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Friday, February 26, 2016
Sugar High / Recipes Sugar High! Gelato at Sotto Enoteca
Posted
By Melissa Haskin
on Fri, Feb 26, 2016 at 12:24 PM
Walk a few steps up St. Paul Street from Trattoria Delia and you’ll find Sotto Enoteca. Same menu, same kitchen staff, different ambiance. Last Friday, I visited the cozy Burlington wine bar for an early dinner. I sipped WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey with a single square ice cube. Whiskey because my appetizer was chocolate.
To be specific, it was a profiterole — chocolate-covered, gelato-filled pastry. Think éclair but filled with Italian-style ice cream. Mine was stuffed with the vanilla version of the frozen treat. I found this to be a nice balance with the chocolate. However, halfway through the mountain of dessert, I still had to call in reinforcements. I couldn’t finish it alone.
To be specific, it was a profiterole — chocolate-covered, gelato-filled pastry. Think éclair but filled with Italian-style ice cream. Mine was stuffed with the vanilla version of the frozen treat. I found this to be a nice balance with the chocolate. However, halfway through the mountain of dessert, I still had to call in reinforcements. I couldn’t finish it alone.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Sugar High Sugar High! Canelés at Vergennes Laundry
Posted
By Melissa Haskin
on Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 4:28 PM
Since I arrived in Vermont about two months ago and started asking strangers where I should eat, a few places always come up. The Vergennes Laundry is one of them. Last week I was in Shoreham to report a story about Vermont Cider Week, affording me the perfect opportunity to stop by the pastry shop on my way back to Burlington.
My timing, however, was not perfect. I arrived at 2:45 p.m., 15 minutes before closing. By the end of the day, most bakeries have sold out of most, if not all, of their edible items. What remains can be disappointing, at least to some. So my first impression of Vergennes Laundry wasn't ideal, but it was an opportunity nonetheless, and I was incredibly hungry. Sometimes you just have to take what you can get.
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Winter Squash Blini With Cilantro Sour Cream
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 2:50 PM
Last week, I made a super-easy puréed squash soup with roasted red peppers and buttermilk. But that recipe barely made a dent in the hulking squash I'd roasted the weekend before, and I had buttermilk and roasted red peppers left over, too.
So, here's another recipe using the same ingredients. It has a similar flavor profile to the soup but a totally different format. Together, I like to think of them as a diptych: Squash Two Ways.
Besides, when was the last time you made blini? Never? Well, they're basically just adorable little pancakes — and perfect party finger snacks. These have a lot of squash in them, so they're almost creamy on the inside. And since everyone loves dipping bready things into cheesy things, you may as well chop some herbs and blend them into sour cream and serve that alongside.
Fun, fun.
So, here's another recipe using the same ingredients. It has a similar flavor profile to the soup but a totally different format. Together, I like to think of them as a diptych: Squash Two Ways.
Besides, when was the last time you made blini? Never? Well, they're basically just adorable little pancakes — and perfect party finger snacks. These have a lot of squash in them, so they're almost creamy on the inside. And since everyone loves dipping bready things into cheesy things, you may as well chop some herbs and blend them into sour cream and serve that alongside.
Fun, fun.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Cooking Five Tips for Making Perfect Pizza
Posted
By Melissa Haskin
on Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 2:11 PM
Pizzeria Verità is known for its Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza. The restaurant is nominated annually in Seven Days readers' choice awards, and is No. 1 on TripAdvisor (up from No. 2 last week) for Burlington-area pies. (See my story about learning tricks of the dough here.) This means that sometimes you can't get a table at the restaurant.
If you find yourself out of luck — or you're planning a party — here are five secrets from Verità co-owner Leslie Wells for making the best-tasting pizza at home:
What tricks do you have for making pizza at home?
If you find yourself out of luck — or you're planning a party — here are five secrets from Verità co-owner Leslie Wells for making the best-tasting pizza at home:
- Use a dough recipe with a long fermentation process; this gives the crust more structure and airiness.
- Source the freshest, highest-quality ingredients for topping.
- Never underestimate a great cheese.
- Get your oven as hot as possible, and finish with the broiler to cook the top.
- Keep it simple; don't over-top the pizza. The key is to have flavors that complement, rather than overwhelm, each other.
What tricks do you have for making pizza at home?
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Sugar High Sugar High! Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts
Posted
By Melissa Haskin
on Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 3:51 PM
Mooove over, cream. Ben & Jerry’s is about to release its new, dairy-free line, including classic flavors Chunky Monkey and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, along with two new ones: P.B. & Cookies and Coffee Caramel Fudge. Made with almond milk, the frozen desserts took an entire year to develop, according to a company press release. The pints will hit Vermont grocery stores in three to five weeks.
