Twenty-five Years of Restaurants and Reviews

 Since its' founding New York had always been a place to get good grub .The city is known for its' phenomenal dining thanks to the New York Times restaurant reviews. The review section is celebrating twenty-five years of trends and tastes.

This was what the New York Times Wednesday Food section covered and devoted a good amount of the section to it. has NYC dining changed in quarter of a century? Sort of.  As always it's the birthplace and hot bed  of trends.  it was the city that birthed the cronut  - the croissant doughnut hybrid now eaten all over the world.it The chef Daniel Boulud set the standard when he created the very expensive and very much copied  Russian nesting doll of a hamburger made from ground sirloin wrapped around short rib then foie gras then truffles.Thanks to the mayor of the time Mike Bloomberg banned cooking with  transfats in 2007 .long before any other city did.Manhattan is also a hub for trendy vegetarian and vegan restaurants. Dirt Candy provided diners with healthy meat free eating as did eleven Madison Park. Diners were treated not to a fancy dish of duck but beets dressed like it.On the more decadent side Milk Bar remade ice cream to taste like the leftover cereal milk from New Yorker's childhoods

Twenty-five years does involve history and quite a lot of it.There was 9/11 2001. even though most of the restaurants tweren't hit directly , they worked 24-7 to provide hot comfort foods and support. There was one amazing restaurant that was lost in the attacks - windows On The world. it was the place to go to for special dates and anniversaries. It was renown for its' amazing food too. Another loss was that the restaurant scene around the Battery. The map of New York restaurants changed for good. Two years later the Midtown French giants, Lutece, La Caravelle and La Cote Basque closed for good. These represented the lush and decadent meals of the Seventies and Eighties.. New York's dining scene was not immune to the Me too movement that happened after Harvey Weinstein was outed as a molester. The famed So Ho  restaurant .The Spotted Pig also had its' share of misogyny. despite its famed Roquefort burger that drew celebs and civilians alike, it was also known for its' abuse and mistreatment of workers ,especially the female ones.Happily pizza rat with her determined drag  made New Yorkers and the world happy. It was so cute seeing this You Tube cutie drag a spice for pizza through the New York subway steps.

Twenty-five years of food  and history. The New York Times has covered it all. what a tasty way to cover the last quarter century!

Summer Food To Go

 Summer is the time to head to the beach, lake or park. What goes with those trips? Quick and tasty dishes and desserts. it doesn;t have to be fast food.It does have to be food that is a fast make though.

The Sunday new York Times added this section .It's a great mini recipe book that covers everything from salads to sweets. Another plus is that any of these are also perfect for a barbecue too. This si a keeper that can well take home chefs into tailgate season this fall.Yes there are snacks. what picnic doesn;t have them? The must try isa dill pickle tzatzki.Its the classic Greek dip married to the current dill pickle craze. There's also a caprese antipasto and watermelon chaat to name a few.every picnic needs a salad of some kind and this NYT section delivers.Of course there's macaroni and potato, The first veers off from th usual mayonnaise glopped kind. This has greens, from pickles to freshly chopped parsley and capers.Dijon mustard and lemon juice give it zing and color while a teaspoon of granulated sugar gives counteracts the vinegar Is the potato salad traditional? Yes save for the bite of lemon added. For something. different make the spicy cucumber, heated up with Fresno and Thai chilis. Instead of the usual three bean ,try a blakceyed pea one or a tomato and farro one.

There is a mouth watering hero, seen here on the cover.

It's a salute to Italian cold cuts >Try it for mortadella or prosciutto for Avery flavorful hero. There are also pickled in red wine vinegar onions along with any kind of pepper for bite. Iceberg lettuce and olive oil are added to the onions. You could add mayo or mustard but that may be a bit too much.There's also tomato and pimento cheese sandwiches for a Southern twist. Other may prefer grilled harissa shrimp on skewers or veggie kebabs.There's also salmon onigiri, a form of sushi with rice and nori or black seasweed. and chicken skewers  loaded with cumin and ginger and then butter basted.for something different.Yes there are sweets to end this fun meal. There are strawberry jam bars that can also be made with any red fruit jam like current or raspberry.Rice Krispie treats get elevated with the add of butter fried black sesame seeds and sesame oil. Blondies are a fun addition to any picnic basket and these get amped up with cardamon and white chcocolate chips. They're frosted with an untypical cream cheese frosting. saffron makes it more interesting while a scattering of chopped pistacchios give them a nice nuttiness.

