I love dreaming up unusual pairings and this little excerpt inspires me to do it more often.
lavash
This month’s Food and Wine magazine is full of features and stories that got me really excited about being in the kitchen. One was that brussels sprouts recipe I tried last week, another is an article about a company based here in New York called Hot Bread Kitchen. The company was founded by a former United Nations immigration-policy expert who wanted to improve the lives of immigrant women in the United States. She did that by opening a bakery that teaches women culinary skills while also focusing on and teaching eachother about the breads of their homelands. Such an awesome idea, and let me tell you, the breads are fantastic! My favorite has always been the lavash, a large crispy cracker that is perfect for an afternoon snack or with a little cheese at the park.
happy hour: i heart the remedy bag
I have to apologize, there isn’t a fancy cocktail today… happy hours have been a little more like a bottle of beer when we can sneak one in. Sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered though. I do have a little something that makes me a super happy lady. My husband Aaron designed this bag for our magazine, Remedy Quarterly (it started out as a sketch for his blog) and I am majorly in love with it. It’s available to anywho who pledges $25+ over on kickstarter.
I hope you have a most excellent weekend full of good food and good times! Cheers!
the weekly crumb…
I had an idea the other day to begin a weekly post called “the weekly crumb”. There’s so much out there, on other blogs, in newspapers, books and on web sites that sticks with me and inspires me. Hopefully you’ll like them as much as I do.
This week’s crumb comes from Homesick Texan.
glazed maple cookies
It’s recipes like this that I wish you could reach right through your computer screen and have one of these cookies. It also makes me want to give martha stewart and her team a great big hug. I mean buttery maple cookies with maple reduction and salt on top? How could they not be good? If you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to get a napkin to wipe that drool, then walk yourself into the kitchen and get the syrup out of the fridge. These cookies are a must-make.
This recipe is really simple, having a mere six ingredients. Simply whisk the flour and salt together, whip the butter and sugar together and lastly add some egg yolks and maple syrup. See? Easy, right? Next you simply spoon them onto baking sheets and use a glass to flatten them into lovely little rounds. Pop them in the oven and prepare yourself for a whole lot of goodness.
Once the cookies are done baking, it’s important to let them cool a bit so you can pour a maple syrup reduction over each one. I was not so patient and the syrup soaked into most of my cookies. Sprinkle a little coarse salt over top and you’re all set.
Just imagine a small, dense and buttery pancake. Add in a little salt and these cookies are elevated to a whole new level. Maybe it’s my sweet tooth, maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s just that these are unlike any cookie I’ve had, but I think I’m in love with them. They’re dangerous and delicious all in one bite and I just can’t get enough.
glazed maple cookies
from everyday food, november 2009
makes 40 cookies
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt + 2 Tablespoons for sprinkling on top
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 large egg yolks
Preheat oven to 350° with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
1
IN a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
2
In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3
Beat in 1/2 cup maple syrup and egg yolks.
4
With the mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.
5
Using a Tablespoon scoop, drop batter 3-inches apart onto to baking sheets.
6
Using a flat-bottomed glass dipped in flour, flatten cookies to 1/4 inch thickness.
7
Bake 12-15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
8
Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
9
In a small saucepan, simmer 1 cup maple syrup until reduced to 3/4 cup. When cookies are cooled, spoon the syrup over the cookies.
10
Sprinkle each cookie with a little salt.
more thanksgiving inspiration
New York Magazine has a great Thanksgiving article in which the co-owners at one of my favorite restaurants, Applewood suggest a few new takes on classics. Ummm, pumpkin pie with pecan-caramel sauce here I come.
Check it out here.
Photos by Romulo Yanes for New York Magazine
Spicy Brussels Sprouts with Mint
If I had to narrow down my most feared/hated vegetables, brussels sprouts would be pretty high on the list. I think it all goes back to childhood memories of my babysitter microwaving brussels sprouts and filling the house with that distinctive odor; an odor that has always left me feeling a little queezy. Lately I’ve been feeling a little bad about my disdain for those cute little green buttons of a vegetable. They’re popping up on the menus of my favorite restaurants and my friends have been raving about the roasted variety. After flipping through this months issue of Food & Wine (which is awesome by the way), I found this recipe for spicy brussels sprouts with mint created by David Chang and decided it was time to give the little green guys a chance.
more thanksgiving inspiration
The New York Times has a whole slew of mouthwatering Thanksgiving inspired recipes. Roasted cauliflower with lemon brown butter and sage salt and carmelized corn with fresh mint, I mean come on, do those sound delicious or what?! Check it our here.