My Omi turned 100 last week and I was there, along with the rest of the family, to celebrate this very special event. We gathered as a family, close and extended, and friends to mark the day. Inundated with great food, well wishes and lots good times, my grandmother was visibly enjoying the festivities, but also tirelessly working the crowd to make sure everyone knew how appreciative she was of their participation. To celebrate the event, I want to review some of the birthday girl’s favorite dishes. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Happy 100th”
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Incorporate the colors of the rainbow into your weekly meals.
The German word for food is “Lebensmittel” which translates to “means to live”. It’s what’s alive and we eat it to stay alive. What better food to live on and be the focus of our meals than fruits and vegetables. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors and textures and are packed with the vitality that our body needs. Instead of pushing them to the side and making them the unwanted step-sister that has to be invited to the party, or worse, has to be hidden, let’s make it all about them. Let’s celebrate their variety, vitality and colors of the rainbow. Come and cook with us!
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Make the Most of Flavor Flours
What do teff, sorghum and buckwheat have in common? They are all non-wheat flours that along with whole and ancient grains, coconut flour and nut flours can be used to make delicious baked goods. And who better to teach us how to make the most of these flavor flours than Alice Medrich, a James Beard award-winning author who has won more cookbook-of-the-year awards and best in the dessert and baking category awards than any other author. Her newest book, Flavor Flours, is a great addition to anyone interested in upping their game in non-wheat baking. Come and cook with us!
Jessica gave me this book and I’ve been so thankful for it. Actually, my boys have been even more thrilled about it being so prolifically tested. When I initially leafed through the pages, I couldn’t stop visualizing all these wonderful creations. I have been baking with different flours – my GF sourdough is based on a variety of different whole grains, flours, starches and seeds – but in this book Mendrich succeeds in taking the specific characteristic of each flour to its advantage and making it a recipe’s “hero ingredient” instead of a wheat replacement.
It’s hard to pick a favorite flavor flour. I love teff and you all know about my infatuation with buckwheat. What I love about this book is that it gives detailed insights on how different flours react in recipes depending on how finely they have been milled and how they are being processed. It’s an intriguing book if you’d like to learn more about baking with non-wheat alternatives.
So far, we have baked delectable Bittersweet Teff Brownies, moist Dark and Spicy Pumpkin Loafs with buckwheat and a glorious Coconut Key Lime Tart. But there is so much more. There are Buckwheat Linzer Cookies, Simple Scones, Lemon Cream Roulade, Panforte Nero and Walnut and Buckwheat Crackers. And there are plenty of sponge, chiffon and layer cakes. For now, let’s start things simply with Medrich’s satisfying Banana Muffins with sorghum. Come and cook with us!
Spring for Green
The change happens suddenly. One day you crave hearty food that warms your body and soul and the next day you wake up to Spring. In Northern California it has finally arrived. Well, maybe winter never really came. But that’s another story. Let’s just say that when we planned our menu for St.Patrick’s we opted for a pesto pasta. When the actual day finally rolled around, I suddenly found myself opting for a lighter, fresher and more season-appropriate meal featuring leafy greens, shoots and fresh herbs in a perfectly Green Avocado Quinoa salad – an instant classic. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Spring for Green”
Bow to the Buchtel!
It’s not until I left Italy that I realized we take good food for granted. Not just in our homes, but everywhere we go. Even when skiing. To this day, the snow might be fluffier, the runs more thrilling and the crowds better behaving in the U.S., but nothing compares to the food you are served in the many high-altitude mountain huts when skiing in Italy. There were many favorite places we would pilgrimage to every weekend, but there was one that stood out. Ditching skis and poles behind, we climbed on board our neighbor’s jeep and drove along the snowy roads to a remote small family-run hut called Rauch Hütte. There was no question on what the kids would order. It was always the same: Buchteln. Translating this dish for what it is – apricot-jam-filled yeast dumplings – doesn’t do it justice at all. These plump, fluffy and buttery dumplings were the size of well-rolled snow balls, served over a bed of runny vanilla sauce and leaving you filled with buttery goodness. Who cared what the weather was, or how many people were queuing at the lift when we returned to the slopes. We were happy, stuffed and didn’t know that having Buchteln on Sundays when skiing would be one of the fondest memories we would carry with us thirty years later when living on the other side of the world. Come and Cook with us! Continue reading “Bow to the Buchtel!”
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