An Easy Summer Sauce

We are in the middle of tomato season. This versatile fruit that masquerades as a veggie can be made into everything from a sandwich to a bowl of salsa. However it is best made into a tasty pasta sauce. The garden taste comes through, tangy and sweet, perfect for any pasta when made this way.

David Tanis believes this and wrote about it in his column  City Kitchen  in today's New York Times Food section.. One of the best aspects of homemade sauce is that you can make it and use it months from now. There will be that ripe taste in the middle of a cold winter. Even if you don't; have them in your backyard you still can get beauties at your local grocery store and get them cheap. According to Mr Tanis, this is another reason to make sauce. He suggests looking for ugly, cracked and large ones that are slightly bruised. These are cheaper due to these imperfections yet still  have a sweet, dense blood red flesh, perfect for sauce. Another suggestion is using plum tomatoes if you like their taste(slightly sweeter than the beefsteaks).The one standard he demands is that they be sun ripened. (remember home growers can also use the less than perfect ones from their gardens too instead of tossing them onto the mulch pile)

Prepping them  for sauce is easy. This is not the kind of recipe where home chefs don't; blanch and peel the tomatoes. What it does require is the surprising hand held grater, a gadget not necessarily associated with sauce making., Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters and then squeeze out the seeds if you don't like a few in your sauce. Now place the cut side against the grater's large holes and gently rub until there's only tomato skin  left. Now add a pinch of sea salt, two tablespoons of olive oil along with a sprig of basil and a halved garlic clove. You can add tomato paste to thicken it for a more traditional textured sauce. Cook it in a low wide saucepan over a high heat. Once it starts to boil the lower the heat and let it simmer.It can be kept in the fridge for five days afterward or just frozen for later use down the line. . Mr Tanis recommends serving it with farfalle or penne, textured pasta that will hold the sauce but I can also see  it with bucatini,the thick tubular spaghetti.Serve with a sprinkle of pecorino or Romano  for the best summer dish  of the season.

Take advantage of tomato season and make this easy and delicious sauce. It's a great way of enjoying the harvest right now. Freeze some for later to have the taste of sun ripened tomatoes on a cold winter's night.
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Simply Vietnamese Cooking SImply Delicious

Vietnamese cooking is a delightful mix of meat and vegetables , Asian and French flavors and sweet and savory. It is a cuisine not to be missed.Luckily there is a new cookbook that brings the best of this interesting country'srecipes right to your kitchen.

Food writer and chef Nancie McDermott wrote a phenomenal cookbook that will appeal to both experienced and novice home chefs alike, Her Simply Vietnamese Cooking (Robert Rose Press) is an excellent guide for those wanting to cook Vietnamese cuisine. Chef McDermott became an expert on cooking it when she lived there for three years during a Peace Corps stint. She also has travelled extensively throughout Asia and has written several cookbooks with four focusing on Asian cooking. What is so great about the book is that she takes the mystery out of Vietnamese cooking. along with providing helpful tips and interesting stories on both dishes and drinks.  She includes a whole page  centering menus  on meat or vegan dishes , northern Vietnamese or southern, a fun beach party one  centered on seafood along with a menu for cooking cool and light on hot , steamy days - like now.There's also suggestions for a  Vietnamese tailgate party and even a campfire cookbook. Chef McDermott includes a glossary of ingredients with emphasis on Vietnamese herbs use. These are vital in creating the exact flavors for several dishes.The photos showing the dishes are amazing, and mouth watering.

Vietnamese cooking is an interesting mix of different flavors and various ingredients.Fish sauce, made from anchovies, is a vital ingredient in many dishes. It gives meat and veggies dishes an earthy saltiness and rich caramel brown color. Viet Nam is a tropical country so coconut figures heavily in many savory and sweet dishes.One of my must make  recipes is Chef McDermott's coconut ribbons , a  crunchy sweet usually made for the holidays,,There are tasty recipes for the Vietnamese classic pho, noodle soup as well on another favorite  salads. The  people are big on beautiful  lush bowls of mixed greens, full of vibrant herbs and there are recipes  featuring these. They could be used as palate cleansers when  serving other dishes such as sizzling savory pancakes or pho noodles with chicken. Both dishes are redolent with a mélange of sweet and salty flavors that dizzy the palate. Since Vietnam was also a French colony at one time, there are Gallic influences  in pate chaud a meat filled puff pastry, crème caramel and Vietnamese coffee, a take on café au lait.

Simply Vietnamese Cooking is a great cookbook for those who love Vietnamese cuisine  or those who want to experiment with Asian cooking. Chef McDermott gives a varied cookbook , full of delicious savory and sweet dishes. Buy it today and experience the deliciousness of South Asian foods.

Preserve Us!

There's nothing like the taste of summer. It's fresh and tangy, sweet and mellow , kind of like the season itself. Make it last by turning them into yummy preserves, chutneys and salsa. You have that sun ripened flavor when it's sleeting and snowing outside.

