Posts from the ‘Recipes’ Category
How does the time get away from me?
I started out this year with very good intentions of writing at least 2 posts a week. Well so far that hasn’t happened. Sorry for those that have been very good about coming over here and reading. I have kicked myself and signed up for a class to get better at this so this becomes part of what I do – REGULARLY!!!!! Anyway, that is my goal for the month of March (because I have nothing else going on that month!!!!). I signed up with a friend so we can kick each other to get it done.
Working on a lot of new things, so I’m not just sitting around playing with new pictures in Photoshop. I have been working on some new work and hope to have it ready to show very soon. In the meantime, I have a food photography class coming up this Saturday, March 2nd 12-3pm at JAM. If you want to get a better handle on natural light with food this is your class. I will be doing minimal styling since that is not where I want to focus my time but there will be some styling. Call JAM to sign up and get a seat, 480-522-5410 or info@jamminlifestyle.com.
Here is some of the other things coming up for the month of March (really where did January and February go?!!!)
This is the poster for the March cooking class. We are continuing with pasta since it has been such a hit. We are making gnocchi and this will also be a hands on class, as are all of the classes. Just to compare with other cooking classes in town, most others will let you watch them cook and then you give generous samples. Well if you’re like me you need to do it to get it. I mean if you’re going to do one of those classes why not just watch on TV? And we let you eat what you cook! AWESOME!!!
And the next wonderful thing happening this next month is this:
How much fun will this be?!!! A pop up bake sale with Urban Table!!! Oh yes we did! We would love for you to pop on by and check it out. Saturday, March 23rd from 1-3pm at JAM. This is going to be fun people.
Okay so I have a few more things going on but I’ll put it in another post. Thank you so much for spreading the word about the classes and the bake sale. Have a wonderful week.
Heather
Make your own Cheese
So for the new year I’ve decided that I’m going to step waaaaaayyyyy outside my comfort zone and do some teaching. I guess the teaching isn’t so far outside my comfort zone but the other opportunities that it has brought my way are. I’ll be speaking at a local food blogger’s conference, The Blended Conference, here in town next Saturday night and we have a full house! YAY! If you know me you know that this talking thing is so not a problem for me. At all. Its the getting up in front of the full room that’s outside my comfort zone. I can do this! And I know I’m going to love it! I can hardly wait to connect with so many more people in my community that eat, sleep and breathe food!
A few other wonderful things that I’ve been doing are teaching cooking classes at JAM in Old Town Scottsdale. I teach these with my wonderfully talented sister Holly. She is an amazing teacher (and sister!). The first 2 classes have been about pasta. In December we showed everyone how to make pasta from scratch and added a few herbs into one of the batches. Everyone had a wonderful time and got to go home with fresh made pesto sauce and 2 recipes.
This month we went with filled pasta. 4 sauces to fill your fresh made ravioli. The 4 sauces were Spinach Ricotta with a Fresh made Cherry Tomato Sauce, Pea Ravioli and Browned Butter and Mint sauce, Butternut Squash filling with Browned Butter and Sage, and Mushroom Duxelle with Fresh made Cherry Tomato Sauce. If you would like these recipes let me know and I’ll post them for you.
Not sure we had a clear favorite but it was hard to choose! But we did have a lot of people ask for the Fresh Ricotta recipe. So here you go!
| Fresh Ricotta Cheese to fill Ravioli |
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1 quart buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Have a large sieve (strainer) lined with heavy-duty cheese cloth over a large container, ready to go.
- In a large sauce pan slowly (very slowly!) bring all ingredients up to 170 degrees. You can use a meat thermometer that is calibrated. Stir through out this whole process so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom.
- Pour mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour.
- After discarding liquid, cover it and chill it for at least over night. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
If you don’t want to use buttermilk you can make these changes:
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
After milk is up to 170 degrees, add the lemon juice and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep stirring until milk curdles, a few minutes.
Pour mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain for 1 hour.
After discarding liquid, cover it and chill it for at least overnight. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
I would love to hear how this went for you! Happy weekend!
Heather
How to Make Pasta
The making of fresh pasta. This was my final video for school. It of course had to have a few things to pass so that is why you see a small interview at the end. My roommate over the summer kindly did the talking and the eating.
I am working on new ones that show a bit more actual instruction since I’m now teaching here at home how easy this is to do.
Heather
Fun things to do this week
So for fun and because I don’t have enough to do with my time, I’m going to teach a class on how to make pasta with my sister Holly. She is also a chef so you get two chef’s for the price of one on this class. And since we are both so much fun to be around how can you not have fun?!! Seriously pasta is not hard to make and we will show you how. If you are in town and find that you want to do something different with a friend join us at JAM on December 5th at 6:30pm. We are providing everything you need and you get to take home some fresh made pesto sauce! That alone is worth coming to the class for!
