Comfort Food For Now

With all hell breaking loose around us, it's the best time to cook and bake those dishes and treats near and dear to our stomachs and hearts. It is definitely time for a slice of meat loaf or a big chocolate chip cookie. Indulge in what you want.

Luckily most of our comfort foods can be home made. There's no need to go out to restaurants and fast food joints. It's easy to make your version of Quarter Pounders and Whoppers at home. You can use Beyond Burgers for a healthier spin. Load it up with slices of onions, pickles and an easy to make version of special sauce.This is a mishmosh of mayo, French dressing and ketchup spiked up with white vinegar and dill pickle relish, Your side? Air fried French fries.  Get a few Idaho or Russet potatoes for the crispiest and meatiest. For real comfort, think Tater tots wrapped in bacon. You can also air fry these to get rid of all that bacon grease. Of course most people turn to meat loaf and mashed potatoes for their comfort foodsThink about amping it up some with the addition of sliced portabella mushrooms and wrapping it in bacon for a truly flavorful bite. Add a rich mushroom gravy spiked with with cremini or baby bella mushrooms and a good  jigger of sherry. To add to this try cream cheese mashed potatoes. These are the same recipe as basic mashed potatoes but have the added creaminess and cheesiness of the cream cheese. There's also garlic powder for more flavor. Spoon tons of gravy over them or just plop scoops of butter on top.

Of course comfort foods also mean sweets too.  Giant chocolate chip cookies are the perfect bake and comfort food. They have the perfect combination of butter, chocolate and brown sugar. You can add walnuts along with pecans too. Another comfort bake are M&M cookies. These are great made with the dark chocolate M&Ms. Whip up a batch  and enjoy them with a good book and a cup of your favorite tea.Another great comfort cookie? Peanut butter. Again, it's a fabulous mix of peanut butter, butter and brown sugar. Dip baked ones in melted dark chocolate for the ultimate peanut butter cup taste. Of course nothing beats cupcakes,You can have fun with these too. Imagine devil's food ones piled high with a minty buttercream, then topped with chocolate sprinkles. Or bake butter cake ones frosted with mounds of fudge frosting. Cupcakes are great to bake and ice during a quarantine because they are labor intensive and can help you pass the time when cabin fever sets in. Ice cream , for some is another sweet comfort food. A scoop is nice but jazz it up with some hot fudge and whipped cream.Create a tin roof sundae with a layer of Spanish peanuts and a few maraschino cherries. You could also throw all of this in a waffle cone for some fun.

Yes, you should eat healthy during these stressful times but also treat yourself to some really good comfort food. Have a dinner of burger and fries. Bake those cupcakes and cookies. Indulge yourself. Think of it as a remedy for these anxiety filled days.

Fourteen Days In

There's so much talk of quarantine and basically life shutting down these days. It brings the question - what do you do for those two weeks - especially if you have kids? It boils down to  eating healthy and  creatin enough projects to keep everyone relatively happy.

The Coronavirus is part of the common cold family. It is stronger and deadlier yet it can be buffered by having a boosted immune system. Think of the cold diet, foods that can help alleviate the ailment. Try to have plenty of colorful veggies such as tomatoes, peppers and different kinds of squash. Onions and garlic are also must haves. Make a big pan of ratatouille which can be made in double batches for freezing and later eating. Another healthy dish is crockpot tomato sauce, made with fresh tomatoes and garlic, the last the more the better. Serve with whole wheat pasta for a different healthier spin. Since you may be stuck in with kids of all ages, you may want to have some fun food plans in place.Spaghetti is one dish.Pizza is another. It's so easy to create a healthy pie.Use liberal amounts of olive oil as a first layer before you put on any sauce. It's good for colds and sore throats so you may want to incorporate more into your cooking. A pizza needs a good sauce. You can buy the already made ones or make it on your own. Add a healthy array of toppings, from slices peppers to roasted garlic. Mexican food is another healthy cuisine. Make sure you add potassium rich avocados which help in boosting the immune system along with tomatoes and a variety of beans.

