There's Still Time for Fruit

Even though August is winding down, we still have plenty of harvests around , especially with fruit. There's nothing like using them in great , home made dishes whether a tart or even a clafoutis style pancake,It's a nice way of  enjoying summer's bounty.

Both Melissa Clark and Florence Fabricant gave us good recipes and ideas in yesterday's New YorkTimes Dining section. Ms. Clark  created a sort of clafoutis style pancake made surpisingly of corn and blackberries in her A Good Appetite Column. This recipe is actually lifted form a 1966 Times recipe made by Dasvid Eyre and is named for him.It involves putting corn along with corn meal in a large skillet sied griddle cake. She tops it with fresh blackberries along with sugar. You can easily make this even without the fruit or try others such as cherries or apples along with peaches, The berries are cooked in a simple syrup and then added on top of the pancake.

For Dining regular Florence Fabricant, a tart using a stone or pitted fruit is a nice summery treat. With this she employs peaches, plums, nectarines and even figs, She quarters these and sticks them  in a simple buttery crust. It is a tedious job  artfully placing the quarters in a flower like pattern. Then comes the equally tedious buttering to get a nice carmelization on top of the fruit. Ms. Fabricant reinvents this as pouring mellted butter over the fruit and then sprinkled sugar to help in the glazing process.It gives the entire tart a nice shiny coating and emphasizes the fruit. She  suggests serving it with creme fraiche to cut the sugariness.

Take advantage of the fruits that we still have. They're perfect for topping tarts and pancakes, giving each a burst of added flavor. Use them now, while we still have them.

Kick Up The Grill With Indian Spices

By now everyone must be sick of barbecuing. It's the same thing dinner after dinner or party after party. meats are either  spritzed with lemon or lime or slathered with an overly sweet sauce. Yet barbecue can be revived with new spices and new cooking methods.

Reviving a tired barbecue menu was the subject of the New York Times Dining section article today.The piece, coauthored by John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger tells how any griller can make an end of season grilling exotic and tasty. Tne Indians have a certain way of dealing with enhnacing their food. Since there are so many different spices, how each one will be used is carefully thought out. For most newbies to this kind of cuisine it's best to start with the basic spices. According to the authors start with whole ones and grind them fresh. The aromatic oils within them start to act and are at their most powerful.There are also two methods to further bring out their flavors , roasting and letting them sit in oil. Both let the spices' flavors blooms and give optimum flavor.

What spices can liven up a mid summer grill? Chili and curry work wonders, especially curry which is just a great flavor. There's nothing like curried chicken or shrimp but you can also try a curried pork chop too for a different spin. Turmeric is another spice that would go well with any meat.Another plus is that it's good for you and can stave off cancer.It has a very mellow flavor, and would work well rubbed on chicken legs and wings and then have them crisped over the fire.What is great about these spices is that they can be combined to create a variety of flavors for any kind of meat., whether beef, poultry or fish.

Grilling can be boring if it's been done for the past two months. However a new injection of Indian spices can turn an ordinary rack of ribs or chicken into something special. It gives new life to tired barbecue.

Easing Into Good Eating

Summer is widning down and with it some bad eating habits. Let's face it, all of us are guilty of either over indulging on goodies or just eating fast foods because we were too lazy to cook in hot weather. However with cooler weather comes better eating habits.With fall and schools comes nutrition.

Even though summer does provide us with a bounty of good , nutritious fruit and vegetables, we have a tendnecy to eat junk. Let's face it who can resist Boardwalk cotton candy and candy apples along with deep fried pickles and Oreos. We love drive in fare and drive through meals.A transition can be made even during a late August vacation. Pack fun fruits that are great nibbles . Think cherries and blueberries. Some blackberry bushes are still producing . Arrange a berry picking outing and then make a tasty dessert using them and honey.If the weather is still boiling and you;re all craving ice cream, think ice instead. It's less calorie and non dairy which means it's healthier for you

 You can start reforming meal time now as well. Try bringing salads instead of the usual fried fare when you're at the beach or on trips. Make them just as fun as a burger or dog by adding garbanzo beans, olives and/or croutons. Also try having a lunch of just crudites and a fun low cal dip such as ranch or a simple vinaigrette. Dinner can be just as healthy. Chop up egg plants, tomatoes and onions for a healthy and tasty ratatouille. Serve with toasted pita instead of the usual French or Italian bread. Consider a simple grilling of chicken with lemon and olive oil or rubbed with healthy spices such as turmeric. Even just a plain steak with a baked potato is a light meal if you don;t add sauce to the steak and a ton of butter and sour cream to the potato.Finish with fresh fruit or a berry parfait made with Cool Whip.

Easing into a healthier diet for the fall is easy. It just means getting away from those fun but bad for your foods and returning to good foods. It doesn't take much but a sublte change every day.

A Good German Brown Bread

The Germans are known for their passion for baking. They make the decadently luscious Black Forest cake along with melt in your mouth cookies and pretzels. They should be commended on their breads which come in a variety of whole grains and standard white. These are pure heaven whether eaten with butter or with cold cuts like liverwurst.

I recently had the chance to enjoy a well baked German loaf of brown bread at the famed annual Volkfest in North Bergen , New Jersey.  The Old German Bakery of nearby Hoboken set up a booth and their wares were irresistible.Not only did I get a bag  full of tasty home made pretzels but also an unusual triangular dark bread . It was from Germany  and full of wholesome grains. Dark breads are a German tradition and there are several kinds. The best known is pumpernickel however there are also dark ryes that are good with any Teutomic cold cuts. The bakery is owned by a couple from the country and their goods and also ingredients are flown in from Germnay.

