USA's Other Medalists

 America has other  medalists - top stars  -not in athletics but in baking.Our state fairs bring out the best in home bakers. There are delicious pies and cakes , on a par with any award winning sweet. These  show the best of the state's bakers  and like any medal winner they are proud of this achievement.

Regular contributor Kim Severson interviewed them in yesterday's New York times Food section.State fairs have always been known for their different and fun foods. They're the place to munch on cotton candy and corn dogs.They're also the places to sample good homemade baking, a throwback to a simpler time.One superstar is Karen DeLawder from Rockingham County , Virginia has won one thousand (!!!!!)blue ribbons from local and state fair.s Her most notable win was sponsored by the local Egg Council for her magic flan cake. It took her five years to win that one. She even took a class in juding that gave her tremendous insight on how judges decide which entry is the best. Then there's seventy- two year old Jim Austen who has been baking for state fairs in his native California for fifty five years. His first medal was for a lemon meringue pie but he has also won for his Prickly pear jelly and brandied cherries.Strategies are important in winning any contest and that's certainly Elaine Reilly's plan. She first tries out her recipes at New York State state fairs and then sends the recipes into food companies contests.

Every contest has an MVP and that title belongs to Pamela Koiber.She has surpassed Karen deLawders medal count and won a phenomenal 1,607 medals in her  native.Oklahoma. her notable win was the Oklahoma Ste Fair cookie jar contest in which four to seven types of cookies are stacked in a gallon jar . She was undergoing breast cancer treatments along with caring for a dying mother. She won and was able to share the win with her mom. Her chocolate cake won five times as well. One of the youngest is Anna Sattler.of Wisconsin. This twenty-five year old has won twenty medals so far. her first came at age seventeen for her five spice cinnamon roll. There there is the rookie HansLieven from Lake Oswego Oregon,He never heard of state fairs , living abroad with a Taiwanese mother and Flemish father. His American wife encouraged him and he won for his version of a not that sour sourdough made with different flours .Of course there has to be a coach.Resa Romero has never won any blue ribbons for her dishes but she has coached her six kids. Her youngest eighteen year old Joshua has won for seventy-five different items including canned yarms and an all natural insect ointment. Her kids have had two generations, from their parents to their grandparents helping them. Her husband Sam taought them cooking while his mother Eunice taught them to cook Mexican dishes. Ms. Romero;'s mother  LaDean Silberhorn was the queen of canning. The kids have even contributed to a cookbook.

Winning is everything, especially when it comes to state fairs. These are the best of the best,They can turn an ordinary pie, bread , cinnamon bun or preserves into an an warding winning recipe.

Isabella's Cookies Sweet Treats For A Hot Day

 Let's face it.It's too hot to bake. yet what do you do when you want a homemade cookie on a hot August Day?You get Isabella's Cookies. These chocolate chips come in so many different varieties of one cookie. They're the perfect accompaniment with a tall iced coffee.

These are definitely my new favorite cookies. The company comes from sunny Redondo Beach,California and some of the cookies do have a laid back SoCal vibe to them. Jennifer Palmer founded the company in 2001 and brought forth all natural  baking. The cookies have no preservatives in them and only pure ingredients like Madagascar Bourbon vanilla and pure chocolate chips along with creamy peanut butter ones

She offers a whopping thirty !!!!!!! different types of chocolate chips that range from the Muffie which has white chocolate chips and chocolate covered blueberries to the Matinee which is studded with both chocolate covered raisins and plain ones.

There are also the V-chip one of the many vegan cookies offered.

That and the Muffie are my favorites. A close second is the Aloha which not only has white chocolate chips but everything Hawaiian fruit like coconut, macadamia nuts and pineapple. I like the V chip which has a swirl of peanut butter through each cookie. Right now you can find them at Whole Foods or buy them on line.

It's hot.It's mid August. Why bake when you can have one of Isabella's chock full of chocolate chips cookie. Have it with your favorite iced coffee or iced tea.

Extra Veggies, Extra Recipes

 This is the season where you could find a stray tomato or zucchini in your fridge. What to do? There's a lot of veggie recipes out there you can have fun with. It clears out the fridge and veggie drawyer along with providing a tasty dish.

Tomatoes are one of the most versatile veggies/fruits out there. They can star in a lot of tasty recipes. A favorite is the Piedmontese tomatoes and eggs.This is taking two or three Roma or Capri tomatoes  chopping them and then stirring them in a beaten egg mixture. A minced garlic clove is added for more flavor. Everything is then cooked up and served with sliced Italian bread.You can also make it Sicilian style by subbing in a chopped green bell pepper and cook the same way. A panzanella salad is an easy way of getting rid of any stray tomatoes. Just chop and add torn pieces of Italian bread. Drizzle with oil and you can add garlic and onion powder for more flavor. You could also add croutons instead of bread for a crunchier version.A fun salad is one made of all sorts of different tomatoes. If you had some cherries and grape along with vine ripened. ,slice and mix these together . Add a simple vinaigrette for a memorable and colorful side dish.You could also add a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan too.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of hot dishes to use on those extra vegetables. Use your grill for tomatoes, eggplants and zucchini, This makes for a nice side to any barbecue, especially if you're grilling chicken or fish like salmon. Just brush with olive oil and lemon juice and season with only sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Of course there's that year round classic ratatouille you can easily make on a stove top.It;s just taking those smaller eggplant or even zucchini, and cooking the  slices with chopped green peppers and tomatoes.You could  double the amount and freeze it for later on. It's also good reheated as the next day's lunch. Stuffed peppers are usually a winter dish but you can easily make them in your air fryer.Even if you just have one lying around you can create a tasty cooked meal with it. Add crumbled beef or plant based crumbles rice and whatever else you fancy. If you have some extra broccoli and cauliflower florets chop them and add to the stuffing along with olives and rice.It's an easy cook in the air fryer and a great way of getting rid of extra peppers.

Extra veggies lying around can be turned into tasty hot and cold dishes.It's a good way of using them up .It' also a great way of reducing kitchen waste/

Zesty Zucchini Fries

 Mid August is the season for zucchini.It graces gardens and farmers markets. Its also on e of th e more versatile squashes and can be used as ingredient in ratatouille as well as turned into crunchy fires. If you haven/ yet then do so. It;s time to enjoy zucchini fries.

I made them for a fun Sunday lunch yesterday.It;s more about prepping them.It starts with a vegan batter.

I used the recipe I found on Nourished By Nic site and modified it. There were no measurements so I had to figure them out myself. One cup of flour beaten with a half of cup of almond milk makes for a pancake like batter. I added pinches of salt ,pepper and garlic powder. The sticks would be dipped into this first them rolled in bread crumbs for a really crunch coating.

These are the spices .If you want some zing, the add a pinch of cayenne pepper.You could also try cumin or turmeric too 

It was then slicing the zucchini.First slice it in half.

Then cut in half again

/

Now cut those in quarters .They'll look like pickle spears.

It's then dipping and rolling until they're all completely coated.

Fry in small batches (about six to eight ) for fifteen minutes at 380 degrees Farenheit. Cook for seven minutes first , then flip them over and cook for another eight. They should be golden and crispy.

These were way too good and all five batches went quickly I would add more garlic powder  though for more flavor along with more salt and pepper. I plant on making these again very soon.

It's zucchini season . Make these crunchy fries for a fun meal, side or even snack. They 're good for you while being deliciously crunchy and crispy.

Tabitha Brown At Target

 Vegan food can be hard to come by.It's hard to find good dips and snacks that satisfy the meat and dairy less lifestyle. That's where Tabitha Brown , a social media star and comedian comes in. A vegan herself she has created not vegan food for Target but a whole slew of other products.

I recently got to try her onion and garlic vegan spread. The  main ingredient is chickpea protein and two different yeasts.

I liked this.It was more of a cream cheese in texture than a dip.I spread it on a sliced roll for a tasty lunch.

