[Near Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, August 2012.] Hi from vacation-land, where it's been sunny and hot with bits of cool breezes here and there and the most gorgeous mountains you ever did see. There's been cooking, many nights over a little camp stove at altitude but also in a lovely granite-lined kitchen in Sonoma […]
The Tuesday Treat: Milk Chocolate Pudding
For an explanation of The Tuesday Treat, see here. Milk Chocolate Pudding, from Gourmet February 2007, with one small adaption Milk chocolate. Pudding. I love both of these things so it makes sense I'd love them when they're married to each other. This pudding could hardly be simpler - just a bit of stove time, […]
Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam
Strawberry & rhubarb jam is probably the loveliest and most fragrant of jams. Bright pink and perfectly sweet-tart, it is wonderful on toast, cake, or just eaten with a spoon. I don't know if it's because of the honey or the strawberries or both, but this strawberry & rhubarb jam smells deliciously buttery when it's cooking […]
The Tuesday Treat: Caramel Cake
Caramel Cake, adapted from Gourmet I wrote about this cake last year, calling it "simple and sweet," and the same description still holds. It's simple. It's sweet. And it's utterly lovely. A buttermilk-infused white cake with a gentle yet sturdy crumb bolsters a thick swath of rich caramel frosting. I served this cake with raspberries […]
Fresh Strawberry Cocktail (Easy Summer Drink)
This beautiful strawberry cocktail can be served with or without alcohol and is gorgeously colored and flavored by loads of fresh strawberries! Enjoy this drink as a refreshing summer mock/cocktail spiked with fresh mint or basil from the garden. This strawberry cocktail is the ultimate summer sip! Pretty in pink strawberry puree is the base […]
The Tuesday Treat: Tahini-Sesame Seed Cookies
For an explanation of The Tuesday Treat, see here. Tahini Sesame-Seed Cookies, via A Sweet SpoonfulLately, in addition to being obsessed with leafy greens and cherries, I've also been obsessed with sesame seeds. I throw them into stir fries with abandon, and if I'm frying tofu that tofu will be fried in sesame oil with […]
For Summer ... (+Tofu Salad)
[A visitor, July 2012.] It was sort of nice having the 4th of July holiday in the middle of the week this year. Three-day weekends are nice, of course (essential, really), but when one presents itself I have a tendency to schedule a trip out of town or pack it full of activities. A mid-week […]
Gluten Free Cherry Loaf Cake
This one-bowl gluten-free cherry loaf cake is swirled with chopped cherries and finished with a slick of tart lemon glaze. A lovely dessert or snack anytime, this sweet and summery quick bread is always welcome. This nicely-textured gluten-free cherry quick bread relies on Greek yogurt and a simple mix of oat and almond flours (see […]
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe for simpler gluten-free cinnamon rolls is adapted from a traditional yeasted dough cinnamon roll recipe and uses gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour without any complicated extras. Soft, buttery, and kissed with spice. For an easier version of my oat flour cinnamon rolls, make this gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe that is based on a […]
Chocolate Sorbet
This rich and creamy vegan chocolate sorbet gets its smoothness from a blend of cocoa powder and melted chocolate. Easy to make with or without an ice cream machine! Easiest Chocolate Sorbet Recipe Woke up today to more sun and brilliant blue skies, feeling the air coming in warm through the window screen. Thinking: The […]
Rhubarb Gin Cocktail (aka Rhubarb G&T)
For a gorgeous twist on a classic, try my rhubarb gin cocktail, also known as a rhubarb gin and tonic! Homemade rhubarb syrup is swirled with good gin and bubbly tonic water for a refreshing, pretty in pink cocktail. If you love a classic gin and tonic, you might want to give this beautifully hued […]
Cherry Jam Recipe
This easy cherry jam recipe can be made as sweet as you like, but try to rely on the natural sweetness of the cherries so that the gorgeous fruit flavor shines through. I made this jam to tuck into a wedding cake but it is perfect with - everything! Today: bowls and bowls of buttercream. […]
Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Lusciously moist banana cake with chocolate frosting is the simplest recipe that always manages to impress! A tender crumb, silky smooth chocolate frosting, and a kiss of spice make this a cake to remember. This beautifully simple cake is made from a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, plus brown sugar for an extra […]
Pearl Couscous Salad with Feta and Tomatoes
Fresh mint brightens up this pearl couscous salad with feta and tomatoes that features soft couscous dressed in a roasted cherry tomato vinaigrette. Add briny feta cheese and toasted pine nuts for a little crunch. Pearl Couscous Salad with Feta and Tomatoes Recipe There was a lot of cake last weekend - did I mention […]
