sparkling rosé & spring birthdays

I've been a terrible, horrible, no good blogger lately. 

Please forgive me.

I do have fun spring food photos to post, a couple delish recipes to share and some simple entertaining techniques to offer. 

Cheers to spring!

Looking for a quick healthy dinner? 

Saute organic chicken sausage (this one has apple and smoked gouda), with sliced cremini mushrooms, sliced okra, fresh minced rosemary, minced garlic and edamame-- a funky delicious hodgepodge. 

 

Lovely flutes of pre-dinner rosé on the patio.

YUM Veggie Burger with sliced avocado and Tomato Basil Soup from Austin's Galaxy Cafe.

Funky Chinese take-out containers for a picnic-inspired photo shoot. Coming soon in the summer issue of Fort Worth Foodie!

Blackberry Mojitos with Serrano Simple Syrup 

from my Cinco de Mayo cooking class at Market Street

yields approximately 4 cocktails

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

2 serrano peppers, cut in half

2 cups blackberries

2 cups fresh mint

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1 bottle prosecco

Begin by making serrano simple syrup: simmer water, sugar and serrano halves in a small saucepan over medium high heat until thickened and reduced by half, approximately 10 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, muddle together mint and lime juice/zest in a large mortar and pestle. Set mixture aside in a small bowl. Next, muddle together blueberries and simple syrup. Split blackberry mixture between four glasses then top with divided mint mixture. Stir and add ice to glasses. Top glasses with prosecco.

A pre-birthday cupcake surprise for me! 

Vanilla with Cream Cheese Frosting.

My go-to guacamole recipe for a fiesta: Orange Peel Guacamole

This stuff is addictive and doesn't last long.

yields approximately 2 cups.

pulp of three ripe avocados

1 jalapeno, ribbed, seeded and minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of two limes

1 tablespoon orange zest

juice of ½ orange

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Mash all ingredients together until chunky. Garnish with cilantro leaves, thin-sliced orange peel and a sprinkling of coarse salt.

My latest Pinterest screen-shot:

champagne, cocktails, bright patterns and Daniel Craig :)

To-die-for chocolate meringue pie from The Black Rooster Bakery

Gorgeous antique treasures: crystal wine stoppers. 

Too big for some of my bottles but too beautiful not to display.

 

Dad's charred corn on the cob. Perfect to stir in to summer salads.

Lazy Sunday Charcuterie Board: Salami, Manchego, Dark Cherries, Brie, Rainier Cherries, Crackers and Marcona Almonds-- perfect with a glass of rosé of course.

A much appreciated article in the June issue of 

Inside Fort Worth magazine (page 8).

Mini Espresso Chocolate Puddings with a Strawberry Orange Compote for a Linguine and Dirty Martinis engagement party.

What a delicious spring this has been! 

Bring on summer...

springtime hors d'oeuvres

Spring is here and lovely produce such as rhubarb, asparagus and tropical fruit are bright, beautiful and in season for the taking.

I recently did a demonstration for the lovely ladies of Junior Woman's Club of Fort Worth complete with techniques and tricks on making these three simple spring treats:

Crostini with Ricotta, Spicy Rhubarb Jam

& Crushed Pistachios

This rhubarb jam is a little sweet, a little tart and a little spicy.

Make a batch to slather atop morning toast with a touch of butter or top dessert glasses of creamy vanilla pudding with a dollop of this hot pink-hued delight!

Rhubarb Jam:

yields approximately 3 cups jam

3 cups rhubarb, sliced

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium high heat until reduced and jam-like, approximately 30 minutes. Let come to room temperature then chill in an airtight container. Serve atop toasted baguette with ricotta and toasted, chopped pistachios.

Asparagus & Hummus Tart

with Fresh Basil

This tart is flavorful, beautiful and oh-so-easy to prepare with the help of store-bought puff pastry.

yields 1 tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted but chilled

1/2 cup prepared hummus

1.5 pounds asparagus (about 18 medium spears)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

sea salt to sprinkle atop asparagus

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold and place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Spread hummus evenly atop the fork-pierced portion.

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over hummus, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt. Bake until spears are tender, 18-20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Tropical Fruit

& Sugared Kumquats

Use coconut milk instead of cream for this whimsical play on panna cotta! Ripe and sweet tiny tropical fruit bites are the perfect toppings.

one 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 packet powdered gelatin (about 1.5 teaspoons)

2 Tablespoons cold water

small diced kiwi, mango, pineapple, for garnish

thin-sliced kumquat tossed in sugar, for garnish

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water and stir. Set aside to bloom.

