Baked brie with fruity toppings used to be all the rage, and the real height of sophisticated appetizers. But they seem to have fallen out of fashion a little. I rarely see them at parties or in cookbooks anymore. Perhaps the trend for simple artsy charcuterie trays have taken their place, or appetizers served on individual spoons. But just because a dish isn’t trendy … [Read more...] about Baked Camembert with Pear, Cranberry and Walnut Relish
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French Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese
When the weather turns chilly, it may seem that the time for cold salads has past. But this lovely, homey lentil salad is perfect for fall. The ingredients for this could not be humbler, but somehow the whole comes off as sophisticated. This is the kind of dish I imagine a French home cook would whip up if you just dropped by unexpectedly. This salad is great beside a … [Read more...] about French Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese
Walnut, Goat Cheese and Herb Muffins
Muffins are the easiest bread to whip up. No yeast, not kneading, no rising. I love sweet muffins for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and I have certainly had muffins that are less sweet and more savory, but I really wanted to develop something straight up savory. I have many recipes for sweet muffins that use applesauce or fruit purée to make them moist, and it occurred … [Read more...] about Walnut, Goat Cheese and Herb Muffins
Pasta with Gorgonzola, Apples and Walnuts
When I travel, one of my greatest joys is sampling as much of the local food as possible. But on long trips, even I get a little weary. Sometimes I crave more familiar flavors, sometimes I am just too tired to search out a specialty restaurant and just want what’s close. And sometimes, this pays off. I had amazing, perfect pizza in Toledo, Spain because … [Read more...] about Pasta with Gorgonzola, Apples and Walnuts
