Years ago at an annual November arts and crafts show in Edmonds, I had my first buttery, cheesy, crispy square and knew they’d enter my appetizer menu, especially after I bought the cookbook which included the recipe. What made the show special for me and why I went again every year thereafter was the appetizers, … More Hot & Cheesy Sourdough Squares
We’re having a Winter Social on Sunday afternoon in the neighborhood, an annual event for many and a first for me on my one year anniversary of the move to Seattle. I attended the Seattle Night Out* block party last August, took along three items and met some neighbors new to me. The upcoming Social … More Vanilla Snicks with Lavender Caramel Accents
Sunday was Mark’s 65th birthday so I invited a few of his close friends over for a casual lunch and chat and cake. One of the attendees had a birthday two days prior, so we sang the song to both and they both blew out a candle. Someone asked how this cake is made. “Easy. … More Pineapple Upside Down Cake, 2 Methods, 1 by Navy Seal
It’s no surprise that fresh cranberries are currently a bargain, so I went through three bags of them this morning, poured into a big bowl of cold water and pulled out one at a time to get approximately 1 1/2 cups of firm berries for a cake. It’s not an easy cake. It’s necessary to … More Friday Cake: Fresh Cranberry Orange
There were apples needing use, so Saturday afternoon I decided to make the Apple Pie Bread Pudding with the baby cinnamon roll base and custard, so me and the big mixer got busy with some dough and a plan. The plan included making a smaller version of the 1955 Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe for Swedish Ripple … More 3 Breads 3. Well, maybe not breads.
“There’s a lot going on in there,” said a neighbor looking at a huge chunk of cake on its way to his family for dessert. Indeed. The cake has sourdough starter in it for one thing, so there’s a flavor that only an experienced palate will detect as well as adding moisture and density. The … More Juliyya’s Cherry Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake, Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
My daughter’s friend from London brought me a box of dark chocolate truffles made by one of Seattle’s chocolatiers, Seattle Chocolates. These shots are a thank you. I use temporarily vacant space to set up art displays for myself. Tonight, the dining room table served very well, so I’ve promoted it to a category. Table … More Table Art: Tonight as Gratitude
A special visitor from London was hungry for home-cooking and home atmosphere on a jam-packed business itinerary at our local, gigantic online retailer of everything imaginable to humans, animals and robots. It featured meetings including business breakfasts, networking lunches and evening dinners/drinks with more business people. I asked my daughter to find out what our … More Chipotle Beef Shepherd’s Pie with Sharp Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Yesterday when I offered cake to people who’d also never had custard cake*, one said that she used to love Boston Cream Pie. Me, too, both the original and some variations unBostonly. However, chocolate draws, so I made a small batch today of the same cake as yesterday with two exceptions: doubling the orange extract … More Orange Cream Custard Cake, Seattle, Not Boston, but with Chocolate
I like cake. I like custard. I like the Greek custard and filo pastry dessert flavored with a bit of lemon or orange extract, so it’s not surprising that a recipe for “Magic Custard Cake” on a Facebook promotion caught my eye this morning. A quick Google search turned up several recipes for a custard … More Orange Cream Custard Cake
Ms Chef in Seattle 