a happy ending.
i am crazy for anything butterscotch & i have been known to enjoy some bourbon here & there. and here. and there. these little pots de creme are so good – luscious, thick & creamy & not too sweet. a dollop of crème fraîche adds a tangy contrast.
butterscotch-bourbon pots de crème (makes 12 individual servings)
adapted from bon appétit magazine
¾ stick unsalted butter
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla
1 ¼ C (packed) light brown sugar
3 ¾ C heavy cream
1 ½ C whole milk
2 T bourbon
¾ tsp. kosher salt
9 egg yolks
½ C cornstarch
4 ½ T sugar
crème fraîche
12 6-ounce ramekins
melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter begins to brown & smell nutty, about 3 minutes. add brown sugar & cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar starts to dissolve, about 2 minutes. add vanilla, cream, milk, bourbon & salt. bring to a simmer. remove from heat.
whisk egg yolks, cornstarch & sugar in a large bowl until smooth. slowly add cream mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. cook over medium heat, stirring often, until custard bubbles occasionally & starts to thicken, 5-6 minutes.
remove saucepan from heat, transfer mixture to a blender & blend briefly on low until smooth. place ramekins or bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. divide custard evenly among ramekins & chill until set, at least 3 hours.
top each pot de crème with a spoon of crème fraîche.
you say potato.
i love a gratin – cauliflower, potato, zucchini… perfect with a roast but also completely satisfying with a salad if you are skipping the meat. for this one with potatoes, i skipped the step of making a bechamel which made the whole thing come together in even less time. it went into the oven just after the lamb, i was able to enjoy my people & some tequila & an hour later -poof- dinner was on the table.
potato gratin (serves 10 – 12)
1 clove garlic, halved
2 T butter, softened
3 ½ – 4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled & very thinly sliced
2 C half & half
1 C whole milk
ground nutmeg (fresh, if possible)
salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ C gruyère, coarsely grated
2 T snipped chives
preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
rub a gratin dish or skillet with the cut side of the garlic & then coat with the softened butter.
over medium heat, place potatoes in a large dutch oven. add half & half, milk, nutmeg, salt & pepper. bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened slightly. pour the mixture into the prepared dish / skillet & top with gruyère. bake until the potatoes are tender & the top is deeply browned, about 45 minutes. let rest for 10 – 15 minutes, top with snipped chives & serve.
in like a lion & out like a lamb.
i made an incredibly simple & very delicious dinner for easter & to welcome spring. a simple hors d’oeuvres of endive with castello blue was followed by a perfectly roasted leg of lamb, creamy potatoes gratin & bright mixed greens with grapefruit & toasted hazelnuts. and for dessert there were individual bourbon-butterscotch pots de creme. i’ll start with the lamb.
roast leg of lamb with rosemary & mustard (serves 10 – 12)
12 cloves garlic
5 – 6 lb boneless leg of lamb
3 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 T dijon mustard
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper
preheat oven to 400 degrees.
in a small bowl, combine rosemary, mustard & olive oil. set aside.
unroll the lamb, lay it flat on a cutting board & remove any large pieces of gristle, sinew or fat. season the top surface of the lamb generously with salt and pepper. roll the lamb back up & tie it in several places, about 1 – 2 inches apart, with butcher’s twine. with a paring knife, make 12 – 1″ slits all over the lamb & place a clove of garlic in each slit. then, using your hands, spread the rosemary-mustard-oil over the outside of the meat. sprinkle with salt & pepper & place it in a shallow baking dish.
roast in the oven until the internal temperature reads 135°F to 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 ½ hours. transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. remove the twine, carve & serve.
lay(er) it on.
happy spring to you!!
terry cloth tunic, thrifted (old) / jeans, dittos / sandals, jessica simpson
link bracelet, tootsy treasures on etsy / link bracelet, a vintage jewelry chest on etsy
arm band, natureware on etsy / arrowhead necklace, tooth-n-nail on etsy
getting lucky.
in my mind’s eye, the ideal potluck is a creative feast of dishes, savory & sweet, colorful & fresh – an opportunity to dazzle your people with something new or something familiar & completely delicious. in reality, potlucks were pretty much ruined for me by my liberal arts college experience. the table was inevitably covered with crocks of bland curried lentils, pots of mushy black beans & bags of tortilla chips with too-garlicky humus. lots & lots of humus. fast forward to having a kid in elementary school. in berkeley. exactly. so here is my legume-free contribution to the table – a savory bread pudding with leeks, bacon & rainbow chard. namaste.
