where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook
The Culinary Legend of Apple Tarte Tatin
Stéphanie Tatin’s inadvertent “mistake” in cooking an apple pie up-side-down has become a part of culinary history.
Back in the late 1800’s in France’s Loire Valley, two sisters took over the duties of running L’Hotel Tatin after the death of their father. Caroline managed the business side of the hotel and her older sister Stéphanie ran the kitchens. While she was an accomplished cook, Stéphanie also had a reputation for being a bit scatterbrained.
Palate Pleaser: Frozen Fig with Rose, Almond, Rosemary
Fresh ripe California Black Mission Figs are frozen overnight then run through my trusty vintage Champion Juicer. The result is pure fig, but you would swear it is gelato. The texture is extraordinarily creamy and custardy. I add a whisper of rose water to add to the mystery. Then the frozen fig is topped with salty marcona almonds, fresh piney rosemary, sweet rose crystals and a slice of fresh California Kadota fig. Petite glasses of this palate pleaser are presented on a platter lined with fresh fig leaves and rose petals.
Frozen Fig with Rose, Almond, Rosemary Recipe
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Cheeseburger Bloody Mary
with sweet cherry peppers and bread & butter pickle chips
What beverage do you most associate with vacation? Margarita, Piña Colada, Champagne, Chilled Dry Rosé, Sangria? The Bloody Mary is definitely on that list. Because it is a cocktail that one imbibes in the daytime. Have you ever ordered a Bloody Mary at night? No, that just doesn’t sound copacetic. It’s summer vacation time – and we are drinking Bloody Marys, outside, in the sunshine. Cheers!
But I simply cannot serve any ordinary Bloody Mary to my guests. Their vacation here must be special so these daytime drinks are served with a unique garnish. A cheeseburger, yep, that’s right, a cheeseburger. Bartenders, feel free to steal this idea.
Cheeseburger Bloody Mary Recipe
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“Gimme oysters and beer
For dinner every day of the year
And I’ll feel fine… I’ll feel fine”
Jimmy Buffett
We’re right in the middle of grilling season. This year, in addition to the usual steaks and burgers, why not change things up and throw some live oysters on the grill?
On the barbecue, oysters take a few minutes to heat up and once hot, they are much easier to shuck than the live ones. Cooked oysters are a great way to introduce tentative guests to the spell of the oyster cult. Sputtering and popping oysters on the grill are a terrific way to get the party started.
That old admonition to eat oysters in months that are only spelled with the letter “r” is no longer applicable. Oysters begin to spawn when the water temperature rises. Spawning oysters, while not inedible, are unpleasant and milky. Some oysters are bred to be incapable of spawning so these are consumed all year long. Additionally, during the hot months, vendors can easily import oysters from cooler regions where they are not spawning. Nowadays, there are so many areas where oysters are farmed, it is not difficult to find non-spawning oysters year round.
Six Toppings for Hot Oysters
upodate
K-POP {Korean Popcorn}
Fresh Popped Corn, Sesame Oil, Gochugaru,
Sesame Seeds, Korean Roasted Sea Salt, Seasoned Seaweed
Last month Taste With The Eyes turned six years old, the date came and went without any fanfare. But I simply cannot let the milestone go by without thanking you, my dear friends and readers. With your encouragement and inspiration I cooked, created, photographed and wrote over 700 posts since 2007.
That’s worthy of a little celebration. So I want to share something really good and really simple. Something you can enjoy with your friends! This popcorn was dreamt up on the spur of the moment when guests stopped by unexpectedly one evening while I was in the middle of cooking a Korean dish. I poured some Hite beers and popped some corn. With the ingredients that were sitting on my counter, I dressed the popped corn. It was an instant hit! A sweet, savory, spicy snack. And thanks to my friend Michelle, it has a name: K-POP!
The K-POP Kit
Gourmet Popcorn
Toasted Sesame Oil
Gochugaru (red chili powder)
Roasted Sesame Seeds
Korean Roasted Sea Salt
Seasoned Seaweed (sugar, salt, sesame)
Heat a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 T. canola oil and 1/2 cup corn kernels. Swirl pot to coat the kernels with oil. Cover and cook until the popping stops, about 5 minutes. Place the popcorn in a serving bowl. Sprinkle the popcorn with roasted sea salt, drizzle with sesame oil, season with spicy gochugaru, shake with sesame seeds, toss with the crispy crunchy seaweed. There are no exact measurements, just season according to your taste.
K-POP Kit Giveaway
As a small token of my appreciation, I would love to send one of you a K-POP Kit. The Kit includes everything you need (except canola oil) to make many batches of this sweet, savory, spicy snack for your friends and family. Simply leave a comment on this post, and I will choose a winner randomly on August 31st. Thanks to you, it has been and continues to be an absolute pleasure to be the author of this culinary anthology…
UPDATE 8/9/2013:
K-POP Korean Popcorn is now a featured recipe in the Korea Herald Business.
Kamsahamnida K-Herald!
UPDATE 8/31/2013:
Congratulations to K-POP Winner ~ Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence!