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March 20, 2023

Persian Fish with Herb Rice

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by Jinous Jahromi

Wedding and Event Specialist

Culinary Crafts, catering, Jinous, event manager, wedding specialist, team portrait, smile, brunette, Persian New Year Every March, my family celebrates Persian New Year (Nowruz) which marks the beginning of spring and the start of the Iranian calendar. During these thirteen days we go all out! Of the many festivities and family traditions, my favorites are always the food, especially Persian Fish with Herb Rice.

The Haft-sin

We start by prepping our Haft-sin, which is a table full of seven different traditional items. Each item begins with the same Persian letter (which is pronounced “seen”) and symbolizes a different hope for the new year. Lentil sprouts, representing rebirth and renewal, were always one of my favorite items of Haft-sin because we grew our own, and I would beg my grandparents to let me be in charge of watering the tiny sprouts. Nowruz, Persian New Year, Haft-sin, Jinous, Culinary Crafts, Utah caterer, sprouts, coins, yellow flower, garlic, samanoo, sumac, recipes, sabzi polo ba mahi The second item, samanoo, is a sweet pudding that symbolizes wealth and fertility. I didn’t care much for the taste, but Grandpa loves it, so Grandma always made extra for him. Sumac (which tastes amazing on rice and kabobs) is a red berry spice that symbolizes the color of sunrise. Apples represent beauty and nutrition. Garlic stands for health and medicine. Vinegar signifies age, wisdom and patience. We also had dried fruits on the table, but I’m not sure what they stood for. I just remember trying to convince my grandma to get dried apricots so that I could eat some too.

sabzi polo ba mahi, Persian recipe, Persian New Year, Nowruz, sumac, apple, garlic, coins, sprouts, Haft-sin, samanoo, staff recipe, Jinous Jahromi In addition to all these Haft-sin items, we would add goldfish, which I loved because, I mean, who doesn’t love goldfish, right? My brother and I would always argue on who got to feed the fish. Goldfish represent new life/new beginnings. We would also add some coins and flowers, traditionally hyacinths if we could find any, for the beauty and fragrance. On the last Tuesday before Nowruz, all our families and friends would get together and build small bonfires. Then we would jump over the flames as a symbol of wiping the slate clean of the past year and starting fresh. Believe me, the first time I did this I was excited, but scared to catch on fire. Nowruz, fire-jumping, leap over fire, Persian New Year, night, bonfire, jump, danger, celebration, Persian tradition But, like I said, the best part of Nowruz is the food. If I could, I would eat Persian food all day and every day. On the night of the New Year, we eat sabzi polo (herbed rice) with mahi (fish). To this day, my grandma makes the best Persian fish with herb rice. I loved going shopping at the Persian market with my grandparents, then going to Costco to get the Atlantic salmon. We had to make sure to get plenty to feed our whole family and enough for seconds and leftovers. I still have the oil-marked, torn paper I took notes on as I carefully watched Grandma prepare the sabzi polo. I am still trying to get the technique down perfectly. It’s tricky, but I’m almost there. Persian rice, sabzi, Nowruz, Jinous, herb rice, Utah caterer, Persian New Year, pecans, garlic, parsley, cilantro, Persian Fish with Herb Rice  

Persian Fish with Herb Rice

(Sabzi Polo Ba Mahi)

 

Sabzi Polo (Herbed Rice)

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
  • ½ cup packed sliced fresh garlic chives (At an Asian market, these might be called nira or Chinese leeks.)
  • ½ cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup packed chopped parsley
  • a dash of ground saffron powder (optional) for the top
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. In a 3-quart saucepan (or rice cooker), boil 4 cups of water. Add 2 cups of rice. Allow water to reach a simmer. Cover and reduce to medium low heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the water is gone and little holes appear in the surface of the rice.
  2. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water.
  3. Add the prepared herbs and gently toss together to combine. Pour mixed rice back in the same pot and put it back over medium low heat.
  4. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel. (Be careful not to let the towel touch the heat and catch fire!) Let the wet rice cook in its own steam for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the steam rises and the tahdig (the skin on the bottom of the rice) is golden and crisp.

