Ditali Con Ceci E Vongole (Chickpeas and Clams) for "The Geometry of Pasta" Review

"The Perfect Shape + The Perfect Sauce = The Geometry of Pasta" is the theory behind the book, "The Geometry of Pasta" by Caz Hildebrand & Jacob Kenedy. I received this book to review several weeks ago and rather than sit idly on my review book pile, this one sat on my bedside table and was paged through bit by tasty bit.

A fascinating book with gorgeous black and white graphics of pasta shapes instead of photos--it goes from A (Agnolotti) to Z (Ziti / Candele) and through more pastas than I ever knew existed. Covering the history and use of each pasta shape, along with a recipe or two to make with them. The book touches on just about everything you can think of on the subject of true Italian pasta, including a tutorial on the basics of pasta and pasta sauce making, this is a book for pasta fans and aficionados who like a little science, history, philosophy and of course geometry thrown in. Hildebrand is an award-winning graphic designer who has produced cookbooks by acclaimed chefs and celebrities like Nigella Lawson, and Kenedy is a chef and co-owner of Bocca di Lupo, a popular, award-winning London restaurant, and together this pair has created a stylish book full of more than 100 drool-worthy authentic recipes.

It was difficult to choose a dish to make until I stumbled across the Ditali Con Ceci E Vongole (Chickpeas and Clams). I loved the idea of pureeing chickpeas into a creamy sauce and pairing it with fresh clams, plus I just happened to have a package of ditali waiting to be used.

Ditali Con Ceci E Vongole in Black & White

(in homage to The Geometry of Pasta!) ;-)

About Ditali and Ditalini, the book says, "Ditali and their smaller brethren ditalini are short tubes of pasta whose diameter is about the same as their length. Their name stems from ditale ("thimbles"), and thus dita ("finger"). Among the numerous other names, denti di vecchia ("old folks ' teeth") and denti di cavallo ("horse's teeth") stand out as amusing. Whilst they are an industrial pasta, ditali have been around since the 1800s. Small ones are usually served in brodo, larger ones in thicker soups. Both sizes come lisci ("smooth") or rigati ("ridged"), the latter pairing well with thicker sauces--such as Calabrese pasta ca trimma, the pasta cooked with potatoes and tossed in a sauce of beaten egg, pecorino, and parsley. Given their bead-like dimensions, they are one of the best for making necklaces, along with sedanini."

Ditali Con Ceci E Vongole (Chickpeas and Clams)

From "The Geometry of Pasta" by Caz Hildebrand & Jacob Kenedy

1/3 lb ditali*

1 1/3 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (2/3 lb)

1 1/3 cups chicken cooking liquid (or water, if using canned)

1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb live clams

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

a decent pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh red chili (optional)

*Also good with this sauce--chifferi, rigati, farfalle, farfalle tonde, pasta mista, torchio

You need to start making the sauce about 10 minutes before your pasta is ready (just undercooked, probably a minute or so less than stated on the package), so time yourself accordingly.

Finely puree three-quarters of the chickpeas with their liquid. Heat a wide frying pan (large enough for the clams to fit into in a single layer, with some space to spare). When very hot, add 9 tablespoons of the oil, the clams, and the garlic all at once. Fry until the garlic starts to colour, then add the red pepper flakes and half of the parsley for just a second or 2 before the pureed and whole chickpeas. Let the sauce bubble away merrily. As the clams pop open, pick them out one by one (leave them in the shells), and set aside. When the last have popped, test the sauce for seasoning. Leave it to boil if necessary, until the sauce has the consistency of light cream. Add the drained pasta, along with the cooked clams, back to the pan with the remaining parsley, and let everything cook together until the sauce is as thick as heavy cream but still somewhat soupy.

Serve immediately with the remaining oil drizzled on top, and a scattering of fresh chili if you like.

Notes/Results: I really enjoyed this dish, it was different than anything I had ever tried before, with great texture and a nutty, slightly earthy flavor. There is something so satisfying about cooking clams and watching them open one-by-one while hearing each delicate "pop." Once your chickpeas are soaked and cooked (I cooked mine the day before or you can use canned if you want more convenience), this dish goes together very quickly and easily if mind the recipe and watch your timing to make the sauce as the pasta just finishes cooking. It is extremely filling and hearty and looks and tastes nice enough to serve to guests but is also simple enough for a weeknight dinner. I will make it again and play around with the chickpea sauce for other pasta shapes.

