Tagged With: party time
Brunch For Mom
Eggs Benedict is a classic, there’s no denying that, but “classic” is perhaps not the word I’d use to celebrate my funny, youthful, and adventurous mother! For my mom, poached eggs will sit atop crisp potato pancakes, under a blanket of creamy Orange-Tarragon hollandaise sauce. The sweetness of the orange peel plays against the anise notes of the tarragon in this classic French combination, made whole with shallots and Tellicherry black pepper. The sauce is so sumptuous, and the crunchy fried potatoes make a perfect vehicle for it. Not to mention the eggs- nothing says “love” like a perfectly poached yolk, don’t you know! Mother’s Day is May 12th, so make Mom breakfast, and let her know how sorry you are for your teenage years.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Peel potatoes and coarsely grate using a box grater.
- Transfer grated potatoes to a large bowl of cold water and soak for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain well in a colander.
- Spread grated and drained potatoes with onions on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style.
- Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.
- Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and add eggs, salt and flour.
- Mix well to combine.
- Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
- For each pancake, spoon 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet, spreading into 3-inch diameter rounds with a fork.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook until the undersides of the pancakes are browned, about 5 minutes.
- Flip pancakes and cook again until browned, about 5 minutes
- Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
- Add more oil to skillet and repeat with remaining batter.
- Keep warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.
- Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl until the mixture is thickened and has doubled in volume.
- Boil approximately 1 cup of water in a saucepan.
- Place the bowl with the egg yolks mixture over the saucepan making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Whisk the mixture rapidly being careful not to let the eggs get too hot - or they will scramble.
- Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce easily coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat and whisk in Orange Tarragon.
- Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
- Fill a deep skillet half full of water.
- Add remaining lemon juice to water.
- Bring to a slow boil - not rolling!
- Gently crack 1 of the eggs into the water, taking care not to puncture the yolk.
- Repeat with remaining eggs.
- Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer.
- Cook until the egg white is set and the yolk remains soft, about 3 1/2 minutes.
- Top a warm pancake with a poached egg and drizzle generously with hollandaise.
Dolmades for Greek Easter
If you thought that the Easter fun was over far too soon, not to fear! Greek Easter is this coming Sunday, and awash with delicious traditions all its own. Not to be missed are these tasty little pockets of meat, rice, and nuts, expertly seasoned with our savory and tangy El Greco blend. They’re called “dolmas” in the singular, and “dolmades” when referring to the scores of them you’ll eat once you’ve had a taste of their perfect balance of Mediterranean flavors, all wrapped in a convenient little two-bite gnosh. All of the ingredients ought to be readily available in most markets, including grape leaves, which often come in cans or jars. If you’ve got a grape vine over an arbor, fresh work wonderfully, too; just poach them a bit of salted water with a half a lemon thrown in. Admittedly a little time-consuming, the dolmades can be prepared 2 to 3 days before serving, and refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready to use them. If you do freeze them, they can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator, and gently heated with a little broth or water before serving. You’ll find them more than worth the effort! Kalo Pascha!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet.
- Add onion and saute until translucent.
- Add meat, stirring to break up pieces.
- Add rice, dill, El Greco, pine nuts, water and tomato paste.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Cover the bottom of a Dutch oven with a layer of grape leaves.
- Stuff remaining leaves by placing leaf (shiny side down) on the palm of your hand, with the base of leaf the toward your wrist and tip pointing to your middle finger.
- Put a spoonful of meat mixture in center.
- Fold the base of the leaf over the filling, then fold sides of leaf over (like an envelope), tucking the edges in snugly
- Arrange, tip side down, (to prevent unrolling) in the Dutch oven.
- Add broth to Dutch oven within 1 inch of top layer of stuffed grape leaves.
- Use any left over leaves to cover top layer.
- Place a heat-proof plate upside down over the top layer of dolmas, and press firmly.
- Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice and cook 5 minutes longer.
- Let cool to room temperature, or chill thoroughly.
- Serve garnished with lemon slices and a little greek yoghurt for dipping.
Hibiscus Margarita
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo like never before with this delicious cocktail. The hibiscus infuses a deep rich red color to this libation. Add a slice of lime and Sel de Mer to the rim of your glass and you have the colors of the Mexican flag! Almost cranberry in flavor, it’s got a “zing” that is enhanced by using silver tequila and the homemade spiced simple syrup. Tune in to the mariachi station on Pandora while you whip these up for an absolute fiesta!
