Farmer's Market Find: Loquats and Loquat Jam

Every week I go to the KCC Farmer's Market "Tip Sheet" and check out who and most importantly what is going to be at the market that week. The main reason for this is that although the market runs from 7:30-11:00 AM, it fills up and sells out of the good stuff quickly so I usually try to get there before the buzzer sounds at 7:30 and knowing that there may be something special there makes it easier to get my lazy you-know-what out of bed early. (Not always an easy task on a Saturday morning...really any morning!) Not everything new or special makes it on the tip sheet, but it is a start and helpful in my quest to try as many local fruits and vegetables as I can. The tip sheet for the Saturday before last listed "biwa" from Hashimoto Farms at the Made in Hawaii Booth. I had no idea what biwa was so I did a little research on the web. I narrowed it down to either a short-necked Japanese musical instrument or a lake in Central Japan but neither seemed likely to be sold at the market. Finally by looking up the name of the farm, I figured out that a biwa is actually a loquat. At least I had heard of loquats before but I wasn't very familiar with them and had never eaten them. I bought about a dozen or so to take home and try. 

Loquats are small, yellowish-orange pear-shaped fruits that originated in Southeastern China many years ago. They were introduced to Japan and cultivated there for over 1000 years. It was thought to be brought to Hawaii by Chinese immigrants. They can also be found in India, The Mediterranean, South America and California. Loquats were unavailable for sale in Hawaii for a period of time due to a fruit fly infestation, but have been grown in small quantities again for the past few years on the Big Island. Loquats are a distant cousin of the apple and has the same high sugar, fiber and pectin. They have a soft, tender skin, that can be eaten or peeled and several brown seeds or "pips" inside. Loquats are usually eaten fresh, on their own or in fruit salads. They are also frequently used for jams, chutneys and jellies or poached in syrup. High in Vitamin A, fiber, Vitamin B6 and other nutrients, they are used in Chinese medicine for both the respiratory and digestive systems. Loquats have no relation to the kumquat, or my recent find the limequat, other than the origin of their Chinese names. There is a great write up on them by David Karp on the Splendid Table site, here.

Taste-wise, they are sweet and mild, reminiscent of an apricot. They are a thin-skinned, fragile fruit with a short-shelf life so they are not a very commercial fruit and you are more likely to find them at farmer's markets or specialty food stores. I ate a couple of the loqauts, and they were sweet and good and very much like an apricot. With the remaining fruit, I decided to make some loquat "butter" from a recipe I found on the net at SparkRecipes here. I cut it down to about 1/4 based on the amount of fruit I had.

Loquat Butter

by SparkRecipes

"A spread for biscuits or toast with a texture similar to apple butter, but a taste similar to apricots."

4 c pureed ripe loquats (remove seeds)
2 c sugar
1 c water

Prepare ripe loquats by removing seeds and pureeing. Place loquat puree in a sauce pan with water, and boil. Add 2 cups sugar and cook until thickened.

(Makes approximately 5 cups of jam, serving size is 2 tablespoons.)


Notes/Results: The loquat butter is good but very sweet and very mild. It tastes a lot like an apricot jam. I added a large pinch of cinnamon, which helped add a bit more interest to the flavor. Although it was good on a toasted crumpet, I like my spread and jams a bit more on the tart side. My Mom suggested I use it like an applesauce in a spice cake or bread so I will be looking for a recipe to use it in. Well worth a try, I liked the loquats and will buy them when I see them again. 

Thai-Style Chicken and Rice Soup for Souper Sunday

I had plenty of leftover Thai-flavored chicken that I had cooked in coconut milk, based on a recipe I adapted from LK at Healthy. Delicious. (more on the chicken below). I had a couple of meals of the delicious chicken itself, part of it ended up in my curry pasta dish, but I still had enough left to make some soup. Going through my stack of clipped recipes I found one for a Thai-Style Chicken and Rice Soup. I was not exactly sure which magazine it was from, but with a search online, I found it (from Gourmet Magazine, Jan 2004) at Epicurious.com.   

Thai-Style Chicken and Rice Soup
Gourmet | January 2004

(Makes 8 servings)

Using shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe makes for an equally delicious soup.

