Whipped Ganache "Rocher-Style" Truffle Bombs

Whipped Ganache "Rocher"-Style Truffle Bombscrunchy salted almonds, crisp snappy dark chocolate coating with smooth fluffy  whipped ganache surprise inside.i must admit...these where an unexpected accidental delicious truffle treat.  i had a huge bowl of dark chocolate ganache frosting in the fridge and no cake...hmmmm...chocolate will not...

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Happy new year!

I haven't had time to prepare an elaborate end of the year post. No "best of", no resolutions. I might have the time in a few days - or not. I have high hopes for 2014, and I hope to blog more often than Ihave this past year, but the truth is that the blog is a smaller part of my life at the moment. And that's ok. I wish all my readers a fabulous...

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Gooey Saffron Cake

I served this cake as our dessert for Thanksgiving. It was excellent -  very simple to make ahead of time, and very, very appreciated. It's very sweet, but serving raspberries along with it cuts some of the sweetness and brings in a nice counterpoint. It feels christmas-y but not over the top.Gooey Saffron Cakeserves 10125 g butter100 g white...

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Happy Holidays!

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Pancake party!

One of our latest gadgets! It's called the Tefal Crepe Party, and it's basically a table-top pancake maker. So convenient! Dagmar has one of these and has treated us to pancake parties on several occasions, and then I decided to just get one of my own. You make the batter, as usual - I used three eggs, 300 ml flour, 600 ml milk, a little pinch...

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The Christmas Ham

Swedish christmas ham is an absolute must on every christmas table. I know families that go through two or three hams during a holiday season, since they eat it sliced on sandwiches every morning - with lots of Swedish strong-sweet mustard. Me, I'm not a huge fan, but I do like a slice or two. (But hold the mustard.)My ham this year isn't done yet...

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Coconut Curry Lime Dark Chocolate Truffle Bites

STAY-CATION?are you stuck at home this holiday?...or know someone who isn't vacationing this season?let chocolate take you somewhere, even if it's just for that one fleeting get-away moment.TRUFFLES...smooth dark chocolaty ganache...perfect for gift exchange, dinner parties, hostess gifts or a simple quiet moment alone.FOR THESE ASIAN TROPICAL TRUFFLES...a...

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Molasses Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I keep bookmarking blog posts, meaning to try out recipes. I keep forgetting, though. But this recipe, by Peabody, didn't have to sit around for very long. I loved the sound of a cookie with both oatmeal and molasses. Well, I didn't exactly use molasses, though. I used a dark syrup, with some malt, and hey, that turned out great too.  I bet using...

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Ruddy Duck or Good Things in Small Packages

 The strangest thing happened this morning. I was walking the dogs and my next door neighbor, who I don't know much at all, said, hey want a duck? He had just shot a brace and gave me one. A ruddy duck, so it seems. A diver. He didn't know much about how to clean or cook them. And I just happened to have Hank Shaw's new book Duck Duck Goose on...

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Pasta with Brussel Sprouts, Bacon & Pecorino

This pasta is delicious. Somewhat a carbonara, but with charred brussel sprouts, as well as pecorino, in addition to the bacon. I loved it. (Kids? Not.)Separating brussel sprouts is... surprisingly boring. And it takes a long time. I ended up removing the easy-to-get outer leaves, then finely chopping the cores. It worked out well. My husband complained...

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Lemon Jerky

This is exactly that: Lemon Jerky. Not slices of lemon dehydrated, which have their own charms. It's six Meyer lemons from my tree picked last year and just left on the shelf, in a warm dry place. Clearly oxidized. Then the peels, hard as shells, and seeds are removed, as well as the membranes. It's not dry, but rather feathery chewy wisps, extremely...

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Quick dinner idea: Chicken in red curry

Here's a super quick dinner that's more or less a staple at our house. I serve all the veggies separately so the kids can pick what they want - feel free to add more if you'd like, fried mushrooms or miniature corn are both very good with this.Chicken in red curryServes 4 (generously)700 g chicken thighs, boneless and cut into small pieces2 tsp neutral...

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Brussel Sprout Slaw with Walnuts

I wanted to try a salad with brussel sprouts for thanksgiving - I love brussel sprouts, but already had two very rich side dishes planned, so I wanted something fresh and less heavy. I adjusted the original recipe, which I found here, quite a bit. At the last minute, I realized I wanted to add some dried cranberries but sadly didn't have any. Next...

