In 2025, Facebook’s algorithms are smarter than ever. They’re designed to detect fake engagement, bot activity, and suspicious behavior. This means buying likes from low-quality vendors can get your page penalized—or worse, shut down. The solution? Choose providers who deliver real, high-retention likes from authentic users, using natural delivery patterns that mimic organic growth.

To help you navigate the crowded market, we’ve reviewed and ranked the top 7 sites to buy Facebook likes safely, with a focus on reputation, retention, delivery quality, and risk-free practices.

1. The Marketing Heaven – Best Overall for Safety, Quality, and Retention

The Marketing Heaven earns the top spot on our list for one reason: it consistently delivers high-quality Facebook likes without putting your page at risk. Whether you’re running a business, launching a new brand, or managing social media for clients, this provider offers the perfect combination of performance and security.

Why It’s #1

• Real Likes from Active Users: The likes you get aren’t from bots or inactive ghost accounts—they’re from actual Facebook users. This gives your page authentic social proof and minimizes any chance of algorithmic penalties.
• Natural Delivery Patterns: Likes are delivered slowly over time to resemble organic audience growth. This approach keeps your page under the radar and helps build long-term engagement.
• High Retention Rates: The Marketing Heaven is known for likes that stay. Unlike other services that deliver fast but lose likes just as quickly, their retention rate is among the best in the industry.
• Geographic Targeting Available: Need likes from U.S., Canada, or Europe? The Marketing Heaven allows you to tailor your audience based on your target market.
• No Login Required: You only submit your Facebook page URL—no admin access or password needed.
• Dedicated Support Team: With 24/7 live chat and fast email response times, customer service is prompt, knowledgeable, and reliable.

Packages

Options start from 500 likes and scale up to 50,000+ depending on your needs. Though not the cheapest, the security, consistency, and trust factor make it the safest investment available.

“We’ve used The Marketing Heaven for client pages and our own brand. The likes are real, the delivery is clean, and they’ve never caused a single issue with Facebook.”
— Rachel N., Social Media Strategist

2. Media Mister – Best for Multi-Platform Campaigns

Media Mister is a veteran in the social media marketing space. It provides engagement services for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and more—making it ideal for users who want to build presence across platforms simultaneously.

What We Liked

• Offers likes for Facebook pages, posts, and photos
• Delivers over 3–5 days for a safer pace
• Some regional targeting available
• Refill guarantees on select packages

What to Watch

• Engagement is authentic, but the retention rate varies depending on package tier
• Not as tailored for business users seeking high-precision targeting

Still, for agencies and creators looking to grow multiple platforms, Media Mister is a strong second.

3. GetAFollower – Best for Affordability and Entry-Level Campaigns

For those just starting out or running tight-budget tests, GetAFollower offers low-cost Facebook like packages that are simple and straightforward.

Highlights

• Competitive pricing for small campaigns
• Likes delivered in 1–3 days
• Decent mix of real and semi-active accounts

This is a good choice for pages that need to build early momentum or test buying strategies, though likes may drop slightly over time without refill options.

4. FollowersUp – Best for Time-Sensitive Promotions

FollowersUp is ideal for users who need fast delivery and don’t want to wait days for results. It’s often used for events, product launches, or campaigns where immediate traction is needed.

What You Get

• Likes delivered within a few hours
• Supports page and post likes
• Quick checkout with no account access required

That said, retention rates vary, and it’s not recommended for long-term brand building. Use it when speed matters more than longevity.

5. SocialPros – Best for Page Engagement Add-Ons

SocialPros offers a full suite of Facebook engagement services—not just likes, but also shares, followers, and reactions. It’s a useful platform if you want to diversify your page’s visible engagement.

What Makes It Unique

• Likes can be bundled with other metrics
• Various engagement types available
• Targeting options for select plans

While it’s not as specialized as The Marketing Heaven, SocialPros works well for users who want a broader strategy and don’t mind slightly slower support.

6. FollowerPackages – Best for Small Business Campaigns

FollowerPackages caters to small business owners and entrepreneurs looking for credible social proof without high upfront costs. Their Facebook like service is geared toward page growth and boosting local trust.

Features

• Likes come from mixed regions
• Quick order processing and beginner-friendly interface
• Transparent pricing

Though customer support can be slower than top-tier providers, the platform’s simplicity and effectiveness earn it a spot on this list.

7. Famups – Best for Long-Term Engagement Projects

Famups has become known for delivering likes with longer retention periods and optional refill guarantees. For brands planning long-term campaigns, this provider may be worth considering.

Key Benefits

• Likes are delivered steadily over time
• Option to top-up dropped likes
• Likes remain visible well beyond the campaign period

It’s slightly more expensive than budget options, but if you’re seeking high-retention Facebook likes for brand consistency, Famups is a worthy candidate.

How to Buy Facebook Likes Without Getting Flagged

Facebook is constantly updating its policies to detect manipulation, so here’s how to stay safe:

Buy from Reputable Sources Only

Stick with providers that use real users and avoid shortcuts. All the sites on this list have been vetted for authenticity and transparency.

Opt for Gradual Delivery

Instant bulk delivery is a red flag. Services like The Marketing Heaven use drip-feed techniques that mimic natural follower growth.

Don’t Share Your Password

No trusted provider should ever ask for login credentials. If they do, walk away immediately.

Use Likes as a Supplement, Not a Strategy

Buying likes can boost visibility and credibility, but they’re not a substitute for content, community management, or real engagement.

Buying Facebook likes doesn’t have to be risky—if you choose the right provider. From new entrepreneurs to marketing professionals, the goal is the same: build a Facebook page that looks active, trusted, and influential.

Out of all the platforms reviewed, The Marketing Heaven stands out as the safest and most effective source to buy Facebook likes in 2025. It leads the pack in:

• Retention
• Authenticity
• Delivery safety
• Customer support

If you’re ready to strengthen your page while protecting your brand’s reputation, The Marketing Heaven is the best place to start.

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This was a lot of fun to make with Layla and Hettie Rose. It was a birthday surprise for a neighbor who has had a most difficult year and we thought we’d bake her something special to cheer her up.

I’m really a pie and pastry maker, cakes are never my go-to dessert but I’m trying, trying, to be a better Mommy and embrace the whole over-the-top American cake thing. Why? Because Layla told me good mommies make cakes and asked why we didn’t make more cakes since “You’re a Chef and all, Mom”.

You know I could have made a thousand excuses to her: “They have too much sugar.” (which they do) “I prefer seasonal fruit desserts” (which I do) “They take a lot of time” (definitely true). But at the heart of it, and the real reason I don’t make a lot of cakes, is because I’m a lazy baker. I like to make things at home that I don’t need a recipe for and that includes all feuilltage pastries, tarts and pies.

So Layla actually is right, I need to step up my cake baking skills and get out of my comfort zone once and awhile. However, you can be sure that if I’m posting a cake recipe it’s going to be relatively quick, delicious and have seasonal fruit in it somewhere.

Rhubarb, raspberry and rose water are a beautiful combination –– absolutely gorgeous. I made a refrigerator jam for the cake by combining 4 large ruby red stalks chopped rhubarb with a few pints of raspberries and a cup of sugar cooked down on the stove top. After cooling my quick jam, I added a few splashes of rose water and then slathered it in between the layers. So good! And remember, don’t eat the leaves – they are poisonous!

This recipe is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. It caught my eye because the technique is so different from every cake I’ve ever made. It’s almost like a pâte brisée technique, but it worked! I made the recipe twice following their steps the first time and then refining them on the second go because the cake did not rise the way the picture looked or create the quantity they suggested. Still, it’s a very easy and very tasty white cake with my improvements. There is no whipping egg whites into a meringue, no creaming butter and sugar – it’s easy!

The topping is that ever ethereal seven minute frosting which is quick to whip up (as the name suggests) and fun to spread on. I gave the cake a crumb coat, so as not to over do it with this sweet spread. At least there’s a lot of protein in it.

I’m on the fence about wrapping the cake with rhubarb slices. It looks cool and it’s easy to do, but I also like the crumb coat unfinished look. if you like it then find some long rhubarb stalks and make long shavings using a vegetable peeler. You can brush them with hot simple syrup and stick them in the oven to soften a bit. I suggest removing them before slicing. I did not test how long the slices stay put on the cake, but I would add these more as decoration before presenting the cake.

My Mom hated rhubarb. I don’t know why. I think it had to do with growing up during WWII and being forced to eat rhubarb desserts. It’s the only vegetable (yes, rhubarb is a vegetable not a fruit) I can remember that she would actually cringe and turn a slight shade of green just in mentioning its name. I didn’t have rhubarb until I was much, much older because I was scared of it. But now I love it. I found this quote, which I’ll leave you with because clearly other people feel the same. Do you love rhubarb? I’m curious, let me know!

“Human growth is not like rhubarb. It can be nurtured and encouraged but it cannot be forced!” — Andy Hargreaves

Morels with Madeira Cream and Asparagus is a simple yet luxurious recipe that is delicious on its own or with just about any main –– roasted chicken, salmon, beef tenderloin –– these would all be tasty alongside. But, honestly, it’s great just as a vegetarian main too. Morels are so meaty, I love making them the star of the show.

Fat juicy asparagus is one of my favorite veggies, especially in Springtime. To prepare: snap off the woody ends, trim up the edges, peel the bottom third of the stalk (it can be tough and fibrous) and blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp.

