Orange-ginger curd is a less tart variation on lemon curd, with a bright citrus flavor and a gorgeous hit of warm, spicy ginger. We love it on bread, scones, biscuits or as the filling in a tart.
Take chicken soup, and give it a healthy thump of warming ginger, caramelized shallots, hoisin and lime. Gingery chicken and rice noodle soup is like a big hug from an old friend.
Got kumquats? Make whisky sours! This fresh and light cocktail’s tart flavor comes from three kinds of citrus (lemon, lime and kumquat).
Inspired by this Saveur recipe, we adapted our drink to use the Kumquat-Ginger Syrup instead of a kumquat-infused gin. One benefit is that the syrup can be used as soon as it’s cool, whereas the infusion can take a couple of weeks.
Once you’ve made the Kumquat- Ginger Syrup, whipping up this drink is about as simple as it gets. Muddle some of the kumquats and their syrup in a rocks glass, add rum and a few ice cubes and stir. Top with some club soda. Bam, done.
Dark rum tends to have notes of vanilla and clove which is a lovely complement to the sweet/tart flavor of the kumquat syrup. The ginger in the syrup adds to the spiciness, making this a perfect drink in both warm and cold weather. It’s basically a Dark ‘N’ Stormy, with a twist. Yes, please.
This kumquat ginger syrup, made from tiny, tasty, nutritious citrus and fresh ginger, is a delicious and versatile cocktail mixer.
The majority of things that I buy at the grocery store or farmer’s market, I know exactly what I want to do with. Broccoli rabe looks good? Let’s make a pizza or maybe pasta with white beans. Carrots are on sale? Let’s roast them with honey and thyme or make carrot cupcakes. Totally reasonable.
Then there are the impulse buys. I saw these kumquats and I just had to have them. I mean, look at them!
They’re like teeny, tiny oranges meant for a doll! I ask you, reader: how could I resist them? Well, I couldn’t, which is why you’re looking at pictures of them right now. The thing is, I had absolutely no idea what to do with them once I got them home.
Okay, as those of you who live on the east coast of the U.S. know, winter has decided to be extremely, um… generous with us lately. In fact, we are pretty much being bent over it’s knee and spanked like a naughty toddler. We still have a foot of snow on the ground and there’s another snowstorm coming tonight. Yay? (I figure if I pretend to be cool/whatever about it as opposed to horrified, winter will get bored and GO AWAY).
WINTER: Warm weather is life’s great lie! Once you accept your icy fate, this frozen hell-scape will welcome you and you will know peace!
EMILY: [Chomps on a gingery noodle] Okay.
WINTER: Is that all you have to say? No begging? No mewling?
EMILY: [Goes for seconds] Nope.
WINTER: Well, that’s disappointing. [Makes a small child slip and drop his hot chocolate]. Ah, better.
Nerd warning: Want to see a picture of Matt trying to get to the grocery store? Winter is still coming, it seems. Bloody hell.
No joke, for the first time in my life I had to drive on a highway through a blizzard and it was not fun (remember, this New York City girl just got her driver’s license a year ago). Matt practically had to pry my hands off the steering wheel when we got home because I was gripping it so tightly.
Luckily there are some dishes that work well regardless of the season, and this is one of them. I would happily make this on a warm summer night (remember those?), or on a freezing cold one. It was inspired (again) by a Melissa Clark recipe, though I changed the ratios a bit (more bok choy, added hoisin and sriracha). It’s got a great kick from the ginger and chili, and you should feel free to make it as spicy as you like.
We all have our culinary strengths and weaknesses and I freely admit that making pastry is a major weakness of mine. It’s frustrating because I’m really comfortable cooking pretty much anything, but pastry always trips me up. It’s like I see the combination of butter, flour and a rolling pin and I immediately begin to panic and look for the emergency exits.
