Tea Time with Brandy: Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Danishes with Nocciolata

When one likes to cook for as wide of a circle of friends as Brandy has, one certainly has to keep in mind a variety of dietary needs.  This is perhaps why Brandy's shelves are constantly stocked with a variety of flours, oils, and condiments so that she can whip up something delicious at a moment's notice for anyone who might stop by.

Lately Brandy has been trying to beef up her repertoire of dairy free baking recipes.  "It used to be almost impossible to think about baking without butter or milk, but now I know it can be done," she often tells herself while puttering around in the kitchen.  In fact, vegan alternatives are being made for almost everything these days, often times tasting just as good as their traditional versions, which Brandy discovered when she sampled a dairy free version of Nocciolata, a chocolate hazelnut spread from Italy.

Nocciolata-Dairy Free from Rigoni di Asiago is certified vegan, organic, non-GMO, gluten free and is made from a secret family recipe.  When Brandy first tasted this decadent treat, she found it just as rich as its milk laden alternative.  "I don't know how they kept this so creamy without using any cream!" Brandy exclaimed, "Oh, the things I could do with a rich spread like this."

Suddenly, she was struck with the idea of coming up with a recipe that could just as easily be made with dairy as without.  Taking Nocciolata's rich flavor as inspiration, Brandy combined it with the most desired dairy-based treat imaginable, i.e. cheesecake, and created a versatile filing that could be used in a variety of dishes.  Taking things in a brunchy direction, she created this simple and easy danish recipe that could easily be made completely dairy free by using vegan cream cheese and a dairy free puff pastry.

The writers of this blog were sent products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Danishes

1 package of frozen puff pasty dough (defrosted)

1/2 cup of Nocciolata

1/2 a brick of cream cheese

2 tablespoons of sugar

whole hazelnuts for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the puff pasty into squares of equal size (they can be bite sized or gigantic, just as long as all the pieces are of equal size).  Using a sharp knife or a cookie cutter, cut a circle out of the middle of half of the pieces.  Using a bit of water, stick the pieces with the hole cut out on top of the whole pieces.

In a medium bowl, whip together the cream cheese, sugar, and Nocciolata.  Spoon the mixture into the middle of the puff pasty pieces until they are level (the amount will vary based on the size of the danishes).  Bake the danishes on a greased baking pan for 15-20 minutes, or until the top it golden brown.  Top pastries with hazelnuts (alternatively, they can be topped with fresh berries or turbinado sugar) and serve warm.

Postcards from Bunny: Dinner at Macello Ristorante and Pizzeria

Summer was taking one of its last breaths of the year when Bunny arrived in Chicago one evening for a brief layover between flights from Saint Thomas and Caracas.  "Everybody seems to already have plans for the evening," she grumbled, checking messages on her phone, "Oh well.  Perhaps its time for a date night with myself!"

She'd been craving Italian food since a brief stop in Milan a few months previous, so she chose to visit Macello in the West Loop.  Situated a little father west than most of the other trendy West Loop bastions, Macello featured a small deli at the front, a beautiful dining room just beyond the entrance, and a patio out back.

Bunny was struck first by the beautiful light streaming into the dining room via the triangular skylights over head.  At the back of the space, the open kitchen and wood fire oven added a warmth to the atmosphere that instantly made Bunny feel right at home.  The old world decor of exposed brick, concrete floors, and dark warm woods was brought to life with various pops of color throughout, like the glass panels on the windows, the giant painted lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the swirling murals along the walls, or the embedded bits of colored glass in the floor that positively mesmerized Bunny.

Inspired by the colors around her, Bunny picked out an equally colorful cocktail to kick off her meal; the Island Getaway made with pineapple and blue curacao.  Though not traditionally Italian, Bunny quite liked the fruity, sweet, and whimsical flavor.  "Is it artisan and natural and gourmet?  No," Bunny posited, "But is it fun?  Absolutely!"

