Macy Bakes

Stuffed Peppers

2012-02-02T15:08:00.001-05:00

Casablanca Restaurant in Harvard Square makes, hands down, the best stuffed peppers I have ever eaten. The one on their menu is served as an entree because it's so big and delicious. I've become a huge fan since trying it for the first time a year ago. These peppers are considerably less stuffed--definitely a side dish, not the main enchilada. Still, they satisfy my craving for a yummy

Swirly Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2012-01-27T14:04:00.010-05:00

I've recently become obsessed with creating an awesome but easy cinnamon-raisin bread. The idea took hold during a conversation with a friend who suggested that Cook's Illustrated No-Knead Bread would work as a cinnamon-raisin loaf. I was struck by that though, and since it is the easiest bread by far, I made a couple of loaves the next day. The results were solid, but not quite what I had

Food Processor Pie Dough

2012-01-25T13:29:00.000-05:00

This recipe, which has become my go-to for for both sweet and savory applications, is my own personal cross between Martha Stewart's all-butter pie crust and the Cook's Illustrated "Foolproof" pie crust. Making pie crust in a food processor is incredibly fast. When I need to make multiple pie crusts, around Thanksgiving, for example, I cut all my butter and put in the freezer, then scale

Revisiting An Old Favorite

2012-01-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

I am keenly aware of the fact that this blog needs some new content. I'll get there, I promise! But, in the meantime, I wanted to bring attention to an old favorite that I revisited and edited recently, which is Theo the Greek's Spinach Pie (October 2010). I had a group of friends over for a Ladies' Night In, and made two. My goodness, I had forgotten how much I love it! If you haven't

Nice new banner, eh?

2012-01-16T12:48:00.001-05:00

Hello friends, devoted readers. How many January's ago did I say I was going to change the banner? At least two, I'm thinking. But look, it happened! I gave up on the idea of a clever name, because honestly, one never came to mind. Instead I thought I'd keep it simple, stay true to what I do, and make it match my url. So WELCOME to the debut of the Macy Bakes blog! (Which is the same as

Mmmm...Peanut Butter....

2011-09-29T22:22:00.007-04:00

UPDATE: I just discovered this morning on NPR via Facebook--not even 12 hours after posting this!!--that it is not my most timely post, since apparently we're in the midst of a peanut, and therefore peanut butter, shortage. Who would have guessed?? So I say run, don't walk, to your nearest grocery store and stock up, because actually, you don't want to miss these cookies! Wow. I am a bad

I Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself!

2011-09-14T17:12:00.001-04:00

I'm sure I've mentioned the wonders of the humble kitchen scale every now and then. BUT, if you STILL don't believe me, check out the following article from today's New York Times Dining & Wine section. It explains everything I love about my scale and more. Kitchen Scale Love I'll write more about food soon, I promise. Keep hanging in there!

Grapefruit + Campari + Your Freezer =

2011-07-27T23:00:00.002-04:00

Happiness! Hello, friends! I know, I know. It's been a while. I hadn't forgotten, but it was pointed out to me (again) today, so I wanted to throw a quick post out there to let you know that I'm alive and still cooking/baking. Actually, I've been baking more than ever these days, since I am now a bona fide professional baker. I turned in my W4 today at the bakery (more on that later), so

Cranberry Almond Granola

2011-06-03T08:35:00.001-04:00

I love Cheerios. Always have, always will. But on occasion I need to eat something else for breakfast. (I have been devoted to them for the past 25 years, so I think it's okay to cheat on them once in a while). When the mood strikes, and I don't have time for anything elaborate, yogurt and granola is one of my favorite combinations. I usually only have it on the rare occasion that I have

Everything and the Kitchen Sink Cookies

2011-05-31T16:59:00.000-04:00

I just realized the other week that this blog is nearly two years old, and I still haven't told you about one of my favorite cookies ever. Oops. Sorry about that. No, really, I am. They come from Dorie Greenspan (adorable and so talented!), and can be found in her book Baking: From My Home to Yours. I don't have the book, but at some point the recipe was published in a cooking magazine,

