The Nostalgia Of Wontons

 The Year of the Rabbit is upon us and with it comes traditional centuriess old recipes. One is wontons, They're delicous in soup, heavenly when fried. One of their best aspects is that they can be made at home - anytime.

Regular contributor and deputy editor Genvieve Ko wrote about this classic in yesterday's New YorkTimes Food section.The Lunar New Year starts ths Sunday and the perfect dish according to her is wontons. They're a comfort food that reminds immigrants of home and second generation Chinese Americans a tie to their heritage. Wontons have been eaten since ancient times according to Grace Young, an award winning cookbook author and food historian. They symbolize wealth because of their resemblance to gold ingots.It's the same reason dumplings are also served during the holiday. Keep in mind that wontons are dumplings but not all dumplings are wontons. They're also not exclusively Cantonese. There are thicker skinned ones in northern China and of course spicy ones from Szechuan in the southwest. The Hong Kong style that Ms KO grew up with has silky wrappers and is always stuffed with shrimp. There is also a dessert with this. Usually the Canonese serve oragnes becasue their Cantonese name is a homophone for gold. However Ms. Ko includes  a shortbread cookie recipe baked with the blackened sesame seeds found in such holiday candies and sweets like tang yuan,

Home chefs may be daunted making wontons.Making them is  really no different than making pasta. It's almost the same mix of flour, eggs and warm water along with salt. There is cornstarch for dusting.  It's the same well method  too, meaning a well is made in a mound of flour and the eggs are poured into it. The dough will be shaggy and it needs to be kneaded for eight to ten minutes until it's not sticky anymore. Divide the dough in two and then pat into a rectangle. Loosely wrap each section of dough in  Saran wrap and let each sit for an hour. Doing this will help the dough relax and easier to roll out. You can use a pasta roller or a rolling into create sheets. You'll need a ruler , a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into twenty-eight to thirty three inch squares. The filling is a tasty blend of shrimp, pork and scallions.It's flavored with ginger, oyster  sauce , soy sauce and sesame oil. Sugar salt and pepper are mixed in for a contrast of salty and sweet and there's the addition of Shaoxing wine or dry sherry. The wontons' edges are sealed with water when they're deep fried or cooked insoup. The cookies are an easy shortbread ,sprinkled with white  sesame seeds. This is a perfect dessert served with oranges.

What better way to start the New Year with wonton and blackened sesame shortbread cookies. Enjoy both ushering in the Year of The Rabbit. They're a fun way to celebrate.

EAsy Sides With An Easy Main

 The main course is sometimes the easiest part of the meal to cook. There's nothing to air fried chicken tenders or pan fried steaks. You want the sides to be equally easy as well. Keep everything simple for a quick hassle free dinner.

Salad has always been every one's go to sides for centuries. You could go traditional with simple Bibb leaf lettuce and tomatoes. Just dress it with a simple viniagrette. Do something different if you want to have a fancier side. Add some almonds or walnuts along with shredded cheddar or mozzarella. You could also add microwaved bacon or bacon bits.If you're bored with the dressing then sub in lemon, lime or fresh squeezed orange juice instead of the vinegar. A quarter teaspoon  of honey or even maple syrup can give a dressing a totally different flavor. This may not be the season for tomatoes so try a one veggie salad. It's easy to whip up an simple broccoli or string bean one. It's just taking frozen broccoli or string beans and then steaming them.Use the mocrowave to save time. Dress them with a simple oil and vinegar one .Add a dash of garlic powder for extra flavor. What's great about this is that you can have trhe leftoivers with a sandwich then next day for lunch. 

Cooked easy sides can also work too. That steamed broccoli and stringbeans? They are just as good hot as they are cold. Add some butter like the plant based Melt, and garlic powder. Broccoli is also good topped with melted cheese. Heat  Kraft's cheddar in the microwave and pour over the florets. You could even toss in some bacon bits for more flavor. Tomatoes Provencale may sound elaborate and fancy but it's simply sliced tomoates sauted in garlic, butter and olive oil and topped with spoonfuls of breadcrumbs. They're the perfect side to any kind of steak or even burger. You can't go wrong with potatoes.Instant mashe d potatoes are always a crowd pleaser. They're simple to make and you cna vary the recipe  with the addition of cheese, bacon or even minced garlic cloves. Air fryer potatoes are another tasty side that everyone will like. It's just aking the smaller ones , cutting htem in half and htne coating them in a mix of olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.They're then air fried at 400 degrees Farenheit  for ten minutes. You could also serve microwaved baked Idaho or sweet potatoes.

If you have an easymain course then think about making easy sides. They're a snap to cook. even better they're a delicious snap to eat.

The Food Desert Problem

 Every American has the right to eat healthy and with abundance. Yet in this  day and age that's not necessarily so. Many are in the middle of vast food deserts, struggling to find fresh and nutritious ingredients and foods to stay healthy and alive.

It's important on this Martin Luther King Day to consider this. Dr. King wanted equality for African Americans. He could not have foreseen what has happened to many in both rural and urban areas who cannot get decent or affordable  foodstuffs. It is a major problem affecting milliions of people. The US is notorious for it however it's also a problem in the United Kingdom as well.Nashville leads the country as far as cities while MIssissippi is the worst state for providing its' citizens with food. Many groceries , especially the high end ones like Trader Joe's , seemingly refuse to go to various sections in various cities.Once in a while a store like Shop Rite will establish itself in urban area like Passaic New Jersey., Luckily Shop Rite does have a wide and good variety of produce along with more or less affordable meats, fish and poultry.In nearby Paterson there is is its' subsidiary Price Rite that also offers a vast range of products for those that are financially challenged.Some of the cities do have ethnic enclaves like Paterson's Arab section where shoppers can buy halal meats along with fresh fruits and veggies. These stores should be able to accept SNAP.

Yet there is still so much more that needs to be done.Newark leads this state's in food deserts. Surprisingly there is a Whole Foods in the northern section of the city. What is great about Whole Foods is that it accepts SNAP and its' electronic counterpart EBT and gives  a ten percent discount.(the EBT is not accepted however on the store'ss web site). This gives many home chefs the chance to cook with fresh veggies and offer their kids in season fruits instead of fattening and bad for your snack cakes and cookies. The company  should think about expanding to other challenged cities and possibly working a deal with food pantries and soup kitchens as well. Another idea that may be good for rural areas is have a supermarket on wheels, that is semis filled with choices of different fruits, veggies, meat, dairy and eggs. These can be driven  into rural areas and set up like farmers markets where  locals can come and buy their weekly food needs. Formula and diapers can also be included in this to help out new parents.There should also be pet supplies for those who parent dogs and cats as well.

We're in the third decade of the Twentieth First Century ,not back in the Nineteenth There should not be families starving or struggling to put decent food on their tables. There has to be solutions. All American deserve the right to a healthy diet.

An Easy Winter's Night Meal

 This should be the month for no fuss cooking.Recipes should be simple but filling. One way is to do this is using polenta.It's a great way to add to any meal, especially if it's paired with a simple saute.

I had this in mind (after being influenced by David' Tanis' recipes in Wednesday 's New York Times food section. A polenta log can be sliced and tastes the best fried on a griddle.

I fried them in Melt plant butter for flavor and crispness. You could make polenta the old fashioned way, in a big pot but this is constantly storring it. It could stick and even burn. Buying the logs is a better way of preparing it without all that fuss.. You can also slice and fry up the polenta the next day too.

As for the saute, I've had enough of the traditional tomato  sauce that usually goes with it. A nice spinach and mushrroom sauce would work with this. It had the added bonus of kale in the mix. I used about two to three cups of the combined greens , about  sixteen ounces and about four cups of already cut baby bella mushrooms.It was cooking the mushrooms in a mix of olive oil and Melt plant butter. Halfway through I added about a cup of veggie stock for a kind of gravy and generous lashings of garlic powder ,salt and pepper. After the Baby Bellas were cooked for about fifteen minutes the spinach and kale were added.

This  was cooked for about ten minutes until soft and  turned a deep emerald green.

The end result was an amazing dinner. full of good for you ingredients and flavor.

It rreally was the perfect meal , so easy to create and just right for a frosty evening. You can vary it with a pinch of red pepper or cayenne. Add vegan sausages or any kind of meat for a heartier dinner. Better yet it was great for a hot lunch the next day.

This is the month for simple cooking and eating. Try this tasty saute with polenta rounds for a filling and easy dinner.It's a delicious way to kick back in the kitchen.

Replacements Ltd The Place To Find Vintage

 What happens when a beloved plate or cup is smashed? Most of the time you can just run to department or big box store and pick up a replacement.Yet what happens when that vintage platter or serving dish gets accidnetally dropped.Luckily there's a company that stocks all vintage ware.Replacements Ltd. is an amaxing site wit some beautiful dinner, flat  and stem ware.

I discovered them when my vintage Corelle Butterfly Gold  patterned plates were accidentally smashed making Christmas Eve dinner. Yes I was crushed. Those plates are almost sixty years old, and a link to my Mom.It was heartbreaking to see those pieces.being swept into the garbage. I quickly Googled the pattern and Replacements LTd came up. I was able to replace the plates and received them in a few days, depsite it being the holiday week.

The replacememnt is exactly like the original, the Butterfly Gold which has always been there in my life.They were only $23. a plate and well worth it. There is even matching cereal bowls as well as bowls for serving veggies. I wouldn't mind buying these to complete the set.I may also consider getting a new set of cups with the pattern since I only have two left.

