I love the beginning of Fall. Temperatures turn cooler and the leaves on the trees turn beautiful shades of red and gold as the days shorten. Fall also bring two of my favorite foods for baking--apples and pumpkin! I recently took a trip to Apple Hill, (a California community of apple growers and wineries set in the Sierras west of Sacramento) … [Read more...]
No Knead Bread
As the days shorten and the weather cools, my mind turns to baking--cookies, cakes, quick breads and, of course, yeast breads. The easiest of the yeast breads, at least in my mind, is Jim Lahey's "No Knead Bread" from his book, My Bread. Mix together four ingredients, let it sit for 12-18 hours, shape it, let it rise, then bake it. Easy … [Read more...]
Individual Peach Cobblers
Summer has ended (or nearly ended) but there are still summer fruits like peaches and plums in the markets. Last chance to make use of those summertime fruits! You can use just about any fruit you like in a cobbler. The fruit is topped with a biscuit-like topping which is then baked to a golden brown. Cobblers can be made in large baking … [Read more...]
My NEW favorite (Salted) Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe
I have been making chocolate chip cookies pretty much all my life. For the last decade, I have used a modified recipe I acquired at a cooking class I took years ago at our local cooking school. I love that my chocolate chip cookie recipe bakes up perfectly every time and that they look and taste great. And I was happy with them...until now, that … [Read more...]
Entertaining in the Morning with Scones
I am an early riser, and by early I mean about 4:30 in the morning. During the work week I rise at 4:30am, meditate for 30 minutes and then pop over to LEAP Yoga to open the studio and practice with my sunrise yogis. Then it is off to 9 Rounds Fitness for some serious punching and then home before 7:45am to shower and start my … [Read more...]
Apricot French Toast Bread Pudding
On my last trip to New Orleans, I took a Southern Cooking class. The teacher taught us a bit about making bread pudding. I wasn't fond of bread pudding as a child. Most bread puddings had too many raisins. Bread pudding has come a long way. In New Orleans, I went back to G W Fins just for their white chocolate and caramel bread pudding to … [Read more...]