If you want to get really 3-MIchelin Stars about it, you can also take a pairing knife and carefully remove all the little bitter tasting triangles remaining on the stalk (below the tip). That’s what we used to for every single asparagus stalk when I cooked at Guy Savoy. I’m not sure I really feel that it’s necessary but, if you want an exercise in patience, by all means give it a go!

When sourcing morels look for firm specimens that are not buggy, mushy or dirty. I trim just a little bit of the ends off and prefer to keep them whole while cooking. Morels are expensive! At the time of writing this post they are $34 per pound which is a little less than last year, but still not cheap. The main reason for the high price is their rarity. They only grow from March through May and they are impossible to farm. So choose wisely when buying!

The Madeira mushroom sauce is seriously drinkable –– it’s really that good. So be sure to serve some baguette alongside to mop up all the last drops. Something about morels, cream, thyme and Madeira combined just makes a really decadent and luxurious combination. Enjoy!

Zeytoon Parvardeh, comes from Northern Iran and it is sometimes called ‘Caspian Olives’ since its origin (Gilan Province) lies close to the sea. This topping is a magical marinated combo of pitted green olives, pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, garlic, walnuts, mint, parsley and dill.

It really hits all the right notes: nutty, salty, meaty, fleshy, sweet, tart, sour and herb-a-licious too. Used as a garnish it’s delicious with any fish; Sturgeon being the obvious choice, considering its origin.

I used mint in my recipe but the original herb that it replaces is: chuchagh which is hard to find here in the Bay Area. Traditionally the mint and garlic are chopped and mashed up together and the walnut is grated or pulverized in a cuisinart but I’ve opted for a rough chop here instead. Feel free to make it yours and add a little cilantro too if desired.

I use this garnish to top hummus appetizers also, so keep this little salsa of sorts in your rolodex of interesting and delicious toppings. Or forget about chopping the green olives – and serve it up as an appetizer in its original whole form alongside some frosty martinis.

Roasting a whole salmon side could not be easier and it’s so pretty for a party. Obviously I’m thinking Easter and Passover here, but it’s festive enough for any feed-a-crowd occasion.

Some pointers for roasting whole salmon sides…

Have your fish monger take out the pin bones, or do it yourself by gently pulling out the thin bones with fish tweezers the direction they are pointing – do not pull against the flesh or it will tear. Run your fingers along the flesh to feel the bones.

Also, skin your side and remove all of the grey fat from the underside, this part tends to get a little fishy smelling as it rests, so it’s best to remove before baking.

After skinning and removing the pin bones, I place my salmon side on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use two pieces of parchment overlapping by more than half. This way, when ready to transfer the fish, you can grab the ends of the paper (without it breaking because of the double layer underneath) and quickly move it to the serving platter. Once on the plate, pull the parchment out on either side.

Season the salmon with sea salt, ground cumin and ground sundried lime, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in a slow oven around 325F until medium rare.

Test for doneness by inserting a metal toothpick (I’ve even used a paperclip or the tip of a thin knife), into the thickest part of the flesh and leave it for 10 seconds. Press the metal toothpick tester just to the bottom of your bottom lip (almost underneath it, so as not to burn your lip). It if feels just barely warm – your fish is still on the rare side of medium rare but making progress. If it feels nicely warm, then the fish is medium rare! If it feels a little hotter than warm – you’ve hit medium. If it feels burning hot – your fish is overcooked, take it out immediately!!!! If it feels cold, it’s not cooked at all, stick it back in the oven….

While this salmon dish is delicious on it’s own, I think it’s EVEN BETTER served alongside my Harissa Roasted Carrot dish or at the very least with the Labneh-Tahini-Honey mixture that accompanies it (included below). Without this creamy sauce, I feel the dish is not quite complete, For the perfect bite, make sure you add this creamy counterpoint!

Also, it’s a great dish for entertaining and feeding a crowd. Plate it for a fancier preso or serve rustic and family style. If you are looking for a Spring holiday dish, this would be lovely.

Okay, I’m just going to say it because you know I’m 49 going on 13 – it’s really, really hard for me to write a recipe about meatballs without thinking of a certain SNL skit. I sort of feel like an adolescent here trying not to laugh at every turn. But regardless of my truly prepubescent sense of humor, I still feel that this is an elegant dish, I just wish we could rename it? Any suggestions!?!

The most important tip to making meatballs is to mix the ingredients just until incorporated evenly. Overworked meatballs tend to be tough. I also think it’s a great idea to sauté a spoonful size portion of the meat mixture and taste the seasoning before forming into balls.

If you can’t find fava beans fresh or frozen, you can sub edamame which I often find vacuum sealed and fresh in the produce area. If you can find fava beans fresh, remember they need to be shelled and then individually popped out of their tough skins – blanch favas in salted boiling water for one minute and cool down immediately in an ice bath. Then pop each bean out of its skin before moving on with the recipe. (Also, little kids are really great at shelling and popping favas out of skin.)

Use a nice ricotta. It’s easy enough to make at home but if buying I prefer Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk ricotta. It has a lovely light consistency without being too watery and it does not have any weird thickeners in it. Many store-bought ricotta products have some sort of gelatin, so read the label!

I served the leftovers with a tricolore bitter greens salad with blue cheese crumble and a white balsamic vinaigrette the following day and is was still delicious!

I worked with a Sous Chef at a 3-Michelin star restaurant (that will go unnamed) who used to jokingly look over my shoulder during prep time and whisper things like: “If you mess that up you’re an a**hole and you’re fired” Normally it was a really simple dish like this, one that no one would ever mess up. And yes if you did, you probably would be fired. But still, it’s seemed funny at the time. Ah, kitchen humor….

When I was making this recipe for my Fourth of July Party, I had to laugh because I swear that Chef was standing behind me peering over my shoulder trying to trigger my adrenaline. Yes, messing up this dish is hard. You really have to work at making pulled pork terrible.

But it can be done. Yup. Not gonna to lie. It can be done. And there is a big difference between ‘downright delicious’ and just ‘meh’. First off, you can’t rush the braise. If you do, the fat and the connective tissue in Pork Butt (which comes from the shoulder of the pig, but is higher on the foreleg – not anywhere close to the butt at all!) will not melt in the mouth. Your guests will feel like they are chewing on slimy rubber bands and that is not a great way to entertain.

Some recipes will tell you it doesn’t matter if you hard sear the Pork Butt first or not. Hogwash. Hard searing is very important. Yes, that nice crust is going to soften in the braising liquid but the caramelization from the crust is going to add so much flavor and color back into your braise which is eventually going to reduce into a sauce that you can mix into your succulent pulled pork. So don’t skip that step or I’ll be the one whispering over your shoulder!

As far as cuts go, Pork Butt (also called Boston Butt) is my first choice for pulled pork. You can use Pork Picnic too, but this cut is lower down on the shoulder blade and does not have the same shape and the fat content is much denser – I like to smoke this cut. Try to find a Pork Butt that is at least 6-7lbs deboned. This will yield about 14-16 sandwiches depending on how much meat you pile on plus a little extra. No one has ever stopped at just one sandwich at my table, so figure 2 per person. In other words: 8 people, 2 sandwiches per person, 7lbs pork butt deboned.

I start this recipe off with a lot of braising liquid and by the end of the cooking time it is normally reduced to about one cup and the pork butt has a nice bark to it. It is important to check in on your braising liquid from time to time. Even if you are cooking this in a Dutch Oven with a heavy lid the liquid will still cook off and no one wants a burnt butt! If the braising liquid starts to gets too low, you can always add a can of beer in a pinch. I do! Also, perhaps this is obvious, but don’t pour cold braising liquid into this dish to get it started, make sure it’s simmering.

To build a truly delicious Pulled Pork Sandwhch there are must-have-garnishes that can be customized to your personal style. I make a mean Guajillo BBQ sauce that is smoky-tangy-sweet and I slather it all over the bun. I prefer not to mix BBQ sauce into my pulled pork but many people do. I like my meat just to taste like it’s succulent self with the reduced braising liquid poured back in after the pork has been pulled.

I pile my sando high with pickled red onions and crunchy coleslaw that has the perfect balance between sweet and sour with a touch of creamy and a little kick-in-the-pants from Tabasco. And while I doubt it’s authentic in any Southern State, I believe a good mound of cilantro on top makes for the perfect bite.

A soft roll is a must. Potato is my first choice but brioche is nice too. This is definitely one of those sandwiches that you want to squish between your fingers as you bring it up for a bite.

Break out the picnic salads to serve alongside or just garnish with a few pickles. The sandwich is going to be the star of the show here, honestly, nothing else really matters once these hit the plates!

Enjoy!!!

I originally made this recipe about 8 years ago for a Pig Roast I did for Potrero Nuevo Farm in Pescadero and now here I am making it again for a backyard Fourth of July Party with two kids in tow. Oh how life has changed since my Farm-to-Table days.

Tangy green tomatoes make such a great starter. Feel free to batter up zucchini sticks too – the cornmeal crust slips off a little bit but they are still pretty darned snack-able. And if you can’t find fine cornmeal you can use a medium grind but they will be extra crunchy…

I love dunking fried green tomatoes into homemade ranch. But feel free to double up the sauces, remoulade is also great with this. I also make a killer Anchovy Remoulade Sauce that adds a little umami flavor.

