Can someone say sugar rush? Between the two holiday parties I went to this weekend and yesterday’s Triangle Cookie Swap, I may need to switch to an all-salad diet for the rest of the week!
Drop cookies, rolled cookies, bars, thumbprints – there was a cookie for every taste at the swap! We commandeered the front half of , laid out the cookies, and got to sampling. We all quickly realized that if we were going to taste each of the dozen-plus varieties we were going to have to pace ourselves. Folks split into small groups, each group sharing a cookie, and after a few minutes of tasting a consensus started to build. We all really liked cookies.
Alas there had to be a winner, and after the votes were tallied there was no question; one cookie went above and beyond. The victor was and her (wait for it) Brown Butter Almond Rosemary Cookies with Rosemary Caramel and Sea Salt Edges. They were, in a word, amazing. Elizabeth won a collection of holiday cookie cutters and a $15 gift certificate to .
I loved Elizabeth’s cookie, but in reality all of the cookies were delicious. Some of my favorites were the Mexican Wedding Cookies (from ), the Ginger Snaps (from Carrie of ), and the Jam Thumbprints (from Sara Nienow and her husband). Over the next few days and weeks I’ll be posting some of the recipes from the contest, but in the meantime leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite holiday cookie recipe is!
Many thanks to Chad of and his awesome staff for accommodating us! If you haven’t eaten at Market yet you are missing out!
The Triangle Cookie Swap was part of Green Eats Events, a series of locally-based, community-sourced food events around the Triangle. If you are interested partnering with Green Eats Events to host or plan an event, send an e-mail to matt[at]greeneatsblog[dot]com.
Today on , WUNC’s daily Carolina-focused show, host Frank Stasio led a discussion on the topic of corporate agriculture, the sustainable livestock movement, and whether or not a grass-based meat system is viable in America. The discussion was centered around the documentary and featured Director/Producer Graham Meriwether along with local farmers Suzanne Nelson of and Eliza MacLean of , and chef Jeff Barney of the and .
The discussion was intelligent and informative, free of some of the ad hominem industrial-ag-bashing that unfortunately permeates much of the sustainable agriculture community. Perhaps the point that I took most to heart from the program is that we as a country do not honor or even respect our farmers (be they conventional or sustainable) as much as we used to, and that if we are to get back to a sustainable, workable agriculture system in America we need to put farmers first.
A link to the audio for today’s show is below, along with a preview for American Meat. Take a listen and let me know what you think. Is a grass-based system viable in this country? What can we do to transition from the industrial process?
from on .
These pillowy clouds of cheesy heaven are the perfect party snack and will leave your guests begging for more. The puffs are super easy to make and can even be prepped ahead of time and baked off just as your guests are arriving! I used Blue D’Auvergne but you can use a gorgonzola, Maytag blue, or any semi-firm blue cheese you like.
Blue Cheese Puffs - makes 30-40 puffs
Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, in very small pieces
- 2 tsp fresh chives, chopped
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425F. In a small saucepan bring the water, butter, salt, & pepper to a boil over medium-high heat. Quickly add the flour and stir until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and dump the flour mixture into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let cool for a few minutes.
- On low speed, incorporate the eggs one at time. Once the batter has smoothed out add in the blue cheese and chives and mix for a few more seconds until the pieces of cheese are broken up into the dough.
- Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a wide, round tip (or use a plastic bag with the corner cut off to create about a half-inch opening). Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and pipe out the dough into small mounds, about the size of quarter, leaving about a half-inch space between each puff. Dip you finger into some warm water and gently press down on the peak of each puff to shape it into a round.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425F, then turn down the oven to 375F and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the puffs are golden brown. Serve hot. (You can also make the dough a few hours ahead of time, pipe out the puffs onto the pan and put it in the fridge until ready to bake.)
The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association is teaming up with my good friend Johanna Kramer () and Cary and Grace Kanoy of to offer workshops on how farmers can integrate social media into their business. The workshops will be held in various locations throughout the state.