8 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (64 fl oz)
4 cups water
1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste*
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 cups loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves plus 1/2 cup chopped (from 2 large bunches)
1 cup jasmine rice
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced crosswise, then slices cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 (13- to 14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well (I use lite)
1/4 lb snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Accompaniment: lime wedges

Combine stock, water, curry paste, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, and whole cilantro leaves in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until ginger is softened, about 15 minutes. Pour through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot and discard solids. Stir rice into soup and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.

Add chicken or shrimp and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, snow peas, and fish sauce and simmer, uncovered, until peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, salt, and chopped cilantro.

*Available at Asian markets, some specialty foods shops, and some supermarkets.

Notes/Results: This made an incredibly thick, delicious and comforting soup with the tangy flavors keeping it from being too heavy, (especially if you use lite coconut milk). I added a bit more of pretty much all the herbs and spices and an extra full tablespoon of the green curry paste, as well as some chopped Thai basil and extra lime. That seemed to give it the right amount of flavor for me, I think as written, it would have been a little bland if I hadn't kicked it up a bit. Since I was using cooked chicken, I also added it in when I put in the coconut milk and snow peas. With the extra herbs and spices, I really enjoyed this one and would make it again. 

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When I saw this recipe for Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk at Healthy. Delicious., I thought it sounded good and like a great way to make some really moist chicken. I thought it would be fun to change up the spices and add some Thai-style flavors in. The result was a really moist, very flavorful chicken that was excellent on its own or used in other dishes like the curry and the soup. The kitchen smells like heaven when this is cooking too! I have my adapted recipe below and you can check out the original recipe at LK's site.

Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk and Thai Spices

adapted from LK at Healthy. Delicious.

3.5 - 4 pound chicken

sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 T olive oil
4-5 kaffir lime leaves (or substitute extra lime juice)
3 lemongrass stalks, bottom part only, peeled and bruised

juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime
6 cloves garlic (skins left on)

2 1-inch pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 can coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth or stock

Preheat oven to 375. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a pot just large enough to hold your chicken, heat oil. Add chicken, and brown on all sides (if you plan to eat the skin really cook it and get it nice and crispy; if you don’t eat the skin just brown it a little for flavor). Remove chicken from pan and discard the leftover oils, wiping pot clean. Put chicken back into the pot along with the rest of your ingredients. Place a lid on the pot and put the whole thing in the oven for about 90 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove chicken from pot and let sit for a few minutes. Serve with the cooking liquids spooned over top.

It looks like we have some wonderful soups waiting this week in the Souper Sunday Kitchen.

Let's take a look!

Chrystal and Amir from The Duo Dishes are back this week having spent time in my version of heaven, a cooking class about soups. They made 7 soups in 3 hours and got lots of inspiration for creating flavors at home. That led to the creation of this bright Sweet Potato, Squash and Apple Soup made with roasted veggies. I agree with Chrystal and Amir, a delicious soup knows no season, it's perfect anytime!

Another familiar face that I have been missing and am I happy to see again at Souper Sundays this week, is my friend Laurie from That's Not What The Recipe Says. A day trip to Boston and a bountiful stop at the farmer's market led to lots of inexpensive produce and this beautiful Cream of Asparagus Soup. Laurie says it is "light and flavorful" and it "tastes like spring!" 

Can you believe that this is the first time that Kim at Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet ever tired making (or even eating) Minestrone Soup?! She was happy to discover what she had been missing, a "great chunky soup that feeds your bones!" Don't you love it when you try something and it becomes a new favorite?! Kim likes a soup where you can taste all the veggies in one bite and found this soup really hit the spot!

Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice adapted a recipe for black bean soup from Tyler Florence and changed it up, added some heat, and ended up with some delicious Chipotle Black Bean Soup. For even more spice, she baked up some homemade chili-spiked corn tortilla chips. Reeni says the soup is "nice and spicy, hearty and soul-satisfying" and could easily be made vegetarian. Tyler would be proud! (or maybe jealous!)

With fresh chives from her garden, Ulrike from Küchenlatein, created a hearty bowl of Potato Soup with Chives and Blood Sausage. Ulrike says this soup is really delicious and although she is not normally a blood sausage fan, she says as that a fried garnish, she really liked it. (Unfortunately she could not get her sons to try that part of the soup!)

