In the midst of the pink and red paper hearts of Valentine’s Day, I didn’t get the chance to write about another holiday that fell on February 14^th: Chinese New Year!

I really didn’t know much about the Chinese New Year, except that I was born in the Year of the Rat.  It turns out that there are twelve animals that represent the twelve different years in the cyclical Chinese calendar and, much like the Zodiac signs, each of those animals have specific traits that are said to be characteristic of the people born under those signs.  February 14, 2010, marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger.  Even for those of us who are not tigers, the Chinese New Year can be a time of new beginnings and reaffirmation.  One way to this better life?  Through food, of course!

According to tradition, eating certain foods will bring luck in different areas of your life.  While I believe in making your own luck, I certainly wasn’t going to overlook this opportunity to get a little extra help!  Call me greedy, but there were so many good things on the list of food symbolism, that I had to stretch my Chinese New Years feast over several meals.

According to Chinese tradition, chicken represents “family togetherness” and “joy,” two things that I highly value. For that reason, I made Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream (or Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons) a la Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Even though I don’t eat meat, my husband does and I figured that if I make it and he eats it, we’re covering all of our bases, right?

It turned out beautifully:

To compliment the “family togetherness” facet, I made these coconut cookies, since coconut stands for “unity” in the Chinese New Year.  They were delicious.

The next element that I wanted to take advantage of was “longevity.”  No one ever knows how long they have on this earth, but if all it takes to add a few days is eating some uncut pasta, count me in!  I made angel hair spaghetti with tomato cream sauce from this recipe, although I substituted Smitten Kitchen’s marinara sauce for the canned marinara called for in the recipe.  This substitution called for using an onion and it just so happens that eating an onion is supposed to help “cleverness.”  I’m happy to have snuck that one in there!  While the end result was not quite as beautiful as the chicken, it sure tasted great.

Since I was now assured a long life with my family by my side, the next day I figured I would take advantage of just a few more of the Chinese New Year foods by making this Orange Whipped Cream Cake. Oranges represent wealth (hey, couldn’t hurt, right?) and sweets in general mean “safety” and “good fortune.”  While the wealth is more specific, I hope that the good fortune crosses-over into many areas of life, like work and hobbies.  At the very least, it crossed over into the culinary area of my life because this cake was mouthwatering.  Light and airy without too much orange, I highly suggest it for a light dessert.

I was a little sad that I couldn’t find any references to the symbolic nature of my favorite ingredient, vanilla, for the Chinese New Year.  Then I decided, why should I let that stop me?  Since I wasn’t necessarily cooking Asian cuisine, but rather trying out a few recipes for good fortune, I decided to make fortune cookies. Even though fortune cookies aren’t actually a Chinese tradition, I like that they afforded me the opportunity to write down my own hopes for this year and, in a sense, create my own luck!  Plus, they were fun, yummy AND I got to use some Rodelle pure vanilla extract in the recipe!

Have you found a Chinese food recipe using vanilla that you could share? Or tried any of these recipes?

We’d love to hear your tales!

Laura

One day several ages ago, I borrowed from my dear mom a few past issues of Cooking Light. I was in search of recipes that prompted an urge to immediately flee to the kitchen, grab a skillet, and start cooking. That is how I stumbled upon reductions.

I had never heard of a reduction, although unbeknownst to me, I’d enjoyed many a reduction throughout my life. Yes, gravies, syrups, glazes – these are all reductions made from the process of thickening a sauce by boiling it at medium to high heat. As the liquid evaporates, the flavors of the native liquid intensify in flavor. It’s the single easiest way to turn any mundane brownie and ice cream dessert into a ridiculous festival of chocolate, vanilla, wine and bliss. As I found out not so long ago!

My first reduction – and a subsequent go-to (I still have the original recipe found in the Cooking Light magazine I swiped from my mom) – was a variation of chicken piccata with an intense lemon and stock reduction that turns any mediocre breast fillet of pan sautéed chicken into a lip smacking, memorable occasion.

I can thank chemistry for the flavor orgasm that occurs in reductions, particularly those that are cooked in a skillet that was used to cook the meat atop which the reduction will happily go. As meat juices (amino acids) mingle with stock and, in the case of chicken piccata, lemon juice (reducing sugars), a little thing called the Maillard Reaction happens during the heating process. During this reaction hundreds of flavor compounds are created – a boon for the girl with a limited spice rack.

