Home on the Range: Blueberry Shortbread Bars

Picking blueberries is high on my summer bucket list. That list also includes cooling myself off in as many Vermont rivers as I can.

A recent visit to Covered Bridge Blueberry Farm in Underhill checked off both so perfectly that I just might have to head back there before the end of blueberry season later this month.

This lovely, almost 3-acre berry patch is under its first year of ownership by friends of friends. They are transitioning to organic, so the berries are unsprayed but the farm is not yet certified.

After driving over the Browns River on, yes, a covered bridge, we found easy picking with a striking view of Mount Mansfield. (And after we'd picked, we found cool refreshment in the river under the bridge.)

The bushes were weighed down with four different varieties of berries, and I picked more than I could reasonably deal with given my schedule.

I did freeze some in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets before bagging them up. (This prevents them from turning into a single, solid frozen mass.) But space in both my freezer and fridge are at a premium this time of year, so I had to figure out something else stat. 

Enter one of the simplest baked summer berry recipes in my arsenal.

The original recipe comes from a friend who I watched pull it together in about 10 minutes about a decade ago at her family's summer place. I've since tweaked it a tiny bit and renamed it; they called it sheet pie, but, while delicious, it's not even a remote cousin to pie, in my view.

The recipe remains quick to make and a sure hit topped with vanilla ice cream. Over the years, I've also made it with sliced peaches arranged overlapping like fish scales (that takes longer than 10 minutes). I'm sure it would work with other berries, such as raspberries and blackberries, as well.

Deep in Vermont winter, I will try to remember where I stashed those frozen blueberries to make it again and evoke sunny berry-picking, river-dipping days.

Blueberry Shortbread Bars

Makes about 35 roughly 2-inch-square bars

Ingredients

For the crust:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, preferably unsalted, cut into pieces
• 3 cups flour
• generous pinch fine salt (omit if using salted butter)

For the filling:

• 2 ½ pints blueberries
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To serve:

• Confectioners' sugar
• Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt, if using. Pulse at least a dozen times until the mixture forms rough crumbles and a pinch holds together between your fingers. (Alternately, use a pastry fork or your hands to mix to the same consistency.)
3. Tip the dough into a large rimmed cookie sheet (either 16 by 12 or 15 by 10 inches). With your hands, press the dough out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.
4. Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss together the blueberries, vanilla, sugar, flour and cinnamon.
5. Spread the berry mixture evenly across the crust.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes until the berries are collapsed and jammy. (If you can see any crust, it should be light golden-brown.)
7. Cool the bars in the pan and dust them with confectioners' sugar right before serving with vanilla ice cream.

Delicious summer meals start with local produce

What excellent weather we have had so far this summer. We are already seeing the resulting abundance of local produce in stores, with more to come in the next few weeks.

I have been finding creative ways to use all of the in-season fruits and vegetables to really take advantage of Nova Scotia’s short harvest season.

Buying local has many advantages. Choosing to buy produce grown in Atlantic Canada is a great way to support local farmers and the local economy. It will also save you a little money. The impact on the environment, our carbon footprint, is minimized when purchasing food that requires less transportation and storage. Fruits and vegetables are also at their peak nutritionally (and taste the best) when in-season. Look for “Near You” signage in the produce department at Atlantic Superstore highlighting produce from Atlantic Canada.

As a dietitian, I encourage customers to fill half of their plate with vegetables, preferably two kinds, including at least one orange and one dark green vegetable per day. Some days, especially through the winter, this isn’t always an easy task. But with fruits and vegetables so plentiful right now, it’s a great time to make this a lifestyle goal for the next few months.

Many dark green vegetables are currently in season, including lettuces like kale, spinach and arugula, and greens from beets, collard and dandelion. Broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas and beans also fall into this category. Many can be eaten raw in salads or with dip, but beets and collards can be bitter, so sauteing with a bit of oil and garlic really brings out their flavours. Dark green vegetables have higher levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals than standard iceberg and romaine lettuces, including fibre, folate, vitamin C and K, iron and calcium.

Creativity and variety really is the key to keeping things interesting with vegetables. Use the other locally available produce to add flavour, texture and boost nutrients in meals. Fruit is easily eaten by itself, but adding fresh peaches, plums or berries to a salad can really take it to the next level.

Corn, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes are also crisp additions to meals. Corn often gets a bad rap for being a starchy vegetable, but is very high in fibre, vitamin C, folate, magnesium and potassium. It’s also high in the antioxidants associated with reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. When having corn, try also having a green vegetable, too.

I often hear customers report that they don’t eat as well in the summer because it’s barbecue and potluck season. While the grill is hot for cooking up meat and potatoes, use it as an opportunity to prepare those in-season fruits and vegetables. I can’t think of one item that I wouldn’t put on the grill, as it really brings out the flavour.

Try skewering large pieces or mixing together in a foil pan with some oil, balsamic vinegar and your favourite herbs and spices. This grilled zucchini and bean medley recipe incorporates a few in-season vegetables for a nutritious side dish. Instead of using canned corn, throw the cob on the grill to get those beautiful marks and then slice off the kernels to use in the recipe.

Grilled Zucchini and Bean Medley

Ingredients:

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise in 1/4-inch thick slices
6 green onions
2 jalapeno peppers
4 cloves garlic
1 lemon, halved lengthwise
1 can (341 ml) PC Blue Menu Peaches & Cream Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 can (540 ml) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp (2 ml) crumbled light feta cheese
1/2 tsp (2 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

Directions:

1. Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat.

2. Use 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the olive oil to lightly brush zucchini slices, green onions, jalapenos and garlic cloves. Arrange on greased grill. Add lemon halves. Grill for four minutes, turning partway through, or until vegetables are tender and lemon is charred and softened. Transfer to baking sheet to cool slightly.

3. Dice zucchini and green onions. Seed and finely chop jalapenos. Finely chop garlic cloves. In large bowl, combine zucchini, green onions, jalapenos, garlic, corn, kidney beans, feta cheese, pepper, salt and remaining olive oil. Squeeze lemon over bowl to release juices and toss to combine.

Revival Food Hall Adds Lito’s Empanadas to Lineup

Lito’s Empanadas, a casual spot that’s been serving Latin American pastries for 11 years in Lincoln Park, has opened a new location inside Revival Food Hall in the Loop. Lito’s has displaced Black Dog Gelato; Black Dog’s frozen treats will now be available from a cart that will roam the hall. Revival is the food hall operated by 16” on Center, the company behind venues including Dusek’s Board and Beer in Pilsen, the Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village, and MONEYGUN in the West Loop.

Owner/chef Ernesto Guzman opened his first Lito’s in 2007 in Lincoln Park. A year before that he opened a full-service restaurant, Chilango Mexican Street Food in Little Italy on Taylor Street. Earlier this year, Guzman opened a Lito’s inside Chicago’s French Market. He took over the Aviato Eats space. Lito’s recently hooked up with a few new investors who are making the expansions possible, according to a spokesperson for Revival Food Hall.

The changeover from Black Dog to Lito’s happened last week. Lito’s is one of 16 food vendors at Revival. Take a look at the menu below.

