Old Time Diner Food

One of my favorite places here in New Jersey, the Coach House Diner in North Bergen just had its menus printed up from its first year back in 1939. It was a time when life and food were a lot simple- not to mention cheaper and better for you. Seeing the menu back a lot of memories for my Mom who reminisced about the types of food back then. Some things have changed, some haven't.

Diners at the end of the Depression didn't have the wide variety their descendents have today. it was plain and simple chopped steak , pork chops and hamburgers. You could get a hot chicken dish or an open faced turkey sandwich . That's as exotic as it got. Yet this lack of choice is better. You just ordered something simple and ate it. Omelets haven't changed. They were probably only one egg back then and the eggs were farm fresh and organic. Surprisingly enough they were served with fries , just as they are today. The Western style was a big seller it seemed.

I noticed some foods fell out of fashion. There was the icky offering of stewed prunes. (I'm sorry that's just yucky to the nth degree) along with oysters, both stewed and fried. The first was a big deal back in the day. My Dad loved it especially when his grandmother , my Great Granny Roberts always made it on Christmas Eve. Nowadays it's rarely ever cooked in this country. Ditto with fried oysters, especially in the New York area. Liver and onions were a special lunchtime offering and I know only of a few diners that offer it today.

Some things come and go but diners, like the Coach House remain the same. There will always be a menu full of good things a welcoming plate of home cooked food waiting for you. That's what's so comforting. about them

Easy Summer Stir Fries

There's nothing like an easy meal to prepare during these hot days. The dilemma is what hot meal is easy to prepare when it;s 90 degrees outside? Simple Stir fry.It's an easy and fun way to incorporate your favorite ingredients with simple stove top cooking. Another fun aspect is that a stir fry let's you be as creative as possible.

Every simple stir fry starts out with vegetables. Most include the traditional water chestnuts, onions and peppers. these are easy to prep and cook up in minutes. Although they're not used in traditional fries tomatoes can be used. for texture and color along with taste. I've recently discovered that grape tomatoes when cooked have the strongest flavor of all tomatoes and they are wonderful in any kind of stir fry. As for meats, they;re you;re decision,. Most people like chicken but you can add beef or pork strips or even shrimp. Another choice is spicing I like adding onion salt and a lot of fresh ground pepper to mine. You can again stick to tradition and add fresh sliced ginger along with garlic cloves.

The stir fry's base is also important You can add any kind or rice or thin pasta . I usually like just plain white rice. This absorbs all flavors and sops of the gravy. Brown rice is good too but be warned. it does posses a nutty flavor that will compete with the other ones. Plain spaghetti or vermicelli is good. This is closest to the Chinese noodle variation and is like what you would get in parts of China.

Stir fry is the best bet for a hot dish during these hot days. You get a full meal in one dish . better still it;s fun to make and delicious to eat.

A Different Slice Of Fruit

You may have an over abundance of fruit right now.It may be getting to you too. After all how many strawberries can you eat without getting rashes? Or blueberries without staining your teeth purple. This s the season for all sorts of harvests. yet that over abundance might get too cloying after awhile its time to give your fruit a new slice in life.

One of the best ideas is to infuse fruit into vinegars These make for lovely and sweet vinaigrette's . Crush strawberries, blueberries or even peaches and mix them with red wine vinegar (you may try an apple cider based one for the peaches.Leave in overnight and then mix with oil the next day. The flavor will even make ordinary Bibb lettuce and tomatoes taste extra special. Add some toasted almonds and broccoli florets for added crunch and flavor.

Another idea for extra fruit is mixing it into either whipped cream or sour for nice topping for pound and angel food cakes. You can also blend fresh fruit into plain yogurt and then serve as a topping. Slicing up fruit and grilling it for sides to chicken an d beef are another novel idea for dealing with over enthusiastic buying.

Don't be tired of the plain fruit you have around the kitchen. Use the extra to create memorable dressings or toppings.It's not only economical but fun.

Scandanavian Wood

Yesterday's New York Times' Dining section had an interesting article and interview with a Danish chef. Why would this be so interesting?It's because he only cooks with indigenous Scandinavian plants. he also forages them himself too , being a purist. This creates some dishes that would resemble Viking cuisine yet they all have modern twists.

