Butter Loves Company, Author at butter loves company

cherry sparkler cocktail – celebrating pride month with OneHope!

June 20, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

Glitter and sparkling wine. Did you ever think it was possible to combine that much shimmer? June is Pride Month and I’m so excited to be celebrating with this cherry cocktail recipe made with deliciously festive ONEHOPE Sparkling Brut.

I find it pretty wonderful and inspiring that June in Los Angeles is as synonymous with Pride Month and celebrating equality as it is with the sun staying out later. I was recently listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Straight Talk with Ross Mathews on my commute and, on what happened to be their first ever Pride episode, they did a segment called “On this Gay in History” where Ross and his guests shared dates in recent history that were important for gay rights. It was incredible to listen to how far we have come in a relatively short time as a nation in terms of equality, but also shocking to put in perspective the inequality that the LGBTQ community has been facing for so many years. There is so much more that needs to be done.

Not only is this bottle the perfect way to celebrate Pride Month and perfect for all of your summer festivities (hello, glitter), this bubbly is also helping to make a difference.

I’m super excited and honored to spread the word about ONEHOPE’s pride campaign because it is so important that people have the opportunity to be themselves and know they are worthy of a terrific life. Every four bottles of ONEHOPE Rainbow Glitter Edition Sparkling Brut funds one hour of operational costs for the Trevor Project’s Lifeline, an accredited, 24/7 suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth. Find out more about the Trevor Project here.

So let’s pop open the glittery bubbly for a good cause, and celebrate Pride!

This cherry cocktail recipe is super easy to make and consists of vodka, Cherry Heering, fresh lemon juice, and sparkling brut. I’ve been looking for ways to use Cherry Heering ever since I bought a bottle for a cocktail party a couple of years ago. The cherry liqueur is made from lightly crushed Danish cherries and spices and has a deep red color and natural, sweet cherry flavor. This sweetness is balanced by a little vodka and tart lemon juice and then the cocktail is rounded out by the amazingness that is ONEHOPE sparkling wine. Voila!

Happy Pride!

chocolate buttermilk cake with tangerine curd and toasted meringue

March 9, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

It has been far too long since I’ve broken out one of my favorite culinary tools: the kitchen torch. This is the little flamethrower of flavor that elevates crème brulée to more than custard and makes snowy meringue frosting golden-tipped and tasting of toasted marshmallows.

This recipe for Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Tangerine Curd and Toasted Meringue has what may seem like a lot of steps, but you can easily split them up as to not feel overwhelmed. Bake the cakes and prep the curd one day, then make the meringue and assemble the next. The cake is super moist from the buttermilk and lusciously chocolate-y from the cocoa (I used special dark). The tangerine curd is tangy and quite citrus-forward, but also so smooth and creamy. If you prefer, you could use any kind of oranges or stick to a traditional lemon only curd. Top with fluffy meringue fired up with your kitchen torch and you have yourself a super fun and delicious cake!

Torched desserts always make me think of my mom. Along her love of crème brulée for its toasted tops, I inherited my mom’s style inclination for black clothes and tailored fashion. This watch from JORD watches is a perfect example of that and served as the inspiration for this recipe and its deep chocolate color and golden meringue tips. The band is made from ebony wood so it’s lightweight, but bold in style and I absolutely love the large watch-face and gold accents. JORD makes these gorgeous wood women’s watches and men’s watches with all different wood materials and in a variety of colors. I can’t wait to wear it all spring long. It goes perfectly with my wardrobe and with this fun chocolate buttermilk cake if I do say so myself!

The wonderful JORD team is also offering a giveaway to help you to grab your very own! Enter to win a $100 Gift code to use towards your own JORD watch. Click here to enter!

To make things more fun, everyone will automatically receive a $25 code just for entering! The contest will close on 3/26 at 11:59pm. Both the $100 and the $25 codes will expire on 5/31/2017. Best of luck everyone!

