Yes, if you asked me right now, this salted caramel custard would be my favorite dessert. These easy “pots de crèmes” are just sweet enough, just salty enough, and just drop-dead gorgeous enough.
I used Maldon sea salt to garnish, which has quite large, but very light crystals, so we’re not adding as much salt as it may appear. Think of a big, fluffy snowflake, floating down onto your warm palm. Stay with me here. As soon as that huge flake lands, it melts into a tiny drop of water. It’s sort of the same thing here.
This recipe will make exactly six (6.5 ounce) ramekins, but you can use any size you want, as long as you monitor the cooking time. Speaking of which, there are many variables effecting how long yours will take, such as ramekin size/shape, and how close they’re packed together, so the times given here are just a guideline.
Simply bake until the custard is just set, and you get that signature “jiggle” when you wiggle. By the way, I wasn’t kidding about eating these cold. I know it’s very hard not to eat a little bit before they’re chilled, but these are so vastly superior in taste and texture when cold, we’re going to need you to be strong. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for six (6.5 ounce) ramekins:
9 large egg yolks
2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
flaky sea salt to garnish
- Bake at 300 F. about 45 min to an hour, or until set.
Crepinettes are probably my favorite type of sausage, both to make and eat, and that’s all thanks to caul fat; one of the culinary worlds most interesting and useful ingredients. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most bizarre looking ingredients, and that does scare some people off, which is nothing short of tragic.
The food Gods always reward bravery, and here your prize will be a very moist, and extremely flavorful sausage patty, surrounded by a casing that literally melts into the meat.By the way, things like meatloaf, or even whole roasts, can also benefit greatly by being wrapped up in this magical membrane.
As I recommended in the video, be sure to get coarse ground pork from your butcher. The stuff in the meat case is ground too fine, and also probably too lean. I would say a fat content of about 25 to 30% would be ideal here. And yes, of course other ground meats will work using this same technique.
The same butcher you get the pork from should also be able to hook you up with caul fat, but if for whatever reason they can’t, it’s easy to find online. I think it’s well worth the effort, as anyone who has enjoyed these can attest. I really do hope you give this a try soon.Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 Crepinettes:
1 1/2 pound coarse ground pork (about 25% fat)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup chopped pistachio
2 tablespoons diced dried apricot
1 rounded teaspoon very finely sliced fresh sage leaves
1/2 pound caul fat (this will be enough for probably 8 crepinettes, with extra to spare)
Food52 Genius Recipes is a compilation of some of the best recipes from cooks, food writers and restaurateurs. All tested and “foolproof” you get recipes like Nigella Lawson’s Sense Chocolate Loaf Cake, Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion, the Simplest Roast Chicken from Barbara Kafka and Kenny Shopsin’s crazy recipe for Crepes that uses flour tortillas(!). I’m crazy about the recipe for Pasta with Yogurt & Caramelized Onions from Diane Kochilas and the Herb Jam with Olives & Lemons from Paula Wolfert. Having all those recipes in one place is very, very convenient! Who's it for? Everyone
The Yellow Table written by food blogger Anna Watson Carl has an emphasis on sharing meals. Carl’s breezy effortless style of cooking and entertaining is just right for those who are new to cooking. The recipes are straightforward and not complex. They cover very basic things like Roast Chicken with Lemon, Thyme & Shallots and Turkish Lamb Sliders with Tzatziki but also some recipes with a twist like Nutella-Shortbread Brownies, Pumpkin Madeleines and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Mango & Cucumber. The focus is on entertaining but many recipes serve four. The photos in the book are fresh and inviting. Who's it for? Newbies
Seven Spoons is the names of the blog and cookbook from Tara O'Brady. Though not vegetarian, this one definitely puts vegetables on the center of the plate, Here recipes are inventive and smart. Even when she is cooking standard things, like burgers, there’s a twist that makes them something special, in this case a spoonful of miso. The recipes cross many boarders, there’s Fattoush with Fava Beans and Labneh, Hard Cider Gougeres, Broccoli Rabe with Bagna Cauda and a recipe for Clams and Orzo that reminds me of my favorite steamed mussels recipe with fennel. There is a dessert section where she manages to even improve on Canadian classics like her Walnut Cherry Oat Butter Tart Pie. Who's it for? Bored cooks looking for inspiration
Remember the Mediterranean diet? The Mediterranean Family Table book brings it all back. It’s written by a doctor who was born in Sicily. It’s an interesting book because it doesn’t eschew every last morsel of meat or bread.There are recipes for his mama’s meatballs, and lamb kebabs, but mostly you’ll find recipes for all kinds of salads, soups and plant based dishes. Some of the recipes are rather unusual such as the Orange and Egg (hardboiled) Salad, Anchovy and Ricotta Bruschetta with rosemary and a breakfast dish made from day old bread, ricotta, milk and hot coffee. The recipes I was most drawn to are the ones from Sicily such as Tuna alla Siciliana with garlic, mint, tomatoes and onions and the Roasted Cauliflower, served with melted fontina. Who's it for? Those focused on healthy eating
Disclaimer: This post includes books that were provided as review copies an contains affiliate links.
