Hearty Fall Dishes

Now that it's fall it's time to think about heartier fare. Gone are the literal salad days of summer. Now you can enjoy creating a full meal without a hot kitchen to bother you.

If you're not much of a cook but still would like to make something hearty then think about stews. These are easy to make and don't require a lot of effort.For something different consider adding spices to it like cloves or even cumin to give it a more exotic taste.For a more complicated dish the try making the French cassoulet. This is a melange of beans, pork and duck . Another variation involves chicken and bacon.

Any pasta dish will be rib sticking and something the whole family will love. If you want add steak bits or cut up chicken breasts to the sauce to make it more substantial. You can also keep the traditional chopped meat but substitute lamb, veal or pork for beef. Cannelloni, a crepe type of pasta is another good fall entree. You can make the meat or the spinach version for your hungry crew.

This is the season to get back into the kitchen and cook!Prepare a meal that is not onyl hearty but that will get your family through this cool season!

Saturday Night Snacking

There's nothing like spending a Saturday night at home. it's a good time to rent a movie or catch up on the shows that you missed during the previous week. The problem is that with this comes hunger. What do you do? Snack.Well more appropriately snack healthy. Try putting some vitamins and minerals in that indulgence.

Popcorn is always the snack of choice. It's good for you and full of fiber. You can jazz it up with some seasonings like cracked pepper, curry powder or cinnamon for a different snacking experience. Another fun and good for you snack are pretzels. Have a big bowl of them (whether they be stick or the traditional shape) along with mustard. have smaller bowls of the honey or white mustard along with the traditional yellow kind. They're not only low cal but tasty and fun.If you're bored with these then try pita chips with hummus. Tortilla chips with heart healthy guacamole is also good. Guacamole is easy to make and it tastes so yummy!

If you must have ice cream limit yourself to one scoop and plenty of fresh fruit toppings. You can still buy strawberries and even peaches. Slice these and put on top of your scoops. A better sweet treat is an ice creamless banana split or sundae.Pour any kind of syrup over fresh fruit and serve with zero calorie Cool Whip.

Tonight park yourself in front of your TV. Have your favorite snacks present and enjoy your movie and shows. It's a great way to relax and indulge.

Dutch Cooking

Holland is known for a lot of things: The Hague, Anne Frank's attic, and don't forget legalization of prostitution and marijuana. It is not known for its' culinary cotributions (well , except for cookies). yet it is hardy fare,s trong like the Dutch people themselves.

Mostly The Netherlands is known for its' cheeses. We all are familiar with the creamy Edam and nutty flavored Gouda. Spiced cheeses are also popular. The Dutch are big on their version of sauerkraut as well.

Like their German neighbors, the Dutch have a sweet tooth. They make several different kinds of cakes and fritters for the holidays as well as having chocolates and fondants.

Dutch cooking reflects its' people. It is hardy.

Fall Treats

There's nothing that says fall like the smell of fresh fried doughnuts or the vibrant glaze of a jellied apple. This is the season when farms bring out all sorts of goodies (and not just pumpkins and Indian corn. Take advantage of what's out there.

During this season enjoy what your farms have. Some will be getting cheddar wheels in from Vermont and Wisconsin . Treat yourself and your family to a nice wedge. This is the perfect cheese for grilled cheese as well as just plain on toasted French. Another farm treat is honey which is good in tea but also excellent for baking. Some stands have their own bake shops that are known for not only doughnuts but apple crumb cakes, pies , and large cookies. Also take advantage of the homemade fudge brownies they'll have as well as the breads.

Candies play a big part in farm merchandise. A few will have divinity fudge as well as the old fashioned cocoa walnut. Be on the lookout for maple candies too (as well as fresh maple syrup). The big draw (besides the pumpkin picking) are the candy and caramel apples. These are usually fresh made with apples from the farm's orchards. By some for now and then some for later. Of course there will be fresh fruits such as apples and pears. get your baskets of them for some fall desserts.

This autumn, take a stop at your local farms. There are so many good foods waiting for you. You can have your choice form homemade pies, to candy apples to cookies to doughnuts,

Food of Africa

Like Europe and Asia, Africa has a wide variety of cultures and cuisines.What makes their food so special is that mnany countries do not have an abundance of it. Unlike the other continents, famine is rampant. Yet , despite this , every area has a weath of dishes that are unique and flavorful.

African cuisine ca nbe divided into regional rather than by separate countries. There's north, east, central, south, and west. The North is facing the Meditererenean and like it's European neighbors of Italy, ,Greece and Spain, there is an abundance of olive sand olive oil. North Africans eat many rice dishes and there are an abundance of spices in the cuisine.East Africa is influenced by them along with East Indian cooking. They too have dishes that are flavored with cardamon and cinnamon and mostly all have a side of rice.East Africans also have ugali , a polenta type corn mash that is used to sop up stews and gravies. Saffron and pomengranate also are popular and much used flavors there too.Unike the Muslim North, the East Africans do have pork in their diet along with chicken and lamb.

The continent is also a study in the traditonal and the foreign. Central Africa is possibly the most untouched of all the regions and therefore has the purest. One standout out dish is a savory spinach stew made with fresh spinach leaves, peppers and onions., The only foreign influences there are tomatoes, chilis and peanuts - sad reminder s of Central Africa's link with the slave trade. South Africa is by far the most worldly of all the areas. It is inflkuenced by the Dutch, french,m english as well as the East Indian and Asian. It is called the rainbow cusines because of the rich variety of dishes and flavors.

American Southern cusine has West Africa ot thank for its's origins. Sadly, this was the area where most of the indigenous people were taken into slavery. Their cooking influneced the way the South ate. They brought their love of fried foods as well as yams, sweet potatoes and black eyed peas. The West Africans also eat a polenta type dish known as fufu. Fish is also on the menu and it is usally cooked in oil and then flaked. The West Africans also produce a wine made from fermented palm leaves.

Africa has just as many varied and rich cuisines as Europe and Asia. Unlike these continents it has to endure famine and hardship. Yet it produces some of the best dishes in the world,

Back In The Pantry Again!!!!!

Hey everyone,

It feels good to be back in the pantry again!!! My prehistoric computer of 8 years finally went to techie heaven and I was stuck! I'm working on a laptop right now (big adjustment) but I'll be able to write more informative entries for all you foodies out there! There's a lot to write about to be sure. I wanted to cover African and Dutch cuisine along with fall favorites but couldn't. Now I can and give you the same good quality foodie info as before

Tomorrow I'll be writing about the various tastes of the African continent.

Ciao

Liz

Technical Trouble

Sorry everyone.

Dues to tecvh trouble there will be no entry (or column or whatever today.) Hopefully the problem will be fixed by Monday.

Eat well.

Liz