If there's one thing my sister and I have a weakness for, it's cream. Thick, luxurious, sweet heavy cream. We've each been guilty of pouring straight heavy cream onto our morning cereal (why waste your time with milk?). Growing up, a bowl of sliced bananas or strawberries with cream and a sprinkling of sugar was (and still is) comfort food for us both. Whipped cream was served with so many
The Perfect Chocolate Éclair
If there's one thing my sister and I have a weakness for, it's cream. Thick, luxurious, sweet heavy cream. We've each been guilty of pouring straight heavy cream onto our morning cereal (why waste your time with milk?). Growing up, a bowl of sliced bananas or strawberries with cream and a sprinkling of sugar was (and still is) comfort food for us both. Whipped cream was served with so many
Gluten-Free Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
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| Gluten-free muffins with strawberries and chocolate chips. |
The moon rose almost full last night, hanging gold and low above the palm and ficus trees, urging the local beauty factor to give up its pretense of reality and meld with dreamland. The sky was a deep shade of violet with a wash of strawberry pink at the ocean's edge. Santa Monica continues to hold me in her sway. I am in love with her- and deeply grateful to be here, celebrating my first spring in California since the late seventies. I drink the friendly March sea air in gulps. I wander the alleys and sidewalks in a state bordering on bliss, photographing details and eye candy with my iPhone. It is a visual feast.
And I am savoring every bite.
Read more + get the recipe >>
Julia's Spiced "is there any more?" Apple Pie
We were heading over to the in-law's for a games night last night, so I decided I should bring some desserty-type thing for a treat (ok, so it's not the first time, I'm sure it won't be the last). But with the early onset of les printemps here in Edmonton, I am craving fruit - and lots of it. Sure, none of it is local at this time of year - (yes I would completely fail at being a locavore, but
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Blue Corn Bread with Orange Agave Butter
Recently I was strolling through the aisles of Planet Organic, one of the specialty organic stores in town. It's an interesting place to go for unique and hard to find ingredients such as cocoa nibs or agave syrup, but also for inspiration, not to mention all of the top-notch organic produce. One thing I happened upon last trip was some Blue Cornmeal. Hmmm... interesting. The package says it
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Gluten-Free Banana "Crumpets"
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| Split and grill these sweet no yeast "crumpets" for extra flavor. |
I started out craving a scone. Then it turned into a crumpet. Not a traditional crumpet. A crumpet without yeast. And sweet. Not because I have anything against yeast (I dig my English Muffins bigtime), but because I had a bevy of ripe bananas hanging out on my kitchen counter, whispering to me, coaxing me to imagine a new recipe and highlight their fragrant banana awesomeness. So that's how it all started.
But I was low on gluten-free flours.
Read more + get the recipe >> Maple Roasted Banana Ice Cream without Dairy
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| Roasting bananas makes for vegan ice cream yum. |
I never bought David Lebovitz's ice cream book The Perfect Scoop
because I'm allergic to dairy, and well. To be candid, a book brimming with rich and sexy recipes built around cream and butter and brown-eyed moo cow milk would just be, you know. Depressing as hell. I'd have to reinterpret and rebuild almost every recipe in the book to be dairy-free and huevo-free- except granita, and a sorbet or two. Yawn.Read more + get the recipe >>
Brownies to welcome Spring
As Spring approaches, I feel happiness and excitement. I love the sunshine during this time of the year, not very hot, just the right amount of heat you need to feel good and enjoy the joyful weather. Spring puts a smile on my face. For me, it is the most wonderful time of the year!
Although for me brownies rhyme with winter, comfort food...etc and despite the weather these days that says "winter is over", I wanted brownies! I haven't made them for some time, and I guess I missed their chocolaty goodness.
I made and ate my first brownie when I came to the US, ten years ago. Of course I heard about them before, but due to French cooking influence, brownies have never been on my to do list. In some of my French cookbooks, brownies are found under the title: "The American Specialty" and somehow, I always felt it was too adventurous to try them, plus it always calls for a lot of chocolate! Now, I am glad I made this sweet discovery. It is for sure a part of my repertoire.
Brownies
I just want to mention that I made half the recipe in my 8 by 8 cake pan, that's why my brownies are kind of flat. But it worked fine for me because they were lighter (not calorie wise though!)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
300 g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1- Preheat the oven to 375. Grease an 8 by 8 square cake pan. line with foil and set aside.
2- Combine the chocolate, butter and instant coffee and melt over a double boiler. Set aside to cool.
3- Whisk the eggs and the sugars until well combined. Add the vanilla extract. Whisk in the melted chocolate.
5- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the nuts if using.
6- Put the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool completely before cutting.
Happy Pie Day!
23 eggs1.6 kg of butter7 lemons400 g of chocolate800 g of Saskatoons600 g Nutella1.2 kg flour500 g sugar14 pies for Pi Day
(for those of you questioning my sanity, you're not alone...)
