Our weather has gone bipolar here in the Bay Area. We’ll have two days of 80 degree humidity, and then the skies will falter to an overcast 55, with a wind chilly enough to send you clamoring for your scarf. Then, the next day, we’ll have a few overcast days where the thermometer manages to reach 74 while the sun has yet to peek its heads out from behind the clouds.

You know those kinds of days, when you look outside and see fog, decide to grab a coat on your way out, and then you’re doused in sweat within two minutes of stepping out of your front door. Those are the days when I feel out of sorts, like my body and the weather are at odds, like I’m expecting one thing but getting another. The color of the light doesn’t match how I feel, and my brain can’t seem to make a connection between my insides and my outsides. ... Read the rest of Baked Quinoa Pudding with Raisins on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Desserts, Gluten Free on Oct/Wed/2011
Post tags: agave, agave nectar, cinnamon, eggs, milk, nutmeg, quinoa, raisins, vanilla
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Today’s French cannelé recipe comes with a story, compliments of Thad Jones. Canneles are one of our favorite snacks, and even though were trying to live clean and healthy, they occasionally find their way into our diets. What can I say? They’re well worth the sugar hangover.

Walnut brown, caramelized, creamy bread pudding, fully nomable… it’s a cannelé and it’s calling my and Steph’s names. We try very hard to resist, but I’m always the first one to give in when we’re near a certain San Francisco pâtisserie. Cannelés are super special to us since we can’t find them in the East Bay (if you know of any, please leave a comment!), so when the stars align we decide to make the journey across the bay, braving the infamous Bay Bridge traffic that generally keeps us from traveling into the city. That’s how devoted we are to these little bite sized pieces of heaven; we find them at La Boulange in Hayes Valley, just north of Market Street. ... Read the rest of It’s A Cannelé Day on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Desserts, European, Recipes on Sep/Mon/2011
Post tags: beeswax, bordeaux, butter, canele, caneles, cannele, canneles, desserts, egg yolks, eggs, flour, french, milk, recipes, rum, sugar, vanilla
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

I’ve got some really big news that I’m going to be sharing over the next few weeks, but it’s top secret for now. Until I can let you in on the surprise, all I can tell you is that I am going to be very, very busy for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, I’ve got an awesome support system to help me out on the blog while I get my affairs in order.

Today’s guest post is compliments of Nico over at Pisco Trail, a lovely blog dedicated to Peruvian cuisine. Given my Peruvian lineage, I’m very excited to feature a dessert from my grandmother’s homeland – especially one that includes quinoa! I tried this out over the weekend, and I have to say that I should make more desserts with quinoa. The nuttiness really lends a new depth of flavor to this creamy flan-like dish. Perfecto!

Crema volteada is the Peruvian version of the Spanish flan or the French crème caramel, but one of its ingredients gives it a very unique flavor and texture — quinoa. The Incas of Peru called quinoa “the mother grain,” and though I have enjoyed quinoa in many savory dishes or salads, I was very excited to be adding quinoa to a dessert for the first time. Not the least because it somehow made the dessert a little bit healthier. ... Read the rest of Crema Volteada, or Peruvian Caramel Custard on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Desserts, Gluten Free, South American on Sep/Mon/2011
Post tags: condensed milk, crema volteada, dessert, dessert recipes, eggs, evaporated milk, flan, peru, peruvian cuisine, pisco trail, quinoa, sugar, vanilla
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Is there such a thing as a quick and easy Devonshire cream recipe? This summer I’ve written a ton of posts on making Devonshire cream – also known as clotted cream – and while all have been super easy, none have been quick. What can I say? It’s a slow process, and good things come to those who wait.

But, if you need something now, waiting eight hours for your clotted cream isn’t really going to cut it. Sure, you can head down to the grocery store and buy some of the prefab stuff off the shelf, but there’s an option for making something similar to Devonshire cream that will work in a pinch. I’d recommend using this recipe if an army of old British ladies show up at your house, demanding afternoon tea on a moment’s notice. I’d qualify that as a genuine tea emergency. ... Read the rest of Quick and Easy Devonshire Cream Recipe on The Culinary Life.

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

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.