After School Cookies & Milk

Butter. And Salt. An obsession. I was caught butter-handed many times when just tall enough to quietly extricate the pre-dinner treat from its plate on the dining table. That childhood craving resurfaces when I buy butter laced with sea salt flakes and spread it on a fresh baguette. Or, if in a mood for dark chocolate and vanilla, I will make a batch of a childhood favorite: chocolate chip cookies. In this recipe, the honey complements the vanilla, and the milk powder adds richness, making the cookies light, chewy and buttery delicious!

Makes 36 Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup / 225 g / 8 oz – salted butter
2/3 cup / 140 g / 5 oz – superfine sugar
3/4 cup / 170 g / 6 oz – brown sugar
1 Tbsp / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz – runny honey
2 eggs, large
1 Tbsp / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz – pure vanilla extract
3 cups / 370 g / 13 oz – bread/high-grade flour
2 Tpsp / 15 g / 1/2 oz – milk powder
1/2 tsp – flaked sea salt
1 tsp – baking soda/bicarb of soda
3 cups / 340 g / 12 oz – dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate chunks
flaked sea salt for sprinkling on top

Method

In a stand-mixer or by hand, cream butter, sugars and honey together until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl between additions. Mix in vanilla.

Sift flour, milk powder, salt and baking soda together. On low speed, add to butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing well to combine. Stir in chocolate pieces.

Line a baking tray with baking paper or a mat. Scoop large spoonfuls of cookie dough with a dessertspoon or ice cream scoop into 1.-oz/35-g balls (approx 1ó in/3 cm in diameter).* For best results, place on tray, cover dough and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC (325ºF/170ºC fan). Spread cookies on lined baking trays and sprinkle tops with a few flakes of sea salt. Bake until edges are golden and cookies are set but soft in the middle, 9–11 minutes.

Serve with a big glass of frosty cold milk!

For a bit of bitter balancing crunch in your chewy cookie, reduce the chocolate to 10oz / 280g and add in 2 oz / 55g lightly toasted cocoa nibs. And to really gild the lily, add in a cupful of dried tart cherries.

Food and Wellbeing with Natasha MacAller

I was recently interviewed in a podcast by Julia Outlaw and Dr. Eleni Tsiompanou from Harmony and Health. The focus of the podcast is about the power of food and how it has the ability to harm or heal us. 

The hosts interviewed me and we discussed the health benefits of particular herbs and spices, and shared the process of developing recipes. And we connected about the joy of eating! The episode includes recipes for improving mood and attention.

Listen to the podcast HERE or you can listen to it below:

Live Small, Cook Big

I was asked by Rent.com what kitchen items do I consider essential for aspiring home chefs with small kitchens. Check out LINK HERE (#11)the article to read my suggestions and what worked for me as well as other chefs who reveal the chef necessities they can’t cook without.

Earth Day 2021

As young kids growing up in SoCal we were taught by parents who were conscious of the environment, from summer week-long camping under the stars, learning not only about deer and occasionally a black bear–to properly dispose of any rubbish we found in the campground, the trails to the shoreline of the lake, to boating on the rivers and the sea, traveling the roads and never ever tossing trash out the car window!

On the very first Earth Day in 1970, we walked joyfully in a big group to school-normally a 4-mile bus ride–my sister and I clothed in t-shirts hand-painted by Mom and spent the school day painting earth, sun and moon pictures, proudly tacked on the classroom walls and learned about recycling, while recess was spent learning about what we as young children could do to save the earth. Years later I wrote my senior grad high school thesis all about rubbish, recycling, conserving water and trees, the cardboard notebook cover a papier-mâché melange of cut-out magazine photos and word clouds of trash trucks in landfills, refineries, polluted streams and smog. Oh, the smog in Hollywood then, it hurt to breathe when practicing ballet class big jumps while looking out the windows at the brown sky. 

I am so fortunate to have been raised with an awareness of our environment, this incredible blue planet we all share and all need to do our bit-the little things count too!!!

Here are a few simple bits:

• Save your veggie scraps in the freezer until you have enough to make a pot of scrap stock for soups, stews and sauces.
• Sprinkle nitrogen-rich used coffee grounds in house plants and acid soil loving plants such as gardenias, hydrangeas and blueberries and add to your compost pile along with shredded paper filters, paper toweling, cardboard, shredded paper and any kind of untreated paper-based packaging!
• Use bpa free food storage containers instead of my nemesis, the dreaded plastic wrap, my fave long-wearing and watertight brand is Sistema Brilliance as it also does not hold odors and one can cleanly stack far more leftovers in the fridge than plastic-wrapped salad!
• Don’t waste water. This really hits home when one lives rural and depends solely on roof catchment rainwater. Water is life. Treasure it. 

