Celebrating All Soul's And All Saint's Days

Today is All Soul's Day while tomorrow is All Saint's Day. Before Halloween became a big holiday , these two holy days were filled with remembrance and feasting throughout the Christian world. The souls gone and the saints who protect can still be remembered with prayers and food.

Today is huge in Mexico. It's a time when families visit cemeteries , bringing favorite foods for loved ones lost as well as for  themselves.The indigenous people originally celebrated in the beginning of summer and the holiday was then moved to coincide with the Christian days of remembrance after  Spanish colonization.Many celebrate the day with homemade tamales for both the living and deceased along with pan de los muertos., a type of sweet bread. Anise seeds flavor it , giving the same taste as the Italian biscotti.Drinks to toast and commemorate are Jamaican iced tea, a type of tea made with Jamaican hibiscus  plant's flowers and leaves along with pulque  -a type of alcoholic beverage made with the fermented sap of the agave plant. Other drinks are atole and champurrdo, corn or masa based drinks flavored with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.Guatamalens make fiambre ,a kind of picnic course that includes sausages and cold cuts along with pickled baby corn, beets and onions.. There are also various cheeses, chicken and olives. Some families even include Brussels sprouts and pacaya flowers, from the pacaya palm. The last is dipped in egg batter and then fried.

Europe also celebrates  as it has since the Sixth Century AD. In Italy, France and Spain families roast chestnuts, cutting a cross in each one to allow steam to rise. This is symbolic of the soul leaving the body. The Spaniards also make pannellets or almond cakes. The dough is formed with mashed potatoes, sugar and almonds.and then rolled in  beaten egg and pine nuts. They resemble the Italian cookies, pignoli. In England, it's soul cakes, popularized in Sting's song of the same name. These are yeast breads , flavored with cinnamon and decorated with raisins. They were baked in the shape of men and women ,and given out to children who went begging.All Saint's day also gets special treats, especially in Italy and Sicily. Children who pray for the passed are rewarded with the homemade favi de morti , beans of the dead. These are almond paste cookies that have been spiced up with lemon and cinnamon.It's kind of like a baked marzipan that's have been rolled into long rolls then cut into pieces to resemble broad beans.

All Soul's Day  and All Saint's Day are a time of prayer and remembrance. They are also a time to celebrate those we have lost with good food and feasts. They are solemn days but days filled with flavor.

Halloween Leftover Fun

This is the day and night when homes will be bulging with Halloween candy , whether gotten on neighborhood runs or left over at home. There's usually a lot to take in and eat. Sometimes all those extra goodies can still be around til the candy canes and holiday fudge appears. What to do with these leftovers? Repurpose! They can add some fun to any dessert or snack.

Chocolate based treats can be used in everything from cookies to icing to ice cream. If you have left over Hershey's Kisses or the bite size Reese's Peanut Butter cups, then make those peanut blossom cookies. This is a great way of getting rid of them and they make a fun treat with warm milk or hot tea on a cold day. Reese's pieces can be repurposed as chips in the famed treats with their name. This is a chocolate cookie studded with the bits. Remember, these can also be put into homemade brownies for a fun surprise. The popular Mounds Bar can also be used as a cookie ingredient,The dough, however isn;t the typical cookie one, but rather a stickier, more brownie like one, that has melted chococlate chips in it. Other candies that go well in a cookie are KitKats and Almond Joys. Forget Whoppers, those malted milk balls, The malted milk centers dry out and  turns to a  cement texture which  makes for a dangerous kind of snack.Another idea is chopping up the chocolates and adding them to either chocolate or vanilla ice cream for fun add ins. They can also be used for toppings too, especially if you're thinking about making an ice cream pie . Fold into cream cheese icing for a neat addition to any cupcake or cake frosting.

The chopped candies also can be used in salty snacks too. Try doing a popcorn crunch using them and freshly popped kernels. It's then laying both on a foil covered baking sheet and pouring melted chocolate bark over them.Let harden for ten minutes and then break into bite size pieces. Pretzels can be subbed in along with potato chips or Cheerios. These can also be made into balls with the addition of melted caramels and marshmallows  Famed Momofuku Milk Bar bakery pastry chef, Christina Tosi, creates a heavenly mix of leftover goodies , butter,milk powder and pretzels. It;s first mixing brown and white sugar and then melting the butter in a large bowl (use a microwave for this). These are combined along with the milk powder and broken pretzels. Spread this mixure on a lined baking sheet for twenty minutes at  This is then baked for about twenty minutes in a preheated 275 degree F oven. Afterwards, let cool and break into pieces. Toss them with whatever chopped candy you have and serve. Another idea is adding the pieces to Nutella or Hershey's chocolate spread and spreading on croissants for a fun snack. The candy can also be added to smooth peanut butter and served on bread or Hawaiian rolls for a sweet nosh.

