Must Have Cookbooks 2014

I have reviewed a lot of cookbooks this year, but these are some that I feel really strongly about. Let me tell you why...

Vibrant Food is one of the most beautiful cookbooks this year, written by the talented The Year in Food blogger and photographer, Kimberley Hasselbrink. She has an eye for color and texture and that means her mostly vegetarian recipes are as pretty to look at they are delicious to eat. 

Her flavor combinations are often unique but make perfect sense. She pairs risotto with edamame and sautéed radishes. She tops grilled halloumi with fresh strawberries, mint and cilantro. Turkey burgers are topped with cheddar and balsamic figs. 

The book is divided into seasons and highlights different ingredients. Feeling bored by Winter squash? Chile Roasted Delicata Squash with Queso Fresco or Soba Noodles with Kabocha Squash in a Mellow Japanese Curry will jazz things up. This is an inspiring book with very unique and appealing recipes.

Sheet Pan Suppers is a book I wish I had written. I remember when I first discovered big rimmed sheet pans, and how you could basically prepare a whole meal using them. They are great for roasting vegetables, meats, even seafood. Line the pan with foil or parchment paper and the clean up is a breeze! This book has 120 recipes, mostly for roasted dishes but also treats like an Apple Galette, Espresso Biscotti and Carrot Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting show you the versatility of sheet pans.

Of course some recipes use things like ramekins set on a sheet pan, but most don’t. Most of the dishes serve 4-6 but some of the brunch dishes serve 8 or even 10. And all you have to do is use 2 sheet pans, and voila! You’ve just doubled the recipe. The recipes I can’t wait to try include Citrus Miso Whole Fish, Baked Baby Back Ribs with Potatoes, Israeli Couscous Stuffed Peppers, Apple, Prosciutto and Radicchio Pizza and Stone Fruit Slab Pie. These recipes are just plain smart!

I am kind of in awe of The Southern Living Community Cookbook. I didn’t want to like this book, but I absolutely love it! If you treasure community cookbooks, this is the book for you. It’s a collection of recipes from the South, they range from very old school Lime Gelatin and Cottage Cheese Salad, to the thoroughly modern Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Rosemary Crust or Bok Choy and Crunchy Ramen Salad. 

But the bulk of the book is the most popular recipes from the region—Banana Pudding, Chicken, Shrimp and Ham Jambalaya, Jezebel Sauce, Pickled Peaches, Milk Punch all lovingly curated by Sheri Castle. This is a great collection for anyone who wants to explore Southern food. 

A Boat a Whale and a Walrus is a cookbook by the restaurateur Renee Erickson of Seattle. I was smitten with her Boat Street Cafe pickles the moment I tasted them and truly, sitting at the bar eating seafood at The Walrus and the Carpenter is a quintessential Seattle experience if there ever was one. Why? because it’s small, genuine, a little bit in your face and a whole lot of fun. 

This book captures a lot of what the Pacific Northwest is all about. It’s unpretentious, with a longing glance towards France at times. It’s very American, but also has influences from here and there in dishes like Preserved lemons, Fresh Tomato Pasta or Raw Asparagus Aalad. Some of the recipes are very simple like Radishes with Green Goddess Dressing, Boiled Crab, Grilled Bread but others are transformative like Brown Butter Vinaigrette or Mussels in Cider with Dijon Creme Fraiche and Tarragon. The book has menus and profiles of the producers, staff and other folks involved with the business and the recipes are organized by season, it verges on being precious at times, but just barely. If you long for Seattle like I sometimes do, you will find it deeply satisfying.

I’ve never been to Cuba, but the photos and recipes in The Cuban Table are transporting. You can just feel the sun on your shoulders and hear the Cuban beat the minute you crack open the book. It’s possibly the most comprehensive book on the subject with over 110 recipes. 

This book is such a treasure, it shares the recipes from many sources—from homes, lunch counters and restaurants, from Cuba and from Cubans living in the US. It also shares enough of their stories to inspire wanderlust or satisfy culinary curiosity. This book is the next best thing to being adopted by an extended Cuban family. 

Recipes I want to try include Media Noche Sandwiches, Stuffed Avocados, Chickpea Stew with Chorizo, Chicken Pies and Dulce de Tomate.

Disclaimer: My thanks to the publishers who provided me with review copies of the books. This post contains affiliate links. I was not monetarily compensated to write this or any other post. 

