Roasted baby potatoes — a tasty and simple-to-make side dish

Roasted potatoes are a simple but flavorful side dish perfect for summer grilling, or making indoors if you don’t have an outside kitchen.

This simple potato recipe provides a fun summer side dish.

I found a simple Rachel Ray recipe that uses rosemary as its principle spice. I started with a mixture of baby Yukon gold and baby red potatoes. If you’re watching your sugar, red potatoes are better for you. Cut the potatoes in half and put them on a cookie sheet or whatever you use for outdoor cooking. Continue reading “Roasted baby potatoes — a tasty and simple-to-make side dish” →

June 9, 2015 1

Happy Birthday to me!

I turn 62 today and I’m back in the city of my birth. A few years ago, just before having an angioplasty performed in August 2012, I didn’t think I’d see my 62nd birthday, or even my 61st. Even in the year after the surgery, I expected a heart attack every day. It’s amazing to me I’m still here.

My New York, Luna Park apartments at Coney Island.

What’s even more amazing is to be in New York City for this birthday. New York is the land of bad food, all the foods I grew up loving — New York pizza, pastrami, cheesecake, Italian pastry, sausage and onions, giant plates of spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, Nathan’s hot dogs, Drake’s cakes, Carvel…the list goes on and on. Continue reading →

June 4, 2015 5

Hate Big Food Companies? They’re getting the message

I’ve written before that food companies will make whatever they think they can sell. These days, that means increasingly re-examining long-time processed food products which fewer and fewer people want. Advertising Age recently ran a fascinating, in-depth look at the upheaval changing American tastes and perceptions about health are having on the food business.

Big food and beverage brands are going through major upheavals as consumer tastes radically change today,

Read the article in its entirety, it’s worth your time. It covers Kraft, Pepsi, Kashi and the problems being owned by Kellogg present it, Campbell’s Soup, Heinz…it’s an extensive piece.

What I think is most interesting about what’s happening is the impact of a changing food retail landscape on food processors. The article gets into this too, noting that more retailers are offering more prepared foods in-store, meaning they aren’t relying on the big brands to make them bucks as much as they once did. Food retailers are consolidating too in the face of Wal-Mart becoming a food-retailing behemoth. Continue reading “Hate Big Food Companies? They’re getting the message” →

June 3, 2015 1

Who sells America’s saltiest fast foods?

I’ve written before that fast food is loaded with salt, you might as well go to a salt mine and start licking the walls as eat anything at McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and even Subway which positions itself as healthier but still has much too much salt in its offerings.

Subway's spicy Italian, avoid it like a salt plague! — Subway’s spicy Italian, avoid it like a salt plague!

So I wasn’t surprised by this latest list of America’s saltiest foods compiled by TheDailyMeal.com and reported by Fox News, among others. Continue reading “Who sells America’s saltiest fast foods?” →

June 2, 2015 1

Grilled clams — gotta love ’em; here’s a recipe idea

Bon Appetit magazine often has very complex recipes that give me a headache. But this one it posted recently for grilled clams is as simple as it gets.

Grilling clams and mussels, I can't wait. — Grilling clams and mussels, I can’t wait.

Simply put the clams on a grill until they pop open, about 3-5 minutes, and they’re done! The only person to leave a comment for this post joked about it not really being a recipe at all, which of course it’s not, it’s just a prep suggestions. But I like the idea and plan to try it.

I’m thinking instead of putting them directly on the grill, I’ll put them in a shallow baking dish with some white wine for flavoring. Perhaps I’ll mix in some Italian spices as well. Clams are a favorite of mine and these days we supposedly don’t need to worry about the cholesterol in shell fish anymore.

Bon Appetit does have an accompanying recipe for Grilled Clams With Aleppo Pepper, Tumeric, And Lime Butter. Rather than butter, I would try some lime or lemon-infused olive oil to substitute a good fat for a bad one.

If you have other clam recipes, let me know.
John

June 1, 2015 1