Bahr's Big Time Moment

 One Super Bowl commercial can make or break a product. In this case there is a by  product that did well  and it's Bahr's the much beloved seafood restaurant in New Jersey's Atlantic Highlands. It's on the map any way thanks to its' great food and great atmosphere.

Bahr's has  been a part of the jersey shore for one hundred and five years.The original owners, Jack and Florence Bahr were not in the seafood industry. They owned and operated a small neck tie company in Newark's Ironbound or Dutch Neck section, The only connection to the sea was that Jack';s grandfather was a tall ships captain. After their business suffered several robberies, the Bahr's went south to the Highlands where they purchased a small boat rental company.The Bahr's and their four children sold bait ,rented towboats and cooked dinners for fishing parties that came down by the local train. Soon they were offering lobster and fish dinners.. The menu was expanded to include their famed Manhattan clam chowder along with dishes reflecting their German heritage. They have attracted all sorts of celebrities from the famed swimmer Gertrude Ederle to actor Ernest Borgnine in the fifties. Recently Bahr's was alluded to in Ronan Farrow's 2019 Catch and Kill: Lies, spies and A Conspiracy To Protect Predators. According to Farrow former spies used to meet regularly , discussing what to do with the author after his expose on Harvey Weinstein. The latest brush with fame is a Chevrolet commercial featuring Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler reprising their Sopranos  characters Meadow and AJ Soprano  meet in front of the iconic sign and eatery.

Yet go to Bahr's not for its' celebrity cache but for the wide variety of seafood and German dishes. One of their best is the Manhattan clam chowder, a savory classic, rich with large ,chewy clam bits and redolent of herbs such as rosemary and sage. Another must have is their shrimp cocktail , an icy cold but flavorful appetizer of plump shrimp with cocktail sauce. I am also a big fan of their lobster.It's just good with  butter sauce, perfect with tender tail and claw meat. It's usually served with their homemade cole slaw and homemade biscuits. It's also great at Moby's served with a side of fries that you can also dip in the butter sauce. Keep in mind they also offer scallops along with flounder and salmon. Their chef has a creative streak, evident in his seafood chili , a mix of fish, tomatoes and clam broth and his lobster pot pie, a dish that brings you back to the Gilded Age. Puff pastry covers a creamy melange of lobster cream sauce, carrots and peas.They also have  a plate of wurst along with filet mignon and Florence's pot roast recipe. You may be too stuffed afterwards to enjoy a treat but Bahr's has a good selection of pies, cakes and creme brulees.

Bahr's has always attracted a good deal of attention .It s mainly for its' excellent seafood and home cooked sides. Go to this iconic restaurant for just that - not for its' refound celebrity cache.

 

Last Minute Valentine's Treats

There's still time to celebrate this day of love  It's easy to do even without going to a fancy restaurant. There are plenty of savory and sweet  treats you can whip up. 

You may not have the time to run out and get a lobster and then cook it. However you could make a yummy, lush shrimp dish with just the air fryer. It's just spritzing the seafood with an olive oil spray and them dipping them into a quick mix of garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano. It's cooking them for only eight minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit. Serve them on lightly oiled and toasted Italian bread slices.Those slices can also be covered with a simple bruschetta using plum tomatoes, chopped onions and chopped black olives. A charcuterie board is a lovely and romantic way to celebrate the night . Have a variety of different crackers along with  regular and Genoa salami, along with pepperoni. Spreadable cheeses are always a nice addition too, so have a wedge of Brie and Camenbert(don't worry about having too much, all of this will make a nice lunch for tomorrow). Cornichons and gherkins finish it off. An impromptu barbecue under the stars is a great  get together if you're in a mild climate. Just have two burgers and dogs. along with two cold beers - or upgrade it with a split of champagne.

Sweet treats are also a welcomed gift. Chocolate fondue is a fun sweet, perfect for two. It's just melting dark chocolate with whole cream until it becomes satiny and smooth. Use fondue forks or even skewers to dip in everything from marshmallows to strawberries. Also have pound cake chunks and plain vanilla doughnut holes too.Sharing a hot fudge sundae is another romantic treat. The sauce is a delicious mix of dark chocolate chips evaporated milk, butter and a dash of vanilla. Spoon it over coffee ice cream and top with a good dollop of Reddi Whip for a frozen mocchaccino taste. You can also make the traditional hot fudge sundae with vanilla ice cream , sauce and whipped cream. Add sliced strawberries and bananas for more flavor. You could also layer on salted peanuts for a tin roof. If you're outdoors, think about a more sophisticated version of a s'more. Use good Valrhona dark chocolate with the marshmallows and place on chocolate graham crackers. You could add a sprinkle of candied ginger for heat and to cut the over sweetness.

Celebrate your love with the love of good foods. You have time to create these simple yet lush treats. Enjoy the night with them.