The interview was conducted by Times regular Frank Bruni and the chef is Rene Redzepi, a Dane who is also half Macedonian Redzepi has had good training coming from famed Daliesque Spans restaurant El. Bulli. His background also includes a stint at the famed French Laundry in California. Yet he strikes out on his own at Noma,his restaurant in Copenhagen with using natural botanicals on since ignored or even forgotten. There he incorporates not often used sea buckthorn berries along with ramps to make flavorful dishes.

Redzepi also plates meats as if putting them back in their natural surroundings. Shrimp is put with beach stones and herbs, looking like they're back in their natural environment. He plans on putting deer meat with escargot because that what their hooves would trample on out in the wild. it makes me wonder if any American chefs may follow his lead. This could prove for some wacky twists in New York restaurants.

I'm a big fan of foraging and I encourage all foodies to do it. I think Chef Redzepi makes an interesting case for it with his purist recipes and tasty twists. It's sure to catch on as the next big foodie trend

It's Too Hot To Eat!!!!

What do you do when it's too hot to eat?I'm not referring to food straight off the stove or oven but when the temps reach the triple digits. Even the simplest things seem like chores and that includes eating. The appetite goes down and you're lucky to crave a mouthful of salad. The problem is you do need sustenance to keep going. The big question is how? What's tempting enough to get hunger going when you feel like a just baked cake?

Look to lighter foods. Salads really are the perfect hot weather meal. There's nothing like a grilled chicken or shrimp Caesar or vinaigrette based for a lunch. If you feel too wrung out to make your own , enjoy it in a cool air conditioned diner or chain restaurant. Chef's salad is another good choice. Thanks to the variety of meats and cheeses used you get a full meal in a salad bowl.

As much as you'd like to live on ice cream during these hot times, think about eating more fruit. Anything from watermelon to strawberries are healthier. There's less sugar and less fat. You can nibble or munch as much as you like,Also you can freeze fruit if you re craving something super icy.

Don't let the hot weather ruin your appetite. There are plenty of light and healthful choices to get you through this heat wave. You can't survive on just ice and water

Odd Ice Creams

In Sunday's New York Times magazine section there was an interesting article about Humphrey Slocombe, a way out ice cream parlor that creates unusual flavors like Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and Blue Bottle Vietnamese - a reference to that country's coffee. It seems to be going like gangbusters ,despite the bizarre flavors. If Humphreys Slocombe becomes more popular it may be influential here in the New York area or even become a chain .

The place was the brainchild of Jake Godby, former pastry chef at San Fran''s Coi restaurant. The creamery's name come from the two characters Mr. Humprheys and Mrs Slocumbe from the British classic and cult farce Are You Being Served? (Godby is kind of mocking chef Alice Waters for naming her restaurant after the french film Chez Panisse) The best way to describe Godby's work is comparing him to Tim Burton. Just as Burton's wacky and weird eye make for interesting movies Godby's odd tastes make for unusual and memorable ice creams. He's not afraid of putting anything in his flavors. , salty or sweet, lard or caramel. It's all there.

Some of the local reviews are interesting. the most favorite and popular is the Blue Bottle Vietnamese. There is also Jesus juice which is red wine and Coke mixed. (this may make for an interesting Slushie) along with peanut butter bacon. There is also a brown butter that has real bits of butter in it. I don't know how I'd deal with some of the flavors. I'm, strictly old school when It comes to ice cream (when I do eat it) although a beet based ice cream sounds intriguing. There's also Secret Breakfast which is bourbon and cornflake mix that I wouldn't mind sampling. (although it sound s like a meal at the Sheen household)

If you want some bizarre coolness this summer, and you're in San Francisco . head over to Humphrey Slocumbe. here you can experience a traditional summer treat with some new twists.

Saint's Day Specialities

Today is mine and my mother's onomastica or saint's day. It's not a big thing here in the States.People observe it more in Italy,Spain and certain parts of Greece. It's a day when you receive treats for you saint along with gifts. I've always liked it and the custom of having relatives make dinners for you.

Saint's Days involve a meal as was the case when I visited my family in the Piedmontese Alps. My cousin Anna had a barbecue and special cake for me. Usually it's the winter's saints days that get special treatment such as Saint Stephen's,the day after Christmas.Every Stefano throughout Italy gets a pork dinner in addition to the lush holiday dinner the day before. I felt lucky to get a lovely summer feast. Here in the States it's just a dinner or lunch out with candy from Butlers.

Saints Days are a wonderful tradition. You get to know some of your religious heritage while celebrating it on a day just for your name.