A big thank you to JORD Watches for partnering with me on this post. All opinions are my own!
Luxury Wooden Watch

thai chili coconut cream doughnuts

March 4, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

Sometimes you start the day with a nourishing smoothie, and end it with a doughnut. It’s all about that balance.

Ever since I made these brioche doughnuts, my mind has been swirling with reasons (excuses) to make them again. After one glance over my shoulder at the bushel of almost dried out Thai bird chilies hanging in our kitchen, I knew my next move. Herein, we have the Thai Chili Coconut Cream Doughnuts. As an ode to some of our favorite Thai curries, which are deep with heat, yet balanced by creamy coconut milk, we are steeping the Thai bird chilies in a milky cream of coconut mixture to create the coconut pastry cream that is piped into your freshly fried doughnuts.

The combination of buttery brioche dough rolled in vanilla sugar and the slightly spicy, creamy coconut filling is the one of the best excuses I could ever think of. For your filling, you’ll use some cornstarch to help your custard thicken up like a pastry cream. No Thai chilies? You could definitely omit and stick to a coconut cream. Alternatively, you could experiment with a jalapeno or serrano pepper—just be sure to test along the way to make sure your filling doesn’t end up too fire-y hot.

These Thai Chili Coconut Cream Doughnuts are a great weekend project as the brioche dough is best prepped and shaped a day ahead, left to proof overnight in the refrigerator, and fried up on Sunday morning while you sip your coffee in your jammies.

Because the brioche doughnut dough takes a day to prepare (mostly inactive), it is great to prep the pastry cream the same day to mix the dough so it will be chilled and ready to use as soon as you you fry the doughnuts.

Here’s to a happy weekend!

long weekend guide: san francisco

February 17, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

We signed off at work, loaded the car, and began our journey upstate. It was late on a Friday, and we would have just 48 hours in San Francisco for our Valentine’s Day getaway, so we opted for the most direct route from Los Angeles. It’s not the most scenic of options—that would be the 10-hour trek up the Pacific Coast Highway—but the drive up the 5 would get us to the city by the bay hours earlier.

I had been once before, many years ago, but this would be my first visit as an adult—and Greg’s first at all—and we were so excited to explore the colorful city together. We both love adventuring and tend to overbook our travel itineraries (Okay, that is mostly me—but there is so much I want to see and eat!). Here’s a glimpse at some of the highlights from our 2016 Valentine’s weekend in San Francisco, in case you’re planning a trip of your own!

Haight-Ashbury District: Known for its history as the epicenter of hippie counterculture in the 1960s, the Haight-Ashbury District is a time capsule of vintage shops, music nostalgia, casual coffee cafes, and herb shops amid colorful Victorians. We popped into Maven on Haight Street for brunch and its highly recommend fresh open-air atmosphere and laid-back vibe. The menu was trendy, but without force and the food and cocktails, and staff, were terrific.

Painted Ladies: Right around the corner, we stumbled across the famous Painted Ladies, the ornate line of homes made famous in the Full House intro. We made a quick photo-op stop here to catch up with Danny Tanner, Uncle Jessie, and Michelle and then we ventured uphill further (this time by car) to get the “best view of the city.”

Twin Peaks Summit: After a quick, yet curvaceous drive up to the peak, we were greeted with stunning 360° views of San Francisco and surrounding areas. From here you’ll see the bridges, streets, skyline, fog, and lush greens across the bay and wonder why your photos look like you were standing in front of a 2D print of the city. I won’t spoil the view by showing you a photo here but I really encourage this stop!

Liholiho Yacht Club: This bustling restaurant serves up fun Hawaiian food with Indian and Chinese twists. The feel is hip but unpretentious with possibly one of the most interesting menus I’ve encountered. Standouts were the ahi poke (duh.), beef ribs with kimchi and miso butter, and fried rice complete with homemade SPAM. And for dessert you must, must, must get the Baked Hawaii: a rendition of a classic baked Alaska, this time with caramelized pineapple ice cream and vanilla chiffon.

