Why is it we love cupcakes so much? By “we” I mean us girls because, let’s face it, they’re pretty girlie. I’ve never heard a guy say, “Oh! Let’s stop and get a half dozen cupcakes! Won’t that be fun!?” Nope. I’m fairly certain I will never hear those words out of Barnaby’s mouth.
I found these [...]

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Many of you may think I’m talking about the scandalous former mayor of Washington, DC, Marion Barry, but I am not. I’m talking about the succulent Pacific Northwestern fruit, the marionberry.
The marionberry was introduced in 1956 at my alma mater, Oregon State University, and developed in Marion County. While they grow throughout the Pacific Northwest, [...]

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Lemon curd is a quintessentially English treat. It reminds me of tea at Harrod’s in London when I was in the 5th grade. It’s delicious slathered over scones with cream or baked in a fruit tart. I especially love it when it makes you pucker.
The following recipe, from the cookbook Once Upon A Tart, [...]

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Nothing tops off a Summer Solstice dinner more perfectly than an apple tart. My friend’s mother, Val, made a simply divine one the other night, and I am still daydreaming about its goodness. I’m talking the-skies-opened-up-and-the-angels-sang good.
Although tarts seem like a relatively simple dessert, it’s the crust wherein lies the excruciating challenge. And to me, [...]

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Flowers enhance food in both an alluring and fun way. They give a romantic dinner a sensual touch, or add a bit of playfulness with a surprising splash of color. Best of all, there’s that little “lift” of fragrance that’s unbeatable.
My favorite is to toss in a small amount of nasturtiums or pansies to a [...]

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I love chocolate. Who doesn’t! I don’t trust anyone who says they don’t like chocolate. They’re either liars or crazy. Or crazy liars.
So the other night at our cooking class, when one couple was assigned the duty of making a chocolate dessert, I quickly sidled up to them and eagerly asked,
“Watcha makin’?”
“Bay leaf and cardamom [...]

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Well…sorta…
During our recent trip to Mexico, we discovered a new product: Agave Syrup. As our loyal readers will remember, tequila is distilled from fermented sugars of the Agave plant. This syrup is made from the very same plant by boiling down the sap or nectar. It is very similar in consistency to maple syrup, so [...]

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I’m not talking Rice-A-Roni here, the San Francisco treat I’m referring to is IT’S-IT Ice Cream. When I was a kid we’d often pass the IT’S-IT factory perched on the edge of Highway 101 near the San Francisco airport. I would beg my parents to stop, but alas, it never happened. I still threaten to [...]

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It’s Easter Sunday, and as I write this I sit aboard my dad’s 1958 Beechcraft Bonanza bound for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico via Phoenix, James Taylor singing in my ears. The beautiful clear skies that surround us conjure up memories of past Easter Sundays.
My very first memory, in fact, is of Easter Sunday 1970 and I [...]

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It really disturbs me that I can enjoy dough deep fried in oil to such a great extent. The concept of a doughnut, when you really think about, is quite disgusting. It’s fried dough. So, I just don’t think about it. Simple as that. When the image comes to mind I just erase it - [...]

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