A Variety Of Burgers

One of the best recipes to have fun with is the hamburger.It can be made a variety of different ways  with different ingredients for oomph and surprise. It can be basic, it can be spicy. It can even have a tangy sweet flavor. Best of all, it can be made by anyone, from a novice to an experienced home chef.

The basic burger is made from a pound of  good ground beef mixed with one egg and half a cup of bread crumbs. The egg is whisked with salt and pepper and then the meat and bread crumbs are added.it can be mixed with a fork or hands and then mounded into balls. From there , they're flattened into patties and either are fried or grilled. If you want more flavor think about cutting the beef amount in half and adding ground pork or just completely going with pork. You can also do the same with ground turkey to create a healthier burger. As for flavorings. this is the fun part. Go crazy. Try a jalapeno burger with the addition of sliced jalapenos and tomato sauce. Garlic and cilantro can also be used too. Speaking of garlic, roast it and add it to the ground meat. It's so flavorful that a bun is not necessary.Onions are another flavoring that can make a burger sing. Mince them very fine before adding for a deliciously sweet and earthy flavor. Caramelizing them  also lends a great depth of taste too. Its just cooking the onions in oil before adding them to the beef.

A burger surprise is always a fun meal. Try any kind of cheese , from cheddar to American. Remember don;t use slices, instead get the bricks and cut them into cubes. These are easy to insert into the patties. Another idea is grating the cheese or cutting it into small bits and flecking it through the burgers. Bacon and hamburgers are a no brainer together .Imagine a burger stuffed with it. The bacon should be thoroughly cooked and crumbled first. You can also add cheese for a fun spin on a bacon cheeseburger.If you want to get the kids to eat nutritiously , you may want to sneak in some broccoli or carrots into their burgers.One of the hottest recipes around is the Paleo influenced avocado stuffed ones. It's a  a perfect marriage between the unami based meat and the sweet , buttery fruit. It's mashing the avocadoesas you would do for guacamole and then slathering the mash  on one thin patty. Another patty is put on top and the edges are them sealed. After grilling, the burgers can be topped with any leftover mashed avocado. The burgers can be served in tacos and with salsa for a neat twist.

Have your burger your way, You may want a garlic infused one or one with a surprise in the middle. It'sup to you,. Any burger is a good one.

Heating Up With The Summer Issue

Summer's here and that means one thing: fun food and treats! The New York Times Food section know this and today's issue was dedicated solely to all those summer pleasures. Find out about hot dogs and ice cream sandwiches, pot lucks and picnics. There's also a piece about an night market , full of tasty treats. This is summer at its' delicious best.

Everyone contributed to this keeper issue. Sam Sifton, Melissa Clark and Julia Moskin weighed in bout the best and worst hot dogs, participating in a taste test  to determine what's hot and what's not. This is a boon for hot dog lovers and grillers. The best are the all beef ones, namely Wellshire Farms Premium All Natural Uncured Beef franks and Hebrew National Beef. They also have a guide to label terms to help home chefs navigate towards the best grillers. They explain the difference between cured and uncured, along with the different types of casing. The trio also debunk the phrases old fashioned , premium, signature and classic - all marketing ploys. Ms. Clark also has her column about pot lucks too, perfect go withs for hot dogs. She offers a tomato and zucchini casserole with crisp cheddar topping. This dish will definitely take advantage of  a garden's bounty along with a plethora of such herbs such as mint and marjoram. There also is the extra recipe of pickled deviled eggs, always a fun summer treat. The dinner could end with Samantha Seneviratne's recipe for ice cream sandwiches made with homemade chocolate cake and good quality vanilla ice cream.

