When we lived in Missouri, Jared and I had a beast of a grill that took up about a third of the deck space at the back of our small apartment. It sat largely unused for a good five months of the year, but once the weather warmed up enough for Jared to remove his…
Three-ingredient strawberry sorbet
Although our oven joins us in a collective groan as the summer heat draws near, there’s one little appliance tucked in the back corner of the kitchen that lets out a happy squeal at the first sign of 90-degree days. “Yippee da doo, eep eep eep!” Or something like that. Yes, after nearly nine months…
Strawberry tarts forever
Our farmers market basket overfloweth! It’s a happy problem indeed, though it’s one that necessitates a rather concentrated effort to cook, bake and nibble our way through the abundance of produce as fast as our tummies can take us. Our kitchen always feels more creative in the warmer months because we tend to do a…
Lemon, for you, I’ll bake
It’s summer. It’s hot. My poor little oven groans every time I feel the culinary call. “Again?” it says. “Can’t we just pop in a Christmas movie and snack on a pack of Oreos?” “Oh, little oven,” I reply. “These are the days life lessons are made of. We must put in the effort, even…
End-of-summer pizza
It’s officially September, officially post-Labor Day, and I’m so so ready for fall. I’m ready for the changing colors, the chilly air, the crunchy leaves on the ground outside. And the holidays. I’m always ready for the holidays. But amidst all my fall anticipation through the years, I’ve realized that I never give summertime the…
Cup of Joe — à la mode, please
Last Saturday, I received an email from my mother-in-law notifying me that Sunday, July 17 was National Ice Cream Day. Yep, a whole day dedicated to the consumption of my all-time favorite dessert. Sounds pretty great, right? She wanted to know what kind of ice cream I was planning to make for the occasion, but…
Don’t tease the underdog: Fettuccine with eggplant
Eggplants are inherently funny little guys. They grow in the garden along with all the other squash-like things — think zucchinis, summer squash, cucumbers and the like — but they’re slightly stranger, quite a bit tougher and decidedly less popular because they look a bit too different. Actually they remind me of little Rudolph at…
Time for a little chocolate fix
Well, here we are at Friday already. It’s the end of the workweek, the end of ice cream week (and it’s my friend Michelle’s birthday. Woo hoo!). No, the end of the week doesn’t mean I’m quitting the ice-cream-making gig; I’m still quite smitten with that little freeze machine. But I figure it’s probably time…
Project NYT: Strawberry ice cream forever
Boy howdy. I am in love with this ice cream maker. The snazzy little gizmo (let’s just call her Creama) has been whipping up a storm this weekend and is already proving to be quite a pro. It’s easy to set up, easy to use and easy peasy to clean. No, this is not a…
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…