Wow, today is the 27th of August! This is usually a mixed blessing for me. I am usually sad to see the Summer coming to an end and the amount of daylight dwindling. But this year, I am definitely happy to have the hot weeks over with, hopefully windows open and no more air conditioning, and turning to a more cozy and cooler feeling. It is a nostalgic time for me at home - I feel like Christin belongs at Field Hockey practice and the kids … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2012
Feminism and Julia Child – Reflections on Her 100th Birthday
Courtesy of Julia Child's Menu Cookbook I am struck today with both the poignancy and irony, not to mention brilliance, of the life, career, and posthumous celebration of Julia Child. Here is a woman who trail-blazed through the mid-20th Century Feminist Movement by celebrating a life in the kitchen - by first, in a tizzy of perfectionistic fury, writing the modern and definitive volume documenting Classic French home cooking, tirelessly … [Read more...]
AWOL and The Ides of August
Thistle - On my bike ride this am! I have been, unfortunately, AWOL for past week or so. I am tending to issues with my beloved Lab, Kit who has been beset with a barrage of sudden health problems - Lyme, a torn ACL and meniscus, and allergic symptoms which have changed her into another "person". I am devastated and am working diligently to get some tangible help for her. So, if I disappear for days at a time - this is why. My … [Read more...]
The Spiced-Peach and Almond Scone
2 3/4 cups cake flour 1 tblsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tblsp sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1 stick unsalted butter 2 large eggs 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp almond extract 2 ripe peaches, cut into small dice egg wash sliced blanched almonds muscavado sugar Preheat oven to 425F (400F convection). Line a … [Read more...]
The Cinnamon-Sugar Scone
I have had to travel back to NJ several times this Summer to deal with some medical issues with my beautiful and precious dog, Kit. This past week, I found myself with some idle time and needed to keep myself busy. Having one or both of the kids at home is always a good excuse to get experimenting in the kitchen. I did a lot this weekend. I was fooling around this morning trying to get something in the oven before my daughter, Christin left … [Read more...]
What Becomes an Ice Cream Sandwich Most?; my problem with freezing cake
Ok, so those of you of a certain age will recognize the tag line, "What Becomes a Legend Most?" the famous ad campaign introduced in 1968 for Blackglama Fur (no fur debating here) and continued, showcasing legend after legend, in a fabulously successful long-term print run. I have always loved that phrase - it has stuck in my mind as classic and timeless. So, as I sat down to write today, it popped into my mind as the conceptual … [Read more...]
A Study of New Jersey Hydrangeas
Before it is too late, to showcase the tremendous range of color, and because I just can't help myself, herewith a study of my hydrangea collection today: … [Read more...]
Finally, A Reason to Read the New York Post
I have to give my husband a lot of credit - he has really gotten on board, to a significant degree, with my obsession with the food world. Last year, while dining at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain, he actually got up and went to introduce himself to Bobby and got a menu signed for me! That's pretty nice, isn't it? We drove way out of our way, two Septembers ago, to visit Chez Panisse - just to indulge my life-long yearning to tread in the … [Read more...]
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana – Adapted from – Taste of Italia Dec ’10
2 medium eggplants 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, 3/4 cut in small cubes and remaining 1/4 in slices 1 cup fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese 1 whole head garlic, sliced horizontally and cloves separated freshly ground black pepper Sauce: 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil 3 large cloves garlic, diced 1 medium onion, diced 1 can (28 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 tblsp … [Read more...]
The Evocations of August
Can it be that we are already at the first of August? I began this blog in earnest in March, after fits and starts and a steep learning curve with some technological issues. So today, after about four months at this, I sit here with mixed emotions. For sure, childhood, and after-childhoods evocations of August include either the dread or the delight of anticipating the return to school. For me, those are very positive memories - I always … [Read more...]