Thursday, May 26, 2016

5 Surprising Things I Make at Home


Bit by bit, I find I don't want to buy much from the stores these days--I always think I could make it better myself...so here are a few gourmet items I make at home--and I am lazy--these are easy.

1.  Limoncello. I spent a while creating recipes for Anova Sous Vide--that was a fun gig. I got to create just about anything I wanted to as long as I cooked it with the Anova Sous Vide unit. One of the most successful things I made was limoncello. So successful that now, whenever I need to use a lemon, I wash and peel it first. The peels live in the freezer until I have 8 to 10 lemons' worth. A kcouple of hours with some vodka in the sous vide, a cup of simple syrup and ...homemade limoncello Bam.

2. Candied orange peel. So, just like the lemons, I find myself hoarding orange peels, devising the simplest, cleanest ways to peel oranges so I can then cut them into strips, cook them in simple syrup for about 45 minutes, drain, dry and toss in sugar. These are so good--one is all I need to feel like I am treating myself, and it is just the right amount of bitter and sweet...I keep meaning to dip them in chocolate, but I never quite get around to it.

3. Clove/Cardamom Flavored simple syrup. Once I've made the orange peel, I am left with about 2 cup of simple syrup, nicely orange flavored. But not as nice as the bottle of Clove/Cardamom flavored syrup my sister gave me once. So now, I take that orange syrup, water it down a bit again, add at least a tablespoon full of cloves and a teaspoon of crushed cardamom. I let it simmer again for about 30 minutes, then I store it in the fridge with the cloves still in the syrup. This is awesome.

4. Pecans with Salted Chocolate. I toast a plateful of pecan pieces in the microwave (who knew? Elaine gave me that trick.)..one minute at a time until they are starting to brown. Let cool. Melt chocolate in microwave (heat 30 seconds at a time, stirring every time--don't let it burn). Stir in a handful of chocolate chips at the end to quick temper the chocolate. Spoon the melted chocolate into a plastic bag, seal. Snip of one corner and drizzle the chocolate over the toasted pecans. Sprinkle with sea salt. Chill. Hostess git.

5. Pizza dough. This is so easy, especially if you have a mixer. And so much better than anything. I use Carol Fields' recipe for dough from Italian baker, but there are a lot of good ones out there. If you want a real treat, grill the pizza.

What do you make at home that other people buy? It can be anything. I want to hear about it.

Barb's Lunch
I am loving my yogurt these days (I have made that, too). So much that I think I might need these bowls, found on Cheryl Sternman Rule's website.

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 strip homemade candied orange peel, chopped fine
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons homemade clove/cardamom syrup
2 teaspoons chopped pecans.

Put it all in a bowl. Eat it and love it..

No comments: