California Cooking Southern Style

Many think that California cuisine is heavily inflienced by Mecican and Asian cuine yet there is another influence - the African American one. Fueled by thirty years of Great Migration, this is a cuisine with Southern roots and Golden State ingredients. It's finally being acknowledged in a cookbook by a California chef.

Food writer and podcaster of  A Hungry Society  Korsha Wilson wrote about this and chef Tanya Holland in today's New York Times Food section. Chef Holland is the author of a new book highlighting California soul food.Tanya Holland's California Soul : Recipes from a California Journey West (Ten Speed Press 2022)> She has written other cookbooks and also hosted a TV cooking show "Tanya's Kitchen Table." Yet it is her restaurant Brown Sugar Kitchen that made her famous. Hers is a fusion of her parents Louisiana and  Virginian roots with California grown and native ingredients. Hery chunky apple, sliced Granny Smith apples caramelized in a cast iron skillet.  recipe was parially inspired by her grandmother back in Virgnia, she also baked rolls with sweet potato  along with cooking apple cider braised pork chops and gumbo z'herbes with crab and prawns. This type of fusion cooking came about from the Great Migration between  1940 to 1970 when African americans left Lousiana and Texas and settled in Oakland and Los Angeles. The brought their recipes with them and subbed in Dungeneess crab for blue  and used rice grown in the Sacramanto Valley for Lousiaina classics like jambalaya and dirty rice. Santa Maria style barbecue blended with Texas  smokehouse tradition.

Chef Holland's background is an impressive mix. She was born in Connect cut and raised in Rochester , new York.  She trained in Burgundy, france at the Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne after graduating from the University of Virginia. She worked at a series of French style restuarants in the US but was routinely denied the opportunity to learn new skills and mive up through the ranks. she had to create her own opportunities. she moved the San Francisco Bay area whre she opened Brown Sugar Kitchen. she sourced local bakers and farmers to stock her eatery.  She has left there and now works with the James Beard foundation to make its' award more inclusive. Three of her recipes are included in the article. There is her gumbo that is loaded with Dungeness crab and shrimp, spiced with file and thyme.It also has potatoes , onion and - a California influence coconut milk in it. Then there are her sweet potato rolls which take a new spin on a classic bread recipe. Her date bars are a nod to one of California 's most popular fruits, dates. She makes a paste of them and uses it as the filling for rich brown sugar and butter rich cookie .

California soul cooking is an important part of the state's culinary history.It is a fusion of traditional recipes and native ingredients. It's a perfect marriage that creates delicious dishes.

Farfalla Soup Pasta

 One of my Mom's favorite dishes was a hybrid of chicken broth and farfalle or butterfly pasta in sauce. This fusion dish was and still is perfect for the cold days ahead. It's an easy mix that's sure to please. Just serve with garlic bread for a hearty week day or weekend meal.

It starts with two containers of veggie broth for a vegan spin on the recipe. I used Acme's Signature brand but you could use chicken or beef broth too.

This is cooked for twenty minutes and then the farfalle is added.

Farfalle is a tricky pasta to cook. The middle takes longer than the ends because they're pinched together. You have to be patient with it. It does take about twenty minutes to cook properly no matter what liquid you cook it in.

                        It's then adding the Ragu sauce and mushrooms to make it heartier

I think a smaller can of just roasted tomatoes would work better. This gave me a whole pot of pasta soup.

It was then cooking it for another few minutes until the farfalle were tender on the ends and al dente in the middle.

                                 Of course you have to have garlic bread with it . Salads work too with this

The end result was more like a tomato soup with pasta. I think it will taste even better reheated with some Melt plant butter added. It was good with the garlic bread, very tomato-y , thanks to Ragu's intense flavor.

This pasta soup is the best chill chaser you can make. It;s a tasty blend of traditonal farfalle and broth. Try it for a tasty way to combat the cold.

Party On A Budget

 In another couple of weeks it will be party season. Theres only one problem with it this year - sky high costs. How do you celebrate when pinching pennies?It will take a lot of planning.

