Recipes
Cranberry Quince Paste
This magical combination brings quince into the spotlight and adds a new level of flavor to the cranberries on your holiday table. Quince is a fanciful fruit, with a bright aroma and a taste of ripe pear and key lime. Ripe quince can be found in Seattle backyards around the early fall. Finding them frozen at a Latin or Asian grocery store is another option too.The key to success is reducing the quince and cranberry paste far enough that the pectin found in the quince will gel up and keep its shape when cooled. This paste will taste nostalgic to those who like the solid sauce, but far from the canned variety you had as a kid. It'll be sharp enough to cut any rich side dishes but also be warm and sweet from the cinnamon and star anise found in the Mulling Spice.If you're unable to find quince, a firm pear with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice will be a good substitute. As the sauce reduces it should cook down thick enough that when you scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon the jam won't immediately fill in the space again.
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Grandma's Lemon Wedges
You can never have too many lemon bar recipes, but this one is the only one that you need. This was my Grandma's recipe, and the stains on the recipe card are a testament to how often it's been made. Most lemon bars are made too sweet to cut the tartness of the lemon, but the addition of the glaze in this recipe balances out the sweet and tart lemon flavor perfectly. Sometimes I add poppy seeds to the shortbread crust or sprinkle sumac on top just for fun. These can be made in a square pan and cut into bars, but look pretty cut in wedges too. Make these and I'm sure that they will disappear as quickly as they always did in our home.
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Noon Chai
Tackling new culinary challenges is one of my great joys, and I'm always on the lookout for new techniques to try. As it happens, I also love all things floral and pink so when I came across this Noon Chai, it went to the top of my list. Traditionally made for brides on their wedding day or for special occasions, the drink gets its beautiful color from aerating the green tea and adding a pinch of baking soda. The two react, creating a deep rouge color. Never did I realize that a cup of tea would require such a technique! After several failed attempts on mastering this delicacy, luck would have it that a wonderful customer at the spice shop gave me some important tips!The result was unlike any cup of tea I've ever had. The tea is creamy, floral and scented with Green Cardamom Pod, Star Anise and Roses — with just a little Himalayan Pink Salt. We garnished the tea with pistachios, rose petals and a star anise, making it a tasty afternoon treat. The marriage between sweet and salty is just perfect.A special thanks to Hassaan Arshad, for sharing his Mom's technique and giving me the tools to master this treat!
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Saffron Poached Leeks
This versatile side dish will become a spring time staple. Perfect alongside everything from roast meat to vegetarian pasta, the leeks are tender, buttery and melt in your mouth. After a little prep work they cook slowly in a bath of chardonnay, chicken stock and butter. You can season them simply with a crack of pepper or make them extra special with a couple of pinches of Saffron to add elegant flavor and a beautiful yellow hue. This dish is a welcome addition to any Springtime table.
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Stout Pickled Mustard Seeds
Add a crunchy pop of flavor to your next sandwich or cheese board with Stout Pickled Mustard Seeds. Yellow Mustard Seed and Brown Mustard Seed make an appealing calico combination and the flavor pairing with rich creamy stout and aromatic shallots is a winner. This quick and easy treat keeps in the refrigerator for up to two months, so make ahead and keep some on hand or scale up the batch and make some for gifting.
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Wild Rice with Savory and Oyster Mushrooms
Healthy and versatile, this side dish has a great combination of texture and flavor. The nutty base of wild rice is studded with crisp chunks of tart apple and chewy cranberries, although dried tart cherries would also be delicious.These complement the umami of the mushrooms and the salty shavings of cheese. The secret ingredient that brings it all together is Savory. If you've never played with this herb, this dish is the perfect stage. Traditionally used in French herbal blends, savory is a powerhouse of flavor, delivering notes of like pepper, thyme and rosemary that make the one ingredient taste like many. This hearty side dish can be served with just about any protein alongside and is great for brunch through dinner. We also admit to eating it cold straight from the fridge the next day.
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Peppercorn Shortbread
Shortbread takes a walk on the wild side with a globe trotting parade of pepper- Vietnamese peppercorns, green peppercorns, grains of paradise and pink peppercorns. all make an appearance and lend their unique flavors to the mix. These cookies are easy and everything BUT boring. This short bread is spicy, sweet and has a kick that makes them perfect for dunking in something warm and creamy like your favorite Chai or some warm milk with turmeric.
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Rosemary Cottage Cheese Cookies
Vintage cookbooks offer up some curiously great recipes and this one from the 1930's is no exception. Cottage cheese cookies are an intriguing prospect and in this case, grandma DID know best - the resulting dough is light, tender and full of flavor. The addition of rosemary and apricot jam adds a festive flair.Rosemary is wonderful in sweet applications and pairs well with most fruity jams or jellies. Cherry or blackberry would be wonderful in these, as well. This cookie is a perfect for a cookie exchange, or just as a slightly sweet accompaniment with a cup of tea or coffee.
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Mulled Wine Poached Pears
The striking color of these poached beauties comes from simmering the pears in Merlot with sugar. Letting them soak overnight and bathing them in the reduced sauce afterwards. These pear-fect morsels can be served alongside ice cream, as a dessert all on their own, or as an accessory to cheese plates. For this version of the recipe, we used our Mulling Spice to infuse the poaching liquid. The warm aromatics of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom are an excellent accompaniment to the Merlot, and will leave your kitchen smelling lovely as an added bonus!
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