Celebrating All American Foods

 Americans tend to do the fourth of JUly with what's considered all American fare. It's the usual hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs. yet our country s so much more than this. we have a richly ethnic table that's perfect for barbecue season,

We actually celebrate the Fourth and every barbecue Germn style. Hots dogs come from the German weiners and wurst. Hamburger derives from the chopped steak dish from Hamburg , the North Sea port. of course beer is as German as it comes.If you want truly American food then think Buffalo wings that came out of that New York State city and was created by Teressa Bellissimo in 1964. Yet Buffalo wings can have so many variations. Add a marinade of ginger and soy sauce for an Oriental flair . add cumin and garam masala if you like Indian flavors. Jerk chicken wings are a tasty addition to any holiday barbecue. However they can be super hot so tame down the recipe Add only half the mount of scotch bonnet peppers or try a mild habenero. ribs come from the Caribbean and these are always a tasty bite. Again, try the same marinades on themes you would with the wings. Middle Eastern dishes  such as kebabs are perfect for any outdoor cooking. You can try lamb ,chicken or a ground beef mix called kibbeh that redolent with mint and cumin. sharwarma can also be made for a flavorful Syrian and Lebanese spin.

Sides can be salads. Yes you could go for the traditional German born potato salad which is a barbecue and picnic standard. This can be varied to be served hot or cold , with bacon or without. There is a Sicilian version that subs in olive oil for mayo  and has the brightness f cut green beans instead of chopped onion and celery .sliced cherry tomatoes are also added for sweetness and tanginess. You could just add olive oil as a dressing or mix it with white wine vinegar for some tartness. An Oivier or Russian salad is another innovative salad. THis is also popular at Piedmontese summer suppers being known as insalata russe. This is a delightful mix of  boiled potatoes, peas, chopped ham and hard boiled eggs. Mayo binds everything together  while fresh dill give its color and flavor. Elote or Mexican Street corn is big right now. It can easily be turned into a salad.First grill the corn and then removed the kernels from the cob. The dressing is a blend of mayonnaise, chili powder, lime juice and Cotija cheese (use feta if you can;t find Cotija). cilantro, and smoked paprika give it more flavor while jalapeno, give ti a nice kick of heat.

Use these flavors in your Fourth of July barbecue. They represent what this country is  - welcoming to everyone and their cuisine. Try these recipes for a fun holiday meal.

Food Is For Everyone

 It doesn't matter who you love as long as you can produce a good  product. This also applies to anything in the food business.If it's tasty and makes cooking an prep time a breeze, then what matters is the integrity, love and spirit that goes into it.

One company is Diaspora, a spice company. The spices are all grown sustainably and they're a must for any home chef into cooking and baking. There are varieties of different masalas that add depth and layers to curries and roasted veggies.Try Nik's achari masala, or turmeric for a golden dish or even a chai. Keep in mind that the spices are top quality so that means a higher price that the spices you'd buy at your local grocery store.A tin of hot cocoa will coast twenty-five dollars while cinnamon is twelve dollars for a small tin. They do offer  the sometimes hard to find jaggery, the brown gritty sugar used in Indian baking and cooking. Hot sauce is a must for summer barbecues. Pick up a bottle of Shaquanda's Hot Pepper sauce created by drag queen and entrepreneur Andre Springer. This is a mix of fresh hot Chile peppers, ginger, onions and turmeric. adding more kick are mustard and apple cider.It would be perfect for  a zingy barbecue shrimp or chicken. There are also other hot sauces such a as west Indian curry  - a zippy ginger sauce with the fiery heat of Scotch bonnet and Oomami a fancier layered sauce made from caramelized onions, habanero peppers and balsamic vinegar.

A good bean can elevate any dish, from soup to chili. Try Rancho Gordo ones. They may be a bit more expensive but they are flavorful and perfect for any dish.Add their Santa MAria Pinquinot bean to chilis; for a thick, beefy flavor that will make the traditional dish stand out.Rancho Gordo also has both black and white garbanzo beans . The black ones have an earthworm nuttier flavor than their white counterparts and would make for an interesting chickpea salad or a hummus rich with flavor. The last can easily be made with just the beans olive oil and a bit of tahini for an interesting appetizer. The company also sells split peas perfect for soups and black eyed peas , ideal for a richly flavored Hopping John. For another legume there is the peanut butter company Peanut Butter & Company. The store has everything ,from peanut powder for making shakes to peanut butter (as well as maple almond butter cookies) Their peanut butters have not only the usual smooth and crunchy types to choose from but also peanut butters blended with chocolate, honey and cinnamon for a different spin. They also offer their version of Nutella, both light and dark chocolate as well as almonds butters.

