Note: I am well aware it is September. I started this in the beginning of August only to find my life delightfully interrupted by the birth of my fifth grandchild. Meet Mia Jayne Adams! She is definitely a priority so the post is late being finished but the message is still good--as is this Easy Zucchini Tart! What can I say about August? Growing up, it was the month of vacation for my family before the start of the school year in September. We piled into the family car and drove the long road from Connecticut to the barrier beaches of North Carolina, stopping along the way at ...
Baking
SCOUT’S KEY LIME CAKE
Do you watch The Bear? I do. Every season the first few episodes are rough: lots of yelling, swearing and anger. But then, somewhere around the third or fourth episode, the show comes together and I am drawn in. Season 3 has had some wonderful moments, not the least of which is the final dinner at the restaurant Ever. The episode begins with Chef Thomas Keller teaching Carmie how to truss a chicken. Now obviously I don't know Thomas Keller, but I every time I have seen him in an interview or lesson he is calm and soft spoken and clearly intelligent. He seems like a very nice man. ...
On Aging, Blueberries and Glimmers
I am getting old. But so are a lot of people around me, including a lot of newspaper columnists I have been reading for years. Which is nice because from time to time they write something I can really relate to. Like this column from Charles Blow In it, he talks about the choices one can make as one ages: not about getting older, we have no real choice in that. But about how to come to peace with the process. I encourage you to read it. If you are older, it may speak to you. If you are younger, it may bring some understanding. One of the things he said, that I try to do every ...
Strawberry Strawberry Jam Bread!
It's strawberry season and strawberries are everywhere! I've made strawberry jam, strawberry sauce for cake and ice cream and today I made Strawberry Bread filled with diced fresh strawberries and swirls of strawberry jam. Think of a jelly donut crossed with a muffin and you are there. Before I get to the recipe here are some notes about strawberries. Smaller strawberries are better. Small ripe strawberries are more strawberry and less water. Large strawberries are big because they have more water in them. Some farms and markets will have small "jam" strawberries. If you see ...
SPRING IN A MUFFIN: RASPBERRIES AND ALMONDS
Muffins filled with raspberries and topped with almonds are the perfect end to a day in the Garden! Shortly after moving into to our house in South Charlotte, I discovered that what looked like a blank palette for my garden was actually a bare landscape of very challenging growing conditions. The lower part of the garden is in a flood zone. The habitually damp clay soil has been made even less hospitable by the previous owner’s removal of more than 40 trees. Just think about what that means. The average full grown tree absorbs between 10-150 gallons of water a day. For 40 trees that’s ...
THE PALMIER: SIMPLE PERFECTION
I had my first Palmier years ago when I lived in France. With its twin spirals of puff pastry encased in a sugar crust it is simple perfection. And like so many simple, perfect things it came be hard to duplicate. Until you know the tricks! For years I thought the problem was in my puff pastry. Initially I thought this easy-to-form cookie would be a good use for commercial puff pastry. And it worked more or less. It tasted well enough but it didn’t have the layers I was looking for in the pastry and I could never get that delightful crunchy edge of sugar on my cookies. It was ...
SPICING UP VALENTINE’S DAY: CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH CAYENNE AND CINNAMON
This year, I am spicing up my Valentine's Day chocolate cookies with cayenne and cinnamon. (Along with a nod to February snow by including some marshmallows.) Cayenne pepper and cinnamon create a complex chocolate cookie just right for a Valentine's Treat that says, "You spice up my life!" I know this all sounds a little unlikely but trust me on this one. I first made these for Christmas and was told by my family that these might be the best cookies I have ever made. My family can be tough critics, so I am choosing to believe them! The trick to these cookies is in your ...
OLIVE OIL AND ALMOND CAKE TOPPED WITH WINTER CITRUS FRUITS
Olive oil and Almond Cake topped with Winter Citrus Fruits! It's January and the cycle of seasonal fruits and vegetables start to turn towards Spring. Gone are the apples and pumpkins of Fall and early Winter. Yet to come are the berries of Spring. Nestled in between these two seasons is the gift of citrus. Oranges and grapefruits, clementines and tangerines, they bring lightness and color to the dreary days of January and February. In celebration of the lengthening days, I made an Olive Oil and Almond Sponge Cake, topping it with Winter citrus fruits. It's light and ...
RASPBERRY PAVLOVA
It's been a long time coming, but this recipe for Raspberry Pavlova is worth wait! Crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside the Pavlova meringue is topped with a delicous raspberry sauce, dark chocolate and passionfruit. Easy to make and serve, a Raspberry Pavlova is a show stopper in any season and for any holiday I had no idea as I boarded the plane to Europe at the end of November 2023 that I had written my last post for the year. Indeed, it never crossed my mind that it would be the middle of January 2024 before I sat down at my desk to share a recipe with you! ...
APPLE CHESS PIE: A Tale of Two Pies
“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities. And that pretty much sums up this pie. My Apple Chess pie was the best of pies and the worst of pies. Don’t get me wrong. It is an absolutely delicious pie. Lovely slices of apple are nestled in a not-too-sweet, custardy filling. All baked in a buttery crust. But I made my Apple Chess Pie in two cities. I started the pie in my home in Charlotte, in a kitchen filled with everything I need to make a beautiful pie. I assembled and baked the pie in Asheville, in a kitchen ...
