The Complete Squash Guide

One of the best foods of autumn is squash. This versatile veggie can be transformed into a warming soup, a hearty roast or adelicious side.The only problem -how can you tell which is which and what do you use the for. Luckily there is a guide to help you pick the right gourd.

Florence Fabricant created this for yesterday's New York Times Foo section. It is definitely a  keeper, especially for home chefs , new to cooking squash.. There is a description along with a picture for the twelve kinds which will be helpful for those thinking of serving it for Thanksgiving. The most popular and the most known is the acorn squash. This familiar round globe is covered in a leathery dark green skin.The skin or peel is not for eating. The flesh is fairly sweet and it's best for roasting or stuffing.Ms. Fabricant also recommends cutting it up in chunks and pureeing them.Another popular one is the butternut. Again, this is a popular one, usually a foot long in length. It has a fat bottom and light tan skin.It's sweet and nutty tasting and can be mashed or baked into a layer cake.Cute, round squashes are the carnival and cheese pumpkin. The first is reminiscent of the acorn and has a lovely maple flavor. The cheese pumpkin is more savory and can be incorporated into pies, soups or purees.Another sweet tasting gourd is the delicata.It has green and white stripes with a thin skin.The best use? Turn it into a creamy and thick bisque. The Honeynut is the newcomer in the family. It sprang from Cornell University's labs.It's a hybrid of the butternut squash, but sweeter and richer in taste. It would be ideal for desserts.

Looking for super cute? Then try the squash with the super cute name. Jack-Be-Little. This orange or white ball can be filled with soup, a gratin or even a custard. It is mild tasting, perfect for a strong main dish.Craving sweet potatoes?Try the gourd with the exotic name - kabocha. Its' nubbly rind can be eaten with the flesh. Roast pieces or use in soups and stews.Another exotic cucurbita is the Japanese kuri.This is an anomaly in the squash family. Its' flavor is more like chestnut. This makes it perfect for stirfries and stews. The creamy white mashed potatoes is an albino version of its' cousin, the acorn. The inside is dense and scooped out to be fluffed with butter and salt.Ms. Fabricant also recommends halving them and serving with cheese. Spaghetti squash is the most popular with gardeners.Ir's an easy, problem free grow in almost every summer backyard garden.  It's oval and yellowish - about the size of a football. Its' name derives from its' string like flesh that can serve as a sub in for pasta. Then there is the sweet dumpling.It resembles the carnival squash but is green and white in appearance.The skin is thin and edible and can be roasted , stuffing or baking.

Squash is a must have at any fall meal. Cook or bake it for a delicious side or dessert. It'll add color and flavor to the meal.

Melissa Clark's Thanksgiving Issue

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and with it brings recipe anxiety. Many home chefs are wondering what to cook and how to cook it. There's also the problem of finding new dishes to liven up the meal. Not to worry. Melissa Clark comes to rescue,

She was the star  - and rightly so - of today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. She has contributed some of the paper's best recipes along with great advice for several years.It's no wonder.Cooking  is in her veins. Her chief influence were her parents who were also creative with recipes. The one that has her father's influence is her roast turkey with garlic, rosemary  and anchovies. He didn't like cooking a bland bird, threatening to sub in something else like a leg of lamb. His daughter takes it a step further and treats the turkey as if it were a leg of lamb. She pierces the legs all over  and stuffs the tiny  slits with a paste of garlic ,rosemary and anchovies. This is also rubbed all over the rest of the bird as well.  This also makes for a more fragrant gravy too.The bird sits for an hour before being popped into a 450 F degree oven.Of course stuffing has to come with it. Hers is made with rich  buttery brioche and roasted peeled chestnuts. As with any stuffing, sage and  thyme are added. Ms. Clark uses fresh for maximum flavor. Another must is chicken or turkey stock,It has to be homemade for the best taste. Season it with leeks and parsley tops .