My New Lemony Love

2011-05-30T22:14:00.001-04:00

Can I tell you what I'm obsessed with right now? Lemon Curd. Because if there's one thing I like as much as chocolate, it's lemon. Unfortunately chocolate and lemon don't go all that well together (in my opinion, anyway--I've always preferred the more classic chocolate and orange combo). But do you know what goes REALLY well with lemon curd? Whipped cream. It's my new favorite combo. Swear

Apple Raisin Muffins

2011-04-03T22:28:00.001-04:00

Anyone familiar with Paula Deen of the Food Network knows that she loves butter, butter, and more butter. Anyone familiar with me knows that I like butter...but only in moderation (usually). So where do Paula and I find common ground? In these mini apple raisin muffins. How? Because Paula is so generous with her butter, I can replace half of it with apple sauce and still produce some darn

Holy Guacamole!

2011-04-01T12:47:00.000-04:00

If you find yourself in Cambridge, and you're craving guacamole (and honestly, who isn't?), get yourself over to Ole Mexican Grill in Inman Square. I went there for dinner last night, and man, that guacamole. It was, hands down, the best guacamole I've ever had. EVER. They prepare it table side (although from where I was sitting it was more like, behind me and out of my peripheral vision)

Revisiting Some Old Faves

2011-04-01T10:12:00.001-04:00

Hi. Hello. Sorry to be a no-show for like, the past month. Cooking school, I'm telling you. So much cooking during the day, noooo cooking at home. I spend all my free time at the gym now. Which sadly, doesn't make for very good blogging. Last Friday I did get the baking bug, and I churned out a few things. One was revisiting Oatmeal Bread #1, which I first wrote about last August. It

All I Have to Say on The Subject of Gluten-Free Baking....

2011-03-02T21:57:00.002-05:00

....is be glad you don't have Celiac's disease. Or if you do, I'm sorry to hear that, but thank you for reading my blog despite it. Today we learned a little bit about baking sans gluten. While the things we made weren't bad, per se, they lacked a certain something...what was it...mmm...oh, right: gluten. Man, you never think about that stuff until it's gone. Then you're thinking, "Mmm..

[Heart] Sausage

2011-02-16T23:24:00.000-05:00

Once again, I'm holding out on recipes on your guys. Sorry about that. I just wanted to say that (well made) homemade sausage is AMAZING. Meat Grinding Today we made sausage with Jamie Bissonnette, chef/owner of Boston's Toro and Coppa, both fantastic restaurants in the South End. My sister Ali and I had a great dinner at Coppa in January, and I haven't been to Toro yet, but it has been

My Hero(s)

2011-02-10T00:45:00.004-05:00

I have recipes to share with you, but no time to do it right now! I will get back to the food part of the food blog soon, I promise! I just wanted to share (read: brag) that tonight I got to meet my food hero, Mark Bittman, IN PERSON. We shook hands, and then I gushed foolishly, all the while blushing madly, about how much I like him and how influential his writing has been to my whole

Best. Day. Ever. (Part 2)

2011-02-01T23:28:00.002-05:00

So, after we ate ourselves silly on eggs, there was the wine and cheese pairing/tasting part of class. I know, you're already jealous. The lineup We sampled 5 wines and cheese pairs, all French, and all paired based on the notion of "terroir." Loosely translated as "a sense of place," terroir denotes the idea that the shared geography, geology, climate, and farming techniques of agricultural

Best. Day. Ever. (Part 1)

2011-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Today was, as you might have guessed, the best day ever. Sorry, I've been kind of slacking on the keeping you updated on what I'm doing in culinary school thing. Truthfully, I'm usually exhausted at the end of the day, and then I have to do homework, and posting just takes me so long that I haven't been keeping up. But today was so fantastic that I can't keep it to myself. So what did we do

