caramel sauce

In the photo above, there are several jars of Pear jam which I will get too shortly. But that jar on the bottom left? BEST Caramel Sauce EVER. My favorite recipe to use. The one I always have in the refrigerator. The sauce that is served with apples, and pears, and cookies, and cakes, and sometimes enjoyed with a spoon, secretly, when no-one is looking (not so much of a secret anymore is it?) 

What else can I tell you about this? I feel caramel sauce - as is the case with many other things but especially my favorite caramel sauce - is a matter of practice, and may take a couple of attempts. As you are cooking it, it will seem like it's taking forever. Then all of a sudden you start seeing that gorgeous amber color and you're all excited. Then within the next nano-second you smell it burning. And then it's a mad dash to get the heavy cream (carefully) in there and calm things down. But then that cream bubbles up like a creature out of Star Trek and you're wondering why you didn't just purchase the cute little jar at the grocery with the gingham checked lid.

Does it still smell like it's burning? You probably burnt it. And the family is going to ask "why does it taste like it's burnt?" And then they may refuse to eat it. And then you're going to toss the entire thing in the trash. And then a few days later you're going to try again and it's going to be perfect. Moral to this little peek into my first few attempts? Practice. It is completely worth the effort and expense to make your own caramel sauce. There will be no turning back after you do this. And the fresh vanilla beans that will require an entire week's paycheck? Just do it.

Here's how.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup water

1 vanilla bean - split - seeds scraped 

1 cup of heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon good salt - preferably fleur de sel

TO DO:

Sugar into a large saucepan - pour the water around it.

Add the vanilla bean and seeds and cook over medium high heat.

Stir only until the sugar is dissolved.

Continue to cook without stirring until you get a deep amber color.

Should only be 7 to 8 minutes.

Swirl the pan occasionally to even out the color (cooking).

Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream.

Let the bubbling calm down.

It might look like one big glob of weirdness at this point.

It's okay.

Return to the stove and cook over medium heat stirring constantly.

That big glob will go away.

Cook until smooth.

Remove from heat.

Discard the vanilla bean.

Stir in the fleur de sel.

Let cool.

Sneak as many tastes as you can before anyone gets home.

OR...serve over this pear cake

Here's a link to the cake above (click here for Gateau de Poire)

note:

there is a post-it in my recipe binder that says this caramel sauce was found in an old issue of Epicurious magazine...okay...good luck if you go searching for it :-)

red onion flowers

These are GORGEOUS.

One of those dishes that makes you stop for a moment when you are reviewing your photos.

And taste? Delicious! Just as good as it looks. Super easy to create and quite the show-stopper when you bring it to the table.

recipe found in a special edition of Epicurious magazine.

plate by rae dunn clay

YOU WILL NEED:

6 medium red onions.

6 tablespoons of Olive Oil.

Fresh Rosemary and Thyme stems.

Salt.

Pepper.

TO DO:

oven to 350.

Make 4 cuts through the top of the onion leaving the base intact (as best you can) Creating 8 wedges.

I also left most the skin on. It was easier to remove these little pieces after I sliced the onion.

Place all the sliced onions onto your baking tray.

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each onion.

Add a few turns of salt and pepper over each onion.

Insert herb sprigs into each onion - careful you don't break the root ends here.

Add extra herb sprigs around the onions.

Into the oven for 30 minutes.

At this point carefully slide the tray out and press open the leaves to create your flowers - again being careful to not snap the root base.

Scoop some of the juices from the baking tray and spoon onto the tops and centers of the onions.

Back into the oven for another 30 minutes or so.

Until the outer petals are dark and crispy (these are the BEST pieces)

Remove.

Sprinkle with a few more turns of salt and pepper.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Roasted Beet Salad w/Orange Juice reduction dressing

The bounty of the Farmers Markets! I try to always find bunches of fresh beets, butter leaf lettuce (the family favorite) yummy cheeses and whatever else looks pretty and shiny in the early morning light. This salad can be a bit time consuming to prepare because of roasting and washing and slicing and watching orange juice boil...but worth it! Once the beets and dressing are ready there will be plenty for several salads and assembly will be quick going forward.


