Also there was the honey tasting. We’d gone grocery shopping before we started the bread/cookie extravaganza and we bought two new types of honey. So we had to taste them (plus a few others we already had in our pantry) while the bread was rising…

Chili Honey

Sweet fire in a jar! I’ve [...]

Our friend Dr. Sally Steindorf came over for dinner this evening, and we found out just how much this beautiful new kitchen has changed us. Especially me. Sally is a vegetarian, so we decided to make penne with fresh tomato sauce. No, not the red, gloppy business that comes in a jar [...]

This turned out to be a fantastic recipe, one that we’ve since made a number of times. The dish makes excellent leftovers as well, since the flavors continue to meld and turn into a wonderful, delicious dish.

Baked Beets with Dried Cranberries and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
This recipe turned out to be “alchemical,” which is to say [...]

MENU:

gazpacho with minced cucumber, onion & cilantro garnish
angel hair pasta with cherry tomatoes, gorgonzola and fresh basil
fresh baguette with anise honey
fresh fruit
vanilla ice cream
store-bought butter cake (not gooey)
chocolate chip cookies

GUESTS:

Michael Booth
Austin Lines
Austin’s Parents

One thing I like about our new kitchen, something that keeps the whole thing very exciting, is the spontaneity. Some folks get [...]

Saffron Risotto
INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6-7 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra to garnish)
salt and pepper to taste

SERVES FOUR.

Heat the butter or oil in a large heavy-based skillet or saucepan.
Add the shallots and [...]

MENU:

walnut bread with fireweed jelly
saffron risotto
grilled salmon
grilled beets
salad
grilled peppers
chocolate chip cookies
pear mouses

GUESTS:

Michael Booth
Eric Mack
Nelleke Mack
Nick Metzger

Michael caught the salmon for this meal on the Copper River in Alaska this summer, and he also made the fireweed jelly while he was up in Fairbanks. He smoked most of the salmon, but brought home one [...]

I remember making pear mouses with my Grandma Pratt in Birmingham, MI when I was little (in the early 1980’s), but these are somewhat different. Here’s how to make the Serafini Pear Mouse:

BODY:
• 1/2 a fresh, ripe bartlett pear, peeled and cored
Cut wedges into the pear half where the ears will go. Also, [...]