All I Need Is Love ... But A Little Chocolate Now and Then Doesn't Hurt

My father worked in Manhattan for many years and commuted on the train each day. He would often bring us home special surprises or goodies and my siblings and I thought that anything that came from 'the city' must be very special.

One time he came home with soft pretzels he bought from a street food vendor. Another time I got a 'Thriller-Look-A-Like' red leather jacket that caught his eye, also from a street vendor (ahem). Our most memorable surprise was when Dad walked in the door with a kitten he adopted from a city shelter.

But the treat I always looked forward to most of all was the box of chocolates he would bring home for us on Valentine's Day. We would each get a small, heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates, decorated with frilly lace, red ribbon and pink bows. Mom would always get a larger box, naturally, along with red and white flowers of some kind.

Looking back, I'm sure the chocolates were your standard variety, but to me they tasted as if they were hand made by an artisan chocolatier. Maybe I thought the chocolates tasted better because they had traveled such a long way but I remember the anticipation of untying the ribbon and opening the box. I would excitedly look at each piece , trying to decide which to try first, and then savor each bite slowly, knowing that I had waited all year for them and didn't want them to be gone quickly.

It was a tradition in the making, although I didn't realize it at the time. That's why I was thrilled when, after having children of my own, my husband began bringing home chocolates and flowers for our girls. Even after receiving tons of chocolate at their school Valentine's Day party, they still were most excited about their special hearts that daddy was bringing home.

And they thought it was the best chocolate they had ever eaten ... even if it didn't come on a train.

Kids With FOOD ALLERGIES? Finally, delicious foods that are SAFE TO EAT!

SNACK HAPPIER AND SAFELY ...
WITH DIVVIES!

What's the fun of being a kid if you can't indulge the occassional sweet tooth? But with food allergies on the rise, there are many kids who can't even walk in the door of a bakery or chocolate shop without risking an allergic reaction. Since most common allergens (nuts, eggs, milk) can be found in just about every cookie, cake and candy out there, it's easy to see why.

INTRODUCING, DIVVIES - scrumptious cookies, cupcakes, candy and popcorn made under the strictest conditions. Created by the frustrated parents of a food-allergic child, the company guarantees TWO things: no peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs have ever even entered their facility, and everything they make is delicious enough to share (unlike most safe substitutes out there,) You'll find all the favorites kids love from jelly beans, gumballs and jaw breakers to carmel popcorn, cupcakes and cookies!

Wrapped in stylish blue- and white striped packaging, Divvies are perfect for birthday parties, goody bags and classroom treats, because food shouldn't stop kids from having fun.

Around the Table Gourmet Gift Shoppe now ships Divvies bakery cupcakes anywhere in the continental United States in their special bakery box -- that does double duty. You can decorate your Divvies cupcakes with your color choice of frosting and, by turning over the trays, securely bring them to the party right in the same box. So that means no plates to round up at the end of the party and no cellophane wrap to muck up your decorating.

So let them eat cake! Divvies bakes up the perfect serving size of moist, rich little cakes. And you get to slather them with as much creamy, sweet icing as you want. And, go ahead... dump as many gourmet sprinkles (non-pareils, if you please) on the top. The delight is in the details, and they're completely up to you. With or without food allergies your party-ers will say "wow"! Divvies is Kosher and perfect for all Vegan guests as well.

Divvies has created a way for everyone to get together ... so go ahead and plan your own sweet celebration!

January Is All About Comfort Food

This is the time of year when my nesting gene kicks in and all I want to do it cook. My go-to recipes at this time of year are usually one-pot meals because they save time and energy and are less to clean up afterwards.

Beef Barley Vegetable Soup, Chicken and Stuffing Casserole and Sausage and Rice Bake have been some of my recent favorites, all of which can be eaten out of a deep bowl with a spoon which, in my opinion, adds to the comfort of the dish.

