Festival Season

 late summer is the time for festivals and street fairs. These are always fun to go to and see what's up and coming food wise.It's also a chance to sample fun food and drinks along with buying neat treats.

Street fairs and festivals are not necessarily booths selling cool jewelry, accessories and tees.new Jersey and especially New York City is always bustling with them. These are great places to try everything from crepes to different kinds of burritos and tacos. What's great about these get togethers is that you can try all sorts of food that you normally wouldn't It's a chance to sample different foods like chips on a sticks This is a whole potato spiralized  and then stuck on a bamboo stick. It;s deep fried to crispiness and different flavorings can be sprinkled on it.Of course festivals also have the usual hot dogs and hamburgers but some like the Ventnor New Jersey seafood Festival, held this weekend. This city directly south of Atlantic City is offering such delights as crab cakes and possibly shrimp cocktails. There will also be oysters for those who love the treats of the sea.There is also the Comfort Food Festival  in Tom's River ,New Jersey a little of the shore from Ventnor's Seafood one. This features. local businesses like the candy store Netty's that's famous for their homemade fudge and hand dipped candies.

Of course big cities are known for their September street fairs. Chicago still celebrates it's strong German heritage with an early  Octoberfest.It's a non alcoholic one at the Lincoln Park Zoo. but you can still get a cup of alcohol free beer along with brats and giant pretzels.Another non alcoholic beer fest is the city's Bavarian Block Party . There's music and bratwurst in the city's West Loop district. Naperville, Illinois hosts an Irish Festival complete with a whiskey tasting What about the West and East Coast? San Diego is hosting a  couple this weekend if you can get last minute tickets to them.One is RB Alive and it offers a wide array of food trucks, wine tasting and a beer garden. Further north in San Francisco, there is a dearth of great food fairs. Chocolate lovers can had to the San Francisco International CHocolate Salon to sample everything chocolate.There are even chocolate sculptures to admire  as you nibble on dark , milk vegan and white chocolate. Of course Manhattan hosts a wide range of food festivals and street fairs right now, There are fairs and harvest festivals right now in all the boroughs and you can sample everything from Italian to Caribbean treats throughout the month.

The weather around the country is perfect for festivals and fairs. Check out the ones in your area and enjoy.It's a great chance to sample fun food and buy cool stuff.

Fall A Quiver

 Friday Fall questions are back (even though it's late summer) and the first one is what autumn food are you looking forward to having? Is it a plump apple cider doughnut? Fresh apples or cider? The ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte? Large Sunday dinners that features roasts and two to three sides? Or is it just a cup of soothing hot tea on a Sunday afternoon?

Let us at Foodie Pantry know🍁🍁🍂

The Cult Of Weiser Melons

 There are new stars in SoCal and its the Weiser. They're hitting Los Angeles by storm and becoming the darlings of the West Coast culinary world. Yet what is it about this fruit that makes them so special?

Regular contributor and Los Angelino herself, Tejal Rao wrote about this fruit phenom in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.The Weiser melons  are grown by by Alex Wiser son of the original owner Sid in the farmland outside of Los Angeles. The farm , once known for its; potatoes and apples now grows a wide variety of melons. These are usually sold at trendy farmer's markets through the Los Angeles area. He offers several different ones, namely eight varieties all used by the top chefs of the area. Weiser melons are so known in the area that they;'re named dropped on melons. They're also versatile being employed in a variety of savory and sweet dishes. Famed chef Aaron LIndell who runs  Echo Park's Quarter Sheets pizzeria uses two kinds in his sweet and sour salad. His melon salad uses Bonny a sweet and sour melon variety along with PIel de Sapo or brilliant melon.The chilled fruit is drenched in a vegan fish sauce, left to infuse with melon straps tweaked with lime juice and olive oil.It's served on a bed of toasted sesame and coriander seeds.

Other chefs have gotten creative with the Weiser melons as well. Yang's Kitchen in Alhambra uses the melons for  a pale orange soft serve ice cream.It's flavor is so intense and sweet many would mistake it for being artificially flavored. Some diners have it swirled with vanilla and compare it to  the taste of Melona - a Korean ice pop.At the Iranian restaurant Aziramin Silver Lake  the farm's cantaloupes are frozen into a delicate and hydrating paoudeh, a granite infused with rose water.It's layered with half a dozen more varieties of chilled melon. A mint syrup is drizzled over this. Yet many home chefs also go wild for the Weiser melons There are also melon jam filled doughnuts  at Ed Cornells  Cafe Tropical. They're the Weisermelon Doughnuts.What makes the melons so successful with both professional and home chefs is wide choice of different types that appeal to the many ethnic groups that make up the area. Ms. Rao asked for help as she soughtt different ones She chose several different ones, such as Piel de Sapo and the Cavaillon both sweet in their own way.

