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0 Food

La Crema Pork and Pinot #4: The Perfect Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie 101: Assembling a Board {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Charcuterie 101: Assembling a Board {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Some of the best dinners we have really barely qualify as dinners. A baguette and a wheel of brie. Ice cream eaten out of the carton. Cold beer and chips and salsa. I think the very fact that you don’t have to put any effort into it is part of what makes it so rewarding to enjoy. Charcuterie definitely makes the list of our favorite low-effort, high-reward meals – a link of good artisan salami, a few slices of prosciutto, and some sharp mustard is really all you need. And with the increasing availability and variety of high-quality artisan charctuerie, putting out a nice charcuterie board as part of a dinner party or event is fast becoming the most popular way to kick off an epic meal.

Charcuterie 101: Assembling a Board {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Charcuterie 101: Assembling a Board {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

As part of their Pork and Pinot series, I’ve teamed up with La Crema Wine to share how I put together a nice charcuterie board to pair with a bottle (or two! invite friends!) of Pinot Noir. Whether it’s the opener to a dinner party or Trevor and I are sharing in front of the TV, a well-balanced plate of salty, rich pork and a glass of Pinot Noir is an addictive match.

Head over to the La Crema Blog for tips on what to include on your next charcuterie board!

More Pork and Pinot posts…

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or . Thanks for reading!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

2 Cookbook

Book Club: Summer Cocktails // Watermelon Pisco Refresher

Summer Cocktails Cookbook Review {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The Book: A few years ago, Quirk Books reached out to me about reviewing a book called Winter Cocktails that had just been published. They sent over a copy and it quickly became one of my most used and best loved cookbooks. I’ve shared a number of recipes from it here, including Nutella Melt with Frangelico, Burnt Sugar Hot Buttered Rum, and Chocolate Stout Affogato. Now, the same talented ladies have teamed up to write a second book – Summer Cocktails, but of course. I love making and shooting cocktails: they’re quick to make, instantly rewarding, and they provide endless opportunities for creativity. Plus, at the end you have a cocktail to drink. So I was really excited to dive into this book, and I was not disappointed.

Watermelon Pisco Refresher {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The first section of the book contains classics, always with the option for a clever, modern twist. Mint Juleps go further South with cilantro and ginger-infused rum, and Shirley Temple grows up with a splash of Bourbon and Campari. Next we move on to summer punches, large format drinks and pitchers to set out during backyard soirees, like a frizzante and herb-laced Italian sangria, basil and rhubarb vodka spiked lemonade, and peachy bourbon punch. The “Frosty Drinks” section includes all things blended, ice cream based, or best served with an umbrella. Frozen pineapple gets lots of opportunity to shine in fancy ginger-lemongrass piña coladas and blended with tequila and cointreau, while boozy pops made with everything from avocado and tequila to mango and sake will keep you cool (and really relaxed). The last section of the book is reserved for antidotes, “hair-of-the-dog” daytime mimosas, shandys, and micheladas to help you recover from the night before, if that’s your sort of thing. There are also a few, choice, non-liquid recipes included – think sliders, breakfast tacos, and other things you might start to crave once you’re a few drinks in. In short, this book is full of good stuff: tons of creative ideas, gorgeous photos, and enough inspiration for every summer party you’ll throw.

Watermelon Pisco Refresher {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Watermelon Pisco Refresher {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The Drinks: As we get into the sticky-hot heat of August, refreshing, thirst quenching drinks are just about the best thing in the world. While I was tempted by the boozy milkshakes and sweet punches, I knew that they might feel a little too heavy. But a Watermelon and Pisco Refresher? I was 100% sold on that. I’ve been drinking a lot of pisco in Chile, and I just bought a bottle to experiment with at home, so that was an added temptation. This drink is delightfully fresh from the watermelon, cilantro, and mint, and surprisingly spicy from the little bit of jalapeno that’s added. I may or may not have had one, gone for a run, and then come back and had another one… that counts as hydrating, right?

