Julia Child’s birthday was this week – August 15, to be exact. For those of us who love to cook, she was an inspiration because we learned so much from her, and we saw the passion and joy she displayed in her kitchen, so we celebrate her special day! I was really young when…
Dessert
Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon-Rum-Orange Yogurt
Growing a pineapple is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do. All you have to do is place the green top of a pineapple into some dirt and wait for it to produce a flower — one that results in a perfect pineapple. Easy, right? Like many things, it’s not that simple….
Hershey’s Chocolate Cake
My pantry is never without a box of Hershey’s Cocoa. While it may not be one of those high-end cocoas with a fancy name and a big price tag, it runs deep in the veins of my family. There was always a box in my mom’s pantry, which she regularly used to make their “Perfectly…
Rosemary & Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Rosemary is a beautiful, fragrant herb known for remembrance and friendship. It’s also a source of iron, calcium and B-6, and even has ancient healing roots for ailments like muscle aches, memory loss and hair loss. This stuff has it all! Because it thrives in a sunny climate and loves rain (we’ve been having a…
Almond Biscotti
When it comes to holiday cookies, I’m game for anything — thumbprints with yummy jam, spicy gingerbread, buttery shortbread, those little cookies with red or green cherries in the middle, cut out shapes covered in colored sugar — I love to bake ‘em AND eat ‘em. But there’s another cookie I especially love. Biscotti! These…
Gold Rush Griddle Cookies
While digging through my grandmother’s recipe box, hoping to find inspiration for a post this week, I came across “Gold Rush Griddle Cookies” and my heart warmed. . . Since I was a kid (early 1970s, that is), my mom made these as breakfast treats. I’m not sure if she found the recipe first, or…
Lemon-Orange-Rosemary Granita
June 21 marked the first day of summer, but here in Florida it has felt like summer for the last two months. Needless to say, it has been pretty hot, and two weeks of rain greatly increased our infamous humidity levels, making it ultimately feel like the surface of the sun. For those of us…
Blueberry-Basil Crisp
There are few desserts I love more than warm, berry crisp. Think about it – your spoon breaks through that crunchy, buttery layer of goodness, then it dives deeper into soft, warm, gooey fruit. And, as you raise that drippy spoon to your mouth, you can’t help but anticipate how delicious it will be once…
Creamy Rice, Pineapple & Orange Pudding
When Easter rolls around I think of family dinners around my grandmother’s table. Dinner usually included baked ham with sweet and cinnamon-y pineapple sauce, creamy scalloped potatoes, fresh asparagus and homemade rolls, and it has always been one of my favorite meals. But dessert was also a treat. She usually served lemon meringue pie (or…
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Folks who know me best have heard me say “Anything is better with cream cheese frosting or bacon,” and a combination of the two is simply over-the-top deliciousness, in my book. Today we’re talking about cream cheese frosting. I simply adore it, especially when it’s on my favorite Apple Cake. I’ve written about this cake…
Basil Infused Whipped Cream
For years I’ve tried to grow basil in a pot in my home, only to see the poor plants get more withered and sad by the day. . . Well, things have changed at the Coudal house ‘cause we now have a garden and my basil is growing like gangbusters! The plants look so happy,…
Olive Oil & Orange Cake
Several years ago my friend Rosemary and I took a cooking class in Sarasota with Pamela Sheldon Johns, a talented chef who splits her time between California and Italy. She has written many cookbooks specializing in regional Italian cuisine, and she loves to share her passion for cooking with others. Her farm, Poggio Etrusco, is…