Dainty Bites

With shower and outdoor tea season  in full swing , it's time to think about dainty bites, those sweet little two bite cakes that are perfect with tea or punch. Surprisingly, they're just as easy to make as they are to eat.

Petit fours are the classic dainty bites.Many home bakers are put off ,one by their small size, and two, French name, One of the simplest recipes, from All Recipes just requires a sponge cake base. It's basically two of everything, from egg yolks to cups of flour to two teaspoons of baking powder.If this is too daunting , then use a cake mix. The frosting can be a buttercream or melted white chocolate similar to  the little cakes that Swiss Colony sells. The last is more elaborate because it needs corn syrup for gloss and body  Fillings are usually some kind of jam , lemon curd or orange marmalade. Remember the cake does have to be sliced so that there's three layers. Some home bakers shave off the cake's top layer for a more even surface. Another idea is soaking the layers. This is simply using a pastry brush to brush liqueur over them to give a boozy zing. That's up to you. Some more experienced bakers do tiny buttercream roses on top. If you're not that adept, then use real violet buds or any kind of sprinkle . Candy confetti will do just fine. Clear a place in the fridge to set the icing and keep the petit fours cool.If you're serving them outside, try to set the table in a shady spot so the icing doesn't melt and slide off.

Fairy cakes are primarily a British treat, being the star of many a child's party. Yet they can be a lovely accompaniment to the petit fours.They're a smaller version of a cupcake (think mini cupcake)usually made up of a sponge cake with an icing. The famed baker and Great British Baking Show judge, Mary Berry, has several excellent recipes for them. There is one that 's a basic sponge cake with a simple confectioner's sugar icing. A chocolate one  has the taste of a brownie and is topped with a sculpted swirl of dark cocoa buttercream icing. There are even   plain ones, sans, icing , flavored with only chopped apples or jam. These would be the perfect foil for those fancier frosted bites. because of their simplicity.Of course the most popular dainty bites are macarons. These, too, can be daunting for home bakers.The recipe is pretty simple though and you can make a vegan one using aquafaba or bean water, the liquid that chickpeas  come packed in. The consistency is similar to egg white and makes a very good and delicate treat. They do require a lower temp oven to bake than macarons made with egg white.. Macarons can be dyed in a variety of pretty colors and flavored with everything from lavender to chocolate to fruits, They also make cute favors for guest to bring home.

Dainty bites are the perfect sweets for an outdoor tea or brunch. They have the right amount of flavor without being overpowering. Serve them with iced teas or tea punches for the perfect Spring Sunday gathering.

The Perfect Mac and Cheese

It's the fantasy of every kid and foodie alike - the perfect baked macaroni and cheese. There's nothing like the melding of all the good stuff, pasta, and cheddar whisked with milk.Is it hard to get this culinary unicorn? Not at all.

Alison Roman, author of the new cookbook, Dining In wrote an informative guide on making the best version in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It may be a simple dish in some more experienced home chefs' eyes  but it does require a lot of thought and care. She gives detailed how tos on selecting the perfect ingredients. The noodles used should be any tubular ones from elbow macaroni to tubes such as ziti, penne, and rigatoni. She also suggests a better, new on the scene cavatappi, This is a curly , ribbed noodle that's longer than an elbow.It's perfect for stabbing with a fork and holds the sauce expertly.It's also thick which guarantees against mushiness.Spaghetti and fellow long noodles such as fettucene and linguine are frowned upon but there are recipes for them and using them might provide for an interesting change. Ms. Roman suggests boiling the pasta in water that's "salty as the sea."This ensures that the noodles will have flavor throughout. They also have to be cooked al dente because then they can cook in the oven. They'll still release starch that will thicken the sauce and also their flavor will deepen.

