It turns out, to my great relief, that my mental state in the kitchen does not necessarily reflect what finally comes out of the oven. Today started out a bit frazzled, and far from the relaxation that baking often provides, it only served to tip me over the edge into crazy. I ended up flitting […]
Just for the record — so that I am sure to give credit where credit is due — you must understand that the photos in this post are not — *NOT* — of my own, personal Thanksgiving supplies. They are courtesy of the content of our local Whole Foods Market. Seen there. Not bought. Just […]
Long story short, this bread is sort of a happy accident. For about a year, I’ve been working on a whole wheat brown bread — tweaking it, modifying its parts, trying to come up with a workable dough that would yield an open crumb, a thick crust, and a ton of flavor. Last week, I […]
For more than a month, I’ve been wanting to make this plum galette that David Lebovitz featured in one of his posts about the fortieth anniversary of Chez Panisse. And for more than a month, for one reason or another, the stars have not aligned. I didn’t have time when I was in Los Angeles […]
I thought, since I didn’t include a recipe with my last post, that I’d give you a quick one here. Dinner rolls aren’t exactly sexy. They aren’t exactly the height of culinary fashion, unless you have a group of friends who are really keen, say, on chicken tetrazzini, or macaroni salad, or casseroles laden with […]
I intended to make a peach galette for dessert Friday night. I really did. It would have been sweet and tangy, rustic, crusty, and glazed with homemade jam that my friend Linda had gifted me a couple of months back. I had the dough for the crust ready and everything. But then I went and […]
Sometimes I cook because I’m excited about a new idea. Sometimes, it’s because I’m hungry, or because I want something specific, or because I want to impress my friends, or because I’m guilted into it by Sarah, who tells me: Really? You want to order in again? Didn’t we just get a bunch of vegetables […]
Indian breads, it seems, are bound to become a series on this blog. Not that it’s a surprise. They’re scrumptious, they’re easy to make, and they’ve long been a favorite meal accompaniment — and utensil — of mine. I don’t have a tandoor (much to my lasting woe), but as I wrote in my Roti […]
Roti is so very easy, and so very very good with everything from fried chicken, to kabob, to curry. For those who don’t know, roti is the simplest of the Indian flatbreads, made from whole wheat (atta) flour, water, and salt. It is eaten all over South Asia (and apparently, in certain parts of the […]
When writing wasn’t going well this afternoon, I gave up and made scones. They’re loosely based on Mark Bittman’s super-fabulous scone recipe from the New York Times, only they’re not at all the same. They are just as easy, however, and take no more than 45 minutes from mixing bowl to plate. So check it […]