Roasted To Perfection

 What is the best way to cook any kind of veggie? Try roasting. The extreme heat brings out anot just the flavor but a sweetness and crunchiness to any green. This is a method that once tried will be a favorite.

Regular contributor Ali slagle wrote about this in today's New York Times food section. She suggests the sheet pan method .This gives all veggies a nice even cook and golden color afterwards. It's also good when comining a protein like chicken or fish with any kind of veggie. Keep in mind that roasting can occur any time of year. summer's harvests of tomatoes and string beans are just as good cooked this way as winter parsnips and cabbage. How to ensure a good roast. firstly cut the veggies all the same size in uniform pieces. Keep in mind that smaller pieces get crunchy while larger ones have a creaminess to their centers.Thne season and oil generously. What's the best oil to use? Try olive oil. It's then roasting them on the lowest rach of the oven. You should set the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. This  caramelizes the outside while retaining a soft exterior. One good thing about roasting that skillet cooking demands is flipping the veggies halfway through the cooking.

The recipes Ms. slagle supplies can be the main course or a tasty side. There are roasted root veggies with hot honey. She combines such root vegetables as carrots, potatoe rutabegas , parsnips and sweet potatoes along with turnips with a hot honey sauce that's spiked with cayenne pepper. The veggies are roasted first after a bath in olive oil and then the sauce is poured on at the end. There is also cheddar roasted broccoli, a new spin on this meal time classic. The cheese is added at the end to make a crispy chewy coating. Theres also roasted sweet potatoes and kale with eggs. The eggs nest on kale and sweet potatoes. Harissa paste and peanut butter are mixed together and drizzled over it. If you;re looking for a tasty spup then try Ms. Slagle;s roasted cauliflower with garlic. This is a super easy soup that just needs water and a good food processor to make.One head of garlic is added for a true flavor experieince.

If you like veggies then roasting them will just rampup their likability.Try these recipes for a tasty intro to them. They are perfect for a good meal.

Hot Meals For A Blustery Night

 With March comes blustery winds and cold nights. This is the time for hot meals that are ribsticking and tasty. What to make? Anything from soups to casseroles,

Stock your pantry with a variety of different broths. These will act as the base for soups and chowders. You can make chicke, beef  and/or vegetable broths if you have the time. Store them in the freezer until they're ready to us. What is a good soup? Try a fragrant leek and potato soup.  This is an easy cook. You can add either freshly boiled potatoes or canned. Leeks are abundant right now. Use all parts of them for a tastier potage. A baked potato soup is also a good recipe to make, Top with shredded cheddar or a blob of sour cream.A good miestrone soup is another hearty broth to try. Add a variety of different veggies, from tomatoes to parsnips and carrots. Add beans for more protein. Try a mix of cannelini and kidnesy beans for color and flavor. Do you add pasta? Yes! Try smaller pasta like ditalini or shells. for a heartier fare try stews.Like soups all sorts of ingredients can be added. Try a beef stew with carrots and parsnips along with potatoes and corn. A chicken stew can resemble a pot pie without the soggy pastry bottom. Have a rich creamy gravy that's perfect with dumplings.

Cassaroles are a tasty and filling dish on a cold March night. The most famous and well liked is lasagna. This can be made several different ways. It can be filled with beef crumbles or it can be vegan, Add plant based crumbles or sausage for a different flavor. Ricotta gives it a creaminess but you don;t have to have it. Try a layer of vegan or regular Parmesan for a different flavor. Try adding sliced eggplant, and bell peppers. Another crowd pleaser is baked Macaroni and cheese. Again you can bake the classic or. vary it. The traditional recipe calls for elbow macaroni and a good sharp cheddar. Butter flour and milk gives it a creaminess and velvetiness. A layer of breadcrumbs is added to give it a nice crunchiness and crispness. You can  vary this with crumbled bacon or have laors of bacon between the macaroni and cheese sauce. You also can sub in other cheeses like a mix of Parmesan and Asiago  - sort of like what Panera offers. If the family is craving breakfast for dinner then try a cheesy strata. This is layering French or Italian bread with egg and cheese. You could add strips of ham ro bacon to it for a more flavorful bite.

A cold March night deserves a hot , filling meal. It can be a soup, stew or cassarole.Try any to warm up the family.

A Slew Of Healthy Recipes

 As much as anyone wants to celebrate this month with corned beef and Easter candy , it's importantt eat healthy. Luckily The  New York Times sectionhad a soecial inset inside their Sunday issue yestrday. This keeper issue is chock full of healthy recipes that are also chock full of flavor.

