Keeping Diners Warm

This is not the season to eat outside , yet many restaurants have no choice but to offer it to during these pandemic days. It's the only way to bring in a few bucks. No it's not good, especially on snowy days but there is a solution - add a three season porch enclosure. It'll help in more ways than one.

I recently discovered 4 Track By DIY Porch Enclosures, in Mountainside , New Jersey. The company exclusively makes three season rooms for homes , however these can also be fitted over any eatery's outdoor deck or terrace to create protected space. What makes the enclosures unique is their vinyl memory film.

As you can see, it's a sturdy and unbreakable. It's not like a regular glass window enclosure where there could be possible breakage. This is really neat. Imagine eating outside on a windy day when there's all sorts of stuff flying around. Eating inside one of these enclosures ensures a meal where branches and leaves won't become part of the main course or dessert.  The vinyl memory film can be tinted as well, letting diners eat without any glare from bright sunlight.

One of the biggest pluses in installing one of these three season porch enclosures is that it ensures more space.  There's no worry of being seated close to anyone (hence the reason I eat outdoors). The new closed in space is perfect for bringing back those loyal customers who just don't want to eat outside or inside with groups of strangers. A few extra feet of space is all the difference between keeping the restaurant going or losing it for good. Another reason any restaurant should install a three season porch enclosure is that they can start having larger gatherings like showers and small parties. again. These are the backbone to any place because they bring in the most money. Install one of these three season porch enclosures and there will be bookings once again and a better cash flow. 

Restaurant owners , please consider calling 4 Track DIY Porch Enclosures at 908-228-9600 or contact at www.porchenclosuresdiy.com. They will make a world of difference in getting back on track and making more money. 

An Easier And Healthier Way To Cook

 Imagine cooking delicious and easy recipes with just five ingredients. You can, thanks to a new cookbook, 5 Ingredient Semi-Homemade Meals (Mango Publishing Company 2021) . This is a helpful way to eat better and also shop better. The book will help many  home chefs improve their lives and habits.

The book is written by husband and wife team Bobby and Dessi Parrish. They are the creators of the very popular Flav City videos on You Tube. There  they and their toddler daughter Rose teach fans how to shop correctly in stores such as Aldi and Costco and cook cleanly - that is without scary sounding preservatives and additives. The beginning of the book explicitly explains the difference between free range and farmed meats along with showing healthy pantry staples such as olive oil and grass fed ghee. The Parrishes also have a list of clean baking ingredients like grass fed butter and pure vanilla extract. They have also paired with Thrive, the sponsor for their six year old You Tube series. This is not your typical cookbook, There are testimonials about how the Parrishes changed  followers lives with their clean and easy cooking as well as non traditional chapters called  Happy Hour for bar nibbles and one for Dessi's Paleo Sweets -  which features  everything from immune boosting tea to sticky date pudding. Other chapters revolve around comfort food and carnivore style. There are also ones on seafood and one primarily featuring broths and soups.

The recipes are a wide range that are delicious, There's nothing diet about them. Breakfast lovers will enjoy the easy cook of Mini Meatball Breakfast Hash, made with only ground turkey,spinach , bell peppers and eggs . It's served on a bed of cauliflower rice for extra flavor and goodness. Busy parents will appreciate the no bake five ingredient cinnamon and cacao powder infused. granola and breakfast tacos bursting with eggs, bacon and avocados.  For an easy lunch or dinner there is the comfort food fried wild rice and chicken with homemade mirepoix, the mix of celery, red onion and carrots. Another comfort dish is the  cauliflower mac and cheese , a different spin on the classic casserole. Grilled Korean short ribs are another simple but flavor packed dish, enriched  by the spicy Korean chili sauce gochujang. Those who love bar nibbles will love the Parrishes' recipes for crispy pan cauliflower pizza and crispy baked chicken wings. along with a sugar free margarita recipe !! For those wanting something much simpler and cleaner there is nourishing beef bone broth featuring beef bones, celery, carrot and onions. The seafood too is a simple and good like  crunchy  shrimp tacos and salmon Cobb salad. Of course there are sweets, from date brownies and a dairy free berry panna cotta made with coconut cream.

If you want to eat and shop better then get 5 Ingredient Semi Home Cooked Meals. It's chock full of good ideas and good recipes. It's the first step in getting healthy.

A Basket Of Brownies

 One of the best baked goods to come out of any kitchen is a pan of brownies. Who doesn't love a square of chocolate decadence/ Yet can you make them lusher and richer? Yes! You can!

Melissa Clark knows this and gave us three variations on the treat in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Her recipes are true to her tastes - and they reflect ours as well. She has salted pretzel ones that brings in savory and crunch and ones that are an homage to the classic Mounds bar. Those have a well of coconut in the middle. Then there are her pecan pie brownies rife with the flavorful nut and the sweet filling that goes with it.  The salted pretzel brownies have the added surprise of a graham cracker and crushed pretzel crust underneath to also give them a cookie vibe. There's also the richness of one stick of butter added to this , giving the treat a nice buttery flavor too. The rest of the recipe is the classic brownie one, with processed Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips. A whole pretzel is placed  on top so each square gets a whole pretzel. You could sub in one of those buttery checkerboard ones for a fancier look or even sticks for a more rustic appeal.

