Odd Tastefellows

Sometimes food flavor  combos are a wild ride. Any one food can be surprisingly paired with another for a new taste. There are no barriers anymore. Anything goes.

This idea fascinated me when I discovered a New York Times Food recipe for a hot cheese and sauerkraut(!) toast . It struck me as a really odd combination (and one I will definitely make and feature in a future post). there are also sliced jalapeno peppers in this melange of strange.It's first toasting any kind of dark or rustic bread in the broiler and then topping with the kraut , cheddar and peppers. The sauerkraut is drained before hand and cooking it supposedly mellows out that tart, fermented flavor. It turns out that the classic Reuben sandwich also has this cabbage combo. However there is a huge layering of corned beef  and Thousand Island dressing, This salty and sweet combo tempers the sauerkraut making it palatable. You could also try kimchee for a spicier version however I think this Korean classic would be better with rice or stuffed into dumplings. As for the sauerkraut, traditional German main dishes go with this traditional Teutonic side dish. Yes you could have it topping hot dogs which came from Frankfurt but it also makes a good side for any wurst. Pork also pairs well with it, whether it's a roast or chops. Yet other recommend it on avocado toast or adding zing to fish tacos and nachos. To each his or her own.

Many people have other strange pairings that they love. "The Gikded Age"'  actor Louisa Jacobson recently confessed to Jimmy Kimmel that she had a thing for a pickles and peanut butter sandwich. Again, I don;t see the attraction  of this yet I guess it works. Peanut butter has always been great with chocolate as we know (hence Reese's peanut butter cups) and even apples or celery. It goes hand and hand with grape jelly.Yet there are whole websites devoted to peanut butter and pickles.We all have our own strange food combos. For years - and even now - I've always slathered ketchup  on my ham sandwiches.Mayo was always too rich for me. Mustard was too bitter tasting. The ketchup's sweetness worked with the ham's blend of salty and sweet. They seemed and to me are right together. Ketchup doesn;t work for  chicken or even roast beef  sandwiches. I don;t even like it on my hamburgers , preferring to dip the burger in a big puddle of ketchup and eat it like one would a French dip sandwich. Again, this is just me.

People will go for whatever makes their tastes buds happy. Sometimes it's traditional. Once in a while though two desperate flavors line up and create something different. It may not be your cup of tea but for someone else it works.

A Classic Air Fried

 Baked potatoes are great as a side or loaded to make for a perfect dinner. Even better is air fried baked ones that elevate it to a new level of tastiness. Once you'v had these, you will not want them any other way,

I decided to try this , craving a Wendy's baked potato. I found a good recipe at www.natashaskitchen.com. I tweaked the recipe for more flavor. It starts with two meaty baking potatoes.

Keep in mind you'll need to scrub them good.I used just cold water and a paper towel, but you can also use a vegetable scrubber to get rid of the dirt too.

These have been washed and waiting to be coated.

I rubbed them in olive oil and then used a rub of sea salt and pepper.Make sure the skins are completely covered in this mix. Poke holes in them using a fork with sharp tines or the tip of a sharp knife. Doing such will prevent them from exploding in the air fryer basket avoiding a mess.

It was then air frying them. This can be tricky, The website recommends cooking them for first thirty minutes at 400 degrees Farenheit, then flipping them over  and cooking for another fifteen minutes.I did this and after the second baking/frying, they were still not done. A knife is supposed to sink into a thoroughly baked one.It didn't with these. I had to cook them an extra fifteen minutes again at 400 degrees to get them sift inside.Now I realize that they needed to be cooked for forty-five minutes for a fluffy, cooked interior.

The wait was well worth it. The inside was food magazine perfect, the skin , crispy and flavorful like a potato chip.

I had mine with a big dollop of Melt plant butter and broccoli.

It was also good loaded with the broccoli , butter and Good Foods Nacho dip. You can add anything to these, from chili to butter to sour cream. I am a new big fan of these spuds.  Normally I don;t eat the skins. However this crispy version is tasty. The whole potato was gone.

Air frying is the only way to bake potatoes.It  gives the skins a wonderfully crispy outside while maintaining that meaty white perfection inside. Try them today fro a meal or a side.

Go Milk A Potato

 I'ts getting that dairy may be obsolete in another decade.Nut milks have taken over and now there's the chance that veggie based milks may also join their ranks. It seems that there will be little use or taste for cow's milk  which is good for the cows.

Regular contributor and food writer Victoria Peterson write about this new phenomena in the New York Times Wednesday's Food section. Plant  based milks are up in sales and usage, thanks to the pandemic.When dairy ran out , thanks to panic buying and supply chain problems many turned to the variety of plant milks and liked them according to Denise Purcell, the vice president of content and education for Specialty Foods. They then branch out into other plant milk based products like ice cream and yogurt. There's also a hot topic at the moment according to Professor David Julian McClements of University of Massachusetts. He has been a food scientist for more than thirty years and in the last five focused solely on plant based foods. His reasoning behind this is that they're one of the food industry's main trends right now. Consumers want them for sustainability, health and ethical reasons. Also the pandemic has forced people to cook at home and they're discovering  that cooking with plant based milks are better than cooking with dairy.

