Got kids? Got kids who should learn to eat better—while having fun?

Take the family to the Kids Food Fest, Saturday and Sunday August 26th and 27th.

The Kids Food Fest is a celebration to educate families about making balanced food choices—choices everyone needs to create wholesome, lifelong eating habits. (Parents: You, too can learn a lot here.)

Festivities include hands-on cooking classes in collaboration with the James Beard Foundation, the Balanced Plate Scavenger Hunt, family-friendly entertainment and activities, and more!

There’s no charge for general admission, although hands-on classes require tickets that can be purchased at the event.

This Kids Food Fest is held in its most beautiful space yet: Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, known worldwide for its exciting architecture (we personally call it New York’s complement to the Bird’s Nest Stadium built for the Beijing Olympics).

If you haven’t yet been to the Oculus, you’ll love the soaring bird architecture (photo #1) and the internal beauty of the light-filled, climate-controlled halls (photo #2). [That it cost $3.74 billion dollars might make you want to become more politically active, and insist that proven business people manage government projects.]

The Oculus is easy to get to: Just take the A, C, J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Fulton Street (directions).

You’re also close to these downtown destinations, including The National September 11 Memorial & Museum and 15 other museums.

The Kids Food Fest will be inside the Oculus transportation hub in New York City | World Trade Center (photos courtesy Port Authority Of New York & New Jersey).

Aside from the fruit pies and trays of brownies, what we most looked forward to was her potato salad.

It was so much better than anybody else’s mother’s, which was more like deli potato salad: potatoes and mayo, maybe a few shreds of carrot. Period.

Not our mom. Gifted with a super-palate and member of a family of competitive (with each other) cooks, her potato salad consisted of:

We could care less about the steak, chicken, burger or whatever: We just wanted a big plate of potato salad, a big plate of fruit salad (berries, melon balls and stone fruits, presented in a carved out watermelon), glasses of her fruit punch and all those desserts.

(Alas, these remain our preferences. Keep the steak: Got sugar?)

Over the years we’ve tried to improve on Mom’s recipe:

 
And we look for inspiring recipes from other cooks, such as today’s two recipes.

The first is a rustic Italian potato salad side dish; the second is an elegant first course.
 
 
RECIPE #1: HEALTHIER POTATO SALAD

This recipe from Ciao Florentina uses a healthier olive oil dressing, veggies, and some additional ingredients that add not just flavor, but charm.

Fiorentina says this is an Italian-style potato salad recipe, “made with colorful red and purple heirloom potatoes, fresh herbs and spring green peas, then tossed in a lovely light and zesty vinaigrette.”

“To make a meal of things,” says Fiorentina, “feel free to add some toasted pine nuts or fresh radishes sliced paper thin, like I did. I also sprinkled the entire salad with a handful of green pea shoots in season; [at other times] I’ll go for pretty microgreens.”

[1] Healthy and beautiful potato salad from Ciao Fiorentina (photo © Ciao Fiorentina).

[2] Chopped pea shoots (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Mixed-color new potatoes (also called creamer potatoes; photo © Poplar Bluff Organics).

Download her free e-cookbooks and subscribe to her “recipe and inspiration” list here.
 
Ingredients For 4 Side Servings

 
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*If fresh peas aren’t in season, substitute frozen peas; substitute microgreens for the pea shoots.
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Preparation

1. RINSE and cut the potatoes into rustic (thick) slices or wedges. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and simmer until tender but still al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to dry in their own steam for a few minutes. While the potatoes are cooking…

2. STEAM the green peas for 3 to 4 minutes until al dente. Meanwhile…

3. WHISK together the olive oil, lemon juice and most of the herbs in a large bowl. Season to taste with sea salt. Add the potatoes and peas to the bowl with the dressing, and gently toss to coat. Allow the potatoes to sit in the dressing for about 10 minutes to absorb all the flavors.

4. TASTE and adjust the seasonings to taste with more sea salt. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs, pea shoots and scallions. Optional to sprinkle with some grape tomatoes and radish slices.

[4] Potato salad as an elegant first course, from Idaho Potato Commission.

[5] Blue Peruvian potatoes. Depending on the strain and the soil where grown, they will be purple instead. Note, however, that blue potatoes often cook up the same purple color as purple potatoes (photo courtesy Burpee).