Bunny started off her meal with a pair of cheesy appetizers; the Carciofi Ripieni and the Caprese di Burrata.  The Carciofi Ripieni, or stuffed artichokes, were very tender with a nice, nutty cheese both inside and on top.  The flavor was bright, citrusy, and almost sweet from being cooked in a white wine sauce.  The caprese was very fresh and rich with the uber creamy burrata taking the place of the more traditional mozzarella.  The herbiness of the basil was the dominant flavor along with a sprinkling of fresh pepper and some olive oil.  Bunny only wished for a firmer tomato at the base, as the slices beneath the cheese were on the watery side, but some brighter and more flavorful grape tomatoes on the top helped to compensate.

Instead of settling for one entree, Bunny decided to order two half servings of pasta so that she could try get the most out of her evening on her own.  First she tried the Braciole Beef Orecchette, a hearty dish with a bright and acidic tomato based sauce that was packed full of veggies for a classic Italian flavor.  Bunny loved how tender the beef rolls were, breaking apart easily with just her fork, while the pasta had been cooked to perfection with just a touch of chew to it.  Secondly, she sampled the Tartufata Laganelle, a linguini like pasta with a curly edge dressed with a truffle pesto, sausage, mushrooms, and a wedge of creamy goat cheese.  In this dish, Bunny felt that the pasta was the true star with the truffle flavor enhancing rather than overpowering everything.  The spiced sausage was a lovely accompaniment as was the goat cheese, which added a nice bite to an otherwise earthy, but light dish.

Lastly, Bunny finished off her meal with a dessert called Tartufo di Nocciola, a multi layered ball of ice cream coated in coco powder in order to resemble a truffle and topped with a spiked caramel sauce.  Though the texture of the dessert was a little grainy (Bunny suspected it hadn't frozen quite right) the flavor was pure hazelnut bliss with a nice boozy kick from the caramel.  "One would think this would be perfect for a chocoholic, but it's actually more nutty than anything else," she mused, sipping on an espresso.

Finally, she kicked back with a Limoncello and listened as a lovely young man played the accordian just behind her.  "I was so worried I wouldn't have company tonight," she laughed to herself, "But one can never be truly alone when there's a plate of food chock full of someone's love and passion in front of you."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine by the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Carmine's or Larger Than Life

The Slow and Savory Review

Patio season has always been an odd phenomenon in Brandy's mind.  "The people of Chicago get so excited every year to eat their meals outside," she says, "And I really don't understand the compulsion.  That is to say, I do realize how cooped up the population feels after a long Chicago winter and that any excuse to be outside feels like a blessing at first, but as the humidity seeps in and the bugs begin to swarm, I for one run straight for an enclosed and air conditioned space."

Bunny's dear friend Bailey is an example of one such person who will take any excuse to be outside during the summer.  "Let's go find a beautiful patio and have brunch!" she cheerily declared one Sunday morning.  "Must we?" Brandy whined.  "Yes.  It's beautiful outside, the sky is blue, and there's so few days like this left in the year.  Quit being such a stick in the mud!"  And so with much grumbling and rolling of eyes, Brandy agreed to a patio brunch.

They decided on Carmine's in the Gold Coast, a relaxed Italian steakhouse atmosphere with a beautiful covered patio space that made even Brandy scratch her chin in appreciation.  Filled with lush green color and flowering plants, the patio space gave diners the best of both worlds with television screens and sweetly twinkling string lights along with fresh breezes and prime people watching views.

Brandy and Bailey settled in with a couple of cocktails while they planned their menu strategy.  Brandy enjoyed the refreshing and sweet Pimm's Royal while Bailey chose a classic Bellini with a nice, crisp peach flavor.

"Let's switch things up and start off with something sweet," suggested Brandy, eyeing up the Bananas Foster French Toast, which Bailey agreed to wholeheartedly.  When the French Toast appeared on the horizon however, hefted by the smiling server, both ladies gasped in amazement.  The massive sweet treat consisted of what looked to be a whole loaf of bread, sliced into three pieces, coated in a crispy breading, slathered in sliced bananas and caramel sauce, and accompanied by several large scoops of vanilla gelato.  The thing tasted just as good as it looked with a crunchy exterior and a soft, eggy, chewy interior.  The flavor was true to the banana's foster moniker with plenty of sweet, buttery, and rummy notes.  "I was originally thinking we might order some dessert to share at the end of the meal," said Brandy, "But I hardly think that will be necessary now!"

