Keeping Fresh Herbs Fresh

 Herbs add so much strong flavor to any meal to even dessert. Yet they're plants and they're delicate.Storing and using them in the right way will insure maximum flavor.

Senior staff editor Adina Steiman contributed a guide to them in today 's new York Times Wedensday Food section.One aspect novice chefs should learn right away about choosing fresh herbs is to choose them with a degree of care. They should be perky and vibrant with well hydrated leaves and stems according to Nasim Alknai author and owner of Sofresh  - a cookbook and restaurant with the same name. Avoid bunches with limp and waterlogged leaves. Also avoid any discolored ones too. Skip the ones that are already packaged. Their freshness is hard to gauge. Prep for storage as soon as they're brought home is another key factor to having them retain their flavor.Once home spread them on a paper towel and pluck away any dried or discolored leaves. These could attract bacteria.Rinse herbs before storing them. Home chefs are more likely to cooked with washed ones because they're all set to be cooked.Use a salad spinner to dry them, or if that'd not available a paper towel to blot them dry.

Another must is keep them hydrated. Before using wash without drying and plunge into a bowl of ice cold water. Cut the stem for better hydration. Herbs should also be strategically packed . They'll last longer when they have enough moisture otherwise they'll turned into a swampy mess.What about well dried ones? Chef Alikhani recommends wrapping them in a paper towel before storing them in the fridge. She cautions to watch out because they could pick up moisture. As with any green, handle with care. Even herb plants can lose their taste if they're improperly cared for. Harvest early in the morning and use very sharp shears to cut. Keep in mind that herbs are not just garnishes but also food. USe them in everything. They punch up soups, rice ,pasta and polenta. They bring color and taste to otherwise bland dishes. Think of them like other greens. Ms. Steiman  gives a recipe for a  Greek herb laced salad called maroulasalata.It's a delicious blend of romaine lettuce, dill fronds and feta cheese. Scallions and lemon juice give it more flavor as does good Greek olive oil. Keep in mind that basil too,  is great in tomato salads.

Herbs are not just fun garnishes. They're an integral part of cooking and baking. Treat them well, They'll give optimum flavor.

The Cold Salad Debate

 It;s picnic an d barbecue time. Home chefs will be debating what sides to make. There's always  a debate. Which works best? A traditional greens based?Beans - but what kind?Potato or macaroni? WHat works the best?

Some may think a green salad would be too fancy for any outdoor do. Not so? A You can make a Ceasar salad using fresh chicken or  shrimp from the grill. A plain green salad with just tomatoes and buttery Bibb lettuce is a great accompaniment to  hamburgers and hot dogs.It's also a a great side for a simple green steak. Keep in mind that that other veggies on their own make a great salad. Tomatoes in just olive oil and sprinkled with oregano and seasonings is a perfect side to any picnic or barbecue meal. Sliced beet salad is a very delicious side, especially with a vinaigrette. The same goes for string beans and broccoli. Broccoli salad can be done with  just oil and vinegar but it can also work with mayo and diced ham. Of course there is also bean salad. Three bean is the classic all home chefs turn to.This consists of cannellini , kidney and garbanzo beans but any combo will do. Even a chickpea and tomato salad is a great outdoor meal side.

The gold standard for any picnic ro barbecue is potato. Many feel it's not a barbecue without it. A classic recipe that also has chopped hard boiled eggs,  mayo , and chopped onions and celery. However unlike other salads, potatoes salads can be too watery , too bland, too much , too salty and too soggy. It should be made with care. It starts with cooking the potatoes until they;re tender - not mushy. Coo l then completely and use a cool temperature dressing. If using vinaigrette chill it in the fridge for a good half hour before using.If it;s too bland add interesting ingredients like dill or capers. This ratchets the flavor upa few notches. Too salty? Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Macaroni salad may be a better choice if you're pressed for time. It;s an easy boil and then adding a dressing plus extras.What pasta is the best? Many go for the elbow shaped macaroni but fusilli is a better choice. It holds the dressing and imparts more flavor . Also extra also make a macaroni salad. Minced pepperoni or salami is a great add in as is chopped broccoli and tomatoes.

WHat salad should you make for your picnic or barbecue? Any one you'd like.It just has to be one that';s tasty and goes with what you';re serving.

