Oh how I love Spring...

Spring has definitely sprung...finally. I was driving to work the other day, and I go right past a farm. They had a sign out announcing that their asparagus was in. Oh man....fresh local asparagus. That is worth planning a meal around. So I stopped and handpicked about a pound of them. I have to admit, I ate a few on the ride home, they looked so yummy.

Hmmm...so what goes with asparagus? Everything, you say? True dat. But I was in the mood for something light and seasonal. I stopped at my local Korean supermarket (doesn't everyone have Assi Market? Bummer for  you.) and they had king salmon. Bright orange, marbled with fat...I got a half pound piece. (I was cooking for two) While I was there, I wandered through the mushroom section. I was going to get shiitakes, but then I spied this adorable little pouf of white, tiny mushrooms. It was so cute, I had to have it. Here's what it looked like.

 

 

Ok, so now I had salmon, asparagus and mushrooms. I had some red pepper, so I diced that, too. I also got some fresh ginger and garlic. I had miso paste in the fridge, and mushroom soy sauce, so I made a glaze for the salmon using the miso, the mushroom soy, some minced ginger and a little regular soy sauce. Here is my mise en place:

 

 

I heated the grill, brushed the asparagus with some sesame and regular oil, salt and pepper, and grilled it a bit. Took that off and set it aside. Then I coated the top of the salmon with my glaze, sprayed the grill grates and put the fish on skin side down (oh yeah, I left the skin on. Keeps it moist, and is delicious to boot) turned the grill down so it didn't immolate, and closed the lid. It was a pretty thick piece of salmon, so it took about 10 minutes to cook through, and was still a little gooey in the thickest part, which I like.

 

While the fish was cooking, I heated a pan with a bit of regular oil, then broke apart the mushroom ball and put all the little guys in the pan. It was high enough heat to get them a little brown, then I added some ginger, garlic, the red peppers, a little bit of soy, and some chicken broth and let that all cook down a bit.

 

Here is the finished product, my friends:

 

 

The plate is drizzled with a little of the miso glaze. It was fabulous. How much do you think you'd pay for that plate in a restaurant??

 

So that was my first Ode to Spring. The farm also has fresh baby garlic. I think that's next on my list. For those of you who don't cringe at the thought, they might be put with lamb. I seem to have surrounded myself with non-lamb eaters, and I love the stuff, so I may be cooking for one, but what the heck.

 

See you soon. Go to a local farm. Buy stuff. Support them, eat fresh, be happy.



 



 

 

A Perfect Example

Last night's dinner was a perfect example of what I preach in these blogs about having the right staples on hand and you can make anything. If you don't know what I'm talking about, scroll back to the first few blog entries and you'll see, especially the one called "What to have inna house".

I was at Lisa's last night, and instead of ordering out, I decided to root through her cabinets and fridge to see if I could come up with dinner. Now, Lisa does not have the best stocked kitchen. Before she met me, her idea of dinner was a bowl of Reese's Puffs. (and probably still is when we are not together.) This is what I found in the kitchen:

A box of thin spaghetti
A jar of artichoke hearts
A can of diced tomatoes
A jar of Italian spice blend
A bottle of good olive oil
A bottle of lemon infused balsamic vinegar
A container of mixed olives
A container of shredded Asiago cheese
Most of a rotisserie chicken

And here's what I made:
I boiled the pasta. While that was cooking, I heated some of the olive oil in a skillet and added the artichoke hearts, then some of the chicken that I had shredded up. (boy, I wish I had had some garlic)
I added the tomatoes, some olives and some of the spice blend, the balsamic and a little ground pepper. I tossed the cooked pasta in, plated it and then drizzled a little more oil on top and finished with a sprinkle of cheese. I wish I had thought to snap a picture before we destroyed it, but we went out on her little porch, and had a great, light, CHEAP dinner with a nice bottle of wine. You'll just have to imagine what it looked like.

So.....do you get the point? All that yum came out of just a few staple items that she had hanging around. And trust me, most of you have many more of those suggested staples in your own pantries. So start getting creative, my friends. And then add your creations (with pictures) to the Facebook page connected to this blog.

Time to go. I need to take Lisa to Trader Joe's and fill  up that kitchen!
Bye now.