Choosing the right cheese is crucial too.Ms. Roman firmly recommends using cheddar, whether sharp, extra sharp, or sharp white.Can other cheeses be used? Home chefs can use Gruyere or fontina to bolster the flavor but only use half. Remember that Gruyere is richer and fattier than any of the cheddar and could easily break up the sauce. Definitely avoid ultra mild cheese such as Montery Jack or Colby. They are fine for melting but lack the salt or tang to make the dish interesting/ A cup of Parmesan or Pecorino wouldn't go amiss but only add a quarter of a cup.It will give the casserole a deeper flavor along with saltiness without the graininess of too much of it.Also nix the bags of shredded fromage. Buy a block and grate from it. Baked mac and cheese doesn't benefit from experimentation . Keep it true to the recipe or you could wind up with a broken sauce. This is when everything separates. The taste will still be delicious but not creamy as expected. As for the other dairy, whole milk is the best. Heavy cream and half and half are just too rich . Two per cent can be used but make sure it's not non fat. This will break the sauce and cause a grainy texture. Make sure that the thickener always use a homemade thickener namely bechamel sauce.

The perfect baked macaroni and cheese can be had. Use cheddar and chunky pasta along with whole milk.It's taking the right ingredients and creating an American classic that's beyond delicious.

Never A Sundae

Are ice cream sundaes the phone in go to dessert of many restaurants? New York Times restaurant critic ,Pete Wells, seems to think so.His is a scathing, yet sometimes true assessment of a childhood favorite turned trite. After all, if you want a sundae , go to Dairy Queen, if you want an elegant dessert go to the right restaurant.

His  rant of sorts was the main article in today's New York Times Food section.He feels that this American classic is served in restaurants that have, as he puts it, a healthy sense of their own self-worth but don't have too many bells and whistles to show for it. These are the wine bars and gastro pubs along with the all day cafes and places where there is a young chef who has cooked somewhere in a chic European eatery.Chefs at these places are cagey. They won't tell you their dessert is a sundae. They'll describe it in detail, as a fancy flavored ice cream such as mascarpone  topped with caramel sauce and  a chocolate crumble for some variety. Mr. Wells expects dessert to surprise him, a sweet amuse-bouche to end the meal.It should . However that means hiring a pastry chef which is usually out of many a restaurant's budget. According to Shuna Lydon, who has worked and led some  pastry kitchens, large and small, famed and not so famed, there is more of a need for sous-pastry chefs It's thirty or forty grand less a year, despite the same amount of work, These have little or no experience with baking or with running a department that could turn out as many as twelve different desserts a night.

Mr. Wells , surprisingly does have some favorites in the sundae department. He does give high marks to NoLiTa eatery Uncle Boons that has a sundae built out of layers of coconut and other Thai flavors.It starts with a coconut gelato bought from Il Laboratorio, an ice cream supplier to most New York City restaurants. A thin coconut wafer and toasted curls of the fresh roasted fruit finish it as does candied peanuts and whipped cream sweetened with palm sugar.  Then there's chef ,John Fraser of Dovetail, spent his early years making the icy confections in a sundae shop. He has carried the idea to his other restaurants, Narcissa in the East Village and  his latest, Loyal on Bleecker Street. which has several afters to choose from.Loyal 's sundae has an array of candy to choose from.Sundaes do serve a purpose in a restaurant. It can be a shared dessert amongst friends and a nice surprise for kids who are bored with a restaurant's appetizers and entrees. Yet the question is do you really need a big gooey dessert to end a lush meal? Wouldn't a selection of petit fours and/or cookies along with coffee or tea be ample enough? Most people normally wouldn't have a big dessert at home, settling for a piece of fruit , cookie, or a thin slice of cake after a big meal. it's kind of gilding the culinary lily by having a lush tart or plated baked something.

Are sundaes just a phone in dessert? Maybe? Would it be better to create something new with ice cream ,syrup and whipped cream? Possibly.Yet to some diners and foodies , a sundae for an ending is better than no ending at all.

The Sargento Story

Could a funeral director do a 180 and create one of this country's leading cheese companies? Most would say no but it's actually a yes/A new book, traces the story of Sargento Cheese and the man behind it, Leonard Gentine.It's an interesting study in American entrepreneurship.

