Once upon a time, strawberries, like pussy willows and daffodils, were a sure sign of spring. Now that they are in the market year-round, they are no longer the harbingers of warmer, brighter weather. But put some rhubarb alongside the strawberries, and you know it is not too soon to think about buds on trees and Passover.…
My mother had a well-defined repertoire of cake recipes and each one was a testimony to her attention to detail and precision. Marble cake was a regular player on her dessert roster. Egg whites were whipped into billowy, snowy peaks and folded ever so gently into the cake batter. A few tablespoons of cocoa were blended into a small portion of the batter, creating a swirled masterpiece of vanilla and…
Having a steady supply of cookies on hand for unexpected celebrations is something that I depend on. However, last week when I swung open the freezer door, I was greeted by a very disconcerting sight. Mother Hubbard’s cupboard was bare. Every cookie, brownie, and square had been dispatched to family and friends over the holidays, and all that remained was a single snowy cinnamon bagel of dubious vintage. It was…
In an episode of the iconic television comedy Seinfeld, after waiting in line at the bakery, Elaine gets upset when the last chocolate babka is sold to another customer. Although a cinnamon babka is still available, she claims that it is a “lesser” babka. Jerry then becomes the cinnamon babka’s advocate, stating that people love cinnamon and that there is nothing inferior about it. My family members would heartily concur.…
For the past few weeks, I have searched fruitlessly (sorry!) for Georgia peaches in my local supermarket. Harbingers of summer, these nectar-filled blushing beauties were certainly taking their sweet time making their annual debut. Long known as the Peach State, Georgia produces, arguably, the tastiest peaches grown anywhere. Usually available for sixteen juicy weeks each year, from mid-May until August, this year they were no-shows. A little digging uncovered the…
A bowl of toasty old-fashioned oats is my favorite way to start the morning, probably a by-product of my mother serving me Oatmeal Pablum for breakfast until I rebelled and demanded a bowl of Corn Flakes. She obviously thought it was the breakfast of champions and she wasn’t wrong in her assumption. A quick glance in my pantry would reveal five different types of oats sitting expectantly on the shelf.…
Cream cheese rugelach are my friend Mrs. S’s signature pastry. After dropping by for a visit, family and friends (and even the plumber) inevitably leave with a carefully prepared package of these flaky cream cheese treats swirled with apricot or raspberry jam, nuts, sugar and cinnamon. Mrs. S’s cardiologist beamed with delight when she presented him with a neatly wrapped box of these homemade delicacies on her last visit. After…
My son stared at the plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of him with a suspicious gaze. After sampling a cookie, he smiled and pronounced it “scary”. These Passover chocolate chip cookies by Melissa Kaye @lilmisscakes are so authentic looking and tasting, they have almost fooled great cookie connoisseurs into believing they are the real deal i.e., my year-round recipe. Moist and chewy with a hint of vanilla, and…
Twelve 9-year-old-boys let out a deafening cheer when they learned that school was cancelled for the rest of the afternoon because of the thickly falling snow that blanketed the roads and sidewalks. My husband was born in February. Growing up, his birthday was celebrated at home with a quick lunch time gathering of his classmates and friends. Party sandwiches were passed around, washed down with tall glasses of cherry Kool-Aid.…
Toronto has seen an unusual lack of sunshine this winter and hasn’t had a mostly sunny day in more than four weeks. Meteorologist Anthony Farnell said the city typically sees around 3.4 hours of sunshine per day in January, but so far this month there hasn’t even been 3.4 hours of sunshine in total. Research suggests that decreased exposure to sunlight lowers levels of the mood-boosting hormone serotonin causing changes…