Oh, how I love a new kitchen gadget. Oh, how I love a beautiful baked good. And oh, how I love whenever the two shall meet. A few Christmases ago, my brother and sister-in-law gifted me with a collection of Avoca cookbooks, filled with recipes for all sorts of delicious things that the two of…
Project NYT: Lemon sablés — everyone needs some sparkle
It’s hot. It’s humid. I’m on another lemon kick. You know that feeling when you walk into the bathroom not long after someone else in the house took a super hot shower? That’s how Missouri feels in the summertime. Hot. Steamy. Ooph. If you’re a hot-and-sticky summertime fan, then you’re probably gearing up for three…
Project NYT: Lemon bars
I’ve spent a good many years making lemon bars from the basic box mix that you find at the grocery store, the ones with the light, cookie-like crust and the sort of spongy lemony middles. I know they’re nothing to write home about; they’ve never been the kind of dessert that makes my taste buds…
Project NYT: Lemon cake
I’m attracted to recipes for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes it’s a certain ingredient that I’ve been itching to use. Sometimes it’s a slew of ingredients (a.k.a. whatever foods in my refrigerator need to be eaten ASAP) that convinces me to try something new. And sometimes it’s a new method of preparation that lures…
Hi ho, asparagus! ‘Tis the season
Asparagus is one of those vegetables that (prior to this pasta salad escapade) I only knew how to make one way: roasted in the oven with a dot of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. It’s a simple method, but it’s always delicious and nearly foolproof. And it’s no secret that I…
Happy day food: Lemon spaghetti, a la Giada
Ah, lemon. Is there anything more fresh, more beautiful or more satisfying than a citrus-infused dish or dessert? I think not. A while back, Jared grabbed a gigantic sack of organic lemons from the grocery store; he figured we could put them to use before their time ran out. And use them we have (think…
Delicious distractions
Wednesday afternoon was a first for me. As I sat at my desk and typed away on work-related odds and ends, I clicked on my Twitter feed just as @food52 tweeted about this week’s wildcard winner on their site. Normally I don’t have any trouble clicking back and forth between Twitter updates and the task…
Feeling cold, tasting spring: Lemon olive oil cake
Yesterday felt like the coldest day of the year. I think the high hovered somewhere near 16, and the wind chill prompted atypical alerts about dangerously cold winds and frostbite possibilities on my trusty Weather Channel app. Normally, this sort of bone-chilling weather would lead me toward the soup section of a cookbook, or at…
Project NYT: Molasses cupcakes with lemon icing
Like most people, I definitely have my favorite flavors. Cinnamon, vanilla, anything citrusy: I always tend to gravitate toward recipes that incorporate the tastes that I love. More often than not, those recipes call for expected combinations: cinnamon with nutmeg and vanilla, lemon with fresh berries, rolled oats with brown sugar. They’re classic combos because…