Suzie at Munch & Nibble, asks; "Can a soupy chicken dish make you a bonne maman or a good mother?" It certainly can't hurt, especially if it is a bowl of this homey Poulet Bonne Femme. This soup, slow-cooked in the oven and brimming with tender chicken and vegetables, leaves the house smelling "comforting and secure, just like a good mother's home should." Suzie says it is also really, really good!

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, Natashya has elevated a weekly bowl of soup into an entire meal of soup, bread and dessert. (I think my invite keeps getting lost in the mail?!) This week the soup is a Dilled Potato Soup, that she says is "creamy, satisfying and very tasty indeed!" Served with soft, chunky, seasoned breadsticks and apple turnovers, it is the perfect "Sunday Special Dinner". 

Heather from girlichef is here to remind us that it is National Garlic Day today, and to profess her love for all things garlic. To celebrate the holiday, she created this drool-worthy Golden Garlic Soup with Fideos. Heather says this one is a "garlic-lover's dream" with its golden caramelized onions and garlic, spicy chilies and melted cheese. I say give me a big bowl please!

I am amazed each week by the quality and variety of soups that everyone comes up with! Thank you all for participating this week. 

If you have a soup or soup-like creation you want to share on a Souper Sunday, just click on the Souper Sunday logo on the side bar for all of the details. 

Speaking of soup, with just over 6 months of Souper Sundays now, I really love doing this weekly round-up and seeing what everyone has created and I also love the sense of community it inspires when we (virtually) gather around some great bowls of soup. I am also conscious that we have warm weather upon us and even warmer weather coming in many parts of the world and while I make soup pretty much year-round, I understand that not everyone may be in as much of a soup mode as they were in the cooler weather. To that end I have been thinking about ways to keep the core and heart of Souper Sundays but make a few changes that will help make it a bit more relevant for everyone. I'll be sharing those ideas and asking for your feedback next week so if you are a participant or a reader, or both, please come by next week and give me your thoughts.

Have a wonderful week!

Coronation Chicken & Potato Salad (or What to Make If The Queen Comes to Lunch)

Sometimes it's fate that determines what I make. Here I have all this garam masala curry powder and chutney left from my last two posts, and then I treat myself to the latest Delicious food magazine from Australia and flipping through, I find a recipe for Coronation Chicken & Potato Salad, from one of my favorite chefs, Jill Dupleix, that uses both. I had heard of Coronation Chicken before but had never tried it. I usually like Jill's recipes and I liked the fact she lightened it up with yogurt. And it never hurts to be prepared with an appropriate dish if the Queen (or Charles and Camilla, or the Beckhams, or Elton John, or Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy, or any other British icons should happen to come over for lunch!) 

Jill Dupleix says: "The original Coronation Chicken was served at a lunch to honour the gathered Commonwealth Heads of state as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953. Two respected food authorities, Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry, created a salad that could be made ahead and served to a number of people on a warm summer's day. They added some curry powder in homage to the guests who had come from afar, and had an instant hit. It's now as much of a cliche of the British summer as warm beer and cucumber sandwiches. It might sound a bit weird, but it really works. The original recipe is quite heavy with mayo and cream, so this is my lighter version, using yoghurt instead of cream. It's a perfect lunch dish, an easy midweek supper, a good picnic companion and a brilliant sandwich the next day. Be prepared to make it again and again; it converts everyone instantly because it's sweet but spicy, and rich but light."

Coronation Chicken & Potato Salad

Jill Dupleix, Delicious, Feb 2009

(Serves 4)

Dupleix says: "You can also make this dish using leftover turkey or poach your own chicken, using the poaching broth to lighten the sauce to the right coating consistency."

1 poached, roasted or barbecued chicken

6 chat potatoes, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces

1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces

1 Tbsp chopped chives, plus extra whole to garnish

1 butter or green oak leaf lettuce leaves separated (or 200g shredded iceberg lettuce)

1 tsp nigella* or cumin seeds

Dressing

2 Tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise

1/3 cup (95g) natural low-fat yogurt

2 Tbsp mango chutney

1 Tbsp mild curry powder

1 tsp tomato paste

dash of Tabasco

1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus wedges to serve

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth, then season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water, a spoonful at a time, whisking until light and creamy. Set aside.