"The Geometry of Pasta" is a great addition for the reference and/or Italian sections of your cookbook library or it would be a fun holiday gift--along with some different pasta shapes, for a food-loving friend.

I am linking my delicious Ditali Con Ceci E Vongole (Chickpeas and Clams) to two favorite events this week--Ruth's fabulous Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted this week by Helen of Fuss Free Flavours and to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop hosted by my pal girlichef as well as A Moderate Life, Hunger and Thirst, and Frugality and Crunchiness wth Christy.

Obligatory Disclosure: I was sent this book in the hopes that I would read and review it but no monetary compensation was received and as always, my thoughts, opinions and feedback are my own.

Thai Vegetable Stew--Hearty & Vegan for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

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With a fridge and freezer full of leftovers including four soups made in a vegan Hearty Ethnic Soups class I took last weekend at Kapiolani Community College, I decided to not make another new soup this week. Instead I am featuring my favorite soup from class, this Thai Vegetable Stew. Made thick and hearty with plenty of vegetables and creamy from coconut milk, it is a warm, nourishing soup that was very welcome for the rainy, windy weather we had this week.

Thai Vegetable Stew
by Chef Alyssa Moreau, KCC Chef Instructor
(Serves 4)

1 Tbsp light oil
1 cup red bell pepper, 1/2" chop
1 cup Japanese eggplant, sliced thin
1 cup kabocha squash or yams, cut into 1/2" chunks or slices

4 Thai chilies, stems and seeds removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1"-piece of ginger or galangal, peeled & cut in chunks
2 lemongrass stalks (lower 5"), peeled and cut into 1" pieces

4 kaffir lime leaves, mid-ribs torn off

1 (15 oz) can coconut milk

2 Tbsp shoyu or to taste

2 cups water or to personal preference

1 cup green beans or zucchini,
2 green onion stalks, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup carrot, sliced matchstick styles

1/2 cup snap peas

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup Thai basil, sliced thin

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

Heat oil in a large pot. Add the red bell pepper, eggplant, and kabocha and saute about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small processor (or hand-chop or mortar & pestle), process the chilies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime until you get a paste.

Add the paste to the sauteing vegetables and cook a few minutes, allowing the flavors to release and blend in. Add in the liquid ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add in the green beans and green onions, cover and cook about 5 minutes or until almost tender.

Remove the lid and add in the carrots and snap peas, cook for 1 more minute, then add in the cilantro, basil and salt to taste.

Serve with chopped peanuts.

Optional: Add in 1 cup pre-soaked rice noodles during the last 5 minutes of simmering, and/or add in marinated tofu cubes or slices.

Notes/Results: A really good soup. Lots of layers of flavor in this one, slightly sweet from the yams, carrots and coconut milk, tangy from the lemongrass, kaffir lime and the squeeze of lime juice I added. This soup is a great one to adjust to your personal tastes, with whatever veggies strike your fancy or adding rice or noodles. I tried it plain and also stirred in some brown rice in a second bowl and it is good and hearty both ways. It is a filling soup already but if you desperately wanted protein, tofu chunks would be great in it or you could add some shrimp or chicken too. This is a keeper recipe.

Let's take a look at this week's Souper Sunday round up and see who is in the kitchen:

Tigerfish from Teczcape - An Escape to Food made a light and healthy Daikon Chicken Soup and says, "There are some popular Chinese sayings: 秋天 萝卜是人参,十月萝卜小人参 - meaning the Radish (Daikon) harvest during Autumn/Fall season is equivalent to Ginseng, heightening the nutritious benefit of radish (daikon). Daikon is sometimes known as Oriental Radish or Chinese Radish. If you have never thought so highly of Daikon, perhaps you should do so..and EAT MORE! I love pairing chicken and daikon in a soup."

Please join me in giving a big Souper Sundays welcome to Katerina from Culinary Flavors, blogging from Athens, Greece and joining us for the first time this week. Katerina made a quick and delicious Mushroom Soup for her sick husband and says, "The perfect soup for a cold day and a ‘cold-hit’ husband. I had all the ingredients at home, so I didn’t have to go to the s/m to buy anything. When I came home from work, I immediately started cooking. It is a very easy soup and super delicious. I will definitely do it again, I will only increase the quantity, since by the end of the day there weren’t any leftovers and I received several complaints about that."

Also welcome my friend Annie blogging from House of Annie in Malaysia, along with her husband Nate as I think this may be their first Souper Sundays visit (or it is at least a welcome back after a long absence!). Annie made a classic Matzoh Ball Soup and says, "This easy recipe takes chicken soup to a new level of wonderful. Considering that I only learned about matzoh balls 3 years ago, it’s amazing how this dish is now a mainstay in our home. After one slurp of the soup and a bite of the matzoh balls, I was in love. It was everything comfort and home should be about–hearty, warm, satisfying. Once I found out how easy it was to make, it found its way into my home as well."

Kim from Liv Life made this gorgeous Quick Corn and Chicken Chowder (it made the Food Buzz Top 9!) and says, "With the market corn dwindling, a bag of Trader Joe's frozen white corn made for easy prep of this body warming soup. I had thought ahead and made extra chicken from our dinner the prior evening which only need a quick chopping to round out the meal. Flavored with onion, chilies and celery and then then rounded out with a dose of dried thyme and a fresh grind of pepper this soup was the perfect birthday meal."

Nicole from Cocoa and Coriander is back this week with an exotic Red Kuri Soup over Couscous and says, "I found a lovely squash that I hadn't ever seen, a red kuri squash. It kind of looks like a pumpkin but a little smaller and richer in color. I decided I wanted to make a sauce to serve over couscous, but the end result was hearty enough to consider a soup. It is a bit more wholesome with the couscous because of the added protein and grain, but I had a bowl of it by itself for lunch today and I think I prefer it served that way. Eating this is like eating a bowl of savory pumpkin pie. It is creamy and nutty and naturally sweet, but it is also delightfully savory and slightly spicy."

Lovely Pam from Sidewalk Shoes used the last of her beloved CSA meaty soup bones to make a pot of her favorite "go-to" dish of Vegetable Beef Soup and says, "In continuing with my anything-goes soup recipes, there is no recipe. There is nothing quite so forgiving as soup. A little of this, a little of that, more of this, not quite so much that, it doesn’t matter. Again, following my dump everything in the slow cooker method, this soup can be assembled in about 25 minutes and about 8 hours or so later, you have a warm, comforting hug in a bowl."

Debbi from Debbie Does Dinner... Healthy & Low Calorie made this low calorie Enchilada Soup with Pumpkin and says. "It's getting cold here!! So soups like this is necessary for survival! This was so quick and easy, I just know I'll be making it again soon! I cooked extra chicken so that we could eat this along with quesadillas but none of us needed a quesadilla, this hit the spot just the way it was! The enchilada sauce and the pumpkin together are perfect! Go make this."

Christine from Kits Chow kindly shares the secret to her White Bean Soup, saying "My late mother-in-law loved my white bean soup. She would ask me to make large portions so that she could give some to her friends. I became famous among the seniors set for my bean soup.They said that they had never tasted anything like it. What was my secret? White bean is usually made with a ham bone. As I seldom had a ham bone on hand, I made the stock with roasted pig's feet that are sold in Chinese BBQ shops. The pig's feet give a very rich and delicious taste to the soup. I think that was what they meant."

Corina from Searching for Spice adds leafy greens to her beans for this hearty Kale and Bean Soup. She says, "This is a really easy and filling soup that makes a complete meal. It’s incredibly healthy and makes me feel good just looking at it. I only get kale a couple of times a year. I love the strong flavour but unfortunately my husband is not so keen. I think it goes really well in a soup. As it’s quite a tough leaf it doesn’t disappear to nothing like spinach does. I love that fact it keeps its shape and flavour. The beef stock is also good in this soup and I think it goes perfectly with the kale."

We have one hearty salad this week, this Carrot, Dill, and White Bean Salad from my friend Joanne at Eats Well With Others who was confronted by some very quick cooking beans. Joanne says, "You find mush. You check the clock to make sure you haven't gotten stuck in some kind of fast forwarding time warp. Nope. Forty minutes. Mush. So I'm just putting it out there. This is mush in salad form. But it's okay. Because caramelized carrots mixed with lemon juice, brown sugar and olive oil taste a bit like a symphony when put together, the different flavors melding and working together to make one coherent, illuminating whole. And the white beans just tie it all together. Mushed. Or not."

