A Blithe PALATEtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1284352009-04-23T23:20:52-04:00TypePadCookbook Spotlight Roundup: Gale Gand's Brunchtag:typepad.com,2003:post-659273792009-04-23T23:20:52-04:002009-04-25T23:31:51-04:00Stephanie and I initially bonded over brunch and we've been lucky enough to meet at least once a year over the last few -- always over brunch, so when relaunching Cookbook Spotlight, it wasn't hard to persuade us to begin with Gale Gand's new book: Gale Gand's Brunch. Featuring 100 recipes encompassing drinks, sweet and savory dishes, it also wasn't hard to round up twenty-five friends to join us in a collaborative cooking exercise. I'm always intrigued by what different foodies will choose to make when presented with the same book; and I'm always thrilled with the results. Our planned...CathCookbook Spotlight: Gale Gand's Crepes and Buttermilk Pancakestag:typepad.com,2003:post-659066152009-04-19T23:32:00-04:002009-04-23T11:43:40-04:00Years ago Hani and I were driving our parents' friends back to their home in Georgetown. We were enjoying our time with Mark and Anne, whom we had not seen in some time. Long time friends of our parents, we were enjoying our conversation with them. Hani suggested meeting for brunch and Anne should her head. "Let's do breakfast or lunch, dear," she said. "I don't like brunch." I think it's possible that Anne was the only person I've ever known who didn't love brunch. As meals go, it's my favorite. Straddling the informality of breakfast and the more organized...CathAmaretto Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Fillingtag:typepad.com,2003:post-653645572009-04-11T23:14:00-04:002009-04-12T01:14:21-04:00Cupcakes have been my go to baked good recently. I find making them therapeutic and a lot easier than trying to bake, cut, layer, crumb coat and frost an entire cake. Their small size also allows me lee way to do fun things, like the pastillage sparrows on the cupcakes I recently made for a friend's baby shower. The actual cupcake is an Amaretto vanilla cupcake with a raspberry marshmallow cream filling and topped with an Amaretto raspberry cream cheese frosting (kinda like a high end Hostess cupcake). Over Christmas, Joetta brought over a batch of cream-filled chocolate cupcakes from...CathSeasonal Eating Depressiontag:typepad.com,2003:post-649244232009-03-31T23:22:00-04:002009-04-01T01:07:21-04:00S.E.D. I suffer from it year round, living here. Welcome to my Seasonal Eating Depression. It occurs when I long to be conscientious and eat locally and seasonally. You know what constitutes seasonal 'availability' here in Georgia in March? Carrots, greens and strawberries. That's it. You know what just SOUTHERN California gets? Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado, Beets, Blood Orange, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots , Cauliflower, Celery, Chard , Collards, Dates (Medjool), Grapefruit, Green Onion, Green Peas, Kale, Kohlrabi, Kumquats, Lemons, Lettuce, Mushroom, Mustard, Navel Orange, Passion Fruit, Spinach, Strawberries, Tangelos, Tangerines, Turnips. This doesn't consider the northern part of the state. They...CathInvitation to Brunch...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-645991532009-03-24T23:57:00-04:002009-03-25T00:05:44-04:00Stephanie and I are co-hosting a new edition Cookbook Spotlight on April 17 with Gale Gand’s new book. You may remember from the last few Cookbook Spotlights that food bloggers select recipes from the same cookbook, make the dish, and blog about it. We follow with a round up of everyone's choices and pictures. It’s always fun and interesting to me to see what different people pick to cook or bake from the same book. This go-round we’ve been offered a chance to cook from Gale’s new book, Gale Gand’s Brunch! I have an extra book and would like to...CathBeef and Guinness Stew, Reduxtag:typepad.com,2003:post-642961652009-03-17T23:51:00-04:002009-03-18T01:32:06-04:00I forgot it was St. Patrick's Day today or I would have been better prepared. I was a little sleep-deprived: I was on calls with colleagues in India until 2:30 am EDT, Pug was having sleep issues in between calls, and I only managed sleep between 4:30 and 7:30, when 12 week old Hoss woke, ready to play. Then, it was time for the day job. It's probably a good thing I don't need much sleep. It's probably also a good thing that my sense of humor isn't tied to adequate shut eye. Hubby called me at 4:30 and said,...CathRed Velvet Hell, Part Threetag:typepad.com,2003:post-628711712009-03-14T00:18:00-04:002009-03-11T21:39:56-04:00When my friend Dave was five years old, he was traveling with his family through the Grand Canyon. Whilst at a rest stop, Dave went about his business, then flushed the urinal, which promptly exploded, spraying him mercilessly with water while he screamed in terror. Relaying the story thirty-some years later, Dave noted, "Even now when I flush, I still jump back and flinch." Such is it for me and red velvet cake. There's a reason the post is entitled "Red Velvet Hell." Red velvet cake is my own personal kryptonite. In its presence, I wilt. I die. My experience...CathPopoverstag:typepad.com,2003:post-639168892009-03-10T23:52:39-04:002009-03-10T23:52:04-04:00Popovers remind me of my cousin Wendy, and of one of the sweetest periods in my life, when I was living and working in San Francisco. It was a strange time: at once unsettled and upended, yet bearing inexorably towards a very pragmatic end. I was commuting between San Francisco and New York with stopovers in the south to see Hubby, who at the time was The Fiancé. As we were to be married in Napa, being in San Francisco made it easier to make runs into wine country to plan and tweak the wedding. I have very fond, very...CathWill work for chocolatetag:typepad.com,2003:post-637661132009-03-07T03:26:54-05:002009-03-07T03:28:17-05:00A project I'm working on needed some serious graphic design layout work. I called my friend Dani in a panic and she said, 'No problem! I have just the guy for you -- and he'll do it for an affordable price!" Affordable price = chocolate. I'm serious. The guy said he'd work for chocolate. I have a rough estimate of what his work would cost on the open market -- so do I buy an equivalent amount in chocolate? It's a sure bet that your run of the mill, pedestrian stuff is not considered appropriate currency; but somehow buying a...CathThree Tales About Love and Chocolatetag:typepad.com,2003:post-590074322008-12-04T00:39:39-05:002008-12-04T00:39:39-05:00Faking It The first love plain and simply, sucks. This was the first time she understood her friend Jay's blistering declaration that "Love is a willingness to be bludgeoned." She's still not sure what it was that precipitated this tumbling; the guy in question was an awful boyfriend, thoughtless, heartless and careless in a way that as a friend he had been nothing short of exemplary. But at 22, having never let go of her feelings, she fell in love. She began to fall in love, when at the opera, during Cherubino's Voi che sapete aria, he kissed her in...Cath