Many home chefs do live to have some kind of holiday get together. It could be a tree trimming party or a cookie exhcnage .it could just be cocktails  and fancy nibbles with friends Yet all these cost money and this year some products and incrediets are almost fifty to seventy per cent higher in price. What to do?Budget. Look at cheaper alternatives and ways to stretchh those party dollars. One good idea is having a pot luck holiday party. Have friends bring over their favorite dishes instead of you making all of them. ask people to cook or bake dishes that can feed a crowd. Lasagna is one and it cna be made cheaply if using in store brands along with going vegan. Sub in veggies for ground beef or look to sales and Beyond Meat for an alternative. The same goes for mac and cheese. You can splurge on the cheese a little while saving on the pasta.As far as cakes and cookies, ask guests to look for whatever is on sale and use those to create party desserts.There should be some kind of drinking. Limit it to alcoholic and non alcoholic punches which can be diluted with plenty of seltzer and juice.

Another idea is to shop for bargains. You'll have to rely on  Target,Wal-Mart Acme , Stop & Shop  Shop Rite and Aldi for this. Wal-Mart is usually much cheaper than the  other groceries.  You could easily get chicken breasts and shrimp to turn into fancy kebobs. They also have great cookie trays and cheesecake platters. Aldi is another store with plenty of bargains. Buy their summer sausage along with a panino deli tray wich is three kinds of cold cuts  like salami wrapped around small mozzarella sticks. Think Acme, Stop & Shop and Shop Rite if you want to buy shrimp trays for a decent price along with their wide range of affordable desserts. Target has always had excellent pricings (plus five percent off if you hav etheir Red Card) on their appetizers and hors d'ouevres.  You may have to store hop to get the best bargains but it will be worth it to have a table full of good food. Check out Wine Warehouse along with any discount liquor stores in your area. There's sure to be some good bulk pricing not only on wine but on the less expensive champagnes too. Another idea is limit your menu. Don't have shrimp and sushi . Have one or the other. Have veggies and dip but don;t pair it with a large charcuterie board. One or the other will get neglected. have a sampler board with just a few meats cheeses and crackers. Cut down on desserts too. One trifle and three or four different kinds of cookies should be the perfect ending.

You can party on a budget. It just takes thoughtful planning and smart shopping. This ensures a gathering thats still festive and fun.

Up Next

 Thanksgiving planning is over, Now what? Do you take a break or start planning for the next holiday? What to do next?

Most home chefs will take a break from any kind of cooking and baking. Thanksgiving is always draining and it is nice to take a couple weeks off just to relax. This is the time to get out the crockpot or Insta pot ad start thiuking stews and chilis. They're easy to make and easy to store leftovers. You can also use leftover turkey for a white chili. This is cooking the turkey cooked with cannelini beans and Monterey Jack cheese. Onions and garlic are also added as are such spices as cumin, oregano and garlic along with cinnamon. It's a nice dish to come home to on a blustery cold night. This is also a good time to think about cooking other easy dishes like hamburgers and hot dogs .These are easy to grill and again are filling. if you're still tapped out from the holiday then order in. You can easily get a roasted chicken and sides at any grocery store or Wal-Mart. Also take advantage of the family sized meals from Marie Callender's and Stouffer's family style meals that can feed four  to five people.

What about those home chefs and bakers who are all set to tackle Christmas and Hanukkah? The last is later this year, starting December 18th and ending on the 26th. Both holidays require cooking and baking. It;s a good time to start stocking up especially if groceries are offering after Thanksgiving sales. Write down your plans. Are you planning a cookie exchange? Will there be family parties as well as a sit down dinner? Are you going to be on a budget? These are all factors to consider in the upcoming weeks. You can  easily pace yourself with both shopping, cooking and baking. It;s also a good time to assess all your baking equipment. is your cookie shooters up to par? Is the barrel that holds the dough cracked? Take advantage of sales to get a new one. Also check your cookie cutters. Do you feel like you need one or two new ones? Check your shapes. You don't want to have just snow flakes or reindeer. Get a new one like a sleigh or Santa to mix things up What about the latkes? Do you need a new peeler?  You can easily make them in an air fryer which is also on sale now.

what's up next is up to you. You can take it easy for th next couple of weeks. You could also start your holiday cooking and baking plans. It's your decision.

