I was in the mood for pie, but not in the mood for baking pie. So I compromised and whipped up a batch of cherry tarts. Standard pie crust works fine for this substitute.. These bite-size morsels give you the flavor and texture of a pie and are great as a breakfast pastry. It got …
Wait a Minute: What Did I Do Right?
I have a confession to make: I don't follow recipes. Oh, I read them thoroughly. I analyze them. And I usually think to myself: "That sounds delicious!" Then I more or less ignore the recipes and go about improvising. Maybe it's because I am so fond of jazz. Also, I'm not what you might call …
Foolproof crackers
ABOUT A YEAR ago, Sherry and I were in a small town in Minnesota staying at a Residence Inn. It was your typical chain hotel with nondescript rooms. But this place had quite the happy hour. It wasn't the friendly service or copious amounts of alcohol that impressed us the most, though. It was the …
In search of the perfect home-made chocolate
We are still on the quest to concoct the perfect dark chocolate. We're getting there, but have not quite perfected the technique. Our latest batch is pure organic fair-trade cocoa powder and pure chocolate nibs, maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut flakes and orange zest. It has the right texture and taste. But, the formula/process still …
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Lots about pasta
My mother was very proud of her pasta dishes, especially spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna. And she had every reason to be. She was competing against some of the best, most notably Aunty Lena, my Dad's sister. And Mom was not even remotely Italian, hailing from Czechian and Slovakian heritage. And, boy, did we love …
Stuff about the staff of life
A few years ago, I was given a bread maker as a present. It's something of a beast: the top-of-the-line Zojirushi machine. I call it the 3D printer for bread, since it requires nothing more than dumping the measured ingredients into the pan, shutting the lid and pressing a button. As lovely and easy as …