Friday Night Mash Ups

Friday means the end of the busy work week. Some celebrate by going out with friends and co workers, others order in pizza or Chinese. However there are the stalwart home chefs who still want to cook. Yet what's there to make? A week of leftovers can provide chefs with some interesting new creations.The best part is that they're easy to make , even better it's a home cooked meal, enjoyed with family.

If you have left over meat, whether chicken or steak, cut it up into bite sized pieces and make it the protein in chopped salad. This is an easy mix of leftovers and canned veggies Add already chopped fresh salad along with some sesame seeds and croutons for crunch and texture. It's also a great way of getting rid of eggs. Hard boil them and then slice them. Eggs can also be made into egg salad for sandwiches. Amp them up by serving them on croissants bought from the local Dunkin Donuts.Ham  and chicken salad are also easy to make , especially if you use devilled ham or chicken and mayo.You could also make this with any leftover roasts too. What about those cold cuts used for brown bag lunches? Heroes! Create a truly great one with all those salami, cappicola and prosciutto slices. Add tomatoes , along with different cheeses for a simple yet fun dinner.A chef 's salad is another way of getting rid of those uneaten slices.

A lot of sides can also be repurposed into main meals .Mashed potatoes can be turned into mouth watering croquettes Take spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and mix with beaten eggs (use one egg for every cup of mash) , and parsley. Roll into balls and them roll into breadcrumbs. Using your palm, smash them lightly and fry in oil or margarine. Serve with dipping sauces. Leftover rice can be repurposed this way too, in the form of arancini or little oranges in Italian. As with the potatoes, mix in egg and bread crumbs and fry until crisp. You can put ham or mozzarella in he center for more flavor. This is a great recipe for getting rid of leftover risotto. Leftover corn can be made into a yummy chowder along with being turned into a cold salad. All those veggie sides can be cooked together to create a vegan stew. Just add tomato paste to stretch it and give it more flavor.  serve it with crusty French or Italian bread for dipping.

It's Friday! Time to get creative with all those leftovers from the week past. Make a fun salad or spread or a tasty stew everyone will love!

Soft Shell Crab With Savory Butter

Late spring and summer bring about several treats that only happen once a year. This is the case with the soft shelled crab. Right now it's the perfect time to eat them in a variety of ways.The best part is the entire creature is edible, There's no fiddling with shell parts or crackers.Just cook and eat.Try them any way  but the most delicious is with garlic butter.

David Tanis wrote about them as well as giving recipes in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Eastern blue crabs shed their shells during the warmer months , which makes them perfect for cooking and eating. Early fishermen must have discovered this and since then they have been fished. Thanks to this , the crabs can be prepared a variety of ways. They can be battered and deep fried.Crabs, like any seafood. can be just fried as is and served with a wedge of lemon. Some affectionados like them served on a bun. Mr Tanis recommends his favorite method, grilled over hot coals for a smoky aroma and no spattering. His other preferred method is panfrying in olive oil and crushed chili peppers too. and then  topping a plate of spaghetti as well,For those buying them for the first time, remember that the crabs should have no discernable odor whatsoever. You should buy them live , like lobsters and also they should be thoroughly examined. Don't worry about being pinched/ At this stage,the molting stage, their pincers are not dangerous or harmful.

Soft shell crabs are sometimes good just steamed , served with a flavored or savory butter.This is where Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column , also from yesterday's Food section, comes in handy. She whips up a green garlic butter, also using a Spring harvest of slender white tipped stalks of new garlic.It is not as strong as the older garlic cloves.It also has a fresh herbal whiff too.Ms. Clark adds a pinch  of salt along with some Parmesan cheese along with the added zing of red chili pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper. Mix these and roll into a log. It can be added to grilled meat or fish to saute them, or added to veggies. I would definitely use it  as a dip for the crabs or a variation of both Mr Tanis and Ms Clark's recipes.The last is for green garlic butter on sliced baguette toast. I would slather the butter on the bread and then add the steamed seafood.This could also be a good recipe for lobster meat too.

This is soft shell crab season. Pan fry them or bread them, grill or just steam for a savory treat. Enjoy them with a squeeze of lemon or a savory butter for a yummy meal.

