An Icebox Cake With Snap

Icebox cake is the de rigeur dessert of the summer. It 's the perfect end for a barbecue or even better  a warm weather birthday. It's a cool creamy treat, easy to assemble with already made ingredients. Now there's a new recipe with a snap to it.

Melissa Clark wrote about her creation - strawberry gingerbread icebox cake in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Usually America''s icebox cake consists of the ultra chocolate wafers mortared together with Cool Whip. Her version subs in Nabisco gingersnaps  "glued" together with a strawberry mascapone creme and topped with more strawberries, this time macerated with sugar, lime and ginger.Home chefs can use the chocolate wafers,also made by Nabisco. The taste is that of a chocolate covered strawberry - just omit the ginger and lime.Just remember, she warns, don't use any sandwich cookie like an Oreo. The middle stuffing will not soften and the cake will have hard, sugary pockets standing out in a sea of fluffiness. Another cookie that is good to use is the Nilla wafer. The effect is the same as the gingersnaps. Most of these cakes are held together by heavy whipped cream but marscapone. It's sturdier and mixes well with the strawberry puree. The final touch is  the macerated berries , with them being marinated them in white sugar, ginger and lime.The last adds a zing to a normally sweet treat.

One of the best aspects of making any icebox cake is that it doesn't require any skill. It's just layering  and building it up like bricks and mortar (not so with the Famous Chocolate Wafers. These have to be stood up to form a log)You could even increase the amount.Ms Clark has eight snaps per layer and the cake is four layers high. It could easily be expanded to serve a large crowd.Could graham crackers be used? Maybe not for this recipe but they can be a component for other icebox creations. Could home chefs change the fruit? Yes, but I'd use a tart fruit like blackberries simply because the cream is very sweet  thanks to the addition of a quarter of a cup of confectioner's sugar. Raspberries are another good choice thanks to their tartness.  What about mascapone? Many grocery stores only stock it occasionally. A good substitute is a homemade mix of  sour cream, cream cheese and heavy whipping cream.Blend together until smooth and use as the recipe directs.

A strawberry gingersnap ice box cake is a cool way to usher in the summer.It's different and fun full of spice and kick. Make this new hot weather classic to end a barbecue or celebrate a summer birthday.
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Shyness and Sweetness Dolester Miles

To win the  James Beard award for pastry is an amazing feat. Usually the honor is bestowed on famed bakers whose' creations are known world wide. This year it went to a shy, self taught pastry chef from Alabama - not New York or Chicago or LA. The winner , Dolester Miles, is making a big impact in an understated way.

She was the subject of an article written by Kim Severson in today's New York Times Food section. Her recipes and work beat out ones by Margarita Manzke and Meg Galus. She had been nominated twice before but it was the third time that worked. She was in disbelief when her name called. It was a victory not just for her but for the restaurant where she worked , Highlands. It is a pricey restaurant located in Birmingham , Alabama .Chef Miles was not unlike Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle's mother - a secondary character in a larger , predominantly white narrative who emerged as an African-American beacon. Talent knows no color. Ms. Miles grew up, surrounded by excellent bakers she was taught by her mother.Cora Mae Miles, and aunt. Her aunt, Queen Ester Harris was the kind of woman who might make nine cakes , with them all going to people in nursing homes. Her brown sugar poundcake was a favorite growing up. The recipes were passed down, along with baking advice.

Surprisingly Ms. Miles background was not initially cooking, She studied computer science at college and left when her daughter arrived. It was at this time that Frank Sitt, the chef and owner of Highland came to Birmingham. A Southerner, himself, he invested in the community around him, Ms. Miles started working for him in 1981, starting off as a pantry chef dicing and chopping fruits and veggies. Chef Stitt soon recognized her talent with butter and sugar and soon she was creating such desserts as polenta pound cake tiramisu  for his Italian restaurant Bottega and blueberry cobbler for his French eatery Fonfon along with afters for Highlands. She is known for her coconut pecan cake, a take on the Southern coconut cake and her lemon meringue tart.  The recipes are featured in The Times article and they're a treat for home bakers. The cake and filling is loaded with coconut and is moistened with a simple syrup.The lemon meringue has white chocolate melted into it for a different vibe along with a buttery crust.  Both recipes are light and fluffy, the perfect dessert for a summer weekend dinner.

Dolester Miles is a quiet champion, yet her creations speak volumes. She represents both modern and traditional  Southern baking.It's a prize winning meld.

Debugging Your Kitchen

Warm weather brings about bugs. Kitchens become meccas for ants, flies and the occasional roach family. Many home chefs have to deal with this by product of higher temps. It is annoying but luckily can be brought under control with the right products.

The dilemma facing many a home owner is how to humanely get rid of these "visitors." Sure, you can use commercial ant sprays but do you want to? Insecticides have strong and always chemical ingredients. These require gloves because of their strength as well as diluting the powder or liquid with the recommended amount of water. Some leave a powdery white residue that could prove to be harmful to children and animals.Ant bait ,used for lure, is a granular sugar like substance that are filled with poison. A more humane and safer way to go is using natural repellents.Lemon juice works well. The sugar loving insects will be repulsed by the fruit's intense sourness.Another natural cure is cinnamon. You would think the spice's musky sweetness would attract them but that' s quite the opposite. Home chefs scatter it along with ground cloves around doorways and windows. Cinnamon oil can also be used. You can also use freshly picked peppermint leaves along with peppermint oil to repel them.

