Recipe: Rosemary and Honey Roasted Pears

When it comes to simple desserts, there are few things as comforting and satisfying as warm pears. Don't be deceived by the simplicity of this recipe; treated to a simple roasting, this is an elegant and flavorful way to enjoy them. Fragrant sprigs of sweet rosemary add a wonderful, yet unusually aromatic and peppery flavor to an otherwise ordinary dessert. This is also a perfect dessert for effortless entertaining -- just prepare ahead of time and pop into the oven to roast while enjoying your main course. Buy firm pears, as they maintain their shape best with heat.


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Recipe: Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Honeyed Sauce

This simple and rustic dish uses honey to sweeten the sauce and bring together the dish. The lemon zest, cinnamon and cumin are all flavors that evoke Morocco. The pièce de résistance would be the addition of Moroccan preserved lemons, which you can find in Middle Eastern specialty stores or make yourself with our preserved lemon recipe. This authentic ingredient offers the perfect tanginess to balance the sweetness of the honey.


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Recipe: Honeyed Chai Tea

After you taste the ethereal spiciness of homemade chai tea, you will be hard-pressed to purchase it in a store ever again. It only takes a few more minutes to make than “regular” tea, and it is worth every extra second. The wonderful thing about chai is that it is a mixture of spices you can custom tailor to your own tastes; use the quantities specified below as a guideline, and adjust them to suit your palate.

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Cookbook Review: Covered in Honey

If you think recipes sweetened with honey belong exclusively to stodgy, hippie-style, health-conscious cuisines, Mani Niall would like to change your mind.As chef and spokesperson for the National Honey Board, Niall claims that honey offers a sophisticated complexity of flavor that goes beyond mere sweetness. In his book Covered in Honey: The Amazing Flavors of Varietal Honey, he offers new culinary uses for Nature’s oldest sweetener, and hopes to entice us to seek out and use honeys beyond those found in our local grocery stores.

The book begins with a journey into the history and mythology of honey. In The Mythical History of Honey, Niall goes as far back as the time of the Pharoahs in Ancient Egypt to demonstrate the reverence held by countless cultures for this sweet, natural substance. In the next chapter, Bees, Beekeepers and the Honey Jar, he takes us into the bee hive, explaining such fascinating details as bee society, the role of the queen, the life cycle of bees, as well as the structure and function of the hive itself. He also reveals how varietal honey is made, gathered, and prepared for consumption. Throughout this section, Niall’s deep respect for bees and beekeepers is not only evident, but infectious. It is hard not to feel some sense of wonder about this ancient and remarkable substance. (read more)


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Recipe: Honey Soufflé with Earl Gray Anglaise

Ethereally delicate, soufflés carry a dramatic mystique that marvels and captivates just about any diner. As temperamental as they seem, soufflés are actually quite a simple, forgiving and playful pursuit. Consisting of only two components – a base (most often a pastry cream, purée or béchamel) suspended in a stiff meringue – a soufflé rises into an impossibly light, fluffy custard with a melting texture as it bakes. Warm and uniquely comforting, this honey soufflé alone is breathtaking, but the Earl Gray anglaise is a charming match for it. Contrary to the popular assumption that soufflés are an à la minute affair, the mystifying dessert can actually be prepared fully in advance, refrigerated and just baked to order.

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