A Fun, Summer Birthday

 How do you celebrate a summer birthday? There's humidity and high temps to deal with. Forget about baking a cake. You can still have fun in a very cool way.

A cool way to celebrate is to look to Northern Italy. Piedmonte, wich is graced with cooling Alpine breezes is big on salads. A Piedmontese potato salad is filling on its own or as a side. It's taking small, boiled potato, cornichons or gherkins  and tomatoes mixed with with a dressing made with red wine vinegar oil, and Dijon mustard. Another great meal is peperoni Al acciuga or peppers with anchovies. These are pure heaven on earth with grilled and charred green peppers dressed with an richly anchovy dressing.salsa Verde,  a ground parsley pesto can be added on top but the sweet peppers married with the anchovies braininess are ideal alone. Anchovies are also a main ingredient in the wintry dish bagna calda. They create a rich sauce  blended with olive oil, butter and garlic. Savoy cabbage is dipped into it along with filet mignon. yet it can be made with red leaf lettuce for a lighter summer birthday treat. Just as the main summer meal in Torino is lush, so are the desserts.The area is known for hazelnuts so a homemade hazelnut cake is the perfect end. It can be dusted with coca powder for a Nutella vibe. fresh fruit with Prosecco is also a nice birthday dessert.

On the other side of the Alps there is German food namely the intensely flavored Swabian cuisine. A really fun birthday lunch or dinner I grilled bratwurst, Make sure the skin is crispy so that every bite is filled with flavor. Serve it with Swabishe kartoffel salat. What makes it tastier than just regular Potato salad is the addition of beef or chicken broth , The potatoes -usually the deep yellow Yukon gold is left to marinate in the broth that's also mixed with  minced onion, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.Another dish that would be perfect with grilled bratwurst is spaetzles salad.Spaetzle is good on it;s own or served hot mixed with great beans but it's also excellent in a salad. This type of pasta is mixed with sun dried tomatoes, , zucchini, peppers and greens.  You could also fry up priest pockets or maultaschen filled with meat and spinach. These are fried  for extra crispiness.Dress it with a simple vinaigrette or pesto Most rich Swabian cakes are usually made for the Christmas holidays. A summer birthday calls for a fruit laden cake. There can be pum tort currant cake and apple cake. Serve these with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Birthday's don;t have to be the usual summer fare of hamburgers or ribs. Vary the menu. Try a Piedmontese or Swabian dish for something more delicious and fun.

Graasi Barley Water A Good Summer Sip

 This is the time of the year for hydrating. The question is what's good to drink. Do you go for a sugary power drink or just plain boring water. There is an alternative - the refreshing Graasi Barley water. Chilled its perfection.

I found that a bottle of Graasi Barley water. It's not just a refreshing sip but it's also a boost to the immune system and the body.

These are not only tasty but good for you. They loaded with Vitamins C and D along with zinc , the last supporting cell growth and wound healing. Barley water has long been drunk over the centuries. It manages cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The Victorians used it to boost health and to drink when they were sick. Graasi updates this with such kicky flavors as  Citrus Mint, Lemongrass Ginger and my favorite Cucumber  Lime. Take chilled bottles to the beach or just to kick back in the back yard.

Graasi Barley Water is the perfect summer sip.It not only hydrates but boosts the body with vitamins and zinc. Grab a bottle to help with combating this brutal summer yheat

A Chef's Fire

 Most chefs , like the artists they are are driven. Yet for Curtis Duffy, chef of the great Chicago restaurant Ever it's more than drive , it's fireborn of hardship and determination. This is what has made hom the success that he is.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about his m in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Some may recognize him and his restaurant from the FX series"The Bear" His restaurant servers at the set for the fictionalized Chicago restaurant run by Jeremy Allen White as mercurial chef Carmen Carmy Berzatto. He;s quick to point out that the show isn;t based on him nor is the restaurant based on Ever. Yet he and the main character have the same amount of torture and angst in their lives.It will come out in his memoir due out in August. He wrote Fireproof: memoir of a Chef  with his friend Jeremy Wagner, a novelist.It's not just an autobiography of how he learned to cook and his background. It brings on the worst day of his life when his father took his mother hostage at the supermarket where she worked. Bear, his wild father , a tattop artist shot Jan and then himself. Chef Duffy had just come home from culinary classes at Ohio State University and received a day off from his job at the local country club.After it was all over he got his father's, leather biker jacket, his tattoo equipment and a blue spiral notebook, There was a good bye  telling Curtis that he would someday  be the best chef in the world.

His father also issued a warning Dont walk in his footsteps "It is a world of pain hate, and  sure won;t be loved and won;t be ablet  show love." Instead he has channeled his feelings into martial arts dogs and running. He is scheduled to run a triathlon soon.His love of cooking did not come from his mother or father  but from his sixth grade HOme Ec teacher Ruth Snider. Thanks to her his first dish was a pizza with a frozen's biscuit crust.She also taught him to sew and he made is first backpack for his skateboard from the material she bought him because his parents had been to broke to afford it. She served as a balm when his parents died. Ms. Snider was the most important guest when he opened up his first eatery Grace. He wound up at the famed Charlie Trotter working with the great Chicago chef in 2000. he had convinced his  first wife Kim to move from Ohio. He was also influenced by Thomas Keller and Grant Atchatz ,chefs who believed in minimalist menus and kitchens.It was a militaristic kitchen brigade where everyone worked in sync to create tasting menus worth hundreds of dollars. He's looking for the next generation of chefs who have the same beliefs.

