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.

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread That is Gluten Free!

A loaf of bread that looks as though it could pass for a French boule, albeit a bucolic boule. The Gluten-Free Girl & The Chef aka Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern created a lovely collection of Gluten-Free recipes in their new cookbook.

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.

Tupelo Honey

Pure raw honey. This good old-fashioned American honey is harvested for only two weeks every spring from the Altamaha & Apalachicola River Basins of Georgia & Florida.

The WhiteTupelo Trees (Nyssa Ogeche) typically bloom from early April to early May they can grow as tall as 75 feet and as wide as 3 feet in diameter. Honey bees collect the nectar from the sunburst-shaped flowers and create this buttery floral sticky sweetness.

It's a lovely addition to my afternoon cup of green or oolong tea. Delicious drizzled over a slice of Manchego. Or for a lovely winter breakfast spooned over fresh yogurt and toasted almonds.

Savannah Bee Company has a recipe for a Tupelojito I have to try that this summer (if at least one of my bottles lasts that long!) when we have bushels full of fresh mint.

I was given 2 bottles of this liquid sunshine for my birthday this year & one for Christmas. I am on to my second bottle now. Thanks Mamma, Auntie M & Alice!

If you are a honey lover, I definitely recommend getting your spoon out for this one!

Cheers to you all & Happy New Year!

It All Started With a Little Grape...

We arrived at Tildio Winery a little early and noticed there were palletes of gorgeous green grapes. We thought we missed the harvest as we took our drive East to Lake Chelan exactly 2 weeks after the harvest commenced. We truly lucked out, no crowds and a taste of freshly pressed Viognier juice. Sweet, a touch sour & tart, packed with a puckered punch! T loved it! A sunny lemon yellow juice loaded with antioxidants.

Something Exciting is Going On Over At Theo Chocolate

As many of you know, I am a Theonista (although I still have yet to fill out my "Who Is Theo?" questionnaire....one of these days!). I've been with Theo Chocolate since T and I moved back to Seattle....which has been a little over a year now. (update 2013: worked for Theo 10/2009-12/2011)  There's always a lot of excitement around this time of year with new creations in our confections kitchen and holiday offerings.

Seven of the west coast's leading chefs spent a day in the Theo Chocolate kitchen collaborating with our Theo chocolatiers to create a confection that portrays the individuality of each chef by using the finest ingredients available as their inspiration.

Another Sneak Peek

Sweet Potato Coconut Chai Cupcakes

The perfect gluten, dairy & soy-free treat for all of those delicate bellies out there.

Warming spices, toasted coconut and sweet potatoes are just a sneak peek for what's to come this winter quarter (January-March 2011) at PCC Cooks.

The schedule will be set later this month; I'll be teaching Northwest Fresh. A seasonal four course menu which pulls inspiration from our robust northwest bounty and focuses on gluten, dairy and soy-free cookery also great for Pescetarians as the main dish is one of my favorite go to's for dinner parties, Hazelnut Encrusted Salmon served over Roasted Fennel & Orange Slices.

Happy Cooking!