The Other No-Knead Bread (That I'm Totally Obsessed With)

2011-01-23T22:01:00.000-05:00

By now the Jim Lahey, made famous by Mark Bittman/The New York Times "No-Knead Bread" is relatively well known, at least among those who like to bake. I ripped the recipe of of a newspaper years ago, when it was reprinted, but had never actually made it until a few weeks ago, at first because it requires a Dutch oven, and I didn't have one, and then because I guess I just forgot about it. But

New Chapter

2011-01-19T20:29:00.001-05:00

Let it be known that today I hacked (several) halibut into chunks with a giant cleaver. Those of you who know me will realize that this is a fairly odd thing for me to be doing, since I don't like fish, and typically avoid it at all costs. BUT, what some of you might not know is that yesterday I started culinary school.... so I didn't really have a choice! (About the halibut, that is.) So, I

Symphony in Green

2011-01-08T23:25:00.003-05:00

...a.k.a.: Lima Bean Puree with Pecorino Romano on Crostini, a.k.a., your new favorite thing that you never knew you were missing . So I think I ripped this recipe out of the Boston Globe Magazine at some point, although I can't be sure, because it doesn't have a date or any other identifying info on it. But let me say this: it's good. Very good. Very very good. In fact, the reason I was

Bean Stew For A Healthy You

2011-01-08T22:37:00.003-05:00

Well, the 12 days of Christmas are officially over, so I figured I had to move on from Christmas cookies. Tear. And on to semi-healthy things, since it's January, and that's how people roll in January, right? Actually, the fact that this next recipe is on the semi-healthy side is purely coincidental. I saw it on Smitten Kitchen and it looked absolutely amazing, AND I realized that I had

Never Too Late For Christmas Cookies

2010-12-25T23:31:00.001-05:00

Hello December, goodbye December. Well, maybe not goodbye just yet, but wow, only a week left? That went fast! Here's what I've been doing this December: Not cooking. Packing. Moving. Unpacking. Eating catered food. Way too much of it. More not cooking. Unwrapping a ridiculous number of new cookbooks(!!!). Here's what I'll be doing very soon: Cooking! And blogging again! And

Genius!

2010-12-04T23:58:00.001-05:00

I wasn't planning on writing anything tonight, but then I made dinner, and it was just so darn good that I felt a little selfish keeping it to myself, even though the recipe is really rough, and I just kinda made it up, and I can't even tell you exactly what I did. But bear with me, and I'll give it my best shot. So, I had some pre-cut butternut squash sitting around from before Thanksgiving

Not Your Grandmother's Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-25T12:39:00.004-05:00

Unless your grandmother is Ina Garten, (and since she has no children, I am guessing she isn't), the sweet potatoes you grew up with on Thanksgiving might have looked a lot like this: Okay, well, those are the components. It actually might have looked more like this: There are sweet potatoes under that blanket of marshmallow, right? We ate our potatoes like that for a long time, and when

Sweet Potato Pie?

2010-11-14T20:07:00.002-05:00

I know, I was skeptical, too. Or maybe you already know about sweet potato pie, and you're not skeptical at all, I don't know. Truthfully, I thought this was something that only people in the South ate, and not once had I considered trying it (not that there are that many opportunities up here in the North, anyway!). But then, in the course of 24 hours, I ran into about half a dozen recipes

Outrageous Brownies

2010-11-08T16:52:00.002-05:00

I didn't even name these little gems, but their name really does them justice. They are in fact Barefoot Contessa brownies, so you know they have to be good. And they are. Let me tell you: I mentioned it somewhere on the blog before, but I have a running challenge to make the most chocolate-y things possible for my dad whenever I go back to Boston, which I did, briefly, this past weekend.