With smart-phones, laptops, and digital cameras making the leap from the field to the web has never been easier. Farmers will learn how to utilize the power of social media to grow their customer base, and at the end of the workshop will have a working Twitter account and a customized Facebook page.
The workshop is only $10 and includes lunch. For more information and to RSVP visit the CFSA website:
December is here and the holiday shopping season is well under way. Let’s be honest, gift giving can be a real pain. Will she like this? Does he have that? Bah humbug!
Never fear! I’m back again this year with another list of five gifts under $50 that the foodie in your family is sure to love. As always, I encourage you to shop locally this holiday season, and I’ve included links to shops here in the Triangle for my local readers.
- Lodge 10.5″ Cast Iron Skillet – $24.95 (, Chapel Hill)
- This is far and away the most-used skillet in my kitchen. In fact, I use it so often that it just lives on top of my stop. These skillets come pre-seasoned and are super easy to care for. They are truly pans that will last a lifetime.
- Sir Walt’s Six-Pack – $50.99 (, Raleigh)
- This carefully curated selection of six wines comes from my favorite wine shop in the Triangle. At over 20% off retail price, you can’t go wrong with this great mix of truly drinkable wines. From reds to whites, new-world to old-world, this six-pack is sure to please the oenophile in your family. (Yes, I know its technically over the $50 limit, but its such a great bargain!)
- Cooking in the Moment, by Andrea Reusing – $35 (, Chapel Hill or , Durham)
- The first cookbook from local superstar and James Beard Award-winning chef Andrea Reusing is an ode to cooking locally and seasonally. You won’t find any of the high-brow, Asian-influenced dishes Reusing is known for at her nationally renowned Chapel Hill restaurant Lantern; rather this book is chock-full of recipes designed for the home kitchen, many of which Reusing herself cooks for her family on a regular basis. Triangle locals will recognize appearances from many of their favorite farmers and food artisans sprinkled throughout the pages as well.
- The State Fare Gift Basket – $29.95 (, Chapel Hill)
- This is the perfect gift for us North Carolinians (natives and transplants alike) to give to our out-of-state friends and family. Carefully selected by the staff at Chapel Hill’s famous gourmet go-to, A Southern Season, the basket includes such southern staples as roasted pecans, peanut brittle. and of course cheese straws. You can purchase online or in-store, and they’ll even ship it for you!
- Joe Van Gogh Coffee - $11.99 – $25+ (, various locations & online)
- It should come as no surprise that I’m a coffee addict, and I also love to give coffee as a gift. Its a great way to introduce folks to a new blend and a new roaster, and hopefully dislodge them from their unfortunate Folger’s habits. Joe Van Gogh is one of my all-time favorite roasters; I particularly like their Cafe Femenino blend and their Yirgacheffe, but they can help you find the perfect roast for that special someone. And if that special someone doesn’t drink coffee? Well, honestly, is that ever truly going to work out?
Break out your baking sheets and dust-off Grandma’s famous cookie recipe because its time for a swap! In the spirit of the holidays, of sharing, and of devouring delicious cookies, I’m teaming up with the awesome folks at Market Restaurant in Raleigh to host the First Annual Triangle Cookie Swap! Come join some of your favorite local food bloggers as we nibble cookies, share a drink or two, and celebrate the wonderful food community we have here in the Triangle. Plus – there will be a prize for the baker of the crowd’s favorite cookie!
What: First Annual Triangle Cookie Swap
Where: , 938 N. Blount Street, Downtown Raleigh
When: Sunday, December 11th, 1pm
Rules:
- Each participant will bake at least 2 dozen cookies.
- All cookies must be homemade. No mixes!
- Participants are encouraged to bring copies of their cookie recipes to share.
- Bring an extra tupperware container to take all of your cookies home.
How it works:
- Everyone will get a chance to take at least one of the other cookies. Once everyone has gotten at least one of each of the different cookies, feel free to grab whatever extras are left!
- Participants will vote for their favorite cookie, with a great prize for the winner!
Special thanks to Chad of Market Restaurant for agreeing to host!