YOU WILL NEED:


1 bunch fresh beets (see note below) *
1 head butter leaf lettuce (arugula and spinach good also)
a little goat cheese (or whatever mild flavor cheese you prefer)
olive oil
salt
Orange Juice Reduction Dressing (recipe follows)


OJ Dressing:   
Pour 4 cups of orange juice into a medium/large sized saucepan (save yourself the time and purchase the orange juice at your local grocery) Bring to a boil at medium high setting then leave it alone. It needs to boil down to about 1 cup of liquid - this part takes FOREVER! When ready it will be rather dark.                   
Don't worry - after a little soaking and light scrubbing the pot looks good as new.                                      
Turn off heat. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain liquid into a small saucepan - add the juice from 1/2 fresh lemon (save the other half for later) add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Back to stove on medium high heat - bring liquid to boil and let reduce until "light syrup" consistency (you should have about a half cup of liquid). Turn off heat. Strain again into a bowl or measuring cup big enough to add olive oil and work with a whisk. Let cool for a few minutes. Add 1/2 a cup of good olive oil - the juice from the other half of the  lemon - salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Taste. Dressing should be tart - but if too strong for you add more olive oil. Salt and pepper if needed. Let cool completely.
I now pour this into a canning jar with those nifty seals and lids. That way when I need to dress the salad I can just give it all a good shaking then drizzle on my salad.


* HOW I PREPARE FRESH BEETS                                                                                                    

They look like this when I get them. Lovely aren't they?  Wash and dry. Cut off leafy parts and stems. Completely cover a baking pan - or baking sheet - in foil. Place beets in - drizzle with olive oil - sprinkle with bit of salt - completely cover entire pan with beets in foil - roast in 350 oven for hour to hour and a half depending on size of beets. These were about the size of baseballs - I roasted them for an hour and twenty minutes. Out of oven - leave covered and let cool about half hour. Peel and set aside until ready to use.                                              

Slice or cube the beets when you are ready. Cover and refrigerate leftover.


If you did all this in the same afternoon you have probably ordered a pizza by now!  If not, grab a big bowl, add washed and dried lettuce (I prefer Butter leaf for this) add sliced beets, drizzle with OJ dressing, sprinkle with goat cheese then sit down and relax and eat!

Fried eggs and rice

So...as simple and quick (and probably a little silly for a food blog) dishes go - this is one of my favorites. Maybe because I love eggs. Maybe because my mom used to make it for me after school. Most likely because the smell of it all together takes me back to childhood and being in my mothers kitchen. 
Now I make it for my daughter which makes me love it even more.


quick and easy...here you go...


You will need:


hot cooked rice
2 or 3 eggs (I like 3 :  2 to mix into the rice - 1 for on top)
vegetable oil
toasted sesame seeds
soy sauce (low sodium or regular depending on what you prefer)


TO DO:


Make sure skillet is hot - medium high.  Add vegetable oil (2 to 3 turns around the pan).  Add 1 or 2 eggs. Let fry for couple minutes until edges are brown and crispy, then turn the heat down until yolk is cooked to your liking. Meanwhile assemble rice, sesame seeds and soy sauce in your favorite bowl.  When egg(s) are ready remove from pan and add to rice mixture. Turn heat back up on stove. Fry last egg. While waiting for your last egg sort of chop and mix the rice mixture - add more soy sauce if needed. Cover with last fried egg.

zucchini tart

you will need


1 sheet puff pastry
2 or 3 zucchini - thinly sliced lengthwise
3 onions - thinly sliced
1 egg - whisked with a little water
about 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 (maybe 2) pats of butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 bunch fresh dill - 2 tablespoons chopped
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
Parmesan cheese
Large baking sheet covered with parchment paper

to do


oven to 375

move oven shelf to the spot just below the middle 
(sorry...terrible description)


lightly flour your work surface then roll out puff pastry sheet to about 10x12.
move to baking sheet.
brush edges with egg/water mix.
fold edges down to make a border.
use a fork to poke some spots all over the bottom of pastry sheet.
put back in fridge till ready to use.

warm skillet to medium high heat - add butter and olive oil - add sliced onions - add sugar, 8 turns of salt, 5 turns of pepper - stir occasionally - let cook till edges look crispy - about 20 minutes depending on how hot your pan gets.  
remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons chopped dill and the chili flakes - let cool.
retrieve pastry sheet - spread onion mixture evenly over pastry - top with slices of zucchini - drizzle top with little olive oil (salt and pepper if you wish) then bake till pastry is puffed and golden - about 20 minutes.
let cool for few minutes then garnish with Parmesan shavings and roughly chopped fresh dill.