Food: Cherry dutch baby is easy and delicious, baby

That’s how excited I get when I see the fruit truck at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market, unloading crate after crate of the ruby red jewels. I wait all year for this day, and happily wait in line with my treasures. The fact that they come from an orchard in the Okanagan beats out anything that comes from Washington, in my opinion. B.C. cherries are the best, and we’re lucky to get them every weekend in the summer.

So, what to do with them, besides eat them by the handful? I suppose the real question is what can’t you do with them? They are glorious on top of overnight oats, stirred into grainy salads, folded into cakes and muffins — and then there is pie. There is always pie.

If you don’t have a cherry pitter, I suggest you get one, as it makes dealing with this fruit that much better. Standing at the counter, trying to take the pit out with a knife or some other doodad really is the pits, pardon the pun. A friend, aware of my cherry addiction, gave me a pitter years ago and it’s my most treasured kitchen tool in the summer.

Breakfast is a big deal around here, and I love whipping up a Dutch baby whenever I get a chance. Dutch baby pancakes are the love child of a pancake, a popover and a crepe all baked up in one giant skillet. You get the best qualities of each of these, and it only takes 20 minutes to bake.

Essentially, a thick, crepe-like batter is poured into a screaming hot skillet that has been preheated and well coated in butter. The eggs in the batter make it puff up like crazy, the edges get crispy and then the whole thing collapses, waiting for whatever goodness you wish to fill it with. It’s really quite a lovely thing to behold. Fresh, seasonal fruit is then scattered on top. And do give it a dusting of icing sugar for a fancy effect.

I like to make these when I don’t have time to stand at the stove and make pancakes or crepes. The batter gets whirled up in the blender, so there aren’t a lot of bowls to wash up, either. And the whole thing looks to darn impressive when you pull it from the oven — definitely Instagram worthy.

Out of the oven, the Dutch baby will quickly slump back into the pan as the steam holding it up quickly evaporates in the cooler air of your kitchen. What’s left behind is a pancake with the soft, tender texture of a hot crepe and the eggy flavour of a sweet popover. All it needs now is some sweet cherries, and maybe a drizzle or two of maple syrup. Glory be, indeed.

Cherry Dutch Baby

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole milk

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted

3 Tbsp icing sugar

Maple syrup (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the rack in the centre of the oven.

Place the eggs, flour, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a blender. Blend on high until you have a smooth batter. Place the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and put it in the oven.

Remove the skillet from the oven once the butter has melted and then use a pastry brush to evenly coat the sides and bottom of the pan with the butter. Blitz the egg mixture for another 10 seconds and then pour it into the prepared skillet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the Dutch baby is puffed and golden brown.

Remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about five minutes. Cut the Dutch baby into four, top with cherries and dust with icing sugar.

Serve warm on your prettiest plates (because life is too short to keep them all alone in the cupboard), or if you’re like me and live alone, go ahead and eat it out of the skillet. I won’t tell anyone. Leftovers can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one day.

Notes: Top the Dutch baby with any seasonal fruit or berries, or fruit compotes. Even a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and icing sugar is sometimes all you need.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, any 10-inch baking dish with sides at least two and a half inches high will do.

Tips For Your Home Bar, Plus Cocktail And Trail Mix Recipes

On this most American of holidays, I went to local spirts (and tiki) connoisseur Dean Hurst for some expert advice about tiki culture — and the drinks that foster the colorful, tropical vibes.

Tiki bars are an American creation, though they borrow their ambience and cocktail inspiration from Polynesian islands and the Caribbean. They were huge in the 1940s and ’50s. We don’t have many of the kitschy spots around here, which is why Hurst decided to build one in his backyard. To read more about his home setup and to learn how to make 6 classic tiki drinks, click here .

But for this column, I was inspired by Hurst to up my at-home bar game. He talks a lot about little things you can do to make your home cocktail-making (and drinking) experience more special.

So while you may have most of the food nailed down for today’s patriotic festivities, here are some ideas to up your bar game — whether or not you have built a tiki bar on your porch.

BYOB(ottle)

If you’re having friends or family over and they like a good cocktail, ask everyone to bring one bottle of something they enjoy. It doesn’t have to be unopened; they just have to be willing to share. Make one round of drinks with one person’s bottle, then move to another bottle, and so on. It’s a fun and affordable way to try a bunch of different liquors.

Fruit forward

Even if you are using Solo cups for your cocktails today, you can still garnish the heck out of those drinks. Citrus is always a good idea, as are pitted cherries. Have a vegetable peeler on hand and gently peel a strip of lemon rind or orange rind, then simply bend it almost in half and set gently on the rim of your cup. Or roll the peel into a cute shape and secure with a toothpick stacked with a couple fresh (or maraschino) cherries.

Designated shaker

If you don’t have a cocktail shaker and you like to make drinks at home, you should invest in one. But you can and should improvise one for these festive occasions. It will make your drink-making more seamless and authentic. Try using a tall cup or glass, and find a leftover container lid or other flat cover that can cover the opening of the cup. Add drink ingredients to the cup, place cover on top of cup, then shake well. Be careful when you shake, and you might spill a bit, but it’ll get the job done. Another thing I noticed from watching Hurst make drinks: He used a drink blender to blend many of the drinks with ice, resulting in a not-quite-slush but still very icy consistency that was marvelous on a hot day. You can easily do this with an immersion blender, especially if you’re mixing up lots of drinks at once. Just be sure to use a plastic vessel or something else that can withstand the blades of your blender: Mix the drink in there, then insert the immersion blender and give it a few whirls.

Serve snacks

If you’re spending the day trying a few different cocktails, snacks are a must. You need something to soak up all that booze, plus who doesn’t crave something salty and crunchy around drink No. 2? To go with the tiki bar theme, I came up with a tropical snack mix that has salty, crunchy, and some slightly sweet elements.

RECIPES

One of my favorite drinks this summer is the Pineapple Gin Freeze. Click here for the recipe. And below is a sweet and salty snack to pair with it.

Tropical Snack Mix

1 cup raw whole cashews

½ cup raw macadamia nuts

1 cup pretzel twists, roughly chopped or broken into smaller pieces

1 cup dried pineapple, roughly chopped

1 cup dried mango, roughly chopped

½ cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes

½ cup honey

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

Add cashews, macadamia nuts, pineapple, mango and coconut flakes to a large bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add honey and butter. Cook until butter is melted, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.

Let sauce cool slightly, for at least 5 minutes. Pour sauce over contents in bowl, and stir really well to make sure sauce is coating snack mix.

Divide into smaller bowls or ramekins and set out around the area where you’re serving drinks.

Makes about 4 cups.

Why Fast Food Chains Sell Quirky Foods

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Dunkin' Donuts is the latest chain to launch a quirky food item: donut fries.

What Dunkin' describes as five crispy pieces of donut dough dusted with cinnamon sugar and served in a box like french fries is yet another example of a restaurant trying to woo customers with a gimmicky culinary concoction.

The trend arguably started in 2010 with KFC's infamous (and calorie-laden) Double Down sandwich -- bacon, cheese and sauce between two pieces of fried chicken instead of bread.

Since then, we've seen Burger King's Whopperito (a burger in a tortilla) as well as Mac and Cheetos.

Taco Bell, which like KFC is owned by Yum Brands, is responsible for Nacho Fries and Doritos Locos Tacos, which feature a corn shell seasoned with powdered orange cheese to look and taste like Doritos.

