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0 November 22, 2013 Food

Ingredient of the Week: Carrots // Moroccan Carrot Panini with Olive Tapenade

I’ve recently had a change of heart about sandwiches. See, I used to firmly believe that there was no way a vegan sandwich could ever taste good. Sandwiches are for cheese, and deli meat, and mayo, and bacon. Not for vegan things. Then I tried a bite of Trevor’s “Vegan Pressed” sandwich from our local bakery, The Biscuit, and now I’m obsessed. It’s got roasted sweet potatoes, portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, and some kind of amazing tahini spread, that almost tastes better than cheese when it’s all warmed up, if you can believe that. It may even have topped Finale’s California Turkey (bacon, turkey, avocado, chipotle mayo), and Diesel’s Pilgrim (thick slices of turkey, hot stuffing, cranberry sauce, and cream cheese) on my list of all-time favorite sandwiches. OK, not the Pilgrim. But still! It’s really good.

All of this is just to prime you for the fact that I’m sharing a non-traditional sandwich here, and I want you to keep an open mind about it. Ever since I saw this on Ranjani’s blog, over a year ago, I’ve been intrigued. No, I probably wouldn’t order the “carrot panini” at a deli either, but hear me out. The carrots are thinly sliced, then marinated in a sweet, Moroccan-spiced dressing. You quickly blend up a fresh olive tapenade, layer it on bread with a few thin slices of feta cheese, stuff the middle with the carrot strips, and pan-grill it until it’s hot and melty. It’s a satisfying mix of sweet, salty, and carby, like any good sandwich, but with no bacon in sight. Take a chance on it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Moroccan Carrot Panini with Olive Tapenade

Adapted from Gourmet via 4 Seasons of Food. Serves 4.

6 medium carrots
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS lemon juice, divided
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chile powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 c. + 2 TBS olive oil, divided, plus more for the pan
3/4 c. pitted kalamata olives
2 TBS capers, drained
1 anchovy fillet
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 slices bread
4 oz. of feta cheese, thinly sliced

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the carrots and discard the peel. Use the peeler to create thin, wide slices of the carrots. Drop the carrot slices in the boiling water and blanch for one minute – they should be crisp-tender. Drain immediately.
Whisk together the sugar, 1 TBS of the lemon juice, the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, chile powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 c. of the olive oil and whisk until smooth. Add the blanched carrots and toss to coat in the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.
To make the tapenade, add the olives, capers, and anchovy to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil and pulse a few more times.
Assemble the sandwiches: Place 1 oz. of feta cheese on each of four slices of bread. Spread a tablespoon of the tapenade on the remaining 4 slices of bread. Divide the carrots in to four portions and layer on top of the cheese. Top with the tapenade-covered bread. Heat a thin layer of olive oil on a griddle or in a frying pan. Place the sandwiches in the pan, and cook until golden brown on each side and cheese is melty, flipping after about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

4 November 21, 2013 Drink

Ingredient of the Week: Carrots // Carrot-Grapefruit-Mango Smoothie

I was planning to post this last night, but for some reason when I got home from my run in the 35° weather, I just didn’t feel like a cold veggie smoothie. I felt a lot more like this pumpkin, black bean, and chorizo soup (delicious, we added half a jar of tomato jam for sweetness and it was perfect). But this morning when I woke up, carrot-grapefruit-mango smoothies were the first order of business.

Some of you who follow me on twitter or instagram may have heard that I recently became the owner of a Vitamix. And a pretty fancy one at that. It was a bonus of sorts from my real job (I love the thing, but I can’t ever see paying $600 for a blender), and perhaps it’s just because it’s new, but I’ve been blending up a storm. Green smoothies (or orange ones as it may be), have become a daily treat, and I love starting my day with them – they’re so immediately energizing, I feel like I should make a video game powering-up noise when I drink them. I know a lot of people who think drinking green smoothies is a completely frou-frou thing to do, but I’ve been trying to convert them one sip at a time. Seriously, green smoothies taste like mangoes or bananas or apples, not spinach. The spinach is just a bonus.

Since I made drinks for both rhubarb week and pea week, I figured it was only logical to whip up a carrot based drink as well. Carrot juice and booze did not strike me as a stellar combination (although I think this could change my mind), so I decided to go the healthy route and turn my stubby little garden carrots into a frothy smoothie. The trick to making a smooth drink from whole, raw carrots is to peel and grate them first – a little time consuming, but worth it for the creamy texture you’ll get (and much cheaper than buying carrot juice!). The Vitamix could probably handle them just cut up into chunks, but I’m still getting the hang of the correct ratios for using it, so I grated them this time around as well. The result was a thick, vibrant, tangy breakfast full of beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Drink your vegetables!

Carrot-Grapefruit-Mango Smoothie

Serves 1. Inspired in part by this and the Carrot-Grapefruit Juice in Vegetarian Everyday.

Note: This can be made in any blender, but if you’re using a weaker one, you’ll want to chop up your grapefruit and blend on high. If you’re using a Vitamix, you could probably get away with not grating the carrots, but I like the extra smooth texture that grating them gives.

1 c. water
2 small carrots, peeled and finely grated
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and cut into quarters
1 c. frozen mango
2-3 ice cubes (only if using Vitamix)
maple syrup or agave to taste (optional)

Place ingredients in blender in order listed. Blend on high until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.

3 November 19, 2013 Dessert

Ingredient of the Week: Carrots // Carrot Cake Crepe Cake

This is how I thought I should start this blog post: “To kick off carrot week, we took a typically sweet dessert, baklava, added carrots, feta cheese, and caramelized onions, and made it savory. Today, we’re taking the opposite approach and reinterpreting a classic carrot-based dessert: carrot cake.”

