It's a blog for foodies around the world. Here you can read about recipes , new ideas and old techniques. You don't have to be a gourmet, just someone who really LOVES food and drink!!!!
This is the time of year for cookies. It's usually the same kind. Chocolate chips, Oatmeal Rasin, every kind of butter and sugar. Yet imagine turning th cookie tray upside down with new twists and new recipes. Sunday's New York Times did just this. The have an insect loaded with all sorts of interesting sweets.
These are not the average Christmas cookie. These are fun and zingy. Try them to add some zest to a bland cookie table.
Sauces add to any dish , savory or sweet. The holidays are a great time to experiment with them as they add to all sorts of dishes. They can be full of spiced or spiced with different liqueurs.
Savory dishes can definitely benefit from a good sauce. The Piedmontese of Northwestern Italy have a sauce redolent with mustard and surprisingly dried fruit. Frutta mostarda is perfect with bollito misto boiled beef which cries out for this sauce. It's very easy to make, as you cook honey mustard, sugar, and red wine together with a variety of dried and fresh fruits. These are usually dried apples,cherries, apricots and figs mixed together with a freshly cut pear. It a good strong yellow mustard and mustard seeds give it the zing to cut through that sweetness. Most Piedmontese usually have it over boiled beef (this cuts of beef boiled in beef stock for more flavor) but you could have it over air fried portabello mushrooms since the fungi of have a beefy flavor.Another savory sauce, perfect for chicken and turkey is sauce veloute, preferably one made with chicken stock (although it can be made with either beef or fish stock , the elastic is good for lobster or shrimp dishes). The base is a simple roux, which is butter and flour whisked together. The broth is then added to this and whisked into a creamy sauce. Just remember to not brown the flour while first cooking it otherwise the whole sauce will have a pasty flavor.
Sweets are great to make this time of year. They can be poured warm or hot over ice cream or certain plain cakes like Bundt or pound. Of course the most desirable is the hot fudge which can turn any plain dessert into a decadent one. A good recipe calls for good quality chocolate such as Ghiradelli sixty per cent cacao baking chips, granulated white sugar, light corn syrup for a smooth, silk, texture along with heavy cream, butter and vanilla extract to give the sauce that richness and glossiness.Combine everything in a sauce pan save for the butter and vanilla, let it bol for a few minutes. Add the butter and vanilla, Stir and take off stove. It's excellent on ice cream but even better pooling around a plain , frostingless slice of chocolate or vanilla cake.If you want something a bit less intense but still packed with flavor then thick of a fruit sauce laced with brandy or rum. Keep in mind some like apricot or cherry can also be used as a sauce for such meats as ham or chicken. One that would go well with desserts is a sauce made with apricot preserves, peach brandy , butter , preferably a top quality one like Kerry Gold, heavy cream and brown sugar.The brown sugar and butter are melted first in a saucepan and cooked for two minutes. everything else is then added and stirred together. This is perfect , not only on cakes but also vanilla ice cream.Another good fruit sauce is one made with cherries and a splash of rum.
Sauces add to all sorts of dishes. They liven up the flavor of both savory and sweet dishes. They will definitely add to any holiday meal.
One for the most fun parties of the season is the tree trimming one. friends and family come over for good food and good stories. Unlike other holiday get togethers this is an informal one. dress can be pajama pants or a goofy tee shirt. The food should be as casual too.
You can never go wrong with a charcuterie board. Try a Christmas one in the shape of a tree or wreath. They both have the same ingredients as a regular charcuterie board - well except there may be more red and green. Serve cold cuts that are perfect with French or Italian bread rounds along with crackers. Salami is perfect here along with pepperoni and folded over mortadella and prosciutto. Cheese is important too. Try a mix of hard and soft ones. Brie is excellent here but you can also have Camenbert too. As for the had cheeses Swiss and Gruyere are great options and perfect just on their own. You could create a flavored cream cheese, perfect with crackers or pita chips. Make a chive and onion one or Boursin style with garlic and herbs. For zing add jalapeno along with cheese for a take on those fun jalapeno poppers.A tablespoon or two of presto stirred in creates a Northern Italian flavor, perfect on plain focaccia. What about adding red and green? Cherry and grape tomatoes are festive along with being refreshing. Add some broccoli , another fresh flavor for tree or wreath greenery.
A tree trimming party can also have hot food too. Keep it fun with a choice of chilis. You could serve the traditional red , made with beans and chopped beef. or white , usually made chicken and green chilis. Serve both with fresh made or bought (try Acme's) cornbread or even rice. Another hot dish that's both filling and fun is the classic bricklayer nachos. These are layers of tortilla chips filled with beef, bacon and chorizo along with queso, creamy avocado and crunchy scallions , add fire roasted tomatoes (try Lidl) for this , giving the nacho a sweet , earthy flavor.Hot nibbles are a must too. Think pigs in blankets and a variety of dipping sauces like barbecue and hot mustard, to add to them. Chicken wings, both hot and mild are fun. Although with these have plenty of wet napes around so that ornaments aren't ruined by grease marks. What about drinks? Egg nogs and hot toddies work afterwards as a kind of dessert. Cranberry cocktails and mock tails are perfect for these. A fun cranberry punch has the juice or a cranberry-fruit mix, flavored seltzer and chunks of orange and lemon. Add plenty of ice for a cooling sip.
A tree trimming party is a fun one. Have fun foods and a tasty punch t make guest feel festive. They'll have a great time , creating more holiday memories.
The temps are freezing in most parts of the country and the world right now.There's nothing like a spicy Mexican hot chocolate or a Berber spiced laced Ethiopian stew to warm the blood right now. These drinks and food are perfect for starving off that chill feeling.
Here s the question - what fiery foods or drinks do you like to heat up? Is it Szechuan cuisine, rifw with zingy pink peppercorns? A five alarm chili? Jalapeno poppers? To me nothing says fire and spice than a chili (a two alarm in my case. I can't handle a five a alarm spice fire). Of course ti has to have a good bed of rice or crumbled cornbread underneath to absorb some of that zest.
What is your body warmer? Let us know .
This is the type of weather where a big pot of stew bubbling away on the stove is a must.It's the perfect comfort food, warning the body and the soul One is the fancily named designer stew. It is flavorful and filling, perfect after a hard day.
Regular contributor and chef Yewande Komolafe contributed two variations of this stew in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Obe Onibu or designer stew is a salve to those who eat it and to those who make it. Her grandmother, Iya,Agege, a successful women in her family's cloth a nd dying business would first use her grinding stone to cut up what their Igbo people called tatase a ti shomibo or red peppers and cayenne.Also added were red onions - alubosa and at rodo to red Chile. She would heat up the red palm oil until it smoked but retained its' bright orange hue.Bite sized pieces f beef and a local bean that's fermented - iru- are cooked then softened, The stew was simmered and then fried, leaving a wonderful aroma to permeate the house.Chef Komolafe has added her spin by adding beef tendons, short ribs and oxtail similar for a few hours (Chef komolafe recommends cooking all this the day before serving)) She also added dried shrimp and miso along with anchovies for a unami flavor . The second recip there is a hard boiled egg added for more flavor and substance.
This is an easy recipe chock full of ingredients and flavors. The ribs and oxtails are trimmed of the extra fat. There are the bell peppers along with green scallions for color and pungency. There should be a pound of the peppers and in any color . You many want to use all three colors for flavor subtleties and color. onions and garlic are also added a long with tiny dried fish soaked to rehydrate. If you prefer a stronger flavor then add anchovies. to give it some intense heat then add Scotch Bonnets or any super hot Chiles if you want.It would be best served over rice but spinach or fried plantains work just as well. As for the recipe with the eggs. Six to seven are used for this and their mild flavor can make a perfect foil for the other ingredients. They have to be hard boiled and peeled, then are added to the sauce. This is gently poured on them and then the eggs are transferred to individual plates. As for the sauce itself, it should be stirred until it's thickened and jammy.It should also be caramelized and slightly darkened at the end. Obe Oniub can be stored for up to five days in an air tight container.
This is the perfect stew for right now.I'ts easy to make despite the large range of ingredients. A warm bowl of will be satisfying and comforting.z
Nothing says holiday time than dressing up and heading out for a good drink. This is the time to put on sequins and silk, suit and cocktail dress. There are several bars throughout the most Christmas-sy city of all- New York. Enjoy a good sip and good conversation.
