Spring Holiday Sides

With both Easter Passover and Orthodox Easter happening soon, it's time to start thinking sides and even an extra main dish. The sides are perfect for complimenting any lamb or ham served. an extra meat, brisket can be made on it's own or if you're having a big holiday party.either way it's a delicious way to  welcome in the holidays.

Both were explored in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Melissa Clark and David Tanis wrote about brisket and turning winter veggies into Spring sides. For Ms. Clark's A Good Appetite column she takes a traditional brisket recipe and punches it up with a horseradish gremolata. .This is usually a lemon zest based condiment, sort of like an Italian chutney. Herbs like parsley , mint or sage along with garlic is added. There is often a third component such as Pecorino Romano cheese, anchovies or pines nuts are added. Ms Clark makes her with a traditional Passover ingredient, horseradish.It' mixed with lemon zest and parsley to zing up the brisket's flavor. Home chefs could try an orange and grapefruit zested gremolata with the parsley for a colorful accompaniment for an Easter ham.

David Tanis' City Kitchen feature spins on winter vegetables (and yes, they're still with us) in the less temperate zones}While most home chefs are goggling over new asparagus stalks and peas , those  in the wintry areas are still dealing with winter's bounty. Mr. Tanis has excellent recipes for the, His one for beets is perfect for Easter.It involves baking them like potatoes, until they are truly soft. split them, and put a pat of butter and crème fraiche on them. Add fresh herbs like tarragon and chervil which give s them a nice Springlike zest.Mr. Tanis also suggests parsnips. These can be peeled chopped and simmered, later served with brown butter. Another cold weather fave cauliflower is made Venetian style, that is richly spiced with cinnamon, saffron and coriander along with raisins and pine nuts.Carrots can be roasted in coconut oil and jazzed up with  chopped  jalapeno, mint and chervil. You can also serve them with butter and garlic too.

Holiday meals, whether for Passover and Easter deserve delicious sides and spikes like gremolata. Make  these to compliment lamb and ham. They'll liven up these main dishes with spring verve.

A Good Springtime Lamb

You can tell we're heading towards Easter and Passover by the arrival of lamb in supermarkets. it ones of the most traditional main dishes to serve in Spring.It is tasty and tender if done right.. Lamb can be a temperamental meat to cook, however it can be redeemed with the right recipe.

Julia Moskin explored this in The New York Times Food section today. She  contributed to the Recipe Lab  today , writing and experimenting with lamb.A home chef should start off with an American lamb. Australian and New Zealand born ones tend to be bred smaller and killed at a younger age  than ours. The result is a meat more cottony in texture with less taste. The plus side is that they are plentiful and cheap.Searing , not roasting is the best way to cook them, so you may want to reserve these lambs for your Spring or Summer barbecue. The American variety goes to slaughter at an older age which yields more meat. Be prepared to pay a higher price for ,though. A rack  of American lamb can cost as much as $55 a pound at some of New York's pricier butcheries. Also try to get half a leg as opposed to an entire one  because it roasts evenly However if you're throwing a big holiday dinner go for the whole leg, If your roast  is for Passover go to a kosher butcher for it. The sciatic nerve has to be removed, If not go for a double loin or shoulder for a more Passover approved cut.


How lamb is prepared is the most important. You want it to have the right flavor.It should have a savory mineral taste like well aged steak or raw oyster, Ms Moskin states. How to achieve this?.The answer comes in  the unlikely pairing of anchovy and butter which gives the meat an unami taste. You can sub in mustard for the fish if you don't like it.The anchovy  butter caramelizes the top layer , giving the roast a nice crunchy coating.It also enhances the accompanying gravy  too. Rosemary, another springtime herb along with garlic is also used . All of this is mashed up into a paste (use a mortar and pestle for mashing the anchovies) and smeared liberally all over the leg.as soon as it 's popped into the oven , cut a lemon in half and squeeze its' juice over the meat. Cooking time is between a hour to an hour and a half. The gravy is made as the roast is set out to warm .This is the drippings mixed with white wine as a kind of sharp jus. Serve with spring vegetables such as asparagus , dandelion greens and artichokes.

