A sweet and savory food blog.
I’m not sure there are many things better than homemade pizza. There’s just something so comforting about it. I’ve played around with a lot of different pizza dough recipes and this is by far the best. Yes, it requires a little planning ahead (18 hours to be exact) but the results are incredible. This is the perfect combination of chewy and crispy. NOTHING compares to the pizza you get in Italy but this is pretty close!
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When I was in Oregon we visited a lovely little French bakery called St. Honore and I fell head over heels in love with Chouquettes. Chouquettes are made from classic French Choux Pastry and then sprinkled with pearl sugar. They’re typically enjoyed by French children as an afternoon snack although I can’t imagine any adult turning one down. They’re slightly sweet with a crunchy outside and a soft eggy inside. Bottom line – these little bites are super addictive and I’m so bummed I didn’t realize their greatness when I was in France a couple years ago. I think I need to plan another trip…
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Biscotti are some of my all-time favorite cookies. They’re so tasty, versatile and, more than that, they remind me of my dad. He’s pretty much a biscotti connoisseur and so I love to make these for him. This recipe has his as stamp of approval!
You can easily substitute the cranberries and pine nuts for your choice of dried fruit and nuts. I love them with pistachios and sour cherries, too. So good!
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I love a good chocolate chip recipe but, then again, who doesn’t. I’ve searched long and hard for the perfect recipe and I’m almost a 100% certain that I’ve found it. This recipe from the New York Times blew me away. They’re the perfect ratio of chips (discs) to dough and the bread flour/cake flour combo creates a texture that’s spot on. I LOVE THESE COOKIES and I’m pretty sure you will, too. I, personally, like to add in 1 tbsp of molasses for depth of flavor but that’s the only recipe modification I make. I also make them smaller (so they last longer!) than the recipe calls for but that’s totally up to you.
When I was in Oregon I picked up some beautiful hazelnuts and some Jacobsen Salt aka the best finishing salt around. As an ode to Oregon I rolled these cookies in the chopped and roasted hazelnuts and sprinkled them with the salt. Incredible!
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I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas! My family got together and enjoyed our annual progressive small plate Christmas Eve dinner. Basically, everyone is responsible for bringing one small plate to share. We had 8 courses in total – a smoked salmon appetizer, lobster bisque, roasted beet and goat cheese salad, sous vide duck with a savory bread pudding and a burgundy sauce, pot roast sliders with crispy onions and wasabi aioli, slow roasted lamb with a warm carrot salad and mint yogurt, and finally I made vanilla bean pots de creme with tart cherry compote, sour cream, pistachios and a salted rosemary shortbread cookie (recipe on the blog soon!). It was a huge meal and, honestly I’m still full.
After a busy Christmas I was in the mood for something warm, easy, and comforting…. hence a chili recipe. It’s also relatively healthy – my body is grateful! This recipe is my new favorite for chili. I’m not a huge fan of beans but you could add them in if you want. It’s spicy, hearty, and oh-so-tasty. The addition of the dried cranberries on top makes it feel a little festive.
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And the baking continues…
I don’t know if I agree but my sister-in-law claims these are the best cookies I’ve ever made. I live in very close proximity to my brother and sister-in-law so they get bombarded with just about everything I make. In the beginning they were pretty excited to have baked goods placed on the counter every couple of days. Now I get a slightly dirty look every time I bring something by. I can’t be trusted with 2 dozen cookies so they have to go somewhere….
Sorry, I got distracted. Point being, Colin and Trisha are my go-to taste testers so I suppose they’re the experts. If she says they’re the best then one can conclude that they are, at least, pretty good.
These cookies are SUPER chewy and, get ready for this, you don’t need a mixer to make them! They require a little planning ahead because you’ll need to chill the dough but beyond that they’re a piece of cake.
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It’s not the holiday season until I make these cookies. I’ve been making them for years and they’re pretty much Christmas perfection in a buttery shell. Cranberries, pistachio, a hint of orange, and a pinch of cinnamon – nothing wrong with that!
Not only are these super tasty but the dough can be made up to a month in advance and frozen until you’re ready to bake them. I’ve only made the dough in advance once – I’m usually so excited about making them that I have to bake them right away. I can’t help it. They’re just too good!
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I really love granola. Especially homemade granola. It’s super easy and so much better than anything you can get at the store. The olive oil makes it a little different. And by differernt I mean amazing. I like dried apricots and pistachios in my granola but you can add pretty much anything that appeals to you. Dried sour cherries and almonds, cranberries and pecans, golden raisins and walnuts…
Granola is one of my favorite homemade gifts to give around the holidays. It stays fresh for at least a month, is cost efficient, and looks super cute in a mason jar with a pretty bow.
This stuff is addictive. I’m warning you now…
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I feel like I’m falling behind on my Christmas baking this year. There’s just not enough time in the day. I’m going to do my best to catch up though…..starting NOW!
Mmmmmmm gingerbread! It’s just so festive and Christmas-y. And, way more interesting than plain old sugar cookies. I have a little bit of a confession – I hate making cut out cookies. I hate it with a passion. It’s so time consuming… the rolling and the cutting, and more rolling and more cutting. Just not my thing. I do, however, love decorating cookies. Quite the dilemma….Then I figured out that you could just cut dough into triangles and call them Christmas Trees! It’s really the perfect compromise.
How cute are these?! Not only are the super easy to make and decorate but they taste like gingerbread should. Deep molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger, of course – all in a perfectly chewy cookie.
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The weather outside was frightful today. It’s finally raining in California (thank goodness!) but the rain and wind combo is something I could do without. There was most definitely some Forest Gump style sideways rain during my trip to Whole Foods this morning. Ugh.
On the bright side, days like today are perfect for busting out the crockpot and making something warm and cozy. This crockpot bolognese is probably the recipe that I make the most. It’s SO EASY. And SO GOOD. Seriously.
It’s also really versatile – serve it over pasta, zoodles (zucchini noodles), or just with a piece of crusty french bread. I served mine with sautéed zucchini and crispy polenta. Delicious!
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