Tag: Recipe

Bake Me Some (Savory) Pies

IMG_6515As much as I love pies, I wish I’d be baking them more often. They are easy, fast and beautiful and don’t always just mean dessert. In fact, this savory Purple Yam and Goat Cheese Pie is very easy to make, looks divine and tastes even better. And it’s great in a gluten free crust, too. Come and cook with us!

Baking pies isn’t as hard as one might think. We have written about basic pie crusts before and there are plenty of ready-to-mix options if you are experimenting with the glutenfree variety. The mix I use is Bob’s Red Mill Glutefree Pie Crust and includes a few different flours, starches as well as xanthan gum. I got it from my friend Michelle and am super pleased. The dough holds together, is just the right amount of flakey and also neutral in taste apart from the sweet flavor of baked butter. The directions for this gluten free mix – as for pie crusts in general – are straight forward and it yielded three pie crusts (you can always freeze a shell or two for later use). Key is to use cold butter, work fast and let the dough rest in the fridge before rolling it out. Trust me, getting your hands a little dirty with flour, butter and iced water feels great and how often do we get finger-deep into making our food these days. You can literally feel your accomplishment!

In fact, as my older son likes to say, pies are little more than sophisticated delivery devices for yummy fillings. And they do make every meal look a little more “put-together”. Over the years I’ve baked plenty of fruit and custard pies, but am increasingly intrigued by the savory kinds such as the Brie and Tomato Tart I shared before or this week’s Purple Yam and Goat Cheese Pie. The combination comes together beautifully and tastes great with a refreshing baby green leaf salad in a tangy dressing. Hope you give it a try. Come and cook with us!

Purple Yam and Goat Cheese Pie

IMG_6516IMG_6519IMG_6523

Whole Lot of Whole Grains

IMG_4708Sure, there is a difference between cooking and baking and while I feel comfortable cooking up pretty much anything, I get a little more hesitant when it comes to baking. Not so with this amazing Seeded Whole Grain Soda Bread. I know it’s way past March 17th, but this version of a soda bread deserves to be baked more than just once a year. Come and cook with us!

Compared to the (gluten and gluten free) sourdough breads I experiment on a regular basis – and to varying success, this whole grain soda bread is really easy and quick to bake. It is packed with lots of whole grains including quinoa, millet, amaranth and oats and is inspired by a recipe I found on Bon Appetit. It’s amazingly moist and chewy and has become an instant favorite at my house. It’s great on its own, with butter and jam for breakfast, but also with scrambled eggs or hummus or smoked salmon. The options are endless.

The whole grains in the recipe are truly whole, with the exception of the oats, that are rolled. To soften their texture ahead of baking, soak the grains in buttermilk for 8-12 hours. Yes, this means that baking this bread needs a little planning on your side, but nothing too serious or time-intensive. We can absolutely do this! It bakes in squares in my favorite cast-iron pan so I usually freeze what we don’t eat on the first turn around to defrost and toast the rest on the following day or later in the week.

If you or someone in your family likes bread, give this Seeded Whole Grain Soda Bread a try and let us know what you think. Come and cook with us!

Seeded Whole Grain Soda Bread

IMG_4709

Show Your Love with Strawberries

IMG_5664In case you missed it, Valentine’s day is upon us. Sure, there are lovely cards, fragrant roses and red knickers but what better way to celebrate your loved ones than with a platter of chocolate covered strawberries. They are what I call big-bang-for-the-buck desserts as they are easily prepared and go a long way in making a big impression. So come on, show your love with some Chocolate Covered Strawberries this Valentine’s. Come and cook with us!

First off, let me say that buying strawberries in February isn’t exactly intuitive unless you live in California where they seem to be growing year-round. And if at all possible, I buy the organic versions as per EWG’s Dirty Dozen Shopping list. My loved ones are partial to dark chocolate, but you can also do milk chocolate if that is what you and yours prefer.

