Recipe: Chipotle Corn Chowder

This hearty soup offers the perfect segue from summer to autumn, making use of those last fresh ears of corn from the farmer’s market. The chipotle and chorizo sausage add a subtle, smoky heat and spice combination that is a perfect foil for the soup’s creamy richness. You can also substitute frozen corn if winter leaves you yearning for a belly-warming bowl of goodness.

Recipe: Bon Temps Crab Crakes with Remoulade

Who needs boring old tartar sauce when you can “laissez les bon temps rouler” with this classic Louisiana sauce? A rémoulade is like a vinaigrette, but jazzed up Bourbon Street-style with Creole mustard, capers and cornichons. It’s the perfect complement to our spicy crab cakes. Make the effort to prepare or buy fresh lump crab meat and you’ll be rewarded with the best possible texture of crab cake.

Recipe: Banana Pancakes with Hazelnut Mascarpone Creme

Hazelnut cream is a delightful and satisfying sweet enjoyed throughout Europe, and in our opinion, Americans will love it equally well. Blending it with mascarpone cheese makes it a winner for spreading atop deliciously rich banana pancakes. This dish reminds us of Dad’s Sunday morning pancakes, but we’ve elevated the presentation slightly above what Dad would have done, enough that it can be served as an elegant part of a casual brunch.

Recipe: Caramelized Apple Bread Pudding

A simple dessert to warm you up on chilly nights, there is no better way to celebrate the comforting flavors of fall than with this bread pudding. Sweet caramelized apples and toasted bread cubes sing in a warm cinnamon-laced custard. The cider caramel sauce itself is divine, but particularly so when generously poured over the voluptuous pudding.

Recipe: Gorgonzola-Stuffed Steak with Prosciutto

Rich and flavorful gorgonzola cheese blended with finely minced herbs and nuts oozes out of pockets cut into thick, meaty sirloin steaks. The outer wrapping of prosciutto or pancetta adds a decadent layer of additional flavor. Although we prefer this pocket technique, you can easily place this filling on top of your steak just after cooking as a decadent topping.

CMN Video: Simply Ming - Allergy Friendly Recipes

CMN Video: Simply Ming - Allergy Friendly Recipes


Chef Ming Tsai gives us some recipes for folks with food allergies.






www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Recipe: Tropical Fruit Salad with Tarragon Cream

A colorfully seductive dish, this light, yet alluring dessert of soft, juicy fruits is perfect for a spring or summer refresher. In this simple salad, we capture distinctly different flavors – sweet, tart and savory – and wrap them together in a subtle tarragon and honey cream. We also provide a variation for presentation – a sexy timbale of fruits – so have fun and experiment with whatever variation suits your style and comfort level.

Recipe: Caramelized Fig Spread

Fresh figs are already sweet and delicious on their own. However, we prefer to roast them under the broiler with a light coating of sugar to enhance their richness and make them easier to blend with other luscious ingredients. This fig spread can be served with an assortment of crackers and toast points as well as over slices of roasted pork or a succulent grilled steak.

Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Mint Soup

The combination of cucumbers and yogurt is a classic Balkan and Middle Eastern pairing. Here, we make use of the creaminess and soothing coolness in a chilled summer soup which requires no cooking. Take it along in a chilled thermos for a picnic pick-me-up, or serve it as we do in frosted glasses with springs of mint as a garnish.

Recipe: Champagne Apricot Sorbet

Sorbet is the French name for sherbet, long popular as a cooling sweet made from fruit juice, liqueur or wine. Sorbets are so versatile, they can be served as a first course, between courses as an intermezzo, or as dessert. The Champagne added before freezing creates an interestingly flavored sorbet. Use about 1 cup alcohol to 1 pound of fruit or two cups of fruit juice. Note: In some regions apricots may not be ready until later in the Spring, so feel free to substitute with a locally available fruit that is in season.

Recipe: Bon Temps Crab Cakes with Remoulade

Who needs boring old tartar sauce when you can “laissez les bon temps rouler” with this classic Louisiana sauce? A rémoulade is like a vinaigrette, but jazzed up Bourbon Street-style with Creole mustard, capers and cornichons. It’s the perfect complement to our spicy crab cakes. Make the effort to prepare or buy fresh lump crab meat and you’ll be rewarded with the best possible texture of crab cake.

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Tarragon Butter Sauce

Although asparagus is available year-round, it is a traditional side dish for any spring feast (and best when freshly picked from the farm). The rich essence of freshly minced tarragon adds a lovely flavor to the velvety butter sauce, making it a perfectly luxurious way to dress up freshly roasted asparagus. The extra sauce will not go to waste either: It can complement your favorite grilled or pan-sautéed meats.

