In my family, my mom and I have always been outnumbered by men. One adult male and two growing boys meant that anytime my mom put out a platter of smoked salmon & cream cheese for a party, there would be no smoked salmon left by the time it was our turn to get some. I think their mental cue for leave some for the rest of the party was always dominated by the how much salmon can I pile on top of this bagel cue.
After many years of suffering with measly smoked salmon scraps, I finally found the solution! Take away the plate of sliced smoked salmon and put the salmon IN the cream cheese. Dudes will still want to load it onto their bagel, but I’m pretty sure you’ll find some cream cheese left by the time you get to the appetizer table. There’s nothing worse than spending a ton of money on smoked salmon when you never get to try it.
This cream cheese is also PACKED with flavor and perfect for a party because you can do it ahead of time. The last thing you want is the stress of fanning out salmon slices when someone shows up to your party ridiculously early. Am I right?
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Sometimes when I’m daydreaming I like to imagine what the Tracy Shutterbean of 5 years ago would think if she saw the Tracy Shutterbean of today. If you told me 5 years ago that people would refer to me as Tracy Shutterbean I’d be like, “Whaaat?” If you told me I’d learn how to can, have a canning party and make Cardamom Pear Butter I would have responded, “Schyeah right!”
What I’ve learned about canning (and there’s so much more I have to learn!) is that not super hard; it just takes practice. Canning is about accepting the good & the bad. Sometimes a jar (or two) will break, lids might not seal, or a lid (or four) will drop on the floor while you’re sealing the jars (always sterilize lids more than you need!). You’re learning EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. The key is to stay organized!
What I learned while executing this recipe is that to call something a butter, you have to cook the mixture until it’s SUPER thick. Even though I cooked this butter for the extra 20 minutes suggested by the recipe, it still hovered in the between pear sauce & pear butter realm. Perhaps I had more than 6 lbs. of pears? Maybe that’s it. What I do know is that my “butter” tasted amazing and all of my jars sealed just fine. So far, so good.
The reward for hard work is opening up a jar and spooning spiced pear butter on your morning yogurt with a little bit of granola. I can see why some people have a hard time giving away their canned goods. Don’t be surprised to find me on an episode of Hoarders!
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The other day I was perusing the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s and I saw a little tub of pumpkin cream cheese. The tub looked up at me with its beady little eyes and said, “I dare you to make your own pumpkin cream cheese, Tracy.”
Clearly I showed that tub who’s boss!
If you’ve got extra pumpkin puree hanging out in your fridge, you can put it to good use with this recipe. Pumpkin cream cheese tastes just like a subtly sweet pumpkin cheesecake. Sounds good, right? It pairs perfectly with: crackers, gingerbread, graham crackers, cookies, bagels, you name it. Now if only I could convince Cooper to try some. His stubbornness just means more for me, right? I totally win this battle.
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Let’s talk about kitchen staples for a sec. You should always have extra virgin olive oil on hand. Always always always. Onions are a must too. Make sure you get some every time you’re out grocery shopping. Balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, salt & brown sugar are necessities as well. Why? Because without these staples, you can’t just go into your kitchen one Sunday afternoon and make caramelized onion jam on a whim. And how sad is a refrigerator that doesn’t have a nice little jar of Caramelized Onion Jam in it? Very sad.
So, what does one do with Caramelized Onion Jam? Let’s brainstorm!
- put it on a pizza with Gorgonzola and pears
- add it to crostini with figs and goat cheese & prosciutto
- put it on a steak sandwich or burger with a grainy mustard
- add it to pasta with roasted tomatoes and peppers
- stir it into your mashed potatoes
- shove some in your grilled cheese
- put some on a hot dog
- make an arugula salad with it
- add it to a baked potato with sour cream
- add it to an omelet with mushrooms
- stand in front of your fridge and eat it directly from the jar
Caramelized onion jam is now a staple!
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If you’ve been around here for awhile, you might already know how obsessed I am with coconut oil. I love it on toast and in my waffles. I also make granola with it, drizzle it on popcorn, use it as a moisturizer, a hair mask and even as a hand exfoliator. I love the subtle coconut flavor of coconut oil but sometimes it’s just not enough. Sometimes I just want the coconut taste to be BOLD. I want texture. I want more!
Cue the coconut butter! It’s 100% coconut. That’s all it is. Mix it in a food processor and it liquefies after a good 8-10 minutes. You’re left with a thick, creamy coconut butter that’s both savory & sweet. It’s great on just about anything. If you’re like me you might find that it tastes best eaten directly from a spoon!
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If guacamole and hummus had a baby, they would name it Guacamole Hummus. It would be thick, rich and creamy. It would taste and look just like guacamole but have the density of hummus. Guacamole hummus would eventually settle down with a bowl of chips and make a nice home in your stomach. Don’t you just love a happy ending? I do. Especially when there’s an avocado involved.
Make this. Inhale it. Smother it all over your body. It’s seriously good. Guacamole hummus is my new best friend.
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Early yesterday morning (before my coffee had a chance to kick in), I made my own ricotta. After a few simple steps and a brief period of waiting, I HAD MADE MY OWN RICOTTA!!! I spent hours bouncing off the walls with excitement. No, it wasn’t the coffee! It was the ricotta! Ina Garten is a genius; but I already knew that. I absolutely love her and this recipe has clearly changed my life. This ricotta is silky smooth and creamy, not gritty and tasteless like the ricotta you find in a grocery store. Store bought ricotta is super expensive and this batch cost me less than a small tub from the store. How awesome is that?
Later on the in the day I made Ina’s herbed ricotta bruschetta for lunch and it was absolutely divine. I’ll post the recipe soon but first you should making your own ricotta! Put it on your weekend TO-DO list and join the fun!
Thank you Ina for helping me knock of another item from my 31 comes before 32 list!
#25. Make my own cheese from scratch=DONE.
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What the heck is Giardiniera? It’s a spicy Italian pickled vegetable mixture that’s mostly eaten as an antipasto. Sometimes it’s included in salads and it’s occasionally shoved into a delicious Italian sub. In my case, it’s a healthy snack eaten directly out of the jar!
Ever since I had this simple salad at one of our favorite pizza places, I’ve been somewhat addicted to the taste of crunchy pickled carrots, tangy bites of cauliflower and red peppers with spicy slices of Serrano peppers. It’s definitely a party in your mouth! When I wasn’t able to find a reasonably priced jar of Giardiniera in my local grocery store, I figured I’d make my own. Turns out it’s a cinch to make and the second you open the lid, one whiff will you transport you to that kitschy Italian restaurant from your childhood. Pickling your own vegetables is super fun! I highly recommend it.
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I’m no stranger to roasted fruit. I know how intense fruit becomes when it’s been sizzling & caramelizing in a high temperature oven. I also know how intense those thick, syrupy juices are when they burst out of the roasted fruit. I know because I’m the first one to dip my finger along the sides of the pan to collect the run off. Can we just have a moment to look at this? Thank you.
What I didn’t know about roasting strawberries is that the seeds add a whole new dimension to the experience. Their poppy crunch is pretty unreal mixed with the tender, supple structure of the roasted strawberry. I think I might really like it! Wait. I really do! How does your house smell when you roast strawberries? Divine. It’s like the fruit roll-up factory made a new Strawberry Pie flavor in your kitchen. A whole new revelation is waiting for you. You’re gonna love it!
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Your kitchen called to tell me it wants to smell like warm cinnamon applesauce!
I suggest you fulfill the request. Who wants a pissed off kitchen?!?!
Be sure to stop by and say hi! Your kitchen will be happy that it smells soo good!
xoxoxo
Tracy
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