New Passover Treats

Passover means cooking dishes that have been handed down for generations.As good as these are, it's always nice to add some new ideas.It keeps the meal from becoming boring and predictable.It also lets home chefs experiment with new ingredients and techniques.All in all in makes for an exciting and memorable holiday Seder. Both Melissa Clark and Joan Nathan experimented with new ideas and time honored ingredients in The New York Times Dining section.Ms.Clark tries the dessert aspect of Passover in her A Good Appetite column.She makes macaroons, long a holy day staple ,but she bakes them a la francaise so they resemble the kind Laduree makes. she stuffs them with a simple caramel of just sugar and water.Dark chocolate is then drizzled over them to cut the overly sweet taste.Another classic ,a flour less cake becomes a hazelnut citrus torte.The hazelnuts are finely ground and mixed with quinoa, the South American grain for a batter.Both lemon and orange juice are added for flavor then it is baked in a spring form pan for half an hour or so.To finish off the meal.Ms Clark makes the classic matzoh candy.It's really a toffee that was originally made with chametz, or leavened crackers such as Saltines for the rest of the year.Butter and Ginger is poured over the matzoh, then baked.Chocolate is then added to the baked sheets as is candied Ginger. Joan Nathan also contributes a Passover recipe, fried artichokes. This is a traditional dish of the Roman Jews and popular because April is artichoke season throughout Italy.Ms.Nathan makes the trip to Rome to visit with home cook, Paola Modigliani Fano for the recipe and to enjoy these heavenly treats.Use American globe artichokes and cut the leaves off.What will be left will be the hearts along with the tenderest parts of the choke.They are fried until crisp for fifteen minutes.The rounds should be bronze in color.Leave them be, after spreading out the leaves leaves with a grapefruit spoon or melon baller.A second frying occurs a few hours later and this is what gets them potato chip crisp.They could also be frozen for another time, although they're so delicious people would want them right away. Serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice.These would even be a good hors d"oeuvre for any Spring gathering. Passover is a time for tradition and good food.Yet it's nice to introduce new culinary traditions to the holiday table.Whether ,sweet or savory these dishes are sure to become instant family favorites and classics.

The Best Homemade Pizza

Nothing beats a homemade pizza.You can decide what's going into both the crust and the topping.Best of all you can make it as healthy or as decadent as you want.All you need is a simple crust recipe and you're good to go. Sam Sifton, former editor of the New York Times Dining section goes back to his old section( he now handles the national news section of the newspaper)and finds the best homemade pizza recipe.Not surprisingly it's one of the easiest dishes to make yet no one troubles to make it.People tend to order out or buy the frozen kind,Yet why would you with a snap to make recipe.Before you even start,Mr Sifton recommends, is buy a pizza stone.This is a sheet on which the pie is cooked.It costs at most forty dollars for a stainless steel one. You can also get a cheaper one simply by getting 6 inch by 6 inch unglazed quarry tiles at your local building supply store.Just buy six which will work perfectly for a large sized pizza.Another handy device is a pizza peel .This helps in transferring the pie to the oven however you can use your everyday cutting board or baking sheet. Once you have these then it's time to make the dough .It should be pliant and chewy.The flour should be the Italian made graded 00. You should also add water and olive oil, the last for body.It should be lightly kneaded and gently stretched.Don't manhandle it.The sauce should also be made the same way.The best recipe for it is from the famed Brooklyn pizzeria , Roberta's. Drain cannned tomatoes and blend with olive oil and a dash of salt.Finish with basil and big chunks of mozzarella for a Margherita style.There is also a recipe for the Green and White, a cheese pizza with just arugula on top.Also try experimenting ,with such interesting and unusual toppings suc. As tuna, caviar, if you wantvto impress guests, shredded pork, and a variety of differentvtomatoes, from grapecto plum to beefsteak.Baking time for all is just 6 minutes. APizza for lunch or dinner is a treat.Homemade with a tasty crust, even more so.Try this one with whatever topping you want and enjoy it.

Icing On Your Cake

Thanks to Easter,home bakers the world over will be decorating cakes and cookies with Easter egg colors,.The question is do most know the difference between the two? What about glaze?How does that figure into holiday cake and cookie decorating.Another question is there a healthy frosting to counter balance all those Peeps and chocolate eggs. Surprisingly there is a difference between frosting and icing ,although we tend to use the two words interchangeably.Frosting is made with butter, lard or margarine along with confectioners's sugar and milk.It's beaten until fluffy with either a spoon or beater.It can work as filling too,depending upon the cake flavor( simple chocolate or vanilla cakes can stand up to a frosting filling)?It can be piped or spread on the cake's surface with a knife or spatula.Fondant icing which is popular in the UK is more like a shiny covering ( think the icing on Hostess cupcakes).Corn syrup is the reason for that shininess and usually a quarter of a cup is added.)If you're making an egg shaped caked then ice with the fondant .It"ll take the shape better and give the appearance of an egg shell.You can decoratevwith buttercream frosting afterwards.If you're baking a lamb or chick cake ,then use the buttercream frosting piped on in small florets.This gives both a soft'fuzzy"look. For those worried about too much sugar, you can make a sugar free icing using liquid stevia ,cream cheese and heavy whipping cream mixed together.It's a bit runnier than the regular kind but still delicious and decorative. Icing is frosting but without the buttercream.It works best on cookies.Icing is nothing more than confectioner's sugar mixed with light corn syrup and milk.You can add flavoring such as lemon or almond extract to give it flavor.You can also use this on cupcakes if you're not into big fluffy puffs.If you're planning on making Easter egg and daisy cookies ,then split the icing into individual bowls and tint with food coloring or natural dyes.Glaze is a type of simple icing. It taste best on sweet breads and sweet rolls.It is usually made with a cup and a half of sugar with only two to three tablespoons of milk added. You can trade one of those teaspoons for lemon juice to cut the sweet.Glaze can not only be drizzled over rolls but also over coffee cakes ,crullers and doughnuts.An orange or lemon glaze would amp up the holiday fanciness on a simple yeast based butter cake. Easter baking time is here and with it a host of baked goods to decorate.Decide what you're going to make and pick the best topping for it.It'll guarantee prettily decorated and delicious cakes, cookies and breads with just the right amount of sweetness to top it off.

Not Your Average Vending Machine

Everyone either loves or hates those candy and snack machines.They're a kid's fantasy stocked up with all sorts of bad for you treats .Dieters hate them because they're full of greasy chips and sugary treats.Luckily there is achange coming and hopefully to a vending machine near you. Instead of cookies and chips ,pizza is now being served hot and fresh ,straight from the Lets Pizza vending machines in the UNited Kongdom.They're in malls and airports offering people a hot meal. ,The machine actually makes the dough ,kneads it, put the desired toppings on and then bakes it all in three minutes.It's an amazing concept soon to be here in the US? Not to be outdone Moet and Chandon has also created a vending machine for mini or pony bottles of it's signature champagne.This is a great concept and beats a can of soda any day.Right now the vending machine has been in the famed British department store,Selfridge's but it may be hitting clubs on both sides of the Atlantic. On this side of the the Atlantic vending machine companies are getting on the health craze. Instead of candy bars, apples, oranges and pears are being rolled out.It's 's definitely a nice way to incorporate fruit into any diet.Chicago is bringing us the Veggie Vending machine, where fresh salads can be bought.There are all sorts from the antioxidant which is chock full of flax seeds, blackberries along with almonds and sprouts to the Mediterranean salad, loaded with Parmesan and Kalamata olives?Not to be outdone LA has come out with a burrito machine.Hopefully it's just as tasty and as relatively healthy as TacoBell's.Australia has also come put with a french fry vending machine, a neat snack but far from being as healthy as salad or apple.All of these hark back to the Automat, a restaurant that vended all sorts of dishes, from ham and cheese sandwiches to baked Mac and cheese.This is a concept that should come back. Vending machines have grown up some.You can now get champagne and fries or a salad instead of a candy bar and a cola. It's a way towards quicker eating and a chance to get a decent meal.

Springtime Diet Time

The calendar says April and that means only one thing bikini season is just a month away.It's time to give up those heavy yet comforting winter meals ,desserts and snacks.However this isn't necessarily a bad hinge.Going on a diet means eating healthy along with other benefits.Trading lush dishes for lighter ones means more nutrients and less carbs and fats. One of the biggest changes is going to be breakfast.How many of us have started off a snowy day with pancakes,French toast ,eggs and bacon.These were great when we had to grapple with shoveling snow or sledding with the kids.The weather is warmer now and that means egg white omelets ,chock full of veggies or just plain.Use the lighter in calories turkey bacon as opposed to the pork one.Berry season will be here before you know it and you can start the day off with puffed wheat or Special K cereal topped with blueberries or sliced strawberries.Another good for you start is mixing these fruits along with peaches (which will be in abundance in another month or so) with plain Greek yogurt.You can also lighten up on your snacks too.Nix all those cookies and cupcakes that kept you going when the temps dropped .Replace them with fresh fruit which is a great mid morning or mid afternoon boost.Fruit itself is also a better pick me up than that sugary donut with a mocha latte.You can also switch beverages too.Those cappuccinos and hot cocoas were great chill chasers, but now think about light passionfruit or mint teas.These have zero calories yet provide the same boost as any syrup laced java.Also add ice to them as the temps warm up for a refreshing break. Some of the biggest dietary changes are going to be with lunch and dinner.One of the best parts of Spring cooking is that it doesn't require labor intensive recipes.Instead of spending hours making a weekend roast,you can do a light sauté with steamed veggies.Not only is this healthier for you it's also a change of pace as well.Three or four months of meat drowned in gravy can be a bit wearing on the old taste buds.This is the season for asparagus with its fresh earthy flAvor.Make it as a side,drizzled lightly with butter or Parmesan or have it as part of a main dish inside a crepe or grill it with other vegetables.Lunch is also lighter.Instead of those big hearty sandwiches or even the occasional burger, you can go light with easy to make salads and wraps.Try different variations to mix it up.Think beet salad topped with goat cheese crumbles and dried onions .Tomatoes on their own make a good salad,especially if you add rosemary and a fresh sliced onion.Another light treat is a mini salad Nicoise, made with tuna, olives and artichoke hearts.Enjoy it outside on a warm Spring day and you'll feel like you're in Provence. Spring is here and with it comes lighter ,healthier eating. Leave the heavy food behind until nextbwinter.You'll feel and look better when you're ready to try on that bathing suit,