Kim from Stirring the Pot has burgers on her mind, like these Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Basil Mayonnaise adapted from Giada De Laurentiis. Kim says, "I've tried chicken burgers in the past and haven't cared for them at all, until now. Giada's Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise are actually really good. Giada's original recipe calls for rosemary flavored mayo. I didn't have rosemary, but I did have lots of basil. I didn't find it necessary to use 1/4 cup olive oil to grill the burger buns, so I skipped that part. I also added quite a bit more garlic to the mayo mixture. We found these burgers to be juicy, flavorful, and satisfying."

Erin of EKat's Kitchen took the time out of a busy few weeks to make a soup and burger dinner and says, "Tonight, to make it up to my hubby for making him fend for himself (poor baby!) for dinner the last week or so to use up some of the squash and freezer goodies that we've got to use up before we move, I made a gourmet burger dinner." Her Brie-Stuffed Buffalo Burgers and Mashed Butternut Squash Soup made a fantastic and filling autumn-perfect meal.

There you go--some truly fabulous soups, a tasty salad and a couple of great burgers! Thanks to everyone who joined in this week and a special welcome to our new faces. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a wonderful week!

Giada's Apple and Thyme Martinis--A "Simple Saturday Sipper" That's Perfect for Fall

It's apple season--time for apple pie, apple cider, apple crisp and even apple-centered cocktails like this Apple and Thyme Martini from Giada De Laurentiis. From "Giada's Kitchen." This is a simple drink that is the perfect Simple Saturday Sipper to celebrate fall.


Giada says, "In Seattle, where I first had a version of this drink, martinis come garnished with a sprig of Douglas fir. Thyme syrup contributes a similar herbaceous zing, and little balls of apple are a whimsical touch This is a great cocktail."

Apple and Thyme Martini
"Giada's Kitchen" by Giada de Laurentiis
(Makes 4 Servings)
Ice
10 oz vodka
6 oz apple juice
1/4 cup Thyme Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1 large apple, peeled
4 fresh thyme sprigs

Chill 4 martini glasses in the freezer.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, apple juice, and thyme syrup and shake for about 10 seconds. Divide among the 4 chilled martini glasses.

Using a melon baller, scoop out small balls of apple. Place 3 balls of apple and 1 sprig of thyme in each glass for garnish. Serve immediately.

Thyme Simple Syrup
(Makes 1 Cup)
1 cup sugar
5 large fresh thyme sprigs

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, thyme, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.


Notes/Results: Very tasty--potent, flavorful and not too sweet. The pairing of apple and thyme is delicious and perfect for fall. I used the lemon thyme from my herb garden because it grows more prolifically than my regular thyme. I used a Honeycrisp apple and fresh apple juice for the drink--which added a nice juicy tartness to it. I liked this cocktail a lot and will make it again.


Although I already linked a recipe for "Out of Italy" at I Heart Cooking Clubs (Giada's Asian Chicken Salad here) but I'm linking this Seattle-inspired cocktail one as an extra this week. You can check out what all the other IHCC participants made this week by going to the post here and following the links.

Happy Saturday!

I Want to Be the Next Iron Foodie 2010!

When I saw an email about the Iron Foodie 2010 Contest, sponsored by Marx Foods and The Foodie BlogRoll I knew I had to enter. 25 challengers are selected to receive a mystery box of 8 wonderful secret ingredients hand-picked by Marx Foods. The object is to use 3 of those ingredients in an original, creative, Iron Foodie-worthy winning recipe. It gets both my creative and competitive juices flowing! To enter, all interested participants need to answer five fun and thought-provoking questions for the judges to select the 25 challengers by... so here goes!

Why do you want to compete in this challenge?

I am a junkie for cooking competition shows--Iron Chef, Iron Chef America (Morimoto crush alert!), Chopped, Top Chef and I love to watch what the chefs create with the ingredients they are given and try to determine what I would have done with the same ingredients. I recently had a blast in the Marx foods and Joanne Eats Well With Others Recipe Impossible Winter Squash competition. (My entry of Kabocha Cupcakes with Maple-Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting is here.) Getting that box of mystery ingredients was a total thrill and call me greedy but I want more--more challenge, more mystery and of course more of Marx Foods great ingredients!