New York is known for summery nights and picnics in the park and there are articles on these as well. Tejal Rao goes on a picnic with Marisol and Angel Morales  They're not famous chefs but avid picnickers who love to go to their nearby park, Coffey Park for some tasty eating. Theirs is a mix of restaurant made grilled  chicken served with Ms. Morales  arroz con grandules. Ms. Rao also talked with Marnie Hanel who wrote the book "The Picnic: Recipes And Inspiration From Basket To Blanket . She suggests improvising. No cooler?No problem. Fill a  plastic wagon with ice to keep bottles cool. There's also a recipe for fried chicken  biscuits with hot honey butter.for an outdoor lunch or dinner. New York is also a city that never sleeps during the summer months.  This is true of the Queens Night Market, located where the 1964 World' Fair was held.It's where all sorts of tasty street food is sold. Here visitors can sip chicha morada , the Peruvian drink made form purple corn, pineapple peels, cinnamon and, cloves.  It's  definitely would soothe the heat of fuschka, an Indian semolina shell lined with a mash of yellow peas and chiles, splashed with tamarind..These are from the stand called Jhal NYC. Korean and Bolivian food are also there along with Indonesian  cakes of coconut and rice.Nigerian and Persian food is also represented too.

Summer is here. Enjoy the bounty of the season, whether at a picnic or all night fair. Take advantage of it and enjoy .

Your Summer Shopping List

Summer is here and and with it an entirely different way to shop. A trip to the local grocery or farmer's mart should reflect not only the weather but the ease of cooking during heat waves. The best part is there's more fresh produce right now which lends to creative cooking and baking.

Produce is big and will be during these next three months. Take advantage of what your local groceries and farmer's markets have right now. This is the perfect time to buy corn and remember it's versatile. Yes, its good grilled and slathered in butter and herbs but it can also be used in homemade chowders  and salads. Try it in a fresh corn salad where the niblets can be mixed with fresh tomatoes and peppers. As for those last two, they're all over. Tomatoes should be high up there on your summer shopping list. (as tomato plants because nothing beats the taste of fresh picked tomatoes from your yard). They're versatile and can be used to make fresh sauce or salsa cruda, a raw sauce that cooks when cooked pasta is poured over it. Forget about canned or jarred sauces then. Use them when the weather gets cool again. Peppers are another must have. They are good cut into strips and grilled or stuffed with chopped mushrooms  and rice. Fruits are another must buy. Cherries, plums and peaches are in season and these make great snacks. They can also be pureed into mash for ices and popsicles too. Take advantage of  berry season too. Strawberries should also be on the top of the list because they can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner..

Should you buy a lot of microwave foods during the summer? Maybe  just popcorn and that's about it. instead of processed meals salads should be in the top five on your shopping list . A head of lettuce can be turned into a variety of delicious salads., from Nicoise to a chef's.  Have extras such as croutons and almonds slices to make it fun and crunchy. Olive oil is another must. It'll be used a lot  in salads but also for grilling and for marinades. Get the bigger bottle and you won't have any worries about it running out. Garlic cloves go faster in the summer than in the winter. Always have a nice fat one because you'll use the cloves for rubbing meats , as well as for dressing and marinating. This also applies to lemons that are are also well used during the season, although you can also buy a bottle of lemon juice. These also can be used for homemade lemonade and barbecue cocktails. Many home chefs buy cold cuts because it's easy to serve them for a meal or pack them on a picnic. Go for fresh sliced ones at your deli counter or good Italian cold cuts from Citta brand. They have the best tasting salame and  prosciutto , perfect for sandwiches and even bruschetta.

Summer shopping should easy and reflect the season's bounty. Take advantage of the produce and use it in every meal  Buy foods that are simple to use and simple to eat too. It'll make for a quick trip to the supermarket.

Don't Cater To Your Caterers

A catered affair should be classy and elegant, with amazing arrays of food and drink. Yet, surprisingly this isn't the case in many situations. A lot of banquet halls seem to have the upper hand when it comes to planning their clients fetes. Is this right? No. Don't cater to the people planning your big day.

This was brought home when I attended a friend's do for his daughter. At first it looked like a lush  luncheon , almost too much for a baptism. There were all kinds of foods , from the brunch classic , the omelet bar to the carving board, full of ham, turkey and pork roll. One side of the room has about fifty or sixty different kinds of dessert , Creme brule shared the spotlight with both white and milk chocolate fountains along with every kind of cake from strawberry to carrot. There was only one small problem. We had to share all this grub with the Sweet Sixteen party occurring in the next room. A fight broke out between the two groups a sort of Darwinian survival of the fittest and hungriest party guests. It  not something my friend or his family needed on this blessed day. Let this be a lesson. Make sure the food you want is yours exclusively.I'm sure both parties were surprised  - to say the least - at having communal food tables.Ask about exclusivity when scoping out the place. Will the food served be just for your party? Why is our buffet also someone else's?Of course read reviews too and if this is mentioned, then look for another place.