This Cooking + Well section has dishes for every meal, from breakfast to dinner. This is an issue you can use all year round.It's divided into six sections, whole grains, fruits and vegetables,nuts and seeds and healthy fats. Dani Blum,a health writer for The Times wrote the intro and stated that these recipes are the bedrock of a healthy diet.The recipes are the Meditrrenean diet which is alsways important for heart health.It should be the inspiration ofr a long term shift in food shopping and eating. According ot one study done in Italy, most Italins have relatively little health problems. There are also suggestions, especially when it comes to gtains. Yes, you can keep bread in your diet but nix the refined white loaves. Eat breads that are rich in ribr. Fiber  slows digests and creates a dip in blood sugar.Use this kin of bread for theit chickpea and celery sandwich.This is sort of like tuna or egg salad but with healthy chickpeas and tahini for that mayonaise like creaminess. This is what I'll b making tomorrow for dinner and can;'t wait to try it.

The other reciupes seem just as good.The edamame pesto pasta is another must try dish.It's combining the traditional herbs like basil used in pesto and adding edammae for a tasty yet nutritional variation.Another must make is a cashew celery stir fry, rich with not only celery bit kal and spinach stir fried with fresh ginr and cashews The recipes calls for tofu but you can also sub in plant based beef crumbles or steak bits for a Chinese  take out vibe.Healthy fish like salmon is vital to any  diet. Thre is a recipe for a slow recipe citrus salmon  , flavored with blood orange juice.It's served with an herb salad that compliments the fish's sweetness. for a simpler salmon dish Try the one with just olive oil and a variety of herbs like rosemary, garlic and chives.Of course there is avocado toast , perfect on it's' own but The Times suggests jazzing it up by adding a poached egg. peppers, red onions or herbs. If you're wondering about sweets there is an oliv e oil and fresh orange juice  rich Moroccan or Meskouta orange cake made dense with the addition of Greek yogurt.

Healthy eating leads to healthy living. Start with these recipes to begin. You'll feel better with tasty dishes.

Celebrating St David's Day

 March first was Saint David 's Day , patron saint of Wales. it was definitely a time to celebrate teh rich and flavorful foods of this ancient land whose proper name is Cymru. It is a varied table celebrating the land and sea of this amazing country.

The leek is the symbol of Cymru and it is a versatile green. Its at its best pairing with potatoes in a rich soup. Cawn Cnnin (the Welsh name) easy to make and great for the still cold days ahead. Unlike the french version vichyoisse, this had the tasty addition of Canadian bacon. The bacon and leeks are cooked forst with the leeks being fried in the bacon fat first.Chicken broth is added along with cut up potatoes that are mashed into the soup. A cup of milk is added for creaminess. Another hearty meal is  the Welsh onion cake made with Caerphilly cheese. Caerphilly is made in the town of the same name and is a rich , crumbly fromage. The cheese is baked on top of the sliced potatoes and onions and then flipped over to be served. it's sort of like scalloped potatoes  with a creamy, cheesy bottom. Of course mashed potatoes figure in another dish that also features boiled leeks  hard boiled eggs and cheese sauce. wyau ynis mon has half and half in it along with nutmeg for flavor.

Yes,Cymru or Wales, also has it's most famous dish - rarebit. This is a delicious mix of ale. cheddar and butter. As you melt the butter warm the ale in abnother saucepan over a low flame.  To thicken it whisk in three  and a half tabkespoons of flour. Combine together and add cheese and Worcester sauce along with english mustard powder. Spoon over  thich slices of toasted  sourdough bread. Another Saint David's day treat that can be baked all year round is  an English muffin like scone called picau ar y maen. They're made from flour lard, currents and eggs and cooked on a griddle. This gives them a crispy exterior while having a melty inside. Usually suagr is sprinkled on top but you could als serve  with a fat pat of butter. Bara brith ro welsh tea cak loaf is another tasty baked tret.It's  a spiced loaf bread that can go well slathered with butter and served with hot tea. Mixed dried fruit is also added to it as well

Welsh food is a flavorful and robust cuisine, much like the countyr itself. Try the cuisine of Cymru and enjoy the flavor of rich cheeses and tasty cakes.  These are the flavors of a brave country with brave people.

March Plans

 Even though it's only the first of the month ,March is a holiday rich one. There's St.Patrick;s day  followed by Purim. Pam Sunday and Easter Sunday end the month. Throw in bridal showers for those May and June brides and you have a lot fo planning and cooking to do.

St Paddy's Day may be the easiest to prep for. Its just corned beef and cabbage , right? Actually there's a lot more . You may want to make homemade colcannon, that yummy mix of kale and cabbage cooked with mashed potatoes and garlic or onions. The dish becomes labor intensive if you use homemade mashed. The colcannon only takes about ten to fifteen minutes to crisp up like a giant potato pancake. The're also Irish soda bread.If you used up your flour for some Valentuines' day cookies and cakes then it;s time to go out and ge tmore along with raiins for this treat. If you;re celebrating Purim, then it's also baking . This time is hamentasen ,  filled cookies to symbolize eating Hamen's ears or pockets. The dough must be chilled before being rolled out, and cut into triangles. They then have to be filled with either poppyseed or Mohn, prune, Levkar or apricot filling. These can be a lot of work especially if you;'re making tow or three dozen for a party. You may also want to bakes a loaf or two of kulich a challah type bread too.