It doesn't matter who you love.It matters what you love if you're a foodie. Celebrate all sorts of love and people with these brands, full of their own love and goodness.

Gardein's Ultimate Burger Big and JUicy

 This is burger season. Everyone loves a juicy, patty dripping with juices. Unfortunately vegans and vegetarians don;t get this tasty experience - until now.Gardein has the Ultimate Plant Based Burger that's thick  juicy and tender.It's the perfect summer burger.

These burgers are really thick, weigning in at a whopping two and a quarter pounds. 

They took about fourteen minutes in the air fryer at 370 degrees Farenheit. They were flipped halfway through. The result was amazing ,especially on Lidl's brioche buns

This was a big ,tasty bite similar to what you;d get in restaurants. It was sheer perfection in the air fryer.It was juicy and  beefy tasting It will be wonderful on the grill.It doesn't go with it but I took leftover mashed potatoes mixed with Lidl's spinach and created a tasty if unusual side dish colcannon

It actually worked with the burgers. (I was going to air fry  Lidl's crinkle fries for the ultimate fast food at home experience but I had so many left over  mashed potatoes). Still the burgers go well with any side ,from salads to just sliced tomatoes.

Gardein's Ultimate Burgers are the perfect burger experience. Grill or air fry them to enjoy their juiciness .every bite is a treat.

Oil Or Mayo

This is the season for all sorts of salads. They're made with all sorts of ingredients but what binds them together is oil, mayo or a combo of both. Some salads such as egg and potato benefit from the rich creaminess of a good or even homemade mayonnaise.Other green based ones are perfect with a light oil based vinaigrette. 

Here is the question - which type of salad do you prefer? For myself a light vinaigrette works best for me. I even prefer macaroni salads made with it because the flavors of the pastas and spices along with the veggies shines through better.

Which do you prefer?A mayo based one or an old based one? Let us know ..

The Crunch Wrap Challenge

 Everyone loves Taco Bell. wha'ts not to with their crunchy tacos, filled with tasty chicken or beef, burritos bursting with sauce and beans and nachos dripping with hot queso. Now there's a whole slew of home chefs recreating the chain's famous crunch wrap. Does it measure up? Make ti at home an d find out.

New contributor and reporter for Eater, Luke Fortney wrote about this phenomenon in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.The Crunch wrap has been embraced by everyone and it's usually the food for choice fro teenagers.It first debuted in 2005, the brainchild of Lois Carson, a long time Taco Bell product developer. The idea was originally met with a lot of pushback. executives felt it was too slow to fold and too strange to eat.Yet Ms. Carson saw a need for it . Taco Bell did not have any sandwiches.Tacos, especially wound up dripping beans, cheese and sauce on diner's fingers.It was either that or use utensils which are an added hassle. Thus the Crunch wrap , a folded pocket containing layers of tomatoes, sour cream, lettuce and a spicy meat filling was born,Unfourtunately recipes can't be patented so there are all sorts of variations of it.At Carritoa, a pop up taqueria in Manhattan owners and chefs David Verastegui and Joaquin de la Torre stuff their version with Szechuan style beef in amino Crunchy wrap. At Kim Jon Grillin,in Portland Oregon, chef and "Chopped" competitor adds bulgogi and hanchan, a Korean veggie dish into a Muchwrap Supreme.

There are more variations. Ali Zahman, a first generation Afghani American makes his with halal ground beef  homemade queso and a better grade of tortilla flour for his Cwunchwap (he had to change the name for fear of getting sued) Being the child of immigrants he wanted American food and Taco Bell was it for him.Kris Yenbamroong of Night+market in Los Angeles give his version a Thai twist.It's s o popular that he sells thirty for them a night. The rapper action Bronson declares it "one of his favorite things on Earth". Chef Yenbamroong replaced the tostada with a fried wonton wrapper and the beef with pad grapow gai - spicy basil chicken.Its then wrapped inside a flour tortilla. These aren't used with any other ingredients at Night + Market but as a crunch wrap they fit perfectly. How anyone e;se makes them is up to them. Mr. Fortney gives the recipe. Ground beef ca be used but you could used shredded pork or chicken. even plant based beef crumbles would offer a lighter option.The spices are cumin and paprika along with tomato paste and yellow onion. The assembly is relatively easy It filling tortilla with the spicy filling pico de Gallo w, sour cream and tomatoes.Then the tostada is wrapped around this creating a hexagon.Its then fried in oil in  skillet.