What are these alternative milks made from? Soy, which is one of the most popular, followed by almond, oats, cashews, macademia nuts.hemp seeds, sesame seeds and flax. Even peas can be used to make milk. Now potatoes are getting their due, thanks to a Swedish company Dugg that creates a creamy   milk from emulsified potatoes and rapeseed oil.It's becoming popular in London where many coffee shops have added it to their menus. Sarah Bentley who runs a plant based cooking school Made In Hackney was excited about this. She wants to try it in her recipes and also not rely on cow's milk so often. She and her students have tried to make potato milk on their own but did;'t come up with quite the right one. Dugg will help them create creamy sauces and desserts. Hopefully Dugg will come up with by products like whipped cream, yogurt and ice cream with a potato milk base. Plant based milks are nothing new. Surprisingly they have been around for thousands of years. There are caveats though to this. Almonds grow in water scarcity areas and require a lot of water to be trucked in. Coconuts involve deforestation, increased cultivation and the loss of biodiversity.

Soon potato milk will be joining the ranks of other non dairy milks. It will be just as healthy as the other milks. It will also be just as delicious as the others, a perfect sub in for cow's milk.

Saving Detroit With Every Bite

 Food nourishes the body and soul. It can also nourish a whole town and bring life into its; veins. The restaurant industry is bringing vitality back to Detroit in a big way. it provides not only food but employment as well.

 Regular  contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Detroit was unlike other cities during the pandemic. It was resilient thanks to a long history of enduring hardships going back decades. Most business owners reported their businesses being less profitable than before the pandemic and that conditions were worse than three months ago. Yet the city provides the result that communities can expect when entrepreneurship and activism can occur>Many like  bakery owners April Anderson and her wife, Michelle received help from a network of private and public agencies. They were able to get grant money to keep their Good Cakes And Bakes financially afloat. Other food industries have received aid from philantthropist, civil servants and activists.Another boost comes from Detroit Food lab, started in 2013 by Devita Davison. She was the one who believed in Ms. Anderson and her goals for her bakery.

Despite the "whitewashing" of Detroit, that is  mostly white men owning businesses and trendy restaurants, the Black culinary scene is holding tis' own.There is the drive to stimulate local businesses.Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere , owners of Baobab Fare ,a restaurant featuring their native Burundian fare got a boost from Food Lab and Folk Detroit.This was a godsend because many contractors refuse to deal with immigrants for fear of not getting paid back. Other eateries like Yum Village and Warda Patisserie have also benefited. There is a problem with this, The more popular a restaurant becomes there's more of a chance of attracting well heeled clients who move into the neighborhood and gentrify the area. There is also the looming fact of real estate prices also rising.As Mark Kurlyandchik, a writer for The Detroit Free Press fears that the city may be getting "too vanilla". THey shouldn't be cheerleading every business that opens. Local point to his articles as well as ones by Tunde Wey another writer for the Detroit Free Press  about how Detroit's development is not always for good.Another problem is that non profits also suffer as well, as seen in Harriette Brown's Sister ON A Roll that feeds the homeless. She has yet to receive decent funding.

Detroit is a hardy town , resilient as a diamond. The same can be said for its' food industry. It will survive, no matter what comes its' way.

Lent The Season Of Sharing

 Today is Ash Wednesdy , the beginning of Lent. It's a time of sacrificing - giving up our favorite foods.Yet we should be giving up our time and what food we have during these terrible days. Giving also make us feel more empathetic to others struggling.

Food pantries will be packed as food prices go up. Donate what you can - even if it's two or three can. Those who work in groceries should convince their bosses to donate slightly expired food or day old breads and sweets. Some like Stop and Shop in the New York metro area already have partnered with not only food pantries but homeless shelters to ensure that any challenged individual will at least have one hot meal daily. You can also donate to the World Food Program USA which provides nourishment for the Ukrainian people fleeing to the Polish, Moldovan and Romanian borders. You can make a donation as low as fifteen dollars if you don't have that much to spare. You can also donate cans of food too.Many Ukranian Orthodox and Catholic churches are taking donations  of not just them but also bottled water  along with clothing , blankets and toiletries. Again give what you can.

You can also do this for your local circle too. Ask elderly neighbors over for a dinner or weekend lunch or supper. Take them to church and then treat them to the usual after services breakfast at the local diner or pancake house. Shop for them and sometimes throw in a treat just to show your appreciation for them. Do the same for friends who are struggling too. Invite them and their families over for a  lunch or bake an extra loaf of bread. This also applies to those in the military too. Now more than ever military families will need our support and gratitude. Our troops can and probably will be deployed to eastern Europe at any moment. Treat  them  now with a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. Make it into a date night by offering to babysit their kids. Again a shared weekend meal where you can enjoy good food and company is always welcomed.Have a pizza night which is always enjoyed by all, or try a game or movie night. Set up a buffet with  tasty hot snacks like loaded potato skins and chicken wings.

It's Ash Wednesday. It's  time to give up but instead of giving up a favorite food try giving up your time or donations. It will be welcomed and appreciated. 

Mardi Gras Every Day

 Today is Mardi Gras ,a time of "Laissez le bonne temps roulez" in the city of Mardi Gras, New Orleans. There are also sorts of delicious savory and sweet dishes that are not only perfect for tonight's festivities but every day of the year. The good times and flavors can roll anytime you crave Creole or Cajun foods.

There are two key factors in New Orleans cooking. One is roux , a simple mix of butter and flour cooked over a low flame and whipped into a creamy sauce. It reflects Louisiana's deep French roots (if you're into French cooking you'll know that roux is used constantly to thicken sauces such as bechamel) and comes three ways, white, blonde and brown. White is the least cooked, while blonde takes a minute or two longer until it's a light golden color. The flavor is slightly nutty. There is the brown which is cooked anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. Gumbo usually requires a dark brown roux for both flavor and color. The other key factor in the cooking is the holy trinity - onions, bell peppers  and celery. Cooked together these impart a deep flavor that make Cajun and Creole cooking pop. Keep in mind that you can add this to your chicken soup and soup stocks for a wonderful vegetal flavor. Again it's taken from the region's Gallic roots. In France it's known simply as mirepoix and used frequently to flavor coq au vin and lamb stew. You can also use it in any kind of stew from chicken to beef along with gravy for homemade pot pies. 

New Orleans is known for its' seafood , namely shrimp. Shrimp gumbo will undoubtedly be on many a party menu tonight but it also makes for a tasty week night dinner. It can be easily made in the crockpot so you don't have to worry about coming home from work and prepping like crazy. Of course you'll need the holy trinity  of onions celery and bell  peppers but these can be cut up the night before. It's then adding tomato , shrimp cornstarch and  chicken broth along with a variety of herbs and  hot sauce to the mix. There's no roux to be made, The cornstarch thickens it. Po' boys, those delicious sandwiches can be made any time of the year and they're perfect for barbecues. You can just grill shrimp or chicken and place it on French bread with lettuce , tomatoes and pickles. Slather a homemade remoulade sauce on this for an authentic NOLA flavor. A remoulade sauce is simply mayo mixed with pickle juice or chopped pickles, mustard, horse radish, and garlic along with paprika for color. It's also good topping burgers and crab cakes. Add a touch of olive oil and vinegar for a spicy salad dressing. Mardi Gras ends with the sweet King Cake . Without the traditional green purple and gold icing , it's just a cinnamon roll bread that can be made for any brunch. 

You don't have to wait until Mardi Gras to enjoy its' fun and flavorful foods. They can be made throughout the year, giving zing and zest to any meal. Let the good times roll whenever you want.

A Need For Comfort

It's a crazy world out there between what's happening in the world and in the weather.It's time for comfort foods and foods that we can de-stress with , whether it's for a meal or a snack. It can be decadent or something relaxing.

Of course one of the best things to have is a cup of herbal tea.Not surprisingly it can help protect the body from stress as well as flood it with antioxidants to also reduce inflammation caused from stress. Chamomile and peppermint are the most recommended and every brand has a version, usually blended with green tea for more flavor. Other herbal blends are made from flowers such as lavender and rose. Lavender is the best for promoting a good night's sleep. Have a hot soothing cup in the evening. What foods can create the same calming effect? Turkey which contains tryptophan which makes you sleepy.It's also right up there with comfort foods ,especially when you have it with your favorite stuffing and homemade gravy. Pair it with green leafy vegetables that also help with calming. These are kale, collard greens, broccoli rabe and mustard greens. They're rich in folates which help the body manufacture neurotransmitters like seratonin and dopamine to regulate moods. Kale is good , both , cooked, crisped or raw. Try it like a spinach salad with bacon and sliced hard boiled eggs.Swiss chard is delicious with a mix of egg and vinegar,  all sauteed in butter.

Of course there are the old reliable comfort foods such as meat loaf and mashed potatoes.Think about making a loaf with ground turkey instead of beef for something different and for all that dopamine. You can still have it with gravy - but turkey gravy along with mashed potatoes. You could serve it with another comfort food Tater Tots. These are also great on their own , especially if you've crisped them up in the air fryer. These only take seventeen to eighteen minutes to cook up but the result is a crunchy on the outside , creamy on the inside bite that works well with different dips.Pizza is another one of those foods that can make us feel happy. Enjoy a meat lover's one from one of the best , Blaze. They also have variations that include  a cauliflower crust and topping with squash and even maple syrup. Of course homemade pizza is a great comfort food too. Everyone's childhood favorite is English muffin pizzas with sauce and cheese bubbling away on the muffin slices. You can also do the same with bagels too. Use the everything ones for a fuller flavor.Another home made comfort are chocolate chip cookies. You can stick with original recipe or toss in walnuts or almonds or sub in the chips with M&M's Have these with a glass of milk,  and a favorite book to get away from the world.

These are times to de-stress and stay inside. Have  a cup of lavender tea to warm up and relax or enjoy a turkey meat loaf They're perfect for an hour or two away from the cold and craziness around us.