Making a Merry Woodsman cocktail takes a little planning, but the flavor combination is enchanting and it’s totally worth a few days’ steeping and a little blending and boiling. The bright, lemony flavor of the spruce tips comes from two infusions: a spruce tip simple syrup and a spruce tip infused vodka. Elderflower liqueur adds a floral note, and ginger spices…
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The deep, rich green of nettle soup seems almost too vibrant to be natural; it’s worth serving for the color alone. Nettles are a traditional wild vegetable around the world. They’re high in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids, as well as multiple minerals and vitamins. The flavor of nettles is dark and wild; you feel like you’re eating something rich…
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If you need to make a fancy looking appetizer that is surprisingly easy to put together, try this mushroom puff pastry. If you’ve read my pie crust philosophy, you won’t be surprised to learn that I don’t make my own puff pastry either. There are several, very good, ready-made, frozen puff pastry brands, and using one of them makes this…
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Boletus edulis is known by many names: porcini, cep, penny bun, steinpilz, and king bolete, to name a few. Whatever you call it, it is one of the most delicious and desirable edible mushrooms in existence. It’s no wonder serious mushroom hunters keep their special spots secret, checking them every few days during porcini season so as not to miss…
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What can I say about this silky, golden liqueur? That it tastes like summer? That it’s easily made from a common weed that grows from the Arctic Circle to Baja California? That mixed with prossecco it’s the perfect summer aperitif, and poured straight over a single ice cube it’s delicious enough to be dessert? All of these things are true…
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A podcast about plants with Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari