Serious heat means, seriously no cooking. Here is a super simple and refreshing recipe I’m making right now, Watermelon, Tomato, Balsamic Salad. It’s a combination of crisp cubes of watermelon, ripe grape tomatoes and thin slices of red onion. (Here in Connecticut, everything is early even the red onions and the sweet corn.) Not too many cooking tips with this recipe. Use a sharp knife and you should be able to slice the red onion
Charred Onion, Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella Panzanella with Pesto Dressing
Panzanella is a zesty bread salad and summer staple in and around the Tuscan province of Italy. Usually made with cubes of crusty Italian bread, tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and a simple splash of vinegar and olive oil, is infinitely customizable. Cooks add or subtract ingredients to suit their tastes. It’s one of those dishes that never disappoints. This version, Charred Onion, Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella Panzanella with Pesto Dressing, is a riff on the classic. Basil
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Tuesday, December 05
Take 5: Professional Copper Cookware Basics
Ninety percent of U.S. consumers replace their cookware every ten years, a fact I learned listening to a cookware trend seminar recently. In a household with pots and pans from the 1970’s in daily use, this shocks me. Then again, there is a trend towards better cookware. People must be trading up. We cook in the same professional copper cookware we used professionally over 30 years ago. Some of our pans are even older; Charlie
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Frøsnapper Danish Marzipan Pastry Twists
The frøsnapper is a twist of Danish pastry filed with marzipan cream that’s dipped in poppy and sesame seeds before baking. Danes eat this buttery, crunchy, nutty and almondy pastry as a snack with coffee. In my next life, may I come back as a kid who eats frøsnapper after-school each day. Although making Danish pastry is a small project, frøsnapper are easy to make. Give yourself a couple of days to produce these. Make
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Shortbread Bars with Marzipan Cream, Chocolate and Dried Cherries
These Shortbread Bars with Marzipan Cream, Chocolate and Dried Cherries win many fans. With the varied colors and pops of silver, they stand out on our seasonal cookie tray. These bar cookies consist of a layer of crumbly shortbread topped with an almond filling, chocolate chips, dried fruit and roasted salted almond chunks. Kosher salt in the dough adds a pleasant contrast to the sweet almond topping. Be creative with what goes on last. Butterscotch
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Friday, December 01
Biscotti di Vino, Red Wine and Sesame Biscotti
Sometimes a modest sweet and savory cookie delivers as much pleasure as a decadent chocolate one. That’s the case, for me anyway, with these Biscotti di Vino, red wine and sesame biscotti. They are crisp yet easy to chew. They are sweet and savory with nutty notes from sesame and a hint of wine. I first tasted this type of cookie when Di Camillo Bakery in Buffalo introduced them to specialty food stores in 1979.
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Wednesday, November 29
Turmeric Miso Honey Butter
Compound butter is something we make often, especially to serve with grilled chicken paillard. Normally I make parsley shallot lemon butter AKA maître d’hôtel butter. Recently Jane Spencer, an old friend gave us a gift of a bright yellow turmeric miso honey butter that she made. I ate it with a spoon. In fact, it was so utterly delicious I made my own version, which I share here. Turmeric is a spice I enjoy with
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Monday, December 04
Fresh Garlic Parsley Scallion Cheese Spread
Charlie calls this combination Priscilla Boursin. It’s Fresh Garlic Parsley Scallion Cheese Spread you can use as a centerpiece on a charcuterie board. If, like me, you crave fresh foods during Eating Season, consider making this simple spread to serve with raw and blanched vegetables, stuffed in cherry tomatoes and baby sweet peppers or spread on sandwiches. Jump to Recipe This creamy spread comes together in a few minutes using a stand mixer or stiff
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Thursday, August 31
Peach Melba Cheesecake to Go
We love a roadside picnic or eating on the deck at the beach. We pack a few salads, maybe pan bagnat or other sandwiches with cookies and fruit for dessert. Peach Melba is a favorite but not easily transported until I came up with this recipe, peach melba cheesecake to go in a jar. It is delicious and easy to prepare. You can top it with any ripe seasonal fruits, peaches and a cherry shown
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Tuesday, August 01
How to Blanch Almonds
Many recipes call for blanched almonds, the nuts with their skins removed. You can buy whole blanched almonds or blanched slivered almonds online or at the local store. But blanching almonds at home is rather simple. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work. Read along to learn how to blanch almonds in your home kitchen. First select whole almonds with their skins intact. The skins protect the nuts from insect damage and help the
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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."
-Horace, Satires, 2.4They're here!
