A Spin On Southern Barbecue

Kentucky is known for many things - hot browns from Louisville,bourbon from the various distilleries across the state and their version of barbecue - well sort of barbecue. This fiery bite of pork shoulder is only known in the mid and southern part of the state - but it is catching on quick.

Steven Raichlen , the king of American barbecue and host/chef of such PBS shows as Barbecue University, Primal Grill, Project Fire , and Project Smoke wrote bout this variation of barbecue for today's New York Times Food section. He went to southern Kentucky to try this tasty and tongue searing roast.It does have roots, as other barbecues, in colonial America  where traditional barbecue was a favorite of George Washington and originated with the cooking of the enslaved. However this one is different from other roasts . There's no chopping or shredding. The meat isn't slow smoked.It does require to be thinly sliced and then put into the freezer before slicing.The meat also needs an electric bandsaw - a mean looking cutter that was a regular fixture in butcher shops until the Twentieth Century. As for the dip, that's unique too to Monroe County too. According to Anita Hamilton Bartlett, owner and chef at her restaurant,R&S Barbecue, her grandfather had told her that the recipe came from an old enslaved camp in Cave City, where his ancestors were enslaved. It's an hour northwest of them but the recipe probably migrated south as people searched for better lives. The most perplexing question is why pork shoulder.It could have originated in farm country. Pork shoulder is quick to cook and calorie dense , perfect for hungry field hands after a day of picking tobacco leaves.

The sauce is what makes it, although the pork shoulder on its' own would be delicious. The dip is made first, with distilled white vinegar,cayenne pepper, and kosher salt. Ketchup and mustard are also added along with butter and lard - yes lard. Home grillers may balk at the large amount of butter - two sticks - and half a cup of lard used.According to Mr. Raichlen it is vital to the recipe. Lard reinforces that sweet porky flavor along with keeping the steaks rich and moist.He also recommends subbing in more (!) butter if lard isn't available. The true recipe has brown vinegar which is merely distilled vinegar with caramel coloring. The barbecue sauce is cooked over a stove top and will be slathered onto the meat whilei t's still hot. Take out the grill if it's been put away for the season. The pork shoulder will be cooked on a grill oiled with vegetable oil. It's then taken off the grate and dunked in the sauce and finished grilling about three to five minutes each side. Do a second dunking with the cookd meat and served with a side of sauce. There's also a BBQ egg recipe which is pickling hard boiled eggs in the barbecue sauce for a week in the fridge. The butter and lard will congeal into a crust. Break this and drain the sauce. The extra sauce can be reheated and used for pork, chicken or steak.

This tasty variation of barbecue is a nice change up from regular ones. It may be fiery but it's a great chill chaser on an autumn night.Try it for a different spin and for a flavor that's both spicy and rich.

Good Versus Healthy Halloween Treats

Everyone wants to be the house with the good treats.It's a badge of coolness and a feeling of smug pride. Yet what is good? Is it gooey, cavity inducing sweets or nutrition  packed fruit or pretzels. That's the question. What the best goody to give out.


Ask any kid and they'll tell you , candy is best. We all know that. Yet what's the best candy health wise to give out?.Dark chocolate , whether kisses or fun sized bars are one good option. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants.Its also less sweet than the milk variety. If you do want to hand out candy bars then consider Almond Joys and Mounds. These coconut rich treats have eight calories a piece and the Almond Joys also have fiber thanks to the nuts. . A piece is only around eighty-eight calorie and less than six grams of fat. Think Tootsie for another treat. Both the tiny rolls and pops are low in calories A tootsie roll is only seventy calories while the candy filled lollipop is just sixty. Both have zero grams of fat. If you want to give out something colorful think Smarties or Sweet tarts.These tart little discs have no fat, very little sugar and hardly any calories. A Smarties roll is has only twenty five while a small pack of Smarties has only thirty. Hand out three or four rolls or packs to each trick or treater and you're golden.Twizzlers are fun too  - and better yet low in calories They're also chewy too, so it'll take some time to eat and digest them.

