I actually love to cook on vacation. I love shopping at grocery stores and food markets in foreign climes. On my most recent trip to London, I was tasked with bringing dessert to a dinner party, and though the rented flat kitchen was spacious and very nice, it wasn’t particularly well equipped. No mixer, one baking pan, one mixing bowl. I wanted something that had a nice … [Read more...] about Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan Bars
Strawberry Cardamom Shortbread Tart
I may save your Valentine’s Day with this one (or a dinner party or a potluck…). If you forget to order the decadent chocolate hearts or couldn’t deal with making the complicated layer cake, here is a lovely sweet and thoughtful dessert for your valentine. This remarkable tart couldn’t be easier to make and uses staples you can keep around the house, but it is … [Read more...] about Strawberry Cardamom Shortbread Tart
Shrimp and Chorizo One Pot Pasta
The dark, chilly days of winter can bring on this sort of pall and lack of energy (or maybe that’s just this Southerner that doesn’t do well in the cold). I don’t feel as energized, motivated or creative. But mostly, more time in the house means more mess and more mess is more frustration. So a one pot, low mess, fewer dirty dishes dinner is just the thing. But that doesn’t … [Read more...] about Shrimp and Chorizo One Pot Pasta
Savory Oat Skirlie
I had a little cookbook years ago titled something like A Little Book of Scottish Recipes. I assume it must have been a gift or maybe I picked it up in a gift shop on a trip to Scotland. I don’t know what happened to it, but I don’t seem to own it anymore. It had a recipe for skirlie (though honestly, I’d forgotten the name) and it became a regular dinner for me when I was … [Read more...] about Savory Oat Skirlie
Chai Caramel Swirled Brownies
Make no mistake, these are some decadent brownies, not for the faint of heart. But we could all use a little indulgence when winter sets in. And these are, to me, a sort of winter brownie. A classic, deep fudge-y chocolate with a rich caramel swirl, warmed up with the spices redolent of a cup of chai tea. And it is easy to create that oozing swirl with readily available canned … [Read more...] about Chai Caramel Swirled Brownies
