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Fondue in Vermont Last Autumn

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Lately I’ve been missing being outside.  Scurrying among buildings and subway stations in the cold does not count.

So this photograph is a lovely escape.  I took it in September when we were in southern Vermont, visiting our good friends Emily and Ellen who had moved there from New York City two months prior.

The weekend was packed with beautiful sites, good conversation and delicious eats- including this table of appetizers one evening before dinner.  Ridiculously rich gouda fondue, homemade croutons, organic apple slices from the orchard we’d visited that morning, green olives, and a full-bodied red wine.

All this we enjoyed around a fire in their backyard as their labradoodle, Scout, begged for samples.  Aaaahh.

These days I’ve nearly forgotten what it’s like for daylight to stay past 5pm.

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Happy Hour Recipe using Leblon Cachaca de Brasil

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

When I was in seventh grade my dad went on a business trip to Brazil and brought me back a t-shirt that said, “BRASIL.”  Kids at school pointed to it and said, “Your shirt is spelled wrong.  You’re supposed to spell it with a z, not an s.”  Oh, the worldly intelligence of Midwestern preteens.

Anyhow, it’s happy hour!  Leblon Cachaca is a delicious liquor that will help you forget all of your disturbing junior high memories.  Cachaca (pronounced ca-SHA-sa) is a spirit distilled from sugar cane juice, made in Brasil as it’s spelled on its beautiful glass bottle.  It is the third most consumed spirit in the world behind only vodka and soju/shochu.

Where has it been all my life?  (…And what is soju/shochu…?)

Here’s a recipe for a delicious, classic caipirinha.  (Step-by-step photo instructions here.)

The Leblon Caipirinha

  • 2 oz Leblon Cachaca
  • 1/2 Lime
  • 2 tsp Superfine sugar or 1 oz Simple Syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
  • Glass-Rocks

Cut the lime into four wedges. Muddle the lime and sugar in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

The Leblon website has dozens of other recipes (mixed drinks, party drinks, frozen drinks) and some cool videos, too.  Thanks to Matthew and Miranda for the sample and viva Brasil!

Posted in Beverages, Happy Hour, Products, Recipes | 1 Response »
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Simply Salads’ Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Chinese Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

From Simply Salads, a wonderful cookbook by Jennifer Chandler that builds on store-bought salad greens to make an incredible variety of healthy, tasty meal-sized salads!

Makes 4 dinner salads
Peanut butter lovers beware.  The dressing in this colorful and tasty salad is addictive.

For the Peanut Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (if you use natural you may want to add a bit of sugar to sweeten)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
1/2 cup Peanut Dressing
1/2 cup fresh snow peas
1 bag (5 ounces) Spring Mix salad blend
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use supermarket rotisserie chicken)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a traditional grater
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 limes, quartered, for garnish

For the Peanut Dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, canola oil, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:
Bring salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add snow peas and cook until vibrant green and crisp tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Drain the peas and immerse in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain again and place in a large salad bowl.

Add the salad blend, chicken, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts and toss. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss to coat.

Garnish with lime wedges.  Serve immediately.

Posted in Main Courses, Recipes, Vegetables | 1 Response »
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Recipe: Raspberry Orange Muffins

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

It’s been fruit, fruit, fruit and more fruit lately.  I think I’m ready for spring and summer.

This Raspberry-Orange muffin recipe and photo come from Driscoll’s.  They are quite orange-y tasting which set them apart from other orange muffins I’ve had in the past (which have tended to be more orange colored than orange flavored).

Raspberry – Orange Muffins
My oh-so-typical substitutions: Whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour; walnut oil instead of canola oil; plain yogurt instead of sour cream.

1            6 ounce package Driscoll’s raspberries
1 ¾        cups whole wheat flour
1 ½        teaspoons baking powder
½           teaspoon baking soda
½           cup plain yogurt
½           cup packed brown sugar
¼           cup walnut oil
2-3         teaspoons grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
¼           cup orange juice
1            large egg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
3. Rinse and drain berries. Pat dry with paper towel.
4. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl.
5. Combine sour cream, brown sugar, oil, zest, juice and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour until partially moistened.  Add raspberries and stir in gently until evenly mixed.  Do not over-stir.
6. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
7. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan 5 minutes.  Serve warm or remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Posted in Breakfast, Fruit, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets | 1 Response »
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Bagels Homemade: Sesame, onion and salt

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

I consider most Saturday mornings productive if I get up, perk some coffee and read a few sections of the New York Times all before noon.  Compared to many weekends during college, this is, after all, an improvement.

This morning, I forever raised the bar for Saturday Morning Productivity.  I made homemade bagels.  Yeast, water, sugar, salt, flour, kneading, resting, rising, shaping, boiling, and baking.  They’re perfect and delicious.

I followed this recipe by Aimee of Under the High Chair and, gasp, I followed the recipe exactly.  Double gasp, this included using white flour.  I did keep the raw cane sugar for the sugar.  And I did allow myself one creative flourish for a topping: dehydrated onions mixed with salt.  (Poppy seeds and salt on the rest.)

Here’s the biggest shock, though.  How does Aimee, a mother of two wee ones, manage to make homemade bagels?  And how find time did she videotape herself shaping the dough for the helpful video tutorials?  And how does she clean everything?

‘Cause I just glanced in my kitchen, and it looks like a flour mill and a poppy seed factory exploded simultaneously.

Good thing some productivity can be postponed until the late afternoon.

Posted in Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks | 12 Responses »
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Turkey and Swiss Chard Terrine

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Ground turkey, prunes, Swiss chard, and fresh herbs come together in a haute twist on meatloaf.

