Granola Berry Parfait Recipe

I can eat the same thing for breakfast day after day. Then suddenly I'm on to something else. At the moment, my breakfast of choice is a granola parfait. I bought parfait glasses for ice cream, but use them for breakfast and fruit salad more frequently. I also got those skinny spoons you need to fit down into the bottom of the glass! This is hardly a recipe, more of a technique. But anything that can help "cereal" sound more exciting is worth doing. The trick to making a good parfait is to layer the ingredients nicely. Start with the yogurt on the bottom because anything else is too hard to get at with your spoon.

I've been using Driscoll's organic berries, Greek yogurt and The Bunnery granola. I recently got some samples of the granola and I really like it. I make my own granola but you have to eat it when it's fresh so I don't always have it on hand. The Bunnery original granola has relatively few ingredients just oats, honey, sunflower seeds, coconut, canola oil, sesame seeds, water, almonds, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. It's light and crunchy and not too clumpy which is best for parfaits.

You can make parfaits with just yogurt and fruit if you like. Or of course, you can also make parfaits with ice cream and fruit or sauces. But I think this is the best way to put a sexy spin on cereal. It's pretty, healthy and easy to make.

Berry Granola Parfaits
Mixed berries, such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries
Yogurt, plain or flavored, regular or Greek
Granola

Layer a spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of the parfait glass and top with a layer of granola. Just a little! You want to make sure you leave enough room for multiple layers. Top the granola with one layer of berries. Repeat and end with a dollop of yogurt and a berry on top.

Enjoy!

Chantilly Potatoes

When I was growing up, there was one dish that I demanded my mom to make for the holidays.  That dish was called Chantilly Potatoes.  It is a wonderfully decadent casserole of mashed potatoes, topped with a layer Chantilly cream, and finally, a layer of cheddar and parmesan cheeses.  Digging into it was such a treat.  I have updated that dish with some tips from this year’s Thanksgiving edition of Bon Appetit.  The article had some great ideas for creating some truly flavorful mashed potatoes.  I particularly liked their recommendation of heating the milk with aromatics.  It gives the potatoes a wonderful flavor. 

Ingredients

5 lb Yukon gold potatoes

1 cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, peeled

8 black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

.66 ounce container of chives, chopped

2 ½ cups whipping cream

2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 375.  I like using Yukon gold for mashed potatoes because I can get away with not peeling the potatoes. Dice the potatoes and place in a large pot filled halfway with cold water.  Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Meanwhile, gently heat the milk, cream, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and sprig of thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Don’t let the mixture boil.  Once the mixture is very hot, take off heat and let the aromatics infuse the milk for 20 minutes.  Strain out the aromatics using a slotted spoon.  Mash the cooked potatoes with the butter and infused milk.  Stir in chopped chives.  Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan and a 9 x 13 pan.  Spread the mashed potatoes evenly into the prepared pans.  Whip the 2 ½ cups cream using an electric mixer.  Spread the whipped cream over the potatoes, and top with the cheddar and parmesan cheeses.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top gets a nice golden brown color. 

Day 175.5! Chocolate Almond Toffee - Gimme Some Sugar

Tell me there isn't a better recipe than one that calls for only 2 basic ingredients: butter and sugar. Oh, and chocolate and nuts if you so choose. S-weet, right?!

This Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe is dedicated to those with a sweet tooth who aren't afraid to throw caloric caution to the wind and to my favorite non-profit; the ONE Campaign. ONE is a grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease -- particularly in Africa -- by raising public awareness and rallying political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures. Co-founded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African activists and policy makers.

So, as you bust out another dozen ginger snaps and a festive Yule log masterpiece, think about using this easy gift you can give this time of year that doesn’t require 2 sticks of butter: your voice!

My friends at ONE are all about holiday cheer with a dash of activism. That’s why they've come up with this handy dandy recipe card and easy ONE member recruitment tool all in one. Print out a few copies of this blank recipe card, bring it to your cookie exchange or office holiday party and voila! Your best friend will have your favorite holiday Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe (that actually does require 4 sticks of butter) and ONE will have another voice in the fight against extreme poverty and disease.

Click HERE to down load and print out this recipe card

Chocolate Almond Toffee

Finely chopped unsalted almonds - a food processor works fine as well

Melt 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate - you can use chocolate chips as well

 1 lb. of sweet unsalted butter and 2 cups of sugar - this is not a typo

Melt butter and sugar in heavy pan - use a brush and cold water to wash down sides if needed

 Use a candy thermometer to - boiling mixture to 290 F - hard-crack stage

 Pour into oiled jelly roll pan, cool slightly and score

 Spread with melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped almonds 

 Cool completely, then break toffee in to square or uneven pieces - store in air tight container

Nom, nom, nom - if you don't eat it all, it makes a wonderful gift.