Cocktails: Lemongrass Champagne Mojito

Inspired by the classic mojito, subtle and elegant touches such as organic lemongrass and vanilla add a twist to this classic, and Champagne delivers a class of luxury, akin to 'tasting the stars'. Savor this cocktail over a mountain of crushed ice made from spring water.

Cocktails: Epiphany

This cocktail embraces a respect for the simple harmony between lemon and raw salmon, rediscovered through a cocktail canvas, with the richly marbled salmon as a garnish. The gentle yellow potion hides what depth thyme has given, though only from the eyes. A sweet balance of lychee and banana flashes across the palate. Not unlike a citrus herbal seasoning for fish, perhaps this fruity gin-based version might actually be used as one?!

Recipe: Festive Fennel Salad

The first bite of this delightfully crisp and light salad will enthrall you with a burst of flavors. The lovely licorice of the fennel and the zesty cilantro make for an unusual combination that wakes up your taste buds. This salad is a perfect side dish for that picnic in the park.

Recipe: Apricot Ginger Flan

Flan can be tricky — or not; but this recipe is worth your time to try. The soft silky texture of the sweet custard melting on the tongue with a bewitching hint of bitterness from the caramelized sugar, and then the fullness of the ginger perfuming the mouth, is worth the exercising of mastering the heat of your stove and oven.

Recipe: Carrot & Ginger Soup

This recipe is so exceedingly simple: you can prepare it in advance and serve it as the first course of a dinner party. The flavor profile will be perfect for stimulating the appetite for the rest of a late Spring meal. The advantage of this recipe is that it can be served year-round, either warm in the cold months, or chilled in the Spring or Summer. It also freezes well, so you can even keep it for those cold Winter nights!

Recipe: Cardamom Scented Rice Pudding

This indulgent twist on rice pudding highlights the heady combination of coconut milk and cardamom, accented with the jasmine undertones of basmati rice.


Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, cardamom, rice pudding

Recipe: Lamb and Fresh Herb Koresh

A Khoresh may be loosely translated as “stew” in Farsi, but this highly developed and popular style of cooking is so much more than just simple stewing: the Persian focus on balance between hot and cold is always in evidence in a good Khoresh recipe. This Khoresh-e qormeh sabzi pairs lamb with aromatic herbs, which serve to enhance the flavor of the lamb.


Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, recipes, lamb, herbs, koresh

Recipes: Cozy Winter Soups

Take a look at some of our favorite soups to ward off winter's chill.


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Recipe: Rustic Balsamic-Roasted Root Vegetables

Say that five times fast. This dish is intoxicatingly aromatic, with the scent of the rosemary roasting and releasing its essence into the root vegetables. We suggest serving it aside a rosemary-encrusted, roasted pork loin, or a grilled steak with caramelized onions simmered in red wine.


Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, recipe, roasted root vegetables, balsamic vinegar, comfort food

Food Philosophy Video #16: Quick Holiday Dip

Food Philosophy #16: Quick Holiday Dip

If you are seeking a deeeeeelicious holiday treat for your guests, this Kalamata Mascarpone Dip is absolutely to die for. It takes about five minutes to make, and it is sensational with crackers, vegetables, or anything else you can think of serving it with.

Ingredients:
1 cup mascarpone cheese
4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix and serve, or for best results, make a day ahead and store in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.

Recipe by Chef Lia Soscia (http://www.cheflia.com)

Sponsors:

Partida Tequila (http://www.partidatequila.com/)
Don't miss our video podcast series with Partida, On the Tequila Trail!
(onthetequilatrail.podshow.com)

Hamilton Beach (http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/)

Go Daddy (http://www.godaddy.com/)
Use code food1 for 10% off your order
Use code food2 for $5 off orders of $35 or more
Use code food3 for $6.95 domain names

Music: Beau Hall (http://www.beaurocks.com/)

Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Media Network (http://www.culinarymedianetwork.com/).




food, food podcast, sensuality, Food Philosophy, Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, Jennifer Iannolo, dip, entertaining, recipe, holiday recipes, Hamilton Beach

Recipe: Chestnut Caramel Pound Cake

Rich with caramel flavor, aroma and color, this moist and dense pound cake is accented with chestnuts. The nuttiness and perfume of the winter nut perfectly complements the deep caramel flavor. Here we use chestnuts in three forms -- sweetened cream, flour and chestnut pieces -- to blissfully savor their buttery sweet, yet savory flavor. Enjoyed solo or with whipped cream, this cake is definitely worthy of the finest festive spread for both Thanksgiving and the Yuletide season.

Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, recipe, chestnut, pound cake, dessert, holiday

Cocktails: Love & Honor

Savor the sublime sweetness of chestnut elevated by the wonderful fresh blooms of Hendricks gin, accented with a touch of traditional falernum syrup and paired with provocative red currants. Love & Honor exudes powerful emotions under a veil of understated composure...

See Damian Sim's inspiration for this recipe here.


Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, recipes, cocktails, chestnuts, red currants

Recipe: Chestnut Hot Chocolate

To chase away that nip in the air, try warming your insides with this hot, chocolaty treat. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, note that there is a difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate: Hot cocoa is typically just water or milk and cocoa powder, while, made from chocolate bars melted into cream, hot chocolate is a rich and decadent drink. Here is an intoxicating twist on our favorite winter warmer; flavored with two varieties of chestnuts and triple chocolate, this is a creamy, cozy sip -- the kind of food you can cuddle up to (and we suspect that few adults would object to sneaking in a splash of brandy or cognac.)

Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, recipe, hot chocolate, hot cocoa, chestnut, chestnut cream

Cocktails: Magic Carousel

The light mist green of pistachio Persian fairy floss crowns this elixir of Dutch gin, saffron, ginger, pistachio ice cream and Ran Watte Ceylon tea. With exquisite delicacy, and perhaps even a certain brutality with its history of royal patrons, pistachio feels like childhood love. Savor the complexity and subtlety of this cocktail, like a deep misty magical forest. Never grow old, and remember the child in us all.


Culinary Media Network, Gilded Fork, food, food writing, cocktail, recipe, pistachio, gin

The Main Ingredient: Cranberries - Beyond Thanksgiving Dinner

We say cranberry, you say Thanksgiving. Don't worry, we're not going to suggest anything crazy like not having cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving; we're only suggesting that you look beyond cranberry sauce to all of the wonderful flavors and textures this pretty little berry can create. Powerful, even overwhelming, cranberries can begin to seem a little unapproachable; but cranberries are not meant to play alone. Just as red berries appear more beautiful against a background of green leaves or fresh snow, the flavor of cranberries truly comes alive when combined with other autumn and winter delights.

It is now common knowledge that a little orange juice and orange zest really make a simple cranberry sauce sing, so why not doctor up a holiday orange cake (or better yet, an orange-spice cake) with chopped fresh cranberries? Or toss some baby spinach with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and a blood orange vinaigrette. You could even simmer some cranberries (dried or fresh) in red wine and a little sugar, then spoon the sauce over vanilla ice cream. Cranberries also pair beautifully with apples, chocolate and nuts, so let your imagination run wild (and don't forget to take a look at our cranberry recipes below!).

Remember, cranberries helped Native Americans and European settlers make it through torturous Northeastern winters, so this wonder-fruit is a potent little reminder that even in the chilly weather there are plenty of fresh, seasonal delicacies to enjoy. (read more)


gilded fork, food, food writing, cranberries, history, Thanksgiving, recipes, Culinary Mediat Network

Recipe: Spiced Cranberry & Orange Relish

Autumn rarely goes by without at least one meal that contains a freshly prepared cranberry relish. Chicken, turkey, or chops adore being dressed with this relish, and the spices will add a wonderful scent to your home as the cranberries simmer.


gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, cranberry, orange, relish, Culinary Media Network

Recipe: Apple & Blue Cheese Tartine

With bites of tangy blue cheese between little nibbles of tart apples, and a sweetly scented orange honey to round out the palate, bread elevates from standard to sensational. A little sweet, a little savory and full of delicate, yet rich flavor and textures. This simple, unfussy tartine is perfect for a light lunch, hearty snack or even an alternative to a cheese course.

gilded fork, food, food writing, apple, blue cheese, tartine, appetizers, orange honey

Recipe: Apple & Turnip Soup

This comforting Autumn soup satisfies the seasonal yearning for earthy comforts with a hint of the sweet playfulness of the harvest. The dried apples give the soup an interesting textural quality, and intensify the flavor, adding sweet notes to the bright earthiness of the humble turnip.

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, soup, turnip, apple

Recipe: Granny Smith Apple & Fennel Salad

This impressive and flavorful salad is perfect for any meal – from the most casual of gatherings to an elegant gourmet meal. The tart apples with the fresh fennel and light lemony vinaigrette demonstrate that there is luxury in simplicity.


gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, salad, apple, fennel

Recipe: Rosemary Lobster Fricassé

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Chef Philippe Ruiz of the Palme d’Or Restaurant at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. Rosemary, while capable of overpowering a dish, here gives the fricassé a subtle flavor, then is removed before the delicate flavor balance of the dish is thrown off. You may substitute whatever vegetables are freshest, but be sure to choose tender “baby” vegetables.

