Dear Friend, I saw my cookbook in your car and the recipes you had marked. So, when you sent me this amazing bouquet of flowers, I knew what I needed to do, get baking! It was a dreary, rainy Friday—the start of another long weekend of rain. But I turned on all the lights, put on some music and fired up the oven. I lined my pan with foil so I could lift out the finished bars and cut clean edges (and maybe eat some of the bits I cut off). Butter, sugar and flour go into the food processor. Give it a whir until it looks like sand, pour it in the pan and pat it flat. Put ...
Baking
CHICKEN POTPIE WITH FRESH PEAS AND TARRAGON
So many things are going on in my life right now. My garden is starting to produce vegetables and fruits and the herbs are green and lush. I have been working with pastry almost on a weekly basis. And I have been meeting potters all over Asheville, talking about their products and how they can be used in baking. It all comes together in a dish that is not something I usually go for, but it just spoke to me: Chicken Potpie with Fresh Peas and Tarragon. Let’s start with the peas and tarragon. My mother used to put fresh mint in with the peas when she made them which is ...
JUMBLEBERRY PIE
It was a jumbleberry weekend at our house. We were getting together to throw a bridal shower for Abby, my youngest, and all of my daughters were coming home, including my lovely granddaughter. My brothers and sisters would be there as well as Abby’s future in-laws, and that meant it was time for pie! Jumbleberry Pie, a delicious concoction of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries (or as Abby would say, “All the berries!!). Pie is deeply ingrained in my memory: My mother made pies for every occasion and many happy hours were spent in the kitchen helping her peel fruit ...
LEMON RASPBERRY QUICK BREAD, INSPIRED!
Even though lemons are primarily a winter fruit, we seem to pair them a lot with the dishes of Spring. I think it may be because their sunny color and fresh, clean, tang reminds us of the return of sun, the growing season and a new start. But too often I find that the promised flavor is missing in the finished dish, especially in quick breads (aka Tea Bread) and muffins. Then I found this. And I made a Lemon Raspberry Quick Bread that tastes of raspberries AND lemon! Some people window shop clothing stores, I browse supermarkets. I love checking out new products and trends. There is ...
SAVORY SCONES PROVENCAL STYLE
In which scones are given a make-over with roasted sweet peppers, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and thyme: flavors reminiscent of Southern France. In fact, this recipe is more of an American biscuit recipe than a traditional British Scone recipe (pronounced sc-on, to rhyme with gone). If you want to find out why, here is a good article from Food 52 . Scone or biscuit, this is delicious and a great substitute for cornbread, rolls or bread in any meal. One of the great things about cooking is that techniques overlap. You learn something in order to make one dish and use the same ...
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE DISCOVERY
My sister is five years older than I am. I have been eating pie with her my whole life. So it absolutely floored me when she told me that Strawberry Rhubarb was her favorite type of pie. My mother never made a strawberry rhubarb pie. I don’t think we ever had rhubarb in any form in my childhood. It wasn’t until I was married and in my late 20’s that I even tasted rhubarb, occasioned by early food memories of my then-husband and the loving desire to make him a dish he liked. So, I never saw my sister eat a strawberry rhubarb pie. I never heard her mention it was one of her ...
LET’S GET ROUGH! (ROUGH PUFF PASTRY)
If there is a theme to my blog, or a driving force behind my cooking, it is this: Does it taste better if you make it from scratch and, if so, is the time invested in making it worth the difference? For example: butter can be made at home but it’s not going to be appreciably different from a good quality store-bought butter. Homemade bread, on the other hand, gives a pleasure measurably greater than that derived from commercial bread. However, if you live near a good bakery, where they bake the bread onsite, the pleasure gained from one of their loaves may be as great or better than the ...
EASTER BRUNCH: EASY DANISH PASTRIES
Yes, you read that right. Today we are making Danish Pastries. And it’s NOT hard. I've been looking at the blogs and magazines for April and they are all about Easter Cakes and sweets. That's all well and good but in our house Easter Brunch is what counts and for brunch you need pastries. If you have been following my blog, you know I have been working on making rough puff pastry. “Rough Puff”, as it is known, is a simplified process for making puff pastry. It’s pretty easy but it does take some time to make as it includes multiple rests in the refrigerator for the ...
SPRING RADISHES AND SMOKED SALMON TART
I love the changing seasons! There is something wonderful about moving from hot to cold and back again. The colors of the world change along with the temperature and the foods we eat change with them. Spring puts me in the mood for colors and lighter food. It also makes me feel like baking fruit tarts and pastries. Maybe it’s an Easter thing, I don’t know! This Spring I have been working on making my own puff pastry. Or actually, Rough Puff Pastry which is one step below traditional puff pastry in labor. Don’t worry, I’m not throwing that at you yet. I need to make it a few more ...
GOING THERE: GLUTEN-FREE WHITE CHOCOLATE AND BUTTERSCOTCH CHIP COOKIES
I never thought I would be baking gluten-free cookies. But here it is, a plate full of White Chocolate and Butterscotch Chip Cookies, gluten-free. How did this come about? At the Carolina Bed & Breakfast it was not uncommon for people to specify a gluten-free diet when they came to visit. We were happy to accommodate them with some of the amazing gluten-free baked goods made by specialty bakers here in Asheville. I could have made them myself, and I did look at some gluten-free recipes, but the range of ingredients needed to make a decent substitute for wheat flour was daunting ...