It's picnic weather1! make these dishes for a fun day out. They 're tasty , delicious and different!

Honoring The Troops Daily

 Memorial Day is all about kicking back and enjoying the best of barbecue. Yet it;s also a time to honor our troops. The problem is we should be honoring them all year long and not just on one day.

If you can do anything, then treat a vet , whether it's a family, friend or neighbor once a week or more to a lunch or dinner. It doesn't;t have to be fancy. It could be an invite to sit down for dinner in your house. Make their favorite meal and dessert. This means more to them thank any restaurant fare. Its' also a great way for the kids to learn about American and military history. Another is helping out at veteran's clubs and local VFW's.

For those service people  just coming home, a block party or backyard gathering would be welcomed. Organize a potluck where everyone brings something, from salads to dessert. Designate a main griller to handle cooking hamburgers and hot dogs. The service person and their families will appreciate the support as well as good homemade dishes. Another idea is giving the family a gift certificate to a restaurant. It would be a family friendly one or a fancy one for a much needed date night (also volunteer for baby sitting duties too). 

It shouldn't;be be that we honor our local service people for just one day.It should be a year round practice. Honor them with food and celebration.

Salad Ready

 These next two days are going to be spent cooking and grilling up a storm. It's a lot of work  however it can be reduced if you make the sides  - namely the salads beforehand. 

One of the  first jobs to do is getting the ingredients salad  ready. Did you get the right spuds for potato salad? Waxy ones are the best because they hold their shape but really any can do. Boil them the night before and let them cool overnight in the fridge.If you're making the traditional version now is the time to hard boil the eggs and even cut the celery. its' then just mixing everything together. what about if you;re adding bacon.That's a last minute thing that can be done in the microwave and added after everything else is mixed in.If you;re really pressed for time on grilling day then make the salad the night before.It should be OK and not become too watery.. What about that other barbecue classic - three bean salad? Can that too be made in advance? Yes!. In fact it would be better made the night before because all the flavors meld together then. If you want to add leafy greens do so right before serving so they retain their crispiness. Storing them with the bean salad overnight make make them limp and soggy.

Every barbecue will have a bowl  of macaroni salad.Many home chefs will be making ti the night before. why is it a good idea? LIke bean salad kept overnight , the flavors will meld together. The pasta, vinaigrette and veggies will have time to mix and create a more complex and layered flavor. also the pasta will absorb the dressing , making it softer and moister in texture. It won't dry out then in the fridge. To keep it from becoming too soggy.only pour in half the dressing for overnight. add the other half right before serving.You could make half the macaroni salad the night before. Cut up whatever veggies you'll be using and store them. Cook the pasta  the day of the barbecue for a fresher taste.Cole slaw is also a popular picnic or barbecue side. Can the entire salad be made ahead? Yes and no. Slice the cabbage and carrots the night before and then add the mayo or whatever you want the day off. Cole slaw is notorious for becoming so slimy an soggy after time int he refrigerator,. A too soggy slaw would definitely put a damper on an other wise delicious dinner.

Make tomorrow easier by assembling and prepping your salad early. It give you more time to concentrate on the meats. This makes for a better time for grilling.

The Best Parts of Barbecuing

 This is the season for barbecuing. Yet it's not just eating delicious grilled meats and veggies. There's also the fun part of creating sides, the relaxing time spent flipping burgers and dogs or the fun afters of making desserts.

Here's the question of the week - what's your favorite parts? Do you enjoy creating a zingy marinade? Grilling steaks and wings to perfection? what about getting dessert read? Cutting watermelon into decoratative pieces or just sticking marshmallows or a stick to skewer for gooey gooey roasting.My favorite part is creating the fun sides. That's how I came up with my Oriental Cole Slaw. 

Here.'s the recipe

One bag shredded red cabbage slaw.

1/2 cup olive oil 

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic finely minced

2 heaping tablespoons of freshly grated ginger

Scallions  - optional

wash the cabbage and put into a big bowl. Finely mince garlic and grate ginger, this last with a microhasp (most grocery stores sell this)> Add garlic and ginger to olive oil. Stir in soy sauce and then pour over the cabbage. Toss until the cabbage shreds are well coated. Add chopped scallions for color and more flavor. Chill for about one hour. before serving. 

