Difficult Days Easy Meals

 Fall is one of the craziest seasons. After the lazy day of summer it;'s getting back into a whirlwind of school activities and at times increased office work. Add to that cooking along with other chores.At least there are recipes that make life easier.

Cheif editor Emily Weinstein gives some interesting and varied recipes for easy week night and even weekend cooking in today's New York Times Food section. Keep in mind that they could be doubled  and served two days of the week too. All the recipes are straightforward and can be made in thirty minutes or less. She created these recipes with kids in mind but they're perfect for adult families or just busy couples looking for a good and easy meal. One is the simplest. Kay CHun lent her recipe for meatballs which follows the classic Italian recipe.It's mixing ground beef and pork(or strictly beef if you prefer. ) and mixing it with egg and panko crumbs. Italian seasonings such as dried oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme or oregano can be added.Keep in mind you can do the same with Impossible Meat too for a vegan option. A vegetarian option is red curry lentils with sweet potatoes and spinach . This is a perfect dish for a cool autumn night because of th eheat from, serrano chiles, and red curry paste being added to a wonderful array of veggies. Another meatless dinner is chile fettucini with baby spinach. Chili crisp is what gives it it's zing.

There are meat and fishes dishes here too. Think crispy gnocchi with sausage and peas for an easy midweek supper. This is an easy mix of store bought sausage and gnocchi cooked with frozen peas. Another snap dinner is lemony shrimp and bean stew made with leeks and white or cannellini beans.  You could serve this over pasta or just dip Italian bread into it.Instread of take out make Grace Lee's kimchi fried rice which you can use leftover rice and Spam  along woth a vaoriety of spices and soy sauce. Chicken katsu  is another choice . This is like a Japanese schnitxel, with breaded chicken breasts  , first coated in eggs, flour and then bread crumbs and ten fried in oil. The sauce is tonkatsu a mix of kethcup, Worcester sauce sauce and molasses, Sugar, soy sauce and cloves are also added to this along with fresh ginger for bite. baked cod with Ritz cracker topping is another chocie and it's comfort food one. The Ritz crackers are mixed with melted butter, chive ,parsley, lemon zest and a mix of onion and garlic powders. The fish can be any white fish  from cod , haddock or halibut. The crackers are put on top of the roasted fish and baked for an extra ten to sixteen minutes. It's served with asqueeze of lemon.

Weekday meals don't have to be a hassle. Use any of these for worry free cooking. They can be the easiest thing to make during a hard and difficult week. 

Cooking For The Week

 It's hard to cook on weekdays. There's always a busy schedule , with work and after school activities. A simpler solution is cooking ahead on a Saturday or Sunday and using those cooked meals for the week ahead.

Cooking ahead is not a new idea but it's a god one . You don't want to rely on frozen , processed foods all the time and you want your family to eat healthy too. One of the simplest recipes to make is sauce. If you don;t have time on the weekend then consider using your crock pot. Just pop the ingredients in and let it cook for six to eight hours while you get Saturday chores done or even want to spend time hiking or going to the beach  The sauce can be used in  a variety of different ways, from a traditional spaghetti to even a base for a chili. For the last just add some ground beef or vegan crumbles. You could also make chili in advance too. All you have to do is pair it  already baked cornbread which can be bought at any grocery store. Another great go to sauce is pesto. This is a bit more labot intensive than tomato but worth it. The sauce begins with pulverizing fresh basil leaves with olive oil and slightly toasted pine nuts. (these can be omitted or walnuts can be subbed in), Since the cheese could cause mold when frozen omit it and add it later when you;'re ready to cook wth the sauce. Pesto can be blended with tomato sauce or use just on it's own with any kind of pasta.