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk and sugar to a soft boil.

Whisk in as much as a quarter cup of the coconut milk into the gelatin to melt.

Pour gelatin mixture into the remaining coconut milk and whisk together.

Fill desired jars, small glasses or bowls and place in refrigerator for 4 hours-overnight to set. Before serving, top panna cotta with tropical fruit and sugared kumquat slices.

Happy spring!

cranberry applesauce to share

I recently made a large batch of this tart and delicious homemade applesauce for friends this February. The finished product was a home run!

Serve a spoonful atop oatmeal with a sprinkling of cinnamon or layer applesauce with Greek yogurt and granola for a delish breakfast parfait. Adapted from this recipe.

Cranberry Applesauce

yields approximately 3 cups

3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

1.5 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

pinch of salt

In a heavy saucepan, cook the apples, cranberries, sugar, apple cider, the cinnamon stick, and the zest over medium heat, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are very soft. Remove the cinnamon stick and pass applesauce through a food mill or potato ricer. Stir in butter and salt. The applesauce keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 week.

This tart treat will keep you wanting more!

coffee flan + mardi gras

lately...

local Austin beets

Tangerine + Habanero Martini

recipe seen in Inside Fort Worth Magazine

Pizettes with Shrimp, Romesco,

Toasted Coconut & Microgreens

my latest Pinterest

inspiration board screenshot

local Rainbow Chard

sauteed in bacon grease

Larry the lobsta

bubbles + coffee flan

from Revolver Taco Lounge

homemade V-Day treat

Bordelaise from Black Rooster Bakery

Edamame potsticker forming

"looking forward to spring"

photo shoot with Kari Crowe Photography

Fat Tuesday Chocolate Chunk Cookies

the perfect soufflé + valentine's day

Valentine's Day is right around the corner so why not wow your special mate with an iconic and sophisticated dessert that oozes decadence and sex appeal: the soufflé.

For a recent dinner party, I tested this recipe (adapted from here), and demonstrated to the guests how to make this sometimes tricky dessert from start to finish.

Grand Marnier Soufflés

yields 12, 4 ounce portions

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

plus additional for buttering ramekins

1 cup sugar plus additional for coating ramekins

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

7 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1/4 teaspoon orange oil

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

8 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously butter 12, 4 ounce ramekins and coat with sugar, knocking out excess sugar.

If you have not already, seperate your egg yolks from your whites. Using three bowls, break the egg in one, seperate the yolk, then add the yolk to a larger bowl. Transfer white to a larger bowl. Contine one egg at a time-- this 3 bowl method will prevent tainting an entire bowl of egg whites if a yolk happens to break or an egg is bad.

Tip: eggs are easier to seperate when COLD but whip up better at ROOM TEMPERATURE.

In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan melt 3/4 stick butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until mixture is very thick and pulls away from sides of pan. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool 5 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together yolks, vanilla, oil, and a pinch salt, and whisk in milk mixture and Grand Marnier, whisking until smooth.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat in 1 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat meringue until it just holds stiff peaks.

Tip: to ensure your bowl is clean without residue, wipe your bowl with a paper towel dipped in vinegar before adding egg whites. Egg whites will whip up better.

Whisk about one fourth meringue into yolk mixture to lighten and with a rubber spatula fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly.

Spoon batter into ramekins, filling them just to rim, and arrange ramekins at least 1 1/2 inches apart in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins and bake soufflés in middle of oven approximately 16 minutes, or until puffed and tops are golden.

Remove pan from oven and transfer ramekins to dessert plates. Serve immediately.

Not too sweet, airy and light. What decadence!

citrus parfaits & whimsical bouquets

lately...

Blood Orange + Caper Relish

to spoon atop roasted fish

Rosemary & Crushed Red Pepper-Infused Olive Oil

Avocado, Grapefruit & Spinach Salad with Jalapeno Ranch

Pomegranate & Black Peppercorn Cider

Delicious Brisket Hash from The Tavern

Demonstration Prep

Individual Lemon Lime Curd & Gingersnap Parfaits

Whimsical Valentine's Bouquet from Vera Green Productions