Bailey picked the Surf and Turf Benedict for her main course, with half the dish coming adorned with a crab cake and the other with a small filet.  Bailey found that the steak had a good char on it and was still incredibly tender for a thinner cut of beef.  The crab cake was indeed mostly crab with very little cake and had a bit of brightness added to it with some red and green peppers throughout.  "Whoo boy!  This hollandaise has a bit of a kick to it!" Bailey exclaimed in delight.  On the side, some simple roasted marble potatoes were a nice accompaniment, while a small bowl of fruit provided a touch of sweetness to cleanse the palate of all the rich and salty flavors.

Brandy was feeling more in a lunchy kind of mood, so she went with the Lobster Roll.  She was very pleased to see that the lobster roll was composed of about 90% lobster, unlike some others she's had that are loaded with fillers like celery or potato.  The chunks of lobster were big too, and very tender and fresh tasting.  The buttered and slightly warm bun perfectly complimented the cold lobster salad, as did a sprinkle of cayenne pepper in the mayo, adding a touch of heat to liven things up.  Brandy also received a side of fruit along with some crunchy seasoned fries.  "Lobster rolls are always a bit of a gamble," she said, "But this one is certainly a winner in my book."

Perhaps it was the high quality food, the generous portions, the friendly service, or merely the indulgent weather, but Brandy found herself in a rather good mood following her brunch at Carmine's.  "Alright, perhaps there is something to this so called patio season," she begrudgingly admitted to Bailey, "But I'm still never going to be a sun worshiper."  "That's fine," said Bailey, "I'll soak in enough sun for the both of us."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Breakfast Pierogi Casserole with Popkoff's

Dumplings are one of those things that turn up in almost every culture's cuisine in some form or another.  Brandy, for one, has made it her mission to try as many dumplings as possible.  From Xioa long bao to mandu to samosas and raviolis, Brandy takes a special joy in trying all sorts of exotic fillings wrapped in dough and fried, boiled, steamed, or baked.  "Dumplings might be the perfect food," she's often been known to observe, "They can be sweet or savory, they can be meaty or vegetarian.  Every dumpling is a pocket of infinite possibilities until you take that first bite."

Recently, Brandy came across Popkoff's, purveyors of frozen, high quality, authentic Russian dumplings.  They carried two types of traditional Eastern European dumplings; Pelmeni (or rounded pouches originating in Siberia and resembling tortellini) and Vareniki (or half moon shaped pouches in the style of a pierogie) and each type came in a variety of taste bud tempting flavors.  With her love of dumplings spurring her on, Brandy decided to experiment with a few packages.

First, Brandy cooked up some of the Pelmeni.  She started off with the chicken flavor, boiling them for five minutes before tossing them in brown butter with sauted spinach and caramelized onions for a deliciously savory dinner.  The next day, she cooked up the beef variety in the same manner, and then tossed them along with some garlic sauted mushrooms and onions and some sour cream to create a lovely variation on beef stroganoff.  Following that, she looked to the Farmer's Cheese variety and stewed up some fresh peaches with cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and cream to to make a deeply flavorful sauce, making for a brilliant and unconventional dish that would have been right at home as either a dessert or at brunch.  But saving her favorite for last, Brandy decided to create something special and yet simple with the Potato and Onion Vareniki.

Breakfast Pierogi Casserole

6 eggs
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 package of Popkoff's Potato and Onion Vareniki
1/3 cup of cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the vareniki according to package instructions.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, scramble the eggs, then add the cream, salt, pepper, and cheese, and stir to combine.

Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray, then add in the vareniki.  Pour the egg mixture over the vareniki and make sure everything is coated and level.  Bake in the over for 35-45 minutes or until the eggs are solid.  Sprinkle cooked bacon or sausage over the top, cut into squares, and serve warm.

