Posts tagged ‘Foodie’

Feb 20

February Giveaway: Zingerman’s Home-Cheesemaking Kit

It’s time for my February giveaway! I’m so excited to be partnering with Zingerman’s to give away a Home Cheese-Making Kit. Make your own delicious cheese at home in less than one hour. Every box comes with rennet and citric acid—enough for 30 batches of cheese—as well as instructions on how to make your own mozzarella or ricotta from scratch. All you need to provide is milk and salt.

Zingerman’s is one of my favorite gourmet shops. I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting their Ann Arbor store in person, but the online shop is amazing. I trust their selection of oils and vinegars over anyone else. And if you’ve been following my blog for awhile you may know about my obsession with Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating. Best foodie book ever. Check out their online store for great food, great books and great deals.

Update: The contest has ended. Congratulations to Sheryl! You should be hearing from Zingerman’s soon :)

Dec 10

50 Comments

Rose and Orange Blossom Shortbread Cookies

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I love going to High Tea every now and then with friends. Tea rooms are full of elegant touches that create a pleasant atmosphere for girl time. Everyone is served their own pot of tea and tiered trays full of mini sandwiches and desserts. It’s a great way to enjoy a few hours on the weekend.

I’ve had rose and orange blossom water sitting in my pantry for a few months after picking them up at Dean and Deluca. When I made lavender shortbread cookies I realized they would work perfectly in the same recipe. Now I just have to master mini sandwiches and I’ll be able to host High Tea at home!

These are cut smaller than the lavender cookies so that they’re the perfect dipping size. I also divided the batch in half after creaming the butter and sugar before adding additional ingredients. This recipe makes quite a few shortbread cookies, so a half batch of each flavor is plenty (for me).

Dec 6

57 Comments

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Biscotti

When I worked as a pastry chef at a fine dining restaurant earlier this year, I learned a lot of complex desserts as well as simple treats and elegant touches. We made everything. The breads, the ice creams and sorbets, mignardises (small bites at the end of the meal), goody bags, candies, chocolates, multiple desserts and unique weekly specials. I grew incredibly fond of the small touches that set us apart from other restaurants.

We served homemade biscotti with every coffee and tea drink ordered. People loved them and would ask for more. The most popular version we made was chocolate chip and butterscotch, which I’ve recreated for you. Two sweet flavors that pair wonderfully together. This recipe works best with mini chips, which will make slicing the biscotti easier and will also make them look prettier. But you can use regular chips if that’s all you can find. You can make a standard size biscotti, sliced on the bias, or you can make cute little mini versions like the ones we served at the restaurant.

Dec 3

52 Comments

Holiday Gifts For Food Lovers (Under $35)

Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? If you’re like me, you’ve barely started. I avoid malls after Thanksgiving and shop exclusively online. Pajamas are better than long lines, I always say. Anyway, I’ve been perusing the internet for gift ideas and I thought I’d share some of my favorite finds with you! I think the spiced gingerbread butter from Williams-Sonoma would be the perfect stocking stuffer. And if anyone bought me Momofuku Milk Bar cookies, I’d literally squeal with joy. The cornflake and compost cookies look to die for. Oh right, I’m shopping for others...

Nov 29

131 Comments

Vietnamese Iced Coffee (cà phê sữa đá)

Years ago I was first introduced to cà phê sữa đá by a friend. There are numerous Vietnamese restaurants in the DC/MD/VA area and after tasting this delicious drink once, I began traveling to get it on a regular basis. Vietnamese iced coffee is creamy, rich and gives me that great burst of energy you can only get from sugar and caffeine. Bliss! Now that I realize how simple they are to make, I can enjoy them at home whenever I please. You need a Vietnamese coffee filter, which can be found online or at most Asian markets. You also need chicory coffee, which can be found at most supermarkets. I prefer Cafe Du Monde.

Nov 26

73 Comments

Eggnog Cupcakes with Rum Buttercream

I shared a recipe for eggnog cupcakes a few years ago that has consistently pulled good traffic around the holidays. And it’s always been a bit of a sore spot for me because while I appreciate the visitors, I feel like the recipe and photo are underwhelming. I decided that both needed an upgrade. I’ve been loving the recipes in ‘CakeLove’by Warren Brown, so I modified his delicious recipe for yellow butter cake. The rum buttercream recipe is courtesy of me.