Watermelon Pisco Refresher {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Recipe Shortlist: Kentucky Mule (with Bourbon and Ginger Beer); Fresco de Arroz con Piña; Bollywood Margarita (with Curry Leaves, Tomatillo, and Coriander Tequila); Moroccan Mint Iced Tea; Pink Ladies Lemonade (with Rhubarb and Strawberry Vodka); Peachy Keen Bourbon Punch; The Luxe Cherry Milkshake

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door in the box on the right, on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or . Thanks for reading!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Summer Cocktails from Quirk Books, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Watermelon Pisco Refresher {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Watermelon Pisco Refresher

Recipe adapted slightly from Summer Cocktails. Serves 2.

  • 3 c. cubed, chilled watermelon
  • 3 oz. Pisco
  • 1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 c. packed fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • ice
  1. Muddle the cilantro, mint, jalapeno, sugar, and salt in a cocktail shaker until fragrant. Add several ice cubes to the shaker.
  2. Add the watermelon and the Pisco to a blender and blend until smooth. Let settle for a few minutes, then scoop the foam off the top and discard. Strain liquid through cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer into the cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into ice-filled glasses and garnish with additional watermelon slices, cilantro, and mint. Serve immediately.

1 Food

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

As you know, we are currently in transition mode. We’re fully moved into our new house, but it doesn’t quite feel like home, and there’s still a lot to be done to fix it up. The kitchen was completely unusable for the first few weeks we were there, but as of Monday, we’re starting to get back into the rhythms of cooking.

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Earthbound Farm asked me to develop a recipe using their Kale Italia salad blend, and I decided that using the pre-mixed, pre-washed greens as the base for a simple recipe would be another good way to ease back into cooking. Given the state of our kitchen, I had very specific requirements for this recipe: use as few utensils as possible, be quick to make (with limited use of appliances that create heat in 90° weather), minimize leftovers so that they fit into the tiny fridge, and only use fresh ingredients that can be completely used up in one night. And really, apart from the leftover component, perhaps, isn’t this what many people want from a weeknight dinner?

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Pesto is a great option when you want to turn a lot of fresh greens into a manageable volume of food. Of course, it’s the same amount of greens overall – it can just be consumed in fewer bites (and eating an entire box of greens in one sitting can be a rather daunting prospect.) I’ve been successful making pesto from kale, as well as from arugula. Mizuna, with it’s tangy, mustardy flavor didn’t feel like much of a stretch as a pesto candidate. That left radicchio as the only question mark from the Kale Italia blend, and I decided it would be a low risk experiment to give it a try.

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The result was excellent – a bright, zingy pesto full of flavor. We tossed it with some gnocchi, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes for an easy, summery weeknight dinner. Next time you’re in the supermarket, keep your eye out for Earthbound Farm’s Kale Italia product – it’s a great way to easily get a lot of flavors (and nutrition) into your next meal. Here’s a quick coupon if you’re interested!

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Kale Italia Pesto Gnocchi

Serves 4. A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe.

  • 2 TBS pine nuts
  • 4 oz. parmesan cheese, cut into chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • One 5-oz. package of Earthbound Farm Kale Italia Salad Blend
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb. gnocchi, prepared according to package directions
  • 1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
  1. To make the pesto, place the pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and blend until a rough paste is formed. Add the Kale Italia a handful at a time, blending in between additions and scraping down the sides of the food processor if necessary, until you have blended all of the Kale Italia into the pesto. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, and pulse a few times to incorporate into the pesto.
  2. Toss the pesto with the gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella. Best served warm.

This conversation is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. The opinions and text are all mine.