Besides cooking healthy foods , a quarantine period can mean time to clean the kitchen if you're up to it. Cleaning the fridge helps. You can finally throw out those moldy cheeses and salads that you though the family would finish but didn't. It's also time to take stock of what you have and what you need for a healthier household. Make sure you have plenty of fruit  - actually more of that than cookies for the kids. We all know that oranges are great for colds and flu. They're rich in  Vitamin C and all those antioxidants. However apples are also good for treating all sorts of sicknesses. They're rich in flavonoids - which treat inflammatory problems. Another plus is that there are so many different kinds, from the sweet Mount Fuji to the deliciously tart Granny Smiths. Kids will love dipping apple slices in almond or peanut butter. These butters can be made at home for a fun family project. Both taste better homemade and it gives the kids a lesson in creating organic.Keep sweets at a limit. If the kids want to bake cookies, then stick to all organic recipes, one that call for whole wheat or nut flours and all natural sugars. As for candy - think healthy nut clusters loaded with raisins and dark chocolate chips. These are easy to make and they'll have fun making them.

Get ready for quarantines and having the kids on a full time basis. It means staying at home and eating healthy.  It means fun and nutritious projects with the kids.  Learn from this time together.

Stockpiling Your Kitchen

There's all sorts of strange stories out there concerning the Corona virus. One odd one is about stockpiling various food stuffs in case there are shortages. That's the strange part - what shortages, especially here in the States. Is this some kind of media made panic or should we be worried? Then there's the other question, if this is true - what do we stockpile?

There's some small buzz in grocery stores in the New York City area. I heard today that water and salt are being grabbed off the shelves at local Wal-marts in the Northern New Jersey area. Storing water is kind of strange. It's not as if our supply or local reservoirs are being threatened with bio-warfare or they're compromised. The salt makes sense, People are being told to gargle, presumably by their healthcare providers. Doing such will kill some of the virus bacteria and it will also bring the bacteria to the surface of gums, tongue and teeth. It's then should be washed out with a strong mouth wash.As far as other foods, milk and eggs are also at the top of the list. It's sort of similar to what people buy before a big blizzard with the exception of bread.The United Kingdom has a bad case of stockpile fever. Brits are clearing the shelves of their local supermarkets, fighting over pasta, rice and long life milk according to the BBC.It is obviously worse in Hong Kong where life - and trade has ground to a halt.

It hopefully isn't that bad here. We may have problems with hand sanitizer and liquid hand soap. Again, that' s understandable. Yet if we do have shortages, what do we buy to survive? The best bet is all canned foods such as canned veggies and fruits. These are versatile to use in a variety of different dishes, from omelets to stews. Despite what you've heard from some natural food advocates canned  produce can be just as nutritious and vitamin packed as their fresh versions. However, try to eat as much of the fresh stuff while you can. If you do feel a bit panicky about shortages, then freeze fresh fruit and veggies.Don't worry about it losing its' nutritional value. Fruits and veggies start breaking down after a whole year in the freezer.  Your grapes and broccoli are still OK for a week in the deep freeze. Meats are another foodstuff that can be frozen for a year or two. Cereals last six to eight months while oatmeal lasts a year and a half if you want to stockpile on them. If you're in a warm weather zone, then consider starting a veggie garden. You'll always have fresh produce which helps in fighting any illness. Also buy and plant melon seeds and berry plants.

Should we listen to the crazy rumors and start stockpiling? That's up to you. If you feel better then get a few extra cans now and then. Just don't go wild and and into a frenzy of over buying.

A Spin On Cassoulet

One of the most comforting of all foods is the French winter classic cassoulet. I'ts a hearty but sometimes labor intensive stew that is a melange of meats and beans. It can be tiring to create however there's a new spin to make the dish easier.

David Clark realizes this and gave it his twist in yesterday's New York Times Food section. His column, A City Kitchen has this new recipe along with a first course and a neat dessert. It is the duck that stands out , though. He slow roasts duck , serving it with mashed white beans sizzled herbs and olives. It's more of an Italianate spin than French. There is rosemary which the original recipe does not have along with green and black olives. As for the duck, Mr. Tanis suggests using only the legs and recommends the Moulard breed, a plumper hybrid of the every day duck. The legs are topped with peppery arugula leaves dressed with lemon and salt. To change it up a bit sub in broccoli rabe. Instead of putting everything into a cassoulet pot or Dutch oven, use a sheet pan for the legs to achieve a nice, crispy skin and tender moist flesh, similar to confit. The beans are still cooked with onions as in the original recipe along with cloves and garlic. They're then mashed with some of the bean liquid and resemble mashed potatoes. (A potato masher is used for this). You could even serve these with roasted chicken too.

As for the first course, Mr. Tanis decides on seafood, namely clams.They're simply steamed and then served with a garlic parsley butter and lime for zing. The butter is actually used for escargots  - snails - but work perfectly with  the clams. It's a mix of unsalted butter, freshly chopped parsley and garlic. The blend is then melted and cooked with lime zest and lime juice. The clams themselves, little necks, are cooked with leeks and white wine.Another alternative is raw oysters on a half shell. As for the dessert, Mr. Tanis goes somewhat light with ricotta paired with a  rhubarb , ginger and cardamon sauce.It's a spin on the Mediterranean treat of the cheese drizzled with fresh honey. Ginger and cardamon  pods are cooked with sugar and water to form a spiced syrup. About a pound of rhubarb is used for this. If you're wondering where to get it so early in the season, check Wal-Mart or Whole Foods. The mix is served on a wedge of ricotta and decorated with pine nuts or pistachios. As for what wine to serve with the whole dinner, try any of the reds such as Tuscany's Chianti Classico or Brunello de Montalcino.

If you're craving cassoulet but don't want the hard work, consider this recipe with or without the first course and dessert. It's an easier way of enjoying duck and beans . This is a simple cook with a deliciously complex flavor.

Real Recipes Fake Meat

Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers are truly taking the country by storm. They're all over , from our supermarkets to our fast food joints. Now one chef and food scientist tackles recipes involving them, making these beef substitutes even more desirable. Home chefs will love them.

J Kenji Lopez-Alt, food scientist and creator of the trendy restaurant , Wursthall, wrote about his attempts and observations for today's New York Times Food section. Chef Lopez-Alt did a lot of testing. In fact, in the last two years his team has tested thousands of pounds of the faux beef. His first instinct was to use techniques he uses on beef such as smashing. This is taking meat balls and then pressing them on a hot griddle. It's done by using a stiff spatula, letting them sizzle for a minute for a minute or so. The patty is then scraped off using a razor fitted wallpaper remover. It cooked well, as the Maillard effect came into being. The only problem? The taste. There was none along with the juiciness. I've never had this problem, cooking them on a small grill, for two to three minutes on each side. It may be that I also use a good amount of either I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or real butter. Chef Lopez-Alt narrows it down to this : burgers are flavorful and juicy thanks to fat and fat soluble organic compounds. The beef fat melts contributing to the sizzle and the moist inside.Coconut oil is the main fat in the Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers and it cooks out quickly. It leaves them dry (???) and vegetal tasting.

One interesting experiment Chef Lopez-Alt was cooking fifteen blocks of the Impossible meat on a vertical rotisserie in the style of the Turkish doner kebab, a street food popular  throughout most of Europe and, extremely well liked in Germany and Scandinavia. The meat is seasoned with garlic, oregano, chilis along with sumac, often used in Turkish cooking. The meat is molded into a classic cone shape and threaded on a rotisserie spit and rotated slowly in front of a flame. It worked up to a point, when the meat sloughed off the spit. Yet the sandwiches made with it were delicious served with sumac seasoned onions, tomatoes and arugula, There was the sauce, that went with it, a combination of yogurt and garlic. Chef Lopez-Alt also cooks with the crumbles , the ground version of these burgers and is satisfied with the results.It's excellent in creating such Asian dishes as dan dan noodles and mapo tofu. I'm making a variation of the first tomorrow using Morning Star Farms crumbles which I know, from experience is always delicious and meaty.  The recipes given are a vegan cheese burger and a vegan chili which Chef Lopez-Alt fires up with a mix of ancho chilies, New Mexico and California ones. He also includes the Turkish kebab one where Beyond meat is refashioned into logs and fried in either grape seed or canola oil. He also gives the recipe for the sumac onions and the spicy dressing too.

Will Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers replace real beef? Hopefully, but don't count on it. There's a lot you can do with them, but they're still not the real thing. There's will always be a need for the real thing no matter how the fake meat industry improves its' product.

A Big Buna Story

It's important to teach our kids about diversity - not just with people but food and drink too. Now there's a book that kids and their parents will like: The Big Buna Bash (Brandylane Publishers 2020). It's a fun and informative read with beautifully drawn illustrations. This picture book is a great tale about Ethiopian traditions and its' coffee.