Nov 22

62 Comments

Flavored Marshmallows

I think of these as seasonal marshmallows but I’m pretty sure they’ll be wonderful any time of year. But really, what’s better in the cold winter months than hot chocolate with marshmallows? I decided to make three separate flavors to give away in goody bags at Thanksgiving this year. I made pumpkin spiced marshmallows, cardamom marshmallows and cinnamon marshmallows. This recipe is incredibly flexible and you can use just about any spice or extract you want. How about peppermint or nutmeg marshmallows? Have fun with it!

You’ll need a stand mixer and a candy thermometer. A pizza cutter is useful for cutting even marshmallows but you can use a regular knife. I’ve used gelatin sheets but you can easily substitute them with powdered gelatin.

Nov 18

72 Comments

Homemade Coconut Milk

Things have been a bit quiet here at Savory Simple. It’s because I’m currently doing a 7 day detox from Baltimore Health Coach! No sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine, soy, corn, or processed foods for one week. The first few days were rough, but now I’m feeling great! It’s amazing how much the foods we consume effect our bodies. I’m waking up without coffee and my night time sugar cravings are gone. I feel clear-headed and energized. I think I may do this once per month since I work with sugar and gluten so often.

As you can imagine, it’s been difficult to cook and bake for the blog this week. Next time I detox I really need to bank some entries in advance. However, I’ve been wanting to make coconut milk ever since I made raw almond milk. This was the perfect week to try. And it was so easy and delicious. It has a consistency similar to regular milk, but tastes like the canned variety. Canned coconut milk is much thicker and I tend to use it in curries and ice cream. I’d recommend this version for cereal and smoothies, or wherever you might use regular milk. You can store it in the refrigerator for a few days but I wouldn’t let it sit too long. Natural separation will occur, so shake it before using. I store my milk in a mason jar for easy shaking.

Nov 8

86 Comments

Puff Pastry Brie Bites

Around the holidays, I always like to keep some simple, crowd-pleasing recipes on hand. Appetizers don’t always need to be fancy. People want small tasty bites to hold them over until the main attractions. When I was growing up my mother would wrap Gouda cheese in crescent roll dough and serve fresh baked wedges as an appetizer. It took no time to make and everyone loved it. What’s not to love about oozing cheese and flaky dough?

That was my inspiration for this appetizer. Well, that and the adorable mini brie bites I recently found at Trader Joe’s. All you need for this recipe is puff pastry, brie bites, and a fruit spread of your choice. If you want to be fancy you can certainly make everything from scratch. But trust me, this tastes wonderful and is an easy holiday appetizer that you can even take on the road. If you swap out the fruit spread for chocolate, you have an easy dessert!

Nov 3

83 Comments

Mushroom Risotto

A few months ago I was perusing Williams-Sonoma and came upon their Wild Porcini Sea Salt. I believe it was at that moment when I came up with the idea of making an “extreme’ mushroom risotto, using as many complementary mushroom ingredients as possible. This risotto came out very well; it tastes earthy and rich. I really like the taste of truffle oil but you may want to cut back slightly if it’s not your thing.

Oct 30

71 Comments

Pumpkin Bagels

Bagels were a staple in my house growing up. They’ve always been a favorite for easy weekend breakfasts as well as brunch with friends and family. Homemade bagels are surprisingly easy to make and you be creative with the flavors. Since pumpkin is the star ingredient of fall cuisine it makes a perfect seasonal bagel that you won’t find in many shops.

If you’ve ever made soft pretzels, the process for preparing homemade bagels is quite similar. You combine ingredients, kneed the dough, let it rise, shape your bagels, let it rise again, and finally you boil and bake them. As with most bread recipes there are many steps but none of them are difficult. For this recipe I got borrowed some basic ingredient ratios from Emeril Lagasse’s homemade bagels recipe. I was thrilled with the results. The outside has a wonderful crunch and the inside is soft and chewy. The spice levels hit all the right notes. Pumpkin powder is optional, but I love using it. It’s all-natural and enhances both flavor and color. I first discovered it when I made pumpkin challah bread, and it’s been a staple fall ingredient ever since.

Oct 22

39 Comments

Apple Doughnuts with Caramel Glaze

I’ve been trying to come up with new and unusual ways to use apples since I have to get through another 15 lbs of them (35 lbs between two trips to the farm). I’ve made apple butter, apple pancakes, apple pie, apple cookies, apple chutney…so many apples. Since I’ve been on a sweets kick, I decided to make donuts in my new deep fryer (thank you, wedding registry). You can make these without a deep fryer, just use a large pot and a high smoke point oil (see temperatures below).

