Welcoming With Food

Many people, including a vast majority in this country tend to view  refugees with a jaundiced eye.Yet, they can contribute so much to a country, including an ancient cuisine that's full of flavor and variety. French chefs know this and they are letting these new arrivals their day - in the kitchen.

Alissa J. Rubin wrote about this phenomena exchange in today's New York Times Food section. The movement is called Les Cuistots Migrateurs or the Migratory Cooks and was created by two innovative and intrepid French entrepreneurs Louis Jacquot and Sebastian Prunier..They tracked down trained chefs who were among the millions seeking asylum in France and employed them , hopefully changing the way the French look at them.Refugees are usually seen as a drain on society pulling it down. By allowing them to be chefs again they contribute not just to society but add some spice literally to the usually staid Gallic cuisine. Les Cuistots Migrateurs  cook at the restaurant, Le Petit Bain,  owned by Monsieurs Jacquot and Prunier. Diners are greeted by the  sounds of world music.It seemed appropriate to hire the Syrians chefs to add their dishes and flavors to the menu.The co-owners were well traveled business men who had a shared interest in bringing the food they had tasted on their travels.Mr. Jacquot lived on the street foods of Southern Asia , Brazil and Latin America. while Mr. Prunier lived abroad in Hong Kong , Singapore and Shanghai, eating in private homes, experiencing family dishes.

This culinary wanderlust paid off. It brought about a restaurant that was accepting of this latest addition to French dining. Another catalyst was an event that the  two men attended a party at a non profit organization last fall.Migrants also attended and brought foods from their counties. This sparked an idea. They could sift through the refugees for those who were trained chefs. Mssrs Jacquot and Prunier had three goals. One of the most important was exposing native French people to the cuisines and cultures of these immigrants.They wanted to create jobs for them and the last, they wanted to change the way these newcomers were being seen. The chefs would be on hand to explain the dishes to diners.The chefs are from all over. There are three from Syria, one from Chechnya along with chefs from India, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, Two chefs from Afghanistan and Tibet are scheduled to join as well. Classics such as kebbe, a kind of meatball made from ground beef or lamb with bulger or cracked wheat.Samosas are also on the menu as is quail with freekah or green Durham wheat along with mackerel cooked with peppers and tahini.

Any immigrant groups adds to a  country, especially to its' cuisine. It is a stroke of genius to let them cook and integrate their flavors into an established cuisine. We need to do the same here in the States

Feasting On Your Feast Day

Onamasticas or name days are kind of like having a second birthday. There are favorite foods and gifts to be had , along with praying or acknowledging the saint you were named after.It's a reflective day but also one filled with treats.

One of the most famous name days is St Patrick's on March 17th, Of course , everyone celebrates that day with beer and corned beef. Yet it should be a special day as well for those named Patrick or Patricia.The second most famous name day is St. Valentine's, February 14th. It's a day for romance and sweethearts but should also be observed for the Valentines and Valentinas out there too.Name days are big throughout  Europe  along with being observed in Latin American countries and Hispanic households here in the States.The Germans equate a name day  with a birthday so there's cake and gifts. Bulgarian children bring chocolates and other treats to school to share their day with classmates. Hungary has similar traditions except men receive wine on their saints days while kids get special treats to dole out to  friends.If you;re in Italy expect a cake to honor your day while in Slovakia enjoy a  big do that can rival a birthday.Spain and Hispanic America used go all out too for onamasticas however now they're more quieter. Not so for the Russians/ They are another nationality that go crazy on name days. There are big parties with lots of food and drink, rivaling birthday parties.

