Articles by colombe

Now that winter is officially here roast garlic is becoming a staple in our kitchen. Since garlic is nature’s antibiotic, it’s great for wintertime when fortifying your immune system is most important.I try to pop over to Keith’s Farm at the Union Square Farmer’s market whenever possible because they have my favorite garlic variety. Ever since I tried their Rocambole (pronounced like rock’ n roll, but rock’m’bowl) garlic it’s difficult to settle for any other kind for several reasons. You’re always guaranteed big cloves in each head. I’ve never been a fan of garlic that has tons of small cloves within one clove, it requires so much more work. Also, there is a  juiciness to Rocambole, it has a superior amount of oil which makes it the perfect choice for garlic paste. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of great things have happened over the past few months and our new little guy Xander has kept me very busy.  Now that I am better adjusted to motherhood I am back and ready to write.

To my delight, I found myself in Portland Oregon (somewhat) recently for a work dinner. I had heard so much about the farmer’s market and how beautiful it was, so it was my first priority and our first stop for grocery shopping.  Mountains of mushrooms-morels, hen of the woods, shitakes and low and behold truffles! Yes, Oregon is now growing truffles- super affordable ones too. I went straight for the morels, selecting the smallest ones for the mini polenta cakes with a morel gravy that I was serving as an hors d’oeurves course.

There were so many other highlights-the rhubarb was piled high streaked with a deep magenta, and hazelnuts-my new favorite nut. We were in hazelnut heaven it turns out. Freddie Guy is at the market and I scored some hazelnut oil as well as bags of beautiful pre-blanched crunchy hazelnuts. (You can order them online, which I will be doing in the near future)

There were other Portland highlights beyond the farmer’s market. Read the rest of this entry »

I spent my end of summer vacation in Burgundy, and was lucky enough to catch the end of the wild currants growing in my mother’s yard. They flourish somehow, even though they’re left untouched for a good part of the year. It amazes me how well plants grow there. We harvested an enormous bundle of rhubarb and sorrel too! It was a fun trip filled with friends, the quiet French countryside, vide greniers (flea markets) and good food. When we’re in Burgundy I cook almost every day and night, usually for several people, so I always come home with new recipes and even more cooking inspiration. Here’s a keeper recipe I made with the harvest from the garden. Thanks to my dear friends, who put their high boots on to trample through the weeds and stinging nettles to delicately pluck these sweet and tart perfect crimson berries from the branches, I came up with this recipe. Read the rest of this entry »

When we brought cod home the other day, I knew I had to make oven-baked fish sticks to satisfy a craving. I remember my mom used to pack fish sticks in my lunches in grade school, only when she was short on time.  I actually remember liking them, dipped in tartar sauce.  But they weren’t crispy like these- because I had to heat them up in the microwave at school. Last weekend when I was at the Tribeca Farmer’s market, buying milk for my homemade ricotta (stay tuned), I was gifted Ronnybrook Farm’s garlic butter to try, which makes a great seasoning shortcut here. I first coated the fish pieces with melted garlic butter, then bread crumbs, then egg whites, then another layer of breadcrumbs. Use Panko breadcrumbs (all natural) if possible, they’re lighter and crispier than ordinary ones.

I needed a spruced up tartar sauce to serve with my lovely crispy fish sticks for dipping. Read the rest of this entry »

This month I’m doing cooking demos at the New York Botanical Gardens in a series sponsored by Growing Chefs. All of my recipes are seasonal, market and garden fresh. I’m keeping the dishes simple to create so that no matter what age or cooking expertise, you can enjoy the recipes. The kitchen is beautiful and well equipped at the Conservatory Kitchen and there’s a slew of other exciting culinary guests on the schedule to check out.

The first week I made Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame dressing, last week was a Basil Pesto Pasta Salad. Here is a preview for this week’s recipe, my personal favorite of the series. It’s a refreshing summer soup that I created without any dairy at all. The corn and coconut milk come together to create a creamy silky texture that you’ll never even miss cream or butter. I was only aiming to complement the sweetness of the corn with a few simple flavors. We’ve been hit with a heat wave in New york City, so the quicker the cook time the better. I skipped making a stock with the cobbs and went for any shortcuts I could find. Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, the main ingredient of this recipe is made of Chia seeds! I fondly remember these from my childhood, used more commonly to grow green sprouts out of ceramic heads known as Chia pets than as a delicious, energy boosting, nutritious, sweet treat. Now the mystery is solved, we all know how it got it’s name. Read the rest of this entry »

I have always been a fan of truffled honey on a cheese plate. I think it’s the delicate play between savory and sweet that is so enjoyable. However, I had never  quite experienced the pairing of truffles, honey and apples until the night of my dinner at Terraza del Casino in Madrid. The restaurant is famed for the gastronomic delights of Chef Paco Rancero, disciple of the acclaimed Ferrnan Adria.  To experience a meal like this is decadent, much like being in a candy store; inspiring, indulgent and fun, but by no means a satisfying approach to everyday eating. Read the rest of this entry »

My favorite kind of granola is a crunchy, light as a feather cluster that pops in my mouth with the perfect balance of nutty and sweet. The real trick to achieve this consistency is the use of instant oats. They tend to stick together better. For an added crispness I include arrowroot flour. The result is more like a granola bar broken into pieces.  Granola now reminds me of my  New Years trip to Costa Rica. We went with Kula Yoga and stayed at Boca Sombrero in the Osa Peninsula.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve had my fill of saccharin sweet toffee this holiday season. I thought it was about time to make a new toffee recipe using natural sweeteners that didn’t leave me feeling so “off” after indulging. I recently came up with this alternative while designing a menu for an organic meat and cheese company. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m always searching for delicious weekday recipes that are also nourishing, and all in one dishes are my favorites. Whenever I can, I love saving clean-up time. This dish has so many appeals, but most important it takes seconds to whip up. The first time I made a version of this dish was with Sam Talbot on one of my Conscious Cooking webisodes I hosted for Foodnetwork.com. We made it with olive oil, but I’m loving this version with more of an Asian flair. Read the rest of this entry »