My bread was superb. I sliced it in thin slices and slathered the first pieces with butter..The mix of sweet butter with the salty, malty  graininess was just inspiring. After trying it I instantly decided that this would be the perfect base for any German cold cuts. I bought Boars Head liverwurst and with the dark bread - an excellent pairing. Dark bread bring out the rich flavor of deli meats. The liverwurst actually tasted sweeteand it was even creamy next to the slice;s rough texture.I would have loved to have tried it with that deli rarity - teawurst. Tomorrow it may grace bologna or ham along with a slathering of mustard.

Nothing beats a good loaf of German brown bread. Every slice is a wonderful mix of healthy and tasty. It can go with just ordinary butter or a delicious slice of German cold cuts.

Creating The Perfect Party

How many of us have attended parties where the food was lousy and the drinks barely potable? If yes is the answer consider it a learning experience.It can show you how to throw a perfect one with delicious food and yummy drinks. learn from other people's mistakes. Also take into some advice as well.

Party food should be diverse. I've attended everything from showers to birthday bashes where eating choices were limited. Vary the menu. If you're serving sandwiches, try to have a wide range of meat and cheese fillings. Also take into consideration there many be vegans or vegetarians at your table. Have  something to suit their tastes.Also don't think serving just one salad with these is going to cut it. Try different salads  and not just the usual tossed, macaroni or potato. Look on the Internet or in your cookbook for new recipes to add a fresh spin. Also consider having bowls of fresh veggies along with dips. These make a fun and exciting sides.

Another must do is having a table of both hot and cold dishes. This makes the party  or gathering much more interesting. Yes ,you still can have three bean salad along with wraps but add something hot like ratatouille or sliders for an interesting twist. Many people love to bring casseroles. Nix this by suggesting moussaka or a baked mac made with three cheeses. A hot pasta dish may be too much yet a lasagna  would be perfect at any party. It's not only hot , but can be made interesting by switching the ingredients. Sub in chicken or turkey for the usual beef and maybe try a creamy bechamel sauce  instead of the typical tomato one.

A good party should have good food. Remember that wen you start planning your get together. Don;t fall into a rut and serve boring grub. Liven up your menu means livening up your do.

Slush Fun

Almost everyone loves a good Slurpee or Slushee. Those mushy half frozen drinks are good on hot summer days. The only problem is that they can be too sweet or too much. The solution is making them at home which is now easy. Get a Slushy Magic and your favorite drink.

I admit I caved in for this one. I'm a huge fan of those Icee or Slushie drinks at Target . They're cool and fun along with being tasty. Unfortunately the snack bar doesn't always sell cola which I crave at times. I thought why not get something that can give you the same effect. I bought Slushy Magicand can have my frozen drink whenver I want to , It works under the premise of snowflake science. In other words , the special cubes (read little plastic bags full of salt water) transform any liquid into hundred of ice crystals. It;s easier than using a blender and ice cubes.Well it claims to be.

The kit comes with a large cup that looks like a cocktail shaker and a lid with a tiny hole in it (this is for Slushies made with soda and it lets out the gases)It also comes with a long spoon /straw as well. I froze the cubes overnight and tried it  with one of my carbonated Ice waters. These are flavored and no calorie.I thought it would make a perfect Slushie. The problem is that it takes finesse to create the perfect frozen drink. After putting in both the cubes and drink, you put the lid on the shaker and  well shake. Little did I know there would be a slight leak and my  Ice water got all over the place. After rescrewing the cap on and vigorously shaking I did get some slush - not much. I guess it takes practice.

There's nothing like a Slushie on these hot days. With Slushie Magic you can have any flavor you want. Just practice and get the perfect  cold treat .

Julia's Floating Island

Is there nothing more elegant than an ile flottante or floating island dessert?it's a delicate combination of a sweet liquidy custard dotted with meringue puffs. When  it's Julia Child's recipe it's even more special  with a certain Gallic twist to it. It's not only classic but delicious too.
Madame Child's recipe was the subject of A Good Appetite's column in yesterday's New York Times. Melissa Clark gives an homage to her childhood favorite that her parents, huge Julia Child affectionadoess made. As a child it was one of her favorite desserts. An ile flottante is a syrupy kind of custard dotted with mergingue puffs, hence the name floating island.It is the perfect dessert to make not only to impress people (]it's up there with Cherries Jubilee)  but also to finish off a nice roast with the trimmings.You can make it during any time of year.it can end a summer soiree as easily as in a holiday meal.

Since it is a Julia Child recipe , it is a labor intensive one.Floating island requires meringues to be mad which are not always easy. It's a two day prep with a cooling process of one day. The custard for it can be too sweet so Ms. Clark  added apricots to give it the appropriate tartness.It does require one half cup of sugar to balance out the milk and four egg yolks used..You can make it without the fruit or add another kind such as blueberries or cherries. You can also leave it plain as well. However since the meringue is also super sweet , the dessert should have some bite.

Julia Child' s legacy continues to new generations of chefs and home cooks. Her desserts are as elegant now as they were during the Fifties  and Sixties. Iles flottante is evidence of that  of what she gave us   delicate French cooking made for American tastes.