an entire page to this ancient and varied cuisine. These dishes are also wonderful chill chasers, flavorful and hearty. They are perfect for the snowy day and nights that come with this month.
The article written by Dining section regular Julia Moskin write about the dishes and the people who preserve this taste s of one of Russia's oldest provinces. She also wrote about the bastion of this cooking- the East Village where Ukrainian restaurants abound. It is hearty fare with the popular beet soup or borscht along with vuska , tortellini like dumplings filled with mushrooms or onions. These are a standard and and are usually added to the soup.Another popular food is stuffed cabbage. Usually these are meatless for Christmas Eve . Mos t of the time they are stuffed with pork or lamb.
The Ukraine isn't really associated with sweets. Yet there is the holidays meals end with a dried fruit compote called uzvar. Dried apples, pears prunes and raisins, basically the fall harvest is cooked with water, honey and lemon and then spiced with cinnamon and clove. The article doesn't mention the jam and semolina treats called povidlyanka. This is a type of custard made with whole eggs, semolina flour and jam of choice along with chopped nuts. The Ukrainians have several other pastries that they make and I suspect they have a few Easter treats that are really y something too since Russian Orthodox Easter is a huge holiday with them.
Ukrainian food reflects the people who make it - no nonsense and hardy .It is a great cuisine not just for holidays but for chilly winter nights to warm the body and the soul. Ukrainian food is the ultimate comfort food especially on a cold January night.
The article written by Dining section regular Julia Moskin write about the dishes and the people who preserve this taste s of one of Russia's oldest provinces. She also wrote about the bastion of this cooking- the East Village where Ukrainian restaurants abound. It is hearty fare with the popular beet soup or borscht along with vuska , tortellini like dumplings filled with mushrooms or onions. These are a standard and and are usually added to the soup.Another popular food is stuffed cabbage. Usually these are meatless for Christmas Eve . Mos t of the time they are stuffed with pork or lamb.
The Ukraine isn't really associated with sweets. Yet there is the holidays meals end with a dried fruit compote called uzvar. Dried apples, pears prunes and raisins, basically the fall harvest is cooked with water, honey and lemon and then spiced with cinnamon and clove. The article doesn't mention the jam and semolina treats called povidlyanka. This is a type of custard made with whole eggs, semolina flour and jam of choice along with chopped nuts. The Ukrainians have several other pastries that they make and I suspect they have a few Easter treats that are really y something too since Russian Orthodox Easter is a huge holiday with them.
Ukrainian food reflects the people who make it - no nonsense and hardy .It is a great cuisine not just for holidays but for chilly winter nights to warm the body and the soul. Ukrainian food is the ultimate comfort food especially on a cold January night.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Goat Cheese - A Healthy Alternative
If you're looking for ways to cut back on calories and improve your diet look no further than goat cheese. This a great alternative to any cow's cheese . It also is a great addition to any meal or snack, being much healthier for you. A lot of people are squeamish for some reason when it comes to this kind of cheese . I don't know why. It''s actually tastier and creamer than any Edam or Brie I've tasted. There's a certain farm freshness to it that can't be gotten with regular cow's milk cheese.
Goat cheese has been around for millenniums. The Middle Easterners first realized that they could create a cheese from goat's milk and quickly added it to their diets. It then spread throughout the Mediterranean , ad became popular in France where it is still known as chevre and in Spain. The Greeks worship their version otherwise known as feta. Goat cheese is low in calories and high in protein . It has the same chemical components as human breast milk. Goat cheese can come hard or soft, creamy or crumbly. You can buy it on a cone, log or buche shape, circular or puck or crottan shape for entertaining. Goat cheese can also come in a wheel or "button" shape as well. it can be infused with lavender or marinaded in olive oil or red wine (this last was recorded by Homer in The Odyssy)
There's a lot you can make with goat cheese. I like it in a wrap with a healthy dose of spinach and red peppers. Its' creaminess offsets the veggies and makes for a really good and filling lunch. You can also sprinkle it on crisp Romaine lettuce along with olives and dolmades for an Athenian style salad.Some goat cheese have a creamy texture to them and these can be used for spreads A very nice one for parties is the super quick to make chevre and artichoke dip. Try goat cheese on individual pizzas for a different appetizer as well. it;s versatile and can add ot any main meal or horsd'ouevre.
