Real summer has arrived in the city. Without warning, the temperature shot up to almost 90 degrees, and there we were donning our summer finery. Sweaters that just last week seemed natural and necessary now look impossibly itchy and have been stored until fall. And even if it is still just May, and even if I hate the hot weather with a passion, there’s really nothing else to do but to slide into some flip flops, pop open a beer, and enjoy the season. [Read more…]
apple blood orange buckle
Brian and I have both been burning the candle on both ends as well as at a couple points in the middle lately, so when we were invited to brunch with friends to meet their new baby, we needed something to bring that was delicious and, more importantly, easy to make. Looking around the kitchen the morning of, I saw the makings of blood orange apple buckle and that’s pretty good luck. [Read more…]
clementine olive oil cake
With an upcoming exhibition of my paintings looming, I headed home from the studio late on New Year’s Eve. The streets were oddly quiet for a Saturday evening, though the air was somehow supercharged with anticipation. Though I’ve long loved dressing up and singing “Auld Lang Syne” with something sparkly in my glass, New Year’s Eve babysitters are hard to come by in the city, so this year we planned to celebrate at home. [Read more…]
date cake
For whatever reason, I’d been putting this date cake off for weeks. The pound of exquisite Medjool dates I had purchased wallowed in the fridge. Every few days the allure of the dates would prove irresistible and, wondering if the cake would ever get made, I’d pinch a couple. But then, it snowed.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere you probably heard–the east coast got snow in October. We were mostly expecting nothing, but Saturday morning rain turned quickly to snow. First a few scattered flakes, then gigantic fluff, then it came faster, and soon, it was straight-up snowing. And then what are you going to? Make a date cake, of course. [Read more…]
pear and chocolate cake
In an attempt to enjoy every single second of fall, I’ve been hoarding fall fruit. Right now, I’m sitting on a serious cache of pears. Later today I’m hoping (if the baby’s nap schedule cooperates) to tackle pear butter, but for now let’s talk about cake – more specifically, pear and chocolate cake. I am a little bit of a dessert minimalist and not at all prone to cramming 3 pears and nearly a cup of chocolate into one cake, but it sounded good, so I did it. [Read more…]