Chocolate Almond Toffee (Recipe Adapted From The Fanny Farmer Cookbook)

1 pound (4 sticks) sweet unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 ounces melted semi sweet chocolate
1/3 cup very finely chopped almonds

Oil a jelly-roll pan. Put the butter and sugar in a 3-4 quart heavy pot and place over moderate heat, stirring as the sugar dissolves and themixture comes to a boil. Wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil slowly over moderate heat until it reaches the hard-crack stage (290 F), stirring gently and touching the sides of the pan only if starts to scorch. Pour it into the oiled pan and let cool partially, then score the toffee into squares. Cover the surface with melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Let the chocolate harden before cutting or breaking into pieces. Transfer to an airtight tin.


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

New Italian Cookbooks 2011

I'm not sure any other cuisine can top Italian, when it comes to comfort food. While Italian cookbooks are a dime a dozen, three really stood out for me this year and are nice enough variations to warrant adding to your collection if you're an Italian food fiend like me or give them as gifts.


Cucina Povera
was sure to strike a chord with me, because I lived in Florence for 6 months. It is written by ex-pat Pamela Sheldon Johns and it shares a way of life, of not wasting anything and eating frugally. In the book you'll meet all kinds of people from Italy who cook and garden and make things from scratch. The recipes are for some things you may already know about like Ribollita and Pappa al Pomodoro (and if you don't, then by all means you need this book) but also more obscure recipes that you are unlikely to encounter in a restaurant.

Recipes you'll want to try include Tuscan Cornmeal, Kale and Bean Soup, Stewed Peppery Beef Cheeks, Farmyard Crostini (finally a use for giblets!) Plum Jam Tart and Ricotta Cake.







The family I lived with in Italy ate very formal meals, I don't remember a single one course meal. But they do exist and that is what Piatto Unico
is all about. The book shares hearty, comforting dishes many that are particularly perfect as we head into Winter. Recipes are divided into chapters like Prime-Time Pastas, Minestrone and Other Big, Bountiful Soups and Braises and Stews.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Asparagus Spinach Crepes with Taleggio, Thick Chickpea and Porcini Soup, Escarole, Anchovy and Cheese Salad.












Another noteworthy book is Rustic Italian Food. This is satisfying and lusty food, not fussy food although many of the recipes do take effort and are not just weeknight jobs. It's filled with homemade breads, pastas, salumi, pickles and preserves. They all demand the use of top quality ingredients. It's written by a restaurant chef, but designed for home cooks.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Spaghetti in Parchment with Clams and Scallions, Eggplant Lasagnette Alla Parmigiana, Veal Breast "al Latte" with Fried Sage, Cold Farro Salad with Crunchy Vegetables

Chocolate Almond Bark

Yay, we are now firmly in my favorite days of the year – the holiday baking season!  At no other time of the year is it perfectly acceptable to bake dozens of various combinations of sugar, flour, and butter into heaping piles of cookies, cakes, and muffins, etc.  In addition to the baking, I love to make chocolate candy.  Dipping various things into melted chocolate is both easy and fun, like having your very own chocolate fondue party!  This year we made chocolate-covered pretzels, Ritz crackers dipped in a combination of chocolate and peppermint extract, and this chocolate-almond bark.  It is a bit unconventional, but I like the subtle savoriness produced by roasting the almonds in a little Worcestershire sauce, smoked sea salt, and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

½ cup chopped raw almonds

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon Worcestshire sauce

pinch cayenne pepper

8 ounces candy making chocolate (I used Ghirardelli’s Candy Making & Dipping Bar, Double Chocolate Flavor and really liked the results)

Instructions

Heat oven to 160 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup chopped almonds with the Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and sea salt.  Place on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.  Let the almonds cool.  Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave (be sure to use low heat) and mix the almonds into the chocolate. Spread into wax-paper lined 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Sprinkle a pinch more of the sea salt on the top and let cool.  Break into bite-size pieces. 

Day 175! Syria - Éma’a Syrian Ice Cream - Up Next, Tajikistan

If you live in the Boston Area and you haven't been to Arax Market in Watertown, you don't know what you're missing. Located at 585 Mount Auburn Street, this Armenian market is filled with every kind of Middle Eastern fruits, vegetables, nuts, pastries, cheese, spices, olives and supplies one could imagine. Oh, and the most ornate selection of hookas I've ever seen - just in case you need one. So today when I went in with my recipe for Syrian Ice Cream which included 2 ingredients I was completely unfamiliar with: Mastic Gum and Salep,  the awesome guys who run the place couldn't have been more helpful. Within minutes, I had everything I needed, plus a few extra treats I couldn't resist. Many, many thanks to Arax for hooking me up! Be sure to check them out on Facebook.

