Compiled by Efraim Harari (Mesorah Publications, Ltd./Artscroll)

With shows like Master Chef, Jr. and other youthful cooking competitions becoming so popular, a question arises that often does at this time of year- What’s a Jewish kid to do? For just as many of us are surrounded by mistletoe and Yule logs come December (not to mention that music- Oy! Irving Berlin, take us away!), so too are many peppered by “kids” cookbooks that are laden with lard and other treyf.

Fortunately, a new option has emerged that not only includes kid-friendly recipes (that are conveniently ordered according to complexity- from “Eazy Shmeezy” to “Junior Chef”) but also offers relevant halachosand other satisfying side notes. From the importance of washing hands before cooking to the importance of saying berachos,this kosher kid cookbook has illustrated recipes for everything from banana mocha muffins and Teddy bear toast to stuffed shells, easy chili, one-step lasagna and apple pie. In addition to the recipes and Rabbinic messages, the book also includes kitchen safety tips, a handy guide to common cooking terms and utensils, and even some foodie-friendly jokes!

So the next time your favorite child feels like the only observant chef around, introduce him to Chef Shiri and al the wonders of Hashem’s creativity.

• Matt Robinson

In Incan culture, a tambo was supply and lodging facility conveniently located along busy thoroughfares that were run by locals.

In Chelsea, Tambo 22 is a well-stocked authentic Peruvian restaurant t that is capably manned by Chef Jose Duarte (Taranta) and his talented sidekick Brian Corcoran. Though it is alongside and nearly overpassed by routes 1 and 16, the rich smells alone should be enough to pull you off your route, and when you come inside 9r take a socially-distanced seat in what will hopefully soon again be their parking lot, you are sure to want to stay a while and enjoy!

As you take in the tropical flowers and fresh herbs that encircle the outdoor dining area, upscale Peruvian music wafts along the clouds of aromas that quickly start your mouth watering. To slake the thirst for what is to come, a frothily fresh Peruvian Pisco sour (with or without fresh fruits) or Tambo’s Pisco-swirled sangria are great choices. For those who wish to start with something non-alcoholic, the hand-crafted purple-corn-based chicha moradaor handmade guava and passion fruit soda s are fresh and fun as well. Tambo22 also offers South American and Spanish wines and beers from MA, Me, and Peru.

To start your stomach going, try the daily ceviche or the always fresh and zippy ceviche de tarwi, made with Andean Lupini beans and vegetarian leche de tigre(tiger’s milk). Another authentic favorite is the anticuchos de carne– grilled beef skewers with panca pepper and cumin and a uchucutasauce that grabs you by the salivary glands and makes you beg for more! For a fun twist on a traditional treat, the well-named better than Buffalo wings withaji amarillo(yellow pepper) and Peruvianrocotphot sauce are a sure-FIRE hit. If salad is your thing, Chefs Duarte and Corcoran have crafted another creative take that features hearts of palm, acai vinaigrette and shaved Brazil nuts, as well as a simpler mixed greens topped with guava (both of which can be additionally crowned with salmon).

Speaking of salmon, the main version with raw sugar cane glaze atop fried yucca and topped with pickled cabbage is a well-balanced and beautifully-presented plate, as are the northern Peruvian lamb shank with cilantro and chicha de jJora (corn beer). If the outside air is cool or if you really want to fill up, the super-hearty pulled chicken with creamy Peruvian pepper sauce, olive-roasted pecans, and a “perfect” egg is pretty close to perfect altogether!  The folks at the next table also seemed to love digging into a Tamburguesa(Tambo22’s truly signature burger) made from alpaca and short rib meat topped with huacatay aji(black mint) and Gouda.

{Ed note: As I write this, my mouth is watering again!)

While Chelsea may be facing more than its share of Covid woes, it is good to know that a local chef has set up a true Tambo at which neighbors from near and far can gather to eat and commune (albeit at a distance) and prepare for the journey ahead.  Make sure your journey also includes a stop (or two) at Tambo22!

https://tambo22chelsea.com

– Matt Robinson

As Oscar Wilde once opined, “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody.” Such is the premise behind former Ohio Senator Capri Cafaro’s debut book – United We Eat: 50 great American dishes to bring us ALL together.

