Dragonfruit Drama

 Dragon fruit or pitaya is a beauty of a fruit.A bright fuschia rind protects the black speckled creamy flesh. Yet as with all beauties it comes with drama. There's a war going on , leaving farmers with an excess and financial problems.

 Regular contributor Christina Morales wrote about the dragonfruit war between Floridian and Ecuadorian farmers in yesterday's New York Times Food section.dragon fruit is becoming popular, especially as a flavorer for drinks. Taco Bell uses it in their iced teas and Starbucks combines it with lemonade or mango juice in their refreshers. This would equate tremendous demands and top sales to those farmers in South Florida. Yet they were slapped in the face when Ecuadorian famers glutted the market with it. They extended their season which would be going into the Southern Hemisphere fall just as the June crops were coming into being. This overlap has been a major blow to the Americans whose budgets have been tightened by inflation and high labor costs.Dragon fruit grows from June to November, with the fruits grown at the end of the season being nourished by artifical sunlight along with lots of water, fertilizer and pruning.

The US has always had competition regarding the pitaya. It is grown in Vietnam and Peru besides Ecuador. Yet it's the Ecuadorans that are giving the farmers the most worry. In recent year the South Americans have provided a reliable supply in recent years, especially during the pandemic when the Florida farmers had to deal with labor shortages.It also has more appeal because it's larger than the Floridian ones. It's popularity has increased in the last twenty years thanks to it being nutrient dense according to Jonathan Crane , the associate director of the Tropical Research and Education Center at the UNiversity of Florida. The fruit also has a nice flavor. Think a not so sweet pear which makes it idea for all sorts of recipes from cold teas and refreshers to sorbets and even salads.The problem is that it's not as popular as other fruits which would create demand for it. Many farmers are now selling it directly, trying to make up for this excess.They  also had to deal with drought which ruined a good mumber of plants as well.

The dragonfruit wars are on hold now thanks to Hurricane Ian. Hopefully the fruit will gain in popularity and both American and South American farmers can benefit. It's a delicious tasty  fruit worth the drama

Anthony Bourdain's Legacy Of Controversy

 Anthony Bourdain was one of those great food writers. Part Hemingway, part Epicurious, he created a legacy that should stand out for its' culinary boldness.Yet there is another legacy lurking there. It's creating a stir for his fans and his family.

Regular contributer KimSeverson delved into this in today's New YorkTimes Wednesday Food section.Bourdain tragically took his life in 2018 in an Alsace-Lorraine hotel room. His family and friends instantly closed ranks and remained mum on what had happened. That all changed last year when two events happned. They were interviewed for an upcoming documentary called "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" and a brand new biogrpahy by journalist Charles Leerhsen . The book ,published by Simon and Shuster is Down And Out IN Paradise: The Life Of Anthony Bourdain".  Mr. Leerhsen, who has written biographies on everyone from Ty Cobb to Butch Cassidy captures every aspect of the food writer's life. His telling is different than the others/It's unvarnished ,often times showing Bourdain in a very bad light. He said in an interview that he wanted to write a book "without that dutiful sheen of an official Bourdain product. He does cover Bourdain's life from a sullen teenager in Leonia New Jersey to his years at Vassar and the Culinary Institute of America , or the CIA. There is BOurdain's  rise to a food writer and TV celebrity. Yet apart from this glamor , Leerhsen also covers Bourdain's addictions and his isolation along with his cold treatment of his young daughter.

Without a doubt the Bourdfains are upset with this. His brother Christopher sent Simon and Shuster two emails calling the book "hurtful and defammatory fiction". The publisher's vice president and senior counsel, Felice Javit responded with they disagree that the material is defammatory and they'll stand by the publication.One person who hasn't pushed back is Mr. Bourdain's ex-wife Ottavia Busia Bourdain. she allowed Mr. Leerhsen access to her late husband's e mails and messages from Mr. Bourdain's phone. Other info came from his first wife Nancy Pitkoski who did provide a valuable source of information. The book delves very deeply with his last relationship  actor Asia Argento, a controversial figure herself. She was one of the first to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct and was one of the architects of the #MeToo movement. She was later accused of sexual misconduct  herself with actor Jimmy Bennett  who was twenty years younger than her. She was thirty-seven to his seventeen. She also controlled Mr Bourdain and according to the book they fought as he gave her large sums of money.It does show him in a bad light. His friend Eric Ripert says it's  all fiction.

The best legacy from Anthony Bourdain is his own words. watch his shows .,Read his essays. That shows the true character of the man.

Fall Into Fall Cooking

 There'sa sublte shift in cooking and baking right now. The reason? It's autumn. Gone are those lazy summer barbecues and no bake treats.It's time to get serious about all things kitchen.