Sides are always important to the Thanksgiving meal.Again Ms. Clark knows how to elevate the humble cranberry, turning it into a  dinner table star. She takes her Aunt Sandy's recipe, originally from a magazine and updates it. Gone is the orange that gave the berries some tang. In its place is pomegranate There are also pistachios for crunch and more color. Instead of sugar she makes it healthier by subbing in half a cup of honey.Other dishes are mashed sweet potatoes with bourbon(!) and brown sugar along with broccoli with fried shallots and olives. These would definitely be eye openers at any table, thanks to the different spin on them.Every holiday table has to have potatoes and salad. Again, Ms. Clark does not disappoint with her recipes.The potatoes are slathered in a duck fat confit , made fragrant with thyme, sage and garlic. The result is a crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside potato that will sure to be a hit. Her salad has anchovy  - again-blended with lemon juice and parsley. This is a great dressing to make for weeknight salads too. Pie is de rigeur . Her pumpkin pie is laced with rum along with ginger and star anise.Four egg yolks give the filling richness. To gild the lily even more there is a ginger ice cream recipe, zinged up with fresh ginger and cinnamon.It's perfect with the pie, as it's decorated with candied ginger.

Follow Ms. Clark's recipes for a fun twist on a classic holiday meal. The result is a tasty dinner , from beginning to end. Try all of them - or just try one or two for a unique Thanksgiving.

A Hot Dish For Election Night

The country is all hot and bothered  with mid term fever. The way to ge through it  - with a hot comforting dish to either celebrate or seek solace . I chose the classic Hungarian chicken paprikash - except mine has a twist - it's semi- vegan.

Paprika is the chief ingredient in this creamy strew of a dish. I used Pereg's Spanish Paprika  for an easy paprikash recipe I found on Jo Cooks - a breezy, fun recipe blog, It starts out with chicken  - well vegan chicken,

The chicken strips and chopped onions are sauteed in olive oil.

Then the chopped pepper. You can use whatever color you want. I wanted color so I used the orange bell pepper.

Then it was two heaping tablespoons of paprika. I know I should have used the Hungarian kind but I used the  Spanish.

It was sweeter and smokier,giving the dish a mellower taste.The dish needs two heaping tablespoons along with a dash of chili flakes.      

            Diced tomatoes are also added.The recipe also call for a half a cup of chicken broth. I used  3/4 's  of a cup of College Inn's vegetable broth instead.

A mix of 1/4 cup of sour cream and two tablespoons flour are also added for thickening and taste.

I had no pots to cook the egg noodles so they were zapped into the microwave - which honestly produced a better and chewier noodle.

The end result?

The picture says it all. More sour cream was added for lusciousness!

I definitely will make this again. To be honest I'd like to try it with Gardein's beef tips for a spin on this classic Hungarian comfort food. 

Now if only our elections were this easy!

Pereg Spices Up Your Holiday Recipes

Nothing zings up holiday cooking like spices.Pereg Gourmet Natural Foods knows this and has come out with three interesting spicesjust in tome for holiday cooking and baking.

I'm excited about them, especially my favorite za'atar. There is also paprika  - which will be used in tomorrow's  vegan soy chicken paprikash and poppy seeds - they will be baked into either a loaf or rolls.I definitely plan on using all three during this upcoming holiday season.

Right now I had to have the za'atar with hot crisped naan. To me this is the perfect light supper.I also found out that za'atr is also good with meats .Use it to liven up a turkey salad with Thanksgiving leftovers or add more flavor to a salad Nicoise.

This is what the mix of coriander,oregano,parsley, sesame seeds, olive oil and salt. Ground chickpea and citric acid are added for more body and preservation.

I mixed it with a good glug of olive oil.

At the same time I brushed naan with olive oil and toasted it at 350 F in my toaster oven. Ten minutes later it came out crispy.

I cut it in corners and drizzled the za'atar over it.