Curtus Duffy has come through the fire to produce great food. He will be an inspiration to younger chefs. His is a menus that will stand out for decades.

Your Own Ice Cream Shop

 One of the most trips in summer is heading to the local ice cream shop. Yet these are becoming few and far between. Then there is the price. An average sundae can cost as much as six dollars just for two scoops with chocolate syrup. A better idea is making everything yourself .Besides it's more fun to create some sweet treats on your own.

The base of any ice cream shop is the ice cream itself. You can easily buy or make it depending on your schedule. Start with the basics  - vanilla and chocolate These work with any kind of ice cream dish. Vanilla and chocolate ice cream is easy to make.An easy vanilla recipe just calls for two cups heavy whipping cream, condensed milk and one tablespoon of vanilla extract.It's whipping the cream into soft peaks and then adding the remaining ingredients. There's no churning or even ice cream maker needed. Just place in a container and freeze for at least six hours or until firm. This also is the recipe for easy chocolate ice cream except there is also the addition of half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, whether regular or Dutch processed.If you want something a bit more adventurous then try a coffee which is great with chocolate syrup or a berry  - the perfect way to use up fresh strawberries or blueberries. For the coffee add  a chilled half cup of coffee . Sub in whole milk for condensed. As for an quick berry ice cream.mash berries and cook with a bit of water and sugar in a sauce pan. Let cool and add to the vanilla mix..

Can you make cones too? Yes! ice cream cones do require egg whites to give it to that stuff texture that holds up to melting ice cream scoops. You'll also need super fine sugar , whole milk, whole flour and vanilla extract.It's then cooking them in an oiled skillet not unlike a pancake. Once baked into little cakes they're then shaped with a cone roller (where you can find on Amazon).  Waffle cones are a bit more cakier thanks to the addition of one whole egg along with the white of another for a good stiff texture. .A quarter of a stick of melted butter is also added for richness.  You can't use a regular waffle maker for this You'll need a waffle cone maker to give you a thinner ,crispier cone.  what about waffle bones that hols more ice cream along with sauce and toppings. You can use a regular waffle maker for this  along with an  everyday waffle recipe. It;s then putting the hot waffles into a bowl to shape them. Any ice cream treat needs a good sauce for fun and flavor. CHocolate sauce just requires water sugar  , vanilla extract and sugar to create a thin syrup  that's also perfect in egg creams. A decadent hot fudge sauce requires     butter, corn syrup for texture along with heavy cream,vanilla extract and cocoa powder. Caramel sauce  is another yummy topping. For a truly rich one use six tablespoons of butter mixed with  half a cup of heavy cream granulated sugar and water along with a small pinch of  flaky sea salt for contrast.

Imagine having your own ice cream parlor with Tim's of homemade yummy treat, You can. It's easy to make your own ice cream and sauces, sugar  and waffle cones and bowls to create perfection.

Le Cuisine Pour Ete

 it is Bastille Day , the French Independence Day/while some are enjoying steake Diane and pomme frites in Paris cafes there are many who have escaped the city and headed to the country side. There are also the suburbs throughout the country where there are fresh gardens and fresh summer eating. The French do know how to do summer eating right. There are so many savory and sweet dishes, perfect for anywhere in the world.

One of the most famous French dishes is ratatouille. This is made all year round but it takes on extra freshness in the summer. This is when gardeners harvest eggp;ants,onions bell  peppers and tomatoes. The recipe can be varied,with zucchini being subbed in for the eggplant. THis is Avery tasty variations because the squash adds a sweetness that the other doesn';t have.Also you can use cherry tomatoes along with onion powder for a whole onion. It can be created in a skillet for a quick dinner and served with a crusty baguette to soak up the garlicky ,buttery sauces or juices. The other classic French summer dish comes from Prpvence Salad Nicoise reminds people of sun drenched days in Marseilles or San Tropez, leisurely eating this lush salad before taking a dip in the Mediterranean .This is a fun and easy make.It si a regular salad but has tuna and hard boiled eggs added in. There are also small boiled potatoes and green beans too.Olives give it that salty tang while a lemony vinaigrette adds citrussy bright notes.Some add in chickpeas and artichoke hearts too. That's up to you.It may be too crowded and too overwhelming with all the flavors.

The French aren';t really known for ices and gelati like the Italians yet they do have some good summer desserts. You could easily make rich French vanilla ice cream. This is a custardy recipe that has six whole egg yolks, heavy cream and whole milk.It's sweetened with three quarters of a cup with sugar  ,It cooking on the stove top creating a thick custard that will be put into an ice cream maker. You could use this as a filling for eclairs and cream  puffs if you feel like making a choux paste.Choux paste should be made on a humidity free day  - which can be rare depending where you live. French style ice cream goes well with galette, those free style pies with the rolled crust. The dough consists of all purpose flour sugar and eightt tablespoons of butter along with orange zest and cold milk. A pinch of salt adds flavor as well. Use good Kerry Gold which is the closest to French butter in s or grab a few sticks of Pluegra if your grocery sells it. You want a buttery  crust that works well with whatever fruit you use. Most use strawberries at this time but a plum galette would be equally delicious as well. Serve it with a side of creme fraiche or the homemade French ice cream.

