The ABC's Of Snacking

Schools of all sorts start this week and kids from kindergartners to college seniors will indulge in that after school past time snacking. Make sure they eat sensibly. It's the key to healthy living and a healthy  student.

Those much hated veggies can be turned into a fun snack thanks to  some Greek yogurt and spices. Slice up bell peppers along with broccoli and cauliflower. Mix the lower in calorie plain Greek yogurt with different herbs and spices such as cumin for a tasty dip. Do a taste test with the kids regarding the spices.It's one way to expand their palate along with finding out what flavors appeal to them. The same can be done with cut fruits too. Have a wide variety of bite sized pieces such as grapes and strawberries along with sliced kiwis, apples , peaches and nectarines. Use vanilla flavored yogurt, again, preferably Greek as the dip. You could also start off with the plain Greek and then stir in such add ins as dark honey, cinnamon or dark chocolate chips.Another tasty dip idea is salsa with tortilla chips.Salsa is one of the easiest to make. Start with chopped tomatoes and onions along with cilantro. Have a mildly spiced one for the little guys while older kids may enjoy the heat of chopped jalapeno. Salsa can be made and packed into your dorm student's boxes for a nice reminder of home.It can also be used for topping hamburgers or accompanying grilled chicken or steak. It can also be made with such diverse fruits as watermelon and pineapple too along with mangoes, plums and kiwis.

What about that after school classic  - cookies and milk? Many parents do give in and let the kids eat the most caloric. It's' fine every once in a while but not every day.Surprisingly the national brands such as Chips Ahoy actually have less calories than the  so called healthier cookies.Homemade cookies, although labor intensive, are a better choice. Even classics like chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin can be made healthier. Sub in white flour and refined sugar with oat flour and brown sugar. Instead of butter use the lower calorie but just as silky coconut oil.Make your cookie monsters a really healthy bite like, the detox cookie. This recipe taken from A Clean Bake blog, has only three ingredients. There's creamy peanut butter (use the all natural kind for this)or for even more healthier cookies , almond butter along with cocoa powder and mashed , ripe bananas.it's only ten minutes in the oven and that's it. There's no flour or sugar to  bring on the allergies.It's also an easy enough recipe that your college kid or high schooler can bake. You can even bake healthy (!) Oreos. Use spelt flour instead of the usual white and sweeten with maple syrup instead of cane sugar. The filling is made with ground brown sugar that takes on the consistency of powdered sugar and coconut butter. Serve any of these cookies with low fat milk.

School starts with it after school snacking. Give your big and little scholars healthy but fun snacks. They'll enjoy a flavorful veggie dip or a good for you chocolate treat. They're good for everyone.

Spicing Up Your Barbecue

It's almost the end of August and barbecues by now are becoming old hat. Let's face it,  do we really want to stuff down another charred burger or dog,?Or another mayo soaked salad, followed by either lukewarm beer or soda? Let's liven up the outdoor cooking by tossing in some variety and spice. Let's make our outdoor cooking  fun again.

Hamburgers are always part of the barbecue lineup.By now, even the most ardent burger lover is probably sick of them. It's time then, to give the recipe some zing and zest. First get chopped beef, and add a good teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mix. You could also add some  finely chopped onion and bell peppers to create a colorful chili burger.Serve with a dash of hot sauce for even more fire. Another way to go is adding beer to the chopped meat to create a unique and juicy spin. It's just adding a quarter of a cup of any brew along with garlic, Worcester sauce along with ground onion. Even better add a couple of tablespoons of bourbon (yes bourbon!) along with cumin and dried oregano to ground chuck meat. Hot dogs are another grill staple that needs some remodeling. Try spiralizing them.It's actually an easy method. First skewer hot dogs lengthwise. then slice  into the dog as you roll it away from you,Continue doing this until you reach the end of the hot dog. Now carefully (otherwise the dog will break) slide the skewer out and place the stretched out hot dog over the grill. The end result is a crispy fun treat that will go good with mustard or barbecue sauce.

Those traditional salads can also be spruced up too. Instead of the usual coleslaw, try one made from shredded cabbage mixed with salad dressing.I've had it with French dressing and it's delicious, light years away from the traditional  mayo soaked kind. You can also use buttermilk ranch or blue cheese too or just a plain vinaigrette. Macaroni salad can also be made the same way with subbing in favorite dressings for mayonnaise. You could also make a Mediterranean style, adding in grape tomatoes, kalamata olives and oregano. Toss in feta chunks to make it more substantial.Think outside the traditional garden too. Make an easy artichoke salad by using jarred artichoke hearts and sliced plum tomatoes. Try a homemade fresh version of giardeneria using diced carrots and onions, both serrano and bell peppers along with cauliflower florets and chopped celery. Toss with a rosemary and oregano infused vinaigrette. What to wash all this down with? Spiked lemonade. Make or buy it and add a good, boozy shot of vodka. Kids can have their own version by adding seltzer or mineral water. You can also do this with orangeade and limeade too.