Goat cheese is a healthy alternative to cow's milk cheese. Use it if you want to lose weight or just would like a better diet. Once eaten it will be your favorite for life.
Goat cheese has been around for millenniums. The Middle Easterners first realized that they could create a cheese from goat's milk and quickly added it to their diets. It then spread throughout the Mediterranean , ad became popular in France where it is still known as chevre and in Spain. The Greeks worship their version otherwise known as feta. Goat cheese is low in calories and high in protein . It has the same chemical components as human breast milk. Goat cheese can come hard or soft, creamy or crumbly. You can buy it on a cone, log or buche shape, circular or puck or crottan shape for entertaining. Goat cheese can also come in a wheel or "button" shape as well. it can be infused with lavender or marinaded in olive oil or red wine (this last was recorded by Homer in The Odyssy)
There's a lot you can make with goat cheese. I like it in a wrap with a healthy dose of spinach and red peppers. Its' creaminess offsets the veggies and makes for a really good and filling lunch. You can also sprinkle it on crisp Romaine lettuce along with olives and dolmades for an Athenian style salad.Some goat cheese have a creamy texture to them and these can be used for spreads A very nice one for parties is the super quick to make chevre and artichoke dip. Try goat cheese on individual pizzas for a different appetizer as well. it;s versatile and can add ot any main meal or horsd'ouevre.
Goat cheese is a healthy alternative to cow's milk cheese. Use it if you want to lose weight or just would like a better diet. Once eaten it will be your favorite for life.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Spring Rolls A New Year's Treat
Like us the Chinese have tasty New Year's food to celebrate the birth of a new year. One beloved one is our popular spring roll. This crunchier cousin of the egg roll is not only a good party food but also makes a quick and filling lunch or dinner. They're also less filling and just right for those starting their diets.
Spring rolls began in China and Taiwan during their New Year however the Vietnamese and Laotians also eat them. The rolls are different from the egg roll in the sense that they have a crisper, lighter wrap filled not so much with shredded cabbage ,shrimp or pork but with spices and different lettuces. They are fried with the gold color symbolizing wealth and prosperity for r the upcoming year. Some do have meat in them, but most are strictly vegetarian. In Vietnam , spring rolls do have a little meat added but also herbs, chives and some minced fresh garlic. The Northern Taiwanese add a different spin to their s with a layer of peanut powder added right before wrapping, The Southern Taiwanese add caster sugar and the powder for a sweeter
variety.
Are spring rolls easy to make? Well you can buy them in your frozen food section already wrapped and waitingto be fried or boiled. You can make them from scratch as well . They're really easy to make. Perhaps the only headache is finding rice wrappers which some stores do not carry. However any Oriental grocery store in your area probably will have them in stock, along with the necessary spices. Other wise it's just making what you like and then boiling or frying them. Malking the outer layer spring rolls is no different than creating a wrap sandwich. There's the same same kind of folding involved. Spring rolls also make great hors d'oeuvres even in the summer because they're very light.These can be filled with fresh picked herbs along with tomatoes, Romaine lettuce shreds and fresh picked string beans.
Spring rolls are a great way to ring in any New Year. They're also a fun appetizer or meal to create for these drab winter days. Try some for luck and prosperity!
Spring rolls began in China and Taiwan during their New Year however the Vietnamese and Laotians also eat them. The rolls are different from the egg roll in the sense that they have a crisper, lighter wrap filled not so much with shredded cabbage ,shrimp or pork but with spices and different lettuces. They are fried with the gold color symbolizing wealth and prosperity for r the upcoming year. Some do have meat in them, but most are strictly vegetarian. In Vietnam , spring rolls do have a little meat added but also herbs, chives and some minced fresh garlic. The Northern Taiwanese add a different spin to their s with a layer of peanut powder added right before wrapping, The Southern Taiwanese add caster sugar and the powder for a sweeter
variety.
