Recipes
Saffron Tart Cherry Nougat
Yes, really! This stunner of a candy recipe makes a festive treat for the holidays. Sweet and chewy, tart and crunchy, it is impossible to resist. Two pinches of Saffron are enough to get a hint of color and perfectly balanced flavor, but you can always add more if a stronger flavor is desired. The pairing of saffron and sugar with the pop of tart cherries and crunch of pistachios is simply delightful. And it's so pretty! Be sure to have a good, reliable thermometer at the ready. Success with this nougat is a temperature game and cooking the eggs with the hot sugar is an essential step.
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Saffron Pear Butter
Buttery and sweet, simple yet exotic, this Saffron Pear Butter is wonderful on so many levels! With only a handful of ingredients and a straightforward process, you can make a jar to have on hand, or ramp up production and gift small jars as at the holidays or any time of year. We like to make big batches in the fall at pear harvest time and enjoy it on toast, biscuits, pound cake or as a sweet bite on a cheese board.
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Nigella Watermelon Salad
Nothing says summer quite like watermelon, and this salad has all the right flavors to complement it. Juicy watermelon chunks are dressed with lime juice for an unbelievable sweet/tart pairing. Nutty arugula and savory onion hints from the nigella seeds add a hint of savory crunch. And because my crowd is always game for a little extra summer heat, a sprinkle of Marash chile flakes round out the finish. This salad is easy to whip up for a weeknight side dish and scales up nicely for a crowd pleasing BBQ or picnic.
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Rhubarb Compote with Indian Coriander Cream
To me, one of the true harbingers of spring is the sight of my rhubarb leaves tentatively reaching up towards the sun. Soon, I know they’ll be producing non-stop throughout the summer, and whatever I can’t use fresh will go straight into the freezer. This recipe is a great way to use the ruby-red stalks, whether fresh or frozen. And the Coriander Cream, made by infusing freshly ground Indian Coriander Seed seed into heavy whipping cream, has an insanely addictive taste. Using the seeds un-toasted reveals their delicate citrusy flavor, which blossoms throughout the cream. There are endless ways to serve this modern take on the classic Rhubarb and Custard dessert: it can be served on top of a tender biscuit, shortcake style, layered into a trifle with a vanilla sponge cake, or spooned straight up in a small bowl with an Orange Pistachio biscotti alongside for crunch. One further note: since rhubarb is very acidic, it should not be cooked in a metal pan, such as cast iron or aluminum, since the acid will react with the metal and cause the rhubarb to become discolored and off-tasting.
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Lemon Coriander Cake
This Lemon Coriander Cake is light and delicious with bright flavors of lemon and Indian coriander. We loved it plain and simple with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a glass of Timber City Ginger Beer on a spring afternoon, but you could also elevate it over the top with Rhubarb Compote and Coriander Creme to finish off the finest gourmet dinner. Either way it is a wonderful cake with texture light as angels wings and sophisticated flavor.
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The Day After: Turkey in Mole Olé Sauce
November 23rd. The morning after. As the food coma fades, we find ourselves fridge-gazing at the thought of any more mashed potatoes. The traditional flavors of the season have begun to seem dull and we ask ourselves a question mankind has pondered since the dawn of time: How can we jazz up the leftovers?Enter the mole! This hearty sauce using our Mole Olé blend satisfies the craving for an exotic departure from standard fall flavors and transforms your leftovers into a delicious new dish too easy to believe. Make it a day or two before the marathon holiday cooking begins so that it's all ready to combine with leftover shredded turkey on Thanksgiving Friday. Use it to stuff enchiladas, wet burritos smothered in more of the glorious sauce, or as a filling for tacos.
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Dawn's Apple Cranberry Pie
This is not your average apple pie. Dawn's apple cranberry pie takes an All-American classic for a spin, with cranberries and currants soaked in fragrant liqueur and seasoned with Ras el Hanout. This seasonal and festive fruit combination makes a great addition to any holiday table. When making the recipe, be sure to macerate the apples with sugar and spices for a few hours. This step is key to getting the perfect texture and flavor infusion! You can use your favorite homemade or store bought pie crust for this recipe, including gluten-free.
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Warm Winter Sangria
Spiced wine? Mulled cider? We say "choose both" with this Warm Winter Sangria. Mulled wine alone can be too harsh, and mulled cider too sweet. Put them together with a touch of honey and orange, and the drink comes out just right.Choose a full bodied wine whose shelf-talker boasts of black or red cherry flavors that will complement the mulling spice, but with a price that won't break the bank. Mid-shelf Pinot Noir or Cabernet are good choices, and an unfiltered and unsweetened cider is the perfect complement. We were lucky enough to have one straight out of the press and it made this Warm Winter Sangria all the more flavorful. Don't forget the Mulling Spice!
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Pink Peppercorn and Ginger Poached Pears
Here's a show-stopping dessert from from My Two Souths and Chef Asha Gomez. this gorgeous Pink Peppercorn and Ginger Poached Pears recipe. on her love of pears here in the US, From the author: "Although India received pears from China many centuries ago, and they are grown and available most commonly in the northern provinces, they are still not nearly as beloved a fruit as the mango. In the southern US, pears struggle to compete with peaches, which are harvested regionally about the same time in the summer and into the fall. But when it comes to poaching - and I love poaching all types of fruit - the pear seems to be the best fruit, with its ability to retain its shape and its blossoming flavor. Because of importation and advanced agricultural practices, lovely ripe pears are available at the grocery store at almost any time of the year. However, for this recipe I chose a darling little pear called Seckel, also known as a sugar pear, because it is unrivaled in terms of sweetness. With a short, round, chubby appearance, sugar pears offer an off-white to pale yellow flesh that is slightly more dense and coarse than other varieties; they embody the phrase "good things come in small packages." Seckel pears - or many other varieties for that matter, such as Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett - are perfect for this dessert since they readily absorb the flavors and fragrance of the ginger and sweet pink peppercorns. Serve these for a stunning fall dessert."
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