Favorite Halloween Treats

 What is your favorite Halloween  homemade treat?Is a a caramel dipped candy apple. A witch cupcake?Or a bat cookie

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Let us  know

A Tasty Formaggio For Fall

 Italian rustic cooking or cucina rutica shines in the fall. There are delicious pork dishes and clouds of gnocchi in harvested tomato sauce. Joining them is foccaccio ,a bread that's good on it's own or topped with salame.Imagine it with cheese and it's the perfect bread for right now.

New contributor Kevin Pang  who's alsoeditorial director  for  digital at America's Test Kitchen wrote an interesting piece on this flatbread in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The breathakingly beautiful   town of Recco in Liguria invented this bread .The seaside town which was bombed heavily during the Second World War reinvented itself as a food  destination.Pesto with walnuts, and her bed infused ravioli called pansoti are the stars yet its focaccia col formaggio is what three dozen restaurants in the area feature.r Pang describes as a sort of Italian quesadilla - with a stretch bread instead of a crispy tortilla. The cheese is solid made from Crescenzo cheese which melts into a tangy cream cheese It's the breakfast of choice amongst locals, often served with bracingly strong espresso.Focaccio col formaggio is so popular that there are strict regulations on how it's; made  Regulators even bring back a sample of cheese and olive oil back to labs to test their autheneticity.It's even received protection back in 2005 from the European Union.

Yet home bakers can bake it here in the States thanks to Mr Pang's recipe.The only problem is finding the right cheese Home bakers can find fresh Cresscebzo in Us groceries however the top quality is only found in Italy.However bakers here recommend using Stracchino or Taleggio cheeses with the addition of a little buttermilk.Strive for the dough to be a millimeter thick which is ultra thin. It should b that sunshine can be seen through a thinly rolled piece of dough. what kind of flour should be used? Mr. Pang recommends KIng Arthur's bread flour. The cheese should be Crescenzo but the other two are fine as well. Just add two tablespoons to the mix.If using Taleggio, get rid of the rind. The dough is made with a mix if the flour, a pinch of sea salt and two tablespoons of olive oil. The oil is also used to grease the bread pan as well. Once it's been rolled out. dollops of the cheese are placed on it. These dollops should be no bigger than a cherry tomato. after this roll out a top sheet and place on the cheese and bottom sheet,Bake in a 500 degree Farenheit oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Turn the baking pan around mid way through.

This is the time for cucina rustica. enjoy foccaccio con formaggio  with a good glass of wine or a bring cup of espresso.It's a great autumn dish.

The Best Bagels In New York

 Manhattan can be considered to have the best pizza in the world , possibly followed by hot dogs.Yet it is the simple bagel that makes this urban island so well known. The city has always been known for its' delicious bagels.Yet there are so many good bagel shops. Where to go? There's a guide.

Regular contributor Becky Hughes has compiled a guide to where to find the tastiest in today's New York Times Food section.This covers all the boroughs, and not necessarily Manhattan island.If you just want the city then try The Bagels , which has three locations,They're oth both upper East and west sides and in tony Gramercy Park.THe bagels are known for their perfect crust - thin,bubbly and crackly. enthusiasts can also try Tompkins Square Bagels located in the Flatiron district and the East Village. These are not your traditional bagels. They sandwich style, big, fluffy and holeless. Go for the Weezer , at tasty mix of chorizo,bacon and eggs.There's also a cheddar and cheese mashup .for sweet tooths they have a birthday cake flavored cream cheese.If you want different flavors , then visit Utopia Bagels which feature red velvet,prosciutto and Pina colada.The East and West Village have Apollo Bagels which has a tight crackly taut crust and a tangy , chewy crumb.

Yes there are other bagel places outside the city.Try the Bake shop in Bushwick Brooklyn. They're known fo r their vegan pastries but their bagels are reminiscent of bagels past. THe crust is  crispy, the inside taut .They're cooked in small batches making them artesenal.Bushwick has another great bagel bakery.It's Knickerbocker Bagel and they're known for a bagel with a squishy inside and a chewy crust that holds their bacon, egg and cheese. THey have knock out spreads in such flavors as jalapeno and Asiago cheese.True bagel lovers will trek to Prospect Heights or Clinton Hill to Bergen Bagels.They have warm big bagels that go well with their refreshing cucumber dill schmear. Park slope has Shelsky's Brooklyn Bagels.They're smaller one with a truly crispy crust.They offer the highly unusual szechuan pepper one that's sure to wake up any New Yorker than a double espresso.The famed Russ And Daughters in Brooklyn also has some great bagels that are stuffed with thinly sliced lox and schmeared with cream cheese.

Bagels are a sNew York as the statue of Liberty or Broadway. These are the best shops to get them. Visit and enjoy.

October Cookouts

You would expect mid October t have a bit of a nip in the air. That would mean hot chocolate and warm , hearty meals. Not so. Many of the areas around the country are experiencing a second summer? WHat to do? Barbecue  but with a fall twist.

With temps in the almost eighties, many home chefs just don't want to cook or bake. yet fall has some of the tastiest ingredients and recipes out there. What to do? Incorporate them into easy to grill, easy to cook and easy to bake recipes. Pork chops with apples have always been a popular  October dish.It can easily be put on the grill and till deliver the same rich taste/There is a slight problem with pork.It can dry out quickly when cooked on a high heat/Baste the chops with a barbecue sauce or marinade. To keep the fall themed try an apple cider marinade.The is a blend of apple cider, brown sugar and such spices as dry mustard and garlic powder. To give it some silkiness and body add a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Brush the pork chop with this every fifteen minutes. To maintain the juiciness let the pork chops sit for about five minutes before cutting into them. This allows the meat to bathe in the juices a bit more. You can serve with grilled apple halves. This is just putting them on the grill for six to eight minutes , then flipping them over for another five. You can also whip up a potato salad but add a small diced apple for texture and flavor.