Holiday Foodie Gift Guide for 2014

Chocolates, cookies, bottles of wine or liquor are all just dandy for holiday gift giving, but this year I thought I’d share some more unusual picks. These are things that are completely out of the ordinary!

Umami is that savory flavor that comes from things like aged cheese, tomatoes, fish sauce and soy products. Laura Santini has created a whole line called Taste #5 Umami that are all fantastic flavor enhancers, think of them as modern day, completely natural msg.

One of my favorite products is Bomba! XXX, a brilliant combination in a tube of tomato paste, wine and soffito (carrot, onion and celery) that can be tossed with pasta, used in sauces, slathered on canapés, pizza or bruschetta or used in a myriad of recipes. It’s completely vegetarian. You can get a 4-pack of Bomba for $29 or get in in the full collection which includes tubes of Bomba, original and vegetarian as well as both umami rush and umami pepper plus 10 recipe cards for $49. 

The original umami paste is a combination of lots of Italian umami rich ingredients such as tomatoes, black olives, anchovies, porcini mushrooms and Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s great added to sauces or stews, rubs, marinades and gravy, to boost their flavor. A 3-pack for $18 or available in the collection. 

The Vegetarian Far Eastern Recipe was created with Nobu Matsuhisa, and it uses all Japanese ingredients like miso, yuzu, matcha, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms to also amp up the volume. It’s can be used with noodles or rice, sushi or sashimi, as a rub, in sauces, etc. Available in the collection or in a 3-pack for $18

There are two table condiments—umami rush, a sort of a dry version of the original umami paste, and umami pepper, a pepper that is completely vegetarian and has dried vegetables, miso, spices, seaweed and citrus peel. Available in the collection or together in a set for $18 

A big trend right now is “alternative sweeteners.” If you have enjoyed cooking with honey and agave, Maguey Sweet Sap from Villa de Patos should be on your radar. It is made from the nectar of the agave plant, rather than the cooked piña which is used for agave syrup and tequila. It’s less refined and unprocessed and has a unique, earthy flavor with a rather funky finish.

Try it in baking or to use in sauces and marinades. Try it on vegetables before roasting. I used a splash of it in chili recently. It’s got an assertive flavor, but it’s fun for creative cooks and bakers who enjoy experimenting. Check out the location finder to see who carries it near you. It’s organic and costs about $13 for a 23.65 ounce bottle. 

I think we’d all like a way to reduce the use of plastic, enter Bee’s Wrap. It’s beeswax coated muslin that can be use over and over again. Obviously not on things like meat, but for wrapping bread, vegetables or fruit it works really well. The heat of your hands causes it soften so it molds to the shape of what you want to wrap. It’s particularly good for wrapping cheese! 

Bee's Wrap is actually a pleasure to use, something you will never be able to say about plastic wrap. It’s not cheap but it’s also not disposable. It will last a whole year and is easy to wash. A set of 3 is under $20 and one small wrap is just $5.50.

I generally recommend a lot of cookbooks this time of year, but today I'm suggesting a couple of new magazines. The first is  a quarterly magazine, GFF for Gluten Free Forever launched by a colleague of mine. Erika Lenkert has been writing for magazines for ages and put together a really crack team to create something beautiful. If you've seen it on the newsstand, you know what I mean. 

The reason I'm so excited about this magazine, which feels more like a journal that you will want to keep, is that it's about embracing and enjoying life instead of coming from a place of denial. The photographs are gorgeous and there are recipes from chefs, cookbook authors and bloggers, tutorials for mastering gluten free cooking and baking, trends, products, people and places worth a visit. 

The first issue has a Bay Area focus with recipes from Craig Stoll and Michael Recchiuti and a guide to local restaurants that are particularly good choices for those who are gluten free.

You can get 40% off the first issue which is $15, with the code holiday40. Another option is the a GFF full subscription, which is $50 for print or $40 for pdf (print includes pdf) get 35% off with the code gff35.

The second magazine I'm recommending is published biannually and also more like a journal. I picked up the girl crush issue this past Summer and am still reading it. I appreciate that Cherry Bombe chooses to "celebrate women and food" and to focus on stories written mostly by or about women, because let's face it, food journalism can be a very masculine world. Just look at Lucky Peach to see what I mean. I've enjoyed some issues of that magazine too, but it often has the feel of a frat party. 

Though I've only read one issue of Cherry Bombe, I think it's worth supporting. Single issues are $20 and a year subscription of 2 issues is $38.

