Pretty Dishes And Bowls

 Just like wine glasses dishes and bowls can make dining at home a wondrous affair. It;s just picking out the right pattern along with a good sturdy make. These can be the heirloom pieces that long and well treasured.

The big question is do you buy matching bowls and plates? Or go for a kind of mishmash  restaurant vibe of mismatched crockery?Personally  I like the mismatched effect.

This is one of  the china bowls I bought from Target >it doesn't really go with my plates also from Target. The plates are gray with a spattering of gray dots. They work together because they do share one thing in common : their square shape. You can get those that match , from Wedgewood , one of the most classic companies that's been in business since 1759.  There are some unadorned plates and bowls that you set together for a cool, elegant look. Keep in mind that this is the creme de la creme and one plate can range between $35 to $65 dollars while one bowl can range from $27 to $60. The craftsmanship on these is impeccable and they would be perfect for holidays and special occasions. 

There are other  top quality brands like Spode which is known for its' Christmas china and Royal Doulton.  Spode ware comes as a set with bowls, dessert plates and cups. Like Wedgewood, Spode has been around since the 18th Century as has Royal Doulton. A plus is that Spode is a lot less in price than the other with a twelve piece set coming in at $199. Royal Doulton is another sturdy brand with a much more modern look. The plates and bowls have bold geometric patterns as opposed to the usual Oriental, floral or nature patterns. Again they can cost anywhere from $175 to $225 a set. Not surprisingly Target and Kohl's also have reasonably priced crockery. Target has the brand Gibson Elite  which features  two sets of bowls along with dinner plates. An entire set costs only $82. They also have very luxe brands with a set costing close to $1,000. Kohls has Mikasa with a sixteen piece set costing only $119.

The plates you choose should be sturdy but also beautiful. Pick which is right for your decor and needs. It will be an heirloom, no matter what the choice.

Pretty Glasses For Pretty Drinks

 What we drink affects us. where we drink it from also has an effect on us as well. A sophisticated wine deserves a glass of the same order. Yet which is the best? what works with our bottles of  Merlots and Shirazes.

Eric Asimov asked these questions in his weekly column  The Pour in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He has chosen the best of the best, namely lead free ones that cost anywhere from sixty to ninety dollars a glass (you can get much cheaper if you don't care how the glass affects the wine's flavor and notes). They should be esthetically appealing although again it depends on your tastes and if you wish to compliment them to your dishes . According to Mr. Asimov choosing one is like choosing the right car. The better it is , the smoother the ride. Luckily his choices are all dishwasher safe and durable. His one choice is the Zalto Universal designed by Kurt Josef Zalto a decade ago. It's sort of a hybrid between a champagne flute and a wine glass.It doesn't have a curved bell bowl (bottom) but one that is slim tapering upwards. A wines flavors and clarity are best presented, They are a luxury with a set of six costing $408. Mr. Asimov has also tried the Gabriel-Glas and the Janci . the Janci is very similar to the Zalto save for a shorter stem. and a more gently rounded bowl. The Gabriel-Glas was wider at the base of the bowl. He preferred the Janci which is $112 for a set of four.

There is also the Sensory glass designed by Roberto Conturno,proprietor of the  Barolo producer Giacomo Conterno.It's perfect for champagne and sparkling wines.It goes against the usual ideology that serving champagne in smaller goblets channel the bubbles and aromas upwards. Instead it was full flavored, forceful and intense,. With wines the flavors had more clarity,intensity and precision.  Again it is pricey with two costing $85 .it is different looking and an eye catcher, perfect with fine china like Wedgewood and Scully and Scully.There is also the Josephine which again resembles the Zalto with a major difference. The bowl slightly bulged around the lowest part of its' circumference as if it had a circular love handle before beginning to taper to the rim. This creates a gentle arc instead of Zalto's straight line. The reason for this unusual shape is because when the wine is agitated in the glass the kink breaks the movement and allows the wine to flow back into the belly in a spiral motion.In doing thus it absorbs additional oxygen. This is another Zalro creation costing $68  a glass.

What makes for the best glasses. Namely shape. These five are perfect for savoring the best vintages. They may be pricey bit worth it for tasting a good wine's flavor.

Climate Change And The Cajun Coast

Climate change is affecting all areas of the food chain. One is the seafood industry, especially in Loiusiana. Rising tides and pollution threaten people who have been fishing the waters for generations. Is there any hope for them?

 Regular contributor Brett Severson alerted us to this in today's New York Times food section. Louisiana's Cajun Coast is facing one of the most dire situations in its' history.  The coastline is vanishing thanks to ravaging super hurricanes like Ida and Katrina. The water is changing due to fossil fuel pollution is eradicating some species and forcing others to look for cleaner habitats. There is also off shore oil exploration, another damaging factor which is causing for sea levels to rise. These are chipping away at the wetlands , home both to marine and land life. everything will disappear according to Melissa Martin owner of the Mosquito Supper Club and cookbook author. Her book title says it all : Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes From A Vanishing Bayou. Not only is the climate challenged, but culture is also in question too. Residents are moving to higher ground , taking their family's histories  and recipes with them.

