A culinary online center dedicated to promoting the importance and the joy of American home cooking with an emphasis on local products and talent, celebrating the unique spirit and energy of the new food world ethos, especially in Vermont.

amuse bouche

I love quotes that add meaning to my life. Here are a few to live by:

Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
—Michael Pollan

Feeding nine billion people in a truly sustainable way will be one of the greatest challenges our civilization has had to confront. It will require the imagination, determination and hard work of countless people from all over the world. There is no time to lose.
—Jonathan A. Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment, U of MN

The surest way to capture the flavors, colors, and textures of a culture is by using authentic products.
—Lidia Bastianich, from Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen

The most important habit you can develop is to taste as you are preparing something. Take a sample and taste it critically at different stages of the cooking, then correct the seasonings…
—Marion Cunningham, from Learning to Cook

Plant a vegetable garden if you have the space, a window box if you don’t.
—Michael Pollan

‘Tis the Season

The social expectations of the holidays are pleasantly exhausting. Dinner parties, yankee swaps, ugly sweaters, and gift exchanges. I was mildly overwhelmed last night as a first time attendee of a friend’s eleventh annual Turducken dinner party, which is aptly named after the main dish. Turducken is a de-boned chicken stuffed in a de-boned duck stuffed in a de-boned turkey. Disappointingly, I did not get a good photo opp before the dish was turned into a mess of mystery meat. But speaking from experience, I can say the result was an amazing smelling house and fantastic taste. A potluck-style gathering, the hosts took care of the turducken, and the guests brought snacks, sides, and desserts.

I’m generally the type to roast brussels sprouts (in olive oil with onion and garlic) for a dinner party. However, in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to make my favorite indulgence, Berries and Cream. I only make it once a year around the holidays, as it is so delightfully rich and decadent, I can’t resist pandering my sweet tooth when its around the house.

This recipe has been a staple in my family for decades. It is wonderfully flexible, as you can make the creme fraiche savory by adding dill or basil to add richness to a veggie or meat dish. For a nice presentation, you can make individual parfaits in stemmed glasses and garnish with mint or basil. I was happy to use local (ish) ingredients, Vermont maple syrup, dairy from Cabot Creamery, and wild berries from Wyman’s of Maine.

Berries and Cream is pleasantly simple to prepare…well…it’s simple when you don’t explode the whipping cream around the kitchen, like I did last night! In a sitcom-worthy turn of events, I accidentally turned the mixer up HIGHER before turning it off.

Berries and Cream

Ingredients:

*8 oz Sour Cream

*8 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)

*8 oz Whipping Cream

Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Mixed berries, lightly sweetened

Mint for garnish

*Equal parts of all three – does not have to be 8 oz!

Method:

Using a hand mixer (don’t use your stand mixer, as evidenced above!) blend together the whipping cream, cream cheese, and sour cream, until smooth. Add sweetener to taste, sparingly, as a little goes a long way. For a lovely presentation, you can layer the berries and cream in parfait glass or clear bowl with a mint garnish. OR, you can just plop some cream with your berries and dig in!

Until next time,

Corrie Austin

Posted: 12-9-2018

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The social expectations of the holidays are pleasantly exhausting.  Dinner parties, yankee swaps, ugly sweaters, and gift exchanges.  I was mildly overwhelmed last night as a first time attendee of a friend's eleventh annual Turducken dinner party, which is aptly named after the main dish.  Turducken is a de-boned chicken stuffed in a de-boned duck stuffed in a de-boned turkey.  Disappointingly, I did not get a good photo opp before the dish was turned into a mess of mystery meat.  But speaking from experience, I can say the result was an amazing smelling house and fantastic taste.  A potluck-style gathering, the hosts took care of the turducken, and the guests brought snacks, sides, and desserts.



I'm generally the type to roast brussels sprouts (in olive oil with onion and garlic) for a dinner party.  However, in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to make my favorite indulgence, Berries and Cream.  I only make it once a year around the holidays, as it is so delightfully rich and decadent, I can't resist pandering my sweet tooth when its around the house.



This recipe has been a staple in my family for decades.  It is wonderfully flexible, as you can make the creme fraiche savory by adding dill or basil to add richness to a veggie or meat dish.  For a nice presentation, you can make individual parfaits in stemmed glasses and garnish with mint or basil.  I was happy to use local (ish) ingredients, Vermont maple syrup, dairy from Cabot Creamery, and wild berries from Wyman's of Maine.



Berries and Cream is pleasantly simple to prepare...well...it's simple when you don't explode the whipping cream around the kitchen, like I did last night!  In a sitcom-worthy turn of events, I accidentally turned the mixer up HIGHER before turning it off.


Berries and Cream
Ingredients:

*8 oz Sour Cream

*8 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)

*8 oz Whipping Cream

Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Mixed berries, lightly sweetened

Mint for garnish

*Equal parts of all three - does not have to be 8 oz!

Method:

Using a hand mixer (don't use your stand mixer, as evidenced above!) blend together the whipping cream, cream cheese, and sour cream, until smooth.  Add sweetener to taste, sparingly, as a little goes a long way.  For a lovely presentation, you can layer the berries and cream in parfait glass or clear bowl with a mint garnish.  OR, you can just plop some cream with your berries and dig in!

