Food trend posts are ubiquitous this time of year, oui? I’ve seen every magazine, blogger and television personality attempt to predict what 2012 will bring. Trend posts tend to tire me but I do see value in wishes. And food wishes – an expression for what we hope will happen in food – are never a bad thing.

After the busy Christmas season, I try to wind down, reflect on the past year and make some food wishes. I explored my regional backyard at the end of last month with a visit from sea to shining sea – or from Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont to the Atlantic in Portland, Maine. I spent five days sleeping in, eating, and tasting food in boutique bakeries, gourmet shops and organic food co-ops across the 250+ miles between these two tiny cities.

I took what feels like several million photos including many I posted on Instagram. Since several of you asked if I’d post on the trip, I thought it might be fun (for me?) to share a smattering of Instagram photos along with my food wishes for 2012.

Wish 1: More booze in our food

Before I packed up, I spent Christmas making my Christmas Marmalade with holiday gifts of grapefruit, lemons and oranges. I topped off the batch with too many ounces of Champagne to add a slight punch to the 20+ pints I’ll gift this winter. While I’m no stranger to a well-made cocktail, I’m way more interested in adding booze to my food. Think of adding more dark rum to desserts, liquors to jams and preserves, and wine to sauces and condiments, using them as you would almond extract or vanilla bean seeds. Oh, and booze last forever (just not in my house).

Wish 2: More baking, good baking, from everyone

While I can whip up a cake from scratch (okay, with a recipe for a bit of guidance), not everyone has everything on hand to bake a bread or flip some pancakes. It’s time for all to discover their inner gourmand and feel like a pro at the school bake sale. Many food makers and professional chefs have developed all-natural, organic lines of baking kits that will impress even the most snarky food blogger. Eat Boutique will soon offer a few selective baking kits that we’ve tested and tasted and fallen for as a delicious sure-thing when we don’t have time and just need a pile of brownies now (like, every day).

Wish 3: Make chic snacks with fewer ingredients

Tiny plates with twenty ingredients are totally annoying and, in my humble opinion, a thing of the past. Give me a slice of toast with some good blue cheese and simple honey, and I’m all yours. Good food should feel effortless so that we’ll cook it more often. Who wants to be the next Top Chef? Not me. I want to spend more time enjoying dinner conversation and less time basting or stacking. I spend a few hours making tomato basil jam each summer so that I can open a jar at each dinner party, pouring it over local mozzarella to start or end an easy meal. The only fanciness that shouldn’t go anywhere is my crock pot: a few roasted red peppers, a tin of tomatoes and homemade broth makes a tasty and pretty soup.

Wish 4: More urban (or suburban) homesteading please

I have a friend who manages to run a stellar tiny farm in her very citified home. In addition to growing vegetables, she’s forced mushrooms, keeps hens for eggs, and set up a hydroponic garden for produce and shrimp. She even has a pet pig. I don’t have a pet pig (yet) but I do preserve everything in my garden, dry my herbs for year-round use and my own tea mixes, and I make cordials from whatever I think may taste good in vodka, bourbon or rum. I’m investigating a greenhouse set up while my hubby begins to dabble in craft beer. Between my friend and I, we’re up for any tiny farm challenge and I believe you all are too. Homesteaders unite!

Wish 5: More flavors from the planet, fresh and dried

I want to see even more of the planet in my food, year-round, and it’s already showing up in food maker vision across New England. I had the most delicious cardamom bars, flecked with spice and fused with pounds of butter in a sweet gourmet food store in Maine. While in Vermont, I discovered a floral pine tea that reminds me of a forest without tasting like one. It’s elegant and elevated and I’m scheming up several recipes to show off the pronounced scent. And while we’re at it, herbs should retain their striking aromas way past their typical growing season. Mine do, so why can’t the ones sold in grocery stores? I’m excited to share more new finds that keep their earthiness longer, like retro-styled Italian Seasoning that still tastes of a Maine farm months later.

In addition to cardamom, pine and garden herbs, I also wish to see the following flavors in my food stat please: mint, rose, mushroom, coffee bean and chestnut.

