Rolling in Dough

Truf -Goat Cheese Extraordinaire

                                                  

Welcome to the first Saturday Cheese Course. I am thrilled at the prospect of discovering a new cheese each week, learning a little about where it's from, how it's made and what to pair it with to make it shine. In anticipation of this big event, I took a short field trip to St. Kilian's Cheese Shop, the neighborhood cheese purveyor. Hugh O'Neill, one of the owners, and usually found behind the counter, never lets me down. He is always ready with a sample, a suggestion or a new cheese to pair with the wine you picked up next door, and has become a bit of a legend in the area. As I explained my new cheese quest, I saw a twinkle in Hugh's eyes. Before I was done talking, Hugh was already reaching into the case to lovingly retrieve a small mound of cheese heaven. "If I had a food blog", he tells me, "this is the cheese I would write about. It's creamy, smooth and wonderful by itself, but also would be nice on top of a salad, or in scrambled eggs." I could tell by the look on his face that I needed to look no further for my premiere cheese. "Truf, a specialty of Caseificio dell' Alta Langa", an Italian goat cheese from the Piedmont region, flecked with bits of black truffle.

When I returned home clutching my prized cheese, I tried to do a little research, but I could only find a couple of references to the producer, who are better known for their Robiolas, and only a few more for Truf. The few I did locate however, were prayerful testimonies to it's exquisite creaminess and flavor. I opened the package, and a deep earthy smell wafted up to me. A taste - delicious! Rich, tangy, elegant (can goats be elegant?) and by far the creamiest goat cheese I have ever had. It feels soft and light in your mouth, and is moister and smoother than the goat cheeses I typically buy. The truffles added depth and a vaguely mushroomy flavor that reminded me of goats grazing in a field. I could see why this was Hugh's first choice, and I will be enjoying it both on a salad and in scrambled eggs (if it lasts that long!). Thanks for sharing it with me - I can hardly wait to see what's in store for next week.       

Savory Walnut Bread

I opened the freezer the other day searching for a little culinary inspiration (Doesn't everybody stand there with the door open while they decide what to cook for dinner?), when I came across a bag of walnuts. I had purchased them at Christmas, but forgotten all about them. I actually don't like walnuts very much, I think they tend to be bitter, and generally prefer most of my baked goods to be walnut free. But on this day, I was transported back to France, where delicious boules of Pain de Noix were cooling on the shelves of every boulangerie I went into (Actually this is what I spent my entire trip doing. I was amazed at the beautiful assortment of breads and pastries everywhere we went). I pulled out Beard on Bread and of course he has a recipe from "a delightful cookbook called Good Things, by Jane Grigson", for Walnut Bread from Southern Burgundy. Mr. Beard speaks of intriguing small round loaves, delicious "nose" and delicate flavor. Exactly what I was looking for. I was hooked.

A great recipe, it smelled wonderful (that delicious "nose"), and baked up into beautiful dark brown boules. It has a tight crumb and a chewy crust. The walnuts gave it some texture and an interesting flavor with a slightly fruity taste fro the olive oil. We had it with dinner and the next day, following Mr. Beard's suggestion, toasted it and spread it with goat cheese - WOW! The slightly bitter walnuts and the tangy goat cheese combined to make a truly extraordinary happy hour snack. This would also be terrific with a bowl of soup, or you could cut into smaller pieces, brush with some olive oil, toast it and serve with a cheese plate as bruschetta. Enjoy!   

A New Direction - Bread, Cheese, Wine and Vintage Recipes

I have been pondering my blog, and I'm thinking that a little direction might be order. A purpose and an order - as opposed to this simply being an online journal of my musings and culinary wanderings.

I have a true love of baking bread and believe that if there isn't bread in the house - we really have nothing to eat. I also love cheese, in all of it's many varied and wonderful forms (I even like Velveeta). I love wine, but don't really know anything about it. I'm not a wine connoisseur and I drink it too quickly to justify paying very much for it. I would rather have three or four $8-10 bottles than one $30 bottle. And I love old kitchen stuff, housewares and recipes, my house is full of this stuff. So I'm going to try an experiment - Nickel & Dime Wine Wednesday, Crust & Crumb Fridays, Saturday Cheese Course and Mondays In a Vintage Kitchen.