Limitations of time/space notwithstanding, whose kitchen would you like to spend the day in & why? Julia Child, Thomas Keller, Ferran Adria, James Beard, Marie-Antoine Careme, or The Swedish Chef?

Although Julia Child and James Beard would be right up there, the sheer fascination of spending the day with Ferran Adria would have to win out. I have spent many an hour salivating over his "A Day at El Bulli" book at Barnes & Noble and I would love to spend a day in his workshop watching him create and perfect his "deconstructionist" recipes and then get to enjoy his 30 course tasting menu.

What morsel are you most likely to swipe from family & friends’ plates when they aren’t looking?

I'm not too proud to admit that I will swipe an endless variety of food items off of my family and friends' plates when they aren't looking and even when they are. (I do usually ask first!) Being a complete food lover with a Libra's inability to make decisions, I am happiest having dinner with you if you are willing and eager to share bites from our respective plates--the more different tastes the better. Also I tend to try to order side salads with my burgers and sandwiches in order to feel better about myself, so if you got the fries, beware...I am stealing some! ;-)

Sum your childhood up in one meal.

My mom's Chicken Fricassee with mashed potatoes and her warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies for dessert congers up childhood to me. Making simple, homey, comfort food is something my mom excels at and her fricassee with it's moist chicken and creamy gravy was/is my only choice for my Birthday dinner. She also makes the best chocolate chip cookies--soft, chewy and addictive.

The one mainstream food you can’t stand?

OK, I may actually get kicked out of America for this but I really can't stand pumpkin pie. There is something about the pureed pumpkin and the combination of spices that just doesn't work at all for me. It is everywhere this time of year--lattes, teas, even smoothies--yikes! It gives me the shudders just thinking about it.

Keep your fingers crossed that I get selected for the challenge round please! ;-) Even if I don't, answering the questions was fun. I'll keep you updated...

BTW: Judges--I tried a bazillion times to get the badge to look right but it doesn't seem to want to work on my blog. It looks fine in preview. ;-( I assure you my cooking skills are better than my technical skills!

Things I Am Loving This Week--Back Again w/ Giada's Asian Chicken Salad, Homemade Herbal Cough Syrup & New Chocolate

If you have been reading or following my blog for a while, you'll know that Tuesdays were usually reserved for the Things I Am Loving This Week--those (mostly) food-related things that I am enjoying and want to share. Unfortunately, time has been scarce the last few weeks and I have not been good about doing my TIALTW posts regularly--so I am happy to bring it back this week.

First up--when I feel like I have been indulging a bit too much in heavier foods, I love a big tasty, colorful, full-of-good-stuff salad to lighten things up. This week it is Giada's colorful Asian Chicken Salad filling my salad plate as our theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is "Out of Italy"--featuring recipes from cuisines other than Italian. Since I think it is a requirement for any Food Network star to have at least one Asian Chicken Salad recipe in their collection, I decided to give Giada's a whirl.

I wouldn't be me if I didn't make just a few changes of course. The recipe calls for a topper of chow mein noodles and I am not really a fan so I used some leftover wonton wrappers and a few spices to make some baked wonton strips instead. Spiced with a blend of sea salt, pepper, Chinese Five Spice and sesame seeds they make a much tastier and healthier topping in my opinion. I also doubled the Thai basil and mint and added a couple touches to the dressing with a bit of sesame oil, some lime juice and replacing the sugar with a little honey.

You can find Giada's recipe at the Food Network here.

Asian Chicken Salad

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

(Makes 4-6 Servings)

1 large carrot, peeled
3 cups shredded napa cabbage, from 1 small cabbage
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, from 1 small lettuce
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and deveined, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil leaves or fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted* see Cook's note
1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional
1/2 cup chow mein noodles, for garnish

For the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot and add to a large salad bowl. Stir in the cabbage, lettuce, pepper, Thai basil, chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if using.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the chow mein noodles and serve.

*Cook's Note: To toast the slivered almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely before using.