Kumara Gratin with vanilla caramelized onions

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Vanilla Table

Kumara is the New Zealand name for the sweet potato; it was a staple of the Maori long before the Pakeha (white Europeans) touched the shores of Aotearoa. Translated from Te Reo Maori, New Zealand is known as “Land of the long white cloud”. The kumara flesh color ranges from pale yellow to rich red. This vegetarian recipe uses the sweeter and darker-fleshed variety, which in the US is, rather deceptively, known as a red yam. With melt-in-your-mouth, hot-out-of-the-oven layers of oozey cheese, kumara and vanilla caramelized onions, using vanilla for sweetness instead of the traditional marshmallow topped casserole, this no sugar 5-ingredient dish is a healthyish accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey, roasted chicken or on its own as a vegetarian main dish. Feel free to substitute cheeses and add some fresh chopped herbs such as sage, parsley and basil if you like.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 / 500g / 1lb kumara or sweet potato, orange
1tsp vegetable oil for baking pan
1 cup / 230g / 8 oz caramelized onions (see below)
1¼ cup / 100g / 3½ oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1¼ cup / 100g / 3½ oz mild gouda cheese, grated
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 fl cup / 240ml / 8 fl oz cream

VANILLA CARMELIZED ONIONS
Makes 4 cups*

½ fl cup / 120ml / 4 fl oz grapeseed or sunflower oil
½ cup / 100g / 3½ oz butter
8 med / 1kg/ about 2lbs brown onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup / 60g / 2 oz vanilla pod**, split

* 1 cup caramelized onions = 230g/8 oz
**Alternatively add 2 tsp vanilla paste at end.

Place oil and butter in large 2-qt/2-L pot and heat over low heat until sizzling. Add sliced onions and sweat until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add split vanilla pods and continue to cook over low heat until onions are caramel colored, continuing to stir occasionally. Cover, refrigerate until needed. Can be frozen up to 3 months.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/170°C.

Peel and very thinly slice the kumara into a bowl or tray and set aside.

Lightly oil a small loaf pan or individual 8 fl oz/240 ml ramekins. Begin with a double layer of kumara, followed by a layer of caramelized onions. Scatter a bit of both cheeses on top and sprinkle with pepper.

Repeat layers 2–3 more times, finishing with the cheeses and pepper. Press the layers with the palm of your hand to level the top.

Slowly pour the cream a bit at a time over all and allow it to settle into the gratin. (Can be refrigerated at this point to bake the next day if wished.)

On a foil-covered baking tray (less mess!), bake for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the kumara is fork-tender (test with a skewer). Let cool 20 minutes to set the gratin, which makes slicing easier.

In Conversation with Natasha MacAller - The Dancing Chef

FOR SPIRITED WOMEN WHO DANCE
TO A DIFFERENT TUNE

Rock my Age interview Natasha MacAller

From professional Ballerina, to chef and now author, The Dancing Chef - Natasha MacAller shares her journey spanning these three extraordinary careers - each an art form in its own right and requiring discipline, dedication and technique.

Now a restaurant consultant and author, Natasha’s most recent book Spice Health Heroes opens our eyes to the role spices play in our overall health and wellbeing.

The interview is also available on Podbean.

Tamarillo Melting Moments

I had never seen—let alone tasted—a tamarillo until I arrived in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands. Also known as tree tomatoes, tamarillos originate from South America, but they flourish in New Zealand. The red ones are tart, flavorful and my favorite. To roast, cut in half lengthwise, put on a baking tray cut-side up, sprinkle with sugar and roast in a 350ºF/180ºC oven for 30–45 minutes until the fruit is a deep, dark red. Scoop out the pulp into a food-mill or strainer to remove the seeds, and purée. Tightly covered, the pulp will keep refrigerated for two weeks. If tamarillos are not available where you live, roast and purée firm red plums—an excellent choice!

Makes about 36

Ingredients

Dough
1¾ cups/400 g/14 oz unsalted butter, softened   
2 cups less 1 Tbsp/225 g/8 oz powdered/icing sugar
2 tsp/10 ml pure vanilla extract
1⅔ cups/260 g/9 oz cornstarch/cornflour
2 cups/270 g/9½ oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼  tsp fine sea salt

Tamarillo filling
½ cup/120 g/4¼ oz unsalted butter, softened
2 cups/250 g/8¾ oz powdered/icing sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp/75 g/2½ oz roasted tamarillo or plum purée
2 tsp vanilla paste

Method

Dough

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper or mat.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a stand-mixer with paddle attachment on medium–high speed until creamy and pale. Scrape down sides of bowl.

In a separate bowl, sift cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt, combining well.

With mixer on low, add the dry mixture to the butter blend in 4 stages until fully combined, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop dough into balls and roll with your hands into smooth shapes. Evenly space on a baking tray and lightly press down each with the tines of a small fork or decorative kitchen tool. Bake 12–15 minutes, until cookies are barely set, with no color. Cool on tray for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a rack to cool completely.

When cool, frost with roasted tamarillo filling.

Tamarillo filling

In a small bowl with a hand-held mixer or in a stand-mixer with whip attachment, combine butter, icing sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Whip on high speed until light and fluffy.

Scrape down sides of bowl.

Turn speed to low and spoon in the tamarillo purée and vanilla paste. Return speed to high and beat until well combined.