A Good Saute

Sauteing is one of the easiest and quickest ways to prepare dinner.It's a versatile way of cooking both meats and veggies for an afterwork dinner or even a Saturday or Sunday supper.All you need is a skillet along with oil or butter to create a tasty dish done in minutes. sauté come from the French word meaning to leap.This has to do with the way the food is cooked, being tossed in a pan.You can use your every day skillet or buy a saute pan. The only difference is that a skillet has sloped sides while the sauté pan has straighter one will work.Use butter or olive oil in small amounts.Another option is Land o'Lakes Saute Express butter squares.The are little butter bricks,marbled with spices, lemon and herbs. It saves you the time of adding flavorings.Cooking time should be about until the meat or veggies are done. There really is no set time frame.Some take longer than others,For example mushrooms take a minute to cook up while something denser ,such as Savoy cabbage takes up to five minutes or more.Reduce the flame until everything cooks up and then serve.You can deglaze what left over as a sauce. What makes for the best sauté?Chicken, beef or any kind kind of fish.You can lightly dredge the chicken and fish. doing this make for a more tender texture. Afterwards add lemon and a tiny splash of white wine for a variation of Meuniere sauce?Sauteed beef is another option.The best bet here cut wise is tenderloin pieces.They're all the same size and cook up quickly.It can also be sautéed.The best ones are Savoy cabbage, mushrooms and green beans.Frozen vegetables can also be sauteed.Microwave or steam them first so they're not so icy when you put teem in the skillet.Garlic can also be sautéed and you can use it as a pizza topping or to liven up a tomato sauceSauteed veggies are wonderful on rice or any type of pasta. Sautes are great time savers along with sealing in the flavor. They make for an excellent meal without any fuss or muss.They let a home chef create a fancy meal in just minutes.

Waffles For All Day

Homemade waffles are always a treat.Nothing beats s fresh from the iron .Yet you can also have them for lunch or dinner with a more savory feel.After all, waffles are a type of bread ,so why not treat it as such.It makes for a fun and interesting main meal or change from the ordinary. New York Times Dining contributor, Melissa Clark explored all variations of this classic dish derived from the French gauffre in her A Good Appetite column yesterday. She has created an excellent recipes all from the acquisition of a brand new waffle iron,She replaced her old one, a cast iron and chrome one from her parents(and one of their wedding presents no less) for a bright stainless steel one.These are the best to have.They're easy to use and also to clean.It makes for having more homemade waffles. A regular treat ,not one that's made a few time a year.Thanks to her new waffle iron,Ms Clark has come up with some interesting spins. To be honest waffles are one of the most versatile recipes.Anyone can experiment with different flours and with adding herbs and spices along with toppings for some unique eating. Ms. Clark starts off with an easy to replicate recipe.It does does have yeast added which results in a lighter, fluffier waffle.It has dry yeast and baking soda for lift along with whole wheat flour.This give the finished product a tang that goes well with any topping .Make the batter the night before or very early in the morning and then bake.There is also a recipe for cornmeal waffles.This too also has Greek yogurt to it for a bite to offset her suggested topping bananas with a bourbon syrup.For a savory waffle she adds Yukon Gold potatoes.It is topped with creme fraiche and smoked trout, a sort of play of caviar and sour cream on buttered toast points.This last was inspired by a savory waffle she had eaten at M.Wells steakhouse in Long Island City.The waffle was topped with smelt , creme fraiche and trout roe. If you don't like fish, then try a savory waffle with ham hash and scrambled eggs, or serve it like chicken a la king with chicken bits in a rich sauce purée over one or two waffles. A well made waffle is a culinary dream come true.It can be made sweet or savory ,for breakfast ,a main meal or even dessert.Try any recipe or create your own and enjoy the crisp golden treat with syrup or with meat and a sauce.