A Vegan Cacio E Pepe

 People don;t give Roman cuisine enough credit.It;s either the sophisticated food of the North or the friendly fun , food of the SOuth. Yet Roman food is a blend of sophisticated and fun. One dish that;s both is cacio e pepe. cheese and pepper in Roman dialect.

I have been cracving this for a while. It;s an easy make, usually reserved for snacking. It starts off with the pasta. I used Lidl's fettucine. This dish usually calls for long strand pasta.

I boiled it in only half the water (although I could have used more) Reserve a cup or two of the cooked pasta water to add to the sauce. This thickens and flavors it.

The other important ingredients are butter and cheese. I used a half cup of I can;t Beleive It's Not Butter and a cup of Follow Your Heart vegan Parmesan. 

Of course there's pepper. I used about a good teaspoon or so of LIdl's ground pepper. It's mixing the butter and the cheese with the pasta water which will melt both. It should  constantly stirred until it's a creamy.  I love a good peppery sauce so I added about four or five grinds of pepper.I then added it to a bowl of g feuttucni for a very tasty Monday meal.

Cacio e pepe is a great salute to Roman cuisine. It's quick to make. It's delicious and satisfying to eat. Make it for a quick lunch ro dinner.

 

Chicago Style< Peruvian Flavor

 Our new pope is a Chicogoan.It's a huge honors for,the USAalong with Illinois and CHicago Pope Leo XIV is probably missing that good Chi-town food despite being in a culinary paradise.Chicago food is influence dby Italian and other ethnic groups who settled in the Windy City.

There are already POpe Leo themed dishes.An iconic CHicago  restaurant chain ,Portillo's has already created a dish for the pontiff born Robert Prevost .Its' Italian beef sandwich already has been named "The Leo".This is shredded beef smothered  with three kinds of peppers and a rich beef gravy .It's sandwiched between half a loaf of Italian bread. Bennison Bakery in nearby Evanston has baked a butter cookie with the pope;s image on it. The Pope also grew up with such CHi-town classics as deep dish pizza,  a spin on pizza rustica.It's loaded with sausage pepperoni and generous helpings of tomato sauce and mozzarella. There is also Chicago thin crust pizza which has an ultra fine thin crust and is cut into squares instead of wedges.There;s also Chicago style hot dogs or "dragged through the garden" dogs. This is a Vienna beef hot dog that;s topped with sliced tomatoes, relish, chopped white onions and a green pickle. A dash of celery salt and a stripe of mustard is added for more flavor. Ketchup is never ever used on these weiners. That's sacrilege to any Chicogoan!

The Pope spent a great deal of time in the seaside town of Chiclayo in northwestern Peru.His favorite dish was goat with beans and rice.He was also fond of ceviche, raw seafood "cooked in lime juice.Tje acid in the juice changes' the meat's composition while preserving its' raw ,briny taste.It can be made at home with either raw or cooked fish.Red onion and cilantro are also added for more flavor.Pope Leo also likes second which means dry in Spamish but is also a rich, savory stew.It's usually made from beef or kid macerated in vinegar. This is not quite marinating but softening the meat ,Yellow potatoes are added to thicken it.The recipe varies throughout South America. Ecuadorians also add avocados and ripe plantains along with achiote, a red spice sort of like cinnamon.The Pope may have also enjoyed a variety of potatoes too.A Peruvian staple quinoa is now an everyday American dish that can be made into a delicious bowl .It;s usually cooked with veggies for a healthy lunch or dinner.

POpe Leo has had a very good culinary background. First there was Chicago, then Peru and now Rome. He couldn't;t have asked for a better diet.

Buffets And Tariffs

 President Trump's tariffs affect not only home chefs but all chef;s. Restaurants will be greatly impacted which means higher prices for diners. The worst hit is the affordable all you can eat buffets, in casino towns in Reno, Nevada.Those easy on the wallet lunches and dinners may be a thing of the past.

Regular contributor and chef Priya Krishna wrote about this in Wednesday's New YorkTimes Food section. Prices will go up around the county but in casino towns it will be devastating.Reno has fifty all you can eat sushi buffets. A la carte sushi is becoming a thing of the past and those restaurants offering that are quickly going out of business according to Michael Higdon a local food writer and photographer, He also states there is a lot of pride in having many all you can eat places.There is cost in creating Reno sushi bars. The fish doesn't have the pristine simplicity of pure Japanese sushi. These are more baroque creations made mainly by Latino chefs who infuse their culinary traditions in them. The high cost of seafood and local restauarants' need to offer bounty and variety has created a flamboyant new cuisine. The fish is no longer the star but a supporting character.The menus have punchy names foillowed by a plethora of ingredients. There is the Playboy  -a wild mix of cream cheese with tempura shrimp, onion red snapper .avocado and jalapeno. There is the Mickey , so named because it;s supposed to resemble the Disney mascot. This is a mix of seared tuna, avocado, unagi and sriracha sauce.