Baking is a big part of the fall canon. You can easily bake an apple or pear galette on the grill.You will need those cheap foil pie pans.The fruit filled dough is placed in it and then on top of an inverted foil roasting pan.Doing such will prevent the  pies' bottom from burning. The grill's temperature should be the same as your oven. Bake at 350 to 400 degrees Farenheit for about twenty to thirty minutes. as with any pie , keep an eye on it, making sure it doesn't burn. Serve with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel.If you made ice cream over the summer, don;t stop because it is autumn. It's a hot autumn and that means the cooling relief of a frosty dessert. Try a salted caramel ice cream to go with those apples. You will need to use your stovetop to create the caramel.It's cooking a cup and a quarter of granulated sugar until it becomes a syrup.whole cream is then added to this to create the caramel. it's cooled and then the sea salt (try Malden's flaky sea salt) and vanilla are added. while this cools make the ice cream base. This is eggs being whisked with a blend of cooked milk ,and cream.The caramel is added to this then strained through a fine mesh sieve. This is chilled  for three to six hours and then you can put the mixture through an ice cream maker. Freeze until solid. Serve with cinnamon coated apple slices.

THis is a rare October heat wave. Cook like it's summer ,using fall ingredients. You can still get a taste of autumn but with a hot weather twist.

Pre Birthday Yum

 It is Coleridge's birthday today and a good time to celebrate. The Early Romantic poet may not have been to Italy like the Latter Rpmantics, Byron, Keats and Shelly, but he would have appreciated good Italian food and wine

I celebrated over the weekend at Que Pasta, a local Italiam restaurant in Saddle Brook. The food is phenomenal. They have excellent appetizers like their fried zucchini slices or coins and their smashed baby artichokes in a lemon butter sauce.

These can also be ordered as sides for holiday dinners (which I plan to do next month for Thanksgiving.) Both dishes were full of tender and flavorful veggies. Que Pasta is also known for its' wide array of pasta and homemade sauces.

Their spinach and eggplant filled ravioli do not disappoint. Each fat little pillow was full of flavor and the homemade marinara sauce worked well with them. There is also the thick straw like bucatini,

Again the marinara sauce highlighted the rich pasta taste perfectly. Grapefruit sized meat balls were served with them and they were tender and rich with oregano and thyme.

Que Pasta in Saddle Brook -home to another famous writer born on this day - is the perfect place for any kind of party.It's great for smal gatherings and large ones like birthday parties, showers and even weddings. The food is fantastic as are the servers. Go there for your big day.

An elegant Fall Birthday

 Having an autumn birthday means an elegant affair featuring the delights of the season.It could be a simple brunch or a lovely dinner party. It features fine wine and fine dining.

A birthday brunch usually means Bellinis and mimosas in tall flutes. Sub in the peaches and oranges with one of the fruits of the season pears. You can use fresh pears or canned halves (although using the fresh ones will give it a tangier flavor). Cut up the pears and puree them either in a blender or using an immersion blender. Pour the puree in a third of th e glass.Add a good dry champagne .Another drink perfect for a fall brunch is a tea punch.This is made with black tea and simple syrup. Most recipes call for apple cider but why not amp it up a bit by subbing in the cider with a cup of hard cider for a kick.If you're worried about the oomph or punch of it ,remember it becomes diffused when it 's mixed with the tea. You can also  add a half cup of regular apple cider to lessen it's strength.As for luncheon, think a butternut squash, pumpkin and potato quiche or one rich with leeks and feta. Bake three or four for the guests. Small finger sandwiches work well also. Sub in a chicken and grape salad on croissants and brioches. what about dessert. Think apple cupcakes with a just a dusting of confectioner;s sugar.

As for a dinner, think outside the bottle and try an apple flavored wine or one spiced with cinnamon Hard cider could also worked here but remember it's potent. You may want to  water it down with a plain or flavored seltzer. start the meal off with a fall themed charcuterie board. have cubes of rich Swiss and Gruyere cheese mixed with both sharp and mild cheddars Add ham, apple slices and grapes for variety. as for the bread, go with sliced sourdough  or artesanal rye slices. small hours and pumpkins can be added for decoration. The salad can be an arugula with diced apple and air fried prosciutto strips. Any kind of Wellington dish is always an elegant meal. Go for the original which has beef tenderloin encased in a buttery flaky pastry. You can serve with fall's root vegetable such as sheet pan cooked parsnips and carrots. This dish can be turned vegetarian just by switching out the meat for a mix of mushrooms and lemtils,Miso  , walnuts and tomato paste give it a definite meat like flavor and texture. The sides can be the same. Turnips and carrots crisped in a mix of olive oil and thyme and then oven roasted. End the meal with a pear or apple galette topped with creme fraiche ice cream. If you do want cake, think a simple vanilla one with a cinnamon icing.

A fall birthday is a time for  elegant celebration. It could be a brunch or a dinner.Either way serve sophisticated food and drink for a lovely time.

Starting Up A Cold Morning

 Now that' we're deep into fall , the mornings are downright nippy. what the best way to start a frosty day? Is it hot cereal? Toast with eggs and bacon? What about weekend morning meals? Do you have French toast with maple syrup and bacon? A slice of quiche Lorrai with a Bloody Mary? How do your days begin?

What is your favorite and most fortifying breakfast on a cold autumn morning? Let us know here.