Many  home chefs are put off  by  the very idea of canning or preserving, probably because of the threat of botulism . Get over that fear.What you need to know is that non acidic foods, namely veggies such as corn , cucumbers, carrots  and the like must be processed in a pressure canner.It's a  little more involved but the contraptions does most of the work.There is the easy route  - that is canning acidic foods which is a simpler process All you need is a hot water bath which is placing canning jars in a large, tall pot. You do need tongs along with a timer, a canning funnel and a rack to hold the jars.If you're a neophyte ,I'd recommend chutney..It's basically cooking fruits or veggies with  a variety of spices. Salsa is the cold version of that and both can be put in the freezer and thawed  before using . Before doing any preserving, ask yourself what would be used the most. Don't make jams when they'll just sit there or make just one jar of chutney when the family goes mad for it. Gauge the popularity of what you'd like to make and make it.

As for what to make, nothing beats jams and jellies.Try  peach preserves which are perfect on any breakfast bread.Plums also make a delicious jam, with their sweet, earthy flavor. Raspberries are approaching their second season in just a few weeks. Take time out to pick them fresh and turn them into a delicious jam that can be used as a great filling for crepes or the perfect breakfast on warmed croissants.By now you're probably sick of tomatoes however you'll be missing them during a harsh winter. Preserve their summery flavor by turning them into a jam(yes, you can turn them into a kind of jelly!)Since they are a fruit , you 'll need a whopping 4 1/2 cups of sugar  to  3 pounds of tomatoes Use it as a ketchup sub in on burgers for something different. Tomatoes and other produce can be used to make chutney and it goes well with hot and cold dishes. You can also make tasty sweet and savory salsas. Try a plum and peach one  with  a zing of red pepper for bite..A tomato and jalapeno one will warm you up on those coldest November and December nights..

Preserve the taste of summer. Making jams, chutneys and salsas are a great way of keeping that wonderful garden produce alive during the winter months. It's easy, fun, and tasty

Exciting Sauces From San-J

Sauces are the best way to liven up any meal. The centuries old San -J realizes this and has some exciting and different sauces such as Sweet And Tangy, Teriyaki  and Thai Peanut that can be used for almost everything, from salads to barbecue , from salads to egg rolls. They're perfect for adding zest to any summer meal.

What is unusual about any San-J product is that they are gluten free and have been made that way for  two centuries.San-J  or San Jirushi is one of Japan's oldest companies, having been founded in 1804 by the Sato family. They started with miso and Tamari, a thick sauce  and  now have expanded to gluten free Asian cooking sauces,.This allows those with celiac disease to enjoy dishes and sauces without any worries about bad side effects or reactions..There is a wide range to choose from, such as Szechuan with the zing of ginger, traditional teriyaki along with the fiery Thai Peanut and fruity Sweet and Tangy.Rounding then out is zingy Asian BBQ along with the zesty  Orange Sauce and the smoky tasting Mongolian Sauce. All have natural ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, soy beans along with plum juice concentrate and ginger. Another good thing about them is that they don't have to be refrigerated once they're opened )although to be honest  you won't have them around long}.

I recently tried the Teriyaki, Thai Peanut and Sweet And Tangy sauces and marinades. The Teriyaki is perfect right now for marinating chicken and beef for the grill. It has a lovely mellow taste that only adds to the meats. I would definitely recommend it for grilled wings and legs, perfect for a Saturday night party. The Thai Peanut has a  flavor that 's tempered by peanuts and red pepper. You could use it  to vary a Pad Thai dish to zing it up . It can also be used in making an easy Thai noodle dish. Just use angel hair pasta along with chicken breasts, julienned carrots and diced onion to create a tasty and exotic dinner.Thai Peanut can also be used  as a dressing for a yummy and refreshing Thai salad. Pour it over shredded cabbage and  vegetables of your choosing. You can add grilled chicken or shrimp for more weight. San-J 's Sweet And Tangy sauce  proved an excellent dipping sauce for veggie egg rolls. It had a nice bright flavor that didn't over power the wraps. It also makes an excellent sauce for Chinese style fried chicken too along with dumplings and spring rolls.

Liven up your summer barbecues and parties by adding San -J's Asian cooking sauces.They will add zest and zing to chicken and beef along with salads and Thai dishes Try them for some warm weather fun.

Camping Cuisine

Camping is one of those fun summer trips that unites you with Mother Nature. It's sleeping under the stars,  swimming and splashing in streams and dining al fresco. Nothing beats the last and it's amazing what can be cooked at a campsite. You can have fun creating some tasty dishes over a campfire.

Before you embark, write out a plan of what you're going to eat. Also anticipate any monkey wrenches thrown in your path. If one of your fellow campers comes back with clams or a freshly caught fish , be prepared with the appropriate knives for shucking and deboning . A Swiss army knife wouldn't go amiss so make sure you bring one. Bring a spatula  and a wooden spoon for stirring and mixing. Pack  a cast iron skillet which can be used  for everything from frying and baking to cooking pancakes. Buy a cooking grate which looks like the top of a cheap barbecue grill. It's great for cooking steaks and burgers along with veggies and toasting bread. You can also buy a cook stove, basically a burner with a base that's usually fuelled by propane. These can be easily had at any store , from L.L. Bean to Sears.If you go with a campfire , know when it's ready to use. Build one an hour before cooking so the fire burns down and there are no big flames.The coals should be hot enough now to cook a full meal on the fire.