Pictured below is Chef Valentin prepping 60 fry baskets for the Pig Roast many years ago…

Finding green tomatoes can be a little challenging if you don’t grow them yourself. The Green Zebra variety is actually ripe when green and too juicy for this recipe. If your market doesn’t stock green tomatoes as a specialty item have a look in the colorful heirloom pile. I often find green ones thrown into the mix or stop by your local farmer’s market and ask.

Here is a link to my original post many years ago…

http://www.amyglaze.com/cornmeal-crusted-fried-green-tomatoes-with-homemade-ranch-dressing/

I grow elderberries in two different varieties. Pictured is Black Beauty with delicate tiny pink star-shaped flowers on long deep purple stems. These just happened to blossom a little later in the season than my other white flowered variety so I grabbed them!

It is the pollen on elderflowers that is desirable and I highly advise picking the top flowers early in the morning while it is still a little chilly and before the bees start buzzing around. Elderflowers, when they start to loose their bloom, smell a little like pee (it’s true though, sorry!) and you don’t want any sort hint of that in your ice cream, so make sure you are picking fresh flowers that have not peaked yet. You only need five large flower clusters for this recipe, so leave some for the busy bees and of course for the berries later in the summer!

The leaves, stems and berries of both red and black elderberry species contain cyanide-inducing glycosides which can cause a toxic buildup of cyanide in the body. When using elderflowers, be sure to remove them from all but that smallest stem attachments to keep these toxins out of your food. As long as elderflower and elderberry are cooked, they are edible.

Because it’s really the pollen you want along with the flower itself, it is a good idea to infuse the flowers and cold cream together for 2-3 hours before making this traditional vanilla ice ream recipe. If using the Black Beauty variety, remove the flowers completely from the stem as the purple color will make the ice cream a little dingy looking and also to lower the risk of toxic buildup too of course.

You can always dehydrate some too for later use too, but I do think the fresh flowers and fresh pollen are better for this recipe. Nonetheless, place them on your trays for drying if desired or if you want to save some for a later use.

The base of this ice cream is a crème anglais or custard, so yes there are eggs in it. This is a rich old fashioned tasting vanilla ice cream recipe that is easy to whip up and also easy to add whatever flavors you want. If you are looking for a vegan or eggless variety, you can still use the elderflowers in the same way.

Spoon this ice cream over hot peach pie, or serve it with a strawberry sundae! Happy Fourth of July friends!

My Stepdad, Joe, would hover around the kitchen while this pie was baking and then pace around the house restless, waiting for it to set. Many a time it was served hot and messy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top because he just couldn’t wait.

My husband Ramin, does the same thing. I’m telling you this is a blue ribbon peach pie recipe! And yes, I’ll explain the “blossom” part (the SECRET ingredient) down below…

So what makes it so much better than the rest? A few things…

The peach is important. If your peaches are mealy and bland then your pie will be as well. I know, so obvious, but it needs to be repeated because there is a bit of effort to prepping peaches and it’s not worth the trouble if the main ingredient isn’t ripe, firm, and sweet-tart.

So bite into one before you blanch and peel and make sure it’s delicious! Or taste test at the farmer’s market before buying – that’s my favorite thing to do!

I always use a yellow variety because the white ones have sweetness overload with not enough acidity and tend to be a little softer. I love those white varieties too, especially for eating fresh, but not for pie.

I make this recipe with quick cooking tapioca but you can also just scratch the cream and tapioca part of this and mix the peaches with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch if you’re in a bind. Sometimes quick cooking tapioca is hard to find in the markets. Do not use regular tapioca – it takes waaaay to long to cook for this recipe. I do prefer quick cooking tapioca over cornstarch for this if you have a choice, the tapioca gives a little creaminess (along with the actual cream) which I love with peaches.

What is the blossom part of this? Orange blossom water! The combination of orange blossom and peach is truly magical. I am a purest when it comes to pie, I don’t often do mixed fruits. I never put raisins in my apple pies. I like blueberry as just blueberry and cherry as just cherry. But, there are exceptions and this is one of them. I strongly believe that peach and orange blossom flavors elevate each other to new foodgasm heights!

Layla and I made the first part of this recipe while Hettie Rose was napping. It’s so fun to have time with my big girl in the kitchen – the original wild child! – we don’t often get ‘just us’ time these days and cooking is one of the ways we get to bond. I love having a food project that we can work on together.

Both Layla and Hettie were gifted their own Japanese Misono kid’s knives with their names engraved by our long time family friends. If you are teaching a LIttle One to use a real knife I would highly suggest these. When I cooked for Le Bernardin in NYC I bought all my knives at Korin and they have an extensive and beautiful collection. In my years of teaching kids cooking, I have used many different knives and I think these are the best. They are perfect for small hands, nicely weighted and they have a rounded tip.

This Peach Blossom pie needs no extra help in the tasty department, but if you want to serve it with a scoop of vanilla or buttermilk ice cream overtop, while it’s still warm, I’m pretty sure you won’t regret it.

For my Flakey Pie Crust Recipe Go Here: Pâte Brisée

Yay for Summer!!! Enjoy!!! Don’t cry about it, just dig in and devour!!!

I grow a myriad of edible of flowers in my garden from nasturtiums and violas to hollyhock and elderberry flower and so many more. My girls love planting flowers and using them in creative ways. We dry rose petals in our dehydrator for party confetti, press flowers to use in crafts and on thank you cards, eat flowers in salads and sweets, and arrange flowers around the house!

To make these pancakes whip up the pancake batter below and pour into a hot greased non-stick pan. Cook mostly through on the first side and place violas and pansies on top. Flip, and cook for a minute on the second side and serve!

I didn’t want to glaze these pancakes with syrup so instead I garnished with a pat of butter, a blizzard of granulated sugar and a squeeze of Meyer lemon overtop. So pretty and so perfect for pansy pancakes…

Back to the pancake recipe… I grew up on Bisquick and I love Bisquick and it’s what I expect when I sit down to a short stack. But I do not like hydrogenated oils and you simply cannot prove to me that Crisco is better than butter and the fat in Bisquick is essentially that – Partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil. Back in the day Bisquick used partially hydrogenated beef fat and lard in case you were wondering, but those days are long gone.

My pie crusts are just as flaky if not more so with butter and they don’t have a greasy aftertaste, my biscuits are light and fluffy with butter and this pancake recipe, that only uses butter, is simply the best tasting I know of and it has the lightest texture. Lighter in fact, than Bisquick.

Years ago when I started googling homemade Bisquick recipes I was shocked at how many people were simply using Crisco as a base. Why? It’s the same thing!?! Why bother? If you’re interested in the argument about Trans Fats, NPR had a really interesting article called the “Skinny on Trans Fat“. But you know, I’m the girl who will literally smear a stick of butter on toast, so of course I’m going to stand up for it regardless!

So what makes my ‘Buttermilk Better than Bisquick’ recipe so good and how do I do it? I freeze a stick of butter overnight and grate half into my dry ingredients. Then I cut the butter in a little further so my crumb is super tiny. I use Bread Flour instead of All-Purpose, although you can use the later with great results. I mix buttermilk, milk, eggs and vanilla together (the wet ingredients) and stir them into my dry ingredients.

It might look slightly lumpy bumby at first but trust me (please trust me!), it melts instantly and rises so high and it’s so flavorful you really don’t even need butter overtop.

Whether or not you’re growing violas or edible flowers, I hope you’ll save my pancake recipe. you can also use the base for biscuits too but I’ll share that recipe in another post!

Happy Pansy Pancake day!

Keep it light this weekend, keep it spicy, keep it tangy and tart with a sweet slice of juicy melon ripe enough to drip down your chin.

Keep it anything but heavy, no need to pretend happy, just keep it real, focus on the flavor, figure out the future any way but not today.

Keep that seat at the table open and ready for that Veteran who maybe wants a taste of home but wasn’t able to make it in time to dine…

To all who have served: Thank you for our freedom. You are heroes. We are grateful and we honor and remember those lost and living who have protected our country.

I saw these awesome short ribs at my local butcher and I knew instantly what I wanted to make — a super sexy, somewhat sloppy, hard-to-stop-eating shareable braised short rib dish with Madeira black truffle sauce and silky smooth pommes purée. Red wine braised Short ribs rolled on the bone are one of my signature dishes, but I’ve subbed Madeira and added black truffle jus for a change. Yes Portugal, you are on my mind…

I also opted for a free form look here since the ribs were already cut — rolling them on the bone makes for a neat presentation too, but it’s a lot more knife work. This dish is forgiving. Use whatever short ribs you want. If they’re boneless – great, same recipe. If they’re chunky cut across the bone flanken style – great, same recipe. If you want to roll them back on the bone steamer style (as in my other short rib recipes) – great, SAME recipe. And that my friends is why braising is just so awesome, you can play with your food without worry!

My one piece of advice around short ribs: buy the meatiest center cut strips available. Otherwise you’re just braising fat with not a lot else to show for it. Even with the center cut ribs, I still cut off a lot of the fat before hard searing. There’s just so much of it, you don’t need it in the braise and you will not be diluting the flavor, trust me, there is a lot of marbling throughout the meat. Butchers leave it on because it looks more compact and of course, it ups the price but the outer fat is rubbery and although it dissolves and soften in the braise, it’s not always a great bite if there’s too much of it. (Personal opinion of course, I know my Dad is rolling his eyes right now).

