Take Out In The Wilderness

 Everyone craves a good take out. Yet what happens when you're far away from any restaurant and delivery. You have a plane come in and deliver it. Delicious, albeit cold food of all sorts are delivered to remote villages. 

Regular contributor and Alaska journalist Victoria Peterson wrote about this , specifically in the Alaskan bush in yesterday;'s New York Times Food section. Many villages such as Fort Yukon, located  way in the upper northeast corner of the state are far from any fast food jiont. The villages have no pizzerias or Chinese restaurants. Families have to order through Door Dash to get any kind of"fun: food. Natalia Navarro had to wait until pilot Robert Golike deliver their order. He uses his Cessna to take food to them and other isolated families craving a taste of the city.,Ms Navarro's order consisted of steak tacos and churros from Pedro's Mexican grill in Anchorage and classics such as lo mein, beef broccoli and General Tso's chicken from Famous Wok, a Chinese food chain. Her family relished  every bite. The trip is to their house is a long one.It's a long air journey over the silty waters of Cook Inlet and over the craggy snow covered peaks of the Alaska range.and the many laked terrain In Nikolai where he would land.MS Navarro only orders twice a month because of the expense. 

The idea has caught on.Alaska Air Transit is one of the dozens of small regional airlines flying people and cargo to hundreds of remote communities across Alaska. There are Netflix DVDS along with the needed outdoor gear and groceries.Yet it's receiving something like pizza that's the most exciting.Most order from Pizza Hut whose food keep the best on the journey.For some families it was that along with CHinese that was only delivered. Now the spectrum has widened thanks to DoorDash. Families can get any kind of cuisine they're craving or want to try for the first time. To deal with the influx of orders coming to their office, Alaska Air Transit owner, Josie Owen has set up a giant tent in the parking lot where drivers can  label the order with the person's name and  village before leaving it before the staff. The need is growing. Twins Caiti and Shari O'Connor have started their own business , expediting orders during their school year in Anchorage. They pick up pets at the airport to take them to the vet,  along with storing vehicles. Their most lucrative order is food. They dropped off three hundred dollars of food from Panda Express  for an employee appreciation on St Paul Island.

Anyone anywhere nowadays can appreciate a pizza or lo mein. They can enjoy tacos or a good burger thanks to pilots who fly to where they are. it's a new form of food delivery but a much needed one.

Sharing Love And Food

Food and love should be shared freely. Gullah cook Emily Meggett know this as she doles out equal parts  of them in the heart of South Carolina's Low Country Her cooking and attitude get love back, It's no wonder that she and her dishes are well known and adored.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about Ms. Meggett in today's New York Times Food section. The entire world will be knowing Ms Meggett in two weeks time when her cookbook,"Gullah Geechee Home Cooking:Recipes From the Matriarch of Edisto Island (Abrams Publishing) The 123 recipes centers on  the staples of the Gullah Geechee table: rice seafood and locally grown fresh vegetables.Ms/ Meggett gives reader the definitive chicken perloo and okra soup along with one pot dishes. Other dishes reflect her own creativity to feed a large family or countless friends. She created leftover meat casseroles and canned pork and beans over rice and smoked sausage. Her wildcat sauce is made with crisped salt pork,flour and sauteed scallions with a splash of coffee. Ms. Meggett also has made countless shrimp and grits lunches for the Charleston car dealership where she gets free tune ups.The cookbook has a mix of complex recipes such as making wine(!) from muscadine grapes and stuffing shad with parsley and rice and serving it with roe. This is a two day prep. Then there's easy ones like pancakes made with melted butter and corn syrup and making juice pops called thrills or bears with Tropical Punch or Kool Aid.

Ms. Severson includes two of Ms. Meggett's recipes. One is the Gullah favorite crab cakes and the other is the classic benne wafers. The crab cakes are  made with homemade toasted bread crumbs as the filler. There's also self rising flour too (although you can sub in a mix of flour and baking powder,Mace and onion give it that distinct flavor as they're whisked into a cream sauce that also features , flours eggs, white vinegar and milk. Lump crab meat is added to the sauce and mixed lightly. They're then divided into thick rounds and coated with the bread crumbs. They're fried in half a cup of vegetable oil and then drained. Of course the benne wafers could follow these. This classic Gullah cookie gets its name from the benne seeds used

 in the recipe. They're actually sesame seeds so you can use these as well.These are rich  cookies thanks to th the addition of half a cup of butter used. There's also the mix of brown and white sugar for more flavor and baking soda for lift.Eggs and vanilla are also in the mix too. These' are a lovely ending to any meal.

