A Tasty Homemade Celery soup

 What do you do with a lot of celery?Make soup.  There's nothing like a homemade one , made with fresh ingredients. Best of all it was a vegan one and one I'll be making again.

I got the recipe from The Simple Veganista website. It's a relatively easy one  with the labor lying with cutting up all those celery stalks.

Since these were eventually going to be pulverized with an immersion blender.This was the most work.

It was then chopping up one yellow onion. The recipe said that you can use leeks but I felt they might be too strong in flavor. 

Then it  was four cloves of chopped garlic.

Afterwards the veggies were sauteed in about five to six tablespoons of Earth Balance spread. I like this one because its' taste is the closest to butter.

What's soup with out the stock?  Two Not Chick'n bouillion cubes  were stirred in along with about five cups of water.

These are great because they do add a real chicken taste to the stock. It was then adding the potatoes. The recipe called for Yukon Gold.I went the easy route and used  two cans Del Monte sliced potatoes.

It was then simmering everything for twenty minutes until the celery became tender.

The chunks got pureed thanks to using the immersion blender until the soup becomes smooth and creamy, th e last thanks to the potatoes.  Add a pinch of sea salt and a grind of fresh ground black pepper.There were some celery and potato chunks but I like the occasional chunk.  They added to the texture. This is one of my new favorite recipes. The taste was perfect and I love how the garlic and onion zinged up the celery's flavor. It was also good reheated.

Celery soup is the  perfect soup for fall or for any time. This one was delicious and flavorful. Make this vegan gem for the cool days ahead.

Stuffed

 Stuffed meats and veggies are a nice change up from the usual lunch and dinner fare. The family will get a kick out of breaking into them for a flavorful surprise. Stuffed main courses also a great way of using leftovers and repurposing them into something tasty and fresh. 

One of the easiest stuffed dishes to make is stuffed tomatoes. These are a diner favorite but easy to make at home.it's just hollowing out a beefsteak tomato and filling it with tuna salad. You could sub in egg salad if you want to but tuna is the usually preferred one. This filling is just a simple mix of tuna mayo and celery. You can decorate the top with dill or parsley leaves or just put the tomato top back on. Chopped avocado can be added for color and flavor. It also gives the stuffing a creaminess too.  You could also turn this vegetarian by subbing the tuna with leftover cooked rice, vegan cheese and a variety of different vegetables. A popular mix are peas, chopped peppers and chopped onions. You could add a tablespoon of the faux mayonnaise  Nayonnaise to make it creamier. Of course stuffed tomatoes can be hot too. Stuff them with a savory mix of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and various herbs. One of the most classic stuffed dishes is stuffed pepper.  These are everyone's favorite and , again, simple to make.  It's using any color bell pepper and scooping out the middle. What is great about them is that the stuffing can be anything. You can use leftover chicken or turkey or fresh ground beef. Stuffed peppers can also go vegetarian. Add beans and spiced rice for a meatless version. You can also stuff onions in the same manner.

Meats can also be farci or stuffed. One of the most famous and most loved is braciole, stuffed Italian beef roll. It's a bit labor intensive but worth it. The filling is a tasty blend of breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil ,Provolone cheese and parsley. The hard part comes next.It's pounding flank steak to the desired thinness. This requires a meat mallet but you can use a rolling pin if you don't have the first. The bread crumb mixture is sprinkled evenly over the steak and then rolled up. You'll need toothpicks or twine to fasten them. it's then cooking until done in a Dutch oven. Stuffed pork is a great fall dish. Again you can change up the fillings. You can try a sausage and apple one redolent with flavorful onion and celery There's also bread that's been pulsed in a food processor with rosemary, thyme and sage. These are then lightly toasted in butter for more flavor and crispness. Remember to use a mild sausages because hot ones will overpower the pork. The entire roll is made similar to a jelly roll with a boneless pork shoulder. Another filling is made with artichoke hearts and mushrooms mixed with parsley and an herbed stuffing mix. Beef tenderloin is another cut that can be filled, usually with a tasty mix of spinach and mushroom, with a bit of flour added for thickening.

Stuffed veggies or meats make for  a nice main course. They're bursting with the surprise of flavor and color. Try them for a different change of pace.

A Harvest of Cookbooks Part Two

Baking is one of the mainstays of the fall kitchen, whether for holidays or just dessert. There's nothing like whipping up a cake or pie. Luckily there is a whole range of new cookbooks that center on the different sweets and treats that are hot off the presses right now.

