I like sweet potatoes baked plain in the microwave sometimes, but for Thanksgiving and Apple Cup and leftovers, I like the gooey version with butter, brown sugar, walnuts and marshmallows. This year I saw a recipe which included a bit of bourbon, no nuts and no marshmallows, so I decided to try it and it … More j’s Sweet Potato Bread, Christmas lights on sun porch
My University of Washington Huskies won the Apple Cup today, a delirious win over the Washington State Cougars, and I think the win may very well have been due to a dish of spicy, cheesy brussel sprouts rather than mere excellent play on the field. Here’s the story. Yesterday I watched the video of a … More Apple Cup Dinner: Lucky Brussel Sprouts
Coincidences between events and the freezer began last week when I found out that I’d missed the birthday of one of the master gardeners whom I admire. I knew that he is quite fond of my blackberry ice cream and that, between his pie crust and my filling and ice cream, he, his wife and … More Blackberry Pie & Blackberry Ice Cream for a belated birthday
Perhaps the reader is acquainted with someone who likes to make mountains out of molehills. Yesterday I got an idea in my head that went something like this: I’d like to make a really complicated: Pudding. Bread. Pie. I’ve got fresh Washington apples, some Rainiers. Recently there’s been a search through some of the handwritten … More j’s Apple Pie Bread Pudding
Recently I experimented with some chocolate shard cookies* made with Seattle’s Theo Chocolate bars and froze some of the dough for further experimentation. Last night I made doughs and completed preparations to bake some newbies this morning and deliver up some sweetness and love to my daughter in her office later today. Some people have … More j’s Crookies, Chip Snicks and Cinnamon Toast Snicks
There was much fun and mixing in my kitchen this week in preparation for the birthday party of a young girl who will be six. She wanted a snowman cake, the description of which changed several times over the course of several days and, indeed, right up to the last moment when she decided that … More In the kitchen with juliyya: Adorable Snowman Cake for a birthday
I spent some summers during university years as a live-in cook/keeper for a family with a “cabin” in a country club on Bainbridge Island where they spent that part of the year. As with any family, they had a rotating menu of favorites for which the recipes were available for whatever cook was in the … More Mrs. W’s Tamale Casserole. Now with Sriracha. Also leaves, a Seattle crane.
Earlier this summer while walking home from the Ballard Viking Days with some neighbors, I picked up a party cookbook at one of the pick-up/drop-off free book bins. There was a recipe for a chocolate party cake featuring three layers, lots of butter and chocolate, lots of work and plenty of time to get ingredients … More Chocolate Party Cake. No party.
A lovely neighbor gifted me with two bars of Seattle’s own Theo Chocolate, a pure and dark variety, which, in this house, means “Bake something with it.” Some people have suggested a deficit in the planned cookie menu for MsChef in Seattle upcoming shops, namely, a chocolate chip cookie. I’ve resisted because that cookie is … More Whoop-tee-doo Chocolate Shard Cookie, V.1, Seattle’s Theo Chocolate
The first of two expected windstorms in the Pacific Northwest passed yesterday with leaves and branches and plenty of fresh air. The second, more powerful storm, is already hitting the coast and expected here in the Seattle area beginning in a couple hours. While it’s not necessary — at least locally — to fill the … More How to prepare for big storm: Bake! Loaded Frittata, Hard Flour Banana Nut Bread
Ms Chef in Seattle 