Are spring rolls easy to make? Well you can buy them in your frozen food section already wrapped and waitingto be fried or boiled. You can make them from scratch as well . They're really easy to make. Perhaps the only headache is finding rice wrappers which some stores do not carry. However any Oriental grocery store in your area probably will have them in stock, along with the necessary spices. Other wise it's just making what you like and then boiling or frying them. Malking the outer layer spring rolls is no different than creating a wrap sandwich. There's the same same kind of folding involved. Spring rolls also make great hors d'oeuvres even in the summer because they're very light.These can be filled with fresh picked herbs along with tomatoes, Romaine lettuce shreds and fresh picked string beans.
Spring rolls are a great way to ring in any New Year. They're also a fun appetizer or meal to create for these drab winter days. Try some for luck and prosperity!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Buckwheat A Cold Weather Must Have
This is the season to eat hearty and healthy. Buckwheat , thankfully falls under these two categories along with being tasty and extremely versatile. You can make vitamin loaded meals with this amazing herb . You can also add some flavor to a bland January diet as well. Buckwheat is great in almost everything from pancakes to pasta.
Buckwheat is surprisingly part of the herb family(Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib) and not a cereal or a grain. it was first cultivated in Manchuria and central China and then moved west to the Arab countries. the seeds were then sown in northern Italy, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia where it grew in more or less hardy terrains. The Dutch brought it to the Hudson Valley in the mid 1600's where it was a staple of early colonial cuisine. Buckwheat is also known as kasha or groats . It is one of the best things to eat. Buckwheat is high in fiber along with being chock full of Vitamins B1 and B2. The flour lowers cholesterol and helps reduce high blood pressure . It is an excellent source of fiber and is helpful in preventing such cancers ans colon and breast. The only drawback is that it can cause rash in allergy sensitive people. if eaten too much.
Most people only eat buckwheat for breakfast. the most common is kasha cereal however it is good in griddle cakes as well. Recently I've eaten buckwheat pasta which is a dense chewy kind and buckwheat dumplings again chewy but with a nutty flavor. I actually like these buckwheat products better than their whole wheat cousins. I would love to experiment with making a buckwheat pizza or ravioli sometime,long with a buckwheat waffle. I also like the fact that the flour makes for a more robust version anything This makes for a better but much more healthier meal choice during these frigid days.
Buckwheat is definitely the food product to consider , especially during these chilly days. there's nothing like starting the day off with a stack of buckwheat pancakes or ending it with a soothing buckwheat pasta. It's a great way if dealing with winter.
Buckwheat is surprisingly part of the herb family(Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib) and not a cereal or a grain. it was first cultivated in Manchuria and central China and then moved west to the Arab countries. the seeds were then sown in northern Italy, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia where it grew in more or less hardy terrains. The Dutch brought it to the Hudson Valley in the mid 1600's where it was a staple of early colonial cuisine. Buckwheat is also known as kasha or groats . It is one of the best things to eat. Buckwheat is high in fiber along with being chock full of Vitamins B1 and B2. The flour lowers cholesterol and helps reduce high blood pressure . It is an excellent source of fiber and is helpful in preventing such cancers ans colon and breast. The only drawback is that it can cause rash in allergy sensitive people. if eaten too much.
Most people only eat buckwheat for breakfast. the most common is kasha cereal however it is good in griddle cakes as well. Recently I've eaten buckwheat pasta which is a dense chewy kind and buckwheat dumplings again chewy but with a nutty flavor. I actually like these buckwheat products better than their whole wheat cousins. I would love to experiment with making a buckwheat pizza or ravioli sometime,long with a buckwheat waffle. I also like the fact that the flour makes for a more robust version anything This makes for a better but much more healthier meal choice during these frigid days.
Buckwheat is definitely the food product to consider , especially during these chilly days. there's nothing like starting the day off with a stack of buckwheat pancakes or ending it with a soothing buckwheat pasta. It's a great way if dealing with winter.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Year New Foods
It's good to be a foodie in 2010. There are so many new foods out (thanks to an innovative 2009). There's also some new twists on old classics that should get tongues wagging and palates wanting. All in all it will be a very interesting and flavorful year.