Theo the Greek's Spinach Pie

2010-10-27T14:16:00.002-04:00

I am pleased to say that there was a specific request that this recipe make it into the blog, which sort of validates it, at least in my mind. Sometimes when I cook, especially when it's just for me, I have trouble gauging how good or how interesting things are. Last Saturday night though I hosted 16 Williams Womens' Crew alums at my parents' apartment, so I had a whole host of people to cook

Apple Cake

2010-10-24T11:43:00.002-04:00

I have to be honest with you, right now I'm struggling to say anything eloquent about this next recipe. Not because it's not a fantastic recipe, because it is. It is a 110% winner, I will make this thing again and again kind of a recipe. I'm just totally wiped. Staying up too late, getting up too early in the morning, lots of work and lots of excitement this weekend (Head of the Charles

Cake > Chili

2010-10-22T08:02:00.057-04:00

**Photos coming soon** So, remember how last month I said that I like cooking one thing, then eating it for several meals in a row? I take that back. At least for now. Two and a half weeks ago I made a pot of vegetarian chili, and I have been eating it since then. TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, PEOPLE!!! Okay, well, I admit, I managed to eat out every night the entire week that I cooked it, so I

Oatmeal Bread...Again

2010-10-02T16:29:00.000-04:00

Without even realizing it, the next recipe I decided to tackle was a loaf of oatmeal sandwich bread. You'd think I was on a quest to find the best oatmeal bread out there or something...but truthfully, I had completely forgotten that I made oatmeal sandwich bread 2 posts ago. Probably because I was a slacker in September...sorry about that, guys. I'll chalk it up to being in a new house,

An Oldie, A Quickie, But A Goodie

2010-09-17T09:12:00.002-04:00

Those of you who follow me on Facebook may have noticed a lot of beach plum chatter this past week or so. I know this, because I have gotten multiple messages asking what a beach plum is, and what the heck does one do with it. If you're still wondering, a beach plum is a small fruit that grows in mid to northern Atlantic coastal areas. They range in size from a cranberry to a large grape, and

Rainy Day Baking Extravaganza

2010-08-25T22:10:00.003-04:00

It's been a weird day weather-wise: gusting winds, driving rain, resulting in several ferry cancellations. One tree even blew down in our yard this morning! Whole tree, not just a limb! After being awake for quite some time listening to the wind while I lay in bed this morning, I rolled out at 6 like I usually do, and started getting ready for work. About 5 minutes before I had to head out

Rhubarb "Jam"

2010-08-06T17:59:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: I've already made this twice! It is heavenly stirred into plain yogurt, and I actually wish I had some vanilla ice cream, because I know it would be amazing on top. Sadly, I just have mint chocolate chip (okay, not just, but there's no vanilla in there!) I actually made the full recipe today (a whole 2 lbs of rhubarb!) but I used 14 oz of sugar instead of the 16 that Martha

Summer Squash Pasta & Grilled Garlic Bread

2010-07-19T16:56:00.003-04:00

When things get crazy busy in the summer and I barely have time to cook anything, let alone find good recipes that are actually worth taking pictures of and sharing with you (since I doubt you'd be interested to hear about how I made burgers...again...or any other comparable summer meal), I can thank my dad for finding good things and sending them my way. Ahh, retirement must be great! Anyway,

The Perfect Antidote to Summer Heat

2010-07-18T12:13:00.001-04:00

I've been on a bit of a lemonade kick recently. I gave up soda (for the most part) a couple of years ago, so lemonade is becoming my go-to drink when I want something more exciting than water--plus, it's the quintessential summertime drink. I keep everything I need for it on hand, so it's a cinch to whip up whenever I'm in the mood. Like now. Here's what you need: lemon juice (

The BEST Blueberry Muffins

2010-07-11T11:16:00.009-04:00

I apologize. Over a year has gone by, and I have never posted about my favorite blueberry muffins. Probably, although they are my favorites, I don't think I've made them since 2006. 2006?!? That was a while ago, even though I keep pretending it was last summer. What happened in 2006 is that I graduated from college and moved to Nantucket. That summer I lived with three lovely Wellesley

