Ambrosial Addendum

My favorite thing about food is that it’s a vehicle for stories. Yes, it’s nourishing and tastes good, if you’re skilled or lucky or wealthy enough. Those qualities, though, aren’t special. My favorite foods are the stuff of memories, my own and others, of historical or personal importance. Having a deeper connection to the people that made it is the secret spice that makes flavors bloom more vibrantly than a whole quart of MSG. I’d trade all my quick fix recipes just to have more stories.

Every time I feel compelled to dive back into the past, through fading photos or slides illuminated from the Kodaslide‘s unearthly glow, I’m digging just beyond the margins. Living inside each frame. Hunting for something I’ve missed, as if just looking harder, more intensely, will reveal Waldo right in the middle of the page. Sometimes it’s easier to discover, though harder to decipher.

The subject of one holiday snapshot, I recognize my beautiful 20-year-old Grandmother immediately, beaming over a table of desserts. Delicate glasses filled with an undefined, nebulous substance preside over every formal place setting. For weeks, maybe months, the image haunted me; I had no idea what that dish was. I was missing a story.

Great debates with other family members followed. At first, I thought maybe it was sorbet, as my Grandfather was so fond of making, but I swear it seemed to have more texture. Is it a pudding, a parfait? I’m not at all convinced I have the answer, but I’ve decided to create my own addendum to this story. If you ask me, I think it’s ambrosia. Wildly popular in the early to mid-1900s, especially for the winter holidays, I can see it being all the rage around the time of the photo.

Writing my own post-script, I’m making ambrosia in my own modern kitchen, hoping that I might have more stories to pass down, too. In this rendition, I’ve taken the sweetness down a notch by tempering it with an invigorating triple hit of citrus. Mandarin orange segments are traditional, easily augmented with candied lemon peels and a final flourish of fresh lime zest.

I could write a whole dissertation about what could qualify as ambrosia (most creamy fruit salads) and the crimes against humanity some commit (including mayonnaise), but I’d rather tell one story at a time. I don’t worry about running out of ingredients or inspiration. I do worry about running out of stories. Hopefully this one might be the beginning of another for someone else.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Meat of the Matter

Jumbo Calzones
Hot Sausage Pasta Salad
Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo
Baba Ghanoush Pasta
Summer Squash Ceviche with Warm Tortillas
Stovetop Spinach Artichoke Dip
Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes
Tater Tot Shepherd’s Pie
Sesame Snow Pea Stir Fry
Tofuballs
Meaty Lentil Chorizo Tacos

Recipe testing for The 29-Minute Vegan: Real Food, Real Vibes, Anytime by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

(As it goes with recipe testing, not all of these made the final cut. You’ll have to check out the cookbook for yourself to see the winners!)

Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Chartreuse With Envy

All spirits come with a good bit of lore and legend, though few come even close to the mythos surrounding Chartreuse. More than a color, “chartreuse” also refers to a region, Carthusian Monks, and of course, the liqueur. Part of the allure is the scarcity, raising prices to the realm of top shelf bottles, if you can even get your hands on it at all. At the end of the day, when happy hour rolls around, its inimitable flavor cements its place in modern mixology.

An Elixir For Long Life

Fortunately for us history buffs, the origins of Chartreuse are well documented. In 1605, a mysterious manuscript containing the recipe for an “elixir of long life” was presented to the Carthusian monks in Paris by François Hannibal d’Estrées, Marshal to King Henry IV. The document described an elaborate preparation using 130 plants, flowers, roots, and spices. It was so complex that it would take the monks more than a century to fully interpret and bring to fruition.

It’s said that this was the number of ingredients because it simply encompassed every single potentially beneficial flower, spice, bark, root, and berry known at that time. The contents of that manuscript have been kept a closely guarded secret ever since. Intended to be purely medicinal, none of these men of God could have imagined the debauchery it might one day inspire.

Shades of Green and Yellow

Due to lack of access, most people think of Chartreuse as having only two varieties: green and yellow. While they’re not wrong, there are more variants of each one, differentiated by blending and aging.

Élixir Végétal

Small adjustments were made for the next 100 years, until 1737 when Élixir Végétal De La Grande-Chartreuse was officially bottled for sale. This concentrated tonic remains exactly the same to this day, aside from the tiniest reduction in ABV, from 71 – 69%, rumored to fit through a loophole allowing it in carry-on luggage. Made from a neutral alcohol traditionally distilled from beet sugar, a few drops can perk up any cocktail, much like bitters, or even be enjoyed straight-up. With top notes of anise, a subtle bitterness yet balanced sweetness, it has a complexity that’s impossible to describe in a few short sentences. Anything I write sounds polarizing, off-putting, or at odds with any conventional flavor pairings, and yet the actual tasting experience is anything but.

