Today I’m starting a section of pantry staples. Just a recipe, a photo or two, and a few words. Quick and easy. It is February in Berkeley, CA and the Meyer lemon trees are full! So the “essentials” for my pantry (this month) will be lemon rich. First up: Preserved Lemons, a … [Read more...]
Za’atar Cashew Brittle
A few weeks ago I was up to my eyebrows in chocolate, caramel, and peppermint, making candy for a corporate holiday party. The party was candy-themed, a sensory explosion of the sweet and the playful. I made a Curry Cashew Brittle (thank you Bon Appétit!) that was beautiful to … [Read more...]
Za’atar
Za'atar is a lemony Middle Eastern herb blend that is great sprinkled on just about anything. I like it on eggs, stirred into plain yogurt to accompany pita bread, on roasted chicken or vegetables. The sky is the limit. This is my variation that I think works best for Za'atar … [Read more...]
Apple Cranberry Crumble Tart
Mercedes Rick Apple Cranberry Crumble Tart Named in honor of our good friend and very first paying customer -- what a fitting name! This tart is the S Class of apple tarts: 4 wheel drive Sweet Tart Crust for reaching every corner of your pallet, twin turbo charged with 2 … [Read more...]
Cranberry Lemon Verbena Sherbet
On our Thanksgiving table we have an abundance of pies. Last year we had seven—for eleven people. I’m not the only one who likes “a little of each”, which adds up to a lot. … [Read more...]
Lemon Snap Snaps
Lemon verbena is like cilantro, either you love it or you don’t. My feet are firmly planted in the love it camp. Verbena is citrusy, herbaceous, and perfumey. In the opposing camp, some think it smells like Lemon Pledge. I don’t experience it in that way. … [Read more...]
Golden Cream and Apple Tart
The tart that got me hired After two years of working at restaurants as a pastry assistant, I thought, probably naively, that I was ready to graduate to pastry chef. I fell in love with Café Chenville the moment I walked in the door. It was full of charm and the small open … [Read more...]
Gingerbread
I love to read cookbooks! AND, I love to read books (fiction and nonfiction) that have recipes in them. A dear friend recently gave me a copy of Delicious! by Ruth Reichl. The novel features a gingerbread that the heroine makes for her prospective boss—she gets hired on the spot … [Read more...]
Huckleberry Tart or Blueberry Tart
I like to call Missoula, MT, my sister city. When I was nine my mother drove me and my brother to Montana in an OLD Peugeot she’d bought for $75 dollars. A friend of hers got it running, my mother reupholstered the seats and off we went. It took us three days to get there, … [Read more...]