One humbled and beloved comfort food, however, that will never make it to my table is Tuna (gulp) Noodle Casserole. Yes, I love fresh tuna steaks on the grill and I am a tuna on rye girl when I eat at a diner, but put tuna from a can in a thick, creamy sauce ... and serve it HOT? I just can't do it.

I have alot of guilt about banning this concoction from my repitore because, although my children wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot fork, it happens to be one of my husband's favorite foods from his childhood. Perhaps it's just that I haven't found the right recipe for it (in 20 years of marriage), but more likely it's because I find it impossible to cook something I don't enjoy eating myself.

But this is a new year, a fresh start, a new beginning. Maybe this is the year I should put my own negative thoughts of this traditional (shiver) comfort food aside. Maybe I could test a handful of recipes from some well-known cookbook authors. Maybe I could try eating it out at a restaurant where I don't have to see it being prepared. Maybe I could wait until I have a really bad cold to make it so my taste buds won't be on their game.

Maybe I could just call his mother and have her make it for him. That's definitely something I could swallow.

"Hem Your Blessings with Thankfulness So They Don't Unravel" - Author Unknown

Thanksgiving conjures up images of a large beautiful family gathered around the table dressed in their holiday best, smiling while Dad stands at the head of the table carving a perfectly golden turkey on a platter surrounded by grapes and fig leaves, Mom sitting next to him in her flounce apron looking up at him smiling. The children are sitting patiently with their cloth napkin tucked into their collars, waiting to be served, while colorful leaves gently falling from the trees outside can be seeing through a foggy window. Not! That Norman Rockwell scene may be a reality to some but that's not how it played out in my house.

My Dad never carved a turkey a day in his life. That job went joyfully to his brother, my Uncle Joe. He would pull out that electric knife like Arnold Schwarzenegger and take it to that bird in two minutes flat. It was never carved at the table in front of everyone either because for sure the greasy shrapnel would have landed in someone's hair. We always knew when we heard the knife rev up it was time to go to the table.

Mom wasn't an apron kind of girl. She much preferred the dish towel thrown over her shoulder because it did double duty as a pot holder AND a sweat rag. Our little apartment kitchen would get so hot we would have all the windows cranked completely open and we'd still be dying! "Holiday best" didn't mean crisply-starched dress shirts or pretty autumns sweaters, rather it meant short-sleeved cotton tee shirts and plenty of 'em! There were not children in fancy clothes, either. Actually, I always remember each year at least one of us being sick and to this day we still get a chuckle looking back at old pictures and seeing who was in their bathrobe at the table that year.

And who could forget the year Dad was asked to take the bird out of the oven and lost his grip on the disposable aluminum pan it was in, dropping it and spilling turkey grease all over the inside of the oven, setting off the smoke detector for 20 minutes. I'm sure Norman Rockwell's six grandchildren never fled his house covering their ears while running out on the front lawn in the freezing cold because they thought the house was burning down!

Ah, Thanksgiving and all the wonderful memories. Here's hoping your Thanksgiving is full of memories you will carry with you for a lifetime.

A Slice Of Nostalgia

There is nothing that awakens the senses more than the smell of apple pie baking in the oven. It's aromatherapy at its best. We've all had the experience where a particular smell has brought us back to a time and place of memory and the smell of apple pie baking transports me back to when I worked in a small town bake shop. Although famous for their raisin pumpernickel bread, marble cake rings and fancy butter cookies, it was their apple pie that always made me weak in the knees.

As you can imagine, holidays at the bakery were always extremely busy, crazy times. Yet each year at Thanksgiving, when customers were lined up out the door waiting to purchase their holiday goodies, my boss would use one of the ovens to cook the staff a complete thanksgiving dinner - turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, veggies, rolls and ... apple pie. Unfortunately we had to eat it while running back and forth into the back of the shop taking bites in between waiting on customers. But it was well worth it.