One of the best ideas for camping cuisine is eating local. Many camp sites are located near farms and some near oceans and lakes. Take advantage of this. Buy fresh veggies and fruit. Take advantage of local dairies for milk, cream , butter and even eggs. If you're camping near the beach, then buy local seafood. Nothing beats boiled fresh lobster with  a tin of dairy fresh melted butter. Think dehydrated foods too. Companies like Alpine Aire and Mountain House sell  these and they have a wide range of different dishes, from granola for breakfast to beef Stroganoff and chicken chili for lunch and dinner. You can bring a cooler too for steaks and burgers but make sure it's always cold and you have plenty of ice or get ice for it.Bring dried spices along .These are light to pack and can zing up your meats and  veggies.Of course make sure you have the ingredients for that campfire .classic, s'mores. Keep the chocolate in the cooler until you're ready to use it.

Eating al fresco is the best. There's nothing like cooking and eating under the stars.It's one of the perks of camping!

Lush Succotash

Succotash used to be considered that blah dish served in high school cafeterias. However this indigenous American dish can be delicious if made properly. It's also a great way of taking advantage of summer's harvests too by adding a cornucopia of fresh veggies and beans..

David Tanis wrote about it and improved on the classic recipe in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The dish originally was made by a branch of  Narragansett Indians in Massachusetts. Their msickquatash was Anglicized into succotash and contained the basics or Three Sisters of indigenous cooking. These were corns , beans and squash which was cultivated in three separate mounds and grown in copious amounts.. There were summer and winter versions. The summer featured fresh sweet corn, shelling beans or fresh green beans and tender summer squash. Fresh or dried meat and fish were also added to give it more weight The winter version consisted of dried corn, dried beans and pumpkin,Both recipes were a boon to early settlers who struggled with crops and food supplies. Succotash gave them both the needed nutrition and food to survive.

Sadly the dish suffered in the centuries after that.School cafeterias across the country vilified it,It's usually a blah mix of corn, beans and lima beans. Once in a while pearl onions  were added while  home made versions had ample amounts of butter or margarine added to  give it some zip (as I have done). Mr. Tanis throws August's bounty into the mix. He puts in zucchini, green peppers and tomatoes for color and zing. While traditional succotash has salt pork or bacon for extra flavor. Mr. Tanis amp it up by adding lobster chunks, He also tosses in a dollop of crème fraiche .Okra is another new ingredient that is thrown into the mix. It is great for thickening the stew as well as it giving it flavor. It can be omitted if  no one likes it There are the traditional ingredients too,There is the original corn , shelling beans along with any choice of lima, cranberry or  even black eye peas.

Succotash is a great way to enjoy the summer's bounty and celebrate indigenous cooking. Make it today with lobster for a lush feast. It's not that yucky side anymore but an elegant stew, featuring the best of land and sea.

Lucali An A List Pizzeria

In the old days a neighborhood pizzeria usually got good reviews from loyal locals. Nowadays they get on the A -list being the highlight of celebrity tweets. Lucali, a trendy Brooklyn pizzeria is just this but so much more. Like any good city pizza parlor, it produces mouth watering pies.

It was the subject of Alan Richman's interview in today's New York Times Food section. Lucali is the invention of Mark Iacono, a Carroll Gardens native,  who brought business and good food back to his old neighborhood.What is truly unusual is that Chef Iacono has no background , no culinary education or family in the business.it was cooking with his nonna, his grandmother that was the springboard into pizza making and cooking. Another impetus was the pizza he had growing up, with it's paper thin crispy crust with the right amount of  cheese and sauce. It has paid off It's a favorite of Brooklyn boy, Jay-Z and his wife, Beyoncé. They famously blew off the Grammys to share a pie there. David Beckham famously tweeted  about having his most amazing meal there. It has become so popular that CHef Iacono has opened up a branch in Miami and will be opening up another Lucali in L.A..

The restaurant only has pizza and calzones, from the looks of the website. There is the choice of a plain pie and toppings which cost three dollars each.  Chef Iacono offers the usual, basil and the unusual , such as Portobello mushrooms, shallots or artichoke hearts. The calzones have a creamy mozzarella filling with extra sauce  for dipping. Another plus is the atmosphere. Chef  Iacono has made it look like a period piece pizzeria, with  even brass handled candlesticks that would not go amiss in the Masterpiece series "Poldark". The color scheme is not the typical red and white check, but sepia and creamy shades of brown that are reminiscent of tintypes. It's a perfect place for proposals and many a pizza has come out with MARRY ME written on it in mushrooms.The restaurant is where a beloved candy store Louie's was and it was an important part of his childhood. The restaurant was in part named for him and the Iaconos" daughter Kalista.

Good New York  pizza is few and far between. Go to Lucali to taste the best pie, the pizza of rock stars and sports idols.. Try it for a taste of heaven.