Welcome to 2010!  Even though we’ve all said goodbye to 2009 and the great things the year brought, Rodelle Vanilla is not letting nostalgia get in the way of ringing in this new decade!  Not even giving the New Year’s champagne a chance to go flat, Rodelle Vanilla has made sure they are moving forward by getting ready for this year’s Fancy Food Show.

The Fancy Food Show is an annual event that showcases specialty foods and beverages and has over 250,000 different products in attendance. The Fancy Food Show gives it’s attendees a chance to visit various booths and learn about new or rare products and companies.  This is the 35^th Winter Fancy Food Show to date and some of these shows have had upwards of 24,000 people in attendance!  This year it is going to be at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from January 17-19.

Although people enrolled have the option of running free through the show and exploring on their own, I know that I would be completely overwhelmed and wouldn’t know where to turn first.  A budding foodist like me would need guidance through the amazing array of specialty foods being publicized.  That’s why the Fancy Food Show has educational programs available!   I, for example, would love to learn the language of specialty foods, or sample some miso and natto (two great new food products coming over from Japan).  The Specialty Food Retailers of San Francisco Tour sounds like it would not only be informative, but super interesting.  And, of course, the Chocoholic’s Tour of San Francisco sounds as though it was planned just for me!  What could be better than getting the chance to visit several different chocolateers, go backstage at a confectioner’s and sample some amazing chocolate?  I imagine that going on this tour would leave me feeling as amazed and awestruck as Charlie Bucket.

Despite my dreams, the Fancy Food Show is only for people who are in the specialty food industry.  Think of it as a big food related conference where participants get to see the latest trends, check out the newest products and keep up to date on all of the specialty food gossip.  There’s no telling what new creations could take place when two experts with great products cross paths.

I admit, I’m a little sad I won’t get to go on the Chocoholic’s Tour of San Fransisco, so maybe I’ll just have to settle for indulging in Rodelle’s new origin specific dutch processed Ivory Coast Gourmet Baking Cocoa (although it’s not much of a sacrifice….to be honest, it’s just plain pampering myself!).  I am glad, though, that there are programs like the Fancy Food Show that help keep Rodelle and other specialty sellers at the top of their game.  After all, even if we don’t get to go, we’re still the ones who are ultimately reaping the benefits from this type of (yummy) collaboration!

Thanks to Optical Illusion, h-bomb and Rodelle Vanilla for the great pictures!

Laura

As most of you readers have probably gathered, I love the traditional flavors that permeate the holiday season: vanilla, chocolate, apple, cinnamon, pumpkin…. Yum!  The form that these flavors are presented to the eater, though, is up for negotiation!  I love recipes that twist standard (read: boring) recipes into something new and exciting.  Just last week, I experimented with two different recipes of this type.  One of these recipes was a delicious success; the other was an epic failure.  Epic failures are more fun informative, so let’s start with that one first!

While perusing food blogs, I ran into a recipe for red velvet cake balls; actually, I ran into the recipe twice.  I figured that finding the same recipe twice in a matter of minutes was a sign from the kitchen deities that I should make these amazing looking little treats.  Since I was going to be traveling to my parents’ place to meet the whole family for Thanksgiving, I had a great excuse to give these a try!  So now I had a recipe and a purpose and it was time to implement!

The first part of it went as planned.  Once I had mixed the crumbled red velvet cake and the cream cheese frosting together, it was time to ball them and dip them in the chocolate.  This part did not go as planned, unfortunately. The next step was to melt the chocolate and I decided that doing this in the microwave was the easy way to go.  A pitted Tupperware and several burnt chocolate bars later, I learned the valuable lesson that the chocolate may actually be melted, but it will still retain its shape until you stir it.  Oops. Strike One.

A quick run to the grocery store to grab some more chocolate and I was back in business!  Now that I was able to melt the chocolate without burning a hole in the container, the next step was to drop small round balls (created by using my handy mini ice cream scoop!) into the chocolate, roll them around and then lay them onto waxed paper.  I ran into another problem here.  Candy chocolate is great, until any moisture gets in it.  Once moisture DOES get in, the consistency of the melted chocolate changes and becomes crumbly and nearly impossible to work with.  Remember, we just mixed an entire can of cream cheese frosting into the cake balls…moisture is guaranteed at this point.  Strike Two.

After recruiting my reluctant always-willing husband, we came up with a new plan: he would spoon some melted chocolate onto the wax paper, I would drop a rounded scoopful of the cake mixture onto it, then he would drizzle more chocolate on top, until the dollop was completely covered.  Genius, yes?  Well, except for the fact that doing it this way uses up the melted chocolate much quicker and we had to run again to the store.  Strike Three.

After we bought every single one of the semi-sweet baking chocolate bars and packages off the shelf, we went to work.  We spooned, scooped and smothered those little chocolate balls for the next hour and a half, dirtying nearly every dish in the kitchen, even this little fish-shaped appetizer bowl.

