A Two Continent Family Reunion

 Family reunions happen all the time during the summer. It usually reflects a family over the past few decades yet fro the Richmond-Coleman family it reflects centuries and continents. It also reflects a fusion of Southern food and Liberian Dishes.

Regular contributor and food writer Korsha Wilson wrote about this phenomena in today's New York Times Food section. The Richmond Coleman family separated when one branch stayed in the US and another sought freedom and a better life in the new country of Liberia. The reunion was held where the family founder. William D.Coleman started the brood in Fayetteville, Kentucky .Jim Coleman of Coleman Crest Farms hosted the event on the land his great-grandfather James Coleman bought in 1888 after serving in the Fifth Regiment United States Colored Infantry , part of the Union Army.  The current Mr. Coleman is a history buff who researched his family here also wanted to know about the branch in West Africa. He went to the Liberian Embassy in Washington to research only to find out that his Liberian cousins were also looking for the family. Two weeks later he attended his first Coleman - Richards family reunion in Bowie, Maryland.He saw relatives that looked like him and a plan began. he wanted to host a reunion in the family home in Kentucky,

The reunion was a perfect blend of Southern and Liberian cooking. Ms.Wilson includes several recipes that are interesting and easy to recreate. There is smoky jollof rice which has a mix of a tomato sauce made of tomatoes, bell pepper two kinds of chiles, ginger and cloves.The rice also has tomato paste and a host of spices such as smoked paprika, curry powder.cayenne and turmeric. The tomato mix is prepared in a blender  as the rice mix is first made with an chopped onion sauteed in olive oil. The spices and rice are added a long with chicken broth for flavor. It's teamed for fifteen minutes and then scallions and cilantro are added. The second main dish is saladu nebbe a tasty salad of, parsley black eyed peas, tomatoes and cucumbers.The flavor is spiked with serrano Chiles and a squeeze of lime juice. To finish it off is  a spice cake with a zingy tamarind filling.It's also made with soy milk for a different flavor.It does require Calabash nutmeg which can be bought at African markets here or on line.it has a deeper woodiness than the North American variety, Tamarind paste is the filling while a cool creamy vanilla buttercream offsets the spices' heat.

A family reunion should have family and heritage dishes. The Coleman-Richards family has these  dating back to important eras in both African and American history. They're what connects generations and continents

Your Vacation Kitchen

A vacation in a house with a kitchen is a plus. You can cook and eat when you want. You're not at the mercy of local restaurants and their schedules. Yet you do have to be careful and mindful. This is not your kitchen,  treat it with respect.

Many vacationers head to foreign countries for a week or two away.There's a problem with foreign kitchens.They have stoves that have a Celsius temperature range. If you're not use to Celisus, you'll have to use the converter on your phone e or follow this formula subtract 32 from the Farenheit temp, then multiply by five and divide by nine. (Using Google conversion is much easier, it's more exact, If you do it with the calculator,it'll be off by about .02 degrees).Are the results the same? More or less. There is also the gas mark where one mark equals 275 degrees Farenheit. If your roast or cakes requires four makes to cook or bake you know it's going to be 350 degrees Farenheit .Again there are charts on  line to help you deal with the conversion,If you;re staying in any UK  home and you have a fan oven , don;t be alarmed. This just means a convection oven.It's usually twenty degrees Celsius lower than a regular Celsius temp stove. (you've probably heard Mary Berry use the phrase a fan oven on any of her PBS cooking shows). A fan oven is rather like a big air fryer. The food will be crunchier and crisper but cooked at a lower temperature.

What about other kitchen matters? Most European countries have very small fridges. They need the space for counters and food prep. They're not like the sometimes mammoth  restaurant style ones Americans have in their sometimes mammoth kitchens. Don;t tr y to over stuff yours . Most people overseas keep their milk and butter out instead of refrigerating them .Keep the frozen stuff down to a minimum since freezers are also tiny.. Think ice cream and popsicles or ice lollies if you;re vacationing in the UK.Vacationing in the US is different, but you still have to be mindful of the kitchen and fridge too whether you  stay in a house, apartment or efficiency apartment at the shore.Keep your food to the basics. Good choices are bacon, eggs and milk for breakfast along with butter and something drinkable. Have juice and milk ready for the kids.Most motels have a soda and snack machine on the premises so you don;t need to get a huge bottle of soda. If the kids want sandwiches, then consider having a packet of cold cuts and a small jar of mayo. Take advantage of local farmers markets for produce but don;t overbuy. Keep the kitchen tidy and not over flowing with food or food waste.

Your own private kitchen is a good thing on a vacation. Just be aware of temperature differences along with cultural ones too. It'll make for an easy time preparing home cooked meals for your family.

Rice The New Lettuce

 If you;re tired of making salad then switch it up a bit. You don;t have to use lettuce as a base. Try rice,It's a nice change up and makes a side dish special.

