Category Archives: Recipes

almond and orange shortbread cookies

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I have always loved reading catalogs from my favorite stores like West Elm, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and CB2.  To this day one of my guilty pleasures is leafing through pages looking for food styling inspirations and new props to use for plating.  I’ve been busy lately, but yesterday I finally had a time to relax with a cup of coffee, a cookie or two (or three) and my pile of catalogs.  Naturally, I found a few things I want so I folded down the page corners and left the catalogs conspicuously on the coffee table in the hopes my husband would get some hints for my upcoming birthday.  I wonder if it will work? Continue reading →

pumpkin swirl coffee cake

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Today I’m doing my best Paula Deen imitation with this recipe for Pumpkin Swirl Coffee Cake which requires almost 12 ounces of butter. I certainly don’t recommend baking with and eating this much butter all the time, but it is a nice indulgence once in a while.  The result is quite possibly the most buttery and moist cake I’ve ever made. It is also  light and tender with just the right amount of sweetness and spice. The crumbly pecan and brown sugar streusel made for a great topping, as well as a base, for the cake. My kitchen was filled with the heavenly aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, reminiscent of Thanksgiving, which, by the way, is a mere 56 days away!

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dried cherry brownies with port ganache glaze

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I prefer moist, fudgy brownies and this recipe is my new favorite!  Three types of chocolates are used in these decadent brownies — cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips in the brownie batter . . . dark chocolate in the ganache.  Dried cherries are added to give the brownies a tart and fruity taste.  Port (a Portuguese fortified wine) is used to macerate the dried cherries and to boost the flavor of the ganache topping. Serve the brownie with a scoop of ice cream for the ultimate indulgence. 

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bo luc lac, vietnamese shaking beef

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Bo Luc Lac or Vietnamese Shaking Beef

Fish sauce, a staple ingredient in many Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, is made from fermented fish and sea salt. While it may not sound or smell appetizing, fish sauce adds a complex  flavor to food. It is added to dishes during the cooking process or used straight or as a base for dipping sauce. Continue reading →

boozy ice pops: piña colada

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If you like piña coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you’re not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you’d like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the Cape
Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for
Write to me and escape.

– Escape, more commonly known as The Piña Colada Song.

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orecchiette with mushrooms, chard, and ricotta pan sauce

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I’ve been in a pasta rut lately, but thanks to the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I rediscovered the technique of making a pan sauce to give my tired old pasta a new twist and a boost in flavor.  This pan sauce is full of bold color and taste , made with bacon, mushroom, chard, and ricotta. Orecchiette, the oval-shaped pasta from the southern Italian region of Puglia, is a good choice for this dish because its slight bowl shape is perfect for catching the cheesy sauce which has a slight hint of spice from crushed red pepper flakes and nutmeg.  The orecchiette’s edges are thicker than it’s center for some added texture. Continue reading →

chocolate peanut butter cheesecakes with caramelized banana

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I like algebra, and, in fact, it was one of my favorite subjects in school.  How about you? Do you like algebra? Do you like solving equations? How about solving this simple algebraic equation for me?  Don’t worry, it’s petty easy!

Solve for X in the following equation:
A = peanut butter
B = banana
C = chocolate

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lobster rolls

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For many Americans, Monday’s Labor Day holiday marks the unofficial end of summer. Don’t let these last carefree days quietly slip away without a proper send-off. Celebrate with a backyard party or a picnic at the beach or park. Keep it casual, yet festive by serving lobster rolls with corn on the cob, potato chips, and brownies for dessert. Doesn’t that sound like a perfect feast to mark the end of a fun-filled summer?

Lobster Rolls (sandwiches filled with sweet and succulent lobster meat) are most popular in the New England states — especially Maine, Connecticut and Eastern Long Island.  There are two ‘schools of thought’ when it comes to serving lobster rolls: warm or cold . . . In Connecticut, lobster rolls are served warm, with just a drizzle of butter.  In Maine and in Long Island, mayonnaise is either spread on the inside of the bread or mixed with the lobster by itself and in some cases with diced celery and herbs.

french-style zucchini olive cake

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I was looking for a new recipe to try using the last of my homegrown zucchini, and I found this from one of my favorite food blogs, The Kitchn.  It is actually a recipe for a cake salé, the French term for a savory cake, using kalamata olives, grated zucchini, and tangy goat cheese.  Many French households have their favorite variation which is often served at picnics, potlucks, and parties, where it is usually served as an appetizer with a glass of wine or Champagne. Continue reading →

red currant and poppy seed cake

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A month ago, I would have passed on making this cake. It wasn’t because this recipe, from Aran Goyoaga of the breathtakingly beautiful blog Canelle et Vanille, didn’t sound delicious.  On the contrary, her recipe have always been so tempting, but I’ve never attempted any of them.  Why, you ask?  Well, I’m a little embarrassed to say!  Continue reading →

momofuku milk bar’s corn cookies

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I have been lucky to visit New York City on a regular basis and my fondness for “The Big Apple” has been well-documented on this blog (here, here, and here).  Every time I go, I am armed with a long list of restaurants, and I eat often in order to check off as many as I can.  Undoubtedly, new restaurants get added to the list; however, there are a few places that won’t get crossed off no matter how many times I go.

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individual peach upside down cakes

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Individual Peach Upside Down Cakes

With the abundance of sweet, juicy peaches, it is the perfect time to make these darling little cakes. They not only look good, they taste peachy keen, too. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)  In fact, they’re so good that I’ve baked them twice over the past 4 days. They’re also quick and simple to make, with a “couch to mouth” time of 45 minutes, including five minutes of cooling time. Not bad for a somewhat fancy-looking dessert. Top it with some French Vanilla ice cream, and you’ll be in for an unforgettable summer treat.  I promise!

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strawberry, mango, and kiwi ice pops

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healthy and refreshing strawberry, mango, and kiwi ice pops

Summer’s starting to wind down, but there’s still plenty of sunshine and warm weather.  Here’s a kid-friendly ice pop to beat the heat!

To take advantage of the fresh fruits of summer, make this triple-layer Ice Pop with Strawberry, Mango, and Kiwi. Try it yourself as is or substitute your own favorite fruit but be sure to pick seasonal fruit at their peak of flavor to minimize the amount of added sugar. Limited only by your imagination . . . kids & adults alike will be giddy with anticipation for our popsicles!

To read the rest of the article and to get the recipe for these colorful popsicles, click the link to follow me over to A Lucky Life blog.

strawberry, mango, and kiwi ice pops

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boozy ice pops: strawberry margarita

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The origin of the Margarita is not precisely known. Of the various accounts of its creation, most are centered in Mexico around the 1940’s, and most claim to have named the drink in honor of women named Margarita.  However, the more likely scenario, and the one I favor (for obvious reasons) is that the Margarita evolved from the Daisy, a popular cocktail in the United States during the pre-Prohibition era.  The Daisy is made from a base spirit such as brandy, whisky, or gin (think brandy Daisy, gin Daisy, etc), citrus juice, and a flavored sweetener.  It is not hard to imagine a Daisy made with tequila and Margarita is the Spanish word for daisy.  Regardless of its origin, the Margarita is arguably one of the world’s most popular cocktails.

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boozy ice pops: the bellini

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One of the simple pleasures of the summer is the abundance of stone fruits: cherries, nectarines, apricots, plums, and peaches. Out of them all, the fuzzy-skinned peaches are my favorite.  In fact, when I got the idea to make spiked ice pops, the first thing that came to mind was how good a frozen bellini would be, especially with sweet and juicy peaches in season.
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