Wish 6: More savoring, reusing and smaller sizes

In other words, let’s take our time but also save money and help the planet. No small task but I think every home cook can do their part. I’ll start by insisting on quality products and not keeping a thousand of them on hand at every moment. My fridge is far more empty than full and I like it that way; I waste less and make what I buy go further. Two cucumbers can take me through all week – half sliced as cracker replacements, another half tossed into a sandwich and yet another in a big Greek salad for dinner. I’m also way more conscious of what I’m eating, which isn’t a bad thing for a food fiend like me. The big grocery stores with all their big products should be used exceptionally, and we need to think tiny – small products made by small businesses tend to be more thoughtfully created and just taste better.

Wish 7: More year of the dragon ingenuity

This is the time, people. This is the most prized year of the Chinese zodiac. It’s the year of the dragon which blesses those born in 2012 with a brilliant can-do attitude. I like to think that all of us get a bit of that ambition infused into our spirit too. I’d like to see us all take a few more risks in food, try wild flavor combinations and, just perhaps, do something crazy like set up a taco truck in the middle of the Irish countryside. Hey, it could happen. I’ll settle for setting up a wine bar in my barn – any takers? – and classes in my kitchen. The schedule will be up this spring and expect several special guests to fly in from abroad to help me make it so.

What are you doing to take risks in the kitchen in 2012?

All photos styled and photographed by Maggie Battista.

Eat Boutique is an online magazine + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send a gift box of handmade food today.

A few years ago, I met up with a few friends at one of the girls’ home in New Hampshire. It was a beautiful fall weekend, and we took full advantage of the gorgeous setting and great company. After a long hike in the woods, we headed to a nearby orchard to pick apples and to simply enjoy that golden afternoon sunshine. We picked and picked until each of us was laden with bushels of apples, and headed into the orchard store to pay up, not realizing that Poverty Lane Orchard was also home to Farnum Hill Cider.  Up until that point, I had only experienced cider in two forms: the unfiltered apple juice that you buy by the jug and the cider you buy in a bar, like Magners or Strongbow. That afternoon, in the cabin-like tasting room, I tried apple cider that was like nothing I had ever tasted—more like a dry champagne made from apples than the sweet, fizzy stuff I had previously known as cider. As I tasted each offering, I fell more and more in love. We each bought a bottle (or two) and later that night, we all managed to have a rip-roaring good time in front of the fire.

While I wish I could get up to that beautiful part of the world every fall (and see those friends more often), I keep those nice memories alive by buying the same cider here in Boston. Farnum Hill Cider offers up a few different types of cider, from their more casual Farmhouse or Dooryard ciders, to the Extra-Dry (which really is comparable to a Brut Champagne), to their unique and earthy Kingston Black. And, as it turns out, these ciders pair wonderfully with my other favorite fall treat: cheese.

With that in mind, I decided to throw a bit of a fall cheese and cider party this season. With a bit of prior research, a lot of nibbling, and the expertise of others (including my friend Jess and the guru behind the counter at my favorite local cheese shop), we pulled together a great-tasting fall cheese plate. I wanted to share a bit of what I learned.

The first cheese that usually comes to mind when serving cider is always include a hearty cheddar, such as Vermont’s venerable Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. Created at Cabot, but aged to perfection at the smaller Cellars at Jasper Hills, this English-style cheddar is nutty, sweet and savory and goes with just about anything. One of the reasons why the Clothbound Cheddar goes so well with Farnum Hill Cider is because it is made within an hour from the orchards at Poverty Lane in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

With that in mind, we also tried a cheese from Landaff, NH (also called Landaff), which is located about sixty miles to the north. This semi-firm cheese is similar to cheddar, but features a milder taste, allowing for the grassy, herbal flavor to come through. We loved tasting the Landaff’s almost buttery quality against the bubbles of Farnum Hill’s extra-dry sparkling cider.

In my goal of having a well-rounded cheese plate, I knew I would have to mix it up with a goat cheese. Lucky for me, the helpful man at the cheese counter suggested the Sainte-Maure Belgique, which is probably the smoothest, tastiest goat cheese I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I had begun to think that all goat cheese was becoming crumbly and tangy, which made me shy away from goat cheese in recent years. Not this stuff. Light, mild, and oh-so-creamy, this is the type of goat cheese you dream about.