Rice is an easy make.It;s just putting it in boiling water , whether on a stove top or microwave. You can also use Lidl's instant microwave rice. They have a plain and one with pepper. It;s just cooking for two minutes in the microwave.

The plain can go with anything while the garden veggie would be great with shredded rotisserie chicken. I added a simple tomato salad   - just chopped Roma tomatoes with oil , salt pepper and garlic powder sprinkled on them.

Mix both together for a delicious , new salad. To turn it into a filling main dish then think of adding grilled shrimp to it. 

Keep in mind you can use rice as the base for any salad. TRy one with ham ,peas and a dressing of mayo for a Piedmontese inspired main dish. You can also have a simple rice base with broccoli, and carrots along with chopped peppers and olives. This would be perfect for any barbecue. 

You don;t need lettuce to create the perfect salad. Think rice.It makes for an interesting and tasty alternative to the usual hot weather dish.

The Perfect Parfait

 This is the time for cool treats and nothing says that better than a parfait. It could be a lovely way to start the day? It can be a cool treat after a barbecue .Anyway you have it 's a nice treat on a hot August day,,

As expected the parfait  was created by the French around 1890. The original recipe was the basis for our frozen custards of today. French chefs cooked eggs sugar and cream together as a custard then frozen. There are two versions. the french one which is made with whipped cream, simple syrup and any kind of flavoring, namely fruit. It's then poured into a tin, much like its' Italian cousin the semifreddo. Egg yolks are added , much like the original recipe to give it body. The American version is more layered like a sundae. There is also a Japanese one with a base layer of cornflakes! it also has more whipped cream and gelatin cubes than the American one. A breakfast parfait is a different and fun way to start the day. Use Greek yogurt which is thicker and has more body than the American and layer with different ingredients.Add old fashioned oats and for more nutrition and good helping of chia seeds. You could add frozen fruit but fresh is better especially now with all the harvests happening right now. Layer with sliced peaches and strawberries for a tasty treat.Sliced bananas and blueberries also work. Keep in mind that you can have this as a mid afternoon snack too. Add chocolate chips for some flavor and a boost of energy.

An ice cream parfait is a lovely way to use the fruit of the season along with good ice cream., As for the ice cream , you can make it yourself or get a good brand . A simple yet elegant one is layers if vanilla ice cream and fresh cut fruit. Try a French vanilla with pitted and chopped cherries is also good. You can do the same with other fruit for the season like peaches and strawberries. If you want more layers, add  crumbled vanilla wafers like Lidl's or Nabiscos and top with whipped cream. Of course a chocolate version is also  doable and delicious. Layer chocolate ice cream with strawberries or chopped , pitted cherries. Add a good chocolate syrup such as U-Bet or Fox's. (Hershey's also work well here).Top with a blob of whipped cream and more fruit. You can add a layer of cookie or even chocolate cake here too. A decadent dessert is a tiramisu su one. It starts with a homemade ice cream made from a mix of mascapone cheese and evaporated milk. Beat together until stiff peaks form and freeze until ready to use. You can also use coffee ice cream too. Cake is the base here and it's soaking either vanilla or chocolate pound cake in espresso. Layer the ice cream and cake, sort of like mini trifles .You can also sprinkle on cocoa powder too to give it a mocha flavor. Top with whipped cream and more powdered chocolate.

Beat the heat with the perfect parfait. You can make one for a breakfast treat or have one after a barbecue. Either way they're cool and delightful.

Cold Salad Days

 let's face it .August is hot. That means easy and simple dishes. That means salads of any sort and any kind. They don;t have to be the green lettuce and tomato kind.They could be created from other ingredients.

I feel that way during these sticky humid days. It's hot prepping. It's hot cooking. it;s hot washing up a ton of dishes. This is why salads come in handy. One of my favorites is the Neopolitan bread salad made super easy by using croutons and just tomatoes chopped and marinated in oil.

Scallions were added for a bit of color too. I added a handful of  Fresh Gourmet garlic and butter croutons. The company also has other flavors like Texas toast and Caesar Parmesan. Add what you want and have fun with it.

It makes for a yummy salad. You could add onions like the original or even pepperoni slices to give it more depth.

This was a sweet and savory crunchy blend that was just perfect for a sweltering day like today. If you want protein then go for a three bean salad. You can add peppers if you want or onions. 

This is a mix if canellini beans, chickpeas and red kidney beans. It's a great source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. You could add corn , avocado slices and sliced cherry tomatoes for a spin on cowboy caviar. 

Keep in mind you only need four extra ingredients for a successful salad.

Use a good olive oil like Lidl's. It;s light and lets the other ingredients shine. The same goes for vinegar. I prefer Acme's Signature red wine. As for salt  - you don't need the fancy sea salt to flavor. It should be a supporting player .I used Stop and Shop's but you can use any brand. Fresh ground pepper ,like Lidl's give some bite and is better than already ground. Other good salad ingredients are onion and garlic powder a long with paprika for mayo based potato salads.