Pipe or spoon a coin-sized bit of filling in the center of one cookie. Top with second cookie and press together gently. Repeat until all cookies are sandwiched together. NM

Single Skillet Stroganoff Piccata Chicken

A clean out the fridge recipe I put together while staying at a friends house. As there were only sketchy ideas for dinner – I did a quick head in fridge survey and came out with a jar of pickled capers. Dinner? You betcha! Discovering enough caper friendly ingredients in the kitchen, all I needed at the store was some chicken and dinner became a cross between chicken piccata and stroganoff, with a side of peas. Feel free to make lots of substitutions – even the capers aren’t necessary, you could use preserved lemon, cornichons (those little tiny pickled cucumbers) or quick pickled onions for that bit of briney, vinegary flavor that cuts through the richness of this one skillet dish. Enjoy the recipe!

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded thin (I used a rolling pin)
50g plain flour
Large pinch salt
1 tsp smoked paprika

Oil as needed

2 medium onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 leek, well rinsed thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
2 handfuls button mushrooms, thinly sliced
Pasta, dried or fresh, fusilli, penne whatever is in the pantry or freezer to serve 4
Chicken or veggie stock or water as needed
Half glass white wine, optional
2 lemons, zest, and juice of one, the other thinly sliced in half circles
3 good spoonfuls of soured cream or full-fat plain yogurt or dairy-free option
Herbs, fresh or dried
3Tbsp Capers!

Method

Using a rolling pin or mallet, pound chicken pieces until thin and transfer to a plate. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and paprika, then dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and return to plate. Cover and chill until needed.

Cook dried pasta to al dente now while onions are sizzling. Drain, drizzle with oil, cover, and keep warm.

Heat the skillet add a glug of oil and sauté onions until soft, add leek until soft then add garlic and mushrooms adding oil if needed. Add half cup of stock, stir and reduce add wine, and more stock as needed to reduce until ingredients are tender and golden brown.

Transfer to a dish, wipe skillet with a paper towel, return to medium-high heat. Add a glug of oil and when it shimmers add the chicken pieces in batches, cooking until golden brown on both sides and cooked through 4-6 minutes each side. Transfer to a clean plate. Return veggies to skillet, stirring lemon juice and zest, sour cream, herbs, and capers, add stock to thin and season to taste. Arrange chicken pieces on top, scatter with lemon slices, then cover and let simmer for a few minutes before serving on a bed of pasta. Yum.

Citrus Poppyseed Shortcakes

A take on my famous LA Strawberry Shortcakes with Lemon Curd and Vanilla Whipped Cream from my cookbook “Vanilla Table”, easy to prepare, and bake and devour, are delicious any time of the day. Go totally decadent and smush a scoop of your fave ice cream on top or between the layers of freshly baked shortcake. I’ll always, well almost always, choose vanilla ice cream. Just can’t help it. What’s your favorite combo?

Makes 12-16

Ingredients

65g/¼ cup sugar or vanilla sugar
Zest of 1 lemon and one orange
220g/8oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1Tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp kosher, sea or plain salt
4 heaped teaspoons poppy seeds
110g/4oz/1stick butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1 large egg and one yolk, whisked
170ml/6oz chilled cream, or half cream and half sour cream.
1tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste (optional)
Plus a spoonful of extra cream and sprinkling sugar for tops
2 cups frozen blackberries, raspberries or blueberries-you can use fresh but best to freeze them so they don’t bleed and leave you with purple gray scones.

Method

Gather ingredients.
Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Lightly oil a baking tray or cookie sheet with a silicone mat, baking paper or foil and set aside.

Directions

In a small bowl rub the sugar and the zest with your fingertips to release the fragrant citrus then set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds mixing well. Chop the chilled butter into the flour mix using 2 forks or a hand pastry blender (from the hand tool drawer-a fav tool of mine and been around for generations) until mixture resembles pea-sized butter bits.

Fold in the citrus-sugar mix combining well. Beat the egg, yolk, cream or soured cream and vanilla (optional) until smooth. Using a fork gently quickly combine the wet into the dry, gently folding the ingredients together.

Using hands or a bowl scraper, transfer the dough to a flat dry lightly flour dusted surface-it’s okay if there are a few dry bits not entirely combined-just press and fold them in, then pat out your rectangle shape again.

Gently pat dough into a rectangle about ½ to ¾ in (1.3 to 2 cm) thick. Press frozen berries into dough.

Working quickly fold a third of the dough using a spatula or dough scraper over to center then the other side to center gives you 3 layers-called a 3 fold.

Gently press together and while still cold slice into bars, then cut each bar in half or thirds. Arrange on baking tray and gently press each scone into tray which aids in helping to stay standing! Brush tops with cream then sprinkle sugar on the tops to add a bit of crunch. At this stage you may cover and freeze until ready to bake, though I recommend doing the sugar sprinkle just before baking, so it stays dry and crunchy.

Bake in center of fan oven for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Remove from oven onto a cooling rack until just warm.

