The Honey Dumpling Roast

As a new mamma, I feel like a victor when I can lull my little one to sleep by humming or singing and rocking as opposed to simply nursing, our buttercup is an eater just like mamma and dada and to help her along to Nonnyland without nursing is amazing!

As a 4 month old, she can hold her head up and lift objects and loves to bring everything to her mouth.  It's so much fun to see her growing right before our eyes.

As a new mamma, I can brush my teeth, possibly take a shower and perhaps get the kitchen cleaned. All of which is never done with one nap, our little one loves to take kitty naps, she sleeps in small chunks, 20 minutes here...30 minutes there.  She wants to see the world and stay awake for every adventure.

So with all of the excitement of a new little person in our lives, meals are large, often slow-cooked so that we have plenty of play time while our dinner is cooking.

The Honey Dumpling Roast
serves 4 +

3lb chuck roast, boneless
1 large onion, quartered
3 carrots, large chop
2 celery stalks, large chop
3 garlic cloves
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
14 ounces stewed tomatoes, crushed or diced
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1 small sprig rosemary
12 of your favorite small potatoes, halved
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

optional: Winter Gremolata: garnish with 1 large sprig of minced rosemary, 3 sprigs of minced parsley, 1 clove of garlic paste (watch honey dumplings video here) and the zest of a lemon.

Preheat oven to 275 F.

Warm a dutch-oven or large deep pan over medium-high heat.
Add a glug of safflower oil or other high-heat cooking oil.
Blot the roast dry with paper towels and season with a few pinches of sea salt and black pepper.
Brown the roast on each side.
Remove the roast to a plate then add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the hot pan and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Add the red wine and scrape up any brown bits, turn the heat to high and add the chicken stock, stewed tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary, bring to a boil.
Add the roast and cover, turn off the heat and pop into 275 F oven.
Roast for 1 1/2 hours and then add the halved potatoes.
Roast for another 1 1/2-2 hours until the roast is tender and veggies are cooked to your liking.

We love to eat ours from pasta bowls and soak up all of the delicious meat juices with a baguette slathered in butter.  Garnish with Winter Gremolata if you like, but it's just as tasty without!

A Taste Of Summer: Tomato Soup

We've had a pleasantly dry winter here in the Pacific Northwest and have lucked out with a handful of early spring days...the sky has cleared to blue, the air has turned a bit sweet and flowers have begun to bloom.  However lately it seems that the chill won't quite bid adieu as the rain and perpetual gray have teamed up for a traditional maritime winter. 

Tomato soup suits this fickle time of year...sun-ripened tomatoes plucked from their vines preserving the warmth of summer days make for a cozy wintertime meal.

If you are in need of a little sunshine during this soggy time of year then reach for a jar of preserved tomatoes.  I prefer the fruity and sweet flavor of the Italian San Marzano, it is less acidic than other varieties that line the shelves.  Of course homemade preserves are even better!

Buon Appetito!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Champagne + Pears

These blushing beauties are the perfect accompaniment to any meal. 

If you would like to make a batch for your next brunch or dessert, check out my recipe for Champagne Poached Pears at Mother Earth Living.

Bon Appetit!

Honey Dumplings Has A New Look

Hello My Dearest Blog Followers,

Honey Dumplings has a new look!  We also have a Seasonal Newsletter that you can subscribe to for free! Please take a look around and let me know what you think!

I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas yesterday. 

We had a very long and delightful Christmas day, we started off at T's childhood home and then we ended the night at my childhood home.  The whole day was packed full of holiday cheer!

Above is a photo of my Christmas dessert this year, Hot Cocoa Cake.  This recipe will be starring in my cookbook, which will be released next winter.  

Wishing you all love, happiness, laughter and joy this New Year and always.

Cheers!

Winter In Tuscany

This warming winter stew simmers up quickly for a delicious dish any day of the week. Dried herbs are always a quick way to perk up any winter meal. We are lucky here in the PNW as we have World Spice Merchants for our dried herbs, sea salt & chile needs.

This meatball stew was inspired from my winter spent in Tuscany almost a decade ago now. Best served with a few slices of rustic crunchy bread! For those gluten-free folks try this lovely loaf.

Top with a few shavings of Parmesan. For those dairy-free folks, I think it's best just to leave out the cheese as I don't believe that there is any substitute for REAL cheese, sorry. This dish is just as satiating without it.

Traveling Cookies

Biscotti or Italian twice-baked cookies were first baked to withstand long journeys. Created in Rome and perfected during the Renaissance in Tuscany these Italian cookies were a source of nourishment for travelers and the Roman Legion. This cookie ranges in consistency from hard & dry to slightly toasted & cakey. In Tuscany they are the perfect finish to a meal served with a glass of Vin Santo. They are often times eaten as an afternoon snack with a cappuccino. They are meant to be dunked into espresso or wine; not nibbled like chocolate chip cookies. Biscotti are dipping cookies which soften and absorb your liquid of choice.