Crispy Spiced Baked Wonton Strips

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 1 1/2 cups or so)

8 (or more) wonton wrappers

1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

olive oil or canola spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Stack won ton wrappers and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips. (A pizza cutter works perfectly for this). Mix seasoning powder In a small bowl. Arrange the strips in a single layer on the prepared pan. Spray strips very lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly with the seasoning mix. Bake strips until golden brown and slightly crisp, about 6-7 minutes total.

Transfer strips to a plate to cool completely (strips will continue to crisp as they cool). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.


Notes/Results: Loved this salad--refreshing, light but filling and great flavors and good crunch. I liked the changes I made, especially the wonton strips which are pretty addicting and add another layer of tastes with the spices. They would also be a great chip with the squares cut into triangles and served with a Asian-inspired dip. I would make this again with the changes.

You can check out what the other IHCC participants made for their "Out of Italy" choices by going to the post here and following the links.

Speaking of salad love, you will find the majority of the large "meal-sized" salads that I make on this blog are served on my beloved salad/bowl plate. About the size of a dinner plate but with raised sides, it is one of my favorite dishes. Love it!

While I don't love having yucky coughing, wheezing bronchitis flare-ups, I do love a good herbal home remedy like this Thyme Syrup, a homemade cough syrup from a favorite book "Drink to Your Health: Delicious Juices, Teas, Soups, and Smoothies" by Anne McIntyre. I started making this cough syrup last fall and it tastes much better than nasty bottled cough syrup. Although there is a lot of sugar in it, I feel good knowing it is local honey and pure organic, unbleached sugar providing the sweetness instead of chemicals and preservatives.


Does it work? Well, I have been using it all weekend for my latest bit of lung nastiness and I find it very soothing to both my throat and chest and it does calm down my coughing. Between the syrup and a little medication help to open up my airways, I am feeling MUCH better. I have taken to making it in double batches and used lemon thyme from my herb garden in my last run, which added another layer of flavor. In a cute bottle this would be a fun little gift for an under-the-weather friend, along with a little chocolate and a stack of trashy magazines of course! ;-)

McIntyre says, "This sweet fragrant syrup from Greece makes an excellent remedy for all kinds of coughs. Thyme is highly antiseptic and, with its expectorant action, chases away infection and cleans congestion from the chest. A perfect syrup for children with it's smooth velvety texture and delicious taste."

Thyme Syrup

"Drink to Your Health" by Anne McIntyre

(Makes About 2 Cups)

2 oz fresh thyme leaves or 1 oz dried

2 1/2 cups boiling water

3/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups sugar

Place the thyme in a teapot. Pour boiling water over, cover, and leave to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the infusion with the honey and sugar in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Stir the mixture as it starts to thicken and skim any scum from the surface. Leave to cool.

Pour into a cork-stoppered bottle and store in the refrigerator. Drink 2 teaspoons, 3 times daily for chronic problems, and every 2 hours for acute conditions in children.

Of course you know I loves me some good chocolate and I finally got to try one of the new Vosges bars, the Black Salt Caramel Bar. With black Hawaiian sea salt, burnt sugar caramel and dark chocolate (70% cacao) it sounded pretty perfect.


The box says, "Black Hawaiian salt or Hiwa Kai is a blend of sea salt and volcanic charcoal. The salt is harvested naturally in ocean pools that have formed from past volcanic eruptions. The salt's striking hue is matched only by its flavor on your palate--slightly nutty and smoky--the perfect combination with caramel and dark chocolate."

The verdict: The 70% cacao is creamy and firm, the caramel inside is soft and gooey and there is just the right amount of smokiness and salt. This is a very rich bar with a somewhat sophisticated taste--it would be great paired with a cappuccino.


I think the simpler Barcelona Bar with it's deep milk chocolate, sea salt and smoked almonds is still my first true Vosges love but this bar is delicious and comes very close--so definitely feeling the love for this one. ;-)

So there you have it--the Things I Am Loving This Week. What are you enjoying right now?

BTW--This post and the Asian Chicken Salad and homemade Thyme Syrup are heading to the Hearth 'n Soul Tuesday Blog Hop hosted by my friend girlichef and other fabulous bloggers (A Moderate Life, Hunger and Thirst, and Frugality and Crunchiness wth Christy) and featuring good food cooked from the heart that feeds the body and the soul.


Aloha,