I'm always amused by dishes now considered gourmet and upscale that were in years past ridiculed as peasant food. Foods like lobster, oysters, foie gras, and famous dishes like coq au vin and boeuf bourgignon used to be the food of the poor - now they're only served in the … Continue reading →
Homemade Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry syrup has been used as an effective natural remedy for centuries for treating and preventing colds, coughs and flu. And it's so easy to make yourself! The elder tree (sambucus nigra) has been prized as a "medicine chest" for centuries because of its … Continue reading →
BEST Traditional Mincemeat
If you've never cared for the store-bought stuff or even most homemade versions, you're not alone. But just wait until you've tried this ultimate homemade mincemeat recipe - it's a total game-changer! Whether you've never liked mincemeat or you've always loved it, prepare … Continue reading →
Toasted Hazelnut & Date Spread
I've partnered with New Seasons Market to bring you this post. Any time we're invited to someone's house for dinner or something casual like a game night with snacks, I always like to bring along a little something as a thank you. Depending on how much time I have it can … Continue reading →
BEST Brown Mushroom Gravy (from scratch)
For the best mushroom gravy recipe, look no further! This is easy to make and has an incredible depth of flavor! You're going to love this versatile sauce! If you're looking for a delicious brown mushroom gravy, look no further! Absolutely nothing beats homemade … Continue reading →
Authentic Chinese Plum Sauce
Chinese plum sauce is a smooth sweet and tart sauce infused with traditional Chinese spices and boasts a deliciously complex flavor profile that will mesmerize your taste buds! It's wonderfully versatile as a dipping sauce, stir-fry sauce, basting sauce or glaze as well as … Continue reading →
Best Marinara Sauce for Canning
It's hard to beat a simple dish of fresh pasta topped with homemade marinara sauce. The key is using quality products and when you have those these simplest of dishes come to life. The Italians have relied on the best of the best tomatoes for centuries: Sun-kissed San … Continue reading →
Peach Bacon Jam
Get ready for the ULTIMATE bacon jam! The combination of flavors will absolutely "wow" your taste buds and have you coming back for more! Is that making you drool? Because it's making me drool. And I've already had it several times. So I can fully vouch for the … Continue reading →
Honey Peach Cardamom Sauce
Peaches are in season here in Washington State and I picked up a bulk load of 75 pounds of them last week! I've been busy chopping and freezing them for smoothies, canning them, making fruit leather, peach cobbler and peach crisp, and thought I'd try something new - this … Continue reading →
Homemade Blackberry Syrup
Bursting with the incredible flavor of concentrated blackberries, this homemade blackberry syrup is easy to make and tastes absolutely phenomenal! NOTHING beats homemade! This year saw the best crop of blackberries we've seen yet with the largest, juiciest, sweetest … Continue reading →
Best Homemade Giardiniera (Hot or Mild)
Not just for hot dogs and muffuletta sandwiches, add this giardinera to your burgers, nachos, pizzas, pasta salads and anything else your heart desires! This homemade giardiniera recipe is simply the best and once you've tried it you'll be HOOKED for life! How To Make … Continue reading →
Blue Cheese Butter
When I was a kid I hated blue cheese. Nothing could convince me to eat it. And whenever my mom made something with blue cheese in it, I resisted it with all my stubborn might. But this story has a good ending. Once I hit adulthood I finally came to my senses and fell … Continue reading →
Classic Homemade Caramel Sauce
Thank you to New Seasons Market for sponsoring this post! Is there anything more swoon-worthy than a waffle cone dripping with ice cream or a loaded ice cream sundae? I can totally relate to one of my favorite actresses, Ginger Rogers, when she said: "My love for ice … Continue reading →
Cherry Barbecue Sauce
A deliciously flavorful and fruity barbecue sauce you can enjoy on your grilled meats, chicken, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, and used in any recipe that calls for barbecue sauce! What would you do with 75 pounds of cherries? That's what I picked up this past … Continue reading →
BEST Sweet and Sour Sauce
There are so many ways to enjoy this popular and versatile sauce. And with only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep/cook time, this delicious Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe couldn't be simpler! Plus it's better than your favorite Chinese takeout or restaurant! Chinese … Continue reading →
Lemon Dill Mustard Dressing
Dill has always been one of my favorite herbs. I've had success in growing nearly all of my culinary herbs from seed and planting them in my herb garden, but dill has been a challenge. I've been trying to grow it for the past three years and just haven't had much luck. I … Continue reading →
Healthy Food Swaps + 10 Healthy Salad Dressings
Since the start of the new year I've been focusing on cutting back on calories in an effort to shed the final few pounds I put on during the holidays. Rather than go on an extreme diet, I've just been taking small, simple steps on a daily basis, swapping out high calorie … Continue reading →
Candied Orange Peel Recipe
Thank you to New Seasons Market for sponsoring this post! Making your own candied orange peel and candied lemon peel is super easy and the difference between homemade and store-bought is absolutely mind-blowing! Leave the store-bought stuff on the shelf because NOTHING … Continue reading →
Cherry Dessert Sauce
This quick and easy cherry sauce is the perfect accompaniment to your dessert - everything from pound cake to waffles, pudding and ice cream! Here is a quick, easy and delicious cherry dessert sauce for pouring over everything from pound cake to waffles, shortcake, … Continue reading →
Classic English Custard (Crème Anglaise)
Custard serves two basic culinary purposes: Either as a thick pastry cream (crème pâtissière) or a thin dessert sauce for pouring (crème anglaise, French for "English cream" because of its popularity in English desserts). The difference between the two is its thickness and … Continue reading →
Cranberry Ginger Mustard Sauce
Cranberry sauce. Whether you love it or hate it, Thanksgiving and Christmas simply aren't the same without it. As a kid and teenager I used to avoid the stuff. You know, that thick gelatinous stuff that retains the shape of the can after it's unceremoniously dumped onto … Continue reading →
Traditional Bavarian Sweet Mustard (Bayerischer Süßer Senf)
My mom is from Bavaria from a small town south of Munich on the Austrian border, and though I grew up in Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart, I equally consider Bavaria my home. I could spend multiple posts praising the beauty of this stunning region of southern Germany, but … Continue reading →
Kitchen Basics: How To Roast Red Peppers
Jarred roasted red peppers are one of those things I often don't have on hand when I need them. Can you relate? It's the same story with several other things, which is why I developed the very best recipes for items like tahini paste, marzipan/almond paste, teriyaki sauce, … Continue reading →
Plum Butter (Pflaumenmus)
Plum Butter brings back memories of the time I spent with my Oma and Opa growing up in southern Germany. There it's called Pflaumenmus and you can readily find it in any grocery store next to the jams and marmalades. My Oma used to make Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) … Continue reading →
Pickled Turnips
Pickling is a method of preservation that dates back to Neolithic times around 7000 BC. During this anaerobic fermentation process strange and wonderful things happen that transform the original product into something quite different. And very healthy with all those … Continue reading →
Grilled Sweet & Sour Meatball Kabobs
This post is in partnership with Veal Made Easy. I love food. All kinds of food. From north, south, east and west, exploring flavors from near and far is my passion. And I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more healthy vegetables in a way that makes them … Continue reading →
Sicilian-style Grilled Tuna Steaks
A special thank you to Lindsay for sponsoring this post and to our readers for supporting the brands that help make The Daring Gourmet possible! From my early childhood trips to Italy's beaches to my farewell trip to Tuscany as an adult before leaving Europe for the … Continue reading →
BEST Authentic Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is a central ingredient in many Chinese dishes, but it's one of those things you may not always have on hand. Fortunately, not only is it easy to make yourself, it tastes WAY better than anything store-bought and will work flavor miracles for your Chinese … Continue reading →
Roasted Sweet Potato Fettuccine Alfredo
Even though the holidays are long over, our consumption of sweet potatoes doesn't have to be - nor should it be! Find out more about the U.S.history of sweet potato consumption and why you should be eating them throughout the year in my post on Curried Sweet Potato Soup … Continue reading →
BEST Homemade Black Bean Sauce (aka Black Bean Garlic Sauce or Black Bean Paste)
This authentic black bean sauce recipe holds the grand secret to making some of the best Chinese food on the planet! It will work absolute flavor miracles for your Chinese dishes! For those of you who know what Chinese black bean sauce is, you already know the … Continue reading →
Greek Meatballs
Thank you to Lindsay for sponsoring this post! Our family loves meatballs. And really, who doesn't? For many of us they're linked to childhood memories of comfort food around the family dinner table or a favorite Italian restaurant. My mom made the best Swedish … Continue reading →
How To Make a Bouquet Garni
If you like French food and you want to cook like the French, you have to become acquainted with the Bouquet Garni. An indispensable part of French cuisine, the bouquet garni is quick and simple to put together and will do wonders for your food. Plus, I've got some great … Continue reading →
Authentic Lebkuchengewurz (German Gingerbread Spice)
THE essential ingredient to authentic tasting Lebkuchen, Pfeffernusse and more, absolutely NOTHING compares to the bold and vibrant flavors of homemade Lebkuchengewurz! This German gingerbread spice mix will make you think you're walking the streets of one of Germany's … Continue reading →
Fettuccine Alfredo + A Case for Tradition: Musso & Frank Grill
Thank you to Bon Appetit for sponsoring this post! The best Fettuccine Alfredo I've had was at Hollywood's oldest restaurant, the Musso and Frank Grill. Not coincidentally there's a reason for this and it goes back nearly 100 years. But first let me take you back … Continue reading →
Pumpkin Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
How did you guess I like sausage gravy and biscuits? Oh, because this is the third version I published?? Well, you're right! It's just really terrific comfort food, do you agree? I first shared my classic Southern-style Sausage Gravy and Biscuits and that was followed by … Continue reading →
Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
Thank you to Food Should Taste Good for sponsoring this post! Robust and flavorful and perfectly creamy, this Roasted Pumpkin Hummus is simply out of this world! Let me tell you, this pumpkin hummus ROCKS! I didn't get to eat as much of it as I would have liked, … Continue reading →
Spiced Pumpkin Vinaigrette
This Spiced Pumpkin vinaigrette is super quick and simple to make and will positively transform a bed of greens or a piece of grilled squash into something truly irresistible! The robust flavors of pumpkin, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves are combined with … Continue reading →
French Entertaining “Country Style” + Alexian/Le Creuset Giveaway!
I've teamed up with Alexian to bring you this delicious post! I recently had the opportunity to try some amazing products from ALEXIAN. Let me tell you a little about them. Alexian is America's premier producer of the finest pâtés and mousses all made with the … Continue reading →
White Bean & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Dip
I looooove a good dip. Growing up I always had my staple favorites: French onion, sour cream & onion, a variety of cheese dips, and bean dip. In recent years I've really enjoyed experimenting with a variety of flavors and mediums. Here is one we really enjoyed and … Continue reading →
Blueberry Lemon Apricot Jam
What says comfort like a slice of freshly baked bread slathered with butter and homemade jam? I've been experimenting with a few jams this Summer and this one has become a family favorite. The combination of blueberries-nectarines-lemons works beautifully and I'm sure … Continue reading →
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