Since the non-dairy ice "cream" is not officially available yet, some nice folks from Ben & Jerry’s brought samples to the Seven Days office. So, for Sugar High! this week, I decided to enlist help from a few colleagues in giving them a try. Most people in the office are pretty indifferent to free food. Just kidding! I think about half of them were crowded around my desk within minutes.
And we had a favorite: P.B. & Cookies. Testers agreed there wasn’t a noticeable non-dairy taste. Creamy and rich, it was packed with whole Oreo-type cookies and generous swirls of peanut butter.
Results otherwise were mixed. Read on for a few tasting notes from Seven Days staffers.
Since the non-dairy ice "cream" is not officially available yet, some nice folks from Ben & Jerry’s brought samples to the Seven Days office. So, for Sugar High! this week, I decided to enlist help from a few colleagues in giving them a try. Most people in the office are pretty indifferent to free food. Just kidding! I think about half of them were crowded around my desk within minutes.
And we had a favorite: P.B. & Cookies. Testers agreed there wasn’t a noticeable non-dairy taste. Creamy and rich, it was packed with whole Oreo-type cookies and generous swirls of peanut butter.
Results otherwise were mixed. Read on for a few tasting notes from Seven Days staffers.
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Easiest Squash Soup
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 1:17 PM
Mid-February is about when all those winter vegetables in storage start to descend the bell curve — at least in my house, where I'm lazy about proper cellaring. Two cabbages and a hulking winter squash have taunted me from a bushel basket in my half-frozen mudroom since October. I don't even remember where they came from — probably 4 Corners Farm in Newbury, or maybe Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford. I frequented both during harvest and stockpiled quite a lot from each.
Last week, the squash started to nose dive, so I brought it in and roasted it on Sunday, when it was below zero all day. Because why wouldn't you light the oven when it's that cold out?
Earlier today, I threw some of the squash (which I left in a roasting pan in the mudroom, aka walk-in refrigerator, for two days) in a blender with some stock, then warmed it with a splash of buttermilk. Voilà! Soup in five minutes. And bonus: It's a gorgeous carnelian color.
As always, soup is only as good as the stock you put into it, so homemade is best. But if you don't have stock at the ready, something store-bought will do just fine. As will jarred roasted red peppers, if you're not able to make your own.
This recipe can be made vegan if you skip the buttermilk (and feta garnish), or sub cashew or almond milk with a tiny squeeze of lemon. It's also gluten free.
Last week, the squash started to nose dive, so I brought it in and roasted it on Sunday, when it was below zero all day. Because why wouldn't you light the oven when it's that cold out?
Earlier today, I threw some of the squash (which I left in a roasting pan in the mudroom, aka walk-in refrigerator, for two days) in a blender with some stock, then warmed it with a splash of buttermilk. Voilà! Soup in five minutes. And bonus: It's a gorgeous carnelian color.
As always, soup is only as good as the stock you put into it, so homemade is best. But if you don't have stock at the ready, something store-bought will do just fine. As will jarred roasted red peppers, if you're not able to make your own.
This recipe can be made vegan if you skip the buttermilk (and feta garnish), or sub cashew or almond milk with a tiny squeeze of lemon. It's also gluten free.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Sugar High Sugar High! Maple Cheesecake, Chef's Corner South End
Posted
By Melissa Haskin
on Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 4:15 PM
Hey, welcome to the first installment of Sugar High! This series is about confections and desserts made by local chefs, and also about me eating them. Seriously, it's an idea whose time had come, and I'm really glad I had it.
The pastry case at Chef’s Corner South End is the kind of children's dreams. Cheesecakes and cupcakes, tiramisu and brownies are all beautifully aligned behind glass casing. Red velvet cupcakes with heart-shaped sprinkles took the spotlight earlier this week, yelling at customers about the impending holiday of love.
On the day I went to Chef's Corner, two impeccably neat rows of little maple cheesecakes were tucked in next to the boisterous Valentine's cupcakes. The butterscotch-hued confections were topped with whipped cream and tiny rolls of striped chocolate. In their own quiet way, they spoke to me.
So I ordered one. On first bite, I noticed its light, fluffy texture. It wasn’t as sweet or overwhelmingly dense as I had expected. Rather, it was the kind of dessert you could order and eat all in one sitting without feeling ill.
On a second bite, I noticed something else — something more complex. Apricot? I skimmed the fork across the top, picking up some of the clear coating. Yes! It was subtle, but played nicely with the maple, elevating the cheesecake's flavor.
If the maple glaze from a donut crawled into a blender with cream cheese and then tossed itself with whipped cream, it would taste something like this.
The desserts at Chef’s Corner South End, located in Flynndog at 208 Flynn Avenue in Burlington, are ever evolving and seasonal. At a place known for great sandwiches and a healthy salad bar, it’s easy to talk yourself out of dessert in order to keep a New Year’s resolution. But in this case the sugar high was worth it.
Sugar High! is a weekly exploration into the Vermont dessert scene. It features everything from chefs to recipe tips to the best sweets on Vermont menus. Got an idea for something you'd like to see in Sugar High? Email melissa@sevendaysvt.com.
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Liver Pâté en Terrine
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 3:30 PM
In the interest of transparency, I'll admit that this is my first attempt at forcemeat pâté en terrine.
Between soaking the liver, braising the tongue and shank and letting the assembled terrine rest a few days after baking, it took most of a week to make. It's a project dish, but it's not horribly labor intensive — it just takes time, and the rewards are quite lovely. After making this, you'll feel a keen sense of accomplishment.
This recipe isn't perfect, but it works very well. It's also fundamental enough to be flexible, so you can use whatever random organ meats you prefer. Because everyone has organ meats just kicking around, right? If not, use whatever is available at the store. Healthy Living Market & Café in South Burlington is my go-to shop for local organ meats, but your town butcher (or often farmers) should be able to provide liver or brains or bones or tongue with a little notice.
Between soaking the liver, braising the tongue and shank and letting the assembled terrine rest a few days after baking, it took most of a week to make. It's a project dish, but it's not horribly labor intensive — it just takes time, and the rewards are quite lovely. After making this, you'll feel a keen sense of accomplishment.
This recipe isn't perfect, but it works very well. It's also fundamental enough to be flexible, so you can use whatever random organ meats you prefer. Because everyone has organ meats just kicking around, right? If not, use whatever is available at the store. Healthy Living Market & Café in South Burlington is my go-to shop for local organ meats, but your town butcher (or often farmers) should be able to provide liver or brains or bones or tongue with a little notice.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: La Pomme Bonal
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 2:51 PM
More than one member of the Vermont food cognoscenti has said that the pinnacle of the local cider revolution will be in apple brandy. And in the last few years, several orchardists and distillers have started making the stuff. But the only one that's hit the market so far is Mad River Distillers' Malvados.
Made with heirloom apples from local orchards, it's a fruit-forward, seriously strong sipper (100 proof) that's not to be taken lightly. It also won honors in the 2016 Good Food Awards.
People with more hair on their chests than I might sip Malvados neat in a snifter before or after dinner, but I like to dilute and darken it just a touch — like, say, with Bonal, the barely bitter, grape-based French aperitif that rounds out the brandy's boozy kick.
In the cocktail below, OJ adds a touch of tart, while elder rum from St. Johnsbury's Dunc's Mill enhances the Bonal's florals and subtle sweetness.
Ingredients:
2 ounces Mad River Distillers Malvados
1 ounce Bonal Gentiane Quina
2 ounces orange juice
1/2 ounce Dunc's Mill Elderflower rum
Scant splash maple syrup
2 drops Angostura bitters
Blood orange or lemon peel, for garnish
Preparation:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients (except garnish) and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe or other cocktail glass, garnish with citrus peel or wheel, and serve.
Made with heirloom apples from local orchards, it's a fruit-forward, seriously strong sipper (100 proof) that's not to be taken lightly. It also won honors in the 2016 Good Food Awards.
People with more hair on their chests than I might sip Malvados neat in a snifter before or after dinner, but I like to dilute and darken it just a touch — like, say, with Bonal, the barely bitter, grape-based French aperitif that rounds out the brandy's boozy kick.
In the cocktail below, OJ adds a touch of tart, while elder rum from St. Johnsbury's Dunc's Mill enhances the Bonal's florals and subtle sweetness.
Ingredients:
2 ounces Mad River Distillers Malvados
1 ounce Bonal Gentiane Quina
2 ounces orange juice
1/2 ounce Dunc's Mill Elderflower rum
Scant splash maple syrup
2 drops Angostura bitters
Blood orange or lemon peel, for garnish
Preparation:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients (except garnish) and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe or other cocktail glass, garnish with citrus peel or wheel, and serve.
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