Spectacularly Delicious. Not the blog -- I'm talking about this Blackberry Grapefruit Jam. From out of the blue this recipe takes its place in the highest tier of favorite jam combos. Its winning characteristics: A juicy, ripe fruit flavor with the berries and grapefruit working in harmony. Both are tamed somewhat, with half of the blackberry mash getting sieved for seeds … [Read more...]
RED CURRANT JELLY
How often have you seen red currant jelly specified in a recipe? I've seen red currant jelly called for literally countless times over the years, most often (but not only) as a glaze for fruit tarts. For these my go-to red currant jelly stand-ins are my beach plum and pomegranate jellies, which have been better than adequate, thank you. And yet... Wouldn't it be nice to … [Read more...]
JOSTABERRY JAM
What's a Jostaberry? I didn't know either. The Balsam Farms guy said it was like a gooseberry, which was information enough for me to make this sweet-tart Jostaberry Jam recipe. My extensive research (the first Wiki page that popped up) revealed the Jostaberry is another modern miracle of German genetic sciences. - The Jostaberry is a hybrid of black currant, American … [Read more...]
RAZOR CLAMS
East-coast razor clams are less know than their hardier Pacific counterparts. Shaped like old-timey straight razors, the shells of these 5" are soft, much like steamer clams, brittle even. And the elongated shape makes them even more fragile. They can't travel far once they've been liberated from their beds. Which is a little ironic since they are pretty mobile in the wild. … [Read more...]
CUBAN PICADILLLO WITH PERFECT WHITE RICE
This recipe for Cuban Picadillo comes via my old pal Tony "The Tiger" Urrutia. El Tigre is a dapper Cuban with sparkling eyes and a charmed personality where meeting him and becoming friends are one in the same. The Cuba of his childhood is one of grand Belle-Epoque mansions lining tree-shaded boulevards beneath blazing skies. A canary yellow convertible whisked him from the … [Read more...]
NAPPEAGUE HARBOR BAY SCALLOPS
Here in 'Merica bay scallops are pristine little nuggets void of any traces of the biological necessities of digestive or reproductive systems.* Fresh, sweet, and innocent, bay scallops are the polar opposite of the mysterious nimbus of oyster innards or the marginally gruesome black skins one need pull from the necks of steamers. Of all the delicious bivalves only scallops … [Read more...]
DUCK PROSCIUTTO
The gold-leaf thin slices of Prosciutto de Parma ethereally draped over sweet summer melon. Nutty, satiny smooth Jamon Iberico or salty shards of Smithfield ham tucked in soft buttered buns. The noble swine, clown of the barnyard, terror of the forest, generous provider of robust haunches that yield to the alchemy of master curers, we are indebted for these the crowning … [Read more...]
READERS’ CHOICE: 2012 BEST READ AND MOST LOVED RECIPES
Here at Spectacularly Delicious we strive to present a little bit of something for everybody -- in the USA and the big wide world beyond. With our 2012 readership growing in such far flung reaches as Fiji, Laos and Azerbaijan perhaps, just maybe, we are inching along toward that goal. So let's close out the year with a look at the most popular stories and recipes visited by … [Read more...]
OIL POACHED MONTAUK TUNA NICOISE
Tuna Niçoise calls for canned tuna. Sure, California-style versions featuring thick strips of grilled red-rare slices of tuna are pretty to look at and tasty in their own right. But the real deal? No. Oil-packed canned tuna (don't get me started on water packed) imparts the unmistakable character of this classic. Seriously people, haven't we learned by now that our European … [Read more...]
WILD CRANBERRY AND ORANGE SAUCE
The wild in this recipe for Wild Cranberry Sauce with Oranges refers to freshly picked crimson berries from your local natural bog. Napeague, the untamed stretch between East Hampton and Montauk, is home to the majestic Walking Dunes. Why "walking?" The undulating series of nearly 100' tall sand dunes, created by hurricanes and nor'easters, continually creep southward, … [Read more...]