It. Is. Hot. Too hot to refinish furniture, but just right for making ice cream. Flavor of the week is Basil Chocolate, a reprise from last year around this time. But first, a few images and links to share. Colorful buildings, a community-driven mural project in Brazil slum. Sharon’s kitchen window. Letter bench from the Chair blog. I did [...]
April 4, 2010
If it’s April, it’s the start of strawberry season and a great time to capture the essence of spring in a jar of homemade strawberry jam. Two things that make this recipe so worth doing: it’s an easy, stress-free, nearly screw up proof process with just three ingredients. If you have the strawberries but forgot the [...]
December 16, 2009
Does fillet have sole? Can you have a cup of cocoa without marshmallows*? And what if the marshmallows are homemade? Brace yourself, but not too hard, because fluffy white marshmallows are easy peasy to produce in your own kitchen. They’re not baking or a candy making extravaganza, they’re somewhere in between, so be sure to claim [...]
December 3, 2009
At the office or on a camping trip, those little envelopes of powdered cocoa are convenient. But they’re far from the real thing — a cup of hot chocolate whipped up from just three ingredients. The Carnation company hopes we’ll get so caught up in the handy packets we’ll forget: it takes the same amount [...]
September 13, 2009
A friend of mine harbors the secret to a really good salsa. She learned it from somebody who grew up in southern Texas and made it every week, so it’s regionally authentic. Still, she won’t reveal, feeling proprietary about her source. I can’t imagine living without salsa and chips, so—having been in her kitchen and watched [...]
August 16, 2009
This weekend I made a new variation of chocolate ice cream, pairing it with fresh, peppery ginger. Before getting started, I was unaware that ginger will curdle milk. Did you know this? An enzyme in the ginger causes a thickening reaction, according to Tokyo blogger Blue Lotus. On my first attempt to infuse the ginger, I [...]
July 26, 2009
Found: Beautiful bunch of fresh basil Where: The mini farmer’s market that takes place on Wednesdays in my neighborhood, just down the block and in front of the Y The process: This turned out so well, I’d like to share the recipe. I learned the finesse of ice cream making from one of my kids, who’s worked [...]
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July 15, 2010
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