In mid-January, I made a new, improved version (to my taste, that is) of Hummingbird Cake* for the birthday of my friend Chun Ming, with whom I play Mahjongg occasionally. Previously I made the classic version with canned, crushed pineapple and roasted pecans last year but with Ermine frosting. This year I bought fresh pineapple, … More New! New Cookie! Hummingbird Jones
It’s just after midnight here in Seattle and time to wish my Chinese friends happiness in the Lunar New Year. We celebrated with an excellent catered dinner of beef fried noodles, savory green beans, assorted platters of authentic Chinese cuisine and … my yearly contribution of some sort of almond cookie. I plated them on … More Lunar New Year 2026: Year of The Fire Horse
While today, the 14th of September, is my birthday, I baked this delicious Banana Cake with Toasted Walnuts and Ermine frosting to celebrate the birthdays of two other women as well as myself, all of us within a few days of the other. We’re also all participants in Music Night and I like to celebrate … More Happy Birthday to Yumiko, Lisa and Me
My daughter has been celebrating her birthday weekend glamping in a forest with her cousins. When I told the manager here that Maria would be glamping, he said, “Ah, getting more glamorous.” Nope, different definition. They’re sleeping in king size beds inside of yurts in a beautiful rustic setting called Olympic Wilderness Base Camp, owned … More Happy Birthday to Maria, Glamping with Cousins
I read about Hummingbird Cake somewhere, sometime and decided to make it to share for my birthday this year instead of my usual Banana Nut Cake* (as a sheet cake) and ** full nuts 2017 and *** Banana Cake with Creamy Nut Frosting No Nuts. Banana nut is my favorite cake, and Hummingbird Cake is … More Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes
I’ve been a busy baker over the past few days and am behind in blog posts, so they will be in reverse order, like tweets on Twitter. The 23rd was the 87th birthday of a friend whom I invited to choose the flavors of his birthday cake and frosting. He chose caramel frosting on a … More Chocolate Cake with Caramel Fudge Frosting for A Birthday
My daughter was born on August 6th some number of years ago in London during the hottest day it had been there in a long time (such that the hospital was operating on a generator due to air conditioners causing power failure.) Today (WordPress won’t admit it’s still the 6th of August) she celebrated it … More Birthday at The Block Watch Party
This is an award-winning salad, by which I mean that Sylvia won a trophy for the most original food brought to a sophisicated potluck last July. She did not get to keep the trophy and, as a matter of fact, has not even seen her name engraved upon it. She has been told that she … More Sylvia’s Sauerkraut Salad, A Pickled Salad Recipe
Pot lucks because that’s how the family does gatherings for every occasion. Everybody brings something, usually made by hand. Lots of salads and barbecue and desserts. My mother’s birthday in on July 6th, a Saturday this year and also on a day which is part of a lengthy holiday weekend so some folks may miss … More Mother’s 90th Birthday Party Potluck
I’m working on a new cookie for my Joneses, the start of a line within a line to be called juliyya’s Nutty Joneses. In common with all the others, the cookies will be soft and rich and have a specific frosting. Not in common: I leave it to the reader. There is no better place … More Maple Pecan Pralines
Ms Chef in Seattle 