Summer summer summertime! Yes, it's almost over, but shhhhh! don't tell the farmers' markets that! Maybe it's just the weather here, but white corn, cherry tomatoes, and sweet and hot peppers are just littering the stalls every Wednesday morning. I'm not a big bell pepper person and I'm not wont to munch on jalapeños, but for some reason shisito and pardon peppers hit the spot for me. They're sweet but still vegetal, and every now and then they have a kick. And who doesn't love a little bit of danger with a bar snack?
That's essentially what this dish is: bar food. Spicy and salty, it's begging to be washed down with something. And since it only takes about 10 minutes to make, everyone will be happily snacking in no time. Plus, they look gorgeous, don't they? The ombre reds and greens with the black grill marks are so vibrant and striking, no one will be able to resist at least a curious bite. Enjoy!
1 lb padron and/or shisito peppers
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Skewers
Chili Mint Salt (combine everything)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Heat grill to high. Skewer the peppers (this makes them super easy to flip on the grill) and drizzle with sesame oil. Grill for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until grill marks form. Take off the grill, and while they're still warm sprinkle with chili salt mixture. Pluck off the skewers and devour, preferably with a nice pale ale.
GRILLED SHISITO AND PADRON PEPPERS WITH CHILI MINT SALT
OMBRE EASTER EGGS
It's that time of year again! I'd wake up and immediately search under my bed for an Easter Basket, my sister and I would put on new Easter dresses before church (my favorite one was purple and covered in flowers with gigantic puffy sleeves), and at some point in the day we'd play chubby bunny...a competition where you stuff as many peeps into your mouth as possible and say "chubby bunny." The one with the most peeps wins. And one year, my Dad wore a full size Easter bunny costume to assist with the Easter Egg Hunt. I was so honored to have a guest like the Easter Bunny over that I grabbed his hand and took him on the grand tour of my room; I think we even shared some Cadbury Eggs. My sister, on the other hand, walked past "the Easter Bunny" and said "Hey, dad" with out blinking an eye. When I realized I had been defrauded, I burst into hysterical tears, freaking out that the Easter bunny wasn't real.
Last Easter was a tough one.
When GLO.MSN came to me for fun Easter DIY ideas, I immediately thought of mixing the timeless classic with a recent trend: Ombre Easter Eggs. I was inspired by speckled birds' eggs that come in every delicate hue, and just scream "springtime" to me . Ombre simply means that color fades from one to another, and with a few pops of sparkle from silver and gold food paint, the muted hues of the eggs turned out beautifully.
For the full steps on how to make you're own Ombre Easter Eggs, check out the article on GLO, here.
Happy Easter!
S'MEACHES, REVISITED
I'm so honored that S'Meaches has been nominated for Best Food Video of the Year by Saveur Magazine. Here it is, reposted for your viewing pleasure. Please vote here!
I recently toasted up a batch of my old favorite, S'Meaches and thought it was time for a new recipe video!
Fire is such a wonderful, transformative thing. At first glance, singeing something as perfect as a ripe summer peach seems sacrilege, but then you taste it, and then you add a marshmallow because why the hell not. The burnt sugar with a hint of spice, the acid of the yellow peach against the saccharine marshmallow, it all works somehow and is my new campfire favorite. Smeaches. Smores + peaches. It's a pretty obvious pun, so you probably didn't need that explained, but whatever, smeaches it is. Enjoy!
1 peach, sliced into 6-8 slices and halved horizontally
Graham Crackers
"GAL"-ENTINES DAY DESSERT FOR DINNER PARTY
Whether or not you have a date this Valentines Day doesn't really matter when you have good friends, good food, and good wine. The Chalkboard, an amazing lifestyle blog by the team behind Pressed Juicery, reached out to me for some fun Valentines Day ideas, so I corralled up my favorite foodies for the ultimate dessert fest to celebrate not only the day of love, but the launch of Joy the Baker's first Cookbook as well! Whitney Adams from Brunellos Have More Fun selected the perfect wines to sip with the sweet stuff; Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker brought Chocolate Cream Pie and Homemade Toasted Coconut Donuts; and I made Chocolate Brown Butter Bread Pudding and Raspberry Rose and Pistachio Pavlova, plus captured the whole thing in this fun video. I'm getting a residual sugar high just watching!
For all of the recipes and wine pairings, check out the full article on The Chalkboard.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: SNACKS ON SNACKS
Avocado Toast
Pig Candy
My dad just informed me that it's national bacon day, so I figured I re-post an old favorite that I make EVERY time I have people over. It's just one of those slam dunk dishes that everyone loves. Pig Candy.
Really, what could possibly be better than candy made of pig? Bacon to be precise. Smokey, salty, spicy, sweet: yes please! And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make. In 30 minutes you’ll have a bowl of kitsch bar snacks that are just as delicious with a rich red wine as with a spicy ale or sweet and smokey stout. The possibilities are endless and so is my appetite for these little pieces of heaven. In the words of the ad man, bet you can’t have just one.
