A Century of Advice

 One word of advice for any novice chef - listen to your elders. The more experienced the home or professional cook, the better their advice. They are a rich encyclopedia of what to do and what to make along with how to avoid disaster and what to do if it occurs.

This is how I feel about my Mom whose advice I still follow. Today would have been her one hundredth birthday (and she would not have liked me putting it out there).  Her cooking advice and culinary curiosity is still being followed today. I constantly hear hear her words and instruction with every vegetable chopped and sauce whisked. She herself came from a rich culinary background with a Piedmontese Italian mother and a Swabian German father. She learned from her immigrant grandparents on how to make a mouth water risotto and tantalizing sauerbraten. it was definitely the best of Northern Italian and Southern German cuisine. There were no measurements. Just intuition and instinct with these  century old recipes that came from both sides of the Alps.I learned these recipes young.One of my favorite , especially now i s her pomodori e uovi, the tasty marriage of tomatoes and eggs. I've adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle by using Just Egg an egg substitute. The flavor and texture is there and I think she would have liked it.

Even though she had a wealth of family recipes to use my Mom was also adventurous. She was the first and the only one on the block to get a wok and cook authentic Chinese food. One of my favorites of hers was Ants Climbing A Tree, a yummy mix of ground beef ,soy sauce and scallions cooked with boiled cellophane or rice noodles. I used to make it with the vegan beef and she liked it.There were also fried dumplings which were a great New Year's Day treat. I feel like I'm copying her when I ]m trying new dishes myself like the Ethiopian stew made with Berbere spice. Her motto always was be curious about the world of cooking.She made tempura when it was popular in the Sixties when the US was discovering Japanese food. We had Mexican long before Taco Bell  and those taco kits came to New Jersey.Her forte was French. She was a big fan of Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Nothing beat her cassoulet on a cold winter's night. She made Croque Monsiurs when everyone was frying up grilled cheese. Again this was another favorite I learned and enjoyed making for her.Baking she got from her German grandmother. Nothing beat her oatmeal lace cookies and moist cakes with homemade frosting.

I always feel I've inherited a wealth of culinary advice and recipes.My Mom is responsible for that. Through her I can continue the tradition of good family recipes and adventuresome cooking.

Summer Baking Alternatives

It's the middle of summer and you're craving  homemade brownie or cupcake, Yet baking on a humid day van be disastrous. However there are still homemade sweets you can create to satisfy that sweet tooth.

One of the easiest sweet treats to make is the Italian ice granita. This is a crunchy ice  with only three ingredients - water, pureed fruit of any kind and granulated sugar , You could add a squeeze of lemon or lime if you want. The entire mixture is poured into a tray (preferably a  metal one) and then frozen for about thirty to forty-five minutes.Take it out of the fridge and drag a fork over the surface until it looks mushy and textured. Remember to keep breaking it up until there are no more large chunks. Pop back into the freezer for four hours before serving.A really decadent treat is coffee granita served with a side of whipped cream.Coffee granita can be made with instant coffee or espresso, depending on the strength you like. Just melt sugar and syrup together, add the coffee and a teaspoon of vanilla. Freeze the same way as you would for the fruit version.  Serve with a side puff of whipped cream and a light drizzle of chocolate sauce.Another sweet icy treat is ice cream. There are a lot of good no churn recipes, from Melissa Clark's peanut butter one to the ow fat one that has frozen sliced bananas as a base.

If you're still craving something as crispy as a cookie and as chewy as a brownie think Rice Krispie treats. This classic recipe is a super easy one , especially if you use the microwave. It's melting three tablespoons of butter with five and a half cups of mini marshmallows on high for three minutes. Pour into a greased pan, add six cup if the cereal and stir. Even out and flatten the mixture. Cool and cut into two inch squares. If  you want to make them fancy melt a mix of semi sweet chocolate chips and a tiny bit of butter in a microwave. Drizzle onto the treats. What is good about these Rice Krispie treats is that they can be also poured into round pans to create a cake. Layer on top of each other. Use the chocolate drizzle as filling and icing, then decorate with sprinkles or chocolate curls. Another sweet no fuss ideas is a pudding pie using an already made pie shell. Think a chocolate pudding spiked with a drop or two of mint extract in  a chocolate cookie crumb shell. Top with Cool Whip or Reddi Whip and add chopped Andes mints. It's also the perfect summer dessert too.

There are plenty of treats that don't require a hot oven to make. Settle with a cool sweet treat. It's a great way to combat the summer heat.

Easy Veggie Meals

 This is the season of grilling and meats. The problem is home chefs can fall into the rut of barbecuing steak and chicken all the time. A refreshing change up is having vegetables only  dishes. They're easy and tasty,plus being good for you.

One of my summer favorites is ratatouille. This is not the traditional one, with roasted in the oven veggies.

