Father’s Day Food Ideas:

Remind Dad of some of the joyous meals you shared as a child with kid approved food. Don’t be afraid to take these staples and give them a twist, here are some ideas.

Peanut Butter and Jelly à Purchase freshly made nut butter and jelly or jam from your local farmer’s market or vendor. Try new nut butters, like almond butter or hazelnut, which now come in varieties like Hazelnut Chocolate or Almond Honey or Chocolate. Substitute grape or strawberry jelly/jam with fresh preserves such as raspberry, blackberry, peach and cherry. Forget the store bought white bread, purchase fresh sliced bread from your local bakery.

Grilled Cheese à There’s nothing like a warm grilled cheese to make you happy, why not make it even better by using gourmet cheeses, fresh breads and adding some vegetable or meats. Replace the old fashions American cheese with the likes of Manchego, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Gruyere, Brie and Goat Cheese. Try local cheeses made fresh from NY State dairy farms. Replace sliced bread with the likes of Sourdough or Portuguese rolls and any freshly made bread by your local bakery. Don’t forget to throw in some fresh tomatoes, apples or any fruit or vegetable you like with your cheese. If you need something a little heartier add chicken or steak for a meat and cheese sandwich. Looking for NY state cheese? Look at this listing for some vendors. http://www.nyfarmcheese.org/

Pizza àPurchase pizza dough from your favorite pizzeria, purchase pre-made dough from the supermarket or get adventurous by making your own dough at home with a recipe like this one (http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pizza-dough-iii/Detail.aspx) Pizza toppings can be anything you desire but for a real twist grill pizza rather than baking. Video instructions and some recipe ideas: http://www.5min.com/Video/How-To-Make-Grilled-Pizza---4-Cheese-157634829 http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/grilled-pizza-recipe.html http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/05/how-to-make-cook-grilled-pizza-on-a-barbecue.html

Spaghetti and Meatballs: Forget Chef Boyardee impress Dad with fresh spaghetti and meatballs. Skip out on the box of spaghetti from the supermarket and purchase some fresh pasta from your local Italian deli, of course you can attempt to make your own but this isn’t a task left to the novice. Making fresh meatballs is a fun activity you can even include the children and while using ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey (or a combination) will create a nice meatball don’t forget about a garden variety. Here are a few recipes to get your started. http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2009/04/12/2009-04-12_the_me.html http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-turkey-meatballs-recipe/index.html http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/meatballs-with-fresh-tomato-sauce

Burgers: Deciding on a traditional Father’s Day BBQ doesn’t have to be ordinary of bland. Create surprise burgers filled with cheese, peppers, bacon, vegetables and more. Use fresh ground meat rather than premade patties, season meat and create balls, flatten softly and make an indentation (almost like a well) in the center. Fill with some pepper jack, cheddar or blue cheese and then cover creating a burger patty. Stuffed burgers are a nice way to surprise dad, he’ll never want a plain burger again.

Bruschetta An Easy Appetizer Goes Long Way

Thank you to Italy for Bruschetta but when most people think of bruschetta the image and taste of freshly cut tomatoes with olive oil on small pieces of bread come to mind.

One of the easiest to create appetizers can actually be made in a variety of ways. If you have last minute guests coming over, looking for a satisfying or are looking to impress some friends here are some bruschetta recipes sure to please any crowd.

• Basic Bruschetta- A loaf of bread cut into 1 inch diagonals, one clove of garlic to rub on bread, one tomato chopped with fresh herbs (basil, rosemary) and scallions and good olive oil for drizzling on top, drizzle some balsamic vinegar as well
• Bruschetta of Brie, Honey and Pine Nuts-- A loaf of bread (preferably a baguette) cut into 1 inch diagonals and placed in an oven safe dish, brie cheese cut into thickness of your choice fitting right onto the bread, a couple tablespoons of honey to drizzle on bread with cheese and pine nuts sprinkled on top. Set oven to 350 degrees and please oven safe dish for 4-5 minutes on top rack or until bread begins to turn just golden brown.
• Prosciutto- Thinly slices prosciutto di parma, sliced fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, arugula and tomato mix same as basic and drizzled with good olive oil; another version is proscuitto di parma, fresh figs cut in fours, drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar
• Grilled Shrimp- 1 baguette sliced into 1/2 inch diagonals and dipped into marinade of garlic, fresh basil, rosemary and thyme and olive oil then grilled until golden, 12 devained, peeled, seasoned, grilled shrimp (season with kosher salt, and pepper), 1 chopped tomato 1/2 small red onion and 1 jalapeño diced with juice of 1/2 a lime and 1 table spoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, top grilled bread with tomato mix, grilled shrimp and garnish with a few cilantro sprigs

Looking to entertain under a short amount of time or without too much effort set up a bruschetta bar where guests can be creative and the appetizers become the party themselves. A perfect idea for a cocktail party all you need is some garlicky breads and lots of toppings.

Just in Time For Summer

After a long writing break I am back at it. As I read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and watch the Top Chef Masters finale all the chefs are recalling the most important food memory; that meal or food that directed them to a life of food. Their experiences each unique share one common factor, the transformation of life and something more than a career direction. That first food memory is something they carry with them forever and as a foodie that is something I understand. Each day we make decisions on what to put into our bodies and those decisions both good and bad serve as a spring form for our views on life as well as how we physically feel.
So now just in time for summer I'm back at sharing my food experiences and the memories created by meals this season.

Cheers!