Orange Blueberry Cake

My friends gave me a ton of oranges from their tree. When we couldn’t bear the thought of eating another orange, I had a thought – if lemon cake is good, why not orange cake? I also had some blueberries from the local community garden. My first Orange Blueberry Cake was entirely consumed in one…

Orange Rounds with Honey, Mint, and Salt

It’s orange season in California, and some friends gave me a bucket of oranges from their tree! I needed a dessert for a dinner party and considered doing an orange cake, but I’ve been making a lot of cakes lately and was in the mood for something different. And my mint plants are going crazy!…

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blood Orange Topping

My friend gave me a bag of blood oranges from his tree. They are sweet and so stunning, so I thought they would be a perfect topping for panna cotta. And I had some leftover buttermilk, so I decided to make it buttermilk panna cotta. Just a tablespoon of amaretto added a luxurious almond flavor…

3.14 Pi(e) Day IV

In a scenario I never expected to experience in anything but film and TV, we are now living through a global pandemic called COVID-19. In accordance with CDC guidance to avoid large gatherings, we scaled down our big Pie Day event to just an intimate group of five pie-loving friends. In scary times we need…

Anchovy Olive Almond Pasta

Even if you don’t like anchovies, don’t discount them as a magical ingredient for amping up the flavors of a pasta dish. You can use them in tomato-based sauces, or as I do here simply with garlic and olive oil. You won’t even know they’re there, but they’ll add so much depth to the dish….

Chocolate-Dipped Tangerines

Cookbook Club – Thug Kitchen The cookbook for April’s Cookbook Club was Thug Kitchen by Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway. I chose the Chocolate-Dipped Tangerines. Go to my Cookbook Club site to see what all the other thugs made. For now – my dish! You can pretty much count on the fact that if you…

Brussels Sprouts Salad

Brussels sprouts have become so trendy that it seems like every restaurant has them on the menu, usually roasted and often with some sort of sweet glaze like balsamic or maple. But I never saw them raw, and began to wonder if you could serve them that way. They do after all resemble tiny cabbages….

Galettes au Fromage; Oranges Glaces

Cookbook Club – Mastering the Art of French Cooking For our first Cookbook Club, we used Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I chose the Galettes au Fromage and the Oranges Glaces. Go to my Cookbook Club site to see all the cheesy, buttery goodness we consumed. For now – my dishes! This…