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I Know How Alexander Graham Bell Felt

Sandwich made with this new kind of bread I inventedI am often out of bread. It's a shame but I sometimes don't have time to buy bread or make bread, and then well that's how you get to be out of bread. A while ago I was inspired by Jacques Pepin to try making a quick soda bread in a skillet. He did it on his show and it looked interesting so I did...

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Piquette

Once you have made wine or eau de vie, and after you have pressed out your must, you'll have a lot of skins and seeds. Just add some water and the yeast and remaining sugars will get the whole thing started again. After about two weeks you'll have this interesting slightly sour, lightly alcoholic, grape-flavored drink. If you cap it will even get a...

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Food Friday: Easy Squash Casserole

Today's unique community cookbook is courtesy of my friend Lee Eltzroth at Hunting and Gathering. (Thanks Lee!)The Northfield Garden Club of Livingston. Favorite Squash Recipes from Garden Club Members is a thin volume with only 15 pages of recipes.  Today's Easy Squash Casserole sorta reminds me of Green Bean Casserole. Heck, maybe you can throw...

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crispy Treat

OH MY !!!THESE ARE A MUST !!!holiday or not...these are a HUGE hit!crunchy, gooeysweet, saltyTHE ULTIMATE RICE CRISPY TREAT(can be made gluten free)PERFECT FOR COOKIE EXCHANGE, OFFICE PARTY AND HOLIDAY DESSERT TREAT TRAY.the recipe can serve a crowd...you might even get 36 squares depending on how you cut them.  the squares can be more like bite...

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Utnapishtim the Sourdough Starter

I have not had a starter around for a few months after the summer heat and broken air conditioner, and probably chlorine in the water killed my last one. Let alone a lot of trips. His name is Utnapishtim, only because I was reading a Western Civ paper on Gilgamesh today. It took about two weeks on the counter top, fairly cold in the kitchen. Just flour...

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Turkey Chicharones

TURKEY CHICHARONESCRUNCHY CRISPY SAVORY SNACKY TURKEY SKIN...a delicacy that only come around ONCE A YEARplease excuse the quick photo...it's the only pic i got before they were GOBBLED UP !!!HOW TO...save as much skin as you can(from your roasted turkey) large pieces, if possible.bake in oven as you would BACON.line a cookie sheet with...

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How to Make Brandy #3

 Once your must is fermented after two weeks, strain it through cheese cloth. Then put the wine in your still, and seal the joints with rye dough. Fill the chamber holding the "snake" with ice. Heat to 90 degrees Celsius. Then watch the clear liquid pour out. About 20 quarts of must gave 15 liters of wine, minus pomace, and in three 3 liter runs...

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The "Accidental" Bird from INA GARTEN

"THE ACCIDENTAL BIRD"QUICK NOTE TO FOLLOWERS...this is positively THE BEST, moist and perfectly seasoned turkey i have ever tasted let alone cooked.lucky for you i tested this early.please accept my apology for the IPhone photo...i know it's awful.  i had no intention of posting, but i just had to let you know about this fabulous...

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Lightened up Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Gingersnap Crust

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH A LITTLE LESS GUILThave seconds and thirds at dinner and still enjoy a "lite" holiday favorite.it's not your "New York style" cheesecake...but it fits the bill after the big Thanksgiving throwdown.the taste and texture is a cross between cheesecake and pumpkin pie...it could probably use a little more cream cheese for that real...

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Ketchup Chips

These do look a little prosaic. Dehydrated tomato slices, right? Well, a little more. For those of you who like the flavor of ketchup, and might use it more often, if it didn't make bread soggy. These are seasoned with the same flavor profile as ketchup. The key it turns out is a little brown sugar and some clove. They are actually quite fetching just...

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Fall Awakening

When the ginkgos shed their lacy yellow fans, one might be tempted to succumb to melancholy. But the kitchen tells me otherwise, this is the season of birth and renewal. Here in The Valley, when the first rains drench the parched soil, the bacteria and molds awaken from their secret crevices and sweep through the house. Anything on the counter will...

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My first chocolate bar...Chip n' Chipotle Dark Chocolate

rich dark chocolatecrunchy tortilla chipsspicy chili blendswith pure cocoa nibsand robust espresso beansA CHOCOLATE LOVER'S bite size MEXICAN FIESTAto make the beautiful bars, you'll need some molds.i found mine at SURFAS.  they are also available here from Amazon.you will also need toTEMPER YOUR CHOCOLATE.the idea of tempering should...

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