Bless Her Heart

New Friday Tradition....

If you live in the ATX and you've not been to Lick yet, you're missing out on something special.  It's a small-batch ice creamery that uses locally sourced ingredients to create fantastic flavor profiles.  That's a whole lot of foodie type, catch phrasy words to let you know that they're putting a lot of thought and effort into what they're serving you.  We stopped by for a quick after school treat a couple of weeks ago, and we've since sworn a family pact to do our best to visit each Friday after school.  Pictured below is my cup of Roasted Beet with Fresh Mint and Caramelized Carrot with Tarragon. The girl ordered up Chocolate Orange (made with local organic oranges), Mint Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Basil. My mama chose the Coconut Avocado (vegan) and Strawberry Basil.  The flavor names could seem like they might be too adventurous for some palates, but the flavors are balanced and subtle, the custard creamy and smooth.  The girl keeps angling for a visit before Friday, but I'm determined to stay strong....

This evening...

Was this....

 

 

and these....

 

 

this...

 

and laughing with my mama over the telephone about the joys and sometimes utter ridiculousness of raising children, particularly teenagers. As Spring Break is winding down, I can see summer just over the horizon, and look forward to slowing it down a little bit more around here.  I'm longing for more daylight hours, more second lunches, more phone conversations 'just because'.......

 

Dear Brussels Sprouts Lovers: You were right, I was wrong...

I've spent my entire life loathing brussels sprouts. Every five years or so, I try a new recipe that someone 'highly recommended' but to no avail. They always end up bitter, soggy and too damned cabbagy. The Man and I would swallow down one, maybe two and our severe dislike would be reaffirmed and shelved for another five years.  I've been giving away the brussels sprouts that have been coming in our weekly produce delivery all month....but then a couple of things happened.  First, I kept hearing references to Paul Qui's brussels sprouts recipe at Uchiko.  I was captivated by his talents through the entire season of Top Chef, and was intrigued that so many of my friends, self-declared brussels sprouts haters, seemed to be swayed by the relative simplicity of the recipe at Uchiko.  Then, when we were in North Carolina, we were served a dish of hot, roasted brussels sprouts at my brother-in-law's house.  Our hostess that night, Erica, guided us to seek out the little crispy bits around the edges of the sprouts.  "That's the good stuff, right there...you don't know what you're missing!"  My interest was piqued, and I sought out a crispy-leaved sprout and popped it in my mouth.  I was converted that very second.  Didn't even take a moment to consider or think it over.  It was done.  I am a brussels sprouts lover. A brussels sprouts craver even.  I've realized that like most things, I just needed to leave them alone a bit and let them do their thing.  The simpler the treatment, the yummier the results.  A little salt, pepper and enough slow heat to caramalize the edges of the sprouts is really all you need. I've made them three times since we've been back, and I think I'll make them again tonight for with dinner.  I have a lifetime of sprout hate to make up for. 

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(Adapted from watching Erica in the kitchen)

Preheat oven to 385 degrees

Trim the brussels sprouts and remove any yellow, damaged or discolored leaves.

Toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper

Place in a baking dish in a single layer

Bake for 30-45 minutes, removing from the oven every 10 minutes or so to turn the sprouts for even roasting. This can be achieved by simply shaking the baking dish. When they're ready the outermost leaves should be crispy and the sprouts should be tender but not mushy in the middle. Test with a knife at 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and add more salt and pepper to taste.