Treated Like Family (Center Street Publishers 2018) was written by  Tom Faley, a thirty year old employee, himself, of the Sargento Company. He was also involved in expanding the food company , developing many departments including marketing,consumer research, consumer promotions and new product development. He knows the company inside out, even acquiring most of the book's material from the founder himself. Sargento's is an unlikely tale , full of old fashioned dedication and hard work. The books starts off with Leonard's grandparents, Josephine and Joseph Gentine leaving the war ravaged area of Alsace-Lorraine,Chavannes-les- Grands for Wisconsin and ends with their great-great- grandson, Louie becoming the heir apparent to a multi-million dollar industry. It is Leonard, though, who is the star of the book. Mr. Faley writes this valentine for him. It all started out with an accident with a funeral director and Leonard paying off the cost of repairs by working for him. He worked hard on the journey from funeral director to mink farmer to finally a cheese company. What is inspiring is that he took the work ethic and humanitas of his first employer, Hobsen Brigsen. He applied that to Sargento, creating a home away from home for his employees.

The book is a long one, and at times, picayune There are dozens of factoids such as Leonard's kids childhood pastimes, pages on his courtship with his wife Dolores, and details of sales meetings from almost every year. Do we really care about who went on a sales trip in Chicago consumer research, Alsace-Lorraine,o in 1960 or who bought Leonard's funeral home? It would have been better if Mr. Faley has streamlined some of this. You do have to admire Mr. Gentine's tenacity and passion to create the perfect cheese company with partner Joe Sartori. (hence the name SAR  from Sartori, GENT from Gentine and the O to make it sound more Italian).What impressed me was the company's  drive for innovation. Sargento was the first cheese company to sell shredded cheese and that section was riveting about creating the first bag of it (a godsend to home chefs) and the first to mix different varieties in one package. They were also the first company to offer shredded cheese for tacos in 1969, years before Mexican food became trendy. Sargento was also a pioneer in reclosable cheese packages -again a boon for home chefs who used to have tot hrow out moldy , badly packaged fromage. Another important takeaway is how employees were always treated like family. This is a must read for any manager or future entrepreneur because it's a detailed guide on how to hire and treat employees.

Treated Like Family is an interesting lesson in American marketing and creativity.It is also a valuable one in boss/employee relations,For those thinking about starting their own companies, the bookis a definite must read.

Can Fast Food Be Diet Food

We've been constantly told that fast food is bad food. Everyone from doctors to diet gurus warn of its' side affects. Yet some places do offer healthier , sometimes lower calories . Can these smart choices help in shedding pounds? Possibly.

Many of us love Wendy's . It's  fast food that tastes almost like home made. You can eat healthy here. Their famed baked potato is only 270 calories if there's nothing loaded on top. If you want something  to top it then go for the free sour cream and margarine. The bacon cheese potato is 480 calories.. Have it with their Honest iced tea which is thirst quenching and diet perfect at only five calories. Wendy's also offers salads. One of the most filling and good for anyone watching his or her weight is the Power Mediterranean Salad which is only 250 calories for a small portion. This is a mix of  quinoa, chicken feta and hummus.If you,re craving more meat then settle on their Buffalo ranch slider at 220 calories or their grilled chicken sandwich which has 270. Dieters can  even have their beef and eat it too.Wendy's has a junior double cheeseburger that's only 280 calories.Are the other famed fast food restaurants that calorie conscious? Chck-Fil-A and KFC do have food that can fit into a regimented meal plan.KFC has a combo of grilled chicken and mashed potatoes for 430 calories. Chick-fil-a has unbreaded chicken nuggets for only 240 calories for five pieces.