Turkey and Swiss Chard Terrine

Adapted from Clotilde‘s Pork and Swiss Chard Terrine (via Big City, Little Kitchen)

What I Changed (Reflected Below) and Why: I substituted ground turkey because I had trouble finding ground pork and used 20oz instead of 14oz because that’s how much came in 1one package; I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour for nutrition; I left out the bread crumbs because I didn’t have any stale bread; I used chicken stock instead of milk because I didn’t have any milk; I doubled the amount of Swiss chard because it’s so nutritious and tasty I couldn’t help it

20 prunes (9 ounces), pitted
Butter, for greasing
4 eggs
1/2 c chicken stock (or milk)
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
20 ounces lean ground turkey
One small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 large leaves Swiss chard, stalks removed and finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
6 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped

1. Place prunes in bowl and pour over boiling water to cover; set aside and let them rehydrate.

2. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a four-cup loaf pan.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and stock; sift in flour and whisk to combine.  Add meat, onion, salt, and pepper, and mix with hand or wooden spoon until well-combined.  Fold in chard, parsley, tarragon and sage.

4. Drain the prunes and pat dry.  Pack one third of the meat mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan, and arrange half of the prunes over it.  Spread another third of the meat mixture into the pan, layer it with the remaining prunes, and add the rest of the meat, using a spatula to flatten the top.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour (after one hour, an instant-red thermometer inserted into the terrine’s center should read 160F); remove foil, switch oven to broiler setting, and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until the top is golden-brown.

4. Let terrine cool for at least 15 minutes, then unmold and slice.  Serve slices with crusty bread and a green salad.

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Maple Coconut Pecan Clusters with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

Maple Coconut Pecan Clusters with Olive Oil and Sea Salt
Adapted from Bryant Terry‘s Double Maple-Coated Pecans

What I Changed (Reflected Below) and Why: Substituted raw cane sugar for maple sugar because I didn’t have maple sugar and figured it might be difficult to find and expensive; Added shaved coconut for added texture, flavor and nutrition; Added sea salt for taste; Toasted the pecans in the skillet instead of on a baking sheet in the oven so that the whole recipe would be on the range (simple!) and use just one pan (fewer dishes!)

4 cups pecan halves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup succanat (raw cane sugar)
1 cup shaved coconut flakes
1 tsp sea salt

1.  Put pecans in large heavy cast-iron skillet and heat on medium-high range for about five minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t burn.  Pecans will be fragrant and toasted.

2. Remove pecans to a large mixing bowl and combine with the oil.  Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly coated.  Add the maple syrup and stir again.  Then add the coconut and sugar and stir again.

3. Warm the skillet to medium-high again and pour the mixture in, scraping the bowl to remove everything.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until most of the liquid has evaporated and everything begins to “cluster,” about 2-3 minutes.

4. Transfer to parchment paper and quickly spread out with the back of the wooden spoon.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Eat slightly warm or cool.  Nuts keep for quite a while, if you can keep them around that long.

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Earl Grey Cookies

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

Earl grey tea leaves in crispy cookies make for a delicious and unconventional afternoon snack!

Earl Grey Tea Cookies
Adapted from The Kitchn‘s recipe

What I Changed (Reflected Below): Whole wheat pastry flour instead of white all-purpose flour for nutrition; Succanat instead of white sugar for nutrition; Pulverized tea leaves before adding to other dry ingredients to ensure tea flavor was distributed evenly.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup succanat (sugar)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves (emptied from 3 or 4 tea bags), pulverized in spice grinder
 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.

2. Add vanilla, water, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Form the dough into a log onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Wrap the paper around and roll the log smooth. Freeze now, or chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. When chilled, slice the log into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Place on baking sheets, keeping room for spreading. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

Makes ~20 cookies

Posted in Recipes, Sweets | 10 Responses »
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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Detox Diet

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

The latest installment of GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow’s health and lifestyle e-newsletter, deals with New Year’s Detox.

While I find it hard to believe that she needs to lose a few pounds, she does have some nutritious and tasty-sounding recipes including: Broccoli and Arugula Soup, Blueberry and Almond Smoothie, and Teriyaki Chicken.

Happy 2009!  What are your resolutions?

Posted in Blogging/Websites/Technology, Recipes | 12 Responses »
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Spiced Peach Cranberry Compote

Wednesday, December 24th, 2008

Spiced jarred peaches and cranberries come together for a delicious warm compote. Perfect for Christmas morning or… even Christmas Eve morning!

Spiced Peach Cranberry Compote

Recipe by Hilary

1 28-oz jar Rosie’s Spiced Peaches* 
1 bag frozen or fresh cranberries
Dash of cinnamon
Sugar to taste

1. Drain syrup from jarred peaches into heavy medium saucepan.  Add cranberries and stir.  Heat on medium, covered, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop.

2. Think about how large you want your peaches to be in the compote.  If you’re serving the dish on its own plate, perhaps you want to keep the peaches as halves.  Or, maybe you want them to be smaller, in which case you should cut them now.  Also, discard the couple of cloves from the jarred peaches- they’ll be difficult to remove (and to remember to remove) from the final dish.

3. Add peaches to cranberries and stir.  Sprinkle the dash of cinnamon (being careful not to let it get clumpy) and stir again.  Add a bit of sugar and taste.  Then continue adding sugar until you’re happy with the level of sweetness.

4. Serve warm.

*I was very pleased with Rosie’s Spiced Peaches (Stello Foods) in this recipe.  The peaches are beautiful and the spices add a wintry flavor and aroma to the compote.  You could also use your own canned peaches and spices.  Fresh peaches technically could work, but fresh peach season doesn’t align with hot-fruit-compote season so well. 

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