This one's for Inv Robbins, who died on Monday after helping to make about a zillion kids happy by creating the first American food franchise: Baskin-Robbins. When I was a munchkin, I loved Baskin-Robbins. There was a BR store within walking distance of all my usual haunts and they gave you free ice cream on your birthday. Even better, my older brother's best friend was a shift manager. For him, this mostly meant he, at 17, got to herd 15 and 16 year-olds, which I am sure was a pain. For him. I, on the other hand, thought that the point of being a shift manager was free banana splits. Not for him. For me. Since then, I have switched to making my own ice cream.  read more »

When I chose the theme for the January edition of " Waiter, there's something in my... ", it was in the good effort to finally overcome my fear of making a proper (read: meat-based) terrine. I do enjoy eating them, especially when foie gras is involved, and these little earthenware pots of terrines are also pretty much the only way I tolerate liver. But it was not to be, I succumbed to the pressures of my own hectic schedule and ended up making something I was more familiar with: a vegetarian one. Who would have thought, though, that the majority of bloggers out there would go for a meat-free alternative?  read more »

They're popping, they're popping! (Let me preface by saying that I'm a raging nerd for just linking to this song . What it's doing on my ipod is a mystery. I was trying to come up with a title to this entry, and I couldn't shake the lyrics. Hey, it's catchy!) Welcome to the April Daring Bakers Challenge - Cheesecake Pops! Elle and Deborah are our hostesses, and I could reach through the computer and hug them!  read more »

What do the words "Saturday", "Days Off", and "Ward Picnic" have in common with each other??? One might well ask that, but . . . . since I noticed that it was drizzling and raining when I poked my nose out the door early this morning, that would be a HUGE clue! Why is it that it will be gloriously sunny and warm most of the week, but the minute you get a day off that you could enjoy it in and an outdoor activity planned, the clouds roll in and it decides to rain? haha I guess that's what they call Murphy's Law, or is it the Peter Principle?  read more »

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' " Gimme a layered cake to make & I'm in 7 th heaven! As you can obviously guess from my blog posts, I love baking cakes. I have Morven @ Food Art & Random Thoughts to thank for posting such a wonderful challenge.. Dorie Greenspan's 'Perfect Party Cake' . After my first 2 challenges I was pretty much on shaky grounds (what with LMPs & French loaves), I must admit I procrastinated even going to check on March's challenge! Crumbs...by the time I checked, had already begun work on our anniversary cake ( Chocolate Orange Cloud G ateau ; nice one) so felt like kicking myself! The next opportunity was grabbed with both hands & I marched into a cake baking frenzy! As M orven , the large-hearted lady said...put your stamp on it. In her words..." I wanted to pick something that had potential for putting your personal stamp on. Although this is essentially a white cake I know there are some lemon haters among us so feel free to use your imagination. If you inner chef tells you that you need to make a chocolate layer cake then by all means do so." I did just that. My stamp had to be COFFEE!! So, I flavoured the basic sponge with coffee essence & a medium roast instant coffee blend. The icing was of whipped cream, again mildly flavoured with coffee. Drooooooooooooooolicious !! The edges I finished off with a dripping of thick chocolate ganache ; the 2 flavours really compliment each. A few coffee beans completed my stamp!! The theme was worming its way into my mind. Here's what I did. I made an Easter basket of sorts with melted chocolate & filled it up with Easter eggs & crystallised flowers from our garden! This is something that gave me a lot of satisfaction & creative pleasure. I also added a few flowers & butterflies that I piped onto parchment & peeled off when they had set. Thank you Morven for giving me such endless joy...this is actually my passion in life, to be able to fill up a 'cake canvas' & extempore!!  read more »

[We could just hide under the bed covers - Brownies-like cookies and banana ice cream sandwiches] Quite unexpectedly, summer showed up; with its glorious harvest , hot breezes and refreshing drinks . Quite unexpectedly, I hadn’t noticed how time flew by. These past months; this past year. It seems that since I came back from New Zealand, things haven’t stopped. Not even for a brisk moment. New Zealand. Bang. Nice. Bang. Pierre Herm. Bang. Nice. Bang. Paris. Bang. Toulouse. Bang. Nutrition & Sant. Bang. Nutrition & Sant. That’s what keeps me busy at the moment. And actually, that’s what has kept me busy for the past few months as well. It might sound clich, but although four months have passed by, the day I arrived feels like it was yesterday . Now the project I’ve been working on is drawing to an end, and just the thought of it gives me that strange sensation: I know where all those hours of hard work go into a terrific biscuit, period; however, I can’t help but wonder why the hours faded away this fast .  read more »

A phantastic collection of picnic ideas contributed by food bloggers around the globe... this list will ensure you never run out of picnic ideas - savoury recipes as well as sweet, breads, salads, quiches, tarts and much, much more! The recipes are organised by category and show the main (or rare) ingredients, so you know at one glance whether the recipe is right for you. ENJOY! BREADS Beer bread Green Gourmet Giraffe (Australia) A bread for grown-ups and kids alike... wonderfully simple, yet delicious!  read more »

Do you ever have a craving for something that goes unsatiated for literally months?  read more »

and Banana Cream Pie - and Ajoblanco! So, let's get started shall we? The gougere recipe came from the New York Times magazine a couple of weeks ago, and I think it worked a bit better than the one I used the last time I made these. (Well of course it did, it's a Dorie recipe!) The trick with these is to let them dry in the oven for a few minutes after they're baked - so they are dry and crisp on the outside but tender inside. Choux paste is a wonderful thing - it can be baked into eclairs, cream puffs or gougeres, but it can also be fried as churros or beignets. It's not hard to make with a standing mixer - as long as you can use a piping bag. Actually, here - I can give you the secret on that right now. Put the tip in the bag and fold the bag down about half way, over your left hand (or right if you're a lefty.) Scoop about 2 cups of the paste into the bag, gather the top and and squeeze it down the tube like toothpaste - until it's near the of the tip. Get all the air out, and twist the top of the bag tightly. Grasp the bag at the top, where the twist is, and squeeze the bulb gently - using your other hand for guidance. Keep twisting the top and squeezing from that same spot as you go. As long as you apply the pressure to the bulb and keep it twisted, you shouldn't have any problems. Cool, huh?  read more »