Sometimes I Wish I Still Had a Restaurant

Last night's dinner was one of those moments when I wished I was still creating food for people at my own restaurant. I hadn't really set out to make what became one of (what I think is) the best fish dishes I've ever come up with, but hey, greatness happens..and it comes, once again, from the drawers of my refrigerator. Remember, the name of the blog is "FOOD HAPPENS".

Ok, so spring has finally arrived in PA. It has been beautiful for the past few days. I am also on a bit of a paid leave from work, as my corporate cafe is being remodeled. So, I felt like cooking something on the grill. I thought it was time for wild salmon already, so I headed to my local fish guy, Heller's Seafood in Warrington, PA. I have known Greg Heller and his crew for a long time. I bought my fish for the restaurant from them. They get wonderful stuff, but it ain't cheap. Apparently, the wild fish hasn't started running in the Pacific Northwest quite yet; we are a couple weeks away from Washington and Oregon fish. Right now, there is some Alaskan salmon, but it is hard to come by, and like $30/lb. That's out of my range. What they did have was some line caught Grouper. If you have never eaten grouper, it is a warm water swimmer from down in the Atlantic and the Gulf. It is a sweet, firm fish with just enough fat to keep it from being too dry and flaky.

 Because it is indigenous to the warmer climes, I tend to think of lighter, more fruity accompaniments. But, I also had a bag of rainbow Swiss Chard in my fridge that needed to be cooked. I had a couple of blood oranges in there, too, a half a red onion, and a seedless cucumber. I bought the fish, two navel oranges and an avocado. And here's what I did:

I peeled all of the oranges with a knife, cutting off the top and bottom, and then running the knife down the skin. Then I cut the oranges in half and made half moon slices. They went in a mixing bowl. I cut some of the cucumber into chunks and added them. Sliced the red onion thinly and added it. Cut the avocado into chunks and that went in, too. I dressed that with extra-virgin, really fruity olive oil, a squeeze of lime and some sea salt.

I took a piece of foil, sprayed it and put the fish on. Put a couple slices of the orange and the onion on top and ground some of my neat South African Smoke Seasoning that I got from Trader Joe's. (If you follow my blog, you've seen a picture of it with some chicken) Drizzled a little olive oil on and a squeeze of lime, and sealed up the package, leaving a little bit open at the top. This went on the grill to cook. It was a thick piece of fish, so it took about 10-12 minutes.

While that was cooking, I heated some olive oil lightly in a saute pan, and then cooked the chard over a medium heat until it was getting soft, but a still a little crispy. That went on the plate as the base. The fish went on next, and then a topping of the orange/avocado/cuke salad. It was and incredible flavor and texture experience. Paying for line caught fish was totally worth it. I actually blew myself away! Damn! Do this dish with grouper, snapper, striper, monkfish, even salmon.
Here, take a look:

See you soon with more!

A Shameless Plug

When I was the Executive Chef at Neiman Marcus, I somehow got myself involved doing cooking demos and classes at a place called Celebrity Kitchens in Wilmington, DE. Back then, I used to do three or four a month. When I went back to working nights and weekends, I dropped off for a few years, but never fell out of touch with them. Now that I'm back in the land of the day job (and in search of some extra income) I have begun doing classes again.

Let me tell you a little bit about Celebrity Kitchens. As I mentioned, it is located in Wilmington, DE, on 202 in the Independence Mall. This is a very campy little shopping center that looks like a reproduction of Independence Hall. It's basically a small dining room with a demo kitchen in the front. Almost every night of the week, they have some sort of program: a demo, a hands on class, a private event, a kids class, etc. They have a different chef every night. Some are local folks, some out of Philly, some more well known then others. (Not sure where I fit in that mix, but they love me anyway) Most of the programs are four courses, either cooked by the chef, or cooked by the group. After each course is prepared, they are served to the guests, and a complimentary wine is poured. I can't tell you what happens with the other chefs, but when I do these classes, it's kind of like a stand up comedy routine with food. I also get to deliver my diatribes on responsible farming, healthy eating, sustainable foods, etc. to a captive audience. And they are actually interested! They laugh, they learn, they eat, they tip...oh wait, did I just say that out loud? Ooops..

