New Year New Meatless Attitude

A new year - and a new decade  - means different and healthier recipe options. This is definitely the year to go meatless and dairyless  to help yourself and the planet. If you're hesitant, think twice. There are some really good meatless recipes  - seriously - that'll help you transition.

Melissa Clark gave a slew of them in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Her drive to help the planet actually started back in the Spring when fellow colleague Julia Moskin teamed up with Brad Plumer from The New York Times Climate desk to report on how our current food system is contributing to climate change. The results were crystal clear and deeply disturbing to her. Meat and dairy production contribute to a staggering 14.5 percent of the world's greenhouse emissions. It's  as much as all the cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined!!! Ms. Clark has tried to lessen her carbon footprint by shopping at farmer's markets and choosing ethically raised meats. She stays away from most processed foods. Yet this isn't enough.She gives us several good suggestions. One is eat more beans.There is enough varieties out there to have an interesting and varied diet. Also eat more grains, including pasta. Go the vegan route and add more tofu to your recipes. Eat more seeds and grains too.Another must? Go to plant based "meats". These are not only good for you but delicious. Also appreciate when you do cook meat. Add some turkey sausage to spinach salad, Ms. Clark suggests, or have a good concentrated bone broth. Salami and prosciutto can add a salty unami flavor to braised veggies.

What of the veggie dishes themselves? Ms. Clark gives us a mushroom bourguignon, made with two pounds of mixed mushrooms . You can use  cremini, portobello, white button, shiitake and /or oyster types mixed with leeks and onions. Like it's beefy cousin, there is red wine and tomato paste along with thyme. Soy or tamari sauce is added for more flavor. You can serve this over polenta but also pasta or mashed potatoes for a hearty , wintry dish. Another tasty one is a riff on Indian butter chicken - Indian butter chickpeas.It's a spicy , buttery blend of the classic dish, rich with cinnamon, cumin, paprika and garam masala. If you're craving just the tiniest bit of meat then try the maple roasted tofu with butternut squash and bacon.It's a sweet, salty, spicy  sheet pan dinner that a delicious blend of texture and flavors.  There's also black bean tacos with avocado and onions,a sure way to convert those meat lovers to vegan dishes. A healthy and tasty dinner, even perfect for one is the quinoa bowl with crispy Brussels sprouts, eggplant and tahini, The veggies are roasted and added to the grains. A really fun dish is the meatless meatballs made with Beyond Meat and all the traditional meatball ingredients like, garlic, chopped parsley and breadcrumbs. Forget the pasta, Serve these with sauce on hero loaves for a tasty sandwich or with a slice of crusty and oiled Italian bread.

Make this year you save the planet. Decrease your meat and cheese intake. Try these vegan and vegetarian recipes and enjoy. You'll wonder why you ate beef and cheese in the first place.

The New York Times Food Section Predicts

A new year means new predictions. The  New York Times food section has theirs today for the year ahead. Will they be right? Do they have a thumb on the pulse of what America and New Yorkers want to eat?

My predictions yesterday were off compared to the ones Food section regular contributor , Kim Severson , had. She predicts that Japanese food will be the hot cuisine of choice. This is due to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a rise in travel to Japan. Japanese toast is already , made from pan de mie,becoming popular. India also will be on the culinary radar too, namely the spicy Keralan cuisine from southwest India. This is a cuisine heavy on the spices along with being rich with coconut, rice and fish. West Africa, Laos and Vietnam will also be popular too. I thought for sure it would be more Middle Eastern, but maybe that's been played out already. However Ms. Severson also predicts generational cooking where young chefs will be influenced by their immigrant parents and grandparents. New dishes and family recipes, which may include some Middle Eastern recipes and spices.