The same girl (ok, I confess – it’s me) had a party the other night with her posse of mountain bike girlfriends and became fantastically pleased with herself when she realized she could turn an ordinary but heavenly brownie into a fit of ecstasy by merely creating a vanilla infused wine reduction that could be drizzled over oven warm brownies and real vanilla ice cream.

My online search for vanilla and wine reductions landed me on this simple recipe that I modified slightly (no fresh fruit on hand – but real vanilla bean, yes). I started with a Spanish Grenache bottled by Borgia. As a wine for drinking, Grenache is light and fruity so I knew it would be a decent choice for my first attempt at a dessert reduction. After adding the wine, sugar, vanilla seed and peppercorns to my wide saucepan (the more surface heating area, the better), I made a ‘story stick’ out of a plastic spoon because I was super excited to try this reduction technique I read about in Cooks Illustrated. The pros at CI recommend a chopstick or other wooden implement, but I went with what I had on hand and used a knife to etch my starting and half-way marks on the long end of my spoon.

After 20 minutes, my story stick indicated that the wine had reduced to half, but it didn’t seem thick enough. Then I read the recipe instructions again and learned I was to reduce the 750 ml of liquid to ‘about one cup’. I left the concoction to boil away and turned my attention to other pressing items: putting the finishing touches on some truffles, welcoming guests, sending numerous text messages, lighting candles, and eating appetizers. The aroma from the reducing liquid filled the house with a pungent and mysterious odor.

By the time I returned to my reduction, it was fiercely boiling (yikes!) and its liquid fluidity had been replaced with a caramel-like thickness that made me gasp in horror. I had over-reduced my reduction! Cripes almighty. I wasn’t sure how the reduction would perform or taste, but I poured the gooey mass into a cup to cool in the fridge (which only made it thicker – I later tried thawing the mass in a water bath). Of course, I had to lick my finger to taste the now super-reduced wine sauce-come-viscous-caramel-goo. Deeee-lish.

OK, while I committed a significant cooking foul by not keeping my eye on the ball during this critical cooking process, the result was an intensely delicious, albeit hyper-thick, reduction that wasn’t the syrup I was meant to prepare. But, it sure made a great brownie and ice cream topping that had my guests smacking their lips. (Note: the next day I thinned the reduction with a tablespoon or so of water and the syrup-like consistency I was aiming for came to life).

What was the last reduction you made and enjoyed with friends?

Carol

I’ve never been one to embrace Mardi Gras with complete abandon. First of all, I’m not Catholic. Second, I live far from the land of King Cake. And third, I just don’t get it. I mean, what’s all the fuss about tromping around with painted bodies, tossing beads from floats and making insane revelry until all hours of the night when a girl should be getting her beauty rest and dreaming of her next dinner party? Puh-leeeeeeeeeze.

But here we are smack dab in the middle of February and I will admit that this year, I feel a small affection for what Mardi Gras seems to be all about: the coming Spring tide. I can just feel the ground beginning to pulse underfoot as it slowly wakes up from a season of dormancy. Strict observers of the season of Lent use Mardi Gras as the tipping point for absolution. Get it while you can ‘cuz, baby, you got 40 days of longing for what you gave up! Then Easter rolls around and we’re thick in bud and blossom and sowing seed. I love the seasons. I love this intertwining of religious symbolism and celestial passage. I love pancakes.

Yes, you heard me. Pancakes. The English (my father’s mother’s people – I was reminded of this each year when she visited) celebrate Mardi Gras with pancakes. Except they don’t call it Mardi Gras. Throughout the Anglican tradition the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is known as Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day. Consult Wiki for an etymological bath on the origin of ‘shrove’. What you need to know, and what your kids need to know, is that Shrove Tuesday is all about eating pancakes (and even racing them). Doesn’t the Puritan in you just love this G-rated version of Mardi Gras?

Right about now you might be asking yourself, why pancakes, Carol? Why would an entire nation, nay – an entire religious tradition – embrace pancakes as the way to mark the final day before Lent? Let’s review some of the main the ingredients in pancake batter: eggs, butter and milk. These are also the main ingredients in many a sinfully sweet baked good. Pancakes became a preferred means to using up these ingredients in advance of Lent and the tradition stuck.