Both Denny's and Jack in the Box have had different versions of bacon shakes. White Castle has chicken rings on the menu -- and Burger King has offered them in the past.

The restaurants typically already offer unhealthy options like donuts or French fries. Launching Frankenfoods is a way to generate buzz with creations that often combine things people already like. The hope is those customers will come out to try donut fries or Doritos Locos Tacos.

For many of these companies, the weird food items are working.

Shares of Yum and Burger King owner Restaurant Brands have surged over the past five years by 50% and 65%, respectively. That's better than the Dow and S&P 500.

It's not surprising that other well-known chains are looking to spice things up.

The healthier living trend isn't going away obviously. But there are only so many kale salads that people can eat. That's probably why other restaurants are adding more guilty pleasures to their menu.

IHOP -- the franchise famous for its pancakes -- recently unveiled a new line of burgers and temporarily changed its name to IHOb.

Struggling burger chain Sonic unleashed a pickle juice snow cone slush.

Dunkin' Donuts is just the latest chain to hop on board.

In addition to the donut fries, which will only be available for a limited time, the company has a few other special summer offerings: a "shark bite" donut with shark-shaped sprinkles, a chocolate "coconutty" donut and a brown sugar, cold brew coffee.

Tony Weisman, chief marketing officer for Dunkin' Donuts US, said in an email to CNNMoney that the company has high hopes for the donut fries, which tested well earlier this year in some markets in New England.

Weisman conceded that "there have been some gimmicky items out there" but that Dunkin' thinks donut fries are an "innovation."

That remains to be seen. But Dunkin' is doing well while coffee rival Starbucks faces some big problems lately.

Shares of Dunkin' Brands are up more than 25% in the past year while Starbucks is down nearly 20%.

HERE ARE AMERICA'S FAVORITE FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS

America has given the world many things, but fried food served with remarkable speed and consistency is definitely up there as far as greatest contributions go. We've pretty much mastered it by now, so competition is steep for the best speedy version of every cuisine. But still, a few rise to the top as the most beloved. And a recent study told us exactly which ones Americans love best.

Market Force Information recently released a new large-scale consumer report about America's favorite Quick Service Restaurants (aka fast food) in five categories: burgers, sandwiches, Mexican, pizza, and chicken. To accomplish this, it polled nearly 11,500 consumers to assemble a study that focuses on a Composite Loyalty Index, which is basically a love-o-meter based on overall satisfaction and likelihood to refer the restaurant to others. The winners were In-N-Out for burgers; Wawa for sandwiches; Chipotle for Mexican; Pizza Ranch for pizza; and Chick-fil-A for chicken.

As you probably noticed, the most surprising thing is that America's favorite sandwich shop, Wawa, is a convenience store. Jumping four places to unseat Firehouse Subs in the top spot, Wawa is primarily an East Coast thing, but it has 790 locations, a cult following, and a delicious Thanksgiving-themed sandwich called The Gobbler. The other chain you might not recognize is Pizza Ranch, which is based in Iowa and has 200 locations in 13 states. Despite all the sickness-related press in the last few years, Chipotle still managed to claim the top stop in Mexican food.

Probably less surprising is the dominance of Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out. Chick-fil-A led the chicken flock for the fourth year in a row, cited in particular for its excellent food and service, while KFC came in dead last of the 10 chicken chains surveyed. The West Coast burger chain In-N-Out landed an unsurprising first in the burger category consider its insanely devoted fan base and general sterling reputation. It was had the overall score of all the restaurants in the study in all categories. And supposedly working at In-N-Out is great too.

But all fast-food categories performed worse on the Composite Loyalty Index this year. “We attribute this to two factors: consumer expectations of the QSR experience are rising, and, in many cases, execution at these restaurants is declining," said Brad Christian, chief customer officer at Market Force Information. "As our research continues to show, delighting guests by providing an exceptional customer experience is a key differentiator in an incredibly competitive environment."

However the country feels about these fast-food chains, these results certainly aren't going to quite the rest of the country's demands for In-N-Outs near them.

Salt and Vinegar Chip Wingettes

Ingredients

• SALT AND VINEGAR CHIP WINGETTES
• 2 bags kettle-cooked salt and vinegar chips
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 pounds chicken wingettes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with a baking rack and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the blade attachment, add chips and pulse into medium sized crumbs. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish and set aside.
• In a second shallow baking dish, add flour and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• In a third shallow baking dish, add eggs, water, and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• On a clean workspace, pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. Working in small batches, dredge wings in flour and shake off any excess. Dip in egg mixture, letting any excess drip off. Add wings to chip crumbles and toss to coat. Gently press crumbles into chicken and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all wings are coated.
• Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip and return to oven to bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately.
• Tip: Try this method with your favorite chip to give this recipe your own tasty twist!

7 Delicious Food Items That Can Taste Extra Awesome With Just A Generous Layer Of Hot Sauce

If somebody asked you to state that one food item which could just make your ordinary, boring food taste extra-ordinarily tasty and lip-smacking, what would that be? Simple, it's a bottle of chilly-loaded fiery, hot sauce, isn't it? Bet you can't find anything else on the planet that can practically go with EVERY-freaking-dish possible! Whether you're a college student in a hostel that serves bland & boring food, or you're a traveller who needs that spicy tadka even on a roast pie, or you've got friends over and need something out-of-the-world to serve - there's one thing to your rescue, and that's a bottle of Bira 91 hot sauce.

To satiate your taste buds, here's a list of generally oh-so-normal foods that can taste extra awesome and delicious with just a layer of this fiery, hot sauce.

1. A Simple Platter Of Nachos That Need An Extra Dash Of Awesomeness.

Hot sauce effect: Forget the thick layer of cheese or the lamb chops and meatballs that are too less, the spicy Habenero chillies in the sauce will just take your gastronomic experience to a new high.

2. Spicy Hot Chicken Wings Which Need To Be Even Spicier.

Hot sauce effect: Oh man! Just so delectably out of the world! These chilly-layered wings can deeply satisfy your innermost cravings for a flavourful platter. And bet you can't stop with just one!

3. Those Quintessential Spaghetti And Meatballs That Are A Spicy Dream Topped With Chilly Sauce.

Hot sauce effect: Drool-worthy to the core! Who wants gravy when the top-view of the spagetti bowl is layered up with a generous amount of hot sauce? And with those meatballs soaking in them, totally dinner-date material, dude!

4. Steamed Momos. Fried Momos. Tandoori Momos. Gravy Momos.

Hot sauce effect: Momos are real momos only if they are dipped in a gratifying bowl of finger-licking and burning-hot chilly sauce! It is the ultimate evening snack.

5. Those Regular Snacky Veggie Cutlets Which Really Need Some Excitement To It.

Hot sauce effect: These crunchy cutlets get loaded up in their spice quotient with just one layer of hot sauce. And there you go, they jump to the top of your favourite food list just like that!

6. Those Fiery, Hot Peanuts Which Can Get You All Geared Up For The Boys' Night.

Hot sauce effect: Can those snacky peanuts get more awesome? Sure, it can! Simple yet lip-smacking and flavorsome! It becomes the ultimate bowl of satisfaction when a few tomatoes, onions, green chillies and a generous layer of hot sauce is mixed up!