Mine has five Roma tomatoes cooked with one  diced green bell pepper and one sliced zucchini.It should have an onion in it which you can add. It can be intense though so I added a good sprinkling of onion powder along with garlic powder. The veggies were sauteed and simmered in a mix of Miyoko's  Creamery oat butter and olive oil. 

It was an easy fifteen minute simmer which was delicious with a brioche roll on the side. Another easy veggie dish is salsa cruda. Again this is a delicious and easy make, with just pasta to cook. The sauce is just sliced Roma tomatoes mixed with the cherry kind. Chopped onion can be added (or omitted depending on your taste) along with olive oil and fresh basil. Make it super simple by just buying pre cooked pasta. A really chill summer veggie dish is gazpacho. This favorite Spanish dish is a cold soup of blended tomatoes, cucumber garlic and green bell peppers. It's blended with a cup of olive oil and about three tablespoons of red wine vinegar. This is the perfect meal on a steamy hot day. It's refreshing and flavorful , each mouthful a summer harvest. I usually like to serve with slices of Italian or French bread dipped in olive oil.

A meal of fresh summer, veggies is a refreshing turn away from the usual barbecued meats. It's a nice way to enjoy summer's bounty with easy recipes. They're perfect for these sweltering days.

A Different Type Of Cooking Show

 There are no shows about what it;s like to cook in a restaurant. yes there are cooking shows . There are no dramas, like there are about doctors and lawyers. Until now. Hulu has produced an interesting series about chefs.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this new TV show in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It's called "The Bear" and it's streaming on Hulu and FX. Jeremy Allen White who was a regular on Shameless and has appeared on "Law and Order" plays the main character Carmen Berzato, a high profile chef. He comes home to Chicago to run his family's Italian beef sandwich shop after his brother Mikey has committed suicide. He has also left a thirty thousand dollar debt but no note.Carmen has a lot going on. He has no time to grieve as he has to retain employees along with trying to make good food. The scripts and acting are riveting. Carmen is running on a hamster wheel of tasks. He's dicing carrots, breaking up fights and peddling his vintage denim  collection to buy meat. Worse he inherits hid brother's prickly crew who are loyal to his brother's memory along with his spaghetti recipe. There's also a raging , grieving manager (who's also a friend " who calls him Bobby Flay and much worse

Is this an accurate picture of the industry? It seems to be. The track record on these kind of shows isn't great according to Christopher Storer, co-showrunner of "Bear". He is no stranger to filming the food industry. His multiple documentaries  were about the food business before turning to fiction with  movies like Eight Grade and "Ramy".His friend, Canadian chef, Matty Matheson ho also produced and wound up with a small part said he wanted an accurate description that showed both the good and bad side of the industry. Some of the best scenes involve sharp accuracy along with reality. The show is sort of based on one of Mr/ Storer's childhood friends, Christopher Zucchero who is Italian beef royalty. His father and uncle opened Mr.  Beef on Chicago's North Orleans Street in 1978 and now he's an owner. "Bear" was filmed there,a warren of small rooms complete with sharp knives, high shelves and hot pans. The actors also added authenticity to the show. Mr. White and the actor,Ayo Edebiri who plays the sous chef both went to LA's Institute of Culinary Education to learn more about the industry and to work in the kitchen,

"Bear" will be an interesting watch. The restaurant industry rarely gets seen on TV. That's about to change.

Is The Power Lunch Passe?

 One of the most intriguing things about business history is the power lunch.It was a great way of brokering deals over good food and drinks at fancy restaurants. Yet is it relevant, especially in these post pandemic days?

Regular contributor Brett Anderson explored this in today's New York Times Food section.Power lunches usually lasted from twelve noon to almost three PM,Many used it as a chance to work and socialize, as they had for decades.Then came the pandemic which upended the restaurant industry. The business lunch was one of the first victims.There was continued uncertainty as workers left and customers fled. Most high end eateries are struggling, especially in cities that experienced record job growth after the Great Recession of 2008. That stimulation triggered the opening of many restaurants in cities across the country. Now workers are either working fully from home or spending one or two days in the office. They're not thinking of power lunches, Mostly it;s salad or take out at home, in front of their computer screens.There's also the rising cost of food that's also a factor and paying chefs twenty-five dollars an hour as Mitch and Steve Rosenthal have done with their San Francisco restaurant Town Hall.

Prices are high, especially in expensive cities like Manhattan.Even though the famed Le Bernardin has been filled to capacity every lunch hour for weeks, it still is $120 for  a prix fixe meal.  Lunches haven't resumed at other high class New York places such as Per Se, Eleven Madison Park and Jean-Georges.It does take work as chef Greg Higgins has found out at his namesake restaurant in downtown Portland Oregon. However it's changing in the suburbs. The Detroit  area businesses run by Sami Eid's family are thriving.His family restaurant Phoenicia a Lebanese eatery in Birmingham, Michigan opened as quickly as possible when it was OK to . However his restaurant Leila, a mere three blocks from the Quicken Loans Detroit headquarters didn't do well. Smaller places do better.People are reconnecting but at a slower place however as one restaurant owner, Ahmass Fakahany has noticed at his Manhattan place, Marea. They're looking at lunch to deepen relationships.It's more of a social impact lunch.