The writers of this blog were sent products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Postcards from Bunny: Step Up Shine and Dine 2016

There's not many nights that Bunny looks forward to more than Shine and Dine for Step Up Women's Network.  For the past few years, she has been privileged to join this stellar event full of food, fun, and most importantly, inspiration, so when she saw that the evening in question was fast approaching, she hopped on the next plane to Chicago.  "There's not much that would keep me away from good food," Bunny said, "But when you add an amazing program like Step Up into the mix, there is literally nothing I wouldn't do to be there."

The Shine and Dine event brings together some of Chicago's finest restaurants to celebrate a group of extraordinary girls and the women who work to make sure they have the best opportunities in life.  Step Up Women's Network gives young girls a network of mentors and resources to help them plan for the future and achieve their true potential.  Every year, the Shine and Dine event helps raise money for these programs by delivering amazing food, pop up experiences, and even some of the girls themselves, who mingle among the guests in order to really put a face to what the night is all about.

Bunny, anxious to get started, jumped right into the food.  Meats and toasts seemed to be a theme of the evening with several restaurants serving up carnivorous and carb loaded bites.  The Radler brought forth a sweet and savory Summer Sausage with one having plum mustard, endive, candied pecans, and black lemon, while Troquet offered two different "tartines" with white peach, heirloom tomato, chili, and prosciutto, which made for a fresh, summery bite, while the other one featured smoked salmon, cucumber, asparagus, cream cheese, and pickled radish, which reminded Bunny of a tea sandwich.  Eden had a different version of a smoked salmon toast, this one with pickled beet, radish, corn, red oinon, and Fresno chili and Eno presented a Country Ham on grilled caraway bread with pickled peaches and micro greens.  Breaking the mold a little with their offerings were Micheal Jordon's Steakhouse with a grilled Mesquite New York Strip and lobster creamed corn as well as Honey Butter Fried Chicken putting up a scrumptious Fried Chicken Nacho plate with pimento cheese, lime crema, and roasted corn pico de gallo,

There were also lots of treats for sweet toothed individuals at this year's dinner.  Bang Bang Pie offered up a Peach Berry Crisp, which was perfect on the late summer evening, while Nico Osteria had a delightful Peach Financier with mascarpone cream. Found had an unbelievably rich Chocolate Stout cake with honeyed peaches and mint that Bunny could have eaten several of if there hadn't been people watching.  Bunny's favorite bite of the evening came from Acanto, which was a Foie Gras Terrine on a pistachio biscotti with currant pate de fruit, making for a perfectly balanced sweet and savory experience.

Now full and with cocktail in hand, Bunny explored the rest of the room, stopping off to take a flirty red carpet portrait, then a silly pic at the Luna Bar station, checking out all the extraordinary lots available at the silent auction, watching with delight as participants won amazing mystery prizes from the Step Up and Pull game, and finally getting a lip makeover from the Ulta Pout Bar.  Of course, she also sought out some of the orange clad young girls to hear their inspiring tales of just how important the Step Up program has been for them.

After a few inspiring speeches from Step UP CEO Jenni Luke and special honorees Jodi Caro (Ulta Beauty) and Aminata Bah (Step Up class of 2014), the food slowly disappeared from the tables, the auctions came to a close, and the crowd began to head out of the beautiful Bridgeport Skyline Loft.  "I just adore the Shine and Dine event more and more every year," Bunny sighed, "There's very few food events quite like this one where so much good is being done while having such an enjoyable time.  I certainly cannot wait to see what they have in store for next year!"

The writers of this blog were invited to attend this event free of charge in order to fascilitate the writing of this post.

Food News: Crush Cubes Bring the Flavor to Home Cooks Everywhere

Brandy is always on the lookout for new and exciting products she can use to spruce up her brunch recipes, and during a recent stroll down the frozen foods aisle she noticed something extraordinary.  "What are these now?" she questioned, opening the freezer door to gaze upon the boxes of colorful little squares.  As it turned out, these were Crush Cubes, a line of frozen flavor cubes, offering infinite possibilities for creative home cooks by presenting flavored butters, sauces, soup starters, beverage bases, and more in convenient form.  "What a lovely idea!" Brandy exclaimed in wonder, "I simply must find out more about these darling little things!"

