Roasted Squash Loaf + Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkin
It had been two and a half years. Right around the time that I started this blog. As I stepped off the plane, I felt a sense of security and peace. People smiled at me, genuinely making eye contact, and saying, “Pardon me” and “How y’all doin’ today?” in their southern twang. Big hair, pink lips, and dressed to the nines. I was home.
The first thing I did was order a sweet tea, which I regret because it was nothing like I remembered and within that first sip, I destroyed any special memory I had coveted in my mind. Read the rest of this entry »
Pickled Huckleberries
So, whew! A LOT of news. Tavolata is like plunging a baby (me) from a warm, sudsy bath into a rough, ice-cold ocean. I am going to learn a ton. A shit-ton. But, it is not my comfortable environment I have been used to since June. The chefs are a whole new set of personalities and talent, the kitchen itself is like learning to navigate around a new city, and the food, although similar in Ethan’s style, is like hearing a person speak English but with an accent. Read the rest of this entry »
Blueberry Lemon Icebox Jam
As a young girl, canning was a summer constant. My mother had a huge garden filled with every fruit and vegetable Southwestern Virginia could grow. She would spend hours picking peaches, blueberries, raspberries, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, radishes. You name it. But, not even our neighbors could keep up with all of the produce coming out of our garden. I would make humiliating deliveries to their front doors, praying they would not answer after I rang the doorbell, to offer them plastic Kroger bags over-filled with tomatoes, green beans, corn, and herbs. On my summer layoffs, my one chore each day was to pick the garden. Read the rest of this entry »
Pickled Bing Cherries with Lemon, Black Pepper, Vanilla
I know what you are thinking. Pickled Grapes and now Pickled Cherries. Just trust me here. Read the rest of this entry »
Luna Cafe’s Rhubarb Cardamom Lime Muffins
Thank you so much for coming back after that last “Debby Downer” post. I feel like a veil has been lifted, and I am once again back to normal. Normal enough to even bake. Which, if you know me at all, I just DON’T do.
Thai-Style Pickled Carrots
I am just going to say it. Here I go……
I am going to start an internship in a restaurant kitchen this summer. There, I said it. Now, I will actually be held accountable by all of YOU to actually go through with it.
Poached Rhubarb
My whole life, the only time I ever heard the word Rhubarb uttered was with the words strawberry and pie. Why does Rhubarb get pigeon-holed into only one recipe? I feel like it needs a spokesperson like Pork or Milk have to advertise the possibilities of this lovely vegetable. Yes. I said vegetable. Rhubarb is, in fact a vegetable, although, like I said before you only see it paired with strawberries and your Grandma’s buttery-crust.
Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper
I already know what you are thinking. Don’t. These are quite spectacular. The marriage of the sweet grapes and the tangy brine create miracles in your mouth . Miracles, I say… Read the rest of this entry »
Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache
Every time I eat, see, or ponder about coconut, I think of my Moma. I guess it is the fact that my whole life, she always ate coconut when she was needing a “splurge”.
Usually it was in the form of an Almond Joy or Mounds for a quick fix, but other times it was a piece of coconut cake for her birthday (made by someone else, we are not a baking family), or a chocolate tart with coconut flakes at a swanky restaurant. Needless to say My Mother=Coconut.
She doesn’t know yet, and she will if she catches this post before I bring them to her, but I am going to surprise her with them at work tomorrow. She has been having a rough couple of months, and sometimes the best thing to do is eat something that comforts you. I know it will brighten her day! Read the rest of this entry »
Dulce de Membrillo (Quince Paste)
Membrillo was introduced to me from on of my favorite cheesemongers. I was raving about how I think that Manchego is my favorite sheep’s milk cheese and she was quick to ask me if I had tried Membrillo (Quince paste). She went on to tell me that Membrillo was actually made to be eaten with Manchego. I have never gone back. It’s like discovering the combination of peanut butter and jelly.
Membrillo is made from a Quince which is a hard fruit I would classify as half pear and half apple. You cannot eat them without cooking them down, but when you do, they turn sweet and slightly peach in color. I made this for a spanish tapas party, and people loved it and couldn’t believe I actually MADE it. But, I still have a lot of work to do on this recipe. It didn’t get as dark peach as I wanted it to. Oh well! There will definitely be a next time. Read the rest of this entry »