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, rosemary, lobster, Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables

Recipe: Roman-Style Leg of Lamb with Orzo

While we love to create new recipes to showcase our featured ingredients, there are certain classic preparations that bring our taste buds to life. This is a classic roast leg of lamb with an Italian twist. The lamb is roasted with garlic, anchovies, fennel onions and tomatoes, and while the lamb sits, orzo is baked in the pan juices. Che buon gusto!

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, rosemary, lamb

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.


gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, dessert, rosemary, honey, pears

Recipe: Zucchini Relish

A wonderful way to make use of all that extra zucchini! This relish is great over freshly grilled steaks or chicken.


gilded fork, food, food writing, recipe, zucchini, relish

Recipe: Calabacitas

This is a traditional dish in New Mexico, which the Pueblo Indians taught to the Spanish. Calabaza means squash or pumpkin in Spanish, and this dish uses any squash that is in season. In the summer, use zucchini and yellow squash, and in the autumn and winter months, use butternut squash or pumpkin. This side can become a main dish by putting it in a casserole and baking it with chicken or beef. This version is vegetarian and cooks on top of the stove in 20 minutes.

gilded fork, recipe, New Mexico, calabacitas

Mixology: Summer in the Woods

Imagine buttered pan-seared pineapple, warm as a garnish, and chilled as juice in a sensuous champagne coupe. Then let us look back at some of the legacies of the American cocktail -- rum and bitters -- which are further expressed through the addition of star ruby grapefruits and maraschino liqueur (which was, incidentally, Ernest Hemingway's preference for his daiquiri). See Damian Sim's inspiration for this cocktail here.


gilded fork, food, food writing, recipe, cocktail, mixology, pineapple, Provocachic

Recipe: Zucchini & Sweet Potato Bread

This savory little quick bread is a delicious re-do of the ubiquitous zucchini bread. This time of year those little green squash seem to be everywhere, so this is a great way to put them to use! If you have a food processor with a shredder disk, you can use it to shred the zucchini and sweet potato. Serve this as a snack cake, or toast individual slices and serve it as a savory side to an Autumn Harvest salad.

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, zucchini, zucchini bread, sweet potato, bread

Recipe: Ming Tsai's Citrus Tea Rubbed Halibut

This recipe comes to us courtesy of our friend Chef Ming Tsai. Delicate Citrus Herbal Tea Rub and mild sautéed halibut were made for each other. Here, the fish is served with a refreshing salad of raw fennel, orzo, and orange segments. Of his tea rub, Ming writes: “I can never get enough of tea rubs, so I keep inventing new ones. This green tea and citrus example is particularly fresh and appealing: The tea is beautifully complemented by lemon, lime, and orange zest while mint and ginger add more invigorating flavor. This tea rub does wonders for lighter protein, like chicken and fish.”

gilded fork, recipe, Ming Tsai, tea rub, citrus, halibut

Recipe: Sea Bass en Papillote with Sweet Chile Hoisin Broth

Any white, meaty fish or shellfish is an outstanding platform for this flavorful broth. The flavor notes of salt and minerals that are provided by shellfish pair brilliantly with the slightly sweet, hot and spicy flavor of the broth.

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipe, fish, sea bass, chile, en papillote

Recipe: Trout Fillets with Hot Buttered Champagne Sauce

Sauces are made by different methods, depending on the type of sauce required, and each can become the basis from which other sauces are made. The traditional Beurre Blanc is the inspiration for this delicious and delicate sauce made with champagne. We have chosen to showcase this sauce with trout, but it would do equally well atop a salmon fillet, or with your preference of poultry.

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, fish, trout, champagne, sauce

Recipe: Olive Oil Poached Sablefish with Citrus and Thyme

The sweet taste and flaky texture of sablefish are complemented by its poaching liquid: wonderfully fruity olive oil. Poached at an unusually low temperature, the flavors of this fish and its accompaniments meld together, creating a depth that is unattainable otherwise. This ensures slow, even cooking, as well as retained moisture and deeply imparted flavors. Poaching fish in olive oil adds yet another dimension: The lemon practically melts, while the crunch of the Spanish almonds is enhanced. Unpretentious and patient, this dish is a nod to the typically Spanish (and Gilded Fork) way of cooking.

gilded fork, food, food writing, recipes, poached fish, sablefish, olive oil, main course

Recipe: Smoked Trout with Horseradish Crème Fraîche

There is something delightfully elegant and familiar about this recipe. The components — wonderfully fresh, deliciously comforting, and hauntingly common — come together in a way that will have your guests saying they’ve had this dish before, but they can’t remember where or when…

gilded fork,