03 Mar Land of Milk & Honey
The combination of milk and honey is one that soothes me aesthetically, and from numerous perspectives. In the philosophical realm, it is the representation of plenty, where life is rich and sweet, and the world is a bountiful garden. In the physical realm, it is a sensual combination of tastes that offer comfort and earthy inspiration.
After a month of decadent Champagne and caviar, it seems appropriate to return to a simpler place with which all of us are familiar, for who cannot remember the taste of two such wonderful ingredients as milk and honey? They have soothed our childhood illnesses, and take our memories back to such moments when we try to soothe our adult aches and pains.
I was recently plagued by that late-Winter sore throat that seems to bully its way through the door just when you think you’ve safely run the gauntlet, and the first thing I headed for was a cup of my favorite Chai tea. It is very dear to me, as I’ve tweaked and perfected it to my own tastes over the years, so it is my big winter blanket when all I want is to put on my pajamas and climb under the covers. In case you are going through the same, we’ve included it in the first installment of this month’s recipes; the fragrance will lift your spirits, and the taste will make those aches disappear for a little while.
Since we’ve already covered creamy delights in an earlier issue, we thought it might be interesting to explore the decadence of mascarpone to accompany honey this month. The flavor combinations to come are at once homey and indulgent, so we invite you to try them in your own house.
We have also added some features to accompany our Mise en Place menus, which can now be found in our new Entertaining section. Complete with tips for planning, hosting, and creating a wonderful ambience for your gatherings, this section will expand over time to be your ultimate resource for entertaining at home.
All of these additions, as well as those to come, are part of our commitment to the ideal of fine dining at home. It doesn’t mean fancy and fussy, and it certainly doesn’t have to be for every day; when we say “fine dining at home,” we are talking about the level of the sensual experience, where life is a celebration. We would love for you to surround yourself with color, texture, flavor, and anything else that delights your senses.
In the near future we’ll equip you further for the adventure with our expanded online boutique, which will offer the finest ingredients from artisan purveyors, our own line of luxury tabletop accessories (see a sneak preview here), and anything else we can think of to enrich your entertaining – even if the only guest is you.
Photo: Kelly Cline