Mom's Recipe

Mom's always have the best recipes. I was lucky to have a mother who loved to cook -  inheriting that  love from her parents and grandparents. She also  lived to cook and made all sorts of cuisine, from the Swabian and Piedmontese dishes she grew up on to French, Chinese and Mexican recipes from books and newspapers. Receiving cookbooks for Christmases and birthdays  were a big deal., She adored one special one, the famed  LaRousse Gastronomique.

 One of her favorite recipes was  surprisingly from Au Bon Pain, the bread and pastry chain .As we all did, she fell for their tarragon chicken spread.

Out of love and honor for her. here's the recipe.Make it for your mothers, whether tomorrow or for a family picnic.

Chicken Tarragon Salad

Two cups shredded or cubed left over chicken. (mix the white and the dark meat for a more flavorful spread)

Two to three tablespoons mayo

One heaping tablespoon of  dried tarragon. (use fresh picked if you have it)

Mix the chicken and mayo until well blended, Add the tarragon and mix it thoroughly into the spread. Add freshly ground pepper if you want more zing.

My Mom always liked the spread on buttery croissants but it's also good on crackers or any other kind of bread. If you;re spreading it on Italian or French breads, add slices of freshly cut tomatoes.It gives it a Provencale vibe.

Enjoy it. She certainly did.

All Things Artichoke

One of the most pleasant tasting vegetables is the artichoke, Its' mild sweet flavor is addictive and can add to any dish, whether appetizer, or main meal. The verdant globes are a plus to any table.

What are artichokes? Plainly put thistles, those sharp edged pretty flowers that grow wild in gardens and woodlands.It's been cultivated for food since earliest times. and can grow as high as four feet.Homer has mentioned them as early as the Eight Century BCE The Greeks called them kaktos while the Romans named them carduus, hence their cousin's name cardoon.. Henry VII enjoyed them probably believing stories of them being aphrodisiacs. French colonists brought them to Louisiana while  the Spanish introduced them to California. Artichokes have the highest amount of antioxidants of any vegetable. They also possess a chemical called Cynarine which inhibits taste receptors. That's why foods, drinks , and water taste sweet after eating the hearts and leaves. Since this is a thistle, the leaves do have to be trimmed.Melissa Clark gave a how to in her  column A Good Appetite seen in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. The pointed leaves or "petals" have to be snipped using a kitchen scissor.(or regular one if you don;t have the first) Do not trim the stems. They are just as tasty as the artichoke hearts. Using a grapefruit knife, trim away any tough outer petals. If they're thicker than a newspaper and won;t bend between your fingers, then discard. Also scrape out any purplish spikes you see. These, too, are hard to eat along with the white choke.

Artichoke dishes are always special. Ms. Clark makes her with pasta and pancetta. Leeks, lemon and dry vermouth give it a brightness The recipe calls for four to five chokes which will give the ever salty pancetta a sweetness.Chives and mint  along with parsley are also added. One of the best artichoke  recipes is one for stuffed globes. This is a Southern Italian dish, rife with cheese and sausage. It's putting a breadcrumb  and oregano based stuffing into the leaves and then oven steaming them with water and olive oil. Sausage is crumbled into the mix and and moistened with a few drops of olive oil. Pecorino-Rmano cheese is sprinkled on top of this stuffing and then the artichokes can be steamed on the stove top or in  the microwave..A more elegant way of having them steamed and then dipping the leaves in a delicate vinaigrette using red wine vinegar or lemon juice. The artichoke hearts themselves are a tasty treat. They're  marinated in a garlicky oil and come in either jars or cans. One of my favorite brands is Paesana. The flavor is delicate  and not overpowered by too much garlic. They're good on their own as a lunchtime side or dipped in herbed cracker meal and then fried in a combo of butter and olive oil.

Artichokes and their hearts are a delicious addition to any table. Use them in pasta or  just stuff them as a hearty appetizer . They bring a sweet greenness and Spring flavor to the meal.

Gadgets For Mom

What would a kitchen be without gadgets? A place where cooking and baking would be chores  not fun.These do all doodads help us with the most mundane of tasks and often elevate our ingredients to a higher level.Luckily for all the home chefs out there there is always a new one being invented.

