Food For Olympians French Style

 Being an Olympic athlete means having an Olympian appetite. It has to be nutritious , full of the necessary vitamins, mineral, proteins and fibers for athletes to function well. However when the Olympucs are in Paris , it's sure to include delicious French twists. After all the Olympians have to have a taste of France with it's buttery rich flavors.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about this in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.There will be three large restaurants that more resemble  college cafeteria with all you can eat buffets ,cereal dispensers and soda dispensers. There are also cute ,kitschy decorations such as pipes with eyes drawn on them. Unlike college cafeterias there are definitely French dishes like blanquette de veau, a creamy veal strew from Burgundy, lemon tart and Paris-Brest, a lush choux pastry that's filled with a praline creme. There are also three famed French chefs who own world renown restaurants, Akrame Benalla,Amandine Chaignot and Alexandre Mazzia who will prepare such unique dishes as  coco beans with parsley ice cream and crispy mushroom croquettes. There will be more Gallic touches such as cheese plates and of course, that excellent French butter. Then there's the eating off fine French porcelain which will be washed in three colossal dishwashers made especially for the venue. Then there;es the bakeries scattered throughout the Olympic Village that feature not only mouth watering baguettes, croissants and pain Chocolat but also break baking lessons too, This is a welcome distraction from the pressures of competition.

Yet all this may go unnoticed. National athletes want what they want - comforting foods that are also rich in protein and fiber. The US team already has had popcorn, peanut butter, jerky, pretzels energy bars and protein shakes sent to their dorms at the Olympic Village. The Irish Olympic team may be open to new gastronomic experiences but they can;t start their day without their porridge.It's an essential part of the Irish diet which the French do not share. according to Sharon Madigan who oversees the Irish team's nutrition. The Kenyans need their ugali a carbohydrate heavy cornmeal and Kericho Gold tea according to their team nutritionist Purity Kamande. The Koreans also demand their kimchi while the Japanese need their miso.Luckily these needs were met , thanks in part to Carole Galissant who works with the nutritionists and is a part of Sodexo Live part of the Sodexo Restuarants. THere are six restaurants that also cater to not only the French but also to the Asians and halal diets.

The Olympics are here and with them an appetite to win. The athletes are going for the gold but also for the food. They will enjoy the best of healthy cuisine with a touch of Gallic flavor.

Sharing An Abundant Garden

 Summer is full of light things - vacations, barbecues beach days.Yet some of the heavier issues are still there such as homeless and those who are financially strapped for food. It's easy to donate,especially if you have an abundant garden.

food pantries always suffer in the summer. Most people forget that there are others who need them. It usually is around the Thanksgiving food drives that people suddenly realize that there are others who are in need. Not so. Hunger and food instability are year round. Now is the time to donate. Provide vitamin rich foods such as tomatoes and squash for families who will be grateful for them.The same for homeless shelters across the country. If you've made a lot of tomato sauce then give those extra jars to any pantry or shelter in your area. Throw in some boxes of pasta too along with a few loaves of Italian bread for garlic bread. Tomatoes are also good sliced and be used a s filling too.Keep in mind that those herbs can come in handy too for sauces now and later on. Bay leaf and sage can be dried and saved for Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes such as stuffing and gravy.Thyme and oregano can be used now when they're fresh.

Fruit is also much appreciated in both homeless shelters and food pantries. If you have extra melons then by all means bring then in. Some shelters do  host barbecues and a slice of watermelon is always a good way to end a great meal of burgers and macaroni salad. strawberries ,late season blueberries and peaches are also welcome. They're better than those processed cakes and treats, providing much needed fiber and vitamins. They're also better for those with health problems like diabetes and kidney problems where too much sugar can be harmful. These fruits are also good in a bowl of cereal or  mixed in a smoothie (if the homeless shelter has a blender. Encourage to plant pits in their backyards or on the shelter s grounds if they can.They'll have fresh fruit in a few years once trees start to grow and flourish. The same goes for the watermelon seeds too. They're pretty hardy and can grip on anywhere.