Pam Sunday and Easter also mean a lot of planning, cooking and baking. This is the time to start planning if you want a smaller dinner or a large one with family and friends. Usually Palm Sunday is spent with the immediate family while Easter is a bigger gathering. You could have just a small ham with some trimmings for Palm Sunday and save the big family brunch for Easter a week later. Most families serve ham or incorporate it into quiches and frittatas . You could also  serve a whole ham accompanied by a cheesy strata full of eggs and cheddar. Bake mini muffins in different flavors as well . These are perfect for the little ones. As for dessert, a traditional Easter lamb shaped cake is always nice. Just remember that this is labor intensive and you'll need a lot of flour , sugar and butter for the cake and frosting./ Since this is also the month for bridal showers now is the time to start planning for bridesmaids and mothers. If the weather grows warm and Springlike, then think of a back yard tea party with sandwiches and small cakes. Again the couple's mothers can also get together and prepare hot dishes such as roasts and sides for an indoor sit down dinner if that's more preferable.

March is here and with it a host of holidays. Start deciding and planning what you want to make and bake. Be prepared for this busy month ahead.

Hearty And Meatless

 There's this myth that meat has to go into a stew.It's what makes it's filling and flavorful, right? Yet there are vegetable only ones that can b prfect for an end of winter night.They're full of good things and taste too.

Melissa Clark gave three hearty recipes for vegtarian stews in ysterday's new York Times Wednesday Food section. Meatless stews actually cook up quicker than their meat laden cousins simply because sinew llaced joints have to be softened. All home chefs needs is a base of alliums such as onions or garlic along with sauteed veggies.Liquid is added along with more vegetabes and possibly grains beans or tofu>it's simmered until everything is tnder Keep in mind that starchy vegetables like potatoes or beans will thicken the broth, turning it rich and silky. You can add wine as done with traditional stews. what's chosen is up to the home chef. Ms. Clark offers her first recipe is based on the Japanese nimono which is sweet potatoes simmered with soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms. There is also sesame oil and rice wine added for ricness. Ginger is added for tang while the tofu cubes give it a silkiness and oomph.. Extra tofu is crisped and added on top for crunch .

The other two  are a hearty and spicy white bean and tomato stew and a red lentil and barley one. The whit  bean is chock full of white beans and tomato cooked in a chicken broth.If you want avegan version, then switch to a veggie broth which will have the same flavorful impact.It's quick to make  - another plus on a busy day .It is also chock full of garlic - seven cloves and red pepper flakes. You could add crumbled bacon to give the stew mor color and taste and again if you want a vegan version, add Morningstar Farms soy bacon strips. The other is a typical veggie laden one.Leeks are sauteed with carrots fennel -including the fronds. Lentils and barley are cooked in , giving it protein and texture. Garam masala is also added for more flavor and fire .It's simmered for two hours to meld all the flavors. ALl of these would be perfect with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up the sauce or even a side of rice.

A stew doesn;t have to be laden with meat to be good and hearty. Veggies and beans can certainly fill in fr it. Try these stews for a fresher take and taste on a winter classic.

Chefs Dishing

 If you want the real scoop on any restaurant or the industry , ask a chef. They have a million opinions on what should be done and what should have been done. They rate patrons as often as patrpns rate their dishes .it's interesting to hear just what the people who feed America have to say.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin complied thirty chefs opinions and observations in today's New York  Times wednesday Food section. It is compelling as to what those who influence food trends and cook dishes to suit diners' tastes have to say.Most strong opinions have to do with pricing and tipping.Many diners usually order the cheapest which on a dinner menu is a burger. If one person orders one for the entire night that's fine.If most of the patronage orders them , t en the restaurant has a serious losss. Restauranteurs also comment about the price of drinks versus the places of entrees. People will easily hand over eighteen dollars for one cockail but will grumble about spending money for a very expensive plate.This isn't just in New York or LA , this is throughout the entire country.

There's also an obvious culture shift .Hispanic chefs such as Ana Castro and Aaron Verdoza , amongst others complain that diners will pay two hundred dollars for expensive Italain food but will expect the samel quality and lower pricing for soul, Asian, African and Caribbean food. There's a definite and glaring disprepect for the chefs creating these dishes.Others reminisce about their time coming up. This attitudes goes into tipping as well. People were generous during the pandemic but not anymore.Diners won't tip if their water isn't instantly refilled or their meal took a little longer than usual to reach the table. Yet diners cannot be changed and they , especially locals and regulars are the backbone of any eatery's business. Would many chef's recommend the job to a younger generation? Not many. Thye would tell wanna bes to skip the culinary school which can be seen as predatory and take the culinary courses at their local community college. (If they're not happy they can always switch to another major) would they want their children in the inudtry? Absolutely not! As chef Kelly Whittaker puts it, if the kids want to go into the industry then the chefs have failed at being parents.

what does this say about the people who prepare our food?All chefs and waistaff need to be respected . Diners need to treat them with the same amount of care and acknowledgement as they do with other professionals.