Most of the country is undergoing big snows right now. That means staying in for a day. It also means boredom setting in after the the third TV binge or game marathon.It's a good time to have a one day kitchen project. Whatever you choose will be productive and more satisfying than fighting over the remote.
A snow day is a good time to take stock of what's in your pantry or fridge. You probably have stocked up on the basics - milk eggs, and bread. Yet what about the other stuff you bought and forgot about? Is there really a call for all those sardines? Or pickled onions. If they're way past their expiration date, then toss. If not start looking for recipes featuring them. What about all that flour and sugar left over from Christmas baking? They're still good with flour lasting ten months to a year and sugar lasting a year or more. Consider it a sign to use both up for Valentine's Day cookies, cakes or cupcakes. Those cans of beans and veggies?If you have to make room then create a soup with them.They can also make good sides for the dinner in. Once the pantry is done it's time to root around the fridge and freezer.Get rid of the ice cream and popsicles from last summer. They should have been tossed back in September anyway. As for the fridge. clean out those plastic canisters holding a mouthful of last week's mashed potatoes or spaghetti. Wash shelves too, They can get sticky or cruddy from food being spilled and splattered from drippy containers .
Another kitchen project is sorting through drawers and shelves, taking inventory of plates, cups and utensils. Plates and bowls do wear out. If you feel that your set has served its' purpose then, toss. You can even go the Marie Kondo route and thank them for their service. It'll be fun shopping for a new set whether in the store or online. The same idea goes for cups and glasses along with mugs. If there are chips or cracks then get rid of them. An uneven rim could lead to a cut lip Cracked glasses can be repurposed as containers for make up brushes and pencils. Tumblers can be relocated to the bathroom where they can serve as containers for smaller dental floss boxes and Q-Tips. A snowy day in also means time to sort through the cutlery. Check the handles of any and all silverware. If they're loose then consider a new set. Again Kohl's and Target are having great sales and sets have been greatly reduced in price.As for all those plastic knives and forks from takeout. You can reuse them for school and office lunches. Just remember that plastic can weaken over time and can break. Throw away any crack or broken ones.
A snowy day means a day in. Reorganize your kitchen , pantry and fridge.It's a nice way to pass time and in the end have the joy of a clean room.
Monday, February 11, 2019
Saturday, February 9, 2019
The Perfect Panko Crumb
Pereg has always been known for their variety of spices. Now they've expanded into bread crumbs.As with their other products, the panko crumbs are perfect for breading.
I decided to tr it on what else? Cauliflower. It was first parboiled,
I decided to tr it on what else? Cauliflower. It was first parboiled,
It was then shocked in an ice water bath. while it was chilling - literally - I made the batter.It was the usual half cup water, half cup almond milk and three quarters of a cup of flour. I also added a good dash of both onion and garlic powders.
These are onion and garlic powder.Then it was on the a dredge in the panko crumbs.
I decided to try the whole wheat.
This is precooked.
And afterwards. The crumbs stuck on rather nicely.
The florets were crunchy and browned. I think in the future I'll try an egg wash before dredging. I also tried the sweet chili flavor too which added zing to the florets.
If you want a good crust on anything, then try Pereg's Panko breadcrumbs. They're the perfect coating to veggies, fish or meats. Try them and taste their crunchy goodness.
Friday, February 8, 2019
B Smith A Culinary Legend And Hero
Chef and hero usually are not used in the same sentence but that is how Barbara B Smith can be described as. This ground breaking and legendary chef has been dealing with Alzheimer's disease for the past few years. Her recipe books from twenty years ago are still as relevant and fresh as they were then.
I became aware of the story from this week's People Magazine. They ran the story of her and her husband's controversial relationship with another chef. See beyond that and what B.Smith contributions to to the cooking world. Barbara Smith was a top model in the Seventies, gracing Mademoiselle , Ebony and Essence Magazines. Later she was the face of Oil Of Olay, and at the same time creating amazing dishes and running much loved restaurants. She learned from her mother and grandmother in the kitchen of their Everson, PA home . As for running a restaurant, it was gut instinct - not a business degree that propelled her.She was the first black woman to sit on the board of The Culinary Institute of America or the CIA. There was even going to be a TV show much in the style of Martha Stewart Living. Ms. Smith was really a prototype for today's super models who go off into various businesses after they tire of the catwalk.
