Book Information: Gifts Cooks Love
Gifts Cooks Love
Recipes for Giving
by Diane Morgan, Sur La Table
Price: $25.00
ISBN-13: 9780740793509
ISBN-10: 0740793500
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
Page Count: 192 Pages
Gifts Cooks Love Reviews
“With smaller budgets for Christmas shopping, more people have turned to homemade gifts. It starts as cost-saving but can become tradition, with your recipients hoping for your prized chutney, chocolate chip cookies or limoncello. A new book from Sur La Table, “Gifts Cooks Love” by Diane Morgan, offers dozens of ideas for homemade gift giving.” ––Tulsa World http://bit.ly/hO6cTF
“The gorgeous photos left our mouths watering from foods we wanted to make on the spot, from homemade bacon to cinnamon-coated graham crackers to rhubarb compote made with Côtes du Rhône. And because the holidays are nigh, we gobbled up the ideas for themed gift kits built to please anyone who loves to cook and eat.” ––Oregon Live http://bit.ly/hc7knq
Diane Morgan, Gifts Cooks Love, makes Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread with Honey Butter
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread with Honey Butter recipe
Gifts Cooks Love
Gift giving is a tangible expression of care and love. In this tradition, the recipes in Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving are a treasure trove of homemade foods ready to pack into tins, jars, boxes, and cellophane bags tied with a ribbon. From Orange Cardamom Marmalade and Salmon Gravlax to Bollywood Coconut Curry Popcorn Seasoning and Blueberry-Blackberry-Basil Margarita Puree, the recipes in Gifts Cooks Love will help you create the perfect handmade food gift for any occasion, year round. Sur La Table and Diane Morgan offer something for every level of cook—providing accessible recipes delivered with helpful kitchen tips and techniques, detailed ingredient notes, as well as guidance for artfully wrapping and presenting these forty edible gifts. For the beginning cook, a chapter is devoted to simple-to-make no-cook food gifts. Gorgeous full-color photographs encourage and motivate creativity, and each delicious recipe comes with a beautiful packaging and gift card idea; in some cases, an additional recipe that uses the original food gift. There are also ideas for combining several recipes to create themed gift kits. Gifts Cooks Love will show you how to turn your handcrafted, delicious food gifts into personal expressions of thoughtfulness. These are gifts that any cook will love to give or receive.
Contents
From Gifts Cooks Love, by Diane Morgan and Sur La Table
Introduction
1 The Gift-Giving Kitchen
2 The Gift-Giving Pantry
3 Decorative Packaging
4 Essential Tips & Techniques for Preserving & Dehydrating
5 Sweet Preserved Gifts
6 Savory Preserved Gifts
7 Smoked, Cured & Dried Gifts
8 Baked Gifts
9 Confection & Chocolate Gifts
10 Drink Gifts
11 No-Cook Gifts
12 Make-a-Gift Kits
Acknowledgments
Metric Conversions & Equivalents
Index
Benny’s Bacon
From Gifts Cooks Love, by Diane Morgan and Sur La Table
Benjamin Bettinger is a star on the Portland, Oregon, food scene. He is the executive chef at Beaker & Flask, named Restaurant of the Year by Willamette Week in 2009, the restaurant’s first year of operation. He also happens to make spectacular homemade bacon! We wanted to learn how to make bacon and thought how fun it would be to give homemade cured and smoked bacon as a gift. Ben generously shared his recipe. What sets Benny’s bacon apart is the blend of spices, as most bacon recipes, whether commercial or homemade, do not include any spices other than black pepper in the curing rub. Pork bellies are available by special order from most butcher shops. They are usually about 10 pounds. This recipe will work without adjustment, give or take up to 1 pound. Use kitchen gloves to rub on the curing salt, as it can be highly irritating to the skin. Use pulverized wood chips sold for stovetop smoking, not the larger chips meant for outdoor grills.
Ingredients
3 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
6 bay leaves
1 (10-pound) pork belly
2 teaspoons curing salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 cups sweet pulverized wood chips, such as apple, cherry, alder, or oak
Implements
Medium Sauté Pan, Measuring Cups and Spoons, Spice or Coffee Grinder, Large Rimmed Baking Sheet, Disposable Gloves, Plastic Wrap, Cutting Board, Slicing Knife, Stovetop Smoker, Tongs, Meat Fork
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Curing Time: 5 days | Smoking Time: about 2 ¾ hours | Makes four (2 ½-pound) slabs of bacon
- In a medium, dry heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, toast the fennel seeds, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and bay leaves over medium-low heat. Swirl the spices in the pan until they release their aromas and take on a slightly darker color, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the spice mixture to a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder.
