Tag: cooking

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

23 February 2010 by local kitchen

I was in the mood for something a little sweet, a little crunchy. We had some orange glaze leftover from Tai’s Valentine cupcakes, so I thought a simple sugar cookie was in order, something that would go nicely with the intensely orange-flavored glaze. Humph, simple she says. Even I, advocate of the “quality ingredients make the simple special” school, sometimes forget. A “simple” cookie of buttter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla bean becomes magical when your butter is from Ronnybrook, your […]

Categories: baking, dessert, non-local luxuries, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, dessert, food, local, recipes

Locavirgin: Thick Cut Pork Chops with Simple Pan Sauce

19 February 2010 by local kitchen

Pork chops can be frustrating. In my opinion, few things are as simply, wonderfully good as a pan-fried pork chop. Simple, she says? Ah, therein lies the rub. As with so many “simple” recipes, it is all about the quality of the ingredients and the execution of the technique. When a recipe has only 3 or 4 ingredients, each of those ingredients really needs to shine. And, when the whole point of the recipe is to allow those beautiful ingredients to shine, there will be […]

Categories: 100% local, fall, herbs, Locavirgin, main course, pork, thyme, wine, beer & liquor, winter, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes

Can Jam: Apple Carrot Chile Chutney

17 February 2010 by local kitchen

Say that 10 times fast. I have to admit that when this month’s Can Jam ingredient was announced as carrots, I was a little… uninspired. While I applaud the choice as a “stretch” goal, I just wasn’t that excited about my BWB carrot canning possibilities. Not that I don’t like carrots, I do, but they are a low-acid food and we all know that I’m no friend of the pickle. There are some carrot marmalade and jam recipes out there, but […]

Categories: 100% local, apples, Can Jam, canning, carrot, chutneys, condiments, fall, preserving, winter • Tags: canning, cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes

Dark Days: Thick Cut Pork Chops with Roasted Vegetables

16 February 2010 by local kitchen

For Valentine’s Day dinner, I had planned to use the last of our Flying Pigs pork; two thick pork chops that have been in our chest freezer since our last delivery of Flying Pigs back in the Fall. I realized, after reading Sophie’s post on her Dark Days meal of the week, that 1) I had also had local pork chops, and 2) I had forgotten to post my DDC Meal of the Week. As so often happens, when 90% […]

Categories: 100% local, Dark Days Local, main course, pork, winter • Tags: cooking, food, local, pork, recipes

Orange-Kissed Chocolate (cup)Cake

14 February 2010 by local kitchen

Of all the dessert flavor combinations, orange and chocolate is by far Tai’s favorite. Anything orangey-chocolate, or chocolaty-orange, is sure to rate high with his tastebuds. Since it is Valentine’s Day (our first as an ‘official’ married couple) I wanted to make him something special and use his two favorite flavors. My first thought was of a Cointreau chocolate cake with Burnt Orange Buttercream. I’ve made the Burnt Orange buttercream before, and he loves it; I figured I could sneak some […]

Categories: baking, cake, dessert, eggs, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, dessert, food, recipes

Nachos

11 February 2010 by local kitchen

Satisfying. That’s the word for these nachos. Basic, yes; merely four ingredients make up the basis of this dish; but endlessly versatile and oh-so satisfying. We’ve all had our share of nachos – they’ve practically become as American as hot dogs and apple pie. They are the easy bar food that everyone can agree upon; the post-soccer fuel that you shovel in with abandon; the football-watching crowd favorite. But how often have you had really good nachos? The kind with a perfect ratio of […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, cheese, quick & easy, vegetarian, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, nachos, party food, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Refried Beans

10 February 2010 by local kitchen

Hands up everyone who knew that “refried beans” is a misnomer: frijoles refritos actually translates as “well-fried beans” (hat-tip to Elise at Simply Recipes for that handy piece of trivia). I certainly didn’t know (although the whole “re-fried” concept never made much sense to me, and frying twice, well, ew). I don’t even like refried beans, but then again, given the lame flavor and unpleasant, mealy texture of the dish that I think of as “refried beans” I doubt that I’ve […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, heirloom beans, side dish, spreads, vegetarian, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Dark Days: A Northeast Gathering

8 February 2010 by local kitchen

Way back in December, at the beginning of the Dark Days Challenge, Sophie of Late Bloomer’s Farm contacted a few fellow Dark Dayers and other local foodies in the Northeast and suggested a gathering; a local potluck where we would get together, bring some of our favorite seasonal, local dishes, and get to know each other outside of the cozy confines of the Interwebs. What a wonderful time! Sophie, as the hostess with the mostest, gathered us all together at her […]