7. Plain Platter Of French Fries Which Needs A Party Twist To It.

Hot sauce effect: Who doesn't love french fries? But just those ordinary salted ones can be boring. Turn them into tangy and delicious fries with just a squeeze of spicy, hot sauce! Shake them up well inside a box, and there you go! You can very well forget the mayo, bet you'll fall in love with the chilly-flavoured french fries.

Be it midnight hunger pangs or last-minute food ideas, you know what you need! Because, the all-new extra-hot and spicy sauce in town - Bira 91 hot sauce has come to the table! It is super-hot and flavourful. With just a splash of it, you can make your normal boring food so damn interesting. Of course, spicy food and beer is undoubtedly THE best combination there is! Ain't it? Go order your bottle today from Amazon - 350 gms for just Rs.399 and get on a food high like never before!

Gonzo Gourmet Food Truck Looking To Expand In Hall

Hot chicken came sizzling out of the oil, but it didn’t become “hot chicken” until it was smothered in Brandon Wilson’s cayenne pepper sauce.

Wilson was slinging hot chicken, a full cut of chicken breast deep fried, covered in cayenne pepper paste and laid over buttered bread with a slice of pickle and green onion, at Tap It on Friday for one of the growler bar’s takeover events. The truck also sold sweet potato fries, North Georgia tacos (which are heavy on the pulled pork) and a few other dishes in the parking lot.
Normally seen covering lunches at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, the Friday event was one of the first in Hall County served by Gonzo Gourmet as the food truck tries to break into the Hall market.

Wilson and Gonzo Gourmet operate from a farm just over the line in Lumpkin County. For the past 18 months — since he moved to Georgia from Knoxville, Tennessee, to be closer to his daughter — Gonzo Gourmet has sold food at North Georgia wineries, weddings and festivals.

“That worked out well, but I did want to branch out,” Wilson said, talking about his past few years running the food truck in Knoxville.

Gonzo Gourmet had become a regular around a few famous corporations, including Regal Cinemas, which has a theater in Gainesville. But in Tennessee the truck was operating from a “postage stamp” of a lot and, while it was still based on local ingredients, Wilson didn’t have the room to grow his own food.

The truck now has “a real focus on farm to table, so we try to bring forward local ingredients, local product, to nearly everything for serve off the truck — except for tater tots, today,” Wilson said, smiling and standing in the parking lot at Tap It.

Tater tots came in at the bottom of Gonzo Gourmet’s menu for the event. But now in Georgia, just about every bit of vegetable served from Gonzo Gourmet comes from Wilson’s Lumpkin County farm, and the meat comes from local farmers. The food and its background went over well at wineries and weddings, but Wilson said he’s looking to add more to the truck’s routine.

Hoping to get back into more regular lunch service, he and his girlfriend, Kim Hughes, made the jump into Hall County — starting with lunch at the hospital.

“I’m looking for more big corporations in Hall County that would love for me to be there for lunch services with their employees,” Wilson said.

The name of the truck was inspired by Hunter S. Thompson and his gonzo journalism. Wilson himself is a graduate of journalism school and spent 10 years working in newspapers, including the Marietta Daily Journal.

Roy Choi on Food Trucks, Pizza and the Art of Properly Cooked Korean Food

Plus, the L.A. chef offers his predictions for the food world in 2018.

It’s been ten years since Roy Choi parked his Korean taco truck Kogi in front of a nightclub and became one of the first people to spark what would become a phenomenon in the restaurant industry—the now-ubiquitous food truck. Choi is now working on opening a restaurant at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, he has a line of food products with Williams-Sonoma and he’s still celebrating the successful launch of POT Pizza Joint. In the decade since he entered the food scene, he’s still conquering new territory. Choi has always been ahead of the curve, though. He’s just been waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

“Everyone always looked at food trucks like the trend is going to end. I have been hearing that for ten years and it hasn’t,” he tells Food and Wine. “They're still serving a lot of people lunches in office complexes. We’re no longer the ones that you have to drive out of town and call the cops on. Food trucks are an essential part of people’s days. They are important to the fabric of feeding people, like hotel chefs cooking breakfasts or for weddings.”

He says this last part without an ounce of disparagement in his voice—this is not a criticism of the food truck system, but is rather meant to praise how necessary they have become to Los Angeles. Now, Choi sees the true originators of the food truck movement—the taco trucks—experiencing a renaissance in his city.

“There has been a resurgence of the roots of food trucks. There are really great taco trucks right now,” he says. “The original taco trucks survived the new wave, and the now [they’re] coming back with even better food. It’s gratifying to see that.”

Though Choi is considered an innovator in the food scene, especially when it comes to fusion cuisine, he still experiences moments of anxiety when introducing a new dish to the public. He recently had that experience with the opening of POT Pizza Joint, which serves a kimchi pizza.

“I was nervous and excited to see people accept it,” he explains. “There are certain foods that are somewhat sacred or you’re not supposed to mess with. When you do mess with them, it touches a nerve where you have to compare it to the original, and then that thing you’re creating has a loosing change right out of the gate.”

Still, Choi took a risk with the kimchi pizza, and it paid off. He found that when people eat his creation, they aren’t thinking about the Neopolitan origins of pizza, or scrutinizing his variation for all the elements that make up a classic slice. Instead, his diners can appreciate for the innovation for what it is.

“It just tastes delicious,” he says. “It's not even pizza anymore, but it is pizza.”

Choi—who is Korean-American—has long been playing with Korean-inspired flavors and ingredients in his food. Though this has been a largely fearless enterprise for him, Choi remembers a time when adding Asian influences to a dish may have been not only unwelcome, but looked down upon.

“[Korean flavors] weren’t so versatile when people would scrunch their nose and call our food stinky,” he recalls. “You have to give all props to David Chang. David was the first one to break through. That was the thing that opened the versatility up. Korean restaurants have always been the same, but when that window opened up, it just allowed people to look at it with a different lens.”

While Americans with Westernized palates may not have accepted these flavors until Korean chefs hit the mainstream, Choi is quick to point out that Korean-Americans, especially the children of immigrants, have always known how delicious their food is.

“The things that make Korean food delicious are garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder and chili paste,” he explains. "They make anything delicious."

In order to cook Asian dishes properly in your own home, Choi says the most important thing to do is “take a step back and respect the differences in cultures.”

“This is not a one-shoe-fits type of thing,” he continues. “I see a lot of people doing fusion things [but] Korean food is not European food. I see folks trying to cook it like it’s beef bourguignon. You don’t have to cook it the traditional way, but it’s a difference in technique.”

Choi points to the fact that Korean recipes for braising typically don’t sear the meat, whereas in a French recipe, searing the meat is common practice.

“When you take that approach with Korean food you end with a murky product – it hurts the product.”

In his experience, home cooks also tend to underseason their food, so he recommends that they “focus on simplicity, season properly" and embrace "the less-is-more model.” For example, if you’re cooking a piece of meat, don’t try to be fancy. “The best way to do it,” Choi says, is to simply “roast with salt and pepper.”



 You can expect to see all his favorite Korean ingredients continue to pop up in Choi’s food as he continues to expand his restaurant empire. He jokes that the next fusion cuisine to pick up steam in 2018 is “healthy milkshakes,” but he actually sees the whole world of food open to being molded into something new.

