Marijuana Edibles: Cannabis Goes Gourmetfeatured
Cannabis-infused treats are no longer limited to your pan of pot brownies made from a box mix. Nope, edibles are all grown up, and they have good taste. Even Ruhlman is weighing in on how to cook with cannabis.
In 2014 legal marijuana sales in the US came in at an estimated $2.6 billion. That number is estimated to reach $8.2 billion by 2018. A big part of that number will be due to edibles like these innocent looking CBD gummies from RoyalCBD.com. These are just one of hundreds, maybe thousands of new products expected to be launch in the near future. In Colorado (the first of four states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana), edibles are a major part of the cannabis market, accounting for 50% or more of sales at some retail shops.
Judging by the beginner’s guide to kratom, the quality and variety of edibles available on the market has grown by leaps and bounds. At the Emerald Cup hosted last month in Santa Rosa, we saw everything from cannabis infused cotton candy to medicated creme brulee and of course, the new trend of KarmaCBDOils. When we walked the expo hall at the Marijuana Business Conference, there were times when we could easily have been at the Fancy Food Show, checking out booths of artisanal sodas and fair trade chocolate. Times have changed, edibles are more sophisticated than ever before, and with the growing focus on lab testing, products that are rising to the top are those that can deliver accurate and consistent dosing.
It’s not surprising that cannabis patients in the Bay Area have their choice of delicious ways to medicate. We are a food-loving, food-obsessed tribe, who care about what we eat and how it tastes, and from the looks of it, edibles producers have taken note. So, if you are looking to medicate with the delicious in mind, you can check out Medterra.
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Maple Bacon Hot Buttered Bourbonfeatured
Did you make this Bacon-Infused Bourbon yet? Yes? Oh good, because you’re about to put it to great use.
You’ve heard of Hot Buttered Rum? Well this is Hot Buttered Bourbon, MAPLE BACON Hot Buttered Bourbon to be exact! You can just call it your new favorite wintertime drink.
We made some impressive upgrades from your traditional Hot Buttered Rum. First, there is of course, the swap out of the rum with our home-infused Bacon Bourbon. Then, we tackle the “buttered” component.
In our last post, we talked a little bit about “fat washing” – well the same method is applied to the butter broth for this cocktail. (Bone broth, eat your heart out, there’s a new sexy broth in town). See, most buttered cocktails are made by stirring in whole butter that’s been mixed with warm spices, which works for a few moments, until the fat separates from the liquid and you end up with an unappealing oil slick floating in your drink.
By using the fat washing method, you end up infusing water with all the warm and toasty flavors of the spiced butter, but then you let the fat solidify and remove it all together from the equation. Big thanks to Food and Wine and the genius of Bartender Duane Sylvestre of Bourbon Steak DC for sharing this awesome trick.
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Bacon-Infused Bourbonfeatured
Bacon + Bourbon. Some things were destined to be.
Now, I know, some people say that this whole “bacon trend” is so 2009, but in my book, bacon will never go out of style. So there. I <3 bacon 4EVA.
PDT (Please Don’t Tell), a super fun speakeasy in NY (and haven for spirit-forward cocktails and cheffie hot dogs) makes a maple-syrup sweetened Bacon Old Fashioned with bacon-infused bourbon.
The method for making homemade Bacon-Infused Bourbon is actually quite simple. All you really need are a few slices of bacon, a bottle of bourbon, and a mason jar, and boom. Homemade bacon booze here you come!
At first I was worried that the bacon would overpower the bourbon, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the flavor coaxed out of the bacon was subtle. You get a whisper of savory smoke, but the heart of the flavor is still definitely good old bourbon.
If you’re thinking, well…I’d rather eat my bacon and drink my bourbon, you’re in luck. Because that’s exactly what you do. The bourbon is only infused with the bacon fat, which means those crispy cooked strips of bacon are fair game to be devoured as you see fit. So let’s start there – with perfectly cooked bacon.
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Best of the Fancy Food Show 2015featured
The Fancy Food Show is always a flurry of tastings and first looks at new products. Without fail, we always eat too much chocolate and get way too excited about the cheese aisle, or should I say cheese aisles, plural. And, it’s always such a treat to chat with producers and taste the goods they’ve been working hard on. Here are our favorites from this year. Seek them out at your local grocery store or specialty goods shop — they are worth it!
1. FARM BELLE, LEMON HONEY CREME Farm Belle infused honey creme, made in Oregon, is unheated, unfiltered, raw honey that’s thick, smooth, and creamy. All the flavors are good — yes, I tried them all — but the lemon one is remarkable. Like a lazy catnap in the late afternoon sun, the Lemon Honey Creme is just luxurious with a flavor that is rich and bright.
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