I am a professionally trained chef, food lover, caterer, food truck, and cafe owner, living in New England. I have worked for restaurants, caterers, hotels, resorts, and taught cooking classes.
Last February my husband and I decided that our eating habits needed to be improved to help us achieve a healthier lifestyle and feel better as we get older. During this ten-week period, we adopted a plant-based diet. Having never attempted anything like this before, it was a fairly large learning curve with some disappointing food purchases. At times it was challenging to keep our meals interesting and filling, while still making sure they met our dietary needs. I discovered things about my body that were both good and bad. My skin cleared up after about a week, I had more energy and never felt “food coma” after a meal and I didn’t have heartburn anymore. I also discovered that I absolutely cannot eat beans without suffering serious gas and abdominal pain and eating too much fiber makes me fart constantly. In the end, we learned a lot, not only about what food we wanted to keep in our diets but also, what foods we could purchase vs what foods were better prepared at home. Despite feeling very healthy while eating the vegan diet, we realized we would not be able to completely give up animal products long term. After 10 weeks, we slowly adopted the Mediterranean diet, but some of the recipes I developed while eating vegan have remained. The Cream of Mushroom Soup below is one of them. This recipe is easily adapted to a non-vegan version by substituting Worcestershire sauce for the coconut aminos, regular unsalted butter for the plant butter, and half and half for the Almond milk. I didn’t include a photo, as the soup isn’t much to look at, but it is tasty.
2 Tablespoons of fresh parsley, or chives chopped (optional)
In the pot you are using to make the soup, sauté onion, thyme, fresh mushrooms, a teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper in the butter or oil on medium-low heat until onions are translucent and soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 – 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulverize dried mushrooms to powder consistency in a food processor or blender. If a few rice size pieces remain, that’s ok.
When sautéed onion and mushroom are soft, add dried mushroom powder and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Add amino acid, potato, and milk and simmer, stirring occasionally until potatoes fall apart easily when forked and liquid has reduced by about ¼ of its original volume. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.The soup will not be thick at this point. Use one of the two methods below to thicken the soup.
Off the heat, use an immersion blender to blend/smooth the soup until the soup is thickened.
OR
Carefully ladle 2 cups soup into a standard blender and blend until smooth. Transfer blended soup to another container and continue until all the soup has been blended.
Return blended soup to the soup pan and heat through.
Serve with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive oil, Avocado oil, or flavored oil. Top with the fresh herbs and enjoy!
It’s late Sunday morning, you’re leisurely sipping on a warm cup of coffee or tea and thinking about what to have for brunch. Maybe you’re still feeling the aftermath of the last glass of wine you had after supper, or perhaps you just aren’t in the mood to invest much time into this. You head over to the refrigerator to see what the options are, all the while wishing leftover pizza will suddenly appear out of nowhere and be sitting on the shelf. Sadly, a magical pizza fairy has not blessed you this day and the only left-over food you see are some cooked vegetables from supper. How will you turn these vegetables into a meal that’s not too involved or time-consuming? The answer comes from Italy, make a Frittata.
The Frittata is a bit like scrambled eggs, crustless Quiche, Spanish Tortilla (which usually includes cooked potatoes), or an unfolded Omelet. In Italy, mothers and grandmothers will whip up a Frittata as a quick and easy snack using whatever meat or vegetables they have around the house. You might also see a Frittata at a bar being offered as a bite to eat between meals with an espresso or glass of wine. In my experiences, they were always served at room temperature in Italy, but at home I like to eat it hot with melted cheese on the top.
It’s perfectly acceptable to add whatever cooked vegetables and meat you have handy. Fresh herbs or fresh spinach added at the end of cooking are nice too. In this recipe, I used zucchini and mushrooms that have been cooked with onion and garlic. I typically add a few dashes of Tabasco, but that’s not traditional. Don’t be afraid to make it your own, this is a forgiving recipe.
Frittata
Serves 2 -3
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon milk (nut milk or animal milk)
2 dashes of Tabasco (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tablespoons Parmesan or Pecorino cheese grated (optional)
½-1 cup cooked vegetables
Shredded cheese of your choice (optional)
¼ cup fresh baby or chopped spinach (optional)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Heat olive oil in a non-stick oven safe sauté or fry pan until shimmering slightly. Add the cooked vegetables evenly across the bottom of the pan.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, Tabasco, Parmesan, pepper flake, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables in the pan and reduce heat to low.
