Dixie's Pantry - Good Food Source : The online resource for food lovers.

Dixie's Pantry

Dixie, mother of Good Food Source mastermind Lenny, inspired us to create a resource for great mail order foods. Though she is the chicken fried steak maven, this busy nurse practitioner from rural Oklahoma has driven long distances to find more exotic ingredients for her culinary exploits. Now, thanks to the Internet, Dixie has discovered a world of fine food products just a few clicks away; Good Food Source finds the best sites from achiote to za'atar.

Honey

The honeybee truly is a busy creature. Worker bees build the honeycomb, defend the hive and pollinate acres of commercial crops and wild plants. Honeybees will visit 2 million flowers to collect enough plant nectar for one pound of honey. Humans have long foraged for wild honey, but the ancient Egyptians figured out how to coax honeybee swarms into large artificial hives to have a steady source of honey for cooking and medicinal use. Thanks to those busy bees, honey is one of our favorite pantry staples for desserts and savory foods alike.

Honey’s flavor, color and consistency are determined by the plants the bees pollinate. Since many commercial crops depend on honeybee pollination, there are dozens of varietal honeys with a wide range of flavors. Alfalfa, clover, orange blossom, tupelo, blackberry, even avocado are just a few of the types you can find in different growing regions. Wildflower honey is derived from the nectar of many different flowers, and its taste will vary depending on the predominant flower varieties. Honey varieties range in color from water-white to dark amber, and in flavor from delicate to intense, so you can choose a honey that will complement any recipe.

The best place to find varietal or local wildflower honey is your farmer’s market. Find local producers at http://www.localharvest.org/, and the National Honey Board’s website: http://www.honey.com/, which lists the common honey varietals available in the U.S. and has lots of great tips for using honey. We love a drizzle of orange blossom honey on a wedge of blue cheese, or a bit of our local star thistle honey whisked into vinaigrette to balance the acid. Add raspberry or wildflower honey to berry compote for shortcake or a tart. And when you enjoy your delicious, naturally sweetened treats, thank those busy little honeybees for all their hard work.

Buy honey at:
http://www.igourmet.com/ (cranberry, chestnut, acacia, sunflower, avocado, lime blossom)
http://www.savannahbee.com/ (tupelo, sourwood, acacia, raspberry, black sage, orange blossom)
http://www.bigislandbees.com/ (Hawaiian varietals including macadamia)

Wildflower Honey Creme Brulee

Serves 8

Choose a rich, intense honey to get the best honey flavor in this luscious dessert. Look for a wildflower variety made in your area at your local farmer’s market. Make a trip to the hardware store for an indispensable propane torch; for about $30 you can get a good quality auto-ignition torch with a small can of propane—well worth the investment!

4 cups heavy cream
3 star anise pods, crushed
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup wildflower or other fragrant variety of honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place eight 5- to 6-ounce ramekins in a large roasting pan, spacing them evenly. In a large pot combine the heavy cream and the star anise pods and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the mixture to steep about 20 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk together the yolks, honey, vanilla and salt. Whisking rapidly, add a small amount of the cream mixture to the yolk mixture to temper it. Gradually add the remaining cream mixture, whisking until combined. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or other container from which it will be easy to pour into the ramekins. Distribute the custard evenly among the ramekins and pop any bubbles that form on the surface with your fingers. Fill the roasting pan with hot tap water about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the roasting pan very tightly with aluminum foil and, using a toothpick, poke three vent holes in the foil along each of the long sides of the pan. Carefully place the roasting pan in the middle of the oven.

Bake the custards for about 30 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Pull back one corner of the foil to check for doneness—the custards should be set around the edges but still slightly jiggly at the center. If they are not done when checked, replace the foil and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and remove the foil to allow the custards to cool enough to remove them from the water. Refrigerate the custards for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.

To brulée the tops:
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar atop the custard, spreading it to cover the entire surface. With a propane torch turned to medium-low, cook the sugar, moving the torch in a circular pattern to avoid burning. Move the torch away from the sugar before it has reached the desired dark golden brown color—it will continue to cook a few seconds afterward. Serve immediately.

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