Trevor read this, gave me his best “could-you-be-any-duller” grimace and began dictating: “My boyfriend is allergic to carrots. I’m making these recipes this week in an attempt to kill him. Living with him these past few months has been unbearable, so unbearable that I’ve been forced to stay out late drinking too much on Monday nights with my friends, which in turn leads to me being behind in my blogging schedule forcing me (and him) to make carrot crepes way past my bedtime. If the act of making these not-very-well-recipe-tested crepes doesn’t get him, hopefully eating them well.”

I think I might just stop trying.

Anyway, we made carrot cake crepes, and assembled them into a huge cake with layers of whipped cream cheese frosting. It’s a good concept, although to be fair, it’s not really my concept – I was going to make Deb’s carrot cake pancakes, until I saw one of her readers comment about making a crepe cake version, and I wanted to try. I googled “carrot crepes” a lot of times, but I couldn’t find a recipe that incorporated raw carrots. In hindsight, there might have been a reason for that. The first few attempts to cook these came out kind of raw and mushy, but with a bit of tinkering, we got these to work out nicely. If you have your own adjustments, please, share – they definitely aren’t perfect yet. The frosting, on the other hand, is amazing – you could always just make that and eat it off a spoon.

I will do my best to begin writing before 9PM tomorrow, for all our sakes.

Carrot Cake Crepe Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Inspired by Lili’s comment on Smitten Kitchen. Makes 1 cake.

1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks
3 eggs
1 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS canola oil
1 (8-oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
butter, for greasing the pan

Add the whole milk and the buttermilk to a blender. Add 1/2 of the sliced carrots, and pulse the blender a few times to break them into chunks. Once they are broken up, slowly increase pulsing speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining carrots and repeat to make a thick, smooth mixture. Add the eggs and pulse the blender a few times to combine, then pour the batter into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Whisk in the brown sugar. Add the flour mixture to the liquid in batches, stirring to combine between additions. Stir in the canola oil until fully combined. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
While the batter is resting, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and easy to stir. Add the heavy cream 1/2 cup at a time, beating thoroughly between additions to lighten the cream cheese. At the last addition of heavy cream, use a whisk to thoroughly beat and aerate the frosting. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth and lump free, then whisk in the lemon juice and vanilla. Taste and add more sugar or lemon if desired. Set aside.
Heat a small pat of butter over medium-low heat in a medium frying pan. Add about 1/4 of the crepe batter in the center of the pan, and swirl to make a large, thin circle. Cook the crepe until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side (this is much longer than your average crepe recipe, but don’t be tempted to flip them too early or they’ll tear). Once fully cooked, remove and let cool fully on a cookie rack before transferring to a plate.
To assemble the crepe cake, place one crepe on a cake stand or plate, and place a small dollop of frosting in the center of the crepe. Use a spatula to gently spread the frosting out in a circle to make a thin layer covering the entire crepe, up to about 1/4 inch from the edge. Place a second crepe on top. Repeat until you have used all the crepes and frosting. Top with a final dollop of frosting, and garnish with grated carrot and crumbled walnuts if desired.

0 November 18, 2013 Food

Ingredient of the Week: Carrots // Savory Carrot, Feta, and Almond Baklava

I started an “Ingredient of the Week” feature earlier this year, challenging myself to make the most of a particular in-season ingredient by posting a creative recipe starring that ingredient for 5 days in a row. I managed to feature rhubarb and green peas, and had grand plans for doing blackberries and peaches and zucchini and tomatoes by the end of the summer, but the summer sort of got away from me. Still, just because home grown produce isn’t as bountiful now as it was in August doesn’t mean that there aren’t seasonal ingredients worth celebrating. This week, I’m celebrating one of the last vegetables we were able to harvest from our garden – the carrot.

While not as popular as another sweet, orange fall vegetable (although I do feel like the pumpkin mayhem is a little more under control this year), the carrot is a humble, under-utilized little root. Usually, when I think of carrots I think of them as part and parcel with onions and celery for starting out a soup, or as stubby little dippers for hummus. But they’re so much more versatile than that! Cakes, sauces, juices, roasts – if you take a minute to think about it, you’ll realize that carrots add sweetness and depth to many different meals.

Whenever I kick off an ingredient of the week feature, I first spend an evening sitting on the floor, surrounded by piles of cookbooks, searching for the most interesting recipes I can find. Once I have a big list compiled, I choose the four or five recipes that I think are the most unique and delicious-sounding. The most interesting recipe from this weekend’s cookbook research comes from a new member of my collection, Maria Elia’s Full of Flavor. In her “roots” chapter, amidst more typical presentations like carrot and herb salad and spiced carrot puree, I found this recipe for a savory carrot, feta, and almond baklava. I’d never had a savory baklava before, and loved the idea. The carrots are thinly sliced and stewed with cinnamon, lemon, caramelized onions, and dill, before a portion of them are pureed. Layered with feta and crushed almonds between butter-soaked sheets of filo dough, they are then baked to crusty perfection and drizzled with honey. I loved the sweet and salty play of the honey and feta cheese, and think these would be a great (if a little messy) vegetarian party appetizer at any time of the year. A good start to carrot week, if you ask me.

Carrot, Almond, and Feta Baklava

Recipe adapted slightly from Full of Flavor. Serves 8-10.

