Fall Fruit Savory Or Sweet

 This is the season for apples, plums pears and grapes. All of these make wonderful tarts and corstatas but they can also be put into salads of all sorts of cooked with meats such as pork roast or chicken.

Here's the question - what  would you  rather use fall fruit in? Savory or sweet dishes? To be honest poached pears in wine are a great autumn dish. however a good pork roast cooked with apple slices and onions also make for a delicious meal.

Let us know how you like to use fall's bounty.

Sushi The New American Classic

How did a Japanese classic become one of Amerca's favorite foods?Surprisingly the pandemic had something to do with it.Add in the easy transportability of seafood adds to it being popularity.It's also tasty, being more flavorful than pizza and CHinese.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this phenomenom in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Forty years ago it was regarded with a raised eyebrow. It had a mystique yet it didn;t pique enough of America's curiousity. It was common init;s native country with it being sold in gas stations and vending machines.Kroger, the Midwestern supermarket giant started selling it in 1991. Now it's everywhere from expensive omnikase restaurants to Target.The pandemic was the dish's biggest booster. People wanted a different flavor. Sushi, with its'briny, sweet and hot flavors did the trick.Also playing into the need is that the generation who were children in the Nineties  when sushi became common , were craving it as adults. There was a whole new slew of consumers according to Richard Barry,, f the National Fisheries Institute The millennials grew up with it and tastes donl't change. If they loved it in childhood, then they'll continue living it into adulthood.

It's not just them heading to expensive sushi bars for three hundred dollars dinners. They're buying it everywhere from big box shops to gas stations. Even bowling alleys and stadiums are selling it to fish hungry Americans. Retail sushi , also, called deli sushi because of its'location in supermarkets , is the fastest growing segments in the stores. Retail sushi brought in close to three billion in sales. Because of this high end sushi bars are also investing in this to go phenomena. At Sugarfish, located both in Manhattan and Southern California, each order is packed in a patterned box by Clement Muk, Chef Kazumori Nozawa fills them with warm rice, cool fish and sauces brushed on at the last minute, He approves for sushi being eaten right after it's made. Healso tested dozens of cardboard take out boxes that didn't absorb soy sauce and kept warm rice from being sticky. Sushi is also number one in the catering industry , letting vegans and pescatarians enjoy fun ,delicious foods. Keep in mind that ist's also becoming more Americanized. Raw fish is being replaced with cooked .

Sushi is the new American classic. Will it replace a burger and fries? Actually yes. People love it more than the standards.

A Different Take On Mexican

Warm days of early fall bring to mind still summery foods. One that fits the bill perfectly is sea bass with garlic chips, in warmed tostada. It brings the taste of bright flavors of Mexico to the fall table.

Regular contributor and chef David Tanis wrote about this and a side and dessert in today's Wednesday New York Times Food section. Early fall, with its' lingering summery warmth is the perfect time  for a meal like this. it reminds Chef Tanis of his time in Veracruz Mexico. He ate in a lovely seaside restaurant there that now unfortunately gone. Their specialty was a whole fried fish topped with a liberal amount of garlic chips.Next to it was warmed and steamy tortillas along with lime wedges and a bowl of salsa. His variation calls for fillets of any kind of meaty fish from red snapper to halibut. Corvina, rockfish or snapper can also be used. Fry very thinly sliced garlic in oil and then reserve the oil for frying the fish Mr. Tanisha,however recommends grilling or baking th elfish to avoid any extra oiliness. Serve it with salsa matcha ,a condiment made from dried Chiles, peanuts, garlic and sesame seeds. Shower it with the garlic chips and then serve with rice ro potatoes. It could be flaked and put into warmed tostadas for a truly Mexican experience.