- Place the pork belly on a large rimmed baking sheet with the fat side down. Sprinkle the top (meat side) with about 40 percent of the curing salt, and then 40 percent of the spice powder. Wearing disposable gloves, rub the salt and spices into the meat. Next scatter about 40 percent of the brown sugar over the spices. Using muscle power, firmly press and rub the brown sugar into the flesh. Sprinkle about 40 percent of the kosher salt over the brown sugar and firmly press and rub the salt in, getting as much sugar and salt to absorb into the meat as possible. Flip the belly over so that the fat side is up and repeat this coating process with the remaining 60 percent of the curing salt, spice powder, brown sugar, and kosher salt.
- Wrap the belly in several layers of plastic wrap; or place it in a food-safe plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and tie it closed. (This is how Ben does it.) Refrigerate the wrapped belly on the baking sheet with the fat side up for 5 days.
- Slice the cured belly into 4 equal slabs, about 2 ½ pounds each.
- Set up a stovetop smoker with the wood chips scattered on the bottom and the drip tray set on top. Wrap the wire rack in aluminum foil and set it over the drip tray. Working with one slab of belly at a time, place the belly on the foil-wrapped rack, close the lid of the smoker tightly, and turn the burner to medium-low. Smoke the belly for 20 minutes, then open the smoker lid, flip the belly over, and smoke it on the other side for an additional 20 minutes. At this point, check whether the belly is easily pierced with a meat fork. If it is, then remove it from the smoker. If not, flip the belly again and continue smoking until it is easily pierced. Remove the bacon from the smoker, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Repeat this process with the 3 remaining slabs of belly.
Storing: Refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 1 year.
Gift Card: This homemade spiced bacon was smoked on [give date] and can be enjoyed for up to 1 month, kept in the refrigerator, or 1 year if frozen. Slice it into ¼-inch-thick slices and pan-fry for breakfast. It is also delicious wrapped around a grilled filet mignon, and it makes the best BLT you’ll ever taste!
Gift-Giving Tips: Wrap each slab of bacon tightly in plastic wrap, and then wrap neatly with butcher paper. Tie each package with raffia or ribbon and attach a gift card. To turn this into a gift basket, consider including a dozen brown eggs fresh from the farmers’ market and a breakfast-appropriate loaf of artisan bread. To make the gift more elaborate, include a butcher-block cutting board and a slicing knife, or see page 161 for a gift kit idea.
Limoncello
From Gifts Cooks Love, by Diane Morgan and Sur La Table
The saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” We say, “When you are handed lemons, make limoncello and lemonade.” It takes 15 lemons to make limoncello, and since only the peel is used, that leaves all the fruit to juice for a refreshingly large pitcher of homemade lemonade—that’s the beauty of making limoncello in the summer! In addition, since it takes 40 to 80 days for the mixture to infuse, if you make it over the summer you’ll have bottles of limoncello ready for holiday gift giving. Use the freshest, most blemish-free, most fully ripe lemons you can find. In addition, buy organic ones if possible. Since the limoncello is made from the lemon peel, you want to make sure they haven’t been coated or sprayed with pesticides.
Ingredients
15 organic lemons
2 (750-milliliter) bottles 151- or 190-proof grain alcohol, such as Everclear (see page 182)
4 cups granulated sugar
9 ½ cups water
Implements
1-Gallon Glass Jar, Vegetable Peeler, Long Wooden Spoon, Measuring Cups, Large Saucepan, Four (1-Liter) Glass Bottles, Fine-Mesh Strainer or Coffee Filter, Large Bowl, Narrow-Neck Funnel, Ladle
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Infusing Time: 40 to 80 days | Makes four (1-liter) bottles of limoncello
- Wash a 1-gallon glass jar and lid in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, run the jar and lid through the regular cycle of your dishwasher.
- Scrub the lemons in warm water and pat dry. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from each lemon in wide strips. Be careful not to remove the white pith, which will impart a bitter flavor to the limoncello.
- Place the lemon peels in the prepared jar. Pour in 1 bottle of the alcohol, and push down the lemon peels with a wooden spoon to completely submerge them in the liquid. Tightly secure the lid, and set the jar in a cool, dark place to steep. Stirring is not necessary.
