Tag Archives: Walnuts

December 19, 2013 · 2:19 PM

{ The Borough Market in London }

Whenever I go into a city, I feel pressured to eat—and drink—just about everything in sight. In a brief two-block stroll, I can usually find time to eat a pastry, sample a gelato, snack on an over-priced French macaron or chocolate, down a cup of fancy coffee, and possibly even grab a cocktail of some sort. It’s down right impressive, albeit slightly sickening to my friends that are forced to dip into every corner shop café with me!

Why does the city send me into this preposterous food frenzy, you ask?

Because I am from the suburbs!! The suburbs of Philadelphia, no less: a place where good food requires some serious gas mileage and planning. You can’t find an authentic Italian restaurant, a crab shack, a sake lounge, and an artisanal chocolatier all within the same one-mile radius! If you want Indian, you drive to Iselin, NJ. If you want Italian, you drive to South Philly. If you want French, you’re shit outta luck. My point is, that you’re driving if you want to get good ethnic foods. So when I see Cambodian sandwiches, ramen, French pastries, and kebabs all within the same street, I get beside myself and feel the urge to try it all simply because it is there!

My most recent trip to London kept me eating around the clock because of the seemingly endless number of cafes and pubs, each one more adorable than the next. I plan to give a full review each meal, but I want to start off with my absolute favorite food experience in London, which doesn’t take place in a restaurant at all, but rather an open-air food market called the Borough Market.

My idea of heaven is an endless Borough Market where every vendor has free samples and they don’t judge you for taking more than one, instead they encourage it! The food is free, and it has no caloric value, and you never feel full so you can just keep on eating, and eating, and eating. #FatGirlProblems

The Best Prepared Meal Item: Thai Green Curry Paella with Chicken & Seafood over Rice. I did my research on the market before going (aka Googled the shit out it to see what other bloggers were saying!) in so that I could make an informed decision on what to eat once I got there. I read that the Paella place was one of the best, and I can confirm that it was better than some seafood dishes I had in Spain. It was creamy and flavorful and the rice was tender without being mushy. A food experience that was borderline otherworldly.

The Best Cheese: The Borough Cheese Company’s 15 mo. aged Comte

It was the first cheese we sampled going into the market, and we continued to go back for more samples until we found ourselves just pounding down his entire platter one sample after another. Then it got awkward and we decided we were obligated to make a purchase, which was noshed down that same evening. I ate it like a slice of watermelon, right down to the rind, holding the wedge between my two hands.

The Best Exotic Item for Purchase: Tartufaia Truffles’ White Truffle Honey

Need I say more? Truffle + Honey = guaranteed foodgasm

I might just have to fly back for more once I eat it all, and for only 5 pound a jar, it is the best bargain in London!!!

The Best Eat at Home Purchase: West Country Preserves

I bought the Spicy Gooseberry with Cumin Seeds, which is more savory than sweet. It pairs well with chicken and meat, but also toast if your taste buds are like mine! I also bought one of the Ginger Curds, which is a sweetened yet naturally spicy spread that pairs lovely with toast and desserts. My friends got the pure Ginger Preserves, which were intensely flavorful but also amazing. The man knows how to sell too—he loves encouraging samples! I think I tried all 32 varieties before selecting my final two for purchase.

Other Items I purchased and loved:

Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella – So creamy and tender. I coupled these bad boys with some sliced tomatoes and avocado wedges when I got back home and they were lovely.

Date and Walnut Bread from The Flour Station– I was on a date kick after my trip to Harrods (where I bought the best dates of my life!), and so I decided to get loaf of this bread. It turned out to be my breakfast pregame and late night snack for the remaining days of my trip. A fabulous purchase!

Roasted Porchetta Sandwich with Applesauce and Rockett on Ciabatta – this was not my favorite, as I found the meat a bit too fatty and difficult to swallow. That being said, I did love the deep rosemary flavor to the meat and the pairing of the sweet applesauce, which is something I will replicate at home in the future.

Mulled Wine – It was my first English mulled wine experience, so I will have a special place for it in my heart, but I went on to have much better from street vendors at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. And priced at 4 pound a cup, it was difficult to catch a buzz!

Chocolates and Fudge from Burnt Sugar– I loved the chocolate covered honeycombs made with rich dark chocolate, but learned that fudge is not really my thing. It might be the only food that I can say isn’t one of my weaknesses.

{ Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread }

Thanks to Ms. Hurricane Sandy, I had an unexpected day off of work today! And that means my my oven was set at a comfortable 350 degrees with a constant rotation of breads, cakes, and cookies going though it’s doors. Four loaves of banana bread, and 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies later….I was ready to attempt a more complicated bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s cookbook, “The Bakers Apprentice.” I haven’t done much bread baking before, but I was feeling up to the challenge with all of the free time on my hands!

The original recipe calls for a mixture of cranberries and walnuts, but I was running low on berries so I also threw in some golden raisins and dried currants. If a panettone and a babka had a love child, this bread would be it! Everyone in my family agreed that it will be made on Christmas morning for many more generations to come…aka, the bread turned out incredible!

So without further ado, here is my recipe for Kendall’s Christmas Celebration Bread, adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread in “The Baker’s Apprentice.”

