Linda Ronstadt's Harmony Of Food

 Linda Ronstadt is legend. Her smoky ,silky voice has led to many platinum records, both hard rock and nods to the Big Band Era.Surprisinngly this icon is going into food with a new cookbook clebrating her Sonoran Desert roots. It's an inreresting look at cooking of that region.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about the singer in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. To talk to Ms. Ronstadt about her career is a treat in itself but it's another interesting facet of a life that's captivating. What is really interesting however is that Ms. Ronstadt doesn;t cook despite her heritage , equally  as fascinating. One grandfather invented the electric stove while the other was a master of meat and mesquite. Yet she does like helping out and she does host legendary brunches,. When her children were little she made sure they had breakfast with linen napkins despite the fact she never cooked breakfast for them. In fact the cookbook surprised them. Ms. Ronstadt's only culinary dish is peanut butter and jelly  or honey. 9although she does makeit lush by buttering the bread first and them layering on Laura Scudder's  organic peanut butter. When she does cook she brings the same precision to her recipes that she brought to her music. Broccoli has to be steamed three minutes.Vinaigrette can't be made with balsamic vinegar.

Her recipes for the book are party family ,part traditional. Feels Like Home: A Song For The Sonoran Borderland  (Heydey Press 2022) cowritten with New York Tiomes journalist  Lawrence Downes who also met Ms . Rondstadt when he was writing about traditional Mexican music. Yet it was her friend, CC Goldwater, granddaughter of the famed Republican senator Barry Goldwater who suggested the cookbook. Ms. Goldwater imagined it as a fundraiser for Parkinson Diesease research,Ms. Ronstadt suffers from the disease.They and friends Bill and Athena Steen who have made a name teaching people to build from adobe wanted to contribute family recipes. The recipes featured in the article are El MInuto's Crisps a, cheesey , crunchy snack, Ms, Ronstadt ate regularly at  the famed Tuscoon eatery El Minuto that was across the street from where her brother was chief of police. Tortillas are fried in oil followed by green chili  strips.  These strips are put on top of the fried tortillas and then layered with both Cheddar and Monterery Jack cheeses to be broiled until gooey and crisp.. There are her grandfather's meatballs or albondegas , braised in water as opposed to being fried in oil. They're loaded with beef and tomatoes along with garlic,mint, Mexican oregano and cilantro.

Linda Ronstadt is legendary. Now her favorite and family recipes are too. They represent her love of heritage and her beloved Sonoran desert.

Breaking The Fast

 Yom Kippur is one of the holiest and somber of the Jewish holidays. It's broken with a fast. This could be meager or filling depending on how you want to go.

There are actually two meals associated with the holy day. One is the pre-fast meal known as seudah ha-mafesket - literall meal of separation or concluding meal. This is usually rice or kreplach or stuffed dumplings along with challah dipped in honey(this occurs ten day after Rosh Hashanah where Jews have to eat something sweet for a sweet New Year), chicken or fish. meals have to be made with a minimum of salt as this could cause dehydration while fasting.Plenty of water must be taken as well. The break-fast meal consists of hi-carb dairy meals , including some brunch recipes. Sweet kugel or noodle pudding is made as well as egg rich quiches and souffles. Some go the meager route with just bagels. Some go the lusher route by breaking the fast with homemade soup and brisket. The meal could end with a home baked cake. What is eaten depends on if the family has Sephardic or Mediterranean or Ashkenazi or Eastern European roots. The  Sephardim usually have a light bread or snack followed by a heavier meat meal.

