A Perfect Tea For Coleridge

Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday and for many of his fans, including myself , this is a day to celebrate the great poet's birthday.He was born in the lovely Devonshire town of Ottery Saint Mary , where cream teas and other good food abound.This is English country food, of the finest farm to table and sea to table variety. Devon is a coastal county or shire located on the English Channel.It may be the birthplace of Coleridge but its main seaside town, Torquay, became famous thanks to the hilarious TV show "Faulty Towers" over forty years ago.The area boasts true farm to table cuisine.One of the most famous dishes is the pasty.This is a small, handheld pie stuffed with meat, usually beef or sausage.The pastry is buttery and flaky ,a melt in your mouth treat, especially if the filling is juicy and tender.Another tea or lunch time treat is white pudding, a highly spiced pork sausage.Mutton, lamb and beef are abundant here and everyone from visiting foodie's to locals can enjoy a variety of different roasts and stews .Since there are plenty of creameries, there is also plenty of good cheese.A favorite and decadent treat is fried cheese.This is when small wedges of different cheeses are breaded and then deep fried .A dash of tart lignon berry jam.They also love potted cheese, basically leftover cheese mixed with butter an, pounded for malleability and then poured into a pot.Sometimes sherry is added for zing and then it's served with bread or crackers.There is some good cheese here, from the cream cheese like Curworthy and Sharpham, a Devon take on the French Brie.Surprisingly seaweed plays a part in the diet too, thanks to locals gathering it up from the Devon coast. It's not as popular as it once was, however some chefs are cooking with it and appreciate it's nutritional value The county is also famed for it's cream teas.This is a proper English tea but with clotted cream generously dotting scones along with a healthy scoop of homemade jam.Most usually serve the tame and almost boring strawberry jam but some prefer the highly tart and eye opening rhubarb and gooseberry sorts.Devon is also known for their apples and these along with apple cakes abound here.Some recipes have been handed down since Elizabethan times and I'm sure Coleridge enjoyed a few during his boyhood in the Devon countryside?Clotted cream also figures in fudge as well.Creameries featuring fresh made ice cream is sold throughout the area, some creameries even using clotted cream as a base. Samuel Taylor Coleridge grew up with some of the freshest foods for his time.They can still be enjoyed today, thanks to the purity and abundance of meats, fish produce and dairy.Devonshire food is the food of poets, supplying them with sustenance for centuries.

A Healthy Birthday

Can you have your birthday cake and eat it too? Most diet conscious people will say no and insist on a tiny sliver instead of a hearty slice.However even a decadent birthday meal can also be good for you healthy.You can go crazy for your birthday , but it can be backed up with reason and thought. One of the most wanted or desired birthday meals is lobster.It is rich in flavor and the height of decadence,as well as self indulgence,It isn't high in calories, and it is vitamin and mineral packed.It's loaded with magnesium, niacin or Vitamin and potassium.It is high in cholesterol however so if you do have cholesterol issues, rethink it.Yes, you can have it with butter but for a better choice, just ask for a lemon wedge to spritz on it.You can also turn the lobster into a salad, with a simple olive oil and lemon or lime dressing.Serve it with bright and crisp Romaine lettuce along with Campari tomatoes and corn kernels. You could also make a lobster wrap with a tarragon dressing. Roast beef is another birthday wish for.It's a low calorie meat with only fifty four calories a slice.Unfortunately so many people love their roast beef on bread or stuffing ,drenched in gravy.This is the height of tastiness but drenched in fat and cholesterol, not to mention starch.A better alternative is a steak salad ,with a bed of kale, beefsteak tomatoes ,and red peppers.Nothing beats a beef fajita .You can even make this at home for a festive in house party.Cook up onions and peppers and just top with fresh made guacamole and salsa .If you want a tad of creaminess add just a dollop of sour cream.You could also add steak to pasta sauce for a truly delicious meal. As for sweets, yes there is is the birthday cake.The best part is the icing.?Let's face it nothing beats the sweet creaminess of a well made buttercream and that absolute prize, the pink blue or yellow buttercream rose.Each tablespoon has about sixty calries of fat.If you truly want the traditional taste for your big day, then gofer a cupcake.One 'loaded" cupcake is about three hundred calories.The best part is no leftovers.If you do want. Cake then think about an angel food cake.This is only seventy two calories per slice.What is great abut angel food cake is that it pairs up well with everything. One of the best is strawberries or blueberries but you can also try sliced banana with dark chocolate sauce.Also have a big blob of Cool Whip on top too.Fruit pies are another low calorie birthday treat .Add Ginger for zing and if you're baking it yourself,, then go for farm picked ones.A fruit birthday cake is super healthy and super fun.All you need is a watermelon as the base and various other fruits as decorations.Ice cream cakes are also big. However you can make a healthier one using frozen Greek yogurt along with fruit, syrup and CoolWhip as the icing. You can have your birthday cake and meal and eat them too.Just have it on the healthy side.It's a birthday gift to yourself, one that"s good for your heart and taste buds.