I’m not including a mashed potato recipe here but just a little tip if you choose this for your starch: the secret to smooth pommes purées is a ricer. Yes, a pound of butter helps too (riiiiiight?!?) but for that silky texture you need to rice the spuds after they are cooked, then mix in the butter and milk. That’s how we did it at Guy Savoy and Le Bernardin. I hope those two restaurants know what they’re doing. Add a little black truffle jus and/or a splash of truffle oil to the potatoes too! 𝘔𝘶𝘢𝘩! ♡ Perfection!

Oh, and about black truffles: buy from a reputable seller. Sometimes people add chemical perfumes to them so this is important. Also, black truffle juice can be bought (and quality truffles too) from D’Artagnan. This specialty store has premium ingredients. When I cooked for Le Bernardin in NYC, this is where we got most of our high end ingredients including foie gras.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends! Wishing you a super sumptuous dinner with room for dessert… xoxoxo

Just the idea of truffles and beets together sends my pulse sky rocketing. And not because the combo is super sexy (which it is) but because there is a certain off-menu salad at Guy Savoy that is insanely difficult to construct.

Monsieur Savoy’s Truffled Mâche and Beet Salad is a well-loved and simple (though expensive) French combination of ingredients: truffled vinaigrette, caramelized deep ruby red beets, bouncy mâche and the blackest truffle slices you’ve ever seen.

However, The putting-it-together part is pretty much like Jenga — if you’ve ever played that impossible stacking game before, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. The mâche and beets are carefully layered into a mile high tower and then completely covered in a delicate dome of black truffle concentric circles, each truffle slice placed over the one before until the entire salad is wrapped in beautiful blackness. Sounds easy. IT’S NOT! It’s quite often the leaning tower of truffled Pisa.

But, it is delicious. There’s no denying that the creamy truffle vinaigrette is drinkable just on it’s own and paired with the sweet & earthy beets and the minerality of mâche – it is one hundred percent satisfying. It goes nicely with a coupe de Champagne for a light lunch too (just sayin’!)

Monsieur Savoy pairs his famous truffled vinaigrette with a few other cold appetizers as well. My personal favorite is his signature dish: ballontine of chicken breast, artichoke heart and foie gras terrine sliced thick and served with truffled vinaigrette and a little mâche. If you happen to pop into Guy Savoy for lunch and want something different than the 4-hour tasting menu (just a quick bite peut être?) I highly recommend this dish, it is delicious. I loved making it and I loved eating the smaller slices of the ballottine that weren’t big enough for a proper serving.

I’ve put together my favorite truffled vinaigrette combos from Monsieur Savoy’s menu in a simple starter. But I’ve added my own touches too. My focus these days is on relocating to Portugal so of course the beets are lacquered with the sweet wine. And although Monsieur Savoy would most certainly use Poilaîne crostini, I have opted for rye, my personal fav.

The ingredients can be put together as a finger appetizer on a crostini or plated as a starter or enlarged to make a platter for a crowd. Foie gras is exceptionally difficult to get ahold of in California these days and companies like D’Artagnan (in NYC) will ship it along with high quality truffles (and lots of other insanely delicious ingredients). But for the sake of making this dish accessible for all, there are some excellent packaged foie de canard mousse in the markets these days too and you can use that here as well.

If you’re up for making foie gras torchon, making it at home is not hard just time consuming. I open up the lobes and devein, sometimes using my fingers or the back of a spoon to find the web like strands. (buy premium foie gras and it will be easier to devein). Then I sprinkle with a little rose salt and kosher salt, roll back up and create a cylinder with several layers of saran wrap tying each end tight and cook sous-vide. Curing salt needs to be measured and if you are having trouble finding it, ask your butcher, you don’t need a lot! I personally do not add other spices to my torchon but some people do.

I think Serious Eats has an excellent post on making foie gras torchon with clear instructions and since I made mine last year and froze it and I don’t have pictures, this is a great resource. By the way, if you do freeze yours for later use, make sure to take the cheesecloth off, rewrap and cryovac.

Nice fresh black truffles are also difficult to find right now as is mâche for some odd reason but I was able to find some canned truffles – not my preference but will do in a pinch – and some beautiful frisée too!

Bon Appétit!

I named my blog ‘Pommes d’Amour” twenty years ago after the tantalizing eye popping candy apples I would oogle in the Paris patisserie windows on my way to work. Now here I am, Stateside, a lifetime later, with two little girls and a garden filled with apple trees and I’m actually making the recipe! Full circle finally.

I grow a unique apple called Pink Pearl. No doubt if you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you have seen these pink fleshed beauties in my other recipes. It is my favorite. My Mother-in-Law says that these apples are called “blood apples” in Iran, so I find it quite fitting for Halloween.

This is an easy recipe and a fun one. But as a longtime cooking teacher, I must warn, making the candy part of this is not a job for little kids and I personally asked Layla to sit on the other side of our kitchen island and I did not make this recipe with my ever curious toddler Hettie, because she simply does not understand the word ‘No’ or ‘Danger’. In fact, those two words often have the exact opposite effect.

Layla and I picked the last of our Pink Pearls, trimmed our tree and cleaned some branches, we jammed those branches into the tops of our apples and measured our ingredients. I cooked the sugar concoction (alone) to 310˚F and then dipped the apples in as fast as possible before the sugar could set. Seriously easy!

There are options for the flavor and color. We made two batches: in one I used just red gel paste for eye popping scarlet magpie appeal. In the other batch I added a touch of black for a more wicked look. Aside from the lemon juice if you want a little more kick, you can add red hot candies for a bit of cinnamon heat!

Happy Halloween friends! Hope there’s more treats in your bag than tricks!

About okra: it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And after eating it everyday, all day when I worked in Southern India I got to the point where I never wanted to EVER see it again. Sort of in the same way that if I ate a hamburger everyday for a year I wouldn’t be able to stomach it again. Most people dislike okra for it’s texture as it can be a little slimy when cooked. But, seared hard before simmering, there is no slime. Also, I try to buy small and tender okras (is that the plural form of okra? – “okras” – sounds odd, no?!? Should it be okrai?!?).

Any slime (sorry, for lack of a better word – mucus perhaps?) that’s left in the okra makes its way into the tomato turmeric sauce and adds flavor and body. So if it’s a texture thing that scares you and not a flavor issue, fear not, I’ve got you covered. And yes, you can leave it out, but I think it really adds to this dish. Trust me!

All Persian stews have a sour flavor profile which I love. Sometimes the sour profile comes from sun-dried limes (like Ghormeh Sabzi, the famous khoresht made of beef hunks braised with herbs and sundried lime) but in this stew unripe grapes are used. You can buy sour grapes in Middle Eastern stores; you’ll find them packaged in the refrigerator or freezer section. Or you can pick them off your own vines in the Summer and freeze until ready to use! That’s why I grow grapes friends – nobody’s making wine here! Seedless green sweet varieties work best. Yup, Thompson’s for example. I am not a fan of the sour grapes that are brined and jarred but, in a pinch they’re okay, just make sure to rinse them well before using.

Turmeric, the beautiful yellow spice derived from the small orange tuber, is used a lot in Persian cooking. I want to talk a little about turmeric (dried, not fresh) because used incorrectly it can ruin your dish. Used correctly it adds an interesting musty peppery flavor and a bright and beautiful yellow color. It is extremely bitter in large quantities. And it does not taste good burnt (does anything? Okay, maybe toast, or is that a fad finally out of fashion?) so I recommend paying close attention when searing the onions and eggplants with the turmeric so it browns and doesn’t burn and measure the amount added to the sauce – one teaspoon is more than enough for a whole stew. You can always add more – but you can’t take it away! In many Iranian dishes veggies and herbs are lightly fried with turmeric before the wet ingredients are added.

My Mom-In-Law, Shahla, who is the best Persian cook of all time, makes this dish with chicken and I prefer it this way. I have had it with beef and lamb before and it’s good too, but with the summery sidekicks of sour grapes, okra, eggplant and cherry tomatoes, chicken is the better choice. Also, chicken has a shorter cooking time and I think that’s important in this recipe. I don’t like okra stewed for hours nor do I like over cooked eggplant. I know that this take on Koresht bamieh bademjan has my usual Californian perspective. I prefer veggies to retain at least some of their taste, texture and shape.

About the chicken: you could use chicken breasts and that would be fine but chicken thighs are the best option because they have a higher fat content and thus more flavor which is a nice counter balance to the veggies and the acidity of the grapes & tomatoes. In the pictures here I used bone-in, skin-on thighs. The skin-on was an experiment and it worked but required extra effort. It’s hard to keep it crisp when cooking in a juicy steamy stew, so if you don’t mind the hassle of re-crisping the skin then yay! Or if you like rubbery chicken skin then double yay! But the usual choice is bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. And in some ways this is better because you can you let your stew simmer away and get all saucy and delicious without worrying about re-crisping.

I’m going to repeat myself here because you might be wondering how these flavors work together: this is my FAVORITE Persian Koresht of all times. Serve with saffron rice! It’s easy to make and can be expanded for a crowd if need be. In fact, most Persian stews can be easily expanded to feed a crowd – I guess thousands of years of hospitality and generosity have helped to shape every traditional dish that comes from this wonderful country.