There is even a predicted color of the year : blue and its' deeper variation indigo.Butterfly pea powder, which could be the new matcha is showing up in moon milk, a sleep remedy based on Ayurvedic recipes.Ube, a purple root vegetable and orach, mountain spinach , a purply cabbage like veggie will also be the stars of this year's tables.. Ms. Severson and I do agree on sustainability. She predicts that restaurants and food producers are and will be doubling down on earth friendly ingredients and practices. Vegan dishes and meat alternatives will show up on more menus. It's what I wrote yesterday about more home chefs will be offering their families Beyond Burgers and other plant based "meats". Also I think more fast food chains such as Wendy's Taco Bell and possibly Chipotle may switch over to Beyond Beef. Ms. Severson also foretells that finer dining places will also offer faux bouef. There will also be a rise in regenerative plants such as chickpeas and buckwheat which farmers use to regain soil between harvests. Also look for more biodegradable utensils from fast food places.

These are just some of the predictions for the upcoming year. There may be something new that arises that wasn't on the culinary radar. Guaranteed this year will be  a year full of interesting tastes .

2020 Trends

Now that a new year - and new decade is about to start people have started to wonder what will be the trends? Will we give up meat entirely? Will global warming affect our diets? What will be the latest gadget? The latest must have foods?

To be honest it's hard to predict what this decade will bring. It will possibly have something to do with climate change and us being more aware of our carbon footprint. We may be embracing more local farming by 2025 and much more locavore dining. Seasonally grown foods such as cabbage and potatoes in the winter and tomatoes and squash in the summer may replace us buying avocados and apples in January and cauliflower in July. Amazon may play a part in how we food shop and eat. There's supposedly talk and plans from the company itself that it will build big box stores throughout the US. As we all know you can buy almost anything on the site. An Amazon store will probably do the same. That means we can buy clotted cream from the United Kingdom and rice noodles from China in the store. It also means we can hopefully choose from a plethora of cooking and baking items and gadgets,Hopefully this doesn't mean the end of such local groceries like Piggly Wiggly and Stop & Shop.

As for the upcoming trends, I think more and more fast food chains like Wendy's and Mc Donald's follow in Burger King's footsteps and sell Beyond Meat, Beyond Burgers and Impossible Burgers. It's been successful for them as it has for Dunkin (formerly Dunkin Donuts),and KFC bringing in more customers and dollars.This may spread to college and university cafeterias as more and more students turn vegan or go vegetarian.Will high schools and grammar schools adopt this trend?Maybe in Canada and Europe. I can't see it happening it here until the end of the decade.More households may try either the Beyond Meat or Impossible Burgers for a healthier , greener lifestyle.Will international trends impact how we eat in this new year? Foodies have run the gamut internationally, from Nouvelle Scandinavian where moose and lingenberries were served over lichen to Vietnamese pho with American add ins like pepperoni and sliced hot dogs. Maybe there will be a trend towards Latin American food? Or possibly more Mediterranean foods. This was the decade of za'atar, the lovely mix of green spices and harissa, the spicy blend from North Africa.

What will these Roaring Twenties bring to the table? Will they bring us more sustainable foods? Or more home grown? We shall only see.

A Quiet New Year's In

New Year's,especially this one, is a time to celebrate. How to ring in not just a New Year but a new decade? With a quiet night at home. Somehow it's just better than getting all gussied up and eating at a too fancy restaurant or at a too boozy party. Home is where the celebrating begins.

You can just serve hors d'ouevres or appetizers or go for a full on sit down dinner. The thing is to make both choices easy and fun. For hors d'ouevres , think about buying the trays of mini  spinach pies or mini quiches.Another idea is creating flatbread rounds tops with bruschetta and shredded mozzarella. Top it with pepperoni and olives, anchovies and sliced peppers. A charcuterie board is another fun option .Everyone can create their own sandwiches. Go to your local deli counter. Order ham , prosciutto, mortadella and salami. If you want you could add in slices of turkey and chicken, and possibly some tuna in olive oil for a more Mediterranean vibe. Also have slices of hard cheese as well as some gooey soft ones. Think slices of smoky Gouda and sharp cheddar with gooey Brie and Camenberts. As for breads, you can't go wrong with a few crusty baguettes , sourdough boules and shiny rye loaves. Pumpernickel would go well here too.Add some pickles and olives for nibbles. As for drinks - champagne and hard cider are your best bets. You could also have white and red wines too for those who prefer it.

