Ramps The New Truffle

What exist sin the forest and goes for twelve dollars a pound? What plant is so over harvested that it's considered illegal to pick them in Canada? The humble ramp. This leek cousin is getting a whole lot of fuss because it;s used in locovore dining and it represents a push into foraging. This was the subject of a very interesting article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The author,Indrani Sen, even sat down with botanists ad discussed the shortage problem.


Yet why is the ramp considered the new truffle? Probably because it can be used in place of leeks or even onions. Ramps have a sharp, almost garlicky taste. They go well with any pasta dishes because they don't overpower the sauce, just adding just a slight hint of garlic and onion. Ramps can also be sauteed in butter and served with new potatoes alongside a Spring lamb or even roasted chicken. There's even a ramp soup, similar to onion and they can even be added to biscuit recipes to liven them up.

There is one problem however. The ramp is now being over harvested and with that comes the usual shortage. Since they grow in the wild, they're up for grabs so anyone can just walk by and pull them out of the ground. The problem is that everyone had the same idea and there are now shortages in the area . Botanists strongly recommend that harvesters replenish the picked over sections with seeds or avoid taking younger ramps. Ramps can take six to eighteen months to germinate and five to seven years to produce seeds.Over picking them could mean possible extinction in some areas, especially outside of New York City. Manhattan chefs go mad for them, including them in a number of recipes.

Ramps are becoming the new truffle. They're much loved and much wanted by American chefs especially New York ones. However use them sparingly if you like them. There's a shortage going on and one that would mean leading to their extinction.

My Peeps

This is the time of year when the stores are all crammed with Peeps and their bunny counterparts. They're a nostalgic Easter candy, bringing us back to our childhood and Easter mornings of them with jelly beans. Unfortunately there's one problem - they're too dang sweet. There is a solution however - hatching your own.

In The Wednesday Dining section of the New York Times, regular columnist of Good Appetite, Melissa Clark tackles this too sweet peep problems. The manufactured kind are made with corn syrup which just lends a bland sweetness. and nothing more. Ms. Clark amps this up a bit by subbing in flavored honey. This results in a much more complex taste. Of course there is sugar as well as gelatin to bind it and the requisite egg whites to create the meringue. As with any candy making it is labor intensive and probably does require a few practice tries before getting it right.

There is also the problem of coloring those chicks and bunnies. peep are covered with colored sugar. . Top keep it more with the more natural recipe Ms. Clark adds saffron which also gives it a more exotic spin taste wise. it does create the desired bright daffodil color that are associated with the chickies. Her rabbits are dyed pink with pomegranate juice which again lends its' flavor to them and amps them up a notch.Ms. Clark also tries grape juice for delicately tinted lavender colored mallow eggs. She takes it a step further by adding matcha (powdered green tea) powder to the marshmallow recipe and then spoons them on a shortbread cookie rounds for This creates a kind of sophisticated s'mores , perfect for ending an Easter brunch.


This is the season for peeps and bunnies. However if these treats are too sweet for you then try making the homemade kind. You can create a more sophisticated and more textured Easter sweet. Not only will kids like them but adults will too!

California Pizza Kitchen Revisited

Mall restaurants are just that - mall restaurants They usually cater to kids who are more interesting in fast food than good food. However California Pizza Kitchen goes against this norm. You won't find anything fried or overly salted. It's not quick but it is filling. Not to mention delicious.

I revisited the one in my local mall yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. CPK as it's known made its' menu more healthier. The soups were always good but they're made even better by being totally vegetarian. Unlike other restaurant soups they're not heavily salted. Also their lunch menu offers regular portions - not these big platters that it takes two to eat. i tried their spaghettini pomodoro and was instantly won over. This was a regular portion of very thin , almost angel hair like pasta with ripe plum tomatoes and a good amount of basil. This was part of their latest menu ideas called Small Cravings where you can get a smaller version of one of their dishes.

Of course CPK will always be known for their pizza. The creators, surprisingly two lawyers from , where else - Southern California, ,Rick Rosenfeld and Larry Flax believed in giving diners healthy meals long before it was trendy. Their pizzas were the first in the country to be made with whole wheat dough. They have something new that has roasted artichoke and spinach along with four cheeses and the famed spinach artichoke sauce. They also have a Greek style pizza complete with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, peppers and olives and there is a very innovative pear and Gorgonzola pie. The restaurant still has their amazing desserts too with some new addition such as red velvet cake and butter cake served with whipped cream or ice cream.

California Pizza Kitchen is not your typical mall restaurant.It's so much more with its' delicious menu and heanthy ingredients. It serves classic food but with a fun So Cal twist!