Have you read GFF or Cherry Bombe? If so, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: My thanks to Taste5, Villa de Patos and Bee's Wrap for providing me with review samples. There is no guarantee I will review every product I try, and very few products that I do try end up in reviews. I am not compensated monetarily for any review, ever. There are a few affiliate links in this post. 

Vegetarian & Vegan Cookbook Reviews

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Jerusalem broke new ground with fantastic flavor combinations and inventive dishes that were at once exotic but approachable and appealing. The recipes blended different culinary traditions in a way that is fresh and exiting. Like so many people, I marveled that every dish I made from the book was fantastic. Plenty featured vibrant vegetarian recipes from his restaurant, Ottolenghi.

Plenty More focuses again on vegetarian cuisine, with a dazzling array of creative ideas organized by techniques such as roasted or blanched. Consider the Tomato and Roasted Lemon Salad with sage, mint, pomegranate seeds and red onion, Zucchini Baba Ghanoush or Cauliflower Cake or Eggplants with Crushed Chickpeas and Herb Yogurt.

I want to make practically everything in this book, and so will you. If you loved Jerusalem or Plenty, you will love this book too. It would make an excellent gift for vegetarians and omnivores alike. 

A few years ago I heard Aglaia Kremezi speak at Worlds of Flavor at the CIA in Napa. She was talking about the diet of people on a Greek island and the kinds of wild greens they ate. It was fascinating.  So I’m very happy to tell you about her latest book, Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts, in which Kremezi admits to unwittingly being mostly vegetarian. The book has basic preparations and techniques for how to prep, cook and store ingredients like leafy greens, eggplants and peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs and zucchini and squash. The recipes are divided into meze and salads, soups, main courses, breads and biscotti as well as some desserts. The recipes come from all over the Mediterranean, there are recipes for Greek Skordialia, Tunisian Chickpea Soup, Linguine with Spicy Lentils and Caramelized Onions and Spinach, Herb and Feta Skillet Pies. Each recipe is labeled so you can quickly find the ones that are vegan or gluten free. Some, like Quince Stuffed with Wheat Berries, Nuts and Raisins are more inspired than strictly traditional. But these are easy to follow and gorgeously photographed by Penny De Los Santos.


I know what you're thinking, Moosewood Cookbook is not a new book! And you're right. It's the 40th anniversary edition of a landmark vegetarian cookbook. The book has so many "classic" recipes it's a go to source for things like gazpacho, pesto, mushroom moussaka, crepes, spanikopita--the book was already a classic when I was in college but I used it a lot back then and my copy is dog eared.

Some of the recipes are updated in ways that make sense in terms of how we eat today such as lowering the amount of butter or using fresher ingredients. But for the most part the recipes are just as they always were.

The recipes are easy to follow and easy to make. There is no kale, no couscous, no quinoa. But is it still worthwhile? I'd say yes. This is not trend setting stuff, but it will feel nostalgic for many, me included, who discovered vegetarian food in the 70's or 80's. 

Vegan without Borders, subtitled easy everyday meals from around the world is written by a veteran vegan cookbook author, Robin Robertson. In it she takes some traditional recipes and makes vegan substitutions for example tofu stands in for feta cheese in a Spanakopita Tart. Many of the dishes are appealing, like Black Eyed Pea Fritters, Eggplant Satays with a peanut sauce and Papri Chaat served wit ha variety of toppings. 

I’m generally not a fan of vegan substitutes for things like sour cream, yogurt but as far as I can see Robertson avoids the dreaded faux cheese. There are a lot of tofu and seitan recipes in this book. The photos are gorgeous and the recipes are well written and easy to follow. If you are looking for a vegan cookbook with more sophisticated recipes this is a good pick. Personally I’d still rather go with vegetarian rather than vegan versions for many of the recipes featured, but that’s just me. This book has a lot more mainstream appeal than most vegan cookbooks and isn't in any way preachy. 

Polenta Stuffed Artichokes Recipe

My recipe for polenta stuffed artichokes came about thanks to winning some heirloom artichokes from Ocean Mist. When I was working on my first cookbook I needed artichokes and it wasn’t quite artichoke season. Fortunately Ocean Mist came to my rescue and kindly shipped me a whole carton full and I’ve been a fan ever since. I've found each of the varieties of artichokes they grow to be particularly plump and meaty with great flavor and not overly bitter. I'm a subscriber to their newsletter (join the free Artichoke Club) which alerts me to when and where artichokes are on sale locally and sometimes also gives away artichokes.