2 Food

Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl

Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

We are (very) slowly starting to settle in to our new house. The pile of unpacked boxes in the dining room is dwindling, and things are starting to find homes. I built a little herb garden, not exactly a priority as far as house projects go but something that I’ve been looking forward to since we decided to buy a house. Yesterday we caved and bought a mini-fridge to tide us over until our real fridge is available, and a chilled glass of lemonade in this 95° heat is already worth the cost of the fridge, in my book. Trevor ripped out some of the old cabinets and replaced them with gorgeous industrial-style pine shelves, and we now have a plan to make the kitchen usable for the next 12 months or so while we save up to truly remodel it. Things are still a little chaotic, but they’re looking up.

Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

With a few surfaces cleared and cleaned, at least a little cold storage, and a place to store our groceries, we’re easing back into cooking.  The very first meal was a package of frozen tortellini and a jar of tomato sauce. Gourmet, I know. Last night we were more ambitious and fired up the grill for sausage, peppers, and onions, along with grilled corn on the cob. Today, I’ve managed to have all my meals at home – cereal (ice cold milk, what a delicious thing!), tomato-lentil-couscous, and now, this Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl. Because there are still a number of kitchen tools we haven’t unearthed, and because we’re just starting to build up a new pantry, I needed to keep this meal super simple, and it is. The only cooking is to boil the soba noodles and edamame, then the noodles get tossed with a 5-ingredient dressing, and topped with smoked salmon, avocado, and pickled ginger. Simple, healthy, and full of flavor. And there’s something supremely satisfying about slurping cold, nutty noodles straight from the bowl when it’s too hot to think. Enjoy, and stay cool!

Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

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Smoked Salmon Soba Bowl

A quick and easy summer dinner, delicious served at room temperature or chilled. I make this with store-bought hot-smoked salmon, making it even easier to get dinner on the table.

Dressing adapted from this Sprouted Kitchen recipe. 

  • Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 10m
  • Total Time: -50936798.1333 minute
  • Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. tahini
  • 2 TBS honey
  • 2 TBS soy sauce
  • 1 TBS sesame oil
  • 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
  • 8 oz. soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 c. shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 avocado, pitted and cut into cubes
  • 8 oz. hot-smoked salmon
  • 1 oz. pickled ginger slices
  • sesame or poppy seeds for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking. Set aside.
  2. Toss the prepared soba noodles with the edamame and the dressing. Chill until ready to serve. To serve, divide noodles between plates and top with avocado cubes, pieces of salmon, pickled ginger, and sesame or poppy seeds.

2 Breakfast

Lavender and White Currant Muffins

Lavender and White Currant Muffins {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Lavender and White Currant Muffins {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Pink Champagne Currants

We are definitely still in transition mode as we attempt to settle into our new house. Our official move date was 13 days ago, but, as always, unpacking is a slow, painful process. The kitchen, in particular, is a disaster zone, and we have yet to do anything other than pour wine and open beer in it. We’re still waiting for a fridge (worth the wait since it’s free!) so our only cold storage is the wine fridge, which is not that cold, and also mostly full of wine. The result? We’ve eaten 100% of our meals at restaurants/cafes/the Wholefoods hot bar for the past two weeks. It has been kind of fun to explore the new places around us, but I am starting to miss cooking (and vegetables). The upshot of all this is that the blog might be quieter than usual this month, but after that, expect the recipes to come back full force.

Lavender and White Currant Muffins {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Lavender and White Currant Muffins {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Lavender and White Currant Muffins {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

We did get a brief reprieve from moving chaos last weekend, when we went up to visit my family in Maine for the 4th. With everything going on this year, I’m not going to find a full week to spend up there, but I’ll take what I can get. It’s so lovely and relaxing to be there – no alarms, no to-do lists, just sleeping in, refreshing swims, naps in the hammock, and huge family dinners. I took advantage of the working kitchen to do just a little bit of cooking, making muffins for my family early one morning. This is the first year that our currants have really been productive, and I wanted to make sure the gorgeous, pucker-inducing little berries got put to good use. The lavender up in Maine is also in full bloom, so I combined the two in these sweet, floral little treats. I used my favorite muffin recipe as a base, replacing the sugar with lavender sugar and the strawberries with the currants. They were lovely.