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
This gluten-free chocolate cake with caramel frosting is rich, tender, and very chocolatey. Topped with a fluffy crown of buttercream, made with my delicious homemade salted caramel sauce, this dessert is perfect for celebrations or whenever you want a special treat. Take your regular gluten free chocolate cake up a notch and make this winner […]
Lentil "Meatballs"
All about how to cook meat as a vegetarian - it is possible! - with some tips and practical advice. Plus a delectable recipe for vegetarian lentil meatballs. I've noted before that I am a vegetarian (it's been ... nearly half my life at this point; no, I don't think it's necessarily 'just a phase,' […]
Quinoa Salad with Feta and Mint
Fluffy quinoa salad with feta and mint is so refreshing, packed with fresh lemon juice, salty feta cheese, chopped mint, and sunflower seeds for a bit of crunch. Enough for a vegetarian main, or pair it with fish. Naturally gluten free! Best Quinoa Salad with Feta and Mint Recipe How do I love quinoa? Let […]
Rhubarb Compote
Four-ingredient rhubarb compote makes the most of rhubarb's fleeting season. Sweetened with just honey and sugar, this beautiful compote is wonderful stirred into yogurt, spooned over ice cream, spread on muffins, and more. Beautiful rhubarb is the star of a silky smooth, not-too-sweet compote that is as versatile as it is easy to make. A little […]
Nettle Pesto
Bright green fresh nettle leaves make a light, floral nettle pesto with plenty of garlic and parmesan cheese. Swirl it into pasta, or add it to toast, quiche, and more. Simple Nettle Pesto Recipe "Bring home some nettles," I told my husband a few weeks ago as we parted ways on a sunny San Francisco […]
Baked Halibut with Lemon
Tender and flaky baked halibut with lemon celebrates spring with fresh flavors. Serve this fish during halibut season for the best-tasting dinner. I'm having a fling with spring, it's true. A little rain here and there - Wednesday night I met my friend Anne for wine in the lower Haight and what I thought was […]
Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
A recipe for a beautifully hued, low sugar strawberry jam that's also made without pectin. You can make this a refrigerator jam or follow canning processes to preserve it. I LOVE making homemade jams and preserves from seasonal produce (rhubarb jam, rhubarb compote, and persimmon jam, anyone?). I also love experimenting with my tried-and-true recipes to come […]
Lower Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
These perfect lower sugar chocolate chip cookies are sweetened just with brown sugar and packed with semisweet chocolate. They need less sugar than regular cookies, but you won't be able to tell! These are classic chocolate chip cookies with less sugar than regular chocolate chip cookies, but I dare you to be able to tell. […]
Honey and Lemon Cake
A mostly-vegan honey and lemon cake that's bright with fresh lemon juice and the floral sweetness of honey. [Easter table, April 2012.] UPDATED TO ADD ON 4/19: Oops, I forgot that honey isn't technically considered 'vegan'. Still, 'non-egg, non-dairy honey lemon cake' doesn't quite have the same ring ... so I think I'll just edit […]
Brown Fried Rice with Vegetables
A loose recipe for fried brown rice with vegetables that can be adapted to whatever you have in the fridge. Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and delicious! [Breakfast, January 2012.] Simple Fried Brown Rice Recipe The tide has turned a little: it rained in the night and I woke up intermittently to hear the screen rattling in […]
Looking for Inspiration (+ a Chard Gratin)
[San Francisco this morning, February 2012.] Today: the sky a sweet, deep blue, warm for February. I am eating an orange. Trying to write an article. I just got 'adjusted' and now my right ankle is buzzing away not unpleasantly (I hope this means healing is occurring) and in a few hours will take the […]
All Good (+ Almond Butter Cookies)
[Winter beach, January 2012.] In Maine, where my toes are chillier than usual and the clouds seem tangible (and puffy) enough to hold in your hands. The clouds here are different than anywhere else I've seen them: arranged across the horizon in great billows rather than wisps. The sky this week, clear for the most […]
The Last Friday of the Year
[This morning, December 2011.] December 30th. We are tiptoeing up to the edge of the year and peering over its edge into the unknown. I'm slowly sipping my last Hardcore Espresso coffee for awhile -- to savor it, you know -- after my last swim of 2011, with my feet tucked into the blankets to […]
The Details
[Cran jam, December 2011.] Last night I was so tired from assembling and making -- the industry of which took up most of the afternoon -- that I stirred a pat of butter, a smidge of cream (!), and some bits of cheddar cheese into a pot of polenta and then ate a big bowlful […]