Sephardic Jews have always been influenced by the places where they've lived. Many make baklava, usually associated with the Greeks and Turkish for their fast break. Turkish Jews break the fast with a teapsoon of quince jam and followed with a sip of water. They greet guests with pepitada or subiya, a milky drink made from the seeds of Persian, cantaloupe or honeydew melons. The seeds are dried toasted cracked open and then submerged in cold water for twenty-four hours..It's then chilled and served with a drop of sugar or rosewater. They also incorporate the famed Greek lemon and egg chicken soup, avgolemono. Ashkenazi Jews usually break the fast with more brunch dishes. There are quiches filled with much needed protein and can be filled with broccoli and mushrooms. There's also Brie with infused honey and crusty bread. It's a nice blend of sweet and savory. of course lox and bagels are the old stand by.Add a schmear of cream cheese if it's allowed by  dietary law. Bagles are  a great way of introducing food into the system.

Yom Kippur is the most holiest of all the Jewish holidays. The fast should be taken just as seriously. Fill up on good , nutritious foods that help  with introducing foods.

A Good Hot Lunch

 Think hot  If you're lucky to be home for lunch. It's a nice change up from dinner and breaks up the day. It'll keep you full for the afternoon and keep you from snacking too.

The easiest hot lunch is soup/ You can easily open a can of Progresso orCampbells' but a quick homemade soup is a better choice. Take any kind of broth, vegetable, beef or chicken  and use that as the base. Then add what you want. Tomatoes and peppers will give the potage color and flavor. Add cut celery and onions too along with any kind of bean.This will give it protein. If you want it to be heartier. then add smaller pasta like pastina, ditalini or orzo.. Serve toasted Italian or French bread with it and a simple salad. Another hot  lunch treat is a mild chili, This can eaily be made in a crockpot or Instapot. You can use ground turkey and cannekini beans for a  white chili. You can also make a vegan one using morningstar or Grdein soy crumbles. Have plentty of crackers and sliced avocado to put on top. What's great about chili snd soup, you can either have a bowl or cup if you're not that hungry. A different spin is putting a fried egg on top for more protein and flavor.

Of  course eggs are perfect in creatin a hot lunch. You can easily make a filling sausage scramble. Again you canuse pork  , turkey or vegan for a tasty, hot bite.  Add tomatoes an garlic for thar  Piedmontese lunch favorite, pomodori et uovi. Make sure you have plenty of Italian bread to mop it all up.Sub in chopped peppers foe that Sicilian favorite uovi e pepe. Serve on hoagie rolls . Omelets and frittatas can be fun , expecially with all the different add ins. A western style omelet is a tasty and filling lunch, especially if you load it up with extra ham and peppers. go Greek styke with a good cup of spinach. A cheese one full of Cheddar is a yummy, gooey lunch. Try subbing in Brie or Montery Jack  for a fun change up. Keep in mind that Eggs Benedict are not just for Sunday brunch. They work every day and it's a neat change  up for an ordinart day. You cam nake it with an egg sunnyside up or even scrambled ones. Make it a Florentine one by changing outthe Canadian bacon with spinach. You could also sub in crab meat too for a rich and satisfying lunch.

Nothing beats a hot lunch on a cold day. Make a soyp or an omelet to start off with to chase away that autumn chill. You'll fee warmer 

An Air Fried Fall

 Air fryers were every home chef's best friend during the sweltering summer months. It can still be a vital kitchen appliance during the autumn too. It's great for cooking up tailgate and foot ball party nibbles along with creating great dishes with the season's harvest.

Air fryers are perfect for any tailgating party.You could buy a travel one.Amazon has them for as little as $ 37.99 for the Elite one quart one. Keep in mind you'll also need a portable generator for it since air fryers require a lot of power.9although this can be saved for when you want to bring your air fryer on Spring and summer camping trips) What tail gating treats can you make? Chicken wings and thighs are perfect for it. They fry up crisply and evenly without all that fat. Coat the wings with seasoning and then cornstarch to  ensure a nice crunch. If you;re looking for a low calorie alternative then look no further than cauliflower "wings," These are the florets rolled in a fiery mix of cayenne pepper, hot sauce and smoked paprika. Worcester sauce and apple cider vinegar give the florets more zing as onion and garlic powders give them more flavor. Another fun , crunchy bite are zucchini chips. Again this is simply cutting the squash into very thin coins and then seasoning them with sea salt. They're then brushe d with olive oil and fried for a few minutes.You can serve these with a homemade ranch dressing. 

