If heaven on earth existed ... in my mouth ... it would be this.  The land of milk and honey.  Sinfully sweet and smelling of roses.  I encountered this delightful desert during a dinner at a trendy Indian restaurant, Nirvana Beverly Hills, with other bloggers ... so they didn't mind at all when I whipped out my phone at the dinner table to tweet that I was having some sort of delicious Oh-My-Gawd experience.    It was like falling in love for the first time and I wanted to proclaim it to the World.  You must be thinking that I'm over-reacting to a simple meal.  I admit, it could have been the sensual atmosphere of Nirvana which is candle-lit and oozing not-so-subtle hints of Kama Sutra with their artwork and menu descriptions.  Appetizers are called "Foreplay."  Entrees ... "Loss of Innocence."  And dessert ... "Sensuous Pleasures, Sin committed, but quickly forgotten."  Whoa.  I have to remember, this is Beverly Hills.

But I do believe that even if I wasn't under the glittery influence of LA, upon savoring this treat I still would have closed my eyes, left the earth and had a moment.  The taste of sweet roses ... not the scent of a flower, but it's flavor.  By the time I regained my senses the menus had already been lifted from the table and I didn't know my new lover's name.  I tweeted that I was having a sweet honey and rose flavored dessert.  Someone immediately responded, "you must be having Gulab Jamun."

I tried saying that out loud, but it sounded like I was trying to speak with a mouthful.  (Try it.  Right now.  Go ahead.  Say ... Guuuulaaaab Jaaamuuun.  See?)   So I just made a mental note of the roses and honey.  Later when I went to post about it again, in my insecurity of the language, I described them as honey rose donut holes.  Big mistake.  HUGE!  My Middle Eastern friends quivered at the comparison.  "Gulab Jamun are not donut holes!" they proclaimed.  But ... uhm ... they certainly look like donut holes?  Fancy rose scented ones at that!  Wikipedia describes them as waffle balls.   I once called them O.M.G. balls.  That didn't quite sound right either.  So let's just learn how to pronounce it correctly.  According to MacMillan Dictionary, it's /ɡʊˌlɑːb ˈjɑːmən/.

And here's how to make them ...

Start with some honey, powdered milk, and roses.

I actually used the roses to make tea.  Nirvana did give me a recipe for making rose water at home (posted below).  But I found it at my local grocer in the spice section as a natural gourmet flavoring ... or perfume?

The dry milk I was a little iffy about.  One of my chef friends suggested using  all whole ingredients (i.e. nothing powdered or dried).  So I looked up other recipes online for gulab jamun and all used powdered milk.  So I decided to stick to the recipe.  Doesn't look appetizing ... but works like a charm!

Add a little baking powder ...

As if the powdered milk wasn't enough ... add to that 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream.  Yeah ... these donuts ...I mean .... gulab jamun, are rich and creamy little cakes.

Mix together with a wooden spoon.  It gets a little sticky.

I was unprepared to have my photo taken ... against the only wall in my kitchen that is unpainted and undecorated.  Hair tossed in a clip and 70's ring-T on.  Ew.  At least the apron is flirty.  I'm actually standing on a stool to gain some leverage on this counter island for mixing.  Increasing my height by 8 inches also helps me channel my inner Julia Child.  But I digress ... back to the recipe ...

Cover your hands in flour and roll dough into 1 inch balls.

Confession: here's where I went wrong the first time around.

I'm a runner, so I don't cook/eat/prepare fried foods.  Ever.  I don't have a deep fryer.  I'm also the kind of cook that sometimes just throws from the hip and says, "let's try it!" without properly researching.

Google is at my fingertips.  I should have looked up "heating" and "boiling points" of oil.

But instead I followed the advice of Julia Child, "The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a 'What the hell?' attitude."

So, "what the heck!"  Let's pour some oil in a pan and turn the temperature up to high!   (By the way, I don't recommend this!)

And the first one goes in ...

(See ... that oil doesn't look hot, does it?)

Pop!  Crack!  Sizzle ...

