FoodieCrush Magazine Issue 01

THE ONLINE MAGAZINE THAT LOVES FOOD BLOGGERS, THEIR RECIPES & PHOTOGRAPHY

SUE DEBUT IS

WE COOKIES food blogger’s favorite sweet treat recipes

TWO PEAS AND THEIR POD

chocolate mint truffle cookies P. 42

CHILLING OUT aprés ski with family & friends COMFORT FOOD recipes from around the world GLUTEN-FREE brunch ideas with your bff’s

COMPILED BY HEIDI LARSEN FOODIECRUSH

JACLYN FISHMAN FOOD + WORDS

MARIA LICHTY

TWO PEAS AND THEIR POD

DESIGNED BY DESSI PRICE SNACKTHYME

Family

good fri+ ends delicious+ food

= holidays to

remember & cherish I always love the food, but it’s the people that make the season special.

dorie from In the Kitchen and On the Road with Dorie

“ When I think about Thanksgiving, I remember being the only one of the grandchildren that had a job. I used to be in charge of lining up all the marshmallows on top of the sweet potato casserole.

About half of the marshmallows made it into my mouth...thankfully my Granny used to buy two bags.

One for me, one for the casserole.” jessica, The Novice Chef

Food Blogger’s

Favorite Holiday Memories & traditions

In the spirit of the holidays, we asked a group of food bloggers to share their favorite food-related holiday memories with us. h e r e ’ s t o a w o n d e r f u l h o l i day s e a s o n !

WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO OUR MEXICAN FIESTA WITH FRIENDS ON CHRISTMAS EVE! ENCHILADAS, HOMEMADE CHURROS, MULLED WINE AND LOTS OF LAUGHTER.

~ becky from the vintage mixer

Our family has a CRAZY SCHEDULE for Christmas.

We see both sides of our family at some point, but my favorite part of the day is our

breakfast tradition

We load up the car, still in pajamas, and head over to my parents’ best friends house to swap gifts and eat Christmas breakfast with their family. The meal is always the same: Jill and my mom always make their versions of breakfast casserole along with fresh fruit and some type of muffin or donut.

Coffee, juice, and an hour or two of laughs make it memorable.

– brandi, Bran Appetit

Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas morn.

i t ’ s c h e e ry , f u n , l i g h t , e v e ryo n e k n o w s i t ,

g r e at f o r a l l a g e s , and adds an element of christmas cheer.

sandy from reluctant entertainer

Fondue on NYE! Casual, simple, communal, with tons of craft beers and great friends.

Mandatory: a good time and candlelight! matt from matt bites

Monkey bread and mimosa (FOR THE ADULTS, OF COURSE)

on Christmas morning.

bridget from bake at 350

Instead of gifts, husband “ & I cash in our year’s worth of pocket change for a nice dinner & read love letters we’ve written to each other.

”

bev from bev cooks

I love to experiment with new blends of herbs and spices and give them away to my neighbors and friends instead of cookies or baked goods! kalyn from kalyn’s kitchen

I LOVE 2 RUN IN THANKSGIVING 10K RUN & MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE & HOMEMADE PANCAKES 4THE KIDS. THEN WE LAY AROUND & WATCH THE MACY’S DAY PARADE. alison from ingredients, Inc.

i look forward to my dad ’ s

“Charlie Brown”

Christmas tree,

cinnamon rolls , oranges and a special letter from my dad in my stocking , and baking obscene amounts of cookies . maria from two peas and their pod

We make a feast on Christmas eve, cocktails for the family and then we play games and watch

It’s a Wonderful Life.

Every year.

mike from verses from my kitchen

“ I’d have to say my favorite holiday memory was when my Mom would bake cookies and let us decorate them for Santa! I have to admit, though, a good chunk of those cookies never made it to Santa’s plate! I’m sure my Mom figured that with four kids.” amy singleton, The Nifty Foodie

“

Christmas Eve. We’re Italian & have always done the traditional 7 fishes. We’ve modernized many dishes over the years, but still do it!

”

michelle from brown eyed baker

BAKING MY

GRAMMA’S HEIRLOOM

SUGAR COOKIES. CRISP, BUTTERY, ALWAYS WITH KITSCHY SPARKLING RAINBOW SUGAR— THEY TASTE LIKE CHRISTMAS TO ME. shauna from piece of cake

SPENDING CHRISTMAS EVE WITH ALL OF MY COUSINS. WE HAVE A HUGE FEAST BUT DON’T EAT UNTIL CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT, AND STAY UP FOR HOURS TALKING! jessica from how sweet it is

Favorite Holiday

Memories

My family is Russian, so we celebrate New Year’s big: we have a New Year’s Tree (much like a Christmas Tree), exchange presents, dress up, and spend a lot of time cooking. After I left home for college. This year, for the first time in a long time, we’ll be celebrating New Year’s with my entire family (including my grandfather, who is going to be flying in from Moscow). kasey from turntable kitchen

A favorite holiday tradition since childhood, has been to make Gooey Butter Cake for Christmas Morning Breakfast. cheryl from tidymom

contents D E PA RT M E N T S

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CHAMPAGNE

book

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Our favorite way to get a party started?

Pop a cork and let the good times flow.

Champagne, cava, prosseco— any way you pour it, nothing beats a bottle of bubbly when you want to create a festive atmosphere.

When the party’s over, these champagne-inspired finds will help you sparkle every day of the week.

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1 Step Out Hit the party circuit or the dance floor in these glimmering heels. Jimmy Choo champagne glitter shoes, $695, nordstrom.com 2 Eyes Have It This sheer, easy-to-wear powder shadow adds just a hint of glint to eyelids. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Champagne, $20, Nordstrom, nordstrom.com 3 Clink Clink This festive gold-tone chain says it all. Kate Spade New York “Cheers” Necklace, $78, Zappos Couture, couture.zappos.com 4 Luxe Life Add a dose of glamour to your

Marquis de la Tour Brut sparkling wine, $11, wine.com; Crate & Barrel “Edge” flutes, $13 each, crateandbarrel.com

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We gave funny-girl, food blogger B E V W E I D N E R the assignment to put her wit to the test and ask some of our favorite food bloggers to fill in the blanks for the rest of their story.

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home decor with a plush pillow in champagne quilted velvet. Arteriors “Priscilla” round pillow, $175, Interior HomeScapes, interiorhomescapes.com 5 Raise a Glass Drinking bubbly is all the more delightful when sipped from these slender modern flutes. Verve flutes, $13, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel.com 6 Think Pink Handmade in the UK, these pink chocolate truffles feature Marc de Champagne centers and come packaged in a charming pink box. Charbonnel et Walker Marc de Champagne Truffles, $24, Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthave.com 7 Arm Candy The Swarovski crystals on these Lucite bracelets remind us of tiny champagne bubbles. Alexis Bittar “Dune Dust” hinge bracelet in taupe, $395, ylang23.com 8 Nose Knows Sula’s six signature scents can be worn alone or layered to create your own personal blend, Our favorite?

This sweet, sparkling spritz. Sula Champagne Sugar Eau de Parfume, $32, Sula Beauty, sulabeauty.com 9 Best Dressed This Little White Dress is the perfect frock for cocktails or weddings. Rivini “Lola” dress, rivini.com for retailers

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sharing

din’ & spin

MADE by JACLYN

Malted Peppermint Hot Chocolate Yield: four 16-ounce pint jars; each pint yields 4 cups of cocoa

This recipe can easily be doubled or halved, depending on the amount of gifts you plan on making!

2 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 ½ cups peppermint sugar (recipe below) 1 cup malted milk powder

OL -ER F O R T H E CA R

for the Peppermint Sugar Place 3 cups peppermint hard candies in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until finely ground. for the Malted Peppermint Hot Chocolate 1. Combine the cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until thoroughly mixed.

2. Clean and thoroughly dry four pint-sized glass jars. Layer the cocoa mixture, peppermint sugar and malted milk powder in alternating layers until ½” from the top of the jar.

3. Seal the jars tightly, and decorate with a ribbon and a tag with serving instructions.

great

GIFT

ideas

From Scratch

WITH LOVE

Dinner In Perfect

HARMONY

FIVE-MINUTE HOMEMADE HOLIDAY GIFTS

recipes and photography by JACLYN FISHMAN FOOD PLUS WORDS .com

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From the stovetop to the soundtrack, create a melodious dining experince with the music and food matchmaking of bloggers

Serving Instructions 1. Empty contents of jar into a small saucepan. Add four cups of milk or water, and whisk to combine.

2. Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook until warm and creamy.

3. Serve with a peppermint stick and marshmallows.

Hearfelt gifts from the kitchen are as easy as 1-2-3 with D.I.Y. recipes that keep on giving.

KA S E Y A N D M AT T H E W H I C K E Y featuring TURNTABLE KITCHEN .com

by HEIDI LARSEN

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photography by KASEY FLEISHER HICKEY

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easy entertaining

T

he holidays are the poster child of hyped up entertaining, creating a bevy of overproduced, overpriced and time-consuming fetés. This holiday season, blogger Sandy Coughlin of RELUCTANT ENTERTAINER wants hosts and hostesses to connect with their guests with a more casual—and attainable—style of entertaining. She shares her tips on how to simplify your Christmas morning routine so you’ll have more time to enjoy both the feast and the festivities.

the Breakfast

What motivated you to start your blog, The Reluctant Entertainer, and enter the world of blogging?

I started blogging about entertaining when I realized what a lost art it was. Why were people so hesitant to invite others into their homes? Where did we get the idea that things had to look perfect? How did we lose the vision of what true hospitality is?

CONNECTION

Blogger S A N DY C O U G H L I N shares the secrets to a successful— and stress-free—Christmas breakfast

How would you describe Reluctant Entertainer?

My blog is about entertaining, hospitality, gardening and food—it’s a lifestyle blog. But most importantly, I really want to help women realize how easy entertaining can be, and the rewards that come from opening up our homes.

What fuels your passion for food + entertaining?

People. Food is the conduit to connection. Every time we serve good food and have guests over something amazing happens.

featuring RELUCTANT ENTERTAINER .com

by HEIDI LARSEN

30

Who shows up at your Christmas breakfast table?

It’s mainly a family affair: my husband Paul and our

photography by SANDY COUGHLIN

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Crostata di Fichi

What inspired your holiday breakfast menu?

I love breakfast casseroles because you can make them one or two days ahead of time. When you wake up in the morning the work has been done for you.

All you need is a hot oven, a few willing hands to get it to the table, and hungry people gathered around to enjoy the deliciousness of it. I love easy.

NS OF FROM THE KITCHE

BELL’A LIMENTO S IPS A ND S PO O NFULS LA FUJ I MA MA

What is a family tradition at your breakfast?

We open gifts first and then dive into breakfast at about 10 a.m. Last year we sat around the table with my dad for what seemed like hours sharing stories about his life, hunting and horses. At one point we were all laughing so hard we were crying. Even I heard stories I had never heard before. That was special. foodiecrush.com

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children—Elliot who is away at college, Garrett who is a senior in high school, and Abby who is a high school freshman. The last few years my dad and his wife have joined us, too. Christmas Day is our most low-key day and I love it. I never take off my slippers and sometimes I’m still in my jammies.

COMFORT FOOD FAVORITES 31

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from around the world

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F E AT U R E

S

YUM

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Season’s Treatings

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Who doesn’t love cookies? Toss in a touch of holiday spirit and you have a recipe for merry eatings from some of the web’s sweetest food bloggers.

featuring

othing showcases the holidays more than homemade cookies. It’s the season when even nonbakers break out their mixers, warm up their baking sheets and sweetly perfume their kitchens with smells of sugar and vanilla. With so many variations—crunchy or gooey, nutty or chocolatey, gingerflavored or gluten-free—it’s hard to choose. Which is why we asked our favorite cookie queen, Maria Lichty of Two Peas and Their Pod, to lend us a helpful baking hand (recipe p. 59.)

guest edited by MARI A LI CHTY of TW O P E AS AND THE I R P O D .com opening photography by 42 OODIECRUSH.COM 42 F foodiecrush.com

HE I DI LARSE N

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photography by

TE RI LYN FIS HER food styling by

JENNY PARK

SP O O N FO RK BACO N dot CO M

R featuring CO O K I N ’ CAN UCK .com

& M O U N TA I N M A M A CO O KS .com

APRÉS EATS Following a day on the slopes, cozy up to friends, fondue, and a roaring fire for a heart-warming afternoon

by H E I D I L A RS E N photography by B RI TT CH U D LE I G H

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Drinks? Check. Food? Check. Décor? Check.

The ladies of MODERN MANNERED demonstrate the etiquette of entertaining by throwing a New Year’s Eve party.

abuelita chocolate

A PROPER

PARTY

Vangie Yvettte

Veronica

all in

LA FAMILIA This mother-daughter trio cooks up Christmas meals and memories with recipes spanning three generations

featuring M O D ER N M A N N ER ED .com featuring MU Y B U EN O C O O K B O O K .wordpress.com

by T ESSA WO O L F

by HEID I LA RS EN

photography by DAV I D N EW K I R K

photography by J EA N IN E T HU RS TO N and LEA H AU D RA E 82 82

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LADIES WHO

featuring S POON FORK BACON .com

‘Tis Taco time

With Style & Grace blogger

LISA THIELE

hosts a gluten-free mid-morning meal for her BFFs

The recipe for a festive and fuss-free feté among friends?

An easy Mexicaninspired menu of tacos, tostadas, and margaritas

recipes by S POON FORK BACON photography by T ERI LYN F I S HER

featuring W I TH STY L E A ND GRACE .com

by TESSA W OOL F photography and styling by L I SA T H I E L E

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food styling by J ENNY PARK

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contributors

Tessa Woolf

Welcome to FoodieCrush.

Ever since the 4th grade when I won a blue ribbon for my oh-so-dazzling recipe for Snickerdoodles, I’ve been hooked on cooking. As I grew older, my foodie passions grew to include recipe lurking and combing through cookbooks and food magazines for inspiration.

Then came the web. All of that inspiration was now just a few clicks away, updated daily with new and inventive ways to answer basic questions—how to make a sure-fire pie crust—or showcase creative twists on old favorites—grilled macaroni and cheese sandwiches anyone?

That’s why I fell in love with food blogs and the talented creators behind them. Their recipes, stories and photography all combine to create a virtual buffet of recipes for millions of online viewers. And I am hooked.

My infatuation inspired me to create FoodieCrush, to celebrate favorite food bloggers—some well-known and some new faces—their savvy creations and inspiring ways.

Do you have a special food blog crush? I’d love to hear about it, so shoot me an e-mail, post on facebook or send me a tweet.

Thanks for checking out the debut issue, now dig in and enjoy.

xoxo,

Heidi Larsen ,

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FOUNDER

is a writer, editor, and sometimes stylist living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the editor of Salt Lake/ Park City Bride & Groom Magazine, and a writer for Park City Magazine and blogs at XOXOReese. When not researching the latest bridal fashion trends or interviewing Parkites, she loves to hit the ski slopes or hop on a plane for sunnier destinations.

She recently discovered a passion for baking and has since developed an amorous relationship with her Cuisinart mixer.

Champagne, popcorn, and Manchego cheese always top her grocery list.

Maria Lichty

is a recipe developer, freelance writer and cookie connoisseur and is one-half of the cooking blog Two Peas and Their Pod with her husband Josh. Hailing originally from Illinois, Maria now lives in Salt Lake City and recently quit her day job as a health educator to focus exclusively on blogging and nuzzling with the new pea in their pod, baby boy Caleb who was born in September of 2011. When not creating new cookie or vegetarian recipes, Maria enjoys exercising, playing with her boys and cheering loudly during NCAA basketball playoff games.

Jaclyn Fishman

is a writer, baker, photographer and perpetual daydreamer who feels most at home in her Orlando, Florida kitchen...as long as she’s not doing the dishes!

She has a degree in Creative Writing and is currently studying Baking & Pastry at Le Cordon Bleu and blogs at Food + Words. She adores dark chocolate and sea salt—preferably when they’re together—a good Riesling and all things lemony.

Jaclyn lives with her newlywed husband and two mischievous dogs in a house that doesn’t have a dishwasher.

Britt Chudleigh

is an artist and photographer with a sincere love for the moments she documents, the art she creates and the people she meets. After studying Drawing & Painting at the University of Utah, she worked in various artistic fields before photography found her nearly 10 years following her education. In 2008 she started Chudleigh Weddings and hasn’t looked back, spending the past three years professionally documenting weddings and other subjects she loves including food. Britt recently moved from Park City down the canyon to Salt Lake City with her husband and two toe-headed children.

Dessi Price

is a graphic designer by day, and sometimes into the night, and is new to the world of food blogging as the creator of Snack Thyme. Originally from a small town in Bulgaria near the Greek border, Dessi creates Mediterranean and Balkan dishes but also enjoys exploring new horizons and searching for new flavors. If there’s one thing she’s obsessed with it would be Gypsy peppers (a.k.a. sweet Italian Peppers), which were a staple when she was growing up. Dessi displays her graphic design skills in our Food Blogger’s Favorite Holiday Memories and Traditions article, found on the first and last pages of the magazine.

Bev Weidner

is an actress, singer, avid blog commenter and the voice and picture taker behind the blog Bev Cooks.

She focuses more on creating savories rather than sweets, and just recently blogged her first post baking recipe.

While creating witty questions for stories like Mad Crush, page 6, Bev often finds herself giggling incessantly at her computer as her dog stares at her in wonder. She obsesses over tacos, pizza, mushrooms and wine, not necessarily in that order. Bev lives in Kasas City with her husband and dog, and no longer eats cereal for dinner.

David Newkirk

is a native of Oregon who moved to Utah to pursue a love of skiing and conquer it’s great outdoors. As a student of modern design, he is constantly driven to build and create new things including a concrete countertop business and furniture studio as well as remodeling homes.

These days you’ll find him behind the lens of his camera, photographing interiors, people, weddings and everything in between.

When not spending his weekends capturing the special day for brides and grooms, David can be found mountain biking the Shoreline Trail or carving turns in the fresh Utah powder.

PRIVACY POLICY AND DISCLAIMER All content copyright (c) FoodieCrush unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without express written permission from the publisher. The opinions expressed by our contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the of the publisher. We have sought to ensure accuracy and completeness of our content wherever possible, but neither FoodieCrush nor the publisher assumes responsibility for claims or recipes submitted or reprinted by our contributors, errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other inconsistencies, including those related to quotations. Neither FoodieCrush nor the publisher is responsible for any statements, claims or representations made by contributiors, advertisers, or others, nor is FoodieCrush or the publisher responsible for anyone’s reliance on the content herein. foodiecrush.com

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crushing on

Mad crush

We gave funny-girl, food blogger B E V W E I D N E R the assignment to put her wit to the test and ask some of our favorite food bloggers to fill in the blanks for the rest of their story.

by BEV WEIDNER of BEV COOKS .com photos by HEIDI LARSEN

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t s e g g i b s ’ s b r e a t s w g e n i h t m o g c n d i n s a a p c u S d w n o P a h s bloggers D -U f ood

E P I C E R

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G N I IR y

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e p h t d f o S o t W o s E f e I b V R the NTE

from

L B D FOO

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WWW.FOODIECRUSH.COM

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LOVELY THINGS WE CAN’T STOP

coveting Our fondness for winter’s seasonal offerings has taken a leap beyond the grocery section to these food-inspired kitchen goods, accessories and beauty products. Check out what we’re crushing on now.

s

S

curated by TESSA WOOLF of XOXO RESSE .com photography by HEIDI LARSEN

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coveting

BUBBLY BLING

ALL SPARKLES that

CHAMPAGNE

Our favorite way to get a party started?

Pop a cork and let the good times flow.

Champagne, cava, prosseco— any way you pour it, nothing beats a bottle of bubbly when you want to create a festive atmosphere.

When the party’s over, these champagne-inspired finds will help you sparkle every day of the week.

Marquis de la Tour Brut sparkling wine, $11, wine.com; Crate & Barrel “Edge” flutes, $13 each, crateandbarrel.com

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1 Step Out Hit the party circuit or the dance floor in these glimmering heels. Jimmy Choo champagne glitter shoes, $695, nordstrom.com 2 Eyes Have It This sheer, easy-to-wear powder shadow adds just a hint of glint to eyelids. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Champagne, $20, Nordstrom, nordstrom.com 3 Clink Clink This festive gold-tone chain says it all. Kate Spade New York “Cheers” Necklace, $78, Zappos Couture, couture.zappos.com 4 Luxe Life Add a dose of glamour to your home decor with a plush pillow in champagne quilted velvet. Arteriors “Priscilla” round pillow, $175, Interior HomeScapes, interiorhomescapes.com 5 Raise a Glass Drinking bubbly is all the more delightful when sipped from these slender modern flutes. Verve flutes, $13, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel.com 6 Think Pink Handmade in the UK, these pink chocolate truffles feature Marc de Champagne centers and come packaged in a charming pink box. Charbonnel et Walker Marc de Champagne Truffles, $24, Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthave.com 7 Arm Candy The Swarovski crystals on these Lucite bracelets remind us of tiny champagne bubbles. Alexis Bittar “Dune Dust” hinge bracelet in taupe, $395, ylang23.com 8 Nose Knows Sula’s six signature scents can be worn alone or layered to create your own personal blend, Our favorite?

This sweet, sparkling spritz. Sula Champagne Sugar Eau de Parfume, $32, Sula Beauty, sulabeauty.com 9 Best Dressed This Little White Dress is the perfect frock for cocktails or weddings. Rivini “Lola” dress, rivini.com for retailers foodiecrush.com

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coveting

MOCHA FIX

COCOA LOCO CHOCOLATE

We have a confession: we’re a little obsessed with chocolate. In fact, you might call us chocoholics.

Bitter or sweet, milk or dark, flavored or straight up—we don’t discriminate, we gleefully devour it all.

When we need a fix, these sweet treats help satisfy our cravings.

Artisan Du Chocolat Tonka Milk, Mole Chili Dark, Lumi Milk, Caffe Latte Milk, and Gianduja chocolate bars, $5 each, artisanduchocolat.com

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1 Delicious Read Indulge in this cocoa cookbook featuring 70-plus recipes for decadent cakes, souffles, cookies, ice cream, and candy. Luscious Chocolate Desserts by Lori Longbotham, $20, Amazon, amazon.com 2 Top Tips Get a glam mani with this dark espresso-brown polish with a hint of golden shimmer. Zoya “Kalista” nail polish, $8, Zoya, zoya.com

3 Sweet Dreams Drift away all snuggled up in this graphic bedding from the DwellStudio archives made of super soft cotton.

DwellStudio Silhouete Cocoa Duvet Set, $150, dwellstudio.com 4 Light My Fire Thanks to an intoxicating blend of cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond, and vanilla, this rich candle smells delicious enough to eat. Pacifica Mexican Cocoa soy candle, $22, Whole Foods, wholefoods.com for store locations 5 With This Ring A modern twist on the traditional diamond ring: chocolate diamonds and organic hammered 14K recycled gold bands with a matte finish. Chocolate diamond stacking rings, $825 per band, Wedzu, wedzu.com 6 Take Note Send greetings—or swap secret family recipes—on these elegant note cards and chocolate-brown-lined envelopes. Crane & Co. correspondence cards with monogram, $2 per card, craneandco.com 7 In the Bag Stash the essentials--lipstick, cell phone, breath mints, cab fare--in this mini glazed leather “Morning After Clutch.” Rebecca Minkoff ‘Mini MAC’ clutch in Chocolate, $195 nordstrom.com

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coveting

PLUSH PINK

PASSION FRUIT POMEGRANATE

Whether savoring it alone or adding it to dishes, we can’t get enough of the alluring pomegranate. Sinfully delicious, a symbol of abundance, fertility, and good luck, and chock full of healthy benefits to boot-what’s not to love?

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals with health benefits ranging from anti-aging to health health.

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9 Spoon-fulls Top your morning pancakes or toast with these blended fruit jams, and add new flavor to chicken or pork dishes with this tart and tangy chutney. Stonewall Kitchen cranberry pomegranate chutney, blueberry pomegranate jam and peach pomegranate jam, $6.50 and $8, stonewallkitchen.com 2 Helping Hand Soothe and soften hands post-dish duty with this creamy formula featuring natural pomegranate, white tea, cranberry, and chamomile. Archipelago pomegranate hand cream, $29, Luxury Parlor, luxuryparlor.com 3 The Write Stuff Jot down memories of festive dinners and food travels in this ruby red leather journal filled with 192 gilt-edge pages. Crane & Co. bonded leather writing journal, $20, craneandco.com 4 Lip Service Treat lips to a cocktail of antioxidants and SPF 15 with this exfoliating,moisturizing gloss with a whisper-pink hue. Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector, $17, murad.com 5 Cover Up Keep spills and splatters off your threads with this funky cotton-canvas apron featuring a bold pomegranate pattern. Barbara Shaw Pomegrante Apron, $29, barbarashawgifts.com 6 Lux Wash You won’t find harsh detergents in this wash, just moisturizing essential oils brings balance to busy lives. Weleda Pomgegranate Creamy Body Wash, $18, Weleda.com 7 Gentle Cycle We love this lightly scented wash for hoisery, cashmere, linens, and, ahem, lingerie.

Tocca Touch Laundry Delicate in Pomegranate Tiare Flower Fine Fabric Wash, $15, tocca.com foodiecrush.com

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sharing

MADE by JACLYN

great

GIFT

ideas

From Scratch

WITH LOVE

FIVE-MINUTE HOMEMADE HOLIDAY GIFTS Hearfelt gifts from the kitchen are as easy as 1-2-3 with D.I.Y. recipes that keep on giving. recipes and photography by JACLYN FISHMAN FOOD PLUS WORDS .com

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Malted Peppermint Hot Chocolate Yield: four 16-ounce pint jars; each pint yields 4 cups of cocoa

This recipe can easily be doubled or halved, depending on the amount of gifts you plan on making!

2 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 ½ cups peppermint sugar (recipe below) 1 cup malted milk powder

OL -ER F O R T H E CA R

for the Peppermint Sugar Place 3 cups peppermint hard candies in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until finely ground. for the Malted Peppermint Hot Chocolate 1. Combine the cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until thoroughly mixed.

2. Clean and thoroughly dry four pint-sized glass jars. Layer the cocoa mixture, peppermint sugar and malted milk powder in alternating layers until ½” from the top of the jar.

3. Seal the jars tightly, and decorate with a ribbon and a tag with serving instructions.

Serving Instructions 1. Empty contents of jar into a small saucepan. Add four cups of milk or water, and whisk to combine.

2. Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook until warm and creamy.

3. Serve with a peppermint stick and marshmallows. foodiecrush.com

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sharing

W Whether it’s bringing homemade chicken soup to a friend with a cold, or hosting Thanksgiving dinner, nothing makes gift givers happier than sharing food they love with the people they care about most.

If you’ve ever received a homemade gift, you know how wonderful that feeling is; knowing that time, love and energy went into the culling and creating of something delicious especially for you.

By creating baking mixes or ingredients for loved ones to use at their leisure, especially those that require little to no cooking, creates a domino effect of merrymaking with more time for spending with friends and family.

These hand-crafted, edible gifts take mere minutes to put together, and are guaranteed to impress.

RISER F O R T H E E A R LY

Cinnamon-Spiced Ground Coffee Yield: 16 ounces coffee; portion into 4 or 8-ounce jars

Personalize your flavor to your recipients personality with flavors like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cocoa, or ground orange peel.

1 pound good-quality dark roast whole coffee beans 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1. Combine the whole coffee beans and ground cinnamon in a coffee grinder. You may have to work in batches, depending on the size of your grinder.

2. Grind the coffee and cinnamon to a medium-size grind.

3. Portion into jars, and decorate with a ribbon.

4. Attach the following serving directions to the jar: For the perfect brew, use 6 ounces of filtered cold water for every 2 tablespoons of coffee.

NO TIME TO GET CRAFTY? DELEGATE WITH GIFT TAGS TO GO

MODERN DAILYSIP STUDIOS

Personalized Letterpress Gift Tags

Set of 100, $133

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CRAFTY LNZART

Custom Gift Tags

Set of 12, $8

TRADITIONAL TATTERED NOTIONS

Customized Personalized Chandelier Gift Tags Set of 20, $32

AINER F O R T H E E N T E RT

R AT O R FOR THE CELEB

Winter Panettone Mix

Vanilla Bean Liqueur

This simple panettone is spicy and delicious, and makes for a great French toast.

This vanilla bean liqueur couldn’t be simpler to make.

Perfect to add to your weekend brunch coffee or vodka martini for a festive holiday cocktail.

Yield: one quart-sizes jar; jar yields one standard-size loaf

In a quart-sized glass jar, layer the following amounts of ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ t ablespoon active dry yeast ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup raisins ¼ cup slivered almonds 1. Seal jar and decorate with ribbon and a tag with the following baking directions: 2. Empty panettone mix into a large bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk, 1 stick unsalted butter, ¼ cup honey, and the zest of one orange.

Place the saucepan over medium heat, stir to combine and heat to 120 degrees F. 4. When the mixture reaches 120 degrees F, remove from heat and stir into panettone mix.

5. Mix in two eggs and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract until combined. Place a tea towel over the bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Butter a standard-sized loaf pan and place the dough in the pan.

6. Cover the pan with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes. Cool completely in the loaf pan before slicing and serving.

Yield: five 8-ounce bottles

8 whole vanilla beans, split lengthwise 30 ounces (about 5 cups) good-quality vodka 1 ½ cups simple syrup, cooled (recipe below) for the simple syrup co mbine 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan.

1. Place over medium-high heat, and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.

Once the sugar has melted and the syrup is smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. For the Vanilla Bean Liqueur In a large glass jar (I used a 2

quart jar) with a tight-fitting lid, combine the split vanilla beans, vodka and simple syrup.

3. Place the lid on the jar and shake to combine.

4. Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks, giving the jar a gentle shake every day or so.

5. After two weeks, portion the liqueur into 8-ounce bottles. Slip one or two of the split vanilla beans into the jars.

The vanilla liqueur will keep for up to a year, if stored at room temperature and sealed tightly.

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din’ & spin

Dinner In Perfect

HARMONY

From the stovetop to the soundtrack, create a melodious dining experince with the music and food matchmaking of bloggers KA S E Y A N D M AT T H E W H I C K E Y featuring TURNTABLE KITCHEN .com

by HEIDI LARSEN

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photography by KASEY FLEISHER HICKEY

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I

In the world of food blogs, there are plenty that highlight a plethora of delicious pairings—think brie cheese topped with figs and served with a sparkling wine, or maple donuts topped with bacon and served with a side of napkins.

But few come across with as original a spin as the food and music blog Turntable Kitchen.

Originated in their San Francisco kitchen, Kasey and Matthew Hickey have ingeniously married their two passions—cooking and spinning tunes—to provide their friends and loyal fans with melodious dining experiences.

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KASEY COOKS

Sunchoke Soup with Caramelized Onions adapted from Sassy Radish serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a meal

1 ½ pounds of sunchokes extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest (plus more, to taste) 4 cups of vegetable stock 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped k osher salt and freshly-grated pepper, to taste grated Parmigiano-Reggiano ½ large vidalia onion, sliced into ½ inch rings

Bring the ingredients to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for approximately 45 minutes – an hour (until the sunchokes are very tender).

4. While the soup cooks, prepare your caramelized onions: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring so onions don’t get too brown. Lower the heat, cover the saucepan and continue cooking the onions for another 25-30 minutes, occasionally stirring. Uncover the pan and raise the heat in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. The onions should give off a heavenly,

1. Peel and roughly chop the sunchokes, plac-

sweet aroma. Season them with salt

ing them in a bowl of cold water while you

and pepper.

prep the other ingredients.

5. Use an immersion blender to puree the

2. Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to

soup until it is velvety smooth. Stir in the

a large soup pot. Heat the oil over medium

lemon zest and season with more salt and

heat and add the garlic and thyme. Cook for a

pepper, as needed. To serve, ladle the soup

minute or two.

into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with

3. Next, drain the sunchokes and add them to

a spoonful of caramelized onions and a fresh

the pot along with the salt, pepper, vegetable

grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Grate a little

stock, and another tablespoon of olive oil.

more lemon zest over individual bowls.