Serve with a cuppa and your favorite method (ice cream, lashings of clotted cream or lightly salted butter) to dress your scones. When cool if wrapped tightly and frozen, they will keep beautifully for a few weeks ready for another tea or dessert time treat! NM

The Tonga Trifle

The trifle ‘reveal’ took place on Vava‘u Island, Tonga for Heilala’s First Annual Vanilla Harvest Event. As the massive bowl was paraded around the tables after a three-course luncheon I detected agonized sighs coming from the 22 guests as they protested: ‘No! No! Not the trifle!’, then whispers of ‘bacon bits in a dessert?’ But of course! I love the sweet–salty combination of crispy bacon, oozey vanilla caramel and hot fudge sauce. Needless to say, as the guests pushed back their chairs post-trifle I noticed all that remained in the bowl were a few cake crumbs and toasted almonds. And the bacon bits? Gone.

* To make alcohol-free, substitute pineapple or apple juice for the rum. 

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Vanilla Table

Christmas lunch at Pub Grub-who wants Trifle from the cookie jar?

My vanilla writing Inspired mentor, the formidable but caring Tui Flower samples the Tonga Trifle at the Heilala Tongan lunch with lovely Joan Gilchrist keeping watch flanked by foodwriters Joan Gilchrist and Allyson Gofton.

Serves 12

Ingredients

VANILLA RUM BUTTERCAKE:
plain flour 3½ cups (425 g/15 oz)
baking powder 1 tsp
baking soda ½ tsp
fine sea salt ½ tsp
unsalted butter 1 cup (225 g/8 oz)
white sugar 1⅔ cups (340 g/12 oz)
large eggs, room temperature 4
yogurt or sour cream 1 cup (250 g/8 oz)
dark rum 1 Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)
vanilla paste 1 Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)

VANILLA AND RUM BUTTER GLAZE:
packed brown sugar 1 cup (170 g/6 oz)
golden or corn syrup 2 tsp (10 ml)
water 2 Tbsp (30 ml/1 fl oz)
salted butter 5 Tbsp (75 g/2½ oz)
dark rum 1 Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)
pure vanilla extract or liqueur 1 Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)

**JIM’S WHITE CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM:
plain flour 1 Tbsp (15 g/½ fl oz)
cornstarch/cornflour 1 Tbsp
white sugar ¼ cup (60 g/2 oz)
large egg, room temperature 1
whole milk 1½ cup (350 ml/12 fl oz)
white chocolate, chopped ½ cup (60 g/2 oz)
unsalted butter, softened 2 Tbsp (30 g/1 oz)
pure vanilla extract 2 tsp (10 ml)
light rum 1 Tbsp (15 ml /½ fl oz)

VANILLA CARAMEL SAUCE:
unsalted butter 1 cup (225 g/8 oz)
white sugar 2 cups (400 g/14 oz)
lemon juice 1½ Tbsp (25ml/¾ fl oz)
whipping cream, warmed 1¾ fl cups (420 ml/14 fl oz)
pure vanilla extract 1Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)

HOT FUDGE SAUCE:
dark chocolate, chopped 2 cups (250 g/8 oz)
white sugar ¼ cup (50 g/1¾ oz)
fine sea salt ¼ tsp
golden syrup or light corn syrup ½ fl cup (120 ml/4 fl oz)
filtered water ¾ fl cup (180 ml/ 6 fl oz)
dark cocoa powder ¾ cup (70 g/2½ oz)
vanilla paste 1 Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)
pure vanilla extract 1 Tbsp (15 ml/½ fl oz)

To Assemble

THE TONGA TRIFLE CHECKLIST:
whipping cream with a pinch of sugar and 2 tsp/10 ml pure vanilla extract 1fl (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
vanilla rum buttercake, cooled 1
generous amount of gold rum* ½ fl oz (120 ml/4 fl oz)
**white chocolate pastry cream 1 batch-or sub vanilla ice cream
bananas, ripe with green tips (peeled weight) 4 (450 g/1 lb)
vanilla caramel sauce 1 batch
hot fudge sauce 1 batch
sliced almonds, toasted ½ cup (45 g/1½ oz)
unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted ½ cup (45 g/1½ oz)
vanilla candied bacon bits

Directions

Vanilla rum buttercake
Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Have all ingredients at room temperature. With 2 tsp of the butter, grease a Bundt/ tube pan (or 2 loaf pans) and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a stand-mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Bring speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, until mixed, scraping down sides of bowl between each egg. In stages, with mixer on low speed, alternate flour mixture and yogurt, ending with flour. Add rum and vanilla paste and combine well. Spoon into prepared pan, smooth top and bake for 50–60 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes away clean.

Vanilla and rum butter glaze
In a small saucepan, heat sugar, golden syrup and water, with a big pinch of sea salt. Simmer to dissolve the sugar, then stir in butter. Continue to simmer for 1 minute, being careful not to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in rum and vanilla. While cake is still warm, prick all over with a long skewer, then slowly spoon over the glaze, allowing it to soak in. Cool cake completely before unmolding.

Jim’s white chocolate pastry cream
Sift flour, cornstarch and sugar into a bowl. Add egg and whisk until light and without any lumps. In a small non-aluminum pot, bring milk to a simmer. Whisk half of the milk into egg mixture until blended, then pour mixture back into pot. Set aside whisk and using a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon, stir constantly, cooking over medium–high heat until pastry cream comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove pot from heat and whisk in chocolate, butter, vanilla and rum. Blend until smooth. Cover the surface with plastic wrap while cooling to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate until needed.