The reason I am bringing up this little tidbit of information, is because I will be there two nights this month; April 4th and April 19th. The first (this Friday) the menu is called "April in Paris." The four courses are: Spring Pea Soup with Minted Creme Fraiche, Hazelnut Crusted Goat Cheese over Mache Salad with Bacon Lardons, Baby Beets and Honey Vinaigrette, Spring Lamb Chops with Rainbow Swiss Chard and New Potatoes, and Seasonal Berries with Chocolate Mousse. Wanna join us? Sign up! On the 19th, I'm doing my "I Love Beer" menu, with Mussels in Belgian Ale with Leeks, Chicken cooked in Lambic Ale with Dried Cherries and Wilted Spinach, Grilled Steak Marinated in Brown Ale with Roasted Potatoes, and Guinness Brownies.

Check out Celebrity Kitchens on their website: celebritykitchens.com. Their whole calendar is available to see. It's always a good time-even when I'm not there..

For those of you who live too far away, sorry. You'll just have to pay my plane fare, and I will gladly come cook for you! (except maybe Michelle Broad DeRosa, who seems to have it all going on in the kitchen!)

I promise I'll post pictures of Friday night's food. Meantime, take it easy, and enjoy life. And food.

Let My People Eat

Happy Passover! As I write this, I am currently eating what becomes my go-to meal during this holiday: matzoh, about a half pound of heart smart spread, and a shaker of salt. I think I may still be full from last night's Seder. The Passover meal is one of my very favorite to make, but this year, we spent it at Dad and Linda's apartment, with Melissa, Lydia and two of Linda's friends. Dad leads a great Seder service. Not too long, not too short (of course the hungry kids may disagree). We recall the past and try to make it relevant to the present.
And then we eat.
A lot.
First, the gefilte fish, for those of us who can actually eat the stuff. Enough horseradish, and even a ball of fish can taste good. Plus, horseradish is one of those new health items, or so they tell me on the radio. Anti-oxidents, and all that good stuff. Wait, let's talk about gefilte fish for a second. People mock this lowly fish ball. However, I bet if you went to a fancy restaurant in Paris, and one of the courses was Quenelles du Poisson, you'd ooh and aah over it. Just because it is a: served cold with a slice of cooked carrot on top (requisite garnish) and b: made of carp, pike and whitefish (bottom feeders, river swimmers) and finally c: is kinda grey, it gets a bum rap. Oh well, more for me.

Next course, matzoh ball soup. Oh sweet yummy elixer of life! A good bowl of chicken broth with carrots, celery, onion, a little chicken (I put some fresh dill in) and if made properly, a light as air dumpling made of matzoh meal, egg, oil and water. I use seltzer. It is absolutely my favorite part of the meal. I could stop at this point of the meal, but there is so much more.

My family always eats brisket for the main course. There are as many recipes for brisket as there are bubbies out there making it. Some use onion soup mix in the gravy, some ketchup, some tomato paste..red or brown gravy, it's Jewish Soul Food..

I think tomorrow night's post will talk about dessert...right now, I need to step away from the matzoh box..

Squash This

Once again, I would like to apologize for the long interval between posts. I plead work. And a social life...yep, I have one again. But back to food..It seems like every day after work I have to stop at the market to pick up something for the next day. The other day, as I was wandering through the produce department, I saw a woman with a spaghetti squash in her cart. It immediately made me crave a meat free dinner. Unfortunately, I only had enough money to get my work provisions, so I went back the next day and picked up two spaghetti squash. I usually make a more Italian type sauce, but I decided to go a little crazy and make something different.

So, I cut the squash in half, lengthwise (no easy feat), and scraped out the seeds. Then, I put them face down on a cookie sheet that I had sprayed with some olive oil spray. I roasted them in a 350 oven for about an hour, until they were very soft. Once they cooled enough to handle, I took a fork and scraped all of the flesh from inside the skin. For those of you who have never used spaghetti squash, well, it's called that because as you scrape the fork down the inside, the flesh comes out looking like pasta. I put that aside in a bowl.

The next step was to heat a saute pan, add some olive oil and fresh chopped garlic. I shook that around a bit until the garlic was softened, then added a can of Rotel tomatoes. These are diced tomatoes that are mixed with chili peppers and spices. I added the squash, a little vegetable broth, and some salt and pepper. Just tossed until everything was hot. Into a bowl it went, and then I garnished it with grated Smoked Gouda cheese. I had gone on a search for Manchego cheese, but unfortunately, when I found it, it was 26 bucks a pound, so I picked up the smoked cheese instead. I have to say, it made the dish!