Take the chicken meat off the bone and cut into bite-size chunks. Toss the chicken, potato, cucumber and chives in the dressing. Divide the lettuce and salad among serving bowls. Sprinkle with Nigella seeds, garnish with extra chives and serve with lemon wedges.

*Nigella seeds are from selected Indian and Middle Eastern food shops.

Notes/Results: Really good! It does sound a bit odd with the chicken, potato and cucumber, but the combination with the curry and the sweetness of the chutney works. I used two large skinless-boneless organic chicken breasts and roasted them (ala Ina), in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. I determined that chat potatoes are a small boiling potato and found some small yellow potatoes that worked well. I used a Japanese cucumber as those are more plentiful here, and subbed in a local lettuce blend for the butter lettuce. I used my favorite non-fat yogurt, Fage Greek Yogurt and the curry powder and chutney were from Tyler's recipe. This recipe goes together easily and is best after it sets in the fridge for an hour or two. It's a great warm weather lunch or dinner. I would make it again.

If the Queen leaves you any extra salad from lunch, (don't forget protocol is that when she stops eating you must stop eating too), it does make an incredible (and slightly messy), sandwich the next day. I actually liked the sandwich, on crusty, toasted bread with a thin layer of chutney and some peppery arugula, so much, I would make the recipe again just to have another sandwich.

Sweet Mango Chutney for Tyler Florence Fridays

I wanted to make a homemade chutney for yesterday's Barefoot Bloggers Savory Couer a la Creme and I remembered I had tagged this recipe from Tyler's Food 911 show on the Food Network site to make someday. No time like the present; a great way to multi-task with posts and the perfect pairing of my favorite Food Network stars Tyler and Ina. 

Sweet Mango Chutney
Food 911, Tyler Florence
(Makes 6-8 Servings)

2 tablespoons Ghee, recipe follows
1 medium onion, chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 mangoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind paste or rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Curry Powder, recipe follows
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the mango, raisins, sugar, tamarind paste, and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low, and cook until everything is soft and the flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Put the chutney into a bowl and allow it to cool before serving.

Ghee:
1 pound unsalted butter

Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter slowly and make sure it does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly. Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Curry Powder (Garam Masala):

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 dried red chiles, broken in pieces, seeds discarded
2 tablespoons turmeric

Toast the coriander, cumin, cardamom, peppercorns, fennel, mustard, cloves, and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat just until they smell fragrant, about 2 minutes. In a clean coffee grinder or spice mill, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the curry powder immediately, or store in a sealed jar for up to 1 month. Yield: about 1/2 cup

Notes/Results: Delicious, sweet, savory and just a little spicy. Tyler's recipe is easy enough and you can make it even easier if you don't want to make your own ghee (clarified butter) or curry powder. For health reasons, I didn't do the butter (I have made ghee in the past and it is simple to make, it just takes a while), but I did make Tyler's curry powder (garam masala) blend. The kitchen always smells so good when you toast all the spices together! The recipe makes way more ghee and curry powder than you will need for the chutney, (I'll show you what I did with some of the extra curry powder and leftover chutney tomorrow). Since I didn't want to use the butter in my chutney, I used a bit of pineapple juice to saute my onions and ginger, less fat and more flavor. Chutney is great as a side dish/condiment with meats and curries and yummy on a burger or sandwich. This is a good, basic recipe that I would make again. 

You can see what the other TFF participants made this week and what they thought about their choices at the TFF  site here.

Savory Coeur a la Creme--Barefoot Bloggers Bonus Recipe

This month our Barefoot Bloggers bonus recipe was selected by the wonderful Anne at Anne Strawberry. Anne chose Ina's Savory Coeur a la Creme, a spin-off of the Couer a la Creme with Raspberries and Grand Marnier Sauce we made this past summer. Basically it is the same recipe without the sugar and vanilla and with some salt and pepper. I watched the Barefoot Contessa episode where Ina made this, ("Say Cheese"), and I love the description of the show: "Ina's shaking up her top five everyday cheeses and experimenting with new ideas that really think outside the cheese box." Our girl Ina is getting wild with the cheese! I just made a half portion of the recipe in my small fine-mesh sieve and used low-fat cream cheese to lighten it up a bit. Ina recommends a brand of chutney she likes to spread on top but I decided to make my own, using a Tyler Florence recipe that I will be posting as my recipe pick for Tyler Florence Fridays tomorrow. (I love it when I can multi-task). 

