Oh hi! Remember me? My name is Siri and I'm the gal who (occasionally) chronicles my journey with food on this here blog. I've been absent, but I can explain (or I can spew excuse after excuse at you... like we were in LA for 12 days, or I lost my camera battery charger, or I'm trying to prepare for the 8 houseguests staying with us for 2 weeks, or I'm feeling overwhelmed with gift shopping, or I've been abducted by aliens... I sorta wish). What it really boils down to is that when we travel, I lose my desire to cook and I come home feeling like I'm in a rut. But this weekend, I spent an hour online looking at my favorite blogs and they lit a fire under my tushy! (I'm a mom, I say things like that and potty.) This week and next week be prepared for seasonal treats and dishes as well as gift ideas! Yay! And by the way, even when I'm absent on here, I'm pretty active on my blog instagram and my new mommy instagram accounts.
So let's talk about these bars. I'm not really a pie person, but ever since I ate Pecan Pie this Thanksgiving from this glorious bakery in California I've been craving it. So when I saw this recipe I put it on my to-do list right away. Holy crap, these are insane. SUPER rich but beyond delicious. If you like buttery shortbread and rich, salted chocolate and caramely pecan pie... you will love this. I topped mine with Vanilla Salt which I'll write about later on today.
They also refrigerate and/or freeze very well, and a little goes a long way, so these would be perfect edible holiday gifts this season. The best kind of gift if you ask me.
One of my favorite fast food restaurants served different varieties of chicken, and side dishes. I always got the crispy chicken fingers, and for sides always a tomato bulgur salad and really good noodles. And a chilli aioli, too. Oh I loved that place. It's sadly no more, and I never did figure out exactly how they made their tomato bulgur salad. It was served cold, and a little bit like this one but with added raw red onion, tomatoes, red pepper and coriander.
This isn't that, exactly, but it's a really good base. We ate this with lamb meatballs - köfte - and a yummy pistachio feta dip that I will soon tell you about. Tomato Bulgur serves 3-4
1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 yellow onion, very finely minced 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp butter 250 ml bulgur wheat 500 ml water salt, black pepper
Heat the oil in a large frying pan (that you have a lid for). Fry the onion on medium heat for two minutes - it should soften but not brown. Add the tomato paste and stir well, fry for a few more minutes. Be careful, you don't want this to burn. Add the butter and when it's melted, the bulgur. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
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.
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