Vanilla caramel sauce
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large metal bowl halfway with ice and cold water.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stream in sugar and big pinch of sea salt. Stir gently with a wooden or heat-resistant spoon until combined, to prevent lumps. When the sugar begins to caramelize, add lemon juice, which slows the sugar from caramelizing too quickly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sugar is a deep golden brown. Take off heat and stir in the warm cream in 4 stages, being careful to prevent splattering. Place pot in an ice bath, add vanilla and stir sauce occasionally as it cools and thickens. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Will keep chilled for 2 weeks.

Hot fudge sauce
Melt chocolate in double boiler, stirring occasionally, over barely simmering water. Turn off heat and keep warm. Whisk sugar, salt, golden syrup, water and cocoa powder to a simmer in a heavy pot over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1–2 minutes, slowly whisking to dissolve cocoa powder and to prevent burning on bottom of pan. Drizzle in melted chocolate and cook 2 minutes more, whisking continuously until thickened and glossy. Blend in vanilla paste and extract. Will keep chilled for 2 weeks.

Vanilla candied bacon bits
vanilla sugar 2 Tbsp/45g/1 ½ oz
pink peppercorns, freshly ground 2 Tbsp (45 g/1½ oz)
lightly smoked bacon 4 slices (125 g/4½ oz)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Mix vanilla sugar and pink peppercorns in a pie tin or small plate. Dredge the bacon in the mixture and lay on lined baking tray. Cook 25–30 minutes, turning over halfway through baking. (Do not be tempted to increase oven temperature as bacon will burn.) Remove from oven and drain on a cooling rack. Chop into bacon bits. If not crispy enough, scatter into a small dry sauté pan over medium heat and warm until crispy. Set aside until ready to use or for longer storage, cool completely and store chilled in an airtight container.

To assemble and serve
Whisk cream with vanilla until whipped.

Slice cake into pieces and make a layer in bottom of trifle dish or a large tall-sided glass bowl (4 qt/4 L). Add a generous splash of rum, and top with one-third of the pastry cream.

Slice bananas into rounds and arrange a third around sides and center of bowl.

Add spoonfuls of vanilla caramel sauce, then dollops of whipped cream.

Drizzle over a third of the fudge sauce, then sprinkle surface with a third each of the almonds and coconut.

Repeat layers, beginning with the rum-splashed cake slices, 2 more times.

Finish the top layer with whipped cream and fudge sauce. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to a day to allow the flavors to infuse.

When ready to serve, let trifle come to room temperature. Top with a generous amount of bacon bits and pass around the table with a large serving spoon – Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Bisque with Green Pea Pesto

What to do with all those gorgeous homegrown tomatoes? A traditional bisque adds shellfish and a roux. This version is vegetarian and gluten-free as it is thickened with vanilla-caramelized onions rather than a flour-based roux.

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Vanilla Table

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Bisque:
12 medium (2 lb) fresh tomatoes (28 oz canned whole tomatoes)
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf, bruised
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp fresh cracked pepper
3 Tbsp, or to taste, fresh lemon juice
Sea salt flakes to taste
½ cup cream or crème fraiche or Greek yogurt

For the Green Pea Pesto:
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 garlic clove, chopped
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp, or to taste, fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
¼ cup crème fraiche to serve, if wished

Directions

1. If using fresh tomatoes - preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line a baking tray with lightly greased foil, then place halved tomatoes cut-side up on sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar and salt and roast for 40 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

2. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan with vanilla seeds and pod.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add garlic, bay leaf and stock.  Add roasted tomatoes (or canned) and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes (or 30 minutes for canned tomatoes).

3. Add pepper and season to taste with lemon juice and salt.  Simmer an additional 5 minutes then remove vanilla pod and discard.

4. Puree liquid with a hand blender or food mill until smooth.  Gently whisk in cream, yogurt or crème fraiche.

For Green pea pesto:  

1. Simmer peas in salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain well then pour into a food processor bowl with the S blade.  Add garlic, oil, basil and lemon juice.  Whizz to a fine puree then add Parmesan with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Set aside or chill until ready to serve.

To Serve:

Top the bisque with green pea pesto and crème fraiche (if wished) and serve immediately with warm buttered toast.  May be refrigerated and reheated next day, or you can also serve this bisque cold.

Fenugreek-Poached Pear with Dessert Dukkah

As a 14-year-old budding dancer, I was obsessed with making steamed pears with Cool Whip topping sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. A tad more sophisticated in flavour, texture and colour, these Fenugreek-poached Pears are sublime sitting on a bed of Dessert Dukkah. The toasty maple characteristics of the fenugreek swirl on the tongue, but be mindful not to overtoast or you may have to start again.