“Everything is up for grabs,” he says. “Meatloaf, casserole, even the cherished hero—we can mess with those. I think this year is up for grabs.”

Navratri 2017 Recipes: 5 Delicious Paneer Recipes to Try at Home

Navratri 2017 starts from 21st September. The nine days of festivities will also see many devotees observing a fast. This is the period when many households, particularly in North India and Gujarat, follow a restricted diet without the use of onions, garlic, whole grains, non veg, table salt, pulses, and certain spices and vegetables. Milk and dairy products are however allowed, and therefore various kinds of vrat dishes are created during this festival making the most of dairy products, particularly paneer.Paneer or cottage cheese is a popular vegetarian treat, and can be prepared in myriad ways to delight one's palate. During the fasting period, you can use paneer to dish out lip-smacking kebabs, kofta curry, pakoras, subzis, and gravy dishes. But if you are looking for interesting ways to spruce up regular Navratri paneer dishes, we present five creative recipes for you. From pizzas to sandesh pudding, there's lots to try -

1. Paneer Tikki

A quick and easy, paneer and potato roundels recipe. Made with singhare ka atta and sendha namak, this snack is perfect for the festival of Navratri.

2. Paneer Pizza

Here's how to make a Navratri Pizza at home from scratch. The base is made with buckwheat flour and you can use paneer and makhanas as topping to abide by the fasting rules.

3. Paneer Afghani

Paneer cubes marinated in a creamy paste of melon seeds, cashews, poppy seeds, cream and butter. Grilled golden on a tandoor.

4. Paneer Payesh

Payesh is a popular Bengali dessert similar to kheer. This version is made with paneer, saffron, milk and cardamom.

5. Hot Paneer Sandesh Pudding

Whip up a guilt free sandesh - no sugar, only organic fruits.

Read This Before You Swallow A Spoonful Of Yummy Peanut Butter

For a long time, we have been hearing that butter is the most dangerous fat. Whether it's solid or semi-solid, it's worse for you. It has been blamed for everything from obesity to heart disease. Yet, recently, it has made a comeback as a "health food" in the form of peanut butter.

Peanut butter is utterly delicious and contains high amount of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and protein. Two tablespoon of this butter has 3.3 grams of saturated fat and 2.3 grams of unsaturated fat. This ratio of unsaturated to saturated fat puts it up on the list with olive oil. In moderation, saturated fat is okay for your body. It also provides you some fibre and has a terrific potassium-to-sodium ratio if consumed unsalted. People who regularly include peanut butter in their diet in the right way are less likely to develop heart disease or type 2 diabetes than those who rarely eat it.

What's bad about peanut butter?

Peanut butter is loaded with omega-6 fats and low on omega-3 fats. The ratio is often as high as 20:1 omega-6 vs. omega-3 fats. This imbalanced ratio can cause inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases. In addition, too many omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids can lead to asthma, type 2 diabetes, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, metabolic syndrome, macular degeneration and more. Peanut butter often contains mould that is a big reason for food allergies or inflammatory immune reactions.

Peanut butter is healthy

Make sure that peanut butter actually helps your body in the best possible way. While buying it, always pick certified organic brand. They're made of peanuts grown in bushes off the ground or higher up to eliminate the issue with mould. Also, many a times, peanut butter contains non-organic hydrogenated oils. It adds to omega-6 count making the butter unhealthy to consume. Beware of this junk and stay away from it. It can cause you weight gain and inflammatory reactions in your body.

It is wise to make your own peanut butter or buy the natural organic one. Only then it can actually be beneficial for your health.

Consume in moderation

It's tasty. It contains nutrients. But, at the same time it contains some harmful substances like peanut lectin, a growth promoter of colon cancer cells and Aflatoxins, a kind of fungal toxins.

The mantra is to consume in "moderation" and use good organic quality with right foods. If you make it a part of your proper diet, it can support and boost metabolism and fat-loss because of its high-protein content. In fact today, it is one of the highest plant-based protein sources. Peanut butter is one of those foods that can turn meals into masterpieces. However, sometimes it can be a metabolism death food.

Bui Bistro: A Pearl In Napa

A pearl is the oldest acknowledged gem and for centuries was thought to be the most valuable.

The pearl is often mentioned in folklore and there are many traditions surrounding the pearl.

The pearl I am referring to today is actually a street in Napa. The gem I am talking about is a small and intimate bistro located on Pearl Street.

Bui Bistro is truly a local gem. It surprised me to discover that many residents have never even heard about this unique little spot. I was, sad but true, one of this group, but no more.

It shouldn’t be a secret, so please let me share.

Chef and owner Patrick Bui holds his own amongst a plethora of well known chefs in the valley and he has created a comfortably understated dining venue where splendid French Vietnamese meals are served with great respect for tradition. Tradition, passion and innovation are paired well.

Born in Saigon, and raised mostly in Paris, Patrick immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 and followed the career path laid out for him in the world of mechanical design.

His real passion was cooking. The foods of his youth and his early culture.

Fast-forward about 15 years, when Patrick stepped away from the tools used for mechanical design and picked up the tools of a professional kitchen as he entered the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.

After working in several San Francisco kitchens, Bui’s first restaurant was realized in 1999, when he opened “Saigon City” in Berkeley, where he primarily served college students with Vietnamese style quick foods. The more upscale Bui Restaurant, also in Berkeley, followed.

Bui and his wife Thi found their way to Napa and in 2010, after several months of renovations, Bui Bistro opened its doors.

When I visit a Vietnamese dining establishment, there is a test. It’s the Pho Test. If the Pho is great then I am assured that the restaurant knows what it’s doing and then I delve into the menu for classics and offerings with a creative twist on favorites.

What is Pho, you ask? Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a broth-based noodle soup, conspicuous in Vietnamese cuisine. Whether it’s chicken, beef or seafood broth there will be thick rice noodles floating in the broth along with pieces of meat, vegetables and a variety of spices and herbs. Flavors, combinations and spices are the chef’s choice, so the dish can vary slightly from place to place. The secret to a successful and delectable soup is the broth.

Simmering bones and fatty meat pieces in good water (this makes a difference), with spices such as ginger, star anise and cardamom is the beginning. It takes patience. Several hours are required to give all the flavors a chance to realize their full potential. This is where I remind you, dear reader, that if you don’t drink the water coming from your tap because you don’t like the taste, why then would you use it to cook with? Something to think about.

Beef broth is called pho bo, the chicken version is pho ga, and the seafood broth is pho hai san.

As soon as I tasted the pho at Bui, I knew I was in the right place and in good hands. Diners will often add a favorite little “extra” to their pho. I sometimes enjoy a bit of lemon or lime, while others might play with Thai basil, bean sprouts, chili pepper, fish or hoisin sauce.

Try not to fill up on the soup, as tempting as it is. Save room for the refreshing Banana Flower Salad with it’s zesty fresh flavors combining wafer thin slices of grilled chicken, sliced pear and a dressing with it’s brightly balanced acidity. Perfect summer salad and the presentation is just plain fun.

The chicken curry had the perfect balance of spices while the sea bass was wonderfully crispy on the outside and lushly juicy on the inside, with coconut rice and a glass of crisp white wine, it was a delightful pairing.

