Despite several frosts over the last week, my basil on the side porch still looks good This is how my mind works: A week or so ago I watched an interview Charlie Rose did with Daniel Boulud. They discussed "teaching" a chef to season. I wondered to myself if you should have to teach a Chef to season. This led to thinking about how to decide if ingredients have an affinity for each other. Yesterday, I was doing my usual: diving into … [Read more...]
An Autumnal Odyssey – Sun and Frost on October 26
much before sunrise and the frost line is barely visible: affirmation of Autumnal beauty: the barely evident later remnants of frost: the eternal optimists: my last Lillian Austin in all her glory - I actually believe this bloom closed itself in the cold of the night: and, a slightly different venue on a … [Read more...]
“Gone” into the Oven – Confessions of a Food-Obsessed Writer; The Apple Tart with Almond Crust, Salted Caramel and Creme Patissiere
image courtesy:ircamera.as.arizona.edu This morning I was thinking about how invigorated I was - by the abundant sunshine, high pressure and light streaming into my kitchen, now that a lot of the leaves from the Sycamores are down. A friend asked me if I woke up hungry this morning - huh? doesn't everyone wake up with food on the brain????? LOL! I went to work early and the ideas came swirling in........ Confession: sometimes I think … [Read more...]
Fun With Fruits of Fall – Roasted Pear and Apple Sauce, etcetera
It's basically a perfect Autumn morning - the sun is shining brightly, I have Rudy Maxa's episode about Normandy in the background - he's talking about the apple harvest, Calvados, and Roasted Chicken with Cider and Cream - this is a great episode - if you feel so inclined.... While this is going on, I am celebrating two of the fruits of Fall, Apples and Pears........ I have been making this adaptation of Ina Garten's recipe for years. I … [Read more...]
It’s a Pumpkin Scone Kinda Day – The Pumpkin-Cinnamon Scone
It's just that kind of day today isn't it? I felt like making something warm and toasty with pumpkin. Here are my pumpkin-cinnamon scones made fresh for Christin today: PUMPKIN-CINNAMON SCONES - adapted from King Arthur Flour 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 tblsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground ginger 2 eggs, room temp … [Read more...]
THE HUNT – My Easy, Do-Ahead Menu to Inspire You
Cook today - have fun tomorrow! Tomorrow is THE HUNT - the quintessential social event in the Somerset Hills of the Autumn Season. In honor of this beautiful day today and in hopes of a carbon-copy (does anyone know what this means anymore?) for tomorrow, I threw together a little sample menu to inspire you. This is just in case you haven't already planned out your food and drink. If you are not going to the HUNT, you can always use … [Read more...]
William Shakespeare, Politics and the Pear Upside-Down Cake
BTW, all my friends in NJ - please vote today in the special Senate election!!!!! Today's lessons for me come from the inimitable Mr. Wm. Shakespeare. And, by the time you have read the title, you have already figured out where I am going with this - if you know me at all. Comedy or Tragedy?? We all know that William Shakespeare so famously coined the phrase, "All the world's a stage" in "As You Like It". Now, it just seems that we are … [Read more...]
Mad Scientist in the Kitchen: The Hazelnut/Cinnamon-Rolled Scone in a Brioche Tin
Is it a scone, a cinnamon bun, a muffin, a brioche, a tea cake? Don't rightly know, but it's tasty, crunchy and light - and I like its visual appeal. And, these particular brioche tins hold a very special place in my heart - my Mom had a set. I remember them from my early childhood as something to play with outside in the garden, or to melt crayons in on a radiator (yikes, yes) - until I came to know and appreciate their real … [Read more...]
The Pear and Ginger Bundt Cake
Uncle Dave and Christin came for dinner tonight and so, in the interest of defending my claim that I do indeed love the lowly bundt cake, I decided upon a Pear and Ginger Bundt cake. While the pears in the market are not at peak yet, I was game anyway. Here is what happened: PEAR AND GINGER BUNDT CAKE - adapted from Woman's Day as seen on Huffpost Taste 3/4 cup water 2 1/4 cups sugar, divided 1 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and … [Read more...]
Dreamy Gugelhopf – a recipe from Manuela Darling-Gansser
photo courtesy Winter in the Alps by Manuela Darling-Gansser This post, as far as I am concerned, stands on its own in terms of the validity of its subject matter - in my eyes, as an eyes-closed dreamy aroma, and thus, on my palate. However, and not an insignificant aside, it is even more exciting for me this morning to find that I may have indeed found a little link to my long lost and forever-etched memory of the Honey Loaf from The … [Read more...]
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