Several years ago during a wander by the bakery aisle at one of the big West Coast grocery chains, I saw a slice of tuxedo cake that looked so different from the other cake slices in the case, was so attractive to someone who was hungry, had/has a sweet tooth and screamed “chocolate!” that I … More Tuxedo Cake from the Cakerie for my birthday
Having missed an opportunity to provide a friend with birthday goody, I asked what he’d like. Cake? Nah. Pie? Yes, please, real Southern Pecan Pie, dark and gooey, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. As much as I don’t like to make the crust, I did it anyway, making a single butter crust. There … More Southern Pecan Pie for a friend on my birthday, Crispy for me
There was maybe 3/4 cup of leftover chocolate fudge icing in the fridge and last night somebody gifted me with a bag of Washington’s own Bluebird Grain Farms organic whole grain hard white flour while we were discussing acquisition of some good quality chocolate for a cake recipe. So, with chocolate on my mind and … More j’s Hard Flour Brownies with Cocoa, Walnuts & Fudge Icing
What do you do with storebought purple plums and nectarines that are a bit too mushy for snacks? Stew them for breakfast? Make jam? Use them for baking? Since it’s a bit chillier in Seattle following our brief heat wave, I decided in favor of a hot oven and the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg … More Plum, Nectarine and Walnut Crisp
Someone requested that I have a go at making pineapple ice cream and someone else recently on holiday in the tropics mentioned looking for it while there. Temporarily out of fresh fruit because of unwillingness to go outside in Seattle heat and having whipping cream in fridge set to expire, I looked in the freezer … More Small Batch: Pineapple(from frozen) Ice Cream V1
Having discovered a neighbor’s taste for Mexican chocolate, I decided to surprise her on her birthday today, August 12th, with some fudgy brownies made with Ibarra chocolate, well-known to bakers. A little goes a long way, so the icing was a simple, plain fudge. She loved them. In honor of her birthday, in addition to … More Mexican Chocolate Brownies & garden art for a birthday girl
Two sour nectarines and two sour plums plus lemon, cinnamon and sugar simmered into a lovely compote, chilled and what have you got? Well, experimental ice cream. Four kinds of apples, definitely organic, no pesticides, a few creepy crawlies (which have now found themselves at their new home in the compost) and it’s time to … More Cinnamon Apple Pecan Crisp with Plum & Nectarine Compote Ice Cream
I love a potluck because it’s fun to make something for a crowd once in awhile as well as dig into something special made by other cooks (and chefs.) Seattle has block parties once a year for Neighborhood Watch and my block participates. New residents and people who’ve lived here longer take the opportunity to … More Seattle Night Out: Block Party Potluck with Spicy Eggplant Parm Dip, Rustic Garlic Bread and Blackberry Ice Cream
You don’t even have to see the cookie to imagine it. Those Mariani Sea Salt Caramel Raisins are perfect for the oatmeal cookie variations. We’re fond of the chewy variety that doesn’t have butter or margarine or shortening or other fat excepting that inside the yolk of an egg. These were a success all around, … More Chewy Oatmeal Bars with Caramel Raisins
I fancy a perfect apricot every summer and maybe find one or two which meet my definition of perfection in an apricot. Sweet and tart, creamy but not mushy, not green, not overripe. What to do with all the other apricots in the bag, for me, is either make boiled, not frozen, apricot jam (no pineapple! … More Apricot Ice Cream, aka Mishmish
Ms Chef in Seattle 