Nooshe jân!

And it’s also impossible to not think about how Aslan, the Lion King, sacrificed himself for Edmund’s sin of treachery at the merciless hands of the White Witch. Oh to be loved by a Lion so great! Thanks to C.S. Lewis’s book The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe, this little confection, for me, has become a beautiful little reminder to forgive and forget.

But maybe you’re asking, “WHY? Why would Edmund do that?!?!” And I don’t blame you. Until I actually tasted Turkish Delight from Turkey (which is amazing) I asked the very same question: “Why oh why, would he sell out his siblings for this yucky, gummy, bland sweet?”

Truly a whole novel could be written about C.S. Lewis’s reasons for choosing Turkish Delight as the enchanted sweet of choice. I mean why not some other triple chocolate ridiculousness? Given the historical setting of this book and also his use of Turkish symbols and names (Aslan means Lion in Turkish), I’m sure there is a deeper meaning here. England’s proximity to Turkey probably meant that Turkish Delight was a special little import and I bet it was also scarce during WWII making it even more desirable. 

Here, Stateside, I will be the first one to admit that I dislike store-bought Turkish Delight (also known as lokma or lokum). Even when I buy it from Middle Eastern Markets I’m disappointed. But when I make it at home it’s soft and pretty and I can flavor it and color it however I want.

Add nuts or don’t. It’s a personal preference. I add pistachios because I like pistachios and because it makes me feel better as a Mom that at least there’s some real nutrition buried in the flavored sugar-cornstarch paste. 

As much as kids love to help out in the kitchen, this is not a recipe to make with them. Sugar burns are dangerous and this recipe involves heating up sugar to the hardball stage and it might splatter a little along the way. If you’ve never made candy before I highly suggest getting uber organized before starting and having a second pair of (adult) hands during the pot to pot transfer is helpful to insure ingredients don’t get lumpy along the way.

I know I always say every recipe is simple. And this is simple. There’s just a minute or two of stirring frantically and mild hyperventilating mid way through the recipe and then it’s all just a happy sweet memory!

Rose essence smells so pretty and it pairs beautifully with raspberry or cherry. You could also add a little vanilla or almond extract. I use pink gel paste for coloring. There are many, many flavors of Turkish Delight so feel free to experiment! Rose, lemon, orange, pomegranate, mint, mastic (like cedar) flavors are among the most popular and nuts of all sorts: pistachio, hazelnut, or walnuts can be used if desired.

Wishing you and yours a lovely Easter, Happy belated Passover and fun Sizdeh Bidar filled with kindness, compassion and forgiveness.

How good is it? Well, remember that episode of Seinfield – the one with the Soup Nazi? Of course you do. Remember the curmudgeon Chef who yelled at his clientele and if he didn’t like the looks of you or if you didn’t follow instructions you were sent away after waiting hours in line, without soup? Well, that character was based on a very real Chef in Manhattan who happens to be Persian. And guess what folks, urban legend has it that Ash Reshteh is the soup that put him ((Chef Ali Yeganeh) on the map and the soup that his customers felt was worth the wait and the abuse!

Chef Yeganeh might have popularized Persian Noodle Soup in Manhattan but he didn’t create the recipe. This soup has history and its roots can be traced back to 500AD. Ash Reshteh is associated with Spring and Nowruz (Persian New Years) and specifically Charshanbe Suri, also known as the Festival of Fire, where this soup is made to share with family and friends. The ‘reshteh’ or noodles, symbolize good fortune and luck. The bright green herbs braised in this soup symbolize Spring! You do not have to wait until the Spring Equinox to enjoy this soup though, it can and should be eaten often.

So, why is this soup so good one might ask? For me, it’s about the layering of flavors – the rich caramelized onions with turmeric, the braised bright green herbs, the combination of hearty lentils and beans, the tantric toppings of kashk (fermented whey) and turmeric fried onions with cool dried mint oil. Persian food often uses braised herbs in quantity (think ghormeh sabzi) and most dishes have a wonderful sour flavor profile. If kashk is not available, you can substitute yogurt – but don’t leave this sour element out because there is a holy trifecta going on here between soup base, kashk, and cool mint fried turmeric onions.

I have my own little story about Ash Reshteh. When I was Exec. Chef for Faz and his six Persian inspired Mediterranean restaurants we had a restaurant in Pleasanton with many traditional Persian dishes on the menu. The business clientele was not Iranian for the most part but, they really loved all the khoreshts (stews), the braised meats and of course, the foot long kabobs. I asked the Chef de Cuisine at this location to add Ash Reshteh to the menu because soup & salad was a popular request. He reluctantly agreed because all the choppy-chop that goes into this soup is time consuming. It’s an easy soup, don’t get me wrong, but the ingredient list is long. Guess what, it sold out within the first half hour. Ash Reshteh was permanently added to the menu after that and it sold out every single day. True story!

So don’t take it from me, don’t take it from Chef Ali and all of Manhattan, don’t take it from 3000 years of Persian tradition – try it for yourself and then tell me: IS THIS THE BEST SOUP ON EARTH OR WHAT!?!?!

Cooking Notes: I use a canned bean combo in this recipe and I don’t use dry beans in order to save time, to preserve flavor overall, and also because my family is stomach sensitive! I do use dry lentils. I like kashk, but I often sub yogurt if I don’t have time to hit up the Middle Eastern Market. If you can’t find ‘reshteh’ noodles, which are long flat wheat noodles, you can sub linguine. In these pictures I am using real reshteh, I find that they do hold up a little better than linguine but taste wise they are similar. Lastly, I use a few tablespoons of dry fenugreek in place of fresh, because I can never find fresh – don’t add too much or your soup will have a slightly bitter taste, but don’t leave it out either.

Chahr-Shanbeh Suri, the beginning of the New Years celebration, collided with the ten year anniversary of the day Ramin and I met, so we’re making up for lost time. Tonight we’ll be jumping over fire (to take our sickliness away — be gone bad, bad year!) and eating Ash Reshteh soup and tomorrow we’ll cook a big New Year’s dinner.

This Persian herb frittata, KooKoo Sabzi (Kuku Sabzi), is a signature dish for Nowruz. It’s healthy, easy, spring green and super delicious.

As you can see, it’s more herb than egg and it’s an antioxidant powerhouse made with chopped scallions, chives, parsley, dill and cilantro. I add a little Aleppo red pepper for heat (you can sub a few dashes of Tabasco), chopped walnuts and tangy barberries.

Wishing you a wonderful New Year filled with health, happiness and prosperity!

My first job was at Blatz folded Ice Cream in Palo Alto, right off California Avenue by the train station. It was a busy spot! I made waffle cones from scratch, whipped up malts and shakes extraordinaire and created the most insane ice cream balls ever which were expertly flattened, filled and folded with the likes of: chopped peanut butter cups, gummy worms, chocolate chips, quartered peppermint patties — literally any candy or candy bar you can imagine!

Blatz was a teen hangout. A mecca of hair bears, creepers, topsiders and skull boots not to mention neon fishnet gloves, jelly bracelets and parents who, having gone through the 60’s and 70’s, were trying to identify with their edgy teenagers. This was the place to be if you were a kid and if you lived in South Palo Alto, fer sure.

Blatz was a good ten years before Cold Stones – just in case you’re wondering – so yeah, the whole folded ice cream thing? I’m pretty sure we invented it first.

And Blatz was the flagship store in a brand spanking new 1980’s mega condominium complex, a pale pink stuccoed sky rise with dark forest green metal windows and agapantha landscaping everywhere — it was a champagne sherbet future through and through. More on the champagne sherbet in a bit…

My hourly rate was $4.15 an hour. Can you imagine? There was nothing then that you could buy for that amount and nothing now but, the cool thing about waaaaay back when, was ‘The Trade’. Oh yes, we would trade a pint of ice cream with the super cute boys who worked at Round Table pizza down the street (and yeah, my husband also worked for Round Table, but we didn’t know each other then) or we’d trade for a few orders of delicious house-made pot stickers and crispy deep fried spring rolls from Mr. Cho’s teeny tiny Dim Sum take-away shop. Yes, there were a lot of perks to working in an ice cream shop. Trading was not the only upside, more on that in a bit too…

I became very good very quickly at handling multiple customers at the same time while continuously replenishing our chopped candy supplies and making waffle cups and cones. In fact, I became so good that the owners decided to give me, a fourteen year old kid, the key to the store. I solely took over the afternoon shifts (after school of course) and my Mom would pick me up at closing time and after her work. I traded for dinner along the Avenue which was fun.

She wasn’t exactly happy that my new job had replaced my extracurricular activities, but she was proud of me nonetheless and for a single Mom who taught elementary school in the day and went to night school for her Masters, I’m sure it bought her just a little extra time to get ahead.

I was in heaven. Is there a kid that doesn’t love candy, ice cream, milk shakes, floats, malts and more? I mean is there a single kid on this planet that doesn’t like those things??!?!

We had incredible ice cream. Some of my favorite flavors were the thick and tangy Blueberry Cheesecake, the exotic Black Cherry with real chunks of dark red fruit, Butter Brickle (Amy Carter’s fav – and we all grew up wanting to be her and live in the White House) and the rich and eggy French Vanilla with real little vanilla bean seeds (a novelty back then). My least favorite was the disgusting sickly sweet ever popular toothpaste colored Gumball flavor. Has anyone ever had a good chew from a frozen gumball? No. Don’t even try to pretend. Just no.