Insta-Burn!

This happened in all of 3 seconds.  Seriously.  The recipe calls for them to reach a "rich mahogany color."  But somehow I don't think this fits that description.  Especially since it happened so fast that I doubt the inside cooked.  So ... we turned the heat to medium and waited a bit.  Learn from my mistake.

After the oil was at a sufficient "cook-instead-of-burn" temperature , we started getting some golden brown results.  PS ... my whole house now smells like fried gulab jamun from the burn experiment.

Meanwhile ...

The syrup is being made.

This is similar to a simple syrup used in drink making ... only with rose water and honey.  Bring sugar and water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of rose water.  I also added two tablespoons of honey after it cooled.

Pour the sugar water over the gulab jamun and let it soak in.

Gulab Jamun

Rose-Flavored Cakes in Sugar Syrup

from the kitchen of Nirvana Beverly Hills

Makes 25-30 Balls

The Sugar Syrup:

2 pounds sugar

2 quarts plus 1 pint water

2 tablespoons rose water***

The Dough:

3 cups dry milk

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

2 ½ cups heavy cream

3 pints of oil for deep frying

Make the sugar syrup first: In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, then let it thicken by cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the rose water and keep the syrup warm at a low simmer.

In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the dough thoroughly to make a still batter. Let mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to set. Take a pinch of dough a little smaller than a golf ball and roll it between your palms to round it into a neat ball.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until a haze begins to form, just before it begins to smoke. Carefully add the balls until the surface is covered. (If necessary cook the balls in more than one batch.) With a large spoon, start turning the balls just as they begin to take on color. After about 3 minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to turn the balls until they acquire a rich mahogany color.

When the sweetmeats have achieved a luscious, deep color, turn the heat up to high for 2-3 minutes to add still more color and to firm the crust. Drain onto paper towels.

When drained, put the balls into a large bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them. Let them rest until the syrup reaches room temperature. They can now be eaten – but they will taste even better if allowed to “tighten” until the next day.

NOTE: Gulab Jamun will keep a week or more, stored in the refrigerator.

***How to make Rose Water:

5 large roses

2 quarts cool (not iced) water

Wash roses thoroughly in cold water. Pick off all the petals, reserving a few for garnish; put the remainder in a large ceramic jar. Pour the cool water over them and set them aside in a dark place (away from any sunshine) for at least 4 hours. Strain the rose water and discard petals.

--Rachelle

a.k.a. @TravelBlggr

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It's hot enough to sizzle an egg on the roof of my car at the moment.  Summer ... time for a cool dip in the springs, swaying with the waves in the ocean and consuming all things chilled.  I think this quote says it best ...

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." ~Russel Baker

It's the time of year where as much as I love a hot breakfast, sometimes I just want something refreshing and cool to the tongue.  Tom & Wendy Lynde from the Braeside Inn Bed & Breakfast sent me this recipe for a Cranachan Smoothie. It's a Scottish recipe, which I think is appropriate since I'll be working on a video for Scottish themed book by Karen Hawkins next week. Only, after doing some research, I have to ask Tom & Wendy, "where's the whiskey?"

The Braeside Inn is located near Gatlenburg, Tennessee, in the town of Sevierville.  It's an area known for the great outdoors with hiking and white water rafting in the Great Smokey Mountains.  If you have some time to doodle on the the web, their site is pretty fun ... just a friggin huge url ... but still fun ...

InspirationComesEasyIfYouKnowWhereToLook.com

Named a Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award Winner for Best Food, 2009-2010, I was thankful this recipe was simple enough that I could make it at 4:30 am for one of my morning marathon training runs if I needed to.  Here's the scoop ...

You only need four ingredients.  Add them to a blender.  You're done.  Easy peasy, huh?  To demonstrate ... here is a "before" and "after" picture ...

Now, to be truly authentic Cranchan ... it should have raspberries ... and whiskey.

This is a breakfast-ized version (i.e. no alcohol) with berries that were in season at my local grocer.