bread pudding with leeks, bacon & chard (serves 8)
2 T butter, room temperature
1 loaf crusty bread (preferably day-old), cut into 1”-cubes
8 oz. bacon, about 5 slices (preferably thick-cut)
olive oil
3 leeks, white & light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 bunches chard, stemmed & chopped
1 C gruyere, grated
1 ¼ C parmesan, grated
salt & pepper
2 C milk
4 eggs
preheat oven to 400 degrees.
grease a 9″ x 13″ (or thereabouts) baking dish with the softened butter. set aside.
add bread to a large mixing bowl. set aside.
coarsely chop bacon & fry over medium heat until fat is rendered & bacon is crisp. drain bacon & add to bread.
add olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. add leeks, stirring frequently, until caramelized. add to bread. add more olive oil to the pan & over medium heat, add chard & sauté briefly until just wilted. add to bread mixture.
add gruyere & 1 C parmesan to bread, bacon & greens. stir until everything is well incorporated (i use my hands). season with salt & pepper to taste.
warm milk in a saucepan over low heat & while milk is warming, whisk eggs in a bowl. slowly drizzle milk into the eggs while whisking constantly. pour half of this over bread & toss gently (again, i use my hands).
spoon bread mixture into the iron skillet. pour remaining egg & milk over the top. sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned with crispy bits.
have chicken, will travel.
sometimes the only thing that will do is a perfectly roast chicken. i made this for dinner tonight at a friend’s house & it hit the spot.
simple roast chicken (serves 8)
adapted from ina garten
1 roasting chicken, 5 – 6 lbs
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus additional sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 T (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
remove the chicken giblets & rinse the chicken inside and out & pat the outside dry. liberally salt & pepper the inside of the chicken. stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, lemon & garlic. brush the outside of the chicken with the butter & sprinkle again with salt &pepper. tie the legs together with kitchen string. place the onions in a roasting pan & place the chicken on top.
roast the chicken for 1-1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg & thigh. remove the chicken and onions to a platter & loosely cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the onions.
say it with me.
picadillo. picadillo. fun to say, even better to eat. if you haven’t had it before, the combination of briny olives, sweet raisins & cinnamon may sound a bit strange but trust me – it will make you smile. i don’t remember eating picadillo when i lived in cuba though it is certainly eaten in cuba, served over rice. in parts of central & south america it comes in an empanada & in mexico, the meat-olive-raisin combination serves as a filling for tamales. it is delicious. the recipe below makes quite a bit though in my house it didn’t last long. the recipe can easily be halved.
picadillo (serves 8)
¼ C olive oil
2 C onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 lbs. ground beef (15 – 20% fat)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
3 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. gound cloves
¼ tsp. chili flakes
¾ C raisins
1 C pimento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
½ C slivered almonds
heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. add onion, garlic & bay leaves & sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. add beef & sauté until cooked, breaking up with back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. add all remaining ingredients & simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until picadillo has thickened. season to taste with salt & pepper. discard bay leaves & stir in almonds. serve picadillo warm over rice.
my kind of stripes.
gas food lodging.
oh how i love one-piece dressing.
denim gaucho jumpsuit, rock street vintage on etsy / leopard booties, jessica simpson
buongiorno.
there are worse things to wake up to than tiramisu. tiramisu means ‘pick me up’ & this morning in my house we may or may not have had leftover valentine’s day tiramisu for breakfast. the combination of rum & espresso-dipped ladyfingers with layers of (with more rum & espresso) creamy marscapone made a not-overly-sweet start to an already sweet day. of course, it is also perfect after dinner, but keep in mind that the tiramisu, once assembled, should be refrigerated for at least six hours & preferably overnight so you may end up having it for breakfast, too.
tiramisu (serves 8)
recipe from ina garten
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C good dark rum, divided
1 ½ C brewed espresso, divided
16 to 17 ounces mascarpone cheese
30 italian savoiardi (ladyfingers)
bittersweet chocolate, shaved or grated
confectioners’ sugar
whisk the egg yolks & sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very thick & light yellow. lower the speed to medium & add 1/4 cup rum, 1/4 cup espresso & the mascarpone. whisk until smooth.
combine the remaining 1/4 cup rum & 1 1/4 cups espresso in a shallow bowl. dip 1 side of each ladyfinger in the espresso/rum mixture & line the bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch dish. pour half the espresso cream mixture evenly on top. dip 1 side of the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso/rum mixture & place them in a second layer in the dish. pour the rest of the espresso cream over the top. smooth the top & refrigerate at least six hours or overnight.
before serving, generously sprinkle the top with shaved chocolate and dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.
whaticookedwhatiwore 