Call it “Food Foraging 2.0” – when I posted a plea for fresh, culinary bay leaves on our neighborhood social network. I was “Jonesing” for a pound cake using bay leaves and oranges that I spied in David Lebovitz’ “My Paris Kitchen” cookbook, and had…
The distinctive scent of hot water poured over flour transports me back to my Poh Poh’s kitchen. She is my maternal grandmother, who would let me join her in making dim sum nibbles whenever we visited. These are some of my earliest cooking…
The culinary cognoscenti have proclaimed flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean are all the rage, and for good reason. These tasty spice and herb combinations are familiar but with an enticing, exotic twist. The good news is there are numerous options to procure them for…
Imagine my reaction when my Piedmont Post editor suggested a bûche de Noël as the topic for this month’s column. That’s French for yule log cake, a dessert fancier’s way of celebrating Winter Solstice and Christmas that began centuries (!) ago. It has…
Shorter days and a bit of welcomed rain signal the change of season, and thus my thoughts turn quickly to fall baking projects! As it turns out, several varieties of apples grow quite well here in Piedmont, CA; and I’m fortunate to have…
As a young girl, pineapple upside-down cake was always a treat. Back then Mom would make it from a Betty Crocker cake mix, and she would let me position the pineapple rings onto the bottom of the pan. My very favorite part was carefully placing…
I adore a recipe that results in high impact with minimal effort. This cake definitely falls into that category, and definitely well timed for a special Valentine’s Day dessert. Really a glorified brownie, this cake is full of flavor, decadent and quite the…
A new year brings a fresh start for healthier food choices. Successful change is easier when the effort is not too great. This bean stew is a delicious, effortless way to incorporate legumes into your meals. I thought this was the perfect opportunity…
This is the recipe that launched the successful, albeit brief, run of Sassy Shortbread. It was a fun, short-term project for my business partner and me (Ann-Margaret and I were technically on “sabbatical” from our day jobs!), and we were overwhelmed by the positive…
Fall baking season is in full swing, and apples present the perfect opportunity for this simple, yet elegant tart. The original recipe called for pears and fresh cranberries, and truth be told – I’ve never made it exactly as written. I was particularly intrigued…