Last Minute Super Bowl Party Dishes

 Tomorrow is one of the biggest days  of the season for football fans. Yet thanks to all the precautions, many fans are having impromptu parties, inviting over only a close few. That means getting some good party grub together in a hurry. Don't worry. There are plenty of dishes.

You can never go wrong with wings. It's even better if you have an air fryer to quickly cook them. You can easily go with Tyson's already prepared wings. This saves the time of having to prep them or going out for specific spices.There are also chicken strips which are perfect with a variety of easy to make dipping sauces. Add some hot sauce to ketchup for a zingy flavor or toss in a dollop of honey to mustard for a good home made honey mustard sauce.Vegans can go with Impossible Chicken's plant based nuggets. What goes with these? Try Tater Tots in with a cheese sauce. Again these are made tastier by crisping them up in the air fryer. The cheese can be melted in the microwave. Use Velveeta which melts nicely. Save the cheese sauce for warmed pretzel nuggets. Sliders always are a fast and popular party favorite. White Castle has the frozen ones complete with buns as does Gardein with their vegan chicken ones. You can also make mini patties using ground beef and instant onion soup mixed together .For extra flavor layer on cheese and bacon.  Serve on Hawaiian rolls.

Those Hawaiian rolls are also good at creating a wide range of sandwiches. It's super simple to get a wide array of cold cuts and cheeses for a make your own sandwich. Have bowls of extras such as sliced pickles, tomatoes , lettuce and peppers. Set out bowls, of ketchup, mayo and mustard too. A bit more elegant offering is a charcuterie board.Include salami, prosciutto and mortadella along with a  couple of loaves of Italian bread. Let guests slie the thicknesses they want. Also have a good smattering of cheeses. Provolone is a good choice because it pairs well with the salume and cheeses but you can also have some cheddars and spreadable cheeses like Brie and Camenbert. You can set out a pretty array of different crackers to go with the cheeses too along with cornichons, , pickled peppers and black and green olives. What's a Super Bowl party without chips , salsa and guacamole? Homemade salsa is easy to whip up as is guacamole.Use fire roasted tomatoes for a richer flavor along with chopped onions and green peppers. The guac can be made with tomatoes and onion powder. drop in some lemon juice to keep it from turning brown.

These dishes can be put together in an instant for a last minute Super Bowl Party. They're fun ways of celebrating without hours of cooking or prepping. Try them and let the game begin!!

A Savory And Sweet Valentine's Day Meal

 You don't have to go to fancy restaurant for a delicious Valentine's Day meal. Everything from the main to dessert can be made in your kitchen. It's a fun cook that both can enjoy making.

Regular contributor , cookbook author and chef, Eric Kim created a menu in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. It's the perfect cooking for two, let new lovebirds get to know each other while long standing couples a nice reminder to check in on each other. His first course is a radicchio salad not cold, but warmed, perfect for a chilly February night. It's spiked with gooey cheese choices that melt well, You can either try Camembert, Brie or Taleggio cheese from Lombardy.It's very similar to the other too and cooks nicely. The radicchio will smell like Brussels sprouts or kale and the greens are taken off the stove top before the leaves wilt. A drizzle of sherry vinegar and honey gives it bite and sweetness, perfect with the cheese and counteracting the radicchio'd sharpness. The next dish is the luxurious beef Wellingtons' These are individual loafs not the grand one with a decorated crust.It's taking two filet mignon cuts and enrobing them in pastry. They cooked first and then brushed with Dijon mustard for extra flavor. Instead of adding pate de foie gras and prosciutto, standards in the traditional Wellington., Chef Kim subs in cremini mushrooms which are cooked in a combination of honey, an acidic red wine such as pinot noir or cabernet franc and cream. These and the filets are then encased in either homemade or store bought pastry dough and baked.

As with any Valentine's Day meal, the dessert is the star .Of course it has to be chocolate-y and Chef Kim does not disappoint with this recipe for no churn olive oil ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It's a riff on Atlanta's Ecco restaurant's sea salt olive oil ice cream. Use extra virgin olive oil for the oil to give it a fruity flavor.It's whisked with the sweetened condensed milk and sea salt. In another bowl beat heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. A dollop of this is added to the condensed milk and olive oil mix and folded in. Repeat this folding to keep bubbles form forming. Once blended it's put into a container in the fridge. The hot fudge sauce is again made with sweetened condensed milk and two ounces of coarsely chopped dark chocolate. Microwave on high for thirty second increments. After the first time add a tablespoon of fruity extra virgin olive oil for smoothness. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over a low flame, stirring until smooth and glossy. Let the ice cream thaw for ten minutes before scooping into bowls and adding the sauce. You could add candied rose petals for more romance.

Celebrate your love and your love of cooking at home. There's nothing more romantic than a home cooked meal. Enjoy it and each other.