I suppose you could add meat to this concoction if you wanted, but honestly, it was a tasty and filling vegetarian dinner. The squash is low carb, high in vitamin A and potassium, AND, only has 42 calories a cup! You can even roast the seeds and use them as a garnish, or a snack later.

Enjoy your dinner. Spring is coming, and my tastebuds will be waking up to the new flavors of the season. The posts will come fast and furious then...

The Veggie Burger

Back when I had State Street Cafe, I wanted to put a vegetarian burger on the menu, but back then, all of the commercially sold products were bound with gums and other goop. They were also rather thin and dull. I wanted to make something in house that would be vegan, nutritional, completely natural, filling, and....taste good. Those are a whole lot of expectations to heap on a little burger dontcha think?
So, I experimented with different bases, veggies, seasonings, etc. This is what I came up with. Low calorie, fat free and chocked full of protein. They are kind of a tribute to carbs, but hey, you can't have it all.

5 cups cooked lentils, pureed
3 cups of mixed raw vegetables, pulsed in the food processor until almost finely chopped (this can be a combo of carrot, celery, onion, peppers, broccoli, zucchini, etc.)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 TB nutritional yeast
1 TB mixed fresh herbs (parsley, dill, thyme)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 TB soy sauce
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Let stand about 10 minutes. Form into burger patties. Spray a pan with nonstick spray and place burgers on. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Cool thoroughly. To serve, you can heat on a well oiled grill, brown in a pan, or just heat in the oven.

Ok, let's talk about Nutritional Yeast. Have you ever heard of it? Basically, it is a form of deactivated yeast. That means it won't make your burgers rise.You can get it in health food stores. It looks like yellow, flaky fish food. It's chocked full of B Complex vitamins, and is a complete source of protein.
Nutritional yeast has sort of a nutty, cheesy flavor to it. I added it to this recipe to bang up the protein content, but I like the flavor it imparts.

You can play around with what you put in the burgers. Add corn. Try cooked quinoa instead of rice, or black bean puree instead of lentils. They are not the most colorful of things (mostly brown) but the veggies do help with that. They are good over a salad, or on a wheat bun.

I think I'll go  make some now....

An Oldie But Goody

Ok, I haven't been doing too much cooking in the past week or so. I work for a corporate food service, and I opened a new account this past week. I am running the cafe for the corporate headquarters of David's Bridal. It's really kind of neat being surrounded by all these beautiful wedding gowns, veils, shoes, and bridesmaids dresses. It's like a fairyland. Well, a fairyland in an old mill building along the river. Where I  never leave the kitchen because I am so busy. Oh well...but I am really enjoying it. I just have not had time to do anything other than come home, shower, cram a sandwich or a bowl of cereal in my gob, and go to sleep.
That being said, I am going to dip into the cookbook file, and pull out an oldie but most definitely a goody. It's a salad. The first time I ever had Japanese food, I got a green salad that had the most amazing ginger dressing on it. I vowed to figure out the recipe. The dressing is so good, that when I had my restaurant, I would pour it into little souffle cups, and we would actually drink it! As for the salad, I love the crunchy freshness of Napa cabbage, so I built the salad around that. This salad can be the base for shrimp or chicken, but it also stands up well on its own, as a side dish.
The dressing itself will hold for a week or two in the fridge, and can also be used as a sauce for fish or chicken. And here's a little secret to peeling ginger: instead of trying to use a peeler or a paring knife, just take a spoon and run it down the ginger. The skin will come right off, and you won't lose so much of the "meat" of the ginger.
So...here it is.

Napa Cabbage Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Dressing

Dressing (makes 1 pint)
3/4 cup diced onion (just hack it up, it's going in the blender)
1/2 cup diced celery (that's about 1 rib)
1/4 cup fresh gingerroot, peeled
1 TB+1tsp sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce (remember, I said Kikkoman)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest (that's about the skin of half a lemon)
1 tsp ketchup
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender, and process until smooth. Add the oil in a steady stream to finish.

