Driving to join friends for lunch, I turned my head to check on the salted caramel cheesecake, my most requested dessert, nestled carefully on the back seat, and gasped in dismay. Unable to resist a preview of the finished dessert, I had topped the cake with lush, golden caramel sauce before leaving the house. It was a mouth-watering sight. Unfortunately, the caramel had languidly dripped off the top of the…
In the summer of 1965, my family took a pilot trip to Los Angeles, California with an eye to settling there. My maternal grandparents had waved a cheery farewell to the snow in Buffalo four years previously and were encouraging my parents to do the same. For six weeks our family of five shared a cozy one-bedroom apartment with my Bubby and Zeidy (surviving the Second World War in hiding…
One of the many perks of working in a library is being able to anticipate the pending arrival of new books (and placing holds on them), perusing the new titles that are lined up like soldiers on their respective book carts, and flipping through New York Times Magazine as soon as it’s delivered, to read Dorie Greenspan’s monthly column, On Desserts. When this recipe for cocoa-cornmeal biscotti appeared, I knew…
I anxiously scanned the Weather Network hourly weather report for the fifth time. No change. The forecast was for icy rain followed by up to twenty cm of snow. The pending arrival of yet another winter storm that would leave mounds of impassable snow in its wake was disconcerting. But the realization that our planned visit to Detroit to spend time with the family would have to be postponed, left…
This morning I awoke to the sad news that baking celebrity, the Pillsbury Doughboy, died as a result of a severe yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was seventy-one. According to funeral attendees Cap’n Crunch and Betty Crocker, “Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Despite being a little flaky at times, he was…
It seems quite miraculous to me that at the coldest, darkest point of the winter, the supermarkets magically fill with gem-like clementines, ruby-fleshed blood oranges, tangy, pink Cara oranges and more-sweet-than-tart Meyer lemons. Most citrus fruits ripen to their sweetest and juiciest during the North American winter and happily we can enjoy a taste of sunshine at a relatively low price from locales as far flung as Spain and Morocco…
The debut of the Batman television series in January 1966 was ground breaking on many levels. The show starred two crime-fighting heroes, Bruce Wayne/Batman and Dick Grayson/Robin, who defended Gotham City from a variety of arch villains. Broadcast on two consecutive nights, it was the highlight of my week for more than one reason. After watching the latest episode at a classmate’s house, as the closing credits filled the screen,…
I first read about Lotus Biscoff cookie butter back in 2010 when cookbook author David Lebovitz raved about it on his blog. Biscoff cookies are Belgian spice cookies, similar to gingersnaps. They have more than a hint of cinnamon and ginger and deep caramel bass notes. Biscoff cookie butter is a smooth spread made of blended Biscoff cookies. Imagine being able to lick a not too sweet caramelized gingersnap right…
Doughnuts fried in oil are traditionally eaten at Chanukah time to commemorate the miracle of the menorah oil that lasted eight days. My personal favorites are doughnuts that are not fried, but rather cake doughnuts that are baked, like these apple cider doughnuts by recipe developer and cookbook author Erin Jeanne McDowell, published in the New York Times. Light and fluffy, these doughnuts have cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter…
At the end of a long day, just a nibble of something sweet can soothe jangled nerves and tired bones. These cravings are easily satisfied with a slice or two of these skinny sensations, a copycat recipe of that popular treat known as Almondina® or THINaddictives. This crispy cookie has no added fat, is wonderfully crunchy, and has a delicious nutty flavor from a mix of almonds and pistachios. Sliced…