The New York Times Food section reviewed an entire array of them yesterday. The savory ones were written about yesterday  and they covered  a wide range of interesting cuisines from East African to Ina Garten's comfort food recipes. Contributors to the New York Times Food section also reviewed these baking themed cookbooks.Julia Moskin, Pete Wells, Melissa Clark and Kim Severson along with Emily Weinstein and Margaux Laskey critiqued all sorts . Pie lovers will go mad for Pie For Everyone : Recipes and Stories From Petee's  Pie, New York's Best Pie Shop (Abrams) is by Petra Paradez who owns the pie shop. She is a whiz at creating pies and tarts for all sorts of pie lovers, from the vegans to the buttery crust lover. She even has a way of sneaking more butter into her crusts for  a melt in your mouth bite. Chef Paradez includes a classic and almost forgotten New York favorite, the chestnut filled Nesselrode pie. Another book that features classic recipes is The Good Book Of Southern Baking :A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes and Cornbread, (Lorena Jones) features the chef of New Orlean's famed Willa Jean, Kelly Fields. She elevates classic recipes such as angel food cake flecked with two kinds of shaved chocolate and airy pancakes made with egg whites.

Fun cookbooks also are here as well. Snacking Cakes : Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings (Clarkston Potter) by Yossy Arefi a contributor to the Sunday Times T magazine, is the perfect book for any one who loves a good hunk of cake. The book is full of such mouth watering recipes as gingerbread and powdered sugar doughnut cakes. For more adventurous bakers there is A Good Bake : The Art and Science of Making Perfect Pastries, Cakes Cookies, Pies Breads at Home (Knopf) by Melissa Weller,a former chemical engineer and Carolynn Carreno.Ms, Weller shows how to make a sugar cookie top extra crackly and how to make toppings stay on focaccia. Advanced home bakers will love reading through Claire Saffitz's Dessert Person : Recipes and Guidance for Baking With Confidence (Clarkson Potter) Ms. Saffitz' is a pastry chef who has contributed to The NY TImes along with being contributing editor to Bon Appetit  magazine. She has detailed recipes with step by step how to recipes on almond butter banana bread and salted halvah blondies. Fans of San Francisco's 20th Century Cafe will love Baking at the 20th Century Cafe: Iconic  European desserts From Linzer Torte to Honey Cake (Artisan). Author Michelle Polzine puts' fresh spins on staid classics and allows home bakers to try their hand at elegant cookies and sweet and savory strudels.

Fall is the season for baking. Any of the cookbooks can give the recipes perfect for the cooler months ahead. They have a plethora of treats and desserts for home bakers looking for something new to create.

A Harvest Of Cookbooks Part One

 One of the best aspects of fall is that it produces harvests. There are apples and pears along with pumpkins. Yet the best bounty of all is the plethora of cookbooks   that comes with the season. There are some great ones , perfect for fall cooking and baking.

The New York Times Food section gave a very good analysis of what's coming off the presses these days. A wide range of Food contributors such as regulars Julia Moskin, Melissa Clarke  and Kim Severson along with Vaughn Vreeland, Margeaux Laskey, Alexa Weibel and even Pete Wells reviewed and recommended these  must buy cookbooks. There's books for everyone. Ina Garten fans will love her Modern Comfort Food (Clarkson Potter) has her classic recipes as tuna melts, risotto and corn muffins. Ms. Severson who reviewed the book clains it's a a bit Hamptons and not diverse. Yet' it comfort dishes from everyone 's favorite TV cook, and that's what we need right now. Another famed chef, and also a New York Times Food contributor is  Yotten Ottolenghi , has cowritten Ottolenghi Flavor (Tenspeed Press). He and his writing partner, Ixta Belfrage has such interesting dishes as coconut and turmeric omelet and sticky rice. Science also makes an appearance. Nik Sharma's The Flavor Equation (Chronicle) has interesting theories about how the interplay of  emotion, aromas, textures , visuals and even sounds affect the way we eat. There's also striking photography too.