3 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 lb carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh dill, including roots, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 c. chopped dill)
1 TBS ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt
9 sheets filo pastry (about 3/4 of a package)
6 TBS butter, melted
2/3 c. whole almonds
1 2/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
4 TBS honey

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the sliced onions. Caramelize the onions over medium heat until dark and sticky, stirring frequently to prevent burning. This should take 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, carrots, dill, cinnamon, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and season with sea salt. Cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 3 cups of water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
Process the almonds in a food processor until they are the consistency of a coarse breadcrumb, then set aside in a bowl. Mix the feta cheese with the ground almonds. Add 1/3 of the carrot mixture to the food processor and process until smooth, then stir back into the whole carrots.
Unfold the filo dough, and cut to the size of the baking sheet you will be using (ideally around 9×13. Save the extra dough. Cover the sheets you will be using with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out as you work.
Brush the baking sheet lightly with melted butter, then lay one sheet of filo dough on it. Brush the filo with melted butter, and top with another sheet of filo. Repeat to have three sheets of filo in the first layer. Spread half the carrot mixture gently on top of the filo, pushing it out to the corners. Sprinkle half the feta-almond mixture on top of this, pressing down lightly to smooth. Repeat the filo-butter process with three sheets of filo, then spread the remaining carrot and feta mixture on top. Finish the baklava with another three sheets of butter-brushed filo. Before brushing the top sheet, score gently with a sharp knife to cut the pastry into diamonds. Then brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle with cold water. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before drizzling with the honey.

0 November 16, 2013 Cookbook

Book Club: Le Pigeon + Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey

Le Pigeon

The Book: There have been a lot of big-name chef and restaurant cookbooks published this fall. I find that restaurant cookbooks can be hit or miss – not all delicious restaurant food translates well to home kitchens, and sometimes scaling restaurant quantities down results in more recipe errors. However, I took a chance on one of this season’s restaurant books, Le Pigeon, since I couldn’t get over the intriguing table of contents (tongue, fat liver, little birds, pork, horns and antlers, lamb, etc.). I’m glad I did – this book is a winner. While it’s not for vegetarians or timid cooks, adventurous eaters will find dozens of recipes that stretch the way they think about food – this is outside-of-the-box cooking. Every dish is creative and company-worthy, but there’s a broad range of accessibility: a newer cook might try the simple radicchio and pear salad with an addictive-sounding blue cheese dressing or the slow-roasted lamb served over risotto (featured here!). On the other end of the spectrum, even the most ambitious chef will probably be challenged by the 7-component banana cream pie with pineapple and macadamia nuts, or the 5-component calf’s head terrine with gribiche, sweetbreads, and bruleed eggs. Some of the recipes go a little too far for my taste – I get a little squeamish about offal and other infrequently used meats, so recipes like eel dumplings and foie gras served in eel consomme are not something I’m going to cook – but for some people these unique recipes could be the highlight of the book. One note of warning: as you might have gleaned already, some of the ingredients used in this book will be really hard for the average joe to find, especially given seasonality. The book itself is one of the heftier ones on my shelves, with over 340 pages, and plenty of big, full-page photos – of the food, the city, customers, and the chefs just goofing around. I’ve never been to Portland (the Oregon one) or eaten at Le Pigeon, but my gut tells me that this book, full of stories, notes from the chef, and lots of meat and offal, is true to the experience you might have at the restaurant.

The Food: There were only a handful of recipes from Le Pigeon that were approved to be shared for promotional purposes, but they all sounded delicious. We were initially going to make the Maple-Lacquered Squab with Duck Confit Hash, but squab proved very difficult to find (actually, we bought cornish game hens as a potential substitute, but it turns out that they are not game at all, they’re just tiny, expensive chickens). So we pushed this review back a week and took the time to roast the 5-hour lamb for the Lamb with Green Garlic Risotto. The name of this dish does not do it justice – it’s incredible. Although relatively simple to put together, the three components of this dish – a lamb shoulder that’s roasted until falling apart, sliced, then quickly pan-fried before serving; a creamy pecorino and radish risotto; and a mind-blowing curry-pickled fennel and parsley salad – come together in an amazing burst of flavor. The lamb is intensely gamey, the risotto rich and cheesy, and the fennel bright and crunchy and exotic. I couldn’t get enough of the fennel, until I took a few bites without risotto and realized that it was the combination of the two that I was liking so much. Really, a showstopper. If you plan ahead and roast the lamb the night before, this is actually easy enough for a weeknight dinner. It is one of the simpler recipes in the book, so I hope we find the other recipes have the same great time to flavor payoff. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Cedar-Planked Zucchini, Chevre, Almonds; Fig and Fois Gras Terrine with Fermented Black Bean Muffins; Pheasant Gnocchi, Sake Pears; Duck Nuggets; Smoked Rabbit Pie, Cheddar, Mustard Ice Cream; Creamed Rabbit, Polenta, Black Truffles; Potato and Nettle Soup, Crispy Pork; Lamb Shepherd’s Pie, Curry Mash; Honey-Bacon Apricot Cornbread, Maple Ice Cream

Pickles, Pigs, & Whiskey

The Book: Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey is a different sort of cookbook. With the strongly-felt influence of its chef-author, John Currence of City Grocery, it meanders through the foods that have influenced his culinary journey. You will find more than just dinner and dessert here, with whole chapters dedicated to condiments, canning, cocktails, and meat curing. Mostly rooted in Southern cooking (deep Southern and Creole cooking to be more specific), it occasionally veers into the culinary traditions of Latin America, Italy, and France. Between the different cooking techniques and different regional influences, all together this book is a bit of a hodge podge, but in a good way. It has personality. Most of the recipes manage to be both fancy and rustic at the same time – comforting stews and roasts and braises, but always with an elegant spin. Like Le Pigeon, many of these dishes are fairly meat-heavy – again, probably not the best choice for vegetarians or for those trying to eat lightly, but great for creating intense flavors. I’m not the biggest fan of the design of the book – the multiple photo layouts are a little bit too yearbook-like for me – but that’s obviously a matter of personal taste. What I do like is the inclusion of music to listen to while you’re cooking each dish; I think it’s such a fun and original idea to include playlists in a cookbook.

