History Today we are bringing back the tradition of eating cake to celebrate voting! Election cakes date back to the colonial period when “Election Day” was a holiday. The Puritans rejected religious holidays like Easter and Christmas and celebrated their ability to vote for local officials instead (source). It is thought that this cake was…
We all know and love the apple cider donuts you get at farmstands, still piping hot from the fryer! My personal favorites are from Cider Belly Donuts in New Hampshire 🙂 Where are your favorite donuts? This bundt cake is my attempt to recreate those same flavors at home… warmth from the spices, a slight…
These treats are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like pure pumpkin puree, natural peanut butter, and greek yogurt. Below I also provide the health benefits of these ingredients and give you tips on what to avoid. Our dog, Maggie, loved these treats and I am sure yours will, too! Ingredients and Health Benefits: Pumpkin Puree:…
This cheesecake uses both cream cheese and mascarpone for an extra rich, creamy, and smooth texture. It is spiced with cinnamon and a gingersnap crust and topped with brûléed figs. This is sure to be a stunner at your next dinner 🙂 Tips & Tricks These are my top tips for a smooth cheesecake: Room…
A party without cake is just a meeting Julia Child A cake for celebrations! Champagne is baked right in the cake batter, layered with strawberry preserves and coated with an elderflower frosting. The champagne flavor is very mild and not overpowering. This is a great cake for celebrating engagements, weddings, showers, etc! But if you…
These Rice Krispie treats use homemade salted caramel marshmallows, brown butter, and a little bit of salt to give you an extra ooey-gooey, salty-sweet little square of heaven! The key to a good Rice Krispie treat is in the ratio of cereal to marshmallow. In this recipe, I used more marshmallow and less cereal than…
This is a fun twist on the classic zucchini bread with flavors of ginger, freshly grated nutmeg, and lemon zest. To finish, the bread is toasted in brown butter and topped with a dollop of créme fraiche and a sprinkle of sea salt. Plus, the zucchini requires ZERO draining and wringing dry prior to baking!…
These s’mores are made with homemade graham crackers, homemade salted caramel marshmallow and Ghirardelli chocolate. We live less than a mile away from Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco so I have always been fascinated with the company’s history and iconic status in the city. The founder, Domingo Ghirardelli, was born in Italy in 1817 and…
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert with layers of espresso-soaked savoiardi (lady fingers), creamy mascarpone, and shaved chocolate or cocoa powder. In this post I will discuss the history behind tiramisu, weigh-in on common adaptations, and give you my favorite recipe! History Tiramisu translates to “pick me up.” It is a relatively new dessert dating back to the…
Williams Sonoma sells a line of celebrity-designed spatulas in order to support No Kid Hungry, a non-profit organization with the mission of ending childhood hunger in America. The sale of just one spatula is enough to provide meals for FORTY children in need. According to the USDA, more than 11 million children in the United…
The Black Beauty tomato is deeply hued, meaty, and earthy. The dark color comes from extreme anthocyanin expression (which is the same antioxidant in blueberries and blackberries). Some of the tomatoes are fully black, others have both red and black. What color do you think it is inside? Hint, see below 🙂 As soon as…
The base recipe for this focaccia comes from Sarah Jampel at Bon Appetit. As her title states, it is both “shockingly easy” and “no-knead.” Knead I say more? hehe This recipe is easy to follow, comes together quickly (not counting the rise times), and it has the most delicious flavor and texture. I don’t think…
Introducing your new favorite dessert for summer! This recipe features juicy peaches in vanilla bean paste, brown sugar, and freshly grated ginger. The topping is made with oats, ground ginger, and crunchy coconut flakes. Serve this warm with vanilla ice cream… You may never go back to a normal peach crisp! I used both freshly…
I love a good cheese plate! In fact, I could make a whole meal out of it! It is a great option if you do not feel like cooking anything 🙂 A cheese plate is also ideal for entertaining (whenever we can do that again) because you can prepare it in advance and you can…
This recipe for salted caramel cookies comes from Leeds St Bakery in Wellington, New Zealand. We went to Leeds St for coffee and breakfast one morning on our honeymoon and got their famous cookie to-go to eat “later in the day,” perhaps after going to the Te Papa museum. Let me tell you… we ate this entire cookie…
These zucchini blossoms are stuffed with ricotta, golden raisin, walnut, shallot, and garlic. They are coated in a batter made with sparking water which contributes to a super crispy bite. The dipping sauce is a sage-walnut pesto. This recipe is inspired by the fried zucchini blossoms we had a Rita in Wellington, NZ. My husband…
This seasonal interpretation of panzanella features grilled peaches, tomatoes, corn, and avocado. I also added a jalapeño for a little spice, goat cheese, and basil. All the flavors come together with a Dijon-shallot dressing. I hope you make this salad the next time you have ripe peaches! A bit of history…. Panzanella is a Tuscan…