Cooler weather means bigger appetites. Think rib sticking meals for both the weekday and weekend. it's time to get out the crockpot and Insta Pot and create some hearty recipes. Chili is one of those meals. It's quick and easuly made in any kind of cooker. Chase away that chill with a good dose of chili powder and cayenne pepper. You can also make it mild by omitting the second. Chili can be adapted to suit any taste. Vegan and vegetarians can enjoy one consisting of mostly beans or add a bag of soy crumbles  to emoutalte the beef ones. Turkey chili is another variation which can also be made healthier with the addition of cannelini beans and topped with avocado chunks. This can also be done with ground chicken too, called white chili. This is the season for roasts as well.There's nothing like a good Sunday dinner with a roast as its' star. Think a roast beef or London Broil, complete with gravy and mashed potatoes. Take advantage of the seasonal veggies too. Butternut squash is big right now and iot can easily be a great side with just melted butter or an entire meal, stiuffed with rice and quinoa along with ground beef or soy crumbles. You can also brush up on your Thanksgiving dinner skills by roasting a turkey and whipping up homemade stuffing and string bean casserole.

The cool weather also signals the start of the baking . This is apple season. Take advantage of it. A tasty dessert after a heart meal is apple pan dowdy. This is first mxing the batter which is a blend of flour , cinnamon and brown sugar in water and lemon juice. it's combined with amother mix of more flour, butter and milk. tHis sauce is  poured over the apples and then the dough is dropped over all of this. It's baked at 350 degrees Farenehit for fifty-five minutes. A more sophsiticated dessert is the galette. This is an easy make and bake. The dough is a rich, buttery one using a stick and a half of butter. The apples are mixed with ginger and cinnamon for a spicy bite. Honeycrisp apples are best for this. You could easily add mounds of cinnamon dusted whipped crean or vanilla ice cream..It's also pear season and a pear galette is also an easy and delicious bake. Slice the pears as you would do the apples for a crunchy bite. Pumpkins are all over the place right now. You could make a pumpkin pie but think about pumpkin tarts or mousse. You get the same spicy, earthy taste but in smaller, lighter bites.

It's time for fall cooking and baking. There's a whole slew of recipes perfect for the chillier days ahead. They're all tasty and rib sticking.

Sweets For The New Year

 One of the best traditions of Rosh Hashana is eating a sweet for a sweet new year. The holiday and the season lends itself to all sorts of delcious desserts.They're perfect for ending a meal or jsut having with tea or coffee.

Since this is also apple season think cakes with them as the main ingredient. The Sephardic Jews bake an apple ginger cake called tishpishti.It's a gluten free cake also made with almond and walnuts which also makes it perfect for Passover. Fuji apples are used as are cinnamon and nutmegs for a sweet spicy flavor.It's drizzled with a boozy apple jack (apple brandy) drenched syrup that also has lemon juuice, ginger and unsweeteened apple juice in it.Another cake celebrating the harvest is an apple one made with tart Granny Smith apples. Brown the sliced apples first in vegan butter or margarine along with lemon juice and two to three tablespoons of sugar. The cake batter consists of flour eggs, sugar ,baking powder canola oil and vanilla. The cooked apple slices are added to the batter and the whole mixture is baked in a springform pan for 350 degrees Farenheit for an hour . You could sprinkle demerara sugar (which can be bought at any British grocery shop) on top for crunch. For the kids  apple cupcakes are a fun idea. These have diced apples any kind and a cream cheese buttercream frosting. You can drizzle caramel on top but these are pretty good with just the frosting.

Honey plays an important part in Rosh Hashana baking.There are so many recipes regarding it. You could go with one that also has brown sugar for a deep brown color.Coffee and orange juice are added to counteract the sweetness. To match the orange-y flavor use orange blossom honey . You coulkd also sub in black tea if the coffee feels too strong tastewise. You could also use tea in a moist honey cake. again make it a s trong black one to really project its' flavor. Fresh honey can be used (whole Foods may carry this) along with such spices as nutmeg and cinnamon. large eggs are used to help the cake main tain their moistness. To make it fancier arrange almond slices on top before baking. This creates a pretty pattern on top.Honey cupcakes are also another good dessert. It's a fun and easy one that uses baking soda and baking powder to create light tender cakes. A buttercream icing may be too heavy here. Go with a whipped cream one that's an easy make.It's just whipping the cream with confectioner's sugar and a few drops of vanilla extra. Add a sprinkle of almond slivers for a more festive look.

Try something sweet for a sweet new year. It could be a cake or cupcakes  to celebrate. Use the flavors of the season to make tempting and tasty holiday desserts.

Not Your Granny's Meringues Black Sheep CBD Meringues

 Meringues have gotten a stodgy image. Mention them and people think of them gracing staid afternoon teas or being shown on The Great British Baking Show as a challenge. That's about the change thanks to Black Sheep. They've added CBD to the basic recipe and punched them up.

I love anything meringue so these caught my eye.Black Sheep meringues made by Sannte Foods an Oak Ridge Texas Company also knoiwn for their sweet Tidbit snacks.

CBD is added to the classic meringue recipe of mostly egg whites and sugar (hopefully they'll come out with an aqua faba one). This added ingredient helps in lowering inflammation and decreasing anxiety. They're the perfect snack after a hard day of for those with joint pains.

