Last Friday I mentioned how annoying I find the mixture of food and politics. I was talking about kiwi fruit then.

But after thinking about it some more, I should also say that I find the whole anti-French, anti-European political demagoging to be absurd, and at the very least, self-righteous. We Americans come from all cultures, including European ones. We’re mongrels. Inclusive. 

So why the smug sneers when someone eats French food or knows how to speak Chinese or has a father who came from Kenya?

Especially when it comes to food. Lately the anti-French thing has ratcheted up. It would be laughable if it weren’t so dumb.

Are they kidding? Do these people understand how much French culture has given us? Manet. Cezanne. Matisse. Proust and his famous madeleines. Hugo. Voltaire. Debussy. Faure. Halevy.

And so on.

And the food? Have these people ever tried French Onion Soup? Eclairs or Crepes? Cassoulet? Ratatouille? Chocolate Mousse?

Those are just a few of the goodies we know from French cooking.

Not to be sneered at.

I admit it. I learned to speak French in high school and bemoan the fact that I wasn’t very good at it so I can’t speak any anymore and my daughter has teased me about not even remembering how to conjugate “etre” (“to be”).

I also love and admire French food, one of the mother cuisines, one of the best in the world and from which some of the most famous chefs and their famous creations have come.

I wish these politicians would get off this subject. They sound silly and hollow, not to say unfit for any office. 

Here’s a recipe for FRENCH Ratatouille. It’s terrific in the summer when you can use fresh tomatoes, and in the winter it’s terrific too (use canned tomatoes). Good as a main course at a vegetarian meal (add eggs or a whole grain casserole) or as a side dish with meat, poultry or fish. 

Ratatouille

1 medium eggplant, about one pound

2 medium zucchini

salt to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium onions, sliced

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 28-ounce can Italian style tomatoes, including liquid

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1-2 sprigs thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut the eggplant and zucchinis into bite size pieces, place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let rest for 30 minutes, dry with paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper and green pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, basil and thyme. Partially cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings

In case you’re not up on these things, you might want to know that tomorrow (Saturday), January 7th, is National Tempura Day.

YUM. Tempura is good stuff, especially if you can eat it within minutes after the making.

I know it’s soon after the holiday season and everyone’s thinking bad things about fried food. But with Tempura, the batter-dipped ingredients are cut small or thin and they’re fried very quickly in very hot oil. There isn’t much time for the food to absorb the fat, so you don’t actually wind up with too much.

And although Tempura is often made with fish or seafood, it is also a terrific way to have a delicious, filling vegetarian meal. Even the most ardent meat-eaters can’t resist this crispy, hot, vegetables-only dinner.

I’ve made Tempura many times. There are never leftovers. That’s how good this dish is. When I do make Tempura it always brings to mind one of my first cooking memories, not from my childhood but from when I first started cooking in my own apartment as an adult. I decided to make Tempura and didn’t realize that sesame oil, which is used for flavor — like a tiny sprinkle on a piece of fried eggplant for example — is not cooking oil. I heated up a wokful of sesame oil and fried everything in it.

YUK. Each piece felt as if it weighed a ton. I can still taste that heavy, sesame-laden, awful food! Two tastes and we all knew it was inedible. That evening ended up being a restaurant night.

Make sure you use a light, high-smoke point cooking oil (like canola, peanut, soybean or corn oil)! Keep the oil hot and the food sizzling. You’re in for a treat.

Btw, if you wish, you can add a pound of cut up thin filets of white, firm fish (such as sole or flounder) to the recipe.

Vegetarian Tempura:

Batter:

1 large egg

2 cups ice cold water

1-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (measure after sifting)

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch baking soda

Beat the egg and ice water together in a large bowl. Add flour, salt and baking soda and whisk ingredients until well blended.

Vegetables:

1 medium eggplant, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch thick strips

16 snow pea pods

1 medium sweet potato, peeled, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, red or green, stem removed, deseeded, cut into strips

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

all-purpose flour

vegetable oil for deep frying

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a cookie sheet in the oven (if possible place a cake rack inside the cookie sheet). Dredge the eggplant, snow peas, sweet potato, bell pepper and zucchini in the flour and shake off the excess. Heat about 3-inches of vegetable oil in a deep pan (or deep fryer) over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees (a drop of batter will sizzle quickly). Using a few pieces at a time, immerse vegetables in the batter, shake off excess and place the coated vegetables in the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning the pieces, or until the vegetables are lightly tanned and crispy. Place the cooked pieces on the cookie sheet (on top of the rack, if used) to keep them warm. Repeat with remaining vegetables. Makes 6 servings

Need  quickie vegetable for Thanksgiving?

Try roasted asparagus. It’s among the easiest of side dishes you can make. It looks good. Tastes good. You can make it in advance. Serve at room temperature. 

This is one of my go-to fall back dishes whenever I am stuck for an easy, veggie side dish, no matter what the occasion.

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash the asparagus and remove the woody portions at the bottom. Peel if very thick. Coat the asparagus with the olive oil. Place the asparagus on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 6-10 minutes, depending on thickness, or until barely tender. Let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings

You can serve this hot too: sprinkle the just-roasted asparagus with a squirt or two of lemon juice.