Pi Day is finally here! Yes, it is officially a day observed by math geeks around the world (I use the term "geek" with nothing but affection - I consider myself to be a food geek), but I don't see any reason
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones
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| Gluten-free scones for tea time, brunch or breakfast. |
A story to eat scones by. A scone worthy story, in other words. One more glimpse into life on the side with our unreliable narrator.
Chapter 2.
It was ridiculous how nervous she was. It was only a class. A painting workshop. It wasn't as if she was entering a world unknown. She knew this world. Art school was only, what, fifteen years ago? Wrong tactic. Fifteen years is a lifetime ago. She shook it off, pushed the door open with her left hip and met the familiar aromatics of turpentine and linseed oil, the clatter of wooden easels and scrape of chipped metal stools as painters staked out their territory.
Canelés au Chocolat de François Payard
I'm new to the food-blogging scene, having just started in January of this year. I would often sit for hours on my computer and read the incredible food blogs of folks like David Lebovitz, Clotilde at Chocolate & Zucchini, or Fanny over at Foodbeam. Sure I would daydream about having a blog of my own, but I've never considered myself much of a writer, and could tell that there was a lot of time
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Gluten-Free Turkey Soup Recipe
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An easy, homemade turkey soup simmered in a Crock Pot  . |
A Cure to Slurp
A certain soup slurping and prickly individual (we won't name names, to protect the innocent) has been feeling under the weather for so long now the sensation is in danger of becoming a habit. Yes, the tree pollen onslaught continues. Blessed by a wet winter, Southern California trees are celebrating with copious amounts of pollen, and who can blame them?
Hence, your intrepid gluten-free goddess has been up to no good, stumbling and mumbling around her freshly painted apartment in a Snuffleupagus
stupor, thick-nosed and unable to string two coherent sentences together, never mind invent a new recipe for her lovely and devoted readers (that would be, You). Ears and sinuses filled with unspeakable things do not a creative, exhuberant cook make.
stupor, thick-nosed and unable to string two coherent sentences together, never mind invent a new recipe for her lovely and devoted readers (that would be, You). Ears and sinuses filled with unspeakable things do not a creative, exhuberant cook make.This is when a Slow Cooker
can save your life.
can save your life.Pie Day! (whoops - that should be Pi Day)
Alright folks - this Sunday will be Pi Day (3.14), sure it's more an occasion for math geeks, but hey, the only thing keeping us foodies from jumping on board that bandwagon is one lousy "e". So, the question is... whatcha making for Pie Day?
For me, I'm thinking along these lines..... Shall we all meet back here on Sunday to show off what we made? It's a date!
Happy baking :-)
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For me, I'm thinking along these lines..... Shall we all meet back here on Sunday to show off what we made? It's a date!
Happy baking :-)
There's veggies in them - they've got to be good for you!
Growing up in Canada during the 70's, Carrot Cake is one of those things that we were treated to every now and again. Even today, it seems to be one of those things that often pops up at family events and birthdays and office parties everywhere. The problem is, they're not usually very memorable. Still, most people like it, which is why I included it the "wedding cake buffet" I made for my
what to do with 150 “leftover” macaron shells
So I completed my MacAttack challenge using the recipe I have had the most success with, but as Jamie pointed out in her lovely comments to me, yes, I had a tonne of leftover macaron shells. I’m not sure just how big they make their macarons – maybe the size of a hamburger – because the recipe says it makes *20* sandwich cookies – I got 90. That’s right, 180 shells in total. Well, seeing as I
Make a wish...
This post is a bit different because it has no recipe. I am indeed using this post as a detox, a confession, something that I want to talk about and found nobody to listen but that screen and typing board and of course you! It started when I was looking at some food blogs that I always liked and admired and still do. The kind of sites full of amazing pictures, stories and wonderful recipes. They catch your eyes with their beautifully captured and meticulously arranged images. The blogger tells Beautiful stories that are simple yet they keep you stuck to the screen until the end. Some of the amazing ones get even the privilege to be nominated for different awards, like the one organized by Saveur Magazine lately. I so envy everyone who is nominated and wish them the best of luck because some of these blogs are just gorgeous, and deserve the best awards!
when I started this blog, I wanted to create something sophisticated, original and most importantly, I wanted to establish a reference. what I ended up with?? just "a blog". My heart aches every time I think about it. I am around here once every one or two months. I am a perfectionist, and due to lack of time and never ending family demands, I find my self very limited and having only two choices : either do nothing, or just do whatever! snap a pic before one of the kids wants his afternoon snack, or needs help with homework, then the husband asks about lunch or dinner while your head is thinking about that mousse cake topped with a glossy fruit jelly,a chocolate decoration using the transfer sheet I was so excited to buy from Sur La Table (my heaven!) and never got the chance to use yet, and wait the cake should stay in the fridge overnight......ahh!! will I have time tomorrow to...even remember the existence of that cake?!!
At the end I have to say that because of you, followers, that this blog is surviving. It is through your sweet comments and encouragement that I get the strength to come back and post again, even once in a trimester. I want to tell everyone who appreciates my very little work, Thank you!!!.I, on my side, still have hope to make this blog a perfect one......one day :)