One of my favorite sandwich combos is creamy brie or camembert with sliced apples or pears. There a couple of places around town that serve these – toasted or pressed or cold, on brioche, ciabatta or baguette. I can’t resist ordering when I see it on the menu, but of course I also make them for myself occasionally. When I was planning out soup month on The Spoon, I was at first … [Read more...] about Camembert and Apple Soup
Roasted Butternut and Onion Soup
One of my favorite grocery innovations of the last few years is the ready availability of pre-cut butternut squash. I love butternut, but peeling and seeding it myself for a quick weeknight meal more trouble than I am generally willing to undertake. So butternut squash dishes used to be a special occasion food for me. But now, so many stores offer peeled and ready to use … [Read more...] about Roasted Butternut and Onion Soup
Gorgonzola and Rosemary Gougères
I discovered gougères quite by accident when I was a teenager curious in the kitchen, though not at that point by the name gougères. I found a recipe for cheese pastry puffs in a cookbook or a magazine and gave them a try. They were such a hit, particularly with one family we used to have for dinner, that I made them over and over and over again. I think I wanted that family to … [Read more...] about Gorgonzola and Rosemary Gougères
Egg Nog Custard Tarts
In the busy, crazy holiday season, necessity is often the mother of invention, and this recipe is proof of that. Some years ago, after a trip to Portugal with a group of girlfriends, I worked out a recipe for Portuguese Custard Tarts. It was really an attempt to recreate a memory for my friends, but they are so easy to make and lovely to serve, that they became something of a … [Read more...] about Egg Nog Custard Tarts
Gingerbread Cake with Cookie Butter Frosting
I didn’t really grow up eating gingerbread, though there is a long history of gingerbread cake in the South. I mostly knew those classic gingerbread men cookies, which I have never much liked. I think they dry out too much and never have enough spice for me. But over the years, I started to experiment with various gingerbread recipes, both cookie and cake form, and it is now an … [Read more...] about Gingerbread Cake with Cookie Butter Frosting
