Category Archives: dips, sauces, and spreads

Aug 22 3 comments
dips, sauces, and spreads, preserving

Peach Habanero Jam

I’m not sure when Dan and I became the kind of people we are today.  And by “the kind of people we are” I don’t mean Firefly watching, unicorn joke making, shirts that light up owning geeks.  I mean people that attempt to grow as much of their own food as possible, who bake their own bread, brew their own beer, and preserve things for the winter.  It happened progressively.  In fact, you could probably go through the archives of this website and track it, watching steadily as I went from making things like mashed potatoes from scratch to pie doughs, evolving slowly into the people we are today.  People that brew beer and preserve food in a tiny apartment with no circulation in the kitchen.

When I started baking bread I jumped into it like I do all other things; I found a few recipes on various websites and tried it.  It failed.  After a few more mediocre at best (and sometimes awful) loaves I knew it was time for more guidance.  I followed the advice of some friends that had been baking bread and bought Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  I’ve been working through it slowly (though I’m on hiatus for the summer), and each loaf I make gets better. It’s been a wonderful process, one that has inspired me to make a lot more things at home (including, hopefully, cheese) and to be overall more local and conscious of what we’re eating and doing.  More than anything I’ve appreciated having what has become my bread bible, a source that taught me not only recipes but concepts.

Prior to this summer my experience in the world of preserving had been limited to freezing, some drying, and making refrigerator preserves.  So it was serendipitous that when I was just about to jump into the world of long term, for serious food preservation, I got an email from Williams-Sonoma.  They offered me a copy of their book, The Art of Preserving, and I very gladly accepted.  It arrived right before I attempted my first batch of peach habanero jam, and I am so thankful that it did.  The book takes you through different types of preserves from jams and jellies to pickles and flavored spirits.  It is comprehensive and more importantly than anything else, it is thorough and easy to follow.  And even though Williams-Sonoma was kind of enough to send me a copy, this is a book, like The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, I would have purchased on my own.  It also really helps with my nightmares about killing someone with botchulism.

Before I go any further and tell you about the jam, let me promise that this is the last habanero recipe I’ll give you for a while.  If you’re half as habanero’ed out as I am right now, bless our souls because I don’t even want to look at the things.  I am fairly certain, however, that when I’m drizzling it over my toast in February (snowed into my apartment again if “they’re” right about this winter) I will be happy that I spent a few really sweaty days in my kitchen.  The jam itself is delicious, sweet and peachy with a very low note of spice (much more low key than the sorbet).  The last batch I made 8 eight ounce jars and had a lot of refrigerator jam leftover.  This round I made 21 four ounce jars and still had about eight ounces for the fridge.  The jars will be tucked away, eaten this winter and given as gifts over the holidays.  Along with the beer that my husband has been obsessing over.

Peach Habanero Jam
Adapted from The Art of Preserving by Williams-Sonoma

6 pounds of peaches, a mixture of medium ripe and unripe

3 cups sugar

5 medium sized habaneros

3/4 cup lemon juice

Start, either about 5 hours before you want to can or the night before, by using a damp cloth to rub the fuzz off of your peaches.  Next, halve them.  This book has a great suggestion for how to do that- cut the peach all the way around at the joint and twist the two halves in opposite directions, like an Oreo.  Remove the pit and slice the peach (leaving the skin on) into 1/4″ slices.  Halve those slices again and place in a large bowl.

Take your habaneros (carefully) and slice a slit into all four sides.  Toss in with the peaches.  Over the whole mixture pour the sugar, stir, and set aside for at least 4 hours.

About an hour before you want to can fill two large pots with water.  I recommend that you have some canning equipment, at the very least a large pot with a rack and a pair of tongs.  You’ll need a separate pot for sterilizing your jars and lids.  Bring both pots of water to a boil.  In one pot (the one without a lid) place your jars and the lids (not the screw bands).  Allow them to boil for at least 10 minutes, but keep them in the pot until right before you fill them.

In a third pot, combine your peach mixture with the lemon juice.  Cook over medium heat for 15-25 minutes, until most of the juice has evaporated and the peaches have cooked down.  Fish out the habaneros and start taking jars out of the water.

Use a spoon to fill the jars, leaving 1/4″ of room at the top.  Use a spoon to make sure there are no bubbles in the jar, and adjust the headspace (space between the jam and the top of the jar) as needed.  Wipe the rim with a sterile cloth and fish a lid out of the pot.  Place the lid onto the jar and screw the band on tightly.  Set aside and repeat with all of your jars.

Take the rack from the other pot and place the jars onto it.  Lower the rack into the pot (whose water should be boiling) and process the jars for 10 minutes.  Remove them from the water and (here’s the hardest part) wait for the ping.  When they first come out of the water the jar should pop up and down, but when the jars seals you won’t be able to pop the jar any more.  Some jars will seal immediately, some will take a little longer, and some may not at all.  If jars fail to seal, store them in the fridge for up to two weeks.  The jars that do seal, however, are good in a cool dark space for up to a year.  Enjoy!

