 |
|
|
Sabroso - Winter2008
EDIBLE EDUCATION
By: Jillian A. Mills
Photography by Russell Bamert
|
|
Though there are many variations on how people celebrate the holidays, many of us will find ourselves hosting or attending one or more dinner parties during the winter months. With this in mind, the questions of what to bring and what to serve seem inevitable. And while “traditional foods” are great, sometimes the menu can be a fun place to stray away from the customary. Of course, revamping the whole menu might not be appealing – after all, they’ve become tradition because we love them! But, what about tossing a few unexpected dishes into the mix?
With this idea in mind, ¡Sabroso! Magazine enlisted the help of Jerry Harrell of the Double Eagle Restaurant in Historic Old Mesilla in order to come up with some appetizers and desserts to share with our Edible Education Class. Because attendees get samples of all of the foods prepared at the class, we were provided with instant feedback and we’re happy to report that the fare received rave reviews across the board from our audience.
¡Sabroso! Magazine would like to thank Jerry Harrell of the Double Eagle for taking time to share his food savvy with our audience. We look forward to the classes we will be hosting in the coming year and hope all of our readers will make it out to join us in celebrating the great chefs of our region and the incredible foods they prepare. Happy holidays!
Louisiana Toffee
Makes 1 3⁄4 pound of candy
• 1 cup almonds, slivered
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups (12 oz) milk chocolate chips
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 1 cup walnuts, finely ground
Place almonds loosely in a single layer in the middle of an aluminum foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Cook butter, sugar, water, vanilla and salt in a heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, 15 to 18 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 130 degrees. Remove from heat and immediately pour over almonds in a circular pattern to spread the mixture. Do not scrape the pan. Set the pan aside to cool and then fill with water and let soak overnight.
Sprinkle the mixture with chocolate chips and, in three minutes, use a spatula to spread chocolate evenly to within 1⁄2-inch of the edges. Sprinkle with ground walnuts and let stand for 1 hour. Should be cool enough to break into pieces and store in airtight container.
|
|