About the size of North Dakota (U.S.), Syria is a narrow coastal plain with a double mountain belt in the west, and a large semi-arid and desert plateau.  Mostly desert land, the country is hot, dry and sunny in the summer and mild and rainy winter. Ethnic Syrians come from Semitic stock, with 90% being Muslim, 74% Suni and the other 16% a mixture Shia Muslim, Christian and Jews. Most people live in the Euphrates River Valley and along the coastal plain, the fertile strip between the coastal mountains and the desert. An ancient and rich culture whose history dates back to 2500 BC, the city of Elba was home to one of the most brilliant civilizations in the world. Currently, this beautiful country is in the throws of a violent, internal conflict, with protesters demanding the regisnation of President Bashar al-Assad, along with the overthrow of his government. To date 5000 deaths have been reported.  For up-date information on the country's turmoil, readers are referred to facebook.com/syrianuprising.

Agriculture in Syria includes wheat, barley, cotton , lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugarbeets, fruits, nuts, vegetables, beef, mutton, eggs, poultry and dairy. Aleppian culinary influences, along with Arab, Persian and Turkish traditions make for a wonderful variety of dishes such as humus, tabbouleh, fattoush, labneh, shawarma, mujaddara, and meze to name just a few. Middle Eastern food is without a doubt on my top 5 list of favorite foods - and now this ice cream...well, read on.

Rose Water - Scents the custard with a delicate, exotic aroma. I dabbed a little behind my ear because really, what's better than smelling like a sweet rose? Mastic Gum thickens the custard, but also lends a very subtle pine pitch flavor and scent, like pine nuts; Finally, Salep flavors and thickens the ice cream custard with a lovely vanilla and cinnamon taste.

 Gum Mastic - I chewed it plain and it really is like gum, with a pine pitch taste - I loved it!

 Crushed up between two sheets of parchment paper - no crystal meth jokes, please

 Salep added to milk turns thick and smooth with a wonderful vanilla/cinnamon smell and taste

 Add 9 cups of whole milk to a large pot

 Heat to a boil over medium heat

 Gradually add 2-1/2 cups of sugar. Yes, it's a lot of sugar, but it's a lot of milk too - I feel absolutely zero guilt - is that bad? Return mixture to a rolling boil for 5 minutes.

 Just 3/4 of a teaspoon of rose water is added once custard is cooked - a heavenly, delicate scent!

Top with plenty of chopped, shelled, unsalted pistachios - how deluxe can you get?

Be still my heart

Syrian Ice Cream (Éma’a) - Recipe Courtesy of foodbuzz
(Yield:  About 10 cups)

9 cups plus 1/4 cup whole milk, divided
1 cup heavy cream
4 medium pieces (about 1/4 tsp) Chios gum mastic
2 -1/2 cups sugar
5 tsp sahlab
3/4 tsp rose water
Chopped pistachios (for serving)

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 c milk with the sahlab; set aside.

Grind the mastic into a powder; the best way to do this is to put the mastic between 2 pieces of parchment paper or inside a plastic bag and pound it with a heavy object, such as a rolling pin.

In a medium-large pot over medium heat, combine 9 cups milk, the cream, and the mastic; bring to a boil (stirring frequently).  Slowly whisk in the sugar and bring back up to a boil, stirring constantly.  Whisk in the sahlab mixture and boil vigorously 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the rose water.  Cool to room temperature, lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the mixture (to prevent a film from forming), then refrigerate until well chilled (about 4 hours).

Transfer the chilled mixture to an ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Once processed, put the ice cream in a freezer-safe bowl and transfer to the freezer to set.  Scoop out the ice cream and roll generously in chopped pistachios before serving.

Final Assessment: Whoa! This might be the best ice cream I've EVER had - and trust me, I've had a lot. It tastes like a combination of vanilla, cinnamon and pine. It's creamy and sweet and the pistachios on top give it texture, crunch and a wonderful nutty flavor that compliments it beautifully. Add to that the ever so slight scent of roses and it's a full on heavenly sensory experience - sexy, right?!

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Roasted Radish and Carrot Medley

This is super simple, but it is a tasty side dish for a weeknight meal.  The ruby red of the radishes and the vivid orange of the carrots create a vibrant and colorful vegetable medley.  I love the way the spiciness of the black pepper plays off the sweetness of the carrots, and the sweetness of the fresh basil plays off the peppery taste of the radishes.  Lemon juice gives the medley a boost of brightness.

Ingredients

2 bunches radishes, tops removed, halved

1 cup baby carrots

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450.  In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper and then place in 8x8 baking pan.  Roast for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables reach the desired tenderness.  Drizzle lemon juice over the vegetables and toss with fresh basil.