A few notes: under the ingredients, I list the apples as either grated or diced. I decided to dice them so I could bite into big chunks of apple, but I recommend grating them. I think the apple flavor will be more pronounced throughout the doughnut and they will be easier to roll if you’re not used to working with sticky dough. This dough is very fluffy and sticky, so keep the palms of your hands oiled and keep a small bowl of flour handy. Try not to incorporate too much additional flour, because that will make the doughnuts dense.

Oct 16

43 Comments

Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

I was inspired to make these cookies after visiting my favorite dessert spot in Baltimore, Pitango Gelato. I always get their pistachio flavor, and when I saw they were offering cardamom gelato, I got one scoop of each. The flavors paired wonderfully together. And these cookies are equally fabulous. The cookie is soft and chewy. The pistachio and cardamom flavors shine.

Oct 16

17 Comments

Return to Larriland Farms

I just can’t stay away...

Oct 11

56 Comments

Raw Almond Milk

I recently watched the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’ and it was a life changer. The movie provides some stunning scientific evidence supporting the relationship between animal product consumption and disease. I want to live a long healthy life! I’m nowhere close to maintaining an exclusively plant-based diet, but I’m making changes. For example, I’ve never been a big meat eater but I consume quite a bit of dairy. To offset this, I’ve been alternating between milk and non-dairy alternatives.

Out of the wide array of non-dairy milk alternatives available, my favorite is almond milk. It has a mild, smooth flavor and works great in cereal, coffee and smoothies. I have yet to try baking with it but I’ve heard many success stories. I decided to try making my own to see how it compared to store brands such as Almond Breeze.

Oct 9

42 Comments

Apple Chutney

I love making chutneys. They’re simple to make and pair perfectly with chicken or pork for a tasty weeknight meal. Many chutney recipes use raisins; I decided to use dried cherries instead.

Oct 2

68 Comments

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Galette

We had many requirements at culinary school, one of which was to assist 3 recreational cooking classes. I loved doing this and volunteered often. One particular evening I assisted a pastry class where the students were making an assortment of tarts. The chef described a galette as a “rustic tart” and then smirked, stating:

“I love the word ‘rustic’. It means it doesn’t have to be pretty.”

She had a point. When using tart molds, I often spend quite a bit of time making sure the dough is perfectly formed. Patience and practice yields perfection. Galettes are much easier, and their imperfections are what make them beautiful, in my opinion. They’re great for beginners and experts alike.

This tart has a wonderful balance of flavors and is perfect for fall entertaining. The apple enhances the sweetness of the butternut squash and the pecans offer a nice crunch. The shallots and goat cheese are savory and rich. You can get 6-8 appetizer servings, depending on how big you want your slices.

Sep 28

98 Comments

Autumn Celebration Contest

The contest has ended. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Sep 25

32 Comments

Spiced Apple Cookies

I finally had a chance to start baking with the apples I picked last weekend! I had so much fun at the farm and I’m determined to cook all of the apples and squash before the season ends so I can go get more. I think there may be some canning in my future.

These cookies are very delicate. I used empires, but any apple will do. I prefer to leave the skin on for a bit of texture. The “spice” is pumpkin pie spice, a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. How perfect and easy is that? You can add it to baked goods, smoothies, oatmeal… definitely a worthy purchase! It is available at most grocery stores and online.

Sep 21

66 Comments

Rosemary Apricot Bars

It has been awhile since I’ve gone nuts over a recipe. These bars are AMAZING. I had some dried apricots in the pantry and was trying to decide what to do with them when I came across a unique looking recipe for baked apricot bars, courtesy of David Lebowitz. I think I died and went to heaven when I first took a bite. These bars have a layer of rosemary shortbread on the bottom, brandy-infused apricot paste in the center, and a brown sugar pecan crumble on top. Put all your other recipes aside and make these right now!

I made a few modifications to the original recipe. I didn’t have California dried apricots, which are less sweet, so I added 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice to the apricot filling. I made a few other minor changes to the filling and crumb topping. The results were stunning.

Posts tagged ‘Foodie’

February Giveaway: Zingerman’s Home-Cheesemaking Kit

Rose and Orange Blossom Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Biscotti

Holiday Gifts For Food Lovers (Under $35)

Vietnamese Iced Coffee (cà phê sữa đá)

Eggnog Cupcakes with Rum Buttercream

Flavored Marshmallows

Homemade Coconut Milk

Puff Pastry Brie Bites

Mushroom Risotto

Pumpkin Bagels

Apple Doughnuts with Caramel Glaze

Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

Return to Larriland Farms

Raw Almond Milk

Apple Chutney

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Galette

Autumn Celebration Contest

Spiced Apple Cookies

Rosemary Apricot Bars

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