This year from the evening of Wednesday, March 20 until nightfall on March 21 Jews all over the world will celebrate the festival of Purim. The story of this holiday is found in the Old Testament Book of Esther. As with any Jewish holiday, special foods are consumed as part of the celebration. Continue reading
Category Archives: Technique
Sour Cream-Blueberry Crumb Cake
In our recent travels in Maine and Canada’s Maritime Provinces we were greeted by larger-than-life reminders of one of their common popular products.
It’s blueberry season here, too, and what is in the markets is not only very tasty but often quite reasonably priced. We have them frequently in a first-course fruit salad and at least a few times during the summer in a terrific sour cream cake.
This recipe, adapted from Tish Boyle’s THE CAKE BOOK, was recommended by a member of my Bay Area Bakers Dozen group and has been a favorite in our house from the first time I made it. Continue reading
Watermelon Soup
The recipe for this very refreshing cold soup was devised many years ago after Larry and I had watermelon soup as the first course of a summer dinner at Cafe Bernardo in midtown Sacramento. The chef told me that she had sweetened the soup with a sugar syrup prepared ahead of time. Honey proved to be a simpler, quicker way to a similar soup. We have this soup just about every week when watermelon is available and we never tire of its taste or gorgeous color! Continue reading
Onions!
At a luncheon today a student told me that one of the most valuable skills she had learned from me was how to chop an onion. This made me very happy and inspired me to write a short post on this subject.
Onions (and other member of their family like shallots and garlic) can be quickly, easily and safely prepared for their various roles in recipes–if you know the right way to approach the job. Continue reading