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I know you've been waiting all year long...It's finally April 5th - National Caramel Day!! I love this sugary confection because it embodies everything that I love about cooking. Technique, artistry, science, craft, history, romance. In this blog post we're going to explore all of those and even more, like high-altitude! Sit back, grab a cup of coffee get ready for a treat. Here comes caramel! Technique & Science: Simply put, caramelization is the removal of water from sugar by applying heat. The Classic Caramel recipe (click to see the recipe) that I have shared with you starts with a little water and corn syrup, just to make it a little easier in the beginning. You can make caramel simply from sugar in a hot pan. But it's not as simple as that. You've probably seen the results on popular cooking competition shows when someone decides it's a good idea to make a caramel with a 30 minute time challenge. It almost never ends well. Take your eyes off for a minute and it's game over. When we're talking technique there are some tips and tricks that make all the difference. Remember that no-stirring thing that we're always talking about? Well, this one will test your patience and your strength of will. Add the ingredients to the pan, swirl if you really have to, and leave...it...alone! Stirring, especially at this altitude, will cause your sugar to seize. And trust me, you don't want that! Do not stir it, do not swirl it, do NOT follow the advice to use a wet pastry brush to wipe down the sides. Just leave it alone. And depending on your cook top, you might have to watch it cook and boil away for up to 20 minutes, maybe even more. It takes time and patience to make a perfect caramel. That's the biggest technique - patience! But here are a couple of other tips to help along the way: Start on low heat until your sugar dissolves, then turn your heat up to medium-high. For our altitude shoot for a temperature between 308-338. I generally don't use a thermometer for caramel, but rather go by color. Remember!! Your caramel will continue to cook if you leave it in the hot pan. To immediately slow the cooking place it into a cool stainless steel bowl. Avoid glass unless you know that is thermo shock resistant. Use a nonstick saucepan. Rarely will I ever recommend this, however, in this case it helps prevent sugar crystals from forming inside the pan. If sugar crystals do begin to form, you can use an acid to try to save your caramel. Add a small squirt of lemon or a very light touch of vinegar. I have had both success and failure with this method, but it's worth a shot in the heat of the moment. If you are adding cream or liquid at the end to make caramel sauce, it is going to bubble and spit. Add it VERY slowly until the hot caramel temperature comes down enough to accept the cold liquid that is being added. Artistry & Craft: So, we've covered some of the technique. But this classic confection also takes a little artistry and craft to master. There will probably be a time at some point where you will fail. Pick yourself up and try again. I once had my caramel seize multiple times for a photo shoot and realized that it was the 8500ft in Woodland Park that was tripping me up. It took me 5 tries, a panicked call to my mom and I made caramel until midnight. But guess what? I won. And caramel is no longer my nemesis. I mentioned earlier that I go by color rather than temperature. For a purist or a pastry chef, the temperature is very important. But for me, whipping up a quick caramel sauce is all about getting the color just right. Too light and you don't get the richness, too dark and it ends up bitter and burnt. And you have to stop at just the right time. I suggest about two shades from the result that you are looking for. I also use this recipe for sugar work like croquembouche and decorative sugar work for desserts, like spun sugar. In that case, you want the flavor and the color to enhance your overall end result, so time and temperature is a little more tricky. To keep it warm while you are working, place the caramel in a double boiler over simmering water. That way you can dip in as needed and not burn your sugar. Hint: liquid sugar is HOT! Practice with care. I find part of the artistry of it not panicking when something goes wrong. Yes, it's frustrating. But learn WHY is happened (you can always ask us!) and then HOW to fix it. The confidence from the knowledge of knowing exactly why it is happening will help you become more intuitive about how to correct it. And practice. Practice, practice, practice! This is not a one trick pony - it takes work! So get into your kitchen and start flexing those cooking muscles. You have everything you need - sugar & water!! Experiment, play and have fun. Caramel may be technical, but that doesn't mean that you can't master it in your very own kitchen and become a caramel expert. And once you master stove top caramel, it's time to move onto these fun recipes! (click to see the recipes) Classic Creme Brulee Classic Flan Salted Caramel Scones

