When I originally made this dessert for Anne’s birthday, I was winging it, I hadn’t tested the recipe beforehand. It needed a little tweaking. I used too much brown sugar and too much brandy that first go-around which made it runny and way too strong in the alcohol flavor. It doesn’t spend that much time under the broiler to burn off all the brandy I originally had in there.  I made it again and got it just right. The photos were taken when I remade it as a single serving for my do-over, but the ingredient portions in this recipe serve four.  

Kim made these delicious cauliflower toasts for happy hour this past weekend. I’m not really on the “cauliflower is everything” train, but I do have to admit, these are darn good. Of course, they do include bread and a trio of yummy cheeses; mascarpone, Gruyère, and Parmesan, so that could contribute to me loving them. #cheeseislife

Kim found the recipe in the New York Times. The author of the article had adapted an Ina Garten recipe, removing prosciutto and more cheese from the original recipe. I adore prosciutto, but I like these toasts this way.

Cheesy Cauliflower Toasts

• 1 head cauliflower, leaves, and thick core removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 6 slices rustic sourdough type bread
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for topping
• Sweet paprika, for topping
• Finely chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into 1/2-inch clusters. Transfer to a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread florets out into a single layer and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.

Two weeks ago, Dave and I went down to Tucson for a long weekend. On the first night, we decided to go to J Bar, my friend, and James Beard award-winning chef, Janos Wilder’s, casual restaurant which is right beside his acclaimed upscale namesake restaurant, Janos. After perusing the menu, we wanted to order everything on it!  Instead, we decided we’d control ourselves and just come back the next night, which we did. One appetizer we just had to have was the J Bar Nachos. They did not disappoint – I haven’t been able to get them out of my mind since!  When Janos came to the Valley last week to teach a class, I asked him to please share the secret of “the out-of-this-world” chili con queso that pushed the nachos into a league of their own. Turns out the con queso had an Italian twist in the form of mascarpone. I didn’t ask for the exact recipe, although he offered, Dave and I think this is pretty darn close. The Salsa Fresca is from Janos’ cookbook, The Great Chilies Rellenos Book, which is a must-have if you love Rellenos. I used heirloom tomatoes from the farmer’s market I visited this morning.  See, I took my own advice and went this weekend, hope you got a chance to get to one too!

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It is just now beginning to warm up here in “The Valley of the Sun”.  That means if we’re going to have soup, hot soup anyhow, it better be now!  I was inspired to make this after assisting a class last night at Barbara Fenzl’s Les Gourmettes Cooking School. Paula Lambert, of the Mozzarella Company, was the instructor and she made a Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone. This mascarpone will be flavored with basil and orange in the place of mint, with a base of tomatoes instead of peas for the soup… just goes to show how versatile soup is.

Paula founded the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas in 1982, and believe me, she is one talented bundle of energy and a laugh a minute!  Her delicious cheeses are available by mail order, check them out at this LINK, I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

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I believe I’ve mentioned this before – I love chai! My brain has been working overtime to come up with recipes to use the chai concentrate that I am totally addicted to. First up are poached pears in chai – these are delicious! The poaching liquid uses a fresh vanilla bean. Vanilla beans (and extract for that matter) are expensive, so be sure you’re getting a nice fresh one. The way to tell if it is fresh is to feel it. It should be soft and pliable, when you bend it, it should not break or crack. Costco sells gorgeous plump beans in a glass tube with a rubber stopper (the stopper helps keep them fresh longer once the package is opened). The glass tube is attached to a large piece of cardboard, look for it in the spice aisle. A good reason to purchase the beans at Costco is because of their high turnover. When purchasing vanilla beans at the grocery store, (where the turnover isn’t as quick) be sure to pull a bottle from the very back of the shelf and give it a good shake and listen to whether it sounds hard or soft. If you get it home and it is hard and breaking, be sure to return it, it is of no use in that state.

Once you remove the vanilla bean from the poaching liquid, allow it to dry on a counter for a couple of days, when it is completely dry, add it to your container of granulated sugar, the vanilla flavor will permeate the sugar and give you lovely vanilla scented sugar.

The best way to core the pears is with a melon-baller. It creates a perfectly round hole in the pear to fill. Tomorrow the other poached pear recipe – savory instead of sweet…
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