This year, what better way to celebrate Mardi Gras with your herd, I mean family, than to make pancakes? For best results, you might cook some up the weekend before (consuming most and then keeping some in the fridge for February 16) so you can enjoy both pancake making and eating. I also encourage you to branch out and not use the same-old pancake recipe (or heaven forbid – store bought mix) you’ve made for the last century. Just last week I experimented with these sour cream pancakes (I used flax seed instead of eggs and increased the amount of vanilla), and this week I’m going to try out these yogurt pancakes, or maybe these vegan sesame pancakes. Later this month when my friend Laurie comes to visit, I’ll even make her these gluten-free cakes.

Although cooking pancakes is pretty straight forward, I did find these Pancake Day helpful cooking hints, well, helpful. The fondue pot I bought off Craigslist last month came with a small cast iron skillet and much to my surprise, it cooks up a perfect pancake if I keep the heat low and re-stock the pan with a small hint of butter between each cake. Now, for me, toppings are what take the whole pancake experience to a new level. Plum cherry and peach jam, lemon curd and real maple syrup will turn even the blandest pancake into a culinary delight. What are your favorite toppings?

So, grease up the griddle, get out the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla and call in the kids – it’s time to celebrate the coming season with pancakes. Oh – and go top shelf this Shrove Tuesday by pairing your pancakes with homemade roasted vanilla orange juice. This delectable treat is a fantastic way to introduce your family to where vanilla beans actually come from (answer: not a bottle).

Many thanks to phillipe leroyer, and martin deutsch for their perfect pics.

Carol

We’re coming up on a holiday rich with history and tradition.  While paper hearts strung together and Hallmark cards adorned with chubby angels that strongly resemble pigs wearing wings may not say “romance” to you, February has long been celebrated as an amorous time of passion and love.  Although nobody can say for sure how Valentine’s Day really began (or even which St. Valentine is being honored on February 14th), there is no doubt that it is very much celebrated in today’s society.  In fact, did anyone else notice the Valentine’s paraphernalia start to make an appearance only a few short weeks after Christmas?

While there are a lot of things that are associated with love and Valentine’s Day (roses, jewelry, those gross message hearts that taste like chalk, anything pink or red…) chocolate is probably the most well known.  Frankly, that is perfectly fine with me.  I adore chocolate.  Whether it’s milk, dark or white chocolate (even though I know that white chocolate is not technically chocolate), paired with peanut butter, caramel, or served plain, I will devour it all.  Is there anything as beautiful or luscious as the way a bite of good quality chocolate can simply melt in your mouth?  I think not.  This has left me convinced that chocolate is the perfect food.

And it is not just me. Did you know that we’re wired to be chocoholics?  Seriously, I’m not making this up!  Our very biochemistry encourages us to eat more chocolate. When we consume chocolate, a whole mess of endorphins are released, thus earning the long-standing reputation of chocolate as an aphrodisiac.  Even though the modern medical community doesn’t always support this status, ancient Aztecs and Mayans understood the connection and revered chocolate as the food of the gods.  Personally, I choose to agree with the ancients.

Something I did not know, though, is that vanilla is also thought to be an aphrodisiac!  The Totonca, an indigenous people from Mexico, have an old legend about a goddess named Xanat, who happens to be the youngest daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess.  Xanat falls in love with a mortal man.  Desperate to be with him but prohibited by her immortalness, she transforms herself into the vanilla orchid, happy at last that she can bring everlasting beauty and joy to her human love and his people.  I think that might be the most romantic story ever.  However, the romantic nature of vanilla was extended beyond tragic tales and into the bedroom by people like Dr. John King, who in the 1800s advised the American Dispensary that vanilla should be used to “stimulate the sexual propensities” and swore by taking a swig of pure vanilla extract before bedtime.  Neurologist Alan Hirsch also found a connection between the scent of vanilla and special blood flow within mature men. Wow!

So with Valentine’s Day approaching, I have the perfect excuse to make lots of aphrodisiac treats (and if I happen to accidentally make too many and they linger around my apartment for a few weeks, who can blame me?)  This recipe for Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Tartlets is like a two for one, with both vanilla and chocolate flavors. Then these Molten White Chocolate Cupcakes use both regular and white chocolate, along with vanilla extract.  If you really want to enhance the richness and complexity of chocolate, add some pure vanilla extract. You can believe I’ll be incorporating it into my baking!

Along with these two recipes, I was also dying to try out these “Life By Chocolate” mini cupcakes that Pioneer Woman posted.  I have little heart shaped molds that I knew would turn them from “cute” into “adorable.”  Too mushy?  I don’t think so…this is Valentine’s Day!  If this isn’t the time to pull out all those little sappy accessories and molds, when is?  I say bring on the mush! I decided that I had to make a test batch and they were just as delicious as promised, although the silicone molds didn’t pop out the baked cupcakes very easily.  I ended up baking the rest in a regular mini cupcake tin, but all of them tasted delicious!