Don't forget the homeless  and deprived during these light days of summer. They need the same amount of doo now as they did last winter. Be generous with your harvest.

Semi Opened To Candles And Cake

 Sometimes big birthdays just warrant simple wishes. It could just be a meal of a Coke and a soak , pulled pork on a bun or a plain steak with a baked potato,

What is you r idea of a simple but delicious birthday treat?Is it a plain cupcake? A hamburger? A Coke with a blob of your favorite ice cream in it?Let us know.

Closed For Two Weeks

 We'll be closed for two weeks for a much needed rest.

The Best Kimchi

 KImchi is one of those dishes where it looks simple yet it does take work to make it right.Make it improperly and you could wind up with a wild version of sauerkraut. Luckily there are some tips to follow, Better yet, they 're from kimchi masters that know how to create this classic cabbage dish.

Newcomer to the New York Times Wednesday Food section and known journalist Hahna Yoon wrote about this dish a couple of days ago in the food section. She spoke to five kimchi masters to get tips and ideas about creating the best recipe. They , of course, spoke highly of the homemade kind while worrying about the health benefits of the  mass produced version. There is Lee Hayeon who creates haemul-seokbakji which is unusual for kimchi. The reason why is she adds abalone,conch ,octipopus , oysters and raw shrimp along with cabbage, garlic and the Korean red pepper powder Gochugaru.The recipe goes back seven hundred years when it was first served to members of the JOseon Dynasty.According to her any veggie meat and even fruit can be turned into kimchi.She does have a You Tube channel where the recipes can be seen. There is also white kimchi , bake kinchi a specialty of Kang Sooneu. THis is a fruit kimchi usually made with pears jujube and chestnuts It has a milder taste. She advises novice kimchi makers not to take shortcuts.Never add sugar to quicken fermentation nor use cheap salt.Use jeotgal a type of natural salt made from seafood.

There is other advice as well. Yoo JUng-IM ,creator of pogi kinchi , the dish made with napa cabbage and seasoned with red pepper paste.Hewr factory uses her mother's recipe which includes broth, glutinous flour instead of the more common rice flour. The broth is a mix of dried shrimp and mussels along with dried shiitake mushrooms. She says protein is important in creating a full bodied version.Soongchimchae or whole cabbage kimchi is a specialty of Yun Mi-wol a former pop singer and owner of the famed  five star Yunke restaurant.It was first recorded in a Nineteenth Century cookbook.It's fermented with abalone,octopus and jeotgal. She also advised patience when creating the cabbage dish.It needs to ferment for anywhere  from fifteen days to a month It should give off a slightly sour aroma when it's ready to eat.There is also stuffed white kimchi or banji made by Oh Suk-Ja  Hers is a labor intensive version with a shorter shelf life than other kimchis. Banji like other kimchi needs a lot of patience too .

KImchi can be an easy dish to make .It does take patience however. FInd a recipe that appeals to you and give it a try. Just keep in mind that it's not a quick recipe.

A Salute To The Master Chef

 Every chef,whether home or professional has a master chef to look up to. They are inspiring and creative as they provide good food and comfort. Some are so perfect they come along once in a lifetime.

This was my Mom who would have been 102(!!!!) today(There may have been some words about telling her age).I wonder what she would think of our Lidl hauls and their very economical prices as compared to Acem's and Stop & Shop. She would have loved their wide variety of international foods.The imports from France would have especially fascinated her and I know for sure we would have had the Lidl escargots and mini quiches. Sh probably would have liked their array of cheeses, with Brie and Lidl croissants on constant rotation. I know my Mom would have been amazed at the prices of many of their products. She would have been amazed at the prices too and what sixty  dollars can buy. A twelve pack of their soda is only $3.25. She would have been in awe of that ,especially since other twelve packs are anywhere between nine and twelve dollars. The lower priced veggies and fruits also would have impressed her since she always felt that cost determined the quality of produce. If it was cheap, it wasn;t any good. Yet Lidl disproves that. I also know she would have liked their soaps from France and their wide array of different personal products like face cream and nail polish remover.