MATTHEW SPINS

MUSICAL PAIRING

Washed Out’s

Within and Without On Within and Without, for example, the tracks “Far Away” and “Within And Without” have far more in common with The Cure’s early-80’s output (especially side-2 of Wish) than they do with anything by Neon Indian, Memory Tapes or Toro y Moi. Similarly, the track “Amor Fati” – although very much a “chillwave” track – nonetheless calls to mind classic New Order. And the hauntingly lovely piano-spined melody on “A Dedication” is only nudged in the direction of shimmery nostalgia with that sparse electronic rhythm and some echo-y ambiance. Unsurprisingly, the most hypnotic, shimmery synth-based track is “You And I” which was also released a long time ago for the Adult Swim singles project.

Why did you decide to start your blog and enter the world of blogging?

Kasey: I started blogging back in 2007 as a way to get back into writing and to chronicle my newlydiscovered love of cooking at home. At first I blogged very sporadically.Then, I met Matt. He really encouraged me to take it more seriously and introduced me to his masssive record collection, which is when I had the idea of pairing the music we listened to while we cooked with the recipes I was writing about. Fastforward to November 2010: we rebranded our efforts into a fresh new site: Turntable Kitchen.

How do you match up music with recipes?

Matthew: There are many ways to find a good musical pairing. Sometimes a recipe just reminds me of a certain mood, memory or situation and then I look for albums that also call to mind the same things.

Or sometimes the pairings can be more literal and I’ll write out a list of adjectives that describe the recipe and then find an album that fits that same list of descriptions. Ultimately, the idea is to create a cohesive pairing where the food elevates the music and vice versa for a more memorable experience.

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din’ & spin

KASEY COOKS

Simple Whole Trout with Green Garlic, Lemon and Pea Tendrils serves 2

2 whole trout, cleaned and de-boned ¼ of one green garlic bulb + stem 4 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 whole organic lemon bunch of pea tendrils kosher salt sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon of butter olive oil

side (make sure to crisp up that skin nicely) before using a pair of tongs to carefully flip it to its other side. Continue cooking for several minutes. You may need to flip the fish again to make sure the inside is completely cooked (it should not be transparent and should flake easily with a fork).

5. Remove the fish from the skillet and keep warm on a plate.

6. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large

1. Rub the trout with a generous amount of

skillet. Toss in the pea tendrils (cutting off the

kosher salt and pepper both inside and out.

tougher stems). Season with sea salt, pepper

Thinly slice the green garlic bulb and about a

and a teaspoon of freshly-grated lemon zest

tablespoon’s-worth of the green garlic stem.

(from the lemon you used earlier).

2. Slice the lemon in half and then cut four

7. Saute briefly before evenly dividing between

slices from one half (set the rest aside).

two plates.

3. Fill each fish cavity with two lemon slices,

8. Chop the head and tail off of the trout

two sprigs of thyme and half of the green

before placing it on top of the sauteed pea

garlic.

sprouts. Season to taste.

4. Melt the butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s melted, add the fish, whole, into the skillet, gently placing it on one side. Cook for several minutes on one

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MATTHEW SPINS

MUSICAL PAIRING

Port O’Brien’s

Threadbare Like the Whole Trout recipe (left), it is clear that there is an honesty and warmth in Port O’Brien’s music that is a result of their backgrounds.

Specifically, the heart of Port O’Brien is a duo consisting of Van Pierszalowski and Cambria Goodwin. Pierszalowski spends summers working on his father’s commercial fishing boat and Goodwin works at a bakery at a Larsen Bay cannery working alongside 50% of the Port O’Brien rhythm section (Caleb Nichols).

Threadbare is one of the best and most underrated albums from 2010.

Do you have any tips on how the home cook can hone their tune skills?

Matthew: There are no hard and fast rules. Generally, it’s good to consider the musical tastes of your guests and save more challenging music for friends who enjoy that type of stuff. If you’re in doubt, you can almost never go wrong with some old soul records.

pieces of computer equipment, I went with some friends to a computer expo and spent $300 on a CD burner. My goal wasn’t to pirate albums from the Internet, but just to be able to make mixtapes for friends. Just about anyone I’ve ever called a friend has probably received a mixtape from me at some point. So it was natural that I’d eventually start making mixtapes for the site.

What inspired you to offer monthly mixtapes available on your site?

Matthew: I’ve been making mixtapes in one form or another before I even had a CD player. When I was pretty young, I’d use cassettes to tape songs on the radio that I wanted to hear and I loved listening to those tapes. Later on in high school, before CD burners were common

Do you two ever switch places with Kasey choosing the music and Matt cooking the food?

Kasey: We switched places when Matt made his Pappardelle with Bison Ragu, which I paired with the Submarines. We’ve only done it once, but we never say never, so I could see it happening again. foodiecrush.com

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KASEY COOKS

Balsamic Strawberry Shortcakes adapted from Flour serves 4

For the shortcakes 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour ¼ cup of sugar 1 tablespoon of large grain sugar (Demerara or Turbinado) 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 3 /4 of a stick of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 2 large eggs ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream For the strawberries 1 ½ pints of strawberries, thinly sliced lengthwise 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons of freshly grated lemon zest 3 tablespoons of sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

counter for 20-30 minutes.

Make the shortcakes: combine the flour,

7. Make the whipped cream: pour the cream

¼ cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in a

into a large bowl, add the sugar and vanilla

bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the flour

extract. Use a hand blender with a whisk at-

using a pastry cutter until the smallest pieces

tachment to whisk on high speed for a min-

of the mixture are no larger than a pea.

ute or two until the cream holds soft peaks.

2. Whisk together one egg and the heavy

8. To assemble the shortcakes, slice the

cream. Add it to the dry mixture and stir

biscuits in half, then evenly divide the straw-

the dough with a fork until it just comes

berries between the four bottom halves of

together.

the biscuits. Next, drop a generous dollop

3. Transfer the dough to a well-floured sur-

of whipped cream over the berries, and

face and press it down with your fingers until

place the biscuit halves on top. Serve with

it’s about 1 inch thick. Use a 3 inch biscuit

additional whipped cream and macerated

cutter to cut out 4 circles. Place them on an

strawberries on the side (and a glass of port,

ungreased cookie sheet, a few inches apart.

if you wish).

4. Whisk the other egg in a small bowl and brush the tops of the biscuits with it.

Sprinkle with the large grain sugar.

5. Bake the biscuits for about 30 – 45 minutes (until the tops are golden). Remove

For the whipped cream 3 /4 cup of heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

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from the oven and cool until warm.

6. While the biscuits are baking, combine the strawberries with the vinegar, sugar and lemon zest, and allow them to sit on the

great

GIFT

Go old-school with a special delivery at your door each month with

the

TURNTABLE KITCHEN

PAIRING BOX WHAT YOU’LL GET

MATTHEW SPINS

A limited-edition, hand-numbered 7-inch vinyl single featuring a pair of tracks by one of Turntable Kitchen’s favorite musical artists

MUSICAL PAIRING

David Bowie’s

Hunky Dory Released in 1971, Hunky Dory stands as one of David Bowie’s most straight-forward pop albums, and it perfectly documents a period of stylistic transition for Bowie.

His previous albums, including The Man Who Sold The World, where more metaltinged, and this album, more pop and folk inspired, clearly paved the way for his future albums – especially Ziggy Stardust. Hell, “Life on Mars?” almost sounds like it was intended as a preview for Ziggy Stardust which followed a year later. And Bowie approaches these stylistic changes with total confidence and swagger in full celebration mode. And if the man was feeling a little celebratory here, he’s classy about it, openly paying tribute to his influences on tracks like “Song for Bob Dylan”, “Andy Warhol”, and “Queen Bitch” (a Velvet Underground tribute).

What inspired you to create the Turntable Kitchen Pairings Box? We wanted to give people an opportunity to take the concept of food and music pairing and make it a really fun and accessible experience that they could share with their friends and loved ones. From the cooking perspective, I find that a big barrier to cooking is having a stocked pantry. I thought, what if we gave people the nudge to try new recipes and also introduced them to some new spices or grains, to make it easier for them to try to new things? From the music perspective, we wanted to introduce people to new music and also give them something that we think is really special: a collectible, physical 7” vinyl record.

Three original, seasonal-themed recipes developed

by Kasey with one or two dried ingredients plus a spice, flour, grain, or bean

A downloadable Turntable Kitchencurated digital mixtape specially curated for the included recipes FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.TURNTABLEKITCHEN. COM

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easy entertaining

the Breakfast

CONNECTION

Blogger S A N DY C O U G H L I N shares the secrets to a successful— and stress-free—Christmas breakfast

featuring RELUCTANT ENTERTAINER .com

by HEIDI LARSEN

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photography by SANDY COUGHLIN

T

he holidays are the poster child of hyped up entertaining, creating a bevy of overproduced, overpriced and time-consuming fetés. This holiday season, blogger Sandy Coughlin of RELUCTANT ENTERTAINER wants hosts and hostesses to connect with their guests with a more casual—and attainable—style of entertaining. She shares her tips on how to simplify your Christmas morning routine so you’ll have more time to enjoy both the feast and the festivities.

What motivated you to start your blog, The Reluctant Entertainer, and enter the world of blogging?

I started blogging about entertaining when I realized what a lost art it was. Why were people so hesitant to invite others into their homes? Where did we get the idea that things had to look perfect? How did we lose the vision of what true hospitality is?

How would you describe Reluctant Entertainer?

My blog is about entertaining, hospitality, gardening and food—it’s a lifestyle blog. But most importantly, I really want to help women realize how easy entertaining can be, and the rewards that come from opening up our homes.

What fuels your passion for food + entertaining?

People. Food is the conduit to connection. Every time we serve good food and have guests over something amazing happens.

Who shows up at your Christmas breakfast table?

It’s mainly a family affair: my husband Paul and our

children—Elliot who is away at college, Garrett who is a senior in high school, and Abby who is a high school freshman. The last few years my dad and his wife have joined us, too. Christmas Day is our most low-key day and I love it. I never take off my slippers and sometimes I’m still in my jammies.

What inspired your holiday breakfast menu?

I love breakfast casseroles because you can make them one or two days ahead of time. When you wake up in the morning the work has been done for you.

All you need is a hot oven, a few willing hands to get it to the table, and hungry people gathered around to enjoy the deliciousness of it. I love easy.

What is a family tradition at your breakfast?

We open gifts first and then dive into breakfast at about 10 a.m. Last year we sat around the table with my dad for what seemed like hours sharing stories about his life, hunting and horses. At one point we were all laughing so hard we were crying. Even I heard stories I had never heard before. That was special. foodiecrush.com

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easy entertaining

“

I want EASY on Christmas morning. After 24 days of wh

SANDY’S

TOP

1

2

5

Plan your menu a week before the big day.

Think about serving pre-cut fruit, make-ahead muffins or quick breads.

Make the breakfast casserole 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate until morning of.

PLANNING TIPS for a successful Christmas morning breakfast

3

4

5

Make sure you set the napkins aside and have a clean holiday table cloth.

Bring the outdoors in!

Snip a branch of greenery, add lots of candles, and you have a beautiful table setting.

Keep it simple and serve a buffet on Christmas morn.

It’s casual and low-key.

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”

hoop-lah and lots of activity, IT’S TIME TO RELAX!

Baked Pear Vanilla French Toast Serves 6-8

1 cup dark brown sugar ½ cup butter 2 tablespoon water 3 fresh pears or 28 ounce canned pears, drained and sliced 4 cups French bread, cut into small pieces, crust removed ½ cup pecans, chopped 9 eggs 2 cups milk or cream 2 teaspoons vanilla powdered sugar or maple syrup (optional)

1. Melt the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the water and continue heating until bubbly.

2. Remove from heat and pour into a well-greased 9×13 pan, making sure it is spread evenly.

3. Slice the pears and arrange evenly on top of the brown sugar mixutre. Sprinkle the French bread pieces over the pears, then the chopped nuts.

4. Beat eggs, milk, vanilla together and pour evenly over the entire mixture. cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until it becomes puffy and the eggs are no longer runny.

6. Serve with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

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FROM THE KIT

BELL’AL

SIPS AND S

LA FUJI

COMFORT FOO 53

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from aroun

Crostata di Fichi

TCHENS OF

LIMENTO

SPOONFULS

I MAMA

OD FAVORITES

nd the world

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Crostata di Fichi

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“

We had just a handful of small fig trees in our tiny yard that produced some of the most beautifully bright and flavorful figs. They were like candy to me. foodiecrush.com

�

recipe & photography by PAULA JONES

bell’alimento

.CO M

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I TA L I A

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My love affair with figs started when we were living in Italy. There we had just a handful of small fig trees in our tiny yard that produced some of the most beautifully bright and flavorful figs I have ever tasted. They were like candy to me. It’s hard to believe something so small and humble could produce more figs than we could ever eat. And trust me, we tried. We really tried.

Not wanting to waste any of them— after sharing with everyone we knew— my mom would make homemade fig preserves so we could enjoy the figs year round. We also had figs on pizza, figs wrapped in prosciutto (an amazing appetizer or light snack), figs over yogurt for breakfast, spiced figs (which makes the house smell amazing,)fig salad, and the list goes on and on.

One of my favorite recipes using figs though has to be to date her fig tart.

Or Crostata di Fichi in Italian.

It’s a simple unassuming dessert with big bold flavor that reminds me of my Italian backyard and my mom. I take a shortcut and use refrigerated pie crust but if you’re feeling ambitious, you can absolutely make your own like my Mom. Last time I visited her, I came across fresh figs in the market and I knew I needed to make the tart for her. She loved the tart but of course had to lovingly mention lthat it would have been better with her pie crust.

Gotta love our Moms!

Crostata di Fichi or Fig Crostata 14 ounces fresh figs - quartered ¼ cup sugar 1 cup white rum 1 refrigerated pie crust disc 3 tablespoons fig preserves

special equipment 9 x 1.125" tart pan 1. Into a medium bowl add: figs, sugar and rum. Gently toss so that figs are coated with sugar and rum. Allow figs to marinate for approximately 45 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tart pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place dough disc into pan and shape so that it adheres to the bottom and sides of pan. Remove any excess dough from

edges and discard. Using the tines of a fork, gently prick the bottom of the dough disc in several places. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until it's beginning to turn golden.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove figs from liquid and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

4. Place marinade into a small sauce pan. Add fig preserves, whisk together and cook over medium heat until smooth.

5. Arrange figs in a circular pattern on pie crust. Pour liquid over figs. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until liquid has thickened slightly. Allow tart to cool completely prior to slicing.

NOTE: Refrigerate any uneaten portions.

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recipe & photography by SUKAINA RAJABALI

sips and spoonfuls

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.CO M

M I D D L E EA STER N

As the cool winters begin to show their true colors, I crave food that is wholesome, filling and.....just plain comfortable. The kind that you can eat sprawled on your sofa, your feet covered with a warm fuzzy blanket. Food that nourishes you physically and mentally, food that nourishes memories, nourishes the soul.

It’s a food that jogs memories, fond memories. Food that gives me a feeling of warmth and satisfaction. And that is exactly what a Shawarma does for me. Shawarma is an Arabic pita wrap overflowing with shaved chicken or lamb. A crunchy tabooleh or fattoush salad accompanied by either tahini or hummus complete this Middle Eastern street food.

Here in Dubai, it is a common sight at every souk corner to see layers of meat and fat slowly being cooked on a spit. The meat usually cooks for a whole day before a chef expertly runs a sharp knife in a rhythmic fashion, up and down the spit, shaving thin slices of meat. This is quickly collected into a hot pita bread and tossed around with various crunchy vegetables.

Lastly, a generous serving of garlic dip and Tabasco sauce finish of this popular street food.

This special recipe originates from a special culture, one that as an expat in Dubai for five years, I have embraced as mine. I hope the warmth and comfort of Dubai’s street food and culture will emanate from this recipe, from my country to yours.

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“

This special recipe originates from a special cultur one that as an expat in Dubai for five years, I ha

Arabic Shawarma

re, ave embraced as mine.

”

Arabic Shawarma Makes 6 large shawarmas

1 pound boneless chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes 2 tablespoon canola oil ½ cup yogurt 1 egg, beaten lightly Juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon cardamom powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder salt to taste ½ teaspoon red chili flakes ½ teaspoon garam masala 2 teaspoon garlic paste 1 teaspoon ginger paste 1 teaspoon cardamom powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

for the salad 1 cup finely sliced lettuce 1 cucumber chopped 1 tomato chopped

3 tablespoons chopped coriander 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

for the dressing ½ cup yogurt Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons chopped coriander 2 tablespoons chopped mint salt to taste

to serve 6 Arabic pita breads Tabasco sauce baking paper 1. Marinate the chicken in all the ingredients and set aside for an hour or so.

2. Heat a non stick pan on medium to high heat and add the marinated chicken.

Stir fry the chicken until it has cooked through and is dry- less than 10 minutes.

Make sure you break up the chicken with a wooden spoon and keep stirring as it cooks.

3. Assemble the salad by mixing all the ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients.

4. To assemble the shawarma, heat the pita bread on a skillet to warm it.

5. Divide the salad amongst the six pita breads. Top the salad with the chicken.

6. Drizzle the yogurt dip over the chicken and add a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Roll the pita bread tightly and wrap in baking paper.

Serve immediately. foodiecrush.com

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recipe & photography by RACHAEL HUTCHINGS

la fuji mama

.CO M

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JA PA N E S

E

My first taste of Gyodon was on a chilly autumn day in Tokyo. My husband and I had the day off from work and headed into the city to do some exploring. We decided to grab lunch at a place that specialized in gyudon because it was affordable (we were poor newlyweds in those days).

I discovered that not only was gyudon affordable, but it was filling and delicious as well. I don’t remember what else we did that day, but I do remember thinking how much better it was with my discovery of gyudon.

Gyudon (Japanese beef bowl) is a very popular dish in Japan, as well as one of my own personal favorite comfort foods. It’s popularity has even spread to the US, with the popular Japanese chain Yoshinoya. But the best part about gyudon is that you don’t have to go out to enjoy it, and if you make it at home, it’s healthier!

Strips of thinly sliced beef and onions are simmered in a slightly sweet broth then served over hot steamed rice.

I make my gyudon with a light mushroom broth made from dried shiitake mushroom and kombu (dried kelp).

I then chop up the mushrooms and cook them with the beef and onions to add a bit of extra flavor to the topping.

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Gyudon or Japanese Beef Bowl makes about 4 servings

1 ¼ cups warm water 3 small dried shiitake mushrooms 3 square-inch piece kombu ¼ cup mirin 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 12 ounces beef loin flap steak, cut into 3-inch long pieces ¼ cup soy sauce 4 cups freshly cooked steamed Japanese rice scallions, thinly sliced, to garnish 1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu in the warm water for 30 minutes. Remove the kombu and mushrooms from the water, squeezing out the excess water, and

set them aside. Reserve the soaking water. Cut off the stems of the mushrooms and finely chop the caps.

2. Combine the mushroom soaking water, mirin, and sugar in a medium skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

3. Add the onion, chopped mushrooms, and ginger, and cover. Cook until the onions are soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the beef and cook for 2 minutes, then add the soy sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

5. Divide the cooked rice among individual serving bowls and top with the beef and onion mixture, then pour the remaining broth over each serving. Garnish with sliced scallions.

Serve with chopsticks and a spoon.

“

I discovered that not only was Gyudon affordable, but it was filling and delicious as well.

�

Gyudon

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YUM

Season’s Treatings Who doesn’t love cookies? Toss in a touch of holiday spirit and you have a recipe for merry eatings from some of the web’s sweetest food bloggers.

guest edited by MARIA LICHTY of TWO PEAS AND THEIR POD .com opening photography by

42 F foodiecrush.com 42 OODIECRUSH.COM

HEIDI LARSEN

othing showcases the

holidays more than homemade cookies. It’s the season when even nonbakers break out their mixers, warm up their baking sheets and sweetly perfume their kitchens with smells of sugar and vanilla. With so many variations­—crunchy or gooey, nutty or chocolatey, gingerflavored or gluten-free—it’s hard to choose. Which is why we asked our favorite cookie queen, Maria Lichty of Two Peas and Their Pod, to lend us a helpful baking hand (recipe p. 59.) foodiecrush.com

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White Chocolate Cookies & Cream Fudge

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

2 ¼ cups white chocolate chips, plus 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, reserved 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 3 cups Oreo cookies, chopped, reserve 1-2 tablespoon Oreo crumbs for dusting the top layer of the fudge 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup light brown sugar (packed) 2 sticks salted butter, cold and cut into chunks 1 egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

recipe & photo by Averie Sunshie

1. In a saucepan, combine 2 1/4 cups white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Melt over low heat stirring frequently.

2. When mixture is melted and smooth, add vanilla extract.

Then add the chopped Oreo cookies and stir 3. Pour mixture into 9 x 9 foil or parchment-lined pan. Then lightly press 1/2 cup white chocolate chips into the top layer.

4. Dust top layer with 1-2 tablespoons Oreo crumbs if desired.

5. Place fudge in freezer for at least two hours to fully set up.

Remove from freezer, slice, and serve at room temperature.

recipe & photo by Bridget Edwards

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk the flour and baking powder, set aside.

3. Cream the sugar and cold butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well-blended.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. (The dough will be quite thick...you may need to knead in stray bits of flour from the bottom of the bowl by hand.)

5. Roll on a floured surface and cut into shapes, about 1/4” thick.

6. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cutter.

7. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

8. Decorate as desired with royal icing.

loveveggiesandyoga.com bakeat350.com

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White Chocolate Ginger Drops recipe & photo by Bree Hester adapted from McCormick

3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 3 /4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature 3 /4 cup brown sugar ½ cup molasses 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup white chocolate chips 1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. Cream together butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes.

3. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla.

Mix until the batter just together, being careful to not overmix.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill 4 hours or overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

6. Using an ice cream scooper, portion dough and roll into balls. Coat the dough balls in sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Take the cookies out of the oven and immediately place a few white chocolate chips in the center.

8. Cool completely on wire racks.

bakedbree.com

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Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Bars recipe & photo by Barbara Schieving Makes 16 bars

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups light brown sugar, packed 2 large eggs 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 1 cup dried cherries, cut in half ½ cup red & green M&Ms, coarsely chopped

1. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

Preheat oven to 350º if using a metal pan or 325º if using a glass pan.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl mix the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the eggs one at a time mix until well blended. Mix in the vanilla.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, coconut and cherries.

5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle M&Ms on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. (Don’t overcook.)

6. Cool on a rack to room temperature before cutting.

Optional: Cut bars on the diagonal to form diamonds.

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Orange-Scented Russian Teacakes

recipe & photo Carly Klock adapted from Betty Crocker Makes 16-20 1 cup butter, softened ½ cup powdered sugar ze st of one orange, plus more for garnish if desired 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted 3 /4 cup finely chopped pecans ¼ teaspoon salt powdered sugar for dusting 1. Beat butter, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

2. Reduce speed to low, add salt, then gradually add flour and pecans until the dough comes together.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400ºF. 5. Shape dough into smooth 2-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, or one lined with parchment. Dough balls can be placed as close as 2 inches apart as the cookies will not change much in size during the baking process.

6. Bake the cookies 8-12 minutes. Cookies are done once they turn golden on the bottom, but are not yet brown on the tops or sides.

7. Immediately remove to a cooling rack and roll in powdered sugar to coat, then return to cooling rack.

8. Let the cookies cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar once more.

Note: Orange zest may be added to the powdered sugar the cookies are rolled in as an addition to, or in replacement of the zest garnish.

carlyklock.com

GLUTENFREE

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Sandwiches recipe & photo by Supal Desai makes 22 cookies

10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips, divided 2¼ cups powdered sugar, divided 3 large egg whites, room temperature ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon cornstarch pinch of salt for the filling 2 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon whole milk red crystal sugar 1. Preheat oven to 400° F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips by placing them in a heat resistant bowl over a pot of boiling water. Set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer on mediumhigh, beat the egg whites until they resemble soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar until it resembles a soft white cream.

4. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat the dry ingredients 1/4 cup at a time until it resembles the consistency of chocolate icing. About 5 minutes.

5. Remove the bowl from the electric mixer and stir in the chocolate syrup and the rest of the chocolate chips.

1. Roll dough into balls (each about 1 tablespoon), coat with the remaining powdered sugar and press into a quarter-inch disc, smoothing edges. Place on the baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool.

7. Mix the cream cheese, milk, butter and extract until smooth and well combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix until cream is at icing consistency.

8. Pair cookies and add 2 tablespoons of the peppermint filling on one cookie and stack its pair on top.

Sprinkle red crystal sugar on the edges.

Healthy Peanut Butter Freezer Cookies

recipe & photo by Charissa F. ½ cup organic peanut butter ½ cup raw honey ¼ cup chopped, dried organic figs ¼ cup chopped, raw almonds 1½ - 2½ cups old fashioned oats pinch of sea salt 1. Melt the peanut butter and honey on low heat until it’s melted.

2. Stir in the figs and almonds.

3. Add the oats until you have a nice thick batter.

4. Place on a wax paper lined cookie pan in tablespoon sized portions. Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Options: Substitute any nut or dried fruit for the almonds and the figs, or use agave nectar if you’d like this to be a vegan recipe.

colourfulpalate.com chevronsandeclairs.com

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Brown Butter Shortbread with Pistachios & Cranberries recipe & photo Annalise Sandberg makes 2 dozen cookies 1 cup unsalted butter ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped ¼ cup dried cranberries additional sugar, for sprinkling 1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.

Continue to cook the butter until it just turns golden brown, swirling the pan as necessary to make sure it browns evenly.

2. Remove from heat and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes until it has almost re-solidified (if it becomes too hard, let it sit at room temperature too soften for a few minutes).

3. Combine the browned butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium high speed until light and creamy.

4. Add the vanilla extract, flour, and salt and mix to combine.

Add the chopped pistachios and cranberries.

5. Gather the dough into a ball and shape it into a log about 4 inches around. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375° F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

7. Remove the chilled dough from the plastic wrap and slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.

8. Place rounds on the prepared sheet pan, and sprinkle each with sugar.

9. Bake until edges just begin to turn brown, about 15 minutes.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Note: If using salted pistachios, decrease salt to 1/8 teaspoon.

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cookieandkate.com

Dark Chocolate Dipped Macaroons recipe & photo by Kate Taylor adapted from Sprouted Kitchen 3 egg whites 1 cup raw (turbinado) sugar 3 tablespoons real maple syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon 3 cups unsweetened coconut 12 ounces semisweet/dark chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 2. Beat the egg whites with a whisk until they are loose and frothy.

3. Add the salt, vanilla, sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

4. Add the coconut and mix thoroughly.

5. Use a small spoon to scoop about 1 1/4 tablespoons at a time onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown.

7. Once the cookies have cooled completely, heat the chocolate chips over a double broiler or in a glass bowl over gently simmering water. Stir the chocolate chips until they have completely melted, and remove from heat.

8. Lay out a new piece of parchment paper.

9. Dip each macaroon into the melted chocolate, about half way. Lay on the parchment for chocolate to harden. You can speed up the process by placing the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes.

Chocolate & Peppermint Candy Cane Wedding Cookies recipe & photo

by Dara Michalski makes 40 cookies

1 cup (½ pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups powdered sugar, divided 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup high-quality bittersweet (60% cocoa) chocolate chips ½ cup crushed candy cane pieces 1. Preheat the oven to 300° F. 2. In a large bowl, combine room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until smooth.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.

4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Turn the mixer to medium speed until the mixture is just blended.

5. Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl set over a bowl of simmering water, stirring until the chips are melted. Let the melted chips cool for 4 to 5 minutes and then add to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until blended. Stir in candy cane pieces.

6. Using a scant 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie, shape the dough into balls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

7. Bake the cookies until they are pale golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through baking. Let the cookies stand on baking sheets for about 30 minutes.

8. Place 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a medium bowl.

Working with a few cookies at a time, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar until coated.

Lightly brush off an clumps of powdered sugar that may form. Set cookies on racks to cool completely.

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VEGAN GLUTENFREE

Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies recipe & photo Marla Meridith makes 2 dozen cookies 1 ¾ cups oat flour ½ cup coconut flour ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt 1 ¼ cup light, unsweetened coconut Milk ½ cup sunflower seed butter 4- 5 droppers full vanilla stevia drops granulated stevia for topping O ptional frosting ingredientslight whipped cream cheese, sweetened with vanilla stevia drops all fruit/unsweetened jam sunflower seed butter

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1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together oat flour, coconut flour and salt. In another bowl combine coconut milk, sunflower seed butter and stevia drops. Combine well. Add dry ingredients to wet and combine well with a spatula.

3. Transfer to a work surface and knead with your hands for a few minutes until you have a large ball of dough and no longer sticky.

3. Divide the dough into 20 even balls. Place on baking sheet. Flatten each with your hands about ¼ inch thick and press the back of a fork into the cookie dough to make a cross hatch design.

Lightly spray the tops of cookies with cooking spray or brush with melted coconut oil.

4. Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to racks to cool completely. Spread with jam, cream cheese, sunflower seed butter to make cookie sandwiches. Top with granulated stevia.

World Peace Cookies recipe & photo

by Melissa Coleman makes 30 cookies

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour 1 /3 cup natural dark unsweetened cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 /3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 5 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate chunks 1. Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda into medium bowl.

2. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth but not fluffy. Add both sugars, vanilla, and sea salt; beat until fluffy, about

2 minutes.

3. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended (mixture may be crumbly). Add chopped chocolate; mix just to distribute (if dough doesn’t come together, knead lightly in bowl to form ball).

4. Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll into 1 ½ -inch-diameter log. Chill until firm, about 3 hours or flash freeze for 30 minutes. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

5. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Using thin sharp knife, cut logs crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies appear dry (cookies will not be firm or golden at edges), 11 to 12 minutes. If frozen, cook about 5 extra minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Pizzelle

recipe & photo

by Flavia Scalzitti courtesy of Aunt Gloria Walker makes 2 dozen cookies special equipment: Pizzelle iron 1¼ cup all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached) 2 tsp. baking powder 3 eggs, at room temperature ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the eggs and sugar with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale in color and smooth in consistency. Add in the melted butter and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until all the

flour has been incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour has been mixed into the egg mixture.

The batter will be rather stiff in consistency.

3. Heat the pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you place the pizzelle iron on a heat-proof surface, or place it on a baking sheet.

Note: Pizzelle irons vary.

Some have 3-4 small cookie molds; others have 2 large ones. Depending on which size molds your iron has will determine how much batter to drop onto each mold. It will vary between 1-3 tablespoons (approx.). Bake the pizzelles in the iron until they are light golden in color.

4. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the pizzelles to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will crisp up as they cool.

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Maple Walnut Cookies recipe & photo by Louisa Clements makes 20-24 cookies

Almond Bliss Cookies

recipe & photo Rachael Hutchings makes about 7 dozen cookies 1 cup butter, softened 3 /4 cup packed light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups ground almonds 13/4 cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon table salt for the glaze 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 3 tablespoons whole milk 1 teaspoon almond extract 1. Make the cookies: Cream the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond extract.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, all-purpose flour, and salt.

Gradually add to the creamed

mixture and mix well.

3. Divide the dough in half.

Shape each half into a log, about 2 inches in diameter.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

4. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Remove one log from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick cookies. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the second log of dough.

5. Make the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and almond extract. Spread or drizzle over the cookies as desired. Let the iced cookies stand until set.

¼ cup margarine ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg ½ cup maple syrup ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 13/4 cup flour 2 t easpoon baking powder ¼ scant t easpoon salt ½ cup flaked coconut 3 /4 cup chopped walnuts 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 2. Cream butter, margarine and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix to combine, about a minute.

3. Next, add in flour, baking powder and salt, mix on low speed until combined. Lastly, sir in flaked coconut and chopped walnuts.

4. Using a tablespoon, spoon batter 11/2 inches apart on a parchment line cookie sheet. Baked for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

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Browned Butter Toffee Cookies recipe & photo by Milisa Armstrong makes 36 cookies /4 cup salted butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup toffee bits 2 oz milk chocolate

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1. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over low heat and continue to cook, stirring often until browned bits start to form. Pour butter into a heat safe bowl and allow to cool slightly. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Just before butter is set, remove from refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer add browned butter and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar, beating until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, all at once and mix well. Add toffee bits mixing until well distributed.

4. Scoop dough onto a greased or lined cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are browned. Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool.

5. When cookies are cooled, melt milk chocolate in microwave stirring after 20 seconds, repeat until melted and smooth. Spoon into a zip top plastic bag, clip corner with scissors and drizzle over cookies. Allow chocolate to set up before moving to storage container.

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Gingersnaps photo by Hannah Messinger recipe by Katie Mooney makes 40-50 small cookies 1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling 1 large egg 1 /3 cup molasses 2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 1. Cream butter and sugar together for about three minutes on a medium speed. Add egg and molasses and beat until incorporated.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; fluff with a fork or whisk. Add dry mixture to wet in three batches.

3. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

4. Scoop dough into 2 teaspoon sized balls and then roll in sugar until covered.

5. Bake at 350° for 9-12 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like them. Cookies should crack slightly in the middle when they are done.

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GLUTENFREE

Peppermint Chocolate Bark

White Chocolate Tangerine Tea Cakes

recipe & photo by Sasha Tenorioa makes about 2 dozen pieces

recipe & photo by Julie Grice makes about 50 cookies

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 1 cup of crunched peppermint candy cane

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks) ½ cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoons orange extract* 2 cup flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 /3 cup blanched, sliced almonds ½ cup white chocolate chips 1 tablespoon tangerine zest powdered sugar for dusting

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper; set it aside. Melt the semisweet chips in a heatproof bowl set atop a pot of simmering water over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until smooth. Pour the chocolate onto the cookie sheet and spread it to about a 1/4-inch thickness with the back of a spoon.

2. Using the same method, melt the white chocolate chips with the oil. Stir continuously until smooth. Add the peppermint extract and stir well. Pour the mixture over the chocolate layer and spread to about a 1/8-inch thickness with the back of a spoon.

Draw the tip of a butter knife through the layers to create swirls.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove the bark from the pan. Peel off the waxed paper.

Sprinkle crunched peppermints. Set the bark on a cutting board and cut it into 2 dozen bars with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 2. In a food processor or blender, grind the almonds and chocolate into small, coarse pieces, then set aside.

3. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the orange extract, flour and salt. Mix in the almonds, chocolate and tangerine zest until blended.

4. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls (about 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie) and space 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. 1.

Bake at 350° F for 11-14 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are firm.

5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar, and allow to cool completely. * If you don’t have orange extract, substitute with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.

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Chocolate Marshmallow Peppermint Sandwich Cookies recipe & photo by Deborah Harroun Makes about 22 cookies 2 ½ cups flour ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla for the filling 1 cup marshmallow crème 1 /3 cup butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 2 /3 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon milk /3 cup

1

crushed candy canes, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, scraping the sides of the bowl in between additions. Mix in the vanilla.

Pour in the dry ingredients and mix just until thoroughly combined.

3. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.

Do not over-bake – you want a soft cookie.

Cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

4. For the filling: In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the marshmallow crème and the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the peppermint extract. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. If the filling is too thick, add the milk and beat until smooth and light.

5. To assemble the cookies, spread 2 teaspoons of the filling on the flat bottom of one cookie, and top with another cookie. Roll the sides in the crushed candy canes.

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VEGAN GLUTENFREE

Vegan Chocolate Almond-butter Cookies

Raspberry Filled Butter Cookies

recipe & photo by Becky Rosenthal makes about 20 cookies

recipe & photo by Cheryl Sousan makes about 30-35 large cookies or 60 smaller cookies

½ cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 /4 cup almond butter, my favorite is Justin’s Nut Butter ½ cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons flax meal plus 3 tablespoons water 1 bar of your favorite chocolate, broken into 20 ½ inch pieces

6 cups unbleached flour 4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups unsalted butter 1 ½ cups sugar 2 eggs 4 tablespoons milk 3 teaspoons vanilla ½ teaspoon pure almond extract 1 (21 ounce) can Raspberry Pie Filling Glaze or Royal Icing

1. In a small bowl mix the flax meal and water. In a mixer, cream the almond butter and brown sugar. Whisk the other dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add flax mixture to almond/sugar mixture, then add in dry ingedients.

2. Mix until incorporated. Using your hands grab off 1” size balls and stuff a hunk of dark choclate into the center of each.

3. Roll into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350° F for 10-12 minutes 5. Remove from oven and cool completely

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1. Preheat oven 350° F. 2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

3. Cream sugar and butter, then add eggs and extracts. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until combined.

4. Roll out cookie dough ¼” thickness and cut out with star cookie cutter. Place cookies on baking sheet and a dollop of pie filling in the center of each cookie. Place another star cookie on top, and gently seal cookies with a fork to crimp edges together.

5. Bake for 12-14 mins or until golden brown 6. Remove from oven and cool completely 7. Drizzle with glaze or icing

tidymom.net

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Nutella Peanut Butter Pillows recipe & photo by Valerie Catrice makes about 20-28 cookies 1 cup of all-purpose flour 1 /3 cup of cake flour (or use 1/3 cup of cocoa powder for an extra chocolate kick) ½ teaspoon of baking Soda 1 teaspoon of sea salt ½ cup (1 stick ) butter at room temperature ½ cup of granulated sugar ½ cup of packed light brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon almond extract ½ cup of smooth peanut butter for the filling ¼ cup of smooth peanut butter ¼ cup of Nutella ¼ teaspoon of sea salt 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder 3 tablespoon of granulated sugar 3 tablespoonof confectioners sugar for the toppings ¼ cup of finely ground, roasted peanuts ¼ cup of granulated sugar ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon of sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, sift the flours and baking soda together. Whisk in the sea salt and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the almond extract and peanut butter. Add the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Be careful not to over mix. Stop beating when all the flour streaks are gone. Cover and refrigerate for an hour while you make the filling and topping.

4. To make the Nutella filling, combine all ingredients and mix well. You should be able to easily roll the filling into ball forms. If it is too sticky add more confectioners sugar. Set aside until ready to use.

5. To make the topping, mix all the ingredients into a shallow bowl and set aside.

6. Measure out 2 level tablespoons of the chilled cookie dough. Roll into a ball and flatten out onto the parchment paper. Roll some of the Nutella dough into a smaller ball and place on top of the cookie dough, press in slightly. Gently fold the cookie dough over the Nutella so it is completely covered. Carefully roll into a ball and roll the ball into the topping so it has a nice coating.

Place ball back onto the parchment paper and lightly press down with the bottom of a glass.

7. Place cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are a light gold.

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Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies recipe by Maria Lichty photo by Heidi Larsen makes 3 dozen cookies 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 3 /4 cup dutch processed cocoa 1 ½ cups chopped chocolate mint truffles 1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.

2. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.

3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in mint truffles.

4. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies start to crack slightly.

Don’t over bake. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. The cookies will set up as they cool. Move to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

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Chocolate Pomander Cookies recipe & photo by Alicia Gunter makes 20-24 cookies 1 cup butter, softened 3 /4 cup granulated sugar 3 /4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons orange juice zest of 1 orange 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 /3 cup good quality cocoa powder 3 /4 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ ground cloves ¼ ground cinnamon 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips citrus sugar mixture ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 /8 teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoon orange zest 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare baking sheets with non-stick spray, parchment paper, or baking mats.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, eggs and orange juice together until light and fluffy. Next, slowly beat in orange zest until combined. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon.

4. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. For the Citrus Sugar Mixture, in a small bowl whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves; stir in the orange zest.

6. Scoop out the dough into 1 1/2 Tablespoon size balls, and roll in the palms of your hands to smooth out and make round. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Next, roll dough into the Citrus Sugar Mixture, coating the entire ball of dough.

7. Place cookie dough about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake 9-10 minutes or until tops begin to crack.

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Cardamom Chocolate Cookies recipe & photo by Sarah Kieffer adapted very loosely from Martha Stewart makes 16-18 cookies 2 cups all purpose flour ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cardamom, plus 1 teaspoon for rolling and sprinkling.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-sized chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, yolk and vanilla, and mix to combine. Gradually add flour mixture; mix to combine. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and mix to combine.

4. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cardamom.

5. Scoop dough with a ¼ cup measuring cup, and roll dough into a ball. Roll ball into the sugar-cardamom mixture until the ball is lightly coated.

Place balls on baking sheet (6 to a sheet) and sprinkle each cookie with a little more sugar.

6. Bake until edges are set and cookie is crackly on top but still underbaked in the center, 9-11 minutes.

Let cookies cool on baking sheets.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe & photo by Gaby Dalkin makes 20 cookies 8 oz unsalted butter, softened 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup dried cranberries 10 ounces white chocolate chips 1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large mixer, combine the softened butter and brown sugar with a whisk attachment. Let whisk for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking soda, sea salt and baking powder and slowly combine, making sure not to over-mix the batter. Add the cranberries and white chocolate chips and combine. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour.

3. Using a 1 inch scoop, scoop 12 cookies onto each parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer sheets into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies just slightly turn a golden brown color on the edges but are still soft and chewy in the middle.

4. Remove from oven, transfer to cooling rack. Repeat process for remaining dough.

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featuring

R E D I EC L P P A D E C I P DS E L MUL

62 F foodiecrush.com 62 OODIECRUSH.COM

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S POON FORK BACON dot C OM

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photography by

T ERI LYN FIS HE R food styling by

featuring COOKIN’ CANUCK .com

JE NNY PARK

& MOUNTAIN MAMA COOKS .com

APRÉS EATS Following a day on the slopes, cozy up to friends, fondue, and a roaring fire for a heart-warming afternoon

by HEIDI LARSEN photography by BRITT CHUDLEIGH

food & prop styling by HEIDI LARSEN

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here are generally two opinions of winter living in a Mountainwest town: the first is that it’s bound to be long and arduous with mounds of snow to shovel with creative strategies to help survive the frigid temps when walking from the house to the car.

The second is that it’s an idyllic winter playland ripe with snowshoeing, sleigh riding and skiing, bringing families together with hot chocolate and sweet treats that quickly take the bite of cold away.

Food bloggers Dara Michalski of Cookin’ Canuck— a Utah transplant originally from Canada via New York, Los Angeles and now Utah—and Kelley Epstein of Mountain Mama Cooks—who now lives in the outdoor activity-mecca of Utah’s chic Park City—have happily embraced the latter scenario.

After meeting through a supportive family of

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Utah food bloggers, Dara and Kelley have found they share not only a love of food but also a devotion to the great outdoors. And especially the easy-going gatherings that often follow a rigorous day of outdoor play.

After years of living in the hustle of more urban cities, Dara and her husband Steve, who together own a company providing consultative services for children with autism, and their active sons Matthew, 10, and Trevor, 7, now find their winter weekends filled with skiing or snowshoeing up one of the nearby Cottonwood Canyons with their boys.

Kelley, a personal chef and caterer, with her husband Pete, a stuntman for the movie industry, are also instilling the love of the outdoors in their young sons Evan, 5 and JJ, 2. It’s a natural

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KE A B N E V H OS T I W HIP P I D TO C N O I A N T O O D ET P E Z I L SWE E M ARA

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evolution for the family—Kelley was back on the hill snowboarding just weeks after JJ’s delivery and eeks out 40-50 boarding days a year with Pete logging in 100 plus days at Canyons Resort, located mere minutes from their front door.

“Park City seemed like the perfect place for us to raise a family as the Salt Lake City airport makes getting Pete to and from work a breeze,” Kelley says. “We both love the lifestyle of living in a ski town and my family is an amazing support.”

Working as a Park City private chef, Kelley’s life during the winter months means entertaining all winter long. “We seem to have a revolving door with house guests as long as the resorts are open,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s a planned get together with friends but more often than not

we’re sitting around my kitchen in our ski clothes and socks having a cold beer and noshing on whatever we can pull from the fridge.”

So when the opportunity for a day of good fun found its way on both families calendars, Dara and Kelley planned an after-adventure get-together for the whole family, with good food and drink as the centerpiece.

The Starters

Satiating the hunger pains of young sons and hungry dads after a long day on the slopes is a party prerequisite, so quickly laying out made ahead dishes is an essential move in their low-key get together.

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BACON & CHEDDAR CHEESE PUFF PASTRY PALMIERS

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FRES

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H KA LE SA L AD

kelley’s

TIP

fire, Kelley clears a spread in the living room for a casual sit down spot where the kids are free to roam and the adults can hunker down with hot toddy’s.

Relieving any leftover frigid feelings from the day’s feats, the boys are quick to snag Dara’s Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Palmiers, made the night before and served with Hot Apple Cider spiked with star anise, cloves and fresh apples. Kelley takes a savory trip down memory lane with homemade caramelized onion dip and veggie chips, a fresh alternative to the Lipton soup concoction she grew up on as a girl.

Also gracing the table is a special request from Kelley’s husband Pete. “Kelley’s kale salad is one of my favorite things she makes.” Studded with the earthiness of pinenuts and the tartness of pecorino romano cheese, Kelley’s

mountainmamacooks.com’s top 3 getting it together tips 1. Sounds cliche I know, but plan ahead

and do as much prep work possible ahead of time making those last moments before guests arrive less stressful.

2. Keep things simple and stick to what

you know. Entertaining isn’t the time to try a new recipe.

3. Make sure you have ice—everyone

runs out of ice and who wants a warm cocktail? foodiecrush.com

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take on a favorite salad from one of their favorite restaurants, New York City’s Generro, is a must have whenever Pete’s filming in the city. “I knew that I had to learn how to recreate this,” Kelley says fondly.

Once the preamble of noshing on tasty appetizers is done, its time for the big show to really get started.

The Main Event

Fondue has been a New Year’s Eve tradition for Dara and Steve since they were newlyweds, usually shared with a group of friends gathered round a pot of slinky, gooey cheese, fresh veggies and chunks of bread, plus another fondue of hot oil ready to cook freshly sliced and skewered meats and veggies, tradi72

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tionally called fondue bourguignonn.

Dara’s fondue pots originally travelled with them and their friends for the New Year’s celebrations all the way from Mammoth Mountain to Whistler to Vancouver. “We have a tradition that when gathered around the fondue pot you can’t sit next to your spouse,” Dara explains as her boys grin from ear to ear with knowing glances. “And if you knock someone else’s bread off their fondue fork while it’s in the pot, you have to kiss the person to your right.”

These days the fondue pots make regular appearances with the kids thanks to the cook-ityourself interactivity. “They mainly like the meat and veggies, but it’s cooking your own food. What’s more fun than that?”

D N O F ESE E H C C I S S A CL

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“The best part is the krut, or la religieuse,” states Dara lustily as she draws a fork-full from the pot. “It’s the crusty cheese layer at the bottom of the pot and it’s best to use a fork to scrape or lift it off and then eat it. I could eat cheese fondue all day.”

After the sharing and tasting of little bites, and once the vittles and veggies have all been cooked, it’s time to move to the next stage of the game.

Dessert. And Kelley’s famous Blondies.

“I would happily bypass the movies and stay home with a plate of these. They are amazing,” Kelley says, but then warns, “It’s crucial not to over cook them as they get hard quick.”

So what makes them so delicious? “The secret lies in the brown butter and sprinkling of sea salt at the end that brings out the sweetness of the chocolate

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and cuts the buttery taste of the cookie.”

Judging by the number of clamoring hands reaching for seconds—it’s obvious the cookies are a sweet success for both the iitty bitties and the adults.

While the kids crunch on cookies, and the dog lingers patiently for any errant crumbs, the adults clear the table and then sit back to enjoy a leisurely nog of warming Hot Buttered Rums and relive the accomplishments of the day—no lost gloves, ski lessons that coerce the kids to “make your skis like french fries” and “now pizzas”, plus new terrain conquered by the 4-year-old—and they’re busy plotting their next outdoor adventure.

Sun Valley? Grand Targhee? Maybe they’ll just stay here in Utah. Any which way, the fondue pots and recipes are ready for the trip.

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make it

EASY

Dara & Kelley’s keys to easy entertaining Put your guests to work.

Everyone wants to be part of the party and the kitchen is where all the great conversation happens.

DA R A :

K E LL EY: More times than not they’re not only happy to help but relieved. It can be awkward if all your guests are standing around watching you bust your booty to get dinner on the table.