Core Colors

Green Chartreuse, the most iconic expression of the art, came soon after. This “health liqueur” gets its color naturally from chlorophyll, befitting of its herbaceous, slightly spicy flavor. Yellow Chartreuse uses more sugar and is lower proof, producing a downright syrupy consistency that could replace any additional sweeteners in a cocktail with greater nuances of citrus and delicate florals.

1605 and MOF

Launched in 2005 to celebrate 400 years of distilling, Liqueur d’Elixir 1605 pays tribute to an alternate creation, Liqueur de Santé, which was later renamed Green Chartreuse in 1840. Blending a small amount of the powerful Herbal Elixir de la Grande-Chartreuse into the standard green Chartreuse base, gives it the familiar intense botanicals of green Chartreuse with a less sweet finish. Similarly Chartreuse MOF is a collaboration between the Carthusian monks and France’s prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) sommeliers, released in 2008. Dryer than the classic yellow, it’s intended as a digestif after dinner, never to be muddied as a mixer. And you had better sip slowly, because both will ring up at over $200 per bottle.

V.E.P. Green and V.E.P. Yellow

V.E.P. stands for “Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé,” otherwise known as Exceptionally Prolonged Aging. These are the rarest of all expressions as they must rest in oak barrels for up to 20 years, though no one but a few monks could tell you exactly how long. Smoother and more mellow as a result, while still carrying the original character of the green and yellow base. Each bottle is a real investment though, easily reaching price tags well into the thousands, if you can find it in the first place.

Liqueur Worthy of Devotion

Leveraging sales of the tonic to support monastic life, the monks began to produce just enough of the famed alcohol to allow a life dedicated to prayer, study, and silence. They could easily double or triple production, or completely outsource the process to strike it rich, but that’s never been the point of Chartreuse. Today, only two monks know the full formula and oversee the blending of those classified 130 botanicals. Their work happens largely out of public view, and that air of secrecy only deepens the mystique.

Ironically, that humility and devotion has helped transform Chartreuse into some of the most coveted bottles around. As cocktail culture has exploded in the past two decades, bartenders have rediscovered just how irreplaceable it is. Classics like The Last Word, Bijou, and Alaska cocktail rely on its unmistakable herbal intensity; there is simply no substitute. This elixir is indeed proving to have a very long life, with no end in sight.

Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Einkorn’s Ultimate Plot Twist

Back in my earliest days as a picky eater, pasta was absolutely fundamental to my being. Even that was unadventurous stuff, served either buttered or smothered in cheese sauce. The shape was similarly mundane, limited to only the basics when it came to everyday options: elbows, spaghetti, and my favorite, fusilli. Or, as I called them, “twists”. The tightly coiled corkscrews created layers of texture to sink your teeth into while creating scores of little pockets that catch and hold onto sauces, should you be so bold as to apply them. Even with such a limited palate, I think my younger self would have would have gone wild for the new Einkorn Fusilli from Grand Teton Ancient Grains.

The Best Kind of Plot Twist

Joining their trio of longer noodle stands, fusilli is the first short shape offered by Grand Teton Ancient Grains. Just like the original lineup, they’re made with 100% organic einkorn, extruded through bronze dies, and slow-dried. It’s that attention to detail that blows mass-produced macaroni out of the water.

Weeknight Speed, Weekend Quality

Pasta has always been an easy answer to last-minute meals, but these fusilli take speed to the next level. They cook to al dente perfection in only 5 minutes, much like you would expect from fresh pasta, but with the convenience of being shelf-stable. That also means that in the case of very saucy dishes, you can often add them straight into the pan, no par-cooking necessary, fully infusing each tender twist with flavor.

Built For Every Sauce

There’s nothing the hardworking fusilli can’t do. Named from the Italian “fuso,” meaning “spindle” in reference to the rod once used to hand-twist each piece, they’re a natural base for red sauce, be that marinara, arrabbiata, puttanesca, amatriciana, Bolognese, pomodoro, ragu; you name it, these noodles can handle it. Each ruffled crenelation holds just as tightly to more delicate sauces too, such as pesto, browned butter, or the most humble aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil). Especially given the rough, porous surface created from these specific bronze dies, Grand Teton Ancient Grains einkorn fusilli fulfills any noodle needs.

Nutritional Upgrade

Mac and cheese is what I most closely associate with tiny twists, as per my earliest childhood exposure. Granted, this was always from the blue box, nothing nearly as luxurious as this. Einkorn fusilli would have blown my young mind apart. Who knows, maybe I would have found an appreciation for real food earlier on… Or just become more pasta-obsessed than ever. At least, einkorn pasta has more protein, higher levels of iron, zinc, and magnesium, and scores more B vitamins than conventional options, so I’d be better off nutritionally with such a selective diet.

