Eat, Blog and Be Merry!

THE DOMESTIC MAN

NAME: Russ Crandall, 33

HOMETOWN: Baltimore

SPECIALTY: Paleo Diet recipes

BLOG NAME:

The Domestic Man

HONEY & CITRUS GLAZED HAM

Serves 6

1 5-lb. ham (unsliced or spiral-cut), room temperature

2 cups white wine

2 cups water

2 oranges, sliced

¼ cup honey

¼ cup orange juice

2 tbsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place ham on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Pour wine and water into the pan and line it with orange slices. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 15 minutes per pound.

2. Combine honey, orange juice, mustard, pepper and cloves in a small saucepan. Simmer mixture over low heat. Stir often until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

3. When ham is done, increase oven temperature to 400°. Remove foil and brush ham with half of the glaze. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes and then brush on the rest of glaze. Roast for an additional 10 minutes or until ham reaches an internal temperature of 145°. Let the ham rest for 10 minutes. Carve into thin slices.

NOT WITHOUT SALT

NAME: Ashley Rodriguez, 31

HOMETOWN: Seattle

SPECIALTY: Well-seasoned dishes

BLOG NAME:

Not Without Salt

BALSAMIC CARROTS

Serves 4 to 6

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 lbs. (about 10 to 12 large) carrots, sliced ¼-in. thick on the bias

2 tbsp. sugar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

2 scallions, sliced thin

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook until the carrots are just softening around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook until the carrots are tender and the balsamic has reduced and glazed the carrots, about 10 minutes. Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the carrots to a platter and garnish with the chopped scallions. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SAVORY SWEET LIFE

NAME: Alice Currah, 39

HOMETOWN: Seattle

SPECIALTY: Family-friendly recipes

BLOG NAME:

Savory Sweet Life

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Serves 4 to 6

2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

½ lb. bacon, chopped into ¼- to ½-in. pieces

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

Salt

Pepper

1. Cook Brussels sprouts in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon with onions until bacon is crisp, 10 minutes. Using tongs, grab a paper towel and carefully soak up bacon grease. Add Brussels sprouts to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes or until Brussels sprouts begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

THE ROAMING KITCHEN

NAME: Cristina Sciarra, 27

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn

SPECIALTY: Global dishes made with local ingredients

BLOG NAME:

The Roaming Kitchen

ROAST BEEF TOASTS WITH HORSERADISH MUSTARD & CRESS

Makes 40 toasts

1 baguette, sliced thin and lightly toasted

¼ cup horseradish (or spicy) mustard

1 bunch of watercress, washed and dried

½ lb. roast beef, sliced thin

Lay baguette slices on a serving platter. Swipe each toast with mustard, followed by a little pile of watercress. Top with a thin layer of roast beef.

BLOG NAME:

The Roaming Kitchen

CAMEMBERT & CRANBERRY COMPOTE TOASTS

Makes 40 toasts

1 (16-oz.) bag frozen or fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Juice and zest of ½ a lemon

1 baguette

1 small wheel of Camembert cheese

1. In a medium pot, combine cranberries, water and sugar. Turn heat to medium-high, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Allow cranberry mix to come to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Add the lemon juice and zest. Stir occasionally, until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.

2. Heat the oven to 300°. Cut a baguette into rounds and lay them on a baking sheet. Top each round with a thin slice of Camembert cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the toast is golden and the cheese is melting. Top each toast with a spoonful of the cranberry compote. Serve immediately.

MY LIFE RUNS ON FOOD

NAME: Sanura Weathers, 39

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn

SPECIALTY: Comfort food with a healthy twist

BLOG NAME:

My Life Runs on Food

RED LEAF LETTUCE & RADICCHIO WITH PEAR SALAD

Serves 4 to 6

1 large head red leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces

1 large head radicchio, leaves separated

4 Bosc pears, peeled and sliced

1 bulb fennel, diced

¾ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

¾ cup dried cranberries

8 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Salt

Pepper

1½ lemons, quartered

Olive oil

Fig or red balsamic vinegar

In a large salad bowl, gently toss first 8 ingredients together. Season salad with salt and pepper. Allow guests to squeeze fresh lemon juice and drizzle olive oil and vinegar onto their salads.

JOY THE BAKER NAME: Joy Wilson, 32

HOMETOWN: Venice, Calif.

SPECIALTY: Sweet-tooth satisfiers

BLOG NAME:

Joy the Baker

APPLE CRISP

Serves 6

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

5 to 6 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-in. slices (about 7½ cups)

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ cups lightly packed brown sugar

½ cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease an 8×8-in. baking pan with butter. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar with 1½ tsp. cinnamon. Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of pan and sprinkle with some of the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Continue layering apples followed by remaining cinnamon sugar. Toss entire apple mixture until evenly coated. The apples should reach the top of the pan. (They will cook down.)

2. For the topping, place flour, brown sugar, remaining ½ tsp. cinnamon, oats and nuts in a large bowl. Stir well. Work butter into the mixture with your fingertips until crumbs form. Take one handful of the topping and toss it into the apples. Spread remaining topping evenly over the apples. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake on center oven rack until topping is crunchy and apples are bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.