Many restaurant owners - who are not Japanese  - adopt the all you can eat menu because it is cost efficient. Jongsoo Park who opened Kuma Sushi a couple of years ago said she wanted to serve premium species such as sea urchins and spot prawns. Yet their high price would have made her open up an ala carte eatery. That was unaffordable. An all you can eat restaurant was a better choice. It provided a quick cash return which made the restaurant immediately profitable.The prpblem with an all you can eat buffets is that it does take a high volume to make a lot of money. with fifty similar restaurants scattered throughout the town that can be come impossible according to Khai Duc Du, owner of Hinoki Sushi. Trump's tariffs on CHina has hit a whopping 145 percent, affecting such sushi essentials as eel and seaweed. It may affect the purveyor of all the fish served in  Reno, Miyuki Wong. She works for the local distributor Sierra Meat and Seafood and sells $200,000 a week of just seafood alone. Eel along has jumped from $8.40 a pound to $11.90 and then after the tariffs $13.95. The alternative is to serve non seafood extras like edamame and dumplings like Reno;s oldest sushi bars Reno Pier owned by Heejin Polon.

Will Reno's sushi bars be a thing of the past with all these new tariffs being slapped on the seafood? Possibly but maybe not. Restaurant owners will find a way of keeping customers , maybe with vegan sushi. The fish iis too expensive.

Mother's Day Treats

Mother's Day is Sunday and that's a time for all kids to cook  something yummy for Mom.Here's the question what was your best recipe you made for your Mom.I liked making cinnamon toast for her when I was younger.

Let us know yours Was it a cheese omelets? Hamburgers on the grill? Or something more elaborate?

 

Mexican Indian Fusion Surprisingly Traditional

Fusion food is nothing new. It;s basically how Cajun and Creole food were born. Even Mexican recipes can be fused with another ones.This may seem novel but it;'s actually an old idea brought to light.

Regular contributor and chef, Tejal Rao wrote about the unique blend of Mexican and Indian cuisine in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. This is not some new fangled idea brought about by  a fast food chain.It has to do with restrictive immigration laws a century ago.In 1917 Punjabi-Sikh and Muslim men immigrated to Sacramento to find work as farmers and loggers out side Califormia's capital beginning in the late 1800's After the Immigration Act of 1917 which made it near impossible for Indian women to migrate to the US, hundreds of men married Mexican women,New kinds of cooking and recipes emerged from their home kitchens and even a handful of restaurants sprung up.One couple GUlam and Inez Aguirre Rasul left farming to open ElRanchero in Yuba City, California Since Mr Rasul was a Muslim pork dishes were e off the table.Instead there were roti quesadillas with cheese,onions and shredded beef.It was a hit until the restaurant closed in the 1990s.

Mexican Indian cuisine isn;t codified. so there are really no classic dishes.There could be a series of different ones  taken from one or two recipes.This is how is ts in the Mexican Indian restaurant Mirra in Chicago.Slices of yellowtail snapper are drenched in a lime spiked buttermilk ,hot and tangy with a garlic and Serrano pepper acha a South Asian pickle.It;s tucked under a delicate crunch of nopales ginger and curry leaves. They also celebrate Mr. Rasul's roti by having it on the menu along side shrimp Chaat and lamb tacos or taco Arabe. Their biryani tends to go with local produce than the more traditional ingredients.There is also Saucy Chick in Pasadena, Califnronia run by Mexican Marcel Michel and his wife Rhea Patel Marcel.They call their cuisine Indi-Mex and  feature rotisserie chicken marinated in echo jeera  spectacular curry that is based on one of the backbone spices of Indian cuisine, Another marinade mimicked Mr. Michels' favorite pibil, a marinade made from orange juice and achiote There's also going to be a spicy sweet dal as well as fish pakora to the taco menu.

Mexican Indian food or Indi-Mex may be the next big food trend. Two cultures come together to create a cuisine that's both flavorful and interesting. It's may change up the way Mexican food is thought about.