DA R A : Make appetizers and easy eats ahead of time so you can enjoy your guests.

DA R A : Have an early dinner for the kids and put them to bed then a late night dinner for the adults.

If you have young kids, get a babysitter. Period.

K E LL EY:

Bacon & Cheddar Cheese Puff Pastry Palmiers recipe from Cookin’ Canuck makes 2 dozen Palmiers

1 sheet (8 oz) purchased puff pastry sheet, thawed 6 strips bacon 3/ 4 cup (packed) extra-sharp cheddar cheese 1. Cook the bacon in a skillet set over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towel and crumble.

2. Roll the puff pastry sheet into a rectangle that is at least 8 inches wide and no less than 1/8-inch thick. With the standard puff pastry sheets found in the grocery stores, you won’t have much rolling to do.

3. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the puff pastry and top with the bacon. Roll each long end of the rectangle into the center. Chill for about 15 minutes.

4. Cut the roll crosswise into 1/8-inch slices and divide the palmiers between two baking sheets covered with parchment paper. Chill for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bake the palmier until they are puffed and light golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

6. Quickly flip the palmiers and place back in the oven, switching positions of the baking sheets. Bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the palmiers to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.

7. Make ahead: The palmiers can be baked and then store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or frozen. Before serving, place unthawed palmiers on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes.

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Mulled Spiced Apple Cider

Meat and Vegetable Fondue

1 gallon apple cider, unsweetened 4 cinnamon sticks 6 star anise 10 whole cloves 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 Gala apple, thinly sliced and quartered

1. In a large saucepan set over medium heat, stir together the cider, star anise, cloves, nutmeg and apple pieces. Simmer the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Using a slotted spoon or sieve, scoop out and discard the cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves.

3. Divide the cider between 8 mugs and garnish with apple slices.

7 cups chicken or beef broth Mi xture of vegetables, cut into bitesized pieces, such as mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower.

1 pound beef or buffalo tenderloin, cut into thin strips Sauces (see following)

1. Pour the broth into the fondue pot and set over medium heat on the stovetop.

Bring to a simmer.

1. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook vegetables for one minute. Drain and immediately pour into a large bowl of ice water to stop the vegetables from cooking further. Drain again and the vegetables on a serving platter. Set the beef or buffalo tenderloin on a separate serving plate.

1. Set the pot of broth over the fondue flame. Spear a piece of meat or a vegetable on the edge of a fondue fork and let rest in the broth until the desired degree of doneness is reached. Dip into sauces.

recipe from Cookin’ Canuck serves 8

Classic Cheese Fondue recipe from Cookin’ Canuck serves 4

½ pound Gruyere cheese, grated ½ pound Jarlsberg cheese, grated 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc) 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice G enerous pinch freshly ground nutmeg Generous pinch paprika 2 tablespoons kirsch 2 baguettes, cut into bite-sized cubes

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cheese and flour until the cheese is coated.

2. Set the fondue pot over medium heat on a stovetop and pour in the wine.

3. Once the wine begins to simmer, stir in the lemon juice. Turn down the heat slightly. While stirring constantly in a figure-eight motion, add the cheese in handfuls, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all the cheese is melted, stir in the nutmeg, paprika and kirsch.

4. Set the pot over the fondue flame and serve with the bread cubes. Dip the bread into the fondue, using fondue forks.

recipe from Cookin’ Canuck serves 4

Curry Yogurt Sauce

recipe from Cookin’ Canuck

½ cup plain Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon mango chutney ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoon curry powder

1. In a small bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients.

2. Whisk well to combine.

Other sauce suggestions: Soy-sesame sauce, bernaise sauce, horseradish sour cream sauce, honey mustard, chipotlelime mayo, peanut sauce

Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Hot Buttered Rum

Salted Chocolate Chip Blondies

For the Onion Dip 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, finely diced 8 oz sour cream 2 tablespoons mayonnaise ½ teaspoon onion powder salt and black pepper to taste In a medium pan, heat butter until melted.

Add onions and cook over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise and onion powder. Stir in caramelized onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Compound butter ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temp 2/ 3 cup brown sugar 1/ 3 cup honey 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/ 8 teaspoon ground cloves pinch salt 1 teaspoon orange zest

1 3/4 cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 14 tablespoons butter ½ cup granulated sugar 3/ 4 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk ½ cup chocolate chips ½ cup butterscotch chips 1 tablespoon coarse or flake sea salt, or to taste

recipe from Mountain Mama Cooks

recipe from Mountain Mama Cooks

For the Sweet Potato Chips 1 sweet potato (or any potato of your choice), sliced as thinly as possible 1-2 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt Heat the oven to 400F degrees. Toss sliced potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Place potatoes in a single layer on a well greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking frequently after 10 minutes and stirring often. Remove potatoes from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Potatoes will crisp up as they cool. Serve with onion dip.

1. Mix all ingredients together to fully incorporate.

2. Roll into log, wrap in parchment, chill.

3 Place 1 (heaping) tablespoon of compound butter into bottom of mug. Add 1-2 oz spiced rum, and ½ cup boiling water. Serve with cinnamon stick as garnish.

Fresh Kale Salad

recipe from Mountain Mama Cooks serves 6

1 large or 2 small bunches of kale ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 1/ 8 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/ 3 cup toasted pine nuts 1/ 3 cup dried currants ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese salt and pepper 1. Remove the kale leaves from the stems and chop fine.

2. In a large bowl, combine kale, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pine nuts, currants and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let stand an hour before serving.

recipe from Mountain Mama Cooks makes 24

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in bowl; set aside. Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes.

3. Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes.

4. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer butter to large heatproof bowl.

5. Add both sugars and vanilla to bowl.

Whisk until fully incorporated.

6. Add egg and egg yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth and no lumps remain.

Using a spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined.

7. Stir in chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.

8. Press dough into a 9 x 13 baking dish or half sheet pan. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt.

9. Bake bars for 20-25 minutes, taking care not to over cook.

10. Transfer bars to cooling rack and cool completely.

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abuelita chocolate

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Vangie Yvettte

Veronica

all in

LA FAMILIA This mother-daughter trio cooks up Christmas meals and memories with recipes spanning three generations featuring MUY BUENO COOKBOOK .wordpress.com

by HEIDI LARSEN photography by JEANINE THURSTON and LEAH AUDRAE foodiecrush.com

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Jesusita, Veronica, Yvette and Vangie

Thanks to the girls from the blog Muy Bueno Cookbook, Christmas stays all in the family—with a spicy twist. A true family affair with mom Vangie and daughters Veronica and Yvette, Muy Bueno Cookbook’s flavor-filled, Mexican-inpired recipes are a tribute to their mother and grandmother Jesusita, who at the age of 96 was still celebrating the holidays by creating her secret tamale recipe for parties with family and friends. These celebrations, called tamaldes, brought together loved ones every Christmas— a time for savoring an abundance of food, laughter and love. Today, the traditions continue for Vangie, Veronica and Yvette who are passing their authentic holiday traditions to the next family generation, just like Grandma Jesusita would hope for.

Do you celebrate the Christmas holidays together each year?

Veronica: Yvette lives in Colorado, I live in California, and mom and our brother live in Texas, so we don’t always have the luxury of spending Christmas together.

When we’re together mom makes mountains of cookies, tamales and sometimes menudo which we all gorge on for days. The important things I take away from all this are never to forget our

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family recipes and how cooking brings families together, and remembering to make these recipes with our kids at home.

Although my husband and mother-in-law are not Latinos they have embraced our cuisine and traditions. Last year we spent Christmas at my brother’s home in El Paso, Texas and the kids loved setting up the luminarias. They look so beautiful at night.

share family

tradiitions

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biscochos

champurrado

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I KNOW THE HOLIDAYS HAVE ARRIVED WHEN:

“

My children signal me all the time. They love to help me in the kitchen. I also love making canelita (cinnamon tea) in the winter. The smell of cinnamon simmering in my kitchen takes me back to my childhood and reminds me of Christmas. ~ YVETTE ~

” foodiecrush.com

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inspire

“

I KNOW THE HOLIDAYS HAVE ARRIVED WHEN

I get the itching to bake as soon as the weather is cooler outside. The idea of all the wonderful aromas coming from my kitchen inspires me to start baking early. ~ VANGIE ~

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”

What are your holiday traditions?

Veronica: We usually have a Christmas Eve dinner at home. We eat Cornish game hens with some of my mom’s famous stuffing, my motherin-law’s raspberry Jell-O salad, and some tamales and salsas along with several other side dishes and desserts. After dinner I gather the kids in the neighborhood and we go door-to-door in our neighborhood singing Christmas carols for our neighbors. Sometimes other moms go along with me and we carry props, flashlights, and songbooks. The kids really enjoy this; they especially love it when they get yummy cookies as gifts from the neighbors.

Yvette: Another tradition in our home is setting up our nativity set, advent calendar, and advent wreath. I try to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. My daughter Maya attends a private Catholic school and she really enjoys these traditions. My son Blake is getting older now and I have a feeling he is really going to enjoy this Christmas.

Your mother/grandmother has served as a huge inspiration for your blog and the holiday recipes and traditions you carry on with today.

Besides making the traditional recipes you’ve provided, what was another memory that you have of Jesusita at the holidays?

Vangie: My mother was a very humble woman.

To her Christmas was a very special time. We would go to midnight mass or very early mass on Christmas morning and our holiday was not about receiving toys. Our family did not have a lot of money but my mother always found a way to buy me a new dress and shiny black leather shoes to wear for Christmas mass. After mass we would spend the day at one of my older sister’s homes.

I was very close to my mother and she meant the world to me. She always said Christmas wasn’t about receiving gifts; Christmas was about Jesus’ birth and spending the day with familia.

What Mexican holiday traditions and/or values do you hope to pass along to your grandchildren?

Vangie: I would like to instill in my grandchildren the same values and traditions my mother did, namely the importance of being with family at the holidays. The holidays should always be more about family, peace, and being together. Toys are good, but there are so many other things we have to be grateful for. Getting together in the kitchen to cook, bake, talk, and laugh are one of the best gifts in the world we can share with our kids and our family.

What other food traditions do you celebrate at Christmas?

Vangie: During the Christmas season we always have biscochos, tamales, buñuelos, turkey, and stuffing. We also have lots of other cookies, cakes, and pies. Lots of eating and baking takes place.

Veronica, you made tamales with your grandmother. What is your tradition with the children in your family in cooking these today?

Veronica: Because I was so young when I helped grandma with these I was only allowed to clean the ojas (husks), which meant taking off the fibers from the corn husks. Sometimes she would let me spread some masa and filling on a corn husk or two, but most of the time I was too young to help with this part of the process. I didn’t mind, I could watch her do this for hours.

I decided several years ago that I wanted to carry on the tamale making tradition with my daughter Dakota and have my own tamalada (a tamale making party). Every year I invite several of my girlfriends over to join us. I prepare everything ahead of time and they show up and help assemble the tamales. We usually start the morning off with coffee and Mexican sweet bread. While we assemble the tamales we all get to catch up on each others lives and make some tamales in the

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I KNOW THE HOLIDAYS HAVE ARRIVED WHEN

“

The cool fall weather and all the lovely fall colors of food in the produce section at the grocery store or farmers market. I especially love making pumpkin anything, and pumpkin empanadas are my favorite. ~ VERONICA ~

process. Everyone gets to take home two dozen tamales to steam and enjoy with their families.

Every year it’s been a little different. One year it was just the woman and Dakota, the next year it was my girlfriends and their daughters or mothers, and last year it was my girlfriends and their kids, boys and girls, being that my son enjoys this too.

Dakota was a big help. We set up a kids’ table in the garage and the kids each had their own place setting with a bowl of masa, a pile of corn husks and a festive masa spreader. The kids got to make the sweet tamales which were filled with pineapple and coconut. This year, because of my move, I will be taking this on in Germany. Wish me luck!

Vangie, you made biscochos with your mother and your Christmas was steeped in tradition.

What is your tradition with the children in your family?

Vangie: When Veronica, Michael, and Yvette were young I would make the dough, roll it out and they would cut out the biscochos using a paring knife. As soon as they came out of the oven the kids would roll them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Today I use a heavy duty mixer and a cookie shooter to make the biscochos. However, when the kids were young I didn’t own a large mixer or a cookie shooter so everything was done by hand; we used to have a lot of fun. Last year

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”

when I was in Colorado with Yvette and Veronica and their children, I made biscochos with my granddaughters Dakota and Maya the way I once did with my kids. It was our time together and we had a great time. It brought back great memories for me.

I shared with Dakota and Maya how Veronica, Michael, and Yvette used to help me make the same cookies which I gave away as Christmas gifts. I think they enjoyed listening to stories of their moms when they were young. I try to emphasize the importance of doing things together as a family.

Do you carry on with your grandmother’s tradition of giving bisochos as gifts for the holidays?

Veronica: Last year while at home in El Paso with mom, I helped her package dozens of them into these cute festive boxes I found at a specialty shop. It quickly reminded me of the importance of maintaining family traditions, especially this one.

You can be sure I will take the time to make some this year with my two kids.

Yvette: I make savory gifts such as homemade salsas and sauces. I’m a fulltime graphic designer, and I designed some very cute Muy Bueno labels that I use as gift tags. I make salsa casera, salsa verde, and enchilada sauce in mason jars wrapped with raffia ribbon. My friends and neighbors really look forward to my spicy gifts ever year.

bu単uelos

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You developed a recipe for buñuelos for your cookbook; tell us more about why these sweet treats are a holiday staple for you.

Vangie: Buñuelos are just as important to have as a holiday staple as are tamales and biscochos. This tradition is as old as time with Mexican families. You will see them in the stores as soon as winter starts. My mother would always make them the day before Christmas so they would be fresh. She never liked to make food too much ahead of time, so you can imagine how busy we were the week before Christmas preparing everything.

How does the round buñuelos recipe differ from the buñuelos recipe for the tree cookies? Is it a different recipe?

Vangie: Yvette made this simplified version using our basic uncooked flour tortilla dough recipe and cookie cutters to shape them into ornaments. We usually let the dough dry longer before frying to keep the edges from curling upward as they dry.

Your cookbook is coming out soon. Tell us more.

Veronica and Yvette: Muy Bueno: Three-Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor offers Mexican recipes from the hearts of three generations: our grandmother Jesusita, mom’s favorite recipes and a more Latin fusion contribution from Yvette and me.

Muy Bueno takes readers through a journey of oldworld northern Mexican cuisine, traditional south of the border home-style dishes, and Latin fusion recipes and treasured stories. The cookbook is due out fall 2012 published by Hippocrene Books and will have 100 of our favorite recipes.

Every recipe will have a full color photo by our fabulous photographer Jeanine Thurston. Recipes include traditional and contempo-

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rary Mexican recipes, from classic Enchiladas Montadas (Stacked Enchiladas) and Menudo, to lighter, modern dishes like Pan Fried Tilapia with Mango and Avocado Salsa. This cookbook is a rich history of our family with anecdotes throughout.

It will also include a glossary of chile peppers, and instructions on essential techniques like roasting chiles, making tamales, fresh tortillas, and red chile sauce.

The main reason we started this cookbook was to pass along our favorite family recipes and stories to our children. It wasn’t until Yvette and I moved away from El Paso that we missed our family recipes and that prompted us to write them down and eventually led us to write this cookbook.

Your grandmother’s recipes influence your cooking and inspired your blog. In what ways would you like your blog to influence a new community of cooks?

Veronica: We aren’t professionally trained cooks but have learned quite a bit about cooking just by being present in the kitchen. think there’s a new generation of people out there who want to preserve their family’s culture through food—it has for us and we love what’s it’s done in helping us preserve so many of our childhood memories. The most we can hope for is that others will get in the kitchen, try our recipes and like what they made.

Yvette with Grandma

Veronica with Grandma

Biscochos

Buñuelos Tree Ornaments

6 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (freshly ground when possible) ¼ teaspoon ginger 1 pound lard or shortening 1 egg 1 ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup wine, orange juice or water 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 tablespoons anise seed

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¾ cup milk ¼ cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 beaten eggs Canola or vegetable oil for frying Sugar coating 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sugar and Cinnamon Coating 1 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

3. In a saucepan heat milk, butter, and vanilla and bring to a boil.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, then add the scrambled eggs to the warm milk mixture and whisk quickly.

