Farm Fresh Gpoodness

I live in New jersey th e Garden State. It's the most evident in the fall when our farms (yes we have farms and large ones too) yield amazing bushels of fresh fruit and vegetables. I went on a mini tour of Monmouth County. It's Jersey's most productive county with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and farms along its' interior. The farms are a plenty and it was hard to choose which one to visit.

I stopped at Monmouth;'s most famous farm, Delicious Orchards. This is one of the oldest and has everything, They're known for their variety of fruits and veggies. You can also go raspberry and apple picking here in the fall and strawberry gathering in June. I bought some fresh Brussels sprouts (so good with butter and Parmesan cheese) and a nice acorn squash. This is the perfect time for any kind of squash and it's a versatile veggie. It's great roasted with olive oil or good pureed into a soup. I also splurged on Delicious' baked goods buying their famed cider doughnuts, pan brownies and English muffin bread.

I also stopped at an apple and pumpkin picking farm. There are several of these in Monmouth county . There are also pear orchards where you can go too. These are perfect if you're making butters or desserts. The place also sold squashes and tubers. I picked up an interesting white sweet potato. Imagine a yam with the color leached out of it and you have an albino sweet potato. It can be cooked the same ways as a regular sweet potato and has the same taste.

Go to the farms where ever you are. There's so many good choices for farm fresh ingredients. You;ll get the benefit of picking your own as well as all those important vitamins.

A Good Hot Cup

Now that October and cooler weather are here , it;s time to finally enjoy a nice hot cup of something.A warm brew is now more appreciated than anything loaded with ice. Also a hot beverage is much more richer than an iced anything. The drinks flavor intensifies and the various notes come out.

My favorite cold weather drink is Lady Grey tea. This is a more delicate blend than its' cousin, Earl Grey . It has a strong orange notes but doesn't have the astringency of the others. I have it sans milk and sugar. I think adding anything to it would compromise the taste. It's the perfect breakfast tea for a chilly morning. For a walk on a windswept beach I'd bring a more robust tea. Something with dark notes that could stand up to an accompanying sandwich. Any of the Lipton blends is good and with these you can add sweeteners.

Of course nothing beats hot coffee or hot cocoa on a chilly night. Chock Full of Nuts is a tasty brew, perfect with a good book and one of those blanket robe thingies. I also like the way it complements the hearty cakes and pies of the season.,Cocoa is a different matter. Some people do like a delicate blend which is what I prefer,namely Droste with sugar added. This reminds me of true Parisian hot chocolate and it's just lovely with fresh buttery croissants. What a perfect fall breakfast before you head out hiking or leaf gazing.

Now that October is here wean yourself off the iced drinks. Appreciate the full, rich taste of a hot drink, A good hot cup of whatever is soothing for both body and soul.

Autumn In New York

The New York Tines Dining section had reviewed Da Posto, the city's premier restaurant and that got me thinking. October in Manhattan is a magical time. The weather becomes cooler and crisper (usually). The opera and theater seasons are blooming with openings and first nights. The party season is just beginning. This all means that there are restaurants involved. The city has some good ones to celebrate this elegant, fun season.

One of my favorites will always be Marinella's.It's a Genovese type restaurant featuring seafood . It;'s a wonderful quiet and elegant place without all the star hoopla. The food is just as good as Da Posto but it doesn't have that dreadful celebrity cache now associated with city eateries. Marinella's also offers risotto and polenta and has almost carbon copy recipes of my family ones. To me it's just like eating at home. If you do want grand then head over a few blocks to Vanity Fair editor's Graydon Carter's Ye Waverly Inn. This has been around for a few years. The food is pricey but good. It is a great place to look for celebrities and any Euro millionaires if there are any left.

New York also has some small stops where you can go for some sandwiches. The best are usually away from the tourist spots where the food can be lousy and the cost extravagant. The newest hot spot for Italian sandwiches is Eataly brought to you by the famed chef Lidia Bastianich and her son Joe. Together with Mario Batale they created a haven in which to get fresh made true Italian pizzas and freshly sliced prosciutto and mortadella. Take these with you when you go sit in nearby Union Square Park.

Manhattan is full of fall delights from the theater to cool crisp breezes. Add a special meal to the mix to celebrate the fall season. There are enough restaurants around that great island to do so.

Forbidden Pleasure

Pork in Israel is considered tref or forbidden. A cookbook about it is not only forbidden more or less but also controversial. Yet one has just been published and by an Israeli who grew up eating black market sausages. It's full of delicious recipes and makes good use of every part of the pig.