Cranachan Smoothie

From the Braeside Inn, Sevierville, TN

This traditional Scottish dish makes a wonderful alternative for a first course breakfast fruit. Just a spoonful or so of rolled oats gives substance to this tangy, invigorating starter.

Makes 4 medium glasses:

1 ½ tbsp medium rolled oats

1-cup raspberries or frozen mixed berries

1-2 tsp honey

3 tbsp plain low fat yogurt

1) Place the rolled oats in a heatproof glass cup measure. Add ½ cup boiling water and leave to stand for about 10 minutes.

2) Put the soaked oats in a food processor or blender and add the berries. If using the raspberries reserve several berries per glass for garnish. A slice of Kiwi fruit or sprig of fresh mint can be substituted for the berries.

3) Add the honey and about 2 tbsp of the yogurt to the food processor or blender. Purée the ingredients until smooth, scraping down the side processor or blender midway through if necessary.

4) Pour the smoothie into glasses, swirl in the remaining yogurt and top with garnish.

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Kah KOW!  It sounds like a cartoon, "pah POW," doesn't it?   As if it should be in a little white cloud star burst in a comic strip when all hell is breaking loose.   I think I'll add it to my repertoire of socially acceptable expletives.  I could have used it during our last kitchen Egg Snafu.  Instead of yelling something profane, I'll really just be screaming CHOCOLATE!   And since chocolate is a great comfort food, it will only enhance using it as a silky comforting expletive slipping across my tongue.

The irony is that my kitchen Egg Snafu was a simple 6 ingredient recipe.  One that I had done before perfectly, and then really Kah KOW'd it up this last time.  Turned it into some crappy scrambled eggs.  Then I dove into this 20- ingredient-multi-step-hard-to-find-spices-recipe and it turned out great.  Go figure?!  I guess because some of the ingredients (like Harissa and Hungarian Paprika) were not in my spice rack or immediate awareness ... and the fact that I'd be combining chocolate with tomatoes ... maybe that gave me pause and I paid more attention to what I was doing.

I found the word Kah KOW when I looked up the origins of chocolate ... the phonetic spelling of cacao.  It just jumped off the page at me.  Originally, hot chocolate was not sweet at all, but very spicy.    This recipe from Chestnut Street Inn really does it justice.  Chocolate in it's most original form ...

Savory and Spicy.

Make this as an appetizer to spice up your Valentine's Day dinner... while it's not as dramatic as my Egg Snafu ... it definitely has all the trappings of a good LifeTime or Hallmark movie.  Watch and learn ...

The character you love to hate, but still can't resist ... Harissa.  She's a spicy one.

I had a heck of a time finding Harissa.  I looked all over the supermarket.  But for you men out there, this isn't the type of character you can discover the old fashioned way.  As in  ... shopping ... physically ... in an actual store.  This one is global and high tech.  I thought I'd find it at Marx Foods.   But nope.  No Harissa.  Googled it  ... found a bunch!  And I even found a recipe to make Harissa.  Now ... I wish I would have done that BEFORE making the soup.

Enter stage left ... the stand in ...

In my creative zen at the grocery store, since Harissa was described as a North African Chili Paste, I figured some tomato paste and chili powder sounded about the same.  And while it tasted great ... it's not really the same thing.  So here are some references for you ...

Harissa Shopping Online

Recipe:  How to make Harissa

After reading the description of some of these as "hot" and "pain is good" ... I'm kinda glad I went with my homemade thought up version.  I like the taste of a little kick, but so spicy that I can't feel my tongue is no good.

And as for character development, this is the bitch in the story ... and while I have found substitute words like "kah KOW" and "Shut The Front Door" ... I haven't found an adequate replacement for the noun referenced above.  If you have a cute one, please let me know!

My fake Harissa ...

Heat oil and butter in a stock pot over medium heat ... this is the plot.

Add chopped onion and saute until translucent.  Get out the Kleenex ... chopped onion is a sure tear jerker.  What kind of Hallmark/Lifetime movie would it be without a few weepy eye moments?