For more info contact JAM at 480-522-5410 or email Shauna for more info at info@jamminlifestyle.com. We only have a few spots left so hurry!
Heather
Not the Weather for Hot Chocolate
There are a few things I like to do when I visit a city that is new to me. A couple weeks ago I was in New York for the first time for IACP – International Association of Culinary Professionals. There are couple things I like to do when I go to a new city. There first thing I like to do is get my camera out and walk the city. I don’t think you can really see the city unless you do. Well the only time I had for doing that with all the classes that I took was one evening. I started in Times Square.
Both of these were taken and processed with my phone. While there I saw the Hard Rock Cafe. My husband and I have been collecting glasses from every place we visit that has one. Its becoming quite a collection. Not sure why we started it but the first one I remember was from when we got married so we have to keep it going right? That is the second of my favorite things to do when I travel to a place I’ve never been.
I continued to wander and found Juniors where I had a cheese burger and a slice of cheese cake, of course! I didn’t have a chance and I promised my husband and daughter not to do too many tourist things so it would be new to me when we all come together soon. I made that promise a while ago because they would like to go with me to some of these wonderful places I get to visit. So really that was the extent of my playing tourist. But I digress! Back to the best hot chocolate in New York City!
From Times Square I headed up through the theater district because the cashier at the Hard Rock Cafe said if I just go up a couple blocks there was this great place called Amy’s Bread and they had the best to be found in the city. Little did I know that it would take me to Hell’s Kitchen. It was pretty great but maybe that’s because the sun was down. Anyway found the place. I don’t have a real recipe for this but it couldn’t be easier.
First, steam 8 oz of whole milk. Yes you can use skim but really you aren’t going to be drinking a ton of this so just go with the whole milk and enjoy the richness!
Next add 2-3 ounces of chocolate ganache – chocolate ganache is heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate. You heat the heavy cream, do not boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. If you allow it to cool completely you can scoop it out like in the picture. Stir the ganache into the milk.
Pour into a small soup bowl – yes I drank this out of soup bowl and it was grand! And don’t forget to add the fresh made marshmellows. I’m usually not a fan of marshmellows but these were fantastic!
And there you have it! The best hot chocolate ever made! I will make this again here at home but I’ll wait until it cools down here. Here is a little video I made of the lovely Sarah making this lovely treat for me and my friend, Cynthia Woodman of What a Girl Eats.
http://youtu.be/Z9YllLMHL5k
Heather
A freebie from Gatherings Magazine
If you haven’t had the chance to check out the latest issue of Gatherings Magazine this is the best time to do it! Its free to look at online for 2 weeks. So go enjoy this fabulous issue right away!
Off to Singapore in a few short weeks. Should be a great trip. Stay tuned for Singapore market pictures.
Heather
Not a Boring Salad Phoenix/Scottsdale Food Photographer & Food Stylist
If you are like me you eat a lot of salads. I love salads but admittedly they can get boring really quick. Here is a great way to use local and in season food to add some excitement to your salads. 
The excitement in this salad comes from the dressing which can be used so many ways. I’ve used it to marinate the vegetables on top of the beet greens for one.
Vegetable Medley with Citrus Dressing
1 Fennel Blub – sliced very thin
3 medium size watermelon radishes – sliced very thin
For dressing:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup blood orange juice
1/4 cup Meyer Lemon Juice
4 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon peel
4 Tablespoons Blood Orange peel
1 cup vegetable oil
Before juicing the Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon remove the rind using a microplane zester. Juice both the Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon. In a small bowl combine both the fresh juices, the citrus peel and vinegar. Slowly start whisking in the vegetable oil. Chill for at least 3 hours before using as a dressed salad. Shake well before serving.
For the vegetable medley salad:
Combine the Watermelon Radishes and the Fennel in a bowl and 1/2 cup of the above dressing. I marinated this over night but several hours should be plenty of time.
Before serving it over fresh greens or the beet greens shown in the picture I remove from the liquid and toss the greens in whatever is left and then there isn’t too much dressing on my salad. Arrange the marinated vegetables to the top of the greens and then crumble a little fresh goat cheese over the top and serve.
I would love to hear if you are using any local and season food in your cooking right now. Would also love to hear if you use this recipe for more then a dressing. Leave a comment here or connect with me on Facebook.
