President Butter Fantastique

Nothing beats the taste of a good butter.it should have a smooth tangy flavor and silky texture along with a deep yellow color, like new daffodils.Now imagine a French butter like that which is far superior to any good American one and you have President Beurre from France.This is the perfect butter.Truly. President Brand comes from the notable dairy cows of Normandy and is famously known for it's and Brie along with other soft cheeses.The company was started in 1967 by Andre Besnier who humorously named it that because there are prsidentsof this and that all over France.It could also be an homage to Charles De Gaulle governed the country at the time. The company is in the heart of the beautiful Loire region of France, not far from Norman dairy farms.The beurre or butter is made in true French style.It is churned with a slightly soured or cultured cream which gives it a deeper color than American butters.There is also mo added vegetable oils, sometimes seen in our butters.It also has less water too, making for a denser product.French butter has more fat, 82 per cent more than the American kind which can squeak by with only 80 per cent.President sells theirs in three styles.There are sticks used for baking and cooking.the sea salt one, perfect for slathering on baguettes and the spreadable , softer beurre sold in tubs.This last is perfect for both cooking and enhancing sandwiches. By far President is the best butter I have ever tasted.I love the sea salt spread the best with it's tang punctuated by the sharp briny bursts of the sea salt(which I also imagine comes from Normandy as well).It is good on bread but also on biscotti(this is how they're eaten in Piedmonte,the pairing of the beurre and anise flavor is amazing)This is the butter that would justify eating lobster (forget that cup of yellow stuff that restaurants serve with it)and bring out the flavor of a good filet mignon.It is hearty and earthy, and definitely would complement any piece of beef's flavor.I am also in love with their spreadable butter.It too has that rich tang, but with a more sweeter flavor than the sea salt one.This is perfect for any veggie dish.I can see it enhancing creamed spinach or steamed carrots.I would also add a table spoon or two into any cream soup.To be honest I would probably only use President for baking croissants,brioches or any fruit tat in.I think it's too good to waste on ordinary butter cookies and cakes.Even butter cream icing is not worthy of this fine spread.Butter lovers will understand this next confession: I just love eating plain and letting it just melt on my tongue. If you want a taste of heaven then buy President butter.It will enhance your meals tenfold. It's tang and richness add to everything from a simple slice of bread to the most expensive cut of beef.

Chilee And Dips

You would think that chili's and dips wouldn't have anything to do with the late summer season.Yet they do.This is chili season when the peppers are coming into ripeness.As for the dips ,well you could use them in dips too, as they make their way into backpacks across the nation. Both David Tanis and Melissa Clark discussed this in their weekly columns in Wednesday s New York Times Dining section the other day.Mr.Tanis covered the peppers.These are ubiquitous in his old stomping ground of Santa Fe.The most famous and desirable are the Hatch peppers which come from the Hatch Valley.They're roasted to perfection while green.The process is done in a barrel , basically a perforated metal drum rigged to rotate over intense flames.The skins get blisters, the chilies themselves get cooked a bit.There is a sauce(but you can also use it as a dip).It starts off with a chicken broth base and you can make with rich with the addition of butter or healthy by using olive oil instead.Spices abound in it,from cumin to oregano.Mr Tanis serves it up with a breakfast quesadilla but it can also go in fajitas or tacos or as a condiment with any grilled meat from chicken to steak. Milder dips come from Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column.The reason is not chiles but her daughter.Unfortunately at the younger's Clark's school, her favorite sandwich , peanut butter and jelly is banned due to the abundance of nut allergies. Her mother goes with dips as an enticement to eat a healthy dip.Dips are a better lunch time meal than sandwiches?Kids like the idea of dipping and any dippable fits perfectly in little hands.This theory can also work for adult lunches too.The dip"s base should be a protein such as yogurt, beans tofu and cream cheese.Add ins can be cheddar and scallions in a cream cheese and mayo dip.There's also an avocado basil one made smooth with olive oil and Greek yogurt.This is actually a good receptor for the green chile sauce.Add a tablespoon or two for a spicy appetizer at a grown up dip.Serve either with warmed tortilla chips,Ms Clark throws in an edamame tofu one zinged up with Ginger and soy sauce.You can serve this with cucumbers or rice Crackers.Luckily dips can e made fresh or the night before and they also work as good after school snacks too. Chiles and dips actually work. With the last days of summer.It's the time for them as both head to the office or school.Combine them too, for an end of summer party.