Until next time,

Corrie Austin"
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The social expectations of the holidays are pleasantly exhausting.  Dinner parties, yankee swaps, ugly sweaters, and gift exchanges.  I was mildly overwhelmed last night as a first time attendee of a friend's eleventh annual Turducken dinner party, which is aptly named after the main dish.  Turducken is a de-boned chicken stuffed in a de-boned duck stuffed in a de-boned turkey.  Disappointingly, I did not get a good photo opp before the dish was turned into a mess of mystery meat.  But speaking from experience, I can say the result was an amazing smelling house and fantastic taste.  A potluck-style gathering, the hosts took care of the turducken, and the guests brought snacks, sides, and desserts.



I'm generally the type to roast brussels sprouts (in olive oil with onion and garlic) for a dinner party.  However, in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to make my favorite indulgence, Berries and Cream.  I only make it once a year around the holidays, as it is so delightfully rich and decadent, I can't resist pandering my sweet tooth when its around the house.



This recipe has been a staple in my family for decades.  It is wonderfully flexible, as you can make the creme fraiche savory by adding dill or basil to add richness to a veggie or meat dish.  For a nice presentation, you can make individual parfaits in stemmed glasses and garnish with mint or basil.  I was happy to use local (ish) ingredients, Vermont maple syrup, dairy from Cabot Creamery, and wild berries from Wyman's of Maine.



Berries and Cream is pleasantly simple to prepare...well...it's simple when you don't explode the whipping cream around the kitchen, like I did last night!  In a sitcom-worthy turn of events, I accidentally turned the mixer up HIGHER before turning it off.


Berries and Cream
Ingredients:

*8 oz Sour Cream

*8 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)

*8 oz Whipping Cream

Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Mixed berries, lightly sweetened

Mint for garnish

*Equal parts of all three - does not have to be 8 oz!

Method:

Using a hand mixer (don't use your stand mixer, as evidenced above!) blend together the whipping cream, cream cheese, and sour cream, until smooth.  Add sweetener to taste, sparingly, as a little goes a long way.  For a lovely presentation, you can layer the berries and cream in parfait glass or clear bowl with a mint garnish.  OR, you can just plop some cream with your berries and dig in!

Until next time,

Corrie Austin"
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The social expectations of the holidays are pleasantly exhausting.  Dinner parties, yankee swaps, ugly sweaters, and gift exchanges.  I was mildly overwhelmed last night as a first time attendee of a friend's eleventh annual Turducken dinner party, which is aptly named after the main dish.  Turducken is a de-boned chicken stuffed in a de-boned duck stuffed in a de-boned turkey.  Disappointingly, I did not get a good photo opp before the dish was turned into a mess of mystery meat.  But speaking from experience, I can say the result was an amazing smelling house and fantastic taste.  A potluck-style gathering, the hosts took care of the turducken, and the guests brought snacks, sides, and desserts.



I'm generally the type to roast brussels sprouts (in olive oil with onion and garlic) for a dinner party.  However, in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to make my favorite indulgence, Berries and Cream.  I only make it once a year around the holidays, as it is so delightfully rich and decadent, I can't resist pandering my sweet tooth when its around the house.



This recipe has been a staple in my family for decades.  It is wonderfully flexible, as you can make the creme fraiche savory by adding dill or basil to add richness to a veggie or meat dish.  For a nice presentation, you can make individual parfaits in stemmed glasses and garnish with mint or basil.  I was happy to use local (ish) ingredients, Vermont maple syrup, dairy from Cabot Creamery, and wild berries from Wyman's of Maine.



Berries and Cream is pleasantly simple to prepare...well...it's simple when you don't explode the whipping cream around the kitchen, like I did last night!  In a sitcom-worthy turn of events, I accidentally turned the mixer up HIGHER before turning it off.


Berries and Cream
Ingredients:

*8 oz Sour Cream

*8 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)

*8 oz Whipping Cream

Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Mixed berries, lightly sweetened

Mint for garnish

*Equal parts of all three - does not have to be 8 oz!

Method:

Using a hand mixer (don't use your stand mixer, as evidenced above!) blend together the whipping cream, cream cheese, and sour cream, until smooth.  Add sweetener to taste, sparingly, as a little goes a long way.  For a lovely presentation, you can layer the berries and cream in parfait glass or clear bowl with a mint garnish.  OR, you can just plop some cream with your berries and dig in!

Until next time,

Corrie Austin"
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4 responses to “‘Tis the Season”

Kellie says:

December 9, 2018 at 8:05 pm

Berries and cream!! Yum ☺️
My favorite mixmaster trick is to poof flour all over, hahahaaa
Merry Christmas Corrie!
Kellie

Reply
- Corrie Austin says:
  
  December 29, 2018 at 2:11 pm
  
  Always been a favorite, as I’m sure you’ll remember! It’s quite simple for how decadent it tastes.
  
  Reply
Patrick Kutkey says:

December 11, 2018 at 10:37 am

Pleasantly exhausting. What a nice way to put it.

Reply
- Corrie Austin says:
  
  December 29, 2018 at 2:10 pm
  
  Admittedly, I sometimes have to remind myself that its “pleasant” and not just exhausting, hahaha!
  
  Reply