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Lavender and White Currant Muffins {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Lavender and White Currant Muffins

Adapted from The New Best Recipe. Makes 12-16 muffins.

  • 2 c. AP flour
  • 1 TBS baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 3 TBS fresh lavender buds
  • 1 egg
  • 4 TBS butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 1/4 c. sour cream
  • 1 1/2 c. fresh white or pink currants, removed from stems
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups or grease with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Add sugar and lavender buds to a food processor and pulse several times, until lavender buds are fully blended into the sugar. In a large bowl, briefly whisk egg until pale yellow. Scrape the lavender sugar into the egg and mix until slightly creamy. Whisk in melted butter in 2 additions. Whisk in sour cream in 3 additions, until batter is just uniform in color and texture. Try not to overmix.
  3. Add currants to the flour mixture, and toss gently to incorporate. Now add flour and currants to wet ingredients, and gently fold together until just combined. Some remaining clumps of flour are OK, and the batter will be quite thick.  Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling almost to the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are a light golden color and a toothpick comes out clean.

11 Asian and Indian

La Crema Pork and Pinot #3: Pork Belly Banh Mi Sandwiches

Pork Belly Bánh Mì {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

A few weeks ago I told you about the pork belly we made for our collaboration with La Crema Wines this summer, which is taking us through all the delicious porky things that pair well with La Crema’s Pinot Noir. We used the first half of the pork belly in a super-indulgent appetizer of Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly slices, which was delicious, but now we want to share the real reason we made pork belly – to make bánh mì sandwiches.

Pork Belly Bánh Mì {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

A classic bánh mì has five important elements—a single-serving Vietnamese baguette, a pork-based filling, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh vegetables and herbs (most typically thinly-sliced cucumbers and cilantro),  and a spicy/fatty combination of condiments, such as chili sauce and mayo. The pork can take a variety of forms, but my favorite versions include chunks of sweet-and-sour caramelized pork belly, so that’s what we went for.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Pork Belly Bánh Mì {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Lately, I can’t seem to get enough pickles. Pickles and mustard. Before you ask – no, I’m not pregnant. I just seem to have developed a taste for all things sharp and salty, all the better if they’re a little bit spicy, too. Capers are another one, although I mostly blame the Latin American tendency to put them on everything for that. And these bánh mì pickles, well – they’re just about as craveable as anything. Since we made these sandwiches a few weeks ago I’ve ordered bánh mì for lunch from a few different places, but nothing has hit the spot quite like the homemade version did, and I’m crediting the pickles. I guess that just means we’ll have to make this recipe again sooner rather than later – this time, with bigger batches of everything for more leftovers!

For full instructions and the recipe for Pork Belly Bánh Mì Sandwiches, head over to the La Crema Blog!

More Pork and Pinot posts…

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or . Thanks for reading!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

0 Dessert

Moving // Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart

Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Every time I move I make some sort of clean out the pantry dish. Trevor reminded me of the first one the other day when I was starting to clean out the fridge. I’m almost embarrassed to show you –  not only does it look awful, if I’m remembering correctly, it also tasted awful. But hey it’s on the Internet so it’s fair game. I was just a little baby blogger then, wasn’t I?

Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The second time was not so bad: Cranberry Cornmeal Cake (warning, that post comes with a lot of emotions about graduating from Duke) and a less-thrilling but still decent Corn Broth Quinotto. Coincidentally, I have a lot of cranberries, cornmeal, and quinoa in my pantry now, too – aparently I always hoard cranberries in the freezer in October and it turns out I almost never use them after November. The third time I moved was when we moved to this apartment – only two years ago – during a summer that was almost as hectic as this one, with me away in Russia at least once a month. I made this Baked Blackberry Oatmeal to help me stay sane and somewhat energized during the move (still a favorite recipe) and also these Corn, Goat Cheese, and Jalapeno Tartines (which I can’t imagine particularly helped me clean out the fridge, but maybe I was just planning on leaving all my extra food for my roommates).

Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

I’d like to think that both my cooking and photography skills have improved since then but I’ll let you be the judge. This time around, some of the fridge languishers were rhubarb, cream cheese, half a package of frozen puff pastry, and a few splashes of rosé. A tart seemed the obvious way to use up the puff pastry, and from there I worked backwards to end up with a cheesecake filling topped with rosé-poached rhubarb stalks. I left the rhubarb stalks whole and poached them just to the point of tenderness for presentation’s sake, but the flavors will be just as good if you let the rhubarb soften a little bit more. The tart was delicious, but between the puff pastry and the cheesecake filling it’s very rich – a small slice is perfect after a long day of packing and moving but it’s definitely a little indulgent!

Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

I hope this is the last time we move for a long while. It’s funny, reading my post from the last time I moved; there’s a lot more sadness about what I was leaving behind. This time, I’m mostly just looking forward to turning our new house into our home. Perhaps I’m not sad because I’m not leaving any people, but I have to admit that I’ve never really loved the apartment that we’re in now. At least not the way I loved my house in Somerville – although I only lived there for 2 years, it felt like home from the first night on, maybe even more so than my childhood house. Our new house needs a lot of work and love before it will be even close to as nice as my Somerville house, but I hope that it starts to feel like home soon.

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Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Rosé-Poached Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart

  • 1 c. rosé wine
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 c. sugar, divided
  • 1 lb rhubarb, trimmed to the length of your baking dish
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 7 oz. / 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted according to package directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a small rectangular baking dish with 4-6 cups of capacity and set aside
  2. Add the wine, water, and 1/2 cup of sugar to a wide-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then add the rhubarb to the pan. Simmer the rhubarb until just tender, about 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the rhubarb. Check the tenderness of the rhubarb frequently by squeezing gently with tongs, removing each stalk of rhubarb as soon as it begins to give way to pressure from the tongs. Place the rhubarb on a plate and set aside. Continue simmering the syrup until it has reduced to 3/4 of a cup and is very thick, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature
  3. To prepare the filling, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until a smooth batter is formed.
  4. Unfold the pastry sheet and line the prepared baking dish with it, stretching the pastry out as necessary to cover the bottom of the dish. Poke the pastry all over the bottom with the tines of a fork. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pastry and bake until the filling is almost set and the puff pastry has begun to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully press the rhubarb stalks on top of the cheesecake filling, then continue to bake until the filling is fully set, another 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  5. Serve the tart chilled with the reduced rosé-rhubarb syrup.

 

66 Dessert

Colombian Limonada de Coco

Colombian Limonada de Coco {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Colombian Limonada de Coco {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

You guys know that I’m in Colombia all the time for work. I’ve been at least once a month so far this year, if not twice. The food in Colombia is amazing, but because I’m on the road so frequently I’ve had to scale back on how much I let myself indulge when I’m gone, even if it means missing out on arepas, empanadas, patacones, and all the other delicious treats. There’s only one thing that I can’t resist having at least once per trip: Limonada de Coco. It definitely falls into the indulgence category, but it’s too good to pass up.

Colombian Limonada de Coco {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Colombian Limonada de Coco {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Limonada de Coco is basically a coconut and limeade smoothie. It’s incredibly simple to make – all you need is fresh lime juice, coconut milk, sugar, ice, and a good blender – but the end result is one of the most heavenly, refreshing, craveable hot-weather drinks I’ve ever tried. I usually describe it to friends or coworkers that I’m convincing to order one as “like drinking key lime pie.” Cold and frothy and rich, with just a touch of sweetness and lime, it’s perfection. And too easy not to try at home this summer. I don’t think a splash of rum would be amiss in this, but try it without first – I think its simplicity and purity is part of its charm. But once you’ve given it a chance unadulterated, let me know how the rum thing goes.

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Colombian Limonada de Coco {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

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Colombian Limonada de Coco

One of my favorite treats in Colombia – a super-refreshing, icy cold coconut and lime smoothie.