Emily Meggett carries on the Gullah tradition of making good food and sharing it with those she loves. Thanks to her new cookbook, now the world can also love her good food and share it with those they love. It is food from the heart.

Creative Boards.

 Nothing says fun and excitement like a charcuterie board. It brings about thoughts of parties and friends getting together. Best of all you can get creative with it, from creating a traditional to a veggie loaded one to a dessert one. If you're having trouble with board ideas, don't worry. There's a brand new book to help you fix the perfect board for the perfect gathering.

Boards: Stylish Spreads  For Casual Gatherings (America' Test Kitchen 2022) is the best guide for those who love this idea.It was written by Elle Simone, executive editor at the magazine edition of PBS's popular cooking show America's Test Kitchen and food stylist at Cook's Country Magazine, also based on another well received PBS cooking program. She is also the creator of She Chef  which helps mentor young female chefs. Her advice for creating all sorts of different boards is priceless. To be honest you don't need a party to whip up any kind of one It's fun for a weekday dinner or a date night in. The book does have recipes but Ms. Simone also suggests adding store bought items to the different platters. What I love about this book is the ideas for all sorts of charcuterie The recipes are easy to follow too so a novice can easily put together a professional looking board with very little fuss. Another plus is her illustrated step by step how to create the perfect one It starts with a focal point and then sections are grown from these. She also has a guide for what board would go well with what event. An elegant cocktail party could have a raw bar board while a baby shower could feature a brunch one.

As much as I love a traditional charcuterie mix of cold cuts, breads, crackers  and cheeses, I was excited to see other suggestions too. I love the movie night one which features buttered popcorn and seasonings such as hot sweet  blend of cinnamon and chili pepper and the Parmesan pepper spread. For this there are also recipes for a DIY Soda Bar where plain seltzer is mixed with such homemade syrups as watermelon and citrus. Another fun one is the ballpark.Ms,Simone includes a recipe and pictorial for making those yummy and big ballpark soft pretzels.Of course there are hot dogs and suggestions for how to make them like they're served in the major American ball barks. What to wash down with them? Homemade lemonade which can be turned into an Arnold Palmer with the addition of iced tea. For more sophisticated gatherings there is the Bloody Mary bar which features  this perfect breakfast drink and such nibbles as black pepper candied bacon.There are also the exotic shawarma and tapas bars for more adventurous eating. Kids and adults too will love the ice cream sundae bar where you can go wild with creating the perfect treat. Sugar addicts will adore the cookie decorating and chocolate fondue ones . A more sophisticated approach is the sweet and savory board, perfect for evening entertaining.

It is easy to create the perfect board for any occasion, Use Boards: Stylish Spreads For Casual Gatherings as your guide. You will end up with a stylish and professional looking board that will have family and friends talking.

A Garden Unusual

 Plant something instead of the usual tomatoes, lettuce and pepper, There are all sorts of different veggies you can have fun planting harvesting and then cooking. Be bold with what you plant. It'll lead to some new and exciting recipes.

This is the plan I'm taking for my garden this year. I saw kohlrabi and broccoli plants in my local nursery. These sparked an idea to plant something different. This means new recipes to try out. I wasn't that surprised to find out that kohlrabi is a German based vegetable (kohl being the German word for cabbage).I had eaten it in my childhood  thanks to it being part of our Swabian German heritage.For some reason I never thought about making any dish with it until I saw the plants. it opened up a wealth of ideas. It's also called a German turnip but can be cooked as any cabbage or broccoli dish. One recipe intrigued me. where'it's cooked German style in a buttery cream sauce and lightly spiced with nutmeg. The other plant that tweaked my interest is Brussels sprouts. I've made all sorts of Brussels sprouts recipes. They are the best steamed and served with melted butter and cheese however sliced ones can make for a great sheet pan side that can be cooked with the main dish. There's also a Brussels sprout salad that will be tasty to make, especially with freshly picked sprouts.

