For the past few weeks, I’ve been showcasing the many ways that you can make clotted cream at home and not have to buy the icky pre-packaged stuff at the grocery store. Sure, the clotted cream at your local supermarket isn’t all that bad, but nothing beats this luxurious spread when it’s made fresh, especially if you’re using the best fresh, organic cream you can find. You’ll also notice that prefab clotted cream is often stored at room temperature, which means it’s filled with weird preservatives. Why not avoid that completely with what amounts to five minutes of actual work?

So far I’ve covered:

• The oven method
• The double boiler method
• The stovetop method

Today, we’re discussing the slow cooker method, which is probably the least labor intensive of all techniques. Essentially, you put some cream in your slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away for eight hours.

Yes, that’s it. ... Read the rest of Make Clotted Cream (Slow Cooker Method) on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Gluten Free on Aug/Wed/2011
Post tags: breakfast, breakfast recipes, british food, clotted cream, dairy, dessert, dessert recipes, heavy cream, whipped cream
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

The sugar-free banana bread recipe in this post is a joint effort. Thad loves his banana bread – to the point that he bakes it sometimes twice a week. Sadly, it’s got a cup of sugar in it, and we all know that I try to avoid sugar, lest my body dissolve into something that can only be described as biological Chernobyl. He’s trying to avoid it too… “trying” being the operative word.

I was excited. Thad, on the other hand, balked. Not terribly interested in “hippie-dippie” banana bread sans-sugar, let alone whole grain baking, he stuck his tongue out at the recipe and said that he probably wouldn’t like it. And that, dear readers, is where the challenge started. I’ll let Thad explain the rest.

Challenge accepted! First, let me make it clear that everything Stephanie has introduced me to, I have loved. Certainly I would be a fool not to try this banana bread, lest it be amazing; though my sugar craving brain had already made the decision that, ‘Nope, it won’t be good at all’. Just the thought of freshly baked banana bread, with sugar, wafting throughout my apartment sent mad amounts of dopamine careening throughout my neural chemistry. To me, baking anything sans sugar is akin to a water park without the water. In other words, why try? ... Read the rest of Hippyfied Banana Bread on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts on Aug/Fri/2011
Post tags: almond extract, Baking, banana bread, bananas, breakfast, breakfast recipes, cinnamon, desserts, eggs, flour, heavy cream, honey, milk, spelt, sugar-free, vanilla, vegetable oil, walnuts
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Last week’s recipe for clotted cream discussed using the oven method, so this week I’m going to shake it up a bit and show you a second method, using a double boiler. In an upcoming post I’ll show you yet a third method for making clotted cream, in a slow cooker. Who knew there were so many incredibly simple methods for making such a decadent treat?

For those not in the know, clotted cream, or Devonshire cream, is part of the traditional English cream tea. It’s sort of a cross between rich butter and light whipped cream, lending a voluptuous texture to any bread-like tasty thing. I like it on scones, but you can slather it across anything you like – I’d recommend trying it on your favorite banana bread for a toe-curling, out of this world experience. ... Read the rest of Recipe for Clotted Cream (Double Boiler Method) on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Gluten Free on Aug/Mon/2011
Post tags: breakfast, breakfast recipes, british food, clotted cream, dairy, dessert, dessert recipes, heavy cream, whipped cream
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

This week’s clotted cream recipe comes on the coattails of last week’s lesson on how to make clotted cream using the oven method. There are many ways to heat heavy cream so that it produces a thick, luxurious spread, and you’ll find subtle differences in the finished product for each method. In the end, you’ll have to experiment to figure out which method works best for you. Some folks will go for ease, while others will pick a favorite based on texture. Regardless on which method you choose, you’ll still end up with clotted cream that’s about a billion times better than what you’ll find in most American supermarkets.

This stovetop method comes from Sam at Becks & Posh, a Bay Area food blogger who sadly doesn’t post anymore (Hey Sam! We miss you!). She’s a Brit to the end, and if she says this method is the best clotted cream recipe on the face of the planet, then I’m inclined to believe her! ... Read the rest of Clotted Cream Recipe (Stovetop Method) on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Gluten Free on Jul/Fri/2011
Post tags: breakfast, breakfast recipes, british food, clotted cream, dairy, dessert, dessert recipes, heavy cream, whipped cream
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Thad Jones is back with his favorite easy banana bread recipe, another one of the lovely treats he’s cooked for me over the past few months (be sure to check out his cucumber salad and Bavarian torte with nectarines). I’m one spoiled girl, I tell ya! Having a boy in my life that cooks for me just leaves me breathless.

Thad quickly is becoming a weekly contributor here on The Culinary Life, and I’m very glad to have him (and his amazing dishes!).

Coffee. That magical bean that must be roasted to unlock it’s flavour, aroma and that specialness we call caffeine. All around the world at any given moment, you can walk into a cafe and see countless people frantically typing away on their computers, no doubt jazzed by any number of caffeine-related drinks. What interests me, though, are the quality of the snacks you can get at a cafe. Gone are the days when just a scone would suffice. Now there are macaroons, high end cupcakes, small torts, salads, and just about anything else you can think of. Along with those treats comes high prices, and I’m just not willing to shell out three dollars or more for one small little item. ... Read the rest of Easy Banana Bread Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, People on Jul/Wed/2011
Post tags: almond extract, almonds, Baking, baking powder, baking soda, banana bread, bananas, breakfast, butter, cinnamon, dessert, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

This white chocolate brioche recipe is the very same bread that we all raved about after attending 2010 Food Blogger Camp at Club Med in Ixtapa, Mexico. It’s both soft and crispy, with little nuggets of white chocolate nestled inside the folds of its tender layers. One bite will be cakey, while the next leaves you floating on a cloud of sweet, creamy bliss. What more could you want in a dessert bread?

I remember my first bite very clearly. I had woken up just in time to catch the breakfast buffet, and I was wandering around the main restaurant when I saw David standing near a counter full of gorgeous baked goods. I walked up to say hello, but not knowing him very well, I stayed off to one side. He noticed me standing there and smiled, then pointed. My eyes followed his outreached arm, which motioned towards a plate full of sliced bread.

“You have to try this,” he said. “It their white chocolate brioche. They’re famous for it.”
... Read the rest of Club Med’s White Chocolate Brioche Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes on Jul/Fri/2011
Post tags: bread, breakfast, brioche, brioche bread, club med, dessert recipes, flour, vital wheat gluten, white chocolate, yeast
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.