Method 1: Cook until edges start to brown slightly then turn out onto a plate and slide back into the pan. Continue to cook until edges start to brown slightly. Optionally, sprinkle with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, fresh herbs, and cook until cheese is melted.
** This method can be difficult and messy, so it’s not my favorite.
Method 2: Place pan into a preheated oven at 350 degrees and cook until eggs set up and begin to brown slightly. Gently shake the pan to test for doneness. Optionally, sprinkle top with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, fresh herbs if using and cook until just melted.
Method 3 (my favorite): Cook until edges start to brown slightly. Cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook until set. Gently shake the pan to test for doneness. Optionally, sprinkle top with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, fresh herbs if using and cook until just melted.
Eating out during COVID has been challenging for us. We have tried to get carry out and eat outside at many of our favorite places. Some of these experiences have been very good and some not so good.
When our 10th wedding anniversary came along in September, we decided to eat outside at Row 34 in Portsmouth, NH. The temporary outdoor dining area was decorated with potted plants which created not only a barrier but also the feeling that the patio had always been there.
Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable about both food and drink, and attentive without hovering. We had been grazing through the afternoon and thus were not hungry enough for a heavy meal, so we settled on raw bar including Shrimp Cocktail.
The tray of oysters was cold, shucked perfectly. The oyster recommendations from our waitress were spot on. The shrimp were large, firm and perfectly cooked.
We also ordered Tuna Crudo. Thin slices of raw tuna rolled atop perfectly ripe avocado slices and sitting on a bed of black garlic purée topped with crispy fried shallot and delicate flakes of sea salt, which provided a welcome change of texture to this otherwise creamy dish. The tuna was fresh and the black garlic purée sweet and absent of the harsh bite that uncooked garlic possesses.
We skipped dessert on this visit in favor of going for ice cream, but I highly recommend trying their house made Butterscotch Pudding made with actual Scotch and topped with puffed rice that adds a nice crunch.
Row 34 has consistently friendly and knowledgeable service, and fresh, expertly prepared seafood. I highly recommend dining here.
For tips on more places to eat in Portsmouth check out my travel book.
Planning a dinner for friends or family can seem overwhelming to the average person. What should I make? How much should I buy? How do I swing it so that I’m not spending the entire night in the kitchen? What about special diets, picky eaters, and allergies? How do I get everything on the table at the same time?
Planning Basics:
It’s all about doing a little due diligence beforehand, thinking everything through, and not biting off more than you are comfortable with. Don’t experiment with new recipes on guests, stick to things you have made before. If you must try a new recipe, make sure it’s not the main entrée and have a backup plan.
Know some basic information before you start planning the menu.
Your Guests:
Who’s coming over? Are they big eaters? Do they have special diets, allergies? Are there any children or picky eaters? Are they big starch, meat, or vegetable eaters? Knowing your audience will help you to better plan your menu items and the quantities.
For example, Uncle John put away three plates of pasta last time you ate with him, but Aunt May only had a small portion of pasta and ate 2 portions of vegetables and dessert, and little Bobby would only eat a small portion of plain pasta and dessert. Cousin Cindy and her husband are gluten free and allergic to shellfish.
Let’s tackle the allergy first. Although someone with a food allergy should always ask questions and be certain of what they are about to eat, this is not always the case. This means it’s up to the host to do their best not make anyone sick or dead. Since you have two guests that are allergic to shellfish, it would be easiest to not serve shellfish at this dinner. If you need to serve shellfish, make sure that food prep areas, pans, plates, cooking utensils, and your hands are washed thoroughly after dealing with the shellfish and before dealing with or serving the other food. Keep the shellfish far away from the other food and don’t share serving utensils. Warn your guests ahead of time that shellfish will be prepared and served.
Gluten free diets may be due to Celiac Disease or simply to reduce carbs or make the person feel better. Make sure to take note of how you prepare food and what comes into contact with the food so that you can inform your guests of what foods have gluten. Gluten can be transferred from one food to another if you use the same oil to fry or the same water to boil. If you use some packaged foods in your meal, read the labels to see if they have gluten. A good rule to follow, if the package doesn’t say gluten free, it probably is not gluten free. Gluten is present in many places you may not expect, like some spices (to keep them from clumping), and soy sauce. Look for gluten free substitutions online if you come across an ingredient with gluten.
Choosing Your Menu:
Choose your main course and build a menu that goes well with it. Pay attention to menus when you go out to restaurants, and when you eat at other people’s houses. Make mental notes of what foods go well together. Think about what you wished would have been served with that Pot Roast you ate at the last dinner party. This will help you when it’s time to plan your menu.
Think about all the senses when you build a menu. We first eat with our eyes and nose. When the plate looks appetizing and smells good, we start to get hungry. When we start eating, taste and texture become the focus. Choose items that complement one another.
Some things that work well together are sweet with salty (think chocolate with sea salt or glazed ham), sweet with sour, rich/fatty with acidic (think about a juicy greasy cheeseburger with pickles). Also pay attention to colors and textures. Your menu will be more pleasing if it contains a few colors and opposing textures. Try topping soft dishes with a crispy garnish or including something crispy on the side. Examples would be topping your Mac & Cheese with Panko breadcrumbs or adding crispy garlic bread on the side with Lasagna.
Let’s say your main course is glazed ham. How will you prepare it? Will it be in the oven, in a crock pot, in a pressure cooker? You will want to plan your meal so that all your items aren’t using the same appliance. It would be difficult to bake a ham, bake potatoes, and bake a casserole in the same oven at the same temp. Plan your menu so you are using different kitchen appliances or so that they can be staggered.
What will go well with glazed Ham? We know that Uncle John loves his starch and we also know that we have two gluten free eaters and one picky child. This is where a potato or a rice dish will come in handy. Roasted or scalloped potatoes, cheesy potatoes, risotto, pilaf, or creamy polenta/grits are all good options. Perhaps keep a small portion of rice or potatoes aside with just butter for little Bobby.
Next you will want to choose a colorful vegetable to offset the brown/pink ham and the white potato or rice. Maybe Green Beans, Asparagus, Broccoli, or Brussel Sprouts. These vegetables could be steamed or sautéed on the stovetop leaving your oven free for Ham and something else.
You may also want to have rolls or corn bread. Bake these ahead of time and then warm them quickly in the oven when the Ham or potatoes come out of the oven and are resting.
How Much Food to Make:
Protein – I like to plan for 6-8 ounces per person
Starch (as a side dish) – For rice, quinoa, and other similar grains I figure ½ cup of uncooked, per person. Pasta, potatoes, polenta/grits, 4 ounces cooked (about 1 ounce dry) per person.
Vegetables – I use the handful measurement for long veggies like green beans and asparagus, one large handful per person. For peas, carrots, corn off the cob, I plan for about 6 ounces per person.
Rolls – 1 per person (some will eat 2 and some won’t have any).
Pro tip: Think about how much of each food you put on your plate and try to visualize that amount multiplied by the number of people.
Note: If pasta is the main course, plan for 8-12 ounces cooked per person (about 2-4 ounces dry)
Adjust these numbers slightly if you want leftovers or you know that Aunt May is going to eat less starch and more veggies, but Uncle John is likely to have two servings of meat and two of starch. In this case you may want to add one or two extra servings of veggies and one extra serving of starch. Don’t get too hung up on this though, people usually overeat and won’t be left hungry if you run a little short on potatoes because you followed the amounts above without making adjustments. Plus, there’s always dessert.
Six tips on saving time the day of your meal and managing time wisely:
Aside from letting other people bring side dishes or dessert, here’s some tips to help you spend more time with your guests and get everything on the table hot.
Tip 1: Put someone in charge of making drinks so that you aren’t pulled away from visiting and cooking.
Tip 2: Include some easy and pre-made finger foods to set out while dinner is cooking. This will keep your guests occupied and they won’t be starving when dinner is served.
Some good choices are cheese, salami, marinated olives, nuts, Veggies and dip or Hummus, Shrimp cocktail (if no allergies), dips and chips or pretzels.
Simple Hummus plate
Tip 3: Make sauces or gravies and crisp up bread in the oven while your meat rests.
Tip 4: Wash and cut/trim all your veggies and assemble casseroles or multi-ingredient side dishes before your guests arrive. If you are making a cheesy potato or a mac and cheese dish, make it the day before except for baking. Blanch or steam your veggies so they are halfway cooked before your guests arrive or even the day before. Then you can quickly sauté them 10-15 minutes before the other food comes out of the oven. Store all food in refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it. You want everything to be ready to cook when the guests arrive so that you can spend time with them.
Tip 5: Put someone else in charge of slicing the meat so that you can wrap everything up and get it all on the table.
Tip 6: If you are baking dessert, do that ahead of time before guests arrive.
Hopefully following these tips will help you plan and execute your next dinner party smoothly.
This recipe was developed for my food truck business. It’s colorful, healthy, and has a lot of flavor. It is served cold or at room temperature. If you make it ahead of time, wait until you’re ready to serve it before adding the scallions on top because it should be stirred before serving as some of the dressing will settle to the bottom. Enjoy, and be sure to post a photo of your results here or on my Facebook page.
Makes 8-10 servings
1 15-16 ounce can of Black Beans drained & rinsed well
1 cup long grain white or brown rice cooked & cooled to room temp.
1 red bell pepper seeded & small diced
1 green bell pepper or 2 medium large Jalapeno peppers seeded & small diced
1 medium red onion diced small
1/3 cup of chopped scallions, white & green parts separated
Dressing ingredients:
¼ cup of chopped fresh Cilantro or 1 tablespoon of dried
1/3 cup of Olive oil or Avocado oil
2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons of sugar, honey or agave
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of paprika
2 teaspoons of dried granulated garlic or fresh minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together thoroughly, let them sit for 5 minutes and whisk again. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and sweetness. It shouldn’t taste really sweet or really tart, balance with more sugar or more vinegar. Salt will make both of these flavors more pronounced, so adjust that first.
Mix rice, beans, peppers, scallion whites, and red onion together. Add dressing and combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Place into serving bowl and top with scallion greens right before serving.
When the words spinach pie are spoken, many people think of Spanakopita. Spanakopita is the Greek version of spinach pie and probably the most well-known version. Spinach pie can also be found in other forms though, Lebanese spinach pies are small and made with a soft dough, Italian spinach pies are made in pie crust and often contain Ricotta cheese.
I developed my own spinach pie recipe on a rainy day when I wanted something similar to a quiche but with less egg and more spinach and cheese. A couple of pies later, I settled on this recipe. It is one of my husbands’ favorites. I have included information on substitutions, all of which work just fine. I hope you enjoy it and please post photos of your results on the Chef About Food Facebook page.
Chef Kerry’s Spinach Pie (Makes two 9” pies)
1 bag of chopped frozen spinach
1 medium or large yellow onion diced
1 tsp of minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup of crumbled feta, grated Parmesan, grated pecorino, aged Asiago, or any other sharp flavored cheese that’s dry enough to crumble. (If you use something like cheddar or Swiss here, it will be too greasy)
8 slices of Swiss, American, Gouda, or Fontina cheese (Enough to completely cover the bottom of the pie crusts without a lot of overlapping)
4 large eggs
2 Tablespoons milk or half and half (you can use unsweetened unflavored nut milk instead)
2 raw pie crusts (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup shredded or grated cheese of your choice (I prefer a blend Parmesan and Provolone)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and lightly sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. If it starts to get too dark, turn the heat down. Add garlic, red pepper flake, and mushrooms if using, stir and cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, prick pie crusts all over with a fork and place on a sheet pan in the oven for about 7 minutes or until they are very lightly browned but not cooked all the way. Remove from oven and set aside until cool. (You May use pie weights if you have them).
Add spinach to the pan with onions and stir thoroughly, then turn to low and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Check after the 5 minutes to make sure it’s not too dry or sticking. If it’s dry, scrape away all food from the very center of the pan and add another teaspoon or two of oil to the center of the pan. Let the oil heat for about 30 seconds then stir through the spinach mixture. Continue to cook, uncovered, for another 2-3 minutes and then taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, until you can touch with your pinky for 5 seconds and not get burned.
Line the bottom of the pie crusts with one layer of the sliced cheese. Try to cover the whole bottom but not overlap too much. This will help to seal the bottom crust and keep it from becoming soggy.
In a bowl large enough to hold the spinach mixture and the eggs, use a fork to lightly beat the eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper until blended together.
Add the spinach mix and the crumbled feta into the bowl with the eggs and stir well to combine. Divide spinach mixture between the two pie shells and smooth out.
Cook the pies on the sheet pan in a 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until it is set. Check by lightly shaking the pan, if the pies jiggle, they are not done.
When pies are set, remove from oven and set the oven to low broil. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top of both pies and place back in the oven until cheese is melted and browned if desired, 1-3 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY DURING THIS PART. You must watch the pies while under the broiler so they do not burn, this can happen really fast!
Remove pies from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
I was excited when my Family Size air fryer arrived. My dreams of fried food at home without a greasy mess were about to come true. I’ve been a Chef for many years and have enjoyed more than my share of deep-fried love, so why not buy this heaven sent gift to mankind and start frying guilt free at home too! The reviews said so, people talk about how great it is, how healthy it is, just as good as deep-fried food, the best thing since sliced bread, right?! This was totally going to be worth the counter space!
Well, not so much.
I know, I know, there are some people who think deep-fried food is the devil’s food and absolutely love their air fryer for offering them what they feel is an alternative to the evils of deep-frying. To them, I say good for you! I’m happy that you have found something that fills the fried food void in your soul and I’m sure these air fried foods will find their well deserved place next to your Tofu Turkey and Cauliflower mashed “potatoes”. All kidding aside though, and no offense intended, the air fryer is not actually a fryer any more than mashed Cauliflower can be considered mashed potatoes. The food it creates is not fried food, but something entirely different. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it isn’t, much like anything we cook, but it can never be classified as fried food. So let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
What is an air fryer? It is essentially a small convection oven on steroids that heats up and cools down very quickly. What is a convection oven? It is an oven with a fan inside that circulates air around the food while it is cooking. Convection ovens often cook faster than a conventional oven and typically brown food better by drying the outer layer quickly.
The air fryer is small, even though I got one of the biggest out there.Most foods can’t be stacked, so it’s a single layer not touching kind of thing. This means that even though it might say 4 quarts, it really only fits one layer in the surface area available on the bottom of the fry basket. The Exceptions are fries and onion rings that you can pile and have to shake a lot to mix while cooking.
Which brings us to French Fries, the one thing my husband was truly excited about, we were not impressed. They went from soggy to the consistency of potato chips in a flash. Perhaps I need to purchase the type of fries that you bake in the oven, but doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of fried?
Let’s talk about the uniform browning you achieve in just a few short minutes in a deep fryer. This is not a reality for the air fryer. You really must spray your food with oil if you want it to brown. Things like potstickers or dumplings will be the consistency of baked parchment paper if you don’t. Things such as breaded zucchini, coconut shrimp, or chicken will not brown if they are not completely coated in oil. If any portion of these items is missed by the oil spray and remains dry, you’re going to end up with patches of dried out crispy stuff that isn’t really browned. Dumpling type foods and homemade breaded foods were still not worth the time after multiple attempts, the desired texture and browning could not be achieved in the air fryer.
That being said, and the fact that deep-frying is considered a dry cooking method, (I won’t get into the techno reasons now), it’s hard for me to believe that PROPERLY deep-fried food really contains a lot less, or any less, fat than food cooked in the air fryer. Unless of course, you prefer food that is not browned, dry, and papery, and therefore you choose not to spray it completely with oil before air frying.
The exception would be foods that already have fatty exteriors, such as chicken with the skin on or bacon. These items do not need to be sprayed and will crisp up nicely in the air fryer. If you are feeding more than one person though, it will take a long time because you will need to do multiple batches. Which brings us to the next item.
The food I’ve made in the air fryer doesn’t take less time to cook than it would in my oven. The advantage of the air fryer is that you don’t have to pre-heat your oven or heat up your house. The air fryer heats up quickly and doesn’t emit a lot of heat to the outside. So using the air fryer is a good alternative on a hot day when you don’t want to run the oven.
So what else does it do well?
It does a good job of reheating food that has already been fried or food you want to keep crisp or make crispy.
It crisps and reheats fresh bread as if it were made for that purpose. You will likely need to cut your bread to fit in the basket. A couple of minutes in the air fryer and the bread is like fresh baked again. This is its best quality, in my opinion. I now refer to my air fryer as “the bread warmer”.
It is a lot less messy and doesn’t blow oil mist around your kitchen as a deep fryer does.
You don’t have to dispose of cooking oil or deal with straining and storing oil.
It is quiet, heats up and cools down quickly, and doesn’t radiate heat to the rest of your kitchen.
It cleans up fairly easily, although when food gets stuck to the holes in the basket, it requires a little soaking. I recommend buying parchment paper basket liners to make clean up easier.
Homemade Taquitos, Chicken Wings for one, and reheating bread or pizza, are primarily what I do in the air fryer these days.
Bottom line? The air fryer does not cook items faster or better than a deep fryer. The fryer basket surface area is too small to make it practical for family use. The same or better results can be achieved by using your oven. In my opinion, the air fryer is not worth the money or the counter space.
Basket size reference
Air Fryer Rangoon (fully coated with oil before cooking)
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp (fully coated with oil before cooking)