Maangchi - You Tube's Top Chef

You Tube has given the world some amazing phenomenon since its' inception. There was Justin Beiber and those make up and hair whizzes  . Cooking, though has a few, but none as famous as Maangchi  aka Emily Kim. This Korean born home chef has turned her love of cooking into interesting tutorials for Korean cuisine lovers and other home chefs  Best of all, she's written a cookbook with her recipes that fans can copy and enjoy.

Chef Kim was interviewed in today's New York Times Food section by weekly contributor , Julia Moskin. Surprisingly she  didn't start off with cooking but rather gaming. Maangchi was actually the name of her avatar when she played City of Heroes. Her children urged her to another Internet activity, cooking videos. It was needed. According to Ms Kim, most Korean food videos were riddled with mistakes. someone had to amend that and she did, She has 619,000 YouTube followers , more than master chefs Ina Garten, Alton Brown and Martha Stewart.It lead to her newest cookbook "Maangchi' s Real Korean Cooking" (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Publishng). fans not only tune into to watch her prepare classics such as the tasty beef bolgoki  and Korean fried chicken but to check out her lavish make up, tiaras, and leatherette shorts, Sometimes she'll sport fascinators , those funny hats worn at William and Kate's wedding but also rubber gloves tricked out with bling.. All her videos show her dashing around in four inch platforms. a  feat for anyone, let alone a busy cook,

Ms/ Kim was raised in Yeosu, a port city on the southernmost tip of the Korean peninsula. She came to the States in 1992 when her husband took a teaching job in Columbia Missouri This put her smack in the middle of the American Midwest where Asian food was mostly Chinese and catered to mid American tastes. She cooked for the Korean families that she counselled, giving them a much mossed taste of home.. Fast forward to her life now in Manhattan  to anew husband and a new career. Her videos and I have watched a few) are interesting and come with cute  and informative graphics. Anyone can follow them , even the most novice of home chefs. There are videos on the ancient art of fermenting used in making kim chee along with making gochujang or chile paste and doenjang  soybean paste.. This last requires salt and hay along with an electric blanket and a year to ferment. Easier recipes include the flavorful beef dish, the afore mentioned bolgoki, a chopped beef dish that features pears, sesame seeds and garlic cloves. There is also ssamjang the spicy Korean barbecue sauce, a marriage of the fiery , savory and sweet. This is perfect for any American  dish from ribs to wings.

There are a million You Tube stars but none shine as brightly as Maangcha or Emily Kim. Her easy to follow cooking demos are fun and informative. Her cookbook is going to shine just as brightly too.

King of Pop Popcorn The Perfect Dad/Grad Gift

June is the month for celebrating. Dad has his day , so do grammar school and high school graduates A fun gift alng with party snack is popcorn. King of Pop knows this and has come out with some yummy flavors and fantastic gifts  sure to  please both . It also is a great snack for those outdoor movie nights by the fire pit..

King of Pop Popcorn is a three year old family run business coming out  of New Hampshire. The company has every flavor under the sun and then some. Of course they have the traditional butter,caramel and kettle but they verr off in both savory and sweet paths. One of my favorites is the dill pickle. ,Yes it sounds strange - pickles and popcorn  but the dill with a hint of vinegar is actually pretty flavorful.It's herby and tart,perfect with a summery drink like gin and tonic or mojitos. Their cheddars are yummy. The cheesy cheddar is like eating chunks od the cheese while the bacon cheddar is a tasty blend of everyone's two favorite flavors. For spice try the Cajun and the BBQ ones. There is also the honey mustard, perfect to serve with pretzels. King of Pop also has a range of sweet, from the traditional caramel to the sinful chocolate chip mint and the ever festive birthday cake. This last is dotted with fun sprinkles and tastes like a bite size cake.For a fun movie night order the confetti. This is a fruity mix of cherry, grape and raspberry and come in cute colors. Wanting a snickerdoodle but hate tobake then try their cinnamon and brown sugar popcorn.