Most recipes use just the artichoke hearts or they call for stuffing the whole artichoke with bread crumb stuffing. I decided to try an entirely different kind of stuffing — lemon and goat cheese polenta. Artichokes tend to make other ingredients taste sweet, so the tangy and salty flavor profile of lemon and cheese complements it perfectly. It will seem like a lot of polenta, but it's what makes the dish so hearty. Use as much or as little of the polenta as you like. 

This is a very satisfying vegetarian main dish. If you don't have a microwave oven, you can prepare the artichoke and the polenta any way you prefer. Artichokes can be steamed on the stove and polenta can be cooked on the stove or in the oven, see instructions on the package. Note: This recipe requires that you trim off the stem. But don't throw it away! Steam it and peel it, and you'll find it has the same flavor and texture of an artichoke heart. 

Polenta Stuffed Artichokes

Single serving, easily multiplied 

1 large globe artichoke

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup medium polenta

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2 Tablespoons fresh goat cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced parsley

Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichoke and cut off top 1/2 inch of the leaves so the top is flat and no thorny tips remain. Trim the stem so the artichoke will stand upright. Cook the artichoke, as desired until tender. To steam in the microwave: Place the artichoke stem side up with 1/4 cup of water in a microwave safe soup mug or bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave at 1000 watts for 6 minutes).

To make the polenta in the microwave: Combine the water, milk and polenta in a microwave safe 2 quart casserole with a lid. Cover partially and microwave at 500 watts for 8 minutes. Stir then microwave, uncovered, for another 2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, lemon zest, Parmigiano Reggiano and the goat cheese until smooth.

Stand the artichoke on a plate. Gently pull the leaves back and spread them to make room for the stuffing. Spoon the polenta into the leaves using a small dessert spoon or teaspoon. Sprinkle with parsley. 

Enjoy!

Let’s Talk Hanukkah (or Chanukah) & Giveaway!

Hanukkah is known as the festival of lights, it’s a holiday celebrated for eight nights, and like so many other holidays, it celebrates the perseverance of the Jewish people in the face of adversity. The reason the holiday is for eight nights, is because oil for an oil lamp for use in the temple that was supposed to last only one day, lasted a full eight days. Miraculously this was the time needed to replenish the supply. In truth, it's a holiday that gets very little attention.

Christmas is a big deal holiday. Hanukkah however takes on inflated importance because of its proximity to Christmas. This year it will be celebrated from December 16 through December 24th. But other than spinning a top called a dreidl, lighting candles to commemorate the miracle and eating potato pancakes or latkes which are fried in oil, there’s not much more to it. When it comes to food, there are no advent calendars filled with toys or chocolate, just cheap chocolate coins. There is no buche de Noel, no fancy holiday cookies, no gingerbread houses. In Israel they celebrate by eating jelly donuts called sufganiyot, but I've never seen them let alone tasted them.

While some gourmet retailers have put together gift baskets, I’ve never found any I thought were very good. Most of them are actually pretty pathetic, they often include items from other Jewish holidays, as if no one would notice. Traditional Purim cookies called Hamantaschen in a Hanukkah basket? It’s the equivalent of offering up chocolate Easter eggs for Christmas. No bueno.

But thanks to Manischewitz there is a Chanukah House! For kids this is a fun way to celebrate and get in the holiday spirit. The kit comes with cookie house panels and plenty of frosting, sprinkles, mini beads, sanding sugar and little medallions for decorating. There is a contest launching today, December 9, 2014 with $3500 in cash prizes for the best houses.

In the future I hope I can offer up some fun treats from chocolatiers and candy makers. If you see something special, please do let me know. In the meantime, here are links to my two favorite and highly entertaining Chanukah songs:

Adam Sandler Chanukah Song on Saturday Night Live

Matisyahu Hanukkah Song: Miracle 

I’m giving away one Chanukah House Decorating Kit!  

In order to be considered to win the Chanukah House Decorating Kit (valued at $17.99), please leave a comment telling me how you celebrate Chanukah or any creative ideas you have for decorating the house. You must have a US mailing address to win, and you must include your email in the appropriate field when you leave a comment (your email will only be visible to me). One entry per person. I will choose a winner at random, this Thursday, December 11, 2014.

