Blackberry Liqueur: Mix it up
As a former pastry chef, I always have liqueurs on hand. When people see my shelves of bottles I assure them that “they are for baking purposes.” Some people smirk a little with skepticism. The truth is I do not drink much, and these luscious liquids are reserved for flavoring chocolate truffles or sweet sauces...
Summer Salads: Fresh Corn & Goat Cheese
Am I really talking about summer foods again? Why, yes. Yes, I am. But this time I’m featuring summer’s starlet: fresh corn. The first appearance of this husked starchy veggie signals the beginning of summer — and while we are in the dead center of the season now, it’s still a staple on my grocery...
Potluck Parties: Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
It seems to me that somewhere around Memorial Day, when we dust off the grill and break out the flip flops, there’s really no turning back. It’s all backyard BBQs and pool parties until fall. Not that I’m complaining, but, it’s unlikely that you’ll be showing up to one of these shindigs empty handed. Now,...
Serving Up Patriotism, Part 2
Baked Alaska – what a delicious invention — moist cake soaking up cold ice cream that is slathered with a layer of meringue while the whole kit-and-kaboodle gets popped into the oven long enough to crisp the outside while keeping the ice cream cool and the meringue warm and chewy. That was a mouthful, and...
Serving up Patriotism, Part 1
The 4th of July is just around the corner. Every party will have a table full of red, white and blue decorations and food items. No doubt, someone will bring a white sheet cake topped with blueberries and raspberries to honor our fabric of freedom. This week and next, I’ll offer a few new ideas...
Summer Grubbin’: Homemade Pickles
It’s unofficially summer. To me, this means that I can sit through a Rockies game without my butt freezing to my seat, that I have a valid excuse to not wear pants for the next three months (sundresses!) and that I can now deem it acceptable to eat ice cream for dessert every evening. There’s...
If Rembrandt had a Kumato
IF ONLY REMBRANDT had a Kumato, he might have painted this darkly luscious tomato on a recycled canvas, rolled it up like a scroll and tried to sell it to one of his patrons. They are grown in The Netherlands and the Mediterranean, so it’s possible he enjoyed them too. Perhaps it is one of...
Nature’s Art
There is art growing underground, just beneath our feet. We tread on it – sometimes paying it no heed. It’s all in how you look at it, if you are willing to take the time to look. Even dirt can be beautiful. One of my joys is walking into a grocery store that treats its...
Fork It: Mother Knows Best
We learn life’s most essential lessons from our mothers. Mine taught me how to fold laundry, that boys have cooties and that she has eyes in the back of her head. She showed me how to love and how to balance a checkbook, and told me relentlessly “patience is a virtue.” In the past year,...
Perfect Pavlova
Last week’s “Fºd by Degrees” story has turned into an A+ story. My Pavlova failed because I baked it at the wrong temperature (Cº v. Fº). You’ve seen the failure… I thought it only fair to share with you how beautiful it is when it is done right. What is so fabulous about this dessert...
Fºd by Degrees
Do you remember your teacher saying: “Read the instructions carefully before beginning your exam?” Well, I remember that. And I try to heed that advice when assembling complicated items like electronics and other computer-y kinds of things. But when it comes to recipes, I’m supposed to know what I’m doing. Today, I made an assumption, and...
Devil’s in the Details
The devil is in the details. Deviled eggs are an Easter menu staple. But, sadly, not everyone makes a good deviled egg. We all start with the same familiar cardboard carton of a dozen eggs. It’s what we do with them after that can result in something beautiful… or something dreadful. The biggest sin against...
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