I always look forward to the time that the outdoor farmers markets start up. Though to be honest, the first few weeks are always a little disappointingly scant on the fruits and vegetables. Spring in the upper midwest isn’t quite the most bountiful season for produce. It’s mostly ramps, spring garlic and onions, the odd …
I hate deep frying. It’s such a hassle. There’s a bubbling cauldron of hot oil to stand over and then there’s the problem of figuring out how to deal with it later. But there’s one thing I make an exception for: pączki. Pączki (pronounced punch-key, singular paczek [pronounced punch-ek {nota bene: “pączkis” are not a …
Here, have a cranberry Dutch baby. I love a good oven pancake for breakfast. The most common versions involve apples. And those are lovely. But sometimes you want to branch out. In the summer, I make a Dutch baby with peaches and blackberries. In winter, I turn to other flavors. This one is scented with …
The brioche cinnamon rolls are pretty much the best make-ahead fancy breakfast treat I know. They make use of my favorite no-knead brioche recipe, which is just about the simplest, most butter-wonderful treat I know. The last time I made it, I used half of the dough to make a loaf of brioche, and the …
This no-knead brioche looks rather simple and unassuming. But, oh, this stuff makes me go weak in the knees. It is, easily, one of my favorite treats. I hear from lots of people who are intimidated by baking anything with yeast. And brioche has a reputation for being more challenging than most breads. But this …
There’s something about baking in the morning in the summer. Something about the quiet. The gentle sunlight. The way that puttering around the kitchen gives me a sense of purposeful ease. There’s a tactile pleasure in it. And a tangible satisfaction in feeling like I’ve accomplished something so early, which lets me off the hook …