Savour Fare » Gift Guide

The Gift Giver’s Guide to Scotch Whisky

Kate — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:52:44 +0000

It’s that time of year. Yes, peace and love and joy and family and cookies and all that, but also the time of year when you find yourself looking for gifts for a variety of people. People like your clients, your boss, your brother in law, your boyfriend’s dad.* In times like these, the eager giver turns to Scotch Whisky (note the lack of an “e.” If you’re drinking whiskey, you’re in the wrong country). Scotch is a good gift — it’s expensive enough to convey value, but not so expensive it will bankrupt you. It’s sophisticated, a little exotic, implies that you know a lot about the finer things in life. The question becomes what scotch to buy. This guide will give you a little overview of how to choose a nice bottle of scotch if you are not a scotch connoisseur, as well as discuss it reasonably intelligently with the giftee.

*Although I know many women who drink scotch, I know of no woman who has ever received a bottle of scotch as a gift. I, for one, would much prefer to receive a nice bottle of scotch than either a scented candle or bath products.
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Last Minute Holiday Gifts

Kate — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:34:27 +0000

Christmas seems to have snuck up on my this year. I’ve been listening to Christmas music since November, have had our tree up since December 2nd, but here I am, with Christmas less than a week away, and I’m not done shopping! If you’re in a similar boat (greetings, fellow procrastinator) here are a few suggestions for the foodies on your list. All are still available to ship before Christmas.

For the meat lover:

image courtesy of Creminelli
My grandfather is 98 years old and his favorite food in the whole world is salami. Ergo, it must be health food, right? This year I’m giving him a salami from Creminelli. The fine folks there were kind enough to send us a few salamis to sample, and we inhaled them. As in, I couldn’t get a picture before they disappeared inhaled them. The Nuni has been asking for them every day since, and my husband has requested them in HIS stocking. These are good salamis. Our collective favorite was the wild boar, but I have a soft spot for tartufo. You can find them at many local retail establishments, or there’s still time to order online.

For the reader:

I have cooked and posted many a Laurie Colwin recipe on this blog, but I can’t replicate her beguiling prose. Her books are wonderful to cook from, but even better to read. Do someone you love a favor and buy them Home Cooking
and More Home Cooking. They will love you back.

For the mini:

My proudest parenting moment to date was when someone mentioned “Julia” in conversation and the Nuni popped up with “Julia Child”. For your budding epicureI can’t recommend enough Rosemary Wells wonderful book, Yoko, which teaches the lessons of fearlessness and tolerance through sushi. Pair it with this darling Wooden Sushi Set from uber toy makers Melissa and Doug, and get them cooking in the (pretend) kitchen.

For the cocktail drinker:

I first tasted an Amarena cherry in a Manhattan served at Clyde Commons, in Portland, and I was hooked. Their intense cherry flavor, melting texture and ruby syrup elevate any drink to a whole new level. I can inhale maraschino cherries with the best of them, but these are special. Available at igourmet.com or in Williams Sonoma stores.

Gifts from the Kitchen: Pear and Vanilla Preserves

Kate — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:13:29 +0000

I was very sad to have missed the summer jam season this year. With all the craziness around buying the house and moving, I never got around to putting up plum jam, or strawberry balsamic, or peach and basil, and my stash from last year is getting dangerously low. Fortunately, I still have a few seasonal fruit tricks up my sleeve. Like this pear jam with vanilla beans, which will make your heart swell with domestic pride and impress anyone you care to give it to.

Jam seems terribly intimidating, but really, it’s not. Yes, there are a few basic steps you need to go through to make sure it’s safe to eat (or really to store) but the risks of contaminated jam are much lower than for canned vegetables because both the acid and the sugar in jam act as preservatives. You don’t need any special equipment, other than jars (I get mine at the local hardware store — you can reuse jars, but make sure to get new lids, which you can buy separately) and a big pot to boil them in. An hour’s worth of effort (and not MUCH effort, really – most of it involves occasional stirring or waiting for the water bath to boil.)

And the result? Golden jars of sunshine, lined up in your pantry, making you proud, waiting to be doled out to deserving friends and family this holiday season.

And if you think that you or your family and friends don’t eat jam, here are some serving ideas:

Stir it into oatmeal
Top crackers with brie and a dollop of pear jam
Spoon it atop ice cream
Plop into pastry shells to make jam tarts
SCONES

And there’s always toast. We’re quite fond of it in our house.

Recipe
Pear and Vanilla Jam

3 lbs ripe Bartlett pears
12 oz. granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pouch liquid pectin

Peel the pears, core them and cut them into small chunks. Place in a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients. (I like my pear jam chunky to preserve some of that grainy “pear” texture -if you don’t, mash them a bit in the pan). Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the jam begins to gel –test it by dropping a spoonful on a cold dish and dragging the spoon (or your finger, after it’s cooled a bit) through it — if it leaves a trail that takes a few seconds to be filled in, it’s ready.

Meanwhile, heat 4 1/2 pint jars in a stock pot full of boiling water. When your jam is ready, pull the jars out of the boiling water and fill them with hot jam. Leave 1/4 inch space between the top of the jam and the top of the jars, and run a clean (pref sterilized) knife around the edge of the jars to let any air bubbles escape). Wipe the top of the jars with a clean damp towel to ensure a seal. Cover the jars with the lids and the rings, and return them to the boiling water, making sure the water covers the jars entirely. Cover the pan, and let boil briskly for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the pan, and let them cool to room temperature.

The Savour Fare Kitchen — Essential Cookware and Bakeware

Kate — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:58:38 +0000

Nothing frustrates me more than visiting someone’s house and seeing their beautiful kitchen, decked out to the nines, and stocked with the latest kitchenware. I compliment them on it, and the person says, “Oh thank you. But I never cook.” What a waste of good tools. On the other hand, I also see the kitchens of people who really love to cook but don’t have the right kitchenware, which is also frustrating. I think to the words of the great comedian, Eddie Izzard, who said “‘Guns don’t kill people, people do,’ but I think the gun helps, you know? I think it helps. I just think just standing there going, “Bang!” That’s not going to kill too many people, is it?” Having great tools isn’t going to make you a great cook, but it’s certainly going to help make cooking a more pleasant and successful experience.

That’s why I wanted to write a series of posts about the tools in my kitchen that I just love. If you’re looking to buy some new kitchen accessories, or you’re building a wedding registry or equipping a new kitchen, I hope this guide will give you some ideas of what kinds of kitchen tools would be useful.

I’m starting the series with the backbone of the kitchen — pots and pans.
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