Rare Birds

For those who think turkey is the most exotic bird on their menu,  it;s time to discover game birds. These are wonderful and also very flavorful alternatives to the usual poultry choices. They can be roasted or baked . They can even be made into burgers and wings.
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If you‘re having qualms about cooking wild birds., then start with the tame duck or even Cornish game hen. Duck is easy to make, and delicious roasted. It can just be served with a sprinkling of sea salt and pepper or glazed a l’orange style. You can also try your hand at Peking duck or even grilled, duck. The meat is a little fattier than regular chicken and turkey and might come off as oily or greasy. Another choice is Cornish game hen which are basically a miniature chicken. They can be infused with lemon and rosemary or be glazed with a fruit based glaze for a lovely lacquered look. These too can be roasted and served with a wild rice or some new potatoes.

For the more adventurous there are pheasant, partridge and grouse. The first can be bought at specialty stores in the US where the second is more popular in the UK, primarily England and Scotland.Pheasant and partridge have a taste similar to both chicken and turkey, with partridge being the gamier of the two. Grouse tastes like them but it can be dry and stringy.Most chefs recommend basting it in butter to give the mear  a juicier, richer flavor. Any of these can be  either roasted grilled or slow cooked.  They can also be cut up and make into stews or even bits for grilling. Most chefs, both home and professional serve two or three of them roasted , with sidess uch as rice pilaf or possibly egg noodles in a creamy sauce. You can also have them with root veggies , similar to an English countryside dinner.

Try a different type of bird if you're tired of the usual chicken or turkey. A game bird suits the bill nicely and provides you with  an interesting taste. They're far from being just being ordinary - they're a different breed worth trying.,

Outdoor Pastas

Pastas are usually thought of as winter dishes. However they can also be served as outdoor summery ones and a complement to grilled meats and veggies. Any pasta can be turned into a tasty warm weather dish, perfect for hot days ahead.

Most people only associate elbow macaroni with summer dishes. This is true, yet it's not the only pasta that can be served beside the outdoor grill. Orzo can also make a great base for outdoor salads. Add some artichoke hearts along with broccoli and grape tomatoes for a tasty side to barbecued lamb or beef kabobs.You can also add sliced salami to it for a hearty brunch main dish. Another good salad base is tubettini  which are the  small tubes used mostly for soups. You can easily make them for a tasty salad involving olive oil , sundrued tomato and grilled chicken breasts Tortellini, another favorite used in soups can also be made into a salad, using tomatoes , pine nuts and mushrooms.

More traditional pastas can also be used as a base for meats and veggies. Try spaghetti or angel hair with freshly grilled zucchini slices along with tomatoes and mushrooms. Add a hot sauce made out of olive oil, butter and garlic on top.Angel hair pasta is the perfect foil for freshly grilled chicken or even fish . Add a sauce of alia olio and then top with sun dried tomatoes. You can also wilt spinach and /or broccoli rabe and again add it to any pasta from cavatelli to  penne. Try this dish next to some superbly grilled steak or chops.

Pasta at an outdoor grill doesn't  have to be soggy  with mayo. It can be a tasty salad with veggies or a hot side , perfect with grilled chicken, fish or beef. Any kind from orzo to spaghetti, from tubettini to angel hair can be turned into a tasty and different outdoor dish.

Rock Stars And Rocking Food

Usually concerts were not known for their food. It was probably the arena stuff, hot pretzels and watered down soda at exorbitant prices. Outdoor concerts were even worse. Over grilled hamburgers, and greased corn dogs. That's all changing.The food is now the star and it shines - brightly.

This was the subject of an article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The article, written by Dining regular Jeff Gordinier, tells of actual gourmet delights that outshine the star attraction.Also concert promoters know that most music fans are also diehard foodies and they're advertising star chefs like the famed Marcus Samuelssen, April Bloomfield and Tom Collichio., If a restaurant is participating, it too becomes the main draw. Musicians and singers also release that sometimes they're secondary. After all, as Darrell Hall of Hall and Oates fame reasons, eating and music are one of one of a logical blend. Food and music have been together since our early days of sitting around the communal fire.

What kinds of foods are rocking these concerts? There are some spectacular dishes, that's for sure.At the Googamooga concert series stands feature  dirty duck dogs, hot dogs with a gourmet blend of duck meat and spices. Do or Dine has a fois gras doughnut which is a jelly doughnut with a savory snap of goose liver.vVinegar Hill House offers the more traditional soft shell crab on a potato roll. Thr Grub Crawl is offering the native food of Los Angeles, Brooklyn and New Orleans. Even the outre Lollapalooza festival is offering the high class truffle oil popcorn and lobster corn dogs for their dinign fare..

Rock concerts are being upstaged by chefs and their creations.It's no longer who had the best guitar riff but who made the best fois gras doughnut. Food, not  music, shines bright at these concerts.

Canning Made Easy

Canning has always caused shudders amongst home cooks. There's always the fear of making the bad batch of preserves or pickles. However don't be afraid. Canning is actually one of the easiest kitchen procedures. Better yet is the result- yummy jams and sides you can enjoy all year round.

Easy canning and its' suggestions were the topic of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. Cathy Barrow explored this subject and even offered suggestions. It's not that scary. As long as the seal is air tight and no bacteria gets under the seal,the preserves and eventually the eater is fine. Another problem is getting the right utensils. Not so. Regular tongs girded by a rubber band can act as the pincers that lift the jars out of the water. You don't need any special pots. A stock or lobster pot can do the job nicely.

