The Flexitarian Life

 Many people find transitioning from carnivore to herbivore daunting. They're grown up eating delicious BLTs and juicy steaks. They find it difficult eschewing butter and cheese. Yet these are the same people who want to help the planet and animals or protect their health.What to do? Become a flexitarian.

What are flexitarians? A person who is a vegetarian but occasionally eats meat or fish. It's the easiest way to convert from a meat eater to a vegetarian and then to a vegan, someone who does not ingest any animals or animal based products. In yesterday's New York Times Business section there was an interesting article about companies like Beyond Burgers and Impossible  Meat  catering to the large and growing sector of flexitarians. Now it's much easier to transition than years ago. Soy products of even twenty years ago were horrible, with a funky taste and aftertaste not to mention a rubbery texture.Veggie burgers were the worst . They were studded with peas and fell apart at first bite. Now  people can't tell the difference between the real thing and the plant based burger. Beyond Meat burgers grill up nicely with a crusty exterior and a juicy pink inside. These can easily be served two or three times a week or at a Sunday tailgating party. The company also had the plant based meat in loaf form which makes for a yummy meat loaf. Serve it with a mushroom gravy and a side of mashed potatoes for comfort food goodness.

Another company that can help you go meatless is Gardein. Their products have an authentic taste.  A favorite is their Ultimate Burger which can be subbed for beef patties. Their battered fish fillets are the best, tasting like North Atlantic cod. The batter coating is nice and crispy  and brings to mind those fish and chips platters at seafood restaurants like Bahr's in the Atlantic Highlands. This is one of my favorites, perfect with Ore-Ida fries. Their chicken nuggets are also good, great with any dipping sauce. What about milk , butter and cheese? These are staples in our everyday diets. For milk go with Almond Breeze from Blue Diamond.Their milk is very good especially in cereal. It comes in plain, vanilla and chocolate, The company also makes creamer and yogurt too in tasty flavors like caramel cream, for the creamer and strawberry and peach for the yogurt. Miyoko's Creamery is the best brand for your butter and cheese needs.Miyoko Schinner has created a butter that's exactly like the real thing.She has created a variety of different cheeses., from mozzarella to cheddar for pizzas and sandwiches.

It is easy to become a flexitarian.There are so many animal free products out there you won't miss the real thing. Try them all for the first step in healthy and compassionate eating.

Fall Dishes Part Two The Sweet Side

 One of the best parts of fall is getting back into the baking groove.The cooler air draws us inside to the warmth of a cozy kitchen.We feel more energized too , ready to rake on rolling out dough and whipping up batters and  frostings>Luckily The New York Times has included some yummy dessert recipes in their fall guide. I'ts time to get baking.

Yesterday we covered the savory side of fall cooking, Now here's the treat  - the sweet side that would make the perfect after for those lush and ribsticking meals. These are perfect for ending a Sunday dinner or on a holiday dessert board. Times regular contributor Tejal Rao adapted  San Francisco chef's Elizabeth Prueitt's sweet potato tea cake with a meringue topping. Serve this instead of the usual sweet potato pie at your Thanksgiving dinner. The cake is made like a spice cake with the sweet potatoes married to a blend of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Brown sugar gives the cake a mellow flavor. wile the addition of orange juice gives it some zing. The meringue is the traditional recipe made with egg white, granulated sugar and vanilla.You could sub in aqua faba or chickpea water for the egg white.Another treat to make that requires no baking is apple jelly.Yewande Komolafe contributed this recipe perfect for the apple picking days ahead. Use Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Jonagold, Braeburn or Honey crisp for this. Lemon and sea salt are added to blnce the sweetness. Homemade croissants or brioches would be perfect for this for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

If you want true decadence then go for Samantha Seneviratne's Mississippi Mud pie. This is a toothsome layering of a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a brownie cake rich with cocoa, , dark chocolate , eggs and more butter. a rich chocolate custard tops this. This is an old fashioned custard made with cornstarch and egg yolks. Processed Dutch cocoa and bittersweet chocolate intensify the flavor.Keep in mind that this is a labor intensive pie. The brownie layers requires whisking the yolks and the eggs separately and melting the butter and dark chocolate in a bowl over a pot of barely similar water.It's baked until the crust is set and the middle is fudgy and moist. You can top this treat with freshly whipped cream for more decadence.Even though it's a savory recipe, Julia Moskin's pretzel recipe  adapted from one from Ann Arbor Michigan's Zingerman Bakehouse could easily be served slathered with jam or honey butter for a dessert.These are laugenbrezeln with lard added to the recipe along with barley malt syrup. If you can';t find the syrup use brown sugar instead. You'll also need food grade dipping lye for the initial dipping before baking,Rubber gloves are also needed for this and you'll need plenty of table space for rolling out the unformed pretzels.

Fall will be here and it's time to get baking. Try a decadent pie or cake or just have a warm pretzel with apple jelly to satisfy your sweet tooth. Any of these are perfect for the cool days ahead.

Dishes For Fall Part One

 Autumn will be here in a week. The temperatures should be dropping and we should go from easy cooking to more complex recipes. Luckily the New York Times Food section online has some good ideas to kickstart the season. They'll be even great to make and bake well into the holidays.

