The Exotic Side Of Atlantic City

Atlantic City has always been known for it's 'gambling and Jersey shore foods.After all it was the birthplace of the famed pork roll sandwich and salt water taffy.Now it's also being recognized as a sort of capital of Vietnamese cooking.There are now a growing group of Vietnamese restaurants that are becoming visitor favorites. It was an article in Wednesday's New York Times ODining section and was written by Robert Sietsema.The piece features one of Southeast Asia's tastiest dishes ,a soup called pho.THis is a broth with a melange of meats and spices?The broth is beef and star anise are the main overtones.There's also chicken along with scallions and garlic.This is served with noodles and is the perfect alternative to all that boardwalk fare.Some restaurants feature the foods from the Mekong Delta , the southern part of the country and one is hu tie ,a pork broth that also has seafood in it. Atlantic City does have a large Vietnamese population due to the gambling industry.They've hired many immigrants in their casinos so there is a need for this kind of restaurant.Like all Asian owned eateries they are big on family and many cater to those who love home cooking.No overly fancy or rich casino meals here. The stars are some home cooked mealsThere is Tom ram man ,a juicy shrimp grilled in a caramel sauce and cooked in a traditional clay pot along with boa xao luc lac ,This is cubes of beefsteak coated with black pepper and served wrapped radicchio and lettuce.People new to the cuisine could try Bo hue ,a spicy beef soup along with rice noodles. If you're going to Atlantic City fpr a vacation do stop and try any of the Vietnamese restaurants that dot the city.They are refreshing departure from the usual fried clams and pork rolls.Enjoy simple home cooked els after a night of too glamgambling

An Exotic Turn On Rice

Rice is one of those easy summer dishes,It can be used as a hot dish with sauteed zucchini or as a salad with chopped onions and pepper strips. However, for a real twist use the Indian basmati rice. This is a perfect side and ingredient to any summer meal.

Dave Tanis praised it in his weekly column A City Kitchen in yesterday;s New York Times Dining section. Basmati rice has a sweet flavor and a delicate texture , different from the ordinary boiled in a minute kind.It is also a staple of Indian cooking and offsets the fiery flavors of that cuisine. Basmati rice also goes well with summer corn, which is  popular on the subcontinent.It can grace a pilaf or a puleo, giving it more sweetness and color.Mr. Tanis decided to combine the two into an interesting pilaf.

He makes this as a vegan recipe.It has the saffron and turmeric for color along with coriander and cumin for bite and heat. Since this is meatless , he adds cashews for crunch and protein as well as raisins for sweetness and chewiness.. He serves this withthe side dish  raita.This is a fiery mix of jalapeno and yogurt along with mustard seeds. Vegetable oil and mint are used to give the dip its' smoothness and coolness. As Mr. Tanis did, the two dishes can be served with a plate of fresh from the farm tomatoes. You could add some grilled chicken or even shrimp to the rice if you want it to be more substantial.

Basmati rice is a nice sub for the regular one. Add some farm fresh corn to it for added sweetness along withthe usual  fiery Indian spices.It's an easy summer dish with the taste of the exotic

Know Your Veggie's Age

is there such a thing as an old tomato?Or a young zucchini.Yes.A veggie's age and when you use it cam definitely affect the dish it's in.To maximize any vegetable's flavor and nutritional potential ,understand how old it is and how it's age can. And will make a difference. Knowing your veggie's age was the main article in today's New York Times Dining section.It was part of Melissa Clark's. A Good Appetite and it was full of good advice.After all many don't know when a tomTo is at its best for sauce making or when. Is a good time to batter coat it and then fry it.An older tomato is the best for any sauces or even making ketchup.A straight off the vine one that's still firm and green is perfect for frying. This is known as micro seasonality ,finding the ripest during season.Both chefs and home cooks are using this to optimize any veggie's flavor and cooking potential. it does take a bit of knowledge and just basic sense to use this method.Fpr example cilantro is better as a garnish. When it.s just shoots,Mature leaves are best flavoring dishes while the flowers are best in noodle dishes.Most cooks ,amateur or pro ,know that the best zucchini flavor is when it's young .The texture too is at it's best then as well,being soft and tender.As they get older the zucchini gets tougher and the seeds grow.The only thing to do with it is stuff it either with breadcrumbs or a mix of ground beef.Even fruit has micro seasons.Use the ripe berries for nibbling ,while the younger green ones are just right for pickling. Knowing your veggie's age can help in making. Tasty dishes.Understanding when to use them and in what dishes is vital to creating the best dish for that particular veggie.It will be the difference between a good dish and a mediocre one.

Return Of The Classics

It's a super treat when childhood classics come back. There's nothing like having a Yodel or a Twinkie with a big glass of milk - no matter how old you are.  We re like Proust with his madeleines.Our first  foodie loves will always be our eternal ones.

With this Hostess is making a big comeback. We have Apollo Global Management and Metropolous and Company to thank for this. They bought Hostess after the company liquidated in 2012. Granted you can find Twinkie recipes as well as the squiggle cupcake  one up and down the Internet. Twinkies are nothing more than pound cake fingers injected with a butter cream type filling. The cupcake is your basic devils' food with a marshmallow middle. The problem is baking is time consuming  and who can eat a dozen Twinkies or squiggle cupcakes? (well, we all could but that would be lethal)

My childhood favorite, the Keebler Fudge Sandwiches are completely gone . I have looked for them, even for recipes but there are none.A Canadian company,Dares' makes something sort of similar .I have yet to try these but some fudge fans claim they're sort of alike in taste.Luckily other childhood must haves , such as Yodels and Ring Dings along with those plain but tasty Yankee Doodles. are making a return. No matter how old you are there's nothing like having these as a snack or a cure for a bad day.


