Labor Day has come and gone and those lazy Summer days have magically transformed into the countdown to Christmas! In many parts of the country the arrival of Fall is heralded by the changing of the leaves and a refreshing dip in the temperature. Here in sunny South Florida, however, the change of season is not as discernible. For all you fellow fans of Fall, here are 5 Fabulous Things you can do to usher in the season:
1.) Master a recipe featuring one of your favorite Fall ingredients: Butternut Squash Lasagna, Porcini Mushroom & Barley Soup and Pumpkin Pie Trifle are just a few recipes that beautifully showcase some of our favorite flavors of Fall. Simply pick a recipe based on one of your favorite flavors and practice up. By the time the holidays roll around you’ll be ready to bring a delicious side dish or dessert and who knows, you might even feel like hosting a holiday meal yourself!
2.) Drink those Rosés: Rosé is the quintessential Summer wine and since 99% of rosé produced is best consumed upon release, now is the time to drink up! Maybe an “End of Summer Rosé Soirée” is the way to go depending on how much you have left, but in addition to drinking that rosé while it’s fresh and delicious you also need to make room for those wines best suited for Fall including Viognier, Pinot Noir, and many more (for suggestions, please click here).
3.) Plan a Leaf Peeping Trip: There’s nothing like witnessing the changing of the leaves from vibrant green to magnificent shades of red, gold and brown to put you in the mood for Fall. A great region for leaf peeping might be a quick road trip away so pack your sweater and boots and head to one of the many US regions known for fabulous Fall foliage. Some of our favorites include Boston, Massachusetts; Cashiers, North Carolina; and Boulder, Colorado (for more information, please click here).
4.) Plan a Halloween Party: Do you still like to dress up for Halloween but usually find yourself procrastinating and throwing together a makeshift costume at the last minute? Well throw away that ratty old witch’s hat and plan your own Halloween Costume party this year! Put the word out now so guests will be sure to “save the date” and have fun planning your costume in addition to all the party details while getting in the Halloween spirit.
5.) Listen to the Music: Perhaps one of my favorite things about this time of year is the music. Whether you’re driving in the car, making dinner in the kitchen, or taking a brisk walk be sure to keep your favorite Fall playlist on the ready. Some of our favorite songs for the season include Lady Gaga’s “Orange Colored Sky”; Vince Guaraldi’s “Great Pumpkin Waltz”; and “Autumn in New York” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
I hope these suggestions help make your transition into Fall more enjoyable. What are some of your favorite things that put you in an Autumn state of mind?
Cheers,
The post 5 Fabulous Things To Do This Fall! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
“I always make ice cream when I can’t sleep, so I’m glad someone was here to eat it.” – Jane Adler, It’s Complicated Ever since I saw the movie It’s Complicated starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin I’ve wanted to make Honey Lavender Ice Cream. For a movie whose primary plot involves a dysfunctional family and a love triangle, the... Read More
The post Sweet Treat: Honey Lavender Ice Cream! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
“I always make ice cream when I can’t sleep, so I’m glad someone was here to eat it.”
- Jane Adler, It’s Complicated
Ever since I saw the movie It’s Complicated starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin I’ve wanted to make Honey Lavender Ice Cream. For a movie whose primary plot involves a dysfunctional family and a love triangle, the underlying theme is undoubtedly food! Streep’s character, Jane Adler, is a French culinary school graduate who spends the majority of the film baking pies for her girlfriends, whipping up pain au chocolat for her architect, roasting chicken and baking chocolate cake for her ex-husband, and cooking elaborate meals for her family. While I do love all of these things (really I do!) the dish that caught my attention was the Honey Lavender Ice Cream. So when my cooking buddy, neighbor and baker extraordinaire Dwight Langford suggested we hit the kitchen to test dessert recipes I knew I had to try this one!
After testing a few different recipes, I came up with this one which combines the best elements of each. The texture is rich and luxurious but not too heavy; the flavors are nicely balanced but not too powerful; and the ice cream is sweet but not cloyingly so. In fact, no sugar is added to the recipe, the sweetness is dictated solely by the honey and cream. The type of honey you use in this recipe also makes a big difference. Ideally you want one with a mild flavor such as acacia which has a low acid content and is very light in color. I used the Rigoni di Asiago Mielbo Organic Italian Acacia Raw Honey I found at Fresh Market which was perfect. Acacia honey comes from the black locust or false acacia tree and is light-colored with a mild taste and hints of vanilla. It is considered “raw” because it is cold-pressed and has natural antibacterial and antibiotic properties.
The only equipment needed is a candy/instant read thermometer and an ice cream maker and you are good to go! A few things to remember, (1) be sure to put the freezer bowl for the ice cream maker in the freezer the night before you make the ice cream, (2) plan to make the Honey Lavender Ice Cream the day before serving in order to allow time for it to set up in the freezer, and most importantly (3) enjoy!
Cheers,
“Honey Lavender Ice Cream”
Makes approximately 1 quart
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
2/3 cup mild honey such as acacia
2 Tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers plus extra for garnish
2 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
Bring cream, half and half, lavender and honey just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent mixture from burning, then remove pan from heat. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
Pour mixture through a sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Clean saucepan and return mixture to it and heat over medium heat until hot.
Whisk eggs and salt together in a large bowl, then gradually add one cup of the hot cream mixture to it in a slow stream whisking constantly to prevent eggs from cooking. Once mixed, add to remaining mixture in saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches 175 degrees on the thermometer, about 5 minutes – be careful not to let mixture boil!