Ingredients: · 2 cups flour · 1 tablespoon sugar · 4 teaspoons baking powder · ½ teaspoon salt · 4 tablespoons butter, cold · ¾ cup buttermilk · ¼ cup caramel bits · For topping: 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sugar crystals Method: 1. Read the recipe. Did you read it? Read it again… 2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 4. Cut cold butter into small pieces and rub together into dry ingredients with hands until flakes of butter appear thorough out. 5. Pour in buttermilk and mix in gently with a spatula. Add caramel bits. Once incorporated, mix with hands until it just comes together. 6. Turn out onto a silicone liner or plastic wrap and pat into a circle. Cut out with desired circle cutter. 7. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. 8. Place on pan and cook for 15 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan. 9. Enjoy! Tip: Make sure to push in any caramel bits on the very bottom of the scones as they tend to leak out and cook onto the baking sheet.

Ingredients: •6 egg yolks •8 tablespoons white sugar, divided •½ teaspoon vanilla •2 ½ cups heavy cream Method: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy. Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir a small amount of hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper; beat until combined.  Once tempered add rest of cream and combine. Pour into ramekins and place ramekins on baking sheet.  Place pan in oven and pour water into baking sheet, about ½ full, to create a water bath for the crème brulee. Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to broil, or use a crème brulee torch to brown tops. Sift remaining sugar evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.  Or use torch to brown sugar. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Ingredients 1 cup sugar ½ cup water 4 eggs 1 can evaporated milk 1can sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Pinch of salt Method: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9” cake or pie pan or 8 ramekins by spraying with oil. 2. Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Do not stir. Let cook until amber brown color appears and remove from heat. Pour directly into baking vessel. 3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add both milks, vanilla and salt and whisk until combined. 4. Pour over slightly cooled caramel in baking vessel. Cover with foil. 5. Prepare a water bath and bake for 40-50 minutes for a 9” pan and 20-25 minutes for ramekins. 6. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and place in refrigerator. This step is very important – make sure to let the flan rest overnight for best results. Not properly resting will not allow your caramel to soften and it will stick to the pan or not become liquid. 7. Serve with fresh whipped cream and berries.

Ingredients: · 1 cup sugar · 1/4 cup water Method: 1. Place sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir together just to combine. 2. Do not stir from this point forward. Let sugar dissolve and start to caramelize. If necessary, you may swirl the pan after all of the sugar has dissolved. 3. Let reach an amber brown color and remove from heat. 4. To make caramel sauce, add 2 tablespoons butter, a pinch of salt and an equal amount of cream to the amount of sugar (1 cups).