Anyone can make and customize their Crunchwrap. It can be filled with whatever you want. Make to your way or Taco Bell's way.

Mango Wars

 Who would think that a fruit as tasty and beautiful as the mango could start the war? Yet it's true, especially in New Jersey where Indian mangoes vie with Mexican bread ones and where mango sellers butt heads with each other. Why the to do over this delicious fruit?

Regular contributor Priya Krishna explains it in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Indian mangoes are much in demand by Indians because of the flavor and texture. It reminds many of what they ate as children, thanks to many parents and grandparents growing them in their gardens.Indian mangos have a buttery texture - not unlike avocados and a slight;y tangy favor.Mexican ones have a brighter - almost Candy like flavor.  They're both fragile and the window to sell them is always short.It gets worst when they arrive from India unrefrigerated. The boxes soaked in condensation from the fruit and some fo the mangoes have been crushed.This doesn't bode well for local mango sellers. They're ruthless because the profit margin is slim. The competition is aso ruthless, especially in New Jersey where there is the largest Indian population outside India. These are the customers. who willingly pay a lot for a couple of mangoes.Mangoes are not a rational buy according to Kahushal Khakkar who runs Kat Bee exports in Mumbai. This is a memeory buy where there is a deep connection to the taste and texture

Boxes of imported mangoes are sold to customers and businesses alike. The fruit can be used in such savory dishes as curry and dal along with condiments like chutney . It's also good in lassi,a creamy drink made with yogurt, milk and spices. One would think that this need for the fruit would make  them desirable to Indian food store owners. Yet many proprietors  show no loyalty to any importer according to Bhavik Mehta, an IT specialist who actually sells them out his garage in Edison New Jersey.Many pit one owner against the other in the effort to lower prices. also most stores allow customers to return boxes if they're not satisfied, This even includes f only one fruit is spoiled.No store wants this so mangoes are not offered in many Indian grocery stores. The grocery chain Patel Brothers terms them as loss leaders draws to get customers in the store to buy more expensive goods.The stores absorb the loss of them, instead of charging the importers for the return . This id due to customers returning them on a daily basis.some importers try to sell them as cheaply as possible but that hurts the farmers who need the money to survive. Some store owners want to work together to sell the mangoes.

THis is a mango war. Will it ever end? That's up to importers and sellers alike who sell this beautiful fruit.

Cold Comfort

 This weeks heat wave may be a sign of summer weather to come.o one feels like cooking or eating thanks to the high temps. The best way to entice a flagging appetite is by introducing cool foods and ingredients onto the menu. They'll pique the palate.

Learn from Middle Eastern cuisine and introduce mint into your dishes. Mint is not only a refreshing flavor but also very cooling.It's easy to grow in the back yard and once grown, it will leaf in abundance.One of the tastiest and easiest dishes to create is tabbouleh, a staple in both Lebanese and Syrian cuisine.It also has vibrantly colored chopped parsley tomatoes and bulgur( these are dried and cracked wheat berries that have been parboiled and dried).It's dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. It's perfect with grilled meats but also refreshing on its' own as a light lunch or supper.Another salad is fattoush slald, with grilled veggies and drizzled with a mint or mint based sumac dressing. Kibbeh, ground beef or lamb patties or balls also have mint for a clean flavor too.You wouldn't think chicken could be cooked with mint but it can. make a mint and lemon marinade for chicken breasts and then grill.Of course you can add freshly picked mint leaves to any home made iced tea. This is refreshing and cooling, even as a late night refresher when you can't sleep.

One hot weather recipe that everyone loves is the chopped salad. This can have refreshing mint or even spearmint in it. it's just chopping vegetables including lettuce up into bite sized pieces and serving  with a tasty dressing.How to make it successful? Chop all the veggies and add ins in uniformly small pieces (think cubing).This applies to larger lettuce leaves too. as for extras, many put into Italian cold cuts such as salami, pepperoni and spiced ham. Cubed peppers and mozzarella give it texture and creaminess. Mix in a good Italian dressing that's a blend of olive oil, red  or white wine vinegar , oregano and thyme. Serve it with refrigerated cold cuts and Italian bread. Keep in mind leftover meats also work perfectly. Yesterday's rotisserie chicken is perfect shredded and cut into a chopped salad. Grilled steak cubed and defatted also is a tasty add in to any chopped salad. also bottled dressing works just as well as homemade. Use Thousand Island or Blue cheese if you;re craving it.

It's hot as anything out. Cooking foods help lower the temps around you. Create  tabbouleh or kibbeh. whip up an icy chopped salad.These are tasty ways to chill down.