Monthly Archives: April 2012

Taste of the Nation

Posted on by
1

I grew up in a very small, very poor town.  This meant that I frequently saw kids I knew hungry and in need of a good meal.  It also meant that I saw the kids that came to school with a lunchable everyday as kids to be envied.  I was a kid on that cusp growing up – I was never hungry but I was never the kid with the Lunchable and Capri Sun in my bag either.  I was one of the kids who got lunch for free but never mentioned it.

Over the past couple of years I have seen many people that either went to Taste of the Nation or were telling their story of childhood hunger to raise money for Share our Strength.  Being a food blogger means my world revolves around food, which means I take it for granted quite frequently that I always have food – whether it be a PR dinner or a press pass to a grand tasting event, I tend to luck out.  So it was that I found myself at Taste of the Nation – taking the No Kid hungry pledge and sampling gourmet fare from all over Boston and it’s suburbs.

Going to events like this as “Press” can be a bit overwhelming – you show up looking nice but then have a garish camera dangling off your arm or else ther’s an awkward bag to hold said camera.  And of course there’s the fact that you are probably wandering around this crowded space with a friend (or two).  And that you have to make said friend be patient and NOT EAT THE DELICIOUS FOOD while you photograph it and make sure you got just the right shot while hoping that it stays warm.  It’s tricky.  Also its a matter of pacing yourself.  We started the night out right – sleeping baby and quiet sips and nibbles in the VIP area (a Privateer cocktail (created by John – the head bartender for Drink), a glass of champagne, and some raw oysters with mignonette). Then we wandered “farther afield” into the greater tastings – as our tiny companion woke up we wandered, attempting to pace ourselves while still stuffing our faces.

The highlights of the night:
-The Korean BBQ Pork Sloppy Joe at Myers and Chang (How have I now gotten over here yet?!?)
–Turkey Shore Distilleries Ipswich Rum, both in cocktail form and straight-up delicious! I need their spiced rum in my life full time please.
–Citizen Public House’s Ice Luge which shot a perfectly created Strawberry Cobbler cocktail into a glass for me. Swoon. Their crispy fried pigs ear was quite good as well!
–Trina’s Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese, comfort food to the MAX.
-And Glutenus Minimus‘ Gluten Free Maple Bacon Cupcake – it may have been my favorite bite of the evening.

And, of course, running into some of my internet favorites – among them Brian, Bianca, David, and Pam.

Attending Taste of the Nation was definitely the highlight of last week for me – and it reminded me to be appreciative that I am not food insecure. It also reminded me to be more food conscious.

I attended this event free of charge on a press pass but all of the opinions listed here are my own. Thanks to all the chefs for a wonderful evening.

A little food for thought.

 

Rosemary-Asiago Shortbread

Posted on by
3

Rosemary Asiago Shortbread

I’m a sucker for savory-sweet combinations – so when my Boston Organics box arrived last Thursday and had a clamshell container of rosemary inside I did a little jump of joy. See, I’d been thinking about a savory shortbread for quite awhile after an accidental tweet to the fantastic Shelby saying I owed her some parmesan shortbread. I meant to say parmesan crackers but that accidental tweet started my cooking brain going. There was a salty-sweet cookie that sounded swoon-worthy and it lingered. I started to fantasize about this cookie and spent a lot of baking time playing with it.

Ingredients

Then I tried the Lark’s fine foods Rosemary Shortbread – I ate an entire package of these cookies in a sitting. I would say oops to that lapse in common sense, but I don’t regret it – they were luxurious and decadent with a perfect crumb. Here’s the thing – I am not typically a fan of shortbread in any form. I find it bland and lackluster most of the time. But, this shortbread – the Lark’s and my own are perfect. They are a little sandy and offer just the right amount of sweetness to keep you eating them.

Dough

I am hopelessly in love with these cookies, and everyone I’ve shared them with (aside from BF, because he’s not the biggest rosemary fan) has felt similarly. These are rich without being overly so, they are sweet without being cloying, and the rosemary is such an unexpected burst of flavor you really just want to keep eating them until they are all gone.

Wedges

Rosemary-Asiago Shortbread

Note: This recipe is an odd Frankenstein’s Monster of at least three that I’ve had kicking around my apartment for a while. I’m now fiercely attached to it though and will probably continue to use the base for all of my shortbread needs.
  • 1/2 cup grated asiago or parmesan cheese
  • 3-4 Tbs rosemary leaves removed from the stem, more rosemary is a stronger flavor – I prefer more, BF prefers none
  • 1- 1 1/2 Tbs maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and gently swirl it around until it becomes a light brown and smells nutty. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS BUTTER AT ANY TIME. The butter will burn if you do that, because it’s an evil thing that wants you to waste more butter.
  • Set the browned butter aside to cool slightly.
  • Add the cheese, rosemary, brown sugar, and maple syrup to the bowl of a food processor, pulse or run this until it resembles wet sand – about fifteen pulses or 45 seconds of steady speed.
  • Add the butter to the food processor and allow it to fully absorb into the sugar mixture (this should only take a couple of seconds).
  • Add the flour and baking soda and pulse until just combined. The mixture will look like loose pie dough.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (a couple layers are better, I find) and chill it in the fridge for half an hour to an hour.
  • Separate the chilled dough in half.
  • Press each half of dough into a 9-inch round cake pan. You may need to crumble the dough up then press it back in tightly. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt it. I usually use a piece of parchment and a ball jar to smooth mine out so it’s even.
  • Press the edges of the dough down with a fork, so there are little lines all around (this is my favorite part).
  • Bake the shortbread at 325 for 20-25 minutes; the edges will be a light golden brown and they will smell amazing.
  • When the shortbread is done, remove it from the oven and immediately flip it out onto a cutting board. Cut this into wedges while it is still warm. If you don’t cut the cookie while it is still warm it will turn to crumbs when you try to cut it later. THIS IS YOUR WARNING.
  • Eat this with tea on a sunny porch. You will love it. I promise.