Back With Meringue

 Foodie Pantry is back open thanks to a reprieve on the gallbladder. With it comes the magic of meringue.It's the elegant topper on citrus pies or  delicate puffs of goodness. Best of all it's not complicated to make as people think it is.

Melissa Clark wrote about it in her Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Many home bakers shy away from making this classic. Meringue can be tricky to make and bake. When it comes out good it's phenomenal, When it comes out bad, it can be drippy , weepy or just gooey. Meringue is one of the oldest recipes having first been made in the 16th Century. Making it was real chore with bakers of the time using everything from birch branches to knives to bundles of  straw.It only improved with the invention of the wire whisk in the 19th Century. The basic make up of it is just foam. Shake or agitate any liquid and bubbles will appear However the specific proteins in the whites and its' vegan counterpart aquafaba (chickpea water) allow them to turn into a billowing mousse. when beaten these proteins uncoil, trapping in tiny bubbles.The proteins thin out the more they're beaten and they become more and more aerated with each whip. Add sugar or heat or both will help stabilize them by firming up the proteins as their structure remains intact.

There are three different types of meringue. The simplest is commonly called French meringue,It made solely from egg whites and sugar.It's the lightest and most voluminious of the three. It's also the least stable and can break down. It's used to boost sponge cake and macarons and gives those crunchy meringue kisses. The second is Swiss meringue, where the egg whites and sugar are heated in a double boiler until the sugar melts, then beaten until buoyant and creamy.It's the coating on baked Alaska and added to buttercreams for richness. The densest, smoothest and most stable is Italian meringue.It's also the most challenging to work with. The sugar is heated to 240 degrees Farenheit and it's then carefully beaten into a bowl of whites.It's kind of like making candy and it can be used interchangeably with the Swiss version. Ms. Clark gives a wide array of different recipes. You could try her extra lemony meringue pie, made with  sharply bright Meyer lemons or the chocolate meringue raspberry tart. This is a fruit tart  with a meringue zinged up with cocoa powder and frozen dried raspberries. There is also a blood orange pie with a butterscotch meringue made with brown sugar to create that butterscotch flavor.

Whipping up a meringue for any of these recipes is a nice touch. It does practice to make the perfect one. Once mastered the end result is  amazing.

Emergency In The Pantry

 I'm in my local hospital's ER waiting for emergency gall bladder surgery.This is what happens when you don't eat right.Foodie Pantry will be closed for the next month or so.Expect new dishes with a much healthier spin upon my eventual return

Baby Pasta

  Baby pasta may sound like they're perfect tiny ones  yet they're really perfect for the older folk.They're tiny bits of flavor that are as versatile as their bigger cousins. These small nuggets of flavor are perfect for anything from soup to salad.

What are these small bits of dough called? Technically they're all macaroni with the classification belonging to all one to two inch shapes. These even apply to the tinier ones. There are many of these "baby" or little pastas. They are more versatile than the larger sorts. You can easily make a salad or soup with them along with turning them into a soothing bowl of goodness just by adding butter and grated Parmesan.Some of the more popular kinds are pastina and orzo. Pastina is what every Italian mother feeds a sick child. These tiny (about the size of a large pinhead) stars are also popular in Turkish cuisine where they're also used in soup. it can also be cooked in broth and then served with butter or a plant based butter and any kind of grated Italian  cheese. Orzo can be served both hot or cold. This rice shaped pasta is great in any kind of broth and enhances minestrone soup. It is also a great summer dish , served cold as a salad. You can also make it for your Super Bowl Party this weekend. Add sliced cherry or whole grape tomatoes along with small broccoli florets,  black or green olives and cucumber slices. To make it heartier, toss in salami chunks or pepperoni along with chunks of Provolone. dress with a garlic vinaigrette made with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

There are other baby pastas too. A close cousin to pastina is acini de pepe or peppercorns. They're actually not the size of a peppercorn but a pearl of couscous. They represent fertility which is why they're always in Italian wedding soup. since they're like couscous, you can make them in similar recipes. A nice warming dish is cooking it with saffron, white wine and saffron, sort of like a risotto Milanese. You could also serve it with dried apricots and pistachios as a side to grilled chicken. Ditalini or small fingers are another baby pasta that can be used to zing up  soups. Like acini de pepe it is also good with a meaty Bolognese sauce for a different kind of comfort food.Anelli or little pasta rings are a fun addition to chicken soup or minestrone. They're one of the chief ingredients in the Sicilian dish timballo. This is a baked casserole that looks like a Bundt cake and is rich with meat sauce , ham and squares of Provolone cheese. There is a coating of bread crumbs but you can also use fried eggplant. It's baked like a cake and served in slices. There is also a smaller version of anelli called anellino, tinier rings that are perfect in soup or just with butter and cheese.

Baby pasta may be little but it has a big flavor.Use it in hot and cold dishes for a tasty main course or side. They are just as versatile and fun as their bigger cousins.