What would go with this? A dish that would be perfect on its' own - avocado black bean tostadas. It's pickling such vegetables as onions and jalapenos with black peppercorns, cinnamon, white sugar and apple cider vinegar for pickling. The tostadas fillings are a tasty mix of canned  refried.black beans , fresh avocado slices and queso freso sprinkled on top.. Warm oiled tostadas then build layers of the beans , spices such a as cumin, an d the avocados. Top with the pickled salsa and the cheese. Slivered radishes and a dab of crema can be added too. The meat should be finished with a cooling flan.Chef Tanis prodives flan de Coco or coconut flan made without the usual dairy. Two kinds of coconut milk are used instead, one is sweetened condensed while the other is just plain coconut milk. Since flan is very egg, four large eggs plus two large yolks are used for giving it richness and density. A caramel of just Palin white sugar is made first, heated ,melted and then poured into the bottom of a flan pan. It;'s then beating the eggs and coconut milks a long with a pinch of salt . This is paced into the flan pan and baked for an hour at 350 degrees Farenheit for an hour. After its';cooled, remove it from the pan, sprinkled shredded coconut on top and then serve.

A taste of Mexico is still a great way to hold onto the summer. Make this dinner to enjoy bright flavors and colors/. It's the perfect blend of spices ,both sweet and savory.

An Empty Nester Eats

Many parents are now living in an empty nest. The kids are tucked away at college or in their new apartments,, What used to be a house full of noise and fun is now quiet. It's even worse in the kitchen when it's back to cooking and eating for two or even possibly one.

What happens when you;re one of those empty nesters?Firstly embrace this . Don;t just give up the want or passion to cook.  You're still there. You deserve hot healthy meals and fun treats. It's tempting to give in to eating take out every other day. Maybe save the Burger King or Chinese for a Saturday or Sunday night.It's also time to look at your cooking space and adapting it for this new phase. This si also a great time to reconnect for friends, You can still cook big meals for a fun Saturday night cocktail and dinner party or a boozy(or not so boozy) brunch, These are the times to think back to when your were single or just married. Did  you have friends over? Wasn;t it fun to have those parties and wouldn;t it be nice to have them again? Start looking at your good dishes and champagne glasses again. Start planning fun recipes  to make like duck l'orange or beef Wellington. Entertain friends and office mates with the dishes your kids turned their noses at like escargot and calamari. 

 However for daily life  store those big pots and pans away. Save them for those dinner parties or  holidays when you know you'll be cooking for a full house. Buy smaller amounts of the foods you usually cook.Instead of a dozen eggs settle for six. Try hamburger patties in packages of four instead of eight. Buy smaller containers of milk and juice.  This is the time to splurge on more expensive ingredients too.  Get those sticks of Kerry Gold butter if you want. They're going to last longer with one or two people in the house.Treat yourselves or self to a T-bone steak or filet mignon now. Break up the mid week doldrums with scallops or lobster tails. Another idea is cooking for two days. You probably did this when you had a full house but on a larger scale. Make a pasta for two that can be a great Sunday dinner and then turn into Monday supper leftovers.A small meat loaf is perfect for a weekend and then cut it up for  work day sandwiches.  You can still bake too. Just cut down on the amount. Try baking in micro batches .

Empty nesting is hard. Yet it can be a great time for all sorts of fun and lush foods too.. Embrace this time with tasty meals and fun treats.

Rosh Hashanah A Global Menu

 There will always be Rosh Hashanah in the world. Yet where you celebrate  may be different Depending upon the country, various ingredients are used to bring in the new year.It could be ripe pomegranates or exotic spices. A global feast awaits with various colors and flavors.

Exotic dishes abound in both the Sephardic and Mizrahi branches of Judaism. Sephardic are the Mediterra nean Jews of Morocco, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The Morrocans feature the savory red snapper stew cooked  in  a sauce of garlic, turmeric, saffron and bell peppers. The fish head is also included to symbolize the head and not the tail. They use the Mediterranean staple preserved lemons along with cilantro as well. Another dish that's both sweet and savory is tanzia, a caramelized fruit and onion topping served over rice or couscous.Moroccans use such dried fruit as aprocits, prunes, dates and raisins, simmered with date syrup or honey and spiced with cinnamon and ginger. The dinner ends with melt away cinnamon cookies.fluffy honey drenched cookies made with cinnamon and almond flour. Syrian Jews celebrate with kibbit yatkeen , pumpkin patties and rice stuffed Swiss chard.