Weiser melons are the darling of the LA area. Hopefully they'll make their way to the East Coast. It would be wonderful trying these sweet gems when they're in season.

Burger Land USA

Americans love their hamburgers. This German import has been  a favorite in homes and in restaurants for well over a century. People love to eat the patties out in restaurants with innovative ideas. Which one has the best? It's not any fast food joints that's for sure.

Regular contributors Trjal Rao and  Priya Krishna compiled a list of the most original and best hamburgers in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.Some  burgers reflect their surrounding areas such as Austen ,Texas' Camoechana restaurant with their cuantas hamburguesas recipe. This is a beef patty that chef Beto Robledo has added a carne asada sauce along with longaniza (a Mexican lanjager), chmichurri sauce cilantro and  a corn crusted Mexican cheese. For those wanting to try a different type of Asian fusion there's Seattle's Lao burger.It comes from Burger in Seattle and chef Khampeang Panyathong adds ingredients from his native Lao.  The burger is accented by toato jeow, a sweet earthy chili sauce  along with taro stems for lettuce and added pork belly.Brookly, always the birthplace of trendy has the tasty Made in Lagos burger at Akara House in Brooklyn. Chef Funso Akinya doesn't so much as create a meat patty but a bean based fritter, popular in his native Lagos.It's sandwiches between Ed tow plantains and is doused with the peanutty flavored suya dressing.

Chefs of other nationalities have made this simple dish all their own. There is the KRapow and Laab Smash burgers that Los Angelles; Ban Ban Burger . Sisters Katy Noochlar and Amanda Maneessilassan used their Thai roots to come up with a sandwich that has a thick smear of garlic holy basil and birds eye chilis on it while the laab is seasoned with an aromatic paste of lemongrass, makut lime chlis and toasted rice powder. Chef Eileen Andrade puts a fusion spin on hers at Amelia's 1931 in Miami. It reflects her Peruvian and KOrean roots. The patty is a beef and chorizo mix marinated in a blend of sesame oil, chili sauce and gochujang.. It's topped with Gruyere and served with shoe string potatoes. Yes there are American style burgers on the list as well. Abbas Dhananai whose family owns nine hundred Burger King and Wendy's franchises  creates a halal smash burger at Houston's Burger Bodega. Manhattan's own Haburger America has created the perfect smash burger.It a thin, crisp edged burger served on a buttered potato roll. Milwaukee has its' Lucy Goosy made at the Hot Dish pantry .This is a sandwich stuffed with a beef patty and slices of Wisconsin cheddar.Bozeman Montana gives us CHolms single from Cholms Burger a three ounce patty covered in gooey  American cheese on a potato bun it also has smoky bacon ends added to the meat thanks to Chef Cory Taber.

America has its' burgers. These are the places that make the best and the most original. Like America itself the patty is always changing , yet remaining true to itself.

Easy Granola

 Granola is a versatile mix of good for you and good tasting ingredients. It makes for a good hot ro cold breakfast.It's also a great sweet snack to munch on too. Best yet you can make your own and toss in what you like.

How you want to make your granola is up to you.  White refined sugar can be added but many home chefs prefer the healthier option of maple syrup. You will also need oat, namely hearty whole grained ones. Use gluten free ones if  someone in the family has celiac disease. As far as for nuts pecans and walnuts are usually the preferred choice.Slivered almonds are a;so good as are cashews,peanuts and pistachios. Sunflower seeds add a bit of much needed saltiness along with macadamia nuts.Granola is usually baked and it needs oil as a binder. Coconut oil works well but you can also use melted plant butter along with browned butter.A drop of wildflower honey adds a layer of sweetness and earthiness. if you want to add it.As far as with spice cinnamon is always good but if you want to be seasonal , a pinch of pumpkin spice mix can be stirred in. fruit is always good in granola. Think chopped dried cranberries, cherries or apricots.What about chocolate chips? These can be added later when the baked  granola is broken up.Flaked coconut can be added later too.