The Food: Perhaps we were being foolish, but the recipes we chose to test from this book didn’t contain any of the three title ingredients. In fact, they aren’t even that Southern, but Rabbit Cacciatore with Black Pepper Pappardelle was what sounded good to us on a freezing November night, so that’s what we made. I’m a big fan of rabbit, but I thought this recipe didn’t really showcase it – it actually ended up tasting kind of like chicken, where chicken was the protein it was intended to replace. Plus, it was a bit tricky to eat with the rabbit pieces left whole; next time, I would pull the rabbit meat off the bones before serving. The mushroom and tomato sauce was good, a little one dimensional perhaps, but with an unexpected smoky kick to it that I liked, and it had gained complexity by lunchtime the next day. I can’t really fairly review the pappardelle, since I accidentally used bread flour, thought I didn’t have enough, and added some semolina flour to make up for it – but it did end up coming out really well after some thorough kneading, and I loved the black pepper bite to it. All told, this was a solid recipe, but not particularly special, especially given the price of rabbit. I’m certainly not giving up on the book, but next time I think I’ll choose something a bit more Southern. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Bourbon Milk Punch; Gumbo Z’Herbes; Pickled Sweet Potatoes; Top-Shelf Chicken and Dumplings; Chicken-Fried Duck with Caramelized Onion Gravy; Grillade and Grits Casserole; Pecan-Smoked Duck with Molasses Lacquer; Pork Fat Beignets with Bourbon Caramel

Recipes

Lamb, Green Garlic Risotto

Recipe from Le Pigeon. Serves 4.

For the lamb:

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
2 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 boneless lamb shoulder, about 3 lbs.
1 c. dry white wine
1 head green garlic, halved (use regular garlic + 2 shallots of green garlic is unavailable)
neutral oil, for frying

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then rub the lamb all over with the spice mixture. Place in a roasting pan with the wine and garlic. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 5 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool. Refrigerate until cold.
When ready to serve, remove the lamb from the fridge and cut into 6 equal round slices. Heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium-high heat, and fry the lamb slices in batches until heated through and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate line with paper towels. Serve on a bed of risotto with a spoonful of pickled fennel salad on top.

For the risotto:

1/4 c. butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. Arborio rice
kosher salt
3/4 c. dry white wine
4 c. chicken stock, heated until steaming
1/2 c. grated pecorino cheese
1/2 c. thinly sliced radish

In a heavy pot over medium heat, melt 2 TBS of the butter. Add the onion and the garlic and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and season with salt. Cook for 3 minutes or until rice is translucent around the edges, stirring the whole time. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has evaporated, about 4-5 minutes. Ladle the hot stock into the risotto 1 cup at a time, stirring the risotto constantly. Let each cup absorb into the rice fully before adding more stock. Once you have used all the liquid and the rice is al dente, stir in the pecorino, the radish, and the remaining 2 TBS of butter. Season to taste, remove from the heat, and serve immediately.

For the pickled fennel salad:

1 c. champagne vinegar
1 TBS curry powder
1/2 c. water
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS kosher salt
1 TBS ground fennel seeds
1 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c. fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 TBS good quality olive oil
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Heat the champagne vinegar, curry powder, water, sugar, salt, and ground fennel over medium heat in a small saucepan. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat and pour it over the sliced fennel and onion in a heatproof bowl. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. (Can be made up to 1 week in advance)
Toss the pickled fennel with the parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt.

Rabbit Cacciatore with Black Pepper Pappardelle

Recipe adapted slightly from Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey. Serves 6-8.

For the rabbit:

8 rabbit hindquarters
4 tsp + 3/4 tsp salt, divided
4 tsp + 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
garlic-infused olive oil (we used regular olive oil plus two cloves halved garlic)
1/4 c. chopped fresh oregano, divided
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
5 TBS olive oil
1 c. diced yellow onions
1 green bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and diced
3 TBS thinly sliced garlic
4 c. sliced cremini mushrooms
2 1/2 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
2 TBS fresh thyme leaves
1 TBS chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 c. crushed, canned tomatoes
1 1/2 c. chicken stock, plus more if needed
1/2 c. Marsala
Parmesan cheese
fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving
fresh pappardelle noodles with 4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper added to the flour before starting, cooked for 3 minutes in boiling water

Season the rabbit pieces with 4 tsp of the salt and 4 tsp of the pepper, 3 TBS of the oregano, and some garlic oil. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and remaining 3/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit pieces in this seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the rabbit pieces in batches, cooking for about 2 minutes per side, then reserve them on a paper towel lined plate. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic to the pan and saute until they begin to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and chopped fresh tomatoes and saute for an additional 5-7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 TBS oregano, the thyme, and the rosemary.
Return the rabbit legs to the pan, add the crushed tomatoes, stock, and Marsala. Bring to a low simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Check the sauce every 15 minutes or so – if the sauce appears to be drying out, add more stock 1 cup at a time as needed. After 45 minutes, uncover the sauce, season to taste, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes uncovered. Serve over the fresh pappardelle noodles with parmesan and fresh parsley.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of both these cookbooks from Ten Speed Press and Andrews McMeel free of charge, but was not otherwise compensated for writing this review.

