A Perfect Coleridge Tea

Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday and just like any Englishman of his time (and of today) he appreciated a good tea.He was born and raised in Devon , England ,a shire known for its' dairy and jams.    It was good then and now is amazing, true British locavore treats and dishes that can sustain anyone, be it poet or just foodie.

Devonshire is known for one of England's greatest contributions to high tea, clotted cream. Originally , introduced to ancient Britannia by the Phoenicians trading with the locals around what's now present day Torquay this variation of yogurt is essentially a thick cream steamed and then left in pans toook slowly.it separates during this and the top is full of clouts or clots. Devon locals have it smeared on scones , with a dollop of jam to add to the decadence.Of course teas also have fairy cakes or cupcakes as well as shortbread cookies and miniature tarts.

Coleridge probably would have preferred his county's scrumpy, the tangy   apple cider and a pasty, however  he also would have appreciated  savory.sandwiches too.These usually involve some form of seafood, usually a shrimp paste or baby prawns with mayonaisse on thin slices of white bread.A curry chicken salad is also served,  on raisin bread but it could also be spread on plain scones,As far as teas, most serve the mild but flavorful Earl Grey as well as the exotic Darjeeling and Assam teas -a nod to Britain's colonial past;

Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably had enjoyed many a traditional Devon cream tea.He would feel right at home, today on his birthday, savoring a modern one. The recipes haven;t changed in two hundred years. They are still delicious now as they were then

A Good Sunday Read

Heads up New York Times Sunday Magazine readers, most of issue is all about wining and dining.It's both a gourmand's and a foodie's dream issue, with all sorts of good articles about food and drink. Some will shock , some will rivet you. There's also a bonus of some pretty delicious recipes thrown in as well.

This is an issue that comes out twice a year , like their fashion and travel extras.it really is chock full of some interesting info solely about restaurants but also about what goes into them , like good dishes and good wines.. Famous chef Mario Batali contributes with  a penne arriabiata as well as shrimp scampi and calamari recipes.This is for his workers, usually for  a late night after work gathering, although these recipes would go well on a Saturday night with friends,,There's also a piece by Times Dining great Sam Sifton about older restaurants hitting their forty year anniversaries. Aloso look at a neat write up about Los Angeles being the goat stew(!) capital of the US.

What I found interesting is an article by Marnie Hanel about a nineteen year old octopus hunter Dylan Mayer. This plucky teen goes diving for that culinary hit, the octopus. Catching it is a bit of a struggle as the sea creature is ready to do battle with anything and anyone. It can cause  quite a lot of damage to any foe as Mayer found out but the result is worth it. He is, after all a chef too, and has created some interesting dishes with it .Instead of the usual salad (popular with the Greeks) Mr. Mayer   put braised  chunks on yogurt dollops spiced with herbs. If this is a turn off stick with the  inspiring kale article or the many on cocktails (with recipes) and wines

Tomorrow, grab the Sunday Times Magazine. Before you do the puzzle , enjoy the articles. They' re fun , informative and amazing - a sure winner with both gourmands and foodies alike.,

Giving Dinner Some Zing

Meat is a given at any meal.It's the basis of a week day meal .It's the star of a Sunday dinner. Yet ,a plain roast chicken or London Broil can be blamed and almost tasteless .The lifesaver to this is a good marinade.Add zippy or tangy bath and then you have a flavorful treat. Marinade for chicken can come in a variety of styles.The New York Times Dining section writer, Melissa Clark used Green Goddess salad dressing to her roast chicken recipe in her column has also used yogurt too.These can give tangy flavor ,especially when adding garlic and different types of spices.Personally Id prefer a lemon or lime juice mixed with olive oil for a fresher and more subtle flavor.You can also try a Caribbean jerk inspired one too using fiery chiles along with paprika for color. A beef or pork roast can also be spiced up with a well seasoned marinade.Most home chefs try teriyaki one,which is tasty.You can spice this up with a tablespoon of fresh chopped or shaved Ginger.Worcester sauce is another good ingredient, brining out the beef.s tender sweet and savory flavor.If you want to add some zing think about a spicy Korean or Szechuan inspired marinade.This can have just crushed peppercorns along with a mélange of different chiles for an exciting bite. your everyday roast doesn't have to be everyday.Liven up. Chocekn,or London broil along with any other meat with zippy zesty marinade.It's a great way making anordinary dinnernigthextra ordinary.

The Newest Must Have Old Mixers

Old mixers are new again.These gems of the past seventy and eighty years are being revered, not just for  their hardiness but also for their beauty.These are beyond being kitchen utile. They are works of  art, worthy of their own shelves. Let's face it, companies don't make them like they used to in decades and days past.

Writer Kate Murphy, explored this addictive new trend in her New York Times Dining section article. yesterday. She talked to several collectors as well as taking pictures of the machines. Electric mixers first came into use in the 1930s. The two giants Hamilton Beach and Sunbeam manufactured and are still making these.They were known for their interesting shapes that included fins along with having attachments such as pea shellers. Most collectors agree that mixers made after 1967 are too modern and not worth collecting.

