February 21, 2012
Multiseed Buckwheat Cookies
One of the challenges of writing a cookbook is that, for the duration of the project, most of one's cooking energies are channeled into the book -- to develop the recipes initially, and then to re-test them as often as needed to refine them.
This means that, for months and months, one's kitchen activities are largely governed by a spreadsheet -- glamorous, no? -- and any tempting recipe that may be found online, in books, or in magazines, must...
"Multiseed Buckwheat Cookies" continues »
February 14, 2012
Chocolate Appreciation Society (Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat)
A little over a year ago, I received the kind of phone call that makes you beam for hours on end, unable (and not really willing, either) to peel the smile off your face: I had just been admitted as a member of the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat, a famous French chocolate appreciation society I'd been dreaming of joining for years.
Created in the early eighties, when chocolate and chocolatiers didn't get nearly as much attention and respect as...
"Chocolate Appreciation Society (Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat)" continues »
February 8, 2012
Three Very Good Things: Squash and Coffee Soup, Lo Bak Go, and Honey Lemon Tea
{This is part of a series in which I share three delicious things recently tasted and enjoyed. Please feel free to share your 3VGT list in the comments below, or on your own blog!}
My latest "three very good things" are as follows:
~ Red Kuri Squash Soup with Arabica Whipped Cream
I was just in Valence for a work project, and had the opportunity to dine at one of Anne-Sophie Pic's establishments: not the three-star gastronomic restaurant, but ...
"Three Very Good Things: Squash and Coffee Soup, Lo Bak Go, and Honey Lemon Tea" continues »
February 1, 2012
DIY Cloth Napkins
I am not very big on what the French call arts de la table (literally, table arts), an umbrella term that covers the choice and placement of dinnerware, silverware, and glassware, as well as flower arrangements and any other table decorations.
I do appreciate a nicely laid table, and admire those hosts who devote time and energy to thinking up seasonal themes and handcrafting little trinkets to prettify each place setting (especially if it's d...
"DIY Cloth Napkins" continues »