Mahi (Fish)

INGREDIENTS
  • 2-3 pounds of salmon
  • kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp saffron powder
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup of water
  • lemon pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Pat dry salmon, with or without skin, and sprinkle kosher salt on the front and back side.
  2. Place on greased sheet pan. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
  3. In small bowl, mix together lemon juice, water, and saffron powder. Pour saffron mixture on salmon and sprinkle lemon pepper.
  4. Return salmon to oven and cook for 15 more minutes or until salmon reaches 130° F. (It should be easy to pull the fish apart with a fork.)
Nowruz mobarak! (Happy New Year!)

February 2, 2023

Presidential Chocolate Mousse

By

Presidential Chocolate Mousse

by Ron Crafts

Founder and Speed Demon

Ron Crafts, Presidential Chocolate Mousse, chocolate cups, chocolate petals, candied orange, candied orange strings, desserts, Utah catering, dessert catering, elegant finger desserts, treats

When the Winter Olympics came to Utah in 2002, Culinary Crafts was asked to cater all the major events for the games, including several large galas for the International Olympic Committee, the Salt Lake Olympics Committee, and Sports Illustrated. We had done huge events before, but catering so many all at once would push our resources to the limit. It quickly became apparent that we wouldn’t be able to accept any more event requests until after the games.

Then, one morning in October, we got a call from the White House.

“We would like to book an event,” said the woman on the other end of the line.

Not realizing who she was speaking with, our receptionist explained the situation and apologized. “We can’t take bookings right now, but I’d be happy to refer you to another caterer.”

There was a pause, and then the caller said, “So you don’t want to work for the President?”

“The President of what?”

“The President of the United States.”

We took the job.

That's the ticket!

As it turned out, one of my favorite memories of the games came as we were preparing a meal for the president’s event. That Sunday, one of our chefs called me in a panic because he needed a bottle of Frangelico for a dessert he was making, and he didn’t know where he could find one on such notice with all the Utah liquor stores closed. I told him I thought we had a bottle on the shelf at our facility, and I’d bring it right away.

Twenty minutes later I was driven down I-80 at 140 miles per hour when I was pulled over by the Utah Highway Patrol.

“Do you know how fast you were going?” the officer asked.

“Yes, sir,” I said.

He peered in my window and saw the bottle of Frangelico lying on the floor. “Is that an open bottle of alcohol?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” I admitted. (It was starting to look like I might be in some real trouble.)

“So, what’s the rush?” he asked.

There was nothing to do but tell the truth. “We’re hosting the President of the United States. They need this for dessert.”

Incredibly, he let me go.

It was lucky for me that President Bush was so popular in Utah.

PRESIDENTIAL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE


Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ Tbsp brandy
  • 1 ½ Tbsp Frangelico
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup brown sugar (divided)

Directions

  1. In a double boiler, melt butter, chocolate chips, brandy, and Frangelico.
  2. In large mixing bowl, whip heavy cream and 1 oz brown sugar until it forms medium peaks. Set in the refrigerator.
  3. Separate egg whites and yolks. In a large mixing bowl, whip egg whites and 1 oz brown sugar until it forms medium peaks. Set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, with the reserved egg yolks, slowly pour about 1 Tbsp of chocolate mixture into the yolks while constantly stirring. Continue to slowly add about another 2 Tbsp of chocolate to the yolk mixture. Combine remaining chocolate and yolk mixture. Mix until combined.
  5. Gently fold in egg whites.
  6. Gently fold in whipped cream.
  7. Serve chocolate mousse chilled and garnished with your favorite accoutrements. Berries and tuille cookies are my favorite!

January 11, 2023

Guasacaca

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by Mosiah Guerrero

Production Chef

guasacaca, Venezuelan, recipes, Utah catering, Mosiah Sauce, Culinary Crafts cookbook, guacamole, Hispanic food, green dip, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, sour cream, lime, chip dip, white dish

Growing up, I loved to watch my mother cook. She came from a generation who believed that cooking was only for women, so she was a little annoyed to have her youngest son following her around the kitchen all the time, getting in the way. She would tell me to go play outside, but all I wanted to do was be in the kitchen with her, watching and learning.