A Birthday Blog

2010-06-19T23:25:00.001-04:00

Happy almost 1-year anniversary, blog. I just went back and read the first post that I wrote shortly after my 25th birthday. It's funny to read the things you wrote a year ago, it's like a snapshot into a past state of mind. But for all that has happened in the past year, it seems like a lot has remained the same, except now I am 26 and my grandfather is 98. But I'm still on Nantucket, still

Luscious Lemon Bars

2010-06-13T22:33:00.002-04:00

May I, just for a moment, sing the praises of the lemon bar? Gosh, I love those things. Breakfast, snack, dessert, whenever. I will never tire of them. I love all sorts of lemon desserts, but I think the humble yet delicious lemon bar is my favorite. I had occasion to ponder these bars of wonder last weekend, for the final Armchair Theatre of the season. I can't remember if I've written

Banana Pancakes

2010-06-13T16:41:00.002-04:00

Apologies for the absence, readers. Don't think I haven't been cooking--I have. I just haven't had time for the blogging part of the cooking blog. Here's how my days have been breaking down lately: Work: 12 hoursSleep: 8 hours (ha!) "Commuting" to work: 1 hourMorning routine: 1 hour So that leaves about 2 hours in the day for the rest of life (cooking dinner, cleaning, laundry, collapsing

A Shaved Dinner

2010-05-31T22:22:00.007-04:00

I know this sounds weird, a "shaved" dinner. As far as I know it's not a new food trend or anything, it just happened to be the theme of tonight's dinner. It started with a pizza recipe, which was complemented by a simple salad, and then, when I started to write this post, I realized they each contained shaved components, and there you have it, the theme for this post. So without further ado.

Leaving You With A Little Something

2010-05-08T12:08:00.008-04:00

My sister Allison and I are off to Europe tonight (in theory, if the volcano would please dear god just stop spewing crap into the sky so our plane can leave). We're visiting Ireland, Scotland and Amsterdam in honor of her graduation (with honors, yay Ali!), and very belatedly in honor of graduation (or so I like to tell myself, since I started working immediately upon graduating...times were

Pasta with Spring Vegetables

2010-04-27T22:46:00.000-04:00

Right now the pile of cooking magazines I have received and have yet to read is growing pretty tall. I'm actually kind of sitting on the magazines right now, and they're sort of cramping my style... Before I was sitting on the magazines, though, while they were still scattered about, Erik was flipping through our most recent Food and Wine (I'm MONTHS behind on that magazine!), and stumbled

The Baker's Dozen Cookbook

2010-04-25T22:33:00.006-04:00

No, no, I'm not publishing my own cookbook! Did you know, though, that there is ALREADY a Baker's Dozen Cookbook? I had no idea, until just recently. But it should come as no surprise that a cookbook that shares my (soon to be renamed) blog's name is excellent! I'm currently cat-sitting for a neighbor who is an avid cook with an extensive cookbook collection, which is how I stumbled upon

Shakshuka: Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce

2010-04-18T22:17:00.000-04:00

I wish I had something inspirational to say about this next recipe, but truthfully, I don't. I don't even have a photo to show you, sorry. But I do have an easy, tasty recipe, so read on. I hadn't even heard of Shakshuka, an Israeli dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, until it was featured on Smitten Kitchen, an excellent cooking blog that I often read. Although in Israel

Volkswagens, Daffodils, and Some Damn Good Cookies

2010-04-18T13:09:00.010-04:00

I love that time in the spring when everything starts to green up, when the hedges and the shrubs and wild growth along the sides of the road begin to bud, so that from afar they look as though they have simply been dusted with the faintest hint of green. Then, seemingly overnight, plants are covered with actual leaves, and it really feels as though spring has arrived. The transition from