My Mom had a weakness for anything malted and I would often have a chocolate malt shake ready for her upon pick-up. She was so skinny anyways. And beautiful. My Mom was stunning – she looked like Snow White with her black hair and green eyes and she was the only person I’ve ever known who literally could not keep weight on. Her doctor actually prescribed milkshakes with malt. Yes! Fer real! Unfortunately I had quite the opposite problem as a tween. Nonetheless, she really loved those shakes and I liked making them for her.

Malt addicts are their own peculiar little sub-section. They really are. Anybody that’s worked in an ice cream shop will understand what I’m talking about. Malt lovers don’t necessarily like ice cream, but if you add malt to it their eyes glaze over and they go into a trance while inhaling their treat. If you happen to be out of malt, they skip dessert entirely. So weird.

Soft orange, cool green, lilac purple, cherry pink and snowy white sherbets were the most beautiful frozen delights in the cold case. The kids mostly opted for Rainbow Sherbet, a perfect tie-n-dye swirl of all the fashionable colors of the ’80’s and the adults liked the sparkling pale pink French Champagne sherbet. It was my favorite too. It was so pretty, so ethereal and delicate. No, I did not get drunk off of it, that’s not the funny part of this story, but it did make me feel grown-up. I think I must have eaten quite a bit of it because the owners put a stop to us “tasting” that one.

When I was a little kid in the 70’s, way before my parents got divorced, my Mom used to throw big dinner parties. People would eat and drink and dance in their bell bottoms and silky tops and us little kids would baby bop all around in our velour little outfits. It was fun. Sometimes my Mom would do lavish sit-down coursed meals and in between plates she would pass out tiny little cones topped with miniature scoops of Champagne sherbet or Pineapple sherbet as a palette cleanser. I remember thinking that was just the most swish thing ever. Yes “swish“, that was my Mom’s way of saying “cool“.

The owner at first was reluctant to let me sculpt my cones given the hot waffle press but he quickly just handed the whole responsibility over to me. I wish I could remember our recipe but alas, I have retained my waffle cone muscle memory but not the actual ingredient list. For those considering buying a professional waffle press – don’t – waaaay too expensive, I whipped up hundreds of cones on a single store-bought cheap electric press and they were perfect. I use a Chef’s Choice single press now and I love it.

I enjoyed making waffle cones immensely. I took great pride in my creations. Whether rolling my waffle cookie into a cone or pressing it into a flower shaped bowl, I thought it was sooooo fun! And the smell of waffle batter cooking was heavenly and instantly uplifting – sort of in the way coffee is for me now, waffle batter was for me then.

But all good things must come to end and my time at Blatz sadly ended abruptly as does this story too. I had begun to work the weekends with an older girl. She must have been in college or a High School senior. I can’t really remember now but I do recall that she really liked to party and she really liked to trade with the Round Table boys and she really liked to disappear for half her shift and she also really liked to take whippets in the small broom closet.

I wouldn’t say that I was her manager, but I was entrusted with the slush fund so that I could buy anything we might need on the fly from the grocery store across the way. And there was no adult oversight here — none. I didn’t understand at first why all of our whipped cream bottles just oozed sticky liquid instead of stacking fun swirls on sundaes. One Saturday I probably made 4 trips to the store for more cans of whipped cream.

You know where this is headed don’t you…

So I finally asked her: “What are you doing in the closet with all the whipped cream cans? I can hear you doing something?” She looked at me and laughed, gave me a can, told me to go the closet and put my mouth straight over it and inhale all the air coming out. Of course I did. Of course it was fun. Of course we bought more whipped cream cans. I mean, thank goodness, it wasn’t the cartridge loaded real whippets!

This went on for a few weekends. I didn’t do it during the week – only with her. And I didn’t know how bad it was for the ‘ol brain cells but I did know we shouldn’t be doing it, that much was obvious. You would think one of the owners would have noticed the endless whipped cream receipts and say something, but no.

I finally told my Mom about it after one Saturday shift thinking that she would find it funny. She did not. I got into a lot of trouble.

And that my friends, was the end of my very first job scooping ice cream, making waffle cones and creating the most insane ice cream balls ever which were expertly flattened, filled and folded into pure perfection!

Note to Self: Delete this post before Layla turns fourteen.

Now for the chocolate waffle cone recipe. Full disclosure, this recipe is not mine. This is one of the suggestions that comes with the Chef’s Choice 838 waffle cone express. It’s super easy. And it’s super good! Just measure and mix and pour the batter onto the un-greased press! We paired these cones with our Meyer Lemon ice cream and it was perfect! We also melted some chocolate in the microwave and dipped our cones in it and added sprinkles for fun… no whipped cream…

For the Meyer Lemon Ice Cream: https://www.amyglaze.com/meyer-lemon-ice-cream/

Hey, these are important things to know!

The answer to all of our questions came back a resounding YES!

This Meyer lemon ice cream is custard based made with 6 egg yolks, so it is creamy and rich tasting but it packs an awesome puckery punch from the Meyer lemons too. My kids love anything sweet n’ sour probably because they are a little sweet n’ sour themselves (oh just kidding, they’re perfect, really) and this recipe balances both extremes.

I have served this ice cream in two different restaurants and it is always a hit. I don’t normally serve it with chocolate waffle cones, but my kids demanded chocolate (recipe coming next) and I thought: “Well, hmmmm, could work, why not?” Meyer Lemons are sweeter than other varieties since they were originally crossed with an orange. I do like orange and chocolate together, so Meyer lemons are not a far stretch.

This ice cream, is also lovely on its own or served with a simple cookie. If you are a lemon lover, especially a Meyer lemon lover like me (yes, I’ve been known to actually eat them off the tree) then this recipe should be in your repertoire.

A side note, the real custard base of this recipe, before the addition of Meyer lemon juice, is also good on its own. It is a true custard with no cornstarch. The lemon zest gives it a gentle lemony flavor and kids really like it. If you have a little one in your tribe who likes custard you can use the first part of the recipe for an easy sweet treat and add whatever flavoring you like.

Short ribs rolled on the bone and braised bourguignon style; this is my signature short rib recipe that I have used now at several different restaurants and it is ALWAYS a hit. It is also my favorite dish to entertain with because it’s absolutely delicious and all the hard work is done beforehand, so I can enjoy my guests.

Creating short ribs rolled on the bone takes a little knife work. However, the extra attention to detail makes a beautiful presentation and a more succulent finished product.

Ask your butcher for a four bone rack of beef short ribs. I have used racks of three bones before but four is longer and easier to roll. Sweetly ask (beg) the butcher to cut the ribs across the rack in 2 1/2 to 3-inch strips. Or take the ribs home, whip out your band saw and do it yourself! Kidding, kidding, let the butcher do it, I don’t want to get in trouble for bone fragments flying all over the place. This meat cut is similar to what is called “flanken” (often used in Korean BBQ) but larger in size.

Figure on three servings per rack. One strip is going to be leaner because ribs tend to be fattier at one end. If possible take the center cut strips only. Pre-cleaned short rib steaks are often available these days, which will also work, just ask your butcher for some bones to roll the steaks around. They do tend to be shorter in length which makes it much trickier to tie but they are always center cut and meaty which is a bonus. Length does matter here because they need to wrap around a bone.

If you’re doing your own knife work: remove the bones from each strip, by cutting under and around each bone. Clean the best looking bone by trimming excess fat from the strip and any silver skin, then roll strip back around bone and tie with butcher string. Sounds easy, but it will take a little practice to get the hang of it. Luckily short ribs are forgiving.

When tying the kitchen string around the roll start at the bottom, then tie the top, last secure the middle. And don’t tie too tight or your short rib roll will have muffin top!

Generously season the short ribs before searing with Kosher salt and black pepper. Once browned, add mirepoix and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add a bottle of dry red wine, herbs and beef stock and bring to a rolling simmer. Braise, braise, braise…

This time around I served these succulent short ribs with celeriac purée, romanesco broccoli, chanterelles, heirloom baby carrots and a cipollini onion – it was magical if I do say so myself!

I love entertaining with this dish because it can be made a day (or two!) ahead and I don’t have to hover over it before serving which allows me more time to be a hostess. And YES! we will have dinner parties again in the future! It WILL happen! Oh, my kingdom for a good swanky dinner party!

Serve with your favorite sides – buttered pappardelle noodles, celeriac purée (pictured) or mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Here is an old Rolled Short Stroganoff Recipe of mine. There are morel mushrooms in the sauce and also mustard and crème fraîche but, otherwise the technique is the same. But just to show you that this basic recipe can be a great starting place for your braised dishes!

http://www.amyglaze.com/beef-shortrib-stroganoff-braised/

This chowder is loaded with clams, fresh and canned, along with the usual suspects: potato, fennel, shallot, leek and pancetta. Topped with chopped tarragon, fried dill and freshly cracked black pepper, this classic is simply delicious.

I made this chowder one Christmas with my Step Dad Joe when I was a tweenager. It became a family tradition that continues on to this day and I’ve even used it at two restaurants. You can leave the fresh clams out if desired and only use canned or only use fresh clams (see my old recipe below) If you do want to give it a go with these sustainable bivalves, there are many neat varieties in all different shapes and sizes and they are all fun to experiment with!

