A Culinary Road Trip For Dad

 father's Day is usually about grilling dogs and burgers on the grill. There's the occasional steak but that's it.It's time to liven up dad's special day  with some international recipes.

Red meat is always important to the man of the house. You could go the way of the English and serve him Yorkshire pudding  with roast beef. It's a simple make because the pudding is nothing more than a savory popover. It's a mix of egg flour , milk and water. You can add the roast dripping along with a pinch of English powder mustard if you want. Finish with  chocolate stout cupcakes with a Guinness  infused buttercream frosting. Of course homemade sausage rolls, sausages encased in a flaky puff pastry crust and doused with HP sauce is another British treat dad would love, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon. A picnic French style is always a fun way to reconnect with dads. Pack not just the soccer ball and bubble wands but  some good flaky croissants  that can be slathered with Brie or layered with slices of Gruyere and ham. A charcuterie style one is a great way for fathers to sample a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and different breads. Bring along a baguette too for quick sandwiches. Include grapes and wine  - if your local parks allow it.Dessert could be a box of macarons in all sorts of tasty flavors. You could also do a German style with wursts, hard rolls and mustard. Make sure you pack homemade potato salad too.

What father doesn't love Italian food? You could easily treat dad to a sausage straight from the grill and pepper sandwich. The peppers can also be grilled for added smoky flavor and you could add some grilled onions for more taste. A meatball sub  brimming with homemade meat balls and sauce is a fun late lunch.Another idea, and in keeping with the season is pasta con vongole, or with clams.  This is spaghetti made with a very easy sauce of manila clams,garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes.Chopped parsley is sprinkled on top for coloring.What could finish this? Affogato or drowned ice cream. This is a yummy treat of vanilla or chocolate  ice cream drowned in a shot of very hot espresso. Place the ice cream in a glass or metal dish or bowl that's been chilled. This will cool down the coffee somewhat.  Add a splash of amaretto if you want. even better, crown it with some whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate on top.A culinary turn  East and dad could have homemade customized sushi,it is a bit more labor intensive , especially when making the rice. This can be made in an Instapot with Japanese short rice being mixed with salt sugar and rice vinegar. You will also have to have the dried seaweed or nori to wrap it in. Most grocery stores do carry it.. You can fill the rolls with dad's favorite from shrimp to crab for a tasty lunch. Have sake to drink for an authentic lunch or dinner.

Treat the man in your life to culinary trip for Father's Day, it could be an English country lunch, or French or German  picnic. He could feast on Italian Japanese or any international dish for his special day.

Stretching Those Meals

 Prices are rising and it's getting difficult to put decent meals on the table. What to do? Stretch those meals to last two even three days.

I found this out when I had a lot of pasta and a little sauce left. I decided to add one of my favorite ingredients and a low cost one too -spinach. 

it just takes a few leaves (about two cups added to Stop & Shop's chunky tomato basil sauce. I already added chopped portabellos for more heft and protein. This enabled me to stretch this for two days. The spinach definitely added to the sauce , giving it a nice fresh taste.It livened up the flavor, cutting the heavy tomato taste. Keep in mind you can add almost anything to a sauce. Grill eggplant and add it or toss in a few cut cherry tomatoes to add some sweetness.

The same is true of any ingredient. Leftover chicken and steak can easily be cut up and put into any salad. Add vegetables which are still relatively inexpensive right now.Homemade croutons. easily made with leftover bread and your sir fryer can round out the salad. They'll add crunch and flavor especially if you coat them with a mix of garlic and onion powders. Ham can easily be stretched into deviled ham by putting it in the food processor with a teaspoon of mayo.This creates a creamy spread perfect for sandwiches along with being perfect for a dip. You can do this for shrimp too, turning it into a paste for sandwiches and hors'd ouevres. All that shredded cheese you used for tacos one night can make for a nice cheese frittata the day after. This gives the egg dish more flavor and heft. You could also drizzle in some leftover salsa to create huevos rancheros.Leftover veggies can be used in a minestrone soup for a tasty and healthy light meal.Grilled veggies can be chilled and added to salads too.

Stretching those meals are a great money saver. Home chefs need to do this during these financially rough times. Leftovers repurposed means a few pennies saved .

A Creamery Revitalized

 It is a rarity to get cultured butter in the US,even rarer from a small privately owned creamery. Yet there is one where both home and professional chefs can find it. best of all it will be around for a long time.

Creator of the popular new York Times Food section column " A Good Appetite,"Melissa Clark wrote about Animal Farm Creamery in yesterday's section.The dairy farm has recently undergone new ownership since original owner Diane St Clair, sold it back in February. She herded her group of well loved cows into a trailer and drove them from their first location in Orwell, Vermont to the Rolling Bale Farm in Shoreham Vermont located on the southernmost shores of Lake Champlain. Ms. St Clair had made a name for herself, supplying cultured butter to such restaurants as French Laundry and Per Se. it costs a whopping $60 a pound!!! Despite the butter being the most sought after in the country Ms. St. Clair was ready for retirement. At sixty-five she wanted something different, hence the reason for starting her own perfume company St. Clair Scents/ Yet her beloved bovines were still very  important to her.  These were the cows that create that fantastic butter with names like Diva and Cinnamon. Enter Ben and Hillary Haigh who enthusiastically bought the business, with the promise of tendler loving care for the animals.

