Recipes & Food-Related Ramblings
Behold! A coconut-coated sugar bomb. A blizzard of a cake. An edible pompom, if you will. During its construction, I affectionately called this cake “Snow Beast”, which is fitting if not appetizing. Its official title is Raffaello Angel Cake with Salted Almond Cream, which is much more respectful and descriptive than its playful moniker. But it will always be Snow Beast to me.
Scotch eggs, in their original form, are among my favorite guilty pleasures. For the uninitiated, a scotch egg consists of an egg enrobed in sausage meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried for good measure. It’s a fairly debaucherous snack to be sure, but oh so worth it for every greasy bite. But for the vegetarians in the crowd, the scotch egg is a no-fly zone. And I think that’s too bad because, to me, the sausage meat in a scotch egg is far from the main attraction. The mark of a good scotch egg, in my books, is a crisp exterior matched with a gloriously runny yolk. So, I nixed the sausage meat and replaced it with a homage to another British classic – mushy peas. And boom! These Vegetarian Scotch Eggs were born.
The holiday season is all about nog, cookies, crackers, and cheese. In other words, the holidays do not favor dietary restrictions of any kind. Decided to give up gluten? Say hello to shortbread. Decided to kick dairy? This slab of triple cream brie says otherwise. With all these rich and carb-tastic indulgences in our midst, it’s easy to lose things like greens or self-control in the shuffle. And while the holidays only come but once a year, scurvy can hit whenever. So, allow me to introduce you to the healthiest, most indulgent holiday salad I can muster – this Mushroom Confit Kale Salad with Blistered Red Grapes. It’ll boost your vitamin intake while holding its own flavor-wise next to a mountain of mashed potatoes.
I’ve got a quick recipe for you today. And although I say “recipe” it’s really more of a concept. With the holidays approaching, we are all about to be inundated with family members, gifts, and leftovers. I know, leftovers are by far the least glamorous aspect of the holiday season but they are a reality we all have to grapple with. So, allow me to show you how best to grapple with leftover ham – Ham and Kimchi Quesadillas with Pomegranate Guacamole.