Sara C. Arnold wrote this charming story about Almaz, a spirited first grader who wants her class mates to know about her Ethiopian family's tradition of buna. It's sort of like a less formal Japanese tea ceremony, where people gather at a host's house to sip this strong coffee and munch on popcorn, the buna's traditional snack. Almaz , with the help of her mom, Nana and her big sister , Bosena create fun invitations that unfortunately wind up in the trash or as paper airplanes.Undeterred and determined she gives it a second go in her class' Show and Tell.This gives Almaz a chance to explain the ritual in full detail, with pictures and goody bags filled with coffee beans and popcorn. This finally sparks interest which leads to a fun buna bash with their teacher Ms Hill and her classmates.. The buna is where coffee beans are roasted  in a pan on a portable camping stove. They turn a glossy shade of brown along with producing that rich , aroma we all love. Bosena explains how the beans are hand ground back in Ethiopia while Nana puts water and the grounds in an amphora type pot called jebana. It may take a while but this only allows Almaz to bond further with her classmates over a game of I Spy.

Is the buna a hit? Yes!!!! They enjoy the three rounds of buna. The last or the baraka brings a blessing to those who drink it. I loved this book and how it educates children about different foods from different countries. It's such a sweet tale, and beautifully illustrated by Roberta Malasoma. The love that Ms. Arnold has for buna is evident in the way she describes how the coffee is made. Also evident is her love for the Ethiopian culture and people thanks to her being  an aunt to an extended Ethiopian/ Israeli family. I would love to see a sequel about Almaz and her family cooking dinner for her classmates.It could feature such traditional Ethiopian foods as doro wat, a spicy chicken stew and injera , a flatbread made with the ancient grain teff. She could also write another follow up featuring how to create buna in an American kitchen with  recipes for well loved Ethiopian desserts like himbasha, a cardamon flavored crepe or Berbere spiced pudding  that combines avocados, raw ground cacao, cayenne pepper and paprika.

The Big Buna Bash is a must have for your child's library. It is a great way of introducing little and big foodies alike to this interesting and tasty ritual. Buy it now and expand your family's culinary horizons.

Your Own Favorite Restaurant

People are even getting paranoid and understandably so about eating out. Yet, for many it's the highlight of the week or month. The food is tasty and fun. However you don't have to eat out. There are recipes for some of our favorite restaurant and fast food dishes. Why go out when you can bring the eatery to you.

Fast food is always a hit. Who doesn't love a burger with the works or a filled burrito? Yet you can easily make these at home. It's so easy to recreate the special sauce. It's just mayo with a dab of French dressing along with white vinegar and granulated sugar.This can be made healthier with using the vegan Nayonnaise and dark wildflower honey. Add sliced tomatoes , pickles and lettuce on a bun for the full effect. As for fries and onion rings use your air fryer.  You could get the bagged , frozen kinds but you can also buy already freshly cut crinkle potato and sweet potato fries.. Liven it up with some ground garlic and rosemary. Homemade onion rings are another easy make, thanks to panko bread crumbs and an egg wash. Love Taco Bell? Their bean burritos are so easy to whip up - as I know. It's easy to cook up kidney beans and chopped onions in a mix of vegetable and olive oil.Red wine vinegar gives it tang while chili pepper and cumin add flavor. Serve it on steamed tortillas. Have a side of melted nacho cheese  - basically a jalapeno cheese sauce. It's creating a roux of milk and flour and then adding chopped cheddar and butter. Diced jalapenos are then stirred in for fire.

Pizza and pizza sticks are always easy to recreate.The dough is a simple recipe of flour, water and yeast, along with olive oil, a touch of sugar or honey and salt for flavor. Top with already made pizza sauce also used for dipping with the pizza sticks  and a variety of veggies and meats. It's a fun way to teach the kids how to bake as well as create breads. Making a pizza can also be a great method of teaching nutrition and which is the best and healthiest to eat. Kids can learn about using vegan mozzarella and what veggies are the most nutritious and the tastiest for finishing a pizza. Another Italian classic that's always a take out is the hero. Yet these are so much fun to make at home.Take a good Italian or French bread, cut in half, and add slices of your favorite meats , cheeses and veggies.What really makes any hero sing is the dressing.it's just a mix of olive oil and red wine vinegar with a dash of oregano. So many chain restaurants have loaded potato skins.It's baking Russet potatoes and then scooping out the flesh so that there's a quarter of potato left inside. Then you can fill  them with anything you want, from bacon to pulled pork or shredded roasted chicken with taco spicing. You could also try topping them with  pizza sauce and mozzarella for a different spin.

Eat in if you have qualms about eating out. It's easy to recreate favorite recipes at home. You might even improve on them.