Disclaimer: My thanks to Manischewitz for hosting this giveaway, I was not monetarily compensated for this or any other post. 

Two books on agricultural policy controversies

In my in-box are two new books on agricultural policy controversies, both written by agricultural economists. Both books seek, with partial but not complete success, to move beyond a certain fear of criticism, openly engaging readers who may have diverse public interest concerns and motivations.

First is Depolarizing Food and Agriculture: An Economic Approach (Routledge/Earthscan, 2014), by Andrew Barkley and Paul W. Barkley. I offered a comment for the back cover:

When criticized on environmental or nutritional grounds, U.S. farm groups sometimes are tempted to adopt a thickly-armored defensive posture. In this daring book, respected agricultural economists Andrew Barkley and Paul Barkley offer a persuasive alternative. Echoing Schmpeter's vision of creative destruction (naturally), but also drawing on John Stuart Mill and Nelson Mandela (more surprisingly), the authors argue for an open and understanding approach to contemporary food and agriculture controversies, eventually offering hope -- as the title indicates -- for depolarizing food and agriculture.

Second is Agricultural & Food Controversies, part of the "What Everyone Needs to Know" series from Oxford University Press (2014), by F. Bailey Norwood, Pascal A. Oltenacu, Michelle S. Calvo-Lorenzo, and Sarah Lancaster. In a Huffington Post review, Jayson Lusk -- who was author of a more strident 2013 book called the Food Police -- notes the value of the new book's respectful discussion:

Rather than striking a defensive or muckraking tone, as so often is the case in this genre of writing, Norwood and colleagues embrace the controversies, interpreting them as a sign of a healthy democracy struggling to deal with pressing challenges. They reveal what the best science has to say on topics ranging from food pesticides and GMOs to the carbon footprint of beef production and the well-being of farm animals. They weigh in on synthetic fertilizers, local foods, and farm policy. Theirs is a respectful discussion of the positions taken up by different advocacy groups, but there is no hesitation in drawing conclusions where logic and science warrant.

Mostly Vegetable Cookbooks

These books are focused on vegetables, but are not strictly vegetarian. They are each written by very accomplished food writers and great to keep or give ('tis the season after all). 

Rick Rodgers created 450 recipes for The Big Book of Sides, a collection that covers not just vegetables but beans, grains, salads, quick breads and rolls, pickles and so much more. In fact, many of these side dishes can be combined to make a meal without anyone noticing there is no main dish! The book can you get your through any holiday, but also weeknight meals.

The nice thing about this book, and why I think it’s destined to become classic, is that it covers the basics like how to perfectly steam rice or make a potato salad as well as more adventuresome showstopper dishes like Portobello Mushroom “Fondue”, Freekeh with  Zucchini, Yogurt and Dill, Miso Glazed Eggplant with Ginger and Garlic or Black Eyed Peas and Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette. 

This is a cookbook and also a reference book, offering up guidance on cooking various ingredients ranging from artichokes through zucchini with information on how to buy, store and prepare from an award-winning cookbook author and cooking instructor.

The recipes in Shroom are wildly creative. No run of the mill creamed mushroom or 70’s throwback mushroom stroganoff. Recipes are organized by the type of mushroom, and you’ll find just a few button, cremini and portobello mushroom recipes. Even those are not the expected “portobello mushroom burger” but Portobello Mushroom Shakshuka with Baked Eggs and Israeli Feta. Mushrooms end up in recipes you’d never expect like Seared Scallops with Lion’s Mane and Truffle-Honey Pan Sauce, Squid Ink Pasta with Lobster Mushroom and Squid, Beech Mushrooms in Phyllo with Georgian Walnut Sauce and Pomegranate, or Hedgehog and Cashew Chili (yes that’s hedgehog mushrooms). 

The recipes all come with a wine pairing suggestion and each chapter has a guide to the mushrooms—how to buy them, their season, how to cook and preserve them, etc. Though the cookbook isn’t vegetarian, recipes like Porcini Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon Salt really highlight the mushrooms and make sure they are the main act. They are restaurant worthy recipes, but not overly fussy. This is the book for mushroom lovers.

Greens + Grains is the first cookbook from Molly Watson. A past Sunset magazine staff writer, she creates solid recipes and has grown a strong following at her Local Foods About.com site. Her cookbook brings a fresh eye to the combination of greens and grains. For those who are trying to eat more whole grains but perhaps also struggling with finding more recipes for kale, chard and collard greens this book provides solutions. 