0 November 14, 2013 Beef

Marx Foods Grass-Fed Strip Steaks + Onion Rings + Duck-Fat Yorkshire Pudding

So here’s something new… I’m handing the blogging reins over to Trevor today. Yes, my silent, handsome, boyfriend is starting to get the blogging bug, and I think it’s awesome. The only thing I want to add to his review: I usually will only eat my steak cooked medium-well, because any fatty texture really kind of grosses me out. These steaks though? I devoured them cooked medium-rare, because the steaks held together so well even when only minimally cooked and had a great, chewable texture. It was a great discovery that if the beef is grass-fed, I can stop horrifying chefs by ordering everything medium-well. And now, to Trevor.

It was a super nice surprise last week to be asked by Marx Foods to sample some grass-fed Beef Strip Steaks from New Zealand. I could definitely get used to receiving last-minute steak deliveries from the friendly folks over there, and it’s sure nice to have an excuse to cook a big steak dinner with my best gal. Don’t be fooled though! This was a research-heavy endeavor. When I spring for meat, it’s either as a part of one of Katie’s gourmet super-projects (i.e. rabbit pie, venison ragout, stuffed quail,) or it’s the supermarket-special 5-pound pork loin (serves ten), which I proceed to eat solo while Katie jets around Europe for work. So I hit the books, nearly exhausting the meat-related content of Katie’s cookbook reference library.

What I found was pretty consistent; to earn the “grass-fed” moniker, the animal has to be raised on grasses, hay, silage or legumes, not finished on a high volume of corn and the low dose of antibiotics typical of commodity beef, and it must spend most of its time in a pasture. The result of these practices is a healthier animal with a lower fat content, with the added benefit of not promoting the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What this all means when it comes to cooking grass-fed beef is pretty straightforward:

It doesn’t hurt to tenderize: The leaner meat is not as thickly marbleized. Bruce Aidells’ The Great Meat Cookbook suggests using a Jaccard.
Aidells and The American Grassfed Association (AGA) agree that leaner cuts can benefit from a marinade.
Cooking rare to medium-rare yields the best results, but grassfed beef cooks more quickly than non-grass-fed.

The perfect preparation was definitely Aidells’ marinade-dry rub combo. The steaks sat in a mushroom-flavored dark soy with some smashed garlic, then they got a beautiful porcini-rosemary dry rub which ended up really emphasizing the natural earthy, beefy flavor of the grass-fed beef. Overall, the slight tang from the soy and garlic along with the dark, aromatic, meaty flavor of the beef, made this preparation totally killer. The marinade yielded a nice, tender texture without any sort of unpleasant mealiness. My one regret for this recipe was our current lack of grill. Though a little trickier in terms of temp control, I think doing the initial searing-off on the grill could have added some awesome flavor. Although a little pricey at $13 for each 12 oz. steak, the combination of the gamier flavor and firmer texture makes these steaks worth the occasional splurge.

As a meal, the steak could certainly stands alone, or with any steakhouse sides. For this meal though, Katie set her yorkshire pudding with creamed spinach against my beer-battered onion rings with mustard aioli in what turned out to be a delightfully diverse night of overeating. Both side dishes came from Richard Blais’ Try This At Home, and while the duck-fat coated yorkshire puddings puffed up beautifully in the oven, the onion rings and the sweet, tangy mustard dip were the clear victor [edit: Katie agrees].

Disclaimer: Marx Foods sent us these steaks free of charge in exchange for our honest review. 10 bloggers received steak samples, and the blogger with the most thorough review will win a credit to the Marx Foods store.

Pan-Seared Grass-Fed Strip Steaks with Porcini and Rosemary Rub

Recipe adapted from The Great Meat Cookbook. Serves 2.

Two 12-oz grass-fed strip steaks
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 c. dark mushroom-flavored soy sauce (available at Chinese groceries)
1/2 c. dried porcini mushrooms OR 2 TBS porcini powder
1 TBS finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 TBS olive oil

Place the steaks in a ziploc bag. Combine the smashed garlic and the dark soy sauce and pour over the steaks. Seal the bag and shake to thoroughly coat the steaks with the marinade. Let the steaks marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, flipping them over occasionally to distribute the marinade.
Grind the dried porcini mushrooms in a coffee grinder until they are a fine powder. Combine 2 TBS of the porcini powder with the chopped rosemary and black pepper in a small bowl.
Remove the steaks from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Scrape off any garlic, and pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Generously sprinkle the porcini mixture over the steaks so that both sides are completely coated.
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Add one of the steaks and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until it has a deep brown exterior. Transfer the steak to a baking sheet, and repeat with the second steak.
Place the seared steaks in the oven. After 10 minutes, check the internal temperature – when the temperature reaches 125°F to 130°F they are medium-rare. When they are medium rare, let rest 5 minutes covered loosely with aluminum foil, then serve.

Vidalia Onion Rings with Beer Mustard Aioli

Recipe adapted from Try This At Home. Serves 4.

2 large Vidalia onions
2 c. low-fat buttermilk
1/4 c. + 2 c. AP flour, divided
1/4 c. rice flour
1 c. soda water
4 oz. beer (drink the rest!)
1/2 tsp honey
kosher salt
vegetable oil
beer mustard aioli, recipe below

Peel onions without cutting through them, then slice each onion crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Separate the slices into individual rings. Place the onion rings in a shallow pan and cover with the buttermilk.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/4 c. AP flour, rice flour, soda water, beer, and honey until smooth. Place the remaining 2 c. flour in a shallow pan and season with kosher salt.
Fill a large heavy pot with at least 3 inches of vegetable oil, and heat over medium-high heat to about 350°F. Working in batches, lift the onion rings from the buttermilk and shake off the excess. Dredge them in the flour and toss until coated, then dip them one by one into the batter, shake off the excess, and carefully add to the hot oil. Fry, turning often with heat-proof tongs, until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels, then sprinkle with salt while they are still warm. Serve warm with beer mustard aioli.