As for  sit down dinners, fondue or bagna calda are fun ways to get together at a table. Fondue is an easy cook. It's a tasty mix of Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses with kirsch, a clear colorless brandy made with Morello cherries.If  this is too strong then use dry white wine. Cornstarch can be added to thicken it. Have plenty of crusty french bread cut into cubes for dipping. Again you can serve champagne with this for a festive flair. A Piedmontese treat - and something I grew up on is bagna calda. This is an infinitely delicious dish translated into hot bath starts out with melting olive oil and butter together along with garlic. Usually a tin or about twelve anchovies are added. You can add more if you want that rich unami flavor. We had always used Savoy cabbage which adds a sweetness and also chunks of semi broiled London Broil. The beef and the fish together are heavenly, especially if you put the pieces on Italian or French bread. Have more bread to sop up the sauce until there's nothing left. Another variation of this is fileto Piedmonese with bagna sauce topping steak served on buttered toast. This is an easy but tasty dinner party dish. Serve with a crisp salad and a good red wine.

The best New Year's Eve is a quiet one. Have it at home away from the maddening crowds. Serve up hors douevres or a hot dinner for a delicious, memorable evening.

Emergency Fridge

This is the time when colds and viruses hit. it can be debilitating, especially when either one comes on strong. You can't get out of bed. You barely can head into the kitchen and cook. This is the time for emergency stock ups. Have your kitchen ready when you can;t go to the store.

Two of the most important items to have are bouillon cubes and soups. These are the easiest to heat up and the easiest to get down. Plus there's nothing like hot liquid to soothe a sore throat. Another plus about bouillon cubes is that they can be used as the base for many heartier soups you can make. Bouillons are light and make a good snack too besides being for lunch or dinner. Add a few Saltines if you're up to it.It makes the cup more substantial and you won't feel so hungry afterwards. Any kind of soup is a good addition to your emergency stock up. Campbell's newest addition, Well Yes! has a wide variety of choices (this is my go to soup now), from tomato basil to roasted chicken with wild rice. These have a lovely homemade taste that's just comforting. What goes with soup? Crackers, Have plenty of Saltines on hand. These are tasty with a cup or even lightly spread with butter or peanut butter.Bread is another must have.A plain slice of toast is always welcomed when you're just coming back from a decreased appetite. Stick with loaves. Baguettes and rolls will become stale too quickly,

Another must have when you're sick is apple sauce. The pectin in it helps alleviate diarrhea and the sugars gives the body an energy boost. Make sure you have cinnamon to add to it. Bananas are another fruit that should be on hand. It replaces potassium lost from vomiting and diarrhea along with helping to strengthening the stomach lining. It's also an easy snack for the kids too. What else should you buy in case you get sick? Rice. It also calms the stomach if you have the flu.It's also one of the easiest foods your family can cook up and it can be used as a side for many dishes like stew. You may also want to buy frozen foods such as pizza and French bread pizza. It's a simple cook, one that even your tweens and teens can do. You can also have easy to saute foods such as chicken breasts or flank steaks, along with such versatile veggies as tomatoes and peppers. These last can be  cut, diced, and sliced and added into a variety of different dishes. Since you'll be feeling dehydrated along with just having a dry throat , get your favorite juices along with cola. The last really does help with upset stomachs and can settle any disturbances It also is just good as a semi frozen slushie when your throat feels extra sore. Teas are a must too. Stock up on your favorite blends. You will be drinking a lot of cups of them.

Don't be stuck with an empty fridge when you're sick. Stock up beforehand on the basics that you and your family will need. That way you can stay in bed and nurse  a bad cold, flu or sore throat.

Breakfast Treats

The holidays are still with it and with them, long lazy breakfasts with the family. what better to celebrate this time together with a fun and tasty breakfast dish. Savory or sweet, it's a nice relaxed way to gather with the family.