5. Add the liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

6. Knead dough on lightly floured surface 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.

7. After you knead the dough, divide into 20 dough balls. With a rolling pin, roll out thin tortillas.

8. Using cookie cookie cutters or scissors, cut shapes from dough.

9. Make a small hole in each shape so you can hang the ornament. Place ornaments on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart, and brush with additional oil.

10. Top with second baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden.

11. Mix sugar and cinnamon on a large plate. Remove ornaments from oven and let cool.

12. In a medium saucepan, add enough oil to come halfway up sides and bring to 350°F. 13. Fry ornaments in batches for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to paper towels and then to cinnamonsugar while still warm and toss to coat completely.

14. Place ribbons or hooks in ornaments and hang on tree.

makes 300 biscochos

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Sift flour with the next four (4) dry ingredients.

3. Cream the lard or shortening until smooth. Add sugar, egg, vanilla, and liquid. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture. Add anise seeds at this time and knead together. If mixture is too sticky add some flour.

4. Roll out the dough onto a floured board or counter and cut out biscochos using a small-floured cookie cutter or you can put the dough into a cookie shooter using your favorite design. You will have to re-knead and roll out the dough several times until you have used all of the dough. Place the biscochos onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.

5. While biscochos are baking, mix the sugar and cinnamon “coating” ingredients in a wide bowl. Set aside for coating baked biscochos. After baking, coat biscochos with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

6. These cookies are just as beautiful to display as they are delicious to eat.

Enjoy!

makes 20 buñuelos

Champurrado (Mexican Hot Chocolate) makes 8 servings

3 cups of water 2 cinnamon sticks 1 anise star ¼ cup masa harina 2 cups milk ½ disk Mexican chocolate, chopped (Abuelita or Ibarra chocolate) 3 ounces piloncillo, chopped or ½ cup packed brown sugar 1. In a large saucepan boil water with the two cinnamon sticks and anise star.

2. Remove from the heat, cover and let the cinnamon sticks and anise star steep for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and anise star, return to low heat and slowly add the masa harina to the warm water, whisking until combined.

3. Add milk, chocolate, and piloncillo.

4. Heat over medium heat just until boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until chocolate is completely melted and sugar is dissolved, whisking occasionally. Serve immediately.

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Drinks? Check. Food? Check. Décor? Check.

The ladies of MODERN MANNERED demonstrate the etiquette of entertaining by throwing a New Year’s Eve party.

A PROPER

PARTY

featuring MODERN MANNERED .com

by TESSA WOOLF photography by DAVID NEWKIRK

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w

hat happens when you combine two creative talents from two different companies, both with the same passion for entertaining, and let them loose to dream, play, create, and cook? You get Modern Mannered, one night only “underground” one-of-akind food and drink pairings. “Jen loves to cook, I love to set a scene,” says Lauren Brady of Saucy & Kitsch (saucyandkitsch.com), who along with Jen Sorensen of The Honey House (saltlakehoneyhouse. com) make up the duo behind Modern Mannered.

“The combo of our two very quirky personalities is as perfect as unicorns and rainbows.” It’s a fitting comparison, considering a Modern Mannered evening is a magical experience—especially on New Year’s Eve. Here, the ladies give us the scoop on Modern Mannered, plus share the details of their NYE celebration, from the food to the drinks to the décor. Cheers!

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AVIATION COCKTAIL

How would you describe Modern Mannered?

Lauren: An evening of communal sharing and appreciation of food and drink, from kitchen to table.

A fun and unpretentious exploration of traditional etiquette and formalities, hence the name Modern Mannered: manners of times past in a modern environment.

Jen: The gathering of friends, or more often than not strangers who become friends, who are willing to experience new things in an unfamiliar setting.

We set out to create an experience, rather than just a meal, where the guests are active participants and are just as integral to the success of the dinner.

How did Modern Mannered come to be?

Jen: Honestly, I’m not really sure Modern Mannered was the initial goal. We just knew that we wanted to try something together. Using Lauren’s

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GREG

SHAKES UP THE PARTY

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SALUMI

WITH FENNEL & AVOCADO

HORSERADISH MUSTARD

QUAIL EGGS

amazing ability to create an environment and mood, and my downright obsession with food, Modern Mannered is just sort of what happened.

We also liked the secrecy of it, the idea that it’s not really something everyone might be interested in.

But, those who do participate in it feel as though they’ve been part of a shared experience, a moment in time.

Setting the Scene

What is your entertaining philosophy?

Lauren: We always want to create an experience, from the moment guests walk in the door to the moment they leave. Cocktail hour is a must to allow guests to get to know one another. For this dinner, the environment we were in allowed guests to come in and out of the kitchen and interact with Jen and I. Guests were welcomed with cocktail and social hour, then asked to join the table for three

more courses, and thanked with a box of Guinness brownies (one of Jen’s specialties) to take home and remember the evening.

What inspires your décor?

Lauren: I try to work with the environment in which the dinner takes place. And Jen and I both love the ‘50s: their manners, their sense of style, and their music. For our NYE dinner, chartreuse became the main color as I had this amazing Formica table to work with. Somewhere along the line, I got the hair-brained idea of making mod doily chandeliers—they created the perfect glow.

I carried the delicate look through the rest of the décor by creating doily menus and place cards and adding lace to the tablescape. To contrast the green and ivory, I added brown glassware and stemware. The overall look was a woodsy, owl and lace theme. foodiecrush.com

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The Food and Drink

What was on the evening’s menu?

Jen: For cocktail hour and amuse, Quail eggs with mustard and radish sprouts, goat cheese with cardamom crackers and lemon preserves, and fennel, avocado, and salumi, paired with an Aviation cocktail. For the first course, Oxtail risotto paired with Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. For the main course, stuffed lamb chops with pea shoot salad and roasted fingerling potatoes, paired with ‘08 Etude Pinot Noir Carneros. For dessert, pear and fig crostada with ginger ice cream, paired with Bonny Doon Viognier Doux and single brew (pour over) Coava coffee from Costa Rica. Plus, Guinness brownies to take home!

What inspired the food?

Jen: The season—I wanted the food to have the comfort and warmth necessary for winter,

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while still providing a touch of lightness. I was also inspired by markets—I love food shopping, from small family-owned Armenian/Asian/Hispanic markets to large chain stores. I love all of it. If I come across something interesting, I want to find a way to use it. That’s kind of how the evening’s quail eggs came about.

What inspired the drink pairings?

Jen: Greg Gerow, a wine cellar assistant at Etude (and Lauren’s boyfriend), was our mixologist. When selecting drink pairings, I didn’t necessarily tell Greg the specific dishes we would be serving, rather their overall flavor profile and level of richness.

Greg: In general, pairings were based on the intensity of the food and element of contrast while maintaining the complementary paining of the food and drink

STUFFED

LAMB CHOPS

OXTAIL RISOTTO

WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

MODERN MANNERED’S

LAUREN & JEN

PEAR & FIG CROSTADA

WITH GINGER ICE CREAM

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Aviation Cocktail

Salumi, Avocado and Fennel Bites

2 ounces gin ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo ba r spoon or ¼ ounce Crème de Violette lemon twist, for garnish

¼ fennel bulb, sliced thin ½ pound favorite salumi, or salty cured meat 2 avocadoes, sliced thin 1 orange, juiced 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake to chill well, then strain into a cocktail glass.

2. Drizzle the Crème de Violette into the glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

1. Layer salumi with fennel and avocado slices.

2. Drizzle olive oil into orange juice and whisk until vinaigrette thickens. Add salt and pepper and drizzle over salumi bites and serve.

makes one cocktail

Quail Eggs with Horseradish Mustard serves 8

32 quail eggs 2 teaspoons horseradish 5 tablespoons mayonaise ½ cup dijon mustard radish sprouts for garnish 1. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water and set aside. In a large saucepan, add quail eggs to 1 quart of water and bring eggs to a boil. Turn off heat and let rest for 4 minutes. Remove from pan and place in ice bath for 5 minutes.

2. Peel eggs carefully and slice in half. Remove egg yolks from whites, placin yolks in large bowl and setting aside whites.

Mash yolks finely and mix in horseradish, mayonaisse and dijon mustard.

3. With a small spoon, fill the white halves with the egg yolk mix and garnish with radish sprouts.

Black Pepper Crackers with Cardamom Spiked Goat Cheese 24 black pepper crackers 8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature ½ teaspoon ground cardamom Lemon preserves or lemon curd Watercress leaves 1. Mix cardomom and goat cheese.

2.Top crackers with mixture, a dollop of lemon preserve and top with watercress leaves and serve.

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Oxtail Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes serves 8

for the oxtail 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds oxtail 2 stalks celery 1 carrot 1 large onion 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 teaspooon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1. In a large dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid, heat a tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Season oxtail with salt and pepper and add to hot pan. Sear the oxtail a few at a time, browning all sides but not crowding the pan. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Finely chop celery, carrot and onion.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in same pot and add onion mixture and sauté until the onions are translucent.

3. Place oxtail in the pot, cover with water and add thyme, salt and pepper. Cover with lid and reduce heat to a mediumlow or to a simmer. Braise for 2 hours or more until the meat falls away from the center bone and a large portion of the fat has rendered into the cooking liquid.

4. Remove oxtail and pull meat away from the bone and set aside. Strain the vegetables from the cooking liquid. All cooking up to this point can be done the night before and refrigerated.

for the risotto 1 ½ tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 small shallots, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 cup Arborio rice 3 -4 cups cooking liquid (a combination of the oxtail braising liquid and chicken stock) ¼ cup white wine ½ pound roasted tomatoes grated parmigiano reggiano for garnish 1. Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, a pinch or two of salt and a bit of pepper, sauté until tender.

2. Add rice and stir, toasting the rice for 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated. Add 1 ½ cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth ½ cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is tender, about 35 minutes.

3. Garnish with oxtail meat and roasted tomatoes.

for the roasted tomatoes ½ pound cherry tomatoes 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. On a baking sheet, spread tomatoes and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Roast in oven for 1 hour. Reserve and reheat before topping risotto.

Stuffed Lamb Chops

Pear and Fig Crostata

Ginger Ice Cream

8 small, bone-in lamb chops about 1 inch thick. 1 per person 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced and fronds set aside 1 large onion, thinly sliced

filling

4 large egg yolks ½ cup sugar 3/ 4 cup sliced peeled fresh ginger root 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup heavy cream, whipped 1 teaspoon vanilla

serves 8

1. In a large fry pan, bring 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat, add sliced fennel and onion, season with salt and pepper and sauté to caramelize. Allow the onions and fennel to brown slightly before stirring. If they begin to stick, add a small amount of water to the pan. This process may take up to 30 minutes or more.

2. Finely chop 2 to 3 tablespoons of the green top of the fennel, add to caramelized onions and fennel bulb.

3. On the larger meaty side of each chop split each creating a small little cavity.

Stuff a tablespoon or more of onion mixture into the cavity of the chop and season with salt and pepper.

4. In a heavy bottom fry pan or cast iron skillet, bring 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same pan and sear chops very high heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

serves 8

4-5 Bartlett or Bosc pears ½ cup dried figs, sliced in half ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon flour

dough 1 ¼ cup flour ½ cup very finely ground almonds 1 tablespoon sugar 4 tablespoons shortening 4 tablespoons butter ¼ cup ice water ½ teaspoon almond extract 1. In a large bowl, cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients using either your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time mixing gently with a fork. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for an hour at minimum up to overnight. Keep in mind, the longer it is kept refrigerated the more pronounced the almond extract will become.

3. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Roll out dough to a rough 12 inch circle on a piece of parchment.

5. Pile fruit mixture in the middle and working from one end to the other fold the edges over the fruit. Pleating each fold onto the other. Dot fruit with 2 or 3 scant teaspoons of butter and brush exposed dough with egg white or heavy cream. Sprinkle with sugar.

6. Place on a baking sheet, lifting by the parchment. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until crust is a deep golden brown and fruit is bubbly.

serves 6-8

1. In a 3-quart, heavy bottom saucepan and over medium heat, bring sliced gingerroot and half-and-half to a simmer and then reduce heat to very low.

2. Steep ginger in half and half mixture for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, bring mixture back up to simmer.

3. In a bowl, whisk sugar into egg yolks.

Add half-and-half slowly to egg mixture, continually whisking one half cup at a time.

4. Add to saucepan and cook custard mixture until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Sieve out ginger root and chill.

5. Fold in whipped cream and vanilla and freeze in an ice cream maker.

Guinness Brownies makes 16-20 brownies

2 sticks butter (1 cup) 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate 2 cups sugar 3/ 4 cup cocoa 3 eggs 1 cup Guinness 1 cup flour 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 6 ounces mini chocolate chips 1. Melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl with chocolate. Add sugar and cocoa and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Add eggs, stir until incorporated into the sugar and chocolate mixture. The batter should be glossy.

3. Add Guinness, flour, coconut and chocolate chips to bowl.

4. Pour into a buttered 9 x 12 inch pan.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. When done, the brownies will be puffed slightly around the edges of the pan, but gooey in the middle.

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brunch LADIES WHO

With Style & Grace blogger

LISA THIELE

hosts a gluten-free mid-morning meal for her BFFs

featuring WITH STYLE AND GRACE .com

by TESSA WOOLF photography and styling by LISA THIELE

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“

There’s something very comforting and happy about brunch: delicious food, yummy cocktails, and great company — what else do you need?

”

GLUTENFREE

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

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l

isa Thiele hasn’t always spent her days whipping up gluten-free goodies for her popular blog With Style & Grace. A year ago she was working in a high-stress job when a health scare landed her in the hospital.

While in recovery, she decided to quit her nine to five and focus on getting healthy.

Doctors had advised Thiele to avoid gluten.

Inspired by her new diet, she learned to cook and bake, and started blogging her kitchen masterpieces and entertaining ideas as a creative outlet.

“I aim to capture the beauty of glutenfree, provide easy yet delicious recipes, help every host(ess) incorporate allergy-free op-

tions into their menus, and hope to inspire a happy and healthy life,” Thiele says of her blog.

She used these principals to devise a beautiful, budget-friendly brunch spread ideal for a girlfriends get-together. “There’s something very comforting and happy about brunch,” she says. “Delicious food, yummy cocktails, and great company--what else do you need?”

The Food

With a focus on gluten-free items and recipes with limited dairy, Thiele cooked up a brunch menu inspired by her love of panfoodiecrush.com

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GLUTENFREE

PUMPKIN GRANOLA

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cakes and pumpkins. On the menu: glutenand dairy-free pancakes and pumpkin spice pancakes with maple and blueberry syrup, and gluten-free pumpkin granola served with Greek yogurt or almond milk topped and with blueberries or chocolate chips.

And what’s brunch without a little bubbly? Thiele included a pitcher of fresh orange juice and bottles of champagne for self-serve mimosas.

She arranged the food and drink items buffet-style to give guests options and help create a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

The Decor

Thiele set up the brunch buffet outside on her patio to take advantage of the pleasant weather and make the most of her

living space, allowing guests to move freely between the indoors and outdoors. She topped a vineyard-style table with burlap fabric and a neutral, patterned table runner, and placed a variety of vases filled with fresh greenery and eucalyptus on the table.

She arranged the food items across the runner: pancakes stacked on a white cake stand, yogurt and granola spooned out of large glass jars, blueberries in small wooden boxes, and chocolate chips in a white dish.

The flatware and napkins were tied together with twine and placed next to a stack of square, white dishes. For a final fuss-free flourish, Thiele’s tied paper leaves to a plate of pears, an easy decor element that could double as place cards (an idea from Thiele’s friend Lacy of Lacy Like). foodiecrush.com

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LISA’S

PARTY TIPS Ask ahead about guests’ food allergies. “You can plan your menu accordingly, and no one will leave hungry.”

Set the tone of your event and make guests feel at ease with music--create a playlist on your iPod or pick a station on Pandora. “I love to have music playing when I entertain. John Mayer is a favorite.”

Brunch should be served anytime after breakfast and before lunch. “I would suggest inviting your guests anytime after 10 a.m. but no later than 1 p.m.”

Keep your menu simple and find dishes you can make in advance to allow more time with guests and less time fussing over last-minute details in the kitchen. “I made the pancakes in advance and kept them warm in the oven until ready to serve, and I made the granola two days prior and stored it in an airtight container.”

