I'm clearly having a soup craze. I know this seems nutty on a day when we're supposed to have a high of 73 degrees, however, it is still February, so my soup obsession is at least seasonal, even if the seasons aren't playing along. This all started earlier in the week when, yes, there was snow on the ground. Better still, I had the great good fortune to luck into a meaty ham bone at the grocery store. I habitually check to see if they've got one at the deli, having finished up slicing a spiral ham. When I find one, I scoop it up and stow it away in the freezer knowing it will find a happy home in something or other before too long.
Read moreCream of Red Pepper Soup with Crab
Who'd a thunk we'd finally have a snow day around here? Best of all, it's President's Day so lots of folks have the day off and don't have to drive around in it. They can actually go out and play while it lasts, which, from a quick peak at Mr. Washington's trusty thermometer outside my living room window, won't be too long. The General Assembly soldiers on regardless of things like holidays and snow, so from my perspective, sitting here alone--well Briggs and Eudora Richardson are here with me of course (my black and white furry companions)-- I've really lucked out with perhaps the quintessential snow day lunch for one.
Read moreMushroom Lasagna
When they decide to start a new television series dubbed Cookbook Hoarders I just know my phone will ring and I'll be invited to appear in the premiere. Yes, dear readers, I have a problem. It seems to me, however, that there are a lot worse maladies than compulsively buying cookery books. At least as long as the walls of our house don't implode, I suppose.
On the plus side, I really do read them. In fact, I do more than read them. I pour over them, I consult them, I come back and reread themand somehow, what I've read in the past is constantly percolating through what I'm reading in the present.
Read moreTarte Aux Pommes A La Creme
I often think that a simple fruit desert is my very favorite, and this rustic apple tart is high on that list. I'm not sure that this photograph really does it justice, however, since the whole point is that it's homemade, this certainly looks the part. Oh, if you could just smell it, you'd know that this is a scrumptuous treat that will end any meal on a splendidly high note. Perhaps part of the reason I like it so much, is the anticipation. I have to plan to make it, for at least a couple of days, because it is made with creme fraiche, for which I am way too cheap to pay the exorbitant asking price in the local gourmet market. You see, not normally known to economize when it comes to ingredients, I made the mistake of discovering just how easy creme fraiche is to make, and therefore can't bring myself to buy it anymore. Instead, when I get the wild hare to make this tart, I buy some preferably whole milk buttermilk and some whipping cream. When I get home, I put a couple of tablespoons of the buttermilk into a glass bowl with a couple of cups of cream in it, stir it gently and pop it into my oven set to "proof". Like alchemy, 24 hours later I have a great big bowl of creme frache, which, let me just say, is a pretty magical and empowering thing to know you can do.
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