This recipe, developed by Chef Giuseppe Tentori of GT Prime and GT Fish & Oyster in Chicago, came to us via the Idaho Potato Commission, is called tabouli.

Here’s some history for those of us who think of tabouli (tabbouleh) as a salad of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil:

The tabouli cracked wheat salad originated in the Levant, a historical area in the Middle East that included parts of the modern countries of Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey. The term was first used in the 15th century.

The Levantine Arabic word tabbule is derived from the Arabic word tabil, meaning “seasoning”; or more literally, “dip.” While the word came to define tabbouleh, the cracked wheat salad, Chef Tentori used it to define the small dice of ingredients that comprise his dish.

At a fine restaurant, it sounds better than “potato salad.” (And technically, potatoes are indigenous to Peru, discovered by Spanish explorers. There were no blue potatoes—or likely other potatoes—in the Levant.)
 
Ingredients For 6 Servings

†We found that we wanted some seasoning in the cucumbers. We mixed them with fresh dill. You could also toss them with dill seed, garlic powder or the zest of the lemons.

‡This is a specialty item available from produce suppliers to chefs. If you can’t find them, use your spiralizer to create a mound of cucumber on top. Alternatively, thinly slice and marinate cucumbers in vinaigrette for an hour or more; then drain to use as a garnish.
 
Preparation

1. BRING salted water to a boil in a medium pan. Add the red-wine vinegar and then the diced potatoes. Cook until just al dente. Shock the potatoes in an ice bath. Drain well and pat dry.

2. COMBINE the potatoes, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl. Toss gently to combine.

3. PLACE a 4-inch ring mold in the center of each plate. Pack the potato mixture firmly into each ring mold; reserve the extra vinaigrette in bowl. Spread the chopped cucumber on top. Carefully remove the ring molds. Top the tabouli with a mini cucumber or two.

4. GARNISH the plate with the feta cheese and Asian greens. Drizzle the greens with the remaining vinaigrette.
 
 
POTATO LOVERS: Idaho Potato Commission has more potato recipes than the most avid potato lover could make in a year.

A gluten-free recommendation from Georgi Page-Smith, who reports on GF products for THE NIBBLE.

One of the perks of my gluten-free lifestyle is the license I give myself to eat limitless quantities of cheese.

Years ago I indulged my cheese cravings with perhaps the best cheese crackers ever to exist (including Cheez-Its): Gluten Free Cheddar Snackers, by The Grainless Baker.

These crackers were unabashedly rich and cheesy, with just the right melt-in-your-mouth crumb. I purchased them in bulk from a local store until they were discontinued by the store; then I stalked them online.

One day in 2011 the crackers disappeared completely. I searched, I Googled…and I found the Grainless Baker website. It said that the company had recently joined forces with The Gluten Free Food Group and would be replacing their old products with a new gluten-free product line under a new brand name, Three Bakers.

I joined their Facebook community and waited to hear about the rollout. I think I even wrote a sad note “beg-couraging” them to not change their Cheddar Snackers formula. And then I cold-stored the information in a mental box with other sad things and doubled-down on my brie consumption.

Recently, however, these crackers drifted into my mind again and I went to check their Facebook page for an update. The page was defunct and a cheerful selection of Snackers were now available from the Three Bakers website!

I swung into action and within days, four bags of Snackers—Cheddar, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Honey Graham flavors—arrived at my doorstep. That was Friday. As of this Sunday’s writing there is about one-quarter of one of the bags left. They were that good.

Four Flavors, Cheesy Or Sweet

The Cheddar Snackers, though not as intense and decadent an experience as the originals, are incredibly good. The flavor is authentic tangy-and-toasty cheese, and they are quite light, delivering more flavor than you would expect in such a small package. The only downside on these was the texture, which was slightly more brittle than the other Snackers.

Use them as dippers, as croutons on salad or chili (photo #1), in a crust for apple pie or pot pie, as a garnish on mac and cheese, or as a snack with apple wedges.

The Chocolate Chip Snackers, with only 4 grams of sugar and 90 calories per 1 ounce serving, were simply scrumptious, with a gently dissolving crumb that quickly delivers the flavor to every part of your mouth. Best of all they are not too sweet, with no cloying aftertaste!