The offerings are varied. There are main dishes and desserts, each interesting and flavorful. Tejal Rao gives us a really intriguing one - warm tofu and fresh soy beans cooked in salted French butter with a celery seed gastrique. This last is a savory caramel (!) sauce that's punched up with apple cider and chili flakes. This may be labor intensive because the soft tofu is made from homemade soy milk. A less intensive dish is Eric Kim's Ritzy cheddar chicken breasts.. This is mixing crumbled Ritz crackers with sharp cheddar shreds and garlic and onion powders coating sour cream marinated chicken breasts. This seems like a fun dish with homemade fries on a Friday or Saturday night. There's also a buttermilk brined chicken from chef Samin Nosrat that has  just three ingredients, the chicken, buttermilk and salt. It's the perfect Sunday dinner  complete with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies.It's not listed but yesterday's Food section featured an easy but filling pasta recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi. This is a simple but filling blend of any kind of pasta mixed with white beans and pesto. Add anchovies for kick or pancetta for mellowness. You could also sub in kale or spinach for the basil.

Another simple but filling dish is a Dijon and cognac beef stew by Regina Schrambling.It was first published in The Times after 9/11. It was comforting then and is comforting now when being with family is important. Beef chuck is mixed with salt pork along with carrots and mushrooms. Two kinds of mustard are added, Dijon and Pommery mustard. The half cup of Cognac pulls everything together. Another comfort food is the pressure cooker chicken with dumplings. Melissa Clark created this yummy mix of drumsticks and thighs - dark meat and dumplings made from a mix of all purpose flour and cornmeal. Chives give them zing. They're cooked in the broth the chicken is cooking in. You can add peas for color and more flavor. Another comforting dish is a savory mushroom bread pudding. This is Susan Spungen's take that has buttery brioche torn and cooked up with porcini mushrooms along with such fresh ones as cremini or shiitake. There are also leeks added for more flavor and six eggs give it a custardy feel. This is a great holiday side but also the perfect vegetarian dish too.

Fall is fast approaching. It's time to delve into more complex recipes for heartier fare.Use these recipes to jump into autumn cooking.

Wine School Is Open

 Fall is fast approaching  and with it comes lush meals. These dishes  require a good wine. Yet what do you choose to go with that pork roast or Cornish hen? Do you serve a desert wine and if so which one? The best thing to do is educate yourself knowing what to drink is as important as what to cook.

Wine critic and author of The Pour column in the Wednesday New York Times food section gave tips and pointers in his "wine school column' in today.s Food section. This is the seventh year of Wine Class and it has proven to be useful, especially for those new to wine. It's very practical. He tells readers don't be afraid to explore.There are now plenty of  good wines at reasonable prices.you can get a lot for  your dollar and build your own wine collection;. Also cultivate a relationship with your wine shop. They;re excellent in helping picking out the right wine. Defy conventional wisdom<it's closely related to biases and prejudices. Don't be snobbish as was the case with aligote which has long despised as the other white grape. It turned out to be quite delicious. ALso  consider the terroir or place of origin. That feeds into the grapes 'flavor as it does with cheese and chocolate too..Another tip is food pairings Experiment  with pairings. What works well with that roast chicken or pasta/ serve a different wine every time you have a meal

One of the most important aspects is finding the best value for the price. The smaller the distributor the higher the cost.Understand that the supply of most good wines is finite as they are products of specific vineyards with one harvest per year. Learn from mass market wines.They're basically mass produced and cost less than the more "boutique" wines.Oenophiles get upset when these are mentioned , and no good wine is under ten dollars. Mr. Asimov also recommends valuing simplicity along with respecting the classics. There are times when you'll want a more complex multifaceted wine , others ypu jut want something less complicated. Consider the classics like a good Bordeaux.Appriciate nuance such as the ripeness of the grapes>Also what is greatness in wine as wine lovers asked about Verdicchio de Matelica a white from Italty's Marche area.also get opinions and join the conversation on Mr. Asimov's take on a 2019 Chablis

wine school is open and take a class or two . Know your wines for easier  choices for dinners and parties.  They're simple lessons that will last a lifetime.

Saving The Season

 How can you preserve the summer? By saving the flavors of that spectacular season whether in sauces or preserves. It's a great way of savoring those sun kissed veggies and fruits all yar long.

The easiest way to preserve the summer is by taking all those extra tomatoes and turning them into freezable sauces. One of the simplest ways to do this is cooking them in a crock pot.This fees you up to do other kitchen chores or just get ready the bags and containers. You can use resealable plastic freezer bags or even freezer proof glass jars.Plastic containers also work well here. These and the jars offer a little more protection against freezer burn.The bags won't however they do pack in better than the others.Basil is not a vegetable but this herb and its' summery taste can also be savored all year round in pesto This is an easy sauce that originated in Genoa. Use all those fresh basil leaves and grind  them in a food processor. Add a drizzle of olive oil to give it that creamy texture.The recipe calls for ground walnuts to be added along with Pecorino cheese bu these don't freeze well. The best bet is omits these when freezing and add to the sauce when you're ready to use it.

Your favorite summer fruits can also be preserved too. Raspberries are having a second season right now and they are perfect in jam. It's a simple recipe of four cups of granulated sugar and four cups of raspberries.Its' then first warm in the sugar and adding it to the fruit. The mix is mashed and ladled into sterilized jars. You can do the same with blackberries, another berry that lasts into the fall.Just remember that wild ones need to be soaked in salt water to remove any bugs. Dry them thoroughly before cooking.  Keep in mind that the wild ones have more pectin than the farm raised ones.Also blackberries are quick to foam when they're boiled. Add the tiniest sliver of butter(!) to prevent this. The taste will remain the same ,especially with the addition of one to two cups of granulated sugar. You can add a tablespoon of lemon juice to if you want. Grapes are also a late summr fruit and one of the tastiest to make into a jelly or jam.Decide what you want to make.Jelly is made solely from the juiced of cooked grapes, namely Concord drained through a fine mesh sieve or muslin cloth> Grape jams has bits of the grape and skin.it is sweet with seven cups of sugar added.

Yes, you can stretch the season out. Make sauces and jams with the sweet flavors of summer. It's a nice way of preserving those sun kissed days for all year long.

It's Still Barbecue Time

It is still summer and we will still have warm weather well into the fall. That means cooking out and still enjoying barbecue favorites. You could add an autumnal touch with different spices. too.

This is the season for tailgating too and you can easily make those game day treats in the comfort of your backyard.Hot dogs are big with the football crowd. Think piling them with either sauerkraut or chili sauce. A novel idea for the season is an apple relish or chutney. This involves peeling and cooking any red apple along with a a green Granny Smith one.Ginger, onions and apple cider vinegar is mixed in along with raisins to create a sweet and tart topping for both hot dogs and bratwursts. This would also be good with barbecued pork chops too for a hearty outdoor meal. Hamburgers are another great barbecue dish. Add a layer of sharp Vermont cheddar and applewood smoked bacon for a substantial lunch or dinner, You could turn this into a vegan treat by using Beyond Burgers topped with soy cheddar and Morningstar Farms soy bacon.You can also take a fall classic turkey.Home chefs can grill a turkey breast on the barbecue.Use a sweet rub made with brown sugar or one with herbs. Have ii with gravy and barbecued butternut squash brush with herbed butter.

Of course steaks are always on the barbecue menu.Elevate them to the next level with a red wine sauce. This is made with a Cores di Rhone red, mixed with garlic, unsalted butter and freshly ground black pepper.You could also serve the steaks with a fresh chimichurri sauce. It's an easy make of just red wine vinegar and garlic and a blend of oregano, parsley and cilantro. Sometimes simplicity is the best route to take. Marinate it in olive oil and lemon with a sprinkling of oregano. This can be squash strips and carrots for a simple side.Parsnips and turnips can also be roasted and served with a sage infused butter. in a week or two there will be the first batch of pumpkins, and these, too, can be added to a late season barbecue.Keep in mind that you need to buy the kind used for pumpkin pies and not the ones used for decoration.It has to be sliced and then the seeds and pulp have to be taken out.After that you can add butter or olive oil along with such spices as cardamon or nutmeg.

It's still barbecue season. Keep grilling delicious meats and veggies during these late summer days. Add a touch of fall seasoning like nutmeg , pumpkin or apple to make it interesting.

Shared Food Shared Thoughts

 It's hard during a pandemic and widening political divide to reach out Yet today is a reminder that we can do just that. What better way is there than sharing home grown crops or something from the oven. Food can unite us better than ideologies.

Sharing your back yard harvest is one way of reaching out. Consider splitting your late summer crops with those struggling with putting food on the table. Donate those extra carrots and tomatoes to your local food banks or just to neighbors , family and friends who need food If you're planting your fall crops such as turnips and beans, try to plant extra so you can give away the overage. This is the time to take all those tomatoes and make sauce.Save a few jars for your kids' teachers or even your postal workers. Include boxes of pasta and maybe a shaker of cheese. (It's even better if you can make the pasta) Baking is another way of showing thanks and unity. Bake some cupcakes for a elderly neighbor who has become a recluse thanks to the pandemic. If you're still into baking bread, then make extra loaves for neighbors. You may not see eye to eye on certain matters but at least you can agree on a warm and crusty loaf.

Another way of showing compassion and unity is by visiting struggling mom and pop eateries , These are still trying to survive even though some pandemic restrictions have been listed. Now many are just getting back on their feet thanks to Hurricane Ida closing or damaging them. Try to have a night out, possibly a Saturday or Sunday eating out or take out supper. Doing such is a nice weekend treat whether it's just a coffee and a croissant or a whole pizza or a plate of dim sum.Remember to generously tip the waitstaff and delivery people. They are struggling as well and just getting back their financial footing. Also consider buying gift certificates from these eateries as well. It's a a good make  up gift if you've been having political differences with friends or loved ones. Better yet take those out  for a dinner or even quick snack. You may forget why you were disagreeing in the first place.

Today reminds us that we were all united once. We all need to be that way again. What better than to close the divide with food, a symbol of togetherness , nurturing and peace