Occasionally, as a personal chef I encounter folks who don’t care for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Pumpkin spice as a flavor, yes, but no to pumpkin custard in a pie crust. Continue reading
One of my favorite fall events is the appearance of autumn’s first local apples at roadside stands. Typically, these are tender and not good travelers. You won’t see these varieties at the grocery store later in the season. They are here, and then they are not here. Continue reading
Think of summer stone fruit and your first thought will be peaches. Why stop there? Continue reading
July is National Ice Cream Month. I am a little late to this party, unfortunately, but here is my contribution. Know that I enjoyed ice cream all month long. The recipe took a couple tries to get it right, so I enjoyed several servings, as did my Official Tasters. Continue reading
Lemon and blueberries are a match made in heaven. River City Good Eats has several recipes featuring this couple to pique your interest. This parfait is an ode to their marriage. I offer a completely homemade version and a second quick version, both of which will tickle your palates. Continue reading
Eat a sweet muffin and feel like you’ve just had a mini piece of cake. Invariably, muffins are designated as breakfast. I can’t start my day with sweet treats and prefer to enjoy them as a dessert or snack. At breakfast, give me protein and fruit and send me on my way to a productive day. These Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins were tested as dessert and that is where they will dwell. Continue reading
Traditionally, Valentine’s Day keeps close company with chocolate of all kinds. Most say it’s because chocolate, as a mood booster, is an aphrodisiac. Skeptics say this union is a brilliant marketing strategy to sell more chocolate. Continue reading
Thanksgiving dessert : apple or pumpkin ? My inner child with a powerful sweet tooth says both. You could crank out the make ahead Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie and this Apple Walnut Tart. This tart is best on the day it is made, but my experiments yielded delicious results even with defrosting. Continue reading
Cool and creamy desserts are always in season. Moreover, when you have company and you need a quick and easy dessert, you’re likely to grab a pint (or two) during your grocery run. Continue reading
I gave my friend a bag of local peaches from a roadside stand. She took one whiff of the opened bag and declared that grocery peaches never ever have fragrance. Or flavor, for that matter. While you still can, grab some stone fruits grown locally and enjoy summer’s last hurrah. Continue reading