A Summer Treat Lobster Roll

There's nothing like a lobster roll for a fun summer lunch or snack. Who can resist sweet lobster on a toasted hot dog roll? Best of all it's easy to recreate and enjoy whether you're on a pier overlooking the ocean of in your back yard.

What makes a good lobster roll? Start with the lobster meat itself. You can steam them yourself or buy one or two pound s of already cooked, and cut up meat from your local seafood shop. Use the meatiest parts such as the claws and body. Discard the roe or eggs (this is the green stuff that you'll find in female lobsters). Save it for later. mayo is a must and I'd recommend using a regular one instead of the light. Diced celery is a must and you can add diced onions or scallions for bite.Some recipes call for Dijon mustard and or basil but these can be skipped. you don;twant their flavors to overpower the lobster's delicate taste.

Tradition calls for lobster salad to be served on a hot dog bun. This is true and most prefer their on a toasted one. You can lightly butter the roll too if you'd like. Another variation is serving it on a baguette for extra chewiness and flavor. If this is the case then add some sliced tomatoes too for a Mediterranean spin on this classic American sandwich. You can also stuff lobster salad into a pita pocket you are on a diet too.

Lobster rolls are one of summers best traditions. It's a recipe that easy to make and a good way to enjoy the summer's bounty of seafood. Enjoy one today whether you're at the beach or the back yard!

Clam Time

The best part about summer is heading to the shore. The second best is heading to the shore and eatng the best of its' waters. Today's New York Times Dining section tapped into that with their informative article on clams. It shows you what to eat and where to eat them all within driving distance of Manhattan.

The article written by Sam Sifton and part of the section Critic's Notebook tells about the different kids of clams that are harvested off Long Island Coast and Raritan Bay Clams have been fished here from the earliest days and were common food among early European settlers. Atlantic clams have four catagories soft shell, surf, razor hard shell also known as the northen quahog.What most clam shacks sell are littlenecks and cherry stones, The surf clam is a tougher meat and used mostly in clam chowders.

The article also mentions some great places to go. There is one on the Raritan Bay in Port Monmouth that sells cold clams along with fried fish, salad, and sandwiches. Mr. Sifton also mentions Moby's which is connected to Bahr's one of the Jersey shore's best seafood restaurants. These are two places that I am going to check out,just to taste the clams. There are also other places. One is the famous Ruby's of Coney Isand and Sheepshead Bay's renown Ranndazzo's. This last is the big place among local politicians and foodies looking for fresh fished seafood.

There 'nothing like a platter of cold clams with a spritz of lemon. They're what's great about a summer meal. They're also the perfect way to end a day at the shore.

Humidity And Baking Don't Mix

Humidity isn't exclusively your hair's worst enemy.It's also bad for baking, hence one of the reasons why there aren't too many home made cakes and cookies during the summer months. It can play havoc with everything from ingredients to finishing looks. Unfortunately , unlike with hair there's not much you can do about it. There are no special serums to lotions to help you. You have to rely on nature and cleverness to produce a fine looking cake or cookie.

Humidity is nothing more than water vapor in the atmosphere. It usually is an indication of fog rain or even snow and can occur during any season and any month. However it's more prevalent in the summer however and can turn a lovely July day into a sauna. This can ruin such ingredients as flour an d baking powder, giving them more moisture. It also results in cakes and cupcakes that won;t rise or even less of a designated number of cookies. Humidity also ruins breads and biscuits. Humidity can rob them of a nice brown finish and crustiness. They'll be damp and soggy and a little too moist.

If you must bake during these hot humid days,. then consider some baker's tips. I've found a few on the Internet that will be helpful to you. Many people swear by refrigerating their dry ingredients. store flour in a cool dry place like the fridge or the pantry. Another tip is to reduce liquids by bit. Use maybe three quarter s of a cup instead of a cup or one tablespoon instead of two. Others swear by glass baking dishes and double insulated cookie sheets. Some also recommend using food thermometers to gauge the oven's temp.

Humidity is not a baker's best friend. If you must make cakes and cookies or breads and biscuits now, proceed with caution . Keep in mind you won't be producing the best right now. You may have to put extra effort and work a little harder to create the perfect treat.

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