….to watch his woods fill up with snow…... Whose woods these are I think I know…….. I suppose, to a lot of people, I have a very odd coalescence of things that impress me. While most people tend to gaggle at celebrities of the business, fashion or media world, bank accounts, cars, planes, and other modicums of notoriety, I am impressed with a myriad of souls who fly on another radio wave. I guess I fly on another radio wave. The sight … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2015
Ganache et Garnis – The Amuse Bouche of the Last Course and A Few Thoughts on the Survival of Dessert
photo courtesy Vosges Haut Chocolate For all of you French conjugators - I decided to change the title from Garnir to Garnis, as in tu garnis….. lest you think I made a boo-boo. I didn't want to cause confusion…... What are you doing today? At this moment, I'm dreaming of a dark chocolate-brown-butter-caramel-morello cherry truffle with pink himalayan sea salt………. I love the name Vosges - the word itself. Makes me want to get on a … [Read more...]
They’re Not Mark Bittman’s but – My Cranberry-Orange Gluten-Free Buttermilk Scones
I don't know about you, but I am a little wary of the mass-market Gluten-Free flours. One has to really scour the ingredient list and proportions to see what you're really subbing in for what you're subbing out. Earlier this week I had a brief conversation with my sister-in-law about Gluten Free Flours. She asked about Cup4Cup and we chatted briefly about King Arthur. She wanted to make Mark Bittman's Scones. I suggested she read all the … [Read more...]
Revelation: Eye Candy – The Perfect Pair – Chocolate and ……..
photos courtesy Pierre Hermé I'm sorry, I think I am in love with Pierre Hermé………. This is the number one week for eye candy, is it not? And, even if your love isn't rushing out to the jewelry store to indulge in a special cushion-cut treat for you, well, I say, indulge them with a very special treat anyway! I just spent a few moments perusing Pierre Hermés' Pinterest page and omg - there is no other word for it than GENIUS! I think … [Read more...]
Orange is Not the New Black, Feast for the Eyes at Dean and Deluca and the Promise of Marmalade Magnificence
it's a perfect day for making a marmalade I'm well aware of the popularity of "Orange is the New Black". In my case, however, I beg to differ…. Last week I came upon an article about someone who wrote her graduate dissertation on the topic of Marmalade. To me, this was just about the most wonderful idea ever. This stopped me in my tracks and made me wish I had started the NYU program as I'd planned. But, would I actually be able to … [Read more...]
In Still Life – with Meyer Lemons and Blood Oranges; Polar-Cap, Freeze-Dried Crabapples are for the Birds
still life in Meyer Lemons and not to play favorites, still life in Blood Oranges every once in a while it pays to have kids living in NYC to do your errands :) Thought for the day: A Recipe without a photo is like a day without sunshine. The other day I was dreaming of blowing swirls of cocoa. Today, it is pillows of meyer lemon-laced, tangerine-y-scented meringues, chiffon cakes and billowy pavlovas, twirled together with … [Read more...]
Iditarod 2015 – Right Here; the Foolhardiness of Sneering; Top 10 Things to Make in Your Warm and Toasty Kitchen Today
iditarod.com/about/: "The race pits man and animal against nature" I believe that when you are working in a most focused manner to manage the reins of the dogs and are basically skiing down a trail of ice and snow, faster than you feel is safe or comfortable, it is called the Iditarod. Well, we are at the point now that leaving the house is a challenge. Today, when I got up it was 6F. Then it went to 3F. Having walked the dog dutifully … [Read more...]
Powdery Billows and Drifts of Snowy Cocoa (sigh) – Working to Nail the Chocolate Scone – Chocolate-Cherry Scones
and, an update on using supermarket chocolate……. In my dreams, it isn't snowing frozen water, it's snowing powdery billows of gently falling cocoa. They silently flutter down and then blow in the wind into big drifts; they swirl into mounds of angel-y cocoa-brown. I can smell the warm and inimitable aromas wafting up and around me and my pillows are covered with a light cocoa-y dust as I awake………. Wait, doesn't everyone dream in chocolate? … [Read more...]
On Being My Own Worst Enemy, the Power of Dr. Seuss and Roasted Beet, Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette
before I really can't explain how or why the most odd of ideas coalesce in my brain, but they do…….. Ok, even I am bored with the scone idea already. And, while I would like to bake 365 days of unique and tasty scones, I think the boredom might just dampen my enthusiasm for them. And so, I will temper my two-day old challenge and try to come up with an idea that is a little more "toothsome", shall we say. Should I have my own little … [Read more...]
These Are the Times That Try Men’s Souls – Icicle Days and Dinners – Butternut Squash and Fennel Gratin
image courtesy patriotweek.org Ok, so we have officially passed the half-way point of Winter. That was yesterday - and I was not very nice in my comments about Phil and his prognostication……... As I walked the dog today and tried fiercely to not slip on the ice and kill myself, the words of Thomas Paine from December 23, 1776 came to mind, "These are the times that try men's souls." he penned. I chuckled to myself……… (that's the Vitamin … [Read more...]