The next part is the most important - baking the granola.Use a  half sheet pan for this or just one half of a regular sized sheet pan if you don;t have the smaller one.Remember to line the pan with parchment paper. The sweetener will stick to the pan and it could be a mess if the granola slightly burns. You could also use a parchment line glass baking dish (think pie pan) for this too.Press the mixture down with the back of a spatula. This will give the mix nice crispy clumps that you can crunch on later. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for a short time - only twenty to twenty-five minutes. It shouldn't;;t be too overly browned.Let the granola completely cool down  - about forty five minutes before you add the chocolate chips or coconuts. Store the mix in an airtight container for two to three weeks (if it lasts that long).It can also be frozen for up to three months too. Granola can be eaten like a snack . straight from the container or you can have it with hot or cold milk too. keep in mind that granola also is wonderful topping ice cream too. You can make a quick apple crisp with it too.

Homemade granola is a real treat.It's even easy to make and create variations. Try it for a good fall breakfast.

Easy Vegan Meal

 Even vegans and vegetarians have busy lives. It's important to have a filling yet quick meal that works both on weekdays and weekends. That's where Tofurky comes in.Yes they created that holiday loaf but they've also branched out into other vegan foods. One is plant based Chick'n Thai Basil. This is an easy cook and tasty one too,

This was my Saturday supper. Their Thai Basil chicken is a slightly spiced faux chicken strips that just has to be quick sauteed in a skillet.

I like Tofurkey products. I've eaten their pepper turkey slices along with the loaf that goes into my oven every Thanksgiving and Christmas. This was going to be good.

 

These are "shreds" that have been dipped in basil flakes,along with red pepper and poblano pepper. The pepper flavor is mild with the basil being the more dominant flavor. These are sauteed in my favorite , three tablespoons of Lidl olive oil (you can use any kind).

Saute for two to three minutes on both sides and in six minutes you have a tasty chicken dish. I paired it with Lidl's jasmine rice. Their microwave rices only take ninety seconds to cook and it's a great base or side.

Together the chicken and rice were a filling meal. You could add some chili crisp to bring out the meat's spiciness.but's is delicious on its' own.

I really liked this and I'll be making it again.It 's a good weekend meal that's filling and cooks quick.

Tofurky's Thai Basil chicken paired with Lidl's jasmine rice is a great and easy cook.It only takes a few minutes to create a hot lunch or dinner. This is perfect for super busy vegans and non vegans alike

Eating On The Road

Fall brings about busy days,  There's a chance that  Either you're rushing from work to a soccer game or spending a Saturday or Sunday more in the car than in your house. That means you'll have to eat sometime and it's usually on the road. what to do? Pack nutritious lunches and snacks to tide you over.

It's very easy to head to any fast food joints and grab pieces of chicken, a burger or a slice of pizza. This is fun every so often but these foods can do an all over number on your body.Grease and oil does not sit well after its' been bolted down. There are better choices.If you are going to go to a fast food then think wendy's that has a baked potato.Its low in calories but high in nutrients. Another is a hero.Jersey MIkes' which is all over New Jersey has good choices like turkey and grilled portobello mushrooms as fillings. You cna fill the sandwiches with veggies as well, Another choice is  anything made from home.Leftover rotisserie chicken can be sliced and put between whole wheat bread for a quick meal. Leftover meat loaf cna be eaten cold and sliced as well. Salads can be bought or made at home and eaten quickly too. Start with romaine lettuc as a base.It's the most nutritious and the most flavorful. Add a  protein such as tuna, salmon, chicken or turkey along with a variety of cut up veggies. Sliced peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli are good choices. They provide color and flavor along with vitamins. A simple vinaigrette works here.

It['s also tempting to get quick snacks too.fries and a soda may b satisfying for the moment but you'll either wind up gassy or hungry. The same thing with those snack cakes too.Think nuts,fruit or a healthy trail mix.Almonds are a great snack. They lower cholesterol and blood pressure. There are flavored ones with a dusting of wasabi or salt and pepper. Almonds are tasty plain however.You could also make an almond butter sandwich instead of a peanut butter one. It a tad healthier and something different  too. Another tasty and good for you snack are walnuts. They reduce inflammation along with lowering the risk of heart disease. Their earthy flavor may be more preferable than almonds.as much as we'd like to bring a sleeve of Oreo;s or a bag of Tate's chocolate chip cookies, its better to have a baggie full of fruit. Grapes are in season right now and a small branch of them is a excellent snack while on the road. Take non fussy fruit too such as apples and pears  - now in season. It;s just eating and then discarding the core (save the seeds so you can plant and have your own) As for drink, seltzer or plain tea works better than soda or one of those fancy sugar laden coffees.

This is a busy season. You'll be on the road a lot and that means eating on the road too.  Eat well and eat healthy for a better trip/