Your Fall Staple The Potato

Fall demands heartier eating.This is not to say that you should abandon healthy eating for rich sauces and bigger portions,Ypu can eat wisely thanks tone root vegetable.The potato is a good stick to your ribs addition along with being versatile.There are dozens of heart healthy recipes that fit into anyone's diet. Before you go shopping ,be ware that potato centered dishes demand certain types.What works for fries may not be good for gracing a roast.Surprisingly there are more than one hundred types of spuds being sold in the S. There are seven types such as russet, red, white ,yellow along with the purple/blue fingerling and petite. Russet potatoes are medium to long with an oblong or flattened oval shape.these can be used for baking, frying, mashed or roasted.The red kind are always small with thin red skin and a pure white flesh.Their sweet taste is the perfect foil for any beef or pork roast.The yellow potatoes are their golden counterparts but with a richer, more buttery flavor.These too, can be used to grace roasts can also use them in salads too.White potatoes are similar to the russet.They're good for mashing or frying.Purple and blue potatoes are the most exotic,They have a moist firm flesh but also have a high starch content.Be warned their texture can be floury and unusual for those, especially kids tasting them for the first time.Fingerling potato kinds are similar to these but actually more familiar to the American palate. The taste is nutty and are good for frying and roasting.Another choice is the petite, marble sized but carrying a big flavor.These are the best for potato salad because of their size. One of the easiest potato recipes is the baked.The best bet is still the old fashioned oven way.Microwaved baked potatoes are iffy,Sometimes they just don't cook all the way through which means another trip back to the microwave.The oven is longer but infinitely better.Potatoes should be baked in a 425 degree oven for fifty to sixty minutes.Prep them with a rub of olive oil and sea salt.Prick the skin all over with a fork and set on foil.I like mine with just butter but you can put anything on them, from cheddar and bacon to chili to cooked veggies.Another fall favorite is potato soup.What I like about this is that is is a blank canvas.You can add everything from bacon and corn to create a chowder to leeks to make a chic potage.This is usually a summer soup served chilled however it can also be served hot as an ideal fall meal.Scalloped potatoes are a great side to any Sunday roast dinner.It may sound hard but it's easy to Whip up.Used sliced Russet potatoes and layer in a casserole .A cooked mix of cream and butter is layered on it and then the entire dish is baked.Tail gating parties demand potato salad.Try one with grilled potatoes for a new spin.I prefer my family's recipe.It is a subtle mix of red potatoes and two hard boiled eggs with mixed with celery and chopped onion.The only dressing is just mayo, a cup of it mixed with oil to every pound used. Make this tuber your fall kitchen go to.Potatoes are varied and versatile. they can be turned into yummy, ribsticking recipes that are both tasty and good for you.

