The Secret Ingredient
By Meda Kessler
While honey on its own is the nectar of the gods, it also makes a fine mix-in for us mortals to enjoy in sweet and savory pies, compound butter, ice cream and, of course, cocktails.
Pizza Pizzaz
Cane Rosso’s beloved Honey Badger pizza (an off-menu item) is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, with habanero pepper-infused honey drizzled over soppressata and cheese. It later morphed into the Honey Bastard pie with the addition of bacon marmalade. You can get the HBs at Cane Rosso and Zoli’s. canerosso.com and zolispizza.com
A Better Butter
Honey butter is super simple to make and just as easy to eat. Mix soft unsalted butter with honey to taste, and season as you like with sea salt. Use it on pancakes, cornbread or baked sweet potatoes. We like to add a spoonful atop a piece of fried chicken.
Sweet Endings
Sweet Lucy’s Salted Honey pie is a seasonal special featuring local wildflower honey custard baked into a perfect flaky crust and sprinkled with sea salt. Pour yourself a cup of hot coffee (or cold milk) and savor every bite. sweetlucyspies.com
Stir and Sip
This honey bourbon cocktail is the perfect antidote to warm weather. Combine 2 teaspoons each water and honey plus 3 ounces of bourbon in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake for 20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and add a slice of lemon. Sip and enjoy.
The Scoop
Noona’s Turmeric Honeycomb ice cream is unusual, with a slightly gritty texture and chunky bits of Korean honeycomb candy. Creator Hannah Bae is a Korean pastry chef who wanted to introduce more diverse ice cream flavors to the market. She’s succeeded. Find Noona’s, $6.99 each, at Central Market as the grocer celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May.