Will the Haighs continue the cultured butter? Yes.It's rare to get it here in the States.Culturing is standard in Europe where it produces premium butter.It's the process of adding bacterial cultures to cream and then left to ferment. The process is not unlike grapes fermenting into wine. Culturing gives the final product a fluffier texture and a tangier flavor It's usually salted.  (Keep in mind you can make it at home too).It was a standard in US homes until the arrival of pasteurized butter where there was widespread industrialization. That butter, the ones used every day, are pale in color and blandly sweet in taste.Ms. St Clair wanted to make a change in the industry, creating small batches that were sent to chefs like Thomas Keller , owner of French Laundry,  He fell in love with it and ordered as much as he could. It was then she bought the small dairy, bought a few more cows and produced one hundred (!) pounds of butter a week. There was also byproduct of buttermilk too.As a plus to the piece, Ms Clark includes recipe for a Green Goddess salad with a fresh buttermilk dressing and almond butter cookies with a buttery sweet glaze.

Rolling Bales Farms will continue the tradition of making cultured butter. It is a treat to have, even better to add to all sorts of recipes.As long as their are dedicated dairy farmers , there will be this creamy bar  of goodness.

Korean Masterclass In Cooking

 Home cooking in any nationality is usually the best, The recipes have been handed down, modified and improvised for generations. Some have influences from other cultures. Some rely on ingredients used for centuries . This is true of Korean cooking fast becoming a strong thread in the American culinary fabric.

Regular contributor and popular cookbook author, Eric Kim, wrote about his heritage in today's New York Times Food section. He remembers his mother's cooking in their Atlanta , Georgia kitchen and how it influences him to this day.He also feels like he has finally embraced Korean cooking now more than ever. a constant process of self discovery.it not only connects him to South Korea but to his own identity. Keep in mind that the cuisine is much more than barbecue, bulgoki and kimchi , all all three are a big part of it. Mr. Kim does give his recipe for Korean barbecue using samgyeopsal or three layer meat. This is pork belly's fat cap and the two leaners layers of meat below it. It's basically crisp slivers of pork wrapped in various lettuce leaves and dabbed with doangjang honey which is soy bean paste mixed with honey and slivers of garlic. It' s served with the tangy scallion salad, Pa Muchim. This last can also be served with rotisserie chicken and pan fried pork chops too, to alliviate the greasiness. For a homier meal, think Mr. Kim;s Doenjang Jiggae, a rich stew bursting with unami. Anchovies are cooked with red onions, zucchini and Korean radishes, plump, sweeter tasting ones than their American cousins. Shiitake mushrooms and dried kelp are also put in, for both a mellow and briny flavor.A thin boneless rib eye steak is added in the end to give the mix more heartiness.

Miyeok guk is both a soup with flavor and meaning.It's called the birthday soup because it;s not only eaten on a person's birthday but also to recall the sacrifices their mother made for them.Traditionally it's mussels cooked in a beef broth but Mr Kim subs in anchovies, garlic and mushrooms for it. Koreans and non Koreans alike love fried rice. His recipe has it on a sheet pan , with a covering of kim chi. You can use freshly boiled rice for this because baking them on a sheet pan ensures every grain will be crunchy. Eggs are cracked over them and it's a nice mix of silky baked yolk over the mix if crunchy and tart. The American presence over seventy years ago is still seen today , especially in the recipe in budae jjigae , translated into "army base stew". It may have hot dogs, Italian sausage ,kielbasa and that classic US Army staple Spam  in it but it is fired up by kim chi and gochu garu,Korean chili powder and gochujuan, fermented chili paste. Ramen is also added for more heft and its' topped with American cheese which melts nicely into the whole dish.

These recipes are from a master class in Korean cooking. They're traditional , passed down for decades. They are perfect in any kitchen with their strong blend of flavors and textures.

Home Alone The Kitchen Version

Here's that age old problem that happens with every summer vacation - what do you feed the kids? Do you let them cook? Leave sandwiches? Or give them money for take out? The best solution? Teach them how to cook.

First of all ask yourself is my little one ready to cook, especially alone in the house? Most parents have no qualms about letting their twelve and thirteen year olds know how to cook. The younger set , those below the age of  eleven and ten are usually at some kind of camp, summer school or relatives house where meals are no problem. The older tweens want to be home on their own, possibly with friends or just hanging out in a quiet house. What you can do is let them make their own decisions when it comes to what they want to eat. They may just want a microwave French bread pizza for lunch or a Hot Pocket. Again you can easily store up these quick to cook meals. You can also try healthier alternatives like The Tattooed Chef. This brand makes good for cauliflower and cheese bowl along with a pesto harvest bowl. They also have smoothie bowls packed with fruits, dark chocolate and cold brew for an alternative to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. You can also go with Amy's Frozen dinners which are all naturally made. The company makes everything from enchiladas to pasta so there's a wide choice.

