About the time of the first frost (or in our case first huge snowfall in October where the snow is just casually falling out of the sky without any kind of explanation like it’s no big deal), the little man who lives in my belly turns his thoughts from tomatoes and scallops and peaches and rosés to pork braises and roasted brussels sprouts and sausages and red wine. It works out nicely that way. [Read more…]
For whatever reason, I’d been putting this date cake off for weeks. The pound of exquisite Medjool dates I had purchased wallowed in the fridge. Every few days the allure of the dates would prove irresistible and, wondering if the cake would ever get made, I’d pinch a couple. But then, it snowed.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere you probably heard–the east coast got snow in October. We were mostly expecting nothing, but Saturday morning rain turned quickly to snow. First a few scattered flakes, then gigantic fluff, then it came faster, and soon, it was straight-up snowing. And then what are you going to? Make a date cake, of course. [Read more…]
Fall settles strangely here in the city. One minutes it’s warm, sunny, and the leaves are on the trees. Then suddenly, the winds pick up, the leaves turn and quickly fall off. Elsewhere, fall is a more gradual process with vibrant colors and fresh, bracing air. That’s why we always head out of town in October–to get a sense of our favorite time of year. But this year, things have been different. [Read more…]
Recently, I admitted that I really, really love potato salad. It’s time for another bourgeois confession: I love coleslaw. My ardent admiration for potato salad and coleslaw comes with a few caveats, though–I want fresh, slightly crisp ingredients, a light touch with the dressing, and a hint of raw onion.
It was with these thoughts in mind that I whipped up this tasty pear and cabbage slaw the other night. [Read more…]
In an attempt to enjoy every single second of fall, I’ve been hoarding fall fruit. Right now, I’m sitting on a serious cache of pears. Later today I’m hoping (if the baby’s nap schedule cooperates) to tackle pear butter, but for now let’s talk about cake – more specifically, pear and chocolate cake. I am a little bit of a dessert minimalist and not at all prone to cramming 3 pears and nearly a cup of chocolate into one cake, but it sounded good, so I did it. [Read more…]