Recipe: Jennifer McCoy's Mocha Chip Brownies

by jbfauthor on December 15, 2010

We think Santa would love to see a plate of these decadent brownies from Craft's Jennifer McCoy at one of his Christmas Eve pit stops. Laced with gooey chocolate chips and a generous dash of espresso, they're the perfect pick-me-up during an all-night sleigh ride.

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News Feed: December 14

by jbfauthor on December 14, 2010

Lifted beekeeping ban inspires home-based honey crafters in New York. [NYT] Twenty-two homemade food gifts. [LAT] Hank Shaw sniffs out wild truffles. [Atlantic] Time Out Chicago picks the Windy City's 100 best dishes in 2010. [TOC] Cocktails to keep

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Eat This Word: Chai

by JBF Editors on December 13, 2010

WHAT? Spicy sipper. Chai is the Hindi word for “tea,” which makes a coffeehouse order of a “chai tea latte” redundant. (The word passed into Chinese and Japanese as “cha.”) The fragrant, milky beverage we’re referring to goes by “masala chai” in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Tibet, where it is an integral part of every social gathering. To make the tea, a combination of sweet and savory spices such as cloves, star anise, peppercorn, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and fennel are ground, boiled in water, steeped with black tea, strained, and mellowed with milk and honey. According to Indian cooking expert Julie Sahni, “The people in cooler parts of India have traditionally added spices to their tea, not just for flavoring, but also to induce heat in the body. Spiced teas are particularly welcome after an Indian meal, because they provide a gentle, more graceful ending to the intricately spiced Indian dishes.” She adds, “A plain

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On the Menu: Michael Chiarello

by jbfauthor on December 13, 2010

Many vintages ago at Tra Vigne, Top Chef Masters finalist Michael Chiarello’s local, Italian-inspired cooking helped define Napa Valley’s wine-friendly cuisine. Now at Bottega on his own vineyard, he and chef de cuisine Nick Ritchie continue to craft a personal, Mediterranean-based cuisine. Here's what he'll be serving at the Beard House this Wednesday: Hors d’Oeuvre Pesto and Burrata Arancini Grilled Lamb Spiedini with Coal-Roasted Vegetable Purée and Pine Nut Agrodolce Ancient Grain Polenta with Wild Mushrooms and Balsamic–Game Sauce Pairing: Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2006 Dinner Angry Ahi Tuna Crudo with Crispy Basil, Garlic, Serrano Chilies, and Orange Pairing: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV Roasted Butternut Squash with Porcini, Caramelized Shallots, Burrata, and Balsamic Caviar Pairing: Chiarello Family Vineyards

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