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

Serves 4

Ingredients

350g (12oz./1¾cups) granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ cinnamon stick, toasted
2 allspice berries, toasted
½ tsp fenugreek seeds, lightly toasted (set aside then add to the poaching liquid with the fenugreek leaves)
3 fenugreek leaves, crushed
4 pears such as Bosc or Concorde, peeled and sanded* to remove lines but with stems still attached
60ml (¼ cup) dessert wine, e.g. Sauternes, Botrytis Semillon
or Riesling
2 strips lemon peel
Dessert Dukkah (see below), serve with yogurt, labneh or softly whipped cream (optional)

*Pear sanding tip: use a new, clean fine scrubbing cloth or a foam block nail file to gently smooth the pear. I learned this technique as an apprentice at the Culinary Olympics in Berlin-yes there really is an international Culinary Olympics!

Toasted Pepper, Lemon and Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream

Black pepper is a surprising companion to sweet summer berries and here adds an addictively spicy base note to a creamy lemon- and strawberry-infused ice cream. Have fun with your guests when asking them to guess the flavour; they will be mystified when trying to settle on the secret ingredient but will be instantly converted to its aromatic charms.

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream:
zest of 2 lemons
100g (3½oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
1½ tsp black peppercorns, toasted and ground
pinch salt
150ml (2/3 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice
480ml (2 cups) crème fraîche

For the Strawberry Compote:
340g (12oz) strawberries
100g (3½oz./½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsp limoncello
pinch salt

Directions

Put the lemon zest, sugar, peppercorns and salt into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until the zest is fine and well combined. Add the lemon juice and blend until the sugar dissolves. With the motor running, add the crème fraîche. Cover and chill for 1–3 hours to allow the flavours to meld.

Wash, hull and slice the strawberries into a bowl. Add the sugar, limoncello and a pinch of salt and fold until the strawberries are coated. Lightly mash with a fork. Cover and let stand for an hour, stirring occasionally, then chill for 1–3 hours.

Freeze the lemon mixture in an ice-cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions, or pour into a dish and freeze, stirring occasionally, until frozen.

Layer a third of the lemon ice cream into a freezer container, then add a third of the strawberry compote. Repeat these layers twice more, then cover and freeze.

Cardamom Carmel Orange Ice Cream

A bit of spiced decadence, this recipe is nevertheless a leaner style of ice cream containing no egg yolks and only half the amount of double (heavy)/whipping cream.

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

Makes 1 Litre (1 Quart)

Ingredients

For the Carmel:
5 black cardamom pods, cracked
1 tsp (about 8–10) green cardamom pods, cracked
120ml (½ cup) fresh orange juice, strained
1 tbsp lemon juice
zest of ½ orange
300g (10½oz/1½ cups) granulated sugar
1 vanilla pod (bean), split and cut into 8 pieces
120ml (½ cup) double (heavy) cream
1 tbsp coconut oil

For the Ice Cream:
240ml (1 cup) coconut cream
240ml (1 cup) whipping cream
100g (3½oz/½ cup) granulated sugar
large pinch salt
1 tbsp white rum (optional)
2 egg whites, at room temperature

Directions

Dry-toast the cardamom in a small pan then roughly grind the pods and seeds in a mortar and pestle.

For the caramel, in a small pan, heat the orange and lemon juice, orange zest, sugar, cardamom, half the vanilla pod (bean) pieces (reserve the remainder for the ice cream) and a pinch of salt to a simmer, taking care it doesn’t bubble over. Stir occasionally and cook until the sauce is as thick as honey. Whisk in the cream and coconut oil until well blended. Let it stand for 10 minutes off the heat, then strain out the larger pieces of cardamom and cool completely. Cover and chill until needed.

To make the ice cream, in a medium pan, heat the coconut cream and whipping cream with three quarters of the sugar, the reserved half vanilla pod (bean) pieces and a large pinch of salt until steamy and the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat, whisk to help cool and add the rum if using. Cover and chill until cold.

Beat the egg whites in a bowl with a whisk or electric mixer until frothy. Stream in the remaining sugar and continue to whip until the whites form shiny stiff peaks.

Fold the cream into the meringue in stages until incorporated.

Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop one third of the ice cream into a container then spoon the caramel on top. Repeat the layers. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and freeze until firm.

2018 New Year Gougeres

Delicious make ahead savoury profiterole appetizer to start your New Year”s celebration that pairs perfectly with a glass of bubbles or a Southern Hemisphere summertime beer! Speck is a traditional pork cut at the local butchers and similar to smoked bacon but generally is cured with spices such as bay leaf and juniper. Or use a bit of leftover Christmas ham or smoked chicken, or leave out all together and add a little touch of chilli paste instead!

Adapted from Vanilla Table @2013

Makes 2 dozen large

Ingredients

2 tbsp/30ml/1 fl oz vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 oz speck, bacon, or ham finely chopped
1 tsp fresh minced basil leaves or parsley, to taste
40 grams/1.5oz/5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¼  teaspoons kosher salt
¼  teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
¼ tsp piementon or smoked paprika (optional)
¼  teaspoon ground mace or allspice
150grams/5 1/3 oz/1 cup bread flour
90g/ 3 oz/1 ¼ cup smoked cheddar cheese, finely grated
4 large eggs, room temperature
Egg wash for glazing, optional

Directions

In a small pan over medium heat add oil until hot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add speck and cook until light brown. Stir in fresh herbs for a minute then remove from heat and drain mixture on paper towels. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°F. fan.

