From Scratch

What’s not debatable is how delicious this four-ingredient dip is. It was served Thursday night at a little gathering to watch the debate. I asked for the recipe faster than you can say “senator” and stopped on the way home for a bag of frozen cherries.
This dip is ideal for cherries because it has almond […]

When this landed in my inbox last week from Nestle, I knew I had to make it for Valentine’s Day, but my dilemma was how to make it in advance, to share here, and show the layers without cutting into it. The solution was to make it in a springform pan instead of a square […]

In my corner of the world, fresh fruit in the dead of winter often comes from Chile. Many supermarkets have Chilean promotions or “summer in January” sales, as if a bounty of fruit might trick me into forgetting I’m wearing so many layers that I’m as bulky as a teddy bear. I’m rightly skeptical about a […]

This is big-flavor delicious. In addition to the ingredients here, a little white wine and chicken broth round out the picture. The bonus is it’s simple enough that anyone, including novices, can put a lean, impressive main course on the table.
Beautiful blood oranges are in season and I had a couple in the fridge when this […]

If you’ve never worked with phyllo dough, just take a deep breath and do it. This festive and different dessert, with dark chocolate and neufchâtel as well as cranberries, is worth trying when you’d like to serve something special.
Like many people, I was intimidated by phyllo dough, especially when every cookbook exhorts us to work […]

If, like me, you enjoy apples out of hand and if you haven’t yet tried a Honeycrisp, you really ought to. Having one is like eating cider.
It’s a relatively recent apple, and patented. The official website says the two-toned Honeycrisp is a cross between the Macoun, also great out of hand, and the Honeygold, but […]

Considering how many worthless foods I could ingest if I let myself, I’m always surprised by the number of superfoods I’ve liked all my life. The pomegranate is one of them, with its juicy gems of sweet-tart seeds called arils. Happily, it’s in season.
Pomegranates are rich in fiber and, according to California’s Pomegranate Council , the […]

Today’s Sunday Times of London reports the largest-ever study of organic food has concluded organics really are more nutritious, providing up to 40% more antioxidants and higher levels of zinc and iron. Milk from organic herds had antioxidant levels up to 90% higher than milk from conventional herds.
The study spanned four years and cost £12 million […]

Have you ever made a double-crust apple pie, only to cut into it and discover a gaping space between the top crust and the apples? I have and frankly, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t. But it doesn’t have to happen.
One solution is to use more butter in the crust so the pastry really sinks […]

Happily, for those of us who like both, it’s a bit of each.
In a nutshell, it’s a pumpkin pie with apples on the bottom. This is a new recipe for me and I can see it taking its place alongside the traditional pies during the holidays. It fairly screams autumn, and the scent while whisking […]

Nearly everyone likes scones warm from the oven. The problem comes the next day, when they’re drying out and crumbly, not flaky the way they should be. The obvious solution is a smaller recipe — most yield 8 or more — but not all recipes can be scaled down successfully.
This longtime favorite does lend itself to a smaller […]

Just as some people await the sight of the first robin as a harbinger of spring, I anticipate the first bags of wonderful cranberries as a sign autumn has arrived. And it has. It’s like a holiday here.
Cranberries are one of my favorite foods. They’re tart, healthful, low in calories; frankly, with all that good […]

We’ve long known about the health benefits of eating apples, especially for the phytochemicals in their skins, but the juice of the fruit has been regarded by many as the black sheep of the family. Mere sugar water. But two new studies show the juice, especially unfiltered varieties and cider, has something going for it because the apple seems […]

Who doesn’t enjoy a change? I am so happy to have found a good recipe for a crisp that doesn’t have the usual oatmeal in the topping. And oh my, the filling has a dab of cream cheese.
Back in August, on a really hot day, I saw Southern Pear Crisp on my cyberpal jolynna’s blog, Turkey […]

There’s always jam in the fridge or pantry but I don’t always have berries, so I was happy to run across this recipe for the frequent times when the muffin-making mood strikes too early to run to the store. As happened this morning.
It’s from Swan’s Down Cake Flour, which has a small but good website. In […]