Hearty Bowlfuls

Now that the weather is once again becoming crisper and nippier, it's time for a good bowl. Not that kind that involves nine pins but bowls of thick, nutritious goodness. Any dish that you can scoop into a big one is perfect, be it chowder, gumbo or stew. They make you feel warm and cozy, the perfect comfort foods on frosty nights.

Chowders are wonderful for any November lunch or dinner. Although it really isn't the season for seafood you can still make a hearty clam or shrimp one using frozen seafood.(although there are some fish stores that do sell freshly caught clams during this time). Corn chowder is another great chill chaser.It is easy to make along with being hearty and filling. You can add some thickly diced potato chunks along with bacon to make it rib sticking and more flavorful. Gumbos are another bowlful of substance and taste. Although they're a little more involved than chowders you can still create an easy one . Again seafood is the traditional way to go however there are also chicken varieties too that have just as much fire and punch.

The most traditional bowl dish is stew.Thanks to the crock pot, stews can be made early in the day and served piping hot at dinner time. The most traditional is lamb stew which can be slow cooked with a hint of sweetness for a North African vibe or with potato chunks and parsley for a more traditional Irish meal. Of course there is also beef stew along with chicken stew. Both call for creativity. For the beef you can add anything from ordinary ketchup to red wine to amp up the taste. For the chicken, think about a splash or white wine to eggplant to a dash of oregano. Serve both with regular or Midwestern dumplings instead of bread or rolls..

This is the season for warm hearty bowlfuls. They can come in the form of chowders, gumbos or stews . All are different yet all have the same goal, to drive away that November chill.

Nut Time

This is the season for nuts.What's great about any one of them is that they're so versatile. You can have them in salads, sides or desserts. They're also good on their own, freshly cracked and right from the shell. No matter how you have them , nuts offer an earthiness, perfect for the fall and especially the Thanksgiving table.

This was the subject of Melissa Clark's article in yesterday's A Good Appetite column in The New York Times Dining section. In it, she explores one of the autumn's table's most loved and wanted food. Right now is th e time for three favored nuts, the walnut, the pecan and the chestnut. Walnuts are usually eaten alone (although they give salads a ice crunch) . You can buy them shelled or unshelled , although only four percent of th e nuts are actually sold in their shells. They can be kept up to a year. Ms. Clark gives a great relish recipe that has walnuts mixing with the tangy sweet tastes of pomegranate and orange.

The other nut featured is that Southern classic the pecan. These are plentiful this time of year thanks to that Thanksgiving Day standard pecan pie. Pecans on their own are fantastic, buttery and chewy. In the pie, they 're just heavenly, complimenting the praline type filling .The recipe featured is not pie but couscous, a different spin for sure. Chestnuts have always been a popular treat in November. They're usually eaten for All Soul's Day through out Catholic Europe. They should be scored with an X on top to let them steam out and roasted or toasted over an open fire. Ms Clark offers her dad's way which is slitting them around their circumference and then microwaving for forty seconds. I would prefer mine plain however she makes them as a filling for a tart or in stuffing.

Nuts are always vital to a fall table. No matter what type they are, they add flavor and crunch to both dimmer and dessert. They're also good on their own a s a toasty. tasty snack in front of a roaring fire.

There's An App For That

Cooking especially holiday cooking can be stressful. First timers and seasoned cooks alike, can run into all types of disasters, especially when trying out a new recipe or cooking method. Not to worry, though. There's an app for whatever culinary problem you may have.

This was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. The piece, written by regular, Julia Moskin, tells of this modern day convenience. Having several cooking apps on your tablet is necessary these days and especially now with Thanksgiving Hanukkah and Christmas just around the corner. After all IPads and their ilk can go with you everywhere , in particular, to the grocery store. The recipe of choice is at your anything down. However for cooks who like tweaking recipes, there's also an app for that too , allowing for amounts to be changed or for ingredients to be added or deleted.

As with any app, cooking ones are plentiful. You could download Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals or Baking With Dorie. The apps are cheaper than a cookbook, with prices starting from free to $7.99/ Some, such as the Geometry of Pasta even have animation while the Cooking With Dorie has videos so bakers can learn the basic techniques.. However be warned with Cooking apps with video how tos can eat up a lot of memory so be careful with what you're downloading. Browse through them to decide what best suits your need. There is a free Thanksgiving dinner app that can easily work for Christmas and even Easter. If you're re into baking then just download one or two of those themed apps.

This is the season for any type of cooking disaster or problem. Invest in a few informative cooking apps to help you avert any snag. It'll make for smoother time in the kitchen along with tasty holiday dishes.

A Good Rub

A good rub is essential to any pork or beef rib. I brings out the flavor of th e meat along with imparting a crunchy , crisp coating. A rub also holds in the juices, making the meat moist and melt in your mouth yummy.You can buy rubs or better yet make your own. They're easy to create and store.

One of the best recipes is the Kansas City rub. This town knows ribs ; it lives by them so what the local chefs put on them has to be special . Their rub recipe is a blend of spicy and sweet.It's a mix of paprika , and brown sugar with chili and cayenne thown in for added heat. Onion powder along with garlic is also mixed in for extra flavor. Memphis, another town , known for its' excellent ribs has its' own variety of rub . It employs dried mustard and basil along with the requisite garlic and onion powders for zest and zing. Chicago,a city known both for its' amazing food and meats also has a rub recipe. Theirs is simliar to the other two but also has parsley added for a different, earthier flavor.