You can find the recipe at the Food Network site here.

Savory Coeur a la Creme
Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten
(Makes 8-10 Servings)

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle chutney (recommended: Cross and Blackwell Major Grey's)
Crackers, for serving

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until it is firm like whipped cream. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick.

Line a 6-inch coeur a la creme mold or 6-inch sieve with a few layers of cheesecloth, allowing the excess to drape over the sides. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the cream. Place the mold on a plate or suspend the sieve over a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.


When ready to serve, unmold the creme upside down onto a plate and pour the chutney over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Serve chilled with crackers.

Notes/Results: Although not something I would make often, this light and creamy concoction is just as good savory as it is sweet. Since I am a big fan of both lemon and pepper, I added a bit more of both than the recipe called for and really liked the flavor. The chutney adds a nice touch with its sweet-spicy taste and I really liked the couer a la creme spread on the whole-grain crackers. This was a hard dish for me to make really "pretty" in pictures, since I was just using a round sieve lined with cheesecloth as a mold but it is tasty. I also think it would be interesting to try this with an herb pesto on top in place of the chutney. 

Thanks Anne for a fun pick! I was happy to try something I enjoyed as a sweet dessert changed to a more savory pupu. You can see which Barefoot Bloggers made this optional recipe and what they thought about it at the Barefoot Bloggers site here.

Ridiculously Good Thai Chicken & Veggie Curry Pasta and I Forgot About My Blogoversary!

This dish has been living in my head for a while now. I love curry of all kinds but sometimes get a little bored with eating it over rice and thought it would be fun to eat it over pasta instead. Since I had most of a box of rice noodles I needed to use up, I used them for the base. You could use any curry, red, green, yellow; I chose some massaman curry paste I had in the pantry. Massaman curry is a Southern Thai curry which is Muslim in origin and is influenced by Indian curries. I would call it more savory and "spiced" than spicy, but it has a little kick to it. With some leftover chicken that I cooked in coconut milk and spices, (more about that later) and lots of colorful veggies, it made the perfect dinner and was ridiculously good, so much so that I didn't want to stop eating it. The wonderful flavors of Thailand and curry in a comforting, but not too heavy, pasta noodle dish. Made with lite coconut milk and chock full of lean protein and all those veggies, it ends up being pretty healthy too.

Thai Chicken & Veggie Curry Pasta

by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes 4 servings)

1 (14 oz) can lite coconut milk

2 1/2 Tbsp curry paste (I used a massaman curry)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

3/4 cup carrots, sliced thinly

1 Japanese eggplant, sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 green onions, green part, sliced

1 cup snow pea pods, trimmed and chopped into thirds

3/4 cup chopped mushrooms (I used oyster)

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

1/2 cup Thai basil, chopped and separated

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped and separated

juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla), (optional)

1/4 cup cashews, toasted and chopped

1 package rice noodles (phad thai style) or linguine

In a large skillet or pan, stir coconut milk, curry paste, garlic and ginger over medium-high heat, stirring until paste dissolves. Mix broth and cornstarch or arrow root in a small bowl until cornstarch dissolves then mix into skillet. Stir until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots and eggplant, simmer about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and green onions and simmer another 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and mix in snow peas, mushrooms chicken and 1/4 cup each of the basil and cilantro and heat through. Add lime juice and fish sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile cook rice noodles in boiling water according to package directions (about 8 minutes). Drain in cold water.

Place noodles in serving bowl or platter. Top with sauce mixture, remaining 1/4 cup each of Thai basil and cilantro and chopped cashews. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes/Results: This was perfect for me. I like my veggies to be crisp and not mushy so if you want them on the softer side, cook them a bit longer. The flavors were perfect, nicely spiced, a little heat, (you could add some Thai chili paste if you want more) and tangy from the lime. It goes together quickly and easily. Swap out the curry, protein and veggies for whatever you like or have on hand. I used the veggies from my CSA box and what I had in my fridge. I will make this again.