For fuss-free decor, repurpose household items.

“I’m all about making use of what you already have and spending money on the food.”

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GLUTENFREE

CLASSIC PANCAKES

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GLUTENFREE

CLASSIC PANCAKES

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Gluten-free Pumpkin Pancakes

Gluten-free Classic Pancakes

Gluten-free Pumpkin Granola

2 cups gluten-free flour 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups milk (buttermilk, whole, skim) OR non-dairy (almond, soy, etc.)

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling) 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 ½ cups gluten-free flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoons salt 1 ½ cups almond milk (skim or whole if no dairy allergies) 3 tablespoons butter, melted (or canola oil if dairy sensitive) 2 eggs, beaten ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups gluten-free rolled oats (use regular oats if not gluten intolerant) 1 cup almonds, chopped (or nuts of your choice) 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 3 /4 teaspoon salt ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup pumpkin puree 1/ 3 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Optional 3/4 – 1 cup dried cranberries

1. Combine gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon ginger and salt in a bowl; mix until combined.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, pumpkin and oil. Add wet ingredients to the dry and carefully combine, but be careful not to overmix.

3. Heat skillet/pan, spray with cooking spray.

4. Pour batter, about 1/8 to 1/4 cup onto the hot pan. It’s ready to flip once you see little bubbles at the top of the pancakes.

5. Cook until flip side is nice and golden brown.

1. Combine gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; mix until combined.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and butter (or oil). Add wet ingredients to the dry and carefully combine, but be careful not to overmix.

3. Heat skillet/pan, spray with cooking spray.

4. Pour batter, about 1/8 to 1/4 cup onto the hot pan. It’s ready to flip once you see little bubbles at the top of the pancakes.

5. Cook until flip side is nice and golden brown.

HOW TO THRIVE

THROUGH THE

HOLIDAYS For many, the mere whisper of the word “holidays” automatically adds five pounds to the scale. But now there’s a way to keep the needle steady no matter what time of year. Thiel has teamed with health coach Lacy Young to create Group Health Coaching, a program centered around teaching others how to create a better relationship with food. The three month program shares insight on adopting better food choices, a gluten-free lifestyle and setting and accomplishing dietary goals.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together glutenfree oats, chopped almonds, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well combined.

4. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract and using a whisk or fork, whisk until smooth.

5. Add wet (sugar) mixture to the dry ingredients and with a spatula, mix until everything is coated. If it seems too dry, add a little more applesauce & maple syrup.

6. Spread the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheets--I do one baking sheet at a time, but you could probably do both, just be sure to rotate. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

7. Carefully remove and mix for even baking.

8. Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes or until the granola looks nice and golden.

Remove from the oven and let cool before stirring in the dried cranberries, if you chose or add in before serving.

9. Store in an airtight container. I keep mine in the fridge, but in the pantry is fine as well.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO HTTP://WITHSTYLE.ME/2011/11/07/ANNOUNCING-GROUPP/ HEALTH-COACHING/

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featuring SPOON FORK BACON .com

‘Tis Taco time

The recipe for a festive and fuss-free feté among friends?

An easy Mexicaninspired menu of tacos, tostadas, and margaritas

recipes by SPOON FORK BACON photography by TERI LYN FISHER food styling by JENNY PARK

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tequila-lime marinated shrimP tostadas

t

he food blogging world welcomes new bloggers to its universe on a daily basis, but few have made such a fast and dynamic impression as the ladies behind the hip and fresh food blog Spoon Fork Bacon: photographer Terilyn Fisher and food stylist Jenny Park.

The duo met on set while assisting their mentors, photographer and food blogger Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites and food stylist Adam Pearson. “We tested a lot together for our portfolios, so we decided to use that as an excuse to start blogging,” Park explains. “We’ve both been long-time fans of various food blogs, and we thought it would be fun to start our own because we had so many ideas

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Spice pineapple salsa

cucumber salsa

to try and make things different.” Here, the ladies share their personal spin on food and entertaining.

How would you describe Spoon Fork Bacon?

A food blog that is heavy on recipes and food photography. Jenny puts a great deal of effort into writing unique recipes. Each and every recipe that we put up on the blog is tested at least once.

We have a strong sense of aesthetics, and because the design is just as important to us as the content, Teri spends a lot of time creating posts that blend together well with the overall layout, including the propping.

tequila-lime marinated shrimp foodiecrush.com

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tequila-lime marinated shrimp

simple margarita

salsa verde

guacamole 120

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cilantro basmati rice Grilled Achiote Marinated Zucchini & Yellow Squash

Honey-Chipotle Chopped Chicken

salsa roja foodiecrush.com

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honey-chipotle chopped chicken What fuels your passion for food + styling + photography = blogging?

We want to create recipes and images that speak to delicious food and make people want to cook and eat whatever we are posting.

Setting the Scene

What inspired the taco party theme?

Everyone in LA loves Mexican food.

A taco party is a great way to throw a casual, laid-back party that isn’t too fussy.

It’s also the type of party that allows you to prepare a lot of fun dishes and condiments to satisfy a variety of tastebuds—

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think meat and vegetarian fillings, unique salsas—and all of the items can be made ahead of time.

How do you decorate for a party?

We like to keep things pretty simple. All of the plates and bowls you see in this party are just mismatched pieces we picked up at antique malls, thrift stores, and random boutiques. Things don’t have to be too matchy matchy.

What are the essentials for a great party? Are there any party no-nos or things in particular to avoid?

We think the most important thing is to make everything easy for you, the party thrower. You should be able to enjoy the party with your guests, so make sure you plan ahead and prepare food and drinks that will allow you to do so.

What would you consider a great hostess gift?

It’s always nice to bring something to drink—we like a bottle of prosseco. Usually everyone enjoys it, and, unlike wine, you don’t have to worry about choosing red or white to go with the food.

You don’t always need a reason TO HAVE A PARTY. We called our friends Adrianna Adarme of the blog A Cozy Kitchen, and our friend Justin and asked them over TO COME HAVE TACOS.

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Grilled Achiote Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash

jenny and Teri Lyn of spoon fork bacon How do you divvy up the responsibilities of the party? Who does set-up, who cooks, and who gets stuck with clean-up?

Jenny cooks, Teri sets up, and we both help clean. We handle parties similar to how we handle photo shoots.

What’s your favorite music to get the party started?

We like music that can fade into the background. Music that won’t overpower the conversation is always good. Artists like Beach House, Explosions in the Sky, and Cut Copy are some favorites.

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About the Food

Do you prefer a sit-down meal or buffet?

We chose buffet-style for this get-together because we think it’s the only way to throw a taco party. It creates a relaxed atmosphere and allows guests to pick and choose exactly what kinds of tortillas, fillings, salsas, etc., they want to eat.

What are your food prep tips? Do you do it all in one day or do you have a day to prep and plan?

We recommend getting as much done the day before the party. All of these salsas can be made a day ahead of time (which will actually allow the flavors to marry). The rice can be made a day in advance and then reheated. The ingre-

dients for the remaining items can all be measured and chopped up ahead of time and cooked/prepared a couple hours before the party.

What was your favorite dish from the taco party?

It’s hard to say, but we think the tequilalime marinated shrimp were awesome...with EVERYTHING. We also love the cucumber salsa—it’s something you don’t see often and it adds great crunch and freshness to the dishes.

What’s a no-fail entertaining tip?

Make sure you have enough cocktails— in this case, margaritas—to last the night!

simple margarita

cilantro basmati rice

home fried taco shells

Grilled Achiote Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash tacos foodiecrush.com

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Tequila-Lime Marinated Shrimp Tostadas

Honey-Chipotle Chopped Chicken Crunchy Tacos

Grilled Achiote Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash

30 tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon chile powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 lime, zested and juiced ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided 1/3 cup good quality tequila blanco, divided salt and pepper to taste 15 small corn tostadas

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced 2 tablespoons adobo sauce 3½ tablespoons honey salt and pepper to taste 12 crunchy taco shells 1. Place the chile powder, paprika, garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of oil into a small bowl and whisk together.

2. Rub each chicken breast with the spice mixture and season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour the remaining oil into a large sauté pan and sauté the chicken breasts, on medium heat, for 10-12 minutes on each side or until the chicken has cooked through completely.

4. Transfer the cooked chicken onto a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.

5. Once the chicken has rested chop it into small pieces and place back into the sauté pan, over medium heat.

6. Pour the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce over the chicken and stir together.

7. Cook for about 5 minutes.

8. Remove the chicken mixture from the heat and stir in the honey. Adjusting seasonings.

9. Fill taco shells with chicken mixture and top with condiments of choice.

3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise 3 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise ¼ cup achiote powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 limes, zested and juiced ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided salt and pepper to taste 20 small corn tortillas

makes 30

1. Place the cleaned shrimp into a large bowl and set aside.

2. Place the cumin, paprika, chile powder, cayenne, lime zest/juice, and 3 tablespoons olive oil into a small bowl and whisk together.

3. Pour the spice mixture over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and fold together until all the shrimp is fully coated.

4. Allow the mixture to sit for about 30 minutes.

5. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium-high heat.

6. Place half of the shrimp into the pan and sauté on each side for about 3 minutes.

7. Deglaze the pan with half the tequila and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Transfer the cooked shrimp into a large serving bowl.

9. Repeat steps 4-7 with the remaining shrimp and serve warm, over the tostadas and top with salsa.

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makes 3 cups

serves 5 to 7

1. Place the zucchini and squash into a shallow dish and set aside.

2. Place the achiote powder, garlic, lime zest/juice, vinegar, sugar and 3 tablespoons oil in a small bowl, lightly season with salt and pepper and whisk together.

3. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and gently toss together until all the zucchini and squash are evenly coated. Set aside.

4. Allow the mixture to sit for about 15 minutes.

5. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush the remaining oil onto the surface.

6. Place the strips of zucchini and squash onto the grill top and grill on each side for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a serving plate and repeat until all the zucchini and squash have been used.

8. Fill tortilla with the zucchini and squash and top with condiments of your choice.

Cilantro Basmati Rice

Spice Pineapple Salsa

Salsa Roja

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 garlic clove, minced 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced 1 bunch cilantro, minced 2½ cups basmati rice 5¼ cups low sodium chicken broth salt and pepper to taste

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced ¼ red onion, diced 2 red jalapenos, seeded and diced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 lime, juiced 1 tablespoon honey 1 bunch cilantro, minced salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1, 2 ounce pack dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded torn into large pieces 1 cup dried arbol chiles, stemmed ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon coriander seeds ½ teaspoon black peppercorns 2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed 1 ½ tablespoons honey ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon salt to taste 1. Place the oil in a heavy bottom skillet and place over medium heat.

2. Add the chiles, cumin, coriander, and peppercorns to the skillet and toast for about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a saucepan filled with hot water (removed from the heat) and cover. Allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes.

4. Strain the chile mixture (reserving 2 cups of the liquid) and place into a blender.

5. Add the garlic cloves, honey and cinnamon and season with salt.

6. Pour the reserved liquid over the mixture and blend until smooth. Serve.

makes 6 cups

1. Place the oil and butter into a large pot, over medium-high heat.

2. Sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeno for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the cilantro and rice and stir to fully combine.

4. Stir the broth into the rice mixture and bring to a boil.

5. Once the mixture has come to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

6. Once all the liquid has evaporated and the rice has cooked though, gently fluff the rice with a fork until light and airy.

Season with salt and pepper.

7. Serve warm.

Cucumber Salsa makes 3 cups

2 hothouse cucumbers, diced ½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 lime, juiced 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste 1. Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Toss together and set aside.

2. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 1 hour before serving.

3. Serve cold or at room temperature.

makes 2½ cups

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and gently toss together until fully combined.

Season with salt and pepper and fold together.

2. Allow the ingredients to merry for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Salsa Verde makes 2 cups

1 lb tomatillos, husked and halved ½ white onion, halved 1 jalapeno, seeded 2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 limes, juiced ½ bunch cilantro, minced salt and pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Place the tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic and oil into a large bowl and gently toss together. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet, in a single layer, and roast for about 20 minutes.

4. Pour the contents of the baking sheet into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

5. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

makes 1 ½ cups

Guacamole

makes 1 ½ cups

4 avocados, halved and seeded 3 tablespoons red onion, diced 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 limes, juiced ½ bunch cilantro, minced salt and pepper to taste 1. Scoop the flesh of the avocados into a mixing bowl and discard the peels.

2. Using a fork, mash the avocados.

3. Fold in the red onion, tomato, jalapeno, and garlic until completely combined.

4. Stir the lime juice and cilantro into the guacamole and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

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Food Blogger’s After dinner, while my mom and grandma were off doing something, my sister and I would hang out with my grandpa in the living room watching TV and my grandpa would give us both “skewers” with a nice chunk of some sort of hard Italian cheese that we would roast in the fire and eat with bread. And we always had one of those takeout aluminum dishes full of chestnuts sitting in the fire roasting as well. It was a little feast in our living room, all the while my grandpa was enjoying it with a glass of red wine in his recliner relaxing and watching us.

Good memories!! aggie goodman, Aggie’s Kitchen

Favorite Holiday Memories & traditi

WE DIDN’T ALWAYS HAVE THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FARE FOR OUR HOLIDAY MEALS. I REMEMBER ROLLING UP EGG ROLLS WITH MY MOM & MY SISTERS. WE LOVED DOING THAT & COULDN’T WAIT TO EAT THEM! TRIMMING THE TREE WITH CANDY CANES IS A FUN MEMORY I HAVE TOO.

Food is a big part of our family celebrations even today, it’s what brings us together.” julie deily, The Little Kitchen

I

g r e w u p i n O t tawa , O n ta r io . A ro u n d t h e h o l i day s , m y fa m i ly w o u l d a lway s g o s kat i n g o n t h e ca n a l , d ri n k ho t c ho co l at e a n d e at pi pi n g ho t b e av e rta i l s .

There

is n o t h i n g better than spending time w i t h fa m i ly e ati n g g r e at f oo d ! lauren from laurenslatest

“ Dashing off to Grand Cayman THE MORNING AFTER CHRISTMAS TO MEET UP WITH OUR WHOLE FAMILY. marla from family fresh cooking

”

Singing Christmas carols and decorating the tree with my family diane from created by diane

Burning my fingers while sprinkling powdered sugar over golden brown dough as soon as rosettes pop off my grandmother’s vintage rosette iron jenna from eat live run

ions

My

Decorating sugar “ cookies is my favorite

holiday tradition. When I was little my Grandpa would let me eat all the extra icing!

”

shelly from cookies and cups

Our family always has special Xmas brunch. We take the time to go around the table & each of us shares what we’ve done for charity in the past year. Turns out to be a rather heartwarming and fulfilling activity, & keeps us thinking about others. lori from recipe girl

I LOVE christmas

tree night.

Every year we go to a tree farm and pick a tree out, then go home and decorate it and listen to Christmas music.

It makes me happy! kristan from confessions of a cookbook queen

My husband and I don’t exchange gifts on holidays anymore.

We put the money we would have spent into our travel fund.

TRIPS TRUMP GIFTS! averie from love veggies and yoga

EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE, FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, MY FAMILY HAS MADE A MAKE-AHEAD CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST. After all of the festivities on Christmas Eve, little kids get nestled into their beds and the rest of the family gathers in the kitchen. We laugh and reminisce and cook together. Everything gets popped into the fridge and the dishes get cleaned and the table gets set. On Christmas morning we just toss everything in the oven and head off to open presents. When we start smelling breakfast wafting through the air, we know it’s time to eat! ~ sara from our best bites

favo r i t e C h r i s tm a s t r a d i t i o n s are centered around fam i ly , f r i e n d s , a n d c e l e b r at i n g

the real meaning of Christmas. robyn from add a pinch

Christmas for me is a blend of Mexican and American traditions.

Tamales & turkey, pumpkin pie & tres leches cake and waiting ‘til midnight to open presents. nancy from spicie foodie

My fam strives to keep it simple at holiday time.

We try to celebrate with lots of food, not lots of stuff... we’re Jewish so latkes are a fav! winnie from healthy green kitchen

FUDGE & FAMILY heidi, FoodieCrush

D N E E H T Clink!

Clink! cheers!

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