It was also good drizzled on ham.Pereg's version had more body which made for a richer texture. I may just try it in scrambled eggs or baked mac for a different vibe.

Holiday cooking needs zing. Pereg's new trio of spices will liven up any holiday recipe. Use them for  a new kind of excitement.

Short Cut Or Real Deal

As we embark on this holiday cooking trek , the question we have to ask ourselves is do we take the short cut route or make the real deal? Which is easier for us? Something from a box or tube or a recipe made from scratch.

The thought of making an entire holiday meal can cause a major panic attack in a few home chefs.There's a fear of either giving the family food poisoning or screwing up a beloved passed down through the generations dish. If that's the case,then think about already made or easy to prepare recipes. Many cooks are flummoxed by stuffings. What bread to use? Do you add sausage? Or chestnuts? If it's that confusing then stick to that old culinary chestnut, Stove Top Stuffing.It's an easy make,using only butter and water and cooked on what else  -  a stove top. They have a traditional sage dressing along with a cornbread one that's sure to please the crowds. A  homemade stuffing is relatively easy to create but labor intensive.Think of it as a savory bread pudding but without the eggs to bind it. Experiment with a few recipes before the big day. Decide which works the best for you and go with it. Another nail biter is gravy. This is a temperamental dish, where it could come out satiny and smooth or chock full of lumps. It's a simple recipe of just pan drippings, giblets, water and flour .Rosemary is added for more flavor and complexity along with salt and pepper. It;s just a matter of keeping the lumps at bay with constant stirring. The easier route would be buying a couple of jars of Heinz turkey gravy and just heating it upon the stove  top or even in  the microwave.,

Cranberries are another bone of cooking contention. A side made with fresh cranberries is always welcomed. Yet preparing them for cooking can be exhausting. You have to first wash and clean them, and then remove any stem, leaves and soft berries. The actual cooking only takes ten minutes on the stove top. Of course there is the classic Ocean Spray cranberry sauce. Open the can and just plop it on a fancy dish and you're done. One of the most agonizing holiday food choices is scratch  cookies verses slice and bakes.Of course nothing taste better than a homemade sugar cookie. Keep in mind that you can do a lot with a scratch cookie, Cinnamon and nutmeg can be added. Vary the recipe to make it gluten free and safe to eat for everyone. Of course the slice and bakes are soooo easy to make. You just need a sharp knife and a cookie sheet.These can be decorated too, with either homemade or bought frosting. One of the best things about slice and bakes is that they make excellent sandwich cookies, thanks to their uniform shapes. What you could do is bake the store bought  dough and make the fillings with different flavorings  from chocolate to peppermint.

It's up to you - as the chief home chef  how easy or complicated you want to go with your holiday cooking and baking. Go one way or the other. Or do a combination that works best for you. It's your choice  and your choice only.

The Back Pain Relief Diet

Can what you eat solve that crippling lower back pain?Is giving up coffee and soda better than a heating pad? Could simply forgoing cake and other sweets alleviate aches more so than pain pills? The answer is yes, thanks to an eye opening new diet. Follow it and feel the difference.

Dr.  Todd Sinnett, a chiropractor and son of one wrote this  self help/ diet book.The Back Pain Relief Diet :The Undiscovered Key To Reducing Inflammation and Eliminating Pain (East End Press 2018) is a combination of medical advice and recipes, with patient testimonies sprinkled in between. Dr. Sinnett is the founder of Tru Whole Cure which is patient centric medical center where all sorts of ills from back pain to skin problems are treated through, diet, stress management and acupuncture. The doctor expertly dissects what causes back pain and it always returns to what we eat. He also believes gas and constipation contribute to it. (there's an interesting but vile chart of poop and what's considered healthy and unhealthy)There are chapters which are tests which should be take,There is also the diagnostic nutrition test -another must take to determine if eating habits should be changed.After the diagnostic , Dr. Sinnitt recommends one of four diets - The No More Back Pain Diet or The Paleo Plus Meal Plan, The FODMAPS Diet and The Digestive Rest diet. Following these and the recipes that go with them will help in bringing those with severe back pain a return to a normal, active life.

