Creating A Community With Food And Love

 The Cleveland Ohio area is not necessarily known for its' thriving LGBTQ community or for places catering to then. That's about to change thanks to neighboring Lakewood where there is a plan for inclusivity starting with a burgeoning food culture helping them. 

Erik Piepenburg ,who handles more of the New York Times' Arts sections and movie reviews wrote this interesting piece in the paper's Wednesday's Food section yesterday.The area is changing , and is more reminiscent of Manhattan's chelsea before it became gentrified. The Fieldhouse, a 30,000 square foot complex hosted a show headlined by some of the stars  such as MOney X-Change and Trinity the Turk of "Ru Paul's Drag Race . The complex's three restaurants are also getting their produce from a neighborhood garden tended by LGBTQ. They feel like they are finally part of the community according to Chelsea Brennan , a transgender woman who also did electrical installation at The Fieldhouse. The complex is just step one in this unification. The company behind it, Studio Wesr 117, headed by daniel Budish and Betsy Figgie will create a gay neighborhood with a new hotel, shops and a health clinic. It will be funded by one hundred million in both public and private funds. The company's partner is the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and the LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

Food is the main goal here. There are all sorts of classes at The Fieldhouse along with previews of the menus. The restaurants haven't opened yet but they are offering prviews of their dishes. Visitors enjoyed burgers topped with goat cheese from the area's Mackenzie Creamery and pizza, especially the pepperoni one called the Flirt from the complex's pizzeria Eat Me.There will also be a gastro pub called Muze anda rooftop  bar called The Trellis. There is also a food court of sorts for those attending games and events. The fieldhouse also boasts an intimate demonstration kitchen where there are all sorts of classes.At a recent pastry making class, drag queen Plenty O'Smiles iced cookies while teen-aged transgender boy Theo Crowfoot-Suede watched. Then Theo grabbed the piping bag and squeezed it just so to ice a pumpkin shaped ccokie. he and his mom Kim travelled all the way from Columbus to not only attend a fun class but to be amongst people like him. There was also a salsa making class for the group who tended the community garden , led by The field house's  pansexual assistant mananager Ms.Hulzing who goes by Ox.people of all persuasions enjoyed the salsa going home with printed copies of it.

Can The Fieldhouse be a model for future LGBTQ neighborhoods. Most definitely. It takes funds but also a community to make it work too.

The Food Moguls

 There is a new holy trinity of cooking. It's not ingredients but  two chefs and their investor. This trio of chefs Mario Carbone, Rich Torris and their investor Jeff Zalaznick are chaning the way the New York  and Miani are eating and partying. They are taking over and doing it in a remarkably short time.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this trio in today's section of the New York Times Food section. Not since Warner Leroy took over Tavern on the Green in the Seventies have three entrepreneurs made such an indelible mark on Manhattan's culinary scene. Their group, Major Foods, is also a powerhouse in Miami, moving their headquarters there.who are they and how did they get this much clout?Chefs Torrisi and Carbone are from the outer boroughs. They grew up with homemade Italian cooking which was and still is a huge influence on what they make.They were fledgling chefs when they met Mr. Zalaznick, just emerging form such known eateries as Da Posto and Boulud. Chef Carbone cooked Italian while Chef Torrisi leaned more to the French, Their partner comes from a family worth billions.Mr. Zalaznick's grandfather is financier and real instate investor Paul Milstein. His name graces the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life in the Museum of Natural History, Milstein Hospital in Upper Manhattan and the Milstein Division of the New York Public Library. There are connections to the city's most powerful families like the Tisches and the Le Fraks.

This does provide money to experiment and expand as it has for th e last ten years with them. They were able to open up Carbone in Greenwich Village and the sandwich shop Parm, They exploded on the MIami restaurant scene with  Carbone's South Florida extension. There is ZZ's Club,a private and posh food club that offers such dishes as the supremely tender Wagyu beef at $250 (!!!!) a plate and salmon teriyaki at $48 a plate.It also has a cigar and backgammon terrace. They also have Sadelle's, a homage to Jewish cooking in New York ,Miami and now Riyadh, Saudi Arabia along with the Dirty Laundry and The Grill which celebrate American cuisine.(their prices for a sit down Thanksgiving meal are outrageous - even for New York)Some fellow restauranteurs are skeptical of their success. Kevin Boehm and his business partner Rob katz are going for a low key approach and tailor their restaurants  like the Girl And Goat chain to the communitiues they're in. They also feel that expanding in different markets will be challenging down the road. However Major Food Group seems impervious to tis, even thriving in Miami during the Covid lockdown.

Will this trinity overtake the market? Probably on the high end range for a while. It's their time to shine and it shining brightly.

Food for The Souls

 Today and tomorrow the Christian world honors its saints and its souls. This is usually done through prayer but also through eating. There's a warm feeling reminiscing over a loved one's favorite dishes and recipes past down. Thye're not really gone if their food lives on through the generations.

Mexicans celebate Dios de Muertos -Day of The Dead. It's not a day of sadness but one of togetherness as families create such dishes as concha breads, taquitos and skull shaped cookies and candies.Taquitos are easy to make and they 're perfect to cook up all month long.It's just taking tortillas and first heating them. They're then filled with whatever you want , whether chicken ,beef or beans and then frying them in oil.They can be topped with cheese or guacamole. These can also be baked or air fried for a healthier , crisper bite. Chili is also served for the day. This is a definite cold weather dish as well. The Mexicans have always used ground beef but you can also make a white one. This involves chicken instead of beef and using creamy white cannelini beans instead of the usual kidney and pinto.Some recipes add broccoli and corn .That's up to you. Spicing is the same, with the usual bite of chili.The  memorial meal is finished with some kind of sweet. Bake skull  shaped brownies that can be either iced or just dusted with confectioner;'s sugar. You can also make the sweet concha bread, perfect with butter and Mexican hot chocolate.

Soul cakes are  another part of the All Soul's Day. If it sounds familiar Sting sang about them over a decade in his Christmas album. They're a big part of Samhain the Celtic holiday which Halloween derives from. Children went from door to door, much like trick ro treat, asking if homeowners would want a prayer said for the souls of their dearly departed. Payment was an apple, plum or these. The recipes goes back centuries, probably to the medieval period and the ingredients reflect this. They are egg yolks, butter, sugar and milk. Raisins and such spices as cinnamon, cloves nutmeg and gimger. A cross is made in them, similar to hot cross buns. You can modernize them with subbing in pumpkin spice for the spices and craisins or dried cranberries for the raisins. Soul cakes can also be made plain. They're usually baked in rounds and then dusted with powdered or granulated sugar. Some British chefs use saffron as flavoring and to give the cake a pale yellow color. Soul cakes are a nice contast to the rich holiday cookies on the calendar ahead.

These are the days when we remember our beloved who are gone. There are taquitos and cocnhas or soul cakes. Any of these are a lovely way to celebrate those lost.

Happy All Hallows

 It's Halloween. Celebrate with the sppokiest of party foods and the best of candy, Here's a recipe for any parties tonight or evne for tailgating

Autumnal Potato Salad,

One can (about sixteen ounces) of sliced potatoes

Half a cup of  vegan mayo  Hellmann's is the best here.

One small  Macintosh apple sliced and chopped

One jar green olives

Three stalks celery chopped.

 Take the potatoes out of the can and let sit for half an hour to get rid fo that "canned" taste.Combine them and the rest of the above in a large bowl, Mix thoroughly until every piece is coated with the mayonnaise. Chil for an hour or more before serving.

Enjoy this Halloween treat.It's a fun dish for any party.Try it for your tailgating or holiday ones

A Quick Halloween meal

 Halloween can be a fun day but it can also be nightmare for parents trying to plan lunch or dinner. It's hard to eat let alone cook between answering the door and taking the kids trick or treating. what to do? Think simple.  A simple meal is a b ig help here.

Sandwiches are the way to go for lunch. Have cold cuts and bread or rolls on the ready. Use leftover chicken or roast beef from Sunday's lunch for a delicious lunch. Make yourself a hearty one if you're planning on heading house to house afterwards. Think a hero stuffed with not only your favorite slices of ham or salami but also with different cheeses like Provolone and mozzarella. Add tomatoes and pickles too. Extras like chips or pretzels can round it out. A hot lunch on a chilly day is a boon because you'll feel warm afterwards. If you're ambitious then spend tomorrow making a homemade soup that can easily be served on Monday. A good cauliflower or potoato one is not only filling but also delicious too. Round out the lunch with toasted cheese rounds using Italian ro French bread crisped up in an air fryer and a salad. Kids may just want to skip lunch and get to the trick or treating. Don't allow this to happen. Pack a favorite sandwich and a juice box if they refuse to eat at home. Take along napkins and wet wipes so there are no grubby or dirty little fingers begging for candy.

Another meal that will be affected by the holiday is dinner.Again you could also use Sunday's leftovers for Monday's supper. Cook extra pasta or sides to stretch the meal. That way you can concentrate on handing out treats. If the family still wants a hot dinner, consider take out. The addition of pizza , Chinese or burgers only adds to the excitment of the holiday. However if you feel the need to cook something fresh, then think easy. Pasta is a snap to boil and serve with a variety of sauces. Dont go homemade. There are plenty of good commercially made ones that can fill the bill. Acme and Stop & Shop have a wide range of tasty sauces,  Get a tomato basil or a four cheese one. Again make an easy garlic bread in the air fryer to sop up the sauce. A French dip sandwich is another tasty warm meal that's easy to make.Buy sliced London Broil or roast beef and long rolls. Use already made gravy and heat it up in the miicrowave. The result is a hot sandwich that will keep you filled long after the last trick or treater has gone home.