You may want to go the fun and healthy route instead.Apples and pears are always good, Think a bowl filled with different kinds such as Fujis and Granny Smiths  along with Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou pears.Pretzels are always good. They're low in calorie and fun to munch .Keep in mind that some kids do suffer from gluten allergies so have the gluten free variety on the ready. You can go entirely gluten free or go half and half with packets of regular pretzels. What about Goldfish? Luckily Pepperidge Farm does have a gluten free version that's just as tasty as the original,They 're actually puffy - which are even more fun to eat and their flavors are buffalo wing,mega cheese and cheddar bacon.  You can buy Halloween themed packets or make your own. A few moms and dads may feel granola bars are also a great give out.If you decide on this  just be super careful with what you give out. Keep in mind many have nuts and that's lethal for kids with nut allergies.Try 18 Rabbits brand which is wheat, nut and dairy free.They come in such flavors as Caramel Apple, Chocolate Banana, Mango. and Chocolate Cherry Kind brand is also very good.with such yummy flavors as vanilla blueberry, salted caramel, and maple pumpkin seeds with sea salt.

What to go with for next week? That's up to you - but keep in mind what those trick or treaters parents want.for their kids. Be cool, but be wise too.

A New Sweet Treat Tahini Bars

For years  Americans have only associated tahini with savory foods such as hummus and tzattziki sauce. Yet it can be made into a sweet gluten free treat that's the perfect sub in for energy bars and  candy.Absolutely Gluten Free has added three flavors of tahii based energy bars to their roster of gluten free savory and sweet products.

Absolutely Gluten Free is a familiar name for those who have celiac disease. The family owned company has produced such tasty dinners as gluten free and dairy free pizzas along with crackers and flavored flatbreads for snacking and parties. Their sweet products include coconut macaroons  along with brownie and blondie bites. They went all natural with raw coconut chews loaded either with cranberries or cocoa nibs. Now their latest venture includes a spin on the classic Middle Eastern candy halvah,Theirs is the version made with tahini and sugar as opposed to the kind made with semolina and some kind of nut butter.It is all natural  and comes in three flavors , vanilla, cocoa and pistachio . The cocoa has cocoa nibs which is more beneficial than chocolate chips since they  stimulate the brain's neurotransmitters to release euphoria, The pistachios also have health benefits. They 're good for digestion as well as help  in preventing macular degeneration. The bars are one hundred calories a serving

The big question is how do they taste.? First it does take some getting used to the texture. The bars have a very crumbly, sandy texture  that quickly melt into a cream.It's a very sweet treat but the added flavors dial that down. The vanilla isn't that strong. It's very delicate. The cocoa nibs balance out the tahini perfectly. without it being too overpowering. The pistachio is crunchy and creamy with a light , nutty flavor.

If you want to discover the creamy richness of tahini or just need a gluten free energy bar then Absolutely Gluten Free Tahini bars are for you.They're so flavorful yet healthy. Try them and become addicted.

Of Swans And Birthday Cakes

I have never used this blog to write about my birthday which is tomorrow. Instead I've dedicated my birth day blog to another 21ster, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the Early Romantic poet and Shakespeare critic.I've written about scones and clotted cream, and after ten years of lauding the fruits of Devon, maybe it's time for a change. No surprise there.

What was a surprise was in tomorrow's New York Times Sunday Magazine (delivered the day before) was the recipe for my Mom's signature dessert  cream puff swans.These are airy confections that she first got out of a recipe from one of my Seventeen Magazine when I was in high school or college.These were tear drop shaped puffs of the always impossible to make choux pastry. She had to pipe the necks which were thin exaggerated question marks. To give them that cygnet look the domes of the puffs were sliced off and cut in two to make the elegant wings. My Mom made a simple vanilla pudding , boosted with Cool Whip (I think) to complete the light airy, taste. This was spooned into the empty shells. The necks were inserted as were the wings, the last at an angle to show a swan preening. Then there was the dusting of powdered sugar to bring the elegance up another layer. They were like eating clouds. They were fun. Everybody in the family instantly fell in love with them, from my grandfather's cousins to my own, younger ones. They were the requested pastry at graduations and parties. The necks were always eaten first, followed by the wings and then the bodies.I hope Gabrielle Hamilton's recipe for them gets the same kind of love and adoration.

I miss those swans. I miss those days. Tomorrow is my first birthday without my Mom It doesn't feel like a celebratory day that deserve the mini birthday cakes I always bought from the Acme or Stop & Shop. I don't know what it feels like - maybe a recipe without the flavor - yes that's it. I'll be in New York on my special day, I'll go to a fun bakery and get a quartet of cupcakes (not too much - this food writer is on a strict diet.)They'll be chocolate ,for sure, with buttercream icing - not as good as mine though.Still, it's not the same with her not here physically. Birthdays for all us used to be fun. It was either our favorite meals made  (mine was risotto Milanese , the saffron drenched risott from  Italy's Lombard region) or a trip to the city for lunch or dinner at a favorite restaurant. We celebrated with a variety of different cuisines, from Belgian to Mexican to Japanese. Different dishes were ordered and shared. Gifts given and opened. Dessert then appeared and we dug into everything from creme brule to matcha ice cream. I miss those meals and the laughter that came with them

Birthdays are always with us.So are good food memories. I'll always cherish those of my Mom's choux swans  and of our birthday get togethers

Crazy Grapes

Grapes have always been a fun snack and a neat addition to dessert plates. Now there are some new hybrids that are going to ran up the excitement around them. These will definitely be the new favorites.

I discovered one strain while food shopping at the Stop &Shop. There are only so many peaches one can eat, and as much as I love them, they can be tiresome. The grapes beckoned  - and these were not just any grape. They were long tubular ones, sort of looking like pudgy little fingers. They were the Moon Drops, a pretty name for a pretty fruit. The grapes' color is a rich deep purple - think a midnight mixed with eggplant. They're the size is about two Concord grapes long with blunt, rounded ends. The flavor is sweeter than the average grape,think homemade grape jam. Sweet but not cloying. They are an offshoot of the common grape - vitis vinifira and the name was trademarked by The Grapery,a California based grower. Their odd shape might make people think they've been genetically modified   but they're not. The breeding technique did require human intervention howeve. An embryo rescue occurred, This is when the breeding process involves pollinating a flower and then growing the embryo seed in a laboratory test tube. Eventually the seedling is planted in soil and grown in the traditional manner.Unfortunately they're not really good for jams or wine. Eat them fresh , by themselves or with cheese.

Another crazy grape causing a buzz is the cotton candy grape. This hybrid is yet another product of The Grapery., and have been out since 2011 (I'm late to the party with these). They look resemble "white "or the pale green variety save for one important aspect - they taste exactly  like cotton candy. How is this possible? Again, as with the Moon Drops, there was no GMOs or even sugar injections to boost the taste. It seems it was a hit and miss with flavors.The growers didn't set out to create that particular one. Consumer testers gave them that name. Warm, they have a caramel or toffee flavor but chilled, as they were first eaten - and the cotton candy taste comes out.Again, like their unique  cousins, they can;t be made into jam or wine. Just eat them as a fun dessert when they're in season,. Supermarkets usually sell them during their harvest months of August and September. Another wild globe from The Grapery is the teardrop grape. This is a deep purple chili pepper looking grape that were originally named Witch Fingers which would be a cool name for them around Halloween. Like their cousins, they're best on their own or better yet on a cheese or charcuterie  plate. Harvest time for them is mid Spring, around June.

Grapes are a nice addition to any table - no matter what the time of year. MoonDrops are big right now. Enjoy them at a fall  picnic or gracing a cheese platter full of Bries and cheddar.

The Spotted Pig's Me Too Movement

The Spotted Pig has been one of the trendiest restaurants in New York's Greenwich Village. Everyone from stars to politicians, famous foodies and infamous chefs have eaten there. This starry site had a dark side - one of harassment and assault. The real story is coming out now.

