Based in Los Angeles, Savour Fare is the home of Kate, a working mom who is low on time but high on life. I hope this site helps you find ways to make your life richer, easier, more beautiful and more delicious. You can read more about me and the site here and feel free to email me with any questions or feedback!
Something funny has been happening this winter — kale has become a staple in my refrigerator. A week rarely passes when I don’t buy a bunch, either from the farmer’s market or during a Whole Foods run. It’s a combination of being drawn to the purported health benefits of kale, admiring its ruffled appearance and just plain liking the taste. Kale has a savory heartiness that doesn’t contain the metallic tones of spinach or the sometimes bitter flavors of collards or mustard greens.
Wash the kale and remove most of the tough stem from each leaf. (I usually run a knife along the back). Chop the kale into rough ribbons.
In a medium saucepan, combine the kale with the salt and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the kale is wilted and the chicken stock has been absorbed or evaporated — the pan should be almost dry.
Add the cream and the sugar and cook until the cream is mostly absorbed and coating the kale. This won’t take long.
Serve with almost anything, and ignore the fact that you’re eating heavy cream because after all, it’s kale. It couldn’t get much healthier, right?
Notes
Adapted from Saveur
3.2.1336
Sometimes I make kale chips or crispy kale (google and you’ll find a kajillion recipes — one of these days I might even get around to posting my recipe, but it usually gets eaten too fast to take pictures), but more often, especially when my kale buying enthusiasm and my cooking time do not overlap, I end up making this creamed kale. It can be made with wilted greens, which is a plus in the flexibility department, and is easy and delicious to boot. In fact, if you’ve been paying attention round these parts, you may have noticed creamed kale keeping company with Lamb Top Round and Pommes Anna on New Year’s Eve, or setting off this chicken sausage casserole. It’s a versatile and hearty dish, and one that has become a regular in my kitchen. Continue reading Creamed Kale
I have a little bit of a cookbook problem. You see, when we moved to our current home, we dedicated a reasonable sized bookcase to the cookbooks. It had four shelves, was about two and a half feet wide, and seemed perfectly fine. Until I started putting my cookbooks on it. There was a little overflow, a few cookbooks I put on another shelf, some books that I recategorized as “travel books.” But the problem only got worse. It’s not that I buy a ton of cookbooks — I mean, I do buy a few, sometimes to cook with, sometimes as a souvenir when I’m traveling, sometimes because I really can’t resist a used book sale. But I also receive cookbooks as gifts. And cookbooks have a way of finding their way into my house in other ways too. As a result, I have several cookbooks that are more for recreational reading than actual cooking, per se, and several more that never really see the light of day (but do look so ornamental on that bookcase. And the surrounding bookcases as well.)
The point is, I have a lot of cookbooks, and while I don’t mind this, my husband seems to think my collection is a bit … excessive. So you know a new cookbook is good when he comes up to me and says “You know, that cookbook really fills a niche that I think was missing from your cookbook collection.” This cookbook isn’t only endorsed by me, it’s endorsed by him, and that is a rare thing indeed, when it comes to cookbooks.
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A confession: I’ve never been to Mardi Gras. I realize it counts as one of those things you should do in your life but I’m kind of afraid that that ship has sailed. Although I’ve never been a wild partier, there was a time when a citywide party with a crowd of strangers and copious alcohol may have seemed like it might be fun. Now, in my advancing middle age (I’ll be Thirty TWO on my next birthday) I am now firmly in the stage of my life where a good time means a comfortable seat, a scintillating conversation, and one or three cocktails prepared with extreme care. And I have a secret suspicion that those three items might be hard to find in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
There are certain things I AM sorry to miss out on, though, and one of those is the famous King Cake. I’ve had the French Galette des Rois for Twelfth Night (you may have noticed if you’re a regular reader that my upbringing tends towards the francophone), but that frangipane and pastry confection is, from what I understand, NOT the same thing. I have friends in the South who talk about King Cakes from January 6 through Mardi Gras, and my interest was piqued. I’ve spent the past few years checking out all the places in Los Angeles that I thought might reasonably sell King Cake, all to no avail. So, since Tuesday is Mardi Gras (french for Fat Tuesday, fittingly) I did what any moderately insane curious person with a kitchen would do — decided to make my own. Continue reading Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez — Mardi Gras King Cake
Ken and I have been together more than eleven years, and married for almost seven. Although on occasion he still makes my breath quicken and my heart go pitterpat, I think the real boon of a long love is that warm glow of contentment that comes from security. I know what to expect, whether its pizza and TiVo every Friday night, coffee in bed every morning (milk and a teaspoon of sugar, unless either one of us is sick, in which case we have tea), or the fact that neither one of us wants to empty the dishwasher. There is a comfort in routine that does not disappoint or catch you off your guard. And yet familiar does not mean boring. There’s a reason I chose this man to marry — I find him perennially interesting (except for maybe the in depth discussions of cars or macroeconomics — sorry, honey) and completely unique and I always want more. I love him because I know him, but I always feel like there’s more to know.
And that is why, on this Valentine’s Day, I’ll make him these molten chocolate rosemary cakes. Part cake, part pudding, with the feel of a fallen souffle, these will be sure to please. Sure, chocolate on Valentine’s Day is something to be expected, but there are a reason cliche’s become cliches. And this cliche is utterly worthwhile. It looks simple and straightforward — almost like a brownie – but pierce the outer layer and you get depths of warm, flowing chocolate richness. The rosemary (which is optional, by the way) adds another layer to the flavor. As wonderful as chocolate can be, it’s so familiar that on its own it can seem one dimensional. These puddings have an extra little frisson, a haunting flavor and fragrance that you can’t quite put your finger one. This is a dessert you want to get to know better. It has hidden depths. Continue reading Love and Chocolate — Molten Chocolate Rosemary Cakes
Today is World Nutella Day and I was fully planning to participate. I had at least two projects in mind and I even attempted them, but someone stole my cooking mojo and both my experiments were abject failures. If you’d like some Nutella goodness I offer up these Nutella Nanaimo Bars from last week and I hope you enjoy them. You can also check out this Nutella Cheesecake from Eat, Live, Travel, Write, this Chocolate Hazelnut Spread from David Lebovitz or this dangerous looking nutella molten lava cake from Paula at Bell’alimento. So strike one for topicality.
Also, Sunday is the Super Bowl, which is a big holiday in food terms. I was going to post a new experimental guacamole recipe, but my avocados were not photo worthy. Feel free to check out Jalapeno Popper Dip, this Easy Crockpot Chili, Hot Clam Dip, Black Eyed Pea Salsa or Pimento Cheese if you’re looking for grub for the big game. Strike two for topicality. (The guacamole recipe will come later).
So I’m going to present you today with a recipe that isn’t at all topical, but is good, nonetheless. It came from a desire for old fahioned, comforting, mashed potatoes (because WHO doesn’t like mashed potatoes?) combined with my New Year’s goal to eat more vegetables. We always have broccoli in the house (the Nuni loves it raw), and I’ve made mashed cauliflower before — an idea was born. Continue reading A Successful Experiment — Mashed Potatoes with Broccoli
. People who are up on the food blogging community will recognize Jaden from her popular blog, 
