Matters of Taste

Toqué! --- The Book, The Blog, The Beautiful Food

When I wrote earlier this week about the many wonders of Montreal chef Normand Laprise's kitchen, I attributed the blog All Toqué'd Out to him. Turns out this very cool blog with exceptional photography is the work of a French-Canadian food-lover who is methodically cooking his way throught Laprise's book, Toqué! Chef Normand and his restaurant, Toqué!, have no connection to the blog.

On the blog, David, the cook, and his "close-minded, picky vegetarian" partner, Melissa, share mouth-watering photos that show their glamorous final dishes as well as all the sometimes-tricky steps along the way. The blog's tone is conversational and user-friendly.

Check out the blog; then head to Amazon to buy chef Normand Laprise's book for yourself.

                                                MAPLE SYRUP CARAMELIZED ASPARAGUS  

                                  

                                   BANANA SORBET AND MOUSSE WITH DRY SAFFRON MERINGUE 

                                  

                 

                                               ASPARAGUS MOUSSE WITH BURNT BUTTER    

                                   
 

                                            

Shine On, Shine On "Full Corn Moon" Up In The Sky...

The Harvest Moon made a dramatic appearance last night. Also called the Full Corn Moon, the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox was said by Native Americans to mark the best time for harvesting corn. (According to the Farmers Almanac, “At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon.”)

All of which is serendipitous timing from my standpoint, as I’m in southwestern Colorado listening to heated debates over the merits of Olathe Sweet Corn vs. Abundant Life Corn at the Telluride Farmers Market each week.

                         


Olathe is a one-square-mile town, between the airport towns of Montrose and Grand Junction. It has 1,500 residents, a lot more corn stalks, and an annual Sweet Corn Festival that residents are very proud of. Abundant Life is a family-run farm, connected to the Abundant Life Church, in Hotchkiss, CO, a well-known agricultural area centered by Paonia, CO. Hotchkiss and Olathe are only 32 miles apart, but to hear the folks at Abundant Life talk about corn, they are in different universes.

I’ve been a fan of Olathe corn -- pale yellow, tender, super sweet -- for decades. I made the acquaintance of the Abundant Life operation last week at the Farmers Market in Telluride. I paid a buck an ear for their corn -- which they say is organic and hand-harvested -- and it was delicious. Yesterday I bought Olathe corn -- granted, a more commercial operation -- at the Montrose supermarket, 10 miles from Olathe. I paid 33 cents an ear and it was delicious. Clearly I’m not one of the folks involved in the heated arguments. To me, fresh, local, just-picked corn is one of the best parts of summer and I’ll take it any way I can get it.

(To be honest, though, I think Chino’s corn in Rancho Santa Fe north of San Diego is the best of all, followed very closely by any ear that grows in New Jersey!)

                                         
                                

Awash in corn, I decided to play with a new contraption by Kuhn Rikon that's designed to separate kernels from the cob a lot more safely than the standard knife approach. The Corn Twister is attractive, easy to clean, and amazingly fast. The hidden “teeth” whipped through a cob in seconds, releasing all the precious “milk” along with the kernels. It works best with slim ears. The heftier ears require a bit of elbow grease when the teeth get to the wide part of the cob.

The Corn Twister costs about $16 at Sur La Table and other kitchen emporiums as well as at Amazon.com. (Food-lovers in my town of La Jolla, CA will be happy to hear that a new Sur La Table, with an extensive calendar of classes, opened recently on Girard.)

I twisted my way through four ears of corn to make this easy but elegant dish, from a New York Times recipe. The chicken “cutlets” had a very fine crust thanks to the Dijon and flour; the “salad,” with yellow squash, lemon juice, jalapeno and cilantro was a celebration of summer.

CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH CORN SALAD

 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/4 pounds, pounded thin

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil                    

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 ears corn, kernels stripped

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced

1 medium-size yellow summer squash, diced

Salt and ground black pepper

1 medium yellow tomato, diced

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves

Mix mustard and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a shallow dish. Cut each chicken breast in half, place in the mustard mixture, turn to coat both sides and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet, add onion and sauté on low a few minutes, until softened. Add corn, chile and squash and continue to cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, fold in tomato, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade and dust with flour. Heat remaining oil in a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan on medium-high heat and sear chicken, turning once, until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes a side. Arrange on a serving platter. Add cooking oil to salad, fold in cilantro and spoon over and around chicken.