I am sending this along to Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted this week by Katie of One Little Corner of the World. If you have not checked out this fun event, there are some spectacular pasta recipes shared each week at the round-ups on Fridays.

I just realized that my one year "Blogoversary" was yesterday! One year ago I started this blog as a creative outlet for my passions for cooking, experimenting in the kitchen and writing. It has been a blast and I give it and the blogging community credit for keeping me (mostly) sane over a crazy year. I have gotten to know so many wonderful people, taken part in some really fun events and improved my cooking skills tenfold. I wanted to do a little give away to say thank you and to celebrate but since I am just a couple weeks away from hitting my 300th post, I am going to hold off and do it then so stayed tuned.

Have a great week!

Gale Gand's Brunch! A Review and Some Delicious Cranberry Angel-Food Muffins

Is there a better meal than brunch? A little bit breakfast, a little bit lunch, it conjures up sleeping in, hanging out with friends, reading the paper, relaxing and all at a leisurely pace. You can grab a quick bite for breakfast or stop and jam a quick lunch, but brunch is all about lingering and enjoying the food and the company. I tend to go out to eat brunch rather than attempting to make it myself, but the new cookbook, Gail Gand's Bunch: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal may change that. Gale Gand loves brunch and her new cookbook, covers the subject well, with scrumptious recipes and beautiful photos, all drool inducing. I was lucky enough to receive an early book to review and cook a dish from for the Cookbook Spotlight event hosted by Stephanie and Cath. 

In Brunch!, Gale has a little something for everyone with sections on brunch classics like Drinks, Brunch Basics, More Eggs, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast & Other Sweets. There are plenty of Gale's famous baked goods in The Bakery section. For those who like little plates she offers mini Brunch Bites. For the non-sweet lover there are More Savories & Some Sides, and Salad & Soups for those who like their brunch closer to lunchtime. She even added sections on Fruits & Condiments, Menus  and lists and explanations of the necessary 

Equipment & Ingredients. Since Gale is a James Beard award-winning pastry chef and experienced restaurateur, I was worried that her recipes might be beyond my limited baking and brunch making skills but the recipes all look easy enough and very "do-able" even for for non-experts. In the Brunch Basics section, Gale has some mini "tutorials" on making omelets, stratas, frittatas, quiches and crepes and loads of variations that are very helpful to neophytes like me. 

With so many great recipes, it was difficult to chose one to make; Sweet Peach Crepes, Torta Rustica, Poached Salmon with Cucumber Yogurt, Peanut Butter and Jelly Turnovers, Pineapple Noodle Kugel, to name a few. I ended up going back to the Bakery section and a recipe for Cranberry Angel-Food Muffins, partially because they were fat free and also because I have been craving angel-food cake. 

Gale says "These muffins--which happen to be fat-free--have a wonderful light texture.  It's worth the effort to sift the flour three times to get the right consistency. Tart cranberries punctuate the airy cake and make for a festive treat around the holidays--but I like these so much that I keep cranberries in my freezer all year so I can make them anytime."

The muffins go together easily, your biggest effort is sifting the flour and making sure the batter is whipped until it forms soft peaks. Gale doesn't specify a size for the muffin pans and I used the standard-sized ones I have. In the Equipment & Ingredients section in the back of the book she mentions that she has "muffin pans in a range of sizes, from mini to extra-large" and that she likes to mix up the size of her muffins. I have a feeling she must have used her extra large tins when developing these because the recipes says that it makes 12 muffins and I ended up with double that. I ended up making 18 regular size muffins and two pans (24 total) mini muffins with my batter. They were so delicious, I didn't mind the extras--light, fluffy, the sweetness of the orange was perfect with the tangy bites of the cranberry. They were wonderful with a cup of tea. The downside? They are so light that you feel like you can eat way more muffins than you normally would. Luckily, I saw my neighbor walking by and was able to hand off some to her. She loved them and her kids were happy with their "baby muffins" too. A definite make again recipe!

Bright, visually appealing with a huge variety of recipes, this is a great book for any brunch lover. It is perfect for today's economy, since you can create your favorite restaurant brunch orders more economically at home for family and friends. I look forward to cooking more dishes from it and to seeing what recipes the other Cookbook Spotlight participants prepared.