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse: We woke up early on day two to head directly to this SF sweets spot famous for its muffin croissant hybrid, Cruffin, and highly Instagrammed “I Got Baked in San Francisco” neon sign. We pulled up before 8:00am and encountered a very intimidating line wrapped around the corner of the small bakery. We stuck it out, and lucky for us, were within the last few people lucky enough to get the Cruffin of the day—Strawberry Chocolate—before they sold out. Also nabbed a few doughnuts, which both of us actually enjoyed even more!

Dim Sum in Chinatown: Apparently, San Francisco has the oldest Chinatown in North America and some say the largest outside of Asia, so we definitely wanted to check it out. After a couple museum and shopping stops, we settled in for dim sum and stuffed ourselves silly with shumai. You must get dim sum in Chinatown if you visit!

Foreign Cinema: This indoor-outdoor eatery in the Mission District spews romanticism between the sparkling bulb string lights illuminating its patio to the black-and-white film projected in the courtyard while you enjoy the California fare with a cocktail. They even offer a martini-for-two called “Me & My Gal” and word on the street is they serve a killer brunch.

Alcatraz: A visit to the historic maximum-security federal prison is a must on your SF trip. It was particularly a must for us as Greg has an incredible fascination with prison. That is, in terms of learning about it via MSNBC’s Lockup. After a short ferry ride to the small island it sits atop, you’ll walk through the prison learning about it’s infamous tenants and may even find yourself behind bars. Note: you have to make a reservation for a tour ahead of time so plan ahead!

The Ferry Building: Pop over to the Ferry Building for shopping, a bite to eat, or an afternoon libation. The massive indoor market houses dozens of merchants from specialty foods, bakeries and ice cream shops, to kitchenware, wine shops, fish sellers, and restaurants.

Fisherman’s Wharf to Ghiradelli Square: Stroll through the famous and touristy Fisherman’s Wharf for a busy hub of seafood and crab stalls, fishing boats, and sunbathing seals. You’ll smell the chocolate fumes as you approach Ghiradelli Square, the former chocolate factory turned retail shop and eatery. Truth be told, we didn’t spend much time around this area because it is pretty densely congested with tourists, but great to see via an afternoon stroll.

The Buena Vista: Right near Ghiradelli Square, on the corner of Powell and Hyde next to the cable cars is The Buena Vista, a restarant/bar famous for its Irish Coffee. Definitely stop in for the strong hot beverage or simply to watch the bartender pour up about a dozen Irish Coffees at once. They have it down to a science!

Golden Gate Bridge: We made the obligatory windy drive down the famously crooked Lombard Street and then hit the road for our journey home to LA but not before photo ops of the Golden Gate Bridge of course. On the city-side you can stop by the beach for the view and once you cross the iconic red bridge, there’s another look-out point where you can capture the SF skyline as well. The landscape is incredible.

We jam packed our long weekend but it was an incredible time eating and exploring the city. Our hearts and stomachs were full. I hope this helps you as you plan your own SF adventures. There’s so much you can do within a long weekend trip. Let me know if you hit any of these spots or if there are places we should hit on our next trip!

rigatoni with sausage and fennel

February 16, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

This Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel is just the hearty meal you need to comfort you after a long day. I recently made this dish as part of Tasting Table’s cookbook club (Thanks to the lovely Evi of Ev’s Eats for inspiring me to join!). The January book—which I got this recipe from—was Ina Garten’s Cooking for Jeffrey: a compilation of great recipes inspired by cooking for the ones you love.

This is an adaptation of what became one of the most popular recipes for the group to make. I ended up making a few ingredient swaps based on what we had in the pantry at the time and loved the results. Whenever I see a recipe using Italian sausage, I pretty much always include hot Italian sausage just because my personal “Jeffrey” loves spice. As do I. Not feeling sausage? This would be great with mushrooms as a ‘meaty’ vegetarian alternative.

The tenderness and light licorice essence of the fennel balances the creamy sauce, acidic tomatoes, and meatiness, heat, saltiness of the sausage. Of course, there’s also the crispy cheesy bits you get on the tops of the baked pasta—swoon!

While you could substitute any pasta for the rigatoni, I’d highly recommend the little tubes as they perfectly capture little chunks of sausage in their centers resulting in extra-delicious bites. Supergreg doesn’t care for fennel and cleaned his bowl(s) so if you’re hesitant about the fennel, I urge you not to let it stop you!

This makes a lot of pasta, which was fine because you’ll want to heat up leftovers throughout the week when you just can’t think about cooking dinner.

cara cara orange macarons

February 9, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

I recently came across a quote reading, “Cooks are superheroes with backwards capes.” It warmed my heart. As Supergreg begins a new professional venture in the world of superheroes, and I continue my adventures in the food world, I felt it comforting to read a line that so perfectly rounded out our home. One cape on the back, and one cape on the front!

Where Superman’s weakness is kryptonite, and Daredevil flounders amidst overpowering assaults of noise, this cook crumbles at the mere thought of French Macarons. Make no mistake though, I don’t consider it a weakness to love these fluffy-yet-somehow-crunchy little delights. In fact, I adore eating the pretty pastel pastries built of almond flour and meringue. The chewy, moist centers sandwiched within lightly crisped shells are basically an edible work of art. The problem is, you see, they can be a bit finicky in the making. I’ve lost many batches where the batter was too thick or too thin resulting in either empty shells or Hershey Kiss-shaped meringue drops. Stir the meringue too long, and risk a batter too runny. Too short, and you’ll end up with a tray of pastries resembling the poo-emoji (whoops!). I ogled at the beautiful macarons I hoped to make, complete with the signature “little feet”—those ruffle-y bottoms on the otherwise smooth shells.

If you’ve ever experienced a baking kryptonite of your own, I encourage you to keep trying. While I still have a ways to go, I was finally able to achieve feet with this recipe adapted from the base macaron instruction from Serious Eats. Because we are in the heart of citrus season, we brightened it up with a bit of Cara Cara oranges from the Hollywood Farmers’ Market. (If you follow along on Instagram, you know it’s my favorite weekly stop.) With orange zest in the shells and freshly squeezed juice swirled within a sweet and rich cream cheese filling, these Cara Cara Orange Macarons are ready to save your day!

Looking for another citrus season recipe? Check out this lemon loaf with lavender glaze.

chunky cookies and cream ice cream

February 1, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

First of all, Mega Stuf Oreos exist. MEGA. STUFFED. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the ice cream. If you’re a cookies and cream person, I personally apologize that I cannot immediate scoop you a bowl.

This cookies and cream ice cream is pumped up with vanilla beans and loaded with the aforementioned Mega Stuf Oreo cookies. Since we’re leaving some of the Oreos in major chunks, you’ll get the speckled hints of chocolate cookies and cream distributed throughout the custard-based vanilla treat and you’ll also sink your teeth into crispy nuggets of the still intact cookies.

The past few times I’ve made ice cream, I’ve started with this base recipe from the New York Times. They claim it to be the only ice cream recipe you’ll ever need and the more time goes on, and the more cream and eggs I go through, the more I agree. It is a custard style ice cream with silky, creamy sweetness. It has never tasted “icy” or watery at all. It tastes like the best ice cream you’ve ever had from the little family owned shop you went to growing up. If you want to go a step further, you could even make Homemade Oreo Cookies to mix in!

salty buttery popcorn cookies

January 22, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

If you’ve spent any time in my parents’ house, at some point, you’ve certainly smelled or heard popcorn popping in the kitchen. It’s likely we’ve sat together on the couch, grabbing salty popcorn by the handfuls and nibbling on it for hours. You’ve probably seen big bowls of popcorn on the counter covered with tin foil for days, while almost everyone sneaks a couple kernels of stale popcorn on each trip to the kitchen.