[2] Time for dessert: chocolate chip snackers with ice cream (photo courtesy Gluten Free Palate.

[3] Just plain snacking (photo courtesy Gluten Free Palate).

The Honey Graham Snackers deliver a very tasty, roasty flavor— again, with a gorgeous texture. These would also be fantastic on an ice cream sundae (photo #2), or crushed up to use in a crust. I was also impressed with the low sugar level, at 1 gram per 1 ounce serving, it made it that much easier to eat the whole bag.

All Three Bakers’ Snackers are Ccrtified gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and are made with non-GMO ingredients. The whole grains provide a source of fiber and the low sugar and salt mean that you can feel good about serving them to kids.

Three Bakers also produces gluten-free breads, buns, pizzas and more. The products are available across the country; here’s a store locator.

For more information head to ThreeBakers.com.

—Georgi Page-Smith
  

[1] Faludeh with a sour cherry topping at The Persian Fusion.

[2] A squeeze of fresh lime juice blances the sweetness of the sobet (photo courtesy Tishineh, a site for Irani tourism).

[3] A “sundae” of faludeh combined with saffron ice cream (bastani in Arabic; photo courtesy Fun Love And Cooking). The combination of flavors is called makhloot.

[4] An elegant update. Here’s the recipe from Tasting Table.

We couldn’t believe how good it was—as is everything at Mashti Malone. Transliterated from the Arabic, you may also see it spelled faludeh or faloodeh, and also falude or palude.

A sidebar: The Mashti Malone ice cream shop is owned by Mashti and Mehdi Shirvani, two brothers from the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. In 1980, Mashti bought an ice cream shop called Mugsy Malone on the corner of La Brea and Sunset in Hollywood. Because he had little money left over for a new sign, he simply replaced “Mugsy” with “Mashti,” and a legend was born.

The recipe to make your own faludeh is below, as is the history of faludeh.
 
 
WHAT IS FALUDEH

Faludeh is one of the earliest known frozen desserts; it has been dated to ca. 400 B.C.E. in Persia. Flavored with rose syrup, which also delivers a flowery scent, it’s a cross between shaved ice or granita, and sorbet.

Raw angel hair or vermicelli noodles, made from rice starch or cornflour and water, are mixed in. The result: a unique frozen dessert and sensory eating experience.

We’ve had Asian and Middle Eastern ice cream flavors before, but the rosewater sorbet is a truly refreshing experience. The sorbet melts on the tongue, leaving the al dente rice starch noodles to crunch.

Unusual as it may sound, the noodles provides are so delightful that you may try adding them to other granita and sorbet flavors.

In its region of origin, it is a favorite dessert and party food.

 
Mashti Malone also makes saffron ice cream, and it is divine. Field trip, anyone?
 
 
MAKING FALUDEH

We tried a few different recipes in preparation for this article. The recipe below is a hybrid, taking what has worked for us to attain the best flavor with the simplest technique.

Serve it in a bowl, on a plate, in a coupe or Martini glass.

These days, faludeh can easily be made into granita; but we think that churning it into a smooth sorbet makes it even more magnificent.

The rose water and rose syrup purchased for the occasion also are delicious enhancements to vanilla ice cream.

In addition to refreshing yourself in the heat of the summer, also make faludeh on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. It is, in essence, edible roses.
 

This recipe is granita-style, for those who don’t have an ice cream maker.

If for some reason you don’t want to use noodles, you can substitute pistachio nuts or just enjoy the rose granita plain.

If you’re a kitchen over-achiever, here are recipes to make your own rice starch noodles and cherry syrup.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water. Set aside and let the syrup cool completely.

2. PLACE the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand until soft, about five minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cut or tear noodles into two-inch pieces. Next time, if wish, you can try longer noodles. When softened, drain.

3. PLACE the noodles and syrup in a shallow pan or metal ice cube tray (anything that works for granita) and place it in the freezer for an hour. Then remove it, stir it with a fork and return to the freezer for another hour.

4. RAKE the granita with a fork, and return to the freezer until the desired consistency is reached, about one to three hours. To serve…

5. RAKE with a fork (like granita), and scoop the faludeh into bowls. Garnish as desired and serve with fresh lime juice or lime wedges.