Some of the uses of grains are particularly creative like Escarole Salad with Toasted Quinoa, Greens Stuffed Cornmeal Cakes and a Chard and Quinoa Terrine. There are recipes for crackers and flatbread and “handy techniques” for storing and preparing the main ingredients. The tone of the book is authoritative but friendly and approachable. 

Disclaimer: These books were provided to me as review copies, this post includes affiliate links. 

Mexican labor issues in U.S. food retail markets

To understand food policy in the United States, one must pay attention to Mexican and Central American farmworkers in this country, but also to farm labor in Mexico.

The Los Angeles Times today has started an article series and a remarkable video series on the Mexican workers who produce in Mexico for export to the United States.

The tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers arrive year-round by the ton, with peel-off stickers proclaiming "Product of Mexico."

Farm exports to the U.S. from Mexico have tripled to $7.6 billion in the last decade, enriching agribusinesses, distributors and retailers.

American consumers get all the salsa, squash and melons they can eat at affordable prices. And top U.S. brands — Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Subway and Safeway, among many others — profit from produce they have come to depend on.

These corporations say their Mexican suppliers have committed to decent treatment and living conditions for workers.

But a Los Angeles Times investigation found that for thousands of farm laborers south of the border, the export boom is a story of exploitation and extreme hardship.

One future contributor to a more just food system could be policies that U.S. importers and supermarkets may adopt, stipulating standards for farm labor in the upstream supply chain. To some extent, such policies are being developed. The LA Times article reminds us that these policies are not yet working smoothly.

Another contributor to a more just food system could be changes in the supply and demand for farm labor, leading to higher wages and better working conditions. It is important to pay attention to these fundamental economics, and not just to labor standards that supermarkets promise to adopt.

Two of the best agricultural economists covering this issue are Philip Martin and J. Edward Taylor. Their 2013 report, titled "Ripe with Change" (.pdf), summarizes (in somewhat blander language!) many of the same terrible conditions that the LA Times article reported, while also reporting some promising trends in tighter labor markets for Mexican farm workers. In particular, demand for agricultural production has been increasing across North America, while simultaneously employment demand in other Mexican industries has expanded. An essential question is whether Mexican workers will reap the benefits, or instead whether small increases in wages will provoke large increases in mechanization, leaving workers little better off than before.

Panforte Recipe

When I worked in a gourmet retail store as a teenager, I got a chance to try many delectable things. I sampled high quality chocolates imported from Europe, pistachios from Iran, Alice Medrich's mammoth truffles, and panforte made by Margaret Fox of Cafe Beaujolais. I'll never forget those heavy round thick loaves, wrapped in dark red or green cellophane. Thin chewy slices served with or tea or alongside cheese seemed so sophisticated. It was definitely the best fruitcake I ever tasted. 

My parents made panforte too and last year I realized it would be the perfect thing to make with a surplus of candied lemon peel. My recipe uses rice flour instead of wheat flour, which means it is gluten free! If you have nuts in your freezer, and they weren't bought this season, they are probably from last season and now is a good time to finish them off. 

This recipe is very adaptable, you can switch out the cranberries and use dried cherries or berries if you prefer or swap out about 1/4 of candied ginger for some of the citrus peel. I imagine if you wanted to make it vegan you could also use coconut oil instead of butter. It makes a really nice gift, even just a wedge of it. Cut the loaves with a heavy knife and wrap wedges  in parchment paper, and then in colored cellophane if you have it and seal with a sticker. Otherwise fasten the parchment using tape or twine. 

Panforte

Makes 1 -2 loaves

2 cups toasted nuts, preferably almonds and hazelnuts

1 1/3 cups candied citrus peel, preferably homemade lemon

3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried figs, such as Mission or Calimyrna

1/4 cup dried cranberries

½ cup sweet rice flour 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2/3 cup sugar

¼ cup honey

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Rice flour for the pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two 6 inch oven proof pans (I use enameled cast iron ones) or an 8 inch pan you could use a springform pan with parchment paper. Dust the parchment paper with rice flour. 

Combine the almonds, hazelnuts, candied peel, figs, rice flour, zest and spices together in a bowl and stir until combined the ingredients are dusted with the rice flour. 