Serves 4. 

 

In Praise of Iceberg Lettuce

I was very excited to see “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” and author Deb Perelman win the "Julia Child
Award for Best First Cookbook" at the 2013 IACP conference. (IACP is the International Association of Culinary Professionals, which counts more than 3,000 food, beverage and hospitality professionals
worldwide as members.) 

                                                   

I tested recipes from this book earlier this year and loved every dish I made. The recipes are user-friendly, creative without being contrived, and delicious.  I also enjoyed Perlman’s breezy, down-to-earth conversational tone. She is able to connect with both sophisticated home cooks who know their way around a kitchen and the Whole Foods cheese department, and terrified novices who will appreciate how she makes magic happen in her own weensy New York City kitchen. And her photos are mouth-watering inspirations.  

There were dozens of dishes that screamed out “Pick me -- I am divine” as I read the book. Two of them --- the Blueberry Cornmeal Butter Tart, and the Iceberg Stack with Blue Cheeses and Radishes --- are now permanent fixtures at our house. (Photo from TheGreenBeet.com.)

                              

Here’s the recipe for the Iceberg Stack. For the rest of the yummies, buy the book on Amazon.com.

Iceberg Stack with Blue Cheese & Radishes 

Serves 4 to 5

Dressing
1/2   cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2   cup mayonnaise 
1       tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2    teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1       small clove garlic, minced
1/4    teaspoon table salt
1/8    teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad
4  ounces pancetta in 1/4-inch dice or bacon in slices
1  stalk celery, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup radishes in 1/4 inch dice
1-pound head of iceberg lettuce, trimmed & cored, sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
1/2 cup firm blue cheese, crumbled (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Brown the pancetta or bacon in a frying pan until it is crisp. Drain on paper towels, and let cool. If you are using bacon, chop or crumble into small bits. Toss the celery and radishes together in a small dish.

Place the largest slice of iceberg carefully on a platter. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of dressing, then sprinkle with a little of the radish-celery mixture, a little bacon, a little blue cheese, then chives. Place the next largest slice of lettuce on top and repeat, adding dressing, radishes and celery, bacon, blue cheese and chives. Repeat with the remaining slices, stacking and staggering decoratively. If any ingredients remain, sprinkle them over the top.

The Best-Dressed Beef Tenderloin

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the impressive way San Francisco chef Gary Danko wraps a loin of meat or a filet of fish in a delicate “crust.” Sometimes the crust is minced herbs, sometimes it’s crushed hazelnuts or pistachios, sometimes fragrant juniper berries or tangy horseradish. The contrast between the coating of crunch and the juicy, scarlet-hearted meat is stunning.

                            


Danko was willing to share a recipe with me. Here’s his Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Orange-Juniper Crust. Chef Danko normally makes the dish with bison, but I doubt that I have a lot of readers game for that adventure. The filet is served with creamed porcini mushrooms, caramelized baby onions and handmade spätzle. If you don’t have time for the whole production, I’d suggest pairing the filet with buttery mashed potatoes and calling it a huge success.

Roast Loin of Bison with Porcini Mushrooms, Cioppolini Onions and Herb Spätzle

Serves 6

3 pounds of bison loin or beef tenderloin, cleaned of all fat and connective tissue and tied every inch with butchers twine

1 quart beef stock, reduced to 1 cup

For the Orange-Juniper Crust

 2 teaspoons grated orange rind

¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

¼ teaspoon rosemary

¼ teaspoon chopped sage

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon juniper berries

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Prepare orange-juniper crust by blending all ingredients in a small bowl. This may be done ahead of time. Prepare beef tenderloin and tie every inch with butchers twine. Pat orange crust onto the surface of the meat. Let rest, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours.

To roast, place loin on a sheet pan fitted with a rack. Roast in a 350 degree oven until rare for 20 to 30 minutes or until 125 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove the twine, lightly salt the surface of the meat and slice thinly. Arrange on plate or platter with the heated mushrooms, Cioppolini onions and herb Spätzle. Bring beef stock to a boil, season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon over the meat. Serve.