We also tasted a really nice, almost-stinky Camembert and a semi-hard, mild cheese from the Basque region of France that was really lovely alongside the cider (makes sense as France makes some incredible cider). And of course, I had to add a good quality aged Gouda to the mix (as I’ve discovered, if Lady Gouda doesn’t bring gouda to a cheese party, we’ve got a problem!) I’ve fallen in love with the aged Goudas—wedges of darker orange cheese, dotted with those little white specks of calcified salt. SO good. These great Goudas are getting easier to find, and I’ve seen them frequently at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and in my local grocery store. This is always a great cheese to add to any cheese plate.

But guess what? You need more than cheese to make a truly great cheese plate. The following are a few suggestions of what goes well with these fall flavors, bringing out the most in your cheese:

• A savory, crunchy side, like these sweet and spicy nuts with rosemary, from an Ina Garten recipe.
• A solid side dish, like the pear and ham crostini that Jess and her husband made while we were sipping cider. They started by toasting up quality bread in a warm oven, then spread each crostini with homemade honey-mustard, thin slices of salty ham, and then topped with pear slices.
• A few choices of additional little spreads or jams, such as good local honey, fig jam or apple butter.
• An assortment of fruit, such as pear or apple slices, or a bunch or two of beautiful fall grapes, such as inky-black Concord grapes.

And my favorite addition to our fall cheese plate was this Apple Compote. Made with local apples, minced shallot, mustard, bay leaves and the same cider that we were drinking, this fall chutney was a lovely addition to our little party.

Final words on putting together a fall or holiday cheese plate: No matter which cheeses you choose for your fall cheese plate, try to find a good variety and let them come to room temperature before you serve them. Most cheese needs about 45 minutes to an hour to warm up enough to impart its full flavor. Don’t be afraid to ask for help at your local cheese shop or at your market’s cheese counter. They are there to help!  For more information on the cheese I mentioned above, or to specially order your own, Formaggio Kitchen has a fantastic and knowledgeable guide on their website.

More about cider:

I’m not the only one who has fallen for these new (old) hard ciders. The beverage that was once the most popular drink in America is now experiencing an incredible re-birth, led by small farms from New England to Michigan to Washington state. While I first fell for Farnum Hill, I am excited to taste cider from these orchards:

• West County Cider, from Western Massachusetts
• Bellwether Cider, from upstate New York
• Tandem Ciders, from Michigan
• Alpenfire Cider, from Washington

For more information, see these articles:

• What Would John Adam Drink? Get ready for the rebirth of Cider in America, from Slate
• Our Favorite American Hard Ciders, from Bon Appetit
• The Next Wine Bar: Will Apples Supplant Grapes at Your Favorite Bar? From Tasting Table
• The Hard Cider Buzz, from Food & Wine

All photos by Shelby Larsson.

Eat Boutique is an online magazine + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send a gift box of handmade food today.

Let it be known: We are big fans of the state of Vermont here at Eat Boutique. It’s not that much of a stretch, of course — many of us are New Englanders, or New Englanders at heart, and we love the entire region. But there is just something about Vermont and I was ecstatic when I recently came across a cookbook by the name of Dishing Up Vermont. Vermont recipes, made with Vermont-centered ingredients, offered up by Vermont chefs, farmers and food makers. I was smitten at my first flip-through.

While Dishing Up Vermont doesn’t bill itself as a cookbook that specializes in fall foods, it certainly has me heading straight to the farmers’ markets and into my kitchen to cook up quintessential New England savory dishes and sweet treats.  It may be that Vermont — and the region as a whole —really comes alive in autumn.

As it turns out, October might just be the prettiest month of all in New England. I mean, people travel here to SEE LEAVES. Yes, they are lovely, colorful leaves, but still, that’s saying something.  I heard the other day that this year’s colors might be delayed because of the odd weather we’ve had this summer and fall. I’ve also read that we won’t be getting the best of the foliage this year, and that instead of vibrant golds and bright oranges, we might see more burnt red and ochre. This Boston Globe article suggests that while people are still traveling to Vermont, they are paying more attention to damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene than the leaves. Sure enough, it’s been a rough few months for our neighbors up north. It has been heartwarming to see the food community gather close and support one another during these tough times, as we witnessed with our friends at Fat Toad Farm while they raised funds for their fellow farmers at Evening Song Farm. It has been incredible to see an entire state — and in many cases the entire region — rally around this cause.

