Who said pizza has to be savory? The crisp crust and gooey topping that make the Italian-bred pie an irresistible choice for lunch or dinner are equally tempting in a sweet variation like this S’more pizza. You just need to approach it with an open mind.
Think of it as the traditional campfire treat minus the usual risk of losing your marshmallows in the fire. This S’more has the extra attraction of Nutella, one of my most serious junk food addictions. On top are crunchy hazelnuts and marshmallows so light and airy they’re likely to slip off a toasting fork and into the flames. Continue reading S’more pizza, please→
There’s no denying that fall has arrived. The afternoons may still get warm but the mornings are so nippy that I need to pull on a fleece before I walk the dogs.
Soon our local fruit choices will shrink to little more than apples and pears. Right now, though, there’s a great selection of plums in the markets as some of the last gifts of summer. Continue reading Plum perfect clafoutis→
My friend Ned is heading for Spain next month and I couldn’t be more envious.
Not only will he be taking in all the glorious sights, he’ll be eating tapas at every turn. If only I could stow away in his luggage.
Someday, I hope to travel to Spain, too. In the meantime, I’ll just have to make my own tapas. This tortilla with chorizo, potatoes and peas is a good start. Continue reading A taste of Spain→
After Labor Day, summer just slips away. Kids are in school, store windows are filled with sweaters, and the annual flood of Christmas catalogs begins.
I usually start thinking about soups and stews and roasted root vegetables right about now. But summer is far from gone in the Northwest. The mercury is hovering in the 80’s and the corn is at its peak.
Ordinarily, I don’t put much effort into breakfast. I start the day with whole grain toast, peanut butter and jam more often than not.
When we’re car camping, however, it’s another story. I’m ready for a real breakfast when hiking, paddling or just hanging around the campfire are on the day’s agenda. And nothing delights the whole family more than blueberry pancakes with butter and maple syrup. Continue reading Pancakes at the lake→
Today would have been the 100th birthday of the phenomenon the world came to know as the French Chef–and the food world is pulling out all the stops.
Bloggers, including yours truly, have been writing about Julia’s classic recipes all summer for the JC100 social media campaign organized by Knopf, publisher of her classic, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Newspapers, magazines, and web sites are offering remembrances and tributes.
It’s been so hot around here recently that I haven’t really felt like a big meal. The mere thought of spending much time working over a hot stove has been downright depressing.
These are the days when all I want is salad for supper.
Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand tonight for a recipe that I’ve been developing in tribute to my new hometown. Continue reading Salad for supper→
The first time I sipped hibiscus flower tea was at a short-lived Caribbean barbecue joint in Milpitas. Served over ice, the tea was tart and refreshing with a flavor faintly reminiscent of cranberries. The owner called it jamaica, I assumed after his homeland.
As is often the case, though, as soon as I was aware of jamaica, I began to spot it on the menus of Mexican restaurants everywhere I went in the South Bay. Jamaica (ha-mike-a), it turned out, is Spanish for hibiscus. I loved the underlying flavor, but the Mexican version was usually too sweet for me. I would order it with ice and then wait for the cubes to melt and dilute the drink.
There’s no question Julia Child changed the way America thinks about cooking. The first television food celebrity made food look like fun. At her urging, home cooks began to expand their horizons, baking their own baguettes and serving coq au vin at dinner parties.
Over the years, she became known more as a beloved celebrity than a cook as she hosted television series in which other people prepared the food. I was one of dozens of people lined up outside the Sur La Table in Los Gatos some years ago to get her scrawled signature in “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom,” the last book published before her death in 2004. She was in her late 80s at the time and just as charming in person as on the small screen.
What is often overlooked, is how good Julia’s recipes are. Although early editions of both volumes of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” will once again share an honored place on my new kitchen bookshelf (as soon as it arrives), I rarely cook out of them anymore. Like everyone else, I’m always looking for new ideas. Continue reading Julia’s legacy→
Our furniture still hasn’t arrived but at least we now have a home to call our own. One of the most pleasant side benefits is the three raised beds already planted with lettuce, tomatoes, basil, rosemary and parsley…tons of parsley.