Melissa Clark knows this and featured tasty breakfast dishes in her Christmas Day A Good Appetite Column  in The New York Times Wednesday Food section. These recipes are perfect for any winter weekend or for a New Year's brunch. There are savory and sweet along with a side that could even see its' way to dessert with a light supper. What is great about all of them is that they're simple enough to put together, especially if you're still fuzzy minded from the night before. The one that intrigues me the most is her take on oatmeal. She turns it into an oatmeal lace cookie with six tablespoons of butter sauteing the oats. Cardamon and cinnamon are added for spice  and then water, heavy cream and salt. This luscious combination is then baked for forty minutes. There's some stirring and more butter (!) is dotted on before baking for another fifteen to twenty minutes.You could serve it with more cream (yes!) and crunchy sugar. Guaranteed, there will not be any leftovers.

Another show stopper is a savory Dutch baby. Usually these giant popovers are sweet, being made with apples and cinnamon. Ms. Clark goes the savory route here. Bacon and Camembert flavor it , a perfect combination. There's also chives and Parmesan for more flavor boost.Many home chefs may have reservations about making the Dutch baby, because it's all about the puffy presentation. Yet it's an easy make with this savory pancake being baked in a skillet. Another savory dish, that could even work for lunch.It's baked eggs with creme fraiche and smoked salmon. It's the classic  two baked eggs in buttered rameklns with the cooked creme fraiche poured over them. The creme fraiche is cooked first with shallots for flavor. Smoked salmon and dill tops off each cup. With these savory dishes Ms. Clark offers a sweet-salty side of broiled grapefruit with flaky  sea salt and brown sugar. This is an easy cook,It's just sliced grapefruit sprinkled with brown sugar along with being drizzled with melted butter and honey. After a quick broil, serve with flaky sea salt. This would be a nice end to light lunch or dinner too.

Breakfasts during this holiday time should be rich and flavorful. It doesn't matter if they're savory or sweet, as long as they're delicious. Try making one or two for family and friends.

Carrying On Tradition

Traditions are what connect us to our ancestors and the essence of who we are. Culinary traditions are even more binding, tying us to the dishes our antecedents made. It is more so in the Japanese and Japanese-American communities. They not only revere their ancestors but carry on with ancient recipes.

Hannah Kirschner, the creator of Sweets And Bitters, a combination of blog and cookbook, wrote about the Sasaki family for yesterday's New York Times's Christmas Day Food issue. The Sasakis have been here for over a century, first arriving to the Seattle area in 1908.The city was a boomtown then , catering to young men looking to make a fortune< He only went back to Japan once  to acquire a bride,Hisaye, They raised four kids who carried on their traditions as well as taking lessons in the art of Japanese flower arranging - ikebana as well as taking Japanese lessons. Their lives were disrupted by  the interment camps of the Second World War. Everything related to their nationality was banned, especially the foods.It changed after the war when they could return to traditional foods , using the  laquered natsume, the wooden canisters used in tea ceremonies. Cousins have come over to use their grandmother's fans to cool the rice used in the dishes. For a while in the Nineties , the family stopped with the celebrations yet a cousin , Ron Sasaki, brought it back. He bakes a snapper or rock cod to symbolizing the return to the homeland . His father did the same thing for earlier family dinners

The New Year's foods are comforting as with the ozoni, or mochi soup. Mochi is a big thing right now. The Sasakis use the plain however, not the sweet usually associated with ice cream. There's also Japanese veggies such as mizuna, Japanese mustard greens and golf ball sized satoimo or taro root.Mirin , a kind of sweet rice wine is added along with yuzu the lemony Asian citrus. Chicken and kamaboko, a kind of steamed fish cake add the flavor too and protein. Rice is always present in Japanese cooking.Mochi rice, a more glutinous version is used in sekihan, red bean sticky rice. This dish is usually made the day before with adzuki,, a mung bean that sort of looks like a kidney bean. It is labor intensive with the rice having to be rinsed several times. The Sasakis also make Nishimi  dashi braised vegetables with chicken. This is a light stew that has all the best of Japanese veggies. There is daikon, the long , white radish used generously in Japanese cooking and kabocha squash. Shoyu, or Japanese soy sauce is used here for flavoring.

Culinary traditions define who we are. They have been defining the Sasaki family for 111 years. The dishes, lovingly made with the same ingredients their ancestors used, tell who the family is.