The Feast of San Gennaro

If you're lucky to be in Manhattan this week then stop in and visit the Hallmark San Gennaro Festival. This is a time when the residents of Little Italy. it;s a time when what's left of th e old neighborhood come s out and celebrates. it is full of tradition and feasting.

Yesterday's Mew York Times Dining had an interesting article that ties in the feast with Lower Manhattan;s and a kind of renegade restaurant Torisi's Italian Specialties run by Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone. They are known not just for tweaking and rethinking Italian recipes but for doing the same wit American ones too. They're best known for doing a terrine in croute in the shape if a giant pretzel and filling it with a pate spiced with what;s found in a hot dog. it;s an interesting spin on a New York street vendor classic.

They also are putting an Asian fusion spin on their food for this week. Both chefs are offering wok fried mozzarella sticks. They will fry it on a light oil as opposed to deep frying which is a standard method of cooking at any street fair. They are also creating a version of a steamed pork bun but using Italian semolina rolls and filled with glazed pork. it will have a topping of peppers and will be a take on the classic sausage and peppers sandwich San Gennaro is known for.

San Gennaro's is a fun time for all sorts of feasting from the savory to the sweet. however if you get the chance stop in for a variation of it at Torrisi's Italian Specialties. Then go back out and get yourself a bag o f fresh made zeppolis and Italian ice.

Happiness Is A Food Proccessor

Food processors used to be a vital way of American culinary life. They wer e on every bride to be's must have list. People raved about them. in those ealry big kitchen gadget days. Now they've kind of lost favor . I don't know why . They're still as handy and as useful as ever.

They're also the subject of a huge article in today's Dining section of The New York Times. it was written by - of course - the brilliant Mark Bittman. He has a number of good point about why people should use their processors. The machines are excellent for chopping and grating as well as for kneading. Did you also know that you can use it to turn regular granuated sugar into super fine or to grind whole spices along with sea salt into dusts . Also a processor is good ofr turning any nut into a smooth creamy butter. You don't have to use your processort for the usual processing. Think outside the recipe box.

Bittman also has a number of good recipe ideas too. A typical food processor recipe is carrot cake because it makes it easier to grate up large quantities of carrots. However he has an excellent apple tart that is worth making. This calls for using your processor twice : first for kneading the tart's dough,the second for slicing apples. He also throws in a chicken meatball recipe that sounds yummy.I can see adding these to a side of spaghetti orr serving them at a cocktail party. there's also a recipe for stir fried sweet potatoes that involves them being processed into chunks along with scallions.

If you have a food processor, then think about suing it again. there are so many things you can make with it. it;s great for everything form chopping fruit to kneading all sorts of dough. It's not a dinosaur. Itcan still be an active part of a 21st Century kitchen.

The Versatility Of Pasta

Pasta just isn't for meatballs and sauce. .It's actually a versatile base like polenta or rice. You can use it for almost anything and make some interesting and tasty dishes. What's best is unlike the other two it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The possibilities are endless for what you can do with it.

The most popular dishes are the salads. There's the ever present picnic staple macaroni salad .Of course there's the tastier tricolore made with three flavors for rotelli and some chopped salami. However you can also use spaghetti and even angel hair for Thai sesame noodle salad This takes boiled spaghetti which is then cooled, sesame peanut butter along with red bell peppers and snow peas. You could also whip up a quick orzo salad which involves boiling the miniature pasta bits in chicken broth , letting cool and adding tomatoes and chopped onion.

Hot pasta dishes are many. One of my faves is lo mein, You can create a hearty one using the thick bucatini, along with chicken or beef strips. Or you can try a seafood one, employing the very fine angel hair, with shrimp and crab meat. This is a great idea for leftover seafood. Another is using pasta in soup. You can do a variation of noodle using regular spaghetti. Buttered spaghetti makes a great side for goulash too.

Pasta isn't just for marinara or pesto sauce. It's versatile to use in a variety of ways for a variety of cuisines. Try to break away from the traditional kind and create your own unique dish!

Snacking Healthy

The beginning of the school year just doesn't symbolize another year of learning and growth. it also means bad eating. Kids with uber busy schedules would rather grab chips and a soda or some Red Bull and a doughnut to keep them sated. This is far from good. it;s up to parents to break them of unhealthy eating habits.

Kids, especially those with working moms and dads, have a tendency to raid the icebox in search of food. Instead of healthy they go for salty, sweet and fatty. Fill them with good for them(and you) snacks. Have precut apple and even pear slices that can be spread with any kind of nut butter. (peanut butter is the most accepted). Also a sliced banana is good . They could add antioxidant cinnamon to flavor it . Another fun idea is taking low cal tortilla chips and salsa (homemade would be the best because you can put all fresh ingredients into it). A snack they can make themselves is toasted pita drizzled with fresh tomatoes olive oil and mozzarella cheese. this is a quick low cal pizza that can satisfy those hunger pangs.