France has some great summer time recipes. ENjoy them, whether they're a bowl of ratatouille or a scoop of ice cream. They're tres delicioux.!!

Cool Sweet And Vegan

 Many people wonder what vegetarians and vegans enjoy in the summer.  What finishes a meal?  Ice cream and gelati are dairy based. ? Surprisingly there are products and recipes that help herbivores chill. They can have their sundaes and eat them too,

Thankfully there are some good vegan ice creams out there.One of the best is Talenti Gelati. Talenti has long been known for is'creamy and flavorful dairy based ice creams. Now they  have fruity sorbettos or sorbets in such summery flavors as strawberry,lermon , raspberry  and mango. They also offer a dairy free a cold brew coffee one - imagine that  drenched with chocolate syrup , There are also layered gelati pints , such as the chocolate fudge one and the blueberry crumble gelato layers. Another brand, exclusively for vegetarians is So Delicious. They make frozen treats in all sorts of plants milks, from soy to oat to almond to cashew to coconut.Their treats are just right for even the littlest vegan.Try their salted caramel dipped bars or their vanilla peanut bars for a fun dessert. The company also produces classic and not so classic ice cream sandwiches in the traditional chocolate and vanilla and strawberry short cake.Oatly is another vegan friendly company that uses strictly oat milk in tier creamers, cheeses, milks and ice creams. Their flavors are perfect in cones or creating classic sundaes.  Keep a pint it their coffee  and mint chip to name a few along with their their classic vanilla and chocolate.

Of course you can  create your own vegan ice cream. There was the banana based one that's very easy to make. If you're making it for yourself then just tale one banana slice it and put in in a baggie.freeze over night and when the time comes place the frozen pieces in a food processor and pulse.The end result is a creamy frozen dessert.I used to add chocolate chips to mind along with serving it in a giant  puddle of chocolate syrup. what's also great about it is there;s no added sugar.The fruit's sweetness is all the sugar you'll need. You can add peanut butter or cocoa powder to the mix for more variation. Its a soft serve type of texture so it can also be scooped into any cake or sugar cone. Some vegans and vegetarians want an ice cream that's more or less the same in texture and taste as the real thing. This requires more ingredients. Coconut milk is needed to give the ice cream that smooth dairy like mouth feel. Some combine  cashews  that have been soaked overnight in water and then pureed. along with granulated sugar and vanilla extract.It's made in a ice cream maker anfter being mixed together and chilled for four hours prior. After you can add in min flavoring, chocolate chips or any fruit like strawberries.

Vegans and vegetarians now have many options to beat the summer heat. They can buy a pint for a quick treat or create a custom flavor. Either way both are a nice way to chill out on a steamy day.

Too Much Salad?

 let's face salad is one of the easiest summer dishes to make and to eat. yet there could be trouble with overeating it. As tasty as it is there should be some stops on it. with any food, it should be eaten in moderation.

Yes a bowl of greens any time of the year has so many benefits. Salads provide us with roughage and fiber which eases digestion,Each bite is laded with vitamins and antioxidants , all of which we need.Those shreds of lettuce and slices of tomatoes help with heart health and even keep us hydrated.A salad also keeps our cells strong and healthy too. Yet can too much of a good thing be a band thing? Surprisingly yes. All those greens may result in bloating and even stomach cramps (and who wants those on a hot summer's day?) The stomach cramps are due to the high amounts of fiber along with certain veggies like raw broccoli and cauliflower acting on a delicate digestive system.There's also a nutritional imbalance. While salads provide essential vitamins they are lacking in protein and fat, essential macronutrients for overall health. There can also be allergies too ,especially if kids are eating a lot of them. Then there's always the threat of e coli  which doesn't.happens that much with other foods. ]

What happens then? Do you give up salads? No, you can just modify them. Keep in mind that salads are a great way of repurposing leftovers. Add shredded rotisserie chicken from last night.That leftover London Broil from last night';s barbecue will go great cubed in a salad with tomatoes and broccoli. Try a salad Nicoise that has a good dose of protein thanks to sliced hard boiled eggs and tuna fish. This is an easy and fun way to eat a salad and get a whole meal as well.You can also add other proteins like julienned ham and salame Cheese also works wells in  a bowl of greens.  Try a filling Greek salad with a salty but creamy feta , anchovies and grape leaves. AN Italian cold cut one would be made even more perfect and nutritious by a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.Another idea is subbing in pasta for the greens. You can easily make one using macaroni or fusilli as a base. Add sliced grape or cherry tomatoes,along with small broccoli florets. What's great about a pasta salad is that it can, be used as a main or a side dish.

Salad may be good but there is a bad side to it. Eat it in moderation. You'll enjoy it more with a better effect on your body.