It's That Time
This is the time of year when all I'm doing is making up lists -- constantly, consciously writing lists. Example 1: For a holiday party this weekend, things still left to pick upAcme breadssmall (compostable) platessmall napkinsclementinesnon-alcoholic delicious beveragesbeericesmall cupslightsxmas ornament hangersarugula (This may seem like a lot of things, but trust me it is […]
Into the Woods
[Thanksgiving dinner, November 2011.] This year, Thanksgiving weekend involved a lot of time outdoors and that's perhaps the thing I'm most grateful for in these waning days of 2011. But of course all the other stuff was grand, too. Dinner was lovely -- all turned out well, even the last-minute chicken I roasted with olive […]
Thanks-giving
[Along the Pacific coast, November 2011.]Why I Wake EarlyHello, sun in my face.Hello, you who made the morningand spread it over the fieldsand into the faces of the tulipsand the nodding morning glories,and into the windows of, even, themiserable and the crotchety- best preacher that ever was,dear star, that just happensto be where you are […]
Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
It's so easy to make pumpkin pie from scratch! If you've wanted to make pumpkin pie from a pumpkin, here's your chance. Follow my foolproof method to make the best homemade pumpkin pie with pumpkin ever. Skip the canned pumpkin this year and make pumpkin pie from a pumpkin! You won't believe how easy it […]
A Pot of Tea
[Tea, October 2011.] How I love coffee; I sincerely could count the ways: 1. I love it for its little zing of caffeine that, once it enters my bloodstream, delivers a hit of euphoria that can't be beat; 2. I love it because I usually procure it elsewhere, meaning that I don't make it myself […]
Caramel Corn
Crunchy and sweet homemade caramel corn is studded with peanuts and makes for the best snack! Freshly popped corn, brown sugar, maple syrup, and butter come together for something truly delicious. I woke up from strange (seriously, strange) dreams to the sound of pouring rain, but miraculously the sun came out and is now shining […]
More
[Northstar at rest, October 2011.] After all that, after brushing off the crumbs and packing away the dress and wistfully wishing the flowers adieu and trying not to get toooo weepy saying good-bye to beloved family and friends who live far (too far, darn it!), we went north to the mountains for a few days. […]
A Wedding, and Cake
[Wedding cake, October 2011.] It's hard to believe a week ago right now I was driving through the rolling hills of Northern California along Tomales Bay in the bright sun back to Sebastopol with Kate and Emily, talking of this and that (mostly, food, including quinoa) and sipping on an iced coffee from Toby's, eagerly […]
Sunday Morning Pancake-Making
On Sunday the day rose up grey and gloomy and I heard the distinct patter of rain outside as I burrowed my head deeper under the blankets and reminded myself there was no need to get up early; weekend mornings, at least when I'm not going to yoga, are for sleeping in. So I did […]
Soon (But for Now, Carrot Soup)
[San Francisco, September 2011.] Currently, slowly consuming a piece of cake I baked for a coworker's mumble mumble th birthday -- chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache and frosted with coffee buttercream. It's delicious, and immediately after I finish it I will eat a plum to make up for all the butter. No photo because […]
Summer ...
[Lukens Lake, August 2011.] ... sigh. I know you're out there, still, and I know I experienced you but -- and pardon my language -- what the heck? September first is when? I've swum in Tomales Bay how many times? I've had an iced coffee, like, once? Oh summer. Oh the elusive dream. Well, the […]
Summer is for Baking Pie
[4th of July baking, July 2011.] Suddenly, am obsessed with making pie. I'm not sure why this is exactly -- maybe because it's been so warm-hot here, and July just feels like it should be pie and cold glasses of unsweetened mint tea and maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too -- because I […]
Oat Flour Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
A rich and sweet vegan gluten free banana bread is flecked with chocolate and a hint of ginger. Made in one bowl! This vegan and gluten free banana bread is an old favorite, made with plenty of ripe bananas and oat flour (sort of a vegan version of my banana nut bread with oat oat […]
Gluten Free Baked Mac and Cheese (Creamy Yet Light)
This creamy gluten free baked mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food - cheesy, rich, and super satisfying. Lightened up with a little less butter and cheese, this version still feels rich. Go ahead and indulge! I love gluten free baked pasta dishes, and a gluten free baked mac and cheese is firmly in […]