Sweet white miso adds delicious umami, sunflower and pumpkin seeds a nice crunch, to this not-to-sweet spin on banana bread. Recipe below.
WE LOVE BANANA BREAD. Blue Kitchen already has three different banana bread recipes, and to be honest, I was surprised that there were only three. Now there are four. Continue reading “A classic dessert bread gets a nutty, umami twist: Miso Banana Bread”
Blueberries and sour cream are the basis of this modestly sweet cake a dessert, a breakfast treat, a mid-day pick-me-up. Recipe below.
WE ARE STILL BEING VERY CAUTIOUS THESE DAYS. We are not flying. We are not going into our offices. We are only going into shops and the library and other public places when they are relatively empty. We aren’t going to bars at all, which is so sad. But we are still seeing people, with great care, as we wait out what looks to be a multi-year pandemic. Meaning we still want to have some treats on hand, just in case. Thus this simple bundt cake. Continue reading “A not-too-sweet anytime treat: Blueberry Sour Cream Cake”
Lemon juice and zest in both the blondies and the glaze give these super easy treats an addictively bright flavor. Recipe below.
FEBRUARY IS NONSENSE. Outside, the 32 inches of snowfall around our house is melting in a depressing, half-assed way; our backyard and gangway are a hell of snow mounds and falling ice. But inside, we have this—this easy little jolt of sunshine. Continue reading “Simple, sunshiney Lemon Blondies”
Chunks of apples dot this simple, rustic apple cake. Recipe below.
THE STREETS KEEP FILLING UP WITH SNOW. And while our neighbors are really great about clearing their walks, there still is plenty of scary ice out there, and plenty of mounds and ramparts of snow at all the corners, and more snow is coming down as I write this, and the deep freeze is definitely here. Two days ago, we only went outside to finish excavating the car. (And yes, when we drove it out, we set out dibs to save our spot. We do live in Chicago.) Yesterday and today I didn’t go outside at all, except when a pal brought over our Girl Scout Cookie delivery (thanks again, Al!). Continue reading “Cinnamony, sweet (but not too), cozy Apple Cake”
A perfectly simple (really simple) classic chocolate cake gets more interesting with cayenne pepper, cinnamon and buttermilk. Recipe below.
YESTERDAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND TODAY I AM EATING A PIECE OF CAKE while I write about cake. Originally I intended to get fancy and order a cake—to have it delivered or pick it up somewhere. But in the interest of self-preservation, we are still not going into shops, and as I hunted around here in Chicago, I found that pretty much nobody offered contactless curbside pickup of cakes (and I can’t blame them, what with Christmas and all). And the delivery options scared the pants off me. $200 for a cake? For two people? EEEEEEEEEEEE Naw. Continue reading “Tinkering with a perfect, simple classic: the Perfectly Chocolate Cake”
Pecans, rosemary, plenty of butter and not too much sugar make rich, satisfying and not-too-sweet cookies. Recipe below.
THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US. DIFFERENT, BUT STILL HERE. We’ve been sending and receiving packages, mostly not gift wrapped, sent directly by the company (and often from the maker): “You guys are getting a package from a potter in Racine today—don’t open it!” And you know what ships well? Or drops off on doorsteps? Cookies! Continue reading “Perfect for giving—or keeping for yourself: Pecan Rosemary Shortbread Cookies”
The rustic shape of this delicious galette made with apples, dried apricots and thyme is one of its charms. Recipe below.
TERRY AND I HAVE A FONDNESS FOR IMPERFECT THINGS. Our favorite piece of furniture is an old farmhouse cupboard we got at some flea market years ago, with chipped gray paint, slightly wavy glass in the doors, little drawer pulls that are not quite tight and stubbornly refuse to ever be tightened, and feet that speak of years of hard work and being banged and knocked into in some hard-working kitchen. It leans back ever so slightly—the place where we keep it, in the tiny hallway leading to our kitchen, allows it to rest its top against the wall. It’s tragic and odd and we love it. Continue reading “Perfectly imperfect: Apple and Dried Apricot Galette”
Fresh fruit, lemon juice and rosemary flavor this homey, comforting bundt cake. Recipe below.
EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY LOVES CAKE. When you want to celebrate, when you need to celebrate, when you’re feeling festive or dejected or delighted, the answer is cake. When you need excitement and soothing: cake. When your spirits need lifting: cake. Continue reading “Because sometimes you just need cake: Blueberry Lemon Rosemary Bundt Cake”
Fresh blueberries, thyme, lemon zest and juice—and two insider tips—create light, delicious scones. Recipe below.
BY NOW, PROBABLY EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF MASTERCLASS, where masters of their crafts in various fields teach online classes. The creative agency where I work gave us all MasterClass subscriptions so we could learn whatever caught our imaginations while we’re all stuck at home. But being a creative agency, we of course took it further. We’ve started doing our own master classes, with colleagues sharing their own special skills. These scones are a direct result of that. Continue reading “Mastering secrets and Blueberry Thyme Scones”
ANOTHER MAJOR FOOD HOLIDAY IS UPON US. Everywhere, magazines, emails, friends and online food sources are sharing recipes. Seemed like a good idea to us too. So good that when we checked our archives, we found we’d done a pretty bang up job a few years ago. Unexpected dishes, like this one, chicken tea-smoked with star anise and orange, then grilled. You’ll find this and 14 other surprising recipes, from grilling to appetizers, sides (including three potato salads) and desserts, right here. Have a great, delicious 4th.