Now the Italian favorite comes in and makes a squishy, but well scented, mess of things ...

3 garlic cloves.

A little spa action with the skin peel.

And now all the characters are getting thrown together in the same plot ... I mean ... pot.

Here comes the heroine of the soup story.

Hungarian Paprika.

She's also a bit spicy and mysterious ... but words like "pain" are not associated with this spice.

Add a little wine to the moment and the plot thickens.

Funny tangent ... I was cooking at my friend Beth's house and had called and asked her if that Magnum of chardonnay I saw in her fridge only a couple of days ago had about a 1/2 cup left in it that I could cook with.

Nope.

Lush.

I told her I'd bring over a fresh bottle ... she said she'd drink that too!

The plot thickens ...

Add the rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe and let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

And then gets whipped and turned around a bit so you have no idea where it's headed!

Side note/Sub-plot ... I actually had to blend twice ... the volume of the soup was too big for the blender.  So while you may SEE one blender shot ... know that it took two.  And ... because it was hot it sort of exploded (just a little) and got bits of red soup all over the place.  Told you there was drama.

Add the blended soup back to you stock pot ... add the greens ...

then add the hero ...

kah KOW!

Chocolate.

He's smooth and rich, and while a bit bitter, he still absolutely melts with the other characters.

Add a little honey to sweeten it up and cut the acidity.

Sprinkle on the cheese for a nice happy finish!

The End!

CREDITS

Spicy Tomato & Chocolate Soup

from Chestnut Street Inn, Sheffield IL

Yields: Approx. 6-8 Servings

2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbl Unsalted Butter

1 Onion, Diced

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 Carrots, Peeled and Diced

2 Celery Stalks, Diced

1 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Sliced

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste

3 Tbl Harissa (North African Chili Paste)

2 tsps Hungarian Paprika

2 tsps ground Cumin

1 tsp ground Coriander

½-3/4 cup Dry Sherry or White Wine

1-28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

4 Cups Chicken Broth

¼ Cup Cilantro, Chopped

¼ Cup Italian Parsley, Chopped

3-4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate

2 Tbl Honey or to Taste

Queso Fresco, Goat Cheese or Crème Fraiche to Garnish

1) Heat oil and butter in a stock pot over medium high heat until butter melts.

2) Add onion and sauté until translucent, approx. 5 mins. Add garlic, carrots, celery and sun dried tomatoes.

3) Season with salt, pepper, harissa, paprika, cumin and coriander. Saute for a couple of minute to toast spices and soften vegetables.

4) Add wine and continue cooking on high until all of the liquid has evaporated. Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 mins or until the vegetables are tender.

5) Pass soup through a food mill to puree (I used a blender) and remove any large particles. Return soup to pot and place over low heat.

6) Add parsley and cilantro. Add chocolate and enough honey to balance acidity. Adjust seasoning to taste.

7) Serve hot, garnished with queso fresco, fresh goat cheese or crème fraiche.

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It's the little things that make a meal special.  For breakfast, sometimes it's as simple as the perfect cup of coffee.  But some innkeepers put in a little extra love and effort to make breakfast memorable.  Crisp ironed linens, fresh flowers and fine china.  I always get nervous when they serve on fine china because I'm usually kind of a clumsy sleepy head and not feeling all that fancy in the first half of the day.

Andrew Inn & Cottages in Key West adds that extra  touch my making their own flavored butter.  Strawberry Mango Honey Butter.  What a way to liven up a plain piece of toast. On my busy mornings, I sometimes only have time for coffee and an English muffin.  But this recipe makes my boring busy morning breakfast into a treat.

I couldn't find fresh mangos anywhere this time of year, so I just used strawberries since they are in season.  It will make a great extra little touch for a Valentine's Day breakfast.  Now if I could only find a heart shaped butter mold.

Simple ingredients ... butter, strawberries, honey and preserves.

I chopped up the butter to make it easier to mix once it softened.

These strawberries were really ripe and sweet, so they were kind of hard to "chop" without creating a bit pile of red mush.  It was also hard to not want to eat them all!