Other squashes can be air  fried for the main course or a tasty side. Butternut squash is the most versatile.You can cube it or air fry it whole , cut into two sides. The cubed way will produce a nice crispy bite, especially if they're well coated in olive oil or melted butter. You can also toss them in garlic powder , sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Give them a sweeter bite by dredging the cubes in a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon. This would be a perfect side for turkey or capon.  You can air fry the whole squash ususlly for five minutes. Brush the sides with olive oil or melted butter or margarine and season with just sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Again, this makes a great side for any poultry. Kale is another fall veggie that is perfect for the air fryer. Kale chips are not only a fun side with burgers and hot dogs but they're also a great snack. Use fresh and try to get the curly leaf variety. remember to thoroughly dry the leaves too after washing them otherwise you'll just have soggy chips. Don't include the ribs or stems in this., They're too tough to eat, even when cooked. Tear them into bite size piece s and then toss in olive oil. Sesaon with what you want, Add hot pepper flakes of you want a fiery bite or sprinkle some vinegar on them and salt for a salt and vinegar flavor.

Make the air fryer the most important appliance this fall. It's great for cooking up tailgating faovrites and delicious sides. Try it with autumn's abundant harvest.

Treats With A KIck The Weed Gummies Cookbook

 There's nothing like a sweet treat.Now imagine that enhanced with the addtion of CBD and THC . These will not only bring about a mellowness ut will also helo with various ailments.There's a new cookbook that incorporates these into interesting sweets and goodies.

Monica Lo wrote The Weed Gummies Cookbook (Ulysses Press 2022)and it's an interesting and very thoughtful book. She came to it after suffering a herniated disc after an intesive booiktcamp work out. Herf reind gave her cannabis gummies/ she wanted to create her own and luckily she had a sous vide - after being part of a sous vide start up - infuse the cannibis. A sous vide cooks food in a sealed bag in hot water. The temperature is very precise for exact cooking. This makes for bnone of that telltale cannibis aroma wafting around the house or neighborhood. She also delves into the history of using the pkant for medicinal purposes with its' use going back to the second Century in China and recording in PenTs'ao a medical book of the time. Ms. Lo also incudes a page on ethics along with what ingredients to use to create the sweets. she also includes all important warning labels to download too. There are reminders about how much cannabis and hemp or THC to use. she recommneds a low dose although there is a page on dosages,Ms. Lo also includes a page on infusion basics including the process of decarboxylation . This is a process to activate the phytocannibinoids.

What aabout the recipes? There's a wide variety of them. You could try Ms. Lo's cannabis infused sugar made with a cannabis tincture .it would be an interesting addition to teas and  fruit ades. There are many gummie recipes that would make fun gifts and party bites. Kombucha gummies are an interesting mix of the tea and Kief  (a kind of cannabis pollen) infused honey. A really cool dessert would be terrazzo coffee jelly which looks like tiles and is a mix of coffee and coconut jellies. Fill a candy dish with sour pink lemonade and blackberry thyme gummies along with lavender chamomile ones that will help with sleep. There is also a bubble tea recipe too for a soothing sip. Trendy candy makers will appreciate the salted  mocha.caramel recipe. rich with whipping cream and cannabis infused butter (and yes you can infuse butter with it , there's a recipe fro that too. That alone  would be great for different spins on traditiional savory recipes). Ms. Lo also includes nougat and hard candy ones too. There is a nod to her favorite Chinese candy snowflake crisp nougat made with tea biscuits, whole almonds, the infused butter and marshmallow. Enthisiasts will love the lollipop and brittle recipes along with a jelly and cream recipe. There are also recipes for marzipan and honey chews,alternatives to refined sugar.

The Weed Gummies Cookbook is the perfect cookbook for cannabis enthusiasts. It is chock full of advice and recipes for interesting sweet treats. Get the book and create homemade edibles.

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.