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Remember the strawberry jam I made awhile back? It was well received.

A Swell Season for Strawberries

Instead of dwelling on the fact that I haven't posted in, oh, looks like almost a month, let's talk about strawberries, shall we?

This is the third gallon of strawberries I've bought this year, not counting the random pints picked up at the grocery store. I always have the best of intentions to preserve them, putting them in the freezer for homemade ice cream, jam, and cobblers on down the road. But I have a little girl who is absolutely gaga about strawberries. Seriously, I've heard her mumble, "Kate need strawberry" in her sleep on more than one occasion. So I think it's fair to say that many more berries have ended up in her tummy (and on her face, hands, and clothes) than into the freezer, but that's as it should be too, no? After all, I don't know of a cobbler or jam that can compete with a ripe, luscious berry, straight from the vine (or the produce stand in our case, seeing as we have no strawberry patch here.....an issue that really should be addressed).

However, this afternoon during naptime, I did manage to make a run of strawberry jam. The weather has been balmy, breezy, very spring-esque this week, with temperatures hovering in the quite pleasant 70s, so jam making was definitely within the realm of possibility. I absolutely hate making jam when it's scorching hot outside. Sometimes I worry that I give the weather entirely too much control over my life, but so be it.

I use the recipe in the Sure-Jell packet, although there is an old fashion (pectin free) recipe in my favorite preserving book that I keep trying to work up the courage to try. Maybe next time. As it was, I nearly met with catastrophe when, just after dumping my sugar into the boiling fruit, I realized that although I had jars and lids sterilizing in boiling water, I had completely forgotten about the rings! I frantically ran around the kitchen unscrewing the rings off of everything that had one, and thankfully, ended up with just enough. Whew! Jam making disaster averted.

So now, Kate's with her Nonna and I'm sitting here listening to the comforting little "pop" that lets me know they've sealed, and thinking I should be getting ready for my big date tonight! Mark and I are celebrating our 3rd anniversary a week early. First we're going here to eat spicy Thai food downtown, and then we're off to the Orange Peel to see The Swell Season! Finally! I was elated when I found out they were coming here, since I had almost (but not quite) managed to convince Mark to take me to D.C. last November. I plan to ogle Glen Hansard all evening. I have sort of a thing for quirky red headed lads. Especially quirky red headed lads with Irish accents who can sing like nobody's business. Mark doesn't mind. Besides, he'll have Marketa Irglova to keep him company, and she's no slouch. So, time to go get fancified. Or at least take a shower and wash the sticky strawberry juice out of my hair.

Baguettes and Food Rituals

Even though I wouldn't classify myself as a raging Francophile, there's no question about it: those French folks do know their bread. And their butter. And their wine. And their fashion. Okay, so maybe I'm a Francophile in training. Anyway, I've been making these baguettes for a few years now. In fact, this was the first homemade bread recipe I tackled, and it has definitely become a standard in our house. Growing up in the south, most of the time, bread with dinner meant biscuits. My mom makes the absolute best biscuits in the world. Light, fluffy....truly exquisite. However, when I started making them myself and realized the amount of shortening that goes into those little pieces of heaven, well, let's just say that for me, biscuits have been relegated to the occasional splurge category. But these baguettes are simply flour, water, a bit of salt, yeast, and an egg wash on top to give them that pretty gold color. So, while they may not win any health food awards either, I think it's fair to say that compared to lard laden biscuits, they are the sure way to go. Besides, I actually prefer the chewy, dense texture. Except with gravy. With gravy, only a biscuit will do.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite books, French Women Don't Get Fat. Warm weather always brings the inevitable urge to slim down, and while I wouldn't classify myself as overweight by medical standards, like many women I've got a few vanity pounds I wouldn't mind shedding. But, at the same time, I'm definitely not the type to "go on a diet." The entire premise seems set up for failure. That's why I love this book so much. It focuses on fresh, seasonal, mindful eating. In particular, the rituals surrounding what and how we eat. As a general rule, we eat well. While we don't always adhere to strict "health food" rules, I'm pretty adamant about scratch cooking, and we steer clear of processed and packaged foods. The main area that needs work around here, is being mindful of creating and observing rituals around mealtime. We do eat most meals at home, but I must confess that sometimes rather than sitting and mindfully eating and enjoying my dinner, I'm gobbling it down, thinking the whole time about the ensuing clean up. Clearly, this is not giving mealtime the proper respect it deserves, and I'm vowing to improve.

I was inspired by this post a few weeks ago. With a two year old, we're still not quite at the place where we can enjoy daily candlelit family dinners and consistent stimulating conversation, but as Kate becomes more proficient at feeding herself, and the amount of food on the floor after dinner daily decreases, I definitely have hope. In any event, I'm inspired by both Amanda's post and this excellent book to treat meal time as a sacred ritual, not something to be rushed through.

