I’m a fan of East London baker Claire Ptak, the owner of Violet, a bakery in Hackney. I’ve never eaten any of her pastry; never made a pilgrimage to her shop. But I do follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. So, you know, it’s like we’re besties. A few posts ago, Claire – a […]
A long time ago and not so far away, Steven and I supped at the home of our friends who are mad gardeners. The wife, an excellent cook as well, served us boneless turkey breast stuffed with kale and mushrooms. It was delicious, and I never forgot it. So when the kale craze hit […]
I’ve judged dozens of contests in my day. Whether it was choosing readers’ best Christmas cookies, the hunkiest bachelor or crowning that year’s “Boston Pride Idol,” it was always serious business for me. Of course, I also got a chance to be on the other side of the judges’ table as a contestant on the […]
Faced with a 3-pound bag of short-grained rice, a few half gallons of milk, 2 quarts of heavy cream and lots of leftover candied citrus peel, I got back in the rice pudding game. I admit I was a little stove-shy after last week’s rice dessert debacle (see previous blog post). But I couldn’t possibly […]
Who leaves a three-month bakery apprenticeship and just days later feels confident enough to bake for 400 people? Of course, that would be me. Full disclosure: I never baked anything at Flour Bakery + Cafe during my tenure. They don’t let the interns near the ovens except for toasting nuts, which I did many times […]
I cannot imagine what the late, great Julia Child would think of all the science projects that pass for fine dining these days. My guess is she’d be horrified. I envision Julia — or Meryl Streep as the cinematic French Chef — bellowing as a hipster waiter placed a plate of foam, gel and smoking […]
Call me contra mundum, but I couldn’t bear to drive in the parking lot of Anthony’s Pier 4, much less eat there. So don’t expect this girl to weep even a little bit for this circa 1963 restaurant that finally closed its doors tonight. Popovers, shmopovers. Before I begin this screed against ye olde seafood […]
Here’s a blog post I wrote this week for the gals at betterafter50.com. Enjoy! There are lots of things that make me happy–road trips, a purring cat on my lap, an enthusiastic hug from a child. But nothing, I mean nothing compares to the joy I feel cooking for my family and friends. It’s why […]
It felt like the mercury was off the charts today on the South Shore. It was so oppressive, even I didn’t feel like eating — and that’s saying something. Although I think I could have rallied to hit the Del’s Lemonade truck at the farmer’s market down the street. Maybe. The reality is I still […]
I managed to throw together a pan of Flour‘s Intense Chocolate Brownies today for my aunt’s post-barbecue Make Your Own Sundae Bar this weekend. However, I have a feeling Someone may lay claim to a few tonight so I must dash out for more unsweetened bar chocolate. Perhaps you’re thinking Flour’s brownies are a little […]