It's August. It's hot. Make a filling salad for dinner. It's an easy and tasty fix.

Kamala For COTUS

 Is it I'm[ortant for a candidate to be relatable to their constituents? Yes. Even better is that they cook which is always relatable. What would make for a good COTUS Cook Of The United States? Someone who loves cooking and a good sit down family meal. Someone like Kamala Harris.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about the presidential candidate in yesterday's New York Times  Wednesday Food section. A few presidents were known to cook. Dwight Eisenhower famously liked to grill steaks in the White House back yard. Abe Lincoln was known to put on an apron and help out. Yet Vice President. Harris goes the extra mile. She is in charge of her family's Sunday meals where she creates the family favorite spaghetti Bolognese. Yet she also embraces her  South Indian roots. She has cooked with the actor Mindy Kaling where they made dosas, a type of crepe , popular with street vendors and a potato curry.Of course she has also make monster cookies with a young voter, Avery in Iowa. She also cooked apples and bacon with her Iowa's campaign chair. She made sure both ingredients were from Iowa. Unlike other candidates she also scrolls through YouTube  to study videos. During the pandemic she took to Instagram where she got a lesson in egg cookery from famed chef Jose Andres.

Not surprisingly Ms Harris learned cooking from her mother Shyamala Gopalan. Theirs is a vegetarian cuisine thanks to their Hindi religion so Ms Harris grew up with vegetable samosas and dal, She also has favorites  such as Marcella Hazan and Alice Waters cookbooks. She had even mentioned that she'd like to write her own one day on Jennifer Hudson's talk show.Her cooking skills are as smooth as her political ones. She's known to crack an egg with one hand and chopped an onion so well that it impressed chef Tom Colicchio. The Harris- Emhoff kitchen is more a kitchen belonging to a professional chef than a possible future president. She owns enamel skillets a gas range and a crock next to a stove overflowing with spatulas and spoons, Yet cooking is more than a hobby.It centers and grounds the busy pol.It makes her feel normal, especially after a busy week. There is nothing like cooking for her husband and bonus children. She feels in control with cooking whether it's making family recipes or dry brining a turkey with salt and pepper. If she is elected she will have to say goodbye to some of this. She can still cook but with an army of help to cut , chop and prep.

It will be a crazy race for the next few months. Luckily Vice President Harris can turn to her cooking for calm and serenity It helps dealing with the wildness of this presidential election.

Tomato 's Versatility

 It is the height of the tomato season. They're everywhere, in sandwiches , gracing salads, and starring in sauces. Can there be any more recipes regarding these bright red gems/ yes. There different takes on classic recipes that re sure to please even those that are tired of these beauties.

Regular contributor Emily Weinstein give five recipes in today's New York Times Wednesday's Food section.Yes, Ms Weinstein loves them sliced with a sprinkle of salt  but tomatoes can also shine in other dishes by other Food section contributors. Melissa Clark gives an interesting one  - gingery meatballs with an Asian influenced tomato sauce that has soy sauce instead of olive oil in it. It's a nice difference from the usual meatballs and sauce. The meatballs have the bite of ginger while soy sauce brings out the tomatoes/ sweetness.Serve this with rice instead of pasta.Caroline Geler' grates her tomatoes sort of like the Spinish pan tomat but these are used as a sauce for butter fried salmon. The fish is sauteed first and then the tomatoes are added on one side of the skillet. It and the salmon are simmered for twenty-five to thirty minutes in a covered pan. Another seafood dish is shrimp with okra and tomatoes. To be honest the veggies are not ones that most would combine but the three ingredients do give off a Cajun vibe.Kia Damon contributed this and she also adds smoked paprika and oregano for more flavor.

The most luxurious dish is from Christian. Reynoso food blogger and San Francisco chef.His I'd fresh tomato ,basil and prosciutto pasta. The sauce is a lush mix of these ingredients along with fresh ricotta added in.Think of it as a semi cooked or semo cotto salsa cruda with the tomatoes being only partially cooked. The pasta  - namely spaghetti - is added to this. fresh basil is shredded and them sprinkled on the pasta and sauce. Slices of paper thin prosciutto are draped over each plate and then a dollop of ricotta is added to it. It's a lovely sweet salty blend of flavors. Tomato lovers can also try Hetty Liu McKinnon's dumpling tomato salad with chili crisp vinaigrette. This is a popular recipe with Times readers. Home chefs can use any frozen brand of pot stickers. These are fried and put on a bed of sliced tomatoes. The chili crisp vinaigrette is a blend of rice wine vinegar and soy sauce to give it an Asian vibe. The dish can be either vegetarian with vegetable stuffed dumplings or a meaty one filled with pork or shrimp.

Tomatoes add to any dish.Try any of these recipes  for your garden' s harvest.They're tasty and delicious ,perfect ways to highlight these gems.