Fall Foodies Guide Of Manhattan

There is nothing like Manhattan in the fall.It's the start of the theater and opera season.It's a time to wear all those yummy clothes from oversized sweaters during the day to fancy sparkly evening duds for those parties?It's also the start of the foodie fall season as well.New restaurants and trends are coming faster than falling leaves.It's definitely going to be a unique few months. The New York Times Dining section covered it.All the contributors, from Eric Asimov to Florence Fabricant weighed in on everything from new wines to innovative techniques.One of the most interesting stories comes from Jeff Gordinier interviewing chef Enrique Olvera.Chef Olvera has been visiting other eateries , studying their methods for his highly anticipated restaurant Cosme.His won't be the typical Mexican menu, redolent woth tacos and bowls of nachos.He is creating his own spin using traditional , little heard of recipes while stealing from New York City's finest.His place may have the trendy buzzy vibe of Del Posto but with his own spin on traditional Mexican recipes.He even sampled many different guacamoles to see what he could do different.He found it, in the form of room temperature avocados. Doing this creates a tastier, more flavorful dip,The Dining section has also included his avocado taco recipe? This is a combo of buttery and hot, thanks to the addition of a generous portion of tomatillo. Of course there are other restaurants to try. Some even have the new addition of take out.This was Florence Fabricant's piece. New Yorkers and even visitors to the city can enjoy everything from fried chicken from the hot spot Le Bilboquet to the sinful chocolate velvet cake from the famed Four Seasons.There're even nibbles from Chef Gregory Zakarias from his famed Lamb Club.These are sesame rolls served with marscapone cheese.However it's the season for eating out too.One of the more fun ones is Birds and Bubbles on Forsythe Street.Chef Sarah Simmons combines that new culinary adage of serving champagne with fried chicken, a seriously perfect combo with both food and drink greatly complementing each other.Vegans will adore Dirt Candy, the trendy vegan hangout run by Amanda Cohen.Eric Asimov, who helms the issue's weekly The Pour column offers up some restaurantns with really good cocktails and wine lists.The Chinese restaurant Fung Tu not only has interesting dishes but interesting wines from Frnace and Italy.M.Wells Steakhouse has one of the most expensive ,ranging from retsina, to the pricy Laurent Tribut to go with their variety of steaks and chops. The fall season will soon be here.Enjoy it foodie wise with all the new eateries and dishes of the season.it's going to be a fun one, complete with new flavors and spins on classics.

Happiness Is A Hahn's Crumbcake

Nothing beats a good old fashioned crumb cake. There's something about the marriage of buttery ,crunchy crumbs and a yeasty not so sweet cake.Hahn's Crumb Cakes of ,Farmingdale New York fills that need.This Long Island bakery is known for their delicious coffee cakes.They offer the traditional along with different variations.Best of all, crumb lovers ,they even sell a bucket of just crumbs.What bakery does that? Hahn's is located in Farmingdale, smack in the center of New York"s Long Island.It's a great stop not just for locals but for those going to and coming from the island's posh South Fork.It was started thirty years ago by Regina Hahn.She not only bakes crumb cakes but also brownies and a mocha cappuccino cake.As for the crumb cakes, Ms Hahn has given different twists to the classic cake.There are fruit kinds, with raspberry and apple, along with a chocolate one.Anyone of these would be great ending any holiday dinner or party, whether at home or at the office.The bakery goes one step further and offers a bucket, literally a small paint can, filled with rock sized crumbs.This alone would make a neat birthday or holiday gift for the extreme crumb cake lover.There is also the variety pack that has the traditional, raspberry and chocolate packaged together. I sampled the variety pack and now am a fan for life.Hahn's has created the perfect crumb cake.There is a perfect ratio of base to topping.The cake itself is a wonderful, moist, buttery yeasty kind that's not too sweet.The crumb topping is a nice mix of cinnamon and butter that doesn't over power the cake.The raspberry kind is laced with swirls of the fruit, but again, the raspberry is not overpowering.There's only a taste of it that meshes well with the other ingredients.Hahn's chocolate is the best.It's a dense, dark cocoa ,not cloying as most chocolate cakes are.The topping is the same as for the others,and it works here too.Of course I also got the bucket of crumbs.They"re great snacks ,bursting with nothing but cinnamon and butter.These would be great on plain vanilla ice cream for a different kind of dessert.They would even make a neat crumb parfait ,layering them with hot caramel sauce and ice cream. Hahn's is the perfect place for finding the best crumb cake.They are moist and flavorful, harking back to those home baked kind we all grew up loving.Try their classic ,fruit or chocolate for a true treat.