The recipe itself is very easy and done in three simple stages: wash and let strawberries dry, heat chocolate and dip strawberries, let cool and decorate. That’s not too complicated, is it? There is only one thing you have to be careful about: make sure that no water droplets mix in with the melting chocolate or it will seize and change the consistency of your chocolate cover. Still yummy, but more like a ganache than a hard shell. And if you run out of strawberries, take some firm blueberries and dip them, too, for a fun little diversion from the more classic Valentine’s treat.

Take a look at the pictures below. They pretty much explain the whole process. Hope you feel inspired to shower your loved ones with a selection of chocolate covered strawberries this Valentine’s. Be loved! Come and cook with us!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

IMG_5628IMG_5629IMG_5630IMG_5648IMG_5656IMG_5660IMG_5677

 

Celebrating with Ötzi, Brad Pitt and Knödel! 

IMG_5547It’s celebration time! Like every year, January is my reader appreciation month. It’s when I want to thank you for your support. To change things up from years past, I have a special South Tyrolean cookbook as a give-away. And I’ll teach you how to make the king of South Tyrolean cooking: Knödel. The bread dumplings are the most iconic of our foods and say South Tyrol like no other dish. We eat them plain in broth, with salad, in stews, sliced as “carpaccio” and roasted as leftovers. Hope you enjoy our Knödel as much as we have for thousands (!) of years. Come and cook with us!

So what does Ötzi have to do with all of this? For those of you who don’t follow continental European anthropology on a regular basis, Ötzi is the mummy that was found in 1991 on a high pass in the mountain range that runs the border between Italy and Austria. Archeologists believe this Iceman belonged to the first independent Alpine cultural group, Tamins-Carasso-Isera 5 and lived between 3350 and 3100 BC. And believe it or not, scientist found traces of the Ur-Knödel in his stomach, i.e., a combination of grains and speck.

They key to a good Knödel is the right bread. Back home, we use left-over semmel, which is similar to the “Kaiser” rolls you can get in some US grocery stores. It’s virtually white bread buns. And it has to be old and dried out. Sounds delish, doesn’t it? Believe me, mixed with the right amount of milk, eggs, and parsley, Knödel make the perfect side dish to roasts, gulasch as well as other types of stews such as chanterelle or porcini mushroom ragouts. This basic recipe can be adjusted to a wide range of different varieties including speck, cheese, spinach, buckwheat, beat, ricotta and more. The options are endless!

But wait there is more. There isn’t just the “right” bread you have to find, there is also a “right” way to eat Knödel. Under no circumstances does one ever use a knife to cut a Knödel in pieces. Simply take your fork and spoon and carefully tear the Knödel apart. Got it?

All-in-all, this is clearly not your latest superfood but it is THE food symbol of South Tyrol. And, you might ask, what does Brad Pitt have to do with all of this? He has Ötzi tattooed on his arm. Seriously, I am not making this up! Might we say he is indirectly endorsing the Knödel?

If you want more South Tyrolean recipes in a special South Tyrol cookbook, then be the first to like today’s post on www.comeandcookwithus.com! Happy 5th anniversary and please help us celebrate by liking us on Facebook, favoriting us on Twitter and following us on Instagram. And if that’s not enough, drop me a comment on my website as I’d love to hear from you. Come and Cook with Us!

Semmelknödel

IMG_5535IMG_5539IMG_5544IMG_5551

IMG_5535

IMG_5535

What’s a Broad Fork Anyway…

IMG_4431Never judge a book by its cover, certainly not a cookbook. Although that’s exactly what I did when my friend sang the praises for the book Broad Fork. Maybe selling something as “Southern Food” wasn’t really the best way to my old-continent heart – and palate. I spoke – and reacted – too soon. Once I tasted a few of the wonderful dishes in this book, I became a believer and fan of Hugh Acheson. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “What’s a Broad Fork Anyway…”