Twin Tastes here. For those of you who enjoyed our Cyprus-inspired melty cheese, here is another sweet and savory appetizer with a major KICK.
We first created the oozing brie after touring the Ryan & Wood Distilleries in historic Gloucester, MA. After sampling the copper-colored rum, our minds churned with ideas for how we could incorporate the dark, robust flavor in cooking. To tie in our New England routes, we incorporated Vermont maple syrup. Cooking down the rum with the maple syrup subdues the intense, robust flavor and creates a subtle, sweet, caramel-like topping for the buttery wedge of cheese. To add a little texture, we stirred in some toasted pecans. The firm spicy ginger snaps and tangy apple slices hold up to the incredible mess of the luscious wedge.
Rum, Maple and Pecan Topped Brie
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And you thought chicken was boring?
This is a torta from Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon in Austin. Pulled chicken, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, avocado, queso fresco, and chipotle mayo. One of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a long, long time. Just imagine that going into your mouth (what, gross, I didn’t mean it like that).
Another one down. I’ve faced the challenge yet again and for number 6 on my list of 100 ways to use beer in food and drinks, I declare victory on successfully using beer in chicken carbonara. Be impressed.
This weekend, we embraced craft brewing by using a bottle of Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale in a chicken carbonara recipe. I’ve already heard some Italians claim that beer just doesn’t work with Italian food. As I said earlier, I declare victory. Onward.
Beer and Chicken Carbonara
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This tender spring veggie is celebrated in festivals across the country this time of year, but even if you can’t attend one of the many super exciting events honoring these green stalks, you can buy some really fresh right now at most farmers markets and have your own party. Asparagus is made up of vitamins E, A, and C, folate for a healthy heart and cell regeneration, and potassium, which can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Plus, fresh and locally grown asparagus just tastes way better than store-bought, although with the price of sand. Smart Tip: Genius neo-chef and farmer Dan Barber warns that you should blanch your farmers market asparagus before using to get it fully clean.
Just so happened my mom was having a vegan dinner party this weekend, so I offered up this dish — my tribute to the asparagus gods — and it was a hit.
Savory Citrus Roasted Asparagus with Tofu
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Cooking up Mother’s Day brunch this weekend? Check out Endless Simmer’s best bests:
A can’t miss winner from the ES archives.
This counts as eating fruit, right?
Taking the best of spring’s bounty…and submersing it in dairy.
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Anyone know if the five-second rule applies to popsicles? It would seem that a perspiring popsicle would probably pick up more microbial friends than say, a fallen cupcake, right? Hmm, it would seem, but to be safe — if your poptail falls on the floor, give it a quick run under cold water and then pour some tequila over it. Fallen poptail saved.
Three days later — no ill effects. I feel fine. The takeaway is that you really can eat off my kitchen floor. In case you’d rather not, you can make your own margarita poptail with this recipe using watermelon, some limeade and a few blackberries for a punch of tartness. And of course, don’t forget the tequila and triple sec. Once you do make this you’ll see why I refused to let my fallen poptail go to waste.
Watermelon and Blackberry Margarita Poptail
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The other weekend I was going to a little cucumber-themed dinner party with some friends. Yep, cucumber-themed. Pretty specific, I know, but I love dinner parties so of course I was down. Here’s a secret, though: I really don’t like cucumbers very much. They’re one of the few foods I generally shy away from (other foods that receive that treatment from yours truly? Celery, eggplant, and licorice). I wasn’t going to be a theme-wrecker, though, so I decided to make a salad including, but not highlighting, the cukes. I also was in the mood to be healthy (if you don’t count the approximately 6 glasses of white wine I downed that night, oops).
This salad was really easy to throw together and it was a hit amongst my friends. Quinoa has always been one of my favorite grains, and it used to be considered kind of exotic, but these days it’s pretty easy to find. I combined that with fresh herbs and ruby red grapefruit (which, unlike cucumber, is one of my favorite flavors). The result? Light, fresh, sweet, sour, a bit spicy, and waaaaay too easy to eat.
Grapefruit-Cucumber Quinoa Salad
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