Faludeh is originally from Shiraz in southwestern Persia/Iran, known as the city of poets, literature, wine, and flowers. The dessert is is also known as Shirazi Paludeh.

Faludeh is one of the earliest forms of frozen desserts, with references found as early as 400 B.C.E.. At that time, ice was brought down from the mountains and stored in tall refrigerated buildings called yakhchals, which were kept cool by windcatchers.

The recipe for faludeh was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period, the 16th to 18th centuries. Their cooks adapted it into a cold dessert beverage called falooda.
 
 
The History Of Sorbet

A brief history of ice cream and its predecessor, frozen fruit juice (sorbet), begins around 2000 B.C.E. Around 4,000 years ago, the Chinese elite enjoyed a frozen dessert. The earliest may have been a frozen syrup, mixed with overcooked rice and spices, and packed in snow to harden.

Later, a mixture of snow and saltpeter was poured over the exteriors of containers filled with syrup. In the same way that salt raises the boiling point of water, it lowers the freezing point to below zero.

Fruit ices were also developed, prepared with fruit juices, honey, and aromatic spices. Through trade routes, frozen desserts were introduced to the Persians about 2,500 years ago.

(The Persian Empire includes the countries now known as Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and portions of western China and northern Iraq.)

The Persians drank syrups cooled with snow called sharbat (“fruit ice” in Arabic, and the derivation of sherbet, sorbet, and sorbetto). Alternatively, you can envision fruit syrups poured over a dish of snow.

The Macedonian king Alexander III (Alexander the Great) battled the Persians for 10 years before finally toppling the Persian Empire in 330 B.C.E.

In Persia, he discovered fruit “ices” sweetened with honey and chilled with snow, and brought the concept back to Greece—although the early form of faludeh he knew probably had no noodles.

Three centuries later, Roman Emperor Nero’s famous banquets always included fruit juices mixed with honey and snow. At that point, it was granita, roughly-shaved ice. Italian granita was born, flavored with fresh citrus, a wide range of fruits, and coffee. The Italian cooks left out the noodles.

As technology improved, smooth sorbet emerged in Renaissance Italy.

And the rest is sweet, sweet history (photo #7).

Back to faludeh:

Around the same time, during the Mughal Empire in 1526-1540, faludeh traveled to India with Muslim merchants who settled there.

[6] Rice sticks (rice vermicelli) can be found in the Asian products aisle or online. You can similarly find rose water and sour cherry syrup.

[7] Modern blood orange sorbet with thyme (photo © The Circus Gardener [now closed]).

Modern falooda is often topped off with a scoop of ice cream.

By the way, both sorbetto/sharbat and pasta arrived in Italy with the Arab invasions of Sicily, in the 8th century (the Marco Polo story is a myth—see the history of pasta).

Here’s more on the history of ice cream and other frozen desserts.
 
 

[2] Organic stone fruits—nectarines, peaches and plums—from Frog Hollow Farm. They ship!

Part of our paean to summer’s stone fruits, our tip on easy fruit tarts and our recommendation of summer fruit salads with fresh cheese, is another seasonal special:

Grilled stone fruits with ricotta cheese.

Use any stone fruit large enough to grill, unless you have a grilling basket or pan. If you do have one, apricots and cherries are splendid in this recipe. You can use avocado as well, or mix the types of fruit.

Peaches and nectarines are the right size to be grilled.

 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED PEACHES OR NECTARINES WITH RICOTTA

Ingredients For 6 Or 12 Servings

Stone fruits and ricotta are a marriage made in heaven. This recipe takes just 15 minutes from grill to plate.

Ricotta is a mild cheese that welcomes both sweet and savory garnishes: a drizzle of honey, a grind of fresh, pepper, and/or flaky salt for a bit of crunch. You can also add raisins, nuts and/or seeds.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the grill to medium-high heat. Toss the peaches with enough olive oil to coat, and season with sea salt or flavored salt.

3. REMOVE the peaches from the pan, let cool, and serve with a generous dollop of fresh ricotta. Top with a drizzle of honey and pinch of flaky salt. Have a peppermill on the table for those who want an added layer of flavor.

4. GARNISH as desired, with a pinch of microgreens atop each peach.