Recipe sourced via My Colombian Recipes and Smitten Kitchen.

  • Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
  • Yield: 3-4

Ingredients

  • 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, unshaken
  • 1/3 c. freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 limes)
  • 4 TBS sugar
  • 1 1/2 c. ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Open the can of coconut milk and, if it has separated, use a spoon to scoop the heavier coconut cream off the top and into a blender. Then pour about half of the thinner coconut water into the blender. Reserve the rest of the coconut milk for another use. If the can has not separated enough such that you can scoop out the cream, just stir it up and use 2/3 of the can.
  2. Add the lime juice, sugar, and ice to the blender. Blend on high until very smooth. Taste and adjust the amount of lime juice or sugar to your liking. Serve cold.

 

3 Cookbook

Book Club: What Katie Ate on the Weekend // Self-Saucing Mocha Pudding

What Katie Ate on the Weekend

The Book: Katie Quinn Davies of What Katie Ate has been one of the world’s most celebrated, successful food bloggers. Although she doesn’t post as much as she used to, when she does, it’s always a treat for the eyes – and for the tastebuds, if you get the chance to cook her food instead of just drooling over the photos. Her first, eponymous cookbook, was hugely popular and now, her second book, What Katie Ate on the Weekend has just launched in the US. The book is distinctively hers – Katie’s signature photography and writing style fills each of the 310 pages of the book. Her photography style – which is a bit metallic, with high-contrast editing, off-center styling, and strong shadows – is one of the few that I can recognize before seeing the photographer’s name. Her writing, too, is specific to her – verbose and friendly, as if writing a long and warm letter to a friend she hasn’t spoken with in a while. The two come together beautifully in a book that is quirky, warm, and playful, scattered with images and phrases from old advertisements, fun typography, and of course, delicious recipes. The food in What Katie Ate on the Weekend has a universal appeal – pancakes, crispy chicken tacos, burgers, chili, brownies, etc. – but everything is dressed up just enough to make it feel special. It’s casual food, easy to prepare and to serve to friends during weekend gatherings.

Self-Saucing Mocha Pudding {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The Food: I feel a bit guilty about defaulting to something as simple as a self-saucing pudding to showcase this book, especially when there are so many beautiful and creative savory recipes included. But I was reading this book on a chilly, rainy Sunday afternoon, after an exhausting and emotionally overwhelming week, and nothing sounded better than melty, gooey, chocolate. Perhaps in the end, it’s appropriate for a book called What Katie Ate on the Weekend… as in fact it was exactly what I needed to close out my weekend. This is perhaps not the most memorable or special warm chocolate cake in the world, but it is really easy, and really chocolatey, and probably one of the better ways to satisfy an urgent chocolate craving. It’s a one bowl affair, and any baker will have all the ingredients on hand, meaning it’s only about 35 minutes from conception to digging into a piping hot bowl of gooey chocolate pudding with quickly melting ice cream. There won’t be leftovers.

Self-Saucing Mocha Pudding {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Recipe Shortlist: Chocolate and Sour Cherry Hotcakes; Chorizo Rosti with Duck Eggs and Anchovy Mayo; Smoked Trout, Egg, and Potato Salad with Cider Mayo; Crispy Chicken Tacos with Creamy Slaw; Lamb Shank Pie; Truffle Beef Burgers with Creamy Mushrooms and Pancetta; Pretzels with Chocolate and Sea Salt; Double Chocolate Brownies with Salted Butterscotch and Cherries

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Disclosure: I received a review copy of What Katie Ate on the Weekend from Penguin Random House, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Self-Saucing Mocha Pudding {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Self-Saucing Mocha Pudding

Recipe from What Katie Ate on the Weekend. Serves 4.