This is another point that is affecting the shrimping and fishing industries. The storms have destroyed boats  along with the waters. in 2019 heavy rain and snow runoff flowed down the Mississippi River from the Midwest inundating the coast and flooding the area with fresh water. It killed off millions of oysters ,a vital ingredient in Louisiana cooking. Land loss and flood control have also altered the salinity of coastal lakes, forcing fishermen to look at other areas. Between this and families going bankrupt and being more concerned for their own homes, there is little chance for fishing fleets to trawl the waters. Then there's what's known as the graying of the fleet where younger generations are either moving away or just not going into their father's and grandfather's business. There is some hope. Louisiana is  still second in the nation to Alaska in producing the country's seafood along with newcomers like Scott Maurer. Mr. Maurer fell in love with the oysters and area when he came to build homes after Hurricane Katrina. He created the Louisiana Oyster Company and is sticking with it no matter what.

We have to treat our land and water with extra care. It's never more so with the Cajun coast. Is there hope? Yes, but with our help and concern.

Everything And The Kitchen Sink

 Kitchen sinks are often not thought of as being a vital part of a kitchen, yet they are. They're part of the prepping process along with being the key to clean up. They should not only be in sync with the surrounding decor but in good working order too.

Sinks have been around since our Neanderthal days. These early ones were simply a rock with a concave middle i n which rain water collected. Hopefully our ancestors knew to wash greens and veggies  plucked form the dirt or washing excess blood from animals before roasting them. Throughout history castles had some kind of sink and drainage in the kitchen.It wasn't until the 1800's that a proper kitchen sink was invented. They were first made of metal and were basically a sink within a sink. These metal troughs were built into cabinets and home chefs then used them for the same purposes we do now, washing and cleaning food, utensils and dishes along with pots and pans. Wealthy homes had copper or nickel silver ones. The last is an alloy made from a combination of zinc copper and nickel. Poorer homes probably had ones made from tin. Rich homeowners had what's known as a butler's sink, one that's inserted into a counter  where food prep happened. Other homes had what's known as farmer's sinks which has a sink on the edge of a counter ,making ti easier to do washing. By the 1920's homes had indoor plumbing and that meant sturdier sinks. They were usually made from manganese silicon and carbon. Porcelain was standard after the Second world War.

Now sinks can be any style and made from any material, There are a lot of choices to choose from if you are looking to replace. your old one Many homeowners have fallen in love with stainless steel sinks. These are low maintenance and require very little upkeep (unlike porcelain ones that have to be constantly scrubbed and bleached). However they do show water spots and scratches They have different thicknesses called gauges, yet it doesn;t really matter about the thickness.Granite sinks are also at the top of the popularity list. They are not only pretty but sturdy. Old school copper is another fine choice and thanks to its' consistency copper sinks are always hand wrought. it will come with a patina, or shiny finish which will brown over the years. This is normal due to being exposed to air and water. You can also choose another sturdy material - namely  stainless steel. These retain their beauty for decades if they have an enamel coating .Otherwise they will rust.Other materials used are fire clay, a type of ceramic fired to dry at high temps. You can also go for stone or enamel acrylic or solid surface sinks are less expensive than all of these however they have to be treated with kid gloves. They can easily scratch if scoured with steel wool pads.

Sinks are one of the most vital parts of a kitchen. They help in prep and washing up. Choose one that fits your needs.

Microwave Magic

 Another key appliance in any kitchen is the microwave. Yes it can help in reheating but it's also a great addition for cooking sides and melting ingredients. it's amazing what this kitchen must have can do.

Most people think that the microwave was in vented in the Seventies however it's been around for a century.It was in 1920 that substances including food could be heated by vacuum tube radio transmitters.At the 1933 Chicago's World's Fair food was being heated between two metal plates attached to a ten Kilowatt sixty mega hertz shortwave transmitter, Another attempt came during the Second World War when the cavity megatron was invented. This produced electromagnetic waves for radar installations.It was in 1945 when Percy Spencer accidentally discovered the power of the modern microwave. He was employed by Raytheon, the multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate who created the radar used in the war. Mr. Spencer had a chocolate bar in his pocket  melted from the microwaves from an active radio set. His second food cooked? Popcorn , of course, then he tried eggs. Raytheon built the first microwave in 1952 but it cost $5000, the price of a luxury home at the time. The seventies and eighties saw the birth of the microwave in the home as Old Tappan and GE made them more affordable to home owners. Soon every house had one as they could cook and reheat in a matter of minutes.

What's the best microwave for your kitchen? The first thing to do is consider the amount of counter space that it will take up and the depth of its cooking space. Keep in mind the smaller the machine the smaller the amount of food you'll be cooking. Of course a family of four or five will want a larger one where as one or two people will just need a smaller microwave. Price is also a factor. For one just for reheating ,then think the lower price range of between fifty and sixty dollars. However it you plan on making it part of your daily cooking spend a little more. A good long wearing one would be anywhere from $150 to $200. A mid range one that you can both cook and reheat in will cost you $100 . Which brands are the best? Magic Chef who used to produce ovens offers a small one that is sturdy and will last years.Panasonic and GE are also very good and reputable brands, The first has cyclonic heat that allows for fast all over cooking sort of like an air fryer, The second cooks with halogenic heat  which cooks food up to sixty percent faster than a regular microwave.