Don't let Halloween trick you into skipping lunch or dinner. Have a full meal before trick or treating or handing out goodies. It's a treat that will keep you going all day.

Help!! What Do I Cook?

 Every chef and home chef hits it - the culinary wall. What happens when you run out of ideas for what to cook? Ot when you haven't gone to the store to pick up supplies?Ingenuity helps.

We all have hit that wall.We look into the fridge and think "What am I going to make?" You read about those food writers and chefs who can whip up a hot tasty meal using just polenta, cheese and spices. This does work if you happen to have polenta in your pantry. What happens of you don't? What you can do is sub in rice or a small pasta like orzo or ditalini and cook in any kind of broth. After it's done, toss in some butter and top with cheese for a warm filling lunch or Sinday night supper. Keep a container of either beef, chicken or vegetable broth handy. They're great for cooking up pastas but also for whipping up a quick soup. Add veggies and even leftover chicken or beef and you have a quick minestrone. If you have bread and cheese you have a meal. You can easily grill the combo in the toaster oven or air fryer . Fry it  in butter and you have a croque monsiur without the bechamel sauce. Try to have slices of American or cheddar cheese or a good wedge of Brie or Gruyere in the fridge. These are also great on just plain Saltines too and these make for a light but satisfying lunch too. Add little squares of ham for mini sandwiches.

A loaf of French or Italian bread is a plus. Any of them can be used in a variety of different recipes. One of my new favorites is sliced Italian ro french bread cut in rounds  and slathered with layers of Melt plant based butter, Parma vegan cheese and garlic powder. The rounds are put into the air fryer for five minutes at 370 dgree Farenheit. These crisp, buttery cheesy bites were perfect with a premixed salad that I bought at Stop & Shop.It was a no brainer dinner but it was delicious and filling. I plan on making the rounds again with pasta . In the summer the loaves can be torn up and mixed with tomatoes , onions , olive oil and red wine vinegar for a panzella salad. This is just a great lunch but also a good side with barbecued chicken or beef.Take your leftovers and stuff them inside a loaf of French or Italian and you have a hero. Another multi tasker is the tomato. It can be made into hot or cold recipes. Slice them , top with bread crumbs and saute in a mix of olive oil and butter and you have tomatoes Provencale. Get the bigger tomatoes , scoop out the inside and fill with tuna salad for a refreshing mid day meal. Tomatoes are also perfect in a sandwich with toasted bread and mayonnaise.

Every hoime chef and eve chef has hit that culinary wall. what to do? Climb over it with using some basics creatively.

Brusnwick Stew Perfect for Fall

 A good stew on a chilly day is perfection. Abrunswich stew is even better than that.This American classic is making a big comeback - although to fans it enver really left.

Regu;ar contributor and famed chef wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Brunswick stews origins are a mix if Indigenous, African and  European influences..American>tribes like the Assiniboine, from the Northern great Plains made soups and stews in  taut aninal skin covered holes in the ground. Whatever they could catch and forage went into the stew. Of course there were the other influences , possubly German.The name could come from Brusnwick County Virginia or Chef Kim's hometown of Brunswich Georgia. The recipes have been passed down from geneation to geneatiuon. There is even a Taste of brusnwick Festival, entering its' twenty-fufth year in Lawrenceville, Virginia, in Brusnwick COunty. This town, directly west ofNorfolk Virginia features Stewie, the festival's mascot, a smiley cast iron pot.He's filled with the Virginia trinity of tomatoes corn and butter beans.A ll five feet eight inces of him are along with fans are spreading the word about this tangy bite that also has chciken and catsup as its' ingredients. It was a favorite of Franklin d. Roosevelt and has fed many a Virginia hunter over the years.

What's in it? Chef Kimsgives the recipe.Tomatoes and potatoes figure heavily in it. It's the potatoes that give it a thickness that gives it's body.Most stews are made in large cauldrons, able to feed whole small towns.  Yellow onions are first cooked in a Dutch oven and then bay leaves,c elelry seeds and cayenne are added.Then there's the plum tomatoes, g ranulated sugar and worcester sauce. everything else is added afterwards. Use  peeled Yukon Gold potatoes and chicken stock followed by two pounds of skinnned chicken thighs along with fresh or frozen corn and lima beans. The original recipe calls for squirrel meat but this is not doable. The thighs should be cooked for at least one hour or until the chicken meat is soft and easily shreddable. Chef Kim suggests shredding the meat with two forks - although you don't have to. large chunks fo meat taste delicious here. Adjust the taste if you want with more salt, pepper, cayenne or sugar. Many serve Brunswick stew with cornbread but I can see it with rice or even polenta.

Brunswick stew is the perfect dish for fall. It's a mix of tangy and sweet , fiery and savory. Try this chillc haser for a different take on stew