The recipe was beautifully simple.

My favorite part was watching the colors swirl and blend as I mixed in the chocolate.

While the silicone molds didn’t work out, these little heart-shaped measuring spoons and whisks were too adorable to pass up and, thankfully, more functional!

What’s your favorite Valentine’s treat?
Thanks to Leo_Reynolds for the picture of the cherubim!
~Laura

Although single and without kids, I have an affinity for small children. I can relate to their needs (I require play time, too), I can usually act more goofy than they can (I have scared the occasional child with my zeal for dancing), and I have a fantastic repertoire of silly voices. So it should come as no surprise that given the choice to exercise myself to extreme pain at the gym last Saturday morning or bake cookies with my friends’ two daughters – Chloe, 7, and Becca, 5 – I opted for the latter.

I love baking cookies with kids, especially kids that are not my own, and especially in advance of a holiday – like Valentine’s Day. Their eyes sparkle with the anticipation of sneaking a taste of batter and decorating cookie tops with insane amounts of colored sugar.

I also find that kids love working with holiday-specific cookie cutters. This time of year they have no qualms about dipping into the Christmas cookie cutter collection because there are only so many heart-shaped cookies you can make. And, bless their little munchkin souls, they even forgive you when you realize you can’t make frosting because you forgot to buy powdered sugar. You simply agree to let them have not one but two cookies before lunch (in addition to the giant one you let them set aside for dessert after lunch) and everyone is happy again.

Like most children finding themselves in the kitchen with a grown-up, Chloe and Becca were eager to help prepare the batter for the cookies we set out to make. The recipe: Rodelle’s Rolled Sugar Cookies. In a stroke of brilliance, I let Chloe measure out the flour and sift it into a small bowl while Becca and I set out to cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Each kid needed her own sense of empowerment and this strategy worked like a charm. Of course, I had to let Chloe take a turn with the hand mixer while Becca tried out the sifter. Then, they each took a turn with the hand mixer as we added flour to the wet ingredients. Becca let me know at least four times during this process how much she likes cookie batter. I mean, she really likes it. Can I blame her?

Once we put the dough into the fridge for a brief cooling period, the girls came somewhat unglued with the prospect of checking out my stuff, running around the house dressed in my scarves, and parking themselves on the bathroom counter as they painted their small faces scary pink with my ‘make-up stick’. I did what any smart adult would do: the dishes.

After this interlude of fashion and frolic came to its sad but eventual end, we got to work rolling out dough and cutting cookies. I was clever a second time to avoid possible sibling disquietude by cutting a line down the rolled dough to designate their private dough property. Of course, I then learned again how much Becca loves cookie dough (by now she had managed to casually sneak about a pint of dough into her wee mouth). I also learned what Chloe and Becca love most about Valentine’s Day: the color pink. Not love. Not chocolate. Not even cookies. Pink.

As their little hands plied dough away from the heart-shaped cutters and we talked about how much we loved dough and couldn’t wait to eat a fresh out-of-the-oven cookie, I knew with certainty that Valentine’s Day was just a lovely excuse to spend a morning in the kitchen with little girls who would one day discover their own joy for baking with friends.

I hope your own adventures in baking include small children and their valentine, as well as a great story. Just wondering – how much cookie dough can your kids eat?

Dreaming of cookies,

Carol

When we decided to throw a Super Bowl party this year, I was a little uneasy.  Not because I was worried that my team wouldn’t win (who’s playing, again?), butbecause several of my guests have specific dietary needs.  Now, I’m no stranger to working around dietary restrictions since I’ve been a vegetarian for all of my adult life and I’m also lactose intolerant.  Working within these bounds has become second nature to me and I don’t have to sit down and consider my menu for a long period of time. But on a big snacking/food day, I need to consider that two of my guests are gluten-intolerant and one guest is allergic to dairy (which is different from merely lactose-intolerant). It’s not uncommon for those restrictions to come together and when they do –yikes!

First thing’s first. I did some more research on gluten intolerance.  I was very pleased to discover that while gluten is in many things, a smart consumer can pin down easy to find gluten-free products that are in most grocery stores. This website lists some commonly used brands that are normally gluten-free, although I’ll make sure to save all packaging and ingredients lists for my gluten intolerant guests to double-check for me.

