[Jamestown1630]

We bought the same one that Dot has in that video - not expensive at all.

(Depending on the ingredient, it seems that grinding up the freeze-dried items could result in very intense flavor. I think I’ve read about doing that with dried mushrooms as a flavoring.)

[Liz]

One of the premier chefs does a fantastic soup topping.....infusing creme fraiche with a powder of processored dry mushrooms.

[Liz]

Soft, chewy almond cookies w/ bright raspberry flavor (thanks to the addition of freeze-dried raspberries).
These would be a nice carber's treat---except for the sugar.

Raspberry Amaretti Cookies

Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups (200g) almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted cup sugar
1 ounce freeze-dried raspberries (about 1/4 cup powder) pinch salt 2 lge egg whites 1/4 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp almond extract

PREP Stack two matching, heavyweight, light to medium colored cookie sheets one inside the other
(stacking keeps the bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown). Add parchment or silicone baking mat.

Finely grind freeze dried raspberries in a food processor or spice grinder to a until fine powder.

BATTER whisk almond flour, sugar, and freeze dried raspberries until evenly incorporated. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and lemon juice until they hold soft peaks. Add beaten egg whites and almond extract to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough, kneading with your hands if necessary. No need to be gentle here, we’re not making maccarons.

Lightly dust hands w/ powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into a smooth ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Arrange on parchment or silicon-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.

Bake 400 deg 30 to 35 minutes until tops are cracked and bottoms are just barely golden (if you are NOT using doubled cookie sheets your cookies will brown much quicker, and will likely only need 25 minutes, so watch them closely). If you prefer crunchier cookies you can give them an extra 5 minutes or so or until the tops begin to brown too. Remove from oven; let cool a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight bag or container, for up to 5 days.

[Liz]

At the Trumps’ second state dinner, a garden party under the stars

President Trump and first lady Melania are hosting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife, Jenny Morrison, with a menu the White House said “highlights the lush, late summer season across the vast lands of America.”

The bounty of produce that will be served to guests in the Rose Garden includes sunchokes, which will be served roasted, pureed and encased in ravioli, and dressed with a lemony Parmigiano-Reggiano sauce. Bonus veggies come in the form of shavings of sun-gold carrots, baby kale and sunchoke chips atop the first-course pasta dish.

The entree, Dover sole, served with a fennel mousseline (a rich, hollandaise-adjacent sauce) has a classic feel. It’s accompanied by summer squash blossoms, whose green and gold hues echo the decor — and, certainly not coincidentally, the colors of the guest country.

Hyperlocal sourcing is in effect, with herbs from the White House garden topping a rouille, a mayonnaise-like condiment spiked with garlic.

Also traditional is the dessert, a gussied-up apple pie made with Lady apples from Pacific Northwest and Mid-Atlantic trees. The tart is accompanied with a scoop (or two, if you’re the commander in chief?) of ice cream spiked with Calvados, an apple brandy that offers a double dose of the trademark American fruit.