Recently I wrote about Electric Pressure Cookers and how to choose the best one for you. I received a great response and a few requests to expand that topic onto others...blenders, food processors, etc. And I can't WAIT to dig in! I can talk about kitchen equipment for days, weeks, hours. Heck, I bought kitchenware for 15 years and never got tired of it. So here we go. For those of you who don't know me, I was the Merchandising Manager at CHEFS Catalog when Target closed the company. I started at CHEFS in 2005 and worked there until 2015 (with a brief hiatus in there somewhere). I started as an Assistant Buyer, then moved into a Buyer position, then Senior Buyer and finally into Merch Manager. I worked here, I moved with CHEFS to San Francisco, when that office closed I came back to our home office. Then once we closed, I moved onto open Cooks Marketplace and continued buying kitchenware and retailing amazing kitchenware. What that means is that I had hands on contact with the best kitchenware brands and products for 15 years. And I LOVED it. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!! I tested products until they failed, I took $5,000 espresso machines apart just to see what was inside and how they worked, I developed recipes for products and I hoarded products for my own personal use. Which now reside in a very LARGE storage unit. If you ever came to a CHEFS Warehouse sale, I can guarantee we crossed paths somewhere. I was either the one with the pricing gun that you followed around waiting for me to mark things down, or I was at the appliance tables helping you piece together a food processor and make sure that it worked. Or maybe you were really nice to me and I marked some All-Clad to $20 just for you - it pays to be nice :) I digress, but what I am getting at is there is an enormous pool of knowledge about kitchenware in my brain that isn't being utilized. But it should, because it could help you. And now I have the added benefit of not having to only focus on selling and recommending products that the company that I work for sells. I don't have a horse in this race - I just want to share my knowledge with you so that you can find the very best products for you and your kitchen. So, let's start with Blenders... The very first thing to know is which one of these products is a blender. They get commonly confused. The Merriam-Webster definition states that a blender is "One that blends. Especially : An electric appliance for grinding or mixing." See the confusion? All three of these things do that. But a blender is better for items that contain liquid. Smoothies, milkshakes, sauces, condiments and even soups. With today's high-tech appliances, a few things have changed. The newest blenders on the market can also make ice cream, peanut butter, hummus and so much more. But which one is the best?! Well, I have my preferences, but it's really all up to the user and how you plan on using it. As a guide for your blender journey, here are my recommendations, in order of my favorite: #1: Vitamix The king of all blenders. Vitamix started in 1921 in Ohio, and continues to be an American brand. The blenders are assembled in the USA (yes, there are some components in the motors manufactured in Asia) and the highest quality. The biggest difference? We're talking horsepower, not wattage. These blenders are extremely powerful. They can go from making a frothy protein shake (mine makes one every morning), to making hot soup that actually cooks in your blender. They also use more durable materials in the housing, switches and the pitchers. Compare a Vitamix pitcher to any $99 blender and you'll see what I mean. Mine was purchased as a "return" at a CHEFS Warehouse sale almost 8 years ago, has endured almost daily use, an accident with the pitcher (oops!) and it just keeps running. And trust me, I am HARD on my kitchen equipment. The Vitamix really lives up to all the hype and offers so much more than an entry level blender. Notice that price is not listed under cons - this is one of those instances where you get what you pay for, and this one is worth it. Pros: High Horsepower, Durable, Multi-Use, Best for smooth texture Cons: Icons on control panel (not always intuitive), Height - some models won't fit under counters Recommended for: The Foodie, The Health Nut, The Gadget Geek. Tip: Check out the Vitamix refurbised models on their website to save a little $$. #2: Blendtec Another American company! Hello, Orem, Utah!! You may know this brand from their crazy YouTube channel Will It Blend?. They've thrown everything from golf balls to broom handles into these blenders and they just keep on going. We purchased one when we opened Gather and it has survived all of the tasks (and more!) that you have put it through. As a die-hard Vitamix fan, I really do love our Blendtec. Again, we're looking at horsepower and high-power for high-performance. I also really love that the blades on the Blendtec are blunt, so that they don't cut you, your spatula or anything else you stick in there when scraping and cleaning. And they're engineered to be this way for performance, it actually enhances the blending. And you can still make hot soup! Pros: Price, Buttons Easy to Understand, Blunt-Edge Blades Cons: Lids Are a Clunky Fit, Height - some models won't fit under counters Recommended for: The Foodie, The Health Nut, The Gadget Geek, The Bride Tip: Upgrade to the Wildside Jar for better vortex blending Don't trust me? Check out what Consumer Reports says in their Blender Face-Off (click to see article) Taking it down a notch...these blenders are a good fit if you break them out every once in a while for a margarita party or to make milkshakes for the grandkids, but you still want quality that will last: #3: Breville Hemisphere Blender (Now Called the Fresh & Furious) This one makes snow - I've seen it. And it's impressive. Although you are occasionally left with a strawberry in your smoothie that just won't quite blend in. But Breville makes quality products that will last. More than what I can say for most blenders on the market these days. Pros: Hefty base, high-quality clear pitcher, Finely grinds ice Cons: Might leave a few chunky berries, does not make hot soup Recommended for: The Smoothie Maker, The Margarita Lover, The Bride, The Gadget Geek Tip: Always make sure to load liquid first for best blending #4: KitchenAid Classic 5-Speed Blender My pick for under $100. This blender will do a stand-up job. It may not always get all of the ice perfectly blended or make hot soup, but for occasional use this would be my pick. Use it as directed and this blender will not disappoint (my fav 1-star review was someone that poured boiling liquid into the pitcher and was mad when the plastic pieces melted). Be realistic about it's performance and what you want to get out of your blender and you'll do just fine with this model. Pros: Soft-start feature, easy to understand control panel, fun colors Cons: Might leave a few chunky berries, lowest power of all four, not meant to last a lifetime Recommended for: The Smoothie Maker, The Budget Buyer, The Bride Tip: Don't expect that a blender under $100 will last a lifetime. You have 3-5 years with this one. So there's my take. You'll notice that I don't review the Ninja, Magic Bullet or other made for TV blenders. There's a reason for that... And here are a few other key takeaways to keep in mind when you're shopping for your new blender: Beware of heavily discounted models. Clubs and Big Box retailers will often switch out the internal components with lower quality components to bring the price down. Look for slight differences in the model numbers for an indication that the model might not be quite the same. FYI - No one will EVER tell you this and they will also flat out deny it. But it's true - I had to do a lot of research, digging and making vendors downright mad to get them to tell me why these models were so much cheaper. And now you know, too! Unless you are buying a high-end blender (Vitamix or Blendtec), DO NOT expect your blender to last your lifetime, even if it offers a lifetime warranty. Those blenders are not engineered to last - they are engineered to make you spend $100 every 3-5 years. And don't even get me started about the models $50 and under. Don't waste your money. Read the reviews. But keep an open mind. While doing this research I looked at all of these model's reviews. And the majority of the low reviews were due to using the product in a way it wasn't intended. Make sure you read the manual and are realistic about it's capabilities. Buy from a reputable brand. That way if your blender does not perform or has issues you can contact customer service. A BIG TIP: If you have major problems with your blender, go directly to the manufacturer. Many consumers do not know that they can even do this. Cut out the middle man and go right to the source. All of my recommended brands also provided excellent customer service - it's one of my determining factors for recommendations. More speed settings are just more speed settings. Look at the wattage or horsepower. 11-Speeds at 1000 watts isn't any more powerful than 5-speeds at 1000 watts. You just have 6 more settings to get there... So I hope this helps you find the blender of your dreams and makes your choices a little easier. Go forth and be an informed consumer!