First whip the softened butter, then blend in the rest of the ingredients.

Butter is almost too rich to lick the bowl ... but it's tempting!

It melts perfectly into all the nooks and crannies of a hot English muffin.

“Unbuttered toast is a substance half complete, and to be forced to eat it in that state is necessarily to feel deprived.” -John Thorne

Strawberry Mango Honey-Butter

from Andrews Inn, Key West Florida

1lb of butter
4 large strawberries
1/2 mango
1/2 cup of honey
3 large tbs of strawberry preserves

1) Let butter soften to room temperature in a large bowl, then whip the butter until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency.

2) Finely chop the strawberries and mango and add to the bowl.

3) Add half a cup of honey and the strawberry preserves and once again whip until it reaches a smooth consistency.

4) Spoon into three medium containers keep one in the refrigerator, and freeze the rest until needed. Will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

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The thing I love most about Fall ... well, besides the cooler weather, holidays, festivals, and everything decorated in my favorite color (orange) ... is the spices.

Clove. Cinnamon.  Nutmeg.  Allspice. Ginger.

They all seem to bring with them a feeling of comfort and warmth.  For the next three months I'll be baking up a storm using every combination of these delightful spices.

As much as I like to hover over my hot cup of coffee and savor the morning, some days are a little more rushed than others.  This recipe is perfect for one of those days where you crave the soothing feeling of being wrapped up in a warm blanket lingering over a hot beverage ... but in reality you have to get out the door quick.  Take a couple of these wholesome treats with you for a boost of energy you'll need to face the day.

This recipe for Sweet Potato Muffins was sent to me from  Mitch at the Beaufort Inn in South Carolina.  He's had a lot of practice making breakfast over the years, even before life as an Innkeeper.  Sundays used to be his only day off and he would make something delicious in the morning for his daughter and a houseful of her friends.  Lucky girls!

Here's what you'll need ...

Here's what you'll need ... 2 cups white flour, 1/2 cup freshly ground flax seed, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup oil, 2 cups baked/peeled/cubed sweet potato, 2 eggs, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup dried cranberries.

Mix your dry ingredients together into a large bowl.

These are the little boogers you have to watch out for.  Flax seeds.  They're what makes these little muffins wholesome, hearty, filling and delish ... but don't over indulge our you'll experience what I call a flax-itive.

I grind mine in a coffee grinder.  It does the trick pretty good.

After grinding the flax seed, add them to your flour and spice mixture and mix well.

Next, beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

Add your eggs, oil, and honey to the flour/flax/spice bowl.

This is going to get real thick, real fast.  I don't recommend using a mixer or beater.

Instead just a fork will do and fold the batter together.

The honey combined with the flax seed makes this a thick and hearty stick-to-your-gut kind of muffin.  No fluffy pastry here.  This is a get outside and go hiking-climbing-fall-leaf-collecting-pumpkin-picking kind of breakfast.  Eat your heart out Kashi.

I had to resist the temptation to puree the sweet potato.  Add them cubed, not mashed.  They melt down a little and give it a moist texture.

Fold in the nuts, cranberries and sweet potatoes.  Do you feel like you're making your own super food bar yet?  The recipes I post are usually not the healthy kind.  Bookmark this one for when you get into the thick of the holidays full of butter and sugar and crave a less guilt-ridden snack.  Just remember ... don't over indulge.

Scoop the gooey wholesome goodness into greased muffin pans.  I like to add a little flour too.

I makes em pop out really easy and creates a little crust on the edge.

This batch of batter almost made 2 dozen small muffins.  You could also make 12 really gigantic ones ... just add a little more time to your baking.

Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients

2 Cups white flour

1/2 Cup freshly ground flax seed

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp ground cloves

1/2 cup oil

2 cups baked, peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Using a wire whisk, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, flax seeed and spices) in large bowl.

3) Blend in beaten eggs and honey and mix well.

4) With a spoon mix in sweet potato cubes, walnuts and cranberries.

5) Separate into greased muffin pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

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