The power lunch may be taking a break.It may come back but in a different way. Workers still have to eat , deals still have to be made. but maybe in a whole new way,

An Old Fashioned Summer Birthday

 Summer birthday's are always special. It's a day full of sun, sand and presents. Not only that it's full of fun food , classic fare that works well no matter what age you're turning.

Of course a warm weather birthday means one thing - barbecue. Two of the most classic dishes to serve are hamburgers and hot dogs. These are perfect because they're easy to make and are always a crowd pleaser. Hamburgers could be homemade or bought in cases like the Bubba Burger. A traditional hamburger recipe starts with lean ground beef mixed with Worcester sauce and garlic powder. You can add a beaten egg along with bread crumbs for more body and chopped onion for more flavor.(this last will give it the same flavor as what you get at Mc Donald's ).Already made burgers, including the vegan Beyond Beef ones are also a good choice and an easy cook on the grill. For a birthday party, have a fixings bar that has sliced onions , tomatoes, pickles and lettuce. You could also add already cooked bacon to this and slices of cheddar cheese. Create  a special sauce like Burger King and McDonald's .This is easy blend of ketchup, mayo, swee t pickle relish and white vinegar.A tiny pinch of sugar is also added. As for the hot dogs, these are just fine grilled plain. You could brush them with melted butter before cooking for a crispier texture.

Sides should be the classic potato salad along with three bean. The first should stick to tradition, with the potatoes being mixed with  chopped celery and hard boiled eggs. Dress in mayo and season with a little bit of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Three bean salad can be made of the birthday celebrant's favorite beans, A popular mix is kidney, garbanzo or chick peas and white cannellini beans. The dressing is a sweet and sour one, made with oil ,apple cider vinegar and a bit of sugar or honey. A fun classic barbecue treat are devilled eggs. It's not only a tasty party food but is a perfect appetizer for a barbecue. A summer birthday demands for an ice cream cake. This can be made two ways . You can bake a cake and then layer on ice cream as the filling. Frost with whipped cream. The second recipe is pure ice cream layered with a crunchy mix of Nabisco chocolate wafers crushed and mixed with melted butter.Layer this and one or two flavors of ice cream before freezing. Add sprinkles  for a more  festive touch before serving . End the party with s'mores under the stars. 

A summer birthday party should be full of good classic summer time barbecue foods. The grill should be fired,. There should be favorite and easy to make salads. Dessert should be  spectacular with large slices of ice cream cake followed by s'mores.It's a birthday wish come true,

Who Is David Burke?

  You  probably have heard the name David Burke if you live in New Jersey and eat out a lot. He's becoming more and  more prevalent as he opens up tons of restaurants across the Garden State. Will he be the next Bobby Flay or Lidia Bastianich with a culinary empire?

Chef Burke is amassing a mighty empire of interesting and varied restaurants.He has one in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia along with two in North Carolina and three in New York State. However it's his home state ,New Jersey that has the most and the most varied menus. You can go to  Son Cubano in West New York, get a great view of Manhattan and have such Spanish and Hispanic  influenced mainstays  as  paella and empanadas.Then there is Morristown's 1776,  the name a nod to the town's major involvement in the Revolutionary War.This is modern American fusion food, that features hamburgers made with aged beef to a wide assortment of sushi rolls. He has appealed to brides and grooms by opening up Orchard Park at the elegant Gilded Age looking  Chateau Grande in East Brunswick. The menu is trendy with date night specials and breakfast pizzas offered at brunch.His Fort Lee establishment Ventana's has a fusion menu of Cuban Asian and American dishes as well as entertainment, namely in comedy

The Jersey shore seems to be his mainstay since he is familiar with the area. he grew up in Hazlet where his early years were spent delivering papers. His restaurants span from Rumson to Sea Bright to the latest The Goat, The Greatest of All Times,  which features a wild mix of Nuovo Italian and traditional hamburgers, along with a twist on shrimp cocktail(it involves cucumbers. His latest acquisition is dear to my heart - the famed Dixie Lee Bakery in Keansburg. From the pictures, it's gone upscale with a cheery outside repainting that makes it look like an Amish barn. The inside seems redone too, with what seems to be mirrors added to give the main part a bigger look.However he's intent on making too SoHo or West Village for this predominantly red leaning area of New Jersey. He wants to bring sandwiches and gourmet coffee to the Dixie Lee, named for Bing Crosby's first wife Dixie Lee, a popular  actress.when the Slovenz family opened it up in 1933. There are also going to be salads too and even baking classes. Is this too much for a bakery who sold such deliciously homey goods like their onion rye bread and chocolate dipped butter cookies?

Who is David Burke then? He's the man behind some of this state's great restaurants. Let's hope he keeps up this winning streak of successful eateries  while keeping in mind his roots.