Penelope Green , a style writer for the New York Times Style section covered  the newest and brightest in the paper's Design section today. It 's a full and interesting article, along with being the perfect gift guide for those who haven't done their Mother's Day shopping as of yet. She interviewed both Scott Goldsmith whose family has owned S. Feldman's Housewares  since 1929 and Amanda Hesser, the food writer , cofounder and chief executive of Food52, a kitchen and home website. There's also some input from Christopher Kimball, he of America's Test Kitchen fame and Milk Street. What is hot out there?Mr Goldsmith's site and store S. Feldman Housewares has a yellow silicon Food Pod that acts as both a colander and steamer/It looks  like something that's found at the bottom of the ocean.It let's you boil everything from veggies to eggs to shellfish. It does make for less messy draining and is perfect for those  who love hard boiled eggs or shrimp. He also sells onion goggles which stops a home chef from crying when slicing Bermudas.Unfortunately it doesn't fit over regular glasses. S. Feldman also sells a Pushberry a wagon wheel  looking device that perfectly hulls and slices strawberries.Avocado slicers and pitters are  big item too, thanks to more and more people making their own guac at home.

Christopher Kimball  had his own opinions on various gadgets. He has three categories for them. The first is Completely Idiotic Useless Objects. Things That Are Not Worth The Storage Space and Things That Seem Practical But You Can Actually Do Better with A Knife. He does agree that a well designed tool is immensely valuable.he feels that maybe it's not worth the effort to get specialty gadgets that would only be used once a month. He still  has bought gadgets. The BeepEgg was intrigue at first site at Chicago's annual International Home And Housewares Show a few years back. It was a cute egg shaped timer that plays music like "Killing Me Softly" when the time is up. It's a great idea for those who make egg salads or are big on poached eggs for breakfast. Another interesting gadget is the Spreadthat butter spreader that warms up from the het of the user's hands. This makes for a smoother  melty butter however the stuff melts naturally if the bread or bagel has just popped out of the toaster. Creator Howard Chiu, a former aerospace engineer, used his background to create  tubes coated with titanium  that warms from body heat. He has also expanded that to gravy warmers, ice cream scoopers and meat thaws. Then there is Kraigh and Anna Stewart who came up with reusable  silicon string to truss up chickens.

As long as there are kitchens, there will always be gadgets. Some will be fin, some will be handy  Either way they make for some interesting prepping and cooking.

The Empire That Is Rachel Ray

Probably one of the best role models in the cooking world is Rachel Ray. She is lively and informative  , kind and caring. She's also a mogul with a good sized empire .From pet food to furniture  her name is everywhere. She is the template for young chefs who want it all.
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This food maven was ;profiled today by regular contributor , Kim Severson in today's New York Times Food section.Ms. Ray came into the public spotlight in the early Aughts. She was bubbly and fun, different from the teacher like TV cooks like Lidia Bastianich and Martha Stewart. America warmed to her, She was your best friend with a cooking show , the one who showed you that cooking was fun and not a chore. Some , though, didn't take too kindly to this. They mocked her , even starting blogs that trashed her and her cute phrases such as EVOO - extra virgin olive oil. Yet she persisted , venturing out with a magazine, Rachel Ray Every Day which has an impressive  1.7 million (!) subscribers along with her pet food line, Nutrish. The last is unique for a known chef, It would be impossible to imagine Booby Flay or Anthony Bourdain coming up with an all natural food for animal companions.That started with a small , family owned company noticing how she gave animals a lot of attention in her  magazine and approached her. She allowed them to use her name, providing the food was inspired by her recipes.It turns out that this was the most lucrative of her ventures, pulling in 650 million dollars (!) in 2017. The mega giant Smuckers, purveyors
 of those tasty jams and jellies is buying the parent company for 1.9 billion ,largely in art because of her influence.