Chef Smith's cookbooks can be found on Amazon. There is B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends (Artisan Publishers 1995) which has party plans for all sorts of gathering from picnics on the beach to Kwanzaa/ holiday dinners. It can definitely be used today as a template for all sorts of dinners and dos. Four years later she wrote Rituals And Celebrations which incorporates African-American celebrations such as a Juneteenth celebration and a bid whist card party. There are recipes for a Thanksgiving jerked roast turkey and a Christmas fondue party. There is also B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style (Scribner Publishing 2009) has a plethora of good Southern recipes that can be recreated in any kitchen. There is the spicy Kentucky Burgoo, Frogmore Stew, a kind of South Carolingian jambalaya and Bananas Foster, a New Orleans dessert staple. Any of her books should be in a home chef's cookbook library.
Illness may have clouded B Smith's life, but it didn't diminish her legacy. Her recipes shine bright and will shine bright for decades to come. She will always be a trailblazer in American cooking.
I became aware of the story from this week's People Magazine. They ran the story of her and her husband's controversial relationship with another chef. See beyond that and what B.Smith contributions to to the cooking world. Barbara Smith was a top model in the Seventies, gracing Mademoiselle , Ebony and Essence Magazines. Later she was the face of Oil Of Olay, and at the same time creating amazing dishes and running much loved restaurants. She learned from her mother and grandmother in the kitchen of their Everson, PA home . As for running a restaurant, it was gut instinct - not a business degree that propelled her.She was the first black woman to sit on the board of The Culinary Institute of America or the CIA. There was even going to be a TV show much in the style of Martha Stewart Living. Ms. Smith was really a prototype for today's super models who go off into various businesses after they tire of the catwalk.
Chef Smith's cookbooks can be found on Amazon. There is B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends (Artisan Publishers 1995) which has party plans for all sorts of gathering from picnics on the beach to Kwanzaa/ holiday dinners. It can definitely be used today as a template for all sorts of dinners and dos. Four years later she wrote Rituals And Celebrations which incorporates African-American celebrations such as a Juneteenth celebration and a bid whist card party. There are recipes for a Thanksgiving jerked roast turkey and a Christmas fondue party. There is also B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style (Scribner Publishing 2009) has a plethora of good Southern recipes that can be recreated in any kitchen. There is the spicy Kentucky Burgoo, Frogmore Stew, a kind of South Carolingian jambalaya and Bananas Foster, a New Orleans dessert staple. Any of her books should be in a home chef's cookbook library.
Illness may have clouded B Smith's life, but it didn't diminish her legacy. Her recipes shine bright and will shine bright for decades to come. She will always be a trailblazer in American cooking.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Treats From Traverse City
One of my wish vacation destinations is Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The northern part of the mitten is full of pristine beaches and charming towns. it also has the soil and climate for growing amazing and abundant cherry trees. One town, the picturesque Glen Arbor, is home to Cherry Republic - a store that sells everything cherry. I had to try it. I' love the fruit and its' addictive tart taste.
Cherry Republic was started in 1989 and has an entire range of cherry-centric foods . There's salsa and chocolates, jams jellies and cookies that have the yummy mix of chocolate and cherry. I had to buy their juice.
Cherry Republic was started in 1989 and has an entire range of cherry-centric foods . There's salsa and chocolates, jams jellies and cookies that have the yummy mix of chocolate and cherry. I had to buy their juice.
This is tart and fruity, with a cinnamon-y aftertaste.I mixed it with Bubly's cranberry seltzer for a refreshing and not too sweet drink. It was delicious - a nice change from the usual too sweet juices I usually drink. I can see this being mixed with Prosecco or vodka for a cool spin on classic cocktails. I also love the dispenser where you press down on the little orange paddles and the juice runs out.