Baguette Recipe

From French Women Don't Get Fat by Mirelle Guiliano

-1 tsp. active dry yeast

- 2 cups warm water

- 4 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose white flour

-2 tsp. kosher salt

- 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir with a fork. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, and sti in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Mix the dough until it is sticky enough to knead. On a lightly floured board, knead for 6 - 10 minutes; the dough should be sticky and smoth. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about one hour.

3. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each into a ball and shape into a baguette. Transfer the loaves to a lightly greased baking sheet and let rise until nearly doubled.

*My sister bought me a special baguette pan for Christmas this year that I love! If you don't have one though, you can just lay them out on a regular baking sheet. I made them without one for years. They'll still taste great, but will be flat on the bottom as opposed to the traditional baguette shape.

4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Brsh the baguettes with the egg-water mixture. Score the loaves diagonally across the top with a sharp knife.

5. Pour 2 cups of hot water into a pan and place in the preheated oven next to the baguettes to provide moisture. (If we're being honest here, I don't always do that. I'm sure it can't hurt, but I really can't tell the difference). Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before slicing.

*In related news, while doing a quick google search for the image of the book, I discovered that Hilary Swank is doing a movie based on the book, French Women Don't Get Fat. I never could find anything in terms of an official release date (and didn't spend a great deal of time looking, so it might be out there), but this article was interesting.

British Culinary Invasion

Last year, we turned off our cable, and I can honestly say that I haven't missed it at all. We're Netflix junkies, so we still have an ample supply of tv and movie entertainment, but we're able to steer clear of annoying and consumer driven commercials (that became more important as Miss Kate became more aware of the words and actions appearing on the screen). But, I must confess, I was pretty bummed at the prospect of not being able to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. In addition to the fact that the premise of the show is noble and ingenious and world changing and all that, well, let's face it, Jamie's just a doll. I've harbored a crush on the tow headed Brit since the college days of holing up in my dorm room to watch The Naked Chef. I've always loved his fresh, spontaneous, carefree approach to food. And his cute accent.

I'm especially intrigued by the project in West Virginia, because before Kate was born, I taught for five years at a rural public high school here in western North Carolina. So I'm no stranger to the horrors that pass for "nutrition" in a high school cafeteria. It always seemed the pinnacle of absurdity to me that our district employed a "school nutritionist" and it was still deemed acceptable to serve frozen pizza, canned corn, and french fries for lunch. This isn't meant as a personal slight to the individuals who hold such positions, it's just such a blatant display of the systemic failures that impact all areas of public education. Okay, stepping off the soapbox now.

So anyway, I was beyond thrilled to discover that I can watch the show on Hulu, and that's just what I'll be doing tonight. Mark's playing a solo gig, Kate's in bed early, so it's just me and Jamie for the duration of the evening. I'm pretty stoked.

And, under the same category of cute British chefs, have you seen The Delicious Miss Dahl? It looks like Giada and Nigella may have some stiff competition for most glamorous queen of the kitchen, no? I also just learned that she's Roald Dahl's granddaughter. I doubt that's where she gets her good looks from, but still. Love her pretty kitchen, love her culinary prattle, and wish my cheeks were that rosy and effervescent. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Pear Bread

We're no strangers to sweet breads around here. I have more banana bread recipes than I care to count, and while Mark is not a big banana bread fan (weird!) he can scarf down pumpkin bread and zucchini bread with the best of them. But pear bread? I had never heard of such a thing, and frankly, while I've never really disliked pears, my general attitude toward them has been one of apathy. Mark on the other hand, is simply gaga over pears. I've often thought there's probably some dark Freudian symbolism in my fondness for bananas and his obsession with pears, but I digress.

So anyway, I spotted this recipe awhile back, but didn't get around to making it until last week. Gracious me! Pear bread has definitely captured a new spot in my permanent recipe collection, and I anticipate many batches of this being made throughout the years. It's similar to the more cakey banana bread recipes in my repertoire (the recipe is actually adapted from Southern Cakes, which explains a lot), but while I've often accused pears of being bland and boring, in this recipe they take on a sophisticated subtlety that just made me swoon. Deb swears this bread gets better and better with time, peaking at about day five, but seeing as how we had devoured every last crumb by day two, I can't really say much about that.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

I'm an all American mutt, with a very muddied gene pool: Native American, Scottish, Dutch, and yes, rumors of a wee smidgen of Irish down the line somewhere. Enough to justify the fact that I love St. Patrick's Day. I'm not really sure why, because largely it's such a commercialized holiday at this point. But I can't help it. I like all the jolly green revelry. But, and some of you may find this sacrilegious, I just don't care for Guinness. Not at all. I'm not really a big beer drinker period, but Guinness is particularly icky to me. It's too dark, too bitter. BUT, I'm more than happy to eat it, especially in the form of Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake which is absolutely amazing! You can't really taste the Guinness exactly, but it gives an earthy depth and subtle tang to an otherwise pretty standard chocolate cake. The cream cheese icing is lightened up (in texture obviously, not calories) by the addition of cream, and oh my, it's just heavenly. So, I raise my fork in cheers, wishing you and yours a happy St. Patrick's Day!