Start A School Pantry

School is starting (and has started in most of the Midwest).All schools provide a lunch and some even supply a relatively nutritious breakfast.However what happens after school is not an easy A.Many kids come from families that can't afford even cold cuts and bread for a simple sandwich.There is a solution.Start a school food pantry. This is not a new idea.Many schools are looking into this.Kids have admitted to their mentors that their parents just can't afford to put food on the table.Even though unemployment rates have dropped somewhat, there are still adults throughout the US that have no income or were forced to get low paying jobs.Teachers have stepped up and contributed canned items as well as produce for those less fortunate.It's coming out of their meager salaries.Their students now have three square meals a day plus the healthy snack of fruit.This means better concentration when they're working on homework and reports.This is one of the best idea however it should not just be up to the educators.School officials as well as town councils should institute this in those needy schools within their district. Any school can start a food pantry.The school should also reach out to local churches and farms as well as groups such as The Elks and Unico along with local restaurants.Care packages can also be made up, with two or three cans of soup, cold cuts , milk ,a mix of vegetables and fruits along with bread and different mixes.Another idea is having school suppers where a hot meal is guaranteed.The suppers can also be open to teachers and school staff as well.It is a great way of introducing parents to their kids' educators.A group dinner is also a good way of families sitting down together and sharing.There could even be a Saturday lunch too, maybe even in the form of a picnic during the fall and also again in the Spring.Older kids can volunteer to help prepare or set up.There can even be a holiday food pantry, with holiday baskets made up of tins of veggies, cranberry sauce, along with stuffing mix and jarred gravy. Another idea is special birthday baskets for the kids whose parents are struggling to give a memorable day.These can be packed with cake mix and canned frosting.A small toy or book can be put into it as well. Hunger is our kids ' greatest enemy.Three meals not only contribute to a child's growth and health but also to their brain development and concentration.This means paying attention in class and focusing on what kids should be focusing on, lessons and playtimes, not hunger or foraging for food.

The Foods Of Labor

Today being Labor Day, it's time to devote some of our thoughts to those who put food in our stores and on our restaurant tables.So many workers put in long hours and get nothing, including no benefits out of It. Their toil saves us a variety of chores involved in providing and even cooking foods. The next time you eat your veggies or even fruits, think of the pickers who provided you with them.Most are migrant workers whose quality of life is still the same as when John Steinbeck depicted them in the 1930"s classic The Grapes of Wrath." For as long as you can try buying from your local farmer's market or family farms.These should treat their workers a bit more decently than the big brands?Another group that's constantly abused are the restaurant workers from servers to cooks.All have to work long hours ,standing in front of hot stoves and hot pots.Waitstaff has to deal with everything from whiny, food throwing tots to rude, unappreciative customers.Make it up to them by being nice,and complimentary.Give them a little more when tipping.Make their work day as pleasant as pleasant as you would for your fellow coworker. Labor Day is a time when America honors its workers.The ones who work the hardest are mostly in the food trade.Honor them and the backbreaking work that they do.They are the ones that feed you.

Different Dips Different Times

Dips are one of the most versatile and easiest dishes a home chef can create.They can be used to kick off a party or part of an after school snack.Best of all they can be made with healthy ingredients from legumes to veggies.Another good thing in their favor is that they also can be served with a variety of dippables too. One of the easiest and healthiest dips to make is salsa.It's also a great way to use up any leftover tomatoes , peppers or onions from your garden's yield.Dice two or three beefsteaks or vine ripes along with two green bell peppers.Add a diced yellow onion and presto a tasty dip.It's up to you if you want to add seasoning but I'd recommend just a dash of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Salsa can be customized too to suit everyone's tastes.If your party goers go wild over anything four alarm, then add some ground up chile peppers or sliced jalapenos.If the salsa is for the kids, then think about adding some finely ground broccoli and cauliflower.Also fruits such as blueberries and mangoes can be mixed in for some sweetness.You can also whip up a dessert salsa, with mango ,coconut and pineapple.For heat think shaved Ginger added to the mix? classic dips such as onion and crab are alswyas fun, especially when served with potato chips or even crudités.However the main ingredient sour cream is too high in fat and calories.Remedy that with Greek yogurt,You"ll still have a creamy dip with a satiny texture but it won't be as lethal. Hummus is popular right now.It's not only good for those late summer gatherings but also for after school study groups.It's an easy mix of just tahini paste, chickpeas , olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice.Tahini paste is nothing more than mashed, hulled sesame seeds.You can buy it at any grocery store or you can make it yourself. It's a quick bake in the oven and then purée the seeds with vegetable oil.Hummus can be made to suit any ones's tastes.Roasted garlic and roasted pepper are two favorite add INS.You can also toss in lime, chile or basil.The best snack to serve with hummus is toasted pita wedges or chips.Kids can make hummus sandwiches for a healthy after school snack .Guacamole is another easy ,fun and good for you dip.The best recipe is the easiest.Take two ripe avocados, along with one vine ripe tomato mash with the addition of a minced yellow onion.I also add just the/scantest drop of olive oil to give it smoothness and texture.Remember to add lemon juice so the dip won't discolor.Serve with warmed tortilla chips. Nothing is as versatile or as tasty as a well made dip.Try a salalsa or hummus.Make guacamole for a special first day of school treat.Any kind is just fun to make and fun to eat?