  • 2/3 c. AP flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 TBS cocoa powder
  • 1/3 c. light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 TBS espresso coffee
  • 7 TBS milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 TBS butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 TBS creme de cacao or chocolate liqueur
  • ice cream, to serve

For the sauce:

  • 1/3 c. brown sugar
  • 4 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp espresso instant coffee powder
  • 1 c. boiling water
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 4 cup capacity souffle mold or baking dish and set aside.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the sugar. Add the espresso, milk, egg, melted butter, and creme de cacao and stir to thoroughly combine. Pour into the prepared baking mold and place on a rimmed baking sheet (important to catch drips).
  3. Mix the dry ingredients for the sauce (brown sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso instant coffee powder) together in a small bowl. Scatter evenly over the top of the batter, then pour the boiling water over the top.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pudding has risen and the sauce is bubbling up around the sides. Serve warm with ice cream.

Reprinted by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Katie Quinn Davies, 2015.

2 Food

La Crema Pork and Pinot #2: Caramelized Pork Belly

 

Red-Wine Caramelized Pork Belly {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Pork Belly at Home {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

It’s time for more pork and Pinot! If you remember, this summer I’m teaming up with La Crema wine to bring you a series of recipes pairing pork with their Pinot Noir. The first pairing was this Italian-inspired stuffed pork tenderloin – filled with mozzarella, prosciutto, and sage pesto. This time, we’re making a deliciously fatty, savory pork belly – the cut of meat used to make bacon. Pork belly is incredibly tasty (in small doses, only, please) and a bit of a food darling in a lot of major restaurants right now, especially given its importance in Asian and Latin cuisines. It takes a bit of time both to source and to cook at home, but the end result is completely worth it.

Red-Wine Caramelized Pork Belly {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Sourcing pork belly can be a bit of a challenge, depending on where you live. I’m lucky to live in a part of the country where I can get almost anything within a half mile’s walk. Pig trotters? Around the corner. ‘Nduja? At the wine store across the street. Fresh morels? At the closest Wholefoods, if you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg for them. Dried chiles, palm sugar, and pretty much any spice you’ve ever heard of? All available at Christina’s. So for me, finding fresh, uncured pork belly was a matter of walking 45 steps around the corner to Savenor’s and handing over $12 for a gorgeous, 2 lb. slab of heritage pig. But I know it’s not that easy for everyone. Your local butcher or Wholefoods is a good place to start – if they don’t carry pork belly regularly, they may be able to special order some for you. You can also order it online and have it shipped to you, but it’s a bit pricier.

Red-Wine Caramelized Pork Belly {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

There are a lot of different ways to prepare pork belly, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 days. There are also a lot of different ways it can turn out: roasted whole until it’s falling apart, sandwich-sized slabs with shatteringly crispy skin, small caramelized pieces with a candy-like coating… or as bacon, of course. I decided to take the longer route this time – although not the 5 day version, I’ll admit. To prepare the belly, I put together a rub of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, and salt and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. Then, in the morning, I threw it in the oven for a few hours until the meat was completely tender and a lot of the fat had rendered out. After roasting, the belly sits in the fridge until firm again, and then gets used in the recipe of your choice. Although it requires advance planning for the chilling and roasting times, this method is not particularly labor intensive – I probably spent longer removing the skin from the belly than I did with all the other steps.

Red-Wine Caramelized Pork Belly {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Red-Wine Caramelized Pork Belly {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Post chilling, I divided my belly into two big pieces. Half was eventually destined for Banh Mi sandwiches, but for now, let’s talk about what I did with the other half – Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly slices. I’ve had candied pork belly at bars before – the fatty, salty, sweet slices are highly craveable with just about anything you might want to drink. Since I was making these to pair with Pinot Noir, I decided to play up the pairing and candy the pork belly in a red wine caramel sauce. I served the sticky, delicious slices alone, as a simple and indulgent appetizer with a glass of La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir. All the flavors of the Pinot Noir are echoed in the pork belly, and amplified by the rich, umami flavors of the belly itself.

For full instructions and the recipe for Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly, head over to the La Crema Blog!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

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