Hot From The Kettle ®
White Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad (via Downtown Magazine NYC)
This recipe for a lovely light salad is perfect for Spring. It’s a simple but elegant combination of white peaches, fresh mozzarella and prosciutto tossed in a tangy, semi-sweet dressing of lemon, honey and white balsamic vinegar. The saltiness of the prosciutto goes perfectly with the tangy dressing…
Today is Labor Day, the unofficial last day of summer, which means many people are taking to their backyard and firing up their grills. It’s a tough day for people who don’t eat meat, right? Wrong!Mr. Hot and I recently enjoyed some decadent Brazilian desserts at Samba Montclair.
We sat outside and sampled Guava Mousse, Brazilian Carrot Cake - with chocolate rather than the traditional cream cheese - Passion Fruit Mousse, and Flan. All so refreshing and satisfying!
After our desserts, Ilson Goncalves, the owner of Samba Montclair, brought over a iron vessel filled with tiny gluten-free Brazilian yucca rolls.
Favourite Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic , crushed or finely chopped
3/4 cup really good extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper , to taste
Method
Combine the balsamic vinegar, mustard and garlic in a blender or food processor. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil through the opening in the lid to process into a thick dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
I've made the dressing using a plug-in immersion blender which produced an almost mayonaisse consistency as a great deal of air was whipped into the dressing. When really thick like this it is a great addition to turkey sandwiches or even as a dip for veggies.
The Balsamic Vinegar that I prefer is Olivier 25 year old barrel aged from Italy. It's so sweet and mellow that its possible to do a full shot without making a face. Its available at Williams Sonoma, its my favorite thing in the store, I always have 2 or 3 bottles around, and even if I wasn't associated with the company I would buy it.
For a girl who does most of her grocery shopping at Whole Foods, the idea of buying the requisite can of Crisco to fry chicken was a little out of my comfort zone. But once I scooped the frosting-like white fluff out of the can and heated it in my big Le Creuset, it bubbled up and cooked the chicken to golden brown perfection.
When the weather starts to turn chilly, I want my oven on as much as possible. Not so much as a temperature control feature, but more an olfactory control feature. I love the smell of things baking in the oven – bread, apple pie, pumpkin pie, baked brie, a turkey, a rib roast, or just about anything.
I was raised by my grandparents, and my grandmother loved baking, too. In fact, she baked everyday. The aroma would hit me at the door every time I arrived home from school or from playing outside. It was comforting. It was home. I suppose I want my children to have those same olfactory memories.
