When I first started as a pastry chef, I was handed a recipe for a chocolate-hazelnut torte and told to fix it. Not just make it, but make it special. I think I succeeded, and apparently so did the judges at the very first Taste of Ashland (Oregon), who awarded this torte a first for [...]

Categories: baking, chocolate, dessert, technique
Tagged: baking, chocolate, dessert, technique

The holiday season is in full swing, there’s snow on the ground here in East Tennessee, the wind is howling like a banshee, and it’s below freezing. It must be time for cookies!

Categories: baking, cookie, mother recipe, technique
Tagged: baking, cookie, mother recipe, technique

That glistening, dark river of sauce on the ice cream is made with balsamic vinegar. Not just any balsamic, of course, but a Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar from Benessere, an oil and vinegar store in downtown Portland. Coffee and chocolate are an excellent pairing, so I also used some Espresso Sugar from The Spice and [...]

Categories: chocolate, condiments, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, pantry, sauce
Tagged: chocolate, condiments, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, pantry, sauce

Let’s be clear about one thing right from the start: store-bought bacon is not going to be satisfactory. You have to make your own. And don’t waste time with any apples called “Delicious” because they aren’t. Use Pink Lady, Fuji, Gravenstein, Braeburn, Jazz, or some other varietal with real flavor and texture, and be sure [...]

Categories: dairy-free, dessert, fruit, gluten-free
Tagged: dairy-free, dessert, fruit, gluten-free

I wanted a nice Spring afternoon snack today, and when I spotted some lovely blueberries, I knew that a simple blueberry scone with lemon curd would go really well with a cup of coffee and a healthy dose of lazing about. Fortunately, I had lemon curd already made, so I could start on the lazing [...]

Categories: baking, dessert, eggs, mother recipe, preserving, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, dessert, eggs, fruit, mother recipe, preserving, technique, vegetarian

Over the past year I’ve seen a lot of posts about macarons filled with spectacular and stylish photographs and gushy praise for the cookies. I assumed that any cookie with stores dedicated to it and books written about it must be at least as special as the chocolate chip cookie, so I decided I, too, would take [...]

Categories: baking, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, rant, technique, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, cookies, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, mother recipe, rant, technique, vegetarian

When I first learned to make chocolate truffles thirty years ago I didn’t know I was learning the recipe originally conceived, or at least credited to, Fernand Point (1897-1955), one of the greatest French chefs. He trained or mentored such giants as Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, and Jean and Pierre Troisgros, which should give you [...]

Categories: chocolate, dessert, entertaining, gluten-free, mother recipe, vegetarian
Tagged: chocolate, dessert, entertaining, gluten-free, mother recipe, vegetarian

One of the more interesting Chinese cuisines is medicinal foods, foods that are designed specifically to aid in the correction of health problems while providing a nutritious and tasty meal. If you’d like an excellent introduction, I suggest Henry C. Lu, Chinese System Of Food Cures: Prevention & Remedies. Unlike the dietary “cures” often touted [...]

Categories: dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, infusing, technique, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, technique, vegan, vegetarian

I have to thank Martha Stewart for this one, or, more likely, the unnamed but talented chef Martha Stewart paid for this recipe. It comes from Martha Stewart’s Cookies. Peppermint Meringues 3 egg whites ¾ cup sugar ½ teaspoon peppermint extract Mix the whites and sugar in a metal bowl or the metal bowl of a stand mixer. [...]

Categories: baking, chocolate, cookie, dessert, eggs, entertaining, gluten-free
Tagged: baking, chocolate, cookies, entertaining, gluten-free

Fairy Glen cookies are an excellent option when you want or need gluten-free cookies. They do, however, require almonds, so if you need to accomodate someone with a nut allergy, these aren’t for you. Fairy Glen Cookies 3 egg whites pinch salt 1-3/4 cup (350g) sugar 3-1/3 cup (330g) finely ground almonds 1/4 cup (60g) [...]

Categories: baking, cookie, dessert, entertaining, gluten-free
Tagged: baking, cookies, entertaining, gluten-free