There is also their cherry jelly and dark chocolate cherries and nuts mix.
The jelly was delicious - not too sweet and perfect on the croissant. I plan on using it as crepe filling as well on brioche bread. The mix ii absolutely tasty Almonds, cashews and dried cherries
are coated in a dense dark chocolate robe. These are the perfect sweet snack or even a dessert. I plan on buying their milk chocolate version along with their Boomchunka oatmeal-cherry cookies.
One day I will visit Michigan's Upper Peninsula and my first stop with be Cherry Republic. I will have to try everything they have from salsa to jam.Between the beaches and it , will be the best vacation ever.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Foods Of Peace And Palestine
Palestine is and always has been an area fraught with tension and hate. The one thing that relieves the constant fighting and afterwards fragile truces. is the food. It is a cuisine full of fire and sweetness, full of ancient recipes and flavors. Now there's a new cookbook celebrating it.
Regular contributor , Mayukh Sen, wrote about Yasmin Khan' latest book,Zaitoun :Recipes From The Palestinian Kitchen (W.W. Norton and Company Publishers 2019) in today's New York Times Food section. The book almost never happened. Ms. Khan developed a block. Images of the Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza kept haunting her. Thankfully Anthony Bourdain's daring attitude towards food inspired and impelled her to soldier through. She gave herself pep talks too, self advising to not make it pretty or sanitize. See the area for what it is. It helped her and reinforced her love for this strife riddled land. Ms. Khan fell in love with the food when she found herself there a decade ago, working on human rights with the group, War On Wants, a British charity focused on an anti poverty initiative. The days there were distressing, due to the constant presence of armed military . Food soothed the anxiety. Fresh made hummus and baklava eaten in little cafes at sunset helped to alleviate those frenzied feelings. The work burned her out and three years ago turned to food . Her first cookbook, The Saffron Tales, featuring recipes from her mother's Iranian background was published.
The new book reflects all the different aspects of Palestinian cooking. It's divided into three different categories.There is the bread and meat based cooking of the West Bank which includes East Jerusalem and extends to the River Jordan. There is also the food of Galilee and Nazareth that resembles Levantine cuisine with its' tabbouleh salad and spiced ground kibbeh. Then there is the cooking of the Gaza Strip, a dense patch bordering Egypt.It is largely fish based and fiery. One of that area's most treasured dishes is zibdiyit gambari , a tomato stew rife with jalapenos and shrimp , cooked in a clay pot. That recipe and others are included in the article. Cauliflower is popular there, so there is a roasted cauliflower soup, spiked with cumin and cauliflower along with turmeric.Chicken is also big in Palestinian cooking and there is a recipe for it ,mussakhan, cooked with sumac and onions, Again, spices figure prominently in it as well,namely cumin caraway and the surprising allspice.
Palestinian food is comfort food to many. It was to Yasmin Khan who created a cookbook to celebrate her love for it. It is a lovely tribute to a land where food means everything amidst the strife.
Regular contributor , Mayukh Sen, wrote about Yasmin Khan' latest book,Zaitoun :Recipes From The Palestinian Kitchen (W.W. Norton and Company Publishers 2019) in today's New York Times Food section. The book almost never happened. Ms. Khan developed a block. Images of the Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza kept haunting her. Thankfully Anthony Bourdain's daring attitude towards food inspired and impelled her to soldier through. She gave herself pep talks too, self advising to not make it pretty or sanitize. See the area for what it is. It helped her and reinforced her love for this strife riddled land. Ms. Khan fell in love with the food when she found herself there a decade ago, working on human rights with the group, War On Wants, a British charity focused on an anti poverty initiative. The days there were distressing, due to the constant presence of armed military . Food soothed the anxiety. Fresh made hummus and baklava eaten in little cafes at sunset helped to alleviate those frenzied feelings. The work burned her out and three years ago turned to food . Her first cookbook, The Saffron Tales, featuring recipes from her mother's Iranian background was published.