What is great about King of Pop is their variety of gift options. They have a lot of dad-centric gifts that are perfect for snacking in the man cave. Any father would love the Father's Day Gift Tower that not only has the tangy buffalo along with the salt and vinegar corn but also hard candy , chocolate wafers and gummy citrus slices but also pretzels and snack mix. This makes for some fine snacking when watching all those sporting events.The tower is sweetly wrapped in paper that looks like a tie too. Another must get for dad is the Father's Day Junk Food, literally buckets of sea salt and cracked pepper corn , tempered by the sweetness of the cinnamon corn. Chips Ahoy and Mike and Ike are added in along with salted peanuts and strawberry Twizzlers. You could also just buy your pops a big bucket of Pub Picks,bacon cheddar, honey mustard and buffalo. Chi town dads would  appreciate
  the  Chicago classic mix of cheese and caramel corn, meant to be eaten together.Grads would love the signature samplers that feature a picnic themed (think watermelon,  buttered and sundried tomato) and the chocolate lovers.A tin is always fun too, especially for those grammar school grads planning parties and sleepovers.

The gift giving dilemma is solved. Get dad or the grad in your life a tower or bucket of King of Pop Popcorn. It's an unusual and tasty gift, perfect for celebrating

Welcome The June Harvests

June is here and with it comes the first of the summer harvests.  t's an exciting time for foodies and home chefs.. New and healthy dishes can be made. Main meals and desserts can have a nice fresh from the garden taste to them.

If you're in the Garden State, New Jersey, like I am , then then you should be on tenterhooks.This is the month  when first harvests of blueberries and cherries will be ripening. They'll be perfect for pies, crisps and parfait as well as just eaten fresh for a healthy dessert or snack.Cucumbers  come later in the month, think of all those refreshing salad made with them, mixed with sour cream and fresh picked dill. Jersey farms also yield up beets broccoli and cabbage too. Nothing beats a yummy beet salad with just the boiled ones dressed in a simple vinaigrette. With the cabbage, think slaws that will go perfectly with all   that barbecue fare. Broccoli means salads and sides  - and the added benefit of an extra green in the diet. Our  neighbors New York and Pennsylvania have similar harvests with Pennsylvania has the extra bonus of early onion, squash and snap bean harvests. Take a trip out to Pennsylvania farm country for a weekend and come back with a car or van loaded with good stuff. Head to Varick New York annual cherry festival in the Cayuga Lake- Finger Lakes district.

For those Marylanders,crabs aren't   the only good food on their June menu. The state is bursting with all sorts of produce thanks to them ripening right now.They already have Spring's best with their asparagus, spinach and strawberries.There are also green peas,snap beans and that perfect dessert ingredient, red and black raspberries.Lettuce and  summer squash are also blooming righ now.Nearby Delaware has all these harvests too plus tomatoes and potatoes . Whether you're there for a weekend  or for a week,take advantage of the farmer's markets there.Midwesterners  will enjoy similar harvests,If you;'re in Illinois get the pie crusts and Ice    cream ready because it's rhubarb season there now. neighboring states, Indiana and Wisconsin  also have similar harvests with  Wisconsin   bursting with peaches. Imagine them with the fresh cream from America's Dairy State.Washington State gives us luscious cherries and currents along with the unusual hybrid tayberry. This is a cross between a  blackberry  and a raspberry  and can be used in sorts of dishes form salads to pies.It's also zucchini season there as well so think about zucchini Parmesan or sautéed with garlic.

June is the start of the summer harvest season. Jump right in and take advantage of the amazing bounty nationwide. Add fresh veggies and fruits to meals and desserts for a refreshing, just picked flavor.

Foodie Shower Surprises

Shower season is upon us and with it the same boring lists. There’s the blender, the ice cream maker, the towels, and so on and snoring so on. It’s time to liven up those gifts with over the top extras.Not only will the happy food obsessed couple remember them but your gifts will be talked about for years to come.

Of course couples want basics. That’s obvious.They need tea towels and tablecloths, napkins ad napkin rings. If you can add an extra touch by ordering the prestamped table linens from such companies as Mary Maxim’s or Herrschner’s for exquisite napkins and tablecloths. Mind you these should be ordered well in advance, especially the tablecloths, because it can take four to five months to embroider. For something a little less labor intensive Mary Maxim offers cotton yarn that can be knitted or crocheted into dishrags and towels. The color selection is amazing with about twenty colors to choose from along with free patterns. They also offer dishcloths that can be decorated with plastic paints that don’t wash off or run when wet. Another idea is creating napkin rings using Mary Maxim’s beads and jewelry wires. This makes a unique gift , along with embroidered dinner napkins.Home made ceramic plates , platters and dishes are also unusual and different shower presents. Think a hand painted cheese platter with a cheese of the month club membership attached. A hand decorated cake stand is perfect  especially when it comes with a hand written book of family dessert recipes. Barbecue lovers will adore personalized steak brands with their initials. Pair it with some interesting barbecue sauces and rubs from Hi Mountain.