Kids love sweets and a sugary snack is always a fun. Instead of cookies and cakes though, think a slice of whole wheat with margarine and jam and ten heated in the toasted oven. Also home made Popsicles are fun especially for those humid Indian summer days when it;s a return to summery heat. Jello is another fun snack that's low calorie , sweet and tasty all in one shot.
yogurt is also a good after school nosh. Try the lower calorie Greek one which is made wit ewe's milk. Buy the plain and your own fresh flavorings.

It's tough to get kids to ea t healthy meals let alone healthy snacks. Yet they can . Get rid of all that represents sweet , fatty and salty. Replace it with healthy and good for healthy and good kids.

Patriotic Bake Sales and Dinners

Today is Patriot‘s Day, September 11th and it’s time to honor our troops. People always wonder how they can help? Should they send home cooked dishes or favorite snacks. Yes, there are some organizations that have that. You could also think about having bake sales and dinners. The proceeds can be donated to the local veterans or even to the troops thanks to a help of your local officials or local newspaper.
If you plan on a bake sales make sure you alert the media . The more people know the more money you’ll make. You can even have tie in goods such as yellow ribbon cupcakes or slices of red white and blue decorated sheet cake. Of course you want to sell apple pie as well (and other American classics such as chocolate chip, raisin oatmeal and snicker doodle cookies) /Remember to have a separate table set up with coffee. Tea bags instant hot cocoa and milk. You can also include juice boxes and water too,. Local stores may want to contribute some things such as the drinks or some of the ingredients.
Dinners are always fun because they don’t have to be formal. You can have all you can eat fish and chips or barbecued chicken. Also everyone can chip in for a massive pot luck buffet. Everyone can bring in their specialty form salads to dessert and have it open to the public. Remember to have in in a place with a kitchen like your local schools or Elk’s Hall. Again you could also have entertainment and door prizes to raise more money. Again try to get local merchants involved to help defray the costs.
The war in Afghanistan is not over. Our troops need all the support they can get. If they can donate their time and effort then so can we , no matter how small the contribution. The money can go for good things for them. Think about having a bake sale or a dinner . The proceed s would be really needed and appreciated.

Foods For The New Year

It's the start of Rosh hasanah, the start of the Jewish new year. Like other holidays, it has a rich culinary tradition that goes back millenniums. Most relate to the new harvest since it;s , in essence, a harvest festival. Fresh fruit is featured heavily in the various rituals.



For a sweet new year , the Jews eat something sweet. This usually means egg rich challah bread and freshly harvested apples dipped in honey. The last is a bi g favorite with children and is served quite often during these times. dates are also popular, probably due to the fact that they are grown in Israel. Another Middle Easter fruit, the pomegranate is also used. This has been cultivated in the area since the Old Testament.



Fish also plays an important part in Rosh Hashanah meals. Usually the head is only eaten to Black eyed peas, and gourds along with spinach round out the plate.. Honey cake is eaten as desseert, again to symbolize hopes for a sweet year.



Rosh Hasanah isa time for renweal and contemplations. it;s also a time to celebrate a new year.with good foods and culinary traditions.

New York Restaurants' Fall Season

Just as the fashion industry is gearing up for the Spring 2011 shows, Manhattan's restaurant industry is preparing for the fall season. Some new restaurants by well known chefs will be making their debuts. This means a wonderful autumn of trying out new places and sampling different spins of classics.

This was the lead article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. There were several different key pieces written by different writers One was an interview with Marcus Samuelsson, the famed Ethiopian born Swedish raised chef. Samuelsson is a celebrity here. He is opening up Red Rooster named for the legendary Harlem restaurant. However his will not just be soul food There will be dishes that trace the cuisine back to its; African roots and Samuelsson's own heritage. It seems like it will be more expensive that Sylvia; the Harlem soul food staple. Another chef interviewed was the equally famous Shea Gallante known for his airy and sometimes strange creations at Cru. He now is opening up Ciani, an Italian hybrid of home style and haute cuisine Italian cooking.

New restaurants also are mentioned and the city seems teeming with them,.The former and very famous Empire Diner (it was featured in the Men In Black movies) will become The Highliner. The menu sounds more southern back county with duck bacon and homemade biscuits. There is Mary Queen of Scots a French Scottish fusion place that I'd like to try, Also is Porsena, which features a variety of pastas and Red Farm that has an American nouvelle cuisine take on Chinese food.

New York in the fall is always buzzing with excitement. there's the fall theater season opening as well as film festivals and fashion shows. it also means the city is humming with new restaurants and new dishes, They're the perfect accompaniments to this season of endless activities.,