Here are the rules:

Nickel & Dime Wednesday will feature an imported wine that can be found for less than $10, and will include some tasting notes and impressions. Given my rather limited knowledge of wine, I can really only tell if I like it or not and how cool the label is, but maybe that's all that matters anyway.

Crust & Crumb Friday, I'll bake, photograph and blog about a new bread that I've baked. No Repeats! This should be a joy as I love bread more that about anything on Earth. The aroma, the melty butter - baking bread is my idea of what a home should smell like. Mmmmmm.........

Saturday Cheese Course - Let's expand our horizons beyond Cheddar and try a new cheese every week. Some I will cook with, others will be simply enjoyed during happy hour with a glass of wine. I'll write about production, taste, smell and what it might be well paired with. (Are you supposed to eat the rind?)

And finally, Mondays in a Vintage Kitchen. Mike thought it would be fun to use all of the old cookbooks I've been collecting, from Julia Child back, before processed food, trans fats and artificial flavorings and colorings were the norm. So my assignment will be to find a recipe from the 50's or earlier, maybe way earlier, and try it out, using as many vintage techniques, ingredients and tools as possible. It will be interesting to compare this to how we eat today.

This should be fun, and will give me some structure and you something to look forward to.

Cheers!

Vanilla Nut Rumtini

When I accepted the challenge to participate in Mixology Monday - Creme de la Creme, hosted by Morsels and Musings, I knew that it would be a difficult assignment. I am a fan of cream based liqueurs, but you would generally find me enjoying them with coffee, in front of a roaring fire some chilly January evening. And as it is now June and 90+ degrees, a sweet, rich, creamy hot drink was not what I had in mind. I set out to find a summer cream liqueur drink. Which lead me to difficulty number two with this project. Many summer drinks are very sweet, slushy, syrupy and come embellished with an umbrella, fine for enjoying poolside on a cruise, but a little ridiculous in my backyard for happy hour. I also wanted to create a drink that you might want to have more than one of. I always find that sweet drinks are fine, but drinking more than one is like having three bowls of ice cream. Yummy, but just too much. So the challenge is really "how to create a seasonally appropriate yet grown up cream liqueur libation". I knew I was up to the task. I pulled out all of the tasty liquid goodies and looked at my options. Kahlua, Baileys, Dooley's, Frangelico and Jamaican Rum, all delicious, a wonderful drink was definitely lurking in here somewhere.

With a little mixing, some shaking and tasting (this is hard work, someone really should be paying me for this), the moment of discovery had arrived and the Vanilla Nut Rumtini was born. The Frangelico gives it an amazing nutty flavor that complements the vanilla-y Dooley's perfectly. It's not too sweet and would be a great after dinner cocktail. I guess the liqueurs can come out of the cabinet during the summer after all. Let me know what you think. Cheers!

The Vanilla Nut Rumtini

1 oz Dooley's Toffee Liqueur

1oz Frangelico

2oz Rum

Shake with crushed ice. Strain into a martini glass and serve often.   

English Toffee Inspiration Sundae

There are few flavors I love more than toffee. Elegant, creamy, warm and tasting of both vanilla and butterscotch, I love toffee in all of its forms, from the Hersey's Skor bar and Werther's hard candy to the coup' de grace of candy goodness, English Toffee. Crunchy and buttery with an interesting texture that sort of melts into your teeth, a delicious layer of chocolate sprinkled with salty nuts, English Toffee is truly a candy to fall in love with.

I attribute my love of toffee to my Grammie. As a kid, I spent a couple of weeks at her house in Iowa each summer. These were glorious times when indulgences like drinking RC Cola out of glass bottle on the front porch and cooking Totino's Pizzas in the basement because it was too hot to use the kitchen oven became special treats. We spent our days watching Grammie's soaps and The Price is Right and ended each night with a bowl of cereal during Johnny Carson. These were my first true vacations, where none of the rules from home applied and we got to eat things my Mom would never buy.

My Grammie's candy bowl was always full of Brach's mix, including those striped pink, brown and white coconut things (what are those, anyway?), Starlight mints, chewy toffees with flavored middles and my favorite, butterscotch disks wrapped in yellow cellophane. I also developed a taste for butterscotch pudding, it was Grammie's favorite. Never one for instant pudding, Grammie always made the stove kind, using the most unusual whisk I've ever seen. It was sort of a spring on a handle, not at all like the basket whisks I have today. Butterscotch became my flavor and back at home I remember trying to force this lovely brownish yellow dessert on my chocolate loving family, with mixed results. So out of summers spent at Grammie's, grew my love of toffee. But I don’t have it very often, so it's still special when someone offers me an irregularly shaped piece of English Toffee heaven. 

