Sage Buttermilk Biscuits

Let us once again talk about biscuits. In particular, let us talk about the best biscuits I have ever eaten. THIS IS NOT A HYPERBOLE.

Let me take you back to a time a few months ago. I was sitting at work, and long before it was an acceptable time to have lunch I was having hunger pangs. At the same time my eyelids were heavy and I was craving a warm cup of coffee. What would a woman do in such a trying time!?

Well, luckily I am blessed to work in an office in downtown Boston that is just steps away from the Back Bay location of Flour Bakery. If you live in Boston, I can only assume you already know the joys of Flour. If you have never been, or plan on visiting soon, let me suggest you make a breakfast or lunch stop at there. Freshly baked goodies line the countertop and they have an amazing selection of salads and sandwiches to choose from. Joanne Chang is the genius behind it all. And luckily for us, she has not one but two cookbooks to help us recreate the joys that one can find at Flour.

Back on this day, when things were not going as great as they could have been, I took a quick walk to Flour and came away with a warm coffee and the most delicious Sage Buttermilk Biscuit. Buttery, flaky, golden brown biscuits with flakes of fresh sage all throughout a soft, tender dough. Is your mouth watering yet?

When I found the recipe for Joanne's Sage Buttermilk Biscuits online, I did not hesitate to whip up a batch of my own. And then another 2 or 3 batches after that. Seriously, these biscuits are so addicting--they remind me why breakfast is the best and most important meal of the day.

I brought these biscuits to a brunch with a some good friends--I can't even begin to tell you how impressive our spread turned out to be! The biscuits were very well received by the whole crowd. Even kitties like to get in on a little biscuit action...after all, who wouldn't!

Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo

Do you ever wonder why Fettuccine Alfredo is so good? I'm talking real, restaurant-style Fettuccine Alfredo.

The answer is actually quite simple. But, in case you were still wondering, there are three main reasons why nobody can say no to a creamy, dreamy plate of Fettuccine Alfredo.

1. Butter

2. Grated Parmesan Cheese

3. Heavy Cream

It's so obvious, isn't it? Normally, I try to only eat Fettuccine Alfredo out at restaurants for special occasions. There is no denying that it is incredibly rich, so moderation is key. But recently...I was craving it. I NEEDED the perfect plate of Fettuccine Alfredo.

When I took the first bite of this Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo, I just melted with joy. And my pasta-loving boyfriend couldn't resist a second helping. A perfect al dente fettuccine pasta, creamy  and buttery white cheese sauce, spicy black pepper. Just thinking about it gives me butterflies.

Turns out, the entire dish is incredibly simple (as you may have guessed from the short ingredient list above). It's reasons like this that make me truly believe we should never buy a jar of pre-made sauce ever again. 

If you're a purist, this recipe is so perfect and so flavorful, you can just enjoy a huge plate of pasta and sauce. If you're a protein and veggie lover, use this recipe as a base for any variation you can imagine.

For our meal, we did chicken and broccoli alfredo. Just grill a couple of chicken breasts and steam some broccoli, place on top of the pasta and sauce and you're good to go! I also would imagine pork tenderloins and asparagus would be a delicious combo, or add bacon and peas for a decadent carbonara. 

Honey Butter

Today is the day that we will talk about butter in a very serious way.

Butter is a great thing. It adds body and flavor to pan sauces. It is the only thing that makes puff pastry the ultimate culinary vehicle. Without butter, cookies would be bland and scones would choke us half to death.

I don't want to take this any further. I just want to tell you about this Honey Butter.

The addition of sweet honey, spicy cinnamon, and soft vanilla extract takes ordinary butter and makes it extraordinary. It compliments sweet breads and homemade muffins in a way that will make you weak at the knees. You might want to bathe in it, and that's something you can do on your own time. If you want to put this on buttermilk pancakes, Lord knows I won't stop you. In fact, I'd really enjoy an invite to that breakfast.

This recipe is an easy way to elevate a breakfast or brunch table to the next level. It is an added touch of homemade that tells your guests (or just your family on a daily basis) that you truly care. Odds are you probably already have all these ingredients awaiting you in the pantry.

