Don't Push The Pumpkin

It's only September and already we're inundated with everything pumpkin and pumpkin spice.From pasta sauce to muffins from coffee to even candies, we're being gagged with the flavor of October and November. Hate to say it but it's still September,still summer.We should still be enjoying the flavors of fresh fruit and veggies not holiday spices. Instead of rushing Halloween and Thanksgiving we should be slowing down and enjoying all the tastes of late summer.It"s the second raspberry season. How come Starbucks or even Dunkin Donuts don't have raspberry iced teas?Some gardens are still yielding tomatoes.Instead of pumpkin and I seriously hope it's not laden with pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon and nutmeg) why not sauce made with September plum tomatoes.If you want a more autumnal flavor, then roast them on the grill with olive oil and Rosemary,,following by puréeing into a sauce.Apple season is also just beginning.Focus on them.They're versatile, being good as a chutney with any roast loin of pork, or in pies and tarts.Dunkin Donuts does have an iced cider drink,Sadly it's also doused with a hearty dose of cinnamon.Leave it be and it will be fine.Just because we're heading into fall doesn't mean we have to over spice everything.What next?Cat and baby food? Pumpkin spice bones for Rover? American businesses tend to rush any season.It's done to bring in money.That's why we have our stores awash in bathing suits in cold, rainy April,school stuff in the middle of vacations season and candy corn melting on store shelves during the dog days of summer.the problem is that with the foodstuffs, unlike clothing and decorations they do get stale.We also get sick of those tastes long before the actual holiday arrives.After all two months of too much spice can be cloying and irritating. Protest this.Use social media.Tell all these coffee shops and supermarkets to delay serving these autumn flavors until late October or early November.If it gets any more out of hand you"ll be drinking Christmas hot cocoa during your July vacation at the beach. We are heading towards fall however we,re far from Halloween and Thanksgiving.Let's enjoy those late summer flavors while we can.Taste the raspberries and tomatoes. Enjoy the taste of sun ripened foods.

Fig Season

One of the best harvests right now is the fig ones.These plump beauties are versatile,they can be perfect as an appetizer or wonderful as a dessert.It's the time to use them at the height of their short season. Figs come from the Middle East and Western Asia,however it's the Romans who brought fig growing to a high art.Roman writer, Cato the Elder listed several varieties in his De Agri Cultura,one of the world's first cookbooks in part.the fruit is one of the healthiest fruits you can eatThey are rich in potassium,They are also loaded with calcium and magnesium as well and are a good fruit to eat for anyone suffering from high blood pressure.Dieters should make figs part of their daily regime because they can aid in losing weight.It's due to the fiber.Surprisingly enough they're also helpful in decreasing the risk of macular degeneration ,an eye problem, afflicting the elderly..Even the leaves have tremendous benefits.They can reduce triglycerides as well as lowering insulin.There are several different types, usually identified by their colors.there are the Black Missions, which have blackish purple skin and a pink exterior.There are the green Kadota and Calimyrna while the Brown Turkey is adept eggplant purple .The Adriatic , which provides the filling for the ever popular Fig Newtons are light green with a tan interior.right now your stores or farmer's markets are selling the European figs.For dried figs, remember.to look for ones that are mold free and pleasant smelling.They 'll stay good all year round while the just picked ones last only two days in the fridge. Most people think figs are only good for filling bar cookies.However they 're much more than that.David Tanis of The New York Times Dining recommends them in a ricotta and phyllo dough tart.He also adds honey and almonds, a nodd to their exotic past.Of course ripe figs are perfect foils to salty prosciutto as an appetizer or even light meal.You can even pair them with pecorino cheese again in a salty. And sweet combination.Another fun idea is using it and dried salame as topping on foccaccio..You can also wrapped them in cured or dried meats as tasty appetizers for a late summer barbecue.Figs can be added to salads too, to give them a pop of color and earthy sweetness.They can be added to Moroccan tangines or as a glaze for lamb chops or chicken.Try them roasted with the chicken as well.Figs can also add a touch of the exotic to desserts too.Oven roast them and serve with ricotta and vanilla ice-cream.They can top a gâteau di riz or a baked rice pudding.They would be great in a tart tatin or better yet enrobed in dark chocolate.You can also go the traditional route and bake them into bars.Homemade Fig Newtons are relatively easy to make.It requires dried Calmyra figs cooked with water ,sugar and apple juice.The cookie wrap is a buttery one made with eight tablespoons of butter.Assembly is easy,Think jelly roll and then cut into inch or two inch cookies.These are not only a nice snack, they're also a great dessert too. Take advantage of the fig harvest right now.They're healthy and sweet ,along with being versatile.Try them in a salad or exotic dish, or better yet, in homemade cookies.They won't disappoint, not with their flavor and benefits.

