[I]s it possible I’ve been hypnotized by a fruit? If so, it is the plum that has seduced me, once again. Fortunately — or not, really — the season is woefully short, but during it, I find myself drawn, again and again, to the stunning array of plums, pluots and […]
[I]f you’ve never seen the movie “Ratatouille,†you should. And if you’ve never made the vegetable dish that, in part, inspired the film’s name, you should go there, too. Both exemplify the best of what I love about art, cooking and creativity and the hope inspired in one’s passions. Both […]
[M]any memories were stirred up as I mixed and baked a batch of Monster Cookies for the Baked Sunday Mornings online baking group this week. The recipe (you’ll find it here: http://bakedsundaymornings.com/2018/08/31/in-the-oven-monster-cookies/), from “Baked: New Frontiers in Baking,†by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito (2008), is an old-fashioned drop cookie, […]
“Curving back within myself, I create again and again.†—Bhagavad Gita [I]n recent years, I’ve pondered the word “faith†a lot. I think it’s a term most associated with religion, but beyond that, it is, I think, a firm, reliant belief that there is something beyond us, taking care of […]
[I]don’t have a lot of experience with mangos, outside of the occasional fresh spear or using frozen chunks (very handy and yummy) for smoothies. Mango is unique in flavor — it is subtle in both taste and texture, iseeming to fuse together peaches, pineapple, melon and citrus. It’s delicious, but […]
[I] wrote a column recently for Kansas Country Living magazine about summers from my childhood that were virtually a real-life version of the “attack of the killer tomatoes.†In essence, there was an overabundance of these juicy red fruits, to put it mildly. Dozens of tomato plants were cultivated in […]
[S]ometimes, when you are in a slump (writing/cooking/baking/working/living), the best thing to do is make one. Never heard of a slump? I had, but had not made one until the Baked Sunday Mornings group put a recipe (see here: http://bakedsundaymornings.com/2018/07/20/in-the-oven-sour-cherry-slump/) for Sour Cherry Slump from “Baked: New Frontiers in Baking†[…]
[I] wonder sometimes if casserole breads have gone the way of the casserole. You don’t hear much about them anymore, as if they’ve fallen into the category of “retro,†and lapsed into the rare recipe collection to be mused upon as a charming trend of yesteryear. If you’ve ever made […]
[S]ummer means iced tea — more than any drink — for me. I’ll take a tall glass of a plain black or green tea, but a good flavored iced tea — naturally flavored — like mango, mint, hibiscus or berry adds flavor and variety to the refreshment. I also love […]
[B]iscotti, by description, seem something that would defy enthusiasm. Their name, derived from the cookie-version of “biscuit†and meaning “twice-baked,†is just an inkling of what they are. This double baking is meant to make them dry and hard (not typically the aim for most baked goods), for a longer […]