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot to mention the egg rolls. Light, delicate and filled with shredded goodness. The dipping sauces are sweet, spicy, savory. It’s all there in every bite.

Great place to go with friends and order several items from the menu to share at the table. Another thing to enjoy about the Bistro is the fact that you can have a great conversation during dinner and actually be able to hear one another. Not the case in many restaurants.

Patrick is the consummate host. Patrick alone could keep diners returning to the Bistro just to chat with him. It’s a very personal experience.

He’s definitely accomplished the art of offering classic Vietnamese foods while implementing the techniques he learned from the French. Dishes like the Asian duck confit and bouillabaisse showcase traditional French fare, Vietnamese style. Is it Vietnamese food with a French twist or French food Vietnamese style?

Delicious BBQ Heading To Needy Families After American Royal

The American Royal World Series of BBQ may be over, but the meals are about to start for thousands of hungry people in the metro.

But that almost wasn't the case, until one barbecuer called FOX 4's Problem Solvers.

At the food donation tent at the American Royal, in between the chicken and the ribs, the brisket and the pork, you'll now find pens.

For almost 10 years, Gary Benham and hundreds of others donated the meat they made for the World Series competition - to Kookers Kare, which then donated it to Harvesters, and other local food banks.

Until last year.

"Last year," said Benham, "we had a little problem with the health department -- not knowing the process that we follow, to get the food safely to the people that needed it."

He explained, "Harvester's wasn't allowed to distribute that food. The food that was distributed to the pantry was tossed in a dumpster and bleached, and the rest of the food that had not been distributed had to be detroyed as well. It was a big disappointment to the people who work really hard."

Benham called Fox4 Problem Solvers and explained the situation. He said he and other BBQers were disappointed that a near 10 year tradition was about to end.

Now, in 2017, Benham said he worked with food inspectors at the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Health.

"We were very diligent in documenting what we did today," said the President of Kookers Kare. "It took us - it took us a little bit longer than what we've done in the past, because we did have to document all the stuff."

That documentation involved pens and adhesive labels - and the cloud.

"We had another company come in," said Benham, "that helped us with the digitally documenting some of the process. We've got temperature probes going that are going up to the cloud, and we've created a document up there with graphs and charts and everything, so we can physically document how we took care of samples of this food."

And now, some of the hungriest people in the metro will have some of the tastiest BBQ this week.

"It's going to go feed the hungry, the homeless, and they're obviously very grateful," said Harvesters volunteer Dennis Velasquez. "It's not often that they get world class BBQ. Just once a year - during this time. And they're very grateful."

Kookers Kare is the non-profit organization that handles all these donations. It estimates it will have anywhere between 3,000 - 4,000 pounds of meat at Harvesters and local food pantries; it expects it will all be eaten within a week.

Operation BBQ Relief (OBR) was also at the American Royal World Series this weekend. It donated food to the Kookers Kare organization on Sunday as well.

Operation BBQ Relief is already cooking food down in Houston for those affected by Hurricane Harvey. But it doesn't have refrigeration capabilities, so organizers say they donated all the cold food donations they received to Kookers Kare.

That means people at metro food banks and shelters will have some tasty sides to go with their award winning BBQ.

How To Make Delicious Muffins That Are Actually Good For You

However healthy it may seem, the presence of shredded zucchini in a quick bread or muffin doesn’t make it good for you. Most are still essentially forms of cake, held up with lots of butter, refined flour and sugar.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing once in a while, but for everyday breakfast and snacking you probably want something more nutritious and less dessert-like. The problem is that truly healthy muffins and quick breads — with or without zucchini — are often disappointing: dry, leaden and rubbery. Not so with these. They are the best of both worlds, genuinely good for you but also desirably moist, tender and fragrant. Lightly sweetened, flecked with zucchini, and made with healthy oil, whole grain flour and rolled oats, they have a wholesome sensibility and hearty texture that pulls them away from the dessert realm into the daily sustenance category, in a good way.

Not only do they taste good, you’ll feel good eating one of these zucchini muffins to start your day or fuel you midafternoon.

They get most of their sweetness from dried dates, which also provide a deep flavor, valuable nutrients and fiber. The dates are soaked in water, then pureed until they form a smooth paste. Just a little white sugar — a quarter of what is in a typical recipe — is needed to round out the muffin’s flavor. Soft whole-grain pastry flour keeps the crumb tender, while rolled oats add a rustic texture and walnuts an element of crunch.

The zucchini (which needs to be drained of most of its water), eggs, oil, and date paste together provide enough liquid so that no milk or other fluid is needed. The tasty, cinnamon-scented muffins make for an energizing on-the-go treat, so do yourself a favor and make an extra batch. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze so you have one to grab when you need it.

Zucchini Oat Muffins

12 servings

These tender, fragrant muffins are sweetened primarily with dates, which, besides sweetness, provide deep flavor and valuable nutrients. Made with whole grains and healthful oil, the muffins have a wholesome sensibility and hearty texture that steps away from the dessert realm into the daily sustenance category, in a good way. They not only taste good, they are a nourishing and energizing way to start your day or fuel your afternoon.

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed pitted dates
• Boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup neutral-tasting oil, such as light olive oil or canola oil
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Steps

Place the dates in a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over them to cover and let soak for 1 hour. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid, then drain the dates well.

Combine the dates and the reserved liquid in a food processor (mini, preferably) and puree to form a smooth paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, as needed.

Place the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink; let drain for 20 minutes, then gather it up in your hands to extract as much moisture as possible.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a standard-size, 12-well muffin pan at hand. Lightly grease the wells with cooking oil spray or line them with baking paper cups.

Stir together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.

Stir together all the date paste, eggs and oil in a mixing bowl until incorporated, then stir in the grated, drained zucchini. Add the flour mixture and stir until no trace of it remains, then stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter evenly among the wells. Bake (middle rack) for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Is Ordering Meat Well-done A Misteak

Somewhere, a chef is crying.

Many chefs feel a sort of kinship with the foods they cook. They lovingly season it with salt and pepper, they cook it to perfection, they take the time and effort to make it just right.

And then someone goes ahead and orders his steak well-done.

Actually, it’s a lot of someones.

LongHorn Steakhouse recently shared the details of all of its steak orders for an entire year with the data geeks at FiveThirtyEight. That’s a ton of information — LongHorn boasts 491 locations around the country, including seven in the St. Louis area.

The results were shocking, or at least sad. Sad to chefs.

It turns out that 77 percent of LongHorn patrons who order steak order it cooked to medium or beyond.

Many chefs will tell you that the only way to order beef is to ask for it rare or medium-rare. That way you can taste the juice; it’s tender and delicious. The more a steak is cooked — and there has to be some scientific way of demonstrating this — the more it loses its flavor. And it indisputably becomes tougher.

And yet, according to the survey, a plurality of 37.5 percent of LongHorn patrons order their steaks medium, 25.8 percent order it medium-well and 11.7 percent like their steaks well-done.

With all due respect to my friends (and readers) who like their steak well-done, you’d get the same flavor profile out of a microwaved bomber jacket.

Lindsey Curtit, managing partner of the LongHorn Steakhouse in O’Fallon, Mo., is happy to have her customers ordering their steak any way they like it.

“There really is no wrong way to cook a steak. It’s really just the guest’s preference,” she said.

Curtit, who likes her steaks cooked medium, said that, based on her casual observation, her customers at the O’Fallon location order their steaks in about the same proportion as the national numbers.

Curtit also pointed out that not all steak is the same. The different types of fiber in different cuts of meat mean that some cuts can stand up to more cooking than others. The ribeye, for instance, can take the heat better than other cuts because of all of its marbled fat. The same is true of the porterhouse and its cousin, the T-bone.

The pertinent question is: Why do people like their steaks the way they like them?

I find I get maximum beefy flavor, without the meat being too chewy, out of steaks cooked on the rare side of medium rare. Though I have no evidence to back it up, my guess is that people who like their steaks medium-well or well done prefer them that way because they are (or were, as children) a little grossed out at seeing juice run out of their meat.

The numbers in the latest data seem to contradict the information gathered just three years ago by FiveThirtyEight. At that time, a survey of 432 steak-eating Americans indicated that 43 percent of us like our steaks cooked to rare or medium-rare.

The plurality of that group, 38 percent, said they like steak cooked medium-rare. A significant number behind, 31 percent, said they like it cooked medium.

The folks at FiveThirtyEight looked at the disparity between these two studies and suggested that people have heard they are supposed to like their steaks rare or medium rare, so that’s what they say when they are asked how they like it. But in reality — when they order at a restaurant — they ask for it medium or above.

But I have a different possibility. LongHorn is a national chain, with locations often (though by no means always) on expressway interchanges. It caters to travelers and families. With a ribeye going for $20.49 and a porterhouse topping out at $28.49, it is a solid and popular restaurant.

But maybe travelers and families are more likely to want their meat cooked longer than couples, singles or people staying closer to home.

Curtit doesn’t think so. “Our vision is to become America’s favorite steakhouse, so America is our target market,” she said. “I would say our guests do represent the country as a whole.”

Oh, Snap! Scientists Are Turning People's Food Photos Into Recipes

When someone posts a photo of food on social media, do you get cranky? Is it because you just don't care what other people are eating? Or is it because they're enjoying an herb-and-garlic crusted halibut at a seaside restaurant while you sit at your computer with a slice of two-day-old pizza?

Maybe you'd like to have what they're having, but don't know how to make it. If only there were a way to get their recipe without commenting on the photo.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) would like that for you, too. That's why they're creating an artificial neural network — a computer system modeled after the human brain — to examine those photos and break them down into recipes.

The growth of the Internet has supported the ability to collect and publish several large-scale datasets, allowing for great advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), says Javier Marin, a postdoctoral research associate at CSAIL and co-author of a paper published this July at the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition in Honolulu.

"However, when it comes to food, there was not any large-scale dataset available in the research community until now," Marin says. "There was a clear need to better understand people's eating habits and dietary preferences."

To do this, researchers have been feeding the computer pairs of photos and their corresponding recipes — about 800,000 of them. The AI network, called Recipe 1M, chews on all of that for a while, learning patterns and connections between the ingredients in the recipes and the photos of food.

"What we've developed is a novel machine learning model that powers an app. The demo that you see is just a pretty interface to that model," says Nicholas Hynes, an MIT graduate student at CSAIL who also co-authored the paper.

You, too, can try out this interface, called Pic2Recipe. To use it, just upload your food photo. The computer will analyze it and retrieve a recipe from a collection of test recipes that best matches your image.

It usually works pretty well, although it can miss an ingredient or two sometimes. Take for example, this video, in which the MIT team uploads a photo of sugar cookies.

"The app took the image, figured out what was in it and how it was prepared, and gave us the recipe that it thinks was most likely to have produced the image," says Hynes.

Pic2Recipe did correctly identify eight out of the 11 ingredients. And it did accurately find a recipe for sugar cookies. Alas, it missed the icing.

But the program doesn't need to visually recognize every ingredient in the photo to find an accurate recipe.

"Just like a human, it can infer the presence of invisible, homogenized or obscured ingredients using context. For instance, if I see a green colored soup, it probably contains peas — and most definitely salt!" says Hynes. "When the model finds the best match, it's really taking a holistic view of the entire image or the entire recipe. That's part of why the model is interesting: It learns a lot about recipes in a very unstructured way."

But as with every new technology, there are some kinks to work out.

The current model sometimes has trouble making fine distinctions between similar recipes, Hynes says. "For instance, it may detect a ham sandwich as pastrami or not recognize that brioche contains milk and egg. We're still actively improving the vision portion of the model."

Another issue, Hynes says, is that the current model has no explicit knowledge of basic concepts like flavor and texture. "Without this, it might replace one ingredient with another because they're used in similar contexts, but, doing so would significantly alter this dish," Hynes says. "For example, there are two very similar Korean fermented ingredients called gochujang and doenjang, but the former is spicy and sweet while the latter is savory and salty."

There are other refinements to be made, such as how to recognize an ingredient as diced, chopped or sliced. Or how to tell the difference between different types of mushrooms or tomatoes.

And when a reporter at The Verge tried the demo, photos of ramen and potato chips turned up no matches. How could the program miss such basics?

"This is simply explained by not having recipes for those foods in the dataset," Hynes says. "For things like ramen and potato chips, people generally don't post recipes for things that come out of a bag."

In the future, the MIT researchers want to do more than just let you have what they're having. They are seeking insight into health and eating habits.

"Determining the ingredients — and therefore how healthy they are — of images posted in a specific region, we could see how health habits change through time," says Marin.

Hynes would like to take the technology a step farther, and is working on a way to automatically link from an image or ingredient list to nutrition information.

"Using it to improve peoples' health is definitely big; when I go to community/potluck dinners, it always astonishes me how people don't pay attention to preparation and how it relates to plausible serving sizes," he says.

Hynes also can see how aspiring cooks might appreciate a system that takes a restaurant item and tells them how to make it. "Even everyday people with dietary restrictions — gluten free, vegan, sparse pantry — would appreciate a tool that could minimally modify a complicated dish like Beef Wellington so that it fits the constraints."

And why stop there? These are MIT scientists, after all, collaborating with researchers from the Qatar Computing Research Institute and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Spain.

"In the far future, one might envision a robo-chef that fully understands food and does the cooking for you!" Hynes says.

Healthy Cooking: Pair salmon with lentils for a hearty summer supper

Sometimes, it’s just too hot to turn on the stove. The key is to stock up your kitchen with “healthy convenience food” that doesn’t require any heat, such as fresh produce, canned beans, canned fish and small boxes of pre-cooked legumes found in the prepared produce section.

You can throw together a hearty meal in minutes without breaking a sweat. Sure, you will pay an extra dollar or two for steamed lentils, for instance, but if having a well-stocked fridge keeps you from hitting the drive-thru even once, then you’ll come ahead financially (and nutritionally).

Canned salmon is one of my favorite healthy fast foods. When it goes on sale, you can stock up the pantry with a few cans of it, making wild salmon downright inexpensive.

Not only is canned salmon full of omega-3 fatty acids and protein (12 g grams of protein in 2 ounces of fish), but it actually has more calcium than its fresh counterpart, because the small bones stay in the meat (and go unnoticed; remove any large bones, though).

