all my baker friends - buy this book -it is a priceless gem! This is a book to curl up with - right now - by the fire or back in bed, on this dreary morning - and just dream..... You may say, I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one......... John Lennon circa 1971 If you are making a list and checking it twice, I suggest you add this book and Mes Comfitures onto it - it is not too late! this morning's views It is at precisely … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2016
Day 17 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – Forever a Kid, in Snow – Peppermint Shortbreads with Hazelnut and Orange
Magic! Who doesn't wake up on a morning when snow is falling and feel a tinge of excitement and wonder? photo courtesy treehugger.com Yesterday, I came upon a Facebook post about the design of snowflakes. Every single one is different and the designs are all so intricate. Isn't this a truly amazing phenomenon? I'd say, this is another item to include in your "cookbook" if you are indeed doing one for your kiddies or grandkids! Or, … [Read more...]
Day 16 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – Don’t Be Afraid of the Choux – Profiteroles with Blood Orange-Mezcal Caramel
uh huh - someone who's getting off a plane from LAX is gonna be awfully shocked later today! Blood Orange........Mezcal............Caramel............ ooohhhhh! Yup! Well, my little cookbook of sorts, boringly entitled December 2016, is coming together now. I'll have to think of a more clever moniker than that! It's a darned good thing I haven't actually eaten every one of these recipes already this month - well, hmmm, let me think about … [Read more...]
Day 15 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles – The Maialino Olive Oil Cake with Cookie Crumb and Sugared Cranberry Topping
one faux-pas turns into a completely different dessert! Today's a story of turning lemons into lemonade - well, I think I should find a more seasonal version of that little phrase, shouldn't I? Here is a little story about the importance of mis-en-place - and not talking incessantly while you're trying to bake......... Wow, it is frightful outside this morning. It is 27F and the wind is blowing hard. Old Man Winter is trying to sneak in a … [Read more...]
Day 14 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – Harkening Back To Craig and Pierre – The Cognac-Scented White Chocolate and Chestnut Soufflé
photo courtesy Washal's blog (no photo from Craig and Pierre) Follow your nose from a photo? This morning I caught a glimpse of this photo and everything else went sailing from my mind. Such is the power of such an evocative shot. Wouldn't you eat this for breakfast? In keeping with the season, my nostalgic journeying wouldn't be complete without harkening back to two of my favorite New York Times food people - Craig Claiborne and … [Read more...]
Day 13 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – A Tale of Grandma’s 3 Cookies – A Recipe for Ribbons
photo courtesy cookingwithsugar.com Each year at this time I go deep into my memory of my Grandmother's kitchen. She and her sisters were all splendid cooks and their aptitude and execution were something born of what I considered to be, then and now, miracles. Ostensibly daily, they could return from the oven with the most delectable of treats, the kind that a young child would embed into her psyche forever. I was lucky enough to be … [Read more...]
Day 12 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – Hello Citrus Season! – The Orange Cheesecake with Candied Kumquats with 3 Crust Options
photo courtesy Baking Obsession It isn't lost on me that God made Citrus Season for a reason. It was made for people like me who need an extra reason to get excited - to have a selection of different fruits to experiment with and to create with during these weeks of minimal daylight and weather such as today! Like right now I'm looking overhead at the beautiful arbor in the gorgeous garden at Hotel Palazzo Murat in Positano at an … [Read more...]
Day 11 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – Back into the Happy Honey Pot – Gina De Palma’s Honey and Pine Nut Tart
image courtesy William Yeoward Honey is back on my mind......... And, whether you choose this beautiful specimen or the jolly version below, don't trek on through the season without a venture, head first into the honey pot, not once, but many times, because that, as we all know, is such a happy place to "bee"........... I am a lifelong devotee of cookbooks. I am also a serious devotee of extreme nostalgia. And, as this week went on and I … [Read more...]
Day 10 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – A Gift Born of Shared Passions – Roseann Tully’s Holiday Biscotti
Well, now, it's feeling a little bit frosty this morning. I guess I need to communicate directly with Tim Cook. My iPhone location function has me in different locations - depending on which floor of the house I'm on and on the day of the week. I could be in numerous towns, one mysterious one that doesn't even exist, and different counties depending on, well, I guess a satellite somewhere. Hmmmm. I know my friends around here are … [Read more...]
Day 9 – A Gift of 25 Recipes – Manuela Darling Gannser’s Cheese Fondue
yesterday in the Great Swamp … [Read more...]