For the salad:
1 head Napa cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and shredded on a grater, mandoline, or the grating blade of a food processor
3 or 4 scallions, sliced thinly on the bias
1 red pepper, julienne

Peeled, deveined shrimp (as many as you like per person)

Cut the cabbage in half, and then slice as thinly as possible. Toss together with the carrot, scallion and red pepper. Dress with the ginger dressing. Place a small mound of salad in the center of a plate. Saute or grill the shrimp, and place around the slaw. Drizzle a little extra dressing on the plate

Boy, I could go for that right about now. Maybe I'll make it this weekend for my company that's coming. Yum.

Be good. Talk at you all again soon. I promise more pictures.

A Tragedy of Epic Proportion

I am not from Baltimore, MD, however, for the amount of time I have spent there in my life, I should at least be considered and honorary Baltimorean. Some of my best friends, and my best memories, are found there. For all the time I have spent, all the visits I have made over many years, it was not until this year that I was introduced to the finest culinary masterpiece the Baltimore area has to offer. No silly, not the Phillips' crabcake. The BERGER COOKIE. Holy cow, this is a cookie! It's more than a cookie, it's a fudge covered piece of love. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even like sweets! I don't know what it is about them, but they are out of this world. My daughter tried them and will now kill (or at least maim) you for a box. So....what's the tragedy, you may ask?

PRODUCTION HAS HALTED ON BERGER COOKIES. THE PLANT HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN.

Oy vey! Ok, I know, you probably see those words and think that there was some dirty mess or bugs or foodborne illness or something. Nope. Seems an anonymous tipster (lemme at him) got inspectors there, and they found out that for some reason, they were operating without a license. There were no violations, they just didn't have a license, and nobody knew why, or for how long. You see, it's a small, family operated and owned company. A sole proprietorship, actually. And the sole proprietor happens to be ill right now, so can't even get the paperwork done. I have faith (as does most of Balto) that this will be resolved soon. Baltimore hasn't been without a Berger Cookie since 1835! It's a pretty good story. Henry Berger immigrated from Germany in 1835 and opened a bakery. He had three sons, one of whom took over the bakery, while the other two opened a shop of their own. Around the turn of the century, the brothers combined bakeries. Two of the brothers died, and when the last one decided it was time to retire, he sold the bakery to one of his trusted employees. The bakery continued to thrive, as it was passed down to the next generation. Two of their employees branched out and opened a bakery, and eventually bought Bergers. The company is still run by this family, the DeBaufres.

Enough history. Let's look at these puppies. They are just a big fat cookie, hand dipped in fudgy icing. A LOT of fudgy icing. They are completely worth the 20g of sugar, the 4.5g of fat, the 140 calories. The ingredients are all natural, no preservatives.
Ok, I have finished waxing poetic about a cookie. Let's hope they come back soon. I will be rolling down I-95 to pick some up when that happens. In the meantime, my Baltimore friends, please keep me posted on the goings on. I wish I could send you a Tastykake to fill the void, but I know it's just not the same.
Be strong, my friends....

A Pan of Love, Spanish Style

Whenever possible, I teach cooking demos/classes at a wonderful place in Wilmington, DE called Celebrity Kitchens. I highly recommend you check them out online. They are open Tuesday through Saturday for dinners. The place holds about 20 or so people. You find a menu on the website you like, make a reservation, and just show up around 6 pm. Each night there is a different chef, who prepares a four course dinner in front of you. They have a full demo kitchen set up, complete with camera and monitors so everyone can see what is going on. Some evenings have a theme, others are just some good dishes, and others still are hands on classes, where you have to help prepare the meal. There are wines paired to the menu, which are poured with every course.

Each chef provides a recipe packet as well, so after you watch the food being prepared, then eat it, you can try it at home if you like. I have been doing these demos since my days as executive chef at Neiman Marcus. Most nights, I have put together a menu of my own to prepare, but last night, I showed up to make a menu that I had never seen before. It had a Spanish theme. The first course was a Tortilla Espana, which was basically a fritatta with eggs, potatoes, onions and escarole. We cooked it in a huge pan on the stove top, then cut it into wedges and served it with a dab of pesto and some tomato and garlic rubbed croustades.
The second course was a Tomato Martini. Basically, I peeled some Roma tomatoes (yes, this recipe would be better suited to the summer tomato growing months) and put them into a blender. Then, I pushed them through a mesh strainer to get what the recipe called "tomato water." Since the winter tomatoes were a bit lacking in flavor, I supplemented with a little tomato juice. This was then chilled and poured into martini glasses. For a garnish, we took marinated baby fresh mozzarella balls and threaded them onto picks with grape tomatoes. These served as swizzle sticks, and then we drizzled a tiny bit of basil oil onto the drink to give it a little zing. I allowed that I thought these would make an excellent hors' d'oeuvres, and you could even serve a shot of pepper vodka on the side. (what a surprise, I came up with a way to add vodka to a dish)