For the true foodie couple think a basket of high quality condiments, spices and /or ingredients. For those who love cooking Asian, then think a basket of San-J sauces. These are pure soy , developed from an ancient Chinese/Japanese recipe. They can work with everything from stir fries to acting as a dipping sauce for tempura and teriyaki. Exotic spices like za’atar and saffron are sometimes costly and out of reach on a newlywed’s budget. Treat the couple to them along with ingredients  related to them  like rice or couscous along with cookbooks featuring recipes with them.Costly utensils like chef’s knives are always welcomed , especially if you can include a sharpening stone. Don’t fret about it being hard to find.Most stones  can be found at even Bed Bath & Beyond and Williams & Sonoma. Mandolines, so often neglected on lists, but provide perfectly sliced potatoes and zucchini would be a different but much appreciated gift.The price range varies but you can find a surprisingly inexpensive one at Williams & Sonoma for under forty dollars. To give it an extra kick ,include the practical but never given sack of potatoes.Bakers can enjoy the extra surprise of sanded sugar in different colors along with edible gold and silver glitter with baking tins or cookie sheets. Also really good chocolate for baking will never be turned down. This too can be added in a gift pyramid featuring all things cake and cookie.

Shower gifts can be made exciting by adding that something extra. Give your favorite couple something , fun and expensive, exotic and pretty. Make your gift not only much appreciated but also memorable too.

A Springtime Treat Peas

Peas are the often forgotten Spring  time vegetable. Most home chefs usually just relegate it to a side,  usually with a winter roast or fall soup. Yet  fresh picked ones are springy , almost minty tasting. They can be made into a variety of different dishes , from main ones to salads and even hors d' oeuvres.

Peas have been around since ancient times, first being cultivated in Neolithic Era Greece, Syria and Turkey.Peas or pisum sativum are actually the fruit of the pea pods.They are usually eaten in the immature or semi ripe stage and can be canned, fresh or frozen..They're usually green but can also be purple or yellow.Green peas have been enjoyed by centuries, keeping famine at bay during the Middle Ages due to their versatility and abundance during droughts.. They were popular in France and early America, where Thomas Jefferson grew thirty different kinds of the cultivar. Victorians loved them especially when canning came in, allowing people to  eat them all year round. Peas are one of the best vegetables to eat because they are high in folate, part of the Vitamin B family as well as being loaded with  Vitamins A, C and K. They re incredibly low in calories , 125 calories  a cup which makes them the ideal summer food...Peas are actually graded, the smaller have the highest, due to their tenderness.Le Seuer is one of the best canned peas however the most flavorful are fresh ,whether from your garden or the farmer's market.


These little green gems were featured in a healthy recipe in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Martha Rose Schulman , who usually writes for the Tuesday Health recipes  gave us a garlic  shrimp recipe , brightened up by English peas. These cut the garlickyness and add to the seafood's sweetness.A warm weather favorite is pea salad.It is good with just a plain vinaigrette.  You don't want an overpowering dressing that can drown out the sweet flavor.Another salad idea is combining white rice and mint. This is the perfect foil for lamb or beef kabobs or for grilled lamb chops. Peas can also be pounded into hummus. They're mashed  like chickpeas and then add olive oil during this to create a satiny textured dip. some recipes call for a clove but just sea salt and freshly ground pepper are really all it needs.They do have to be cooked first , usually for one to three minutes only.Of course, the most famous dish is pea soup. This can be made with a ham bone for added flavor or parsley for a fresher taste. One of the best dishes is the Roman piselli al prosciutto, a yummy combo of braised sweet peas with cooked prosciutto or ham and white onions. A simple side dish is steamed peas with melted butter. This works with any kind of meat and is super easy to make.

Peas should be the stars of the Spring table. They are fresh and sweet, high in vitamins and low in calories. Make them to day for a yummy good for you  treat.