So here’s what I have to say all of you: Visit Vermont. Eat their incredible food. Support the farmers and food makers who already work so very hard year-round, only to have been devastated by the big storm this summer. Be inspired and share what you have with your friends, loved ones and neighbors.

In that light, I wanted to share a great recipe with all of you today from Dishing Up Vermont. This soup felt familiar, but like much of the recipes in this cookbook, there was a nice kick and a few new ideas that inspired me (loved the bright taste of orange juice here).  It makes me happy to think that this healthy, warming soup will see me through the fall and much of winter. With my next batch, I plan to invite my family and friends over to enjoy it with me.

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

From Dishing Up Vermont by Tracey Medieros

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 carrots, peeled, ends removed, and cut into small pieces
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet curry powder (such as Penzey’s brand)
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth or water, or as needed
• ¼ cup orange juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chives

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat Add the carrots, the sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. Saute until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the vegetable broth to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender, approximately 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and puree the mixture with a handheld blender, or transfer mixture to a blender or food processor in batches, and puree until texture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more broth or water.
4. Transfer puree back to stockpot (if necessary), and slow whisk in orange juice. Heat through, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chives, crème fraiche, or homemade croutons.

Notes:

• My soup was much thicker the next day, so I added water as I reheated it.
• I don’t often keep orange juice in the house, so I used the juice of a whole orange, which worked wonderfully.
• If you don’t have an immersion blender—I can’t recommend them enough. It’s my favorite kitchen tool!
• I loved adding my own homemade croutons to this comforting soup, recipes below.

Homemade Croutons

This is a great thing to do with stale bread heels that you don’t eat in time. I often collect those bits and pieces in a bag in the freezer and make them into croutons or bread crumbs as needed. This time, I had almost an entire loaf that wasn’t going to be eaten in time— I made huge batch of croutons to have on hand for fall salads and soups. These croutons, stored in a tightly sealed container, will stay fresh for up to a month.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of bread (I like using a hearty, seeded multigrain), cut into small ½ inch by ½ inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For variety: add herbs, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚.
2. Cube bread and add to a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss well.
3. Spread the bread cubes in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until croutons are golden brown.

Good luck to the soul who stands between a California Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and me. Seriously, get out of my way.

I like wine and, especially, red wine. When I’m in northern California, I can drink a fancy red bottle or take my jug to the local vineyard to fill up on solid house wine. Either way, I’m happy because in California, I’ve got options.

Not so much in New England.

In fact, when a winemaker from a vineyard along the Coastal Wine Trail (which covers Rhode Island and Massachusetts) told me it’s impossible to make good red wine north of Connecticut, I pouted and considered a move out west permanently.

That was until I battled through thunderstorms to make my annual journey to Woodstock, Vermont in June.

I’ve been visiting Woodstock for ten years. My husband and I met Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber, proprietors of Osteria Pane e Salute, when we put ourselves in their hands for one of our first very fancy dinners as a couple. We chose our dishes based on their very seasonal and local menu, and Deirdre paired each course with her carefully-curated wines.

I love when someone who loves wines tells me what to drink.

Each year, we visit their bistro-size restaurant and, each year, I learn about so many boutique wines that Deirdre has discovered during her trips to Italy. Deirdre and Caleb visited during their honeymoon and return to taste, cook and get inspired during the off-season each year.

Lucky for us.

In June, we followed our typical 1-2-3 plan for a visit to Woodstock.

