It’s that time of year, where anyone who is celebrating Passover is basically in mild panic. Starting on Monday evening, kitchens and menus will be turned upside upside down as we prepare for a week of feasts containing no flour (or gluten), anything leavened or swells or anything fermented…..(if you want a little deep dive into this topic, click here).
I’m sweeping in today, just in the nick of time with a selection of my favourite holiday treats and a new Flourless Espresso Brownie recipe from my good friend and insanely talented baker, Laurel Kratochvila, that will literally knock your socks off. This flourless collection is useful not only if you are observing the festiivities but also if you stick to a gluten free diet. Because, even if you are forced to eliminate, I would love you to still have some delectable treats.
Here are some of my suggestions, including this year’s newest addition to the roster and some old faves:
Flourless Espresso Brownies (already a favourite)
Cocoa Nutties (a family heirloom reserved ONLY for this week)
Aunt Jeanette’s Chocolate Meringues (my GO TO dessert, including a new video with all the secrets for meringue success)
Nigella’s Olive Oil Almond Cake (a year round staple that never tires)
Roasted Strawberry Granita (a refreshing side with all the sweet)
Chocolate Cloud Cake (also dairy free)
Semifreddo (the perfect dessert in my opinion)
Roasted Banana & Coconut Ice Cream (simple as can be and almost healthy too)
For all those celebrating, I hope you have a delicious week of feasting and please do share your most treasured holiday recipes. And for all those avoiding gluten all year around, I would love to know which one of these is your favourite.
Hello Asparagus Season
I have a deep love affair going on with asparagus right now. Not only does the appearance of these bunches of joy at the market signify longer, warmer days, they spark endless joy in the kitchen. Asparagus is an ingredient that I am fastidiously seasonal about in my consumption (brussel sprouts are a close second). So I celebrate the relatively short period of availability of the locally grown variety by eating them every single day with reckless abandon.
I’ll take them any way they come, blanched and drenched in brown butter, in salads, stirred through pasta, the hero in a spring minestrone, shaved raw into a slaw with a hearty dressing, simply salted and dipped in aioli or as a soldier for dippy eggs, topped with breadcrumbs in any variety, the list goes on……..
This year, as I intend to spend a lot of time standing over my grill (I’m manifesting warmer, dryer weather with all my might), I thought I’d share my grilled version of the bright green spears. Alongside the recipe are also some of my favourite toppings and ways to serve.
Happy asparagus-ing.
A Kitchen Must Have (if you are a fan of cast iron)
I must first apologise again for the Amazon List debacle in the last newsletter. I definitely grew seem new grey hairs over the 24 hours of the link working and then not and then working and then not…..but I finally got there and felt not only vindicated when I finally figured out the glitch but also proud of my ability to overcome a technical issue without crying. Here is the link again for anyone interested in seeing my suggestions for your kitchen kit.
Included amongst my suggestions on there you will find this rather unusual looking bit of chain mail. If, like me you are a fan of cooking on cast iron, this is your best kitchen friend and simple tool to clean your pans. Just scrub them under warm water and it literally gets rid of every bit of caramelised leftover without damaging the surface. You can thank me later.
As always, I would love to hear from you and what seasonal dishes you are making right now and your favourite kitchen tools. There are still a handful of spaces in a few of my upcoming classes in May and June for anyone who is still thinking about booking a spot. I can’t wait for our next adventures together and thanks again for cooking along with me, it’s wonderful to be here with you. Until next time……