Recipes
Flour Tortillas
It's no secret that flour tortillas are champions of versatility! You can top them with anything, fill them with anything, and they work great for snacks or for meals. What's less well known, however, is that they're also incredibly easy to make! Really! And nothing beats a fresh, warm tortilla.When making tortillas at home, use the opportunity to be creative! By using different spices or flours, you can inject a little flair into your recipe, and make your tortillas truly unique! In this recipe, we use Saffron and Butterfly Pea Flower to give our tortillas unique and distinctive colors. You can substitute a portion of the all-purpose flour for other flours, too, for more flavor and texture variety.Recipes such as this one traditionally use lard, but we've found that vegetable oil makes a perfectly suitable substitution. It's easy to double or triple this recipe, and they'll keep in your refrigerator in an airtight container for a couple of weeks. Homemade tortillas are best when fresh, though, and we don't think you'll have any problem finding ways to use them!
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Saffron Raspberry Rolls
Using a bit of creativity, spices can be the perfect spark to elevate familiar comfort foods to new heights. This is especially true when they are utilized in nontraditional ways. These rolls are elegant and exotic, using saffron to get their beautiful sunshine yellow color. Although saffron is subtle and floral, it has a buttery aspect that is perfect for baked goods.Saffron threads are the stamen of the crocus flower, and it is the most expensive spice in the world. As a pairing to this precious flavor, we used raspberries as the filling for a tart fruity contrast. These decadent rolls are intriguing, yet still comforting, and will impress any crowd.
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Goulash
Goulash is a big bowl of comfort! We used Hungarian Paprika and Caraway Seed to make this rich tomato beef stew. Hungarian Paprika is bright and mildly sweet, while the Caraway Seed is nutty and earthy. Both of these serve as an excellent base to bring out the hearty flavors of the beef and the tomato's umami character. When you're looking for something rich and flavorful, goulash is a perfect answer. This meal is made of kitchen staples, which is perfect for when you have no idea what to cook. Chances are, you've got most of the ingredients already on hand! Goulash is delicious with your carb of choice. Potatoes, pasta, rice or root vegetables all work equally well. For our photo-shoot, we used egg noodles as a family favorite.
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Scary-Good Shortbread Cookies
Boo! Now THIS is playing with food. Let your creativity run wild, or scary, or holiday with this simple shortbread recipe. There are endless flavor combinations. The shortbread is buttery and not too sweet which makes it easily adaptable to a range of flavors and a perfect pairing for your fall beverage of choice. For Halloween we've used Matcha to make the spooky Frankenstein and Advieh for the pumpkins, but adapt the recipe to your taste. If you smell a spice and it makes you think of cookies, bake with it!
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Gingerbread Caramels
Some spices are just born leaders, with big loud voices and an overwhelming presence. Mace can be one of those show-offs, unless properly tamed. Mace is actually the lacy outer covering of the nutmeg, but its flavor is a bit earthier than nutmeg - think bass vs. soprano. Here we're getting the most out of it's character by combining it with other spices to recreate the scintillating flavor of freshly baked gingerbread, but in a soft, chewy caramel candy, perfect for gift-giving this holiday season.Now there's nothing to fear in caramel making, as long as you follow a few simple rules. Rule #1 is know your altitude. Sugar cooks quicker (which means that water evaporates faster, and that's what control's your ultimate texture) at higher altitudes, so the general rule is to subtract 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level from your final temperature. For example, our basic, sea level recipe calls for a final cooking temperature of 240 F. for a soft caramel. My kitchen is around 3000 ft., so, after a bit of experimenting, I finally altered the target temperature to 238 F. It may take a few tries to find the softness that you prefer - I like my caramels a bit on the softer side. The second rule to follow is to STIR CONTINUOUSLY while cooking the caramel. Dairy products burn really easily at high temperatures, and you don't want that. Thirdly, know your thermometer. Test it by filling a large glass with ice and enough water to separate the cubes. Let it sit for a minute, then insert your thermometer - it should read 32 degrees. If not, make a note of how far off it is, and adjust your cooking accordingly. And remember, the caramel mixture will be extremely hot, so resist the temptation to taste it until it's cooled off. I like to keep a dab on my spatula for tasting purposes, since it will cool off quickly. Follow these few rules, and you'll find yourself on the road to candy making success.Note: To make clean up a breeze, after you pour out the caramel refill the pot with water. Cover and bring to a boil, then set aside for a few minutes. The hot water and steam will help dissolve the cooked sugars.
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Hopi Beef Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings
When the weather starts to cool off, there's nothing quite so comforting as a hot bowl of chunky, homemade stew. This Southwestern style Hopi Beef Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings brings together some of the crops which originated in the Americas - squash, pumpkin, chile peppers and, most importantly, corn.Corn is considered sacred amongst the Pueblo and Navajo people, and plays an important role in their legends, ceremonies and daily lives. Most of us are used to only seeing yellow corn, but it also comes in a variety of colors, including red, blue and multi-colored. Here, we've combined yellow cornmeal along with other traditional ingredients and our own New Mexico Chili Powder, a mild, earthy blend of New Mexico chile, guajillo chile, paprika, cumin, garlic and onion. We've also included our own Alderwood smoked salt and, in the dumplings, some ground sage to bring a dash of Southwestern flavor.Recipe adapted from Marcia Keegan, "Pueblo and Navajo Cookery," Earth Books, 1977
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Mexican Street Corn
Full of flavor and a crowd pleasing party food, Mexican Street Corn has become a seasonal favorite. The rich roasted corn topped with creamy sauce is the perfect base for our Yucatan Rojo BBQ Rub. The spices are subtle and complement the corn with hints of cumin, allspice and true cinnamon. Annatto seeds add a pop of color and earthy base while fresh cilantro and lime finish the dish.
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Tamale Soup
Who can resist a tamale dumpling? Not us! Inspired by Rick Bayless's Chipotle Beans with Masa "Gnocchi" we decided to give these little cuties a spice makeover and pop them into a belly warming chicken soup. We dubbed it Tamale Soup after the first bite because it has all the goodness of a tamale, but in soup form. It is a hearty crowd pleasing soup with bold flavors, perfect for game day or family get togethers. Slow cooked chicken thighs seasoned with plenty of our Adobo spice made a savory base for the little masa dumplings. We infused the dough with a healthy measure of our Chorizo Bomb for a big bite of flavor, and just like tamales, you can't take just one bite!
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Pumpkin Pie with Apple Butter & Candied Ginger Streusel
This is spiced pumpkin pie is one to love! It's more than minimalist but doesn't try too hard, pleasing both those who love the time honored classic versions and those who want something a little more interesting. Combining apple butter and pumpkin makes the most of falls harvest and the ginger and walnuts in the streusel are a delightful complement. And you can't go wrong with our original twist on Pumpkin Pie Spice, with a hint of orange and a pinch of cayenne, this blend never falls flat. Enjoy!
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