I was perusing the too-narrow aisles of the liquor mega mart, known to all in the area as Applejack, when I came across a colorful bottle of something called Dooley’s. A German toffee liqueur, made with vodka, toffee caramel and other “natural ingredients”. Although I had never heard of German toffee or vodka, it sounded delicious. An idea began to take shape as I rushed home to work on my masterpiece.

Starting with vanilla ice cream, I used the Dooley’s liqueur as a sauce, and finished my sundae with some shaved dark chocolate pieces and chopped pecans. What a great combination! Smooth, creamy and buttery, a perfect mix of vanilla-y toffee flavor simplicity and intriguing bits of chocolate and nut crunch. A perfect summer way to enjoy the buttery toffee flavors I love!

English Toffee Inspiration Sundae

Premium Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Dooley's Toffee Liqueur

Shaved Dark Chocolate

Chopped Pecans

Get out a beautiful dish and add two (or more) scoops of ice cream. Drizzle the Dooley's decoratively over the top. Sprinkle the chocolate and pecans on. Serve to toffee loving friends and family often.

Cheers!

This is my contribution to Yum Sugar's celebration of National Candy Month - dishes made of or inspired by the candy we love.  

 

Thoughts on Food, Wine and Living Well

I've been contemplating food and wine as a life experience. I'm not a chef, I'm never going to be, so cooking in itself isn't the big game for me. I love food and wine for the experience it creates, and I believe that eating and drinking well is essential to living well. When living well is a priority, it shows through in all aspects of your life. Wonderful food must be found, seasoned and cooked, not just reheated, and the process encourages you to slow down, have a glass of wine and savor life a little. Historically, what we ate was what was readily available, but in today's global economy, the food we choose to eat reflects our values. Nobody who lives on fast food is living a relaxed, experience filled life. A fun life maybe, but that is not the life I want to lead. The life I'm creating includes trips to the farmer's market, leisurely excursions to interesting food stores, afternoons puttering around in the kitchen, fresh baked bread, daily happy hour and wonderfully flavorful meals enjoyed with a bottle of wine. Enjoying fresh, simple food is the height of authentic living to me. But what is it about food that makes it an experience? Is it the explosion of flavor when you bite into a perfectly ripe peach, the wonder of a chilled crisp white wine on a hot day, an afternoon excursion to get a scoop of dark chocolate gelato, finding a recipe so delicious that your mouth waters with the anticipation of preparing it for your family, or spending time with friends over a relaxed dinner? It is all of this and more. Food nourishes us in so many ways, it is not simply sustenance. It is about using all of your senses, living in the moment, treating yourself well and making time for what is important. So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop by, join me for a glass of wine, tell me about your day, and we'll eat something wonderful together. Cheers! 

Lemon Balm Mojitos

I was a little late to the Mojitos party. Apparently, Mojitos have taken the beverage world by storm. I wouldn't know because after years of waiting tables in nightclubs, I haven't really set foot in one in ages. All this changed on a work trip to Las Vegas last year. Reading the in-flight magazine, I came across a worshipful article praising the lovely Mojito, featuring a delicious-looking sidebar recipe. And although they invite you to take a copy of the in-flight magazine home with you, I opted instead to simply tear out the pages, leaving the now Mojitoless magazine crammed in the seatback pocket.

While in Las Vegas, I was spending a late evening at a cocktail bar with my boss and his wife, and saw Mojitos on the menu (Two Mojito moments on one trip? Was this a sign?). But they were $12 each, enough to make me think that maybe Mojitos were not the drink for me. But my boss had a company credit card and ordered a round of Mojitos for everyone (lovely man), and then another and another after that. And although this probably added up to about $300 of Mojitos, I was hooked. Smooth, limey, minty and tart, this was simply the best drink I had enjoyed in years.