Comfort Food For All Occasions

The curative properties of meatless chicken noodle soup take on greater prowess when einkorn pasta takes the place of the typical, flaccid strands. Each spiral holds its structure in the simmering broth, resisting the fate of dissolving into mush, while soaking up all that savory, herb-laced goodness in the process. It transforms a simple, soothing staple into something with real substance: heartier, more satisfying, and something you’ll want to ladle out in big bowls even when nothing ails you.

A Dish Best Served Cold

Pasta salad might be where these twists truly shine, though, especially once the weather begins to warm and heavy meals lose their appeal. Their springy shape is tailor-made for catching bits of every crisp vegetable, briny olives, sharp dairy-free cheeses, or toasted nuts, so every forkful feels balanced and complete. Unlike softer pastas that can turn limp after a stint in the fridge, einkorn fusilli maintains its al dente bite, holding up beautifully to tangy vinaigrette or creamy dressings alike. Packed for a picnic or pulled straight from the fridge for an easy meal, it’s a smart option to have prepped all summer long.

Summertime Staycation

To that end, I’d like to suggest another unconventional approach. Easily outshine every other dish at your next potluck with something brighter, bolder, and a little unexpected. Juicy mango, crisp red bell pepper, crunchy jicama, and a generous squeeze of lime swirl around those toothsome einkorn spirals. Sweet-tart Sunset Mango Pasta Salad captures a bite of easy-going island energy, like watching golden hour paint the shoreline in gilded hues. Worlds away from the beige, mayo-laden standards that tend to dominate the genre, this fresh combination simply shines.

Spirals, In Constant Rotation

It’s a good thing Grand Teton Ancient Grains packages their fusilli in two-pound bags because I’ve been devouring it at an almost embarrassing pace. If there’s pasta involved, this is the one I reach for without thinking. One new recipe idea begets another, never coming close to exhausting the culinary possibilities, or my hunger for more. Only take the plunge if you’re ready to have a standing order; after one taste, going back to discount dried pasta will be tough to swallow.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Soup, Stew, or Salad?

Grilled Nectarine Salad with Raspberry Vin and Spiced Pecans
Shiitake Be’ef & Bulgur Stew
Hoppin’ John
Green Goddess Quinoa Bowl
Greek Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Tofu Feta
Shrooms and Grits
Creamy Primavera Vegetable Soup
Coconut Corn Soup with Mock Duck
Caesar Salad With Tofu Chick’n Croutons
Three-Bean Berbere Chili
Warm Potato Supper Salad
Warm Mushroom Salad with Frisée and Honee Mustard

Recipe testing for The 29-Minute Vegan: Real Food, Real Vibes, Anytime by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

(As it goes with recipe testing, not all of these made the final cut. You’ll have to check out the cookbook for yourself to see the winners!)

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Don’t Mess With Tex-Mex

As a youngster hailing from New England, I was woefully uninformed about the fine nuances of Tex-Mex cuisine. Hell, to my greatest shame, I once pronounced publicly that I “generally wasn’t a fan of Mexican food,” which still haunts me to this day. It’s still buried somewhere in the archives if you dig deep enough. Mexican food, itself a fusion of indigenous ingredients, Spanish influence, and regional variations that span all of Central America, gained a new accent when Tejanos took to the kitchen.

I once scoffed at Tex-Mex as being a watered-down version of Mexican cuisine, leaning toward milder seasonings, white flour tortillas, and a heavy hand with cheese, and I was wrong about this too. This is also an equally valid, equally delicious approach, bringing to life different flavors that aren’t trying to replicate anything else. Tex-Mex is American, bold, sometimes brash, and unapologetic.

Given the considerable overlap, it can be difficult to tease the two apart. Many of basic staples, the sides and sauces that are the building blocks of bigger dishes, look the same, no matter who’s table they’re destined for. I realize now, with age and greater perspective, that my disdain was rooted in the fallacy of “authenticity,” a concept I’ve railed against vehemently and yet failed to see how it applied here. Tex-Mex cuisine is authentic to Texan cooks, following time-honored recipes that, like any others, subtly change and adapt to individual tastes. When I learned to stop judging it, I learned there was so much to love. I haven’t looked back.

Maybe there’s a greater lesson to be learned here, beyond the meal at hand. For now, though, I’ll leave you with that food for thought, and a list of my current twenty best vegan Tex-Mex recipes. Que aproveche.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments