Whether one cooks or not, the kitchen connects all of our lives. In 2008, I was drawn even more closely to the miraculous bond between people and food. The journey introduced me to an uncommon assortment of “Culinary Types.” Along the way, we encountered Bonnie Slotnick and her charming West Village shop, filled to the rafters with antiquarian cookbooks. We tasted the heirloom recipes of
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The Christmas Cake
The Christmas season has sped by. There’s been snow, Bach, thin crust pizza, tapas, pear tarts, Jimmy Stewart, butter cookies and the annual office holiday party at mega decibels. And, now Christmas Eve, and lots to prepare. This Christmas Cake is indeed “the dreaded” fruitcake. I’m taking quite a gamble serving this for dessert for Christmas Eve dinner, given the sullied reputation of
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Christmas Cookies – Tante Kremer’s Walnut Egg White Kisses
Some bakers are legendary within families. They create confectionary magic with love that stays with you long after the fragrant aromas have left the kitchen. In our family, that baker is my mother’s Tante Kremer. I barely remember Tante, but most holidays, my mom will manage to conjure up a sweet memory of Tante’s baking, be it her elegant Hungarian Nut Torte, or a delicate Christmas cookie.
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Royal Banquet
My friend Rocky recently confirmed his title as the King of Paella. My friend Hal2008 is a culinary prognosticator, and has recently been palling around with Frank Bruni. He also says he’s the King of Risotto (this claim is still to be tested). Rocky’s lovely wife enjoys good food, follows politics obsessively and was recently a YouTube sensation.
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Two Pear Tarts and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
That song has been playing constantly on satellite radio. And, it’s SO long. So many choruses. I can’t get those lyrics out of my head.Don’t they know we’re officially in a recession? Nobody can afford 12 Days of Christmas gifts, and all the multiples of the previous days.I’ve got more important things on my mind. "The King of Paella" (Rocky), his wife and Hal2008 (who has been palling
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Christmas Cookies - Nana’s Sandbakkels
The Barritt’s are not from Scandinavia, although there are a couple of fair-haired blondes in the group. Regardless, every Christmas, we always looked forward to Nana’s signature treat, “sandbakkels,” a crumbly Norwegian almond cookie baked in delicate fluted tins. Nana’s ancestral roots were primarily German. So how did she end up known, among other things, for a Scandinavian Christmas cookie
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Drop In & Decorate Delivers Holiday Cheer
Bake. Decorate. Donate.Free how-to guide! Cookies are such a sweet signature of the holidays. A homemade cookie – beautifully decorated – inspires good cheer, evokes memories of loved ones and restores childlike wonder. So many of us have these gifts in abundance, but there are many who aren’t as fortunate. One of my favorite food bloggers, Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry, long ago
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