In the end though, they were done.  They were not the artful little Valentine’s-worthy showplace pieces that were so beautifully shown on the website.  In fact, they were more like amorphous blobs.  However, they tasted phenomenal!! Seriously, you have to try them — just get someone else to make them, maybe??

Given that they were not the most attractive looking, I was a little hesitant to bring those as my Thanksgiving contribution.  I settled for sending the red velvet cake balls into work with my husband, where I received way more praise than deserved.  While the compliments were nice, I still needed to create something to bring to Thanksgiving with me.  That’s when I discovered this recipe on another blog.

Apple cake.  Even the name is mouthwatering!  The recipe, written by someone known only as “Great Aunt Ethel,” was simple and direct (far from the maddening battle with red velvet cake balls), with no melting chocolate required! Excellent!

I thought to myself, “How could anything created by Great Aunt Ethel not be perfect?” and decided to give it a shot.  I followed the open recipe, using Granny Smith apples and also adding cinnamon, just a hint of nutmeg and the tiniest suggestion of cloves.  It was as easy as it sounded and the end product was beautiful, with all the flavors of apple pie but the texture of the moistest cake you’ve ever had. Even though the cake got slightly smushed in transport, my family loved it and gobbled it down quickly.  The praise for this one goes to 17 and baking and, of course, Great Aunt Ethel, but this recipe is definitely going into my files to use whenever an old classic needs a facelift. I’ll also ask the Rodelle Kitchen to give it a try…maybe they can think of one more simple step or ingredient to add that will make this already superb and homey recipe simply stellar!  Or, maybe you know what (if anything!) it is missing!  Try it out and let me know what you think!

Have you had any disasters or unbelievable successes re-imagining classic dishes?

Happy Baking!

Laura

I say fantasy because I’m not in a position this year to take control of creating a heart-filled dining experience at my house. Why? Here’s my living room:

In case you missed it, I don’t have any proper seating furniture. My kitchen is adequate for preparing a meal, although I don’t own a roasting pan (there goes the bird!!) and my serving ware is pretty thin (how much can a paper plate hold?). That’s why I’d invite people over. Except. Well. The furniture.

But a girl can dream, so here I go. First thing’s first. I like putting a fresh spin on classic dishes and I believe in sourcing food locally and seasonally, whenever possible. My 2009 Fantasy Thanksgiving Menu favors this approach but recognizes that I don’t live in California. Part nod to and part break from tradition, my menu combines flavor, color and inspired simplicity. Now let the begging begin! Please, pretty please, will someone cook it for me?

Cocktails:
All good entertaining starts with cocktails, especially since most family gatherings require a bit of sauce to get you through (if you know what I mean!). I’ve had my eye on Rodelle’s Vanilla Bean Martini. Where did I put the glasses?

Appetizers:
Just as you’re achieving proper light headedness from said martini, your hands go wandering for sustenance to get you to the Main Event. That’s when you put out sweet potato wedges like these, or these. Looking good!

The Bird:
Ok, so our cultural turkey fetish has turned gobbler production into a virtual nightmare. My Thanksgiving meal requires a Heritage turkey. If it’s the only bird I’m going to cook in a year, it’s worth the extra expense to make sure my friends are eating a bird that is naturally conceived and raised, and still ambulatory. Roasted, please. Not in a bag, not in hot oil. Not at 500 degrees. Just roasted, and stuffed. Makes for better gravy! Let the mouth watering commence!

Stuffing:
I’m so excited about Rodelle’s French Cornbread Stuffing, I can hardly contain myself. ‘Nuff said.

Potatoes:
Like my Dad, I love mashed potatoes; especially when they aren’t creamed to the consistency of custard. I like chunks of tater blended in with the mash. Butter, salt, a bit of cream and herbs. Et voila!

Greens:
Salads are much more than lettuce. They give fresh, local produce a chance to have a party in a bowl. I’ve selected this Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Seeds recipe because I love rocket, pears are fantastic in salads and the pomegranate seeds (which you may be surprised to learn don’t grow in Colorado) look gorgeous (they’re also EXTREMELY healthy for you!). Photo by Sarah Shatz: www.food52.com

Cranberries:
I’ll be honest – I’ve never been much of a cranberry girl, but when I found this recipe, my heart stopped. The color alone is enough to get me excited about it’s presence at my Fantasy Table.

Bread:
Now I’m on the fence. Do I make my own yeasted variety of whole grain and seeds, or buy Seeduction from Whole Foods….?? Thoughts, anyone?

Beer:
Hey! It’s MY fantasy, remember? I think the flavors of this meal might pair better with a sour or brown beer. I love these recommendations but am currently a huge fan of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith.You might want to consider sampling some!

Pie:
Ha! Move over pumpkin! Carol wants Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. No ice cream. I know, I know, if I were really doing the local thing I’d make pie from the pumpkin I have sitting on my counter. Dang! Now I’m feeling guilty…better eat some chocolate…I’ll be right back…

So what do you think? When are you coming round? If you can’t make it here, remember…time is running out to assemble your 2009 Fantasy Menu! Let me know how it goes. And if anyone tries any of these recipes, I’d love to hear about it. Especially the stuffing!

