Uncategorized

Nana, Spunk,  and Vinegar Chocolate Cake

Nana, Spunk, and Vinegar Chocolate Cake

Nana was my grandmother. When I was a little girl, I would spend long happy weekends at her house. She always had a stack of books for me to read–young reader mysteries, as I recall. Sometimes she would take me to the tiny beauty shop improbably…

A Mushroom-Spinach Soup With A Whole Lot of Character

A Mushroom-Spinach Soup With A Whole Lot of Character

      “When I was born I was so ugly the doctor slapped my mother.” –Rodney Dangerfield   Close your eyes and this soup is absolutely delicious. Stare at it in your bowl…not so much. How do you write about (let alone photograph) a…

Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Want to really tell somebody off? Call them a polentoni (a big polenta). You read that right–a big polenta.That’s the nasty insult that southern Italians lob at northern Italians, or, at least, they did back in the day. Why’s that? It seems to have a…

Greek Baked Beans (Fassolia Yiachni)

Greek Baked Beans (Fassolia Yiachni)

  Oxi! (or is it Nai! ?) I could never keep yes and no straight in Greek. (Could be a dangerous confusion in any language. I know.) These Greek Baked Beans are delicious. I just made another big (for me) Rancho Gordo bean buy and…

One More Time! Parker House Rolls

One More Time! Parker House Rolls

There are a lot of paths to the same destination. (Sound pretty Zen? I’m having one of those mornings.) I previously posted an excellent recipe for Parker House Rolls on Blue Cayenne (Here), but learned this new recipe in a Sur La Table class this…

Marion

Marion

Blue Cayenne will be two years old in October. Over those (almost) two years, Marion Sutton has been one of Blue Cayenne’s (and my) most supportive friends. I met Marion in one of Nami Aoyagi’s amazing Digital Media Arts classes at The Huntington Beach Adult…

Tomato and Basil Risotto and a Puppy

  I know. It’s a puppy. I can’t seem to take a decent photo of the risotto dish I want to share with you, so I’m posting a photo of a puppy. Everyone loves a puppy photo. Don’t get me wrong, the risotto is quite…

Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Puff Pastry Pinwheels

    Need a knock-their-socks-off pretty pastry for your Thanksgiving breakfast guests? These puff pastry pinwheels fit the bill. They are exceptionally easy, too, and fast to prepare. They also give you an excuse to use your prettiest plates to serve them. My plate is…

It’s thumbs down for French food (with kids)

  If you need a little humor in your life, this cute video shows children’s reactions to tasting some traditional French dishes–beef tartare, mussels, duck pate and cereal with chocolate milk, among others. Needless to say, things didn’t go well. http://mashable.com/2016/11/07/american-kids-try-french-food/#voD36PDuEkqL