Add butter, salt, pepper and mace or allspice to 8 oz/225ml/1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat until butter melts. Turn heat to low and add the flour to pot all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly until dough pulls away from sides of pot and flour is absorbed; about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Transfer dough to a stand mixer with paddle attachment and knead at medium low speed for 1 minute.  Sprinkle in the cheese and speck mixture-reserving a bit of each to top gougeres before baking. Turn up speed to meduim and add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides between each addition until smooth and shiny and when paddle is held up the dough holds a “V” shape.

Drop batter by spoonfuls or pipe without a tip into 1 inch-sized rounds on parchment or non-stick lined baking sheets. Brush with egg wash if wished and sprkinkle tops with a little of the cheese and speck. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until doubled in size, golden brown and light in weight. Serve warm or at room temperature. May be reheated just before serving or cool, then freeze in an airtight container for 1 month.

Bread and Butter Persian Pickles

This tangy but slightly sweet pickle is delicious and is made with Persian (also known as Lebanese) cucumbers,which have a slightly thicker skin than hothouse ones, and few if any seeds.

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

Makes 3 Medium-Sized Jars

Ingredients

900g (2lb.) Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
450g (1lb.) white onions, thinly sliced into half moons
2 large (bell) peppers (red and yellow), seeded and cut into thin strips
2 tbsp sea salt
140g (5oz./1 cup unpacked) brown sugar
140g (5oz./¾ cup) granulated sugar
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tsp black peppercorns, toasted
1 tsp each yellow and black mustard seeds
1 tsp each celery, fennel and ajwain seeds, toasted
¼ tsp whole cloves
1 litre (4 ¼ cups) white vinegar

Directions

Layer the vegetables into a strainer and gently toss with the salt. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for 3 hours.Drain the vegetables, rinse thoroughly and drain again.

Put the sugars, spices and vinegar in a large stainless-steel or enamel pan (remember that turmeric stains!) and bring to the boil. Add the vegetables and return to the boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and spoon the vegetables into sterilized jars, then pour the liquid over all. Seal the jars, rinse under running water and cool on the work surface.

Store in a dark pantry and keep refrigerated once opened.

Country Onion Mushroom Soup

This is a quick and simple, thick, potage-style soup that I created as executive chef of Bridge Street restaurant in Bigfork, Montana, owned by the award-winning Chateau Montelena Winery in Napa, California. The restaurant was surrounded by a lovely herb and veggie garden, where I grew the horseradish used in this dish. When the time came to make it, the entire kitchen crew would back away as this fresh spice is odourless when uprooted, but once you break the skin, the smell is pungent! The volatile oil it contains is a powerful natural antibiotic but it can make you swoon and your eyes fill with tears!

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 head garlic   
1 tbsp olive oil   
1 tbsp grapeseed oil   
250g (9oz.) mushrooms   
1/8 tsp (large pinch) nutmeg   
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves   
125g (4 ½oz./ ½ cup) Turmeric Melted Onions (see below) 
garlic bread, to serve (optional)
50ml (scant ¼ cup) port
475ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
200g (7oz./1 cup) mashed potato
1–2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp pure horseradish, fresh or from a jar, to taste
⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Cut the top off the garlic head to expose the cloves, then peel away just the outer layers of the garlic-bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves. Wrap loosely in foil and drizzle a tablespoon of oil over the garlic. Close the foil at the top, place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 30–35 minutes until soft and golden brown.

While the garlic is roasting, make the Turmeric Melted Onions (see below.)

Heat the grapeseed oil and sauté the mushrooms with the nutmeg and thyme leaves in a 2-litre (2-quart) pot until almost dry over medium heat, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, add the Turmeric Melted Onions and half the roasted garlic (keep the other half for other use; it will keep for about 2 weeks refrigerated) and mix well. Add the port and reduce for 2 minutes or so. Add the stock and simmer for 3–5 minutes.

Stir in the mashed potato, lemon juice and horseradish and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve warmed in big bowls, topped with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg, accompanied by your favourite garlic bread, if wished.

Turmeric Melted Onions

Ingredients

Makes 2 Cups

50g (1 ¾oz./½ stick) butter
60ml (¼ cup) grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 medium brown onions (450g/1 lb.), halved and thinly sliced
10 grinds black pepper (optional)

Directions

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan over medium–high heat, stir in the turmeric and cook for 1 minute. (Adding turmeric to the sizzling oil intensifies the flavour and nutrients; the pepper adds even more goodness.)

Add the onions and when they begin to let off steam, turn the heat down to medium–low and cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent, melted and light-yellow-brown in colour.

Add the pepper and stir for a few minutes.

Remove from heat, cool, then cover and chill until needed.

Pomegranate Pistachio Parfait

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

With chia seeds full of protein and seductive ruby-red pomegranate juice packed with anthocyanins and prostate-healthy antioxidants, this light and easy-to-make pudding sweetened with honey is a dairy-free delight – refreshing, romantic and healthy!