Italian Jews have a different spin on Rosh Hashanah. Their main meal is chicken with fruit. Autumn fruits such as plums, grapes and apples make up the sauce. There is also zucca sfranta in forno baked mashed squash. Onion, basil and parsley give it a distinct flavor. There are also sfratti, honey walnut stick cookies that when cut resemble Fig Newtons.Greek and Turkish Jews have keftes de prasa or leek patties, Cinnamon, and black pepper along with nutmeg spice them up.They also make and bake pastelicos, ground lamb filled pastries similar to kreplach. Calabaza or a public pastry finishes the meal.Iraqi and Temeni Jews also have spiced foods Iraquis make apple jam to be served with squash. There's also a sour soup with meat dumplings. Swiss chard is layered with rice and beef as a main course. The Yemeni make a beef and white bean soup made with the traditional Yemeni spice blend hawaj., black, pepper, coriander and cumin.There are sweet quinces and dates with sesame seed to eat too.

Rosh Hashanah is an international holiday. ALl over the world it's greeted with savory and sweet dishes. It's the perfect way to greet the New Year.

Pizza Dough Expanded

 A good pizza dough is not just for those luscious pies.It can be used for everything from calzones ot  - yes - doughnuts. It's a versatile dough to make and to have.It CNA be a lifesaver on busy fall weekends.

What makes a good dough? Five vital ingredients. You should have a good light olive oil,water salt, yeast and flour. A pinch of granulated sugar is added to the yeast for quick activation. What yeast should be used? either active dry or just plain dry yeast. As for the  sugar you could sub in any type of honey for a more natural ingredient. Proofing the yeast requires adding hot water to the emoxo fo the sugar and yeast, stirring and then sti  ing it until beomes foamy and bubbly. Once the yeast is proofed start adding the olive oil.Drizzle it in in a thin ribbon instead of dumping the entire measurement in. It;s then adding the two cups of flour and salt. As with the olive oil, slowly add in the flour until you get a sticky ball.If you;re making a savory baked treat, this is the time to add any herbs or spices for extra flavoring.(This applies to more like garlic knots, stromboli and calzones).Knead the dough and let it rise for another ten to thirty minutes. DO this  by covering it with a damp towel  and place din a warm oven.

After you roll out the dough you can turn it into delicious dinners. A calzone or big sock in Italian  - can be filled with mozzarella , ricotta and ham.Some add pepperoni instead of ham and broccoli for more color and flavor  , A spoonful of marinara is also a perfect addition to a calzone stuffing. Fold, crimp the edges and give it an egg wash before baking in the oven. ANother Italain delight is stromboli,It a pizza more or less redone like a Swiss role. The toppings like sauce , cheese, meats and veggies are rolled inside the dough.It's baked and then cut into thick wedges. If you want a fun party food or even snack try garlic twists.This is taking strings of dough . twisting them and then brushing on live oil and garlic powder. Oregano is sprinkled on for more flavor. Pizza dough also makes for tasty  cinnamon doughnuts, Thye're sweet and puffy  and easy made. Keep in mind that you can also make doughnut holes and jelly doughnuts with the dough too. Cinnamon rolls are actually better when made with pizza dough. The texture is lighter and fluffier than the traditional bun dough.

Pizza dough isn't just for pizza, It can be used for savory and sweet treats. Use it for a tasty dinner or dessert.

Easiest Meal Ever

There is that  recipe that 's a snap to make .It could be rotisserie chicken with mole sauce. Or quick pan fried steak with a side of air fried Tater  Tots. What's the one go to meal that you can make in minutes?

MIne would have to be that delicious salad Steakhouse salad.It just takes a wedge of lettuce , and in my case vegan Lifeline bacon along with vegan ranch dressing.I add Texas toast croutons and a handful of grape tomatoes .It;s a quick and filling meal that 's so packed with all kinds of flavor. The bacon takes the longest in the air fryer - usually eight minutes at 380 Farenheit to crisp up.

What is your quick but yummy meal? Let us know and if you want to include a recipe please do so. It'll be tired out and featured.