Instead of offering a list of favorite foods from either side of the aisle (remember when politics amounted to peanuts v. jelly beans?) the political commentator and talented chef has reached across the aisle and into almost every grocery store aisle to compile a clever collection of Congressional cookery that highlights favorite flavors that can appeal to almost all Americans. From gubernatorial grub like New Mexico’s Susana Martinez’s working woman’s posole(gender emphasis included) and Wyoming’s Mark Gordon’s sourdough bread (an especially popular pick during these challenging times) to national committee cooks like Michael Steele’s Smith Island cake and Donna Brazile’s authentic Louisiana gumbo to presidential candidate favorites like MN Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Taconic tater tot hotdish and Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s Hoosier pie, to a representative roundup of recipes that includes RI Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s pasta e fagioli (you were expecting maybe corned beef and cabbage?),  NY’s Alfonse D’Amato’s lasagna (a recipe that apparently came from his mother, no less!), Mike Huckabee’s Arkansas pork butt (no comment), and Florida Rep. Donna Shalala’s tabbouleh a la Shalala (which just HAS to be healthy, considering the chef’s former role!), the book has flavors from all 50 states and many of their revered representatives. There is even a “bi-partisan” meatloaf that has been donated by a senator (at least at the time this was published) from Maine and former Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s favorite grilled burger recipe. And, unlike in Congress, even the District of Columbia gets equal representation with a baked chicken wings recipe with Mumbo (but no Jumbo) sauce.

So if you are feeling shut in and want to explore at leas the flavors of the other 49 states or if you want to see which party would have the best dinner party, be sure to vote early and often for this great American cookbook!

www.story-farm.com

– Matt Robinson 

It’s summer in America. And yet… 

Where are the fireworks? 

Where are the baseball games? 

Where are the friend Twinkies?!

Though the esplanades, parks, and even fairgrounds may be closed, diehard fans of great American pastimes can get their fill of at last one part of an All-American Summer- and do so without ANY health risks!

In his new book, Fair Foods: The most popular and offbeat recipes from America’s state and county fairs, Cheesecake Bibleauthor George Geary goes WAY beyond the realm of his previous book to offer a compendium of classic carnival cakes, party portions, and festival foods. From fare faves like the caramel kettle corn, “grande” nachos (which can be sized according to the number of eaters and their apettites), and the potentially oxymoronic (but always delicious) “All-American” French Fries to the more outlandish offerings like bacon-wrapped potatoes (sorry- “taters”) with buttermilk dill sauce, maple bacon donuts, and ten-pound cheese buns, the award-winning chef, food educator teaches everyone about how to make some of their fair faves and even branch out into unknown gustatory galaxies, including (of course) an entire section on deep-fried foods that includes such drippy delights as candy bars, cola, and even butter (stick optional for those of you from MN). And these are just the warm-ups! For the “main event,” Geary rattles off recipes for Coney Island chili dogs, coconut-macadamia-crusted shrimp with honey pepper sauce, the deadly doubles of cheeseburger donuts and PB&J cheeseburgers, and the ever-popular BBQ turkey leg. No matter which food(s) you choose to make, what better to wash it all down with than a tall, cool glass of 1890’s lemonade (or “Adult” lemonade, a favorite of many fair fans who partake of the fairs with their families in tow).

And then (if you are still reading and not passed out just from looking at the amazing and authentic images of all the great fare fair), there is dessert! In this final section, Geary again runs the gamut from All-American apple pie (a patriotic summer staple even if you are not at the fair) and funnel cakes to make-at-home snow cones, the world’s gooiest cinnamon rolls, and, in a final proof that the bacon thing is still alive and well, even though some of its fans are not, chocolate-encased (not just covered, mind you!) bacon.

So while we all may miss the heat, crowds, noise, and costs of a realcounty fair (Wait a minute-), Geary’s latest gets us as close as we can without needing to park, pay, or puke (at least not in public).

Thanks for a great taste of summer, George!

(www.santamonicapress.com)