{ Ingredients}

3 cups of bread flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/5 tablespoons lemon extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup of water, at room temperature
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried currants
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

{ To Make the Bread }

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all of the ingredients (except the dried fruits and nuts) to make a soft dough. Switch the attachment to a dough kneading hook and knead for 5 minutes.

The dough should clear the sides of the mixing bowl, but remain tacky to the bottom. Adjust the concentrations of water and flour so that the dough takes this form.

Add the cranberries, raisins, and currants and continue to knead by hand for an additional 2 minutes.

Then add the chopped walnuts and knead by hand until the nuts are evenly distributed.

Transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl and allow to ferment, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough should almost double in size!

Transfer the dough a counter top surface and divide into 6 pieces; 3 larger pieces and 3 smaller pieces. Roll out all 6 pieces by hand into long strands. Braid the 3 larger strands using the 3-braid technique and then do the same with the 3 smaller strands.

Place the large braid on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then place the smaller braid directly on top of it. Brush the entire bread with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk) and allow to sit at room temperature for another 2 hours.

The braided bread should double in size. Brush the entire bread with egg wash a second time.

Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

I like to serve mine with a flavorful homemade butter. Recipe, below:

{ Homemade Sweet Orange Butter }

1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

{ To Make the Butter }

Combine all ingredient in the bowl of an electric mixer, and whisk on a medium-high speed until well combined and buttery in texture.

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Filed under Baking, Recipes

Tagged as Baker's Apprentice Cookbook, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Celebration Bread, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cranberries, Cranberry Nut Bread, Cranberry-Walnut Bread, Currants, Dessert, dried currants, Dried Fruit Bread, dried fruits and nuts, Fruit Bread, Holiday recipes, Nut Bread, Peter Reinhart, Peter Reinhart's Celebration Bread, Raisin Bread, Raisins, Walnut Bread, Walnuts

December 22, 2010 · 12:36 AM

{ Mixed Nut Turtle Cookies }

Mixed Nut Turtle Cookies with Decadent Chocolate

Tis’ the cookie season once again. It seems that everyone is either making them, giving them, or receiving them, and then of course, we are all eating them! The holidays and cookies just tend to go hand in hand. Some of my fondest Christmas memories as a little kid are in the kitchen making Spritz cookies with my mom. We would stand at the center island for hours each day making dough, greasing cookie sheets, and sprinkling the tops of our cookie cut outs. I think our tiny house could have been heated solely by the oven during cookie-making week! Thankfully, our cookies have evolved since these days and we no longer make Spritz cookies, which might as well be butter packets with sprinkles (superrrrr fattening). Instead, our new favorite holiday cookies are these Mixed Nut Turtles, which have a decadent layer of chocolate to top them off! It’s a nice change from the classic chocolate chip, snicker doodle, and oatmeal raisin. Put these on a tray of assorted cookies at a party, they will surely be the first to go. There is just something irresistible about the saltiness of the nuts contrasting the sweetness of the chocolate and cookie dough. The texture is great too, because the cookie is a little soft and the nuts are nice and crunchy. (Warning: May cause euphoria). The dough is very easy to make. I have never had a problem attaining the right consistency, as long as you make sure the butter is room-temperature before you use it (I cheat and throw mine in the microwave on defrost for a few seconds just to be sure!). They are the ultimate holiday cookie though so I encourage you to try them!

{ Ingredients }

¾ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 (9.75 ounce) can of mixed nuts—almonds, cashews, macadamia, and walnuts
1 ½ cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels/chips
2 teaspoons shortening

{ To Make Cookies }

**Makes about 26 cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolk and vanilla, scrapping down sides. Add flour to butter mixture, beating until just blended.

What The Finished Dough Should Look Like

Using two spoons, drop dough onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball into a 2-inch circle, using fingers. Firmly press nuts into the tops of cookies.

Turtles Before Going Into Oven

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (I like to rotate my pans half way through). Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute and then remove cookies and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Place chocolate and shortening in top of a double boiler over hot water, stirring until melted.

Double Boiler System

Spoon the chocolate on top of the cookies, concentrating on the center and nuts. Let stand until chocolate hardens. Serve and Enjoy!

6 Comments

Filed under Baking, Recipes

Tagged as Butter Cookie, Cashews, Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Holiday recipes, Nuts, Recipe, Walnuts

November 23, 2010 · 11:23 PM

{ Walnut Sage Fettuccine }

Walnut Sage Fettuccine

I mentioned in the previous blog post that my mom and I made three different pasta sauces for dinner tonight, and thisWalnut Sage Sauce was one of them. I have never tasted anything like it before, and it is awesome!! The flavor of the walnuts really opens up when they toast in the pan and who doesn’t love the taste of butter?!? This simple recipe is the product of my mother’s culinary creativity, and I hope you will all enjoy it as much as we did tonight!

{ Ingredients }

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 stick unsalted butter
Kosher salt
¼ cup roughly chopped sage leaves
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Cooked out fettuccine

{ To Make Pasta } Place the walnuts in a saucepan over medium heat and allow the walnuts to toast until fragrant. Add the stick of butter in pieces and then stir so that it melts completely. Once melted, add the Parmesan and the sage leaves until they wilt slightly. Season with kosher salt, to taste. Pour over desired amount of fettuccine pasta and serve with freshly grated Parmesan!