Apple Spiced Upside-Down Cake

2010-04-12T22:10:00.007-04:00

Inspired partly by the previous recipe (Apple Walnut Bread), and partly by the fantastic Plum Upside Down Cake that I posted about last fall, I decided to do a little experimenting this weekend. I've been desperate to make the upside-down cake again--it's simple to prepare yet rich and buttery, and when topped with caramelized fruit, I can think of few things better. Since plums are months

Apple Walnut Bread

2010-04-12T21:00:00.003-04:00

This recipe begins with one kind of past-its-prime apple sitting in my fridge. Most people would just chuck it out in the woods for the deer (if your house is surrounded with them, like mine is), or in the garbage. However, I used it as an excuse to make a loaf of apple walnut bread that I'd been eyeing on a great baking site, Joy The Baker. And I am so glad I did! In addition to the apples

A Monstrously Good Salad

2010-04-05T22:34:00.007-04:00

I may have created a monster. This is what happened: My family came to visit this weekend, and brought with them several bags of Trader Joe's goodies. Happiness! Among those things was a bag of haricots verts, yummy skinny green beans (pre-trimmed!), and a box of cherry tomatoes. On Saturday, after a long walk around town and on the beach, and a quick visit to the Whaling Museum, we were

A Little Scone Experimentation

2010-03-28T19:18:00.000-04:00

Baking sans oven thermometer is a scary thought, since my oven is manic. Seriously. It runs about 75-200 degrees hot, depending on its mood. Maybe there's a better way to describe it other than "mood," but since I'm no engineer, I just call the darn thing moody. All my baking went to hell right after I moved to the cottage--I kept overcooking and/or burning everything! And then one day I

Homemade "Bottled" Dressing

2010-03-27T20:23:00.003-04:00

Making your own salad dressings is a great way to avoid buying icky bottled dressings full of weird ingredients and preservatives, and making them in bulk is a great way to encourage yourself to eat more salads, because who hasn't been in a situation when they know they should eat a salad, but they don't because they don't have any dressing? I have definitely done that... My family never

Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo

2010-03-15T11:41:00.000-04:00

Instead of throwing a full dinner for Erik's birthday, as I have done in years past, I decided to just do a dessert party this year. Reason being I often get in over my head, and try to clean the entire house, cook for an undetermined number of people, sew a new tablecloth, make several desserts, paint my nails, make myself look presentable, etc. While the most I ever accomplish is cleaning

Kinda Healthy Cookies

2010-03-14T17:24:00.005-04:00

We're celebrating Erik's birthday tonight with a dessert party--I decided to take it easy on myself! Nantucket (along with the rest of the northeast!) has been experiencing some pretty wild weather this weekend (driving rain and 50 mph winds, anyone?), and about half our (potential) guests were off-island this weekend, so I can't tell whether it's going to be a small crowd or a big(ger) one.

Cleaning Out The Fridge Quiche

2010-03-14T09:33:00.003-04:00

See a theme here? Cleaning out the fridge? I've been on a kick lately. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the odds and ends in my fridge that I'm just desperate to get rid of it all. This week I haven't shopped once, it's been all about using up the stuff I already have. The dish du soir is quiche, one of my all time faves. Eggy cheesy goodness in a pastry shell--sort of like souffle but

Easy Potato Gratin with Ham

2010-03-09T22:31:00.003-05:00

Gratin is what happens when you try to thinly slice potatoes for homemade potato chips, fail, and have a potato and a half of misshapen potato slices. And a hunk of ham that was supposed to become end up in quiche that later gets scrapped. And leftover Gruyere cheese from French Onion Soup. Really, if you ask me, the leftovers in the fridge were telling me that gratin was meant to be!

