• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

June 24, 2016 by Joy the Baker 11 Comments

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

These are my very favorite days of the year.  The start of summer twinkles with magic.  The sunshine, warm evenings, the birds that chirp well into the night.  The possibility of beach escapes, and lake explorations.  Heck, even the threat of a sunburn has its thrill.  There’s so much possibility for adventure in these first few days of summer. 

I’m working hard on my Summer Bucket List (this was last year), and this year it’s fueled by inspiration from a recent trip to Aspen (glory-be Aspen) for the FOOD & WINE Classic. I took in loads of fresh air and kitchen inspiration from Chef Chris Cosentino.  KitchenAid partnered with him to give us his recipes and a few of his techniques to pull his Aspen-inspired summer meal off at home in a program called #HaveDinnerWithUs (because… who wouldn’t want in on this sort of goodness!? ).  

The Food & Wine festival is all about adventure in the kitchen.  Growing your ingredient lexicon and having some fun with fresh summer ingredients.  It’s not about nonstop grilling per say, I don’t even have a grill… it’s more about infusing that sense of possibility and adventure into the food I cook this summer. 

Adventure in the form of trying new proteins, playing with unexpected techniques, and finding themes and through-lines from the beginning to end of a meal.  

foo and wine collage

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

Here’s what you’ll need to bring the inspiration of Aspen home to your kitchen:

•  I’m following this three course meal by Chef Chris Cosentino.  He made it right before my eyes at the Classic and instantly made me want to find a big bundle of fresh bay leaves and an afternoon for some quality kitchen time.  

•  An oven-safe pot for braising lamb.  This KitchenAid 5-Quart Low Saute Pan is my go-to in the kitchen.  (Pssst… There’s a giveaway at the end of this post!!)

•  Big bundles of fresh herbs:  thyme, bay leaves, and mint.  

• A bottle of wine:  for cooking and a glass for sipping.

• A good summer playlist to raise your summer kitchen spirits and bring the festive vibe from the mountain top home! Find one here!

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

Here’s the adventure:  we’re cooking lamb.  Totally a protein I don’t experiment with in my kitchen, but we’re braising it which basically means it’s definitely going to be tender and delicious, and I’m definitely not going to mess it up. 

Braising is a low and slow process, meaning our oven is at a low temperature (taking it easy on the air conditioner) and we cook the meat slowly, allowing it to find give and tenderness over time. 

Try it!  Braised Lamb Shoulder with pickled peppers and fresh mint.  

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

These egg yolks are going to find their way on top of avocado toast with peas, BUT not before they’ve been salt cured with fresh herbs for a few days making them firm and shavable.  It’s kitchen science and so cool to do!

Try it!  Bruschetta with Avocado, peas, mint, and cured egg yolk. 

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

My favorite part of the meal, obviously, dessert.  Chris Cosentino made a panna cotta and my gooey pastry loving heart was skeptical.  But!  The cream is steeped with fresh bay leaves!  It’s unexpected and really just transcendent.  Paired with sweet strawberries and balsamic.  It’s a play on the savory side of sweet and is really quite lovely.  

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

 This panna cotta changed my mind about panna cotta forever.  What I thought was just cold jelly cream (I was rather close-minded) is actually nuanced, herbaceous and more creamy smooth than gelatinous.  So lovely.  

Try it! Bay Leaf Panna Cotta with strawberries, balsamic, and black pepper. 

Have Dinner With Us // Summer Inspiration from Aspen

I hope you’re inspired to experiment in the kitchen this summer!

Here’s the fun part! 

To keep you adventurous and inspired this summer KitchenAid is giving away a Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 10-Piece Set and 7-Piece Professional Series Cutlery Set.    It’s major and will be with you through years and years of good cooking!   Make these three recipes yourself (get a bundle of those glorious fresh bay leaves) and share your meal using #HaveDinnerWithUs, @kitchenaidusa and @joythebaker on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.  

I’ll be watching out for your meals!  A winner will be randomly selected from the #HaveDinnerWithUs hashtag on Monday July 25, 2016.  Happy cooking!  

This post is in partnership with KitchenAid.  I hope you find some kitchen inspiration in some of these images from Aspen.  Summer, here we go here we go!

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Holiday, Savory

Previous Post: « Let It Be Sunday!
Next Post: Let It Be Sunday! »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Brenna

    July 31, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    https://instagram.com/p/BIihWM9AHTt/
    Delicious!