Herb Spätzle

3/4 pound all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 pound spinach, blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds, cooled, and wrung out in paper towels

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 teaspoon minced tarragon

 In a bowl combine the flour, nutmeg and salt. In an electric blender combine the blanched spinach, chives, parsley, tarragon and water and puree until smooth, add the eggs and milk. Whisk into the flour mixture until you achieve a thick sticky paste. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Force the paste through a sieve into the boiling water. Allow the Spätzle to float to the top. Remove from water and cool in cold water. Do in small batches. Drain, coat with a small amount of oil and keep cold until needed.

To reheat, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, season with salt and add Spätzle.   Return to boil and simmer until hot. You may hold it in the oven for a few minutes. The Spätzle should absorb the liquid and should be still be separate. If too dry, add more liquid; if too wet, drain before serving.

Caramelized Cioppolini onions

1 pound Cioppolini onions, peeled, leaving the root end trimmed but still attached

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup white wine

1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 cup chicken stock

Salt to taste

In a sauté pan large enough to hold the onions in a single layer, melt butter. Place onions in the pan and cook over medium heat until they start to turn golden brow, be careful not to burn them. Shake the pan often, tossing the onions around. Deglaze with white wine and balsamic vinegar and reduce to a glaze.  Add chicken stock and pinch of salt and simmer until rich brown and tender. Onions should remain whole. Set aside and gently reheat when needed.

Porcini Mushrooms

1 pound porcini or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned or any dirt and cut into smaller pieces

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon grated garlic

2 tablespoons Italian parsley

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Salt to taste

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in sauté pan. Add mushrooms and sauté until all the liquids have concentrated. In the center of the pan melt the remaining butter, quickly stir the garlic and parsley into the melted butter and then mix in all the mushrooms. Be careful to not burn the garlic. Stir in the cream and reduce to a thickness that will just cling to the mushrooms. Salt to taste. Reserve and gently reheat when needed.

Justice (and Soup!) Served

I had Jury Duty yesterday. After four hours of sitting in the Juror Lounge, reading newspapers (fresh and stale) and hoping against hope that my name wouldn’t be called for a trial, I was sent packing with my fellow “potential jurors” for a two-hour “lunch.”

I wandered the streets of downtown San Diego for a while, shopped a bit and finally ended up in the café at Nordstrom where I ordered the soup of the day, Chicken Watercress. It was sensational – a lightly thickened tangle of tangy watercress “ribbons” and tender nubbins of chicken that looked and tasted like they had been hand-shredded from the bird by Grandma herself (as opposed to hard, dense cubes hacked by machines). Very simple, very classic, very delicious.

                                   

The recipe isn’t in any of the Nordstrom cookbooks. However, in perusing the "Nordstrom Family and Friends Cookbook," I came upon a soup that sounds even better. And, given the frigid temperatures we’re experiencing this week, Nordstrom's Chicken Pot Pie Soup (above) is an ideal dinner solution. I plan to make it tonight. Here’s the recipe. (Photo from Foodspotting.com.)

 

NORDSTROM CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP

(slightly adapted)

 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2  chicken breast halves with skin on and bone in

1 medium onion, sliced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)

1 stick butter, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice

6 mushrooms, quartered

2 unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup thawed frozen peas

Combine broth, 1 cup water, chicken breasts, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and turn down to simmer. Add parsley, thyme and peppercorns; partially cover and cook slowly until chicken is tender and cooked through (approx.. 30 minutes).