- After 20 or 40 days, add the second bottle of alcohol to the mixture. Place the sugar and 7½ cups of the water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Decrease to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes to ensure that all the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
- When the sugar syrup is completely cool, add it to the lemon and alcohol mixture in the jar. Tightly secure the lid, and return the jar to a cool, dark place to steep for an additional 20 to
40 days. Over time, the liquid will absorb the flavor from the lemon peels and turn bright yellow in color. - To bottle, first wash the bottles in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, run the bottles through the regular cycle of your dishwasher.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, or coffee filter set in a strainer, into a large bowl. Add 1 2/3 cups of water to the limencello if you used 151-proof grain alcohol; add 2 cups of water if you used 190-proof. (Note: The addition of the water will turn the liquid cloudy and pale yellow in color. This is the desired outcome.) Let it rest for a moment so that any remaining sediment will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a narrow-neck funnel, ladle the limoncello into the prepared bottles, leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, secure the lids, and label.
Storing: Store the bottles in a cool, dark place, or keep in the freezer until ready to serve. Limoncello will keep for several years.
Gift Card: This homemade Limoncello was bottled on [give date] and can be enjoyed for several years to come. Store it in the freezer, and enjoy it as a refreshing liqueur to sip after dinner.
Gift-Giving Tips: Tie each bottle with raffia or ribbon and attach a gift card. To turn this into a gift basket, add a set of cordial glasses.
Breakfast Kit
From Gifts Cooks Love, by Diane Morgan and Sur La Table
Who doesn’t want to wake up to a homemade food gift? Imagine brightening someone’s morning with yummy, ready-to-eat breakfast or brunch fare. There is a bounty of recipes in Gifts Cooks Love that would be ideal to package and expand into a larger gift: the Meyer Lemon Curd; the Orange-Cardamom Marmalade; the Boysenberry and Lemon Verbena Jam; the Salmon Gravlax; Benny’s Bacon; the Mini Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads; the Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter; the Coconut Granola Crunch; and the Mexican Drinking Chocolate.
As a thank-you gift, Benny’s Bacon, wrapped in butcher paper and tied with butcher’s twine and accompanied by brown eggs from the farmers’ market, could be packaged in a large cast-iron skillet and wrapped with a colorful kitchen towel.
Heading to a friend’s home for the weekend? Bring a teatime offering of Meyer Lemon Curd or Orange-Cardamom Marmalade packaged with scones or even a scone mix, a porcelain teapot, and a selection of herbal teas. Consider a breakfast basket overflowing with Coconut Granola Crunch, a set of bistro-style breakfast bowls, containers of yogurt, and fresh fruit. Boysenberry and Lemon Verbena Jam and a crusty loaf of artisan bread ready for toasting would certainly be another breakfast favorite.
Mini Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads, a favorite to make at holiday time, would be a welcome hostess gift packaged in a rustic, earthenware bread basket lined with a tea towel and tied with a coordinating bow. Another holiday favorite is to give the Mexican Drinking Chocolate along with a set of festive red cappuccino cups. Any time of year, the Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter, baked and delivered in a cast-iron skillet, would also delight a host.
For the late sleepers in your life, for whom breakfast looks more like brunch, let them wake up to a Scandinavian or Jewish meal of Salmon Gravlax, artisan cream cheese, and either bagels or rye flatbreads. Package it all in a rustic bread basket; or you could arrange the salmon on a wooden board and include a decorative slicing knife and spreader, wrapping the gift in cellophane with the spreader tied into the bow.
Recipes
Meyer Lemon Curd on page 57
Orange-Cardamom Marmalade on page 63
Boysenberry and Lemon Verbena Jam on page 67
Salmon Gravlax on page 79
Benny’s Bacon on page 81
Mini Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads on page 93
Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter on page 105
Coconut Granola Crunch on page 119
Mexican Drinking Chocolate on page 171
About Diane Morgan
Diane Morgan is an award-winning cookbook author, freelance food writer, culinary instructor, and restaurant consultant. She is the author of fourteen cookbooks and has been involved in the world of food for more than twenty-five years. Diane has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times food section and has written for Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking, Cooking Light, the Oregonian, Northwest Palate, and Edible Portland. She has appeared on NBC’s Today show, ABC World News Now, The Early Show on CBS, the Food Network, Smart Solutions on HGTV, Seasonings on PBS, and Good Day Oregon. In addition, for the past two years, Diane has consulted on the core menu, promotional seasonal menus, and recipes for a chain of family dining restaurants in the Northwest. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