Another problem was the lack of soft drinks and juices. There were only two drinks offered - water and mimosas/ Kids could only have orange juice or water. I understand the fact that my friend wanted the invited little ones to have something healthy to drink but he could have also sprung for a pitchers of apple juice on the table. As for us adults, it was impossible to even get a much needed glass of soda. He had opted for everything else, including entertainment but not for six dollar pitchers of soda on each  table. The guests had to pay two dollars plus tip for a glass of Coke. Another important factor when you're planning a luncheon or dinner  is asking  what kind of hard and soft drinks will be provided. Don't opt for limits or "You can have either this or that but not both." The banquet hall should have given more options.They should have served a sparkling white wine instead of mimosas and also offer pitchers of soft drinks or iced teas.Don;t settle or get talked into having  just one expensive drink. I found  the idea too limiting and annoying , especially when I was looking for a non-alcoholic choice of beverage.

Caterers should cater to you. Don't agree to what they want if it's not what you want. It's your affair. Have it the way you want .

Savory Cakes

We all have a notion of what cakes should look like and taste like. We expect a sweet, vanilla or chocolate flavor. Sometimes there's the zing of spice or punch of fruit. We never expect there to be a savory taste. Yet, there's a whole new breed of them out there - savory cakes.

The notion has intrigued me ever since I read about it in David Tanis' A City Kitchen column in last Wednesday's New York Times Food section. He offers a carrot cake, but not the kind loaded with raisins and frosted with cream cheese icing. This one has not a speck of sugar in it, save for the grated carrots. The base is white cornmeal mixed with white flour. Not only are grated carrots added but also zingy scallions along with cumin and black mustard seeds.Like sweet cakes, there are eggs to give it body as well as baking powder and baking soda to give it lift. Unlike its' sugary cousins, feta cheese is also added. Mr. Tanis frosts his with creme fraiche  and is decorated with cilantro sprigs and more scallions. It would go well with the potluck recipe from Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column. It can also go with salads too, as Mr. Tanis suggests or possible as something to dipped into the yolks of sunny side up eggs.

The entire idea of of a non-sweet cake is fascinating. There are savory cookie recipes,from wafers to shortbreads. These are usually served as hors'd'oeuvres or with soups, a different change up from crackers. Savory cakes? Are there any, besides Mr. Tanis' recipe? Yes.  Eating Well offers one loaded with cauliflower and garbanzo bean flour.  Roasted pepper and dill give it color while feta and eggs give it body.It's served warm  and alone so it's meant to be eaten as the main course. It would work with a plain  salad on the side or possibly grilled chicken breasts or salmon.  Food 52 has a recipe for a savory sausage breakfast cake that's chock full of  pork sausage, onion and cheddar cheese.  The cake element comes with the flour, baking powder and soda along with eggs and milk.Mayo is added for smoothness and a silky crumb. This would be the perfect brunch cake, with a slice accompanying an omelet or again dipped into a sunny side up egg. A slice would also make a good breakfast or even
 lunch on the go too.It would be interesting to make any of these savory cake recipes into cupcakes, frosted with creme fraiche or plain cream cheese or dusted with cumin or paprika.

Savory cakes instead of the traditional sweet? What an interesting idea? It certainly changes the way we think about  and eat cake.

A Classic Revisited Nino's Pizzeria

It's very rare that a restaurant lasts almost  forty years with the same owner. Yet that's what happened  with Nino's Pizzeria in Garfield, New Jersey. It's been feeding the community with good food, introducing generations to Southern Italian classics. I've come back to it after a long time away and I'm glad I did.

