Tuesday, December 05

Take 5: Professional Copper Cookware Basics

Professional Copper Cookware

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

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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

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

Fresh Garlic Parsley Scallion Cheese Spread with romesco

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

Peach Melba Cheesecake in a Jar

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

Blanched 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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Monday, July 31

Using Whole Salted Anchovies

Whole Salted Anchovies

People are often daunted when they see anchovies in a recipe. I’ve written a primer to help the anchovy-curious (and perhaps even anchovy-averse) to feel comfortable selecting, buying and using them.  Among the types of anchovies I recommend are whole salted anchovies. They keep fresh in the refrigerator for a long time. Using whole salted anchovies is easy.  But each time you use them, you must remove the surface salt and clean them. When you

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Take 5: Anchovies

Take 5 Anchovies choices

At Restaurant du Village, we served a dish called Pasta à la Provençal. (It was our version of the Italian harlot’s classic, Pasta Puttanesca.) We made large vats of the sauce to serve over spaghetti. My favorite step was smelling the anchovies melting into the garlic in that giant pot. I could not resist dragging a slice of bread through that fragrant paste. Anchovies are the character actors that make a dish a hit. 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, 2.4

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