Beer Mustard Aioli

Recipe from Try This At Home. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

1 c. high quality mayonnaise
1/2 c. Dijon mustard
2 TBS molasses
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp beer extract OR an additional 1 TBS molasses
pinch of cayenne

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

New Yorkshire Pudding with Licorice-Spiced Creamed Spinach

Recipe adapted from Try This At Home. Serves 4.

1 TBS olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 whole star anise
1 1/2 lbs. fresh spinach, trimmed, washed, and sliced into thin ribbons
1/2 c. heavy cream
3 large eggs, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c. + 2 TBS whole milk
2/3 c. flour
3/4 tsp pastrami spices, recipe below
1 TBS duck fat or bacon grease
1 TBS cold water

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a small baking dish with olive oil, and set aside.
Heat the 1 TBS olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the garlic, shallot, and whole star anise and saute until the garlic and shallot are softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, using tongs to continuously toss the spinach so that all sides are exposed to the heat, just until spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Immediately place the spinach in a colander and let drain. Discard the star anise.
Whisk together the cream, 1 of the eggs, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Squeeze the spinach to rid it of any excess water, then add the spinach to the prepared baking dish. Pour the cream mixture over the spinach and stir to combine. Bake for about 30 minutes, until center of spinach is set, then remove from oven and cover with tinfoil to keep warm.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pastrami spices, and salt to taste. Add the remaining 2 eggs and the milk, and stir to combine. Divide the duck fat between 4 cups of a jumbo muffin pan or 8 cups of a regular muffin pan and place the pan in the oven until the fat begins to sizzle and smoke, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven, quickly whisk the cold water into the pudding batter, then fill each muffin cup about 1/3 of the way full with the batter (the yorkshire puddings should puff up dramatically while they bake). Return the pan to the oven. Bake until puffed and golden brown – if using a jumbo muffin pan, about 30-35 minutes, or 15-20 minutes for a regular muffin pan.
Remove the puddings from the oven, cut a slit in the top, and stuff with a spoonful of the creamed spinach. Serve hot.

Pastrami Spices

Recipe from Try This At Home. Makes about 1/4 cup.

2 TBS whole coriander seeds
1 TBS whole yellow mustard seeds
1 TBS whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp paprika

Toast the coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently to prevent them from burning. Toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Cool completely, then grind coarsely in a spice or coffee grinder. Stir in the paprika. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.

0 November 11, 2013 Drink

Holiday Cocktails: Burnt-Sugar Hot Buttered Rum

I love a hot drink in the winter. Not just the drink itself, but the anticipation of it as you trudge home in the cold, that first sip sending warmth flooding through your chest. Breathing in the steam, letting the spices and alcohol tickle your nose, even as your fingers are still stiff with cold. When I lived in Prague, a plastic cup filled to the brim with sweet mulled wine from the closest street vendor was a much-anticipated afternoon ritual, with a sleeve full of candied almonds in the other hand when I was feeling indulgent. As we get into the holiday season, with Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas following close behind, I want to share a few of my favorite seasonal drinks to help you get in the spirit, whether you’re cozying up to the fire with a good book or throwing the season’s best party.

A little while back I reviewed a cookbook called Winter Cocktails, and I mentioned that the recipe we’ve been enjoying the most is Burnt-Sugar Hot Buttered Rum. We tried it a day or two after we received the book, and liked it so much that we whipped up a few big batches for our Halloween party a few weeks later. So far, everyone who has tried it has wanted seconds. It’s made by creating a dark amber caramel, adding a few cups of water to make a thin syrup, and then serving the hot, sweet syrup with an equal part rum and a pat of vanilla-butter melting into the top. It’s rich and over the top and a surefire way to get toasty fast, in both senses of the word. Give it a try the next time you’re feeling chilled.

Burnt-Sugar Hot Buttered Rum

Recipe adapted slightly from Winter Cocktails. Serves 6.

Note: We like to make these strong, with almost equal volumes of syrup and rum. Start with 1.5 oz of rum per glass, and taste as you go to find the ratio that works for you.

2 TBS softened salted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. + 3 c. water, divided
9 to 12 oz. dark rum

Stir together the softened butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Set aside
Stir together the sugar and 1/4 c. water in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until mixture turns dark amber and just begins to smoke. Carefully add the 3 cups of water – the caramel will bubble violently and seize, so be prepared to stand back. Reduce heat to medium and stir until mixture is smooth. Add 1/2 c. of the hot syrup to each of 6 heatproof glasses, along with 1.5 to 2 oz. dark rum. Add 1 tsp of the vanilla butter to the top of each drink. Serve hot.

2 November 8, 2013 Fall

Soup Season // Ecuadorian Chicken and Rice Stew

Ever since getting back from Russia, I can’t seem to get enough soup. I’ve been daydreaming about it: creamy sweet potato bisques, homemade chicken noodle spiked with chili oil, my mom’s El Cid chili with cornbread (for Sunday afternoon football watching), tangy tomato soup thickened with bread, and hearty bowls of Portuguese-style kale and linguica soup. I’ll take them all. Thankfully, soup is an easy, healthy way to feed yourself, so I can do more than daydream – I can make soup as often as I please. I find that making soup is the most intrinsic, relaxing form of cooking. There’s a rhythm to it, the chopping of onions and garlic, the sauteeing, more chopping, more sauteeing, adding spices, broth, root vegetables, stirring, simmering, smelling, stirring. When people ask me how they can start to learn to cook, I always recommend starting with soup. It’s wonderfully forgiving, and it’s hard to make a bad one. This soup – an Ecuadorian chicken and rice stew spiced with achiote, smoked paprika, and cumin – is no exception.

