Playing With Fire Pits

There's no doubt about it. This is the season for cooking outdoors. Everyone turns to their Weber grills, creating the perfectly blackened dog or burger. However for those with a wilder side, there the fire pit. This is more primal , being in the vein of what our ancestors used. Yet, despite the primitivism of it, it produces wonderfully roasted meat.

Fire pits were the subject of today's Al Fresco column in the New York Times Dining section. the article, written by regular Alice Hart, explains how to dig and use one. It's a great deal more exciting than a regular grill and the result is closer in a way to the original barbecoas that pirates and early settlers used to grill and roast meat. The hardest part is the actual digging. If you're set on it, have help, namely two other people to help dig . Cut the ground into strips so it's easier to replace later on. From then it's like setting up a small oven, with the addition of bricks and a metal sheet or grate. Logs and coals are added afterwards to build and maintain a fire.

The result will not be a quick cooking dinner. Fire pit cooking does take a while namely eight to ten hours to result in a finished product. The meat should be double wrapped , first in aluminum foil and then in two layers of wet newspaper. This protects the meat and keeps it from the charring. The end result is well worth it though .Fire pits can produce cuts where the pork or beef just falls off the bone with a buttery tenderness. What meats to use? A good pork butt or beef brisket is the best and most flavorful.

If you;re tired of grilling , then try the fire pit method.Yes, it's more involved with a snail's pace cooking time, but you'll be pleased with the result. You'll have the most mouth watering, juiciest cuts of beef and pork this August. What a perfect summer party treat!

Safe Summer Seafood

There's nothing like raw oysters and cold beer to finish off a summer's night. Or a clambake right on the beach.Or freshly caught lobster, perfectly boiled and served with melted butter. All of these are great, especially now but are they safe?Are our waters OK for these catches to exist in? Are they safe for us to eat?

So far so good. Here in the New York area we've had problems with a sewerage treatment plant leakingstraight into the Hudson. Luckily it had been contained and didn't hit the waters off of New Jersey's north shore. This would affect the striper fishing in Raritan Bay as well as the Atlantic's lobster and shellfish industries. I've spent July eating locally caught lobster almost on a weekly basis. It's all been OK and safe with out any side effects (except for the fact of me getting fat from all that melted butter). There is always some concern when it comes to oysters which are nature's natural filters. They process algae and silt rich water and basically spew out purified H2O. Unfortunately pollutants get inside too and can contaminate the oyster flesh. Usually when this happens there are news reports and warnings .

What about the radiation that leaked out of Japan this past spring? Due to the double whammy of a devastating earthquake and destructive tidal wave, the Fukushima nuclear plant wound up leaking into the Pacific Ocean. There were worries that Pacific breeds such as tuna and salmon were contaminated. There were even concerns about fish and crustaceans from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska being radiated. Again, everything is OK and seafood from California to the Aleutian Islands is safe to eat.

If you're dying for a cold plate of raw oysters then go for it. They and every other seafood is safe to eat this August. Enjoy the ripe fruits of the sea while you can.It's the season for them!

Uncle Louie Gee's Ices

August is the time to keep cool. This is the time for a nighttime treat of going for a cup of ice or ice cream. Luckily there's a new chain out there, ready to freeze out the competition.It's called Uncle Louie Gee's and it melds traditional Italian ices with funky new flavors. The result is downright delicious with a variety of flavors and textures.

This newest chain of cooling treats comes out of Staten Island , New York.It was actually based on a Brooklyn Italian ice recipe from the Thirties. It results in a creamier, denser ice that's rich in both texture and flavor. The brightly colored parlor offers the traditional fruit ices such as lemon,cherry , orange and watermelon . Then there are the Italian influenced such as cannoli(!) cappucino and spumoni along with some of the funkier flavors such as chocolate mousse and peanut butter chocolate cup.Some ices even have giant chocolate bits along with pretzels mixed in. This is definitely a new spin on the traditional water based ice.

Uncle Louie Gee's also has ice cream and ice cream cakes too. Each chain has the usual, chocolate and vanilla along with a butter pecan and rocky road. However there are some more unusual flavors too. Try a yummy Brooklyn Cheesecake or Apple Pie a la Mode along with Birthday Cake Surprise and Harvest Pumpkin Pie. Uncle Louie Gee's also has cakes too and they can be customized. The fillings are equally as tasty with the addition of crushed Oreos and pound cake to the traditional chocolate crunch. Another plus is that you can get traditional cones and sundaes here too.

This is August - the month for cool, icy treats. Uncle Louie Gee's has all this and much more. If there's one in your neighborhood stop in. You won't be disappointed by the rich quality of their ices and ice creams!

Localvore Eating (And Yes, I Did Spell It Right)

August is the time for vacations,of going away and trying all sorts of new foods at exotic and fun locations. Yet what happens when a foodie is strapped for cash? Going away even for a weekend seems like a major expense. The answers lies literally around the corner. Eat locally. discover your neighborhood. You'd be surprised at what's there,waiting for you.

Luckily we live in the age of apps. There are all sorts of free restaurant apps that can be downloaded onto your phone. Many of these not only have ratings and pricings but thorough descriptions of their best dishes and desserts. You can type in or even ask about what's the best Chinese restaurant withing a five mile radius and the odds are good that four or five really good ones will be listed. Another way is to just ask. Old fashioned but it works. I recently went to a pizzeria that was always recommended to me by various locals. Turns out that what was said about the place was true. It really does make the best pizza in the area.

