Don’t call this stuff ‘crunch’: Sweet, salty, addictive Matzoh Crack

A new spin on this dangerously delicious Passover dessert, with white chocolate and spicy rose sugar. Recipe and variations below.

OUR FAMILY MAY NOT HAVE EVERY ETHNIC GROUP, BUT WE’VE GOT A LOT OF ’EM. English, Scottish, Polish, Jewish, Cherokee—and that is just a fraction of it. We are part of the portrait of America, the welcome everyone! stream that keeps reviving and renewing and invigorating us all: One family, one people, one house. Continue reading “Don’t call this stuff ‘crunch’: Sweet, salty, addictive Matzoh Crack” →

Earth Hour 2010: This Saturday, you can help save the world by candlelight

Romantic dinners are usually intended to heat things up, but dining by candlelight this Saturday night will actually help fight global warming.

Earth Hour, now in its third year, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of global warming and the issues of climate change. According to the Earth Hour website, on Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 8:30 p.m. local time, “hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour.”

Tasting Table reports that a number of Chicago restaurants are participating, turning out the lights and serving up specials to mark the occasion. But you can celebrate right at home, with your own candlelight dinner. Here are some romantic menu ideas from the Blue Kitchen archives. Continue reading “Earth Hour 2010: This Saturday, you can help save the world by candlelight” →

Stuff we like: Sweet Margy Gourmet English Toffee

Artisanal gourmet toffee, produced in small batches in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, delivers sublime flavor and gives your teeth a break.

I wish I could say it was love at first bite with toffee and me. It wasn’t. When I was nine or so, a neighbor girl’s mom took her and me to a movie and snuck in candy bars to avoid movie theater prices. At the time, Hershey’s milk chocolate was my speed. Maybe with almonds, if I was being really adventurous. What I was handed after the lights dimmed was a Heath Bar. In the darkened theater, I thought it said Health Bar, not a promising start. And it was little. Still, chocolate was involved, so I soldiered on, even though I was less than impressed.

But when I later fell for toffee, I fell hard. Even though it threatened to break my teeth with every bite. Even though, failing that, it stuck to my teeth like crazy. There was just something so buttery good and, well, grown up about toffee that I put up with its cruel dental ways.

So imagine my delight when we recently discovered Sweet Margy Gourmet English Toffee. This is toffee at a whole different level. Continue reading “Stuff we like: Sweet Margy Gourmet English Toffee” →

Logan Square Kitchen serves up fixes for the Chicago locavore sweet tooth

I‘m often kvetching about the lack of food trucks in Chicago, thanks to draconian local health regulations. Well, last weekend Logan Square Kitchen reminded me of the wealth of delicious locally produced foods—and the wealth of local culinary talent—with a pre-Valentine’s Day Pastry Market.

Logan Square Kitchen is itself an outcome of an increased interest in local, artisanal foods. Created by longtime Logan Square residents Zina and Nick Murray, it houses a shared-use commercial, two-galley kitchen that chefs, pastry chefs and entrepreneurs armed with secret family recipes can rent to produce their creations. Unlike home kitchens, it is up to health department code, so users of the space can legally market their wares.

The front half of Logan Square Kitchen is an event space. And that’s where we found a number of delights last Saturday, all locally produced. Continue reading “Logan Square Kitchen serves up fixes for the Chicago locavore sweet tooth” →

Breakfast? Dessert? Tea? Cozy, versatile Lemon Hazelnut Scones

Light, flaky scones flavored with lemon juice and zest and toasted hazelnuts make a delicious, not-too-sweet treat with tea in the afternoon or your morning coffee. Recipe below.

SCONE. Whether you rhyme it with John or with Joan [both are common], there’s just something about the word. Scone. It sounds at once homey and comforting, a cozy treat to enjoy with tea by a fire, but also somehow more sophisticated, more elegant than, say, a muffin or biscuit. Continue reading “Breakfast? Dessert? Tea? Cozy, versatile Lemon Hazelnut Scones” →

This isn’t regifting, is it? Five holiday desserts from the Blue Kitchen archives

The holiday entertaining season is upon us. A few weeks ago, I made a Cherry Orange Loaf Cake that’s great to serve your guests or give your host. Here are five more dessert recipes to help make celebrations sweeter.

1. Frangipane Pear and Cherry Cake

Pears and tart cherries team up with almond-based frangipane in Marion’s flavorful Frangipane Pear and Cherry Cake that gets even better the second day. So it’s perfect for making a day ahead or having on hand when guests drop by.

