Not all holiday aspirations come to fruition before Christmas, despite our best efforts. But that’s okay…how lucky that New Years Day is just around the corner. I love the French tradition of sending out holiday cards for the new year, and I also love the idea of making edible gifts for neighbors and friends on January 1 as well.  It’s a great way to spread the holiday cheer well beyond Christmas.

At the top of my list of edible gifts are salted caramels.  I’ve got my candy thermometer rearing to go, packaging procured and yummy French salts in the cupboard.  Now I just need to decide which of these six delicious recipes to make…which would you choose?

Recipes below:

Continue reading “Edible Gifts for the New Year: Salted Caramels” »

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We are excited to announce the first annual Zupas Blogger Favorites Cookbook…a collection of some of our favorite recipes all in one tidy book.  It’s a beautiful book featuring delicious recipes, pretty photographs and great tips for the home cook.  The Blogger Favorites cookbook is laid out nicely, the perfect size and reasonably priced.  We are proud to offer it in our shop, in our cafes and even in kiosks in local Utah malls (you can also view a handful of pages here).  Caroline, Jen, Deborah, Kelsey and myself all contributed recipes and we know you’ll love having so many favorites all in one place.  Enjoy!

image via stephmodo

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Recently I picked up my CSA basket, and among the usual fruits and veggies, I found some bright orange tomato looking fruit.  When I asked what it was, they told me it was a persimmon.  I have seen them around before, but I had never tried one before.  I feel like I am a knowledgeble person when it comes to fruits and vegetables, so I was surprised that I had never tried one before?

After doing a little re-search and asking around, I found that persimmons are a sweet mild tasting fruit that originate from Asia.  There are two main varieties of persimmon commercially available in the U.S. today: the acorn-shaped Hachiya, and the squat, tomato-shaped Fuyu (pictured above).  Hachiya persimmons remain tart and chalky until they are extremely ripe, while Fuyu persimmons are sweeter and can be eaten while still firm. Look for persimmons with taut, glossy skin, avoiding fruit with soft spots or bruises.  If persimmons are still firm, store them at room temperature and allow them to ripen. Store soft, ripe persimmons in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Persimmons are in season between late October to February, which is nice, since a large variety of fruit isn’t as abundant this time of year.  The native Japanese persimmons were introduced to America in the late 1800′s, and now many varieties are grown in California.  They are an excellent source of Vitamin A, a good source of Vitamin C, and are high in fiber.

The skin is usually peeled when eaten and are commonly eaten  fresh, dried, raw, or cooked.   You can eat them plain, or on top of your morning oatmeal, which I recently discovered is so tasty!

Read more for a few recipes with persimmons!

Continue reading “in season: persimmons” »

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With just a couple of days until Thanksgiving is here, you’ve probably started thinking about holiday baking, right?  Frankly, it’s difficult not to, with all the pie planning in effect and the holiday issues on the stands at the market.  Truly one of Christmas’s most endearing “qualities” is the baking the holiday inspires.  Is there anything more heartwarming than a baked good on your porch that a friend or neighbor prepared from scratch?

Today I’d like to share some ideas on keeping holiday baking fun and the stress minimal.  After all, there’s little reward when baking feels like drudgery; and, sometimes all it takes is a little organization.  Here it goes:

Continue reading “{Holiday} Baking Prep 101” »

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As much as I love all of the summer produce, I get excited when it’s time to break out the recipes for winter squash as well.  Winter squash are the squash that start to show at markets and grocery stores at the end of the summer, and then through the fall and winter.  They have thicker, tougher skins than summer squash such as zucchini and crookneck squash.  Winter squash is almost always cooked, whether it is by roasting, steaming or even microwaving.   I almost always have a squash or two sitting on my counter during the fall and winter months, and I love that they are so versitile.  From appetizers to main dishes to even dessert, these squashes can be used in almost anything! Continue reading “fyi: winter squash” »

Posted in Deborah, FYI, Seasonal | 2 Comments »

Brussels sprouts often have a bad reputation.  But, these tiny buds, if prepared right, can be amazing.  It is the perfect side dish, and could be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Brussels sprouts are a type of wild cabbage grown for it’s edible buds.  They are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Fiber, Folic Acid, and contain high anti-cancer properties.  They do best in mild weather, and their peek seasons are anywhere between July and January in North America.

Today, I am going to share with you an amazing brussels sprout recipe!  I tasted a similar dish at a favorite restaurant of mine, and knew I had to recreate it at home.  If you haven’t given brussels sprouts a try for some time, give this recipe a shot, you may quickly reconsider.  The brussels sprouts are slowly sauteed in butter, and olive oil, and are hit with roasted hazelnuts, cider vinegar, and parmigiano reggiano cheese.  Heaven!

Continue reading “in season: brussels sprouts” »

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Have you ever had a recipe ask for chipotle peppers in adobo, so you buy a can and open it up and not know what to do with it?  I know I was pretty lost when I first started using these peppers.  But if you like a little bit of smoky heat, this is an ingredient that you want to be familiar with!

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The first day of autumn arrived and all of a sudden it’s winter with snow covering the mountains around us! Gotta love Utah weather.. A few weeks ago I picked up a half bushel of my favorite honey crisp apples. They’re sweet, a little tart, and they have the best crunch. October is all about apples in our home, and a few end of summer peaches, but we’re going to focus on the smooth, crispy red fruit of autumn.

For the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes highlighting apples. We’re kicking it all off with some fun facts and recipes all about apples, keep reading to find out more! Continue reading “in season: apples” »

Posted in FYI, Jen, Recipes, Seasonal | No Comments »

It is not a big secret that I am a kitchen gadget junkie.  I love a good gadget, especially if I find myself using it over and over, the sign of kitchen gadget success!

I recently switched from using aerosol non-stick cooking sprays to using my own oils like olive oil, or vegetable oil in a fun pump sprayer*.  It has quickly become a favorite kitchen gadget!   I love that you can just re-fill with your oil once you have used it all, and you can re-use the can over and over, cutting down waste, and saving money in your pocket!

Another benefit is that you reduce the amount of chemicals you are ingesting from the aerosol sprayers, which also tend to leave a bit of a gummy mess on your cookware, and are not safe for your non-stick cookware.  I also like to use heart healthy olive oil, so putting my own in a pump sprayer has been really great!

So, what are your favorite kitchen gadgets lately?

(*I have a misto brand sprayer that I really like, I think there are similar ones from other brands)

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I hope you are experiencing an Indian Summer in your neck of the woods, or at least a slight version of one!  It’s a glorious time of year, especially for those of us still wanting to intake all the summer produce we can. At the top of this list are garden tomatoes…isn’t the taste difference between garden tomatoes and store-bought tomatoes absolutely incredible?  They are hardly the same fruit/vegetable (tomatoes are technically fruit, but we often refer to them as vegetables so I’m going to use both here ).  Today I’d like to share my favorite way to use the little grape and cherry tomatoes from the garden (or farmer’s market if you don’t have a garden), which makes for a super easy upgrade to any salad.  It’s so simple, but adds so much flavor…

Continue reading “Easy Upgrade to Your Basic Garden Salad” »

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