Back on the homefront, my Mojito mojo was limited by my lack of mint. Now, I know that in most people's yards mint grows like crazy. My parents used to live in a house where the mint completely took over the yard, and no amount of effort on my Dad's part could kill the it. I can't grow mint (or Rosemary or Lavender either, but that's another story). I don't know why. Every year (as hope springs eternally in my garden), I plant a couple of plants and every year I manage to kill it. I can grow other herbs and vegetables successfully, but when it comes to mint, I seem to be at a loss. Until last week. I read a gardening article that mentioned that Lemon Balm was great in Mojitos, used in place of the mint. I've got a huge Lemon Balm plant, that without a doubt is the most useless plant in my garden. It smells nice but I have no idea what to do with it. So I decided to try making my Mojitos of my dreams with the Lemon Balm of my reality. They were good! A little different than those made with the traditional mint, but no less fantastic! Tart, tangy, fragrant and lemon-limey delicious, they taste like summer on ice. So now that I can make Mojitos with lemon balm, who cares if I kill the mint?

Lemon Balm Mojitos - makes one drink

handful of fresh lemon balm leaves, garden dirt rinsed off

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 shot of rum

Freshly squeezed lime

tonic water

Put the lemon balm and the sugar in a short glass, and muddle until well mushed together (don't go crazy, or you will have bits of lemon balm in your teeth). Add the shot of rum, a squeeze of lime, and fill the glass with tonic water. Add ice and stir gently. Garnish with a lime or lemon balm sprig. Cheers!

 

Fiddlehead Ferns - Dinner or Landscaping?

At the farmer's market, I am always on the lookout for new things. I figure that this is a perfect time to explore a little new territory and discover something unusual, because everyone there is so forthcoming about what to do with it. Between the merchants and the shoppers, there is wealth of collective knowledge. Somebody is always willing to share what they know, reminisce about where they have eaten, or give you their favorite recipe. To me, this is the best part of the farmer's market concept. People coming together to buy and sell what they know and love, and to exchange ideas. You don't really find this at the grocery store, where the people working there mostly just stock the shelves. So if you are looking for people that are truly invested in what they are selling, you need to go to the farmer's market.

When I was there Saturday, I was intrigued to find tightly coiled, dark green Fiddlehead Ferns in a basket at a stand selling organic produce. I have ferns in my yard, but have always considered them to be landscaping, not dinner. The lady offered us a sample, setting off a frenzy of fern buying at the booth. While I was trying to decide how adventurous I was feeling about cooking and eating ferns, people kept rushing up, reminiscing dreamily about fiddleheads they had eaten in Maine or Vermont and snapping them up. The time for action was upon me. If I was going to join the fiddlehead fern crowd, I had to buy them now or I would be left behind. Boldly, I stepped forward and said "Yes! I will have Fiddleheads!" and bought the last of them. Excitedly, I called Mike and told him about the ferns. He asked where I was going to plant them. He sounded a little skeptical when I told him that we were going to EAT them, but was willing to give them a try.

When I got around to cooking them a couple of days later, I was a bit apprehensive. The soft glow of fern discovery had worn off and now I was going to have to eat them. When I tried them at the farmer's market, they were crunchy, tightly coiled and tasted a little like asparagus. But now they were softer and the fronds were turning brown (maybe storing them in the fridge would have helped). But I was committed - I had bought them, I would cook them, and I guess I was going to eat them. The farmer's market lady had told me to saute them in butter, olive oil and some garlic and serve them over pasta. I did, but they uncurled while they cooked and came out of the pan looking more like green octopus tentacles than ferns. Mike loved them, had seconds and invited me to cook ferns anytime. I'm not so sure - I think I like them better as landscaping. 

To Market, To Market...

Farmer's Market season has finally arrived in Colorado! Lovie and I went Saturday and judging by the crowd, everyone was ready for the season to begin. Clearly people love the experience, while some were buying bread and stocking up on produce, it seemed like just as many were there for the atmosphere and maybe for lunch, enjoying the bustle of the crowd and the local musicians while they sat in the shade at  the small tables set nearby. A few years ago, the farmer's market was a relatively unknown phenomenon in this part of the country. There were a few small markets each weekend, and you could usually count on finding a bakery, one or two local produce growers and a couple of booths where they were selling breakfast burritos. You could be done in 10 minutes. Fast forward to today - the farmer's markets look much more like the European markets I saw in France. The choices available now are astounding! Organic growers with early season veggies were packed in next to booths selling flowers, herbs, pastries, rustic breads, quiches, sorbet, pasta, green chiles, honey, homemade soap, dog treats and a place teaching people how to compost. Fun, ready to eat foods were everwhere -grilled meats, tamales, BBQ, pizzas and kettle popcorn. Lovie wanted to try everything (she had a stomachache when we left). Carrying my new market basket (I felt so European and ecologically thoughtful by no longer using a plastic grocery bag) that I had found a yard sale for a dollar, we made our way through the crowds. I was trying out my new theory of marketing - that I will simply find something seasonal and delicious and build dinner around it. What I ended up with was a bunch of fresh Spinach, baby Roma tomatoes, Fiddlehead Ferns (never heard of these before), first of the season peaches, cucumbers, english peas, and 1/2 pound of freshly pulled mozzerella. What a bonanza - I rushed home with my treasures and started to think about dinner.