Easy Light Meals

 A good home cooked dinner that not only that promote good health but light on calories is a hard find. Many home chefs shy away from recipes that are good for you, simply because they're not packed with flavor. A new cookbook is changing that,  Woman's Day Easy Everyday Lighter Dinners  provides home chefs with recipes not only for dinners and sides but also desserts/ You don.t have to sacrifice taste for eating/ There's a wide variety of different dishes that will appeal to everyone.

The beloved magazine, Woman's Day has created a delightful and all encompassing cookbook with Hearst Publishers. that features all lighter fare.Kate Merker, the magazine's food editor as well as the chief editor, Susan Spencer have3 created the perfect cookbook for those watching their weight as well as their cholesterol and salt intake.What t is great about all the recipes is that they not only work for a weekday dinner but also for a holiday meal.Another plus is that they are easy to read  and easy to make a novice home chef could make the vegetable lasagna for Christmas or New Year's and with good results too. For those wondering if these good for you dishes lack flavor, don't fret. Try the seafood , chorizo  and vegetable stew, redolent with fennel, and tomatoes ,scented with garlic.Even kids will fall for these tasty dishes such as the tortilla crusted fish sticks with a side of crunchy slaw or the. asparagus and potato pizza.

The side recipes are also good and would be great on any holiday table whether it be summer or winter. There is the chic and elegant green beans almondine, ramped up a notch with garlic There's a yummy looking corn on the cob with chili sat all the recipes come with a picture}this is a snap to make, boil the corn make the seasoning and serve.One of my future favorites will be the smashed root vegetables,a blend of parsnips, potatoes rutabegas and carrots made creamy not with milk but with olive oil,Easy Everyday Lighter Dinners has an excellent  dessert section.I love that there are even holiday cookies like the stained glass ones, made with crushed hard candiesThere's  also the mini version of the classic blck and white. Yes there are fruit recipes, the cooking honeydew and mint ices as well as the melon pops.The editors s also include a classic poached pear in red wine , a perfect ending to a dinner with friends.

Creating healthy and delicious meals really is simple , especially if you use Woman's Day Easy Everyday Lighter Dinners. Home chefs have a cornucopia of recipes from soups to desserts  that are not only tasty but also heart healthy. It makes for good eating all around, even including dessert.

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A Wild Spin On Schnitzel

Schnitzel has always been associated with veal.Considering the heaviness of the dish,this light,delicately flavored meat works well with it.After all a stronger tasting meat might clash with the breadcrumbs and the residual taste of the oil.Yet that's being challenged.Many foodie's are trying a pork version that stands up well to the other flavors in the recipe.It makes for a heartier meal, perfect for a fall night. Melissa Clark featured pork schnitzel in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.Pork is in some ways a better medium to cook than veal.Veal is light. ,and easy to digest.It's a lean meat where as the other is fatty.However pork is also richer tasting and also forgiving. Home chefs can screw up with it and it's not so bad.It i easier to work with and a better meat to cook on those busy week days.Ms , Clark recommends using a boneless loin cutlet, preferably one with a ring of fat around it.Like the veal version it should be pounded with the smooth side of meat mallet.( although you can use a drinking glass and wax paper in a pinch)She dredges the pieces in panko breadcrumbs but you can use regular plain or unflavored ones.Fry up in safflower peanut or vegetable oil until golden and crisp. Ms Clark and I differ in what the sides would be with a pork schnitzel.She recommends homemade pickles ,I would go for the more traditional spaetzles with mushroom gravy.She gives the recipe ,a simple, one for the pickles , wanting something tart and crispy to complement the rich pork taste of the schnitzel.If you don't feel like making these, you can just spritz the cutlets with fresh lime juice.Most use lemon to cut the oily taste and the aftertaste too, however, the other adds a more refreshing zing.I would have a side of plain spaetzles , possibly with a homemade mushroom gravy or spaetzles with red cabbage if I want zest.Ms Clark also recommends serving the meat with a serving of lingenberry jam.This last is also a tart palate cleanser that would go well with the cutlets.Again this is a good idea but I would serve an unsweetened apple sauce to balance the meat's strong earthy taste.She also tosses chopped scallions on the schnitzel too, which would works and is a nice finish. Pork schnitzel is a nice spin on the traditional Austrian one.It is heartier, perfect for the cool fall nights.Have it with pickles or red cabbage and spaetzles for zest.The dish is an easy one and a tasty alternative to the veal version.

