I’m not sure why this dessert smacks of summer to me, except, chocolate and chilies relate to the sun and even in August heat one likes a bit of sweet at the end of the meal. It’s up to the cook which aspect of the pudding cake to emphasize: For a more pudding-like dessert, while still … Continue reading Romancing Summer III: Chocolate Ancho Pudding Cake
Blackberries and raspberries together are like divine intervention on the taste buds, perking them back to life after a sating repast. A granita is a dessert ice with a decidedly crystalline, not smooth, texture. It’s one of the easiest frozen desserts to make, requiring no ice cream maker or intermittent beating as it freezes. The … Continue reading Molded Blackberry Granita with Sugared Mint Leaves and Raspberries
Homemade frozen yogurt, unrelated to the commercial ones except in name, can be an unctuous, deeply-flavored concoction, smooth and creamy or full of chunks (see Strawberry Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt). One of the things I love most, frozen yogurts don’t require an ice cream maker, just a couple of turns in and out of the freezer … Continue reading Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Sun-Dried Apricot Almond Spoon Sweet and Toasted Almonds
After the rhubarb chutney (see my previous post, July 25, 2011), I was looking for the best, most perfect, and fun way to use what was left of my gift of wild Colorado mountain rhubarb. As chance would have it, my cousin Karen Jenanyan and I, along with others at an al fresco lunch in our backyard, were discussing how much we love making yogurt from our generations-old starter and how we take pride in carrying and passing along the baton of Armenian yogurt making. Karen had been experimenting with making yogurt with fruit on the bottom, like the small containers you find in grocery stores. We got to, how’s about some fruity frozen yogurt, which you don’t much find in grocery stores? Continue reading “Rhubarb Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and Crystallized Orange Peel with Rosewater”
Many years ago, as I entered the spice bazaar in Casablanca, the scent of cumin provided a Proustian moment for me. I was young and it was my first excursion to Europe, via Yugoslavian freighter, a “hip” and
“cheap” way to travel at the time (1967). Of all the beautiful and fragrant offerings, cumin wafted most aromatic, rising above the others and filling the street with its perfume, one I had not known until then. I continued delighting in its scent, literally, as I traveled around with a stash of cumin in my suitcase. To this day, cumin scents my kitchen as I prepare dishes for casual family meals and develop recipes for my cookbooks.
Recently, passing by an enticing display of multi-hued mangoes, Continue reading “Olive Oil Cumin Seed Ice Cream with Mango Slices”
About the figs part: I have a bountiful tree of them in my backyard. It provides me fruit aplenty, enough for grilling fresh, drying for later, and making fig marmalade. I especially like the marmalade use because it can be stored in the frig and remain “fresh” for months. About the Newton part. This name … Continue reading Figs and Newtons
When I was writing The Gardeners’ Community Cookbook–a marvelous compendium of dishes gleaned from gardeners across the nation who submitted their home recipes for the volume–one that stood out as I was sorting through the entries was a peaches and tomatoes salad (Liz Goodroe, Germantown, Maryland). At first it sounded outlandish, but I succumbed to … Continue reading Savory Peaches: Two Autumn Recipes