Oscar Party Recap

2010-03-09T12:25:00.006-05:00

I went a little bit hog wild this weekend. Reason: The Oscars. I love throwing a good party, and the Oscars gave me a great reason to cook up some tasty food for my friends. I put together a pretty ambitious menu, mostly comprised of foods I'd never tried before, a party planning no-no that I always (unwisely) ignore. I was trying to go for a theme of yellow food and foods that I could

Cleaning Out The Fridge Calzones

2010-03-06T23:10:00.004-05:00

You may have noticed that my recent cooking photos were not taken in my kitchen--or maybe you haven't, I don't know. But anyway, they weren't taken in my kitchen, because I am still pet sitting, this time for a border collie and 2 cats, my oldest "clients." What started out as a favor for one friend is now my winter time "business"--I've been booked solid for the past 2 months, with the

Roasted Broccoli

2010-03-06T10:30:00.001-05:00

Broccoli happens to be my favorite vegetable, but sadly Erik does not share my appreciation for this wonderful veg, so I've had to do without for quite a while now. However, a few weeks ago my sister and her boyfriend came to visit, and we made Mongolian Beef with Broccoli (another recipe for another post), and we had an extra head of broccoli kicking around the fridge. I don't know where I

French Onion Soup, According to Cook's Illustrated

2010-03-01T12:55:00.056-05:00

French onion soup has been on Erik's "to cook" list for a while now, and last night we finally got around to it. There are so many recipes out there to choose from, but essentially they all start with caramelizing onions, adding some sort of booze, a variety of broths, some herbs, and letting it simmer all together. Then of course the thing that makes it French onion soup, not just any

Indian Spiced Cauliflower Soup

2010-02-23T12:20:00.005-05:00

Last night I tried my hand at Indian cooking for the second time; the first time was about three years ago, when I attempted an Indian take on tomato soup and grilled cheese after a trip to the emergency room. The meal turned out terribly: the soup was like water and I forgot the toasts under the broiler and they came out charred. Erik and I still laugh about it, as it was one of about three

Grilled Flat Bread & Greek Style Salad

2010-02-22T12:55:00.005-05:00

Grilled flat bread is an easy, customizable accompaniment to any dish, but I particularly like it along side a hearty salad, such as my Greek-inspired salad. By mixing in any flavorings you like to homemade or store-bought pizza dough, you match the flavors of your bread to the flavors of your dish, for a cohesive, balanced meal. The following is just a simple onion and herb flat bread, but

Poached Pears in Raspberry Sauce

2010-02-22T12:20:00.005-05:00

Poached pears are one of my favorite light desserts, and a perfect make-ahead dessert when you are having people over for dinner. Everything can be done ahead of time and just sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve up a sweet yet light ending to any dinner. My mother used to make spiced poached pears when I was younger, although I had forgotten about them until I discovered this

Easy Waffles From Scratch

2010-02-17T11:53:00.015-05:00

From time to time any experimental cook will find herself stuck with half a bag of this or that, some leftover ingredient from some dish that they tried. A few weeks ago I tried my hand at Ethiopian cooking, and every recipe I found for injera, the traditional pancake-like Ethiopian bread, uses self-rising flour. Not wanting to alter the recipe on my first effort, I bought self-rising flour,

Shortcut Soup

2010-02-16T22:34:00.001-05:00

I have a backlog of recipes that I've been meaning to blog about, but I haven't written much lately because I haven't photographed anything because my camera is back at my cottage, while I've been cooking at the house where I've been cat sitting all winter. However, I've decided just to forge ahead in the blogging, and I'll fill in photos later, because all of these recipes are definitely

A Few Changes Around Here

2010-02-12T19:20:00.003-05:00

I know that over a month ago I claimed that I was going to revisit the title of my blog, as well as some of the stylistic elements. But I've been lazy. And my computer crapped out about a month ago, and only today I started looking into getting it fixed, so I've actually been spending less time staring at screens (although I couldn't exactly tell you what I've been doing with all those extra

Asian Flavors, Part Two

2010-02-10T10:06:00.009-05:00

If you were paying attention in Part One of this posting, you will remember that I also bought wonton wrappers. (Incidentally, Stop n' Shop ALSO carries these--see Breakthrough, also in Part One--I never noticed them before because they're kept behind a two by two foot column that blocks them from view. Stupid layout.) These wrappers are so versatile--you can use them for dumplings and