Ingredients: · 1 cup besan (chickpea flour) · 1 cup water · 1 ½ tablespoons oil · ½ teaspoon salt Method: 1. Combine water, besan, olive oil and salt in a blender. Blend until combined. Let batter rest for 30 minutes. 2. While batter is resting, preheat oven to 450 degrees. 3. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven and let heat for 5 minutes. Remove carefully from the oven and swirl with a coat of olive oil. 4. Pour all of the batter into the pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. 5. Place back into oven for 8-10 minutes or until browned. 6. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Ingredients: · ½ cup raw cashew nuts, soaked in hot water for at least an hour (or overnight if you don’t have a high-powered blender) · 1 tablespoon olive oil or your favorite flavored oil · 1 tablespoon lemon juice · 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar · Sea salt, to taste Method: 1. Drain the cashews and add into a high-powered blender along with the oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt. Blend for around 1 minute in a high-powered blender, or around 3-5 minutes (or longer if needed) in a lower power unit, until it has formed a smooth, thick paste that resembles cream cheese. If it is too thick, then add a little warm water. 2. Transfer to a small dish and sprinkle refrigerate.

Ingredients: · 5 eggs · 2 cups dairy free milk of choice · 1 cup rice flour · 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil, melted · 1 teaspoon salt Method: 1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until frothy. Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 2. In a crepe pan or shallow fry pan, add a ladle of crepe batter and swirl to coat base of pan. Let cook until bubbles form and crepe loosens from pan. Flip and cook for 1-2 additional minutes. Remove to plate and continue until crepe batter is gone. 3. Crepes can be refrigerated and quickly reheated in a pan before serving.