Meat loaf is  a week night staple. It's easy to make on the weekend and then freeze. Both uncoooked an d cooked can be kept for up to six months. Just remember to wrap it properly so that there are no freezer burns. The good thing about the meat loaf is that you can vary the recipe. Add  a cup of barbecue sauce for a zesty tangy slice. You can even serve it with barbecue sauce too Another is adding chopped Jalapenos  for a fiery change up. A family crowd pleaser will be a meat loaf made with Caribbean jerk seasoning Just toss in  about a pinch so it's not too spicy. If the family loves turkey then thiunk about making a couple of loaves of turkey meat loaf.  You can even make it healthier by swapping out the bread crumbs and switching in almond meal.It;s also good cold and sliced into sandwiches for next day's lunch . Ground meat can also make for awesome meatballs too, especially if you use the air fryer to cook them. Everyone will love a meatball sub with homemade sauce They'll also be good with the homemade pesto and spaghetti for a heartier supper.

These are busy days. Cook ahead and make the day less busier. It's still good food but without all the fuss.

Helping Other Help Themselves

 It is tough to be on your own or in a new country. That's where being a neighbor comes in. Sometmes a cooked meal can do more than anything else. Food is always a good way to connect.

Elderly neighbors or shut ins can appreciate having their grocery shopping done for them. Volunteer when you go on your own shopping trip. Sit down with them to write out a list that should include nutritional foods like fruit and veggies. Yes, they can have treats within limits but also make sure they get a wide variety of good produce too. Ask them also what their allergies are along with restrictions too. They may be diabetic which means restricting sweets and even some fruits or have hypertension issues which means buying low sodium products and staying away from some processed and canned foods. Also include necessities like toilet paper and paper towels. If you have newly arrived neighbors in your neighborhood ask if they'd like to visit the local groceries and markets. You may also benefit when they introduce you to ingredients and spices that are native to their cuisine. Another big help is looking on like for specific shops that sell food they're familiar with. There are always Asian ,  AfricanSouth American and Caribbean markets that are within walking and driving distance

Cooking brings everyone together. Always keep older friends, fmaily and neighbors in mine when you have a Sunday dinner or a late season barbecue. Even an invitation to an at home tail gating party will be fun. A plus is asking them if they have any favorite dishes or desserts and then creating them for them.If they want to help let them. You can also use a pair of extra hands however make sure that they don't do anything too strenuous or that can do them harm. As for new neighbors, co-workers and classmates  treat them to a dinner featuring the best of either American or your own ethnic cusine. They 'll appciate the work that went into it and enjoy both the food and the company. Keep in mind  that there may be dietary restrictions. You could try making Impossible Meat or Beyond Beef hamburgers or Gardein's plant based chicken nuggets. Roasted veggies like eggplants, tomatoes, ,peppers and asparagus make for a tasty barbecue. You can even grill fruit such as pineapple and peaches. Introduce them to that great American dessert s'mores. It's a fun treat for adult and kids alike.

Today is a day for remembering. Remember the elderly and the newly arrived  when you shop or plan a dinner or party. They'll like that you kept them in mind  as they enjoy good food and good conversation.

Moroccan Cuisine Flavor And Fire

 Morocco is a fascinating country, best known from the classic movie "Casablanca." Yet it's so much more than that. It has tagines, and spices along with flavorful desserts and drinks.

Morocco is a mix of different cultures and people, The same can be said for it's cuisine.There is influence from m the southernmost Spanish province along with Berber, the indgenous culture of North africa. Arab and Mediterrenean influences are also there.It has the most in common with Middle Eastern cuisine than any other North African country. It's history is ancient , with dishes first coming about doring the Seventh Century CE. The Moroccans usually cook with beef, mutton goat and  and lamb along with chicken and seafood. Dishes are usually served with rice or flabread to scoop up meats and gravies. lemon picled or preserved lemons along with fermented butter or smen flavor foods. Of course there are the rich and fragrant spices.Dishes  are rich with cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, ginger and paprika to name a few. There is also  saffron, mace , fenugreek,cayenne, black pepper, anise and fenel. Sesame seeds also figure into recipes too. The Moroccans also love using mint,verbena, sage, bay laurel, parsley and peppermint.

Any home chef can easily replicate Moroccan cooking. Tagine, is cooking in a special clay pot which you can get on Amazon for $29.95 . etsy, williams and Soniomoa along with Milk Street also sell them at higher prices ranging from $35 on etsy to $71.25 on Milk Street. Tagine is a sweet and savory blend of spices that can also be cooked in an open skillet. Apopular one is made with chicken , honey, olives,lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Chopped onions and minced garlic are also added along with a mix of spices, namely, paprika, cumon, coriander, and ginger. This can be served with couscous or even a flat bread like pita to sop up the sauce. The breakfast dish  of the moment shakshuka is also big in such cities as Fez and Rabat. This is a breakfast dish tat can easily be cooked for any brunch. It's poached eggs cooked in a tomato sauce with peppers, garlic  onions and spices such as paparika, coriander, cumin and cayenne. A sweet and savory pastry called briouat is also popular. They can be filled with lamb beef or chicken for a quick snack or sweet filled with almond paste and cinnamon and coated in warm honey and orange flower water.

Try  Moroccan cuisinetoday. Enjoy the fragrant blend of spices as they grace both sweet and savory recipes. The recipes are a wonderful escape to the exotic.

 You can contact the International Red Cross  if you want to donate or help those affected by the Moroccan earthquake.

Caribbean Veggies Your Way

 After a summer of tomatoes and squash it's time to think outside the back yard. There are a wealth of Caribbean veggies  that can be made into interesting and comofrting recipes. It's time to expand your culinary horizons.

One of th e most popular and ubiquitous in all grocery stores nowadays is the cassava. It's a tuber that can stand in for a potato.It has the same starchiness but the flavor is sweeter and nuttier than a spud.It does have t be peeled and boiled because raw it contains lethal high levels of cyanide. You could also soak them for several hours in cold water to also dissipate the poison. After boiling or soaking and peeling try  roasting them. They're cut and tossed in a blend of olive oil, cumin, garlic, coriander  and onion powder. Cassava or yuca can also be made into tasty fries. Use an air fryer to cook them for  fiften minutes at four hundred degrees Farenheit.Unlike potaotes, though, cassava can also be turned into cakes too. It's called pone and is highly popular in Guyana.There a mix of spices like black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg mixed with shredded boiled cassava and coconut along with butter and evaporated milk. Brown sugar gives the cake its' earthy mellow sweetness. You may be tired of zucchini right now so it's time to try chayote squas. It tastes somewhat like the squash. It can be roasted or sauteed. Use a mix of butter and olive oil to saute it and spic it up with shallots and garlic.

Everyone thinks New Orleans and Southern cooking when they hear okra but the veggie is also big in Caribbean cooking.It's usually paired with that other Caribbean staple the fiery scotch bonnet pepper. If you;re cooking with th e last , remember this is the hottest capiscum on earth. Use it sparingly. Try both in a stew also zinged up with ginger and garlic. Add some temperate yellow onions and tomatoes to balance it out. It would be good over a bed of rice. Saltfish or baccala  - dried and salted cod can be added to this to make it more substantial.Caribbean, and especially Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine would be nothing without plantanos or plantains. It is a cousin of a banana and technically a fruit but you can fry it up like a veggie. Peel them, and thn slice them any way you want , whether in coins or lengthwise , spray with oil and tthen air fry for eight minutes at four hundred degrees Farenheit. Flip them after four minutes. Serve with jerk chicken for a tasty supper. Another great side is pigeon peas, a Trinidadian staple. serve them in a stew or over rice. They cna be spiced up with scotch bonnet , all spice and ginger.

Add some Caibbean flavor to your cooking.Use veggies that the islanders use for a different spin on dinner. It's a fun way to celebrate the bold flavors of the tropics.

The New Face of College Eating.

 It used to be that colleges had a one meal plan fit all ideology. Yet there are more and more students who don;t fit this. They could have nut allergies, be vegan or have religious restrictions. The meal plan has to change to fit the student body's needs.