International cooking is also seen here. Xi'an Famous Foods : The Cuisine of Western China from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop ( Brams)  is by Jessica K Chou which features the New York City's restaurants chain's most iconic dishes like biang biang noodles.Meera Sodha switches it up from her native Indian cooking to  including Chinese in her latest  cookbook East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes From Bangalore to Beijing (Flatiron Books) has everything from baos or breads stuffed with peanut butter and mushroom fillings to tamarind slathered eggplant to a tomato, pistachio and saffron tart. Indonesian cooking is represented in Coconut and Sambal: Recipes From My Indonesian Kitchen (Bloomsbury) by Lara Lee who's Australian, Chinese and Indonesian. There is beef rendang and a bright green pandang cake in her book. African and African-American cuisine is also represented in In Bibi's Kitchen :The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from Eight African Countries That Touch The Indian Ocean ( Ten speed Press) by Hawa Hassan and The Rise : Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food (Voracious) by the always great Marcus Samuelsson have such interesting vegetarian recipes from the first while Chef Samuelsson has a mix of essays and recipes from black chefs and writers. Then there are the baking themed ones. They'll be covered tomorrow.

 These cookbooks features the best of fall cooking  They'd be a great addition to any kitchen., Buy them and expand your kitchen's library

Smaller Sundays

 Sundays used to be a big deal pre-pandemic. There were after church dinners with the extended family or brunches with friends. Now that's all changed . However we can still get together  - in smaller groups - with the same good food as before. We're just not going to go as crazy cooking and baking.

Most families celebrated the Sabbath with a good old fashioned roast. This could be roast beef or London Broil for beef lovers , turkey and chicken for fans of poultry and ham for cured meat aficionadoes. Some ethnic groups like the Germans had a good pork roast while the Greeks served a whole shoulder of lamb or the entire animal if celebrating a big event like a baptism or engagement. Now we have to think of less grandiose quantities for the immediate family. The best idea is to go small.Think eye round steaks which are perfect for individual portions or a 1.5 pound roast beef. You could go up to two pounds if you want leftovers for the week.As for turkey, try a six pound one which should give a small group ample servings and then some. Chicken can also be smaller in size or you can try Cornish hens. One Cornish hen comes in at one and a quarter pounds which can feed two adults. Two are perfect for a family of four.As for ham get a half one weighing in at five to ten pounds, enough for a table of five people. As for pork and lamb, consider chops. It's the same flavor but without all the extra meat. Chops are well loved and will go quickly. With these dinners come sides. Forget the big bowls of mashed potatoes and gravy along with three or four dishes of other  veggies. Serve baked potatoes with gravy instead and maybe have one green side like string beans almondine or tomatoes Provencale.

Brunches have always been big boozy affairs on Sunday. They were always a fun way of catching up and trying other's recipes if they were pot luck themed ones. Now brunches have been scaled down considerably with maybe three - four at the most gathering at someone's house. This means smaller dishes and maybe less variety. Quiche has always been a mainstay and at times the backbone of many a weekend brunch.  Downsize the recipe with individual ones in ramekins. You can also use your muffin pan to create mini quiches in different flavors, from the original quiche Lorraine to broccoli and onion flavored. Another idea is serving individual shrimp cocktails  with jumbo shrimp. Four each should satisfy hungry guests. Have them with a crisp green salad bursting with broccoli and cauliflower along with avocado slices. Already arranged charcuterie plates are another alternative idea. Instead of everyone grabbing from one platter, have various cold cuts, from prosciutto to mortadella and salami arranged on separate plates. Add cut slices of Italian or French bread and individual ramekins of the pickled Italian salad, giadineria for color and crunch. Dessert could be cups of freshly cut fruit or cupcakes, dusted with confectioners' sugar for a more sophisticated take. Of course have the mimosas and Bloody Mary's. It still is a brunch after all.

Sunday dinners and brunches are going to be smaller now. Yet that doesn't mean skimping on delicious dishes. You can still downsize and produce a meal that's a delicious way of celebrate friends and family.

In Praise Of Good Sandwiches

 We're still working form home . Kids are still learning from home. That means quick lunches with ingredients thrown together. Yet we all deserve a decent sandwich.It's not hard.  it's just two slices of bread with a good filling inside. That's it.Anyone, even the littlest home chef can create a tasty one,

The base of any sandwich is the bread. The best kind is a thick slab of  an artisanal one. Think rye or sourdough. The inventor, John Motnagu, the fourth earl of Sandwich set the example. He wanted his  roast served between two hearty slices so he could have one hand free to play his beloved cards. Think a one inch slice with a couple of slices of meat in between. Leftovers are perfect for this. Sliced chicken or turkey is perfect for this as is leftover London Broil. Make sure that these are sliced thickly too (thinner for the little ones so it's more manageable). Cold cuts are also tasty but just make sure they're of the best quality. Many groceries are still slicing  while others have the meats already sliced and packaged for purchasing. What makes for the best sandwich filling? That's up to you however the brand you choose will make a world of taste difference. Boar's Head is about the best flavorwise .It tastes like fresh from the deli. Their ham is perfect, especially since it's sliced wafer thin. Italian cold cuts are also a treat, especially on sliced Italian or French breads. Try them together for a true burst of flavor. Prosciutto and mortadella are sheer heaven together. Prosciutto and salami are also a great combo, especially on chewy Italian bread.

