The Savage & The Sage

So Stinking Easy: Super Rich Homemade Sour Cream

August 4, 2014 by savageandsage

“You can never be too rich or too thin”- Wallis Simpson Clearly, La Simpson was not talking about sour cream. This falls into the category of “not quite a recipe”. You mix two ingredients together, wait 2 days and voila! super tangy, super rich sour cream. I’ve decided this is “blog post worthy” because it was a revelation to me how easy it is, and I think maybe it will be for you too. I’m just sharing the love. So, […]

Categories: So Stinking Easy • Tags: crema, sour cream, Wallis Simpson

So Stinking Easy: Make your Own Gin (in less than two minutes!)

July 30, 2014 by savageandsage

Sometimes, if you listen closely, the Universe will speak to you. A few weeks ago, the Universe told me to make gin. And I think you should too. I was reading a blog post on Eater.com about how Betony, a restaurant in midtown Manhattan, was offering gin and tonics with house infused, made-to-order gin. “How cool!” I thought. Then I watched this step-by-step video and realized that the Betony gin infusion takes only a minute and a half (!!) I started researching […]

Categories: It's 5 o'clock Somewhere, So Stinking Easy • Tags: bespoke gin, betony gin, DIY gin, eamon rockey, homemade gin, jack rudy tonic syrup, sous vide gin

It’s Science: Botulism (aka Salt-Rising) Bread

July 16, 2014 by savageandsage

Clostridium perfringens […] can eat flesh. It gives gas gangrene its name by causing putrefying flesh wounds that bubble and foam with flammable hydrogen. And it can make something surprisingly delicate and tasty.” Harold McGee on salt-rising bread My most favorite food publication is Lucky Peach. It’s a quarterly magazine that explores one food theme per issue, both in unconventional ways (diatribes, musings, cartoons) and expected ways (recipes, travel journals etc). It’s equal parts madcap, avant garde, topical and historical. […]

Categories: It's Science! • Tags: easy to digest bread, harold mcgee bread, lucky peach bread, no yeast bread, pioneer bread, salt risen bread, salt rising bread

It’s Seasonal: Candied Angelica

July 7, 2014 by savageandsage

“Like the Sun, its energy and effects are warming, uplifting, stimulating and energizing.”- The Apothecary’s Garden on Angelica archengelica Ugh. It is hard to remember back a few days ago when I was but an innocent with the simple plan of using a unknown ingredient. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. I suppose the best place to start is at the beginning… I am a member of the most fantastic CSA. Every week I get a box […]

Categories: It's Seasonal, Self Flagellation • Tags: angelica, candied angelica, foraged herb

It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere: Umbellifer Delight

June 29, 2014 by savageandsage

If you just Candied Angelica then you have earned yourself a drink. Nay, you need a drink. It’s quite the ordeal. If you don’t have any candied angelica on hand, no biggie. It’s just the garnish. I have always loved celery- I consider it one of the unsung heroes of the kitchen. Its flavor is minerally and clean and bright. It reminds me of the way the air smells after a Spring rain shower. This cocktail is a celebration of celery […]

Categories: It's 5 o'clock Somewhere • Tags: Apiaceae, candied angelica, celery bitters, chartreuse, lovage, sherry, Umbelliferae

So Stinking Easy: Cherry Pit Vinegar

June 29, 2014 by savageandsage

This is not really a recipe, per se. It’s a way to turn trash into treasure. You take something unloved and destined for the garbage and reimagine its role. You elevate it to something truly delicious! It’s pretty gratifying. I believe it is called “recycling”. CHERRY PIT VINEGAR Note: Using cherry pits in this way is a time honored tradition that has long been employed by frugal grandmothers and most recently by urban homesteaders. That said, the pits […]

Categories: So Stinking Easy • Tags: cherry pit vinegar, cherry pits, flavored vinegar

It’s Seasonal: Super Easy Sour Cherry Jam

June 28, 2014 by savageandsage

“He who likes cherries soon learns to climb”- German proverb Have you ever made jam before? No? This is a good place to start. You can do this. I did not grow up in a household where we “put up” anything. There was no canning, or pickling or preserving of any kind. As such, when I first started making jams I did not have the wisdom of my elders to guide me. Nor did I have my professional training to […]

Categories: It's Seasonal, So Stinking Easy • Tags: no pectin jam, sour cherries, sour cherry

What’s for Dinner? : Monkfish Liver

June 23, 2014 by savageandsage

I happen to live a block from a market that has a butcher and a fishmonger that have all but ruined me for life. The quality and variety of the fish and meat are nothing less than spectacular. And the presentation! Artful. Gorgeous. Fresh, fresh, fresh. It’s practically pornographic (you know, if food is your thing). On a recent trip I was non-committally perusing the fish counter checking to see what was new. I spotted some exciting additions: shad roe! […]

Categories: What's For Dinner? • Tags: Ankimo, foie gras of the sea, monkfish liver, seared liver, sous-vide

So Stinking Easy: Beer Bread

June 18, 2014 by savageandsage

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts!”- James Beard Some people have a sweet tooth, but I am not one of those people. My food cravings are almost always savory. My number one food craving? Bread. Good bread. Good bread of the crusty variety isn’t so easy to make at home. It involves starters and mothers and time and kneading and patience and skill, etc. But crusty bread […]

Categories: So Stinking Easy • Tags: Beer, Bread

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