Whenever Mom left the house, I took it as an opportunity to practice cooking. The dish I always tried was arroz con leche, a kind of rice pudding that we make in Venezuela with condensed milk. Unfortunately, I burned the pot EVERY TIME. When my mom came home and found another mess and another burned pot, she would run around the house looking for me. I was forbidden from cooking anymore, but that didn’t stop me. Even when she got frustrated and stopped buying condensed milk, I just figured out how to make condensed milk on my own.

It never occurred to me that cooking could be a career. After high school, I took a job as a dishwasher at Faustina Restaurant in Salt Lake City, but I figured I’d only be there briefly until I figured out what I wanted to do. Soon I became bored of the dishwasher routine and started watching what was going on in the kitchen. The head chef of the restaurant, Billy Sotelo, noticed my interest and asked if I wanted to start working the salad/appetizer station. After a week and a half of that, Chef Sotelo moved me up to the grill station where I finally got to dip my fingers into a whole new side of the kitchen.

Shortly after, the restaurant changed their menu. Chef Sotelo asked for input from all the employees, but he wanted us to make the recipes our own. I quickly thought of guasacaca, a Venezuelan version of guacamole. It’s amazing for empanadas, marinating chicken, fried mozzarella sticks, and hundreds of other uses. I experimented with the recipe until I had it mastered. The chef loved the sauce, but he didn’t love the name: Guasacaca sounds like…something you wouldn’t eat. He called it “Mosiah Sauce” and added it to the menu. It has been a hit with the customers ever since.

That was the first time I was truly able to make a recipe my own, and I’m still very proud of it. I am forever grateful that, at such a young age, I have been able to turn a passion into a career. Now that I’m a chef, I can do what I love and continue to create goals to become an even better chef every day. I know my mother never expected her son to spend his career in the kitchen, but at least now she doesn’t have to worry about me burning her pans.

pexels, guacamole, guasacaca, toast, green salad, arugula, tomato, guac on toast, Mosiah sauce, Culinary Crafts, team recipes, cookbook

Mosiah Sauce Guasacaca

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 peeled garlic clove
  • ½ red onion
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • ½ yellow bell pepper
  • ½ jalapeno pepper (or use ½ Anaheim pepper for a milder taste)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste. Enjoy!

May 4, 2022

May Recipe of the Month: Perfect Pizza

By

Applewood fired oven pizza

A few months ago, Culinary Crafts had the privilege of co-hosting an event with renowned chef Wolfgang Puck and his amazing crew. For our May recipe of the month, we’re going to share one of the appetizers we served at that party, our perfect pizza. When we do pizza for big events, we make it in big applewood fired ovens, but when we bake it in our own ovens at home, this is the recipe we use.

The key to perfect pizza (besides using delicious, fresh ingredients) is the dough. If you prepare and bake the dough correctly, it’s going to taste delicious no matter which of your favorite toppings you put on top. Dough in hands For perfect pizza—with a light, chewy inside and crispy outside—you’ll want to prepare your dough the day before so it has time to proof overnight.

Dough Ingredients (makes enough for three 12-inch pizzas)

  • ¼ oz yeast (one packet)
  • ¼ oz sugar
  • 2 ⅔ cups water
  • ¼ oz salt
  • 1 pound of flour (half all-purpose flour and half bread flour)
  • ⅓ cup olive oil

Instructions

      1. In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Let them sit while you measure out the other ingredients.
      2. Add the salt, flour, and olive oil to your bowl. Mix slowly for 3 minutes. (If you’re using a KitchenAid, use the speed setting of 4.) Adjust the dough’s consistency as needed by adding a little more water or flour. Then increase the speed and mix for another 4-5 minutes.
      3. Dust your hands lightly with flour before you handle the dough. Divide your dough into three even portions. (Or, if you prefer to make two larger pizzas, simply divide the dough in half.)
      4. Roll the dough portions into round balls and place each of them into an airtight container. You can use regular bowls if you cover them with plastic wrap, pressing it down over the dough. Eliminating air will keep the dough from drying out.
      5. Place the dough in your fridge overnight.
      Pizza Preparation
      1. Approximately 15 minutes before you’re ready to work your dough, remove it from the fridge. Turn on your oven to 500 degrees or as high as it will go. Place a pizza stone or metal baking sheet into the oven to pre-heat. Use more than one stone/sheet if you’ll need more surface area to hold your pizzas.
      2. As your oven is heating, dust your hands with seminola, cornmeal, or regular flour. Dust a flat counter surface where you’ll work your dough. Also give each of your dough balls a light dusting.
      3. Work the dough balls using the technique shown in the first three minutes of this video.

      Pro Tip: When our chefs are making pizza at an event, they don’t always have a convenient surface to work on, so they stretch the dough in the air. The technique is similar except that you let the dough hang from your thumbs as you turn it, using gravity to help stretch it. Use whatever technique works for you, but don’t use a rolling pin—if you squash the dough flat, it will lose all that wonderful airiness that it gained by proofing overnight!

      1. When your oven is heated, remove the hot pizza stone/cooking sheet and give it a light dusting.

      Pro Tip: If you’re using a baking sheet, flip it over and use the bottom side to cook your pizza. That way, when the pizza is done, it will slide off the hot sheet easily.

      1. Place your stretched dough onto your stone or cooking sheet. Use a pizza docker or a fork to score the surface of the dough. Don’t make holes all the way through the dough; just lightly indent it to prevent large air pockets from forming when it cooks. Air pockets will cause bubbles that tend to burn.
      Margherita Pizza
      1. Top the pizza with your favorite ingredients. Be careful not to overdo the sauce! Too much sauce will prevent the pizza from cooking properly, and you’ll end up with a soggy underside. If you’re using fresh herbs like basil or spinach, we recommend leaving those off until the last few minutes of cooking. Otherwise they’ll overcook and wilt.

      Pro Tip: If you like lots of sauce, consider baking your perfect pizza “Detroit style” by placing your cheese and other ingredients directly onto the dough. Then you can add the sauce on top of the other ingredients so that it doesn’t touch the dough. Or you can even wait until the pizza has finished baking before topping it with all the sauce your heart desires!

      1. Place your pizzas in the oven and keep a close eye on them as they bake. You may have to rotate the pizzas after a few minutes to give them an even bake. Once your crust is bubbling and forms a dark, golden brown, you know it’s done.
      Eat well!

February 13, 2019

Ryan’s Valentine’s Day Menu

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Ryan is at it again, making a special night for his stunning wife. Perhaps this will offer some inspiration for your meal.  Apertif & Appetizer 14 Day Rose & Cherry Infused Valentine 75 Rose & Cherry cupcake Amuse American Ossetra caviar, french toast, creme fraiche, and buttermilk syrup Soup wild mushroom bisque with black garlic crouton and mascarpone Entree tuna, gooseberries, and shaved foie gras Entree chili pepper fried chicken with radish, kumquat and ginger salad Salad winter squash and citrus salad with shaved fennel, local greens, and sorrel rhubarb dressing Intermezzo pomegranate, grapefruit, and herb granita Dessert olive oil cake with poached pear, zabaglione, and warm granola Cheese and Honey local raw unfiltered honey and artisan cheese selections Chocolate flourless chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache, and chocolate cookie crumble, finished with edible gold flake Wishing you a romantic and delicious Valentine's Day!

February 1, 2019

February Recipe of the Month: 14-Day Infused Valentine Cocktail

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It's an amazing time for mixologists! Cocktails have been experiencing a kind of renaissance. On the one hand, there a growing demand to return to the classics and repair the time-honored recipes that were bastardized during the cocktail apostasy of past decades. On the other hand, there’s also a push to blaze creative new trails and experiment with exciting new flavors and concoctions. Non-imbibers who are tired of the mainstream soft drinks are starting to clamor for a more nuanced alcohol-free glass. Much like a good cocktail itself, the movement is layered and complex with elements playing both complementary and contrasting roles.

To be clear, this cocktail resurgence does not refer to $5 cocktails during the happy hour of the nearest college bar. I'm talking about the $12-20 / glass cocktail mixed with hand-selected ingredients by tenured artisans who are dedicated to their craft. These quality craft cocktails are meant to be sipped slow, with pleasure and reverence.

This month’s cocktail grows out of that exciting mix of revolution and renaissance. A twist on the classic French 75, it can be made with or without alcohol and is perfect for your Valentine’s Day celebration. The 14-day infused Valentine cocktail is not only a nod to the date of the holiday; it also signifies the extra effort that the best relationships require. The time commitment truly does elevate the final cocktail in way that mixing à la minute cannot achieve.

To love!

-Ryan Crafts

14-Day Infused Valentine Cocktail

Ingredients:

14 Day Infusion
  1. Add the cherries, rose petals, and lemon slices to the gin in a non-reactive vessel (glass or stainless preferred). Set aside in dark room, at room temperature, for 14 days.
  2. After infusing for the prescribed time period, strain the fruit and flowers from the gin with a fine mesh sieve.

    When ready to serve:

    1. Add 1 part infused gin (typically 1.5 to 2 ounces) to a champagne flute.
    2. Top with 2 parts of the chilled sparkling wine (typically 3-4 ounces).
    3. Garnish with fresh rose petals and/or lemon peel.
    4. Enjoy!

    *Note, we find the infusion of the cherries makes the gin sweet enough that no additional sugar is necessary in the final cocktail. However, this is easily adjust to your unique preferences and tastes. Simply drop a small sugar cube in the glass before the the gin for extra sweetness.

    Non-alcoholic 14-Day Infused Valentine Cocktail

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups cherry syrup**
    • juice of 4 limes (save the rinds of the juiced limes)
    • ~½ cup of fresh mint leaves
    • 1 Tbsp rose water
    • 1 Tbsp orange blossom water
    • soda water
    • additional fresh rose petals
    • half and half (optional)
    14-Day Infusion
    1. Mix the syrup, lime juice, rose water, and orange water in a non-reactive vessel (glass or stainless preferred).
    2. Crush / muddle the mint leaves with the lime rinds and add to the syrup mixture.
    3. Set aside in your refrigerator to marry and infuse for 14 days.
    4. After infusing for the prescribed time period, strain the fruit and flowers from the mixture with a fine mesh sieve.

    When ready to serve

    1. Fill soda glasses with ice.
    2. Add 1 part infused syrup (typically 1.5 to 2 ounces) and top with 3 parts of the soda water (typically 4 to 6 ounces).
    3. Stir gently. For a cream soda, if desired, top with ~1 ounce of half & half.
    4. Garnish with fresh rose petals, cherries (bing or luxardo are much preferred to maraschino), and/or lime wheels.
    5. Enjoy!

    **There are a variety of options for the syrup that will all work well with this recipe. Various Italian style flavored syrups are available commercially and work great. You can even make your own syrup by simmering crushed fruit, fruit juice, and simple syrup, and reducing until desired strength consistency is reached.

November 29, 2018

Top picks for the kitchen! Holiday gift ideas from our chefs.