2. Hazelnut Rosemary Jam Cookies

Fresh rosemary adds a subtle, mysterious something extra to my not-too-sweet Continue reading “This isn’t regifting, is it? Five holiday desserts from the Blue Kitchen archives” →

A holiday dessert inspired by a simple gift: Cherry Orange Loaf Cake

Dried cherries, pecans and orange zest and juice flavor this not-too-sweet cake, perfect for a holiday breakfast or with coffee and tea. Recipe below.

I don’t bake much. So I was more than a little surprised when my Hazelnut Rosemary Jam Cookies were featured in Bon Appétit’s Blog Envy holiday showcase last year. And when I was invited to participate in this year’s Bon Appétit Blog Envy Bake-Off, an actual competition, I was flattered but less than inclined to give it a try.

There are some serious bakers out there in the blogosphere. We’re talking pastry chef serious. I knew whatever simple efforts I came up with would not compete well in that arena. Then I remembered a story my grandmother told every December around the holidays, about a simple gift that meant so much to her as a little girl. Suddenly, winning wasn’t as important as sharing a recipe inspired by that gift.

My maternal grandmother was a big part of my life growing up in St. Louis and embracing city living early on. She often took me downtown on the bus to go shopping, have lunch and maybe catch a movie matinee. But she had grown up on a farm, and I could tell from the stories she would tell with such longing that she missed farm life. Continue reading “A holiday dessert inspired by a simple gift: Cherry Orange Loaf Cake” →

Two frozen yogurts from one maker do two very different things, deliciously

haagen-dazs-frozen-yogurt

In a classic ’60s TV commercial, a wife asks her husband, “What was wrong with the chicken?” He answers simply, “It’s not steak.”

For years, frozen yogurt has had a similar problem. It’s not ice cream. It doesn’t have the same creamy texture and mouthfeel. Or in trying to mask the lack of fatty richness, it goes overboard with sweetness.

But trying to get frozen yogurt right is a noble cause. Making a satisfying frozen treat with fewer calories, less fat and—more important—less saturated fat than ice cream has been the holy grail of many companies. Some have come close, making frozen yogurts that aren’t bad when you want something cold, creamy and sweet stuff_we_like_too without going crazy caloriewise and fatwise. But ultimately, at least for us, they still leave us craving ice cream. Finally, we think, Häagen-Dazs has gotten it right. Continue reading “Two frozen yogurts from one maker do two very different things, deliciously” →

Cool, creamy blank canvas for summer desserts: Ricotta-Vanilla Cream

Four basic ingredients—ricotta cheese, vanilla, milk and sugar—create a simple, silky, rich base for inventing your own desserts. Recipe and suggestions for experimenting below.

vanilla-ricotta

I almost overlooked the recipe that inspired this post. It was tucked quietly into the table of contents pages of the July Gourmet, before you get past all the opening ads and into the big, splashy four-color editorial meat of the magazine. Somehow, that seems appropriate. The ricotta-vanilla cream itself is delicious, but in a very quiet way. It’s made to team up with a host of other flavors, elevating them and offering a creamy counterpoint. Gourmet teamed them with nectarines and pine nut brittle, for example.

We experimented with a couple of different toppings: Fresh peaches and blueberries with lime juice and flavors inspired by one of Marion’s favorite desserts at mado, buffalo ricotta with honey. The fruit worked a little better for us—its slight tartness played against the richness of the cream. But other ideas sprang to mind, even as we sampled these. A slice of pound cake topped with the cream and fresh raspberries. Orange segments [with membranes removed] and shavings of dark chocolate. Even the balsamic peaches from last week, minus the shallots and the pork chops, of course. Continue reading “Cool, creamy blank canvas for summer desserts: Ricotta-Vanilla Cream” →

From the archives: More ideas to liven up the holiday table

’Tis the season for parties and celebrations. Here are a few ideas from the Blue Kitchen archives for easy, delicious entertaining.

Let’s get this pâté started. This easy make-ahead pâté makes for an elegant first course or party appetizer. It is also a noble use for the reserved duck fat from the Duck with Raspberries recipe above.

A great salad remembered. This Endive Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts always reminds me of one of my favorite little New York bistros. It’s a great first course—or a nice complement to a bottle of wine shared with friends.

Mascarpone: Italian for easy, elegant desserts. The culinary equivalent of the little black dress, versatile delicate, creamy mascarpone Continue reading “From the archives: More ideas to liven up the holiday table” →