You can serve this topped with thin shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Another food fight. This one not about whether or not the word “ethnic,” as in cuisine, is archaic at best, an insult at worst (which I posted about yesterday). This one pits fast food versus healthful food in political combat, the theory being that fast food is for regular folk while “elitists” prefer more healthy eats. I read about it in this article.

The argument has been going on for a while. Remember when President Obama was criticized for eating arugula? As if there was something wrong with eating arugula and that he could only be “regular” if he ate a fast-food burger and fries?

And how about the criticism of Michelle Obama, whose childhood obesity task force asks restaurants to “consider” healthy choices and portion size. Mark Levin, a right-wing commentator calls the First Lady a food Nazi for her efforts. Here’s what he said:

“How the hell did we become a nation of people where we need the first lady of the United States to assume responsibility for telling us how much our children can eat and how much restaurants’ food portions should be?”

Well no one is actually assuming responsibility, and no one is telling anyone how much our children can eat, so it seems that even making the suggestion that we consider healthy choices for (at the very least, our children) is somehow elitist and tyrannical. (Anyway that’s what the jerks and cranks think.)

The latest round came when Anthony Bourdain, no stranger to controversy, criticized Paula Deen, saying that she might think twice about telling her audience that the style of food she cooks is okay. And she countered that not everyone can afford an expensive prime rib of beef and that she cooks “for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying their bills.” (In case you aren’t familiar with her recipes, let’s just mention the famous doughnut burger: 1/2 pound beef burger with fried eggs and bacon on a glazed doughnut.)

Notice, she didn’t say her food was healthy. Just that it was somehow more people-friendly and affordable.

So what it boils down to is that some people will call you an elitist if you care enough about the health of your families and the nation to point out that a steady diet of supersize portions of deep-fried chicken, burgers, french fries, doughnuts and soda might not be such a good thing.

As a matter of fact, I love fried chicken, burgers, fries and doughnuts. And a big thick steak. My Mom’s fried chicken recipes was a wonder and when people ask me what I would choose if I had to pick my “last meal,” I include that fried chicken. With fried onion rings and french fries. And apple pie and peanut butter cookies and a huge bowl of BUTTERED popcorn. 

But knowing that these foods can be unhealthy if you eat too much of them on a regular basis doesn’t make me an elitist. And those who cook and eat that kind of food all the time aren’t more “regular” or better than I am. 

Frankly, I think the opposite. As Bourdain says, 

 ”This notion that there’s red state food and blue state food, or rich food and poor food is offensive and elitist in ways I could never be.”

Some of the best foods — and healthiest — and cheapest — are the ones concocted by the poor to nourish their families. So the notion that eating unhealthy high-fat, sugar-laden food is somehow cheaper and folksier is just nonsense.

Take this Bean and Pasta Soup. It’s a world-class, “regular folks” inexpensive dish. It’s full of vegetables and beans. It doesn’t take long to cook either and you can double up on the recipe and serve it again a few days later. Have it with a hunk of fresh bread. Add some leftover chopped meat or chicken if you wish. You’ll find it’s good to eat, tasty, healthy and cheaper than a burger with fries and soda.

And by the way, the elitists who think I (and people like me) am an elitist for thinking about whether food is healthy may scoff at the notion of Bean and Pasta Soup. So just tell them it’s really Pasta Fagiole, which gives it more of an authentic ethnic ring and may therefore make it more acceptable.

Bean and Pasta Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2-inch thick

28-ounce can tomatoes, undrained

4 cups vegetable stock

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup small tubular pasta (elbows, ditalini, etc.)

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, including liquid

1 cup frozen peas

grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the tomatoes (break them up somewhat with the back of a wooden spoon), stock, basil, parsley and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the beans and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve the soup sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings

I love Andrew Weil. His advice, positive outlook and sunny disposition are unrivaled.

I learned about Ginger Tea from him: peel and slice some fresh ginger, steep it with some honey in boiling water and you get a homey, tasty, soothing and comforting brew. I make it frequently (now without the honey. It isn’t necessary). 

But he just wrote something on his blog that makes him even more lovable. Basically, what he says is that pistachio nuts are a good snack because they can help people control their weight.

YAY!

I order pistachio nuts by the 5-pound bag. I eat some of these nuts EVERY day. I have ALWAYS loved pistachio nuts, ever since I was a little girl and the only kind available then were the red dyed ones that made my fingers mottled and streaky, as if I had a rash. 

Now I buy the natural, un-dyed ones. Turkish pistachios, which, sorry to say, are infinitely better than the Californias.

One point Weil made, that I always knew, is that because it takes some time to get the nut out of the shell, you actually eat less of them than some other goodies and that makes another reason they’re suitable for healthy snacking.

One point he didn’t make is that pistachio nuts are not only good for snacking, they add delicious flavor and a satisfying crunch to food. Like this bulgur wheat casserole, which can be an entree or side dish.