I really enjoyed making this last Sunday. Trevor had tickets to the Pats game with his coworkers, so I had a long, chilly afternoon to myself. I went running, caught up on reading, swung by the grocery store, and made this stew, all without feeling rushed or stressed. After four frenetic months moving, traveling, and adjusting to a different pace of life, the fact that I’ll get to spend the entire month of November at home, cozying up with Trevor feels like an early Christmas present. Last Sunday afternoon was the first time in months that I really felt slowed-down, and filling my house up with the rich, spicy smell of this soup just cemented that feeling.

As far as taste goes, this stew is a winner. It’s quite hearty, made thick and creamy by the addition of rice and potatoes, and just a bit spicy from a combination of smoked Spanish paprika, achiote paste, and a dash of hot sauce. The recipe, which comes from Jose Garces’ The Latin Road Home (I reviewed it here last year, if you’re interested – it’s a great cookbook), said it serves four, but I think this recipe makes a huge batch, at least 8 filling servings. Which means, not only is it delicious, but also economical for feeding a family. Give this one a try this fall, I think you’ll like it.

Ecuadorian Chicken and Rice Stew

Recipe adapted slightly from The Latin Road Home. Serves 8-10.

3 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 TBS whole cumin seeds
2 TBS achiote paste (I used a Latin spice mix with achiote in it that I found at Wholefoods)
1 tsp Spanish smoked hot paprika
2 TBS tomato paste
6 c. chicken stock
2 fresh bay leaves
1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatoes, preferably plum, cored and cubed
1 c. long-grain white rice
2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb. frozen peas
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
hot sauce to taste

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, and sear the chicken pieces in batches. Cook thighs until skin is crispy and golden brown on both sides, flipping over once, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Lower the heat to medium, and add the onion and red pepper to the pot. Cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, achiote paste, and paprika to the pot and cook, stirring, until spices are toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, then return the chicken pieces to the pot. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rice, potatoes, and carrots, return soup to a simmer, then cover, and cook until chicken is falling off the bone and rice is fully cooked, about 40 minutes.
Uncover the soup and stir in the peas, oregano, parsley, and cilantro. Let peas heat through, then season to taste and serve with hot sauce.

1 November 4, 2013 Dessert

Pumpkin and Gingerbread Ice Cream Sundaes

I’ve been thinking about this recipe for over a year now. The phrase “pumpkin ice cream sundae” popped into my head one day, and since then, I’ve been considering how to get this just right. I knew it had to have all of the components of a brownie sundae, but tweaked for fall. Some sort of gingerbready brownie. Super creamy pumpkin ice cream. Caramel sauce and whipped cream. I tinkered with the brownie base last year, but never hit on the right combination of brownie consistency and gingerbread taste, so I put it to rest until this fall. And now, I think I have it.

The key to getting the gingerbread base right was making the mental switch from “brownie” to “blondie.” A quick google search revealed that someone else had already perfected the recipe for me, so I made Pink Parsley’s White Chocolate and Gingerbread Blondies pretty much as written. For the ice cream, I used the Pumpkin-Maple Ice Cream from the new book Jenny McCoy’s Desserts for Every Season (I just reviewed it a few weeks ago, if you want to know more). It has 7 egg yolks in it, so I knew there wasn’t going to be a problem with creaminess. Topped off with a caramel sauce runny enough to drizzle and some fresh whipped cream, it was just what I was imagining – spicy, chewy blondie, sweet pumpkin ice cream, and rich and salty caramel sauce blending together in every bite.

But, as I was finally assembling this perfect fall dessert, I knocked my camera off the chair. Total klutz. Several minutes of panic ensued as I tried to get my relatively new, fairly expensive camera to turn back on while simultaneously wanting to smack myself repeatedly in the forehead. Thankfully, I switched out the lenses and realized that the camera works fine but the front of the lens had popped apart on impact. I still feel like an idiot, but it’s one of my cheaper lenses, so if I can’t get it repaired it won’t devastate my bank account to replace it. Speaking of, does anyone know of any good camera repair shops in Boston? Or should I just send it straight to Canon? Anyway, if this sundae looks a little melty/panic-tinged, that’s the reason. On the other hand, I really needed an ice cream sundae after all that camera-stress, and a perfect one was sitting right in front of me.

Pumpkin and Gingerbread Ice Cream Sundaes

Serves 1.

1 gingerbread blondie, recipe below
2 scoops pumpkin-maple ice cream, recipe below
3 TBS caramel sauce, recipe below
1/4 c. heavy cream, beat into soft peaks, OR canned whipped cream
chopped nuts for topping

Assemble, serve, be happy.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

Recipe adapted slightly from Pink Parsley. Makes one 9×13 inch pan.

cooking spray
2 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 sticks salted butter, softened
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c. molasses
12 oz. (1 bag) high-quality white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, until evenly mixed. In a separate, large bowl, beat the softened butter until light and creamy. Add the sugars and beat to incorporate fully. Add the eggs/egg yolk one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the molasses and vanilla, then add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time, incorporating fully between additions.
The batter will be very thick at this point. Stir the white chocolate chips in to the batter to distribute evenly throughout. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan, and smooth the top with the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick poked into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.

Pumpkin-Maple Ice Cream

Recipe from Jenny McCoy’s Desserts for Every Season. Makes 1 quart.