Hibiscus Margarita
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a medium sized pot
- Bring to boil over medium-high heat
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes
- Strain and pour into jar. Allow to cool to room temperature
- Once cooled, place in refrigerator. Your syrup will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks
- Combine tequila, lime juice and Hibiscus Spiced Simple Syrup in a glass with a couple of cubes of ice.
- Stir well
- Drink
- Repeat
Rooster Spice Asparagus
Songkran (สงกรานต์) is the traditional Thai New Year water festival which starts on April 13 every year. Traditionally, the throwing of water is said to be a symbol of luck to bring good rain for the crops. Well, we are swimming in good luck with a bountiful asparagus harvest this year and a brand new spice blend, Rooster Spice! We designed this spicy chili powder drawing inspiration from Indonesian sambal, Thai nam phrik, and Vietnamese tuong ot toi. Rooster Spice has limitless possibilities but here we combine the seasonality of asparagus with the celebration of Thai New Year. Enjoy!
Rooster Spice Asparagus
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a deep saute pan, gently heat oil to 375 degrees
- Bring 4 quarts of heavily salted water to a rolling boil
- Add asparagus, cook for 50 seconds
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water to shock, then dry thoroughly
- In a medium bowl, mix egg yolks with flour, cornstarch, Rooster Spice and beer, taking care not to over mix
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites to soft peaks
- Fold egg whites, very gently, into egg yolk mixture
- Do not over mix or allowed batter to sit too long
- Toss asparagus with a few tablespoons of flour, shaking to remove excess
- Dredge in batter and fry in oil, until golden and crisp
- Season with Sel de Mer, a squeeze of lemon, or a generous dousing of malt vinegar
- Serve in newspaper cones
Lemon Thyme Rhubarb Cake
Tart, sweet and dramatically red, rhubarb never tasted so good in this Lemon Thyme Rhubarb cake. The cake is moist and fluffy on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside edge. The sharpness of the rhubarb combined with the delicate pungency of the lemon thyme make this a most wonderful offering of spring’s bountiful harvest.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan or cast-iron pan
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, add rhubarb, sugar and water
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb has softened
- Strain, reserve juice
- Set rhubarb aside to cool while you make the rest of the cake
- Cream butter and sugar together until smooth
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition (batter should look light and fluffy)
- Gently mix in the baking powder, salt, lemon thyme and flour - be careful not to over mix
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top of the batter
- Spoon the rhubarb compote over the top of the batter
- Using a butter knife, swirl the compote through the cake batter, being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the reserved rhubarb compote juice over the top
- Sprinkle with the rest of the lemon thyme and sugar
- Bake 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean
- Serve warm or room temperature
- Enjoy with more of the rhubarb compote mixed with whipped cream or Greek yogurt, served on the side
Le Quebecois Mini Pies
We were recently asked by another spice company to change the name of our Montreal Steak Spice because they owned the rights to the name. Well, okay….
We had to brainstorm a new name, take the labels off of jars in gift sets, redo the store displays, and adjust our website all in a very short amount of time. We were busy! While all of this change was taking place, I recalled a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ‘We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.’ Change can be good, our store displays are fresh and new our website got a nice update, we have a fantastic new name for one of our earliest blends and an outstanding recipe to go with it. Introducing……Le Quebecois Steak Spice (applause, applause)!
Paying homage to the Canadian Provence were the blend originated, Le Quebecois Steak Spice showcases both the French flair for deft seasoning, and the British love of beef. While usually associated with steak, we tried it in these vegetarian mini pies with great success – you know how how we love to play with our food! Bon appétit.
Le Quebecois Mini Pies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat
- Add onion to pan and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes
- Add chard stems and celery, cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add chard leaves, raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes
- Add scallions, arugula and herbs. Cook for two minutes more and transfer to a collander
- Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as you can
- Transfer to a bowl and mix in cheese, zest, eggs, salt, sugar and Le Quebecois Steak Spice
- Lay out a sheet of filo, cut into 12 squares and brush with olive oil
- Lay the oiled squares into the cups of a muffin tin
- Repeat, alternating the angles of the squares so that they cover the sides of each muffin cup, until you have 5 layers of filo
- Fill each cup with herb mixture and fold excess filo over the edges of the filling
- To top each cup, make another 5 layer filo piece, cut in a round, and place atop of each cup
- Brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes until the filo turns golden brown
- Serve warm or at room temperature as an an appetizer or an accompaniment to roast lamb or beef
Rose 75 Cocktail
Blending the tart flavor of sumac and the heady sweetness of rose, this cocktail tickles the palate with a full spectrum of flavors. As is so often the case, we perfected the recipe by happy accident and now consider it the perfect cocktail to herald the coming of spring. Pretty, pink and refreshing, Rose 75 is perfect for special occasions, cocktail parties or intimate gatherings.
Rose 75
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine sumac and sugar on a small plate
- Rub rim of cocktail glass with lemon
- Dip glass in sumac/sugar mixture to coat rim
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake well
- Strain into cocktail glass
- Top with champagne
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring water to boil
- Steep roses, using a tea ball, for 3 minutes
- Remove roses, add sugar and stir to combine
- Remove from heat and allow to cool
- Bottle and refrigerate until needed. Rose Simple Syrup will keep for approximately 3 weeks
Voodoo Shrimp and Grits
Have you ever eaten something so good that it induces a trance? Well, check out our Voodoo Shrimp and Grits. This classic dish features our brand new spice blend, Voodoo, a robust seasoning which includes onion, garlic, thyme and allspice on a base of peppercorns and sea salts. We are excited to share Voodoo Shrimp and Grits just in time for Mardis Gras. French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. Definitely rich, this recipe could be the inspiration for your own Mardi Gras ritual.
Voodoo Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
Instructions
- For the Grits: Put water in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil.
- Add salt and slowly sprinkle in grits while stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Add the half-and-half and return to a simmer.
- Reduce heat, cover and cook the grits slowly.
- After 30-40 minutes, stir in chopped butter and black pepper.
- Continue to cook grits until smooth and creamy, about an hour.
- For the Sauce: In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat and brown the andouille sausage. Once the sausage begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes, remove from pan.
- Season both sides of the shrimp with Voodoo.
- Sear the shrimp over medium high heat for about a minute on each side, working in batches to not crowd the pan. Remove from pan.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to pan
- Add cooked sausage onion, pepper, garlic and spices. Saute for 3 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent
- Add stock and bring to boil, gently scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any flavorful bits on the bottom of the pan
- Reduce heat and slowly add the cream
- Bring up to a simmer and allow to reduce until sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes
- Once thickened, add seared shrimp and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked, about 2-3 minutes
- Spoon sauce over grits
- Finish with Voodoo
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Expect a huddle in the kitchen as well as around the TV with this Creole-inspired dish. Many of us fondly remember Sesto’s Cafe, our neighbor here on Western Avenue and its New Orleans native and owner, Chuck Smith. Chuck made some of the most memorable and mouthwatering Gumbo out of the Bayou. We sure miss Sesto’s but lucky for us, Chuck generously shared his recipe for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. We’ve streamlined his process just a tad (Don’t worry, Chuck, your secret is safe!), and layered it with a classic roux from the cookbook of the Junior League of Lafayette, LA. There’s this big game happening on February 3rd in New Orleans – a city rich with culinary history, laden with exotic influences. What an excellent opportunity to enjoy this delicious dish.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
Instructions
- A large, heavy pot is a must - the heavier the better. Patience is a must - the more the better. (It will be rewarded! We promise!)
- Mix flour and oil until thoroughly until blended before heating. Turn heat on medium-low and immediately begin stirring. Allow roux to brown slooowly, stirring constantly.
- When roux is dark brown, add chopped vegetables.Increase heat to medium and stir until onions are translucent. Add seasonings, stirring to blend. Add sausage and chicken, stirring until evenly browned.
- Slooowly add heated chicken stock, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until gumbo comes to a simmer. Simmer 1 hour, stirring often and reducing heat if necessary to prevent sticking. Add salt to taste.
- You can adjust the final thickness of the gumbo with file (FEE-lay) powder , or pass it at the table as a traditional accompaniment.
Christmas in a Glass!
The first time I ever had a Lion’s Tail, I thought it tasted like Christmas in a glass, and it immediately became my go-to libation of the holiday season. This classic cocktail offers up the perfect, winter warming combination of bourbon, citrus and spice that dances on the palate. We’ve played around with many twists on the original theme and are including recipes for the “classic” and “spice-lover’s” versions for you to enjoy.
True Allspice Dram is sometimes hard to find. If its not available in your area, or if you love a great infusion project, look for our DIY version coming soon.
One more?
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass with a twist of lime.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass with a twist of lime.