Barbecues don;t have to be a blah end of season affair. Liven up and spike up traditional recipes for a fun spin on a summer tradition.It's adding more fuel to the barbecue fire!

Nilla Wafers That Great American Classic

What makes the perfect cookie? Crunch , snap and flavor. Nilla  Wafers, everyone's favorite cookie fits this bill. They are not only fun to eat with a big glass of milk but also neat to turn into a variety of yummy desserts.These vanilla snaps are not only a kitchen classic but a kitchen staple as well.

Nilla Wafers have been made by Nabisco for only fifty years but their story goes back to over a century to Staten Island, New York. German inventor Gustave A. Mayer, a 19th Century inventor moved his family and confectionery business to Stapleton in the northeastern corner of the island , This German neighborhood appreciated baked cakes and cookies and it was here that Mayer created molds for the sugar wafers that would eventually be known as Nillas. He was also an inventor , designing one of the world's first humidifiers along with preformed sigh letters and sparkling reflectors used as Christmas tree  ornaments. Yet it was the biscuit molds that made him famous. and even was awarded a medal from the American Institute of New York for his many contributions and inventions to the industry.  How Nabisco acquired the recipe is a mystery.Had they been sitting on it for half a century or did Mayer,s daughters finally relent and gave the recipe away in the mid Sixties? Strangely enough the cookies have always been made with synthetic vanilla or vanillin and not the real deal.  Nabisco also makes a low calorie version that taste the same as the original recipe.  One is only twenty calories . A small bag of them make a nice snack whether for work or for school.

The cookies are great on their own however they 're also a wonderful ingredient in many desserts. Banana pudding is a popular one , especially in the South. The recipe is an easy one.It's basically a trifle with layers of Nillas vanilla pudding or custard and sliced bananas. It's then topped off with whipped cream and crushed cookies.What I  love about Nilla Wafers is that they make great crusts. They're easily crushed in a food processor and can be blended with nuts and melted butter for a shortbread inspired kind of crust for cheesecakes.The cookies also make great mini desserts along the lines of hors d'ouervres . Put puffs of coffee laced marscapone cheese on them or sweetened cream cheese and berries for a fun after dinner bite. Nillas make excellent cookie balls. Again these riffs on cake pops are a snap to whip up. It's just mixing the crumbs with cream cheese and then rolling the mixture into balls. Afterwards they're dipped in chocolate and then chilled for an hour. You can add in some fun morsels such as ripe mashed bananas, nuts,or chocolate chips. Try a tiramisu one with some coffee mixed into the recipe. These are great for a kid's party,Turn them into cookie pops, with dyed white chocolate.and a coating of gold and silver sanded sugar.

Nilla Wafers are not only a nice side to a cup of tea or a glass of milk , but they're a great ingredient to fun desserts. Enjoy their sweet crispness any way whether as a cookie or part of a sweet treat.

Great Desserts, So So Peaches

This has not been a great year for peaches. The perfect one is rare thanks to a February blast that killed off burgeoning buds. Luckily the fruit can be turned into wonderful creations that focus on their sweet, mellow flavor.They are even better than just the peach itself.

Samantha Seneviratne,creator of the interesting dessert blog, Cake Love, wrote about this amazing fruit in yesterday's New York Times Food section,Even though 2016 hasn't been their year, peaches can still be turned into tasty desserts.One that Ms. Seneviratne created is an ice cream cake. This is not one of the slap dash ones that is a slab of vanilla topped by crumbs and then another slab of chocolate. This actually has cake, a real butter on,e with five tablespoons of butter in the recipe. The ice cream is a no churn one which also includes peach preserves along with fresh raspberries - which are coming into their second season right now. The fresh peach is there in macerated form as it and the preserves are folded into the whipped cream. The cake assemblage is easy. First line a 9 by 5 loaf pan with Saran wrap leaving a six inch overhang all the way around. The cake is cut into thirds, making three rectangles.There is a layer of cake, then a layer of cream followed by the drained raspberries. This is repeated again for two more times and then freeze until firm for at least eight hours. It's topped with  a fruity mix of peach slices and fresh raspberries that have been sitting in sugar for ten minutes.