There is the fear of botulism and that is an ever present concern when it comes to canning. As with any cooking procedure, just use common sense and be careful. Keep in mind that the sugar and vinegar always used are natural preservatives and inhibit any bacterial growth.. Check your seals as well to make sure they're sturdy and unbroken after canning. As for sterilizing the jars,a quick run through the dishwasher should do it.. Also get into the habit of labeling and dating preserves and pickles. This way you can tell when you made them and if you have to throw them out after a year.

Canning is a fun and actually safe way to preserve your favorite fruits and veggies. The procedure is easy and safe.Try it to enjoy homemade treats you can have all year round.

Rain Date

Sometimes the perfect barbecue days turns into a scene from Wuthering Heights. Dark clouds scud against the sky. rain comes down in buckets.The temps drop turning Spring's sunny warmth into a Late Winter chill.There goes the outdoor barbecue?Or does it? You can still have a barbecue but indoors. Luckily all meats can be grilled inside. Hot dogs and kabobs can easily be grilled over an open gas flame or on an indoor grill.The same can be done with ribs and hamburgers.In fact they probably won't be charred.You can control the heat addend up with tender ,juicy cuts. As far as the buns, toast them in your toaster oven or on the indoor grill.You can even butter them forvmore flavor. grilling veggies is just as easy. You can also steam them too which is much much more healthier than the harmful and really unhealthy grilling.What about the delicious taste of grilled corn on the cob? Grill indoors or even microwave for more tender kernels. What about after dinner when everyone wants s'mores? You can still make them indoors using your microwave. You can also still toast marshmallows instead .Again use your burners and skewers, preferably metal .You'll still get that crunchy ,crisp outer coating that makes a s'more yummy.You can also warm the Graham crackers too in the microwave or toaster oven for an even better sweet. Fruit kabobs are are party staple. You can still make them ,using your grill or even griddle.Warm up some Cool Whip for dipping or chocolate. Don't worry if your barbecue is rained on.You can easily bring it inside and still have tasty and fun food!

Tea From Trees

The best tea shop is in you yard or nearby forest. Surprisingly you don't need traditional tea leaves to brew a soothing cup. Your backyard maple or cherry can give you a tasty as well as healthy brew. Brewing from tree back is nothing new, It has been done for centuries mostly by indigenous American tribes. Their teas were not  only for soothing  and warming up a troubledsoul butalso for healing one too.
Any tree will give you tea. However some trees need to be avoided like poison sumac, yew and of course, hemlock. Any other is OKand can produce some flavorful brewing. For some trees like the wild cherry and maple, go for the inner bark which is more tender and flavorful.Cherry tree bark tea is good for sore throats and just for keeping the vocal chords lubed.It's also good for lowering blood pressure as well. Even the white pine, usually known for ornamentation has an inner bark that makes a sweet , sugary tea. It's also easy to peel which makes it excellent for preparing.Even a tree's needles such as the pine and spruce also make excellent teas as well. These are even rich in Vitamin C and can be subbed in for citrus of need be.

How do you get the bark and then brew the tea? First take a knife or sharp bladed scissor (this last is for the smaller, younger branches) and cut as much as you think you'll need to brew tea. DON"T take any branches laying on the ground ,These are probably the older ones and have no flavor.  One branch, half an inch wide and six feet long will yield one cup worth of bark.Back at the kitchen  it's time to start brewing. Use one quart of water for one cup of bark.Boil for twenty minutes and leave to steep until the brew gets dark. You can sweeten  your cup with honey or raw sugar along with lemon if you want.

It's amazing what your tree can give you. Shade , fruit and even tea. Brew some freshly cut bark tree today . You'll be surprised at how tasty it is.

Mother's Day Treats For Mom

Tomorrow is Mother's Day the day tocelebate the lady who used to bake your favorite cookies and make you endless casseroles of baked mac and cheese.It's time to celebrate her with some gourmet goodies or just plain homemade ones, Even  simple pancakes spelling out MOM can be a treasured gift.

For foodie moms nothing beats really good chocolate. You can always get her a box of Godiva which has all sorts of sweet indulgent treats. The company sells some wonderful truffles, full of tasty creams and ganaches.You can also buy bars from them to to be scraped over Mom's favorite ice creams or cake.Hannah Krause is another good chocolatier  and a throwback to a more simpler time. They sells boxes of classics such as coconut cremes and caramels. Another treat are flavored coffees and teas. Wrap these with a few good romances or mysteries for some comfy reading.

What about homemade gifts? Nothing beats breakfast in bed. Make it healthy with buckwheat  pancakes and pure Vermont maple syrup (none of this artificial stuff with corn  syrup in it). You can have the pancakesspellout mom or makethem into flower shapes with banana centers. A rich decadent treat is Eggs Benedict and the best part is that they can be eaten any time of day.You could vary them by having spinach or crab meat instead of the usual Canadian bacon. Also  the base doesn't have to be an English muffin.Try a croissant, brioche potaot brioche brioche of a nest of olive oil fried shredded potatoes instead.

Treat Mom with some good foodie tastes. They can be store bought all tied with a fancy ribbon. They can be homemade , straight from the kitchen, Whatever she gets your mom will know they're with love from you,