Strain into a heatproof bowl, reserving the broth. Place chicken on carving board and set aside to cool.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven. Place the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a heatproof medium bowl and let stand at room temperature to soften. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms to heated Duth oven and cook, stirring until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stir well. Stir in 4 cups reserved broth and bring to a simmer. (Reserve the remaining broth for another recipe. Can be frozen.) Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add flour to softened butter and mash with a fork or rubber spatula to make a smooth paste. Whisk in about 2 cups of cooking liquid from the Dutch oven to make a thin paste. Whisk this mixture back into the Dutch oven along with cream. Simmer until the soup is velvety smooth and lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and peas and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

 

 

 

 

You CAN Go Home Again -- Coffee Mallow

When I was little my favorite dessert was the Coffee Mallow that my grandmother made.  I got the very important job of snipping marshmallows into a bowl, using a pair of big-people scissors. Nana then poured hot brewed coffee over the heap and I stirred until most of the sticky bits were melted but some chunks remained. Then we whipped cream with a rotary whisk, and folded it into the mix. Not haute, but undeniably happy cuisine. (This photo, from Taste of Home, shows the dessert dusted with crushed Oreos, a step my grandmother skipped.)

                                       

Last week I attempted to “upgrade” the concoction using artisanal marshmallows instead of Kraft, and Illy Caffe espresso instead of the inexpensive A&P blend my grandmother used.

Handmade marshmallows are the rage these days, with countless recipes on-line and in cookbooks, and dozens of small-batch companies making the cloud-like nuggets. (Plush Puffs is one of the best.)

Unfortunately, my local Whole Foods had only their own brand of Peppy Peppermint Handcrafted Marshmallows in stock, and the idea of a peppermint-espresso  marriage didn’t thrill me.  So I substituted Ghirardelli hot chocolate for the coffee and snipped, whipped and folded my way straight back to my grandmother’s kitchen.

The result was as luscious as ever. Much sweeter than the original coffee version, but a perfect blend of fluff and lump, and a great catalyst for reminiscing, and sharing those memories with my own kids.

                                            

No sooner did I lap and smack the last of the “mallow” in my bowl than I serendipitously stumbled upon a months-old Wall Street Journal article about the lowly but “universally loved” marshmallow. Reporter Jennifer Levitz claims that marshmallow products are found in the pantries of 46 percent of U.S. households. Her fascinating article focuses on Marshmallow Fluff, the snowy white marshmallow cream that’s been made in Lynn, Mass. since the 1920s.

                                      

I loved the article because I've been a Fluff fan since birth (in Lynn, Mass., by the way). But what really grabbed me was a factoid about the origin of the marshmallow. After 25-plus years as Food Editor and Columnist of the Union-Tribune, I thought I had heard it all. But learning that the marshmallow was originally made in Egypt from the mallow plants that grew in marshes there was a jaw-dropping “You’ve got to be kidding!” moment. Read more here.

 

Hog Wild -- Christmas Week at Our House

Charles Dickens may have considered a fat goose to be the de rigueur Christmas feast. But at our house last week it was all pork, all the time.

Bauernschmaus headlined the menu for Christmas Eve. Known as Choucroute Alsacienne in France, this Tyrolean specialty is a heaping mound of apple- and bacon-flecked sauerkraut hiding a treasure trove of pork sausages and smoked pork chops. It’s topped with fat, fluffy dumplings known as knödeln.

                                 

My husband and I have enjoyed Bauernschmaus on Christmas Eve (and other wintery nights) since 1977 when we discovered the “farmer’s feast” while living in Innsbruck, Austria.The impressive one-pot wonder is remarkably easy to make. First, sauté a chopped large onion or two until caramelized. Add large jar of (drained) sauerkraut to the pan; mix in two thinly sliced green apple (skin left on) and top it all with two or three strips of bacon. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, discard the bacon, and add all the goodies.

This year I used fresh bratwurst, frankfurters and knockwurst, and several smoked pork chops, all from Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad, CA. The semolina dumplings were ready-made, in a bag that I just dropped into boiling water. I hope my Austrian friends don’t read this; it’s just too embarrassing. But making the dumplings from scratch is a challenging operation and Christmas Eve isn’t the time for challenging operations. I serve the hearty feast with a half dozen different types of mustard -- Bavarian sweet, stone-ground, honey, and Dijon among them; as well as horseradish sauce.