Second, I did a little math.  After I added up “vegetarian” and “no dairy,” I figured I could kill two (figurative) birds with one stone by making some vegan options.  This way, I could be sure that there were clear options available, and only have to pay special attention to the dead animal carcass meat dishes to make sure no dairy snuck in there.  There are also some fabulous Super Bowl party specific recipes put out by the Vegetarian Times website.

I also found some great standard recipes that I think will help me to ensure all my guests are full and satisfied.  Deviled eggs, for example,  are a fan favorite and friendly for everyone at my party, as long as I stick to a basic recipe like this one. Here is the best guacamole recipe ever, as long as you cut back on the lime just a little bit (and this is coming from someone who is a little bit of a guacamole snob). You can bet I’ll make plenty of it, since it can be eaten by vegetarians and gluten or dairy intolerant people. Hummus has to also be one of the best inventions in the world and it can be eaten by any of my guests as well.

Then there are the next couple of recipes which are great for everyone, EXCEPT those who are gluten-intolerant.  Substituting tofu for the cheese in this jalapeno popper recipe will make an appetizer that I know my friends will love and is palatable by those who have to be careful around dairy. Tofu and pesto vegan crackers, while they sound crazy, are actually quite delicious.  I’ve made them before and even my husband, the carnivore, loves them.

Making sure there are plenty of fruit trays, vegetable trays and gluten-friendly chips (like Mission corn tortilla chips) will ensure that everyone at my party has plenty to eat (and it’s all really pretty healthy!).  For those with a sweet tooth, I figure that I’ll make some of this delicious-looking vegan cake (vegetarian and dairy-free friendly, although I think a little vanilla extract will make it even better) and I’ll have some cartons of ice cream (Breyer’s All-Natural and most of the Dreyer’s brand are gluten friendly) at hand, as well.

Finally,we all know that the Super Bowl isn’t complete without alcohol, so there will be plenty of beer around.  While I don’t like beer and those with a gluten-intolerance can’t drink it either, we’ll mix up some killer margaritas as well, since tequila has no gluten!  Now THAT sounds like a party!

What is your twist on a traditional Super Bowl or football dish?

Thanks to jdanvers, sean dreilinger, mooshee85, xmascarol, nickwheeleroz and Lilia for the great photos!

~Laura

Ardour: Anglo-French, from Latin ardor burning, heat, ardor, from aridus dry; 14th century; an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling; extreme vigor or energy; intensity; zeal; loyalty; passion.

When I moved back to Fort Collins in 2008, I did what any single girl would do. I went in search of a coffee house to call home and spy cute boys. There, on the edge of Old Town where Linden Street crosses Jefferson and heads northeast to the infamous land of beer, I found my spot: Café Ardour.

At first I was drawn to the farmhouse simplicity of the cafe’s interior. Morning light pours through tall, east-facing windows illuminating the subtle leaf green, sherbet orange, robin’s egg blue and butter yellow of the café’s walls. Tables of thick oak, distressed wood and odd sized rectangles give ample space for writing down thoughts, or having intimate conversations. Oh the comfort! Then, I fell in love with the revolving art gallery, the baristas’ cute aprons (acquired here and there from thrift stores and friends) and fortunately, an amplitude of cute boys to spy on.

But, ultimately it was the cafe’s generous variety of fantastic baked goods (the ginger sparkle cookies melt in your mouth), its perfectly dry cappuccinos and its commitment to local and seasonal foods that secured my own ardour for my new office home away from home.

During the growing season, Café Ardour sources most of its salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and other available veggies from Colona Community Farm run by café owner (one of four) Sarah Rushlow and her partner Nic Theisen. Fresh fruits used in seasonal baked goods and as plate garnish hail from Ela Family Farms and other Hotchkiss orchards. Coffee orders feature Morning Fresh Dairy products and sandwich plates might include Haystack Mountain goat cheese.

On any given day, a craving for brownies, peanut butter chocolate chips bars, sour cream coffee cake, chocolate chip cookies, and granola or vegan banana muffins can be instantly met the moment you saunter up to the counter and place your order. More specialty items, like Vanilla Bean Cream Cake appear on a rotational basis.

Shall I say that again? Yes. Vanilla Bean Cream Cake. I asked Maggie Davis, café barista and baker (everyone who works at the café helps prepare foods and bake sweets) if she would, you know, just whip me up something featuring vanilla ‘cuz I was writing about the place and boy it sure would be nice to have something vanilla to sample and write about. Her eyes got big, a sweet smile parted her lips and she simply stated those four fabulous words: Vanilla Bean Cream Cake. Little did I know that VBCC was a favorite item of many a café regular. Jackpot.