    Reply
  2. laughterbubbles

    July 3, 2016 at 11:26 am

    Joy, love your recipes! (and the music suggestions!) Re the cured eggs – its mentioned leave it out in room temperature for 2 days. Now I stay in Bombay, and the weather is moisture laden – humidity levels of almost 90 percent right now. What should I do??

    thanks a ton – appu

    Reply
  3. Michele Parvizi

    June 30, 2016 at 7:31 am

    OMG the salt-cured eggs!!! In the end I had to combat the Nashville humidity with a drying session in my toaster oven but they were ultimately a success! https://instagram.com/p/BHOHkN0DO7a/

    Reply
  4. Debra

    June 26, 2016 at 12:47 am

    You would undoubtedly enjoy the Kapalua Food and Wine Festival in Maui. I make a point of attending every year. Foodie paradise in paradise!

    Reply
  5. Stacy

    June 25, 2016 at 7:57 pm

    Those all look good, but that’s a rather . . . expensive contest to enter.

    Reply
  6. sweetteasweetie (@SweetTSweetie)

    June 25, 2016 at 7:23 pm

    That panna cotta looks absolutely amazing!
    Kari
    https://sweetteasweetie.com/sweet-spicy-turkey-tacos/

    Reply
    • rrlaura

      June 26, 2016 at 4:28 am

      I was just thinking that your chances of winning would probably be better than most contests because this is a little more labor intensive :)

      Reply
  7. Lori

    June 25, 2016 at 7:54 am

    Joy- I’m so happy you were able to go! Looks like an incredible trip. I’m listening to your playlist and thinking of when I might make that bruschetta. Your post is inspiring and your photos are gorgeous!

    Reply
  8. V

    June 25, 2016 at 5:33 am

    Braising lamp, huh?

    Reply
  9. Platt College

    June 24, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    Aspen is one of my favorite places. I got their more when I lived in Colorado. Miss the good food!

    Reply
  10. alexa

    June 24, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    Any Aspen restaurant recs? I’ll be there next week for another event!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Holiday

Oscars 2023 Party Menu

Since I was raised on movies, the Oscars ceremony is my Super Bowl. I look forward to it all year long and always try to watch all the contenders. Of course I’m in it for the films, the celebs, and the clothes. But I also love a good theme party—who doesn’t? My ideal Oscars party…

Read More

A New Orleans King Cake baked in a cast iron skillet
My 10 Best King Cake Recipes

A King Cake recipe for every year I’ve lived in New Orleans – cinnamon-scented, pecan-filled, with yeast or without, super simple to make or deliciously complex. Whether you want your King Cake sweet or savory, your perfect recipe is here.  I love dancing in the street every Mardi Gras season but Mardi Gras is also…

Read More

overhead shot of Mardi Gras toast on individual vintage plates
King Cake-Inspired Easy Bostock

This Bostock toast is a delightful marriage of toast and almond croissant. Toast turns pastry.  We’re topping these toasts with orange marmalade and sliced almonds inspired by my favorite almond-filled french King Cake. It’s Mardi Gras, friends!  The big BIG weekend and Fat Tuesday are just days away and who would I be if I…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Do you know my friend @ellenmariebennett of @hedle Do you know my friend @ellenmariebennett of @hedleyandbennett? She’s a 💎 of a friend and here’s what our quick visit last week looked like! Lots of cheese and chats, with help from Mr. Nico and Olive Oyl the chicken. 💙#apronsquad #cheeseboard #losangeles
🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! 🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! Full recipe linked in the @joythebaker bio! Xo
Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day. 
✨Beignet Café au Lait✨⁣
⁣1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk⁣⁣
Splash of vanilla extract⁣⁣
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks⁣⁣
2 cups fresh brewed strong coffee⁣⁣
½ cup toasted cinnamon cereal, lightly crushed⁣⁣
Powdered sugar for topping⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add half of the whipped cream and fold to combine.  Add the remaining half and fold until you have a fluffy sweet cream. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide brewed coffee between two mugs. Spoon dream on top.  Sprinkle cinnamon cereal between the cups.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy immediately.
Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cup Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cupcakes with just 1️⃣ Stick of Butter⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in my bio! xo
Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a baking show stat. Here’s our very best chocolate chip cookies and all the little tips that make them perfection. ✨🍪 Find the full recipe linked in the profile!
We’re baking the classics on Joy the Baker this We’re baking the classics on Joy the Baker this month and up next, my very favorite Lemon Bar recipe with fresh lemon juice and the tiniest hint of coriander. ⁣🍋🌼✨
⁣
Find the full recipe linked in the profile and bust out the white chocolate and macadamia nuts for next week’s bake! ⁣
⁣
#lemonbars #easybaking #bakedfromscratch #joythebaker
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up