By the time the mad rush was over up front, the apple pies had cooled down enough to be eaten and we could actually take a seat on an upside down milk crate to enjoy it ... and enjoy it I did. The filling was warm and silky, perfectly seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg and just a hint of lemon juice. The crust was browned to perfection, flaky and tender - pure heaven.

I have baked alot of apple pies since those days and have yet to come close to the taste of that bakery pie. Perhaps it's just because it's not being thoughtfully served to me after having been awake since dawn or that my feet aren't throbbing as much after eight hours of running around on them.

What I can say about my apple pie is the aroma that fills my kitchen is as wonderful and comforting as that bakery pie, and each time I bake one I am reminded of the years of special times I spent there with good friends. The memories are the experience. Eating the pie is just the bonus.

It's Monday Night, Are You Ready for Some ... SOUP?

While Monday nights in September bring football fans back in front of their TV sets, they bring MY family back to the dinner table. After a summer of flying by the seat of our pants, grabbing dinner out on our way home from the beach or throwing something simple on the grill, the fall months trigger my nesting gene to kick into action and start cooking my brains out.

A family tradition we've had in our family for years is Soup and Panini Night. Every Monday beginning when school starts I make a soup and some kind of specialty grilled sandwich. My family usually puts in their "orders" the night before for their favorites and I can honestly say that they are usually choices that meet everyone's tastes.

But there are always those times when making a homemade soup is not in the cards because of either a busy schedule or just plain old dinnertime exhaustion. It's then that I turn to my "busy mom's pantry" and pull out a slow cooker soup kit. I add a couple of simple ingredients in the morning before heading out the door and we all come home to a house smelling soooo good and a hot, nutritious dinner on the table. I whip up the sandwiches and we're sitting down to eat in no time.

Sadly, my girls always can't tell the difference between the homemade soup I've slaved over to make or the slow cooker soup. A compliment to the soup kit, yes ... but I do still enjoy making the soup recipes that have been family faves for years. My youngest loves Potato Leek while my middle daughter is a Cream of Broccoli fan, and my oldest will always request Minestrone or Chicken Noodle.

Coupled with a mouth-watering grilled sandwich on crusty bread? Oh yeah. Monday night football is way overrated.

CLICK HERE FOR SLOW COOKER SOUP KITS - http://www.aroundthetablechef.com/special-offer.html

Tomatoes, Zucchini and Corn ... Oh My!

This is the time of year where fresh produce is its most abundant in New Jersey. I have enjoyed more than my fair share of zucchini this season due primarily to the good fortune of living next to my friend (and store manager) Kathy, who has the most beautiful and plentiful organic garden.

When she is overgrown with cherry tomatoes, a basket shows up at my back door. When her zucchini are multiplying faster than rabbits, four or five are delivered to me at a pop. And her herb garden always produces enough basil to make pesto for a small country. In my humble opinion, these are jewels - gifts that we receive for only a short time each year and I take full advantage of them.

Pasta with Zucchini in Garlic Aioli, Stuffed Zucchini with White Beans, Zucchini Bread - we're having it every which way. Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil and, of course, famous New Jersey Tomato Sandwiches ... it just doesn't get any better. And least we forget ... sweet Jersey corn! If you've never been lucky enough to have it, just imagine biting into the most incredibly sweetest cob of tiny white kernels SO firm they literally pop in your mouth. Pure bliss.

Yes, I do love this time of year and the bounty it provides us. I don't take it for granted for even a minute. It saddens me that soon we will unfortunately be back to pale, wax-like hot house tomatoes which, in my opinion, are a total insult to the real deal. And zucchini will be the size of pencils and completely tasteless, best used as a garnish at that point as far as I'm concerned.

But usually at that point, a chill starts to fill the air, sweaters come out of the closet and so does my apple peeling machine and deep dish pie pan, along with my pumpkin bread recipes and my soup tureen. Hot cups of afternoon tea and a power nap before school lets out are soon in order, too.

Bring it on.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Regards,
Chris