Pair the salmon with beans or legumes plus some chopped fresh vegetables and vinaigrette, and you’ve got a dish hearty enough for a summertime supper. And it will keep nicely in the fridge, so you can graze on this fiber and protein filled salad for a day or two no problem.

Today’s recipe, a lentil and salmon salad with smoky mustard dressing, was inspired by my favorite bagel toppings — red onion, tomato, capers, salmon and a hint of smokiness in the vinaigrette, which elevates the canned salmon into a little wink at lox. The flavors marry into a surprisingly complex dish, never hinting at the fact that this recipe is of the 5-minute-dump-stir-and-serve variety.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for an outdoor summer feast

There’s something delightfully bonkers about having a full-on outdoor feast. The set-up is impractical, the weather unpredictable and the logistics of keeping the food warm and the drinks cold unworkable. The only option, when the chance to eat under the open sky presents itself, is to go all-out Mad Hatter’s tea party.

One such opportunity presented itself a couple of years ago, when I was invited to the Glyndebourne opera festival. I knew the evening involved singing, picnics and polished shoes, but the reality was even more eccentric than I imagined. This was a full-scale white dinner jacket, black bow tie, wicker hampers and straw hats affair. Tables were set with silver cutlery, porcelain plates, butter dishes and candlesticks. Butter and wine were kept chilled thanks to buckets of ice. This was different-league outdoor eating. So I pulled my tie straight, picked a handful of wild flowers to dress our slightly wobbly table and embraced the scotch egg moment.

In three weeks, I’ll be serving up an outdoor feast of my own with a Long Table Banquet at the Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire. There will be fewer bow ties, but the set-up is equally crazy, not least because we’ll be feeding about 700 people over two sittings. Our menu, naturally enough, is equally impractical: burrata with chargrilled grapes, confit squid and a host of salads as a meze course, slow-roast lamb with apricots and figs, baked minty rice and rolled pavlova. The logistics involved are epic, but that moment when the sun sets, and all you can hear is the sound of friends sharing a meal outdoors, is special enough to make it all worthwhile.

Polenta with summer greens and lime

Getting flavour into polenta usually requires a tonne of butter and cheese. Here, I’ve done so with a teaspoon of onion granules (OK, and a good chunk of butter). Serves four.

65g unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp onion granules
Salt and black pepper
1 litre vegetable stock
160g quick-cook polenta
2 limes – 1 finely zested, to get 1 tsp, then juiced, to get 1 tbsp, the other cut into four wedges, to serve
¾ tsp ground cumin
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100g spring onions (ie, about 10), cut thinly on a diagonal
1 hispi cabbage (aka pointed cabbage), quartered, cored and cut into 1cm-wide slices
150g baby spinach
5g mint leaves, roughly chopped
150g soured cream

Melt 50g butter in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add half the garlic, half a teaspoon of ground coriander, the onion granules, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry for about two minutes, until the butter is foaming and the garlic starting to brown, then add the stock and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to medium, then slowly pour in the polenta, whisking continuously, until the mix is smooth and starting to thicken. Turn the heat to low and cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it is the consistency of thick porridge, then take off the heat and stir in the lime zest.

Melt the remaining butter in a large saute pan on a high heat. Once it’s foaming, add the remaining garlic and coriander, with the cumin, chilli, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and fry for a minute, until the garlic starts to brown. Add the spring onions and cabbage, and cook for a minute more, stirring continuously. Add the spinach in two batches and cook, stirring, for two minutes, until it has just wilted and the cabbage is starting to soften but still remains a vibrant green. Take off the heat, squeeze over a tablespoon of lime juice and stir in the mint.

As soon as the greens are ready, return the polenta to a medium heat to warm through; if it has thickened too much, thin it down with a few tablespoons of water. Divide between four shallow bowls, top with the greens and finish with a generous spoon of soured cream. Serve with a wedge of lime.

Beef shin cooked in pomegranate and beetroot juice

Buy the shin in one large piece, rather than pre-cut, and cut it to the right size and shape at home, because pre-cut beef shin will be too thin and fatty here. The better the ingredients you use, as always, the better the results will be, so your oil should be extra-virgin, your pomegranate juice should not be diluted, and your salt should be sea salt flakes. Serves two as a main course alongside some bread and a peppery rocket salad.

500-600g piece boneless beef shin, cut into three 10cm x 4cm pieces
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
Flaked sea salt and pepper
8 garlic cloves, peeled
550ml 100% pomegranate juice
550ml beetroot juice (most beetroot juice is sweetened with a bit of apple juice, which is fine)
20g pistachio kernels, roughly chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, to serve

Season the beef shin with three tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper.

Heat a deep, heavy-based, 28cm-diameter pan for which you have a lid on a high flame. Lay in the beef pieces – space them well apart – and fry for seven minutes, turning regularly, until seared and well browned all over. Transfer the meat to a bowl, leaving any juices in the pan, then add the garlic cloves to the pan and fry for a minute, until golden. Return the beef and any resting juices to the pan, turn down the heat to low, and add the pomegranate and beetroot juices. Cover and leave to bubble gently for an hour and a quarter, turning the beef every 15 minutes or so, until it’s tender and the sauce is the consistency of thin gravy and reduced to about 170ml (you may need to remove the meat and reduce the sauce for an extra 10-15 minutes to get it to this state).

Turn off the heat and leave to rest, still covered, for 15 minutes before serving. Using a very sharp knife, cut each piece of meat widthways into 0.5cm-thick slices. Divide between two plates and spoon four tablespoons of sauce, including some of the softened garlic cloves, over each portion, pouring half over the meat and letting the rest pool around it. Drizzle two teaspoons of oil over each plate of meat and sauce: if you do this slowly, this will add a beautiful marbling effect to the sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of pistachios, pomegranate seeds and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.

Roast peaches with kaffir lime, sabayon and raspberries

If possible, use perfectly ripe peaches for this; if you can’t get any, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan when roasting the fruit. If you can’t get fresh kaffir lime leaves, don’t substitute them with freeze-dried ones: the finely shaved skin of one lime (about six strips) is a much better alternative. Serves six.

3 egg yolks
70g caster sugar
65ml sauternes (or another sweet dessert wine)
6 ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
8 fresh kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
2 limes – zest finely grated, to get 2 tsp, then juiced, to get 3-4 tbsp
120g raspberries, crushed
100ml double cream

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Whisk the egg yolks, two tablespoons of sugar and the wine in a medium heatproof bowl, then set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl is not in contact with the water). Whisk for four or five minutes, until it looks like a thick, foamy cream, then take the bowl off the pan and leave to cool, whisking once or twice as it does so.

While the sabayon is cooling, put the peaches, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, a teaspoon of lime zest and two tablespoons of sugar in a 20cm x 20cm high-sided baking dish. Stir everything together to combine, then roast for 15-25 minutes, until the peaches are soft but still hold their shape (the timing will depend on how ripe they are), then leave to cool.

While the peaches are cooking, mix the raspberries with the remaining teaspoon of lime zest and two teaspoons of sugar.

Put the cream in a medium bowl, whisk to soft peaks, then, using a spatula, fold into the cooled sabayon. If you’re not dishing up straight away, put it in the fridge and take out 15 minutes before serving. Spoon the peaches and any juices into four bowls, and serve with a generous spoonful each of sabayon and raspberries on the side.