 Name days are not really celebrated here in the States , save for some families who carry on their ancestors' traditions. Today is St. Elizabeth's Day so both my Mom and I celebrate .We just had a nice lunch at The Olive Garden and enjoyed their latest dessert - chocolate lasagna cake. (you read right,It's a chocolate sponge cake layered with cheesecake and a rich fudge layer) Saint's days don't have to be elaborate affairs. The summer onimastica parties can be a small barbecue featuring the honoree's favorite foods. Try filet mignon or a T-bone for a lux treat. For a little more fun cook up some kabobs with chicken  and a variety of veggies. End with a small cake. Again, this doesn't have to be an elaborate iced creation, Think strawberry short cake or a peach or berry cobbler with fresh whipped cream or creme fraiche. The meal could  also end with a chocolate fondue too,dipping the fruits of the season along with marshmallows in melted chocolate. For fall and winter onamasticas. try a chili pie or maybe individual Cornish hens with stuffing.End the meal with a home made apple or pear galette topped with vanilla ice cream. Give the honoree a small ballotin of fine chocolates for a nice gift or a gift certificate at the local coffee shop.

Name days are meant to honor not just the saint but the person named after him or her. Celebrate with a favorite food or dinner out .It's a day of  honoring but also of feasting as well.

A Very Foodie Fourth

Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers both here and abroad. We're in interesting times right now with a heightened xenophobia that harks back to a more close minded era. We cannot be that way. We have to be more like our diets and be more welcoming to new ideas and flavors.

Remember that it was a wide variety of immigrants that gave us the foods we're munching on those special day that celebrates not only only our freedom but our grit as a people.After all those okras and yams, so long ingrained in the American diet. were brought here by  the enslaved from Africa , along with  several of our most treasured cooking techniques. Germans gave us hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salads. The French and Belgians provided us with the recipe for French fries. Ice cream? Thank first the urbane Thomas Jefferson who brought it from the French who probably got it from an ancient Roman recipe. That ice and pizza? Definitely from the Italians who came here a century ago. The fish tacos and burritos at the pool snack bar? Mexicans immigrants carried those recipes with them. What about those wontons or egg rolls? Variations of them came over thanks to  two centuries of Chinese newcomers . Our diets as well as our lives would be as bland  as ever without the contributions of foreigners.

We have always been a country of immigrants, ever since that first step upon Plymouth Rock. Foreigners have given us our language, our government  and most importantly an ever changing diet. We should thank each new wave as they come in for their culinary contributions instead of vilifying and isolating them.

The Great British Bake Off Returns

The scheduling people at PBS may or may not have a wicked or warped sense of humor.It seems almost too coincidental that another season of "The Great British Bake Off  - Season Six" is airing July 4th weekend along with the chaotic stew of Brexit. Either way, it shows the UK at its' idyllic and coziest best.It's all sweetness and Victoria sponge.

This latest season which aired last August 15  is now going to be shown here in the US. Episode One already has been shown, as other PBS stations around the country have given it the Friday 9 PM
slot. Here in the New York metro area, we have  to watch it on Sunday afternoons at four (that is if any of us are around, There are die hard fans who will,but luckily we can catch up on the PBS website later on). The hosts and judges are back, There are the spicy and sweet Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins who offer saucy asides  and comfort to nervous contestants. Check out what they say during the Madeira cake challenge because the cake is known for its' defining crack. (see where this is going). Of course there are the judges, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. Hollywood is a burly , yet more suave version of Alec Baldwin who lends some asperity and much needed stringency to a contest that can sometimes get a bit too sugary with emotions.Ms. Berry,  a kind of British Betty Crocker, is the sweet yet demanding grandmother who does think your tea scones are scrummy even though they're lacking in appearance. Both are excellent in giving hints and tips.

The one thing about the show is that the contestants represent a wide swath of British society. Some have Southeastern Asian backgrounds, one is Bangladeshi. Most are true blue Britons, coming from
such diverse areas of the island such as Yorkshire, London and Manchester. There is one from Swansea, Wales and another from Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross in Scotland. . The xenophobes who more or less caused the Brexit with the EU could learn valuable lessons from this show and it's not the ones regarding the best icing or the tenderest crumb. Foodies and sweet tooths will love the different contests .As always all sorts of baked goods will be executed and the episodes are divided into three sections : the signature, the technical and the showstopper. The technical is always a recipe from Mr. Hollywood's or Ms Berry's recipe books and a step or two is always omitted to flummox the bakers.I love the showstoppers, This is where contestants get creative and whip up creations that are just breath taking. Everything will be covered this season, from vol au vents to breads to biscuits.

