I love this print by Bryan Schutmaat available on 20×200. It may soon live on my wall. I may soon need more walls (or I may actually have to start hanging what I have). Someday it will happen.
Category Archives: Food
foodie friday: puff pastry breakfast tart
I have been holding out on a bit of yumminess like none other. For Easter Brunch I had this whole food plan and then a couple days before hand I found this recipe and it all changed.
You can make it a full sized 8×10 tart, which could be super pretty, or you can make equally cute individual tarts. Everyone will rave, and you’ll feel kinda like you should be on the next episode of a Food Network/Cooking Channel show. And really, you probably should be with mad skill like this.
Breakfast Tart
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
3 oz. crème fraîche
2 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
3 eggs
10 fresh chives, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch lengths
**Optional: Tomatoes, Shallots, Leeks
Thaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.
Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle (I didn’t roll my puff pastry, I just used it as it came out of the packaging…I also, not surprisingly made them mini for easy individual pick up). Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the crème fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the tart to a platter, garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Serves 4.
** Note: So I didn’t have chives (totally forgot to put them on the list), so I improvised and it was awesome. We sautéed shallots and leeks together. In addition, we put a slice of tomato on half of them, and it was amazing. Everyone wanted the Bacon/Tomato combo. A must to repeat.
foodie friday: ancho honey butter
For those in NYC and DC, you get the great joy of Hill Country BBQ, a texas style bbq restaurant that makes even the Texans in the area happy. I love it and most things about it (sorry world, I just can’t do collards). And one thing I dream about is their ancho honey butter. It is the sole reason I get the cornbread.
So when the urge hit me to make it, away I went.
Ten minutes out of your day, and people will be super impressed that you made “fancy butter” as we decided to call it.
Ancho-Honey Butter
Elizabeth Karmel care of the Huff Post
10 mins total | 5 mins prep
Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
zest of an orange
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (each cup is 2 sticks or 1/2 a pound)
1 tablespoon ground dried ancho chile peppers
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
In a stand mixer, or handheld mixer, combine orange juice and about one-half of the butter and beat until smooth.
Add the remaining butter and mix until smooth. Add the orange zest, cinnamon, coriander, honey and fleur de sel and beat until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Transfer to a small bowl or molds and set aside at room temperature.
featured on The Goods!
Every now and then all you want is a hearty salad. And in my household, that comes in the form of the warm steak salad. It is a thing of legend, and in all honestly, it changes a wee bit every time I make it.
So when I was asked to create a salad recipe to showcase one of uncommongoods newest serving items, a wheelbarrow, I knew it was time to perfect the warm, hearty salad that I’ve been improvising on for years. And so I went for it, and the end result was pretty amazing. It can be served sans meet (as the recipe states) or feel free to serve with grilled steak, chicken or salmon. You can even add in a few other veggie options (broccoli, peppers, etc) as your heart desires.
More then that, it was really fun to photograph.
You can find my debut/recipe on The Goods at blog.uncommongoods.com
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foodie friday: ricotta cheese
In my great attempts to emulate both Little House on the Prairie and every cooking blog alive, I decided to make my own ricotta cheese (because going to the grocery store sounded difficult). But to answer all the questions of “is it really that different?” the answer is yes. I’m now obsessed. It it smooth and creamy and wonderful. And it also went really well on toast with my strawberry jam. Success.
Homemade Ricotta
from Jennie Perillo care of Food52
Makes 2 cups
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Add the ingredients to a 4-quart pot. Bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl or pot.
Once the curds begin to separate from the whey (you’ll see little specks of white bob to the surface), stir gently and set heat to the lowest setting (see NOTE). Cook for 2 more minutes, then remove pot from heat and set on an unlit back burner for at least 30 minutes, and up to one hour. (this will help the curds further develop).
Gently ladle the curds into the cheesecloth-lined strainer (this helps produce a fluffier, creamier curd, than pouring it into the strainer). When all the curds have been spooned into the bowl, pull the cheesecloth up the sides to loosely cover the ricotta in the strainer.
Let sit for 10 minutes to drain (this will yield a very moist ricotta. If using for a cake recipe, you may want to let it drain longer for a drier consistency).
Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
NOTE from Jennie: After making one to two pots of ricotta for a year, I’ve learned it likes to be left alone to produce the highest yield, so resist the temptation to stir it frequently once the curds begin to separate from the whey. One stir is enough, and if you’re curious, you can dip the spoon in the pot once or twice to see how the curds are developing.
must have monday: doughnuts
Here is a little secret, I may like pretty things but my food tastes are simple. The classics. And it doesn’t get more classic than a doughnut. So when I saw these images, I just had to share because in a world of cakes, cupcakes, and pies…doughnuts often get overlooked. But I’m willing to give them a second look and a bite or two or three.
foodie friday: strawberry jam
Some days I channel my inner Little House on the Prairie spirit. I want a cow, I think about churning butter and making maple syrup candies on fresh plates of snow. Doesn’t everyone think that way? Don’t answer that.
So a few weeks ago, with a carton of sad looking strawberries in the fridge, several weck canning jars, and the internet to google recipes, I set out to make a pectin-free strawberry jam, not because I’m opposed to pectin, I just didn’t want to go to the store again. And oh heavens, the results were great. They were a tad bit soupier then I expected, but the flavor was amazing. And on my toast in the morning, even better. I can’t imagine how yummy it would be on a biscuit.
STRAWBERRY JAM
taken from Goddess of Bakedom, the blog of Sarabeth Levine
Makes 10 half-pints
8 pints strawberries, hulled, rinsed, drained and cut into smaller pieces (you will have about 12 cups after cutting)
5 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1. Combine the strawberries and lemon juice in a nonreactive large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, cooked for about 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a low boil. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook stirring often, until the juices begin to thicken into a light bodied syrup, about 25 minutes. During the last few minutes, skim the foam from the surface of the jam.
3. Fill the clean jars and attach the lids. Process the jars for 10 minutes.
foodie friday: blood orange margaritas
I love “punch,” many know this. Now is the time to really admit that I love mixed drinks and somehow putting it in a punch bowl makes it less troubling in my mind. Please, I’ve said it before and I will say it forever, a signature drink at a party is essential.
So when I saw this recipe on White On Rice Couple, I knew I needed to make it. And almost two years later, it’s finally happened and oh heavens, if it wouldn’t be a problem to make them daily I would.
Lightly Sweet, tart, citrus, and tequila. How could it be bad.
Blood Orange Margarita Recipe
adapted from White on Rice Couple
3 oz fresh Blood Orange Juice
1.5 oz Tequila (I used the Herradura Reposado)
1 oz Triple Sec (From the liquor store guy: use Patron Orange, a touch classier)
splash of agave nectar syrup
1. Rub the rim of an old fashioned glass (or whatever similar vessel you prefer) with an edge of a blood orange slice. Swirl the rim through a small pile of kosher or sea salt to salt the rim.
2. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake for 15 seconds.
3. Put a few cubes of ice in your glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass and enjoy.
must have monday: conversation hearts
Conversation hearts. Everyone seems to have a love-hate thing going on with them. So why not make it a step better. Conversation heart cookies.
What other Valentine’s Day crafts/baking/etc have you seen?
You can find all the details at marthastewart.com
must have monday: milk & cookies
I’m hosting a Sprinkle (a tiny baby shower). This is not our theme.
That being said, I really want to throw a milk & cookies party. I mean how great is this. Really, it may be perfect for a baby shower or for a birthday party for an adorable little girl.
Anyone want a milk and cookies themed party?
More inspiration can be found online at ontobaby.com