Quahog varieties are the norm for chowder. From smallest to largest: countneck, littleneck, topneck, cherrystone, and chowder size. Chowder clams are very big at about 3-inches, and they can be on the tough side, so they are usually chopped. Here on the West coast we mostly get manila clams which work perfectly. See what your fish monger has in store!

It’s easy to make this chowder seasonal, just add fresh corn in the Summer and potatoes in the Fall and Winter – or both! Late season corn here in California is intensely sweet and yummy in this soup. The base is clam stock, which is light (and not fishy) with a big splash of cream. There is a little white wine too, to balance it all out.

For comparison, check out my old version of this soup that I created for Citizen Cake! It’s similar but I used fresh clams only with large wedges of fennel: http://www.amyglaze.com/citizen-cake-clam-chowder/.

Hope this chowder makes you happy as a clam!

Well, that’s me after Christmas! Fat and full! Here’s my salad cleanse recipe. (Is there such a thing?) No, actually, this is just one of my signature Winter salads. It does feel good to eat it though and it’s always a hit. Even folks that aren’t too sure about fennel and bitter greens finish their plates. I love the peppery arugula with juicy sweet Comice pears, bitter radicchio and endive, a refreshing watery crunch from shaved fennel and torn mint for a cool finish. The honey white balsamic vinaigrette ties it all together. Sometimes I add zest of buddha’s hand too if I can find it!

This Christmas, since it was just a small family gathering, I decided to do some of my own favorite bistro creations – ones that I have used time and time again in different forms for many restaurant menus. I will be posting the rest of the menu over the next week. I hope you’ll give this simple yet elegant and delicious feel good salad a try.

Happy Holidays to you and yours! May your caterpillar cocoon be warm and cozy until we all turn into butterflies in 2021!

Mother smeared the cake good with a browned butter frosting and gave Father a lick from her spoon before tossing. When they finally snuggled up tight for the night, Santa Claus came and gave them a fright! (Because, actually, it was a bad Santa, the kind that breaks a window instead of coming down the chimney).

A house full of chaos, needless to say, the Gingerbread Cake was at least here to stay….

And I’m not even going to tell you if that’s fact or fiction. Okay, it’s kind of both. We were robbed last Christmas and my kids really love rum brown butter cream cheese frosting. (Please let this frosting not be the gateway to hurricanes, daiquiris and mojitos.)

Anapestic tetrameter aside, even if you don’t like sweet spices (cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg) you will want to slather everything in this frosting. Yes, it is that good. I wouldn’t waste my time bragging about it, if it was just run of the mill prose. My husband smears the extra on toast in the morning.

To get ready for Christmas, the children would help, and then run to their laptops to watch Ariel in kelp. Exhausted, but happy, Mother, after lighting the tree (Yes, I put real candles on the tree, family tradition – we have an extinguisher nearby, don’t worry) sipped scotch and ate a big slice of cake happily. She passed out on the sofa with a belly warm and full, Father carried her upstairs – now that’s an ending so cool!

It does taste better when your Sous Chef doesn’t mix up cumin for cinnamon though. Happy Holidays Friends, wishing you a cozy and healthy Winter break – we are ALL in this together!

If you love the browned butter frosting, check out my Pumpkin Cupcakes here: http://www.amyglaze.com/spiced-pumpkin-cupcakes-with-brown-butter-cream-cheese-frosting/

And if you love the poached pears (they are delicious on their own or with a scoop of ice cream) check out my pear tart here, the poaching syrup makes gorgeous cocktails too – add a splash to champagne for a truly festive celebration: http://www.amyglaze.com/pear-and-almond-tart/

Butternut bisque is like a jazz standard, seemingly simple in it’s melody yet nuanced with individual character and inflection; always promising to bring soul warming satisfaction to its audience. I have made this bisque or soup (it is naturally thick and creamy and no, I did not sauté live crabs for the base) a hundred different ways.

But I think I’ve hit upon the perfect medley after all these years, which is subtle in it’s layering of flavors and truly satisfying. You see, all butternuts are not created equal — some are sweet and some devoid of flavor.

In this recipe I add a sweet and acidic Opal apple that balances out even the blandest of butternuts and also fennel, yellow onion, shallot and homemade chicken stock. There is some serious depth of flavor in the basic melody here and it all comes across as butternut in the final composition.

Now, onto the Dungeness crab. The garnish. The highlight of every Winter here in the Bay Area. Hold your stomachs…

I don’t know what I did to deserve a family that doesn’t like turkey but I am THE ONLY person in my small tribe (minus Little Bean, the pup) who seriously enjoys a beautifully browned Butterball! I love the aroma that fills the house while roasting. I love the leftovers. I can wax poetic from here to eternity about roasted turkey.

My husband, not so much. My daughter Layla, not so much. My daughter Hettie Rose, maybe, but she’s not even two years old and she can only eat a small amount. True, Little Bean, would probably devour the whole bird bones and all if my back was turned but, still, why spend a whole day cooking if the only person who wants to get stuffed is ME?

Since this Thanksgiving holiday is just nuts with Covid restrictions and there are no in-laws to impress or relatives to refill, my husband suggests we do “something else” besides turkey. And I’m like: “Ohhh-kayyyyy….” (pouty face, passive aggressive body language, why do you hate everything I love?). And then Layla is like: “Yeah, I don’t like turkey either.” And I’m like: “YOU’VE NEVER EVEN HAD TURKEY HOW CAN YOU HATE IT?!?!?”.

Oh motherhood, Oh marriage, Oh daughter of an Executive Chef – I know, what are the chances right? Hello? God?!? Anytime you wanna fill me in on my little sin here that caused this avalanche of poultry haters, just go ahead. I’m listening! I’m ready to repent!

Then my hubby says: “You know, I got an invite to go crabbing, how about Dungeness crab for Thanksgiving?”. I stop in my tracks because I LOVE Dungeness crab, I can go to town on crab. I normally serve it the night before Christmas but, in a world turned upside down, why not? Crab mac n’ cheese for the kids and fresh cracked crab for us. Parfait!

So, with this settled, Ramin leaves at 4 A.M. Thanksgiving morning after two hours of glorious sleep (thank you Hettie Rose, you baby you) to meet up with some buddies on the docks in Berkeley for a fun fishing adventure. And these guys come prepared: they dress in layers knowing it will be cold, fill backpacks with bagels and lox, strong coffee and scotch. This is going to be a fun day on the Bay! I can’t tell you how much Ramin is personally looking forward to it.

But just like the weather can change in the blink of an eye, the adventure turns turbulent as soon as they step off solid ground. The boat they board is a wee bit smaller than expected, it is not safe or well equipped, there are no life jackets and it is oversold – passengers are cramped together most with little or no sailing experience and some are dressed for a beach in Cabo, not a day on the Bay. “Oh well” thinks Ramin to himself, “We’ll only be out for a few hours, how bad can it be?”.

The boat slowly chugs out of its slip, sun barely cresting the mountains behind, waves as smooth as a baby’s bottom and heads towards the glorious Golden Gate, the iconic San Francisco bridge and entrance to the Pacific ocean and world at large –– freedom! Ramin’s buddies pour hot toddies all around. They take pictures from the bow of the boat. They enjoy a little sea spray in the face and the crisp cold morning air. It is brisk and beautiful. It is the perfect Thanksgiving morning. Grateful. Thankful. Blessed…..

But, as the freezing cold Winter sun comes up so does the whipping wind and rollicking waves – and the bagels, lox and hot toddies. No one, not a SINGLE person, on the boat is well.

Now there is a big difference between a challenge and a situation that you have no control over – one where there is no road to success. One where freezing cold waves are pummeling you and your body is shivering uncontrollably and your knees are locking up unable to buoy the bounce of the slamming waves. One where you are trying your best to vomit privately and respect Covid restrictions, one where there is no place to sit down because everything is covered in squid slime or throw-up. And one where the captain of the boat is refusing to turn around regardless of his extremely sick passengers – some who are kids.

My husband is an expert diver, an open water life guard and a seasoned sailor. To say that this is the ‘fishing trip from hell’ is an understatement. Hunter S. Thompson couldn’t create a bad acid trip more surreal and horrific if he tried. The smell of diesel mixed with cigarette smoke, vomit and old fish replaces the sweet salty sea air. Wild wet whomping waves replace the glassy calm of early morn. The wind, an angry tempest of destruction, replaces the flirty breeze they set out with.

An adventure that began all-for-one and one-for-all rapidly turns into individual survival. And yet the captain insists on going out The Gate to the Farallons, an island known for its unpredictable currents and numerous shipwrecks off its coast, to retrieve his crab pots. No one thought they’d be going out The Gate today – it was supposed to be a simple day on the Bay.

The crew pulls up enormous crab pots amidst waves breaking off the bow one by one. A messy and difficult affair for sure, the crab pots often slipping from their hoist and falling back into the blue depths below while simultaneously soaking everyone aboard head to toe with freezing cold salt water. They fill the massive chests on deck with their clickety-clackety catch. The passengers keep hoping/wishing that each crab pot will be the last but they are seemingly unending.

My Thanksgiving day back at home is also no picnic. Two toddlers, no sleep, a ton of preparations for our so-called simple dinner. Extreme fatigue to the point of nausea. And a nagging suspicion that something is very wrong. I text my husband around 1 P.M. my spider senses tingling, he’s been gone now for six hours. A cryptic text comes back: “Worst idea ever”.