Other fast food places can also be advantageous too. One of the best for low calorie food with a lot of flavor is Sarku. Their miso soup is only fifty calories, a perfect lunch on a cold, rainy day. They also offer shrimp and sushi which are surprisingly hearty fare despite the lightness. Th shrimp comes with white or brown rice along with a good scoop of green vegetables. Their California roll sushi is only three hundred calories but packed with flavorful shards of crab meat and avocado. Panera Bread can also offer some low calorie  foods, despite the fact it primarily sells calorie rich breads,. muffins, and cookies. Yet their breads are between 120 and 160 calories a slice - however, it's hard to just stop at once slice. Their loaves are beyond delicious. Luckily the chain offers smaller versions of their soups and salads along with half sandwiches, Their  halved Mediterranean veggie sandwich on tomato basil bread is only 220 calories. Wash it down with ten calorie Spindrift raspberry lime seltzer. Finish it with a mouthful of their coconut macaroon at only 140 calories. Or have the last with a five calorie espresso for a quick afternoon pick me up. Panera's flavored coffees are only twenty calories a cup and you can probably get it iced as well as hot.

Fast food can also be a dieter's food. It's just choosing wisely with your mind - not your stomach. Then you can enjoy a meal out without any guilt

Healthy Nibbles

Hungriness can be a pain. Your stomach's growling and you want a snack. There's a dilemma there. Do you eat something that's over the top tasty or do you scale it down calorie wise? The best bet is eating smaller amounts of  healthy snacks packed with flavor.

Many of us feel that urge in the afternoon between two and three. It's tempting to grab an icing rich pastry or a bag of salty oil laden chips. As flavorful as they may be , they're going to leave you still craving more snacks. Go with healthy nibbles.Brad's has come up with a line of all veggie chips.

These are the red pepper chips but there's also carrots,flax seed, buckwheat and tomatoes along with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. The taste is primarily bell pepper but the chips are tasty at only twenty-seven calories a chip. Brad's also make air dried kale which is another good nibble. Have both with a dip made from plain  Greek yogurt and dried onions.There is also pretzel chips from Snack Factory

I love their everything flavor with it's hints of garlic and sesame. Again these are only eleven calories a chip. They;'re good plain but again these can be dipped into plain Greek yogurt or salsa. The other flavors are plain and the fiery bacon habanero 

If you're craving something sweet and crunchy, the obvious answer is an apple or a pear to munch on. A better alternative is Fruit Sticks, also from Snack Factory

These are only twenty calories a stick and have the look of French fries. The company also makes, apple strawberry and apple cinnamon ones too. Snack factory has brownie , lemon tart and chocolate chip.thins to for sweet snacking. Dip the apple sticks in vanilla flavored Greek yogurt for an added treat.

Healthy nibbling can be done. Have a bag of these snacks in your kitchen or  office to ease that mid afternoon hunger.They're low in calorie but big in taste.

Getting Immersed In Your Blender

One of the best gadgets out today is the immersions blender. This magic wand can help in creating the creamiest salad dressings along with well blended sauces. It is a must for every home chef.

I have the American Collection immersion blender I bought from Target.com. As you can see it’s fourteen inches long and electric. The motor is a powerful one despite its’ size.150 Watts, .

It’ stainless steel and plastic, which makes it easy to wipe off any splatters that land on the handle./

What’s amazing are those tiny but sharp  little blades. I made a salad dressing that had chunks of soy bleu cheese and those two sharp mini mini knives turned the mix of that, mayo, olive oil and  applecider vinegar into the creamiest dressing. To be honest it would rival a store bought one for smoothness . I plan on using it for whipping aquafaba into meringues and will definitely use it for my sauces ,

The only problem is cleaning the entire blender. There is a break in the plastic that indicates it can separate from the motor but this was hard to do. Unfortunately, I had to very carefully sponge wash the entire gadget. Cleaning the blades turned out to be a dilemma too, thanks to the deep well behind them. If I could have detached the bottom, it would have been much easier. What I wound up doing was wrapping a wet paper napkin around a Q-tip swab and then delicately cleaning the well. I’m going to buy a small cleaning brush so washing and scrubbing any food residue will be easier the next time around,

The immersion blender should be a kitchen necessity. It is one of those gadgets that makes mixing and blending that much easier in creating whipped toppings and creamier souls and salad dressings. This  really is a kitchen must have for any home chef.