Some things that I've noticed have been right on my grocery shelves. One that is really outstanding are the Lu madeleine sandwiches. These are made by the same French based company who makes those luscious Petit Ecolier biscuits. The madeleines are even better. These are two butter, silky textured shell shaped cookies bound together with the richest darkest chocolate you can imagine. These are new to the market and completely addictive. Another item I've just seen - although it may be out for a while - the baked Ruffles with ridges. It surprised methe other day when I tasted then. I don't like baked potato chips. To me they have a rather flat taste.However these baked Ruffles were pretty much like the regular old school ones - without that heavy , oily aftertaste. Another new trend I think will catch on is buckwheat pasta. I had this on Christmas Eve at my favorite restaurant and just recently bought buckwheat dumplings. Buckwheat is high in fiber and gluten free. It is also rich in magnesium and zinc along with being chock full of flavanoids.Even though it's been around for centuries in Milan's province of Lombardy (thanks to the Saracens bringing it to Northern Italy) I really think we'll be seeing a lot f it , whether in the form of ravioli or just plan spaghetti and fettuccine.
Now here;s something I didn'texpect. Bacon is going to be the most wanted ingredient of 2010. I had heard it on the radio just before writing this. There are ways now to make it into everything from a liquid to a powder. There is talk of a new drink - the bacon-tini which featured bacon powder lining the rim of a martini glass. Another big thing is bacon ice cream where flecks of it will be scattered through the vanilla flavor. This doesn't surprise me. there is already bacon maple lollipops and bacon brittle. It was just a matter of time before it wasincorporated into other sweet dishes. besides it is also the cheapest ingredient to work with as the news reporter pointed out. Chefs love it because they can buy it in relative large quantities and do a host of experiments with it.
These are are samplings of what 2010 will bring to the table , literally and figuratively. I'm sure other new products will come out. Chefs will do a variety of experiments with other ingredients and some long forgotten spices will get their due this year. 2010 will certainly be a good year for us foodies.
Some things that I've noticed have been right on my grocery shelves. One that is really outstanding are the Lu madeleine sandwiches. These are made by the same French based company who makes those luscious Petit Ecolier biscuits. The madeleines are even better. These are two butter, silky textured shell shaped cookies bound together with the richest darkest chocolate you can imagine. These are new to the market and completely addictive. Another item I've just seen - although it may be out for a while - the baked Ruffles with ridges. It surprised methe other day when I tasted then. I don't like baked potato chips. To me they have a rather flat taste.However these baked Ruffles were pretty much like the regular old school ones - without that heavy , oily aftertaste. Another new trend I think will catch on is buckwheat pasta. I had this on Christmas Eve at my favorite restaurant and just recently bought buckwheat dumplings. Buckwheat is high in fiber and gluten free. It is also rich in magnesium and zinc along with being chock full of flavanoids.Even though it's been around for centuries in Milan's province of Lombardy (thanks to the Saracens bringing it to Northern Italy) I really think we'll be seeing a lot f it , whether in the form of ravioli or just plan spaghetti and fettuccine.
Now here;s something I didn'texpect. Bacon is going to be the most wanted ingredient of 2010. I had heard it on the radio just before writing this. There are ways now to make it into everything from a liquid to a powder. There is talk of a new drink - the bacon-tini which featured bacon powder lining the rim of a martini glass. Another big thing is bacon ice cream where flecks of it will be scattered through the vanilla flavor. This doesn't surprise me. there is already bacon maple lollipops and bacon brittle. It was just a matter of time before it wasincorporated into other sweet dishes. besides it is also the cheapest ingredient to work with as the news reporter pointed out. Chefs love it because they can buy it in relative large quantities and do a host of experiments with it.
These are are samplings of what 2010 will bring to the table , literally and figuratively. I'm sure other new products will come out. Chefs will do a variety of experiments with other ingredients and some long forgotten spices will get their due this year. 2010 will certainly be a good year for us foodies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