A Sushi Sampler

Sushi is one of those foods that's always on everyone's to try list. However so many are denying themselves this treat because they don't know what to order. Do they try a California roll? Should beginners start with sashimi? Is it OK to eat the seaweed?Sushi is pretty easy to navigate through, Once it's all mapped out. from then on , itwill definitely become a favorite. Sushi is more than just raw fish. It's sometimes a delicate combination of that, rice and seaweed along with other ingredients. There are several different types, ranging from rolled to stuffed to fish topped. Most Americans usually eat the rolls which are different fillings under a layer of fermented rice and nori seaweed. This is even divided up into two categories futomaki or thick rolled and hosu maki, thin rolled sushi. Fillings for both include mostly eel and tuna along with cucumber and scallion. There are also stylized American types such as the mayo (and sometimes cream cheese)and avocado stuffed California rolls and the Hawaiian rolls that features pineapple Other types are Kansai style sushi and Kanto style. The first can just be eaten raw or cooked and usually in a bowl. Sashimi is usually served over it This is just very thin strips or slivers of raw fish such as mackerel. halibut or salmon (other kinds such as eel are used too). This kind also has vegetarian maki for those who are still put off by eating uncooked seafood. Kansai style also offered the rice rolled in egg crepes it could also be put in fried tofu sacks. Kanto style is more seaweed oriented. This is where you can get it wrapped around a bar of rice Sea urchin roe is then ladled on top of this for color and taste . Kanto also offers nare zushi combination of rice , fish and seaweed fermented for several months before serving. Sushi shouldn't just be for the strong hearted foodie. It;s a delicious blend of different flavors and tastes that are addictive. Don't be afraid to try this exciting and tasty food. It's not scary ! It's just delicious!

Gourmet For All

Years ago certain foods were not available to the masses.It was hard to get French cheeses unless you went to France. Certain pastas were only made at homes. Exotic veggies and fruits were only found in travel Baedekers , not in your local market. Times have changed. It's amazing what's in the local supermarket these days. Sea salt, once considered a luxury item is now all over supermarkets. Just a few scant years ago only elite cookware stores like Williams and Sonoma sold it . Go to your local grocery and it's right there next to Morton's and the generic stuff. Looking for exotic quinoa and plantains? They're right next to the plum tomatoes and broccoli . Ugli fruit , a rarity a few years ago , sits next to oranges and apples in the fruit section. Will all this gourmet stuff make us jaded? No. It does mean a more sophisticated palate for us and for our children. Everyone from oldster to toddler has opinions about what peppercorns to put into one's soup or topping goes well with dulce de leche ice cream. It means that no one is afraid of foreign foods anymore and they can break away from the ordinary. The meat and potato days are well over with. Gourmet food is a big part of our everyday lives. It exists right next to our boxes of instant mashed potatoes and ketchup. Soon it won't be considered sophisticated or exotic. It'll just be considered food.

Healthy Fast Foods

There's been a trend in the last year or so in fast foods. They've gotten healthier. Gone are the bad for you specials or the dripping with grease burgers. It seems chains such as McDonald's and Wendy's are taking their customers' health seriously as well as their own menus. That weekly treat of fries may no longer be a bad thing. In fact. they may even be a good for you. Some fast food places such as Blimpie and especially Subway have been on the health kick for years. After all .it was Subway who introduced healthier heroes for the diet conscious. They were the first to have whole wheat bread along with the lesser calorie flat and pita breads. Both they and Blimpie can create a low fat, low sodium and low calorie lunch that is still delicious and filling. Of course they have the bonus that none of their products are deep fried . All sandwiches are made with fresh, ingredients and it's very easy to control what goes

into an order. McDonald's is making great strides as well. Diners can have a fruit and yogurt parfait as opposed to an Egg McMuffin. There's salads to choose from as well as wraps . Another big proponent of healthy eating is Wendy's. The chain has introduced fries with sea salt Fries are not the best choice however , with this new change they're just a bit healthier. The chain has even gone so far as replacing its' regular salt packets with ones containing sea salt.Wendy's also offers healthy salads as well as more chicken and fish than other fast food places. Burger King still has to jump on this trend. Hopefully it'll catch on to its' competition's healthy choices and start coming out with their own versions. Are fast foods bad for you? Yes and no. Nowadays the big chains are doing their best to create low fat , heart smart choices that will draw in customers. it may mean a few changes to the menu and the way something is cooked. Yet,there are benefits for everyone from the companies themselves right down to their fans

Restaurant Seders: Are They Kosher?

Passover will be here within a week's time.Many households,whether they be Orthodox, Conservative or just holiday observant only will be getting ready for these week of special eating and prayers. However there is growing minority that are nixing the holiday at home and eating out. Instead of celebrating at home, they will be turning to their favorite restaurants to provide them with tradition and good food. Restaurant seders was the big topic in Joan's Nathan;article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. She wrote about different Manhattan restaurants that will provide everything a traditional first night of passover at home has. The entry way is open for the coming of Elijah, and the prayers books are on the tables. Food is a spin on the traditional. Charoset, which represents the slavery the Jews had known under the pharaohs, is taken to gourmet heights by replacing the traditional almonds with hazelnuts.. Also Manischewitz wine, another tradition in recipes has been replaced with Italian Moscato wine. A Passover favorite such as braised short ribs has a gourmet flair with the addition of of shiitaki and crimini mushrooms along with port wine and ginger. However not all the practices are strictly Kosher. Matzoh is fried instead of baked to give it a crispier , more palatable taste. It is also made with non Kosher or tref flours - a huge Passover taboo. However the chef who created it could not find any Kosher flour hence the discretion. While some very religious Jews may find this sacrilegious there are some who embrace the new spins. This updates the holiday and makes it fresh and exciting for younger generations. Eating out on Passover makes perfect sense. It allows for families to be together without the hassle of endless shopping, prepping and cooking. Dining out also provides delicious variations on holiday classics from forward thinking chefs who still respect the meaning of Passover. There is still tradition but with a new feel to it.