Ok, so I’m about six months late in terms of cherry season, but I love this video from Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs of Food52 making a cherry fool, not least because they use one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, the . Seriously, you need to own this cherry pitter (it works on olives too). Check out the video and mark your calendars for spring 2012 so you too can enjoy a fool.
from on .
This year and I had plans to celebrate Thanksgiving at the home of some good friends (who also ), but when one of them developed a killer migraine we were left to fend for ourselves. I function best under pressure and love last-minute deadlines, so the challenge of coming up with Thanksgiving plans on the fly appealed the OCD former event planner inside me. I quickly called up a few area hotels to check on their Thanksgiving brunches; all booked solid. There was an Indian restaurant open, but the hubby wasn’t in a curry mood. It was beginning to look grim when I settled on a plan: an all-sides Thanksgiving, cooked only from what I had in the house.
The bird was out, not only because I rarely never keep a spare turkey hanging around, but also because to me the turkey is the least important part of Thanksgiving. It’s only real use is as a vehicle for all those amazing side dishes. Besides, if you take the turkey out of the equation you remove most of the hassle and stress that surrounds the Thanksgiving meal. The husband had made a chocolate-mousse pie the night before, so dessert was figured out. I took stock of what I had in the kitchen and came up with a menu and a plan.
We’d have stuffing thanks to my incessant need to buy a fresh baguette every week (and only eat about a third of it). I had stocked up on stocks (ha!) due to a recent sale at Whole Foods, so I had enough for soup in addition to the stuffing. My love of pork products means I always have bacon in the fridge, toss that together with some Brussels sprouts and maple syrup and I had my veggie(ish) dish. The husband is in charge of all things mashed, and since his boss had gifted us a glut of potatoes from her CSA box he was in charge of some mashed potatoes, with some chèvre thrown in for fun.
After a leisurely afternoon of cooking, movies, and of course drinking, we sat down to a delicious and filling last-minute Thanksgiving meal that couldn’t have been easier. And of course we had leftovers to enjoy for the next few days. After the third helping of stuffing we didn’t even notice that we were missing the turkey; in fact, I think an all-sides Thanksgiving might just become a tradition!
Menu
- French bread stuffing with rosemary, cranberries, and toasted walnuts
- Roasted butternut squash soup
- Mashed potatoes with fresh chevre
- Brussels sprouts and bacon in a maple glaze
- Sage gravy
If you’re only going to watch one Thanksgiving cooking video, this should be it:
I tend to buy a lot of bread. Once a week I buy lunch at my local co-op, and I almost always end up buying a loaf of French bread because, well, they just look so damn tasty. Cut to two days later when I have a stale loaf of French bread sitting on my counter, and you can begin to see where this recipe came from.
Bread pudding is an ingenious way to use stale bread. You end up a hero instead of that schmuck who let the bread go bad. The bones of the recipe are simple; just a basic custard, some bread, and then whatever the hell else you have on hand. In my kitchen I almost always have chocolate and dried cranberries, and that flavor combination shows up often in my baking, hence this iteration of bread pudding.
It is absolutely essential that the bread be stale; if you can’t wait a day or two cut up the bread according to the recipe, spread it in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and put it in a low oven (175-200) for a while until its dried out. If you try this recipe with fresh bread you’ll end up with a soggy, sloppy mess. Other than that, feel free to add in whatever goodies you have on hand. Dried fruit, candied ginger, bits of peppermint, or chopped nuts would all work.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf stale French bread
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 4 eggs
- 2.5 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 pinches kosher salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the French bread into 1/4 thick slices, or cube (your preference)
- Arrange the bread pieces in an 8.5 x 11 inch oven-proof casserole dish. Sprinkle the cranberries and chocolate over the bread.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until combined (this is your custard base).
- Pour the mixture over the bread, pressing down to make sure each piece of bread is covered in the custard. Cover the dish with tin foil and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the bread soak.
- After the bread has soaked, place the dish in the oven and bake 45 min – 1 hour, until the center has set and no longer jiggles. Remove the tin foil from the dish during the last 15 minutes of baking to allow the top to get browned and crisp.
- Serve hot!