Despite all this, Ms. Ray does have some struggles. As she turns fifty . she is losing her grip on the prized 18-35 demographic. She is  planning digitally streamed show that have more to do with travel, music and food instead of cooking and recipes. This will have to be her future..Syndicated shows like hers on on the decline and her Emmy nominations have dried up. The brand Rachel Ray is on Twitter and various other media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Still it's not reaching the younger, money spending crowd. Many  twenty somethings feel she's only appealing to young children and grandmothers/ She doesn't have that scientific edge such as Cook's Illustrated and Wirecutter,a New York Times owned digital magazine that spends days testing baking and cooking tools.Ms.Ray's  vibe is more the chummy anti-inspirational. Her attitude is that food is meant to be shared and stored not tested , analyzed and deconstructed. still if that doesn't win over the Millennials, , she will still keep going. There are new projects in the pipeline such as a line of furniture as well as designing handbags from real leather and vegan friendly  less expensive ones. Then  there is her love of music , fueled by her husband and partner, musician , Marc Cusimano
 leader of his band Cringe. she has staged shows for the South BySouthwest concert venue in her beloved Austen Texas.

Rachel Ray will survive, The sweetness masks a toughness and determination that made her what she is today. She doesn't need the Millennials to survive. She has her brand to carry her.

A Variety Of Fries

One of the foods we love so well is French fries. We have them with our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. They make a great snack, whether at a  stand or on a beach. Nowadays , there are so many . what to choose from? Which is the best?

French fries come from the Belgians but also  French chefs have made them for some two hundred years. There have been some hot  debates about their origins for the last century  A reference to them in  the Gerard family archives ,mentions potato batons being fried as early as 1680 in Meuse Valley of what is modern day Belgium.Inhabitants of the Belgian towns of Namur, Andenne and Dinant has the custom of fishing for smaller fish in the Meuse River. They were fried and eaten.When the river was frozen over, fishing became impossible so the locals cut the potatoes  into small pieces and fried them instead. Thomas Jefferson had them made in the White House in 1802 and the first recipe for them came in 1856 in Cookery For  Maids Of All Work.  The English also grabbed onto the recipe with the first chip shop  opening in Yorkshire, somewhere around  West Riding in 1854. The Germans also jumped on the fry bandwagon, in the 1850's easily pairing them with their wursts.The first frozen fries were created by the JR Simplot Company y in the 1940s; Now fries include sweet potatoes and parsnips. They can be very thin such as the shoe string or thick like the plank kind.

What's being cooked in most households? Is it frozen or fresh? Frozen  is an easy choice. It's just preheat the oven, toss a few on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for twenty to thirty minutes in a 400 degree oven.There are some very good brands out there. Stop & Shop has their own in house line of different cuts. Their crinkle cut fries bake up really well. They're crispy without being too greasy when baked along with having pretty uniform sized pieces. Ore-Ida has excellent microwave fries which actually taste as if they've been cooked in a fryer. They have a nice crunchiness on the outside and a meatiness on the inside. For good waffle fries, try the Alexia brand. The brand was created by a chef who wanted to elevate everyday sides and he has done so with both Idahos and sweet potatoes. He even has Parmesan flavored as well as rosemary, truffle oil, and olive oil and  different combinations of all four. You can make them yourselves.it is a bit labor intensive but worth the effort.
start with Russet or Idaho potatoes and cut first into slices  and then into batons or sticks. Let them soak in ice water over night to draw out the starch. The next day, drain the water and pat the sticks
 dry  with paper towels. Fry until they're  golden and slightly brown. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Fries are good whether  as a side for burgers and chicken strips or as a fun snack with a cold drink. Make them yourself or heat up a tray of frozen ones. either way , they're a meaty, crunchy treat.

Baby Chefs

With Mother's Day around the corner  a lot of little ones will want to make her something special. The question is are they old enough to cook or bake ? When can they put on the apron and wield that spatula? Is the age or a child's maturity that decides?