Another method is just hit or miss. I've been doing this recently on day trips, just stopping into eateries that intrigued me. I've found my new favorite, The Shoal Harbor Lobster House in Port Monmouth this way(although I did some follow up research on the web before a second visit just to see their full menu.) It's just fun being on the open road and picking a quaint little cafe to stop at. These are usually big on yummy homemade foods from biscuits to meat loaf. Almost every town has one and they're worth at least one visit. Stay away from major highways that are chock full of chain restaurants. Go to the town's heart where there are more privately owned eateries.

If you can't afford to go away this August, don't despair. There are plenty of local places, probably a block away, that can satisfy your foodie's culinary wanderlust. You'd be surprised at what's around the corner.

Happier Meals

Parents around the world can breath a sigh of relief. it seems that McDonald's is making its' happy meals finally healthy. This longtime childhood favorite is finally bowing to pressure . After all while the meals may have promoted smiles they did nothing to promote a child;'s well being.

The Happy Meal has always undergone some form of criticism and with good reason. It created a lifelong addiction to unhealthy fast food and jump started childhood obesity. Kids grew up craving Coke and fries instead of juice and veggies. To add to the deal McDonald's always threw in a toy, usually a tie in with whatever kiddie movie was current. This became baby crack. Little ones had to have the toy, In order to get the toy, nuggets or burgers had to be consumed. Of course any fast food is tasty and to a young palate it's like gourmet. Unfortunately it has created all sort s of problems since it was introduced in 1979.

Thankfully all tha t is about to change. Low fat chocolate milk will replace calorie and sugar rich soda. Apple slices will sub in for salt and oil soaked fries. There will still be the mainstays: junior burgers and chicken nuggets. However the meal has gone from 520 calories and 26 grams of fat to 410 calories and 19 grams of fat. Parents are happy about this although they have been long offered the choice of fruit or fries. According to Mc Donald's , though only eleven per cent did take the healthier choice in the past Hopefully the company will offer kid sized version of their salads too which would be the best choice of all .

The Happy Meal, like any fast food is getting healthier. It's s joining the ranks of everyone from White Castle to Burger King to IHOP topromote healthy diets for kids. Will it succeed. As long as there's a a smile on both the kid's and parents, faces , yes!

Catering To Appalachia

Appalachia and gourmet food usually aren't usually found in the same sentence however that's may be about to change. The region is known more for homesstyle grits and biscuits as opposed to gourmet meals. All that is changing thanks to a high end eateryand the introduction of locavore dining. Will it change the area? That's what some local chefs are hoping.

This was the subject of an interesting article written by Jane Black in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. She had interviewed Steven Hopp, who along with his wife , the author, Barbara Kingsolver wrote th e 2006 bestseller "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:A Year Of Food Life" about their move and exploration of southwest Virginia and locavore dining. It was an eye opener. This type of dining has been going on in the area however the dishes are simple ,passed down from generation to generation. The area farmwers were wary of these outsiders and their different way of cooking and eating.

Mr. Hopp wants to change all this. His restaurant, The Harvest Table is meeting with some resitance, however. Locals think that the food is too fancy and too expensive. Even though the food is freshly grown and carefully prepared, townspeople prefer going to chain restaurants like Pizza Hut and Applebee's. Mr.Hopp keeps his pricing low and keeps the dishes' names simple to draw in customers.. A pasta that would be called one with fennel and pecans is renamed pasta primavera to draw customers. A fancy dish of peppers are called pepper roulette. It's this type of thinking that brings good quality food with homegrown ingredients to the area people.

Will Appalachia ever be a foodie destination stop? That may take a few years. However with men like Mr. Hopp, leading the way, it may be a reality soon enough.

Every Part Of The Plant

Is it proper to eat trash? Yes if it it's the refuse that came off common fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly enough what most of us toss from our produce can be used in a variety of recipes.Much can be made from roots and leaves along with pits and peelings.Don't throw anything out. Not after reading this.

Utilizing entire stalks and roots was the main article in today's New York Times Dining section regular, Julia Moskin.In it she explores the idea of "nose to tail"vegetable cooking. This process has long been used with meats ;cooking every part of an animal's body. Now chefs are looking at the discarded parts of corn, broccoli and some fruits to make delicious dishes. It just comes with one caveat. Sometimes the pieces such as the kernel inside certain pits contain what's is known as cyanogens, compounds that are part of the highly lethal cyanide. Before cooking ,it's wise to read up on what's OK to eat and not eat.

The yield is remarkable. Broccoli stalks can be made into a delicious salad once cooked. Cauliflower leaves can be cooked into a tender cabbage like dish and it has almost the same taste except with the cauliflower undertones. Fruit pits are crushed and used as flavorings in puddings and ice creams. Discarded celery stalks are used to make a pungent celery salt while other roots and leaves can create entirely new dishes. Using entire veggies and fruits are nothing new. There are century old recipes for pickled green tomatoes and watermelon rinds. After all early American cooks used everything thanks to bumper crops and a need to satisfy hungry families.

Don' tthrow away anything from your produce. Those stalks and leaves can create some tasty and new dishes. Save anything and everything before you throw them out.If not you may be missing out on a valuable ingredient,