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  With the holidays just around the corner, we put together a list of items our chefs just could not live without in their own kitchens. Here are their recommendations: Ryan Crafts- Burr Coffee Grinder The single most important step to take to improve your home coffee experience is using freshly roasted and freshly ground beans. I find the best beans are almost always from a local roaster (Publik, D'Bolla, and Pink Elephant are some of my Utah favorites). I weigh out the beans for my cup each morning and grind immediately prior to brewing with burr grinder.   Kaleb Crafts- End Grain Cutting Board End grain boards last longer than edge grain boards. End grain boards are easier on your knives, leaving them sharper longer. They're also one of the most beautiful additions you can make to any kitchen. You can buy one of Kaleb's custom made ones here!  Meagan Crafts- Bench Knife and Squeeze Bottle The 2 items I use most in my home are a bench knife and squeeze bottle. I use my bench knife to cut and divide breads, desserts, and candies. It is the way it fits in your hand as opposed to a chef knife that makes it faster to use. I use squeeze bottles for everything—dressings, chocolate, sauces, etc. It makes plating and designing fun and creative! Chef Brandon Roddy- Immersion Blender From soups to vinaigrettes, a stick blender in your home will change a daunting task to the easiest thing to do in the kitchen. Chef Robert Mendoza- Can Opener I recommend a good can opener! I can make do with a lot of other things, but there is really only one way to get into a can!   Chef David Dexter- Vegetable Peeler This is simply for ease. Every home has 3 or 4 vegetable peelers, but only 1 good one. Invest in a quality one and throw the other ones out! Chef James Arnold- Cutting Board My cutting boards are my most used items in my kitchen. I love having set cutting boards for each type of food I am cooking—poultry, red meat, vegetables, etc. Chef Utahna Warren- Quality Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Drop the money to buy some quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It will change the way you cook. Culinary Crafts put together a box of our favorites here!  Chef Jaden White- Mixing Bowls Mixing bowls are a great addition to your collection. At Culinary Crafts, we have dozens and dozens of bowls and the varying sizes makes the kitchen experience a breeze. Chef Libby Rice- Electric Stand Mixer My KitchenAid is my most precious possession in my kitchen. I don't know how people managed to whip cream and egg whites or hand knead dough endlessly back in the day. A good mixer can change the speed and efficiency with which you cook in the kitchen. Chef Kayde Dexter- Cast Iron Pan A 9-11" cast iron skillet is the most versatile pan I own. It adds a cool level to home cooking. Chef Raquel (Rocky) Ortega- Heat Resistant Spatula Make sure you find one that can withstand the heat, it will ease your cooking experience. Chef Lacy Johnson- Instant Read Thermometer The best way to revolutionize the way you cook is with and instant read thermometer. Getting your proteins to the perfect temperature instead of guessing will change the way you eat. Chef Danielle Mahoney- Chef Knife You cannot even begin cooking without a quality chef knife. If I was going to upgrade any item in my kitchen it would be a good knife first! Chef Madison Oliveira- Rice Cooker As silly as this may seem, my mother-in-law gave us a rice cooker for our wedding, and I am never going back. It is wonderful. Chef Megan Gagne- Off-Set Spatula and Piping Bag As a pastry chef, I love to decorate—especially for the holidays. An off-set spatula and piping bag with tips are key to decorating all those fun desserts and plates for your holiday season. Chef Cambridge Dockendorf- Kitchen Shears If you follow our blog, last week we showed you all the glories of spatchcocking a turkey. The magic of kitchen shears doesn't stop there. I use mine every day and I love not having a pair that has to cross over—they are just for cooking. Chef Jocelyn Gillies- Scale Cooking is a science, the weight of your ingredients is so important, a volume measurement is never as precise as it should be. A scale will change the quality of all your recipes. Chef Hunter Ashton- Microplane A microplane in your home will add a new level to your cooking. Fresh orange zest over your pork loin or fresh nutmeg shaved right into your egg nog is a beautiful addition. Chef Kyle Castillo- Non-Stick Skillet A good non-stick skillet is a great addition to any kitchen. You cannot have too many of these! Chef Dardree McClellan- Serrated Knife I bake bread in my home all the time and having a great serrated knife makes my life easier. Chef Calli Kassel- Hallow Ground Santoku Knife A quality chef knife is important but an Asian chef knife is super cool. Because the blade is ground at a 20 degree angle it is crazy sharp and makes cutting anything like cutting though butter. Chef Allison Parker- Knife Sharpener I recommend a knife sharpener, not a honing steel (although that is a great piece as well), so you can keep your blades crazy sharp. Being able to do this at your home instead of taking it to a shop makes keeping your knifes sharp easy and convenient. Having this addition to your kitchen will surprise you by how dull your knives can get. Chef Megann Brimhall- Bacon Grease I couldn't think of a tool, but I certainly use bacon grease often! Don't be grossed out—I use it to grease pans, fry pancakes and eggs, and sauté vegetables—yummm. A great Christmas gift for me would be a pound of bacon and a wide mouth mason jar specifically for keeping my grease. Make sure to buy a little strainer specifically to get out the little bits of bacon, though, so it doesn't go rancid. Chef Adam Park- Large Flake Salt and a Salt Cellar Most home cooks under season. One of the best ways to finish a dish is with some beautiful seasoning salt. A salt cellar will help you keep your finishing salt separate. Also, salting by hand is more balanced than using a shaker. The salt cellar lets you measure your salt in your palm. Check out our favorite custom cellars here.

