The Kitchn Archive: Feb 2012

I’ll admit it, I’m a coconut fiend. I eat or drink from this luscious fruit daily. I sip on coconut water and sprinkle generous handfuls of the unsweetened, dried variety all over my morning bowl of oatmeal. But all that is kiddie stuff compared to this coconut butter. It’s a sure-fire way to get the maximum concentration of rich, velvety coconut flavor and texture in each bite. Coconut butter is unlike coconut oil; it’s an entirely different animal.

One of the most pleasurable cups of coffee I’ve ever sipped wasn’t actually made from coffee beans at all – it was Lebanese “white coffee,” a soothing tisane made from sweet-scented orange flower water.The first time I had this beverage was at a Lebanese restaurant in Paris; everyone else at my table ordered coffee and when I declined, the waiter offered to bring me his favorite after-dinner drink.

Think brown rice is boring? You just need to perk things up with a little Southeast Asian flair… We eat a lot of brown rice in our home, and as much as my partner and I enjoy its nutty flavor and health-giving properties, it can get a little monotonous. Mix it up with chewy baked tofu, crunchy cashews, and the zesty flavors of lemongrass, ginger, lime, and cilantro, however, and we’ll fight each other for the last bite.

They say the sign of an excellent cook is in their soup. But they also say that about their roast chicken. And their eggs. What dish do you think represents a good cook? As for me, I hope it’s not the former. You see, soup is not my favorite thing to cook, nor is it my favorite thing to eat.

Now that Downton Abbey season 2 is over, we’re all waiting with bated (pun intended) breath to see what will happen in season 3. Until then, enjoy a little break from the action…and enjoy one of these cocktails inspired by characters from your favorite British drama. It was my ambition to create cocktails for all three Crawley sisters (because original cocktails for the whole cast, while admirable, might be a bit daunting).

Many of us have had a basic raita, comprised of yogurt and a few fresh vegetables to form the much–needed cooling antidote to spiced foods, but did you ever think to throw some pineapples in the mix? Get ready for your new favorite condiment.I spotted pineapple raita during a brief trip to Northern India. This beloved side dish made perfect sense because the foods in this area were heavier and meat–oriented than their Southern counterparts.

Looking for mustard flavor in an intriguing new form? Check out mustard caviar, a condiment with the familiar spicy flavor of mustard plus an unexpected textural pop. And it’s even easier to make than the usual yellow spread.Yellow and brown mustard seeds are simmered in a mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt for almost an hour, until they are still whole but pop like caviar between the teeth. So intriguing! Like finger limes, this condiment adds a fun textural element to a finished dish.

Sweet blood oranges are some of our favorite members of the citrus family. During the season we use them in everything from drinks to desserts, like this cloud of syllabub. A syllabub is a traditional English dessert made with cream and wine or other spirits. Here we added blood orange for a sweet citrus note – enhanced by the addition of orange-flavored liqueur such as Cointreau. A splash of rose water adds fragrance without tasting too floral.

Breakfast is typically not my most creative meal of the day—early morning is not often the time I feel the most culinarily inspired. The truth is, I could live off a poached egg atop toasted sourdough (with a generous dousing of Cholula) every single day for the rest of my life. It would never get old to me.Every now and then, however, I get a wild hair and branch out. In the case of these eggs Florentine in hash brown nests, it was an experiment in pantry raiding.

Mardi Gras is on Tuesday. Do you have plans? We’ve got a fun, super easy recipe for an impromptu party—hot dogs! But they’re gussied-up hot dogs, boiled in a spicy broth and served with saucy onions.This recipe comes from chef David Guas, a New Orleans native who owns the Bayou Bakery in Arlington, Virginia. David says these spicy dogs are a classic Mardi Gras food; people serve them along the parade route or at parties.

As a restaurant employee, let me just say this. Please don’t go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. In fact, please stay home the week before and after. I beg of you. I won’t elaborate, but why fight for a reservation when you can cook up a delicious, romantic meal in the privacy of your own home. My fiancé and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, but we do enjoy quiet meals at home, just the two of us (and our begging dogs).

Valentine’s day is just around the corner, and if you have a special someone in your life (or even if you don’t), you may want to make a few drinks. These gin and tonic variations are labeled ‘his’ and ‘hers’, but don’t let yourself be limited. I enjoy a nice manly cocktail every now and then – and the pretty pink ‘hers’ variation is so delicious that men might find themselves reaching for it by the end of the night.

I have a secret love affair with peas. Yes, I love them in their fresh-from-the-pod form, but during the winter months, I use their frozen cousins. I spice them in my favorite manner, similar to a dish I had in Cochin, Kerala, in Southern India, and eat them up with a large spoon, stopping only for a quick bite of naan or dollop of raita. This dish is a perfect accompaniment for something hearty like a braised meat or stewed lentils because of its decided spice and bright lemony flavors.

I’m so blessed to have a job that allows me to work from home. Even better is that I get to cook for a living! But that means some days all that comes out of my kitchen is cupcakes. Or doughnuts. Many days I don’t even sit down to enjoy a real meal—breakfast, lunch, and dinner can consist of Marcona almonds, gummy cokes, and few bites of miscellaneous leftovers.My fiancé is usually gone during the daytime hours, so that doesn’t help matters.

Fair warning: You should only make these bread sticks when surrounded by plenty of people to help you eat them. Otherwise, there is a very serious danger of proceeding directly from the last bite of one bread stick to the first bite of the next. Especially if there’s a little bowl of tomato sauce for dipping and no one to stop you. I embarked on this mission of stuffing cheese inside bread thinking this would be easy-peasy. Wrap cheese in dough, bake, devour. Repeat.

Q: For Christmas I was given an Amuse-Bouche/Mise en Bouche set which includes bowls, spoons, forks and glasses. However, my cookbook collection lacks creative ideas for small sized appetizers. I’m looking for Amuse-Bouche ideas, recipes or even recipe book suggestions. Anything help would be greatly appreciated! Sent by Stephanie Editor: Stephanie, we’re sure that one of these 20 amuse-bouche recipes from the great chefs at Saveur will offer some inspiration!

With this post, the Toddy Project reaches its delicious, boozy conclusion. Herein: gin gets the toddy treatment, and vanilla warms up a plain old whiskey toddy. Can’t get enough hot toddies? Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the Toddy Project. Nancy Mitchell has had a very good week. You can find more of her recipes and writings on her blog, The Backyard Bartender.