There are some flavors that are a natural match. Tomatoes and basil, leek and potato, cucumber and mint, and for me, carrot and ginger. The combination works in both sweet and savory applications. Carrot cake needs a lot of spice to complement the sweetness of the carrots, and its usually lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. I have slowly been upping the ginger in my carrot cakes for … [Read more...] about Carrot Ginger Bundt Cake
Frittata Brunch Bites
Brunch has become one of my favorite ways to entertain, and spring is the perfect time for a brunch. I love morning food, from sausage casseroles to biscuits and grits, and so do my guests. And in spring, you just start to get beautiful produce, like strawberries and asparagus and fresh colorful flowers that can just be dropped in a pretty vase and still look gorgeous – tulips, … [Read more...] about Frittata Brunch Bites
Guinness Caramel Sauce or Caramel Chews
This starts as a tale of failure. I set out to make a rich, Guinness-laced caramel sauce to drizzle over ice cream. In my first attempt, I dropped the ball, got distracted and cooked the caramel little longer than needed. But as the caramel was setting up, I thought perhaps I could save the day by pouring the thick caramel into a pan to see what happened. What happened was … [Read more...] about Guinness Caramel Sauce or Caramel Chews
Herbed Focaccia Dinner Rolls
If you search through the bread recipes on this site, you will see that it maps out my quest to bake fresh bread without too much effort. I am not one who is going to carefully nurse starters or delicately knead and form stylish loafs of artisan breads. The mysteries of yeast sometimes elude me. I love a shortcut, but I do love the smell of fresh bread baking and the sense of … [Read more...] about Herbed Focaccia Dinner Rolls
Taleggio Risotto Cake
I did not grow up eating risotto. It was not a dish on the menus of the many fine Italian-American restaurants in Memphis we ate at during my childhood. When it started to become a common and trendy dish, for many years, I assumed it was some sort of chef-secret dish that couldn’t be created at home (a silly thought now I know). Once I realized that at its heart, risotto is … [Read more...] about Taleggio Risotto Cake