Brexit showed the UK at its' worst. The Great British Bake Off remedies that poisonous hatred and presents us with a contest where people of all colors and religions come together. Yes, it's a contest but its' a fun friendly one.

Red , White And Berry

Berries are everywhere right now, from straw to blue. Most foodies eat them plain or with a good dollop of whipped cream yet they're versatile in everything, from salads to all sorts of desserts.Try them in barbecue sauce or in a fresh summer salad.

Of course berries are used in baking. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are popular this weekend  because of their patriotic colors. Melissa Clark wrote about them in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section, She arranged them in festive red and blue stripes in a buckwheat (!) cake made with buttermilk  The fruit adds a nice tartness because it's been baked and absorbed by the crumb. Another fun Fourth idea is making either a chocolate or vanilla sheet cake , icing it with whipped cream and decorate with berries to create the Stars And Stripes.It's a fun end to a barbecue. The idea can be carried over to cupcakes. Cupcakes can also be filled with a mix of chopped fruit and cream or pudding for a neat surprise.One of the easiest desserts to make with any berry is the crisp.It's cooking the fruit with a crunchy topping of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.Usually made with apples the recipe can be expanded to include blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Cobblers are another great summer dessert that highlight any berry's juiciness. They're a bit more involved than a crisp , resembling a cake but they are still easy enough to bake on a hot summer's day. For a cooler treat think berry infused sorbets or old fashioned ice cream with whole cream and fresh produce.

Not surprisingly berries can be used in savory dishes as well.Salads always benefit from them, whether as a tangy dressing or a zesty addition, One tasty mix is taking half a pound of strawberries and mixing them with honey, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Use it for dressing a grilled chicken and spring green salad. Blackberries and even blueberries would not only add some sweetness but also color to a steak salad. Toss a few in with some chopped  bell peppers and grape tomatoes for a spin on a classic salad. Any berry can be used in barbecue sauce.Imagine a raspberry barbecue sauce slathered on ribs. The sauce is easy to make. Take a cup of raspberries and blend with a variety of sweeteners such as brown sugar, molasses and light corn syrup. Garlic , red pepper and onion flakes zing it up.The base is balsamic vinegar and olive oil.It's pureed and strained through a sieve to get rid of the seeds. Ever think of blueberry ketchup? Yes, it can be made, In fact one of the original recipes was made solely from them.It's a mix of the fruit along with shallots, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger. The flavor is bright and fruity, sort of jammy  yet perfect for those grilled burgers or for giving those cookout some zing.

Get red white and berry this July Fourth and for the rest of the summer. Use blueberries in a ketchup. Strawberries in a crisp. Blackberries in a salad. It's the season for them so enjoy them.

Making The Most Of Mochi

Japan is known for many tasty  treats, from the delicate crisp tempura to the flavorful  ever popular sushi. Now one of their most popular sweets, mochi is becoming a favorite. What's great about this dumpling like sweet is that they can be made at home, much like any confection.

Tejal Rao,a former food critic and contributor for the New York Times Sunday Magazine wrote about this interesting sweet for yesterday's New York Times Food section. Mochi is a street food with vendors making it fresh at their stands but it can also be bought in supermarkets too..It is a big treat during the Japanese new year Describing it is a bit hard. Imagine a soft dumpling with a sweet inside, made only of rice and beans plus a sweetener.Modern mochi makers such as Tomoko Kato, owner of  Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Patisserie Tomoko also makes  chocolate and strawberry fillings.s.An ice cream version of it first hit the States at  Los Angeles based company Mikawaya in the early Nineties where it was also pushed into major supermarket chains.  It's  kind of like a frozen bonbon with the daifuku rice dough wrapped round a sphere of ice cream.Trader Joe's pushed an all American version of it in its' stores in 2014. Theirs had a pumpkin pie filling that was just in time for Thanksgiving of  that year. There's predictions that mochi will be the next macaron.It could well be. They're all about the melding of textures instead of flavors and they're different enough here to be eye catching. Unfortunately mochi  has a short shelf life. The dough dries out after a day or two and should be eaten right away.

