Does it get any better? Martha’s January 2007 magazine put my salivary glands in motion with this dessert in her pull-out meal section. I love the idea of serving it with Port at the end of the meal… except even more I wanted to try to make the Banana Tarte Tatin in that same magazine […]

I have to eat these in private because I cannot get them in my mouth fast enough (the resulting fist-in-mouth can be quite embarrassing). If you make enough to share, these ginger-infused pecans are awesome for pre-dinner munching with cocktails.
I sometimes package them in cellophane with twine, colorful ribbon or handmade labels for a nice […]

My husband and I stole our way to a new restaurant when our kids went camping with their grandparents. Purple had just opened in Seattle, already garnering a landable reputation at their other restaurants in nearby Kirkland and Woodinville. At the downtown Seattle venue there is a choice between all-out dining or a tasting bar, […]

TAPAS MENU
Blue Cheese & Quince Paste
Beet Bites
Marinated Olives
Baba Ganoush w/Tomatoes
Cucumbers w/Dill
Grilled Artisan Bread
I hadn’t tried a round of tapas before, but I am increasingly a believer of less is more. If I can get a serious bang for my buck—very little time, very few ingredients, very big results—then I am the first in line. Each […]

I have been reading about zucchini blossoms in my latest foodie book: A Thousand Days in Tuscany (see page 28 for recipe). So when I went to a nearby Farmers Market this morning, I was taken in by the seductive blossoms, begging an opportunity to be introduced to my kitchen. I am learning that if […]