I don't know about you, but my day normally begins with a steaming cup of Cafe du Monde French Roast and a couple of (3) newspapers. Then I do some scanning of the online media world, particularly around food, fauna and travel. My eternal optimist side likes to peak, albeit jadedly, and see if the political and religious pundits and leaders of the world are offering up anything hopeful for the day. This is, of course, after getting a good dose … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2014
An Affinity for the “Crustless” – Broccoli-Swiss Breakfast Bonanza
Crust, Crusty, Crustless……. I find the words Crust, Crusty, and Crustless to be enveloping in so many ways, especially in the culinary genre. A crust and its quality is of the utmost importance in pie, bread and pizza, among other food items, such as gratins, fonds and seared meats, for example. Crusty, on one hand, can apply to people, their personality, their mood, their outlook - visions of the cranky and cantankerous abound. The snow … [Read more...]
Sifting Through – Small But Important, Two Awakenings in 2014
One Day to Winter Solstice 2014! Approaching the Tipping Point! :) I have learned a lot of things so far in 2014 - "let me count the ways", as penned by the immortal Elizabeth Barrett Browning circa 1850. Two of them have been especially awakening for me. The first one I noticed and fully absorbed into my psyche happened in Venice in September. That was the realization that taking beautiful pictures was much more fun than shopping. I … [Read more...]
Special Occasion – A Return to ICE with Nick Malgieri as Visions of Upside Down Panettones Dance in My Head
masterwork chorus What would get me into NYC on a rainy mid-December Tuesday night until 10:30pm? Not much - except, the prospect of taking a class with Nick Malgieri at ICE on Italian Christmas Baking! And so my friend, Maria and I trekked in, both equally awash in a heady nostalgia for our Mother's and Grandmother's Italian Christmas kitchens and the chance to walk down a very special memory lane. (my Grandmother's and Aunt Madeline's … [Read more...]
Julia and Marion Conspire Happily in a Haze of Flour Dust – Raspberry-Cinnamon Streusel Buttermilk Scones
in this particular case, I like the unbaked photo over the baked There are a few iconic episodes of Baking with Julia which will forever be burned into my brain. Among them are the episodes with Gale Gand, Nancy Silverton, Nick Malgieri, Martha Stewart (the double wedding-cake episode) and the one with Marion Cunningham. I love how Julia plays the novice foil against these featured bakers, cleverly pretending that she's never seen nor done … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Frame of Mind – Pumpkin Spice Scones with Pears
Just because we have turned the page to December, doesn't mean we still can't be in pumpkin mode, right? Here in our house we still are - as there are so many great recipes that are warmed by the essence of pumpkin and spice to be threaded right through the end of the year. Here is a little treat for the day today which combines my earlier pear scones with pumpkin - for Johnny Mac - dedicated pumpkin lover. Today we're celebrating Hanley … [Read more...]
Running With Camera – A Retrospective 2014
You all know where I borrowed this line of thinking from - Running With Scissors, which is a good reminder of how I feel once in awhile. Sometimes when I am in an impulsive mood with the camera, I do indeed get carried away. But, today I got to thinking that I did snap some good shots this year. I thought I'd scroll through and pick some of the ones I liked the most. Granted, the year is not through yet, but here goes. Some of my favorite … [Read more...]