Mexican Marquise on Meringue
The May 2011 Daring Bakers challenge was a decadent chocolate marquise on meringue, garnished with caramel and spiced nuts. I chose a Mexican chocolate theme with cinnamon and dulce de leche that turned out beautifully.
Category Archives: Snacks
Crimson Popcorn
Local heirloom popcorn is coated with a simple blend of peanut butter, honey, and sugar for a totally addictive treat like caramel corn that is neither too hard nor too gooey.
Transformers
More than meets the eye: Shorn purple cauliflower transforms into a ruddy creamed soup garnished with oyster (mushroom) crackers that taste like bacon.
Outshone Again
A short discussion of farmer's market meat options and how it led to a meal of braised oxtail ragu, homemade gnocchi, and more importantly, some sublime roasted dragon beans.
No-Labor Day
All sorts of homemade fixings to pair up with hamburgers, from fries to coleslaw to onion rings, and even microwave potato chips!
In a Pickle
Chard stems and okra pickled in vinegar are my contributions for this week's Preserve the Bounty challenge.
Taking the Cure
Home-cured salmon isn't nearly as scary or complicated as I thought it would be! We loved this gravlax with scrambled eggs, in corn soup with okra croutons, and straight off the board.
Now That’s Peachy (and Buttery)
Making "butter" is a great way to use up overly ripe fruit like my local peaches, and couldn't be easier with the help of a crockpot. With that sweet-tart flavor, it has a million applications…
Almond Addiction
Addictively sweet and spicy gingered almonds add crunch to silky-smooth honey-almond ice cream, and make a fantastic topping for salads to boot.
Peas and Carrots
Your standard peas and carrots are transformed into basil-scented pillowy pea gnocchi garnished with crispy shoestring carrots.
Midsummer Feast
A simple roast of beef with sides of summery vegetables and pesto-infused mashers, remixed into roast beef sandwiches on soft, homemade potato rolls.
Leaving the House of Orange
A democratic, if not Protestant, quinoa pilaf incorporates purple carrots, turnip, leftover chicken, and fresh arugula, with a garnish of crispy kale chips.
Cuban Pork and Beans
Cuban-influenced braised pork combines with black beans in this flavorful, but not spicy, chili. I served it over rice, with super-simple baked corn chips for crunch.
Banana Candy
A general guideline for drying banana slices in the convection oven. One of my son's favorite snacks.
Almond Maple Granola
An old favorite granola recipe: just sweet enough, with great crunch and infinitely adaptable. This version features almonds, coconut, and vanilla.
Thin Wheats
A homemade version of the popular Wheat Thin crackers, perfect for snacking.
Pocketful of Lamb
Grilled lamb with Mediterranean spices and seasonings was tasty on its own, but fantastic served in homemade pita with a smear of yogurt sauce.
Nanaimo Bars
The January 2010 Daring Bakers challenge featured nanaimo bars, an iconic Canadian bar cookie that combines graham cracker crumbs, chocolate, coconut, almonds, and frosting. Very nearly too sweet, even for me, but still oddly addictive.
Nolan’s Graham Crackers
My son's favorite snack crackers, made with minimal ingredients in fun shapes for tiny tasters.
Nolan’s Birthday
My son's first birthday party, celebrated with homemade breadsticks and hummus, stuffed peppers, and a fabulously messy devil's food white-out cake.