Roaches are year round and even worse to get rid of than ants.Again you can use roach spray and traps. There is the classic Raid which comes in sprays and foggers, It and similar products have a chemical known as pyrethroids which cause paralysis in bugs.Other chemicals used are carbamates and organophospates which render certain amino acids inactive. These cause the bugs to die.One dosing may be great however home chefs need to be very aware that constant use of these insecticides can cause problems in humans and companion animals.Again the best path is the all natural one.A better idea is putting cedar chips in the corners of your kitchen. A classic that has worked for decades is the bay leaf. You can buy them in your store's spice section and strew the leaves where the walls meet the floor.Flies are not so much in a summer kitchen but they are  a problem at outdoor picnics and barbecues. The easiest is having electronic pest devices on the tables. These emit a high pitch sound that scares the bugs away from the food.

Don't let the bugs of summer bug your cooking. Use all natural  remedies to get rid of these critters.It makes for easier and cleaner work.

Memorial Day -Remembering Our Warriors

As always we remember the young men and women who have died in battle for this country. Yes, that is proper.however we need to remember those still with us. What can we do?

Help out at VFW halls along with inviting both old and young vets over for a meal. If there is a newly discharged service person in your neighborhood. treat him and his family to a home cooked meal or even gift certificates to his or her favorite restaurant. Offer to babysit the kids so that a soldier or sailor can enjoy a romantic evening out with their spouse. Get the neighborhood involved in throwing a celebratory block party for these brave women and men. For older vets, who re alone,invite them over for a evening of their favorite foods and stories for the kids. They are living history and have seen it unfold first up in the theaters of war. Take them food shopping or go shopping for them.


They have given so much for us.Give something back - a meal - even a cup of coffee to them.

Making Those Dogs Bark

Memorial Day kicks off the barbecue season and that means a season of hot dogs. What's so great about this summer standard is that they can be zinged up with all sorts of extra. They're not just plain dogs anymore. They're something special.

A hot dog has a relatively bland taste that can go with any other flavor. Bacon lovers should think about wrapping the slices around them to create a salty,  crunchy treat.You can even dunk the dogs in barbecue sauce and then put the bacon on.To really elevate them, add some sharp cheddar. You can buy Sargento's to sprinkle or just buy a block and grate at home. If you want a fancy cheese dog then spread Brie on them and put on a toasted croissant (you'll have to break the dog in half  so it fits better on the crescent shape)Vegans can also enjoy this treat by using the Morningstar Brands veggie dogs and their fake bacon. In order to get it pliable and bend-y just microwave the soy strips thirty seconds less . If you want crunch then microwave it according to directions and just crumple it on the dog. You can also have a dairy free cheese dog too. There are several brands of vegan cheese that can top your hot dogs. One of the best is Ciao, This is a buttery tasting faux fromage that would off set the vegetarian dog's saltiness.

Chili and hot dogs are meant for each other. A pot of homemade chili would go well with grilled dogs. If you have to spend more time at the barbecue then just make it in a crockpot. In fact it will be better because the slow cooking time allows for the spices and chilis to mellow .If there's no time, then buy a can of chili. Again, vegans can also enjoy this taste, thanks to vegetarian meatless sort. Put as much as you want on your dogs. Some famed hot dog hang outs like Rutt's Hut in Clifton New Jersey also puts onions in their chili sauce. You can do this for both the homemade and canned chili. Just add a small chopped  white onion to the chili and cook up.Since  hot dogs are essentially German, think about adding sauerkraut as a topper. The homemade is popular right now , thanks to foodies and hipsters jumping on the fermented food bandwagon. It's just taking shredded cabbage, pounding it to extract the juice and brining it with salt and the juice for a few days.. This is much more flavorful than the canned kind however if you don;t have the time, use the store bought.Zing it up with some freshly ground pepper. Of course relish is a must.If you''re ambitious think about making it. Relish is a mix of red and green peppers  mixed with cucumbers and onions. These are then cooked with a brine and a paste made with granulated sugar, cornstarch and vinegar. Everything is poured into pickling jars to ferment,

Think of your hot and veggie dogs as blank canvasses. Add bacon or relish, cheese or sauerkraut or combine these to create a unique flavor. Be creative and come up with a new kind of hot dog.

A Diet Updated

Can we change the way we eat with relaxation and meditation? Is it possible to make for compulsive eaters to overcome binging? A diet book claims it can. Yet can it?

