Late August in East Hampton is beach plum season. Maybe it was the weather (wet early on, then sunny, temperate days in July and August) or that we went a' pickin' a week or so earlier than usual, but the crop was especially bountiful. We snagged three gallons of plums in under an hour. There was also a nice mix of ripe, deep red and purple plums, and not-yet-ripe … [Read more...]
PEACH MELON ALMOND JAM
It's August in East Hampton and if ever there was a time to make this Peach Melon Almond jam it's now. Peaches are at their height, the perfect partner for the translucent nuggets of ripe cantaloupe in this jewel-toned beauty of a jam. Yesterday a discerning friend proclaimed "The best jam I've ever had, hands down." So what are you waiting for? PEACH MELON ALMOND … [Read more...]
BRUSSELS SPROUT KIMCHI
Since not everyone is a fan, making kimchi can be something of a lonely pursuit. No matter. The spicy, funky crunch of what is basically a fermented salad is well worth it. You'll be surprised how often it will perk up everyday fare. Kimchi's cross-culture popularity began as a topper for tacos. (See Roy Choi.) Tacos are a good guide post; try using kimchi where you might … [Read more...]
SCOTCH EGGS
By all rights Scotch eggs should be a lot more popular than they are. Hard boiled eggs, yolks just barely firm, are wrapped in sausage meat then breaded and fried. What could be bad? I suppose it's the frying part that holds most people back. But why professional kitchens don't whip up Scotch eggs along with the megatons of French fries and chicken fingers they pump out is a … [Read more...]
Carol Stuckhardt’s Chocolate Malt Cheesecake
There's not a heck of a lot to say about this dessert other than it's chocolate. It's a cheesecake. It's got malt in it. What could be bad? Unlike most cheesecakes this recipe doesn't call for sour cream. I'm not sure if that's a virtue or a vice considering the sweetened condensed milk that goes in it. In case you're wondering what malt actually is (as I was when I … [Read more...]
MAMIE EISENHOWER’S CHOCOLATE MARBLE COOKIES
Look what arrived in the mail, just in time for Presidents' Day: a batch of Mamie Eisenhower's Marble Cookies. Baked with love and sent with care by my very own First Lady, my mom. Sweet, nutty and a little flaky (I refer to the cookies) Mamie's marble cookies presage the wining streak of chocolate cookie victories of her successors, notably Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, … [Read more...]
BERTHA’S NUTCAKE
Here's a long overdue shout out to Debbie Goldsmith, a longtime Assoc. Food Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Debbie sent in this recipe a while back during our black walnut enthusiasm period, which in turn was sparked by another SpecD reader, Susan Kirkpatrick. So without further ado, I give you this moist, nut-studded, crowd-pleasing recipe, which came tagged … [Read more...]
LIPTAUER CHEESE SPREAD
Liptauer Cheese is my mother's favorite spread and we served a creamy batch of it at our Gemütlichkeit holiday dinner party (more about that in a future post). The unusual combination of flavors makes for a "Wow, this is really good, what's in it?" reaction. Which is what we all aim for at dinner parties, right? Liptauer Cheese is a traditional German cream cheese dip. I … [Read more...]
GINGER LEMON HONEY JAM
It's December 21, the home stretch of holiday gift jam-making. Time to whip up a batch of Ginger Lemon Honey Jam. This one is a real zinger. Bits of candied ginger float in a honey citrus gel flecked with lemon and orange zest. A morning eye-opener indeed. Great on Greek yogurt too, if you're looking for more ways to consume jam. As my friend Trista says, "You can't buy … [Read more...]
SIMPLE ORANGE MARMALADE
Making orange marmalade doesn't have to be complicated. This recipe is simple - the only caveat is a kitchen scale is needed. (OXO makes this fine one available on Amazon.) This marmalade recipe is based on the traditional three part formula: equal weights of oranges, sugar and water are called for. By sticking with this ratio the recipe can be scaled up or down, including … [Read more...]