The Indulgence: Summer Squash

Squash aren't ostentatious vegetables. They're incredibly good for you, because they're low in calories and high in vitamins. They are not rare or expensive. In fact, if you know anyone with a garden then you probably have more zucchini than you know what to do with at least once a year. Raw, sauteed, steamed, baked, fried, stuffed, braised or roasted, there's really nothing you can't do to squash. Unfortunately, one consequence of this versatility is that all sorts of culinary crimes are perpetrated against this tender, delicate, wallflower of a vegetable. Remember, just because it's inexpensive and widely available doesn't mean you should take it for granted. Give your squash a little attention, and they'll have you swooning over the quality of their flavor and texture. While summer squash (which are picked before they fully mature) are available year round, high season is June through early October, so tell your favorite gardener to bring it on. With our delicious recipes to inspire you, you won't be able to get enough of this nutritious indulgence. (read more)


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The Indulgence - Lemons: Pucker Up, Sweetheart

Hot summer days. Lemonade stands. A succulent lemon tart. Summer pastas, grilled fish, a citrus vinaigrette. From childhood to adulthood the lemon is there, ironically enough, to make life a little sweeter. Lemons are one of those foods — like sugar, chocolate, and this month's main ingredient, shrimp — that human beings seem to have instinctively known were meant to be eaten. Though a thick peel hides the fruit from the eye, it is easy to see how people might have discovered the lemon's bounty: Good lemons have a pervasive aroma. When something smells that heavenly, who could resist taking a bite? While many of today's lemons are so sour that eating the fruit sounds like a form of self-flagellation, lemons can actually be sour or sweet (though sweet is a relative term). Relatively few varieties of lemons are available to us today, and we can only hope that someday lemons will go the way of tomatoes, where we will be inundated with exciting heirloom varieties.

The lemon's ubiquity in cooking stems from its dominant quality – its sourness – as acidity improves the taste of a wide variety of foods. Lemon juice is also a natural anti-oxidant, which is why adding it to sliced apples keeps them white; similarly, lemon juice helps food retain a fresh, bright, vibrant taste when cooked. The high acidity also explains why lemons are so wine friendly: Citric acid (that's what makes you pucker up, sweetheart) also occurs naturally in grapes and is preserved in wine. Lemony foods pair well with still and sparkling whites, as well as rosés. (read more)

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The Indulgence - Spinach: An Unexpected Indulgence

We here at the Gilded Fork like a challenge. Of course, we could pick any number of foodstuffs that would have you salivating merely at their mention; but that would be too easy. So try to fight off any ill-fated childhood memories of being forced to choke down one more mouthful of you-know-what. Remember: The Gilded Fork is an adult magazine – that means check your childhood prejudices at the door. If you give us a few minutes of your time and rally your creative juices to try a few recipes, we give you our word that the finer delights of this misjudged vegetable will soon be revealed to you. After all, just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean you can’t love it. . .

When carefully selected and prepared, spinach’s fresh, crisp texture and slightly bitter taste are both refreshing and enticing. This leafy green provides the perfect backdrop for mixing textures, temperatures and flavors; it pairs equally well with sweet foods like strawberries in salads, and sharp cheeses such as feta in a mouth-watering spanakopita (a kind of Greek savory pie made from spinach and feta between layers of phyllo dough). Spinach inspires improvisation and creativity, and what more could we ask of any ingredient? (read more)


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The Indulgence: Tarragon - The Sweet Taste of Spring

As spring slips slowly towards us (taking its own sweet time in some parts of the world), we find ourselves reveling in anything fresh and new. Though substantial stews, juicy roasts and warming casseroles certainly got us through the winter, spring menus quickly become greener, lighter and cooler; fresh herbs are one of many wonderful ways to celebrate the return of spring, and tarragon is the ideal herb with which to begin. Some of us know tarragon only as a bottle of green flakes with a dusty odor, for dry tarragon lacks the aroma and flavor gifted to its younger, fresher sibling. But once you’ve nibbled on the long, thin leaf of true, fresh tarragon, you will find yourself constantly craving its subtle licorice-flavor. Don’t hold back. (read more)

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The Indulgence: Team Time

Tea is one of our favorite beverages given its versatility and soothing comfort (well, that and the fact that Jennifer’s mother is British). There is a permanent burner for the kettle in our Gilded Fork test kitchen, but we are not alone in our fandom. Tea is relished around the world as a steeped beverage made from the leaves and buds of the tea bush (Camilla sinensis), and is served at various times of the day from breakfast to tea time (supper time in the U.S.). Tea leaves are typically dried and can be mixed with flowers, herbs, fruit or spices; they can also be used in cooking as a brining liquid, or dried as a rub for poultry and fish.

True tea (types listed below) is not to be confused with herbal tea, which is typically made from herbs (i.e. chamomile) and/or fruits (i.e. lemons, oranges).

And of course, aside from the pleasure we get from its flavor, the added benefit of this tasty beverage is its healthful profile as an antioxidant. Not that we need an excuse. (read more)


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The Indulgence: Port Wine

Port wine is a fortified wine made from grapes grown in the Douro Valley region of Portugal. (This is one of the greatest wine rivers in the world, as it also feeds the Ribera del Duero wines that come from farther upriver in Spain) Also known as Vinho do Porto or Porto, this typically sweet wine is one of our favorite ways to end a meal, whether served with dessert or as an indulgence all on its own. In the kitchen, however, port’s richness lends itself well to enhancing sauces to accompany game meats and other savory dishes – and yes, we’ve been experimenting. Though port is most frequently known as a sweet wine, it can also be found in semi-dry or extra dry varieties – it all depends upon the fermentation process.

Port has a heavier consistency than non-fortified wines due to the addition of distilled, clear grape spirits to the wine juices during fermentation. These spirits halt the fermentation process, retaining the wine’s sweetness before all its sugar is converted to alcohol. (Note: Adding the spirits to the wine after fermentation results in a dry fortified wine such as sherry, which comes from Jerez in the Andalusia region of neighboring Spain.)

As with Champagne, there are many imitations of port crafted throughout the world, but under the strict guidelines of the European Union, only Portugal’s product can officially be labeled as port; within Portugal, the wine’s production is overseen by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto. U.S. guidelines also specify that port from Portugal be labeled Porto or Vinho do Porto. (read more)

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The Indulgence: Hors d'Oeuvres -- Little Bites of Heaven

The French phrase hors d'oeuvre (often pluralized as hors d'oeuvres in English) literally means "outside of the work," and originally referred to an outbuilding not incorporated into the architect's main design of a house or building. The phrase eventually found its way into the culinary lexicon, meaning appetizers served apart from the main course of a dinner.

Hors d'oeuvres can encompass a wide variety of foods, and range from casual finger foods to elegant nibbles. Their versatility makes them ideal for any kind of event, either as snacks taken at the cocktail hour prior to a seated meal, or as the main menu for a party where the guests won't be seated. Tapas, dim sum, antipasti, antojitos and appetizers all can fit into the theme of hors d'oeuvres, leaving the menu open to your imagination.

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