1. We checked into our favorite inn: The Woodstocker Inn

2. We ate and sampled beers at our favorite brewery: Long Trail Brewing Company

3. We dined in one of the best restaurants ** in New England: Osteria Pane e Salute

There was one slight alteration to this pretty awesome agenda. Deirdre and Caleb have started making wine on their eight-acre farm about 10 miles from the restaurant in Barnard, Vermont. And as a little gift to my husband, I surprised him with a tour of their farm, from which they grow vegetables and herbs for the restaurant, and a tasting of their very first wine vintage in progress at La Garagista. (They already make classic method ciders and aperitivi, delicious cordials and liquors to serve before a meal, and digestifs, for after a meal.)

The entire farm was stunning and quite special. And when I relayed the Coastal Wine Trail story to Deirdre just as we sipped her red wine, she gave me a look and a smile, and it was very clear to me that though the wine was still developing, I was soon going to have a favorite New England red wine.

Deirdre and Caleb are very busy with the restaurant and the farm and their wine tastings and all those trips to Italy but if you ask very nicely, they’d let you tour and taste their wines too.

Deirdre and Caleb have written several books: Libation, a Bitter Alchemy; In Late Winter We Ate Pears: A Year of Hunger and Love; and (my personal favorite) Pane e Salute: Food and Love in Italy and Vermont. They’re also on Twitter and write the inspiring blog Fuoricitta. I’ve written about Osteria Pane e Salute before too.

** Now I don’t make a broad statement like this very easily. But my first experience dining at this restaurant, and every single visit since, has inspired me. Their passion for food and wine inspired me to find my own and they’re one of the reasons I choose to work in food. Yes, those are big shoes to fill but they fill them beautifully.

Eat Boutique is an online magazine + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send food that hugs you back today.

Disclaimer: I am actually not a huge baker. I like to bake, but I seldom do it for many reasons.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (I used 3/4 cup King Arthur All Purpose Flour and 3/4 cup KAF 9 Grain Flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup raspberries, blueberries, or a mix of both (optional)

Directions:

Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer. Stir in the butter.

Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sweetener.Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes, while the griddle is heating; it’ll thicken slightly.

Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 350°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle (with butter, vegetable oil or non-stick spray) The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately.

Drop 1/3 cupfuls of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break. If you are using berries, carefully add them now to the pancakes. Turn the pancakes and cook the other side till brown. Turn over only once. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

I have a thing for Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber. This thing is more like a crush, a serious crush. Well, perhaps it’s more like a rabid fascination with and aspiration for what they are… a sweet couple who cares so much about authentic food and old-fashioned hospitality that they’ve carved a great life for themselves and their guests out of some green hills in Vermont.

I met them about five years ago when I stumbled upon Osteria Pane e Salute, their unique and very special restaurant in Woodstock, Vermont. Their menu elevates Vermont’s local harvest with the techniques of real Italian cooking, skills acquired during their Italian honeymoon and on every return trip since. They’re so into Italy that they now even host adventures there, in conjunction with Garber Travel.

Deirdre and Caleb have written several books. I smile every time I cook from Pane e Salute: Food and Love in Italy and Vermont as it’s this cookbook that introduced me to the story behind my fabulous meal. (They’re “Salmone al Pepe Verde” on page 231 always impresses my guests.) I devoured In Late Winter We Ate Pears, as it’s serious and too charming for words.

And on my bedside table sits the little book titled Libation: A Bitter Alchemy, one that fascinates me as I’m permanently tempted to put my cordial-making skills to work nurturing and bottling my very own wine. Perhaps I will someday, and I’ll have learned a mouthful or two from Deirdre’s treasured experiences that she documents in Libation. Meg Houston Maker recently profiled Deirdre at Palate Press. It’s a beautifully written review of the couple’s growing vineyard called La Garagista, Deirdre’s book and Deirdre in general. Get yourself here to read it.

Why post about Deirdre and Caleb now? I’m reminiscing. I typically visit their special restaurant every Autumn, but missed them this year. They close the restaurant during the month of November. But lucky for me, and those who live near Boston, Massachusetts, the inspired couple will be discussing In Late Winter We Ate Pears at the Andover Bookstore on Wednesday, November 4th. You may have to wait until ski season to dine at their restaurant again, but there’s no need to put off getting their latest books. Their fine words will delight you during these cold upcoming months.

[Photographer Peter Miller shot the above photo for their book jacket. I use it here with respect for Mr. Miller's fine photography skills.]