If the kids do insist on cooking for themselves. then think easy dishes. They can whip up scrambled eggs mixed with herbs and served on sourdough bread. Have them microwave bacon (which is easier and safer) to go with it.  They can go vegan by subbing in Morningstar Farms soy bacon strips for the real kind. A frittata is another easy lunch , flavorful with any kind of veggie and cheese tossed in. Make sure you have either shredded or ground cheese like Parmesan. Again this is wonderful when served with toasted Italian bread.An air fryer is simple to use and your young chef can cook up a variety of hot lunches from hot dogs to hamburgers in one. They can also air fry fried chicken too. This would be a good time to teach them how to make the batter for wings and drumsticks . Kids are just as health conscious as their elders. They can create a lovely protein packed one , filled with the veggies and even fruits that they love.Have one or two lettuces for variety  along with grape and cherry tomatoes to mix in with cauliflower and broccoli florets. Almonds and sunflower seeds will give it crunch and color. Croutons also are a fun add in. Let them get created with the dressing and whip up their own.

Home alone in the kitchen isn't such a bad thing. Teach your tweens how to cook and they'll be able to feed themselves for a whole season. It may even become a passion.

Your Scrap Garden

 Don't throw away those scraps! Those bits and pieces from veggies and fruits can be planted and regrown into more ingredients for your summer kitchen. It's a fun way to recycle along with being a thrifty one.

Most veggies can be replanted in your  garden or in pots.The alliums like leeks and scallions are easy to replant. Bunches come with small, white roots already sprouting. You can first plant them in a glass of water and then plant them in the garden or in a terracotta pot with good drainage.  Keep in mind these need a lot of bright sunlight. They can be placed by a window but outdoors is your best bet for growing healthy ones. what is great about them is that they just keep on giving. Pull them out, use them long green leaves in everything from sauces to soups and then replant the second generation of sprouts. Onions can also be grown from scraps or the whole veggie. Onions will start to sprout new growths if you leave in your crisper for a few weeks. Don;t throw them out. Add them to your garden too! Romaine lettuce, lettuce and bok choy can also be regrown. Save their stumps and place in a bowl filled halfway with water. You''ll start to see leaves after a few days!!!.That means it's time to plant in your garden. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can also be regrown too. Cut in half and place in a dark area like your basement.

Fruits are an easier regrow. All have seeds which can be replanted. Remember though that oranges and lemons do require warm weather. This is perfect if you live in states like Florida and California that have always been associated with the fruits Trees can freeze and damage can be done to both the blossoms and the fruit. You could grown them if you have a climate controlled greenhouse. If you 're in the northern part of the country,. then think apples and cherries along with peaches and plums.However most commercially grown fruit comes off of "grafted" trees. You may not get the same tasty fruit that you bought from your store. A Golden Delicious seed may not yield a Golden Delicious apple. You will get apples , and they'll still be delicious but they might be a Fuji or a Winesap.. The same is true with plums and peaches. Another point to remember is that it will take a tree two to three years to produce fruit. Still it's nice to even have a tree for shade. Make sure plum and peach pits are scrubbed free of any pulp and then air dried before planting.

Save those scraps!!!! They can be used to create a productive harvest and ingredients for your future meals. You'll be getting much more from your original buy.

New Summer Dishes

 It's always fun to experiment with classic summer ingredients in new ways. The results are always fun , new dishes that are tasty. best of all they add to already established recipes. amping up their flavors.

This is true for a new salad I found in The New York Times Food section. I put a vegan spin on it, subbing in vegan mayo for the egg based one and oat milk based yogurt for the Greek kind

This may look like potato soup but it;s actually a pickle (yes pickle!!!) and celery salad. Both are chopped into manageable pieces and mixed with the mayo and yogurt. There should be a tablespoon of mayo and a quarter  of yogurt. However this was about a cup of yogurt and three to four tables spoons of mayo. It's more of a homage to cucumbers floating in  sour cream where the slices are bathed in the sour cream. The recipe calls for chopped red onion too however a generous sprinkle of onion powder works better.

Scallions are another summer crop that add flavor to summer recipes. I've  added chopped ones to a soy sauce for a more flavorful dipping sauce and marinade.

This is taking two to three scallions and cutting them into bite size pieces. Add to half a cup of soy sauce mixed with a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, This counterbalances the saltiness. Olive oil is drizzled in for a silky texture. I love this over potstickers but it also makes a great marinade for steak. I love the flavor of salty and sweet plus the bite of Spring onions. They definitely enhanced the flavor of pot stickers I made.

Simmer ingredients can be remastered into new dishes. Try these two , the pickle and celery salad and the scallion marinade for a flavorful season. They are great additions to any cook out or picnic.