photo courtesy Edible Santa Barbara - this cake looks perfect to me - has a lovely, sturdy but not tough crumb - not too fine……. Certain recipes evoke springtime in the halls of my memory - one is for Spongecake. Well, you know I just got back from California - currently the land of Strawberry Heaven - during the third week of, yes, March! Not, May, not June, but March! Driving along 101N last week, I could see the bright red awesome … [Read more...]
March Madness, A Sneer-filled Adieu to Old Man Winter and California Dreamin
right outside our door in Rancho Santa Fe, California You may note that I have been off from writing, on a little sabbatical, for a few days. Somehow, I find I prefer not to write while I am actually away on a day-by-day basis, so that my thoughts don't get into a contrived mode. That is usually better for me. So yesterday, I reluctantly boarded a plane in Los Angeles after a short, but blissful interlude in that part of the Country, … [Read more...]
Blustery Day – Chicken/Broccoli and Wild Rice Gratin
We've all had Chicken Divan - that old-standby from, well, way-back-when - some of us with the Campbell's soup recipe. I'm not a fan of those old canned soup recipes and so, I thought, could I do better? Tonight I had two chicken breasts in the refrigerator and have been thinking about a gluten-free "bake" with my two favorite cheeses - Italian Fontina and Gruyere. Lo and behold, and very luckily, Deb from Smitten Kitchen just posted a new … [Read more...]
Cautious State of Affairs and The Orange/Chocolate/Toasted Coconut Scone
one of my pots of thyme from last year, and snow My definition of March: Peckish, Fickle, Feckless, Wavering, Teasing, Impatient, Indecisive, Unsettled, moments of Cranky and Giddy - you know, you're hungry for something but at the same time you can't figure out which way to go - advance, retreat - again and again; cold, warm, freeze, thaw, teasing, tensing and impatient……... Today - Baking and Barking: I've been constantly … [Read more...]
Dreaming of: Swirling Curds and Coulis – The Lemon/Blood Orange Curd Almond Crusted Tart
imagine this: courtesy thetarttart.com with: this ---- that's what I woke up thinking of this morning……….. We all have dreams - good and bad. When I was younger I used to dream about falling out of a high tree. I don't know what this means - perhaps someday I'll consult a dream-analyst. I hope it's nothing terrible in my subconscious! I often dream and then wake up with baking on my mind. Today, my earliest mental activity was … [Read more...]
“Ag-Gag”, the State of Farming, and Environmental Ethics 101
photo courtesy New York Times This is another of those outtakes of the Capital One "What's in Your Wallet?" slogan. Today it's "What's in Your Food Supply?" Just picture Samuel L. Jackson with those wide eyes confronting you! Sometimes ideas will coagulate and sit in my brain over a period of days - and out spills something I can't hold onto any longer. The amalgam of questions just bubbles up like a high-school Chemistry experiment … [Read more...]
Banana-Hazelnut Dirt Bombs – In Honor of Cottage St. Bakery
Banana-Hazelnut Dirt Bombs I wrote a little on two other posts earlier today. Then, I walked by that bunch of ready-ripe bananas….. My mind, being in the oxygen-deprived, season-starved state that it is, went to Summer in Orleans, MA and the Cottage Street Bakery. Their Dirt Bombs are famous. One thing led to another and here's what happened: THE BANANA-HAZELNUT DIRT BOMB 10 tlbs unsalted butter, room temp 2 large eggs … [Read more...]
An Italian Baker’s Seasonal Calendar for Spring – Coming Up Soon!
Hello beauties in my house! Duck Fat Beignets - courtesy Southern Souffle (need I say more?) There comes a time in a person's life when they must face up to reality - I wrote the post on Tuesday, "What's in Your Bathroom Mirror" from my heart, I did. And yes, I would like to be tall (haha), thin and toned, yes I would. And yet, if I am to be completely honest with myself, I'd have to say I just may not be destined to win this … [Read more...]
What’s in Your Bathroom Mirror? An Experiment
"What's in Your Wallet?" - we have all seen the wildly successful, oft-repeated and potentially thought-provoking ad campaign from Capital One. Well, I'm borrowing their idea and morphing it slightly, to offer a little challenge of my own - "What's in Your Bathroom Mirror?" Honestly, the answer may just offer a great deal of insight into your overall heath. Caution: What you are about to read is OPINION, and OPINION only - but it IS based … [Read more...]
David Masumoto, Stanford White, Picasso – Recipe for Dilemma
Minneola Tangelos Saturday at Dean and Deluca at Prince and Broadway courtesy La Toscana Who's that girl? List of non-negotiables: sunlit kitchen, access to nature - as in dirt, LONG growing season, access to art, books, architecture, places to walk which constantly inspire ,work Some days life makes sense - some days, not so much, right? Some days when you step outside your door you know exactly which direction you'd like to go … [Read more...]
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