Asian Flavors In Your American Kitchen: Part One

2010-02-09T18:16:00.012-05:00

This morning I had a breakthrough at the Stop n' Shop: it actually carries a number of Asian ingredients that I was convinced I couldn't get on island! Happiness! There are several recipes that I've been wanting to blog about, but I thought I couldn't get the ingredients locally, so I hadn't been able to cook them and photograph them, but now I know that even my provincial grocery store is

Chocolately Minty Brownie-Cupcake Goodness

2010-01-26T21:57:00.016-05:00

Right now the cottage is filled with a delicious chocolate-y scent. What's baking? Mint-filled Cupcake Brownies. Yeah, I'm salivating just writing about them. Tomorrow night a group of friends and I will be painting the kitchen of my former residence (and current residence of several of the aforementioned friends). Let me tell you, it's one high-ceilinged kitchen, so I thought I'd bring

Butterscotch Sauce, aka, Nectar of the Gods

2010-01-06T13:47:00.016-05:00

My favorite page of December's Food & Wine is page 130: Perfecting Caramel. Yes, please. I mean, I think caramel is pretty perfect, but what would be even more perfect is if I could make it myself. The page includes three straightforward recipes, but the easiest (aka, doesn't require a candy thermometer), is Classic Butterscotch Sauce. Seven basic ingredients, six of which I already had, go

Solutions for Trader Joe's Overindulgence

2010-01-06T11:15:00.033-05:00

So this is what happens when I go to Trader Joe's: I get so excited by all the different nuts and dried fruits available, because they are SO CHEAP compared to the Stop 'n Shop on Nantucket, so I stock up on way too many bags of almonds, walnuts, pecans, cherries, apricots...the list goes on. I make a few recipes with them, and then the partially used bags get buried in my "partially used bags

A New Year, A New Name

2010-01-04T10:18:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! When I started my blog six months ago I told myself that the name "The Baker's Dozen" was only temporary--surely some witty, clever, or at least apt name would pop into my head. But alas it has not, so I'm enlisting help from you, dear readers. If you are craftier at naming things than I am (and I assure you, you are), then please suggest something that you think describes my

Call Your Cardiologist

2009-12-14T22:18:00.010-05:00

Unlike my last post, this one is for about something that is most definitely not good for your heart. Or your waistline. But here it is nonetheless: A Buche de Noel!!! Erik has been wanting to make one of these for a while now, and so we used his office's holiday party as an excuse to try this baby out. I will admit I had low expectations, because of all the steps and because you have

Beans, Beans, They're Good For Your Heart...

2009-12-12T18:53:00.014-05:00

Diet & lifestyle books are a dime a dozen, and sometimes you have to take what they say with a grain of salt. (I'm on a cliche roll here, any more I can throw in?). This past January my mom got into South Beach, and when she came to visit me over the winter she bragged that she hadn't had a piece of fruit since the New Year. I mean....okay, but is that even healthy? Meanwhile she was eating

Walnut Bread: The Best Bread I've Ever Made

2009-12-09T20:41:00.023-05:00

The use of the word "best" in the subtitle of this post has 2 meanings: 1. This is the most successful bread I've ever made--I didn't let it rise too long, causing it to collapse into a dense, flat disc, as I tend to do when making bread. 2. This is the best bread I've ever made, as in delicious. Soooo good. I saw this beautiful braided loaf in last month's Cooking Light as part of the

Mince Pies That Will Make You Swoon

2009-12-09T18:23:00.007-05:00

I know, you're skeptical already. But it's true. I just made them, and they are delicious. I've never actually eaten mince before--I have only once been confronted with one mincemeat pie in my life time, and I'm not going to lie...I steered clear. It was at the annual Nantucket Historical Association Christmas party, which is done potluck-style. One employee spouse brought a massive,

Sweet Potato Mania

2009-11-24T20:50:00.012-05:00