Regular contributor and chef Priya Krishna wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times  Food section. Years ago many a handful of students were allergic to peanuts or couldn;t eat various baked goods. Now one in six students have dietary demands as opposed to the one in eight just a few years ago. Now students can have customized plans, thanks to campus dietticians creating different dishes and opening up allergen free cafes. The students should come first. Most meal plans cost  around $5,023 according to a 2022 report from the Department of ducation.  some schools such as Vanderbilt University has a cafe that bars te F.D.A;'s top nine allergens. another dinign hall is free of peanuts, tree nuts and gluten along with an app that lets students with allergies customize their meals.Other schools have made similar moves but there are some colleges that simply list their ingredients and offers bins of alternative choices like gluten free bread and dairy free yogurt.

There is always a debate about how far college dinign halls  shou;d go with accomodating their students. robert Nelsom, the chief executive of the National association for College and Universuty Food  Services said that some dining hall managers argue that it's better for affected students to learn to navigate a convential bufffet. After all they'll have to do it once they graduate and enter the workforce. This may make sense to some students who find their school's dining ha;; choices adqequate however there are many who do have serious problems. Yale senior Maria Bambrick  Santayo, a celiac disease sufferer only had six symptom free days where she didn't feel sick from eating. Students would mix up spoons whioch lead to cross contamination. A busy kitchen can't guarantee that bits of flour will also fall in gluten free dishes University of Virgnia graduate Erica Kem had all sorts of allergies , including beef, sesame  mustard and tomatoes. The school didnt address these unusual allergies. her parents had to make her meals. Luckily there is a board created by two Northwestern students. Kethan Bajaj and Julia Auerbach. Their  College advocates  For Food Allergy Awareness and Education. 

College dining halls are not what they  once were with simple meal plans. They are changing to fit students' needs and wants.  Doing this will make student life easier.

The Personal Lives Of Personal Chefs

 Everyone thinks that personal chefs have great glamorous lives. They cater literally to celebrities and can create fantastic dishes with any ingredient they desire. Yet there's also a down side - one that affects their personal lives.

Regular contributor to The New York Times, Amelia Nierenberg wrote this fascinating article in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Many think that a personal chef is a great job. It does have its' perkes, Hanging out with stars and athletes. Cooking with the best ingredients possible. Phenomenal pay. Personal chef,Tashea Chanelle Younge can make  up to $12,800  a month. she has traeled on planes and yachts, creating delicious meals. Yet she is nothing more than the help.She knows her boundaries . It can be taxing however because she really can;t interact with her employers or their guests. The same is true for rob Li who is no stranger to cooking for others. While his parents had a resraurant in upstate New York, he is apersonal chef to a middle aged millionaire in the Hamptons. It is a glamorous  holiday setting for sure but there are drawbacks. Chef Li FaceTimes with his friends in New York City as he misses the excitement and night life . He and his emplyer do get along . They're more like room mates yet the age gap makes it impossible to connect. He's lonely most of the time , filling in the hours with editing footage for his videos on TIktok and Instagram.

Yet more and more young chefs are picking up jobs. The need for personal chefs grew during Covid. Many wealthy family didn't not want to order out and wanted fresh cooked meals prepared for them. For cooks this was perfect.It was either this  working in a restaurant's kitchen which can be poorly ventilated or  collecting unemployment benefits . There are several agencies that do help chefs find employers. Sami Udell founded Whole Sam during th e pandemic. At first restaurant chefs sneered at the idea of being apersonal cook and Ms.Udell had to go on Craig's List looking for them. Now she receives ten messages a week from young chefs lookinf or job advice. Private Chef Match is another agency that matches cooks with employers .It has a seventy-five percent jump in applications from candidates "who wish to leave or never enter at all the restaurant world." Another agency Food Fire and Knives has also seen an uptick.  These chefs are meeting a steep demand that began in the early days of the pandemic.It wasn't for making sourdough loaves but for high quality food. It can be a dream job because of the freedom and trying out new dishes. Many chefs put their work on different platforms to atrract more employers and interest.

There are many plusses to being a  personal chef. Yet there is also a downside to this glam job. Like any career it has its' ups and downs.