February Flavors

Well here's one more reason to think of warmer weather in February; Grom and their acclaimed Gelato and Fruit Sorbets. Grom's Gelato tastes like I walked-up to a Gelateria on Via Veneto, but the odd thing is - I'm in New York. How is this possible? It's a great story. 

Two Torin partners, Martinetti and Grom fused their passion and intentions to make the best artisanal Gelato and make it available to the world, mindfully. Sounds simple, but it's not. To producer food this way, it is actually harder. They simplified everything in the ingredients; adding no preservatives or flavor enhancers. Slow food is the basis for their local ingredients. Grom takes great pride in telling you what's in their product and also go through the effort to list what you are not eating. Each ingredient has an address of origin and a story behind it. The milk is from Savigliano, the peaches from Canale, the almonds from Sicily, and strawberries from Ribera - you get the picture. The partners have also acquired land to produce some of there own ingredients.

In just a matter of seven years Grom has launched a few shops in New York; in The Village and on The Westside, with another on the way. Even with Grom expanding, Martinetti and Grom have stressed the importance of not getting too big, shunning the word franchise. 

The word on Grom pistacchio, it's the best - you just have to try it. 

GROM New York:
233 Bleecker Street (and Carmine) - Greenwich Village - New York City - Ph. (+1) 212 206 1738 
2165 Broadway (and 76th) - Upper West Side - New York City - Ph. (+1) 212 362 1837

Coulommiers Rouzaire

You know I like to pass along good stuff when I come across it. Today's topic, the ever important wedge of soft cheese - that you don't need to hold on to your hat, when buying, this quality of product.

Fromagerie Rouzairein, is a third generation cheese factory owned by the Rouzaire family. The factory is located less than one hour from Paris center, in the heart of the Seine et Marne, the Île-de-France region. 

Old Ourcq canal dockside in Meaux, France, image; LundeuxMeaux medieval passage

Coulommiers, made from cows milk, is considered a member of the Brie family made in Meaux, aka the "land of Brie," about 40 miles east of Paris. It is smaller and thicker than the more typical Brie-style cheeses, and some say that Coulommiers is the predecessor of Brie. 

Coulommiers' hand molded artisanal cheese is described as "the color of fresh churned butter with a supple paste and well-developed rind with a hint of hazelnut." 

The famous Brie de Meaux, crowned "king of cheeses" at the 1815 Congress of Vienna, has a Label of Controlled Origin. It is a distinctively soft cheese, encased in a covering of white skin, scattered with reddish pigments, with a light hazelnut taste

Coulommiers is delightful on crackers, spread on a baguette and pairs well with with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or even Merlot.

Available at fine specialty shops and artisianalcheese.com

Better, One Quart at a Time

There's something good to be said for putting on your robe (a long one please) and stepping outside your front door in the morning to fetch a fresh glass bottle of milk. And the convenience of fresh yogurt, sour cream, and farm eggs, would be extra good. I admit, the convenience would be very, very nice, but I am more excited about the quality of the product that would be delivered. Here, fresh means better.


I live out in farm country and yet the dairy farmers of yore are-no-more. There is definitely a want for these types of quality products. A good indication is the surging sustainable movement and more farm cooperatives gaining notoriety. Locally, boutique farm products are becoming more widely available. But, I am still hoping for the milkman to come back to town.

I stumbled upon Hornstra's Dairy Farm, a family owned operation suppling Grade A quality milk, and dairy products to South Shore Massachusetts, and They DELIVER! The operation is done old-school; with Vat Pasteurization and glass bottles; ensuring every product is the freshest and purest available.

Doing things the old-fashioned way means that their herd is not injected with synthetic hormones. 100% of Hornstra Farms' milk comes from their own cows, and is free of synthetic growth hormones. Just call them happy and healthy cows. Vat pasteurization method means they heat their milk to 145° F for 30 minutes. This gives the milk the smooth sweet taste of yesteryear. 

FYI, pasteurization involves heating milk to kill bacteria. Nearly all milk sold in industrialized countries is pasteurized. Most milk is pasteurized using the Flash Pasteurization Method, which is accomplished by heating the milk to 161° F for 15 seconds and then quickly cooling it.

Now wouldn’t a glass of Hornstra's Farm milk delivered go well with a Banana Muffin? Wherever you live, I hope you have a Hornstra's close by. I'm thinking of buying a house in MA., just for the milk, delivered in a glass bottle.

New Year, Classic Mac-n-Cheese

Let’s get this decade started with one of America’s classic and favorite dishes for people of all ages. My spin on this one-pot-dish is so popular- when I prepared it on Live with Regis and Kelly as a side dish, the viewer response was terrific. I was deluged with email recipe requests, even from our neighbors way north in Canada! It's also easy-n-quick to make. BTW, mac-n-cheese is one of my Top 10 Lifestyle Food Trends for 2010

Use the recipe as a guide and feel free to add smoked ham, cooked bacon, grilled chicken or grilled shrimp to make your own home-spin.  

Tip: If your are starting a new diet resolution, feel free to cut down on the fat of this recipe. Replace all of or part of the half and half with chicken broth, and use olive oil in place of butter. Or, just make up for it by exercising a little extra this weekend.

For George's Cheddar & Jack Mac Recipe

© GingerBlossom | istock

Crown Roasts

A rack of lamb is considered the crown of traditional cuisine elegance. It is the perfect and impressive main entree to serve on special occasions; and it's easier to prepare than it appears. If you prefer the flavor of pork, the pork crown is for you.  

Crown either of these delicious traditional recipes for your holiday table.

For Lamb Crown Roast, Pork Crown Roast and Wild Rice & Sausage Stuffing Recipes.