Bowls of leftover candy? More like the ingredients of fun snacks. Repurpose those Halloween treats into new and fun treats for the whole family!

Prayers to those who suffered in the Manhattan Halloween attack today

The FODMAP Diet - The Tricks And Treats Of It

Many people are afraid to eat. because of the consequences. They're plagued by stomach aches, gas and those awful runs to the bathroom. Most likely they need the FODMAP diet, a semi specific list of foods that either relieve or aggravate the stomach and intestines.

The FODMAP diet is relatively new, first coming about in 2005 from a hypothesis  paper. The paper stated that a collective reduction in the dietary intake of  all indigestible or slowly absorbed short chained carbohydrates would minimize stretching of the intestinal wall. This was proposed to reduce stimulation to the gut's nervous system. The low FODMAP diet was first formulated by a research team at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia to help people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. What does FODMAP stand for? Fermentable, oligosaccherides, disaccherides, monosaccherides and polyols or sugar alcohol. Any one of these or all may cause such annoying and debilitating problems of increased gas, bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain. Other symptoms, according to Dr. Martin Storr,who wrote FODMAP Navigator (Digesta Press), are frequent stools
Diarrhea and constipation.It may even worsen pre-existing conditions too. Dr. Storr's book is an excellent guide because it lists every kind of food and even additives as low or high. It will definitely help those suffering navigate through groceries and farmer's markets.

What can be eaten? Most fruits which can be turned into delicious breakfast salads.They are bananas, cantaloupe,papaya, pineapple and strawberries. Some veggies are good such as broccoli and carrots, olives and red and yellow bell peppers. Tomatoes are low and can be made into stomach soothing salads and sauces. What are huge taboos are soy products as well as dairy and gluten filled baked goods. Those who have problems should stridently avoid soy burgers as well as regular and soy lattes. Luckily there are almond and rice milks that can be used  to both a tasty drink and in cooking and baking. They can also be used in making homemade ice cream too. Tempeh and hard tofu are fine.  Meat lovers will breathe a  huge sigh of relief. The big three: beef, chicken and ham are fine as are turkey, lamb  and even bacon and eggs.  Rice is another perfect food and people can sub in rice crackers and flour for regular wheat products. Gluten is another culprit, so switch over for gluten free breads, rolls and pasta. Cakes and cookies are also responsible for stomach discomfort so sub in fruits and baked goods made with a mix of rice flour and tapioca starch. Plain cocoa is non confrontational  so you can make chocolate goodies such as cupcakes. Also many companies such as Pillsbury have gluten free mixes and doughs,

FODMAP is a great guide for those who suffer from a variety of discomforts. It s' easy to switch over and start eating without any worries.It's the first step in having a life without any problems.

The Dinner Party Issue

Spoiler alert - don't read this if you want to read about it in tomorrow's Sunday New York Times

It's going to be holiday time soon enough, and with that comes dinner parties. Luckily tomorrow's New York Times Sunday Magazine is devoted to all things cooking for a large crowd. Any home chef can follow the recipes and rules - yes, there are rules and be a modern day Pearl Mesta. It's actually easier than one would think, thanks to their  The Art of The Dinner Party.

This is definitely a keeper issue. There are stories and recipes from such heavy hitters as Sam Sifton and Tejal Rao, regular contributors to the Times' Wednesday Food section. What is great about their and other's contributions is that there is a story of how to and why  with the recipes. Home chefs will get a feel of what goes into each particular meal and how to prep the food and table. There are also rules included - mostly on how to start conversations in the little Table Talk tips . This helps any newbie host or hostess start up table talk. One valuable idea is researching some recent news item or weird science story that guests haven't heard about. This will set the ball rolling for some interesting salon like chatting. Another Table Talk  Tip is letting guests mingle and make small talk with each other. It helps in gauging  views on politics, sex and religion. Another fun sidebar is the celebrity questionnaires. Such luminaries as Quest Love, Alice Waters, John Waters, Busy Philips, and DJ Khaled are asked about who they would invite, what food and drink would they serve, where they would hold it  and what music would be played. The fun last question is how would they get people to leave (John Waters' way is a hoot). There are other sidebars too that feature memorable dinners and essays on dinner parties and being a bad guest.