September 17, 2018

September Recipe of the Month: The Perfect Dipping Caramel

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Candy making can seem daunting especially if you’ve tried and failed in the past. Whether this is your first time making caramel apples or if you’re ready to try again, you’ll love Meagan Crafts-Price’s tips and tricks to making the perfect caramel apple this fall season!
Caramel Apples
INGREDIENTS
2 cups light corn syrup 1/2 cup water 2 cups sugar pinch of baking soda 1/2 cup butter- cut into 1" cubes 1 12oz. can evaporated milk
Directions, Tips & Techniques
Having your thermometer correctly calibrated is more important than the  particular candy thermometer you use because having your caramel at the perfect temperature for dipping is the key to success. 
Calibrating your candy thermometer
Start by boiling a cup of water in a 1 quart sauce pan. Clip your candy thermometer to the side. If your thermometer reads 212ºF when the   water starts to boil, congratulations that was pretty easy! If it doesn’t, don’t despair. The reading could be off because you aren’t at sea level or your thermometer isn’t calibrated - or probably a bit of both. Here are two ways you can compensate for any discrepancy in the  calibration. My favorite way is to slide the glass tube up or down accordingly until it reads 212ºF in boiling water. If you can’t figure out how to move the glass tube, you can make the adjustment mathematically. To account for the discrepancy in your temperature reading when the water started boiling, simply calculate a new goal temperature in your recipe. For example, if you need to cook your candy to 242ºF, and your thermometer read 210ºF when the water boiled, you know your calibration is off by 2 degrees. So lower the goal temperature in the instructions by 2 degrees, from 242º to 240ºF.
 
Now that you have a calibrated thermometer, keep your pot of boiling water on the stove; you will use it later on. 
In a heavy 4 quart sauce pan combine corn syrup, water and sugar over medium heat. Stirring occasionally with a spatula until mixture comes to a boil. Add in the pinch of soda. The mixture will start to bubble rapidly. This will leave bits of  crystalized sugar on the side of the pan. Take a pastry brush and dip it into your pan of boiling water and wash down the sides of the pan so you don’t get gritty caramel. Clip your calibrated thermometer to your pan of caramel, add butter and stir   until incorporated. Then stir constantly while adding the evaporated milk. You will want to keep the mixture moving so the caramel doesn’t scorch. Continue stirring until your mixture reaches 242ºF (or the adjusted temp for your thermometer). 
Remove from heat and cool until the mixture is 220ºF. This is a key step for dipping! If your caramel is too hot it will just slide off your apples. If it is too cold you won’t be able to get your apples completely coated because the caramel is too thick. While the caramel is cooling, wash 8 apples and insert wooden skewer or popsicle stick about 2” into the apple. Tilt the pan to give you a nice pool of caramel to start dipping. Dip apples into your caramel and turn to coat thoroughly. Drag across the lip of your pan to get off excess caramel, then turn upside down and hold it upside down for about 30 seconds. This helps minimize the foot of caramel that appears at the bottom of the apple when cooling. Place on a piece of parchment paper to cool. You can then dip your apples in chocolate and roll in nuts or candy pieces as desired!
Once you have gotten your 8 apples dipped you might notice there is still caramel in your pan sticking to the sides and such. Don't scrap down your pan with a spatula and continue dipping. The caramel that is sticking to the sides of your pan have still been cooking quite a bit as you have dipped and will be a different consistency than the caramel in the mass. This extra caramel is great to scrap right onto your counter and eat as a snack while you are waiting for your delicious apples to be done!!

