It all started with Easter and Hot Cross buns. I was in Chicago with my daughter, Emily, and we spotted some sweet looking little Hot Cross Buns in a bakery shop window. We both said, “Awww” and then “Nah.” Because is there anything more disappointing than a Hot Cross Bun? They sound like they should be neat and special and, like everything else Easter, they should be worth the once-a-year effort. But in essence, Hot Cross Buns are just bread rolls with a little candied fruit and a dab of insipid icing. Re-imagining Hot Cross Buns has been a yearly quest of mine for ...
Baking
Demolition Brownie Bars
We are tearing the back off the house I am remodeling. It’s an old house, built in 1905, and at some point someone stuck an absolutely awful addition onto it. Seriously, I am talking concrete floor overlayed with linoleum, corrugated iron roof and a cheap window. The addition may actually be bigger than the original structure. Everyone I know, and that means pretty much everyone, thought I was crazy to buy it. But…it’s in a great location with a good-sized lot just right for a garden and the tiny original part of the house just needs a little love. Here in Asheville if you are located ...
Outrageous Cookies: White Cheddar Popcorn, Peanuts and Toffee!
Hey! Did you march with the women in January? I did. This year I was in Asheville. The march was a lot smaller than the one last year in DC but no less meaningful or heartfelt. And it meant a lot to me. 2017 was a difficult year for so many reasons. There was a pocket of true and unforgettable joy when my daughter got married but otherwise the year seemed and felt like an unending series of hard moments both on the national stage and in my personal life. Returning to march again with the women, children and men of Asheville renewed me and gave me energy to work towards a more ...
