When I was growing up, there was a very nice restaurant in Memphis that served an eclectic mix of southern, French and Hungarian food. My family went there for brunch after church all the time (and later in life I served on a board that had meetings there for lunch). The staple specialty of this place was popovers with strawberry butter. The table was always served a basket of … [Read more...] about Strawberry Popovers with Whipped Vanilla Bean Butter
Farmers Market
Strawberry Ginger Cake
Strawberries ring in the start of the canning season for me. I get so excited, I buy quarts and quarts. Which means I sometimes end up with some surplus after I make jars and jars of jam, more than I can eat on my own. So I look for simple, quick ways to use them creatively. I love baking with strawberries that bleed sweet pink juices into the finished product and give a nice … [Read more...] about Strawberry Ginger Cake
Strawberry Champagne Mousse with Champagne Cakelettes
What could be more elegant during the short Spring season of balmy weather and strawberries? Wedding and baby showers, graduation parties, and end of school events all need a little sophisticated touch. What I love about these recipes is the result really surpasses the effort. For a little work, you get two delightful sweet bites that are simple to present. And they can be made … [Read more...] about Strawberry Champagne Mousse with Champagne Cakelettes
Roasted Artichokes with Tarragon Vinaigrette
When I was a young teenager, my mother cooked some artichokes and sat my brother and I down for a lesson on how to eat them. Apparently, when she herself was a teen, she was invited home with a friend from her boarding school and served artichokes at an elegant dinner with the family. She had never seen one before and was a bit flummoxed, and embarrassed. She worked her way … [Read more...] about Roasted Artichokes with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Cauliflower, Hazelnut and Brown Butter Soup
I like cauliflower, but I am not obsessed with putting it to all sorts of uses. I don’t pizza crust it or rice it or make bread with it. I like cauliflower for itself, not for how it can trick me into thinking I’m eating something else – something perceived to be better. Food shouldn’t involve fraud. Cauliflower is lovely all on its own. My favortie form of cauliflower is soup, … [Read more...] about Cauliflower, Hazelnut and Brown Butter Soup