This cake was super easy to make. Here is the recipe with measurements already converted, if you're like me and too lazy to do the math. Cheers!

Top ephemera image via Suzee Que

Chocolate Bread Pudding or Crazy Good Leftovers!

Ever since I started making my own bread regularly, I'm always trying to find ways to use up the leftover odds and ends. Throwing away half a loaf of store brought bread is wasteful, but throwing away the tiniest piece of homemade bread that you so lovingly kneaded and tended through pretty much the whole Little Red Hen process, well, that's just heartbreaking. So, I keep my nose to the ground for recipes like this. I first spotted this chocolate bread pudding over here, and it is indeed swoon worthy. Last night, we ate it fresh from the oven, drizzled with the butterscotch sauce (which is super easy and a keeper recipe on its own!), warm and gooey and rustic, and just perfect. Since I'm not known for my will power around anything chocolate, this morning I sprinkled powdered sugar over it and called it breakfast, and even cold, it will still make you turn cartwheels!

A few things: (1) Like Amy suggested, I doubled the chocolate and added 1 tsp. cinnamon. No espresso powder for me though, I'm not big on coffee flavored desserts (which is strange since I'm such a coffee hound!) (2) The original recipe calls for cinnamon raisin bread, but since I was using up old bread, I used a combination of a few days' old Who Bread and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and A Wee Bout With the Plague

We're digging out of a full week of the plague around these parts. I started the whole wretched affair, of which I'll spare you all the gory details. I firmly place blame on the communal yoga mat I used at the Y the other day, against my better judgment!!! Oh dear. I get sick so rarely, and it's a good thing too, because I'm not very big and brave about it. I don't try to keep going or muddle through or anything so noble as that. Before Kate was born, if sickness struck I would cowardly slink to the bedroom, burrow under a mound of quilts and blankets and hibernate for as long as it took to return to normalcy. As it turns out, Mamas are not allowed to be sick, because hibernation ceases to be an option with a little one to care for. And, in the course of caring for said little one, you end up infecting her as well. So, the nasty little germ made the rounds, laying us all up for the better part of last week.

Whining aside, we're much better now, and since saltine crackers and chicken noodle soup have been the cuisine of choice lately, yesterday Kate and I celebrated a return to wellness by making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Ever so humble, there's nothing in this world quite like a chocolate chip cookie, fresh from the oven. I tried a new recipe (you can find it here), and was very pleased. As a connoisseur of chocolate chip cookies, I'm a bit particular. I was initially skeptical about using cold butter and the fact that the cookies are baked at 300 degrees for 18 minutes (most recipes I use are more of the 350 for 10-12 minutes variety). My skepticism veered into cynicism as my mixer strained and whined during the creaming of the butter and sugar (to be fair, my mixer is an inexpensive handheld one, veering into middle age), but when they (finally!) came out of the oven, I was pleasantly surprised. This cookie is deliciously chewy, yet remarkably light. The walnuts added in are perfection, and really, you must toast them first. It makes all the difference in the world. And probably the best thing about this cookie is the high chocolate chip ratio! A winner for sure.

Apples for Jam and Food Photography

Lately, I’ve been reading cookbooks like they were trashy romance novels. I mean, who cares about burning loins when you could whip up an apple stuffed pork loin roast , and Danielle Steele can just keep those heaving bosoms, thank you very much, I’m lusting after sparkling ginger chip cookies.
One of my favorite cookbooks of late is Apples for Jam, by Tessa Kiros. Seriously, who could resist this cover? Just look at those red shoes! Red shoes are one of my obsessions, so any thoughts of not judging books by their covers just flew right out the window when I saw this. And thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. Apples to Jam is one of the most gorgeous cookbooks you’ll find. When I was finished flipping through the book, there were about 50 post-its sticking out where I’d marked recipes I wanted to try. Like meringue with strawberries and chocolate or vanilla cake or honey cake! Can you tell my sweet tooth rules the roost around here?

As yummy and delectable as all this sounds, the main thing that sets this book apart from similar cookbooks is the photography. Using whimsical props, gorgeous color (I forgot to mention that the entire organizational premise of the recipes is based on color, how cool is that?), and super close-ups and interesting angles, Tessa Kiros not only has me itching to tie on my apron and get in the kitchen, but also encourages me to get better acquainted with my camera.

Food styling and still-life photography is not something I ever gave a lot of thought to before I started frequenting cooking blogs. After seeing such pretty pictures as this, or this, or this, I thought, well, that looks like fun, I'll give it a whirl. Well, turns out, taking a good picture of food is definitely not as easy as it looks. I quickly discovered that there is a true art form to it, as well as a lot of technical know how (about lighting, shutter speeds, etc.) that I didn’t have a clue about. Not to mention the infinite possibilities in Photoshop, about which I only know the tip of the iceberg. Well, I still don’t have a clue, but it’s something I’d like to explore. I know there are oodles of online tutorials, or maybe I might even take a spring semester class at our local community college. And, ever the bookworm, here are a few books on the subject I’m thinking about ordering:

A few of my favorite cooking blogs, where gorgeous food photography (and brilliant writing!) abounds!

Tartlette
Smitten Kitchen

101 Cookbooks

Orangette

What are your favorite cookbooks or cooking blogs?

Simply Breakfast

Wishing my breakfasts were always so pretty!

(Simply Breakfast/Jennifer Causey)

A Homemade Life

I knew Molly Wizenberg and I were kindred spirits when I tallied up 5 separate and distinct recipes for banana bread on her fabulous cooking blog, Orangette. My personal favorite is the chocolate chip banana bread, which actually isn’t on the blog, but in her book, A Homemade Life. I read this book over the summer, not knowing that a “cookbook” would evermore be present in my list of favorite books of all time. Seriously, it’s that good.

First of all, it’s only a cookbook in the sense that it includes some absolutely fabulous recipes. But more importantly, it’s a deeply personal story of Molly and her family, told through memories of food and table. The story is not especially unique (therein lies a big part of the charm), but it is warm, generous, heartfelt, funny, and infinitely moving. Molly’s writing style is what really sets this book apart. Yes, all of our stories could probably be told through food, but few of us could tell them as compellingly as Molly. I could read this book over and over again, and probably will.

I’ve also become an avid reader of Molly’s monthly column in Bon Appetit magazine. These blueberry oat scones are scrumptious and I too, now consider myself an apostle of kale!

Rainy Days

The gloomy weather continues, but I don't really mind so much. Our cabin has a tin roof, which makes a rainstorm more pleasant than not. Besides, Miss Kate and I have kept ourselves entertained with indoor pursuits.

First, we baked ginger molasses cookies, which were a big hit with my personal little taste tester, even before the baking!

Then, we snuggled in to watch the Shirley Temple version of Heidi. As a mountain girl myself, Heidi was always one of my alltime favorite stories when I was a little girl, although I don't believe I ever saw this film in its entirety until today. Needless to say, it was beautiful, nostalgic, and so touching. There may have been some tears, but what a sweet, uplifting story!

A fragrant cup of Earl Gray tea, the smell of ginger and molasses melding together in the oven, a classic film shared with my best girl, and the rhythmic drops of rain pounding on the roof......I think sunshine may be overrated.

Makin' Whoopie Pies

I've been seeing these delectable desserts all over the place lately. Apparently cupcakes went out with Sex & the City, and the whoopie pie stepped in to fill the trendy overpriced dessert vacuum. The name is rather catchy. In any event, I thought it high time I gave them a try. I mean, what's not to like? Chocolate cake and marshmallow creme, all in a compact, easy to hold sandwich form? I'm sold (but I'm easy). So this afternoon, I donned my happy homemaker apron and used this recipe to whip up some simply lovely whoopie pies, all the while humming this song.

Oh my goodness, can I just tell you how fabulous these are? I'm a southern gal, so the best way I can describe the deliciousness of the whoopie pie, is to say that it is sort of the Yankee version of a Moon Pie. But, even though I feel like a traitor for saying it, a whoopie pie is about a zillion times better than any old moon pie I've ever had. For one thing, I've never had a homemade moon pie. A moon pie is just something you buy at the gas station and unwrap as you crack open your RC cola on the way to the lake. I'm not really knocking the moon pie, I'm just saying whoopie pies are infinitely superior. There's no obnoxious graham crackery crustiness to get through; it's just dense, moist chocolate cake and sweet, fluffy marshmallow cream. There's something so childlike and mischievous about biting into a whoopie pie. You can't think about calories or worry about getting marshmallow creme all over your face. Just dive in and enjoy!

*Update: I've just hit the whoopie pie recipe jackpot! Martha always knows a good thing when she sees it, but damn her and her alphabetized linen closets.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Halloween Whoppie Pies

Banana Whoopie Pies