Surprisingly you can put a two or three year old to work in the kitchen. Mind you, it's just simple safe, stuff but it's a start. They can help you squeeze lemons and spin the salad spinner. Those tiny  hands can also aid in picking leaves off of herbs and gently mashing squash and potatoes.At the ages of four and five, their motor skills are more defined and they can focus better on tasks.The problem is they could either be advanced , doing what older kids can do or lagging, doing the simple kitchen chores a toddler can do. My advice is gauge their enthusiasm. They may be more interested in playing  so don't push them . If they're enthusiastic , then see what they're good at and give them that job to do. What can those six and seven year olds do? At this point, children's motor skills are becoming more refined so they can take on more detailed work. They can help with grating and peeling but express that there could be accidents, namely scraped or cut fingers . Dicing and mincing are ok as long as the food is a soft textured one like strawberries. They can also slice and scoop avocados and grease pans before baking. They can also zest, using a microplane grater along with rinsing canned beans

As the baby chef's become tween chefs, you can increase their tasks and responsibilities. At this point they can help in reading the recipe and teaching the younger ones their  former duties.it is up to the parent to decide if the young cook can use the stove. The best bet is breaking him or her in on the toaster oven  using an easy recipe like English muffin pizzas. These older ones can also use a pizza cutter too, either cutting into Mom's homemade or pizza parlor pies. Tweens can also be allowed to use a can opener as well as filling muffin tins with batter, scraping it from the bowls and using a mixer. Young chefs can also pound chicken, skewer food and make sandwiches and wraps. Knives are allowed but only small paring ones or ones with serrated edges. Twelve year olds can start making pancakes and scrambled eggs. They can also try their hands at microwave bacon too. Frying it may be a little too dangerous, especially with spattering fat. No matter what age they are, keep a supervisory eye on them. As for barbecuing, wait until they're fourteen or fifteen before they start pouring lighter fluid and flipping burgers.

Nothing beats a kid made Mother's Day meal. Just make sure dad or even mom is there to watch and even lend a hand. The result will be moms brimming with pride over their baby chef's first cooked meal.

The Other Mexican Food

People are probably downing fajitas and margaritas like crazy today , thanks to it being Cinco de Mayo. Yet there's a side of Mexican food that hasn't been turned into American fast food.It's the true cuisine, both indigenous and European influenced, and equally as delicious as its' more popularized sibling dishes.

Mexican cuisine is one of the oldest in the world. The ancient Mayans lived in an agricultural society where they cultivated corn but also foods seen on the modern table such as tomatoes , squash, sweet potatoes and even turkey. Like the US, a variety of different nationalities arrived, mostly, the Spanish but also French ,German, Chinese,African and Lebanese. They left their mark on various dishes and influenced many a recipe. Also like the US, true Mexican cuisine is also swayed by the regions or states. A popular dish in Mexico City is the torta, a kind of hero chock full of shredded chicken or beef along with avocados and, beans.It's drowned in queso or cheese sauce and chili sauce. Some bolder Mexican City foodies hang out at  restaurants featuring pre-Columbian cuisine such as insects.Barbacoa, taken from the Taino tribes of the Caribbean is also popular. This is slow cooked beef or sheep highly flavored with onions and cilantro.This is also popular in northern Mexico where most of the dishes are meat dominated. Northern Mexicans can enjoy arrechara or skirt steak along with cabrito, roasted goat. A favorite meal is machaca, spiced shredded brisket served in flautas or smaller tortillas.

Central Mexico also has its' own cuisine. The state of Oaxaca, located on the Pacific coast and was the first area to have different cuisines mix and fuse.Still western Mexican cuisine is also influenced by the indigenous groups of  Mixtecs and Zapotecs.Its' cooking is mostly pork and chicken , highlighted with their adaptation of mozzarella cheese (brought in by the Spanish) also called Oaxaca cheese. Mole is big here and there are seven variations of this tasty chocolate infused sauce. Cocoa is big here and it's also made into a hot drink spiked with almonds and cinnamon. The state of Veracruz is perched on Mexico's Caribbean coast and the area's influence is clearly seen in the food. Papayas and other tropical fruits are turned into milkshakes called licuados. Seafood is also big here, especially shrimp along with Spanish influenced fish dishes.One of the most distinct cuisines of the country is from the Yucatan peninsula.  There is a strong French and Middle Eastern sway here although the Mayan culture is present in many dishes. More so  than any other cuisine, fruit figures prominently in many recipes. Spanish bitter oranges and tamarinds plums are popular ingredients.

Mexican food isn't just overstuffed tacos and cheese soaked nachos. Like any country's cuisine, it is full of complex flavors and textures. There are native and foreign influences marrying together to create interesting food and drink. This is Mexican food.