Another yummy dessert is Ms. Seneviratne's take on cobbler.This summer classic has been updated with a hazelnut infused crust.. She adds tiny wild blueberries which are a nice foil to the peaches' honey flavor. These can be picked if you have access to wild blueberry bushes however they can also be bought at farmer's markets and even found in the frozen food section. These frozen ones are actually beneficial because it helps the fruit mixture from overcooking and becoming mushy as the biscuits bake all the way through. You can use the big berries found in your supermarket, but Ms. Seneviratne warns that they are watery and have a weaker flavor.The topping requires hazelnut meal which can be bought in grocery stores and even on Amazon. It gives it a nice crunchy exterior  while still having a soft, pillowy middle.The crust also has a  half a cup of butter and a third of a cup of heavy cream.. it works well with the fruit mixture, also enhanced with vanilla bean seeds and sugar.The entire cobbler is baked for forty to forty-five minutes when the fruit comes bubbling from below and a toothpick inserted in the crust comes out with moist crumbs. Most cobblers are usually served with a pour of cream on them but I can see the first recipe's peach ice cream as a nice accompaniment here.

Don't despair if the year yielded up a lousy peach harvest. These recipes can show off their mellow sweetness and lush flesh. They are even more delicious in an ice cream cake or hazelnut infused cobbler.

Tuscon The Next Food Heritage Site

Tuscon Arizona may be known for lavish spas or beautiful sunsets but food? Surprisingly this desert town is now part of the Unesco World Heritage sites joining the more culinary sophisticated cities  like Lyons, France and Chengdu, China. Tuscon has deep roots to food, along with a varied indigenous and European diet, started centuries ago.

Kim Severson, a regular contributor, wrote about this interesting food-centric city and its' recent honor in today's New York Times Food section.Eight months ago it was the only city in the United States to be designated a City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, known by the acronym Unesco. About six years ago the international agency began including food as a part of a cultural heritage worth protecting as it recognizes and protects such diverse dishes as Armenian lavash,the recipes from the Mediterranean diet and the lush gastronomic meals of the French, Tuscon joins not only Chengdu and Lyons but also Parma, Italy,Bergen, Norway and Ensenada, Mexico, The reason why this southern Arizona was selected was explained by its'officer for historic presentation, and the author of the application, Dr. Jonathan Mabry. Towns were chosen because the designation will make a difference. Still, it's a puzzler. After all there is New York City, although the city doesn't celebrate it's indigenous culinary
 heritage  (which is obvious in the oyster beds in surrounding waters and acres of wild grapes grown just outside the city).

Tuscon has a history that stretches back 4,000 years when it was a farming community to local tribes such as the HoHokan and Tohono O'odham.Dr. Mabry was one of the archaeologists, hired by the city in 2000 for a dig  not far from the downtown section. What he found was amazing, There were layers of layers of irrigation trenches and then charred corn.It was proof that this modern day city was built on top of a four millennia old farming village. The surrounding desert can still yield up interesting crops that have created unique dishes with a definite Southwestern taste. There has always been agave,cactus pads and amaranth along with tiny wild peppers called chiltepin. Mesquite is not only used for barbecuing  but also used for baking cookies thanks to its' pods being pounded into a sweet flour.. Descendants of the fruits trees, first planted by Italian born ,Reverend Eusebio Francisco Kino in the 1600's yield up quince, figs and white pomegranates, the last with a taste that combines apples and grapefruits. Tuscon chefs also use cholla buds that bloom into cactus flowers in salsas and salads. They have a vague asparagus flavor  which makes them also good for certain  soups. The one tribe, Tohono O'odham, dry them and sell the buds in jars at the local San Xavier Co-op Farm. This devotion to creating livelihoods from heritage food is what got it noticed from Unesco.

Tuscon is a fascinating city full of food history and unique flavors. Unesco was right in choosing it as a World Heritage Site. It is fascinating from so many angles, both in its' story and in its' foods.

Basil Season

Late August brings about many harvests, tomatoes, eggplants  and of course basil,It's one of the most prolific plants with each plant sprouting hundreds of leaves. What's great about it, is that basil is so easy and addictive to use.It can add punch and flavor to everything from pizzas to pastas.