The new book reflects all the different aspects of Palestinian cooking. It's divided into three different categories.There is the bread and meat based cooking of the West Bank which includes East Jerusalem and extends to the River Jordan. There is also the food of Galilee and Nazareth that resembles Levantine cuisine with its' tabbouleh salad and spiced ground kibbeh. Then there is the cooking of the Gaza Strip, a dense patch bordering Egypt.It is largely fish based and fiery. One of that area's most treasured dishes is zibdiyit gambari , a tomato stew rife with jalapenos and shrimp , cooked in a clay pot. That recipe and others are included in the article. Cauliflower is popular there, so there is a roasted cauliflower soup, spiked with cumin and cauliflower along with turmeric.Chicken is also big in Palestinian cooking and there is a recipe for it ,mussakhan, cooked with sumac and onions, Again, spices figure prominently in it as well,namely cumin caraway and the surprising allspice.
Palestinian food is comfort food to many. It was to Yasmin Khan who created a cookbook to celebrate her love for it. It is a lovely tribute to a land where food means everything amidst the strife.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
The Pet Parent Diet Challenge
Today's New York Times Science Times had an eye opening article. Regular contributor Jane Brody wrote about the dark side of pet treats. Like us ,with our cookies and chips , our fur babies crave them. Like our cookies and chips, they create a wide range of health problems if eaten too much.
What can we do? Join our furry babies on diets towards better health. As Ms. Brody points out , our cats and dogs don't open the treat jar or bag themselves. We do it.We see it as an act of love and affection. Pet parents - including myself - don't think about the calories involved in giving a handful of snacks. We just want to make them happy. Dr. Deborah Linder, who head the Tufts Obesity clinic for Animals Nutrition Service suggests other ways of showing them how much they mean to us. (and this idea can also apply to friends and family too). Getting them to move and lavishing them with attention instead of with goodies is the best way to a weight healthy cat or dog. Cats love to play - so have plenty of toys for them. Those lattice rolly balls - keep them engaged for hours . I always have a lot for my lot since they wind up underfoot - not unlike Legos - and get crushed. Straws are fun toys as are aluminum foil balls. Dogs also love play .Go outside , Both of you can get some fresh air as you play fetch or tug of war. Both pet parent and fur baby can lose the fat running around. Belly rubs and snuggles also are great sub ins for treats.
It's usually the overweight pet parents that have the overweight cats and dogs. Here's a challenge. Can both lose weight by eating healthy and being active?We too need to get rid of those fat rich foods and pare down what we ingest. The unusually cold weather has made most of us cook calorie rich meals, roasts surrounded by gravy and potatoes along with icing rich cakes . We stay in , we have our hot chocolate with a shot of whipped cream as we read or play with our tablets. It's too frigid to go out - wait til the warmer weather. Yet that also means less activity - less chance of burning off all those calories we've consumed.It can be hard. Sometimes humans, dogs and cats have the same eating habits. Dogs over eat.So do we. Cats graze all day. So do we. With dogs it's better to practice portion control. Feed at the lower end of feeding recommendations that are printed on every can and bag of dog food. It also helps to limit table scraps too. As for cats, they are grazers which means they eat whenever they feel like it. That means three or four bowls are left out for them to taste and eat.They can be fed with a timed feeder although most cat parents will tell you when a cat wants something, they will go to great lengths to get it. The best bet is ask your vet for a prescription for a low calorie food and limit the treats to once in a very great while. Divert them with snuggles and playtime also helps too.
Can you and your fur baby lose the weight? Let's see if you can. Write or better yet send pictures of you and yours before the weight loss and after.