Returning home to do some research, Brandy discovered that Crush Cubes were conceived of by a gentleman by the name of Jon Startz, a veteran of the food industry.  Made in America with premium-quality, locally-sourced ingredients, Crush Cubes are sold in portion-controlled, easy-to- use packages containing 24 cubes that are each individually sealed and flash-frozen to capture flavors and nutrients at the peak of their freshness and potency.

Wishing to learn a little more about this extraordinary sounding product, Brandy reached out to Jon for a more information and personal perspective.

B&B: What gave you the idea to make Crush Cubes?

JS: A few years ago, I was walking through a store and saw some ice cubes and it struck me that people are familiar and comfortable with the concept of making food products and then freezing them into “cubes” and various other forms. So I started considering that approach for items we use every day for cooking, including flavors, sauces and seasonings. I realized that consumers not only gravitate toward convenience, but of course don’t like spoilage or waste. I also realized that they were open to freezing things they use frequently such as herbs and purees. I did consider a wide variety of shapes but kept coming back to a cube, which like a sugar cube, was a very appealing and even comforting concept.

B&B: What is the difference between Crush Cubes and other bullion or stock cubes?

JS: Our bullions are all natural and healthy, gluten free, zero cholesterol, zero calories, and are frozen not freeze dried, which makes for a great tasting seasoning or cup of soup.

B&B: What is your favorite way to use Crush Cubes?

JS: I like multiple mixing and matching. For example, Garlic Herb butter with Ginger, or Souper Cubes with Basil. All our products can be used multiple ways in every dish.

B&B: What was the process of finding the perfect ingredients to put in Crush Cubes?

JS: Just using the actual ingredient, whether it is ginger, basil, butter or whatever in its purest form with little else besides a dash of olive oil or sea salt.

B&B: What are the benefits of flash freezing Crush Cubes as opposed to freeze drying them?

JS: Taste, color, texture, flavor are captured like a “snapshot” in time. The purest way to capture the essence of something is to freeze it.

B&B: How important was it to make a product that was environmentally friendly?

JS: Consumers respond to good wholesome products for their family and we wanted to make great tasting, natural, healthy and environmentally-friendly products everyone can enjoy.

B&B: What are some of your favorite brunch dishes and how might you use Crush Cubes to prepare them?

JS: Maple Butter cubes can be used in egg dishes, thrown on top of bacon or in a scramble, same with Herb Butter cubes. As mentioned, all our products can be used in various dishes since they feature all natural ingredients most commonly used in all recipes. Our Ginger cube is great for smoothies and also to throw into a cup of tea in the morning!

B&B: Who would get the most use out of a product like Crush Cubes?

JS: On the go people, especially families without lots of time to cook who are yearning for consistency, convenience and affordability when preparing meals. Many people use our cubes to spice up their meals, including leftovers. Most of all, our consumers are people who want their food to taste as fresh and delicious as possible, want little storage in the pantry but a wide variety of flavors, and are anxious to provide important nutrients to their family without the time and hassle of measuring, chopping and cleaning. When you mix together convenience, great taste and pre-portioned amounts, you really can’t lose.

The writers of this blog have been compensated for the information presented in this post.

Food News: Innagural Culinary Fight Club Festival

Culinary Fight Club, the nationwide organization that throws extraordinary cooking competitions between some of the best chefs around, has announced its first ever Chicago food festival.  Being held on Sunday August 21st from 11:00am-3:00pm at Joe's on Weed, the festival will bring together chefs from across Chicago, asking them to prepare the best bite they can muster for the attending crowd.  Attendees will have the chance to vote for their favorite dishes, and at the end of the afternoon, four chefs will rise to the top.  Those four chefs will then be challenged to prepare a dish in just 30 minutes, and the winner of this head to head competition will be handed a $1000 prize, bragging rights for the next 12 months, and a free pass to the World Food Championships in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Brandy is all for a little healthy competition, so she was naturally very interested to hear about this particular festival.  "I do so love tasting festivals, but I also like the idea of chefs competing for my favor," she commented, slyly, "And it certainly doesn't hurt that this particular festival is happening during my normal brunching hours.  I certainly know what I will be doing on the 21st!"

More info and tickets can be found HERE.  Hope to see all you brunch fans there!