**As with any preservation process, there are risks.  If you notice anything abnormal, discard the jam immediately.  Botulism is no fun.**

Apr 09 0 comments
dips, sauces, and spreads

Blackberry Chipotle Marinade


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I have talked to Megan Patrylick every day since I was 14.  I’m totally not exaggerating either.  Since we met in 9th grade biology we’ve run in different social circles, gone to different colleges, and ended up on opposite sides of the Southeast.  But seriously, I have talked to her at least pretty much everyday.  And sometimes multiple times a day.  As a result, I’m often influenced by the things she’s doing (though I will never not ever wear leopard print no matter how many matching bra and underwear sets she buys me).  Recently she’s been on a Whole Foods kick (something about their Greek salad), and last week found a chipotle blackberry marinade.  That Megan is marinading at all is a big deal seeing as in high school she broke her microwave by trying to dry her sneaker in it.

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I had been trying to figure out something to do to spice up our chicken and grilled chicken salad nights, and I thought that I would experiment with making my own blackberry chipotle marinade.  And it was SO delicious and SO easy.  My only issue with it was that the seeds from the blackberries made a disconcerting crunch while you were eating the chicken, but that’s really just a tactile issue.  I might press the blackberries through a fine grain strainer next time.  It was also pretty spicy, so I sweetened it with honey.  If you wanted to make it sweeter, you could just leave out the cayenne.  I leave you with one related Megan anecdote.  One time sitting at our dining room table, my brother Reid and I spent the better part of an hour trying to convince Megan that if you crossed the equator, you would not explode.  I have never seen Reid look so incredulous.  And that is why I love Megan and will continue to talk to her everyday.

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Blackberry Chipotle Marinade

1 package of fresh blackberries

1 tsp chipotle

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tbsp honey

Salt & pepper

Rinse your blackberries.  Combine everything in a blender.  Use half of the sauce to marinade your meat for at least one hour, and then use the rest as a sauce.  If you want your sauce to be sweeter, add more honey.

Mar 20 1 comments
dips, sauces, and spreads

Pimento Cheese


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I have the luxury of having a July birthday.  When I was in elementary school this seemed like a tragedy at first.  Not having a birthday during the school year where everyone could celebrate me was horrible.  Until I realized the trick of it.  I learned that if I began celebrating my birthday in May, before school ended, I could continue celebrating all summer long.  And because my family is so spread out, as we made our summer travels to visit everyone, I could celebrate over and over again.  

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One of the nice things about birthdays is that you can ask people to do certain things for you, and because it’s your birthday, they always do.  The same concept applies once you’ve left the nest.  Everytime I visit home, my parents make my favorite foods, something that used to be confined to my birthday.  I ask for certain things from each person for my birthday (or now, visits home).  My mother makes me lemon chicken and her delicious mashed potatoes.  My father makes me brunswick stew, or chili, or oysters during the winter and a tomato sandwich from home grown tomatoes during the summer.  My grandmother used to make me two things.  First, she would make me a blueberry mountain pie.  Second, she would make me my very own tub of pimento cheese, that I didn’t have to share with anyone.

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Pimento cheese is one of those foods that is inherently southern.  The appeal is hard to explain to people who don’t grow up eating it, and a lot of the time people just don’t like it.  There are variations (and I beg you never to try the store bought stuff), but essentially it includes extra sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos.  Some people add garlic, horseradish, dill pickles, and even mustard.  But I’m a pimento purist.  

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When I was a kid, pimento cheese was also one of the things that I could help make.  These days a lot of people will throw the ingredients in a food processor and call it a day.  But making pimento cheese is an experience, like snapping green beans, that promotes relaxing and story telling.  My grandmother would combine the ingredients in a plastic bag and then let me sit on the counter and squish them with my fingers while we talked and she cooked other things.  Or while we sat on the front porch of the Swamphouse.  It’s a fool proof system, you can’t over-combine the ingredients.  And the benefits of passing on a tradition will completely outweigh the time saved with a food processor.

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Pimento Cheese

2-3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces diced pimentos (in a jar)

2 tbsp mayonnaise (or light mayo)

Begin by grating your cheese.  I recommend a medium size grate, not the smallest, but not the big chunks.  Start with two cups of cheese, and add the last cup as you mix it, depending on what you like.  I like my spread cheesy, so I use the full three cups.  It’s really your preference.  After you’ve shredded your cheese, dump into a gallon ziplock bag.

Partially drain the pimentos and add them to the bag.  Scoop in the mayonnaise and zip the bag- make sure you get as much air out as possible.

Use your hands to roll the ingredients between your fingers until it’s totally incorporated.  Add in extra cheese as you need it.  

When you’re done, snip the corner off the bag and squeeze the spread out like it’s icing in a pastry bag.  Serve with crackers, on a sandwich, or on cold uncooked veggies.