Heather
Roasting Vegetables – Phoenix/Scottsdale Food Photographer/Food Stylist
I’ve been on a roasting vegetables kick lately and they are good! So I found the most colorful vegetables at the farmers market the other day and just had to share with you. I found white (very easy to find) cauliflower, orange and purple cauliflower and a bright green romanesco cauliflower. Gorgeous! Just look…
It looks a little alien like, right? Well alien or not they taste great. I’ve really only seen them consistently at my local farmers market here in Scottsdale but I’m sure that they are available elsewhere. Whole foods, maybe…? So now what to do with all of them. I didn’t want to take away the great flavor they already have just to make them a little more tender. Plus I didn’t want to cook all the vitamins out of them, so I roasted them.
4 Color Roasted Cauliflower
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Serves 6-8 as a side dish
1 of each color cauliflower – white, orange, purple and the bright green romanesco – all cut off the stock into bite sized pieces
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Fresh ground pepper
Couple pinches of Sea Salt
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese – yes fresh grated is best (not the stuff from a shaker can)
After cauliflower is cut off stock and into bite sized pieces put in a bowl and add the olive oil, pepper and a couple pinches of salt. Toss altogether so cauliflower is well coated. Put on a baking sheet and put into preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle the cheese over the top.
I would love to know if you tried this or are addicted to roasting vegetable like I’ve been lately. Leave a comment here or connect with me on my Facebook page.
Heather
Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding – Phoenix/Scottsdale Food Photographer & Stylist
I test every recipe that I post on here and most of the time many times. The Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake recipe was no exception. And during one of the testings lets just say that bundt pans and I don’t always get along. Well there was nothing wrong with the cake it was just ugly! So I’ve made bread pudding with it! This recipe can use any leftover bread so for this I used my leftover cake. The key to this working is bread that is stale. If you don’t have any leftover bread you can crisp it up in the oven. This took a little longer because it was a quick bread and it was fresh so adjust as you need to for what you are working with. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut bread or cake into small diced bite-sized pieces. Lay the pieces out on a sheet pan. I sprayed the pan just a little for the chocolate banana cake that I was using in case the chocolate melted a little. (I didn’t want to clean up that mess too!) My cake too about almost 2 hours to crisp up and then I waited another day before making this. Trust me don’t skip this!
So to make the pudding part and assemble this here is what you need:
Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
4 cups of stale chocolate banana bundt cake – this should already to crisp but not rock hard and cut into bite sized pieces
3 cups half & half
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Grease a 9×13 inch pan and fill with the cut bread or cake.
In a sauce pan heat the sugar, salt and half & half over medium heat. You want to dissolve the sugar and salt but not boil the half & half. You want it to coat the back of spoon, so hot not boiling. Remove from heat and let set for at least 2 minutes. While you wait in a separate bowl beat together the eggs. Slowly whisk the eggs into the cream/sugar mixture. You want the milk to still be warm but not hot since you don’t want scrambled eggs in the milk. Stir in vanilla. Now pour the milk mixture over the bread in the 9×13 inch pan. Let it soak at room temperature for an hour. Just before putting into the oven add the small pieces of butter over the top.
This needs to be cooked in a water bath. Check that you have a pan bigger that is oven safe that the pudding can fit in. I put the pan in and then fill it about half way up with water. Cook for 45 minutes. You want it so still move a little in the center. If it moves a lot leave it in a bit longer. It will continue to set as it cools. Serve warm and with fresh whipped cream.
I would love to know if you make this and what kind of bread/cake you used. Connect with me here in the comments or over on Facebook.
Heather
Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake – Phoenix/Scottsdale Food Photographer & Stylist
So how do you make banana bread special? Well the answer is turn it into a bundt cake! And the real vanilla whipped cream adds to the specialness too! So here is the recipe:
Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 1 bundt pan and 1 small bread pan. In a mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, then stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa powder, and mix well. Add in sour cream, chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake in oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake rest for at least 20 minutes before turn out of pans.
So you should now have a fancy bundt cake and a small loaf of banana bread. I’ll show you what to do with the loaf of banana bread in another posting. (This can be frozen.) So if that is not fancy enough here is something that is just for adults, you can leave this for the kids.
Before putting on the dollop of whipped cream pour a little port over the top of the cake and then add the whip cream. The cake will soak it up, you won’t need much, not more then an ounce of the port. I used Six Grapes Porto and its wonderful for this or just to have a glass so feel free to pair this together if you don’t want to pour over the top.
You can not go wrong with this recipe no matter what you choose to bake it in. I had a little mess while I was removing the cake on one of the tests. Other then it not looking pretty there was nothing wrong with it so I’ve made bread pudding with it. I will have that and how you can make the bread into very special french toast. See, so many things from just this one recipe. I would love to know if you make this and how it turns out! Leave me a comment here or connect with me on Facebook.
Heather