Pour mixture through sieve again and into a clean bowl and allow to cool completely, stirring regularly to prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Freeze mixture in ice cream maker according to machine directions, transfer to container and chill in the freezer to harden, preferably overnight. Garnish with dried lavender flowers and enjoy!
The post Sweet Treat: Honey Lavender Ice Cream! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
“If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I am quite certain that meat would be pork.” – James Beard I am inclined to agree with the late James Beard so this installment of “Fast & Fabulous” features Provençal Pork Chops, a recipe which incorporates the delicious flavors of the... Read More
The post Fast & Fabulous: Provençal Pork Chops & a Delicious Rhône Red! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
“If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I am quite certain that meat would be pork.” – James Beard
I am inclined to agree with the late James Beard so this installment of “Fast & Fabulous” features Provençal Pork Chops, a recipe which incorporates the delicious flavors of the South of France and juicy, pan-seared pork chops. As with all of our Fast & Fabulous recipes, it can be prepared in well under an hour and we’ve also included a Sommelier-selected wine pairing to further enhance your enjoyment of the dish.
Which type of pork chop to use in this or any other recipe basically comes down to personal preference. Personally, I’m a fan of “bone-in” chops as opposed to “boneless” since meat cooked on the bone is practically guaranteed to be succulent and juicy while boneless cuts can dry out faster resulting in tougher meat. There are a variety of bone-in and boneless choices, for instance pork loin chops (pictured above) are cut from the center of the loin, the strip of meat that runs from the pig’s hip to shoulder, and consist of a small portion of the tenderloin separated from the loin by a T-shaped bone. Pork rib chops don’t contain any of the tenderloin and are taken from the area closest to the rib so the bone is off to one side. Boneless pork chops are cut from the area above the loin chops and the thickness of all of these types of chops ranges from about half an inch to two inches. Cooking time will depend on how thick they are and if they have a bone or not, bone-in takes longer. While this recipe calls for bone-in pork loin chops, feel free to use whichever type you prefer, keeping in mind boneless chops will cook faster.
This recipe also calls for Herbes de Provence, a delightfully fragrant and flavorful mixture of dried herbs indigenous to the eponymous historic province in southeast France. The mixture typically includes rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory and lavender and is often sold in traditional Provençal clay jars. Herbes de Provence makes an excellent seasoning for chicken, fish or pork and works deliciously well with the flavors in this dish. I like to serve the Provençal Pork Chops over a bed of cous cous to catch all the delicious sauce and pair it with the 2013 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône ($15, Wine Atelier), a medium-bodied Syrah from the Southern Rhône with plenty of personality at a very affordable price.
Cheers,
“Provençal Pork Chops”
Serves 4
4 Tbsp. good olive oil
4 1-inch thick bone-in center cut pork loin chops
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Pat the chops dry and season both sides with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the oil in the skillet is hot, add the chops to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer chops to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add the sliced onion to the same pan and sauté over medium heat until softened, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, Herbes de Provence, and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir well to combine. Cover the pan and simmer until the flavors have melded and the juice has thickened slightly about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Return the pork chops to the pan with any accumulated juices and simmer until chops are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
During the Summer months if I'm indulging in something decadent like steak I love to pair it with something light and bright to balance the flavors and textures. This edition of Fast & Fabulous is the perfect example, Grilled Salt & Pepper Skirt Steak is paired with a light and lemony White Bean, Caper & Citrus Salad. In addition to being delicious, it only takes minutes (about 30) to make!Skirt steak is a long, flat cut of beef known for its fibrous texture and delicious flavor. Its hearty texture makes it a natural for marinades or rubs and its flavor is also beautifully enhanced by the blackened char of the grill. While it can stand up to big flavors, a simple preparation such as this one also allows its deliciousness to shine through. While anatomically speaking it is located in close proximity to the flank steak, please don't confuse the two! While it has a similar texture, flank steak does not have the flavorful marbling skirt steak has. Also, whether you're talking about skirt or New York strip, simply seasoning steaks liberally with olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before grilling or pan searing creates a mouth-watering flavor by enhancing the natural flavor of the meat.For the White Bean, Caper & Citrus Salad, you can assemble the white beans, haricots verts, capers and parsley beforehand and just dress it right before serving - easy peasy! The citrus element stands up nicely to the fat in the meat while the bright green parsley is a nice foil for the creamy white beans. A wonderful wine pairing for this delicious duo would be a juicy red wine like the Tikal Patriota, a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Bonarda from Mendoza, Argentina. This is a delightful red wine for Summer - it's full-bodied with plenty of flavor and a great balance of fruit and tannin. I hope you enjoy this delicious Summertime pairing!
What are some of your favorite Summer flavors? Please let me know in the comment section below.
Cheers,
"Fast & Fabulous: Grilled Salt & Pepper Skirt Steak with White Bean, Caper & Citrus Salad"
Recipe Type: Main Course
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
During the Summer months if I’m indulging in something decadent like steak I love to pair it with something light and bright to balance the flavors and textures. This edition of Fast & Fabulous is the perfect example, Grilled Salt & Pepper Skirt Steak is paired with a light and lemony White Bean, Caper & Citrus Salad. In addition to... Read More
The post Fast & Fabulous: Grilled Salt & Pepper Skirt Steak with White Bean, Caper & Citrus Salad! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
© 2025 The Wine Atelier