My Mom—not one for sweets—has been popping popcorn multiple nights a week after dinner since before I can remember. Her popcorn pot is seasoned better than an antique cast iron skillet. Like I said, popcorn has just always been a staple in my parents’ house. Now, whenever I’m feeing homesick, I know making popcorn will give me a beautiful sense of comfort, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

These Salty Buttery Popcorn Cookies are inspired by my Mom’s popcorn but are appropriate for those who also do like sweets. They are distinctly salted with a mix of crunch and chew, thanks to the brown sugar and ample popcorn mixed in. I felt like white chocolate would be a natural addition, so ran with that, and had no regrets. I know white chocolate is polarizing so feel free to skip if you’re inclined.

The recipe is adapted from the recipe for popcorn cookies in Deb Perelman’s The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. When I first flipped to the page and saw bits of popcorn poking out of golden brown cookie mounts, I knew they would be a favorite.

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confetti broyé

January 15, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

I could hear the shaking of the front entrance’s old doorknob as the key sought its place in the lock. A slight scrape as the uneven floor caught the door’s edge, energetic steps climbing to the next floor, a final jingle of keys as they opened up our little Boston apartment, and just like every day, he was home. But today, under his arm was a cookbook he brought home for me from his publishing job, Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. I felt like the luckiest girl.

As I do with any cookbook I encounter, I read it cover-to-cover, inspired by the stories and food from Dorie’s time in France. One of the first recipes I tried was for Broyé. Hailing from the Poitou-Charentes region of France, it is a massive, buttery, distinctly salty cookie meant to be placed in the center of your table and shared. The concept was perfect to me and, immediately, I was in love.

A lot has happened since I first opened that book, and many a broyé have been baked. I feel grateful to have recently had the opportunity to meet Dorie in Los Angeles at an event for her latest book. Briefly talking with her and hearing her speak about food and her career almost brought me to tears on several occasions. I couldn’t help but imagine myself three years prior in that freezing cold apartment in Boston, snuggled into bed, flipping through the pages of her book, never imagining that taking a few steps (more like 3,000 miles) out of my comfort zone, failing, picking myself up, and trusting myself to pursue this food world further (with Greg’s unwavering support and encouragement), would lead me to sitting in that room. It was a moment where you feel like, despite its challenges, pursuing your passions is worth it. Even if you land somewhere in the middle, that can feel pretty darn good.

In honor of that feeling, we’re baking up a broyé, today. This time it’s getting the party treatment, with sprinkles, milk, vanilla and almond extracts. This cookie comes together in your food processor and is then chilled and rolled out (similar process to that of pie crust, for example). Don’t be afraid to let the edges reach a deep golden brown as the crispness contrasts the cookie’s soft center perfectly.

I’ll set this one out on the counter and we’ll break off pieces as soon as Greg swings through that door.

THIS POST INCLUDES ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINK; MEANING IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND MAKE A PURCHASE, BUTTER LOVES COMPANY RECEIVES A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SALE AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. AS ALWAYS, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN!

2017 food trends

January 12, 2017 by Butter Loves Company

Rainbow foods, Korean gochujang, fancy toasts, and bone broth are just a few of the standout food fads that crossed many of our social feeds and dinner tables in 2016. Now, 2017 is here and as the restaurant and food industries continue to evolve and shift, I wanted to share my thoughts for what food trends may swoop in this year. Cheers to a year of eating deliciously!

Food Halls and Markets – With the popularity of LA’s revamped Grand Central Market, New York’s Gotham West Market, and the ever-expanding Eataly empire (The Boston outpost opened in November 2016 and Los Angeles expects to open it’s doors next May in Century City.), there is little doubt that food halls have struck a chord within the food and lifestyle community. I’d expect the trend to continue, even on a localized scale: think warehouse with a handful of artisan vendors in your hometown. In a similar vein, I’d expect to see more upscale counter service restaurant/market hybrids. Small businesses supporting other small businesses: it’s a beautiful thing!

