Often in my cooking classes, students ask if they can make a substitution in a recipe. I always welcome these queries and try to offer alternatives. I asked myself that same question last month when I discovered a baked brownie fudge pie crust at the back of my freezer. Wrapped tightly in plastic, then in foil, the crust in its pyrex pie plate needed only to be defrosted and filled.

In its original incarnation, this brownie crust was filled with whipped cream that was combined with Continue reading →

In Paris right after the Olympics ended this past August, my husband and I were thrilled that one of our favorite Left Bank restaurants was open. Many Parisian eateries had closed right after the Olympic games for the annual French summer holidays. Semilla, on  rue de Seine, is a perennial favorite of ours, so once again we savored the delicious original dishes this casual restaurant offers. My spouse loved his long red Niçoise pepper stuffed with caponata served with a risotto. I savored a dish of house made pasta called “sorpresenie” (a specialty of Emilia Romagna that is shaped like tortellini, but without a Continue reading →

 Although the calendar declared that fall was underway several days ago, it’s the produce bins and the shelves at my local grocery store that always make me aware that a new season has arrived. Recently, packages of peeled and cubed butternut squash were on display at the our Whole Foods–a sure sign that shoppers are buying ingredients for cool Continue reading →

During the summer and early fall when figs are in season, I often pick up a basket and use them as a garnish for cheese or charcuterie boards. This year, however, I used my cache to craft a sweet confection. I was inspired by two memorable fig desserts I’ve sampled recently. In London last month, at Elystan Street Restaurant in Chelsea, I ordered figs poached in port garnished with a scoop of homemade ice cream and warm lemon beignets. Then, a few weeks later, at Café Carmellini in New York City, I savored a fig and honey tart topped with homemade yogurt sorbet.

For my own creation, I poached figs in port along with sugar and seasonings of cinnamon, Continue reading →

Although I’ve read about and prepared many variations of classic Italian pesto, I was intrigued by a version that called for pistachios and fresh mint that I spotted last year in a French culinary magazine. After tagging the recipe, I somehow never got around to trying it. Fast forward to this summer when my herb garden is overflowing with mint. That recipe tucked away in my “to do” files immediately came to mind and turned out to be a delicious alternative to the Italian original.

Along with torn mint leaves and toasted pistachios, the pesto ingredients included Continue reading →

For the past few days my husband and I have been enjoying our stay in a small coastal town on the south shore of Massachusetts. Seafood shops and restaurants abound in this area, so we’ve been indulging in all manner of fish. Over the weekend we planned a lobster lunch for my spouse’s birthday and purchased nine of these crustaceans for the celebration. Unexpectedly, two guests opted not to eat the shellfish, so we had several left over. After removing the glorious cooked meat from these extras, I decided to make a favorite lobster and corn chowder with them.

Traditional corn chowder is elevated to new heights when chunks of tender rosy lobster Continue reading →

When the first peaches arrived in our stores several weeks ago, I bought a bagful and came home thinking I’d make a sweet confection with them. However, as it turned out I used my cache in a savory dish. I sliced the yellow peaches into thick wedges, marinated them in balsamic vinegar, and then arranged them on a purchased pizza crust along with pieces of creamy burrata, and  thinly sliced red onions. Baked until the crust was golden and crisp and the cheese melted, this pizza was then removed from the oven and garnished with crispy sautéed prosciutto strips and torn basil leaves. Continue reading →

Recently on a favorite French website, I spotted a recipe for a sponge cake scented with ground hazelnuts, and served with strawberries and mascarpone whipped cream. Since local strawberries are omnipresent right now in markets and farmers’ stands in our New England town, I was anxious to try this dessert on my side of the Atlantic.

French recipes are typically abbreviated and often assume that cooks know basic culinary  techniques, so I read up on sponge cakes. Prepared with a minimum of ingredients (usually eggs, sugar, and flour plus seasonings), they can still be challenging to make. The eggs need to be at room temperature for best results, and then are separated. The yolks along with sugar need to be beaten for several minutes until pale yellow and thickened, and the whites should be whipped just until firm and glossy, and stiff enough to form straight peaks when a beater is lifted from them. The whites are what make sponge cakes rise, so most recipes suggest not greasing the baking pan to ease the batter’s rise up its sides.

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