We dined al Fresco on Spinach salad with halved baby Romas and fresh Mozzerella sprinkled with oil and vinegar and some crunchy sea salt, a loaf of Ciabatta I baked that afternoon and a glass of crisp Austrian Gruner Veltliner. I'm so glad its summer! I can hardly wait until next weekend to do it again. 

Meals Abroad 2007- The Scrapbook

When I imagined the entries for Meals Abroad, I envisioned an event where I would receive a few romantic tales of sipping cappuccino on a rainy night at a sidewalk cafe. I had no idea what I was in for. You sent me stories and pictures of some of the most delicious foods I have ever seen. Reading about your travels and the meals you enjoyed there gave me goosebumps and made me drool. My passport is now burning a hole in my pocket - there are so many great places to visit and wonderful things to eat and so little time to try them all. Thanks so much for sending me your travel and food memories. I've enjoyed reliving them with you!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Meals Abroad 2007   

Sig writes Live to Eat from Seattle. She sent me a terrific post about her birthday dinner at a French restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. You can read about it at Cafe de Artistes/Thierry Blouet Cocina de Autor.

Loulou is lucky enough to live in and write about her exploits in the South of France at Chez Loulou, and sent us a fabulous post about the tasting menu at the Auberge des Adrets. Three amazingly beautiful courses in the loveliest setting you could imagine. You'll wish you were there - read it at The Way Lunch Was Meant to Be.

From Switzerland, FX at FX Cusine sent two entries. The first is the delicious sounding, artery slowing Italian delicacy, Deep Fried Pizza. Everyone should throw caution to the wind and indulge in something this wonderful looking at least once in their life. Check it out at Pizza Fritta - Traditional Neapolitan Deep Fried Pizza. Fx also sent Istanbul Fish Boreks, an exotic looking spicy phyllo and fish dish, with a recipe so you can create it in your own kitchen. Enjoy! 

From New Zealand, Arfi at HomeMades wrote of her memories of one of her favorite places and mine, Bali. Just reading of her favorite places there and seeing her wonderful pictures makes me long to visit.As I read her post, I could almost smell the warm, fragrant breeze - clearly Bali has captured her heart. Visit Ubud and the cafe Tutmak with her. Sit back and enjoy a cool drink while you read Bali is Back on the Memory Lane and dream of the tropics - you've earned it.

Katie at Yumsugar sent pictures and savory memories of Spain and a plate of grilled cheesy tapas she devoured in an truly authentic dive-y bar. (Isn't it true that you can always find great food in a dive-y Spanish bar?) Drool over them at Bocaditos. 

Dhana writes Fresh Kitchen from California. She submitted her pictures and street food memories from a recent business trip to New Delhi. Her pictures of the markets and the wonderful food made me wish I was there. Visit her at Enjoying Dehli Through The Food I Visited. Check out all of her pictures - my favorite is of the Street Barber trimming a gentleman's ear hair.

My own entry is an ode to the wonderful Wine Soup I had in Wurzburg, Germany at a place the feeds both world weary travelers and the local hungry, providing traditional German fare, fantastic home grown Rieslings and the most astonishing wine soup on Earth. Read my love note at Wurzburg Wine Soup.

Tigerfish of Teczcape - an Escape to Food in California sent the pictures of a food voyage and celebration of New Zealand's spectacular seafood. Huge crayfish and green mussels galore. I am now planning my trip, you will be too. Enjoy the food and scenery at Crayfish and Mussels in New Zealand.

Tigerfish's post also provided the last perfect sentiment for the Meals Abroad Scrapbook-

"Because of Food, I See More - Because of Travel, I Taste Far"

Cheers and Thanks! Chelsea