Each year when we visited my grandparents for three summer weeks in their rural home in New York, we’d spend our time doing essentially nothing. It wasn’t exciting, it wasn’t exhilarating and it wasn’t elucidating. Sometimes it was boring. The funny thing is, however, that now I look back on those days with a rosy, [...]
Poaching is a technique used to gently cook what is usually already a tender ingredient. Chicken and fish are commonly poached in a flavorful broth called court bouillon, which is made by simmering aromatic vegetables and herbs in water. When used to cook fruit, it’s common to simmer in red wine, another sort of alcohol [...]
I’ve found that this is a real treat for little ones when you use semi-sweet chocolate; grown-ups usually prefer bittersweet. 3 cups whole milk 3 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or grated Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it is just ready to boil. Put the chocolate in a [...]
Pear Tarte Tatin Pastry: 1 1/2 cups flour 6 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup ice cold water, as needed Pears: 8 Anjou or similar pears; peeled, cored and quartered 12 tablespoons butter 1 cup sugar Pastry: In a medium bowl, sift the [...]
Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies You can also use this recipe to make bars – simply spread the dough evenly in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and bake at 350° for about 30 to 40 minutes. 16 ounces semisweet chocolate (either chips or coarsely chopped) 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 [...]
The reasons that writing good recipes can be so difficult and that cooking is so interesting rests upon the same principle – that the variation of only one ingredient, pan, oven or technique makes all the difference between success and abject failure. The Banana Bread Mystery is one of these instances. Every time I make [...]
Apricot Coffee Cake Cake: 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter 4 large eggs 1 cup milk 3 cups all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Topping: 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots Preheat oven [...]
While we lived in the Caribbean, key limes were abundant and anything having to do with them brings me back to the beaches and the markets of the islands. While I wouldn’t trade for one second living in Maine for anywhere else, a small hiatus during the muddiest part of the season wouldn’t be amiss! [...]
Bourbon Street Bread Pudding This is one of my favorites – and I don’t even like bread pudding! Pudding: Day-old French bread, sliced 1-inch thick, enough to cover the bottom of a 9-inch square pan. 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup sugar 5 eggs 2 cups heavy cream Dash of cinnamon 1 tablespoon vanilla [...]