The third course was the big winner. I made a HUGE dish of paella. They had a real copper paella pan, and I used that. There were some traditional ingredients, and then we added some more inventive things (read:things we had in the fridge that would go well in the dish). Here's what we did:
I started by rendering some bacon bits in the bottom of the pan. If you want to be more traditional, get some fresh chorizo sausage. I removed the crispy bacon with a slotted spoon, then browned some boneless chicken thigh meat that I had diced. Again, you can use breast meat, but because it is so low in moisture and fat, it tends to dry out. When the meat had browned, I threw in some diced onion and browned that a bit, then added shrimp, scallops, langoustines and some fresh artichoke hearts. I poured some rice in and covered the whole mess with a combination of seafood and chicken broth. At this point, I added a pinch or two of saffron, some hot pepper flakes, and some diced roasted red peppers. I covered the pan and let it cook on a low heat, until the rice had absorbed most of the liquid. When the rice was about done, I added more liquid, then put in scrubbed mussels and clams. I covered it again, and let the shellfish pop open. A good stir every now and again kept the rice from burning, and helped everything cook through evenly. The last thing I did was add some freshly choppped parsley and a little salt and pepper. We spooned it into bowls and garnished with some jumbo lump crabmeat, just because we didn't have enough going on the pan already...
It was a thing of beauty. Everyone loved it. We had two giant pans for 17 people, and they ate every last bit. Here's a picture of it:

For dessert, I made an orange flan. Angela (the owner of Celebrity Kitchens) had bought CaraCara oranges, which have a beautiful almost pink color and a subtle, wonderful flavor. I used the juice of the oranges to make the caramel, and also in the custard itself. They came out really well.

When I do the demos, I like to add some educational information as I cook-about knives, techniques, sustainability...you name it. And if you know me, there is also some humor. I like to say that you get a stand up routine complete with a dinner. We always have a great time. So that's my shout out for the day- Celebrity Kitchens in the Independence Mall in Wilmington, DE. Check it out. They have gift certificates, do corporate team building events, private parties, showers...and I'm there, so that makes it better!

Let's hope this crazy weather ends soon, and we can start planning our spring menus. Stay warm, and stay in touch.

Teach Your Children

Hi there. I know it's been over a week, but I've been busy. Sorry. Life gets in the way sometimes.
So, when I drive to work every day around 5 am, I put on public radio, and at that time, they play the BBC news report. I love hearing about current events from a British point of view, but yesterday was particularly interesting, because they did a piece about why you should teach your children to cook. The gist of it was that if you teach your kids to cook at a young age, you will keep them from filling themselves with empty calories and precooked, prepackaged garbage food and empty calories.

WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA! Can you just imagine, something that not only brings a family together, provides quality time, but also teaches them a skill, and gives them the power to make nutritious and homemade food for themselves...whoda thunk it?

I realize that maybe, just maybe, my kids are a bit unique because their mom is a chef, and loves to share her passion for food. But if you just even like to cook a bit, or want to spend quality time with your kids, this is a great way to do it. Not only can you introduce them to the concept of healthy eating, you can also teach them a life skill (remember, eventually they WILL leave you) while having a great time.

My kids have always liked to help in the kitchen. Breakfast is a great place to start. Drag a stool or chair up to the stove, and let them help you make eggs, pancakes, etc. Don't worry if it gets a little messy. You can always clean up. Everything tastes better if you've participated in the creation of it.

I love having the kids help at holidays. We are Jewish, and holidays are centered around food. Every Rosh Hashanah (New Year) we bake challah in the traditional circular shape, and cut up apples to eat with honey. They help me make Hamentaschen (a triangular cookie) for Purim. Latkes for Hanukkah. And so on. It not only brings us closer, it gives us a chance to talk about the history, the heritage.