Ingredients 3 cups peanuts, roasted & unsalted 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons oil Optional: 1 tablespoon honey or sweetener of your choice Instructions 1. Add peanuts and salt to blender. Blend on low until combined. 2. Mix and push peanut pieces towards center. Add oil. Blend again until combined, stopping and stirring if needed. If desired, add honey when you add oil and follow same steps.

Ingredients: · 1 C. dark chocolate chunks or chips · 3 cardamom cloves, cracked carefully so not to shatter the shell · 1 # pecans, pulsed finely in a food processor · 2.5 tsp. cinnamon · ¼ tsp. clove · 5-6 grates of fresh nutmeg · 1/3 c. sugar · 1 # phyllo sheets, thawed · Melted butter, as needed · -- · 2 oz. orange juice · 1 oz. bourbon · 3 oz. honey · 1 tsp. vanilla · -- · ¼ # dark chocolate chunks · 1 oz. butter · 1 T. water Preparation 1. Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate about 75% of the way, you still want it a little less than chunky – think chunky smooth. Remove from heat and discard the 3 cardamom pods. 2. In a bowl, combine the pecans, cinnamon, clove, and sugar; toss well to combine. Add the melted chocolate a mix well. 3. Prepare the phyllo by removing the packaging, laying it out flat and covering it with a damp cloth or paper towel. 4. In a large baking dish or a large high rimmed baking sheet, brush the bottom with a little bit of melted butter, brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough (gently but completely) with melted butter. Place the buttered side down in the baking vessel, and butter the top side. Repeat this process 5 more times (for a total of 6 layers). Spread half of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo layers. Top with 6 more layers of phyllo sheets, buttered top and bottom side. Spread the remaining half of the pecan mixture evenly over the sheets. Top with the remaining sheets of phyllo, again buttered on both sides. 5. Using a very sharp knife, cut the umbaked choclava into 40-50 diamond shaped pieces, diagonally. Brush the top with a little more butter (it will fall down in the cracks a bit. 6. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 40-45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately pour over the bourbon syrup and let cool to room temperature. 7. Meanwhile, while the choclava is baking, melt the chocolate, butter, and water over the double boiler. Stir well to combine. Cover and set on the stove top to stay warm. 8. In a sauce pan, combine the orange juice, bourbon, and honey. Heat to combine and make a syrup. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. 9. When the chocolava is at room temperature, go around the edges and the cracks with an icing spatula to ensure easy removal. Drizzle with the melted chocolate.

Ingredients: · 7 ½ C. slivered almonds · 1 C. sugar · 2 T. cinnamon, ground · ½ tsp. cardamom ground · ¾ C. + more if needed orange blossom water · Almond essence, couple drops · -- · 1 # phyllo · 2 egg yolks, beaten · Melted butter, as needed · Confectioners sugar & ground cinnamon, for garnishing Preparation 1. Pulse the almonds to make a coarse meal. Combine the almonds, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom together and mix well. Add the orange blossom water to make a paste. Add a little less than the ¾ C. of the orange blossom water because the heat from your hand will release oil from the almond meal. After kneading slightly, adjust moisture level with a little more orange blossom water as needed. The filling should not stick to your hands. 2. Prepare the phyllo by removing the packaging, laying it out flat and covering it with a damp cloth or paper towel. 3. Lay out 2 sheets of phyllo on top of each longways. Brush with melted butter. At the last 2-3 inches of the phyllo sheet, over lap with 2 more sheets of phyllo stacked on top of each other, brushed gently with melted butter. Repeat this with remaining phyllo, 2 sheets at a time until you have a long (lengthwise) sheet of phyllo. About 1 inch in from the bottom of the phyllo, add the filling evenly to make 1 long log of filling. Gently roll the phyllo over the filling and roll all the way to the end so you have 1 long phyllo roll. Starting with the smaller of the 2 ends, roll into a coil to resemble a snake. 4. Using a large flat spatula, carefully transfer to a silicone lined sheet tray. Brush the top of the phyllo with the egg yolks and bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes to a nice crispy golden brown. 5. Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon.