It’s week two of my Great British Baking Show Challenge. This week’s show revolved around Biscuits. For those of you who don’t know, a biscuit is what Americans call a cookie. Each episode of the Baking Show has three challenges to it. The Signature Challenge in which the bakers get to show off a recipe that they have perfected at home, The Technical Challenge in which the bakers are asked to show how much they know about baking in general by baking from a recipe which they have never seen before with limited instructions, and The Showstopper in which the bakers are asked to ...
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW SIGNATURE CHALLENGE: HEATH BAR SWISS ROLL
Well, it’s been a long week. I don’t know about you, but I know I am bored when cleaning my house seems like a fun activity. Fortunately, I have The Great British Baking Show Challenge to keep me going. Season One, Episode One on Netflix (Which if you are a true fan of the show you know is not the very first season) was all about cakes. It was a nice way to get started on this game because I know something about British cakes having lived there for seven years. I choose the Signature Challenge, a Swiss Roll, for my bake. And then I made it American with a chocolate butter cream ...
WHEN LIFE GETS CHALLENGING, CHALLENGE IT BACK! BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE
Challenge yourself to make a beautiful blueberry filled coffee cake! Recipes for using cans of beans and other imaginative things to do with pantry staples are not really my thing. And there are a lot of much better chefs out there who are creating and sharing those kinds of recipes for you. I am working on the assumption that the cooks among you are looking for projects, something to stretch your mind and talents and hopefully result in something fun to eat (#gettingfatfromcoronovirus). Starting next week, I am replaying one episode from the Great British Baking Show, Season One and ...
IF I CAN MAKE A FRUIT TART, YOU CAN MAKE A FRUIT TART
An elegant fruit tart is easy to make with this recipe. The cookie crust and quick custard support the fruit design of your choice! The first time I tried to make a fruit tart was 37 years ago. I lived in Paris and I was eager to try all kinds of cooking. I know exactly when it was because I still have the recipe written down in the notebook I was using at the time. It was from the August 1983 issue of Bon Appetit and it was called Crème Brulee Tart Jimmy. It consisted of a pastry shell, baked and brushed with chocolate, then topped with blackberries and custard. It was finished with a ...
CHINESE STYLE POACHED CHICKEN
A whole chicken is poached in sherry, soy sauce and Dr. Pepper along with Chinese spices for a dish that is reminiscent of the food courts of Singapore. When I lived in Singapore, I would often go to the local “Wet Market” to purchase fruits and vegetables and other Asian products. Located underneath one of the large public housing apartment towers near me, it was important to go early in the morning before it got too hot. These markets are called wet markets because they clean the floors with buckets of water after they wash the fresh produce, and butcher and clean fish, chicken and pork. ...
READY FOR THE BIG LEAGUE? FETA CHEESE ROLLS
Up to now, we’ve been making bread the easy way—as a quick bread. But it’s time to step up our game and make a yeasty bun filled with a lovely herb, feta and cream cheese filling. Hey, come back here! There’s no reason to run away from baking bread with yeast! There used to be, back in the day before stand mixers with dough hooks and instant-read thermometers. But life is a lot easier now. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the time it takes to make it. These lovely cheese-stuffed rolls take about two to two and a half hours to make. Most of that time is devoted to letting the ...
A CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS: CHEDDAR-PECAN BREAD
Fresh Dill, Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Nutty Pecans combine to make a savory quick bread that is perfect for a winter day. There are two things I know: Never go shopping on an empty stomach, and The best time to read a cookbook is when you are hungry. Both of these things grow from the same stem. Because when you are hungry everything looks good to eat! I have been traveling a lot since January and while I’m not complaining (really!) it does mean that I have fallen behind a bit on cooking for my blog. But now I am home and I have been itching to get back into cooking and ...
An Asheville Foodie in Nashville
Let's get one thing straight right away. While this foodie went to Nashville, it was not a foodie trip. Because Nashville is not primarily a foodie destination. Food was important and I will steer you to some great bites but in Nashville it is more often the setting in which you eat that matters. Let us begin. We went to Nashville for an early Valentine's Day celebration. Years of battling crowds and confronting overwork servers and rushed meals have lead me to avoid going out on February 14th if at all possible. (My daughter's experience this year of having booked a 4 top for ...
VALENTINE’S DAY CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BROWNIE SUNDAE
We have all heard it, “Cook with love”. But what does that mean? Does it mean loving the act of cooking? Or does it mean loving the people you cook for? I think it means both. And while I love a good restaurant meal with a well thought out menu, for Valentine’s Day I am more likely to create a meal at home centered around the passions (for food!) of the person I am cooking for. And for dessert, that means chocolate! Not just any chocolate. A chocolate brownie with layers of chocolate and caramel in the center, topped with vanilla ice cream and a luscious homemade chocolate ...
CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK ROUNDUP: MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE SAUCE
The deep earthy flavor of wild mushrooms makes this Bolognese Sauce a rich and flavorful alternative to ground beef. Although it really shouldn't be seen as an alternative to anything. It's that good! To be fair, I got Michael Symon’s Fix it With Food Cookbook after Christmas…but not too long after! And I am obsessed with it. The recipes manage to taste good while being vegetarian/vegan/gluten free/dairy free and more. I am eating all sorts of things I never really cared for much and enjoying it. You don’t have to buy into any of the diets. The recipes can be incorporated into your ...