I have made bread, pizza from scratch, soft pretzels, pasta, dessert, just about everything with the kids. They can help prep, measure, stir, garnish..whatever. Just get them involved. What you will find is, that as they get older, they begin to do things for themselves. Now, when my kids sleep late and I am busy, they get up and make their own breakfast; scrambled eggs and bagels or toast. They make quesadillas for lunch, or grilled cheese sandwiches. They can actually pack their own lunches with what they like.

I know, this may not sound like much, but having your kids do simple things, even like making celery sticks with peanut butter, or pasta with butter, gives them so much. They gain self confidence. They feel a part of what is going on around them. And..not only can they become somewhat self sufficient, they can make better nutritional choices than just nuking a hot pocket or eating some premade crap. They are proud of what they can do. Let them help make the food for dinner, or a party, even if they won't be there. Knowing that you  have given them credit for helping is huge. And think of all the money you will save by not having to buy all those frozen or fast food meals!

It's so hard these days to find ways to spend quality time with your children. Sitting down to the family dinner has become almost obsolete, for so many reasons. Why not do something so simple, so fulfilling as making a meal, or even a snack together, then watching them do it for themselves? Granted, I am not saying that they will ever clean up after themselves...let's get real here. Suck it up and know that someday that will be part of the equation.

So.. find a favorite recipe. Take the time to make it with your kids. Show them how to measure, how to be clean and sanitary, how to respect the kitchen with its sharp objects and its heat. Do age appropriate recipes. And watch the light in their eyes when they eat what they have made, or serve it to someone else. And trust me, they will begin to experiment for themselves. Sometimes, this is downright scary, but most times, you will be so proud. And then, maybe, you will know that when your kid gets to the dorms in college, it won't be all cup-a-soup (ok, I've just dated myself, do they even make that any more?) or ramen noodles. They may actually eat something nutritous, or become the most popular kid on the floor because they know how to scramble eggs or bake banana bread in a toaster oven.

Food+Love+Family=A lifetime of healthy, happy people. Check it out.

Laissez bon temps Roulez!

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and I am in Baltimore at my friend Suzie Rogers' house. She has dressed me in purple from head to toe. I have Ravens tatoos under my eyes. I am wearing a silly hat. And...I am cooking Jambalaya, because if the big game is in New Orleans, then why not party like you're in the Big Easy?
Jambalaya is so easy to make. It's such a great party food, because you can put it on hours before and just let it simmer. It was funny, Suzie was looking at recipes for Jamby on the internet, and said  "well, Emeril adds worcestershire" and "this one adds this stuff". My answer to her was, " that's how they publish the recipe and call it their own". There really is only one mother recipe for most things, and then chefs tweak them and make them "their" recipe. I learned how to make jambalaya a long time ago. It's simple and good.
The basic ingredients:
Chicken breast, diced
Shrimp
Andouille sausage
Red and Green Peppers, diced
Onions, diced
Celery, sliced or diced
Canned diced tomatoes
Cajun Seasoning
Cayenne Pepper
Chicken Stock
Oregano
White Rice (I like Uncle Ben)

I start by dicing the onion, celery and peppers, and softening them in some vegetable oil. Then add the diced chicken breast and let it cook until opaque. Then, add the canned tomatoes, the seasonings and the chicken broth. Lower the heat and let it simmer. I didn't give you exact amounts on the seasonings. Add as much as makes you happy. Add the sausage after about 15 minutes.  Let it go for a bit. If it needs more liquid, and some water or more broth. Then add the rice. It will just cook into the mess. Don't add the shrimp until you are close to wanting to eat. It only takes about 10 minutes to cook the shrimp and you don't want it to get too tough.
It really needs no garnish. Just chow down. I usually make a ton so there are leftovers.
Ok...it's almost game time. I need to get ready.
Enjoy the bowl. Hope your team wins!