Bulgur Wheat with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6-8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 cup bulgur wheat

2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts

2 tablespoons choppd fresh parsley

pinch of cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the bulgur and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the stock and add the salt, pepper, herb and apricots. Stir, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the pistachios, parsley and cinnamon or lemon peel. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6-8 servings

I’m down to the last of the end-of-summer tomatoes. Not my own of course. The deer population wiped me out too many years in a row, so I never plant vegetables anymore. I rely on the local farmer’s market and friends who are either more persistent or don’t live in the same neighborhood as the deer do.

With my last precious few tomatoes (unless I can get some this week) I’m making Panzanella, a homemade tomato soup. It’s actually bread with tomato soup, and is very thick, almost salad-like. Also filling.

There’s a cheese-free version of this recipe in my book, Hip Kosher, but sometimes I serve it chock full of freshly grated Parmesan cheese along with some fresh basil, also from the garden. It’s hearty and filling. Great before a grilled fish or vegetarian dinner.

Bread and Tomato Soup with Cheese

10 ounce ciabatta, Tuscan or other crusty day-old bread

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 large beefsteak tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

6 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Toast the bread lightly or bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 4-6 minutes or until firm and lightly crispy. Cut the bread into pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the bread and toss the pieces around the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing the ingredients frequently. Add the basil and stock. Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top, stir and serve topped with more Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 4-6 servings

Holiday weekends at my house remind me of two things: Tel Aviv Airport, with its zillions of people trying to get through security, which takes about 3 hours, and a scene from the movie The Godfather where Connie, crying her eyes out, calls her mother, who holds a baby on her hip while she stirs a pot of sauce and people are talking and kids are screaming and no one can hear anything. 

But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a balagon, to be sure, but worth everything because I get to see my kids and grandkids and despite the noise (when you get older you forget that children up to a certain age cry at least once a day) and the mess and the unbelievable amount of fruit we go through, I love every fatiguing minute of it and look forward to the next one.

When that many people come to the house (we are 6 adults and 4 children ages 14 months through age 10), you have to keep the food simple. So we do. We’ve managed to work out the kinds of stuff we like to eat over the years although we have some differences among us. But we all like Spinach Pie and Grand Finale Cookies (both from my book, Hip Kosher) and salads, depending on the season. We had end-of-summer tomato salad during the Labor Day weekend (tomatoes, basil, avocado, lime juice and olive oil) and corn on the cob and grilled stuff. 

We also like salads made with whole grains. My daughter Gillian recently suggested that I experiment with oat groats, so I made this salad, which seemed to go over well and was really easy to cook. You can make the dish with any cooked whole grain. I consider oats somewhat sweeter than, say, farro or bulgur, so I liked the idea of including carrots and raisins, which are on the sweet side.

Don’t pay attention to the package instructions for cooking the groats. Most instructions for whole grains call for too much water and too much time, which make the grains mushy.  

Oat Groats Salad with Carrots and Raisins

1 cup oat groats

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

3-4 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, optional

3 tablespoons olive oil;

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the oat groats in a saucepan, cover with 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 35 minutes or until the groats are tender but still a bit chewy. If there is any remaining water, strain the groats to discard the water. Spoon the groats into a bowl. Cook the carrots for 3-5 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain and add to the groats. Add the scallions, raisins and herb, if used and stir the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss ingredients and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings

OH! for those end-of-summer tomatoes and the glory days of bygone Augusts when my big worry was what to do with the enormous bounty in my garden. Those days are gone. :(

But back then we ate a lot of tomatoes out of hand, like summer peaches. Fresh-from-the-vine. They didn’t need salt or basil or olive oil. They were so memorably sweet, juicy and wonderful that even my daughter Meredith, who was, at the age of 3 or 4 or so, what we mothers call a “fussy eater,” asked for them as a snack.

But then came the building boom in my hometown, with all the usual consequences. The deer, who once lived in the forests, had fewer places to run and live. So they decided to live near me because we still had some woods at the back of our house.

They found my tomatoes and ate them. And all the tomato flowers that never grew into tomatoes. And tomato plant stems. They ate it all.

I tried again, for two more years. Those deer were smart. You gotta love a fresh tomato off the stalk! And frankly, when I looked out the window and saw them nibbling I couldn’t be angry at them anymore. Deer are beautiful and of course, they need some food too. 

These days I buy end-of-summer tomatoes by the bucket at the farmer’s market. I don’t worry about what to do with them. We still eat most of them plain or sliced as a sandwich (Tuscan bread or firm white bread and mayo). But also as a salad and if there’s enough I make fresh sauce for pasta. And soup. Yesterday I made these stuffed tomatoes. They are just wonderfully sweet and tender and make a good side dish especially for grilled or roasted fish or as part of a vegetarian dinner.

Roasted Tomatoes with Cheese

4 large beefsteak tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the flesh and seeds, chop the flesh coarsely and place the tomato insides in a bowl. Brush the surfaces of the tomatoes with some of the olive oil. To the bowl with the tomato flesh add the bread crumbs, cheese, basil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix ingredients to distribute them evenly. Stir in the remaining olive oil and mix thoroughly. Spoon the stuffing inside the tomatoes. Place the filled tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown. Makes 4 servings