The Caribbean islands are known for their rubs too. These can be put on everything from chicken wings to even turkey, from steaks to ribs. A popular one is made with granulated garlic along with brown sugar and a different herb this time - thyme. It also has chili powder and sea salt for added crunch and extra taste.One island, Jamaica, is really the king of rubs. The island produces so many recipes, it's hard to choose which one is the best. Jerk a spicy dish and one of the most popular starts off with a rub that includes white sugar, and native spices such as cinnamon,. cloves and allspice. Of course there is chili powder and garlic to give it heat. Remember that most rubs last up to four to six months in storage. You can make them now and use them even in the Spring. They'll still be good.

Add a good homemade rub to your next batch of ribs for some fire and crunch. It'll turn ordinary ones into a special meal. Make any recipe or create your own for a unique flavor!

Much Ado About Food Trends

Trends rule our lives. Women gear their calendars by what's hot in the spring and fall. Techies of both sexes get excited over the latest I -something. Even foodies go completely gaga over what the experts and trendistas tell us to put into our mouths.The question is: is a food trend all the fuss?

I recently found this out when I tried macarons for the first time. Recently writing about them made me curious. When I spied them in one of my favorite New Jersey bakeries I had to get them. I wanted something sweet for a dessert later that evening. It was either them or home style oatmeal cookies. Of course the macarons won out. Let me preface by saying that this particular bakery is one of my favorites. I love their cupcakes . They're even better than the ones that are found in Magnolia Bakery . Their cookies are wonderful. I had anticipated that their stab into the newest sweet trend would be too. They were not what I thought they were going to be.. The chocolate ones were a bit gooey and reminded me of a brownie. The vanilla was better, redolent of almonds with a non traditional butter cream filling. So this is what all the fuss was about.

Maybe I 'm not used to them . I thought my first macarons were going to be heavenly. They were more leaden than what I imagined. Maybe another bakery would do them differently., create a lighter, crisper shell with a sinful filling.However that's the problem with food trends. There's so much hype about them . What's good? What isn't? It's kind of like the fuss about fashion.Platform shoes may look wonderful but in reality they hurt the calves and make walking cumbersome. The hype overwhelms and sugar coats the actual product sometimes.

What to do about foodie trends that make you scratch your head? Like any other trend, ride it out. In the end it's all about what makes you happy - not others.Listen to your taste buds - not the style makers.

Marriage of Good Tastes

When foods taste good they really taste good. Combine them with another delicious dish and - BOOM! - it's tremendous ! Both sides meld together to create something tasty. This is a perfect marriage - unlike some recent celebrity ones that didn't last.


Burgers on their own are great. However pair that delicious beefy taste with pizza toppings and you have something special. It's the combination of tangy, herb rich tomato sauce, soft, gooey cheese and a good quarter pounder all sandwiched between a bun. With it , there's no need for sides. A pizza burger is just flavorful on its' own. The same can be said of chili fries and chili dogs. Chili is tasty just as a main dish however over crispy fries or dogs, sheer bliss. It's a perfect melding of tastes and textures.Another good combo is chicken and pasta. Any chicken , whether breaded or grilled, is a great solo act however paired with spaghetti or linguine makes a filling and delicious dinner.

Desserts have always been the result of pairings. Look at chocolate fondue.It's the perfect blend of molten chocolate, with cake, marshmallows and fruits. Chocolate is also a brilliant foil for everything from pound cake to bacon nowadays.A chocolate ganache can go well with crispy tuile cookies or as a topping to a rich buttery pound cake. Caramel is another excellent go with. Apples and caramel are great together but the sweet can be used as a topping for ice cream , plain cakes and even puddings. Even caramel and chocolate together make a neat and fun couple.



Some marriages work, some go the wayside. When two stand out dishes are united, they create a new one that's even more tastier. It's a union that will stand the test of time and last forever.

Salisbury Steak - Simple But Hearty

Fall and especially November demand hearty dinners that stick to our ribs. What better than a Salisbury steak along with gravy and mashed potatoes. It's a meal that's easy to make plus the whole family will enjoy it. Salisbury steak is what every November dinner should be - satisfying and filling.

The dish was actually the creation of a Nineteenth Century doctor, James H. Salisbury who preached regularly about the benefits of chopped lean beef. He advocated eating a ground patty three types of day to prevent certain illnesses. In 1897 he came up with his "cure all' , ground meat suffused with eggs, breadcrumbs, onions and spices, pounded into patties and then fried. This could be served with other foods or strictly on it's own . In a way the Salisbury steak was a precursor of the hamburger although the Germans already had something along those lines.

Salisbury steak is one of the easiest meals to make. The original recipe hasn't changed since Dr. Salisbury invented it. It takes one to one and a half pounds of ground beef along with breadcrumbs,egg and onion soup. Mix these together and fry in a skillet. The sauce is easy. You can have just brown gravy premade or make up the one that usually goes with the dish. This consists of ketchup, water Worcester sauce and mustard along with flour and the onion soup. You can also spice up the recipe with chopped mushrooms and then serve with a mushroom gravy. A perfect side is homemade mashed potatoes but Salisbury steak also goes well with buttered egg noodles too.

Treat your family to Salibury steak for a good hearty meal. It's perfect during these chilly nights. It's simple , and fast to make , yet oh so good.