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the chia cream:
3 tbsp chia seeds
240ml (1 cup) almond milk
1/8 tsp almond extract
pinch salt flakes
2 tbsp honey
¼ tsp ground cardamom

For the pomegranate gelatin:
475ml (2 cups) pure pomegranate juice
1 tbsp honey
4 gold gelatin leaves (see page 46, or 3¼ tsp powdered gelatin)

For the vanilla labneh:
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp granulated sugar, or to taste pinch ground cardamom
85g (3oz./1/3 cup) labneh

To serve:
25g (1oz./3 tbsp) pistachios, chopped
2 fresh figs, quartered or torn, or dried figs, roughly chopped a few drops rose water

Directions

To make the chia cream, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Cover the gelatin leaves in ice-cold water and leave until soft. In a small saucepan, warm the pomegranate juice with the honey to dissolve. Drain and squeeze excess water from the gelatin then stir it into the juice. Divide the liquid among four dessert glasses. Chill until firm.

Whisk the vanilla, sugar and ground cardamom into the labneh.

Spoon the chia cream layer on top of the pomegranate gelatin layer then top with vanilla labneh. Sprinkle over some chopped pistachios and garnish with figs. Sprinkle over a few drops of rose water.

Organic Blueberry-Toasted Polenta Upside Down Cake

Simple to make, and not too sweet, this make-ahead vanilla blueberry cake a version of the recipe in Vanilla Table is perfect for a light dessert or brunch and easily made gluten free. 

Photo by Natasha MacAller

Serves 8

Ingredients

Unsalted butter ¼ cup 60 g 2 oz
Brown sugar, packed ½ cup 100 g 3½ oz
Vanilla pods, split and scraped 2
Zest of Lime 1
Lime juice 2 Tbsp 30 ml 1 floz
Organic blueberries rinse and patted dry 1½ cup (about 8 oz/240 g)
Dark rum (optional) 1 Tbsp 15 ml
Plain or gluten-free flour 1/3 cup 50 g 1¾ oz
Polenta, medium grind 1 cup 160 g 5½ oz
Baking powder* ¼ Tsp
Sea Salt ¼ Tsp
Eggs, large, separated 3
Superfine sugar 1/3 cup 75 g 2½ oz
Pure vanilla extract ½ Tsp
Skim, almond or soy milk ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp 90 ml 3 floz
Corn or vegetable oil ¼ cup 60 ml 2 floz

*Most baking powders are gluten free, but check label to be sure. 

Directions

Line a 9-inch/ 20-cm cake or pie pan with foil and butter the foil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

Toast polenta in the oven or in a dry sauté pan until you can smell it toasting and is lightly browned. Cool completely, then pulse with the flour, slat and baking powder in a food processor to a fine grind.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium–low heat. Add brown sugar and stir with a heat-resistant or wooden spatula until the mixture begins to bubble. Add vanilla seeds and pods stirring well for 1 minute. Add lime zest, juice and rum—the mixture will sizzle —and stir until blended. Remove from heat and pour sugar glaze into prepared cake pan. Arrange pods in center of cake pan. Add blueberries in a layer completely covering the top. Drizzle with any remaining glaze. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

In a large grease-free bowl, and using a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Slowly stream in half the sugar and whip the whites to glossy, soft peaks, tripled in volume.

In a large bowl, whisk the yolks with remaining sugar until well blended. Add the vanilla, milk and oil, whisking well.

Fold dry ingredients into yolks, using a spatula to combine. Fold in the whites in 3 stages until just blended. Gently pour or spoon batter on top of blueberries, smoothing the top. Place in center of oven and bake for 23–25 minutes until cake is set and springs back when touched in centre.

Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving plate, carefully peeling foil off the top. Serve warmed or at room temperature with a spoonful of vanilla sour cream or Greek yogurt, scattering a few banana pieces and mandarins around the plate.

Mandarins in Citrus Syrup

I learned how to make this garnish from Chef Sherry Yard (@sherryyard) at the original Spago Hollywood-my first job out of culinary school. Use a paring knife or clean thumbnail to make sure all the white pithy threads are scraped off without piercing the skin. The citrus segments are suspended in the syrup, keeping them moist. Adding a little alcohol, such as vodka or orange liqueur, is a natural preservative and helps them last for a week. Feel free to add toasted whole spices such as a few cardamom seeds, a cinnamon stick, one whole allspice berry, or a few fresh ginger pieces into the syrup for a spicer profile.

Ingredients

4 easy peel Mandarins
4 oz / ½ cup simple syrup*
1 Tbsp Orange liqueur

*Simple syrup 1 cup water and 1 ¼ cups sugar, mix together in a pot and simmer until the liquid is clear and syrupy about 5-7 minutes.

Directions

Mix simple syrup with liqueur in a jar or other small container – this is a 9 pan. Peel skin off mandarins and using a paring knife and small damp towel, gently separate the segments and scrape the white webbing off each, drop into syrup and store chilled until ready to use on desserts, salads or as a delicious decorative plate design.