 

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 27 ::

Day 27 - Local Provisions

Every Wednesday, a beautiful basket of local produce (see above) appears on my doorstep from Farmhouse Delivery.  Most Saturdays, The Girl and I travel to the Farmers' Market where we pick up our other provisions from local growers and purveyors. We make the rounds, usually grabbing Tacodeli for the girl's breakfast and Pad Thai from Thai Fresh for mine. After breakfast we stock up at Dai Due, which we love, love, love. I crave their bread and butter pickles, pimento cheese and fresh condiments for the vegetarians in our family, and I buy their locally sourced meat for our omnivores. We visit Tecolote Farm, Johnson's Backyard Garden and Engel's Farm booths to round our our produce haul. We might need goat cheese from CKC and eggs from Milagro Farms. We often pick up preserves from Confituras (Can you say salted caramel pear butter?) There are so many incredible local products available for Austinites that I feel downright spoiled even typing this out.  I love that we can connect with the people who provide us with our food even though we live in a typical Austin-style suburban neighborhood. That Austin is excited enough about supporting local farmers that there are several Farmers' Markets in the area every week. That my children are learning that it's unnessary to have your food flown in from halfway across the country when you already have the best options right here at home. So, dearest local food growers and providers...my family and I are grateful to you.

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 12 ::

Day 12 - Time in the Kitchen...

This time of year, when I spend more time in the kitchen cooking and baking for those that I love is so fulfilling to me.  I find myself counting down the days until our winter break, not because I'm tired of work, but because my mind is swirling with all of the things I want to make in the kitchen while we're home for the holidays. I'm grateful that my mama instilled a love of creating beautiful food in me at a young age, and I love that there is always more to learn.

PS.  This is a White Peony Tea GInger Cranberry bark inspired by the winter issue of Imbibe Magazine.  I made this batch for a holiday party. It's super incredibly yummy. If they grant me permission, I'll post the recipe here.

PPS. Today is a double post day.  Lots of gratitudes stacking up around here. :)

Favorite Thing: Dai Due

We totally crush on the Dai Due food over here.  Maybe you've heard me rave about their pickles and pimento cheese? Or the peach syrup? Funny thing is...they're a butcher shop.  I've been a vegetarian my entire life, and thus far The Girl is choosing the same path.  However, the other half of the family are ominvores. Neither of the guys eat very much meat, but when they do the majority of it comes from the Farmers' Market and more often than not it comes from Dai Due. I value that all of their ingredients are locally sourced, that I know where the meat comes from, and who butchered and prepared it for my family to eat.  As well as bringing items to pick up at the market, they prepare a hot breakfast for those who are early enough to get there before they run out.  Today, I stuck around and took pictures while they prepared BLTs, chorizo and duck egg tacos, french toast and pimento cheese sandwiches.  It's seriously impressive to watch this crew put out their food non-stop while their patrons stand around the edges waiting. Salivating. Although their booth is on the far side of the market, the aroma of the bacon on the griddle is like a calling card that reaches all the way across the park. You can see people head straight there from the parking lot, like cartoon characters following a swirling, wafting aroma that they just can't resist.  

I've been told that you're not supposed to take pictures of people's hands touching food.  That this is unappealing in some way to those of you looking at the picture.  I can't help but feel the opposite.  This is my pimento cheese sandwich that is being prepared here.  I actually love to see the hands of the people preparing my food.  I love the history shown in their hands, whether they be young, learning hands of The Girl (see the banner above) or the experienced, hard-working hands of the folks over at Dai Due. There are also a few more pictures here if you're interested.

Ginger Simple Syrup

Flavored simply syrups add depth of flavor to cocktails, lemonade, teas...really anything you might add a sweetener to.  I find the addition of a touch of ginger to a summer cocktail to be a little spicy but a lot refreshing.  

 

Ginger Simple Syrup

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

I knot of ginger about 1" x 3"

 

Use a small paring knife or the side of a spoon to peel the papery exterior from the ginger:

 

Slice the ginger into thin pieces:

Combine the water, sugar and ginger slices in a small saucepan:

 

Bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Stir until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to steep/cool.  Once cool, strain into a clean jar for storage:

 

The consensus on the interwebs is that syrups can be stored for about a month, but it seems like we use ours up before we have to worry about shelf life.