It was very creamy and works both as a dip and as a spread. I am planning on buying her strawberry vegan cream cheese. I can see this on a croissant for a lovely dessert or even breakfast. Ms. Brown also has a caramelized onion one that again would be a good spread on a focaccio.Other products include flavored popcorns, flavored hummus , pickled okra (!!)  vegan potato salad  and a polenta and mushroom ravioli - which is definitely on my radar. Ms. Brown also has a line of kitchenware, stationery , home decor and gifting essentials. I have my eye on her blender and mini spatulas which will be a great addition to any kitchen,

Thanks to Tabitha Brown. Target has more vegan food choices. Check them out whether you want a pasta dish or a tasty spread.

Tired Of Le Cuisine Francaise

 It's been two weeks since the spectacular and jawdropping opening ceremonies at the Paris Olympics, The world has  have been inundated with all things Francaise including the cuisine. Yet after  a couple of weeks , it seems everyone is tired of those croissants, beurre and escargots.

I've been feeling that way and longed for my summer favorite , the Spanish classic, gazpacho.

This is a refreshing, light cold soup., made with fresh veggies,  like tomatoes peppers and cucumbers. Garlic and onion powder flavor it while white wine vinegar gives it its' zing and oil makes it smooth and creamy.It's a wonderful spoonful after gorging on Camembert on French bread .Don;t get me wrong I love any  French cheese on bread but it can become a bit too much after a while. The same thing for croissants. They are good but too caloric. Time for simple water crackers.

Everyone does love French cuisine  and thankfully there's been a renewed interest  in it since the Paris Games.. Yet the foods , even salad Nicoise, can be too much at times.It's time to pare it your men down for these last weeks of August. Think cool soups like gazpacho or  simple salads   topped with grilled chicken or shrimp. Save the heavy stuff for the cooler fall months ahead.

Explore other countries . Try their dishes. It's a nice change up from  indulging on le cuisine Francaise.

A Column With Regret

 Pete Wells has been such a fixture in the New York Times Wednesday Food sectio,He has been reviewing restaurants throughout the world, especially in his home town of New York City for the last twelve years. yet nothing lasts forever. It;s time for him to move on to other Times writing assignments.

Yesterday he wrote one of his last columns all about the new attitude of restaurants.In over  a decade he feels they have changed. One point is that people are ordering on screens as opposed to looking at a real  menu. This seems to be true all over as we scan a QR code and the restaurant's menu instantly pops up on our phones' screens. There were people to guide ours through our meals from the hosts to the waitstaff. There were also bartenders, runners,,captains and bussers to talk with. They gave insights about dishes and the restaurant along with contributing to the place's ambiance. Now it happens on a screen. Go into any Shake Shack and order on a screen. Food and drink is then paid on the same screen. Basically Mr. Wells, States restaurants have become vending machines with chairs. Yet he forgets about the Automat, a piece of New York history where diners could insert money into a machine and receive everything from chicken pot pies to  slices of cakes and a variety of hot and cold drinks. The first one Quisisana opened in Berlin in 1895. There's nothing new about this concept.

ANother thing Mr Wells raises is the rise of food on Instagram along with the decrease of paper menus. Most neighborhood eateries now are on delivery apps, Their entire menus are listed. Some of the restaurants aren't even real. They're what's known as ghost kitchens, kitchens that are just that kitchens. They're without any place to sit. The food  could be prepared in a professional kitchen at some placee.In others it could be in someone's house or apartment.As for the whole Instagram phenomenon, now restaurants don't want to serve anything that could go viral because they don't want their business to burn out.Diners go to places solely to put a picture of the latest trend on a social media platform. Whether the dish tastes good is irrelevant. They just want the world to know they had eggs prepared a certain way or they finally had a rainbow bagel.Then there are the tasting menu places where they 've become so impersonal, that they don;t care if people return or don;t. You sit there and get served.If there's a birthday -and there usually is - they they;re given a cupcake with a candle. That's it.

It sounds like the restaurant industry has jaded Pete Wells. There are hidden gems throughout the city, throwback to a time when dining was a fun and satisfying experience. They may be hard to find, but they're there.