The coconut macaroon ones have the added creaminess of condensed milk and egg white to create a homemade macaroon. These would be good on their own but they'll take the simple but delicious brownie to the next level. Ms. Clark makes the brownie batter first and then the coconut. A tablespoon of the last is put in what would be the middle of each square or four by four rows. Flaky sea salt such as Malden's is sprinkled on top and then the batter is baked for half an hour. The pecan pie brownie is another decadent treat. The top is true pecan pie filling with dark sugar and the nuts. Usually the filling has corn syrup added but Ms. Clark subs in a quarter cup honey and omits the egg. It is still rich with a stick of butter and two tablespoons of heavy cream. The topping then poured on top of the brownie batter and spread in an even layer. Again sea salt is scattered over it to give it a jolt of savory. It's then cut into squares. You could sub in walnuts which has always been a brownie add in. Another idea is grating eighty-five percent chocolate over all three to cut the sweetness and add to the decadence. All three would be a great dessert with a scoop of chocolate gelato or an afternoon snack with a big glass of milk.

Brownies are a treat unto themselves. However make them extra special with either a pretzel crust, a mound of coconut macaroon or a layer of pecan pie. It's taking them to the next layer of goodness.

Little Pop Ups Of Sweetness

 All it takes is creativity and flour. It seems out of work pastry chefs are making their dreams come true during these rough days by starting their own pop up bakeries. It's a great way not only to make money but get your product out to a sweet tooth hungry crowd.

Food section veteran Pete Wells wrote about this phenomena in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Pastry chefs have experienced hard times in the past few years. Restaurants have concentrated on serving a plethora of appetizers and main dishes on smaller plates. Diners are not enthusiastic when dessert comes, , ordering something simple like a shared panna cotta. It also doesn't help that these eateries are not creative or enthusiastic anymore either when it comes to desserts.Instagram is also to to blame here. It's lured talented pastry artists to create the next meme , like the Cronut. Yet there is still a need for pastry chefs and bakers to create interesting and delicious treats.Joy Cho realized this when a miniature Bundt cake pan caught her eye during a shopping trip with her mom to Williams -Sonoma. She bought it and the next day she was busy making up a sour cream batter . By February first she was taking orders for the mini Bundts. The initial batch of gem cakes sold out. People were picking them up at her home in Clinton Hill Brooklyn,

Other pop ups are arising.Kelly Miao who worked in the pastry departments at such top restaurants as Bar Boulud and Dominque Ansel Kitchen now gets creative. She bakes snack sized pound cake cubes called Kemi Cubes. These are about the size of an iced cube and are cloaked in vanilla and chocolate icings similar to black and white cookies. Boy Blue Coffee and Goods , run by Michael Davis offers mostly savory baked good like sourdough pretzels and everything but the bagel focaccia, which is a focaccis dotted with an everything bagel seasonings like poppy and sesame seeds , along with garlic and onion bits. He also sells sour dough bread kits with flour and starter included. Shuna Lydon runs Seabird bakery out of her Flatbush Brooklyn apartment. Here she creates kits of sourdough English muffins with preserves and salted butter. along with Rice Krispie treats made with browned butter and matcha powder . Two pastry chefs, Marissa Sanders and David Yang started Wrightwood and Sawyer give the element of surprise . Each week two boxes , one savory , one sweet and one mostly savory arrive with a dozen different treats. Every  pop up is legit thanks to a state licensing exemption that allows home processors to sell baked goods with minimal oversight. All they need is consumer grade ovens and fridges for storage, supplemented by a utility shelf and sawhorses to work.

Pop up bakeries may be a new facet of pandemic life. They'll introduce to the talents of many bakers and pastry chefs, allowing us to sample their creations. It's a way of becoming New York favorites.

Waste Not For Lent

 Today is Ash Wednesday and it's the start of the Christian Lenten season. It's the time before easter when everyone gives up a favorite food for forty day. Instead of that,  why not give up waste. It may even lead to a good all year round habit of conserving.

Home chefs waste a lot, especially foodwise. One of the best ways to be efficient is to write a thorough list before food shopping. Stick to it. Don;t buy excess. If a recipe calls for one pepper or onion then get it. Don;t buy the three packs or bags of the veggie unless you plan on using them all. Keep in mind that some veggies such as spinach are extremely versatile. Any leftover leaves can be turned into that delicious Italian classic soup, stracciatella. They can also be cooked with garlic and oil for a different sauce for penne or rotelli.It can also be used in salads too as as a dub in for lettuce in any recipe. Potatoes are also in the same category. Leftover ones can be used in soups to thicken the texture instead of a flour based roux. Mashed potatoes can be turned into croquettes for a tasty leftover. Even those peels can be turned into crunchy and crispy chips, perfect for snacking or as a side for burgers or wings.