The site is amazing with all sorts of discontinued brands and items. They even have a jewelry section with Victorian earrings.This is the go to site for  hard to find Lennox and Waterford patterns. Keep in mind that these brands, as always are super expensive Pfaltzgraff another top brand is $300 for a forty piece set. A Waterford MIllenium water goblet  which has been discontinued is $300 (!) a goblet. There is a lovely forty  piece Oneidaware estate set that's a whopping $749.95 yet worth it. Having thany ofhtese pieces brings about a certain elegance to home entertaining and serve as perfect frames for beautiful recipes and wines.I'ts a great site to look for wedding and engagement gifts as well because heritage and legacy pieces never go out of style. Any couple would probably love to have Lennoxware or delciately cut wine and cocktail glasses. The shipping is not that much.

If you need to replace that special plate or flute then visit Replacments Ltd. They have a dazzling array of beauitful and discontinued dinner ,flat and stem ware. They can make any set compelte again.

Easy Winter Dishes

 The best thing about January is that it's a time to relax. Gone are the hectic holiday meals and harried work days leading itno parties. It's simply a month to just take it easy. That also applies to cooking.  A simple and easy meal and dessert is all you need.

Regular contributor David Tanis wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He believes on easing up on cooking and baking yet retaining flavor.It also doesn;t have to feel restrictive either and if you want to keep it festive then do so. he offers three dishes - carrot -leek soup with miso followed by baked fish with mushrooms and ginger. Dessert is  triple sesame tea cakes. Mr. Tabis uses Asian pantry staples like miso and ginger for the savory dn toasted sesame oil for the cookies.The influence gives all three recipes oomph and elevates them from just plain winter dishes to something special despite their easiness. The soup starts with a homemade vegetable broth made from the leeks and carrots. They're  first sauteed in butter  and then simmered in salted water to create a fragrant broth.Both sare preed to gether for a creamy mouth feel and then the miso is added,It can be yellow or white however the yellow is saltier . If you want to taste te veggies then use the white instead.

As for the dush Mr. Tanis recommends eihter halibut, bass or grouper. They;'re baked in just salt and pepper. while they're baking make the mushrooms. These are shiitake ones, without the stems cooked in soy sauce and ginger. This sauce is then spooned over the fishn and put back into the oven to be baked fo twenty minutes at or an  additional twenty to twenty-five minutes. You could sprinkle on scallions and cilantro springs for color and more flavor. Make sure to pou any gingery pan juicings over the fish. End the meal with simple triple sesame tea cookies.This is an easy cookie dough enhanced with the toasted seasame seed oil along with tahini or sesame paste.Te liquids are blended first with  a mix of  flour  and baking powder slowly added in later. It's then rolling the dough into walnut sized  balls followed by rolling them in sesame seeds. Bake them for twenty minutes at 350 degree Farenheit. A nice drink for this meal would be a hot  ginger or green tea ,

Janiary should be a simple time with easy meals. Make these recipes for that simplicity  but with flavor. They're a great meal that can be easy to make and delicious to eat.

A Legend Says Good Bye

 One of the most innovative restaurants in the last twenty  years is Noma in Copenhagen.Next year, 2024 is going is going to be it's last as a popular eatery.It will come back , with the same innovative food and original recipes. Yet it won't be the same.

The New York Times Food critic Pete Wells wrote about this legend of a restaurant in today's New York Times Food section. He was lucky to get reservations (although he had to piggy back his with a friend's) when he reviewed it in 2018.The top chef and owner Rene Redzepi took Nordic cooking and turned it on its' ear. It's a mix of new and old, with bringing in traditional ingredients and using them in different ways. He used the bright orange berries of the sea buckthorn and used them in all sorts fo recipes from jams to cocktails. Chef Redzepi and his assistants foraged wood sorrell and other plants , long used in Scandanavian cooking and made it a part of the new Nordic cooking manifesto. He used burning hay to perfume certain ingredients along with using parsnips instead of fruit in desserts(!) Noma made a big deal of serving  a variety of pickled foods as an appetizer. Even Chef Redzepi also renamed the appetizers, calling them snacks. 

Other restaurants like El Bulli in Spain and Chez Panisse have dozens of imitators and both eateries have given chefs inspiration with all sort of dishes. Yet it's Noma that all turn to for ideas. They can copy it's use of slates, rocks, seashells (!) longs and mismatched pieces of hand hewn pottery. There are influences from modern Scandanavian furtniture to not serving tomatoes in anything as Noma does. Yet as much as they copy  they cannot get it compeltely right. Mr. Werlls desctibes having a dish painted with edible paint in the shape of an iridescent starfish covered with the sparkling roe of Danish trout. Yet according to him its excellence may be inseparable from the culture of overkill. Maybe once Chef Redzepi gets rod of those "pesky diners" he can work on newer innovations and more original recipes that reflect the Nordic heritage. Or maybe he 'll be influenced by Asian cooking since Noma is now in Japan. He coud easily use sea weed in a new way or reinvent sushi or tempura,

Noma may only have a year but it will probably be a glorious one. Diners from all over th e world  still want to try its' innovative dishes. It still has spark and the ability to change the food world.