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
cloves
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
Butternut Squash Pie with Sorghum Whipped Cream
Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall foods. I buy whole squashes at the last farmers markets, and when I see pre-cut pieces in the store, I buy those up too. I make pasta sauces and quick soups, I roast and mash. Get creative and go simple. I generally find myself with a surfeit of squash as I tend to get a little over-excited when they are in … [Read more...] about Butternut Squash Pie with Sorghum Whipped Cream
Clove Cookies
As a kid, I was a great one for projects. Homemade play-dough. Cookies painted with egg/food-coloring paint. Dollhouse furniture. Leaves pressed between waxed paper. I was never very good at any of these, and my record on finishing what I started was less than stellar. So maybe I should clarify that I was a great one for the idea of projects. I liked thinking about them, … [Read more...] about Clove Cookies