Breakfast Cakes – Cake in the morning? When you think about it, we’ve always kind of had cake for breakfast anyway. Muffins and morning breads are basically naked cakes if you ask me. I expect to see more and more morning snacking cakes popping up. They may be lower in sugar (see #3) or incorporate vegetables but they’ll be so delicious they could easily transform into your next favorite birthday cake with a swoop of frosting.

Sugar Mindfulness – Sugar has been receiving quite a bit of controversial press lately and I think, no matter what study you read or where you stand on the debate, a mindfulness about sugar will present itself in the food products and recipes we see this year. One of my favorite pastry chefs, Joanne Chang, even came out with a Baking with Less Sugar cookbook last year. As did America’s Test Kitchen. You may also start to see more focus on alternative sugars like honey or maple syrup in recipes and products this year.

Ayurvedic Herbs and Other Roots – The humble yellow root, turmeric, popped up everywhere in 2016 (we see you Golden Milk). Hailed for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is one of a number of ingredients highlighted in Ayurvedic medicine: a holistic science of health, focused on physical and emotional balance, with food choices taking center stage. My grandmother would always add some to her Portuguese saffron rice, resulting in a beautiful mustard yellow dish—a little goes a long way in terms of adding color. I think the trend could continue with other herbs and roots this year. Let’s keep our eyes out for Ashwagandha, Manjistha, Reishi, and Maca.

Vegetarian Mains – Mushrooms, eggplant, cauliflower, squash, lentils, polenta—vegetarian meals don’t need to leave you craving more. With quality sourced ingredients and endless wholesome and comforting combinations and preparations, I think we will see an increase of these vegetable-focused main dishes in 2017. The most devoted meat eaters may even jump on board: the team at Impossible Foods has introduced the “Impossible Burger”: an 100% vegan, plant-based burger that bleeds like a real beef burger thanks to a not so secret ingredient called heme (found in both plant and animal muscle where it contributes to the color and taste of ‘meat’). Vegetables will no longer be pushed “a side.”

Small Batch and Homemade Smoked Meat, Fish and Charcuterie – Pickling, preserving, and fermenting have swept through the Insta-sphere with no end in site. Homemade kombucha, kimchi, and kefir rose in 2016, but let’s keep our eyes out for small batch and made-at-home smoked meat, fish, and charcuterie. There are tools popping up that help cooks tackle the delicious feat in their kitchens (smoker bags, chilling stations), and even if no one else catches onto it, you will definitely find me over here taking a stab at small batch smoked black cod.

Poke – While I do think “bowls” in general are and will continue to be very popular, I will call out one I think will especially continue to make waves across the country this year: poke —the Hawaiian bowl dish traditionally featuring raw ahi tuna (also known as my most favorite lunch). Poke bars have infiltrated Los Angeles over the past couple of years and fast-casual poke spots have been popping up in New York City in 2016 as well. I think the rest of the country may see the same this year—raw fish, rice, fresh toppings. What’s not to love?

Instant Pot – Similar to how we saw Spiralizers come to popularity over the past couple of years, 2017 may be the year of the Instant Pot. Unfamiliar? The Instant Pot is a multi-function kitchen tool that can be used as a slow cooker, electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/browning pan, and warming pot, saving people time and space on their counters by doing the job of multiple small appliances. Thanks to a number of Amazon deals on the tool in 2016, more and more homes are toying with the Instant Pot. I’m yet to try it out but early feedback in the food community seems to be very positive.

Souping – Bye bye green juice, hello green soup. For those of us who prefer to enjoy a meal with a spoon instead of a straw, there’s another way to detoxify and nourish your body. It can be done just as well through wholesome soups and broths. I do believe juice cleanses will keep their hold of some, but for others who are looking to lighten up their diets for a few days, I think soups are the answer. Bonus: they can taste very indulgent and comforting with minimal effort and many veggie forward soups can be made with less than 5 ingredients.

What are your thoughts? Are there any other trends you see on the horizon for 2017? I’d love to hear from you!

This post includes one or more affiliate link; meaning if you click on the link and make a purchase, Butter Loves Company receives a very small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own!

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