March 29, 2018

April Recipe of the Month: Easter Orange Roll Nest

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Orange Roll Dough 2 C water- lukewarm 1 TBSP active dry yeast 1/2 c Orange Juice 2 oranges zested 1/2 c sugar 1/4 lbs butter- melted 1/4 lbs sour cream 2 large eggs 2.5 lbs flour 1/2 TBSP salt Decoration 1 c coconut food coloring 1/4 c milk 2 c powder sugar Equipment: Mixer with Dough Hook 10" round pan- preferably a spring form pan cooling rack Dough: In your mixer bowl, attach your dough hook, then add lukewarm water- 99-102 degrees- add yeast, sugar and orange zest. Let rest until bubbles appear. Meanwhile melt butter, add sour cream and Orange Juice. stir till mixed completely. Add eggs to butter mixture, then slowly pour butter mixture to your yeast mixture. Add flour and salt to mixing bowl and beat until mixture comes together and begins to pull away from the walls of your bowl. Shaping and Baking: Remove from bowl and divide into 5 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for an hour or till doubled in size. Lightly flour your surface, Using a rolling pin and keeping the dough as round as possible, roll the first piece of dough to be about 12" in diameter. Spray your 10" round cake pan and place the the 12" piece of dough in the bottom of your pan. Should come ups the sides a bit. Take the next piece of dough and using your hands roll into a snake like strand that is about 36" long. This will be very skinny. Repeat with 2 more pieces of dough. Once you have your 3 pieces of dough all to 36" in length you are going to braid them together. Just like braiding hair. Pinch the ends together, then lay the braid into your 10" round pan around the edge of the pan. This will be your nest. Cover your 10" pan with plastic wrap and let rest for an hour or until doubled in size. Place in oven at 325 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on the top.  Meanwhile, What about that last piece of dough?? take the last piece of dough and cut it into 8-10 pieces. These will be your eggs for the center of the nest. Each piece should be about 2oz. Roll them on the counter to smooth out the top and place them on a sheet pan and back at 325 for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool.  Assembly and decoration: take your 1 cups of coconut and add green food coloring to it- 3-10 drops depending on how dark you want it. Mix until evenly coated.  In 3 small bowls mix 1/2c of powdered sugar and 1TBSP of milk. This should be very runny, like a glaze. Add more milk or powdered sugar to achieve this. Dye each bowl a different color- your favorite easter colors! I usually do pink, yellow and blue, using 3-5 drops of dye for each bowl. Once your eggs have cooled, place on cooling rack and drip the colored glaze over the top and let it evenly coat the eggs. Let dry while you finish your nest. Once your nest is out of the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes and the pop it out of its pan. Place on cake stand or serving platter. then use about 1/2c of green coconut in the bottom of the ring, then take your eggs and nestle them in to your ring. You will be able to fit about 3 in the nest at a time. Take your remaining coconut and sprinkle over the top of the whole nest to make it look really festive! 

March 15, 2018

March Recipe of the Month: Guinness Braised Short Ribs

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Guinness Braised Short Ribs

Serves 4 to 6 people, depending on the number of ribs you make.

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 bone-in short ribs (about an 8 ounce piece, trimming fat if necessary)
  • salt (kosher) and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 rosemary sprig
  • 1 bottle Guinness Extra Stout (or your own favorite dark & malty Irish Beer)
  • 1 1/2 cup beef stock (or 1 cup beef stock and ½ cup brewed coffee)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Season all sides of the short rib with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat a heavy, oven safe pan over high heat. Add olive oil to pan and let it heat for a moment. Sear all sides of the short rib about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Add onion and carrot, sauté 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
  5. Deglaze with beer, scraping up bits from bottom of pan. Bring to boil.
  6. Return short ribs to pan. Add beef stock, thyme and rosemary.
  7. Cover pan and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours, until meat is tender.
  8. Separate the fat from the drippings, and use the remaining drippings (thickening with a roux or by reduction if desired) as a sauce at service.

Eat well!

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