These are tiny one bite puffs which come in a wide variety of flavors. There is caramel, cappuccino ,birthday cake., cookies and cream and cotton candy as well as the classic chocolate , chocolate mint strawberry and vaniila. Be warned however. There is a slightly bitter aftertaste unlike regular meringues which have a continous sweet flavor.

The packages come in two sizes - five count which is $12.99 while the ten pack is $18.99. The smaller packs  would make fun stocking stuffers while the larger ones are perfect in fun birthday surprise baskets.

Black Sheep CBD Meringues are not your granny's meringues. They 're perfect for just kicking back and relaxing with a sweet snacl. Try them for a different take on a bakery favorite.

Topping The Toppings

 One of the best parts of making homemade pizza is adding the toppings you like. They could be traditional or over the top, simple or lush. You can also create a variety of combos that pizzerias would dare touch.It's your pie. Have fun with it.

What are tradtional toppings? Pepperoni , onion, olives and mushrooms. These are good on their own but they're great in combinations and with other toppings as well .Pepperoni goes good with mushrooms but you can also try it as part of an Italian hero topping. Add some shredded provolone , capacola and prosciutto for a different yet surprisingly traditional take. YOu can still have an onion pizza but thro in another allium such as scaalions or spring onions. These zing up the pie and give the sauce more bite. Olives are good on their own but you can also create an Italian style tapas to spoon onto the pie , sort of like a bruschetta. Mushrooms can be the usual buttins ones but baby bellas add more flavor. These wiull give the pizza a steak like flavor , perfect for vegetarians and vegans wanting a "meaty" kind of topping. You can also combine onions and mushrooms too for a different taste. Another idea is slcing up all different kinds of the fungi and using them instead of tomatoes.

Of course you can also try lusher toppings. Chef J> Kenji Alt has created a Korean-Italian fusion with buldak chicken. This recipe appeared in the new York Times Wwednesday Food section. BUldak chicken is a charred chicken coated in paste of tomatoes, gochuchang and gochugaru. The first give the meat a sweet and tangy flavor while the other is spicy.  the chicken is cooked first and then chopped into topping size pieces and placed on top of the pie. You could also tone down the fire and just top the pie with a garlicky chicken for a chicken prm vibe. Layer on more cheese for this. Steak topped pizza is a great weekend pie, perfect for those at home football parties.it's cooking the steak first with garlic and herbs. You can cut it into strips or for a better bite into smalller pieces. Kids may go crazy for hanburger pie>It's browning the meat with chopped onions first and then spooning it over the sauce. Mozzarella is then layered on the top. A lusher pie is a shrimp one. It's taking shrimp scampi and putting it on top .

Pizza toppings can be anything you want. be traditional. Be bold. Just top your pie with whatever makes it memorable.

A Taste Of Moules

 Whatt;s agood fall dish ? Moules or the American version  mussels.They're a wonderful chill chaser, stilly briny with a taste of  lingering summer. Their broth is amazing too and can even made better with simple additions like beans.

Melissa Clark experimented with this in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. MOules or mussels are excellent with a simple garlic, white wine and butter sauce. Their juices cook up well with it and this is an added treat. Theyre's nothing like dipping hunks of crusty French bread in this for stretching out the dish and that lovely buttery,briny flavor. Ms Clark adds cannellini or white beans aong with rosemary springs and hot pepper flakes. There's also vegetable broth too in the recipe and the usual white wine. what is also good about this recipe is that's it's thrifty - something seafood is not these days. she can buy a rwo pound bag of mussels for around nine dollars.It's a few dollars less than shrimp and a lot less than lobster. They're also the best example of sustainable seafood too. You can buy farmed ones, constantly rated as one of the best foods to eat. Another plus about this dish it can be made in under just twenty minutes.It's a great weekend dish but can easily be whipped up on a busy weeknight.

One of the best aspects of this dish is that it's so simple evne a novice home chef can ace it. first come the beans which are briefly braised in olive oil with the red pepper flakes and garlic cloves (the recipe calls for eight of these but you can decrease if you want to tame down the garlicky flavor).If you're ambitious you cna cook your own beans, but using canned is much easier. At this point they're tender and the mussels should be added.As the mussels are steamed they release their liquid or juices which the beans soak up. THis makes them plumper and more complex. Rosemary is also added and this adds a punch of astringency.This is also when the vegetable stock and a quarter cup of white wine is added too.Keep inmind to rinse and clean the mussels before adding to the beans.Use cold running water for this and pull off the sharp hairly clumps called beards that nest around  the edge of the shells, You can use a fingernail for this but if that doesn't work then try a sharp knife. These are added and then cooked for five to eight minutes. You can serve this with a simple tomato salad or just a tossed one. For true Belgian goodness you can also serve fries with this too and dip them in the broth.

A hot bowl of moules and beans are the perfect fall dish.They're beyond delicious and easy to nake. Try a bowlof them for a tasty week day or weekend dinner.