Lidl is a grocery chain, present in several European countries. I mostly go there for their fun seasonal stuff, ice cream, and their really great fruit and veg department. I don't have a store very close to me, or I'd definitely shop there more often.
Last year, they partnered up with a famous chef to create a pop-up restaurant, to showcase their ingredients. This year, they have something even more special planned: a one night only pop-up banquet called Le Bon, on December 10. The chef is Titti Qvarnström from restaurant Bloom in the Park, who was the first Swedish female chef to receive a Michelin star.
So - some facts. The banquet will be held at Globen Annexet, on December 10. Anyone can buy a ticket tomorrow, December 2, but you better hurry - they'll sell out fast. Titti will have 50 more chefs to help her serve everyone - 1300 guests! The proceeds from the banquet will go to cancer research, Barncancerfonden. The menu - and therefor the recipes - are secret until the big night, but after that I hope I can share them with you.
Careful readers might note that this is on the same night as the big Nobel banquet. If you're not invited to that - I know I'm not - this is your chance to go to another big, fun, spectacular party! I've been given the opportunity to give away two tickets to Le Bon. If you want to win, tell me your favorite party recipe in the comments. Two readers will win one ticket each. Last date to enter is Sunday December 6, and the winners will be contacted via e-mail shortly after that.
Today is the first Sunday of advent, which means christmas is coming. We've put all our lights up and have spent the afternoon baking saffron buns with grandma and grandpa. Yummy and fun. Have you tried Swedish saffron buns yet? I have tons of recipes for it - check out some of these.
I wanted to wish you all a very healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday, and to let you know we’ll be taking a few days off to eat, drink, and rest; but mostly eat and drink. And when I say “days off,” I really mean days off. As much as I’d love to spend the holiday on my laptop, giving you all last-second cooking tips, I’m contractually obligated to take some time off, and who am I to question HR?Have a great Thanksgiving, and we’ll be back with brand new videos next week. And no, they will not feature turkey or pumpkin. So, stay tuned, and as always, enjoy!
Some years it’s easy to find reasons to be thankful and positive. This is not one of those years for me, and for many people I know. But I want to share something that really moved me. It’s a video of a basket maker in Rwanda (and it’s just 2 minutes long). Take a look!
Being thankful for chairs, for electricity, for being able to support her family in a country that suffered the most terrible genocide not that long ago is truly a wonderful thing. As you may recall, in three months in 1994 an estimated 800,000 to a milion Rwandans were brutally murdered and a country destroyed. Today Rwanda has made the most incredible strides toward reconciliation. And if it’s possible in Rwanda, why not in the rest of the world?
The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional start to holiday shopping. If you are heading to the Macy’s near you or just shopping online, I hope you will check out the baskets from Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace initiative. Because the program is celebrating 10 years, there are beautiful 10th anniversary baskets available in festive red and white. Half of the wholesale price of every basket goes to the women who make them by hand. The weavers make roughly 10 times the average wage in Rwanda. This amazing program supports fair trade, sustainable income and poverty reduction, it employs HIV-positive weavers to help them support themselves and promotes the culture of reconciliation by employing thousands of women who are organized in groups from both sides of the 1994 Rwanda genocide conflict.
You can find the entire Rwanda basket collection online including the anniversary baskets which range from $30-60 each. Please note sale prices and discounts do not impact the amount the weavers earn.