Before you go for some wild planting, make sure you have the space and the soil for it.Watermelon is a wonderful plant but it is a vine and that requires a lot of space. these also need full sun as do corn. A backyard cornfield is fun. I've had a few relatives do this and there's something neat about pickling your own corn. Homegrown corn also seems somewhat sweeter tasting too. It's also versatile. You can make a delicious corn chowder rich with the kernels and bacon or Mexican street corn. Imagine turning those ears into elote,  dripping with cotija cheese, sour cream and lime. A really neat and unusual planting would be popcorn. yes , You can grow your own.It's really the same as planting and harvesting sweet corn. You will nitrogen rich fertilizer because any type of corn needs a lot of nutrition.Another fun grow  are potatoes. There are many breeds to experiment with in your yard. You can try your hand in Fingerling or heartier Idahos.  yet these too , like a cornfield take up a lot of yard, You may just want to grow them as with corn.

Think about different plants and veggies to plant this season. It will create a fun gardening experience. It will also make for exciting and fun new recipes.

Warming Up A Cool Derby Day

 Even though the temps say winter it's Spring and it's the first Saturday in May. That means it's the Kentucky Derby during a season that's unseasonably chilly. How to celebrate? With hot tasty Derby dishes.

Louisville right now is 62 degrees It's not exactly freezing there but it's not exactly warm. Most  of the country is unseasonably cold right now. It's the perfect time for a Hot Brown, the classic Louisville dish. This is a turkey bacon and cheese sandwich bathed in a piping hot cheese sauce. This is the perfect dish for a cold day. The sauce is a mix of cheddar and Parmesan but to give it more fire sub in pepperjack for that fiery kick. There's a pinch of nutmeg for more flavor but this can be hot pepper can be used to give a little more heat.Burgoo is another Kentucky recipe. This is a variation of Brunswick stew or boeuf Bourgignon and has a mix of pork beef and chicken in ir. These are cooked with okra,celery , bell peppers ,corm and onions. Smoky barbecue sauce is added along with a dash of hot sauce and garlic. You could add red pepper flakes for more bite. The same can be said of barbecue. This is pulled pork slow cooked in a mix of vinegar ,barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Add some hot pepper in there for warming heat.

The Derby is known for it's famed mint juleps. These are fine on a warm May day but you need something warming when that May day turns frosty. Think a cozy bourbon toddy. This is  mixing bourbon with hot water and honey.It's the perfect cure for a winter cold but it's also great to warm up too. Hot buttered bourbon is another toe warming drink. It's taking the Kentucky brew and mixing it with butter and apple cider. Warming spices such as cloves , cinnamon and ginger give it more fire as a dash of honey balances everything out. You could also give out cups of Kentucky coffee. This is the perfect marriage of coffee and bourbon.Like it's cousin,Irish coffee, it can be topped with a thick head of whipped cream. Sugar is added to sweeten it. Have it with slices of Kentucky transparent pie. This classic Bluegrass State dessert is sort of like chess pie except it doesn't have the cornmeal added.It is a blend of eggs mixed with white and brown sugar,heavy cream, melted butter and vanilla.

It's a chilly Derby day. Yet you can warm up with hot dishes and even hotter drinks to make you feel toasty inside and out.It'll make the day feel like a seasonable warm May day.

LAst MInute Mom's Day Gifts

what do you get a  mom  home chef  or baker with only two days to Mother's Day? Surprisingly there are a lot of interesting and fun items that can be picked up in these last minutes. There's a wide range to select from cooking to baking, snacking to drinking.

