We had a ton of fun yesterday making one of my favorite foods… homemade sushi! It’s really not that hard and fun to do in a group – everyone fills their rolls with their favorite Japanese morsels and then you have bites of all different combos! The key is buying fresh fish and good nori. Here in Washington, DC, I love to get the seafood at BlackSalt and you can get fresh roasted nori at the H Mart groceries. More photos and steps after the jump… 
We were in Buffalo for the weekend and were delighted when our friend, Doug, made these for breakfast one morning. We thought he’d been up for hours fussing in my mom’s kitchen… kneading and waiting and rolling… little did we know! He did spill the secret, which you’re just not going to believe! I’ve made homemade doughnuts a few times and they’re always delish, the problem is just that if you’re serving them for breakfast, that means you’re up hours before everyone else… Not anymore… Keep reading for the secret 
Continue reading
We’re embarking on a journey back to my favorite adventure from my winter break from work. I’ve always wanted to tackle homemade croissants from start to finish entirely by hand and I did just that. I’m going to warn you – it’s quite a laborious task, but I think it was SO worth the efforts for the end prize (and my husband’s family did too – though they didn’t have to do the rolling!) Bon Appetit!
Recipe after the break…This recipe is from a 2000 issue of Gourmet Magazine… Continue reading
I wrote about this recipe years ago when it first came out in Food & Wine Magazine and have made it every Thanksgiving since! It’s the perfect non-traditional end to one of the most celebrated meals of the year and beautiful to boot! I love the look of the cranberry glaze on top of the speckled creamy filling and the little golden orange dollops of deliciousness by the way of sweet potato and white chocolate on top!
Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze
2 teaspoons plain powdered gelatin
Reserved browned butter solids from Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust (below)
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Kosher salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust (recipe below)
3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup cranberry sauce, pureed and strained
Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups diced crusts and end pieces from 1 loaf of packaged white bread (10 ounces crusts)
Even though it’s Make-It Monday, I don’t think you need the how to on this one… Go outside and bring the last little bit of Fall inside with you to enjoy for just a little bit longer! These branches were huge, making such an impact in a room. Easy, inexpensive, stunning!
Filed under crafts, DIY, entertaining, flowers
I’ve been waiting all week to share this sewing project that I put together last weekend!!! Hurry out and pick up some colored leaves before they all brown to put together this garland for your door. It didn’t take long at all and lasted for a whole week before a big gust of wind pulled it down.
Here’s how I made it First, I gathered a ton of maple leaves and since it was early in the morning and they were slightly damp, I “oven dried” them! Yes, I put the oven on as low as it would go and gave them about 2 minutes in there so I didn’t get my sewing machine totally wet when stitching them up. 
Then I simply ran them through the sewing machine (with white thread) being careful to make sure there were always two leaves going through at the same time so the garland had a full look to it. I just kept going until I thought it was long enough and then went outside and tried and it worked out to be the perfect length!
Happy Crafting!
I love owls! I’ve actually wanted to be an owl for Halloween since I was a Chi Omega in college and finally got around to sewing a costume, so nicely modeled by Haute Papier‘s very own Kate here! Since it’s Make-It Monday, click below for the how to! Continue reading
I was so excited to get a copy of the British publication, Mollie Makes in the mail yesterday featuring the rustic mason jar lanterns we made for my parent’s 30th Wedding Anniversary party (see more on the party here, here, and here). The magazine, which by the way is currently running a contest where you can win a subscription (here), is fabulous for craft lovers. The tutorials are thorough and the ideas are fresh and inspiring!
Filed under crafts, entertaining, How To
I’m obsessed with the newest thing in the cocktail industry – homemade “jello shots” !!!! Yes, similar to those ones you had in college, but not disgusting! While on vacation, I took the opportunity to whip up a bunch of different versions, including these grapefruit margarita ones – give them a whirl – I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup grapefruit soda (I used Izzy’s sparkling juice)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tsp sugar
2 envelopes Knox gelatin
2/3 cup tequila
Fresh grapefruit segments for garnish, if desired
Instructions:
Pour soda, lime juice and sugar into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat until gelatin is dissolved, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.
Mixture may be foamy initially, but this will disapate. Remove from heat.
Stir in the tequila. Pour mixture into loaf pan.
Place in refrigerator to set (several hours or overnight).
To serve, cut into desired shapes. Garnish each jelly shot with a small grapefruit segment, if desired. CHEERS!
Makes 18 to 24 grapefruit margarita shots!
This is one of my favorite summer recipes. It’s delicious and looks fussier than it is!
Here’s how to make these delightful little bites…
1. Take a log of goat cheese out of the fridge and let it warm on the counter while you’re cooking away.
2. Roast the tomatoes… If you’ve never roasted tomatoes, it’s easy. Read this.
3. While the tomatoes are roasting, slice a baguette as thinly as possible. Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Place cookie sheet in the oven with the tomatoes and toast until lightly golden, about 10-15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and place on a platter for serving.
4. Spread the room temperature goat cheese on the toasts.
5. When the tomatoes are done, remove from oven and place one or two on top of each piece of toast. Press gently so the juicy insides squeeze out onto the cheese.
6. Drizzle plate with olive oil, garnish with micro-basil or thinly sliced basil.
7. Enjoy!!!
Filed under easy apps, entertaining, Food, Recipes
