1.28.2016

Garlic Confit



The term "confit" is thrown about these days almost as much as the term "steak." But if such culinary powerhouses as Epicurious, TheKitchn, and the New York Times can publish recipes for Cauliflower Steaks, we can publish a post on the smooth, silky magic of Garlic Confit. 

Typically, when people think of confit, they think of duck, or goose, or some other type of meat that has been cooked in its own fat for the purposes of preserving it. It is a pre-refrigeration technique, much like salting or pickling. Only here we are using it to keep garlic, and the fat is olive oil.


Think of it like an easy garlic spread, one that secures all that sweet, fresh garlic flavor without adding the toastiness of roasting. After you've made it, you realize how versatile it can be. Smear it on grilled Italian bread. Toss it into a pot of steamed veggies. Add it to your favorite soup or chili. Rub it under chicken skin before roasting. The tender cloves, as well as the infused oil, have any number of uses, none of which will include the sharp bitterness of raw garlic. Added bonus? It will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator, so go ahead and make a double batch.

Garlic Confit

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic
olive oil, as needed

Separate the cloves of one head of garlic and peel each clove. Cut the root end off of each clove and place them in a small saucepan. Add enough olive oil to cover the cloves by an inch. Set the pan over the lowest possible heat and cook for an hour, until cloves are tender when pierced with a fork (but not brown). Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool, in the oil, for an hour. Pour cloves and oil into a jar, cover with a lid, and keep in the refrigerator up to a month. 



1.25.2016

Ham and Eggs en Cocotte



We are quite familiar with the drill: meteorologists hype the storm for days, everyone heads out to the store for bread and milk, all is quiet during the storm, and then the cleanup begins. What's our favorite part? The quiet. We are encouraged to stay home. We are specifically asked not to be on the roads. You don't have to ask us twice. We are all too happy to cook, eat, binge-watch, repeat. Let it snow! 

We started with Saturday brunch. The air smelled of snow, but there wasn't a flake in sight...yet. No matter. We planned to be in for the day. We took some leftover ham, potatoes and asparagus and transformed them into a beautiful brunch plate Ham and Eggs en Cocotte with homefries and asparagus.

Eggs en Cocotte are named after the individual serving dish in which they are made. We make ours in ramekins, although those gorgeous little Le Creuset and Staub versions are definitely on our wish list. And Eggs en Ramekins just doesn't sound as nice, does it?

It's not the ingredients that matter here, rather, it's the technique. The possibilities are endless. Place your choice of ingredients at the bottom of the cocotte dish, making a little nest for your eggs, which you gently lay on top. Top with cheese or herbs if you like, and bake for 15-18 minutes at 325F, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are runny (bake longer if you like a harder yolk). Make sure to serve them with something to dip into them - toast is a good choice, but so is asparagus spears.

Ham and Eggs en Cocotte
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup diced cooked ham
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 onion, diced
4 eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Divide the ham between two cocotte dishes/ramekins, then set them aside. In a small skillet, heat the butter and cook the onions until translucent and slightly caramelized (5-7 minutes). Divide the cooked onions between the two dishes. Gently break two eggs into each dish on top of the ham and onions. Top with cheese and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes, until the whites are set, then serve.

1.07.2016

Happy New Year and an Update


HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

The past few weeks have been extremely busy, but we wanted to check in with our readers with an update of what we've been doing.

This month, we are making our second "appearance" in Go Local MagazineGo Local Magazine is a local lifestyle magazine showcasing life around the Massachusetts/Connecticut line. Its mission is to improve the community by promoting the region (which includes the towns of Stafford Springs, Somers, Enfield and Suffield, CT; and Hampden, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow and Agawam, MA) as a destination to live, play, shop and eat, and to showcase the citizens who make it great. 

Not only is our award-winning recipe for Fried Crab and Avocado Wontons being featured in the current (January 2016) issue (perfect for your Super Bowl party!), but Amy also wrote the article featuring Simpaug Farms in Suffield, CT (their Facebook here). You can get a free copy of Go Local at many businesses around these towns (go here for a list) or read current and past issues on their website. The recipe is on page 24 and the article starts on page 29 in the January issue. 

In a few days, we head to New York to enjoy our Grand Prize in the IKEA Together, We Eat Contest, which includes a $1,500 shopping spree at IKEA, a video shoot at the Paramus store, and a photo shoot with O, The Oprah Magazine. 

Obviously, we have much to be excited about, and thank you, our readers, for your continued support and inspiration.

CHEERS!