Last weekend, a couple of my good friends from college and I got together for a Sunday brunch. I was in charge of the carbohydrate and, since it was St. Patty's day and all, I made an Irish Soda Bread. But I couldn't leave well enough alone, and I brought a big log of honey butter over as well. HOLY YUM. So worth it.

The process of making honey butter is pretty simple. Take 2 sticks of butter and cut then into smaller pieces. I just sliced them by the tablespoon. Allow to soften just slightly.

Butter gets softened in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extra join the party. You start drooling uncontrollably.

The butter mixture then gets wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and chilled for at least 2 hours.

Once the butter has set, you can use it as a topping for all sorts of baked goods. It would even be delicious as a quick snack on top of salty Ritz crackers. Leftover butter can be frozen for future use. And it all happens in 15 minutes. You know you want it.

Lemon Bars

All of this snow and blizzard talk has had me craving something decadent and fresh. It's like I need the flavors of summer to remind me that this snow will melt away and the flowers will bloom again.

I also need something delicious and comforting because, after shoveling out our car from under 28+ inches of snow, I am sore in places I didn't even know could be sore. Dessert seems to be the only way to cure this pain, and these Lemon Bars did just the trick.

A crispy buttery crust is topped with a creamy, lemon custard-like filling. Both the zest and the juices of lemons give this dessert tang while an extra (generous) dusting of powdered sugar is soft and sweet.

My older sister and my grandpa are total lemon junkies. I'm pretty sure they would eat lemon meringue pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if the family allowed them. I couldn't help but think how much they would love these lemon bars...I better make a batch the next time I go home...

So, life has thrown us lemons and we aren't making lemonade but we are definitely making lemon bars. And not the kind of lemon bars that involved mixing a boxed cake mix with canned lemon filling. Sorry, folks. That's a no-go here. Don't panic though...this is a decadent, sweet, and flavorful dessert that comes together fairly quickly, with just over 30 minutes of baking time.

We will first make the buttery crust, which starts by beating 2 sticks (hehe) of unsalted butter with granulated sugar and light brown sugar until fluffy.

Flour and salt join the party.

Then the mixture is pressed gently into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

While that bakes a bit, you prepare the custard filling. It's totally simple. Beat together 4 eggs with granulated sugar. Add in a few tablespoons of flour along with the zest of one lemon and the juice of 2 to 3 lemons. This gets poured over the hot crust and the whole thing bakes about 25 minutes more, until the bars have set and are no longer jiggly.

Now we wait, rather impatiently, for the bars to cool completely...

Still waiting...

Now cut the bars with a very sharp knife.

OK! Now. Powdered sugar! Go ahead and spoil yourself, the more the merrier.

So much yumminess is going on here. A crispy, buttery base and a smooth and creamy lemony filling. The powdered sugar. Everything is so right. These are rich without overdoing it. Subtle, in a way, and totally delicious.

These would make a great Valentine's Day dessert when topped with a few fresh raspberries! Go ahead and impress that special someone, these bars won't disappoint.

Cheesy Corn Chowder

In the early days of Gas Stove Girl, I shared a "lightened up" and super simple creamy corn chowder. It had all the basics that a great corn chowder should have -- bacon, cream-style corn, whole corn kernels, condensed potato soup, cubed potatoes. It's a delicious soup and I make it regularly.

Now that it is getting SUPER chilly in Boston (possibly SNOW FLURRIES in the forecast?! Say it isn't so!) I find myself frequently craving the warmth of a big bowl of soup.

And because I love cheddar cheese, I find myself frequently craving cheddar cheese.

...There is so much wrong with me. Just go with it. There is a cheesey soup recipe at the end of this musing.

The punchline: I decided to dizzy up my original corn chowder recipe by adding in some shredded cheddar cheese and playing around with some other measurements.
 

It's still not COMPLETELY sinful, considering how rich this soup turned out to be. So if comfort is your name, this Cheesy Creamy Corn Chowder is most certainly going to be your game (is that a saying? It sounds like it might be. Or some variation on a colloquialism?)