Reinventing BritIsh Cuisine

It was only a mere quarter century ago that British food got sneered and ridiculed.Then something amazing happened.Homegrown chefs started to make the cuisine interesting.Gone was the green goop known as mushy peas and oil soaked logs known as fish and chips.Britain introduced the world to farm to table along with a return to artesanal foods made without preservatives and chemicals. This , along with two new British authored cookbooks, was the center of Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite on Wedmesday.She reviewed and recommended two chefs' books.Yottam Ottolenghi just released Plenty More(Ten Speed Publishers) is about English cooking as well as Caribbean ,Indian Japanese and Thai cooking.His recipe for scrambled eggs is an eye opener.It is zinged with cumin and Chiles, along with tomatoes.He also has an exotic and bracing salad of three ingredients not always thrown together.Broccoli shares a bowl with edamame and coconut spiced with curry leaves, mustard and lime.I can see this as a side to roast or barbecue pork or chicken.Another plus about Chef Ottolenghi's cookbooks is that it is vegan(although it's not marketed as such).He has a following, thanks to his other books on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.This book is bound to have another set of groupies. The other chef, Diana Henry, has a more traditional cookbook.Hers is A Change Of Appetite (Mitchell Press)which features more down to earth recipes.While Chef Ottolenghi's recipes are for impressing the dinner or brunch crowd. Chef Henry's is more for a cozy Sunday afternoon supper.Hers is more farm to table with fish ,seasonal vegetables along with whole grains.There is a touch of the exotic ,with some of the recipes having Harissa and borage along with dried limes and togarashi peppers.Her recipes celebrate her loves, fresh unprocessed seasonal foods.Ms. Clark enthusiastically tries and loves Chef's Henry's butterflied leg of lamb with Persian mint syrup along with garlic crab and fragrant lentos.Her eggs are spiced, semi hard with a warm runny center.Her cake recipes are made with the healthy spelt flour and juicy cherries.This is a great book for the holidays, the perfect gift for any home chef interested in the farm to table cuisine. British cooking is leading the world in culinary innovation.Thanks to these chefs, Chef Ottolenghi and Chef Henry, kitchens are producing not only exciting fare but healthy too.It's a brand new spin on a cuisine ,once maligned and now loved.

Paying It Forward Foodwise

Even though today is a sad one, it can be used to fulfill a life purpose.Anyone can give back simply by donating time or food to food pantries in their areas or helping out military families.Doing such is not only a great way of giving back but also of getting in touch with the greater community.You get out of your circle and embrace the bigger one. The last of the summer harvest is always a great gift to Amy food pantry.Tomatoes are much needed and they can be used in sandwiches or in a homemade sauce.Another is zucchini.These can be stuffed or sliced,definitely making up a solidly nutritious meal.Even fresh cut herbs have their place, being used for extra flavoring in sauce or breads.For those who are lucky to have fruit trees, think about donating any overage.Nothing is better than fresh fruit and it's a better alternative to candies and pasties.It's also versatile enough to go into breakfasts or snacks.Bakery owners can easily give slightly stale leftovers. Day old rolls and breads can still be used. Sandwich shops can donate any sub's that hadn't sold at lunch time.Also diners can contribute making hot meals to go so families can relax with a hot and nutritious turkey or beef dinner. Another way of giving back is recognizing service families. Think about giving their kids special birthday parties at your local veterans posts. Host a pinata party with the added fun of make your own tacos or a cupcake decorating station.Another fun idea is apple picking where you can organize groups. Throw in a fun picnic with healthy sandwiches and sides. For couple just returning volunteer to babysit so the couple can enjoy a night to themselves. You can also make them a romantic home cooked dinner with little extras like fresh baked biscuits or homemade barbecue. Also think of donating time to veterans hospitals too. Help them celebrate their birthdays in a big way with good food and good stories plus a big cake. This day is one of sadness. It will always be known for it.Yet it can also be a day of giving back. Donate your time skill or overage to make it a bit better for all.

Alaska The NEw Culinary Frontier

Saying Alaska is known for its culinary innovations is like saying it's known for its beaches.Yet this rugged state is starting to be recognized for delicate cuisine and innovative dishes.What is even more interesting is that most of the ingredients are locally grown. The chef who is changing this is Alaskan native , MArian Beck and the restaurant was her the Saltry.Julia Moskin was granted an interview with Chef Beck at the restaurant located on the wildly beautiful Kachemak Bay, across the water from Homer.The nearest town is Anchorage, located 220 miles to the northeast.This is not usually an area for gourmet restaurants however Chef Beck is from the area.She is shattering the concept of Alaskan cuisine being nothing more than salmon burgers and corned beef.Her list of ingredients are salmon halibut and cod, all fresh caught by herself as well as fresh picked rhubarb that grows during the area's short summer season. luckily Homer does have a farmers market and here she can buy other cooking staples.There are big leafed vegetables such as kale as well as multicolored root vegetables, cabbage and broccoli(basically what we call fall or winter veggies in these parts).There are also mushrooms and for fruit raspberries and huckleberries.She can also get Thai dumplings and Japanese noodles, along with halibut poke ,thanks to a surprisingly Hawaiian population.Her garden yields edible flowers, herbs and salad greens. She no longer cooks at it but hires chefs who can live up to her legacy. Chef Beck's restaurant maybe in a rustic area but her dishes were certainly not.She took the smaller. Sweeter halibut and turns them into seared filets.Their broth is a herbed affair, punched up with salsa verde.Risotto ,flecked with root vegetables is the side.Chef Adam Walker is the current chef at Saltry.He is following in Chef Beck's footsteps, using the local fish as the stars of the menu.Halibut is the star, it being the go to food for the population up there.It is a treat when it is air dried and then slathered in butter or dipped in seal oil.There is also the pickled salmon,another recipe from the Beck family.It is made from a local strain of China Poot.The flesh is a deep reddish orange.There are also vegetable nori rolls, a nod to the elder Beck's trips to Japan when he was the chairman of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.While most of Saltry's desserts have locally grown fruits, the restaurant's crown dessert is a mile high chocolate cheesecake with imported European chocolate. Thanks to both Chef Marian Beck and Adam Walker, Alaskan cuisine is turning into a foodie must have.Gone are the salmon burgers and in their place, interesting ,locavore cuisine.It is changing ,being red hot in a cold climate.

A Good Healthy. Start

With the mornings turning cooler, it's vital to have a hearty yet healthy breakfast.This sets the tone for the rest of the day,A good breakfast mean better concentration at school or at work along with not having the need for an 11 AM snack.The quandary is what constitutes a good breakfast? Most people agree that a good breakfast starts with eggs and bacon.That is true ,flavor wise however health wise, it's not that great.The meal is high not only in calories, but in cholesterol.Add buttered toast and it goes up.You can make it better for you by creating a tofu scramble.This is relatively easy to make.Take tofu cubes and crumble.You can add turmeric or cumin to give it that yellow eggy color .Add mushrooms, tomatoes or spinach for more nutrition as well as flavor.You can serve it with turkey bacon or the even healthier soy bacon.People balk at this last but it really is good and tastes like the real thing.You could also serve it with some breakfast sausages or patties. As for the side of toast and jam, nix the white bread and definitely go for the whole wheat .Serve with margarine and a fruit confit.This last is a tad more healthier thanks to the small amount of sugar being used.Frog Hollow Farms of Brentwood CA has excellent confits.They can be made at homeas well especially with pears and apples. Another rib sticking day starter is a stack of pancakes.We all love them,dripping with syrup and melted butter.Again this is the perfect fall breakfast but it can be tweaked for less calories and more benefits.Start with the pancakes themselves.First of all use buckwheat or whole wheat flour.As far as the liquid use soy, rice or almond milk instead of regular.You can also use buttermilk for zing.Skip the recipe need for melted butter and use canola oil.Also have aside of berries or cooked apples as opposed to the maple syrup and butter.French toast is another great breakfast yet it is rich.This usually fried dish can be baked instead of fried.Also use whole wheat bread or even a baguette would work.You do need eggs however for any kind of French toast however you can just use the whites.For sweetening it's brown sugar,which is much better than the refined white.For flavoring think nutmeg and cinnamon with a pecan topping.As for a cup of hot something, think a Droste hot cocoa where you can add the sugar or just a coffee with almond milk and stevia added.Herbal teas are soothing go withs, and perfect. For any intensely flavored breakfasts. A hot breakfast is the best way to start off a cool late summer morning.Make it not only a hearty one bit a healthy one too.It'll be good for you soul and body too.

Your Own French Bistro

French food is amazing.It's flavorful and only has the best and freshest ingredients.It's also intimidating to many home chefs.Yet French cuisine isn't as hard to make as most people think.Bistro food is easy.It's what most Parisian restaurant s make, and it's simple enough for any Yank to cook. One of the easiest bistro foods to make the croque monsieur.This is nothing more than a grilled cheese sandwich fried in butter.It is usually made with white bread(you can also use rye too for an earthier flavor) along with Emmental or Gruyere cheese.Again it can be varied with Swiss cheese..What makes it so delicious is frying it in butter which is also spread on the bread before assembling the sandwich.Some croquen recipes recommend a béchamel sauce poured over it.This isna simple white sauce spoked with nutmeg and bay leaf.The sandwich doesn't need this.Another variation is a croque Madame, which is the addition of a poached egg on top(the shape reminded cooks of a ladies hat, hence the name)Serve your croques with a glass of sparkling hard cider,the perfect foil for this hearty sandwich.If you want a tad healthier then whip up simple ratatouille, a cooked mélange of tomatoes, eggplants and onions,It's cooked in olive oil with minced garlic.It can be used as a side but 's it's better as a main meal.Make sure you have a large, crusty baguette to sop up the juices. Some bistro dishes are a little more elaborate but still easy to create.Try a carbonade which is nothing more than a beef stew with the addition of beer and onions,Use a light or blonde beer, like a PIlsner .You want the beery taste but not the bitterness that a darker one will impart.it also requires a bouquet garni, ,a mix of dried herbs in a small cheesecloth pouch ( think a culinary potpourri)"The stew is usually ladled on thick slices of French bread but yip can also serve it on rice or better yet buttery egg noodles.For non meat eaters there is a cabbage casserole or gratin au Chou.The ingredients are the super tasty Savoy cabbage chopped and parboiled.This is then layered in a casserole dish with quick sauteed rice and tomatoes.Béchamel sauce and cheese is the spread on top.This is a great fall dish, perfect on a Sunday night after apple picking.For something easier, try steak au poivre.It is a nothing more than a simple filet mignon coated with with loosely cracker peppercorns and served with a cognac sauce,made from cognac, the meat's juices and cream.The traditional side dish is crispy shoestring potatoes French bistro food is easy to make and delicious to eat.Home chefs can easily make it.There's is nothing elaborate about it.It's simple food with good ingredients.