7 large egg yolks
1 cup grade B maple syrup
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
generous pinch ground ginger
generous pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 c. roasted sugar pumpkin and kabocha squash

Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. In a separate, large bowl, whisk the egg yolks together, then set aside.
In a medium saucepan, simmer the maple syrup over medium heat until the volume is reduced by half. Add the milk, cream, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree, and bring to a boil. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolks, whisking the eggs vigorously as you do so, until the mixture is fully combined.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large, heatproof bowl. Place this bowl over the ice water and stir until cool. Refrigerate the ice cream base until thoroughly chilled, then churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. It will have a soft-serve like consistency when done – freeze for 4 hours to set before serving.

Caramel Sauce

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

1 c. sugar
4 TBS butter
1 c. heavy cream

Pour the sugar into the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan in an even layer. Place over medium heat, and melt sugar, whisking frequently. As you whisk, the sugar will clump up, but once melted, all the clumps should dissolve. As soon as all the sugar is melted, stop whisking but swirl slightly. Watch the sugar closely as it begins to darken. As soon as it reaches a golden caramel color, add the butter all at once. Be careful, the caramel will bubble violently when you do this. Whisk the butter in until melted.
Once the butter is melted, add the heavy cream. Again, be careful. The caramel may seize up in the middle, but keep whisking it and it will dissolve into the heavy cream eventually. Once dissolved, let bubble gently, still whisking, for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve warm.

4 November 2, 2013 Cookbook

Book Club: Winter Cocktails // Nutella Melt with Frangelico

Winter Cocktails

The Book: I have been having so much fun with Winter Cocktails, the new cocktail book from the extremely talented ladies behind Cookin’ and Shootin’. Too much fun, probably, given the fact that based on current trends it looks like I’m going to be drinking my way through the changing seasons. The drinks that Maria and Tara have included here are perfect for cooler weather and cozy evenings at home – some are served hot, others are rich and creamy, and festively-spiced punches and chilled drinks round out the mix. There’s lots of tea, chocolate, cider, and whiskey to be found in these pages. As someone who until recently considered making a drink to be pouring a shot of tequila into whatever I was already drinking, the flavor combinations that are incorporated into these drinks – like kumquat-and-thyme-infused gin, English breakfast tea with cherry bitters and whiskey, and lemongrass-spiked coconut milk with rum – are stepping up my cocktail game quite a bit. I also found the introduction, with info on types of glasses, basic bar-tending techniques, and the liquors that any well-stocked bar should have, to be very useful.

Beyond the drinks themselves, there are also serving tips, party notes, and recipes for accompanying party snacks like Cheese-Crusted Olives and “Pigs on Cushions.” Like other Quirk books, the book is in a nice, small format (I love smaller cookbooks, I read them on the subway like a total food dork), with high quality paper and integrated design. Drinks and glassware are really challenging to photograph, so I especially appreciate the quality and variety of images that Tara has created. One word of caution: some of the drinks are a bit more complicated than shaking and pouring, so expect to set aside 15-20 minutes to prepare most of the drinks in this book. Longer than it takes to open a beer, yes, but so worth it.

P.S. Check out the cute book trailer Maria and Tara made

The Drinks: One nice thing about drink cookbooks – it’s easy to test a lot of recipes, which is exactly what we’ve been doing. The first thing we tried was the Red Riding Hood, a spiced mulled cider mixed with red wine. We actually found it a little too dry, so we added a shot of Grand Marnier to each glass and then it was pretty much perfect. One of our favorites so far is the Burnt-Sugar Hot Buttered Rum, which we served en-masse at our Halloween party last night. It’s syrupy sweet and boozy, a quick and decadent way to imbibe. And the recipe pictured here, also no stranger to decadence, is a Frangelico-spiked Nutella Melt, served with espresso-flavored whipped cream. It’s a lot like hot chocolate, but with more nuanced flavors and the added benefit of being able to lick the Nutella spoon after you make it. It would be the perfect thing to sip on by the fire after a day playing in the snow. I might secretly stock my parents liquor cabinet with the ingredients so that we can have it there this winter (no fireplace at my house…). Definitely don’t skip the espresso-whipped cream – it’s easy and it really ties the drink together!

Recipe Short-List: Applejack Hot Toddy (with maple syrup, applejack, and cinnamon tea); Liquid Gold (mulled pineapple juice and rum); Pumpkin Bourbon Eggnog; Cherry-Vanilla Hot Chocolate; Chocolate Stout Affogato; Orchard Fête (maple syrup, apple cider, applejack, and rosemary)

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Winter Cocktails free of charge from Quirk, but was not otherwise compensated for writing this review.

Nutella Melt

Recipe from Winter Cocktails. Serves 4.

Note: to toast both the hazelnuts and coconut flakes, you can spread them (do one ingredient at a time) in a dry frying pan over medium heat, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Alternatively, you can top your drink with chocolate curls, like I did.

4 c. whole milk
1/4 c. Nutella, or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
pinch salt
6 oz. Frangelico, or other hazelnut liqueur
1 c. heavy cream, chilled
1/4 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp instant espresso powder
1/4 c. toasted hazelnuts, chopped, for garnish
toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Bring the milk, Nutella, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until Nutella is completely dissolved. Taste for chocolate flavor and body, and add more Nutella if desired. Stir in hazelnut liqueur, and remove from heat.
Whip the heavy cream together with the confectioner’s sugar and espresso powder until soft peaks have formed. Ladle the drink into warmed cups, and top with a big spoonful of whipped cream. Garnish with the chopped hazelnuts and toasted coconut flakes.