I read about the author Dr Eli Landau in yesterday;s Dining section of The New York Times. The interview was conducted by Jeffrey Yoskowitz and it;s an interesting one. The cookbook is called "The White Book" a reference to pork;s code name "white steak ".The phrase is used in restaurants throughout Israel because there are laws restricting the sales of it. Pigs can be raised in non secular communities thanks to legal loopholes citing that it's done in the name of science.

The recipes are wonderful . The Times published a great spaghetti sauce that features pork loin. As anyone knows sauce made with pork is much more fragrant and tastier than beef based ones.There are also ones that feature pork and polenta stuffed cabbage along with pork meatballs with fennel seeds.It mostly a Mediterranean based book save for one good weiner schnitzel recipe.

Pork recipes are rarely controversial. yet Dr, Landau created a stir by compiling this fascinating cookbook. It's a salute to a great meat , tref or not.

Is Your Kitchen Clean Enough?

Is your kitchen clean enough to cook in?Is your table sanitary enough to eat off of? Bring in a health inspector to find out.Today's New York Times' Dining section had an interesting article about bringing health inspectors in to rate your kitchen. It's a scary thought albeit a helpful idea.

The author, Henry Alford had an actual inspector come in and rate his kitchen. He received many points off , five off for having cats, then for having nicks (which cause bacteria) in his cutting board and a fridge leaking condensation. He also got points off for having a broken meat thermometer and not having a thermometer in his refrigerator. He did receive a thumbs up for having a covered garbage can.

I don;t know if I want my kitchen evaluated and rated. I know I've broken a ton of violations such as having cats or dust in my cabinets along with not having the appropriate thermometers. I do have clean dish towels which I just found out that damp dirty ones are bacterial breeding grounds. I do clean my kitchen, dust and scrub it twice a week. Personally that's enough.No one in my family has had any kind of food poisoning. I guess we're safe.

Would I want my kitchen rated and compared to restaurant kitchens? Heck no!!!! I'm happy with it the way it is even if I have cats in it. At least they keep the mice out.

Snacking On The Go

It's a well known fact . Man or woman can not live by three meals alone. W e have to snack. It's just that simple. Meals just don't hold us til the next one. Our stomachs just won't stand for it. Unfortunately snacking can mean devouring anything tasty within in reach. We don't think about what's good for us. We think about what's near by.

Any one can snack healthy. It's just a matter of bringing good stuff with us. There are some schools across the US that are now installing veggie venders in their cafeterias. These are vending machines that dispense containers of baby carrots and broccoli florets. These are the perfect treats, full of good for you vitamins and low in calories. Unfortunately not every place has these. You can pack your own crudites, adding bell pepper strips along with a low cal dressing. Another idea is fresh fruit. Take advantage of this season's abundance of apples and pears. These are a great mid afternoon pick me up with a cup of coffee.

There are some of us who can't help but want junk food to keep those mid afternoon munchies at bay. If that's the case then try plain tortillas with a jar of easy to store salsa. These satisfy the crunch and desire for salt. Another healthy snack food are pretzels. Store a bag of these in the car or at your desk for some healthy eating. They're also good with peanut butter or mustard as well.

Snacking on the go can be rough. However always have healthy choices on the ready. These not only stops hunger but also those extra , empty calories. Reach for something that not only will satisfy but will help.

Comfort Food Classics

There's nothing like classic comfort food on a damp autumn day. There's something comforting about a meal from our childhoods. It brings about Proustian memories of soothing aromas and tastes. It 's like a security blanket protecting us from bad days and bad bosses. Who cares about calories and the amount of fat it has. It's comfort food, enough said!

Another good thing about comfort food is that it's relatively easy to make. I've just recently rediscovered Swanson's Chicken A la King. It's just heat up and pour over toast or rolls. It's a simple mix of white gravy , chicken chunks and red peppers. Yet it;s a complex blend of memories and comfort, recalling cozy dinners or Saturday lunches from the Madman Era.Another easy to make comfort food is grilled cheese. It's a slice of cheddar over white bread.It can call on some fancy twists, like adding a tomato slice or bacon or both. Fry it with a slice of ham and you have that French classic., the croque monsieur.

Of course you can make the more complicated classics. Everyone loves baked mac. It is somewhat labor intensive but well worth it. It does take time so it's best made on a Saturday or a Sunday. The same thing goes for roasts. Yes, it's wonderful to have a turkey or roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, yet they can't be made on a busy weekday night- unless you ave a lot of help or head over to Boston Market.

There's nothing like classic comfort food. They're the perfect way to end the day or celebrate a big weekend. Their aromas, their tastes all as soothing as a security blanket!