I recently started learning more about making jam and how to properly preserve fruits. Now is a great time to learn because there is so much fresh fruit at the market that you can make into jam and enjoy all year long! This jam has about 50% less sugar than your typical recipe and has no added…
Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson opened Tartine in 2002 on Guerrero St in San Francisco. Since then, it has grown to over 10 locations throughout the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Seoul. They have written cookbooks including the original Tartine (2006), Tartine Bread (2010), Tartine All Day (2017), and Tartine: A Classic Revisited (2019). The morning bun is one of their most famous pastries. It…
This heirloom tomato tart features homemade ricotta, fresh basil, and zesty lemon. I know we say this about most homemade things, but this ricotta tastes nothing like the ricotta you find in the grocery store. It is rich and creamy, almost like a very soft cream cheese. It is also so easy to make (you…
I am so excited to share this lemon tart with you! It has a tender, buttery cookie crust, a layer of tart lemon curd, and a jammy layer of fresh tayberries. This might be my favorite dessert I have ever made! What are tayberries? Tayberries are a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. They…
These fig cobbler macarons have a cinnamon oat shell, brown butter buttercream, and a fig preserve filling. Macarons are a fun weekend project requiring time, effort, and practice. The outcome is so rewarding and everybody will love these 🙂 It is important to find a macaron method that works for you. In addition to my…
I have said it before and I will say it again, stone fruit season is the best season! In addition to using peaches for pies, crisps, and cobblers, try putting them on your pizza. You will be surprised how good this combination is 🙂 You can use homemade or store bought dough, topped with olive…
Vintage 1940’s M&M Cookies made for the 4th of July! 🇺🇸 M&Ms were patented by Forrest E. Mars (of the Mars Candy Company) in 1941. These candies were originally sold exclusively to the US Military during World War II because they were heat-resistant and easy to transport. But their history dates much further back… Mars…
Introducing the brûléed fig salad with arugula, prosciutto, and pistachio on a bed of whipped mascarpone! A few years ago I took a cooking class with Chef Mat at Kitchen on Fire in Berkeley, California. I have been wanting to recreate this salad ever since. The theme of the evening was a “Culinary Tour of…
The strawberry scone from Big Sur Bakery forever changed my opinion of scones. I used to think scones were dry, tasteless, and crumbly. These are tender, buttery, and full of strawberry flavor. I am confident these scones will reform even the biggest scone opponents 🙂 The most interesting feature of this recipe is the method…
This is a recipe for Blueberry Tea Cake from the 1927 cookbook, “Any one can Bake.” We found this book at a library sale. It was packed with torn out recipes and handwritten notes on the margins of the book. I bet the previous owner was a really good baker 🙂 The recipes were complied…
Enjoy the strawberry season while it is still going strong! I used lots of fresh strawberries so you get one in almost every bite. The glaze is made with freeze-dried strawberries ground down to a powder giving you an extra intense flavor and that beautiful hue! The white chocolate drizzle is for good measure 🙂…
This is the custard pie recipe from “What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking,” published in 1881. This cookbook is thought to be the first African-American cookbook. Mrs. Fisher was born into slavery in South Carolina. She married a man from Alabama and they made their way to San Francisco after the Civil War….
This recipe comes together quickly and it can be customized with whatever fruit is in season. There is NO SHAME in using frozen puff pastry (especially if you are making these before your first cup of coffee). The cream cheese filling has just a touch of almond extract which is a nice compliment for the…
Grilled pineapple with coconut gelato is the perfect summer dessert. It makes you feel like you are on vacation and you do not need to turn your oven on in the summer heat! We tested a few methods for grilling pineapple and the best results came by brushing the pineapple slices with a brown sugar…
We are lucky to live in a city that is so food-oriented. Here is my list of favorite restaurants and activities in the area. I will keep this list updated as we discover new places. The restaurants are organized by neighborhood. We live in the Marina District so that is why you see more options…
My husband and I got married on November 10th, 2019! It was a magical day and it truly is the best feeling to see everybody together witnessing such a big moment in our life. We were surrounded by so much love and celebration. I will also say that after spending a year plus planning a…
Maui is one of six main Hawaiian Islands (the others being Kauai, Oahu (where Honolulu is), Molokai, Lanai, and the island of Hawaii (also known as the “Big Island”). Each island has its own personality and things to love about it. Maui is my favorite because it is a great balance of nature and outdoor…
Learn how to use a fish kettle and prepare a simple French-inspired lunch.
This appetizer has nectarines, melon, heirloom cherry tomatoes, burrata, prosciutto, basil, and balsamic glaze. Basically, summer on a plate! Stone fruits have hard pits (“stones”). Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and cherries are all stone fruits. The height of their season is July/August but it is never too early to start planning all the ways you can…