 Our Christmas Night Dinner was another porkathon, enjoyed on December 26th since the skiing on December 25 was too good to pass up and left no time for complicated dinner preparations. Our crisp, oversized Beggar’s Purses were filled with chunks of pork tenderloin, slow-braised with Anderson Valley Brewing Company Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale, onions and dried cranberries. Each slice of pork was topped with my cousin Wendy’s Red Onion Marmalade (recipe follows), then wrapped in butter-sloshed phyllo dough. It wasn’t the prettiest package at the party (I do not recommend the Athens brand's skimpy phyllo sheets), but it was festive (with broccoli puree and mashed Yukon Golds on the side) and delicious. 

                               

A couple day’s later, son Ben volunteered an exotic menu of Pork Vindaloo with basmati rice, mango chutney and naan. He made the fragrant stew in the pressure cooker (far more efficient at 9,000 feet), adapting Lorna Sass’ recipe from “The Pressured Cook.” Made with coarse-grained mustard, fresh ginger, toasted cumin seeds, dried red chiles, coconut milk, Yukon Golds and frozen peas, it was a colorful and lively antidote to the rich food of earlier nights.

Not to be outdone, son Nicholas whipped up Tacos Al Pastor for the final pork party of the week. No tacky taco shells for this guy. No quick-grilled tenderloin, or packaged seasoning mix. This labor of love involved a hunk of pork shoulder, painstakingly trimmed and sliced into fat slabs that spent the night in a marinade of dried guajillo, ancho and chipotle chiles, fresh lime and orange juices, Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, garlic and a splash of Coca-Cola. (The recipe is from Food & Wine.)

                                       

At showtime, Nicholas grilled the meat on the Ducane, along with fat slices of onion and fresh pineapple, then chopped and piled the succulent pork atop tiny warm corn tortillas from La Tortilla Ria in nearby Telluride, CO. Chopped grilled onion and pineapple added the finishing touches, along with a last-minute flurry of chopped red onion and cilantro.

All in all, a week-long pig-out to remember.

Here's Wendy Neal's recipe for Red Onion Marmalade. It makes about 2 1/2 cups.

 

Olive Oil (3/4 - 1 cup)

3 1/2 lbs red onion (sliced thin)

Red pepper to taste

1 cup brown brown sugar (packed)

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup Sherry

1 - 2 tbs grated ginger

Heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add onions and red pepper and cook over low heat until tender, at least 40 minutes. Add sugar, vinegar, Sherry and ginger. Cook until onions are really tender (I cooked them another 30-40 minutes) and begin to caramelize. They should become thick and dark.

 

#1 Turkey Day Task: Work Up An Appetite

Every year on Thanksgiving Day, we invite our guests to arrive an hour before the first Cosmo is shaken, with old sneakers in hand, and we all set off on a mile-plus walk on the beach. The sunset is usually fabulous this time of year; it’s a great chance to schmooze; our black lab Geena is in heaven; and we all work off a few of the calories  to come.

This year my husband and I went one better. We spent the week before Thanksgiving at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. The first spa in North America (founded in 1940), it’s a vast, unspoiled property, offering delicious vegetarian fare and a staggering array of exercise, fitness and wellness classes.

                                     

I was a visiting speaker for the week, giving a presentation called “Feats & Eats: How a Food Writer Ate Her Way Around the World for 30 Years Without Gaining Pounds or Inches.” (The talk touches on great food at great restaurants over the globe and appealing, accessible exercise options in the vicinity of each.)

At the Ranch, every day is one big, movin’-and-groovin’ adventure. The morning starts at 6:15 am with a rigorous 3.5- or 5.5-mile hike up Mt. Kuchumaa which frames the resorts 3,000 acres. A typical day’s “class schedule” includes Mountain Hike, Stretch and Relax, Pilates Matwork, Cardio Hip-Hop, Tennis Clinic, Sand Volleyball, Cardio Kickboxing, Latin Dance, and Trekking: Treadmill Workout.

                                     

And, the food is fabulous. Unlike the bland, uninspired fare at many spas, Ranch food is creative, delicious, beautifully presented, and satisfying. The menu is mostly vegetable based (though there is a seafood option a couple times a week), with all herbs and many fruits and veggies coming from the Ranch’s own extensive gardens.  Grilled Polenta with Sautéed Spinach, Lentil Medley, Roasted Carrots & Red Bell Pepper Sauce was one of the entrees that struck my fancy last week.