Measure the sugar, honey, and butter into a large dutch oven and cook over low heat just until butter melts. Take the dutch oven off the heat and working fairly quickly, add the fruit nut mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans, and press until as smooth and even as possible. The easiest way to do this is to place another smaller pot or pan on top of the mixture and press. Dust the top with more rice flour.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan. Remove the from the pan, brush the rice flour from the panforte using a pastry brush. To serve slice into thin wedges. 

Enjoy! 

Winter Flavors: A Gift Guide

Pumpkin spice mania has gripped the nation, flavoring everything from coffee to candles. While I do enjoy a scoop of pumpkin ice cream that appears seasonally at the Original Swensen’s ice cream shop, there are actually plenty of other sweet flavors that signal the holiday season. There’s gingerbread, cranberry, cinnamon apple, eggnog and peppermint to name just a few. Here are some holiday flavored things to eat and drink I’ve come across lately (my favorites are indicated with a ❄).

Talenti Gelato makes a few "seasonal only" flavors as well as some others that are also nice this time of year. 

❄ Peppermint Bark is a seasonal only flavor combines thin crisp flakes of semisweet Belgian Callebaut chocolate with a bright creamy peppermint gelato. This is ridiculously good. I cannot get enough of it. Either stock up or avoid it because once you try it, you will be hooked. $3.50 per pint at my local grocery store. 

❄ Fudge Brownie gelato is for anyone who likes chocolate; this is a hit. It’s a rich chocolate ice cream, but with bits of rich and fudgey chocolate brownie in it, small pieces, but just enough to make the gelato even more chocolatey and delicious. So good! Thankfully it’s available all year long.  About $3.99 per pint. 

I love the flavor of eggnog, I even use it things like pancakes. Old World Eggnog gelato has that very custardy flavor rich with eggs, vanilla and nutmeg. I like it, though not as much as the Peppermint Bark or the Fudge Brownie. It’s another limited seasonally available flavor.  Suggested retail price is $4.99-5.99 per pint. 

Pumpkin Pie gelato has brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin plus pieces of pie crust. I found this flavor heavy on the spice and I’m not a fan of pie crust in my ice cream so this one did not win me over. It’s only available until December 31.  Suggested retail price is $4.99-5.99 per pint. 

Caramel Apple Pie gelato is another gelato with pie crust, just not my thing. This also has a lot of caramel flavor that competes with the apple flavor. I guess I like my gelato more simple and pure. About $3.99 per pint. 

❄ Spiced Winter Red Tea is called tea, and it comes from a company called TeaPigs, but there is no actual tea in it. Winter Spice Red Tea is mainly the herb rooibos, with orange peel, ginkgo leaves, orange blossom, cinnamon, ginseng, cloves and safflower petals. I’m pretty crazy about it. The spices are well integrated not overpowering but warming. It’s particularly good with milk and needs no sugar. 

This could definitely be your go to winter tea and I think it would be great to use in hot apple cider or to make mulled wine! A package of 15 tea bags is $9.99

DAVIDsTEA has a huge selection of blends—with herbs, flowers, spices. They have over 150 varieties and blends, and you can smell or even try any one you like at a Davids Tea shop. Some have green or black tea but not all of them. Some also use artificial flavorings, so do check the labels if that’s a concern. They offer different teas each season, the Winter Collection is available individually or in boxes with 3 or all 5 for $27.50. 

❄ Apple Custard is a fruit infusion with apples, golden raisins, coriander, chamomile and a hint of vanilla (both natural and artificial flavoring). It’s a good tea to use in a cocktail. It’s nice to have a holiday flavor that doesn’t include cinnamon for a change. 

❄ Bubbie’s Baklava is an oolong tea with roasted chicory root, pineapple, papaya, cinnamon, walnuts, apple, ginger, roasted almonds, cardamom, rose pepper, pistachios, rose blossom, artificial flavoring. It somehow manages to have the richness of baklava. It’s a really fun tea. I was surprised at how much I liked it. I can imagine it made into a wonderful simple syrup to use in drinks or with desserts. 

Cocomint tea is another fruit infusion. It includes apple, coconut, sweet blackberry leaves, peppermint, spearmint and natural coconut flavoring. It's fruity and neither the coconut or the mint really come across. Let's just say it's not my cup of tea. 

Sugarplum Forest is a rooibos based tea with apple, hibiscus, ginger, licorice root, raisins, cinnamon, rose hip peel, plum, cardamom, star anise, bruised pepper, cloves, chili pieces, and artificial flavoring. It's fruity with a subtle chili kick to it. It will tickle your throat! Don't over brew it. 

Vanilla Chai is an organic black tea with cinnamon, black tea, licorice root, ginger, vanilla and natural vanilla and cream flavoring. All chai is different and Davids Tea makes quite a few including Chocolate Chili Chai, Pumpkin Chai, Cinnamon Rooibos Chai and Saigon Chai with cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. This one is more traditional but with plenty of spice. 

❄ Chateau Bakery Clair de Lune Buttery Sugar Cookies are ridiculously buttery and simply divine! They pair so well with holiday flavored ice cream or tea that I just had to include them. I know many people like to bake cookies this time of year, but I challenge you to make cookies as good as these! They are made with nothing more than cane sugar, flour, butter, salt and vanilla powder. They positively melt in your mouth. You can get them in a handsome large box for $25 or four small boxes for $16, which would be perfect to tuck into a gift basket. 

I can’t think of a nicer hostess gift than either a pint of holiday ice cream and cookies or holiday tea and cookies. Can you? 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Talenti Gelato, Davids Tea and Chateau Bakery for providing samples for me to review. I was not monetarily compensated for this or any other post. 

Food, Farms, and Community (by Chase and Grubinger)

I am enjoying reading the new book-length coverage of local food systems in Food, Farms, and Community, by Lisa Chase and Vern Grubinger of the University of Vermont.

Food, Farms, and Community: Exploring Food Systems takes an in-depth look at critical issues, successful programs, and challenges for improving food systems spanning a few miles to a few thousand miles. Case studies that delve into the values that drive farmers, food advocates, and food entrepreneurs are interwoven with analysis supported by the latest research. Examples of entrepreneurial farms and organizations working together to build sustainable food systems are relevant to the entire country—and reveal results that are about much more than fresh food.

Chase is a natural resources specialist at the UVM and director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center (and a long-time friend and classmate from graduate studies at Cornell in the 1990s). Grubinger is an agriculture specialist with UVM extension.

Friedman School Wednesday seminar December 3: The secret life of cheese

Tufts biology professor Benjamin Wolfe will speak about "The Secret Life of Cheese" tomorrow at the Friedman School's Wednesday seminar.

Wolfe's work with Rachel Dutton, published in the journal Cell, was summarized earlier this year in Wired. The article discusses the remarkable connection between microbes in cheese and their possible ocean origins:

Benjamin Wolfe and Rachel Dutton ... recently brought 137 cheeses from 10 countries into Dutton’s lab at Harvard University for genetic analysis. In a paper published July 17 in Cell, they and colleagues describe their findings, which include a few surprises—like the presence of bacteria commonly found in marine environments on cheeses made nowhere near an ocean.

As a sometime amateur cheese maker with very mixed success, I'm looking forward to learning from this talk.

Pacific Merchants Fermentation Crock Giveaway!

Did you read my reviews of books on pickling and fermentation? The techniques are easy to master and the ingredients are not expensive, but there are some tools that are particularly helpful. One would be a fermentation crock.

I was recently contacted by Pacific Merchants about their fermenting and storage crocks. Pacific Merchants is a small, family owned and run company in Los Angeles. They carry unique, beautiful and fun to use products from around the world. There are several reasons why their crocks are so good for fermentation. But they can explain that better than I can:

The 5 liter crock is tall but actually has a fairly small footprint. It fits nicely in a corner of my pantry. My cool, dark pantry should maintain the ideal temperature for fermenting vegetables, about 65-72 degrees. Once I have fermented the vegetables to my liking (I'll start tasting about a week after fermenting) I can water bath can them or store them in the refrigerator, which will maintain their live active cultures.

This handsome looking crock comes with the stone weights, so while the 5 liters might seem large, I won't actually be filling up the entire thing.

Pacific Merchants is offering one lucky Cooking with Amy reader a 5 liter fermentation crock worth $117! 

In order to be considered to win, please leave a comment telling me what you would like to ferment in the crock, some suggestions include sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, bread starter or kombucha. You must have a US mailing address to win, and you must include your email in the appropriate field when you leave a comment (your email will only be visible to me). One entry per person. I will choose a winner at random, this Friday, December 5, 2014.

Disclaimer: My thanks to Pacific Merchants for providing me and one of my readers with a fermentation crock. I was not monetarily compensated for this or any other post.