I love strawberries, but I generally only eat them when they are in season from local growers. I think this adds to the sense of anticipation and excitement I feel about them. The brief period in April and May when they are at their peak, I gorge myself, making jams and preserves and baked goods – and of course eating them out of hand. The rest of the year is mostly strawberry … [Read more...] about Roasted Strawberry and Cream Cake with Ruby Chocolate Glaze
Fruit
Autumn Celebration Salad with Port Poached Pears, Maple Pepper Walnuts, Stilton Croutons
I’ll be honest, I am not a big salad eater. Because I feel like, for the most part, salad is often just an afterthought. Sure, I like a restaurant salad with nice add-ins that I am not going to get at home, but I find most home salads come from a bag and use processed, packaged toppings and bottled dressing. People seem to volunteer to bring the salad to a party because it’s … [Read more...] about Autumn Celebration Salad with Port Poached Pears, Maple Pepper Walnuts, Stilton Croutons
Calvados and Hazelnut Camembert
Fall gets busy. I know. It’s easy to forgo a nice little appetizer before a festive meal, or just throw some cheese and crackers on a plate (nothing wrong with that). But creating something special with just a little effort can really add to the experience. If you get asked (or volunteer) to bring a snack to an event, make it something truly unique. This makes a fantastically … [Read more...] about Calvados and Hazelnut Camembert
French Apple Hazelnut Loaf with Quatre Épices
Some years ago, on a cooking trip to France, I bought every manner of French ingredient I could fit in my suitcase (removing the dirty clothes to an extra folded bag that came with me for this exact purpose). I visited gourmet markets, specialty traiteurs and big box grocery chains. It was marvelous. I tucked in jars of fine herbes, herbes de provence and a jar of quatre … [Read more...] about French Apple Hazelnut Loaf with Quatre Épices
Fresh Fig Flaugnarde
Flaugnarde is a regional variation of the classic French clafouti, and similar to a more American Dutch baby. A simple vanilla and nutmeg batter surrounds the seasonal fruit and comes out of the oven puffed and golden, but settles into a lovely custard-y base for the juicy figs. And let’s face it fig flaugnarde is fun to say (it’s pronounced Flo-nyard). Nutmeg highlights the … [Read more...] about Fresh Fig Flaugnarde
