Hot Flame Raisin Clementine Bitters

I never miss an opportunity to char fruit over screaming hot coals after I'm done grilling. The caramelization and scorched bitter bits is an unforgettable combo. 

I saw clementines on the table and flamed citrus peel immediately came to mind. I started splitting them to put on the grill and saw a pint of flame raisins. Figuring raisins in clementine juice would bloom when intensely heated, I jammed one raisin into each segment of a few halves. Onto the grill they went.

Charred Flame Raisin Packed Clementines

Success! I ate one skin and all. It was a killer complex combination of flavors and textures. The raisins transformed into bursts of jelly and the skin tasted like smoky orange bitters. It was so good I couldn't help but bang out a cocktail. I grabbed the Boston shaker and muddled a packed clementine into a Negroni. Strained it into a glass of ice, added a touch of seltzer and kicked back to enjoy.

So the next time your grill is still hot, go ahead and put any fruit on and taste what happens.

As always, stay inspired and keep the ideas bouncing.

Charred Oak Barrel Seasoned Steak

I recently received a generous gift of vinegar barrel shavings thanks to @r8cheljane and @minus8vinegar. I've been brainstorming ideas on how to use them. Smoking was too obvious...

I love direct contact coal roasting after all is said and done with a grilling/smoking run. Nothing beats tossing root vegetables on, shutting the cover and harvesting deliciousness the next day. However, it sacrifices a significant amount of the product, which gets incinerated. Then I thought why not use the shavings as a sacrificial insulator? I was sure it would provide wood fired flavor to boot.

Oak Barrel Shaving Pressed Sirloin

I pulled a sirloin tip directly out of a marinate and pressed oak shavings as if I was breading. The wet coating was enough to adhere and soak the wood. I placed the steak directly on hardwood coals for 4 minutes, flipping every minute.

Charred Wood Shaving Steak Tip

The result yielded flavors of a wood fired steak with hints of smoke. It was pretty easy to get the charred shavings off. A traditional wood grilled crust didn't happen and that's okay. This method has serious potential and deserves further investigation.

As always, hope you're inspired to create and keep the ideas bouncing.

Rhubarb Tinted Glass Candy

I still can't get enough rhubarb. I've been tasting it practically every day for the past couple of weeks and brainstorming ideas. How do I maintain the brightness and punch? What acidic ingredient can it replace? Don't overlook the crunch. So much potential and I'm sad the season is practically over.

In the past, I've used the microwave to make instant lollipops driven by citrus and vinegar. It only made sense to bridge this application with the tart stems.

Transparent Rhubarb Candy

The first run of rhubarb candy yielded a lovely fruit leather, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. I attempted to remove more juice from the thin slices.

Rhubarb Candy Dome

I patterned the sweetened rhubarb on a cooking sprayed bowl to form a sweet and sour shell.

Carbonated Rum Cake on Rhubarb Leather

The liquid content was still too high so it didn't maintain shape. Regardless, it went well with carbonated rum cake, red bean malted milk foam and fresh rhubarb.


Rhubarb Leather

Note: Microwaves vary so you may need to alter durations and power settings

• Slice rhubarb as thin as possible on a mandoline if you have one
• Dry the rhubarb by compressing a single layer between paper towels
• Cut out pieces of parchment paper the size of a dinner plate
• Lay out slices rhubarb on parchment 1/2" apart
• Microwave in 20 second increments until most of the juice is driven out
• Dredge the rhubarb in granulated sugar
• Lay out the slices on a new piece of parchment 
• Microwave in 20 second increments until the sugar caramelizes
• Allow it to cool to room temperature 

As always, keep the ideas bouncing so we can all benefit.

Rhubarb Jam, Sweet Savory Sensation

Last year I made a killer rhubarb chive flower IPA jam. Every flavor element harmonized and I probably ate a pint throughout the cooking process. It danced on the sweet savory line and was amazingly versatile. I put it on everything...

Stuck on gin, I decided to swap out the IPA this year. I was blown away once again.

Rhubarb Chive Flower Gin Jam Started

Things to consider:

• Use sugar sparingly so you can taste all the elements
• Put it on and in everything sweet or savory
• Serve it at any temperature
• If you're making a big batch, separate portions out at different cook times
• Mix uncooked elements of the jam back in at the point of use

I hope this inspires you to jam with rhubarb. Please share what you come up with so we can keep the ideas bouncing.

Vinegar Reduction Gone Right

I'm working on a vinegar chewing gum. The difficulty with using straight vinegar is that the flavor and acidity concentration is not enough to shine through the base. Inspired by @r8cheljane, I decided to go with a vinegar gel center. I felt that a simple reduction would be a good start.

Spoon Suspended by Reduced Vinegar

On the heat, it was where I wanted it. Cooled down, not so much.

Pulled Concord Vinegar

It was like taffy so I stretched and twisted it for fun.

Vinegar Gum with Vinegar Reduction Center

The reduction spreads well and worked wonderfully between two layers of ice wine vinegar chewing gum.

There's lots of potential here. I plan on trying a "spun sugar" vinaigrette. What are you thinking?