Lamb is the main star of any holiday or springtime dinner. Make it this way for a mouth watering dish that will quickly become a holiday tradition. It's a new spin on an old tradition.

A Guide To Grills

Every new homeowner gets excited when Spring comes around. It's not so much as enjoying the joy of a back yard bursting with greenery but a place to put an outdoor grill or kitchen. The question is what is the best suited for a home chef's needs? It is nice to have a full outdoor oven and fridge however it's sufficient to just buy a multipurpose grill as well.

The first question that should be asked is how much cooking will be done? If you do entertain a lot then an outdoor kitchen is a great idea. If it's a barbecue once a month along with an occasional outdoor dinner then maybe a grill or hibachi is a good choice.  As with everything, there are high end and low end grills. More money means more extras. The higher end is the gas grills. These are great for the environment because it's clean cooking or cooking that doesn;t  produce any emissions. They have great temperature controls, which means more evenly and better cooked foods.Some are even equipped with infrared heating. electric grills are great if you have a small patio area. It requires ceramic briquettes to heat up. Of course there are the traditional charcoal ones.,These cook food with an intense smoky flavor , great for ribs and steaks. You can also alternate briquettes with wood chips for a more flavorful foods. Higher end grills have air vents and dampers to control cooking temperatures and igniters . Having these eliminate the need for lighter fluid too. The good thing about buying any kind of grill is the price. You can get a cheap one for under fifty  dollars or splurge  on a $1,000 one.

On the other side of the spectrum is the outdoor kitchen. This is for true cooking affectionados and frequent party givers.It also helps to have a relatively big back yard too. An outdoor cooking area will take up as much room as an indoor one.There also is the extra costs of installing another gas and waterline to support it. However if you really want one it is doable. A low end one can cost about a grand , while the most expensive can reach  up to $15,000, An average cost is about $1,000 to $5,000 If you  are handy you can definitely install an outdoor cooking area. Modular units can be built by the amateur remodeler...Outdoor kitchens are great.. They can be styled like an outdoor Tuscan kitchen with marble and  over head trellis or a trendy Malibu hangout, complete with a plush dining area and pool area.An outdoor kitchen has a full working sink and mini fridge. An every handy island can also be installed, along with a pizza oven.This can also contain a propane grill and ice bin, eliminating the need for an oven and fridge.Keep in mind that an outdoor kitchen does have to be covered come winter.The covers  are usually canvas and they do have to be customized.

Spring is coming and with it comes the urge for outdoor cooking. You can go for a traditional charcoal grill or a lush outdoor kitchen.Whatver the choice it comes down to fun outdoor cooking and the delicious foods that come from that.

Picnic Ready

Now tht the weather is finally getting warmer, it's time to start some picnic prep. You can go for a quaint basket or go Downton Abbey style with china and cutlery. Of course there's the Styrofoam containers and coolers too.There are many choice out there for many picnic styles.

One of the simplest is the old fashioned wicker basketThis is just a simple osier box with handles (think what Dorothy carried in The Wizard Of Oz). This is perfect for just sandwiches and cookies. Some have room for thermoses along with  small bottles and cans. These can go from around $50 to a whopping $200. If you want to get all Lord and Lady Crawley, then check out the super elegant ones atwww.picnicbasket.com. This amazing site has all sorts of them for any kind of outdoor eating. There is one that not only comes with fine china and elegant cutlery, there are also ceramic mugs and a fleecy throw too.Picnic Basket also sells ones that have cheese boards and knives along with salt and pepper shakers.Again, these are perfect for eating in a romantic or elegant setting. For a more practical al fresco meal, think plastic, It's more sturdier and durable than wicker along with being better for less genteel places like the mountains or the beach.You could also think about canvas, which is just as sturdy and waterproof. A canvas picnic basket is perfect for those days at the shore or toting foodstuffs to a boat.