Another plus about them is that they're easier to make than macarons.There's no baking and timing involved, save for cooking the two layers on the stovetop. Mr. Rao includes a recipe with the article. The most difficult part is making the exterior or the daifuku rice dough.It has to be as tender and soft as a kitten's paw. Home chefs do have to buy the mochiko flour which can be had at Asia food markets or Amazon, however corn starch can be used too.Potato starch is also used , primarily to keep the dough from sticking to fingers. It's rolled out with a rolling pin into thick, flat disks, Home chefs can go traditional with a sweet bean paste or anko. Again ths requires getting azuki beans,found at Whole Foods, Albertsons and Asian food markets. After being cooked for a bit., they're then transferred to a food processor where they're pureed into a paste. That's returned to the pot where it's sweetened with sugar along with pinch of salt added. It's then poured out and spread out in a small shallow container and put into the fridge to set. The bean paste is rolled into balls between the fingers and then enrobed in the mochi dough. More hand rolling is involved and then the dough is pinched to seal it, More adventurous home chefs can try a chocolate ganache as an alternative to the anko.

Mochi is a fun treat that will sure to be the next fad.It's an easy make and fun to create. Try it for a different type of dessert.

The Newest Trend: Old Skillets

At one time or another home chefs hear the family lore about cast iron skillets.How sturdy they were, how they could could everything from eggs to cornbread. It leaves the modern cook, used to Teflon coated ones, with some envy. Luckily this American classic is coming back big time.

Julia Moskin wrote about them in today's New York York Times Food section. Many home chefs as well as professional ones are falling in love with this leftover from the 18th Century and with good reason. They are versatile and can be used to cook up everything from breakfast to dessert.Another reason is that cast iron is a better conductor of heat than the more modern stainless steel and aluminum.It keep the food cooked in it hotter long after the heat below has been turned off. Home chefs looking to buy one should be warned. Don't be lured by price. Yes, Wal-Mart offers one for only sixteen dollars - which is a true bargain but it's not that great. Opt for the more costly Finex ten inch skillet which sells for $165 or the pricier Borough  Furnace skillet at $250. For fifty dollars more home chefs can get the Field one.Home chefs should remember that the more expensive ones are made the same with old fashioned craftsmanship. From the 1700's on skillets were hand poured and polished . The end result was a thinner , lighter skillet with a smooth cooking surface, attributes that the modern ones such as the Wal-Mart Lodge one doesn't have.The new pans do come preseasoned, something that had to be done at home with earlier ones

Many home chefs have a problem with preseasoning and tempering, according to Ms. Moskin Each of the skillet makers have their own preferred system of cleaning and reseasoning.The advice is simple: treat the pan as a 19th Century cook would.Just simple cooking and cleaning will season it.Skillets had natural coatings formed by cooking with fat and bonding the fat molecules to the pan's surface.She recommends using the pan often for projects like shallow frying, cooking bacon or frying chicken.Afterwards, scrape the surface clean with a stiff brush, a bench scraper, a kind of chopper, or just salt. Rinse with very hot water and if needed a drop of soap. Put it back on the stove over a low heat until completely dry, This is what makes the patina.Keep in mind though that if the pan is unused for a long time , the coating will become sticky, rusty or even both, Store skillets in the cupboard or better yet the oven to protect them from dust. If there are a stack of them, then place paper towels between them.Cast iron will last decades if treated properly, and makes a great legacy gift for anyone

An old fashioned cast iron skillet is a modern kitchen must have. It can fry ,bake and saute along with lasting for decades. Forget all these Teflon coated pans. Get the real deal!