Microwaves have become a vital kitchen must have.  Pick one that suits your needs. It will be perfect for whatever you have in mind- whether cooking fresh or reheating.

Game Night Nibbles

 Game nights are big events these days.It's a fun way for families and small pods of friends to connect  over Twister or Scrabble. All that physical and mental work is demanding, Sustenance is needed in the forms of fun  snacks and sweets

Pizza is always a game night must. It is fun to order out however you can easily make  variations of it. Of course there are Totino's Pizza rolls which can be jazzed up with a dusting of oregano and garlic powder before being air fried. Pizza bagels are a fun and also filling snack along with English muffin pizzas. You can vary the toppings from pepperoni to olives. You could also make a four cheese white pizza or one that's all veggies. A different kind of cheesy treat are petite croque monsiuers. These delightful little bites are ham and cheese on French bread rounds. The bread is either buttered or have mayo spread on them and then browned in the oven for three minutes. Afterwards Dijon mustard is spread on the slices and then a square of good ham like Black Forest is put on them. A Mornay  sauce of Gruyere , butter , milk and flour is made and then spooned on the sandwiches. More cheese is sprinkled on the sandwiches and they're returned to the oven for a minute of broiling. Of course veggies and dip is always welcomed too. You can set up different bowls of dips. Try a simple vinaigrette or a homemade French  dressing made with mayo and ketchup. Add plain Greek yogurt to thicken the dips.

Of course there should be some kind of sweet bites too. You can set out the bowls of   sweet kettle corn and M & M's.Brownie and cookie cups are great nibbles. These are placing the dough in mini muffin tins and baking them. Filling them is exciting. You can go with a base of any kind of pudding and topped with fruit and Cool Whip. These also call out for ice cream and toppings. Have a small fixings  bars that has two or three kinds of ice cream, and mini scoopers or melon ballers that deliver the right amount of ice cream. Have bowls of different toppings form chocolate syrup to salted caramel to the various fruit ones like cherry and pineapple.  Make sure there's a  can of Reddi Whip for topping (or just as a filling itself) along with sprinkles and chopped nuts.Cake and coffee are always a good ending to games night. You can try the fancy Breton treat kouign amamn. a buttery bready kind of sticky bun. You could also go with a traditional coffee cake, Make sure you give the topping some large cinnamon laced crumbs which are good on their own. A variety of homemade cookies are also a great choice, perfect for munching between rounds.

Game night is all about fun. Make sure there are equally fun savory and sweet nibble for everyone to enjoy. They make the time together pop with flavor.

What To Do During A Blizzard

 Tomorrow the East Coast will be wallowed by a mega blizzard with some areas in New England getting  slammed with three feet of snow. That means we're stuck inside. What to do? Turn to the kitchen for the answer.

A day in could be time spent rearranging your spice cabinet.It's time to throw away certain ones . Cinnamon is only good for six months. Chili powder has a two to three year shelf life. The same is true for powdered ginger and garlic powder. Most herbs like rosemary, sage and oregano last only three years at best. Nutmeg is one of those spices that lasts three to four years. Another good item to organize is your utensil drawers. Sort out the knives, forks and spoons along with steak knives and measuring spoons. Clean out the kitchen junk drawer. You may find some unexpected treasures there like the odd holiday cookie cutter or corn holders. Sort and pile what you find . Those twist ties you saved will come in handy as will those rubber bands, Clean out under the sink if you have the energy. Arrange those plastic grocery bags into ones you can reuse for shopping or for plastic . See if your cleansers are up to date or if you need any. Check to see if you have enough dish soap or dishwashing detergent. It may be days before you hit the supermarket again.

Two days in is also a good time to try all those recipes you've want to try  but didn't have the time. Just make sure you have the ingredients . Use those gadgets you received for the holidays and have yet to use them. It'll be a good weekend to do a dress rehearsal for those Super Bowl snacks too. Make that new wing recipe. Try your hand at the spinach artichoke dip. Have the family test out those French bread pizzas. You can also have a game night and make snacks and nibbles in advance. attempt making Tater Tots using instant mashed potatoes,eggs flour and bread crumbs. Pigs in blankets are always a fun dinner/snack, perfect for those breaks along with stuffed potato skins and sliders. Homemade cookies won;t go amiss. There's nothing like fresh chocolate chips or oatmeal raisin with a hot cup of tea as you watch the snow fall. You could also get ambitious and bake a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, complete with cream cheese icing. Homemade candy is also a fun project. Freshly made fudge or peanut brittle is always a treat.

This is a definite weekend in. Turn to the kitchen for something to do. It can be reorganizing or cooking. It could be making treats or cookies and candies. Anything can be your inspiration for activity.