I love strawberry season. Not only do I finally get my hands on delicious berries, but it really means the start of delicious farmers market produce. I only buy strawberries in season. I know you can get them all year round now, but I don’t like the watery, hothouse types, or ones flown in from far away under ripe, then left to over-ripen and become sodden in plastic … [Read more...] about Strawberry Buttermilk Cupcakes with Buttermilk Vanilla Frosting
Snacks And Starters
Asparagus with Sauce Maltaise
Spring is finally here, and one of the first green vegetables to appear is asparagus. Those tender little stems signal the end of the frosty winter and the hope of more good produce to come. Treating the first spears simply seems like the right thing to do, after months of braises and stews and root vegetables, what could be more refreshing than simply cooked green … [Read more...] about Asparagus with Sauce Maltaise
Tomato Aspic
Nothing motivates one to get in the kitchen more than a funeral. We all seem to harbor that primordial need to comfort with food. And there are fixed ideas – recipes that we keep in mind, or maybe on a card at the front of the recipe box for easy access. A hearty, comforting dish that we know how to make and how to make well that we can whip up the instant the call comes. … [Read more...] about Tomato Aspic
Simple Soda Bread
Soda bread is really a recipe to have in your pocket. Serving a nice, warm loaf of homemade bread at a moment’s notice is serious kitchen magic. And I’ve made the process for making Irish soda bread even easier by letting the mixer do the work. Soda bread is substantial and hearty – the perfect partner for soup or stew, or corned beef and cabbage. Good butter melting into … [Read more...] about Simple Soda Bread
Pralines for Idiots
Candy making is not something I typically try my hand at. All that talk about thermometers and stages and testing methods. Those recipes always look like the kind of thing I don’t have the patience for. Plus, once you’ve been badly burned by hot sugar, it makes you candy-shy. But this is an exception. I call it Pralines for Idiots, because it really does away with all that … [Read more...] about Pralines for Idiots