Of course the issue is all about the party itself and the recipes that make it. Each is different and fun in their own ways. Take, for example, Samiin Nosrat's dumpling party,  which is really a cooking party,where everyone pitches in to make the Korean mandu or potstickers. Its' roots go back to when she was in college, busing tables, and working and eating with fellow waitstaff and cooks. It starts with feeding guests snacks first and then letting them pitch in . Tejan Rao gives us a fondue party (surprising  because she is the number one Indian chef). Hers is an informal cheese fondue,  true to the Swiss with Gruyere and Appenzeller cheeses. Bread, potatoes and cornichons are dipped in th gooey melt. She serves it with quick pickled vegetables and finishes with a thin and crisp apple tart. A more sophisticated take is famed chef, Dorie Greenspan has a French twist on it, feeding those in the food industry with gravlax, ossobucco and spiced red wine poached pears. Gabrielle Hamilton 's menu is ideal for a semi dressy cocktail dinner party. It starts out with ice cold martinis that pair with deep fried pork, braised rabbit and roasted mushroom with black lentils and croutons. Sam Sifton writes about the expandable feast complete with steamed clams with jalapeno butter, pineapple salsa, cilantro and mint salad and roasted sweet potatoes with smoked paprika.His is a relaxed do, with turning a dinner party into an expanded family dinner. He ends it with the homey Klondike bars and whiskey.

A dinner party is what you make it. It does take help and that's what the Sunday Magazine dinner party issue is for. Use it during this holiday season to create the one you want to give.

T

Sweet,Scary Treats

This is the weekend for Halloween parties. One of the highlights of any party is the dessert table, full of fun treats.They're easy to make and home bakers and candy makers can get as creative as they want. The result is buffet of spooky sweets, the perfect end to any holiday party.

Caramel and candy apples reign supreme right now. For a fun twist, set up your version of an Apple Bar. Have apples already dipped in the gooey stuff surrounded by bowls of mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut flakes , and festive black and orange sprinkles.For a total gross out have bowls of crushed Oreos and gummy worms so kids can create their own "ewwww" versions.If there are adults , think pepper flakes for something different along with sea salt and Szechuan peppers.You could also set out bowls of crushed peanuts or walnuts but keep in mind about guests' nut allergies.If whole apples are too much, then cut the fruit into slices and insert sticks in them. This makes for easy eating and multiple dippings. You can do the same for pears too to vary the flavors. Grapes, another fall favorite, can be turned into "monster" eyes. Just take any green or purple seedless and putting already made candy eyes on them. These can be bought at any party or baking store or can be made at home. It's taking two cups of confectioners sugar and seven teaspoons  of water and mixing them until they form a thick glaze. Pour this into a plastic bag and cut one end off. It's then piping circles on wax paper and inserting the mini chocolate chip, point side down into them. Let dry overnight. They can also be used on cupcakes and cookies too. Affix to the grapes using gel icing.

What's Halloween without cupcakes or cookies? You can have a pumpkin spice cake or stick with chocolate and vanilla. Make a vanilla or chocolate butter cream icing. Vanilla can be dyed orange to have the cupcakes resemble pumpkins. Reserve some icing to be dyed green for stems and leaves. You can also dye the icing bright purple or neon green and top with those eyes for monster cakes.. Black cats are one of the most popular symbols of the holiday. Start with icing the cupcake with chocolate frosting. Add Oreo triangles for ears and licorice strings for whiskers. You can use the confectioner's sugar and water mix to create eyes and the nose. Tint the eyes yellow and green, and make a pink triangle for the nose, using the mix and red food coloring. An easier decoration is  the bat. Half chocolate wafers for the wings and a peanut butter cup for the body. Use red gel icing for the eyes. Butter cookies are another fun party treat. Ice in white for ghosts , with chocolate eyes. Bake the cookies in a tear drop shape and ice them in white,yellow and orange for  candy corn. Spiders are always fun and creepy.Try peanut butter spider cookies. This is baking the classic cookie and then pressing an upside down peanut butter cup in the cookie's center. Add the googly eyes and pipe melted milk chocolate around the cup to represent the legs.

Halloween is a time for fun and sweets. End your party with classic goodies everyone likes. A candy cork cookie or homemade candy apple are the best treats of all.

Apple Pie For Everyone

One of the best treats of fall is a freshly baked apple pie. Nothing beats the perfect slice , bursting with fruit and spices. The problem is everybody wants a slice - a huge slice which is flattering to the baker. The problem is the baker never gets to have a slice of his or her creation. What to do? Bake a bigger pie..