What about meat? Ham can be ground into deviled ham which tastes much better than any of the commercial ones. The bone should not be thrown away. Use it in pea soup. It adds an incredible earthy sweet flavor .You can also boil it into ham stock which is a great base for corn chowder and lentil soup. Leftover chicken can easily be made into a tasty chicken salad. Just add mayo and tarragon to make it pop. It can also be added to noodle soup or just added to any white pasta sauce for a heartier bite. Leftover ham and chicken chunks can also be put on homemade pizza too for a more flavorful topping. This also applies to roast beef and London Broil. it too can be put into sauces and on top of pizza however you may want to try it as a hash for breakfast or lunch. Cut the meat into small cubes and use it with leftover potatoes and diced onions.It's fried up slowly so every piece is browned and caramelized. Serve with eggs sunny side up or scrambled ones. 

Waste is a sin. Learn how to make the most of your leftovers. Don't buy overage. Change your habits for Lent and a better future for your kitchen.

Potato Croquettes - Celebrating Mardi Gras

 Today is Mardi Gras, a different one from years past. We can still celebrate  - at home with fun foods. For me it's potato puffs or  croquettes. I used last week's homemade mash potatoes to make a family favorite.

My recipe is a hybrid of two , one from Airfry Guide and the other from Fork To Spoon. Fork To Spoon suggests first rolling the croquettes in flour then egg and breadcrumbs. I nixed the first and just had the vegan egg mix Vegg and regular breadcrumbs. I used about two tablespoons of the egg mix and a cup of water to get it to the desired yolk thickness.  The recipe calls for a cup of breadcrumbs. As for the potatoes , use anywhere from two to three cups (I used the last because the croquettes are popular in my house)

It was a quick dunk, then roll in these.   They look like cauliflower florets.

 They were fried for five minutes at 400 degrees F in the air fryer. 

They were then taken out  flipped and air fried for five minutes more at 400 degrees F.

  These were a tasty bite, with a crunchy exterior and a tender interior. I added some parsley and salt to the breadcrumbs for more flavor.

                                   The whole batch was around sixteen croquettes but they were quickly gobbled up. That's how good they are. You can vary the recipe by adding ham or cheese in the middle. Add a dash of garlic or onion powder to the bread crumbs along with oregano.

This is a fun Mardi gras dish. It's a lots of messy work but worth it. Celebrate any event with homemade potato croquettes.

Eat Like A President

 Everyone wonders what it's like to live in the White House , no matter what the era. You can experience one aspect of it on this President's Day - the dining.  White House recipes have been varied but attainable. Anyone now can eat like the Commander-In-Chief.

One of the most popular (and it was Abe Lincoln's favorite) was cornbread. Rutherford B Hayes, the nineteenth president also served it at the White House and it's easy to see why. Who doesn't love a square of the freshly made bread, drizzled with honey the way Lincoln loved it or warm from the oven slathered with salted butter. Cornbread is a great bake , either as a snack or with dinner. Yet it also is a great bed for chili - a popular favorite with both George W Bush and family and Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. Bake up a batch and then cut into squares. Ladle chili on top for a hearty winter dish. If you want something hardier, then look no further than William Howard  Taft and Teddy Roosevelt. Both men loved a good steak and potatoes dinner. This can be easily replicated with a good filet mignon and a baked potato. This would have suited them but you do need a little green in there to balance the meal's heaviness. Add a simple green salad with a few grape tomatoes , carrots and broccoli florets tossed in, Another spin on the presidential favorites is a grilled flank steak with French fries . You could add a simple au jus sauce to dip the fries into. 

Some of our leaders loved chicken instead of red meat. Woodrow Wilson loved his wife , Lou's, chicken salad. This dish is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. It's cubing the meat and combining it with mayo and chopped celery, Some add grapes for sweetness and color , other's add a dash of paprika for kick. A tastier add in would be green olives. It's good on white toast but also great on sliced French bread.Warren G. Harding was true to his Midwestern roots and loved chicken pot pie. Many home chefs shy away from it because they feel it's too complicated a recipe. You can easily simplify it by using frozen veggies, and canned cut chicken. The crust  can be Pilsbury pie crust or biscuits arranged om top. More recent presidents like Obama loved nachos. These are always a fun make. You can make them with just melted cheddar and salsa on top or try something more elaborate with guacamole, sour cream and chopped meat.  Our presidents weren't exactly ones for dessert yet some, like Calvin Coolidge loved a good apple pie. This is a great bake, and a refreshing break from all that bread and cake.  You can vary the recipe by adding walnuts or caramel. Dwight EIsenhower loved his wife's fudge and this is definitely a fun make. Add walnuts and marshmallows the way Mamie Eisenhower did. 

You can eat like a president. Make a recipe that was a White House favorite. It 'll be one of yours too.