Gadgets are always a fun gift. if mom is a whiz in the kitchen , then think of getting her the eight in one kitchen tool. This a a truly neat gift.It looks like a wine bottle but is a measuring cup and with it comes an egg separator, can opener,,funnel, spice and cheese graters and an egg masher. Does Mom love whipping up souffles or airy frostings? Get a whisk cleaner. This is a plastic circle with slits in it. Just push the whisk through it and the gunk comes off.Makes for a much cleaner whisk and less labor intensive than bending a sponge into all those small spaces. if your mother is a gambler and loves take out then get her take out dice. These are dice with images of pizza, ,hamburger and barbecue on them. Ii's a fun way of saying what shall we eat for lunch or dinner. Cat moms will go crazy over Purr Over Coffee brewer. Thus is a super cute coffee maker in the shape of a kitty.it is a two piece coffee maker that;s perfect at home or in the office. A chopper set is not only practical but it can be fun. It has three different sized blades for coarse and fine chopping. it also comes with a pull out draw to store the chopped veggies and fruits.

What about food or drink as last minute  present? Bakeries are the best place to go for a box of goodies.Mini croissants are always perfect. They can be turned into sandwiches or perfect for breakfast with a good jam or marmalade . A  box of chocolate dipped cookies is a great way to end a Mother's Day meal.  A mini cake is another nice just for you gift. She can have it all to herself and  enjoy a rich gooey treat.Candy is also a fun gift. Yes, you can go old school with a Whitman's Sampler which has everything under the sun. There are chocolate covered cashews and caramels along with nougats and coconut. If there's a good confectioner in your area, then visit them. They will have an amazing array of hand dipped caramels and truffles, perfect for the mom with gourmet tastes. Of course a bottle of wine or champagne will never be refused. A good Zinfandel or Shiraz will not go amiss. A bottle of Prosecco or Asti Spumante is perfect, especially for making mimosa at her brunch.

Don;t worry if you haven;t gotten Mom a gift yet. There is still time to pick up something she'll enjoy. It could a fin gadget , a tasty treat or a good bottle of wine or champagne.

Cioppino A San Francisco Classic

Cioppino defines the City By The Bay better than sourdough loaves. This Italian classic fish stew  has been identified  for over a century and if done right a great memento of time there. There's something about a blend of tomato sauce married to a variety of seafood all cooked together.

Regular contributor and cookbook author Tejal Rao wrote about this flavorful fish stew in today's New York Times Food section. This delicious dish is considered a cliche because it's  so often associated with San Francisco. May restaurants in the Bay area have fumbled with the recipe , relying on nostalgia and tradition  rather than innovation. This makes for a so-so stew. The dish is so charged with seafood kitsch that one eatery, the Ferry Building Hog Island Oyster Company doesn't even use the word.The dish  was already deemed as worn out by food critic Elizabeth Riely in the Times back in 1988. Another , Michael Bauer, of The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that it was a shadow if itself. However one chef, RoseAnn Grimm, owner of Sotto Mare gives her grandfather's recipe from Amalfi a modern twist. She adds one half cup of Bloody Mary mix and star anise to his recipe to spike it. Some take this spin on Ligurian fish stew, brought with the Ligurian fishermen who settled in the area and add different types of seafood. There is the Lazy Man's version made with canned crab instead of crab legs. 

You can easily make cioppino at home thanks to the recipe from Chef Grimm. Keep in mind that it is labor intensive but it's a great summer meal. The sauce is a classic marinara with the addition of the Bloody Mary mix. The star anise is the first thing toasted until fragrant. The sauce is classic marinara with a mix of   canned tomatoes and sauce along with the usual herbs of basil thyme and oregano.  The fish used are Dungeness crab clusters,, mussels, littleneck clams  and mussels. Use a firm fish like cod along with four large peeled tail on shrimp.  Everything is cooked in a Dutch oven for five minutes. The clams are then added , followed by the mussels . Put the pot's cover back and on let cook for a few minutes. Add the fish when the clams open The dish is always served with slices of toasted ciambatta bread spread with a garlic butter. This is also added to the stew. It's an easy cook of  roasting a big bulbs of Gilroy garlic  drizzled with olive oil and roasted for an hour in a 375 degree oven, Once cooled , discard the skins , mash in a food processor and add butter. The shrimp and more of this butter is added last and steamed . Serve in a deep bowl with a side of the garlic bread.

Cioppino is one of the flavors of San Francisco. Anyone can have this taste and enjoy the rich flavor of seafood and marinara sauce. It is a wonderful marriage of land and sea.