When I made ricotta to use for the squash galette, I made a lot of it. I had a whole series of ricotta recipes lined up to try out, and these muffins were one of them. Using up that last batch of summer berries, these muffins are creamy and dense and delicious. (more…)
After missing a few months, I am finally back for the September Food ‘n Flix movie, hosted by France at Beyond the Peel. The movie for this month was It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Streep and Baldwin play a couple that have been divorced for over a decade but fall into an affair with each other after their youngest leaves for college – despite Baldwin being remarried and his cheating being the reason for their divorce in the first place. Martin plays a new love interest for Streep who she could really hit it off with – if her affair with her ex wasn’t always getting in the way!
In the film, Streep owns a bakery and is an amazing home cook (her food being one of the things Baldwin misses most about her). I was inspired by her gorgeous vegetable garden and her pastry skills to try a new version of my Squash Galette. (more…)
I discovered this method of hard cooking eggs (attributed to Alton Brown) via Pinterest and Greetings from the Asylum. The concept is that baking them instead of boiling them is more consistent and results in less gray, less smelly, more creamy eggs.
As you can see, the eggs will sit perfectly on most oven racks and it doesn’t matter how clean the rack is, because you will be peeling the eggs. Bake them at 325 for 30 minutes.
As soon as you take them out (with tongs), plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking (and prevent that grey ring around the yolk that happens when they cool too slowly). (more…)
I am so excited about zucchini season it isn’t even funny. I have literally been dreaming about zucchini! The very first thing that I wanted to make was this gorgeous vegetable tart. Flaky, buttery puff pastry is topped with thinly shaved zucchini, bright peas, tangy feta, and fresh mint. Yum, oh yum. (more…)
Cruising around on Pinterest I found two very similar recipes for crescent rolls stuffed with chicken, and another two for a casserole made with hashbrowns. In each case, I couldn’t decide which recipe I preferred over the other; so I decided to settle it with a recipe showdown. I would make one pair of recipes one week, and the other the next, in order to decide the winners. (Note that none of these recipes are particularly healthy…) (more…)
Rhubarb season is one of my favorite times of year and what better way to celebrate it than with the ultimate classic: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Buttery, flaky crust is the perfect background for the tart early Summer fruit flavors, and strawberries cut the tartness of the rhubarb without overwhelming it.
A mixture of strawberries, rhubarb, cornstarch, orange juice, and orange zest is loaded into the bottom crust and dotted with butter. (more…)
This eye-catching pie is made with strawberries, bananas, and fresh pastry cream for a fresh summer treat.
Slices of banana are layered into a cinnamon laced graham cracker crust along with a custard made from eggs, milk, sugar, and butter. (more…)
This is my second month to be a part of the Food ‘n Flix bloggers’ circle (see here for my first month). This month is hosted by Tina at Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor; and she has chosen the movie Sideways to be our inspiration.
Sideways is a movie about friendship, relationships, happiness, and most of all – WINE. Set in Napa Valley, vineyards and wineries provide the background to the film and wine almost becomes a character itself.
I wanted to make something that would feel like it belonged in Napa Valley, and that would pair well with wine. I thought about coffee rubbed pork with a wine sauce, or braised ribs, but eventually I settled down on something simple and fresh – Focaccia with grapes, rosemary, pine nuts, olive oil, and sea salt served with fresh homemade ricotta. (more…)
These brownies contain no dairy and very little fat, but they are still super tasty and moist!
Here are all the ingredients you will need, including the secret weapon – black beans. These are pureed and stand in for the oil and eggs. But fear not – you can’t even taste them! (more…)
Creamy, rich, decadent cheesecake topped with sour cream and luscious cherries – yes please!
Press buttered graham cracker crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan (normally 9-inches, but all I have is 10). By the way, they now sell pre-crushed graham crackers in the baking isle! (more…)