But, to me, the most impressive part of every meal is the salad, and the salad dressing in particular. I’ve been a guest for at least 20 days over several years, and I don’t remember ever seeing the same salad twice.  Every one has been a beautiful still-life, and every dressing has offered unique flavors and supremely satisfying mouthfeel, with minimal fat and calories.(In the photo: Roasted Pear & Arugula Salad with Pomegranate-Chipotle Vinaigrette.)

                                              

Last week I discovered my all-time favorite: Mint Salad Dressing, made with one of the many types of mint grown on the property. It was so good, I went back to the buffet for extra steamed and raw vegetables, just so I’d have something to dip in the luscious nectar.

We left Rancho La Puerta feeling fit, healthy, and well-rested, ready for the Thanksgiving week onslaught of food and drink, family, friends and fun.

I also left with the recipe for the mint dressing.

(For more info about Rancho La Puerta, check out its Website or read my blog posts about the experience.)

MINT-JALAPENO DRESSING

Makes 2 cups

3 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup fresh mint leaves or combination of mint and basil

1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped

1 cup water

½ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup agave syrup or honey

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In a blender, combine all the ingredients, pulsing until smooth.

I'll Drink to "Thymes Like These"

Last month I blogged about the inspired “Thymes Like These” cocktail that’s served at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, VA. I was lucky enough to taste the herbal, citrus-spiked creation recently at a State Department event introducing the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership.

                                               

Bartender/Craftsman Todd Thrasher was shaking up this quirky quaff at the party. Not only did it taste great –- bright, bracing, aromatic -- but it expanded my drinking horizons. Until then I was only vaguely familiar with one of the ingredients, Cocchi Americano, but learned from Thrasher (and subsequent research) that it’s a fortified white wine aperitif, created in Italy in 1891 but widely introduced in the US only in 2010. The Moscato-style wine is infused with cinchona bark (the original source of quinine), citrus peel, spices and other botanicals.  The aperitif is crisp and citrusy with a pleasing hint of bitterness.

 

                                                      

I wasn’t familiar with Citadelle gin either, since I do most of my summertime G&Ts with Tanqueray or Hendricks. (Citadelle is a French gin, complex yet subtle, that’s aged in Cognac barrels. It’s a blend of about 18 botanicals and doesn’t have the in-your-face juniper flavor of many other gins.)

And, I had never contemplated tossing fresh thyme into a cocktail.  

But Thrasher, whose creations are dubbed “relentlessly innovative” by StarChefs.com, loves to incorporate seasonal ingredients into his creations and prides himself on the 14 varieties of house-made bitters at his bar.

He was kind enough to share his recipe, so there’s no need for us to be thirsty in “Thymes Like These.”

"Thymes Like These"

1oz Citadelle gin

1 oz Coccchi Americano

3 tablespoons Thyme-Lime Mixture

Drops of Kaffir-Lime Bitters, to taste

Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

 

Thyme-Lime Mixture (adapted from Thrasher's recipe)

1 cup simple syrup

Large bunch of thyme, washed and patted dry

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Heat simple syrup until it comes to a gentle boil. Add thyme leaves. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve or chinois. Add lime juice and cool before using.

Note: Kaffir-Lime Bitters can be purchased, on-line, as such emporiums as Cocktail Kingdom.   

(Butter)Milk & Honey --- The Land of Pancakes

If you've gotta have a BIG birthday, you should at least get a BIG, flashy, splashy breakfast out of the deal.

That was my thinking this morning when I whipped up a tall stack of Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk & Honey Flapjacks. Yeah, yeah, I know that making pancakes from scratch is a very simple affair. But, honestly, I don't think from-scratch would taste any better than this nutty, naturally sweet mix.

                                    

The Baker Mills Kodiak Cakes mixes are made from 100% whole grain flours and contain no added fat, cholesterol or sugar. I took care of the "sugar" myself, layering the puffy, golden discs with fresh, local peaches from Palisade, Colorado, then drizzling them with Yo-Plait lemon yogurt and pureed berries. After I took the photo, I piled on a BIG dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Kodiak Cakes mixes, made in Salt Lake City, are available in many supermarkets, including City Market in Colorado and Vons in San Diego.