Besides Lidl ,my Mom would have been fascinated with my summer classes of teaching English to both French and Vietnamese students. she would have liked my assignments which included creating fusion dishes. Vietnamese bread banh is on my to make list She would have been fascinated by this variation of the baguette and would have helped in creating them. I inherited her adventurous culinary daring. we were the first and really only people on our block to have a wok in the Seventies along with a yogurt maker. I feel her spirit when I make her favorite Szechuan dish, ants climbing a tree. For us it was sauteing plant based beef crumbles in a mix of olive oil, garlic and soy sauce.it's served on a bed of glass or rice noodles and was always a favorite of ours. I also feel she would have approved of me making the Eritrean stew of lentils and tomatoes , flavored with Berber spices. Would she have liked my Summerween and Christmas in July? Considering Halloween was never my favorite holiday , she may have regarded that with some snark. Christ mas in July? Maybe , if it's celebrated with ice cream cake and hand sandwiches instead of fresh baked cookies and roasted ham.

All chefs have their mentors. Mine was my Mom. She taught me a lot about cooking and baking. She introduced me to new and daring recipes while also cooking and baking centuries old family ones.

How America Food Shops

 How America food shops tells a lot about our country. It shows how people save and splurge. It also shows what people eat like, love and hate. Are there patterns emerging? Possibly.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna and new contributors Tanya Sichynsky and aliza Auffrichtig wrote this interesting survey in today's New York Times Food section, They talked to a cross sampling of shoppers throughout the US. A few things that are certain.Food prices have soared to unbelievable heights while packaging and food content has shrunk.Other interesting points are that Covid normalized such in store shopping like Instacart and Amazon Grocery and that consumers are staggered and spoiled by the array of choice. what really influences a grocery cart however is geography ,identity and income influence one's shopping list. Some relied on frozen food , some preferred fresh ingredients. Some shopped every day .Some staggered their visits to the local grocery store. Twenty -seven people were asked and their shopping analyzed.Different regions were represented, not just the coasts. Take Sawyer Bonsei of Malvern Arkansas  who's a former alcoholic prefers quick meals..He lives alone and works from home he has  a wide variety of sparkling water like Waterloo along with deli meats and rotisserie chicken. Ayse Gilbert of Anchorage Alaska who moved from California fifty years ago. She buys a lot of cheeses and the exotic fruit Buddha's Hand which is a expensive citrus fruit.

What about the  other shoppers? In Austin Texas' mom's Gabby Cavazos cart there are bargains. She often buys fruit that 's on its' last days or berries on sale. Deals like seven dollar sushi attract her. her cart does have a lot of fruit,  to give her two year old son instead of letting him eat processed snacks.Alan Young of Hilo Hawaii, probably hs the most expensive cart because food has to be shipped in from the mainland. Nr. Young is eighty and he qualifies for SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. He also relies on senior discounts so he can buy his favorite - mangoes.His is a simple list - mostly fruit and buckwheat ramen. Jackie Kesterson of Omaha Nebraska more or less centers her shopping around her two kids, one a toddler the other ten months old. She buys baby food pouches of veggies to give them the nutrition they need a long with easy food like cold cuts  to make into sandwiches.Kimberly Uhuru of Detroit relies on her low income childhood to select good food at low prices. She buys most of the food at  Target , basically the only grocery store in her area. A well stocked grocery store is a twenty-five minute drive away. Hers is a mix of vegan for her teenagers and fresh produce.

This is how America shops. We as a people tend to go for the easy and flavorful.Yet we're also go for nutritional and fresh too. Their choices reflect on us.