Julia Moskin tackled this problem in yesterday's  New York Times Food section. She too has had to watch her pies get devoured in one dessert setting with nary any room for leftovers. Her solution? Break free of the tradition of using nine inch pans, used for decades. This was standard in a time when home bakers baked several a day Farm wives baked different kinds, using all sorts of dried or fresh fruits, pecans and hickory nuts  and sometimes crackers and condensed milk. Pie today is different. It's meant as a project, feeding a large  crowd after a dinner party.Ms. Masking recommends ditching the traditional pie plate and use any kind of baking dish. It does have to be two inches deep and be able to hold two and a half to three quarts of fulling and crust.Use heavy ceramic pans,  a skillet or casserole dish. Don't worry about having a rim. The pie 's crust is thick enough to make its' own.  The reason. Make a crust that is thick. Think rolling out a half inch one instead of one that's 1/8 of an inch thick. This is a double crust one . It should be sturdy but have that tenderness . Instead of the traditional lard, Ms. Moskin gives the crust a French twist by adding unsalted butter which will give it a nice "tarte" feel and flavor.

Most home bakers make the mistake of using just one apple type. Break this habit. Too much of one apple sort  will ruin it. Use a mix of tart and sweet varieties. Home bakers can use the ancient varieties such as Bramleys and Pippins or they can go modern with a mix of tart Granny Smiths', Honeycrisps and Pink Ladies, Ginger Golds and Cameos.Ms. Moskin also suggests using McIntosh,Idared or Cortland apples if home bakers want crunch.They're actually a good addition because they break down and help bind the filling. A blend of  textures also helps in creating a delicious, memorable pie. Lemon juice is commonly added to balance out  the sweetness however according to Kate Mcdermott, a professional "pie coach " try unfiltered apple cider vinegar. She also advocates  a shot of liqueur to the mix. Try schnapps or brandy such as French Calvados. For a non alcoholic alternative think cider, cider syrup or just plain apple juice. What about cinnamon? Many home bakers go crazy with it, turning their pies into giant Pop Tarts. A small, even teaspoon will do it even for a big pie along with a pinch of nutmeg and a half a teaspoon of allspice. This last, again can cut the sweetness, giving a nice warm smokiness to the filling.

The best pie is a well made one. Break the traditional recipe by making one for a large crowd. Add a shot of Calvados, vary the apples and cut back on the spices. It'll create a pie that's not only delicious but memorable.

A Restaurant That Makes You Think

Are you supposed to eat when you go to a restaurant?Or just order and eat? That's the question that nags at visitors who visit the uber trendy restaurant Vespertine. What exactly is this place? It's popular and expensive - but what else does it represent?

Pete Wells asked almost the same restaurant in his Critic's Notebook in Today's New York Times Food section. The restaurant posing all these conundrums is Vespertine with dishes being artfully prepared by chef and co-owner Jordan Kohn. It starts with entering the place. Mr. Wells wonders if the building is humming or actually breathing - usually not a question asked when entering any eatery,The building itself is strange , as he put its, kind of like putting it too near a toaster oven and having the sides warp.Waiters sound more like the killer albino, Silas from The DaVinci Code, wearing only black slippers and flowing black robes. (which can be unnerving to any diner prone to nightmares) They murmur what the dishes are as they serve them and then drift off to the side. Food is not served on traditional plates, but miniature sculptures that enhance the dish's look.Even Vespertine's website has nothing but an arty Ingmar Bergman type video that shows some dishes being created but mostly a winsome young thing in religious robes traipsing across a honey colored field.This may work in Culver City , So Cal, where this may reign supreme. but would it work in a more snobbish city like New York or in   foodie towns like Chicago,Boston or Philly?

The more important question is how is the food. Yes, it can be artfully done. That's nothing new thanks to the famed Barcelona restaurant El Bulli and its' amazing and highly creative chef, Ferran Adria. Mr. Wells got to experience a black tortilla graced with a branch of water spinach brushed with a turkey emulsion. Tiny yellow pike eggs sparked it as did pink and purple  finger-lime blossoms that were no bigger than shirt buttons. There was kelp with dotted with drops of lovage sauce along with a blob of whipped honey, An artistic black wafer was a crumbly  savory cookie made from black currants and dried onion and brushed with black currant jam.The dishes looked weird but tasted good. Lobster was served in a bittersweet sauce of malted barley syrup and butter along with a spill of tapioca. A brined scallop dish was sauced with yuzu and a tea  tea made from Douglas fir tips. Ovals of asparagus decorate it.There is a tea made from the flowers of the butterfly pea plant. Chef Kahn's dishes are innovative and he does have a following in LA. The problem is for how long can he be creative and do diners really want to go through the whole experience?Again, this concept works well in California and only California.  Most people who eat out want to eat - only the rare foodie would want their dinner to be a work of expensive art.

Which brings us back to the question - what is Vespertine? Is it a restaurant that serves arty food?Or an art  gallery that serves edible works? Either way it is unique.