Cinnamon swirl bread has been, for most of my life, a treat. It wasn’t regular breakfast fare growing up, but it sometimes made an appearance in a bag from the grocery. In college dorms, when a toaster oven was the only appliance allowed, cinnamon bread was splurge. When I reached the age of buying my own groceries, it was part of weekend special breakfast plans. And … [Read more...] about Chai Spiced Swirl Bread
cloves
Spiced Apple Torte
Recipes in my life go around in circles. I used to make a version of this apple dessert when I was just starting out in my first apartment, when a springform pan was considered exotic kitchen kit. I don’t know where I originally found it, but I imagine it might have been in my mom’s extensive file of apple recipes. My mother loves a good file folder, and when the apple tree my … [Read more...] about Spiced Apple Torte
Swedish Waitress Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard
A recipe developer asks a lot of questions. It’s the best way to learn the secrets of cooking – the little tips and hints and tricks people use, things they learned from mothers, grandmothers and aunts, secrets from fathers, advice from magazines, cookbooks and the back of boxes, or lessons learned from failure. So I ask questions. In restaurants, stores, markets, from … [Read more...] about Swedish Waitress Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard
Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
I adore chilled soups during the hot summer months and often wonder why restaurants don’t serve more of them, or people make them more often. Nothing could be more refreshing, and filling. Make a big batch of cold soup and keep it in the fridge for quick lunches, cooling snack or part of a simple salad or sandwich supper. I often make a big pot of classic white potato and … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
Holiday Spice Bread with Whipped Honey Butter
I adapted this recipe from an old community cookbook, modernizing and stream lining it a bit, but I can’t imagine its origins. Maybe Scandinavian? Or a take on a French quatre epices? A Byzantine tradition? I don’t know, but the unusual spice combination lightly sweetened with honey really sets this bread apart. I want there to be some story that this is … [Read more...] about Holiday Spice Bread with Whipped Honey Butter
