Topped with Coconut Cream and a spoonful of seasonal fruit this is a wonderful dessert for a summer seaside luncheon: easy, light, delicious, and pretty. It can also be served with coconut ice cream and bittersweet chocolate sauce or warm with a little papaya or passion fruit jam for a weekend breakfast treat. Any way you slice it, …
This recipe is an homage to Sarah with a nod to the Barefoot Contessa. Who knew that Ina Garten (M.B.A. George Washington University) worked for the U.S. Government as a nuclear energy budget analyst before (taking off her shoes) to own and operate a specialty foods shop? Last month Sarah, who moved to Maine from NYC seven years ago, …
Tested and enthusiastically approved by GF and non-GF friends and family, this is one of our new favorite scone recipes. We like the combination of sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors. They’re great for breakfast or as a side for salad or soup. 4 years ago we moved from Falmouth back to South Portland (SoPo) where …
It’s strawberry season in Maine, there’s a rain delay at Wimbledon, and I’m meeting Kari and Stephanie at 11:30 to walk around Back Cove before lunch: time to bake a cake! Fresh picked local organic strawberries are fragrant and delicious, but often delicate because they’re not bred to endure cross country shipping. When you think your berries …
This outstanding banana bread is more fun to make than any other and arguably more delicious than our favorite Kona Banana Bread. Roasting the bananas takes a little extra time, but the dimension it adds to the flavor is worth every minute. Using coconut oil and almond milk make it dairy free, however substitute butter for …
Just back from an island with an organic coconut field and organic banana field. Plus there is a LOT of coconut flour in the larder. So when I was sent a link to Empowered Sustanence’s I clicked on it. Easy, satisfying, healthy, and delicious, these may become a staple in your kitchen. Our recipe is …
Late Winter Carrot Soup (Serves 8 -12) This special hearty soup is tangy and thick enough to serve over pasta. Last week I used it on pizza under arugula, feta, caramelized onions, and fig jam. Nathaniel made a ragu for vegetable “noodles” from the Paderno Spiralizer. Served as a soup it can be garnished with pesto, or a drizzle of …
28 years ago four women each had their first child within a five week span. One of those babies will have her first child in two months. The three boys, errr… men aren’t there yet, following Daphne as they did growing up. This afternoon we’re hosting a baby shower. All that stuff about time and change goes without saying. The guests have various …
I am very good at what I do – just pulled a beautiful fragrant GF Citrus Olive Oil Cake out of the oven. But, BUT, yeast is not my friend, so our successful crusty, chewy bread recipes are few. I confess to not having cultivated the relationship carefully, preferring to spend time with cookies and scones. Those of …
Read somewhere (an airline magazine?) about popular chefs’ favorite sneaky, secret ingredients. One admitted to using powdered milk in his conventional cookie recipes because it adds chewiness. Since “chewy” is a rare descriptor when it comes to gluten free cookies I was determined to experiment. Finding Organic Valley Non Fat Dry Milk at Whole Foods cemented it. I’ve …
Tandem Coffee opened a second location: a cafe in a renovated service station on Portland’s Congress Street. Briana Holt is creating excellent sweet and savory baked goods. But fair warning: gluten-free offerings are occasional and the open kitchen precludes a GF environment. However, something I had last week was worth adapting: Briana’s Birds’ Nest Breakfast Muffins. A whole …
Delicious, nutritious, easy, fast, this savory dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Even if you splurge on the nicest free range eggs, organic cheddar, heirloom tomatoes and Vidalia onions, it’s an inexpensive way to satisfy the craving for a hearty meal. Traveling to Lake Tahoe to visit Gus who is working at Stanford …
Book Group met last night to discuss The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud. The link is to a (more positive) NPR review because I suggested the book and still think it’s work reading. Have some fun and Google the meanings of the names of Messud’s characters should you delve in. As hostess I made the …
I first experienced Pastry Chef Ben Spungin’s desserts at Marinus, in Carmel Valley, http://www.bernardus.com/. His mom must be extraordinarily proud. Ben’s sweets are some of the most creative, smart, irreverent and successful I’ve experienced. The entire meal was outstanding. Run don’t walk to Marinus for your next special occasion (make a reservation first.) My dinner selections were mostly vegetarian …
Nothing says “Spring” like the scent of Meyer Lemons! This combination of white chocolate mousse and lemon curd makes a beautiful and decadent dessert any time of year, but especially now when bunches of tulips greet one at the market and long stemmed branches of pussy willows aren’t far behind. I like keeping the …
On Thursday evening our book group discussed Florence Gordon, a well written, interestingly paced, novel about a prickly protagonist. We recommend it. Whitney requested a clementine tart, something I have yet to bake GF. Since she couldn’t join us and because there were two bunches of ripe bananas in the corner fruit bowl, I opted to … Continue reading
It’s a good thing I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I’d have disappointed myself right out of the 2015 starting gate. This was to have been offered on the first Monday of January, but it’s still the first month, so OK. “French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano was published eleven years ago. It was … Continue reading
I didn’t know what I didn’t know about dates. This despite using them… a lot. (Can’t tell you the quantity and versions we’ve made of Uncle Howard’s Chocolate Ganache Tart.) If you’d asked me before last month about varieties of dates I’d have said there are Medjool and errr, organic Medjool? My eyes were opened in November at … Continue reading
This special cake combines elements from some of our favorite winter dessert recipes: Marie’s Apple Brownies, Citrus Olive Oil Cake, Pan Forte, and White Chocolate Mousse with Lemon Curd. Making it is a project, but fragrant aromas of the holiday season fill the house and the final product is satisfyingly beautiful and tasty. An excellent morning activity … Continue reading
Joan organized lunch at Brita’s house last week and agreed to let me to bring dessert because it would help ME. A cool drizzly morning dictated the warm fall flavors of Gingerbread Cake. This recipe includes the use of flax seed meal which has notable health benefits. So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk adds body, flavor, and richness to this moist cake. One topic of conversation … Continue reading
Shop-local movements are organizing around the country. We’re beginning to understand it’s in our interest to frequent independent businesses on Main Street, Anywhere, USA. One’s power as a socially responsible buyer is undeniable. Supporting local merchants translates to investment in our communities.”A rising tide floats all boats”: prosperous neighbors lead to stronger municipalities. Sure it’s easier to have shoes delivered by Zappos almost before I … Continue reading
First one up starts the pancake batter and gets out for a before-breakfast walk! Last Sunday morning I mixed the ingredients, set the batter to rise, and met Suza at Willard beach for a couple of laps with Leo before heading home to cook batch. Gluten free pancakes never leave one with the feeling of having over indulged. This recipe features the added … Continue reading
Amy, the only strict vegetarian in our book group, brought this to one of our meetings years… ouch, more than a decade ago, since it was before Gus was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Rich and satisfying, it remains a favorite. The original recipe includes making crackers out of pita bread baked with melted butter, cumin, and lemon pepper. … Continue reading
I can’t go to a museum without at least a quick tour of the gift shop. Current well (curated) favorites are at the Gardner Museum and MOMA where I found an excellent trivet by French designer Erwan Peron. It’s something I’ll use almost every day, recalling a recent mother/daughter(s) trip to New York. For the many who are rethinking the … Continue reading
Apple trees along my usual walking paths have been productive this season. The five cold, firm, dark red windfall apples I picked up this morning inspired me to make a tart with what will certainly be the last harvest until next fall. A lot has been written about the flavor and hardiness of heirloom varieties – experiment … Continue reading
Gluten Free Gus 