Hostess and Drake fans rejoice. Your faves are coming back with a vengeance. Pick up a package and enjoy them with a big glass of milk.

That Amazing Ear Of Corn

Now is the time when farm stands and farmer's markets are well stocked with ears of corn. These are wonderful and versatile additions to any summer table. Corn  can be made into almost everything , from salads  to desserts even. Every August tables hould have this multi purpose veggies in some form.

Fresh picked corn on the cob is one of the best warm weather pleasures.  Have it slathered with a lemon or herb butter  to bring out its' sweetness. It can be easily steamed in the microwave or over the stove, boiled in large pot. However the easiest and best way to bring out its' flavor is to grill over an open . You can or  add some red pepper flakes to bring it some bite try a mix of olive oil and rosemary for a mellower , different flavor,instead of butter If you feel that eating corn on the cob may be too messy, simply slice off the niblets   and serve them  warm. You can add a cream for a variation of creamed corn. Take this idea a step further and turn it into an ice cream.  The flavor is both sweet and smoky  and a neat way of ending that summer barbecue.

Of course you can also take the niblets and turn them into a salsa, salad or even relish for a tasty salsa, Mix grilled niblets with charred tomatoes and jabaneros,  Corn salad is also a alternative to potato salad or cole slaw ., One way of making it is with black and red beans along with crunchy onion and pepper bits. Since corn has such a strong taste , simply serve with a red wine vinegar based vinaigrette. Even better is a relish. Try one with both red and green peppers this time along with such spices as turmeric and celery seeds. Making relish does require canning skills so if you're not experienced with this process, then stick to a corn salad as a side.

A few ears of corn are a possibility of dishes waiting to happen.Have them just plain and delicious , roasted on the grill. If you want variety then use them in any sides for a more interesting barbecue  or  in ice cream for a truly uniquedessert . This is the season for these golden spikes ,. Enjoy when they're  sweet and sunshine yellow, ready for eating.

Summer Classics With A Twist

The two most favorite summer treats, a shrimp cocktail and ice cream have just been reinvented. Some new ingredients are added to give them zip and zest, perfect for the hot days ahead. It's great way of rediscovering two classic hot weather dishes.

They are Mexican seafood cocktail and corn ice cream. Actually they;d make a nice summer evening dinner and dessert together. Both are the main points of Dave Tanis' A City Kitchen and Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Mr. Tanis offers a spicy and yet cool alternative to the traditional shrimp cocktail, often an August staple in many a beach front restaurant. He adds a spicy mix of grilled tomatoes and jabaneros with layering of not just shrimp but also crab, clams, mussels, and squid, The fish is layered like a parfait with the salsa to create a briny yet fiery twist on the classic shrimp cocktail.It's graced with a squeeze of lime along with chopped onions and serrano chilies.

What would be a good end to this? Melissa's Clark's corn ice cream. This is a spin on the classic recipe with Ms. Clark using fours ears of fresh cooked corn as the main ingredient. The niblets are first cooked and then pureed. The strained kernels are  then added to a mix of  heavy cream, sour cream and some lemon verbena Corn ice cream isn't really new . It's popular in Mexico as it is in The Philippines where it's more of a liquid poured over shaved ice.This ice cream has a very silky , velevety texture, perfect with fresh fruits such as peaches or blackberries (as Ms. Clark suggests). Stick with fresh fruits as a topping however.  Sea salt caramel or chocolate sauce may overshadow the delicate taste

A shrimp cocktail and ice cream are a perfect summer lunch or Sunday dinner combo. Add a twist to both with   the addition of shellfish and squid  for the first and fresh sweet August corn to the second. It's a great way to add zing to these classic recipes/..

Your Holiday Food Guide Really

Imagine going on a vacation in a foreign city and not knowing what to eat. You're stuck as to what foods to try or what restaurants are good. Not to worry. There are food guides , people who can help you with meals and eateries. These are more than foodies. These gourmets can navigate and find some of the best deals and tastes in any city, whether the US or Europe.

Jeff Gordonier explored this in an article in today's New York Times Dining section. A regular contributor to this section, he gives readers tips and idea son how to hire their own food guide. There are a variety of web sites that advertise as well as food bloggers that help help tourist with restaurant finding.These services do not come cheap however.Prices range from $75 to $100 dollars per person (this means only adults) and a grand for a small party of people..It tends to be only a three to four hour excursion and the price of food is included. Armed with the  knowledge gleaned, visitors then can stick with the  restaurants and markets shown to them.

Is this a good idea? Actually yes, Many tourists, especially, Americans in Europe, tend to stick with what they know - namely MacDonalds'.While this may be fine at home, it is  nice to try the local cuisine. Food guide Ansel Mullins of Istanbul Eats takes his customers  through Istanbul's  the market  places tot try exotic Turkish street food such as kokorec. Normally tourists wouldn;t eat this, a sandwich made from sweet breads and intestines. However with Mullins , they get to try this and not miss out on it's tastiness. He also points out that tourists get to try smaller mom and pop places instead of the higher priced restaurants, and get to explore and sample local food markets.

Eating on vacation can be a stressful event. However there are food guides to help out .They can show some of the best places to enjoy the local cuisine and flavor.