A MAHA Mom Vani Hari

 Can one mother change the way America eats? Surprisingly yes if you're Vani Hari. She is changing the way America eats. pushing companies to create healthy pure food. it seems to be working.

Regular contributor Kinseverson wrote about her in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. despite her past of being a true Democrat she is now embracing the RDK Jr MAGA Make American Healthy Again movement. Her blog Food Babe and now with her group of followers called Food Babe Army have gone after Big Foods. It's has baffled big conglomerates such as Kellogg's, especially with  her large amount of influence. She public shames companies  such as the cereal company as well as Kraft. The last removed any  yellow dye from their popular baked mac and cheese.She amassed 350,000 online signatures to back her and Kraft obeyed. She also went after Subway until the company removed the dough conditioner azodiacarbonide from their breads.ms. Hari even wrote a best selling book entitled The Food Babe way: Break Free From the Hidden Toxins In Your food and Lose weight,Look Years Younger and Get Heslthy in Two Days. Despite it's popularity it drew a  lot of criticism / Food Hunk blog mocked it, even making fun of her suggestion of drinking water which is used as an industrial coolant.

How did Ms. Hair become so invested in healthy eating? It all started with her diet growing up. Even though her parents were from Punjab , India and cooked good Indian food at home she and her older brother wanted American food Their diet consisted of all bad American food Wich caused her to suffer from asthma, eczema and stomach aches. An appendectomy in her early twenties opened her eyes. Her doctor explained to her that appendiciitis is caused by inflammation. That changed her life. She vowed to eat better and she did. She read everything about nutrition , dieted and lost weight. A friend suggested she share her experiences in a blog and that's how Food Babe was born.  She is a Southerner , being from Charlotte South Carolina, however, and like any Southerner liked fried chicken and barbecue. She has gone off beef. Her children eight and four eat healthy though. Her recipes include product shaming classics like Pillsbury holiday cookies for strange looking all natural candy cane ones and creating all natural Chick fil a nuggets.

Can Vani Hari change the culinary world? Habits are hard to break , especially human. She can try. will she succeed. That's to be seen

Picnic Fare With A Mediterranean Twist

 Picnics and barbecues usually have the same old food. It's always hot dogs, hamburger and some kind of bean and/or macaroni salad. Then there's the wedge of watermelon for dessert. Yet what if there's a twist - a bright sunny, Mediterranean twist on eating outside. That's enough to shake the picnic basket.

Regular contributor DaveTanis gave  recipes fo a deliciously different kind of picnic fare in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.he looked to Turkey for the main course which is chicken kebabs. These are usually made with ground lamb but chicken can do nicely too. They are zinged up with the , use a  of onion, red pepper flakes and paprika. Cu8min seeds are also added after they 've been toasted and crushed. Keep in mind you don;t need the grill to cook these. They can be roasted ion a sheet pan in the oven. If you do want a grilled kebab - similar to what most Turkish street vendors sell, use a fine meshed grate or a perforated vegetable grill pan. That way there's no danger of them  slipping through the grill and falling onto hot coals.They can be served with lavash flatbread or pita. These can be warmed on the grill too. Dip either bread in rosemary infused olive oil for a crispier , more fragrant flatbread.

As for sides, there can be salads.These have a Middle Eastern vibe to them. One is herbed cucumber yogurt salad while the other is a tomato feta one. Each has a fresh veggie taste that works well with the kebabs.Sliced Persian cucumbers are used for the first side. These are sliced and seasoned with salt,pepper and cayenne. The dressing is  a plain whole milk (but you could use a lower calorie one).yogurt based, flavored with onion , dill and garlic. Fresh mint is als added for a Middle Eastern  flavor.The second blends tomatoes and feta with chopped black or green olives in a simple viniagrette.Cilantro and parsley are also mixed in for more color. and is served om spinach and arugula. The dessert are simple shortbread cookies flavored with tahini ,sesame seeds and coconut. Butter and honey give them richness.They're dusted with confectioners sugar. Serve these with an iced mint tea for the perfect dessert.

Make a different kind of picnic this season. Add Middle Eastern flair and flavor. It makes for a tasty meal from beginning to end.