Basil is one of the most ancient herbs, originating in India over 5,000 years ago.It was the Greeks, however to name it,,from basilius, the king and has been associated with the Feast of The Cross,in the Greek Orthodox religion.It refers to St Helena's Emperor Constantine's mother's pilgrimage to Jerusalem,According to some, it could have been used to perfume ancient royal oils and baths. Many chefs  consider the king of herbs.The plant is a staple in Italian cooking but also is popular in Southeastern Asian cuisine too,Italians use the sweet or Genovese kind while Thais, Laotians and Vietnamese cook with Thai basil.The last has a spicier taste, perfect for rounding out  red and green curries along with drunken noodles.The herb's benefits are bountiful.It's high in Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting, along with Vitamin A and beta carotene. The leaves are also loaded in such minerals as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese Vitamin C and potassium,It's volatile oils such as estagole and myrcene give it antibacterial qualities too, which are important in restricting the growth of harmful bacteria.It's best to use freshly picked leaves to take advantage of all it has to give.

Basil gives so much flavor to various dishes . One of the most famous is pesto sauce, originating in the Northern Italian seaport of Genoa. The basic recipe is two cups of fresh leaves pureed with Parmigiano or Romano cheese ,extra virgin olive oil, and pine nuts. Garlic cloves and fresh ground pepper are also added to round out the sauce. It works well with any kind of pasta, but it great served with ravioli or tortellini, It can also be used on toasted Italian bread as alternative to garlic bread or even as a green pizza. Basil does have a strong, herbal taste that may be too overwhelming at first.You may just want to use it sparingly at first. Try chiffonading the leaves. You can do it with one individual leaf  or a pile of stacked (I prefer individual). Tightly roll the leaves - think little cigars., and then using a sharp kitchen knife.slice the roll into four pieces . The result is pretty bright green ribbons that go well in a tomato salad or addg oomph to a Margherita style pizza. Basil gives a fresh "green" flavor to tomato sauces, whether salsa crudo or a mellowed one that's been on the stove for an hour.  Basil can be easily frozen too.It's just snipping off the stems , then washing and drying them before putting them in freezer bags.They can last up to a year, hile stile maintaining their distinctive flavor.

Take advantage of the basil harvest right now. The leaves are great to use in fresh or cooked dishes, adding color and flavor. Celebrate this royal plant in a number of ways.

Majoring in Food

It's that time of the year when kids are gearing up to go back to school, talking about hopes and dreams, and possibly careers and futures. Maybe some of those projections may revolve around food. Anything to do with it can be not only interesting , but fun  A career in it could lead to bigger and better things, wh.ether in cooking or management

Mention a career in food and most people automatically think restaurants.It is a good career but remember it's not just cooking,It's also having a sharp business acumen. Even small family owned pizzerias are more business oriented than food centered. It can be rewarding and fun. Many chefs, such as the famed Brit , Jamie Oliver, was born into it as was famed French chef, Jacques Pepin. Some, such as Gordon Ramsay, chose it, rising to phenomenal heights of celebrity. It does pay to go to a culinary school where you can also have other courses such as business and advertising, along with getting a bachelor's degree. One of the most famous is the CIA  - Culinary Institute of America.It's main base is New Hyde Park, the Hudson River town of FDR fame, about  a ninety minute drive north of New York City. The school has branched out to Napa Valley, California and San Antonio, Texas. There is also the New England Culinary School located in Montpelier , Vermont. If you want something a tad less intense then look into pastry schools. Some may also have a cooking curriculum as well. They aren't as expensive along with being quicker to finish. These are great for those in their thirties and even forties and looking to start a second or new career.

Universities such as Johnson and Wales, along with my alma mater, Fairleigh Dickinson University offered courses in restaurant management and hospitality. The first even offers a Bachelor's in Culinary Arts, with classes in world cuisine with an emphasis on Szechuan, French , Northern Italian and Thai cuisines, along with pastry courses. There are even wine and spirit courses too. They also have hospitality courses too at their campuses located throughout the country. Johnson and Wales has campuses in Providence, Rhode Island,North Miami, Denver and Charlotte , North Carolina. FDU,offers one of the oldest hospitality studies in the country. The very beautiful Madison campus (and, yes,I am prejudiced here - although I went to and teach at the Teaneck campus) houses the Chaine des Rotisseurs the oldest and largest food and wine society.dedicated to and promoting the culinary and hospitality arts.The school also has a 2000 foot demonstration lab as well, The famed Cornell University , alma mater of Bill Maher, is also known for its' extensive hospitality program also .On the West Coast there is Washington State University in Spokane and Everett , Washington and the  University of Nevada at Las Vegas the William H. Harrah School of Hospitlaity,, another four year school that has a very  good hospitality school. They also have student run restaurants on campus as well.

Majoring in food , namely the culinary arts and hospitality can be fun and rewarding. It's something to think about whether you're a high school senior or looking for a second career. The end result is a career that you'll love.