Armed with Rodelle Bourbon vanilla beans and pure vanilla extract, Maggie spent part of an afternoon shift preparing and baking the rich, moist, chewy, and ridiculously sinful excuse to never bother with dieting again.

The recipe – discovered in Baking By Flavor by Lisa Yockelson – not only includes pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean, but also: intensified vanilla extract (Yockelson’s own creation) and vanilla scented sugar (items Maggie didn’t have on hand). I don’t have room enough here to include the entire recipe and instructions (Yockelson’s recipes and methods are thorough), but here’s a sample of what else you’ll find inside:

• ½ pound of butter
• ½ cup of shortening
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup table cream
• 2 ¾ cups vanilla scented sugar (for vanilla scented sugar, add 1 bean to 2 cups of sugar and let it infuse for a couple of weeks, shaking the sugar every so often. Click here for more info or check on the side of Rodelle’s vanilla bean label).

I sampled the cake the following afternoon as Maggie shared a bit of Café Ardour history with me (doors opened in 2003; owners and employees are deeply committed to sustainability). I have to admit my powers of concentration were impacted by the effects of bathing my taste buds in vanilla decadence. Seemingly drugged by vanilla and sugar, I floated out of Café Ardour without a care to the world, other than planning my next return to my home away from home.

Have you ever tried any of Linda Yockelson’s recipes? Which ones?

With many thanks to Cafe Ardour and Maggie Davis for their kind assistance and generosity.

Carol

Confession: I’ve been on a baking/cooking ban for the last several weeks.  Normally, this would never happen because baking is my fun time, my creative time, my me time…..but desperate times call for desperate measures.

1) After the holidays, I was beginning to feel like one of those couches that sits in the “guest living room” of a fancy house: overstuffed, finicky and uncomfortable. Yes, you know the one.  Luckily, my smoothie regimen has helped me to feel human again.

2) My husband is required to stay at peak fitness for his job as a soldier in the Army and he was dangerously close to  (read: over) the limit and I figured if baked goods weren’t around, he couldn’t eat them.

3) I was overwhelmed with all the baking possibilities and out of my depth.  Inundated by all these incredibly complicated-but-delicious sounding and looking dishes (making me wish my computer screen was scratch-n-sniff) being posted out in the blogosphere, I didn’t know what to make of them.  I don’t know how to make an “emulsion” (which sounds vaguely gross) and I don’t want to use a recipe that has 38 different ingredients.  I’m slow to adapt and it all got too complicated too quickly.

I just wanted/needed to make a simple recipe that wasn’t going to clog my arteries.  Oh, and if that recipe could taste delicious too, that would just be fantastic.  I know, I ask for a lot sometimes.

So, it was as though my kitchen dreams were answered when I saw this recipe on SmittenKitchen’s blog. This marinara sauce was everything I was looking for and more.  With only three ingredients (okay, four ingredients if you’re a stickler and you count the salt), it was unbelievably simple to make and the result was way better than my meager preparation warranted.  It was light and flavorful, reminding me how much I’ve always loved spaghetti and making me wonder why I haven’t eaten it in recent memory.

As it turns out, this recipe is also in line with some of the current trends in cooking.  The Fancy Food Show announced five big trends in the food world right now; specifically, “good-for-you foods,” “coconut,” “gluten-free,” “exotic citrus” and “nostalgic foods.”  Well, one of the very few ingredients of this recipe was a whole lot of butter, so “good-for-you” went right out of the pot.  While there is definitely no coconut in the recipe and I’m not sure I could justify a tomato as an “exotic citrus,” the marinara itself is actually gluten-free.  Putting it over a bed of rice or rice/quinoa pasta instead of regular wheat based pasta makes a great gluten-free meal.  Plus, marinara sauce is homey and, like macaroni-and-cheese, jello or popsicles,  a childhood staple.

Re-energized and perhaps, reassured, I can’t wait to get back into the kitchen (not a misogynistic joke) and start experimenting again.  One of the baking trends emerging out of this year’s show was using whole vanilla beans in recipes. Maybe I’ll try one of these great recipes: vanilla bean panna cotta or vanilla bean bread pudding on my next baking adventure!

Which culinary trend are you itching to try these days?

Thanks to @chris, wader and Ben McLeod for the pictures!

~Laura