I’m giving away this gorgeous basket in Fall colors. I received this basket to review and am very impressed with the quality. It would make a wonderful fruit basket or centerpiece.
Happy Thanksgiving!
To enter this contest and win the basket please leave a comment telling me what you are thankful for this year. You must have a US mailing address to win. You MUST leave your email address in the field where it is requested, it will not be visible to the public only to me. DO NOT leave your email address in the body of your comment, if you do, I will delete it. I will choose a winner at random on December 3, 2015.
Disclaimer: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and received the product for this post as a gift. It was my choice to give it away and I was not paid for this or any other post.
The past few years I’ve been making a welcoming cocktail for Thanksgiving. This year I was offered a bottle of Templeton rye and a stipend for ingredients to create a punch for the holiday. It sounded like a slam dunk, but I am not terribly gifted when it comes to developing cocktails. I can follow a recipe, I can swap out a few ingredients but creating new cocktails is not really my strong suit.
So I cheated. Meet my secret weapon, one of my favorite bartenders, Jen Ackrill. She was a fixture at Rye in San Francisco before moving to live the dream in Hawaii. Today she is the Director of Mixology at Top of Waikiki and SKY Waikiki. I got a chance to try her revamped cocktails when I visited Oahu last year. Jen makes really, really good drinks. She crafts sophisticated cocktails, even her fruity tropical ones and she is particularly skilled with brown spirits. Her cocktails are always balanced and inviting. Next time you are in Waikiki, stop by and say hello! Seeing the sunset at Top of Waikiki, a revolving bar with incredible views of the beach and the city really can’t be beat.
This punch contains my all-time favorite vermouth, Carpano Antica. I started drinking vermouth in Italy and France and it’s long been my go to aperitif. Carpano Antica is nothing short of spectacular. It’s bitter and sweet with vanilla, warm spices, orange, cocoa and toffee.
Templeton rye was made during prohibition and was fabled to be a favorite of Al Capone. The current version has notes of toffee and caramel. It’s sweet, lush and has characteristic rye spice and a woodsy character.
I asked Jen to come up with something with Templeton rye and apple cider that a home bartender could make and this is it! A Fall punch just right for Thanksgiving that has a lot in common with the classic Manhattan. My sincere thanks, not just for the holiday but to Jen for saving the day.
Thanksgiving Punch by Jen Ackrill
Makes about 10 servings
3 cups Templeton rye
1 cup Carpano Antica
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup simple syrup (I use equal parts water and sugar)
11/2 cup apple cider
Top with a spicy ginger beer like Cock and Bull
Garnish with orange and lemon slices, star anise and cinnamon sticks and a thoughtful block of ice—use a fun cake pan: turkey or leaf shaped to make your ice.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I received the Templeton rye to make this cocktail as well as a stipend for ingredients. I was not compensated monetarily for this or any other post. Many thanks to Jen Ackrill for her recipe.
Most normal people cook a bigger turkey than they need, so they can enjoy some leftovers. There’s nothing better than a fresh turkey sandwich, or three, but after a couple days, that bony carcass is that last thing you want to look at; and that’s where these crispy flautas come in.
As I joked about in the video, when it comes to leftovers, the “add cheese and fry” system is a proven crowd pleaser, but to hedge our bets, we’re also topping with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. This creates something so different from the holiday meal that you might forget where the turkey actually came from. Depends on how much you’ve been drinking.
Regarding my comment about pre-grated cheese being coated with saw dust – many people on YouTube thought I was joking, but this really is true. That shredded stuff in the bag is coated in a fine cellulose dust, which prevents the pieces of cheese from clumping together. The good news is, grating cheese only takes a minute, and almost anyone can do it.
And if you don’t have old turkey to make these flautas with, eventually you will have some leftover chicken, which would obviously also work. Either way, I hope you give these delicious, crispy flautas a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 large turkey flautas:
24 small, white corn tortillas 1 egg white to seal flautas, optional
*1 pound cooked, shredded turkey
6 ounces shredded pepper Jack cheese, sharp cheddar, or a combo of the two (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
*I’ll assume you’re going to use one of our turkey recipes, so your bird will be super moist, but if it isn’t, you can always add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth to the mixture to compensate.
- Garnish with shaved cabbage, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and freshly chopped cilantro
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