Orange Cream Custard Cake, Seattle, Not Boston, but with Chocolate

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

Birthday by Proxy: Molasses, Fruit & Nut Chews with Lime Cream Glaze

It is indeed time for another birthday by proxy. Mark handed me a bag of organic dried cranberries during the Christmas baking blitz and this cookie was on the tentative menu. I ruled it out after looking at the number of tins full of cookies and candies on the makeshift tables in relation to the … More Birthday by Proxy: Molasses, Fruit & Nut Chews with Lime Cream Glaze

Unexpected Casserole: Roasted Veggies, Rice, Cheese Sauce

Sometimes we plan to make a certain dinner item, then make something else with the same ingredients. That’s the nature of cookery. Sometimes we don’t know exactly what we’re going to cook, but take steps to lead us in the direction we’ll ultimately take. Yesterday I’d intended to make a casserole of brown rice and … More Unexpected Casserole: Roasted Veggies, Rice, Cheese Sauce

Cilantro Chicken with Baba Khanooj: cross-cultural Long Meal Friday

I’m fond of mixing Mexican and Middle Eastern or Indian cuisines in the same meal, especially on a long-meal-Friday. * Tonight it was chicken breast marinated in dried cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes, fried a bit in the drippings left from roasting onions, red bell pepper and mushrooms, tossed with some fresh cilantro and … More Cilantro Chicken with Baba Khanooj: cross-cultural Long Meal Friday

Birthday Cake by Proxy Tradition: Starlight Double Delight Cake

I knew before the big Christmas bake that there would be another chocolate cake early in the new year as well as which cake it would be. Since I’m thinning the recipes in five, count ’em, five, recipe boxes, it includes recipes for various chocolate cakes. With leftover cream cheese and starlight mints from the bake, … More Birthday Cake by Proxy Tradition: Starlight Double Delight Cake

In the kitchen with juliyya: Swedish Cinnamon Goop, 2 Uses

A recipe which included a new method of incorporating cinnamon, sugar and butter into a sweet roll caught my eye, specifically, a Swedish cinnamon twist made with cardamon-flavored dough. Before attempting a recipe using up to three tablespoons of ground cardamon plus eggs, butter and milk in the dough, I decided to try the process … More In the kitchen with juliyya: Swedish Cinnamon Goop, 2 Uses