That's the premise of  Dr. Nancy L. Bryan's newest book, an updated version of  Thin Is A State Of Mind:The No Stress Weight Loss Guide (CompCare Publishers 1980). The book was first published in the beginning of the 1980's so some of the phrases and ideology are dated. To be honest the first twelve chapters were like gobbleydegook . The only chapter that actually made sense started very late in the book, at Chapter 13.The author goes on about biofeedback and cybernetics which for some over eaters does make sense. She uses a lot of her own experiences along with her own behavioral modification  to transform from fat to thin. The problem is that each person is unique - what may work for one dieter may not work for another.  Then what? The book also has some antiquated ideas about loving and hating oneself which, again to be honest, would not really fit a millennial's self view. Dr. Bryan writes a lot about hating oneself  - about hating the clothes fat people would wear and how that affects an over eater's personality . However , thanks to more acceptance , especially in modelling and magazines, plus sized women are embraced.  The only bonus in the first twelve chapters is that she does recommend that dieters treat themselves to other indulgences such as manicures or clothe shopping - anything that give the spirit a boost.

As I've written earlier, the real crux of the book starts at Chapter 13. Here, Dr. Bryan  explains about  abnormal metabolisms along with ergotropic and trophotopic metabolic pathways. There is also mention of cell nourishment which is crucial to losing weight. She explains the Pritikin and Atkins diet and a hybrid of the two. The South Beach Diet. It was created by cardiologist Dr.Agatston in 2003 and it focuses upon regulating metabolism. What would be better for readers, however, is a complete list of foods they can eat as well as including some recipes. If anything , readers will either sign up at the South Beach Diet website or buy the cookbook. Nutritional guide charts  should have been included as well. Dieters want to know what foods to eat right off the bat . Also how to they curb cravings?That should have been expressed in more detail as well along with how to switch bad for you foods with better choices. It's one thing for a dieter picking up this book and  reading how to deal with eating, it's more important that they have some kind of template to plan their meals and snacks.

Thin Is A State Of Mind The No Stress Weight Loss Guide may be right for some compulsive eaters.A better suggestion would be reading the book and also reading any book connected to The South beach Diet. Together they may prove to be the solution to losing weight and eating healthy.

Summer's Best Part Two

Yesterday the New York Times Food section published the best of summer foods. The sections main writers  from Sam Sifton to Julia Moskin weighed in on what was summer's best. We covered the best fruits  - watermelon rules - as always along with the best fries - surprisingly McDonald's Today the rest of the list is dissected and commented on. What's the best hot dogs, road trip foods ice cream and veggies? Find out here.

Sam Sifton covered hot dogs and sausages. His is an international list  that ranges from the North African merguez, spiked with harissa and cumin to the back yard friendly bratwurst. Also on his list summer sausage and andouille, rounded out by the German weisswurst and Latin America's morcilla. As for hot dogs, themselves, he really doesn't have a favorite or recommendation. I would say for the real kind  try Nathan's and for veggies dogs, always go with Morningstar Farms which tastes like the real thing, especially when grilled. Ligaya Mishan brings the healthy to the list with veggies. except there are only two choices - tomatoes and corn. These are the harvest of summer, and they're versatile Tomatoes can be the juicy , ripe middle of a mayo slathered sandwich or a key component in salsa crudo. Corn too, can be just as multitasking. It can be the base of chowders and salads. Unlike tomatoes, as Ms. Mishan's daughter pointed out , the ears bring people together Families gather to shuck the corns, removing the husks as strands of corn silk drift down to the floor.  Corn is also communal with people stretching across the table to roll their right from the grill corn in butter.Are there other summer veggies? Yes, carrots and radishes, both as versatile  but notably not popular.

Then there are the road trip snacks, Times regular contributor , Kim Severson gives her list. There is the roller hot dog which is a hot dog warmed on those descending rollers (I wonder what Sam Sifton thinks of them) Corn nuts and those Combos, cheese stuffed pretzel nuggets are also up there. There's also the bad for you stuff like beef jerky and pork rinds. These should be the locally made kind, she advises. The same goes for potato chips.She recommends the lard fried Gibble's from Pennsylvania and Alabama's Golden Flake  Her number one? The surprising choice of Mexican Coke. It's made with cane sugar  which gives it an old fashioned flavor. What would go with it? Ice cream! Tejal Rao gives her selections for summer's best. Hers are pretty straightforward. There is the classic Good Humor strawberry shortcake,It's a marriage of artificial strawberry and cake crumbs. - although to be honest Good Humor's Chocolate Eclair bar is twice as good. There's also the firecracker popsicle, a patriotic tribute of food coloring and fructose vying with the ultra classic Fudgesicle. Klondike Mint Chocolate Chip  Ice cream Bar along with Good Humor Giant Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich are also mentioned. Her number one is the Chipwich sandwich a mouthful of sweet ice cream and cookie, mine would have been her number five - Nestle Drumstick Little Drums With Choclately Swirls, simply because it had that nib of chocolate in the cone to prevent drips. It's always a fun surprise.

Are these the best of summer foods?Or are there better ones. It's up to you. What are your choices for the best  of summer foods? Rippers from the local hot dog stand? Cotton candy and shaved ice, form your boardwalk/ Or homemade ice cream from your favorite creamery? Don;t be afraid to share.