Turn Those Leftovers Into Gold

 Black Friday usally means shop til you drop. It also means dealing with yesterday's leftovers. What do you do with them or the overage from ingredients? Turn them into yummy dishes.

This had been nagging at me  all last night. I had extra Just Egg egg substitute and vegetable broth left over from yesterday's vegan French bread stuffing. It dawned one me what I can make with them  -. pompiest, that Piedmontese comfort food , breadcrumb soup.

I used these leftover ingredients with a cup and a half of breadctumbs, cooked and combined to create a soothing potage. It was a stomach calming  respite from yesterday's filling meal. It also made for a hot tasty lunch too.

Thanksgiving provides us with all sorts of leftover.  Melissa Clark wrote about using leftover  turkey in a number of ways in Wednesday's The New York Times Food section.  It's best in a soup where you can spice it and add pearled barley as Cristiana  N> de Carvalho did , using her native Brazilian mother's recipe. There are also turkey enchiladas and pot pies, the last made with left over veggies too. Keep in mind other leftovers can be totally transformed.I may turn those sweet potatoes into air fried wedges. Brussels sprouts can also be crisped up again in the air fryer. f course the best is just turkey reheated with stuffing and gravy to continue with the holiday.

Those leftovers are culinary gold. They can be turned into any savory lunch or dinner. Be creative with them to create a tasty meal.

A Good Thanksgiving And Stuffing Too

 For all my readers whether in the US or around the world Happiest of Thanksgivings. May it have been as nectic and delicious as my own vegan one.

This is the day's masterpiece - a vegan French bread stuffing with fresh thyme, made with Acme's Signature brand veggie broth and Just Eggs as the softener and binder. It was pretty good - even better reheated.

Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Let me know. It could be just as good as my stuffing.

Cranberry Facts

 what would the Thanksgiving table be without cranberry jelly? Its' rich ruby coloring and tart taste gives zing to an other wise bland table. This American classic is truly just that more American than apple pie<Its history is as old as the country and continent itself.

Regular contributor Christina Morales wrote about them in todays' New York Times Food section.It actually jellied cranberry which is the star and its' been around for 110 years.It was created in 1912 by Massachusetts farmer and lawyer Marcus L. Uran. Mr. Uraan wanted to support local cranberry famrers in his native Massachusetts. he also bought a bog as well. He had the idea to extend the usual two month cranberry season to all year round by pressing them into juice and prederving them into jellies. This became the famed Ocean Spray company in 1930, also created by John Makepeace of Massacusetts and Elizabeth Lee of New Jersey. They created one of the first farm cooperatives which is now owned by seven hundred farmers nationwide. The canned sauce was first served in 1941 and has been a classic ever since.  A phenomenon is that Gen Zers have disovered this as they take over holiday cooking from older relatives. Cranberry jelly is also becoming the star of Friendsgiving dinners too.

It is popular with a four percent rise in production despite the price being raised twenty per cent higher than last year fifteen billion cranberries were harvested during that time. About a thousand farms grow them according to Karen Cahill, marketing director of the Cranberry Marketing Committee. The fruits need a lot fo land. To just grow an acre of cranberries a farmer needs another five to seven acres of support land just for the water's reservoir system.Contrary to popular believe they do not grow in water  but rather in a moist well drained environment. These beds also called bogs are flooded with eighteen to thirty inches of water  when the berries are ready to be harvested in September and October. The cranberries rise to the top of the bog, thanks to each berry having four air pockets. Farmers uses rakes and tractors to detach them fron their vines. The harvested berries are then put into yellow containment booms, that also are used for corraling oil spills. They're cleaned a number of times before going off to the processing center to be frozen. Their skins and seeds are removed and they're mashed into a puree Corn syrup is added to this then they're filtered and pacled into cans. everything is then lableled and boxed ready to be shipped to groceries around the country.

Cranberries are one of the most American foods we can eat.It's pnly fitting that they're served at the most American of holidays. Enjoy a slice of it with your meal tomorrow.