 You can also create a delicious filling if you're on a creative bent. Chicken or tuna salad is a nice change of pace and you  can have fun varying the recipes.Add some chopped tarragon to the chicken while tuna can get some freshly ground peppercorns for bite. Ham and roast beef can also be turned into salads thanks to chopping them in a food processor and then mixing with mayo. Ham salad can be spiked with mustard or celery seeds while a roast beef salad can benefit from a little crushed garlic and onion powder.  All these salads can be served on toast but also artesenal bread would work well. For real luxury try lobster or shrimp salad. You can also create a crab salad which would be good on buttery brioche. Leave out any seasonings on the seafood. Just enjoy their rich briny flavor and maybe a little chopped celery added in. Vegans and vegetarians can also have tasty fillings. There's a variety of different soy cold cuts that taste like smoked turkey and bologna. These can be slathered with Nayonnaise, the eggless mayonnaise which tastes exactly like the real thing. Of course nothing beats a tomato and Nayonnaise sandwich, You can add Morningstar Farm's soy bacon along with some arugula for a lush BLT too.Sliced tomatoes also work with sliced cucumber and red lettuce too. Sliced avocados on toast are another good lunch idea, especially when they're with onions and sliced Roma tomatoes.

Creating a good sandwich is easy. It just takes, bread, a filling and some creativity. It makes for a satisfying and filling lunch .

The Fall Baking Season

 Now that cooler weather is here, it's time to think about fall baking,. Many of us have been baked out , thanks to the pandemic and the quest for the perfect sourdough. Yet baking is much more than that. It's trying well loved recipes and putting new spins on old ones. It's a whole bake shop of different ideas.

Of course apples are big right now.Everyone is baking pies however apples can be used in a variety of other recipes too. A fun variation are apple dumplings. These are basically apples en croute with a cinnamon laced dough wrapped around them.  They're good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. An apple galette is another delicious baked treat. Many home bakers balk at creating a fruit galette, thinking it's a fancy tart but it's really a free form pie. An apple galette is the perfect autumn dessert that can end a fancy meal or just a simple one. Apples can also go healthy with being a vital ingredient in muffins. They 're just sliced and grated into the other ingredients. Fall is also pear season. This elegant fruit can be the main ingredient of a tarte tatin, a buttery crusted pie with a caramelized interior. A tasty appetizer is a pear and Brie cheese baked en croute. This is a savory and sweet dish that has a Brie or Camenbert baked with spicy pear compote.

Spices play a big part in autumn baking. Everybody loves a kitchen redolent with the aromas of allspice , cinnamon , ginger and nutmeg .  These can be used together or separately in a variety of different baked goods. Together they create the ubiquitous pumpkin pie spice which is all over right now. Use them for what they were originally used for  - pumpkin pie. It's still a great way to end a meal whether  it's a Thanksgiving feast or just a Sunday dinner. The recipe can be varied. Home bakers can try their hand at pumpkin pie tartlets or turn the filling into a pudding and then fill in an already made crust.  Another spicy treat is a spice cake. Think of a double layered one with a cream cheese frosting (sort of like a carrot cake but without the carrots and raisins). This can easily be turned into a batch of cupcakes too, as a fun treat for a fall backyard barbecue. Cinnamon is another fall spice that's versatile in baking. A cinnamon cake is a nice alternative to a vanilla one and it can be served without icing or just with a simple dusting of confectioner's sugar. Cinnamon bread and rolls take the chill out of a cool morning and are an easy bake the whole family can participate in. Ginger and nutmeg are perfect in gingerbread along with clove and allspice. Add some cocoa powder to truly elevate this classic recipe as NIgella Lawson did with her gingerbread cake recipe.

Celebrate the fall baking season with a buttery apple stuffed galette or spice cupcakes topped with a blog of cream cheese frosting. It's the season to create delicious pies, cakes breads cupcakes, and cookies. Have fun and be creative , as you welcome the cool weather with fresh from the oven treats.