This is one GOOD burger

I love burgers. A big, yummy, juicy, rare cheeseburger is a beautiful thing. But they are not something you can (or should) eat that often. I'm not really that nuts about turkey burgers, though. The ones you get in a restaurant are ok, but they usually cook them to death out of fear of killing you with a foodborne illness. I wanted to make something at home that was lowfat, but still yummers.
I am lucky enough to have a great meat market near me. They cut all of their own meats, and grind their own as well. They grind all white meat chicken and package it. It's amazingly inexpensive, so I buy it in big lots, because it is popular and not always available.
Once again, I cannot take credit for this recipe. Hey, if I didn't make it up, I'm not gonna take the accolades. This one was put together by Michelle Manzo. It's scary easy, and I usually make a bunch of them and freeze them to pull out whenever I want a burger. I did't think the kids would like them, but they now prefer them over beef burgers.
Ground chicken is harder to work with than other ground meats, primarily because it has NO fat in it. You have to work quickly and rather gently. To about a pound of raw ground chicken, add some salt, pepper, granulated garlic and worcestershire sauce. (It really does add a good flavor) Then add some bread crumbs to help bind it a little. I wish I could give you exact amounts, but I sort of wing it every time. You don't want to make it too tight. When you work with it, it will still be a little mushy, but don't worry it will set right up when it cooks. I recommend using gloves when you make these burgers. It's sticky icky.
So...you can't put these guys straight onto the grill. If you do, you will never get them off. What I do is line a cookie sheet with foil, spray the foil and make the patties right on the foil. Then I slide the foil onto the grill. When they have cooked on one side (about 6 minutes) I flip them gently and finish cooking. If you have a meat thermometer, make sure they are cooked over 165, please. If you don't play with them, they won't get dried out, I promise. Trust me, medium rare chicken is NO GOOD, no matter what anyone says.
In our family, we serve them with cheese (any cheese goes well), usually arugula, tomato, avocado and sometimes sprouts. Tonight's version has lettuce, because I forgot to get arugula.
If you make a bunch of them, you can freeze them cooked, or freeze them raw on a sheet tray then wrap them individually.
It's a burger you can feel good about.
And now, it's early to bed tonight. Big day at work tomorrow. Enjoy the break in the weather, and maybe even get back out to your grill.

Until later..

Whole Grains Rock

I made this meal last night, but after the second glass of wine, I was in no condition to blog. (I was using a Reidel Bordeaux glass, which is rather um..huge for those of you who don't know) The kids were out, it was just me, and I had been craving lamb.
 So off I went to Trader Joe's. I wasn't sure what I wanted with the lamb, but I knew I'd find something interesting there. And I certainly did. The first thing I grabbed was a bag of chopped, prewashed rainbow Swiss Chard. For those of you who have never eaten chard, I have to say, you are truly missing something wonderful. First of all, it is beautiful. Red, yellow, and orange stems and veins running through deep green leaves. It looks a bit like spinach, or more so, like beet greens, and sautes up beautifully. Chard is also a member of that crazy chenopod family, you remember, the same family that brings us quinoa! Chard is really pretty easy to grow, and if you have garden space, is totally worth planting. You will get about three harvests from it. It's also a crop you can plant twice; once in spring, and again in fall. Chard is high in vitamins A, K and C, and has minerals, fiber and protein.
Ooops, sorry, I got distracted for a bit. There is a beautiful black and white woodpecker outside my window eating the suet cake. Ok, back to dinner...
So, I have the rainbow chard. And the lamb chops. I got rib chops, the ones that look like little Tbone steaks. Now, I needed a starch. I found these cute little packs of whole grains that they are selling. They have barley, bulgar, and farro. I chose farro. Farro is actually the name of the grain of certain species of wheat; emmer, einkorn, and spelt. It is basically like wheatberries. (Remember them from a previous post?) The bags they have at TJ's are partially cooked, so they only take about 10-15 minutes to boil up. I cooked it in some chicken broth for a little flavor.
I put some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and a bit of fresh rosemary (The only plant I manage to keep alive in my kitchen) on the lamb chops. I broiled them. I would normally grill them, but since it's about ZERO degrees out there, I chose to stay inside.
The chard, I sauteed in a blend of olive and vegetable oil, with fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper.
I put it all together, and VOILA! It was beautiful, and absolutely delicious.. I happened to have a couple of roasted tomatoes in the fridge, so I put them on the lamb.

A glass (or two) of a big red from Argentina, and I was in heaven.

As you know, you can always substitute another protein (beef, chicken, etc.) if you don't like lamb. If you are vegetarian, cook the farro in water or vegetable stock, and do some balsamic marinated grilled tofu. That would rock, too.

Until next time, my friends...