One of the most popular picnic containers is the simple Styrofoam  box.It's' easy to pack sandwiches and drinks i n it. It's the perfect container for mayonnaise rich summer salads too, thanks to having chilled ice packs in the bottom. Another plus is that it's easily cleanable . You can spill anything on it and not worry about it staining (unlike wicker which can be ruined by oil or soda). Another good thing in its favor is the price and availability . Starting prices can be around five or six dollars to ten or fifteen , depending on the size. every grocery and big box store like Target and K-Mart sell them  and you can pick one up easily when you're vacationing at the shore or lake.Of course if you want to spend more there is the Igloo Brand.These are perfect for all sorts of outings from Little League games to a Sunday on the sand. The best part is that most of the Igloos are on wheels  which make them perfect for toting around. As for plates and cups, you can buy paper ones which means just toss after using. However you could also buy reusable plastic or melanine ones that just require a quick wash and rinse when you get home.

The weather is quickly turning nice, beckoning us to enjoy a meal outdoors.. Be picnic ready with a wicker hamper or Styrofoam cooler.Whatever you choose will be perfect for your al fresco meal.

Saturday Night Pasta

One of the great things about Saturday night is just taking it easy. This applies to cooking as well.It doesn't pay to make an elaborate supper because you may be doing that tomorrow. One of the simplest and most tastiest is pasta.It's just a quick boil and then an easy sauce is added.

Spaghetti is a hearty and hasty  meal. It's a ten minute cook up and then a canvas for any kind of sauce Try  just melted butter on it for pasta con burro Add about two or three tablespoons of the pasta water to give it some body. Another snap sauce is aglia e olio, garlic and oil. This is just chopped garlic sautéed in a light  olive oil  and then poured over the pasta (you can also use angel hair or linguine too for this.). For heat add a scant sprinkling of red pepper flakes or for more zest some chopped anchovies. The anchovies can be cooked down  in the oil for a kind of bagna calda sauce. Many pasta affectionados go mad for a breadcrumb sauce. Even a novice home chef can make this. It involves toasting just plain breadcrumbs in a bare pan and then adding two tablespoons of butter to stop the browning as you take the pan off the stove. More butter, approximately six tablespoons   along with a cup of the pasta water is added for an incredibly delicious sauce. Keep in mind that most sauces require pasta water (see tomorrow's New York Times Magazine  Food section about this) because it does add extra flavor along with thickening the sauce.

A truly delicious pasta is when you cook it in any kind of broth or even the sauce. For this last mix five cups of water with one can of tomato paste. Four boullion cubes and four coarsely chopped garlic cloves are also tossed in along with four tablespoons of oil. It basically a one pot meal. It can be reheated with either margarine or more broth for a soupier pasta. Leftovers are great for sauces too. That leftover chicken or steak can be used as a variation of a Bolognese or chicken caccciatore. A can of tuna can yield a very flavorful sauce.It's just basically tomato sauce with the fish added. For a smoother texture try it with Genoa tonno e olio, This is simply the tuna packed in olive oil, and on it's own it's heaven,In sauce it is amazing,Veggies can be repurposed as well. Spinach  and onions go well with any pasta, especially with rigatoni or cavatelli. A sofriso sauce, made with onions is a nice change from the usual garlic studded one. You can even mix eggs with it for a classic and truly simple dish. It's just adding beaten eggs to al dente or semi cooked spaghetti  and cook it up in a frying pan.

It's Saturday. Kick back with a simple but easy pasta dinner. It's a nice way to enjoy a lazy Saturday .

Repurposing Those Old Pots And Pans

The old adage that they knew how to make stuff in the old days is true.Many pots and pans made before the second World War can still be used today.They are tough , strong enough to withstand countless flames or heavy duty priming. There is only one problem: cleaning them up. Rust and old food is hard to get rid of but with the right cleaners, these gems can be restored to almost brand new again.

