Fruit

Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt

Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt

Ever considered making your smoothies in your washing machine? I didn’t think so. Apparently others have. ABP, a Hindi news station in India, has reported instances where Indian smoothies, lassis, have been bulk produced in washing machines. HSBC , the British multinational banking and financial…

Blueberry Muffins and A Little Refrigerator Drama

Blueberry Muffins and A Little Refrigerator Drama

Three hundred and seventy-three blueberries. That’s how many berries Juliet and I had to pick up off the floor. I had reached into the refrigerator, gotten distracted as I grabbed a jar of marmalade and, in one fraught moment, managed to dislodge the two-pound box…

Hand Pies!

Hand Pies!

Egyptian pharaohs, European kings (and queens!) and Cornish miners all ate them. Beggars ate the crusts. Now, they are hot on the culinary scene again and they are delicious. Hand pies! Hand pies originated when some smart cook realized that there was a workaround for…

Apricot Crumble Cake

Apricot Crumble Cake

Apricots evoke strong emotions. For poet John Ruskin, they conjured up a visual and tactile beauty. He described them as “shining in a sweet brightness of golden velvet.” For Chilean novelist Isabel Allende, theirs was a melancholy comfort. She wrote: “At the most difficult moments…

Apricots!

Apricots!

    JOIN ME FOR THE WAVE! IT’S STONE FRUIT SEASON, PEOPLE!               In my mind, it doesn’t get better than stone fruit season–ripe as it is with the promise of baking and aromas and pleasurable eating, but, alas,…

Pomegranate Molasses Butter Cake

Pomegranate Molasses Butter Cake

First, pomegranate molasses is readily available. You can do this. Second, this butter cake is absolutely delicious. I don’t have the words… I discovered pomegranate molasses some time ago. I shop at a local Jons International Marketplace and they have not one but several brands…

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini and Avocado

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini and Avocado

    This recipe for Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini and Avocado has everything–good proteins, healthy cruciferous cauliflower, peppery watercress, and beautiful Cara Cara oranges. Did I mention there are avocados, too? And, oh! those Cara Cara oranges! I’ll admit that I’ve fallen head-over-heels…

Blueberry-Ricotta Tart

Blueberry-Ricotta Tart

  This tart is so super rich I suspect it got a big tax cut!  (OK. I am bitter.) It’s easy, too! And, it makes a pretty impressive presentation. (Who among your guests needs to know that it was a cinch to make?) The richness…

Spiced Persimmon Tea Cake: Perfect for a Blustery Morning in SoCal

Spiced Persimmon Tea Cake: Perfect for a Blustery Morning in SoCal

Here I sit on a blustery December day in Southern California enjoying a hot cup of my favorite Darjeeling tea and a slice of this spice cake. Sweet Juliet is curled up at my feet enjoying a quiet nap. Mmmm. Life is good. I think…

Ole! Cranberry Sauce with Chiles

Ole! Cranberry Sauce with Chiles

  ‘Tis the season. You can’t have Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving–what a great idea!) without cranberry sauce and this cranberry sauce recipe is a stunner with a bit of a southwestern kick–chiles. Cranberries are, of course,  a part of America’s history. Reportedly, cranberries were served at…