The collectors are fanatical. Many will pay over one hundred dollars for a mixer that originally went for forty dollars (which was a lot of money for that time.)Norman Platnick and his late wife, Nancy, started this movement with the collection of over 200 different types of mixers.Another collector, Steve Lynch, interviewed as well by Ms. Murphy also has a huge amount  however his is only eighty five. He has fixed them, giving them new  cords and parts. Once they're fixed , the mixer can still work , usually foranother decade or two. Many aren;t used , but sit proudly on shelves like rare works of art (which they are)

Mixers were such a kitchen standard before the age of food processors. They were elegant and interesting with their different shapes and colors. No wonder they're a hot collector's item right now. You cant beat the past.

Fresh Apples FreshTaste

we are in the middle of apple season.Our stores have them piled hog.These are good but what's eve better are the fresh from the tree ones.They have a certain , maybe even better flavor that adds to everything from apple sauce to salads. David Tanis wrote about them in his A City Kitchen column in today's New York Times Dining section.He has found out that most apples we buy now come from eastern Washington State and as far away as Peru and New Zealand.There are some stores such as Stop And Shop and Shop Rite here in the city area that sell locAlly grown apples but these are few and far between.Farms around the NY metro are no longer ,with valuable land being used for malls and McMansions.Luckily there is still. Warwick New York and Monmouth County NJ that have orchards that are just bursting with apples.Go there or to farmers markets for the just picked flavor. Mr.Tanis has given us one traditional and one exotic recipe for the fresh picked gems.One is apple sauce.This can be made with Cortland or Macoun apples and cooked over a stove as opposed to a pressure cooker.This creates a creamy mash perfect as a side for any German pork roast or pork chop. He also makes an Indian pickle using the apples along with cayenne , turmeric and the traditional Indian hinge.It is then sprinkled with toasted mustard seeds with more bite.Have this with a barbecued leg of lamb or even tandoori chickenThe apples used were the crunchy Braeburn and Mutsu ,although you could use Granny Smith. This is the season for pples.Avoid the stores, and head to the orchards.You'll have apples with better flavor.Not only that you'll have better apple sauce, pies and even candy apples.

Rustic Fall Pizzas

One of the best seasons in Italy is the fall. This is the harvest times in both the north and south and with it, the last of the tomato crops. Home cooks decide to use these into hearty , rustic pizzas that are not only a treat but a satisfying , healthy meal. Home made style pizza is the best .It's so flavorful and truly nutritious.

Making a pie at home is a relatively easy dish to create. Nothing beats a homemade crust. You can make it with regular flour or for a healthier bite, brown or unbleached flour. If you use the last just remember that it the crust may not be as crisp as one made with white flour. All  doughs require yeast olive oil, water and a bit of sugar. You can use a bread paddle or your hands to knead the dough . If there are little ones and they want to help, let them knead as well.This is a great learning moment for them and they can also put their two cents  in how they want their favorite dish made. You can also make  square pizzas with thick crusts or the more fun  almost cuplike individual ones.

Rustic pizzas are not fancy ones with exotic toppings. One of the best is the old fashioned type with just a topping of cooked plum tomatoes. These are usually crushed  with basil for more flavor. The sauce can be either  canned or fresh  and layered thickly on top. If you want to add cheese add circles of  mozzarella slices scattered on top as opposed to mozzarella shreds being strewn all over. If you want any toppings, again think simple.Roasted garlic  onions or olives are all good and are chock full of phytochemicals and antioxidants.You can also create a covered pizza by sealing in the topping with a top layer.It's the truest form to a pizza rustica.

This is the time of year when a rustic pizza suits the bills.It's hearty lunch or dinner, perfect after a day of football or apple picking.  It's a great way of enjoying the last of the tomato harvest while getting a healthy dose of  nutrients Make one for your family to enjoy during these brisk days.

Aunt Nellie's Beets The Best Beets

Even though it's fall there's still nothing like a beet salad, It;s the perfect accompaniment for tail gate ribs or burgers still cooked out on the grill.It's also a good side to Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams. Luckily there is a company like Aunt Nellie's that fits the bill.

Aunt Nellies,a division of Seneca Foodsof California and New York State and a cousin of Libby's canned fruit and vegetables has excellent jar or what's known as glass beets. These are perfect for beet fans who love the root veggie but hate to go through the canning and preserving process. They are not your typical canned beets, mushy and pudding soft. These have the firm, plump texture and shape of just picked ones. The flavor is phenomenal, sweet with an earthy ripe flavor.I made a tasty salad with them , with the addition of onions and olive oil.Aunt Nellie's adds the right amount of pickling so vinegar or lemon isn't needed.

Aunt Nellie's also makes some other great pickled veggies too. I would love to try my fave - three bean salad, which again is a wonderful holiday meal side, especially with ham. They also have Harvard beets, beets with a creamy sauce. another great addition to any lunch or dinner. Aunt Nellie's' also has red cabbage a must for October fest meals,What is great about the company and their philosophy is that it's harvest to table,All theveggies and beans picked at the peak of freshness and pickled almost immediately to give us that straight from the garden taste.That's what I also love about them too. My salad brought back flavors that normally would be tasted in July or August instead of now in mid October.They can be bought direct from their website as well as on Amazon.com

If you want the just picked taste of fresh beets, then buy Aunt Nellie's; brand.There's nothing like a fresh, summery tasting salad in fall. Buy a few jars today for your tailgating parties or fall dinners.