The first year we made homemade blackberry jam Maurizio picked the berries and I did the cooking and canning. Blackberries have so many seeds which we find unpleasant in jams and tarts so I decided to remove them. It’s a laborious, time consuming task and I cursed myself the whole way through making the jam…
International
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
One of the best loved cakes worldwide is undoubtedly Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. Beyond the fact that the flavor is divine it’s simple to make as it can be done entirely in a food processor. And if a cake can be nutritional Carrot Cake is right up there as it’s laden with carrots….
Lemon Lavender Cake
Lemon Lavender Cake Serves 8-12 This cake is a great way to use fresh, seasonal lemons and lavender. You can never go wrong with a lemon cake and the delicate hint of lavender adds something unique and magical to this dessert. It also makes a beautiful presentation when topped with a few sprigs of fresh…
Ciambellone Breakfast Pound Cake with Fresh Blueberries
Most Italians have a go-to coffee bar for their breakfast: usually an espresso or cappuccino and a cornetto (a croissant). If you get to the bar on the late side you might find you’re out of luck on the pastry side. You’ll almost always find the bar’s homemade ciambellone, which is quite similar to a…
Steamed Cauliflower Florets with a Balsamic, Caper & Anchovy Dressing
For those of you who live in Italy, or have visited Italy, you will surely have noticed how delicious the vegetables are on restaurant antipasto tables. The vegetables are served at room temperature…the ideal temperature for flavor to come out to its fullest. Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what flavoring restaurateurs have used because…
Dark Chocolate Cake: fudgy and simple
Dark Chocolate Cake: fudgy and simple! I’m constantly on the hunt for delicious, easy to prepare dark chocolate layer cake that uses ingredients you almost always have on hand. So far my favorite is the flourless Torta Caprese but it’s also nice to have a great recipe for a classic rich dark chocolate layer cake….
Whole Grain Farro Nut Bread
Whole Grain Farro Nut Bread Farro is an ancient grain that dates back 7000 years and is a mainstay of the Italian diet. It’s especially prevalent in the land-locked Umbria region, just north of Rome. Farro has a crunchy, chewy and delicious texture and is wonderful in soups and as a substitute for rice in…
Creamy Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs
There’s nothing better than a one dish meal and this soup certainly satisfies everything you’d look for: fabulous taste, protein, vegetables, and warm creaminess. I first made this recipe with a group of culinary aficionados who get together twice yearly to experiment with new recipes. Originally the recipe appeared in an Oregon-based newspaper, the Oregonian,…
Chocolate Truffle Treats
My sister Laurie made these Chocolate Truffle Treats for a recent cookie exchange party and as she described them to me I knew they were a winner! Then when I saw a picture of them I was completely sold. The flavor is so rich and delightful, and incredibly chocolatey, you think you’re eating truffles….
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons
One of the most delicious Moroccan dishes is Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons. It’s wonderful because the tagine cooking technique yields a tender and flavorful chicken, while the preserved lemons add a tangy touch to the dish. To cook with a tagine you place all of the ingredients inside the tagine at the same time, cover…
Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
Glazed Cinnamon Rolls When I was still a young girl, somewhere between seven and nine years old, my passion was already cooking. If our parents went out for the evening I’d pull out a cookbook (that my mother never used, by the way) and pick out a recipe to make. It was my only opportunity…
Corn bread and muffins
Corn bread and muffins are one of my favorite accompaniments to a meal, at breakfast, or anytime. I love them slathered with butter and drizzled with honey, or just on their own. Corn bread and muffins took on a new dimension several years ago when I began using a mill attachment for my KitchenAid. I…