When I inhaled the aroma of perfect summer peaches at the local market last week, I knew I had to bake this Deep-dish Peach Pie in honor of my mother-in-law Solveig (Solie) Johnson. She baked the best pies. On one of my early trips to the Pacific Northwest as a young bride, Solie introduced me […]
Deep-dish Peach Pie with a Sweet Shortcrust Read More »
We didn’t entertain much during the three years I studied law, but reading recipes provided a needed break from legal treatises and fueled fantasies about when and how I would prepare them. I was a pent-up hostess and when the last semester was ending, I invited friends for dinner I planned in my mind for
Strawberry Charlotte Russe Read More »
With a few days left until Christmas, I am focusing on holiday baking. I am late this year and probably should not do much, but it’s a habit hard to break even though we eat fewer sweets each year. Nonetheless, an unexpected, spectacular dessert ending to a holiday meal is a special treat. Of course,
Orange Christmas Cake with White Chocolate Frosting Read More »
The annual appearance of firm red and green rhubarb stalks in farmers’ markets heralds that winter is finally over. Knowing rhubarb season is fleeting, I usually buy enough to fill my baking and cooking cravings. This year, it’s time for a Strawberry-glazed Rhubarb Yogurt Cheesecake. My affinity for rhubarb started early. In our first small
Strawberry-glazed Rhubarb Yogurt Cheesecake Read More »
I created this Cranberry Cream Tart to highlight cranberries, an underutilized fruit which plays a secondary role to savory dishes and rarely in desserts. Since learning about the importance of wild cranberries to the diet of Native Americans in my third-grade lesson on the first Thanksgiving and their use by Pilgrims as a ubiquitous condiment,
Cranberry Cream Tart Read More »
The most interesting experiences often arise from serendipity. I recently shared a kitchen and an evening of Ukrainian cooking with 31-year-old Evgeniy (Zhenia) Klopotenko, winner of the 2015 Ukraine’s Masterchef contest, a graduate of Paris’s Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, a Ukrainian TV personality and producer of jams and marmalades. Young Zhenia is a trained
Revitalizing Ukrainian Cooking with Masterchef Evgeniy Klopotenko Read More »
This German Apple Cake – Gedeckter Apfelkuchen was on my to-bake list for years from the time I was a law student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I did not cook or bake much while studying. With 700 pages of weekly reading of treatises and case law, there was little time for culinary endeavors
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This Peach Blueberry Almond Crust Galette is a seasonal treat, a perfect summer dessert. As I walked through the farmer’s market this week amid stalls piled high with fruits, vegetables and flowers, the ripe, blushing rosy peaches and blue-as-midnight blueberries spoke to me. I scrutinized the offerings of rival fruit vendors several times assessing what
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Labneh (also known as labne, labni, lebni), a strained yogurt, has a softly tart taste like Greek yogurt, but a cream-cheesy mouth feel. It can be soft and spreadable, firm and moldable, or hard and salted for longer storage. I savored labneh throughout the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean at various times of day without
Labneh – Savory and Sweet Versatility Read More »
This Italian Plum Ginger Frangipane Tart was prompted by an eye-catching farmers’ market display of stone fruits last week. The abundant harvest of beautifully ripe peaches, nectarines and plums jolted my realization that these fruits would be available in their prime for only a few weeks, and I needed to move fast if I wanted
Italian Plum Ginger Frangipane Tart Read More »