a glimpse of what's to come

 bittersweet velvety chocolate

powerfully fragrant rosemary

vibrant extra virgin olive oil {not pictured}

A teasing list of ingredients comes together in the KimKitch tonight. I can hardly handle the anticipation, can you?

 *KK*

Almorange

Without further ado 

I would like to introduce you to

"Almorange"

{ al-more-onje }

 

The word reminds me of a secret admirer. A secret note signed "Almorange" might pique your interest, no? Well it did mine. And so, I read on to find out how nutty and zesty this one sweet cookie is. You should to.


Almondy dough with a hint of orange zest and underlying vanilla with a finishing sweet crunch make these the most welcome guest on a chilly winter night. Twice-baked, these cookies are delicious nestled up against an afternoon tea. But they also startle at breakfast and delight with after dinner drinks. {Yum. I'll take one at each.}

A fresh batch of these and Nani's Anise biscotti went postal today. I was told this particular package --- which included a couple gorgeous gold boxes from the super sparkler, Chez Terez --- will arrive by Wednesday, just in time for Turkey Day. Woohoo! This made me smile because there's nothing better than sharing homemade goodies with friends and family. If they aren't gobbled up too quickly, the biscotti I shipped today should last through the holidays. And that's even though they're made without preservatives. Just good old fashioned sugar, butter, flour, eggs... and a few secret admirers ... er... ingredients ; )

~almorange~

{*KK*}

egg labor

A friend of ours recently confided he doesn't like eggs. And when I think about it, I realize a cousin of mine doesn't like them either.

But I just can't understand it: I absolutely *LOVE* eggs.

Everything about them.

Their shape, their color, the way they can be cooked into breakfast, lunch, OR dinner. How the inside can be split into two, how the yolk is perfectly circular and the white, amorphous yet clear as can be. I love how they give structure to baked goods, height to lemon meringue, air to angel food cake.



Yes, eggs are pretty tremendous if you ask me.

For instance, at breakfast, you could have an egg one of a multitude of ways. Hard- or soft-boiled, over easy or sunny-side-up, scrambled or crepe-like... the list could go on.

So it's interesting to hear some people don't like the taste of --or are unable to appreciate the versatility of-- an egg.



Anyway, today was an egg day. It was actually a record-breaker egg-breaking egg day for me. I cracked 31 eggs before dusk.

 

sacrifice for ten batches of kim'scotti

Those eggs helped produce this sweet baby:

one of the fruits of a KimKitch eggs' labor

  *KK*

in the KimKitch featured in Etsy Treasury!

It's a miracle.

The Etsy world noticed the KimKitch today!

That's right, KimKitch biscotti were featured in a Treasury listing by WinkArtisans. A Treasury listing is Etsy's "ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery." Members find items that go well together, group them into a listing and have a chance to be "published" on Etsy's front page.

second column, fourth row: KimKitch in the Treasury

How cool is that?

The title for this listing is "Coffee With The Girls." I love the combination of reds and those crocheted cookies! Plus, how fun are the little bears on that spoonful of sugar?

I sure would like to go out for coffee with the gals now. Or maybe... why don't we stay in, put our feet up, a soulful tune on, and have the gals over for coffee or tea and fresh-out-of-the-oven KimKitch 'scotti?

Now that sounds like a perfect treasury to me.

What are you doing this Saturday?
*kk



To learn more about WinkArtisans, check out Marisol's profile and shop :)

Danish Design

The Danes really know design.

Not only do they dress superbly, they make beautiful, functional items, too.

But before going any further, let me disclose how biased I am. It has to do with someone I would like to introduce you to: SR. SR is the man who keeps the Kim in the Kitch calm, who knows how to make amazzingly swift and delicious breakfasts but who can also create complex sauces and seduce seared scallops with a special drizzle. He is also the one who is most understanding when the KimKitch is in the midst of a huge storm. The reason I'm slightly biased is that SR is half Danish. So, I've come to learn about and love the Danes. And I'm just a bit smitten with Danish Design.

So when SR and I were searching for new silverware earlier this year it became obvious quite quickly that we were not impressed with options here in the States. No offense, American designers. We just couldn't get our hands around a simple, good-looking fork or knife. And the spoons! Oh my, we were none too pleased.