For 4
8 strips thin cut bacon (hickory smoked bacon was a wonderful maple flavor already within it)
1 cup golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Turn the oven on to 350 F. Meanwhile, blend the sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Taste it. If it’s too spicy, add more sugar, not spicy enough, add more cayenne. However, the spice does become a little more pronounced after being cooked, so be aware of that. Lay the bacon on a cooling rack placed over a baking pan lined with aluminum foil (these means minimal clean up!). Cover each slice of bacon with the brown sugar mixture. It should be an even layer, thick enough so that you cannot see the bacon through it (about 1/8 or ¼ of an inch). Place the bacon in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the sugar is completely browned, and the bacon has curls at the edges and appears mostly cooked. Remove the bacon from the oven and flip. Cover the bacon with the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and pop back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until the bacon appears how you like it, like crunchy, but not burnt. If the bacon seems underdone, just leave in the oven for a minute or two more.
Let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes to let the sugar harden a bit before you start cutting the pieces. I find it’s easiest to use a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the pieces over the serving bowl. Serve it up with the libation of your choice and enjoy!
Smoked Salmon Tartine
I am such a selfish daughter. Have you ever seen that Simpson's episode where Homer gets Marge a bowling ball that has "Homer" engraved on it as a birthday present? Luckily my self interest isn't quite so brazen, but still, this smoked salmon from Russ & Daughters has my finger prints all over it. My father's birthday rolled around last week, and unsure what to get the man who has a very complete collection of military patches and books on clipper ships (or is it schooners? Correct me in the comments, Dad!) the smoked fish I got him last year seemed like a welcome repeat. It just so happens I love it too, sooooo....yeah. Pastrami cured salmon for everyone! To balance out the repeat present, I created a a sandwich recipe (more of a composition, I suppose) and left a plate of them in the fridge. Now it's my favorite thing to snack on; a lovely blend of bright lemon, herbaceous dill, a swipe of cream cheese, sweet and spicy pumpernickel, and of course, some amazing smoked or cured salmon. Light, fresh, and absolutely delish, perfect for lunch or when you're feeling peckish between meals. Happy Birthday, again, Dad!
Ingredients:
DEVILS ON HORSEBACK: BACON WRAPPED DATES FILLED WITH GOAT CHEESE
These bites used to be the hottest appetizer of the 70s and are way overdue for a comeback. Possibly named after Norman warriors who terrorized southern England, these little treats are ugly as sin but oh so delicious. They will be hoovered up in a minute so definitely have some extra floating around. The toothpicks, while kitsch, also make them an extremely convenient hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy!
20 medjool dates (or any large date), pitted
10 strips of bacon, cut in half crosswise
1 small log of fresh chevre
toothpicks
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Poke your finger in the pitted dates, creating a little hole. Take a small junk of chevre (between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon) and push it into the date. Don't overfill them, otherwise you'll get a mess in the oven. Wrap each filled date in one half-slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet (I put mine on top of a silicone pad or wrap in aluminum and top with parchment) and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bacon is fully crisped. There will be some grease on the pan, so before plating, pat the dates on a paper towel. Plate and serve after they've cooled for a few minutes. They're hot!
CHIPOTLE PALE ALE CHILI AND MEXICAN BROWN RICE TABBOULEH
2 lbs chuck or sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
Delicious on it's own, this bright and zesty rice is perfect for soaking up the juices from the chili. The kick of lime and fresh cilantro cuts through the rich and savory flavors of the chili. You can also switch out the brown rice with quinoa for a higher protein side.
HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
These are the ultimate make-ahead dessert. Bake some cookies, stick a little ice cream between them, and leave them in the freezer until you want to eat them. You can get extra credit for making your own ice cream, but in a pinch, I just buy my favorite flavors from the local ice cream shop. My favorite part are the toppings, and I went a little crazy.
Pistachio is one of my "litmus test" flavors when it comes to ice cream and gelato. If they get that right (not too sweet, not too almond-y, and just a touch savory), I'm sold for life. Especially with bittersweet dark chocolate? MWAH! Heaven! And with all of the dark, rich flavors in the cookies, which aren't too sweet because they're meant to be paired with ice cream, pistachio was a must try. Also, cayenne pepper and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations that I go back to again and again. Sprinkle a little around the edge and you have a surprising kick on an icy treat. Enjoy! 
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Dark Chocolate Cookies
For 24 cookies (12 sandwiches)
8 oz butter, room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup grated or finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
For Ice cream sandwiches
1 quart of your favorite flavor (I chose vanilla and chocolate
Toppings (I did vanilla + sprinkles, vanilla + grated chocolate, chocolate + salted pistachios, chocolate + cayenne pepper)
Preheat oven to 350F. With a mixer, blend together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mixer on low speed. Add the vanilla and chocolate and blend until the dough becomes a rich, dark brown. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and top with sugar crystals is you like. Bake for 15 minutes and cool completely on a rack.
You can make the ice cream sandwiches ahead and refreeze them, or make them to order. Just pick your favorite flavor, scoop out about a 1/2 cup, and press onto the cookie (softened ice cream works best). Top it with another cookie, and roll the sides in your favorite topping (nuts, sprinkles, chocolate, whatever!). Enjoy!