Food section editor Nikits Richardson compiled this must visit list for today'sNew York Times Wednesday Food Section. December's night and especially weekends were made for going out Here any fan of mixed drinks can hot borough hangouts and brasseries for a delicious glass of something heady. The island of Manhattan has always been a sophisticated one and a martini symbolizes this. Try the house one at Bemelmans Bar at the famed Carlyle Hotel.They even have an entire menu page dedicated to all sorts of variation,If the classic is too tame , then try their espresso one or their JFK (!!!) one. There is also the cocktail onion variation called the Gibson at Dear Irving at the always classy Gramercy Park. For the truly exotic there is the saffron flavored Martini Our Way at Le Veau D'Or.It comes with a sidecar of vermouth and Vichy water. For a classic James Bond experience sip the undiluted Dukes Martini at the American branch of Dukes in the Hotel Chelsea.Whether gin or vodka is ordered, the bottle comes in cases in ice.
The holidays call for classic drinks as well. Try the Negroni that marriage of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth at BarPisselino in the West Village. The bar, reminiscent of what you would see in Milan or Turin, offers this mix of Prosecco, Aperol and soda water. Drinkers can also indulge in the American classic, the old fashioned at the interestingly named Death And Company, one of the world's most top rated cocktail bars. For an after dinner drink try the Irish coffee at Water Streets The Dead Rabbit, the Irish bar chain.Of course Brooklyn has its; share of trendy drinks and bars too. Definitely get the Cranberry juice spiked Cosmopolitan at Long Island Bar in the Cobble Hill section of the borough. Thrusting for something unusual? Then stop at another Brooklyn Bar, the Grand Army for the Hard Start. This is a bracing mix of two bitter Italian amari or bitter herbal drinks.Fernet Branca and Fernet Menta.
These drinks are the perfect festive sip for the holidays. Head to the city to enjoy them. Dress up and go wild with a tasty cocktail.
Now that it's December it's time to start planning those cookies. They're such a big part of the holiday and everyone expects them on the not only tasty but memorable. It;s important to make the best and make them the tastiest.
First thing is ask yourself what do you exactly want to make? Classic chocolate chip? Biscotti? Shortbread? Or do you want to try something different like pignoli or snickerdoodles. Some home bakers keep within one or two kinds. They try three or four different variations of biscotti , from almond to cranberry along with sugar cookies. These are ok yet there's no variety. A good cookie tray usually has three or four different kinds. Of course there has to be chocolate chip cookies. The question is what kind to you want to bake? The classic with just dark chocolate chips or do you want to add almonds.? There is also the kind with macadamia nuts, coconut and almonds too for something different. There is there the reverse chocolate chip. Chocolate dough with peanut butter chips in them. These are great for those who love Reese';s peanut butter cups. You can also vary the dough and make chocolate chip shortbread rounds too.Biscotti can also be chock full of chips and for added decadence, drizzle dark chocolate over the cooled cookies
Shortbread are another cookie tray or basket must. Its; one of the easiest recipes to create. All you need is butter - a lot - sugar and flour. That's it. The best sugar to use for a smooth crumb is confectioners and not the granulated white kind. Shortbreads can be dipped in chocolate - preferably dark and then I holiday sprinkles for a festive look to a cookie tray. For a different spin add lemon to give them a bright tartness.A cousin of the shortbread, butter and spritz cookies are always on someone's holiday dessert table. A good recipe involves the usual, butter sugar and flour but there are also eggs and sometimes milk to thin out the dough for the cookie gun. Flavors can also be added such as almond , orange ro lemon instead of the classic vanilla. The dough can also be tinted in festive red (actually the reds bake up pink) and green. these can be finished off with sanding sugar in gold or silver for a glistening finish.These can also be shaped into little wreaths and have a maraschino cherry or a dollop of homemade chocolate fudge in the center. These cookies are also similar to what bakeries offer and they too can have one end dipped in dark chocolate and them doubled dipped in either ground nuts or sprinkles.
What will be on your cookie chart? Make sure it's a variety. Everyone love different cookies to nible and enjoy. Give guests and family memorable and tasty sweet treats.
Posts