Nino's is an unpretentious  little eatery with only four (albeit big) tables.It's been a take out since the original owner opened up this Harrison Ave. landmark forty years ago. The current owner John, and his brother bought it from the original owner, Nino, hence the name. Unlike other Italian restaurants in the area, this one has a surprise - good Portuguese food. Yes, Nino's has pizza, garlic knots and rice balls, as their fellow pizzerias but they also have frango assado, roasted chicken with vegetables and the famed codfish bacalhao, steamed, fried and  roasted.Picadinho , that tasty blend of minced meat and vegetables can also be ordered for a change of pace. The catering menu even includes a roasted  suckling pig or leitao along with a seafood rich paella Portuguese style.It can be washed down with the mild cherry tasting soda Guarina from Brazil.

This is a nostalgic trip for me, I used to go to Nino's during my college years for their garlic pizza. It was a gem, standing out, with the perfect ratio of cheese to sauce, studded with tiny bits of minced garlic. Has it changed? I had the plain slice and it was not greasy , unlike  slices from other local pizzerias. There was more cheese than sauce, creating a chewy , gooey texture. Their crust is good, more of tart one than than of the usual flat one with puffs. Their calzone is about the best around.It's crust was light and crackly,again not sogged down by oil. The filling is the traditional  ricotta, but it was like a ham infused cloud , light and fluffy without the usual cloying salty taste.It came with a tomato dipping sauce which was also perfect in flavor and texture.Many Italian restaurants put out a sauce that's too thick and chunky which slides off the calzone, ending up on the floor, table or lap. Nino's was spot on , and the best part was that it actually tasted like tomatoes - not too sweet or garlicky. The calzone and sauce were a definitely matched pair.

Nino's is worth visiting if you're in the Garfield area. It has an interesting mix of Portuguese and Italian food, all tasty and good. Visit it if you're craving pizza, pasta or bacalhao.

Nino's Pizzeria,
300 Harrison Ave #2
Lodi New Jersey 07644
973-772- 5056
Hours 10 AM to Midnight

Kuka Paka A Recipe To Make Your Own

Chicken can be sauced with anything. Tomato gives you chicken cacciattore, mushrooms and sweet wine gives you Marsala while white wine and lemon is franchese style. Sub in coconut milk and spices and you have the Kenyan version kuku paka , a departure from the ordinary poultry dishes.

Tejal Rao , famed chef and food writer, wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times Food section,Simply put it's chicken on the bone  smothered in a sauce. The name is abbreviated from the Swahili kuku wa kupka, roughly, chicken in sauce. However , there are different variations on how the meat is cooked. It can be charcoal grilled, steamed with aromatic herbs or braised. The sauce, itself can be pale and soupy or dark and glossy. Some home chefs make it mild while others add enough chilies to burn the throat.Corn, potatoes, and even halved hard boiled eggs are added. Yet there should be some unifiers according to famed food writer and actress , Mahur Jaffrey (she's the one responsible for bringing Ismael Merchant and  James Ivory together). One is a touch of sourness and the heat of green chilies. The sourness comes from a squeeze of lemon juice but some Kenyans also add a spoonful of tamarind pulp for the same effect.

Kenyan food blogger,Kaluhi Adagala has her own spin on the dish.It's common in the coastal cities, but she comes from the interior where it is a big deal. So is her recipe. She adds sprigs of fresh rosemary, crushing them to release the fragrant oils. Her's is also golden, tinted with the mellow flavored turmeric and either serves it over hot rice or chapati, flatbread. Sometimes Ms. Adagala serves it with ugali,a type of polenta that is a regular in Kenyan diets.Another Kenyan, the Nairobi caterer and recipe developer,brines the meat in apple cider vinegar. She also cooks the aromatics such as onions and ginger raw in the coconut milk., letting them mellow in the fatty liquid as she constantly stirs. Home chefs can replicate the flavors, first using their grills to cook the chicken. This imparts a nice smoky flavor that goes well with coconut milk along with the cumin and coriander. As for the coconut , most Kenyan cooks use fresh coconut milk, however it's kind of difficult to get them right now. Ms. Rao suggests using  two cans or 27 ounces of coconut milk plus  two tablespoons of coconut oil.

Kuka paka is a tasty departure from the usual chicken dishes. Try it for a flavor that rich in spices and textures. It's exotic but delicious, complex to taste  but easy to make.