Julia Moskin and Kim Severson wrote this extensive and in depth interview with the Spotted Pig's former chef, April Bloomfield, in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It's a tale of metereoric success. warring egos, incredible talent and magnetic personalities. Chef Bloomfield arrived in New York City in 2003, an innocent,  eager to work in Manhattan, then as it is now a mecca for chefs with talent. She had come from London's famed River Cafe, hired by Ken Friedman, who wanted to start a British style gastropub in New York City. There lay the first problem. Mr. Friedman had more experience in the music industry than he had in the restaurant one. He was able to lure in the glitterati which fueled the Spotted Pig's popularity in the early 2000.'s. Then the restaurant won its' first Michilin star. Chef Bloomfield had to deal not only with nonstop cooking but with the kitchen and waitstaff. She ran it like a martinet, berating both young chefs and waiters.She ignored or brushed off claims from female employees about Mr. Friedman's behavior that ranged from groping to asking them to send nude pictures of themselves.She claims she was not told of these wildly inappropriate  episodes. She also claims that the staff was directed by him to conceal the extent of his abuse.

Yes, as an employer she should have reported him.As a woman she should have been more sympathetic and faced Mr. Friedman head on , with the staff at her side. Yet even though they were partners, in not only The Spotted Pig but also The John Dory and the Breslin, she seemed intimidated by him. To be honest , he was the dominant one in the partnership. From the start, when she just worked for him, he threatened to revoke her work visa over something as simple as mildly disapproving over his choice of prints for the restaurant's interior. His personality was explosive . Maybe it was easier  for her to keep her head down and concentrate on her dishes.Chef Bloomfield did try to broach the subject with him. She had confronted him about his verbal abuse and unprofessional behavior. As with any relationship, she thought she could change him. He would agree and promise to do better but reverted back to his old ways. There was still rampant harassment. She could only concentrate on what she could control - her cooking. That made employees who were still being intimidated , furious. Some did not want to talk to Ms. Moskin or Ms. Severson , emphasizing that they didn't want to make their former boss look redemptive.

Will Chef Bloomfield be able to redeem herself in Los Angeles? It is a new start - yet one that has a history.  Will she be able to get past it with her cooking and new restaurant The Hearth And Hound? Time will tell.

The Return Of Newark Cider

New Jersey has in recent years, been known for their wines and champagnes. Yet another heady beverage is making a comeback -  Newark Cider. This clean tasting fruity brew is being made in state again and is gracing tables as it did in George Washington's day.

Rachel Wharton, a food writer and editor at  The New York Daily News took a break from her newspaper to write this piece for today's New York Times Food section. Newark cider was a great favorite of colonial New Jersey.It was also the treasured choice of George Washington who called it "the champagne of ciders". For decades cideries graced the Newark ,New Jersey area, thanks in part to the vast amount of apple orchards located the various hillsides bordering the town. They were perfect for growing fruit. The slopes have cool nights and warm days which protect the fruit from frost along with helping to accumulate flavor and sugar. The apples, themselves, are descended from the four varieties that make up the brew. Campfield, Povoshon, Granniwinkle and Harrison, the most celebrated of the quartet are the ones used. Together they create a crisp clean cider with notes of caramel and brown sugar, thanks to the Poveshon.Yet it is the Harrison apple that makes the cider sing.They have both the astringent tannins and high acidity that give the drink its' very rich, sugary flavor.

The entire Jersey cider industry was ready to be consigned to history  however it was revived to Charles Rosen.This former chief executive of a Manhattan advertising agency that dealt with other liquors, Svedka Vodka and Mike's Hard Lemonade, wanted to reintroduce this staple of Revolutionary New Jersey. He invested all his money in the business , long gone thanks to first urbanization  and then Prohibition.In 2011 he was looking to effect change in the state. It was then he was handed the magazine Edible New Jersey which had an article about the history of Newark Cider.The article's author, Fran McManus offered a suggestion at its' end - the apples were being grown in other states - why not bring  them back home? Mr. Rosen decided to give it a try. In 2015 he planted several thousand hard to find vintage cider apple saplings. While waiting for these to grow , he produced mainstream ciders such as cherry -cranberry with apple juice bought from other orchards. There is a new Champagne style cider made entirely of Harrison apples, found when his lawyer, Thomas Villardi, came upon a deserted cider mill in Maplewood NJ and with it , the trees. There is also the Ironbound Cider Company that has a tap room and tasting room where New Jersey sourced ingredients are turned into delicious dishes that go perfect with the cider. It's located in Asbury ,New Jersey, just a skip away from the Bridgewater Commons Mall.

New Jersey is known for many things. Cider will once again be one of them. New Jerseyians will enjoy this heady brew  the same way George Washington did.