The chapters with the recipes are preceded with a chapter on super foods.These are crucial in the healing process and there  foods that everyone loves such as avocados, dark chocolate and sweet potatoes to name a few. Dr. Sinnett does enlist the help of nutritionists , Willow Jarosh and Stephanie Clarke for the Paleo Plus meal plan. Are the recipes easy? Yes. even novice chefs can follow them  and have good results. The FODMAP one  is probably  the most restrictive. The recipes are still delicious, with a brown rice French toast with blueberries. There's also a delicious sounding Chopped Spinach Salad with Avocado and Tuna that  also has carrot,cucumber and tomatoes in it. The Paleo Plus diet is full of  flavorful recipes such as balsamic and herb roasted chicken with quinoa and cauliflower. Since it is a Paleo diet it does have a bone broth, but it's also loaded with sweet potato. cremini mushrooms and broccoli florets with carrots. Those on the diets shouldn't feel deprived of fun treats. There's  chia pudding with all sorts of fruits and flavoring added as well as the dark chocolate-coconut vegan truffle. The last is just a dark chocolate  bar chopped up and combined with two tablespoons of full fat coconut milk  rolled into balls. They're then rolled in cocoa powder. They can be used as a treat or in hot cocoa.

The Back Pain Relief Diet is a definite must have for those who suffer chronic back pain. Reading it and changing diets will more of a help than relying on addictive opiates.Buy it today and start on the path to a no pain life.

A Thoughtful Month Of Eating

November is that moment of quiet between two wild months. It starts off with All Soul's and All Saint's Days , which call for reflection and prayer and ends with Thanksgiving - a day where all give thanks for what they have. It's a month of eating simple as we ease into chillier weather and shorter days.

One of the simplest and delicious meals to make is chicken. Allison Roman gives us a good recipe for it in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It only takes an hour to cook a tender falling off the bone bird. She uses the thighs, always the friend of a home chef who work  long hours.It's braised in a Dutch oven.The thighs are then taken out to allow smashed garlic and sliced onion to cook with the chicken fat and skin bits. To give it a spicier bite, Ms. Roman adds tomatillo instead of tomatoes.Using them creates more of a sticky, soupy consistency thanks to the pectin in it. Fresh jalapeno also adds zing giving it some resemblance to the Mexican stew pozole where pork and red chiles or chicken with tomatillos are cooked for a long time.The chicken is returned to the pot where it's simmered with the veggies for twenty-five minutes to half an hour.It can be topped with a mixture of radish, the remaining onions and tomatillos. Lime juice is added for zest. Hominy is used as side to absorb the sauce but red beans or rice can also be used too.

Another easy and relatively simple dish is Melissa Clark's stir fried green beans with pork and chiles for her weekly column, A Good Appetite.Like Ms. Roman's recipe, it's a snap to make, inspired by Sichuan dry fried beans.It's dialed down a notch with the omission of the Sichuan peppercorns and preserved mustard greens. Instead coriander seeds and cilantro are subbed in to give the dish complexity. A big splash of rice wine vinegar gives it more layers of flavor. The dish can be cooked in a skillet or wok.The meat is cooked first, for only six to eight minutes until the pieces are browned and crispy. It's then transferring them to a plate and then cooking the green beans until they're tender and bright green. Chiles,  and ginger are added for fire and bite along with the coriander seeds and cilantro The pork is returned to this and cooked as soy sauce and half a teaspoon  of sugar is added. ( could dark honey be subbed in here instead?) Ms. Clark suggests serving it with a sliced tomato and rice but cellophane noodles wouldn't go amiss with it nor would vermicelli if you have it.

November is a month of just quiet and simplicity. Make these simple  - yet complex with flavor dishes. They're perfect for the long nights ahead.