And so, we thought back to our trips abroad and how we purchased our first set of "silverware" at a yard sale in Denmark. The handles were made of dark teak wood, the design was clean, understated and sturdy with stainless steel balancing the slim handles. The pieces were not overtly masculine or feminine. SR and I fell in love. And, not only with the utensils.

From then on, we continued to search out teak-wooded kitchen items.

But then, we realized, we should get our hands on a set that was easy to take care of, one without wood, so we could serve out of town guests without worry of splinters or stress, with hopes to impress (who am I kidding? ... I just wanted something new and pretty).

So, we found the perfect set. Designed by a Dane. George Jensen, an Art Nouveau creator, too.

The set is beautiful and handsome at the same time. Sturdy and sleek, too.

Feast your eyes on the newest addition to the KimKitch, New York Cutlery.

just look at those spoons!

The Single Most Important

Hi! I'm Kim and this is my Kitch. 

I'm on the third floor of a lovely circa 1880 home with slanted walls and high ceilings. On my table, mason jars can usually be found. Some usually contain biscotti and some, blooms. The Kitch has reds, whites, greens, and woods all around. Quirky Danish accents, turquoise cookery, and plants can also be found.

I've been cooking for a long time. Not Julia Child-long, but long enough to know that making beef bourguignon in less than two hours is a tremendous feat.

I've also been in the Kitch long enough to know that a well-packaged treat can be even more tremendous than quick meat. That's why I've started a little shop for my baked goodies. Check out the link to my etsy shop in the right column of this page. Anyway, back to that beef.

It was tender, moist, the sauce was not too thin, not too thick and flavorful, sweet *and* savory. Just delicious.

So how was this particular beef stew created in way less than half the time required for the traditional Julia Child Beef Bourguinon recipe? Would you like to guess?

I'll give you a hint, the tagline on the box said:



"The Single Most Important Piece of Cookware You'll Ever Own"



Upon receiving this gift, I did not believe the grand claims the piece of equipment touted. I never thought one piece of cookware could actually change one's life.

But now... I'm all --- shouting through my fingertips about how grand pressure cookers really are.

Well, really, they are.
Risotto in 7 minutes, steamed veggies in 3. A pressure cooker not only cooks more quickly and efficiently, it also uses less energy than other cooking methods.

Now. If only I could bake biscotti in one...

 or, how about a pear tart?

pear tart about to be baked in a traditional oven

or even eggplant parmigianno?

birthday dinner parma-SEAN with baked eggplant and ricotta

Anyway, I do know one can put The Single Most Important Piece of Cookware to good use with this recipe:

Beef Bourguignon (French Beef Stew)
adapted from Julia Child and Fagor recipes... by the KimKitch

2 TBS olive oil or 4 strips bacon
4 lbs beef stew meat, cubed and dried with a paper towel so it will brown properly
1-2 sliced carrots
1 TBS flour
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1.25 cups beef broth
1.50 tsp salt
pepper to taste

2 large onions, diced
12 small pearl onions, peeled (I replaced these with roasted carrots and potatoes with thyme)
1/4 cup butter
2 lbs mushrooms, quartered

1-In a medium skillet, sauté onions until translucent.

2-In pressure cooker, heat oil (and/or bacon fat) and brown beef. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to a side dish. Add carrots to the fat and sauté until brown, remove carrots to a separate side dish.

3-Return the beef to the cooker. Sprinkle on the flour and toss to coat the beef lightly. Cook over medium heat until flour browns and a light crust forms.

4-Move the meat to one side of the cooker, then add sugar until it caramelizes. Once it does, add vinegar and stir.

5-Add wine, beef broth, salt and pepper.

6-Add onions to beef mixture, close lid on pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook for 40 minutes on position 2.

7-In a separate saucepan, place peeled pearl onions (or roast potatoes in the oven instead) in water until tender. In skillet where onions were sauteed, heat butter and sauté mushrooms. Add pearl onions to mushrooms and sauté until glazed.

8-When meat is done cooking, release pressure carefully (and be sure to release all of it!) and remove lid.

9-Add mushroom/onion mixture and carrots and potatoes, if using. Close lid again and bring to pressure for 5 minutes.

10-Release pressure, remove lid, and serve with egg noodles or biscuits, and parsley sprigs... and red wine... oh, and if you were able to save that bacon, it's great crumbled over the dish before serving.

This is a lovely, warming autumn / winter meal