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving feast,

Hats off to the following photographers for their splendid imagery: ExperienceLA, Stephen DePolo, Sarah Shatz, and mkasahara.

Carol

Happy Holidays! Rodelle Vanilla will be giving away an ECO-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY BAKING GIFT SET to our Facebook fan who submits the best holiday drink recipe and gets the most support from their friends.

THE GIFT SET WILL INCLUDE

• Rodelle Vanilla Beans
• Rodelle Vanilla Sugar
• Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa
• Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract – 8 oz.
• Rodelle Organic Vanilla Extract – 4 oz.
• Rodelle Vanilla Extract Gift Set – flavors from around the world
• Eco-Pie Plate – Pure by Chantal
• Bamboo measuring spoons
• Oversized copper snowflake cookie cutter

** Valued at over $80! **

RUNNER-UP GIFT: Rodelle Vanilla Beans & Gourmet Baking Cocoa

Contest dates: 11.13.09 – 11.30.09

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

1. Create your own recipe for a tasty holiday drink using one or more of the following: vanilla, vanilla beans, or cocoa.  Your drink recipe can be for a warm drink on a cold day, an adult cocktail or a kid’s holiday drink.

2. Post the recipe on Rodelle Vanilla’s Facebook fan page wall. Feel free to include a personal story or upload a picture or video of you enjoying or creating your drink.

3. Get your friends and family to support your recipe by ‘liking’ your recipe or making a comment on your recipe about why you should win.  How do you do this? “Share” the Rodelle fan page with your friends and ask them to vote for you. Remind them that they’ll have to become a Rodelle fan in order to vote. And, offer to bake them something tasty once you win!

Click here to get started!

THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RODELLE VANILLA & BASED ON:

1. The amount of support from your friends and family, so spread the word!

2 .The quality of the recipe so spread the word!

3. Creativity of the post
The Rodelle fan with the second-best recipe and friend support will receive the Runner-up Gift

This is a fantastic gift set for the environmentally-friendly baker from Rodelle Vanilla. Rodelle’s facility is wind powered and portion of their profits go to promote biodiversity and improve farmer livelihood in vanilla growing regions. For this gift set, Rodelle choose environmentally friendly baking supplies such as bamboo measuring spoons and eco-friendly pottery (free of coloring agents that reduce environmental impact by up to 50%). If you win, your recipe may be used on the Rodelle website’s Holiday Recipes page!

** Rodelle Vanilla reserves the right to disqualify and/or remove any entries that are not original recipes. We also reserve the right to extend or end the contest at any time.**

I’m a morning person.  Regardless of the time of year, mornings bring the promise of a new day and a moment of calm before the rush of things that need to be done.  I do find fall mornings just a bit more difficult though because the coldness in the air makes it nearly impossible to leave the bed! However, there are a few things that can tempt me away from my cocoon of warmth.  Perhaps the quickest way to lure me from the blankets is the promise of something hot.  This weekend was especially cold for early October and I needed extra motivation to abandon the warmth. That motivation came in the form of hot chocolate.

I used to use the packets of hot cocoa mix but once I started to make my own, I was hooked.  It’s a simple recipe that I adapted from one I found here but you can also use a divine recipe from Rodelle, available here!

·         1/3 cup cocoa powder
·         ¼ cup of white sugar (if you use unsweetened cocoa powder, use ½ cup of white sugar)
·         ½ cup of water
·         1 small can (5 oz) of evaporated milk
·         3 ½ cups of milk
·         1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

Boil the lightly salted water over medium high, then disintegrate the sugar into it.  Turn the heat to low and add the remaining ingredients.  Once you add the cocoa powder and milks, be gentle with the heat so you don’t get that burned flavor.  Using the evaporated milk and vanilla makes it creamy and deep without being too sweet.

Now, hot chocolate is a comfort drink and is meant to be consumed, well, comfortably.  Tiny little teacups are not going to cut it for hot chocolate!  I love those big mugs that can double as a soup bowl (or an ice cream dish!) that I can easily wrap both hands around.  Once I have my mug of hot chocolate in hand, I’m in a much better mood and I am reminded about some of the advantages of cold weather.

Autumn is the season for hot drinks and thick soups.  There are several flavors I associate with the changing colors of leaves: chocolate, pumpkin, cinnamon and apple are the ones that immediately come to mind.  Vanilla is such a complex ingredient, it really enhances these flavors and brings them to the forefront. With holidays looming, there is the chance to bake an amazing array of breads and desserts, combining most, if not all, of these ingredients. So even though I was a little resentful when I first switched off the air conditioning and prepared to turn on the heat, I remember how much I love fall flavors and colors and I look forward to sharing them with you here on this blog.

What’s your favorite hot chocolate recipe for when the temperature drops and you’re trying to warm up your family?

Until next time,

Laura

Thanks cwalker71 for the tree picture!