1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 tblsp plus 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tblsp sugar with zest of one lemon "worked in" with fingertips 2 eggs 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt 3 tblsp butter, melted and cooled slightly 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup buttermilk, or more as needed 1 cup fresh blueberries or fruit of choice (or chocolate chips or chunks) so you can say you ingested antioxidants Real Maple Syrup Melt butter … [Read more...]
Desperate Days Call for Desperate Measures
Ok, so you know how I feel about the weather, no need to drone on yet again. But, today I had a serious "attack" which caused me to do something uncharacteristically "naughty". I made myself blueberry pancakes for lunch. Ugh! What is happening to me? I had sworn off carbs both yesterday morning and today - especially after all of those scone trials over the weekend! Yesterday, I made it to after dinner, and seriously, I ate some Oreos. OMG. … [Read more...]
Variations on A Theme – Caprese Salad
Those are Sunday's Mixed Berry Scones! I used what is currently my favorite scone recipe - the same base as the Orange-Apricot Scones, added 1 cup mixed berries, 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg and zest of one orange and used buttermilk instead of heavy cream. Yesterday, I discussed one of my favorite variations on a theme - Caprese Salad made with peaches in lieu of tomatoes - or together with tomatoes - alternating the slices of peaches (if I … [Read more...]
Composed Salad – A Metaphor
Emerging Strawberries!!!!! I have often wondered about the term, Composed Salad. It seems a little strange and awkward to me - like it doesn't belong in the food genre, but is better applied to somewhere else...... and maybe is a good metaphor for life. If you google "composed salad" you will find the following definition: a French-inspired term referring to a salad in which an assortment of ingredients are arranged aestethetically on … [Read more...]
Berries with Fresh Mascarpone Cream
1/2 pint each, fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries 1 pint fresh strawberries, peak ripeness, sliced Mix berries in a medium bowl. Make Mascarpone cream. MASCARPONE CREAM: 12 oz. mascarpone 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup sugar zest of one lemon In a medium bowl, beat mascarpone until smooth. Add heavy cream and blend. Add sugar and lemon zest and blend until smooth and creamy. Dollop onto fresh berries and … [Read more...]
Best Berries
Here is my "go to" simple berry dessert. There are so many ways to use berries in pies, cakes, scones, muffins, etc. But, this simply stands on its own and, maybe is my favorite: BERRIES WITH FRESH MASCARPONE CREAM: 1/2 pint each fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries 1 pint fresh strawberries, peak ripeness, sliced Mix berries in a medium bowl. Make mascarpone cream. Mascarpone Cream: 12 oz. … [Read more...]
Unclear and Indecipherable?
I was just reading the two newspapers we have delivered to our home each morning - The Star Ledger and the New York Times. On Wednesdays I always turn to the food "sections" first. As I was perusing through a few thoughts came in to my mind, not original by any means, but, and I hate to use this overused phraseology - food for thought. On the one hand I wondered why the Star Ledger has all but abandoned its coverage of the food world. Is this … [Read more...]
Necessity is The Mother of Substitution
This morning made me think of the children's book, "Make Way for Ducklings". That said..... Well, having just celebrated Mother's Day, early this morning I found myself recalling a couple of sayings my Mom used to repeat over and over. Sometimes it is scary to find yourself saying the things your Mother said, especially when you get to my age. You begin to wonder, am I turning into her? Not that that is a bad thing in my case.....my mother … [Read more...]
A Little Taste of Serendipity in Georgetown
I have always gotten a little kick out of the word "serendipity" but been hard pressed to use it or recall many truly serendipitous moments in my life. Saturday I believe, gave me a little taste for its real meaning. I awoke at about 5:50 and, not wanting to wake Ryan, got up and had coffee, scanned the newspaper and left the hotel for the usual morning walk up to the University. Normally, I am with my husband who likes to recount his own … [Read more...]
Recipe for a Perfect Day
Today could make it to the top 10 of days of the year. Two things make it this way - First, it is 7:12 am and the sun is shining, the air is crisp and the view outside my kitchen is glorious. Lots of things in my garden are about to bloom - the peonies, the roses mostly. This is such an encouragement. My window boxes are ready for an update and this will be a good project for next week. Their earliest planting of ranunculus, pansies, mint and … [Read more...]