Ratatouille Spirals

I love cooking, but what’s even more fun is cooking together with a friend who loves to cook just as much as I do. Last week a friend of mine who is an excellent cook, baker and hostess suggested we prepare a dish together. She shared a lovely recipe for ratatouille spirals and within seconds… Read More

Étiquette

The attributes of a great lady may still be found in the rule of the four S’s: Sincerity, Simplicity, Sympathy and Serenity.  — Emily Post When I was a young girl I received a small book about charm and etiquette for my birthday. It was written for young girls about my age, approximately 12, and… Read More

Blackberry Crumb Muffins

Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.  —Edward Lear Families across Europe and North America celebrate the arrival of warm weather with berry-picking expeditions. First luscious strawberries, then dusky blueberries, and finally fragile raspberries and plump blackberries later in season. Sprinkled whole over ice cream… Read More

Clair de Lune

The true joy of a moonlit night is something we no longer understand. Only the men of old, when there were no lights, could understand the true joy of a moonlit night. ― Yasunari Kawabata It’s 3:00 a.m.  A teething baby in need of soothing has kept me awake.  It’s now silent, finally, in my home… Read More

Almond Praline Cake with Mascarpone Frosting and Chocolate Bark

A party without cake is just a meeting.  —Julia Child There’s a special place in the lexicon of decadent birthday cakes for layer cakes made with exotic and rich accoutrements like a dense chocolate ganache and mascarpone frosting.  So, when I had to make a birthday cake this weekend I aimed for nothing less than… Read More