 

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache

Coconut Macaroons are so incredibly easy, I'm starting to wonder why we don't make them more.  The recipe in A Homemade Life elevates them by adding a simple chocolate ganache.  I swear I don't get anything for plugging this book, but The Girl and I are reading it together and so far every recipe we've made has been simply delicious.  We used this recipe as an opportunity for The Girl to work on separating eggs.  Since we doubled the recipe, she was a pro by the end.

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache

Recipe from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette

Posted with Permission

Ingredients:

3 cups (lightly packed) sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup egg whites (about 5 or 6 large)
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the coconut, sugar and egg whites in a large, heavy saucepan, and stir to combine well. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, about 10-15 minutes. The mixture will look very creamy as it heats and then it will slowly get a bit drier, with individual flakes of coconut becoming discernible. Stop cooking when it no longer looks creamy but is still quite sticky and moist, not dry. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Scrape the mixture into a pie plate or small baking sheet, spread it our a bit to allow it to cool quickly, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. 

Using your hands or a small, spring-loaded ice cream scoop, scoop and firmly pack the coconut mixture into small domes. Space them evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake the macaroons until evenly golden, about 30 minutes.  Cool completely on the pan on a wire rack. Then remove the macaroons from the baking sheet, and set them on the rack. Set cookies on rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it is very hot and steamy (not boiling), remove from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the warm ganache generously over the macaroons, shaking them gently if needed to coax the ganache down their sides.

Refrigerate the macaroons until the ganache sets, at least 2 hours. Transfer the macaroons to an airtight container, and refrigerate or freeze.

Note: Macaroons will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Frozen, they will keep for a month or two.

Yield: 12 macaroons

 

Blackberry Lemon Crumble

We're smack dab in the middle of the spring/summer fruit season around these parts, which means it's time for easy fruit-based desserts like crumbles, crisps, buckles, and cobblers.  These are the kind of desserts that are so delicious that it seems like you must have spent forever on them, and yet they're so simple that the majority of the time spent on them is the time it takes to bake in the oven.  I love a Crumble when the berries have warmed to the point of bursting and topped with a sweet, buttery, crumbly crust and loosely whipped cream. This recipe makes a large crumble and is great for family gatherings and potlucks. If I'm being honest though, we usually just keep nibbling away at it until it's gone. A scoop of it over yogurt would make a special breakfast treat after the kids are off to school...not that I know about that or anything....

Blackberry Lemon Crumble

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 3 quart baking dish with canola oil or melted butter and set aside.

Berry filling:

6 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp lemon zest

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

Crumble Topping:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger (optional)

1 cup of butter, cubed and chilled

Gently mix together the blackberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Sprinkle the cornstarch in at the end and mix to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flour, sugar, salt and ginger powder (if desired).  Cut the butter into your flour mixture until it has a kind of chunky, sand texture. Try not to overwork it as you don't want the butter to begin to melt.

Spread the berry mixture in the bottom of the pre-greased baking dish.  Sprinkle the crumble topping along the top of the berries, making a nice even crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the berry juice is bubbling and the crumble topping has a nice golden color.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. 

Austin Bake Sale for Japan - April 2, 2011!

We've been baking up a storm, as have bloggers and community partners all over Austin.  Please come out and support our efforts to send funds to Americares in order to provide assistance to the people in Japan afflicted by these horrific tragedies.  There are bake sale locations all over town tomorrow:

Downtown Austin: Woof Gang Bakery, 1204 North Lamar Blvd.,78703 (10 AM-2 PM)

East Austin: Nomad Bar, 1213 Corona Drive, 78723 (10 AM-2 PM)

West Austin: The Shops at Mira Vista, 2785 Bee Cave Road, 78746 (10 AM-5 PM)

Central Austin: Foreign & Domestic, 306 E. 53rd st., 78751 (10 AM-2 PM)

South Austin: Hotel San Jose, 1511 South Congress Ave., 78704 (10 AM-2 PM)

 

Surely there's one near you?