This particular batch is a mix of my Italian & Mexican cultures. I've finely chopped the almonds rather than leaving them coarsely chopped, much like Mexican Wedding Cookies. I added warming spices and Theo's limited edition Gingerbread Spice Milk Chocolate Bar. The base of the recipe is from Martha Stewarts' current Holiday Cookies magazine.

F is for Finocchio

Finocchio is an adorable Italian word which translates to Fennel. An anise scented bulbous vegetable that pairs well with fish, Parmesan, and blood oranges. Native to the Mediterranean, this veggie was brought to the states over 200 years ago (most likely by the Spanish), it is a biennial that blooms in its second season. Fennel is prolific and will quickly take over your garden, much like mint.

Try using it in place of celery. Fennel is delicious shaved thin and eaten raw with Parmesan & arugula drizzled with olive oil. It holds up well to braising, roasting, caramelizing or grilling and infuses potatoes with a lovely licorice bite in this Tuscan inspired Pommes Anna. The Tuscan inspiration comes from the Fennel (of course) as well as olive oil.

Cumin Dusted Pork Loin with Candied Orange Sauce

This dish comes together quickly for a weekend family meal. Toast 1 1/2t cumin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Mix together the toasted cumin seeds, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4-1t red chile pepper flakes, 2t orange zest, 1t sea salt, 1/2t black pepper and pound into a paste using a mortar & pestle, or pulse together in a food processor. Rub the paste onto a 1 1/2lb-2lb pork loin, cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for 3-5 hours, pull the pork out of the fridge 30-45 minutes prior to roasting.

Preheat the oven to 45o degrees F. Place the pork in a roasting pan on the center rack in the oven and roast for approximately 20-25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for approximately 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature is somewhere between 140-145 degrees F.

Pull from the oven and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes prior to slicing.
Meanwhile, bring the juice of an orange and scant 1/2 cup of honey to a boil, reduce by half or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Pour over sliced pork loin and serve with fresh orange slices.

Buon Appetito!

Panettone With Love

Grazie mille R&D per il panettone!!

Molto Delisiozo!!

xoxo

Potato Hash

This is the perfect breakfast for a lazy weekend. Chop up bacon and saute over medium heat until crispy. Toss in a handful of onions and cook until caramelized. Add tiny baby bite-sized potatoes and a few large pinches of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper.
Cook until potatoes are soft through and golden brown, approximately 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, grated Parmesan and serve with your favorite style of eggs.

This dish highlights the potato and is simple to create dairy-free and vegan, simply leave out the bacon and the Parmesan, load up with bell peppers or add a few sweet potatoes or winter squash.

Have a fabulous weekend & Buon Appetito!

Winter Sunshine

Candied Ginger Applesauce

This creation is slightly sweeter than I meant for it to be, so if you are looking for a traditional applesauce reduce the sugar a bit, try 1 cup instead of 1 & 1/2 cups. This is lovely baked into a tart shell for a quick Gingery Apple Tart, dolloped over Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, or simply spooned out of the jar as is, yummmmm!

Gingery Applesauce
Makes 5 Pints

7lbs Farmers' Market Apples (a mixture of crisp, tart, sweet & soft. such as granny smith, jonagolds, galas & golden delicious)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
2/3 cup crystallized ginger, minced
1 t sea salt
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger

Combine lemon juice and water in a large stockpot. Peel, core and cut apples into 3/4-inch chunks; place apple chunks into lemon water immediately to prevent browning. Add sugar, crystallized ginger, salt and spices. Stir over medium-high heat for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat once the apples are soft and a touch translucent. Mash the apples using a potato masher or fork to desired consistency. I like mine a bit chunky.

Process as you normally would for preserving. If you are unfamiliar with preserving, simply ladle the applesauce into hot clean 1-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch space at the top. Remove the air bubbles by placing a wooden spoon into the jar against the glass on the sides, move up and down to release any bubbles. Wipe the jar threads and rims with a damp clean cloth. Cover with hot lids; secure with screw bands. Place in a pot of boiling water and process for 20 minutes. Remove jars onto a towel covered counter top. Cool completely. Make sure that the lids have properly sealed, by pressing into the center of the lid, it should not move, if by chance the lid hasn't properly sealed then pop into fridge and eat within a week or two.

Cookie Parcels

It's that time of year. When the world falls in love with cookies. The house is warmed by baking off batch after batch, and the scent of buttery sweetness settles into every nook and cranny.
This year I packaged my cookies into little old-fashioned parcels, reminiscent of old world sweet shops. I snugly secured cookies into a brown paper lunch sack and dressed it up with a label and silk ribbon.
Happy Baking & Happy Holidays!