Categories: 100% local, Dark Days Local • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes

Glazed Berry Tart with Sweet Ricotta Filling

8 February 2010 by local kitchen

This tart is a riff on my standard Glazed Blackberry Tart recipe, with an added sweet cheese filling and 100% local ingredients for our Northeast Dark Days gathering (Dark Days post to follow- stay tuned!). This is a lovely tart to make in the winter, when fresh berries are still months away, yet you can relive the taste of summer with berries from the freezer. It can easily be made with any frozen berries you have on hand, and a variety […]

Categories: 100% local, baking, berries, cheese, Dark Days Local, dessert, pastry, winter • Tags: baking, cooking, dessert, food, local

Flaxseed Sandwich Bread

4 February 2010 by local kitchen

Now with wings! I tried a new bread recipe yesterday, my first from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Bread Bible. Though I bought the book last Spring, and I’ve read through several of the recipes, I hadn’t gotten around to actually trying any of them. And while I don’t bake a lot of sandwich loaves, preferring the chewy texture and hearty crust of a more artisan-styled hearth bread, I was looking for something that did not require an overnight rise, or a […]

Categories: 100% local, baking, breads, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: baking, bread, cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, whole grain breads

Strawberry Balsamic Roasted Turkey

3 February 2010 by local kitchen

Remember summer? Remember bright blue skies, long green grass, hot sun, warm rain and… strawberries? Back in July I made this strawberry jam with the very last of the season’s strawberries: kind of sweet, kind of savory, and a loose set just perfect for turning into a quick and easy marinade on a winter’s Monday night. The smell of strawberry when I popped the top on the jar was incredible and instantly took me back to a hot summer’s day, in […]

Categories: berries, main course, roasting, turkey, Use it or Lose it!, vinegar, winter • Tags: balsamic, cooking, dinner, food, local, main course, recipes, strawberry, turkey

Spicy Mexican Red Beans & Rice

1 February 2010 by local kitchen

My girlfriend Christina gave me the best Christmas present – Rancho Gordo beans and popcorn. She lives in San Francisco now, so while I don’t get to see her very often these days, the (albeit tiny) silver lining is that she is local to the fabulous Ferry Market and when she comes home to visit, she can bring me Rancho Gordo goodies and I can consider them ‘local.’ Because it’s local to her. And she flew to me. And just happened […]

Categories: 100% local, beans, celery, heirloom beans, hot chile peppers, main course, pork, rice, sausage, stew, year round • Tags: beans, chorizo, cooking, food, local, Mexican, pork, recipes, red beans and rice

Dark Days: Roasted Green Beans with Potatoes & Bacon

31 January 2010 by local kitchen

I discovered last week that I am on my last bag of frozen kale, which shocks me; I feel like all I did last summer was blanch and freeze kale. As I uncovered things in the chest freezer (that had been buried under the avalanche of kale) I realized that I have a lot of frozen green beans. After calling for some green bean inspiration from my fellow Dark Dayers, I got a lot of great recipe ideas, and have […]

Categories: 100% local, chickpeas, Dark Days Local, green beans, main course, pork, potato, roasting, side dish, spring, winter, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes

Stovetop Popcorn

28 January 2010 by local kitchen

Despite my other addictions, popcorn is my one true love, my desert island item, my No. 1 favorite food. (I’m so very sorry bacon… better luck next year). I make popcorn nearly every day, always on the stovetop, always with oil or butter (Fat is Food, people – don’t be a hater). It may actually approach the level of a physical addiction, if such a thing is possible. When I am Were I ever to stomp around the house crankily (not […]

Categories: 100% local, corn, grains & legumes, quick & easy • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes

Roasted Pepper, Onion & Sweet Corn Pizza

26 January 2010 by local kitchen

I know what you’re thinking: “Corn? On pizza? She’s crazy.” Crazy like a fox, I say. Or crazy like a person who enjoys crispy, chewy, sweet, spicy, savory, salivatingly (salivatingly? Oh, shut up I’m on a roll) good pizza. Corn is the key. Don’t get me wrong, roasted peppers & onions are lovely by themselves, but the corn! The corn added texture, a hint of smoky sweetness, a foil for the tomato sauce. Roasting brought out a flavor very much like grilled […]

Categories: cheese, corn, hot chile peppers, main course, pizza, roasting, vegetarian, whole wheat flour, winter • Tags: cooking, local, pizza, recipes