Thanks to the Newton Rotary Club’s annual peach fundraiser and my three-year-old niece insisting that I buy blueberries for our recent fun day, I had quite a bit of fruit in my refrigerator this week. That, combined with Joey itching to use a cast iron Dutch oven he recently got for his smoker, meant we …
Continue reading “Baking cobbler outdoors can be ‘berry’ satisfying”
If anyone can tell me the trick to pitting a firm peach, I’m all ears. So far, my strategy includes cutting numerous slits down the sides, grunting and murmuring regrets under my breath while trying to pull the first slice off, and I can tell you that it doesn’t work all that well. Luckily, the …
Continue reading “Peaches and fresh ginger will help you snap into August”
I remember once reading the story of one fast food worker’s infuriating interaction with a customer. The customer ordered “a cheeseburger, but hold the cheese.” The worker paused and asked, “So, a hamburger?” Instead of sheepishly admitting her mistake, the customer was incredulous. “No. I said I want a cheeseburger with no cheese. If I …
I believe it was sometime during college that I first got to experience going to one of those Japanese restaurants where the chef makes a big show while cooking in front of you. If you’ve never been, I recommend it. It’s nice to be entertained and fed at the same time. One of the tricks …
Continue reading “Banana dessert can foster sense of warmth for ice cream”
My parents recently gifted me with bananas—a lot of bananas. So, looking at the bunches lining my countertop, I decided it was time to try every banana recipe on my Pinterest board. As I perused the large number of recipes I’d set aside, one popped out at me for banana cinnamon rolls. Not only did …
Continue reading “Banana cinnamon rolls aren’t monkeying around”
Several weeks ago, over at our office, we were gifted something I’d never tried: conchas. If you’re unfamiliar, like I was, a concha is a Mexican sweet roll. It gets its name from its crispy topping, which looks like a seashell. Well, I was completely hooked after trying them. It was like getting to have …
Continue reading “I ‘concha’ take my eyes off this gorgeous sweet bread”
I remember once spending an entire afternoon helping my mom make applesauce. My sister and I loved the apple-peeling machine that cut each apple into cool spirals, and we took turns manning the crank. Mom was at the stove, cooking down the sliced apples and then ladling it off into containers as the applesauce was …
Continue reading “Bread will ‘apple’solutely get you ready for fall”
One of the habits my mom taught me when I was first learning to bake is to go back through a recipe before popping something into the oven. Giving each ingredient a once-over to make sure nothing was left out is a good idea, since you inevitably realize you forgot something when the mixture has …
Continue reading “It’s ‘butter’ to double check ingredients”
A couple years ago, my folks moved into a house that had a huge garden of rhubarb in the backyard. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if that was an even trade for missing out on the mulberry trees I used to be able to exploit at my childhood home, but I’ve been meaning …
Continue reading “Amazing cake recipe is raising the ‘barb’”
Despite it being the week before Christmas, I have yet to make my normal pile of sweets. I generally bake at least a double batch of peppernuts, and there’s often something that requires melting almond bark in my double boiler and spreading waxed paper on every open counter space. I actually have a variety of …
Continue reading “You’ll be sweet on these roasted potatoes”