What can we do? Join our furry babies on diets towards better health. As Ms. Brody points out , our cats and dogs don't open the treat jar or bag themselves. We do it.We see it as an act of love and affection. Pet parents - including myself - don't think about the calories involved in giving a handful of snacks. We just want to make them happy. Dr. Deborah Linder, who head the Tufts Obesity clinic for Animals Nutrition Service suggests other ways of showing them how much they mean to us. (and this idea can also apply to friends and family too). Getting them to move and lavishing them with attention instead of with goodies is the best way to a weight healthy cat or dog. Cats love to play - so have plenty of toys for them. Those lattice rolly balls - keep them engaged for hours . I always have a lot for my lot since they wind up underfoot - not unlike Legos - and get crushed. Straws are fun toys as are aluminum foil balls. Dogs also love play .Go outside , Both of you can get some fresh air as you play fetch or tug of war. Both pet parent and fur baby can lose the fat running around. Belly rubs and snuggles also are great sub ins for treats.
It's usually the overweight pet parents that have the overweight cats and dogs. Here's a challenge. Can both lose weight by eating healthy and being active?We too need to get rid of those fat rich foods and pare down what we ingest. The unusually cold weather has made most of us cook calorie rich meals, roasts surrounded by gravy and potatoes along with icing rich cakes . We stay in , we have our hot chocolate with a shot of whipped cream as we read or play with our tablets. It's too frigid to go out - wait til the warmer weather. Yet that also means less activity - less chance of burning off all those calories we've consumed.It can be hard. Sometimes humans, dogs and cats have the same eating habits. Dogs over eat.So do we. Cats graze all day. So do we. With dogs it's better to practice portion control. Feed at the lower end of feeding recommendations that are printed on every can and bag of dog food. It also helps to limit table scraps too. As for cats, they are grazers which means they eat whenever they feel like it. That means three or four bowls are left out for them to taste and eat.They can be fed with a timed feeder although most cat parents will tell you when a cat wants something, they will go to great lengths to get it. The best bet is ask your vet for a prescription for a low calorie food and limit the treats to once in a very great while. Divert them with snuggles and playtime also helps too.
Can you and your fur baby lose the weight? Let's see if you can. Write or better yet send pictures of you and yours before the weight loss and after.
Monday, February 4, 2019
A Crunchy Healthy Cauliflower
One of my favorite recipes is my Mom's fried cauliflower. This was always a treat because of the earthy sweet taste of the florets and that delectable fried crunch, thanks to the breadcrumbs. Unfortunately all that frying and the veggie's gas inducing qualities usually made for a pretty wild ride afterwards. I decided to try the air fry method with my new favorite appliance - my Power Air Fryer.
I found a recipe on line that I adapted to what I had in the kitchen, I used a medium sized cauliflower from Stop & Shop's organic Nature's Way. You don;t have to parboil it but it does help in creating a tender middle in the florets. It also makes it easier to pull apart.
Parboiling just takes five minutes .Boil water and put stripped cauliflower in the water.
After, to stop it from overcooking, plunge into an ice bath.
I added two ice trays worth of ice cubes to "shock" the cauliflower. This stops it from cooking more from the residual heat.
Now it's onto breading. I used a recipe from The Foodie Eats site./It's half a cup of water,1/2 cup of almond milk and 1/3 cup flour. I added two and a half teaspoons of Pereg's savory halwaij spice mix.
This is a traditional Yemeni spice that will be competing with the already trendy za'atar spice mix.
The floret looked a bit anemic so I decided to do a double dip. First a dip in the wet batter then dredging in a mix of halaij, flour , salt and pepper.
As you can see, it's a messy,messy job. Be prepared to get your fingers batter dipped too.
Now for air frying.
Set it at 350 F
For fifteen minutes.
This is the finished product. It's not as good with as my Mom's breaded and fried version. Thanks to the halaij it had an Indian curry vibe . The spice contains turmeric which gave the florets that nice golden glow. It had the sufficient crunch. I would make it a bit differently - possibly with onion powder and definitely more salt and pepper. The next time will be with panko crumbs.The most noticeable change is that I didn't have any stomach problems afterwards.
If you want a healthier fried cauliflower, this is the recipe for you. You can add a dipping sauce or just eat the florets plain.It's a different spin on my family's classic.
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