Always in demand in my household and really easy to make savory or sweet (eliminate sugar and vanilla from the savory versions) if you pay attention to a few details. We make these very frequently, mostly for dessert or breakfast. The few rules of note that I think make for great crepes are: Mix only…… Continue reading Crepes
They look cool and are pretty simple to make, hot cross buns are in the family of enriched fruit/nut breads that are typically associated with a holiday of some sort. Others in this family include breads like Stollen, Panettone and various other European confections. I love them all. Hot cross buns are an Easter specialty…… Continue reading Hot Cross buns
Tapioca pudding is so often looked down on I think. Not sure why. Many think of it as that goopy thing that comes out of a box and old people eat it in nursing homes. When made right though using tapioca pearls, dairy and sugar it is delightful. It has great snappy texture and just…… Continue reading Tapioca Coconut Pudding, Mango Sorbet and Brittle
Making pasta by hand from start to finish, mixing the flour and eggs, rolling and rolling and then shaping and filling is really therapeutic. This is the old school way that Evan Funke in his book American Sfoglino (and his restaurant in Venice, CA) preaches. He apparently despises pasta machines and blames them for inferior…… Continue reading Rolling Pasta By Hand – Tortelloni Burro E Oro
It’s rare that I proclaim something “the best”. Even when I do -like I am doing about this ice cream- it’s sort of a hyperbole. Maybe it should be “up until now, in my humble opinion, this is the best apple ice cream I’ve had”. So, if you had not gotten my point yet, what…… Continue reading Granny Smith Apple Ice Cream
Rustic, but not simple, as it gets and so very satisfying. The combination of tender polenta and some sort of saucy meat is a classic. This one, based on a recipe from the book Hello! My Name is Tasty (I’m loving this book and I wrote about it previously here), is an excellent example of…… Continue reading Sugo and Polenta with Over- Easy Egg
The Dude might not recognize this lovely complex drink as his favorite indulgence but the folks at Aviary, the Chicago and NYC cocktail bar, created this in his honor. It is a refined take on the White Russian and named after one of thousands of memorable Dude quotes from the Coens’ The Big Lebowski. The…… Continue reading Aviary Cocktail: Another Caucasian, Gary
We are a house divided. We are a house divided when it comes to Lasagna that is. My wife and youngest prefer the one common in the south of Italy while my oldest and I prefer the luxurious northern version. Recently I figured why not please everyone? Why not make both and let peace and…… Continue reading Lasagna al Forno: Two Excellent Versions
Oven Dried Tomatoes 