Mar 09 3 comments
captain james cooks, dips, sauces, and spreads, seafood

Smoked Kingfish Dip


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This weekend Dan and I went down to Morehead City to meet with the caterers and the florists for our September wedding.  It was an incredibly successful and relaxing weekend away, exactly what I needed.  For those that are not familiar with the area, Morehead is located in the southern Outer Banks, in Carteret County or the “Crystal Coast.”  The nearest lighthouse is Cape Lookout, which sits on the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which is the longest expanse of protected, unsettled banks in the chain.

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The reason we decided to get married in Carteret County is because it’s the sort of place where you feel completely at peace.  I’ve been going down there my whole life and as soon as I cross through Havelock I start feeling giddy.  It’s the sort of place that that inspires you to scheme up ways to make a life down there (something my parents are figuring out how to do).  Dan and I spent the entire seven hour drive home developing a business plan for a waterfront coffee shop (something Morehead desperately needs).  We think we’ll be a big hit.

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Carteret County is known for a lot of things.  The charm, the amazing diving, the beautiful scenery, and fresh, delicious seafood.  I guess it goes without saying that seafood in a fishing town is bound to be good.  If there is one thing that people Down East know, it’s seafood.  One of my favorite things to do while we’re down there has always been to go to the fresh seafood market with my parents and sisters, pick a selection of the catch of the day, and have a feast back at the house.  There’s nothing like sitting on the back porch looking out over a marsh with a stomach full of tuna or dolphin or mackerel.  That’s the closest I think I can get to being completely content.

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This trip down was a brief one so there was no trip to the fresh fish market, though my father did surprise me with two of my favorites, brunswick stew and kingfish dip.  His kingfish dip is delicious, and I always love when he makes it, so I was even more excited when he offered to share the recipe.  Kingfish, or king mackerel, are a fish that migrate with the gulf stream.  My father makes the dip with smoked kingfish.  You can find smoked mackerel at specialty grocery stores, vacuum sealed, and also at some fish markets.  Or, if you’re interested in learning the art of smoking fish, there’s an informative site here.

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Smoked Kingfish Dip
Source: Captain James Rosemond

Flaked smoked kingfish

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp real mayonaisse

4 ounces light cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1 stalk finely chopped celery

1 tbsp finely minced parsley

3 tsps finely chopped dill pickle

1/2 tsp lemon juice

3 shakes hot sauce

Cayenne pepper

Salt & pepper

With a fork, flake the smoked fish off the filet.  You can flake it finely or coarsely depending on your preference.  Discard the darker meats that you find in the center of the filet.  Put the smoked fish in a medium bowl and pour milk over it.  Cover and soak in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.  Drain the milk using a fine strainer and place the fish back in the bowl.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Cover and chill 2-3 hours to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables.

Feb 08 2 comments
dips, sauces, and spreads, vegetables

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus


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Dan and I are always looking for things that we would usually spend a lot of money at the store on that we could make at home for a lot less money (soon I’ll share the  Irish Cream recipe).  Things like pesto, spiced and flavored olive oil, and as of today, hummus.  Last weekend Food Network aired two back to back episodes of Unwrapped  about dips, and after an hour of watching giant machines make hummus, I decided I could do it at home.

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I spent a few days looking at recipe books and blogs, trying to get a good idea of the approximate proportions ratio- how much tahini to use with a certain amount of chickpeas, etc.  I decided to start with roasted red pepper hummus, because, frankly, that’s my favorite flavor to buy.  The only tricky part in the recipe was locating tahini, the grocery store didn’t have it, so I ended up going to the local co-op.  There I had the option to buy it in a can or scoop out my desired amount from big vats.  The scoop-your-own-nut-butters area was very crowded (Sunday afternoon food shopping hazard), so I bought it in a jar.

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Roasting vegetables, for those who have never done it, is very easy.  Just drizzle some olive oil over the pepper and throw it in a 400* oven for twenty to thirty minutes.  The benefit is that the olive oil is flavored after the vegetables are roasted, and you can use that in your hummus.  When roasting tomatoes and peppers, the way to tell that it is done is if the skin starts to bubble off the core of the vegetable.  Also, it smells heavenly.

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My only other advice for hummus making is that after you’ve finished blending it, you let it cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.  This not only brings the temperature down, it also allows it to flatten down a little.  The blending really fluffs it up, so settling in the fridge makes it better dipping.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

15 ounces of canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 red pepper, roasted

2 tbsp tahini

6 tbsp olive oil

Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Core your red pepper.  Place in a baking pan and drizzle with 4 tbsps of oil.  Roast in a 400* oven for thirty minutes, or until the skin has bubbled off the pulp of the pepper.

Dice your garlic and combine it in a food processor with garbanzo beans, tahini, spices, and the remaining olive oil.  When the peppers are done, dice them and add them to the processor, along with the oil left over in the pan.

Grind  in the processor for about three minutes, or until it’s smooth.  Taste it to make sure you have enough pepper, and then cover and refrigerate for an hour.  Serve with pita chips.