It's sad when home chefs throw out a beloved family heirloom because they 're having trouble cleaning it. However there are various solutions to make it usable.If there is still food on it then the first step is to bake it off. This sounds almost counterproductive but it works.Put the oven on self cleaning mode which reduces the baked on gunk to a fine ash..If you don't have a self cleaning oven then you'll need the aerosol spray oven cleaners along with rubber gloves (this is a must because the spray cleaners are mostly lye, a dangerous corrosive). The best  place to do this is a well ventilated area or better yet, outside. Spray the pan generously with the cleaner and then put the whole thing in a plastic garbage bag. Surprisingly leave it for two days . This will give the cleaner enough time to eat away at the rust and food. The following step is washing it again in a mixture of eight parts water to one part vinegar. Priming is next and again this require a hot oven. This is the seasoning part which makes  it ready for use again.

Those discolored aluminum pots can also be scrubbed brand new again.Remember that it's not s sturdy as cast iron and a more gentler cleaning method has to be employed. Start by simply boiling water in it and then letting it soak. You can add a few tablespoons of cream of tartar to remove any dark stains left by certain foods.You can also use different cleansing spray like Dawn Power Dissolver  and allow it to sit on the surface for 30 minutes.Be very careful around the handles , especially if they are wood.A simple soaping and rinse will usually get them clean.Polishing requires different grits of sandpaper as well as You also will need a rubbing compound and a damp rag (similar to silver polish) to bring back the pot's luster.You can also go a more natural route by using cream of tartar, vinegar and lemon juice along with baking soda. You can also clean aluminum utensils with this mixture too.Finish with a non abrasive silver cleaner for luster and shine,

Don't throw out those old pots and pans. These heirlooms can be tidied up and made new again. It just takes some cleaner and elbow grease to get them back to their original sparkle.

Rediscovering Old Grains

We  think our ancestors had limited ingredients and dishes but surprisingly they didn't. Theirs were a variety of different wheat prototypes that gave them better nutrition than all those foraged nuts and berries.Now these ancient grains are making their way into  our modern dishes, boosting their flavor and nutritional value.

Melissa Clark wrote about a wide range of these grains in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Her  Good Appetite column described the array of them as well as including recipes. There is also a helpful guide included to decipher what they are. South American grain quinoa is the moat popular and most often eaten.However there is also einkorn which is the oldest grain, cultivated a whopping 120,000 years ago.It is tiny and ricelike with a nice nutty taste. Emmer is the direct ancestor of Durham wheat.They;re sort of like spelt but with a richer, earthier flavor.Use it when making homemade pasta. For soups try freekah, which immature green wheat kernals that have been smoked. which gives them a marked flavor. Of course there is barley, long a standard in soups and wheat berries. These are whole kernals with the bran intact which gives it anything from mineral and earthy taste to a mild and starchy one.

Ancient grains are exciting. There are so many different recipes that are easy to make. Ms. Clark includes some along with some suggestions . There is a whole grain granola , rich with kamut, a golden wheat like grain that has other good ingredients like dark honey,olive oil and pepitas or pumpkin seeds. This recipe can be varied subbing in rolled oats and spelt along with rye for the kamut. a tasty main dish is spelt and lamb meatballs.Spelt is a large pale colored wheat ancestor, stsrchy with a gentle flavor of both nuts and herbs. It goes well in meatballs, especially with a meat that's been around since Biblical times lamb. However you can also try it as an alternative to polenta or pilaf if you're serving kabobs. Ms. Clark also includes a grains and beans recipe.It's a mélange of the ancients , blending barley, wheat , emmer, einkorn along with rye, spelt and wheat berries cooked in chicken stock. Kidney beans and bacon are then added along with vegetables such as onions and green peppers. It's a good stew to make on a chilly Spring evening.

Everything old is new again given time and distance. This also applies to the ancient grains our ancestors ate. Discover them and their rich , nutty flavors. They're delicious and versatile.,