Category: Recipes

No. 258Recipe Card Posted on by — 3 Comments

Blackberries in Liqueur

Blackberries in Liqueur | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Mid-July – the quintessential Dog Days of Summer. Time to simply savor the little jewels of summer with Blackberries in Liqueur.

Summer in the desert Southwest – here, summer is my new winter. Hunkering down inside whenever possible. Waiting out fast moving summer storms of pouring rain with the most spectacular lighting I have ever seen. Overall, a time spent inward.

I have long referred to this hot period of summer, where ever I resided, as the Dog Days of Summer. However, I did not know the Dog Days range from about July 3 to August 11 and were named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was extended from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun. Brilliant.

So perfectly beautiful are the berries of summer. This recipe is as easy as it gets for a grown-up treat. Marinating ripe summer fruits in liqueurs is a classic method (think peaches or cherries in brandy) and this recipe yields both a dessert or an apéritif, or both.

These blackberries have long been a go-to when baskets of ripe berries abound, lovely for an entertaining no-work dessert with ice cream or simple sponge cake. The berries can also work their magic as an apéritif, making a great base for a refreshing summer cocktail – either way, savor the jewels of summer.

Happy July from the Bijouxs kitchen.

SaveSave

No. 257Recipe Card Posted on by — 6 Comments

Perfect Pairing | On Fifth Avenue

PiereePlatePP

Welcome to change, again! New and exciting things are cooking in the Bijouxs Little Jewels Kitchen. With a change of venue comes a return to my roots. I’m pleased to introduce a new feature here at Bijouxs—Perfect Pairing, here we go!

A few months ago I welcomed change—a new locale, new home and now the next change. A pivot in my career has taken me into the real estate world, which is in many ways a return to my origins but with expanded horizons. As many of you know, my career originated with a focus on architecture/design and then incorporated food. Many years ago I started out at architectural firms where I designed interiors for luxury retail projects. Embracing my design roots and love of structures, I am thrilled to be part of an incredible brand and a team specializing in beautiful properties. For me, helping clients find the home of their dreams is an honor. There is, after all, no place like home. And home is the core of Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen. Food and home are part of a whole, and I am pleased to remain happily immersed in both.

Now, as I tour our amazing properties, both online and in person, I can’t help but imagine… hmmm…what would I cook if I lived in this home? What would be the perfect recipe for this property? And that’s how Perfect Pairing was born. The Little Jewels Collections is now at home with food. With my schedule, I may experience a little less time in the kitchen, but plenty of time to dream of beautiful homes paired with beautiful food and I want you to join me. So, let’s tour the first Perfect Pairing.

Since Perfect Pairing embraces my design roots, I thought it only fitting to create the inaugural pairing in the most amazing city of all, New York City. This is the city where I worked designing luxe interiors for some of the most beautiful stores on The Avenue—Fifth Avenue.

What shall we dine on for lunch in this spectacular 14-room duplex apartment high atop the prestigious Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue? I imagine that it is a clear spring day, overlooking the park, the trees are vivid green, bursting with new leaves, one of those stellar Spring days in the city. Perhaps we begin with a first course of tender, thin Bijouxs High Society Asparagus, draped with rich Bijouxs Café de Paris hollandaise sauce, and because the day is so, so spectacular, just a little sip of champagne.

Savor a Perfect Pairing, the newest Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.

PROPERTY:  Photograph and property details at Sotheby’s International Realty – East Side Manhattan Brokerage

PAIRING: Bijouxs No. 53 High Society Asparagus

No. 256Recipe Card Posted on by — 1 Comment

Chicken alla Cacciatora

Chicken alla Cacciatora | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Big Night cooking…it’s all about the sauce. Chicken alla Cacciatora, yes, an old school classic, a simple, family-style way with a chicken. Bijouxs la dolce vita!

One of my favorite food movies is “Big Night” and I can’t help but think of it whenever I cook a family favorite, Chicken alla Cacciatora (chicken in honor of the hunter’s wife). Leave it to the Italians to create the most fabulously simple food and this recipe is no exception. What you will need is a chicken, an onion, garlic, a can of tomatoes and oh, yes of course a bit of white wine. Result? A tender stew with fall-off-the-bone chicken, plus a healthy serving of sauce to embellish rice or pasta. Simple right?

Cooking from the heart and memory is a joy. You might have grown up with a version of the dish too. This is a flexible recipe, that is, I adjust the oil needed based on the size of onion, adjust garlic to taste, etc. The technique works with other meats as well to create a substantial sauce for Sunday night. With only a 45-minute stovetop stew, a budget chicken becomes a memorable, family-style meal, sending off an aroma throughout the house that just begs the pot to be opened and tasted.

I serve Chicken alla Cacciatora family style on a large platter, extra sauce on the side, and a bowl of fluffy white rice with fresh parsley. Of course, this dish is even better reheated the next day, if you can wait.

Wishing you a big night from the Bijouxs.

No. 255Recipe Card Posted on by — 6 Comments

LA-Style Granola

LA-Style Granola | Bijouxs Little Jewels

LA style – beautifully bronzed, bursting with health, and full of vital crunch, that is how I describe my favorite granola, one that captures for me an essence of iconic LA food. A simple little jewel for breakfast from the Bijouxs kitchen. Continue reading LA-Style Granola

No. 254Recipe Card Posted on by — 6 Comments

Pork Chops alla Milanese

Pork Chops alla Milanese | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Oh, fickle February – yesterday you were sunny and warm, and today you are blustery with rain – a perfect day to tuck in with a warm, comforting meal. In the new kitchen I am relying on simple little jewels from the collection – supermarket friendly, quick and easy on the budget. Pork Chops alla Milanese – rustic simplicity, always a little jewel. Continue reading Pork Chops alla Milanese

Still Hungry?