Raising Wings To New Heights

Chicken wings were never meant to be gourmet.Their place was usually at sports bars,served with beer and possibly shrooms.Yet some New York chefs are taking them to new heights.These wings are flying high and flying with interesting spins and inspired flavors. Jeff Gordonier wrote about the new breed of chicken in today's New York Times Dining section.Many chefs realize that chicken wings, especially now during football season, are a lucrative dish.Many are reluctant to put them on their menus because they feel it might cheapen the restaurant's reputation.Yet they are popular, no matter how they are served.People love chicken wings they're fun to dip into sauces, they're fun to eat and eve the sticky mess afterwards is entertaining.Many cooks are giving them an international spin too.Chicken wings are delicious on their own but coat, rub, or slather them with spices and juices and they become heavenly..One eatery,Dinosaur Bar-B-Cue has theirs with hoisin sesame and garlic chipotle along with one called the devil's duel - this one so spicy that the eater's lips and gums go numb because it's so fiery.Some kitchens have embraced the Korean cooking style of double frying.It does make the wings extra crispy but thanks to extra marinating , the meat inside is tender and juicy.Home chefs can try this method but also can grill them too.Just marinate them to get them tender and flavored. Wing lovers who want to try combinations should look to these chefs.Mr. Gordonier has included two recipes from Chefs King Phounannong and Hoon Kim.The first has the flavorful Spanish spice combo ,adobo.It also has crushed peppercorns for heat and soy sauce for added flavor.This along with garlic and coconut milk are turned into a marinade where the wings will sit for thirty minutes before cooking..They're then fried in vegetable oil..Hanjan chicken wings are a true Chinese recipe, with a marinade of soy sauce sake and miring along with garlic.These are a bit healthier because they're grilled.there are other combos listed that home chefs can try on their own.Ducks Eatery, another hot Brooklyn hipster hangout offers Vietnamese style with a caramel type coating but made savory with peppers.Wings can go Mexican as they did in Chef Danny Bowen's Mexican Cantina.This is a mole version, dusted with coffee and cocoa.They're then spattered with creme, cotija and anson mills benne seeds.Home chefs can try this with a tad of dried ancho peppers. Wings are enjoyable no matter how you make them.Try them fried or grilled. Spiced or sauces.Experiment with them to create the perfect munch.They're meant to be elevated to gourmet heights. raise those wings high.

La Yogurt A Treat With Benefits

Many yogurts promise both flavor and benefits.However most fail at that wheather being loaded with too much sugar or not having as many beneficial microbes for intestinal health.One New York City brand La Yogurt delivers both.It. Can be perfect as a dessert or a boon to intestinal health. la Yogurt is a division of Johanna Foods, a New Jersey based company.It may be located in the heart of Jersey farm country,in Flemington but it has a decidedly urban vibe.It is one of the few Us based companies that caters to the growing Latino population.The company is known for the or Sssips,different citrus juices.They excel in trical flavors like pineapple , lime and guava mango.However it's the yogurts that excel, surpassing some of the more mainstream brands in flavor and creaminess.there are different types from creamy to enriched.their flavors go beyond the traditional.Yes, they have vanilla, blueberry and peach but they have also expanded, like their juices in tropical flavors and those familiar in Hispanic households.There is horchata ,a rice and cinnamon mix (think rice pudding with almonds) along with guava and pin a colada. La Yogurt has what I call a dessert yogurt.This is an ultra creamy one generously flecked with dark chocolate chips.Yes, it is good for me, but it is just so darned good.It comes in perfectly paired with chocolate flavors, such as banana coffee and strawberry.The flavors mrsh