Blood Orange Marmalade Tartfeatured
I learned how to make this beautiful Blood Orange Marmalade Tart from Joyce Goldstein, who adapted it from a recipe she learned from the Trappist nuns at the Vineria Cozzi in Bergamo Alta, Italy. Originally called Crostata di Marmellata delle Suore Trappiste, the tart is filled with orange marmalade made by the nuns. In our version, blood oranges are used in place of regular oranges for their gorgeous color and flavor, “like an orange mixed with a rose,” as Joyce aptly described.
This tart has become a staple in my bag-of-baked-goods-tricks. Some of you may remember it from last year when I made it for the Online Bake Sale for Japan. With a certain romantic holiday around the corner, I thought now would be a good time to repost this dessert with step-by-step photos…just in case you wanted an alternative to the slew of red velvet hitting the waves.
More »
Share
Best of the Fancy Food Show 2012: Savoryfeatured
Last week I shared my favorite sweet treats from the Fancy Food Show. Well, we can’t very well have the sweet without the savory, now can we? I thought not.
Let’s start with cheese, where all things good begin.
1. Buttermilk Bleu Affinée, Roth Kase
The cheese aisles of the Fancy Food Show are legendary. Booth after booth of master cheese makers showcasing their best; wheels upon wheels of creamy bliss in all forms imaginable – aged, fresh, sharp, mellow – it’s a cheese-lover’s paradise. I have my favorites that I really love, and look forward to tasting again every year at the show, so it takes something special to steal my attention.
The Buttermilk Bleu Affinée from Roth Kase succeeded in doing just that. Insanely creamy with an easy sweet finish, this blue stopped me in my tracks and had me coming back for seconds and thirds, dragging friends with me each time so they could experience this magnificent cheese for themselves. As my friend, Michael observed, “It looks intimidating, but it’s really approachable.”
To make the Buttermilk Bleu Affinée, select wheels of Roth Kase’s standard (very good) Buttermilk Blue are identified as having the potential to be obscenely good. Those special wheels are hand-picked to be the true creme de la creme, the all-stars, the special ops team of blue cheese. Where the Buttermilk Blue is aged 60 days, the Bleu Affinée is cured for a minimum of six months. If I had some right now, I’d make some crazy good mashed potatoes, or stir it into risotto, or melt it on a steak, or simply spread it on a slab of hot bread with some sliced pears…
More »
Share
Best of the Fancy Food Show 2012: Sweetfeatured
When the Fancy Food Show rolls around, my husband inevitably starts humming It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. This year, the three-day foodie extravaganza was bigger than ever, with the exhibit halls of Moscone overflowing with 80,000 specialty products from food artisans and importers from around the world. Imagine an avalanche of chocolates, cheeses, olive oils, spices, jams, sauces, teas, snacks…that’s pretty much what the Fancy Food Show was like.
It is always nice to reconnect with old friends at the show, like Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog (which turns 20 this year — Happy Birthday!) or the insanely delicious Whole-Milk Ricotta from Bellwether Farms (which I just want to bathe in), but my favorite part of the Fancy Food Show is discovering new treasures.
Here are the Top 10 Sweet Treats that blew me away:
More »
Share
Healthy Butternut Squash Soupfeatured
There are times for luxurious butternut squash soup laced with brown butter…and then there are times for a more austere version that doesn’t involve homemade stock, a gaggle of aromatics, bouquet garni, and tedious straining. This isn’t a knock on the former – she’s an elegant special occasion soup, and you can taste the extra fuss that goes into her. Sometimes though, you just want an everyday soup – a practical gal that’s into healthiness, nourishment, and minimum effort.
For times like these, I turn to my Healthy Butternut Squash Soup. Comforting, satisfying, zero-guilt goodness, step right up. Did I mention, it only requires 3 main ingredients? Butternut squash, onion, chicken broth. How wholesome.
More »
Share