I know my husband. And I know that a text like this means exactly what it states: WORST idea EVER. I text rapid fire back asking for more details as panic fills my heart with ice but, Ramin’s fingers can barely write and he is afraid of loosing his phone overboard. His next text reads: “Sick. Can’t text. Freezing. Farallons.”.

Nine hours later Ramin returns home shivering with hyperthermia, barely able to walk straight, bag of 10 enormous crabs slung over his shoulder like a Santa from the South Pole. He dumps the crab bag on our outdoor table, heads straight for a hot shower barely able to talk and then to bed, covers pulled up to his chin and thick wool hat pulled down around his ears. He cannot get warm. He cannot sleep because his body is still rolling with the waves.

Meanwhile I prepare our dinner. Not that anyone wants it. I retrieve the bag of crabs to find they are still alive! Quelle Suprise! The crabs were supposed to be cooked on the boat! A big fat crab grabs my pointer finger and slices it open with a pinch from his massive claw. I pry his pincher open, finger bleeding, and toss him back in the bag – I’ll definitely cook him first. But, I really don’t want to be dealing with live crabs now, it’s just an added hurdle to a long distance race.

It’s not that I can’t cook crab, I can! But I don’t have enormous pots to get the job done efficiently and I’m not particularly fond of listening to garbled crab screams as I plunge them head first in boiling water. It doesn’t make me feel good. It’s easier to kill lobsters – I just take my knife and quickly kill them blade through the brain in seconds flat. But you can’t do that to crabs unless you want a very messy crab boil.

With three of my biggest pots on the stove I cook and crack his catch. I’m not happy, I’m exhausted and Ramin is beyond sick, he might as well be a ghost on a deep sea shipwreck. This is not the Thanksgiving we had hoped for by any stretch of the imagination.

Ramin comes downstairs to help out and watch the kids as I finish up preparations. He is beat up, his eyes swimming in his head, his every step searching for solid ground, his head pounding, his body shivering, his teeth chattering like one of those funny chomping windup toys.

Children have a funny way of knowing when you are at your breaking point and they like to push you over the edge. I am convinced this is a gene built into every child that probably has something to do with survival although it’s counter intuitive. After much debate, it’s clear that our kids will not eat the crab after watching me cook it and smelling the fishy crab boil aroma that is anything but mouth watering. I cook them steaks instead with rice and put the ipad on the dining table for them to feast on Disney instead. This is not a tradition I intend to keep. This is Mommy survival.

For Ramin and myself I start our dinner with scallops on the half shell cooked in a lovely white wine saffron cream sauce. Followed by this beautiful butternut soup garnished with Dungeness crab tossed in drawn butter.

Ramin is not a soup guy – soup is the last thing on the menu he will order. But I can tell with every spoonful that my butternut bisque is warming him up, bringing him back to life, straightening the rolling rug beneath his tired feet. We dig into a mountain of cracked crab and a delicious winter greens salad and finish with my Mom’s signature poached pear tart.

We relax in our chairs too tired to talk staring at our children engrossed in their movie, listening to jazz and decompressing. Our Thanksgiving is by far the worst, however the crab is by far the best – so fresh, so tender, so sweet. I’d like so say, “So worth it” but Ramin cuts me to the chase with a different perspective: “You know, the next time I buy crab and they tell me it’s seven bucks a pound, I’ll give them ten instead”.

The song ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’, comes over the radio – an old jazz standard about love lost and the ever changing nature of the sea. It’s a French adaption of the Le Mer and a perfect ending to a rollicking wet sea adventure. This soup, is sure to be a new tradition at our Thanksgiving table, the crabbing adventure? Not so much.

Scallops in Saffron Cream: https://www.amyglaze.com/scallops-in-saffron-cream/

Pear and Almond Tart: http://www.amyglaze.com/pear-and-almond-tart/

I dug this recipe out of a 6-inch folder she kept with newspaper and magazine cut-outs. It’s a 1975 Sunset recipe that she adapted with all of her little notes and scribbles on it. Just seeing her handwriting…

I remember making this with her when I was little. I loved eating the tart dough because it was sweet with lemon zest and I loved poaching the pears because they were sweet with lemon zest and I loved whipping the cream cheese filling because it was sweet with lemon zest too!

This is a very simple recipe, but there is something so perfectly balanced between the lemony sugar shell, poached pears and not-too-sweet almond cream cheese filling. The lemons, almonds and pears really are their own trifecta of deliciousness.

I made this with Layla today. She loved it too! Every part of it, just like me when I was a kid. I think this might be a new tradition for our family. Or really, just an old one revisited and remembered with love.

Happy Thanksgiving friends! And P.S. the pear poaching liquid is excellent for Champagne cocktails!

I had a major change of heart last minute, when my husband announced he was going fishing at 4:30 A.M. on Thursday to bring back crabs. A Dungeness crab Thanksgiving? Woot! Woot! Why not?!?!

So, what to cook for this unconventional last minute fish feast? I’m starting with this hot scallop appetizer. It’s a super quick and easy dish broiled or barbecued on the half shell with a splash of white wine, saffron cream and crispy pancetta topped with crunchy fried croutons (seared in the pancetta fat) and chives. And yes, you can use frozen scallops –– choose U-10’s if there’s an option, they are the biggest in size.

The rest of the meal will include a butternut bisque, a brussel sprout slaw and at least ten crabs. Really! Ten! I’m promised Ten!

Since I’m not doing the pie trifecta this year (pumpkin, apple, pecan), I’ll be making my Mom’s signature poached pear tart which I have never made before. Stay tuned, should be interesting!

Have a cozy and delicious Thanksgiving my friends. I know the holidays can be stressful and I just wanted to say ‘Thank You’ for being in my corner these many, many years!

Brown butter and pumpkin (or any kind of squash for that matter) is one of those legendary pairings and when you layer the tangy goodness of real cream cheese and cozy sweet spices, you get a totally delicious outcome.

This is also a kid friendly recipe. The cake itself is a two bowl deal. One for wet, the other for dry, the wet gets hand mixed into dry and voilà! Cupcakes! I make my own pumpkin pack (of course) and so should you. It really isn’t time consuming or hard and the flavor is much better than anything you can get out of can. The cake is not overly sweet either – another bonus for caregivers who want to give kids a holiday treat without the inevitable sugar high come down / meltdown.

To make pumpkin pack simply quarter a Sugar Pie or Sweetie Pie pumpkin, scrape out seeds (but don’t worry too much about the stringy pumpkin guts) and roast the pumpkin wedges on a rimmed baking sheet with a 1/4 cup of water for 20 minutes at 425˚F until soft. Allow to cool, remove the skin, then blend into a thick purée in the Vitaprep (try not to add any extra liquid). Pumpkin pack makes great soup, it’s a nice addition to homemade breads and biscuits, elevates pie to something truly special and gives cakes a moist crumb with the healthy benefit of vitamins and minerals.

We had a lot of fun decorating these cupcakes with pumpkin candies and candy corn for funny looking turkeys. Since my kids are so young, this was just the right level of difficulty. Layla enjoyed the process and Hettie enjoyed eating the process!

Stay warm and healthy! I did say these cupcakes have fresh ginger in them, didn’t I? Ginger is loaded with antioxidants that help to prevent stress and might help fight diseases and promote healthy aging – so if you need an excuse to indulge, there ya have it!

So, with my last enormous stunning magenta pink apple we decided to make an apple snack cake. Or rather, I decided to make a cake while my two little sous chefs decided to eat the cake before baking.

What is is a ‘snack cake’ you ask? Well, it’s a cake you can snack on throughout the day silly! One that is easy to whip up, perfect for any occasion and doesn’t require a holiday to enjoy. And, okay, I’ll be honest, it’s really just the new hip term for coffee cake.

This recipe should be in your repertoire because it has a million uses and it’s easy to add your own creativity to it. Maybe you don’t want to add apple, maybe you want a lemon glaze instead? Or you could add a crumb on top and cinnamon to the batter to make it a crumb cake. This is a basic sour cream coffee cake of epic proportions that is moist and delicious. It would make a lovely house warming gift, a delicious breakfast (with a nice cup of earl grey), or a sweet finish to a Fall meal served warm with a scoop of ice cream.

I made a simple glaze for the cake with powdered sugar, Meyer lemon and rose essence. I love the combination of apples and rose. To me, this is one of the most beautiful pairings in the world – the rose perfumes the apples in such a pretty way which enhances the flavor. I love rose essence in apple sauce too! I use the Carlo brand rose water and it can be found in most markets. Your local Middle Eastern market will carry it for sure.

For more pictures, especially of those chunky cheek squirrels, check out my Michelin Mom instagram page! https://www.instagram.com/michelin_mom

I’m not always able to post recipes these days, but I sure do love to post inspiration. And catch up on my last two issues of Michelin Mom Magazine with a slice of apple cake!

Last week the tree was loaded with bushels of apples, this week they are practically all gone except for a few from the top. I look forward to my apple harvest every Fall – such a bummer!

And then there’s these other cheeky squirrels that also like to steal my apples…

This is a one skillet dinner that hits all the right notes. It’s earthy. It’s Fall. It’s caramelized leeks, onions, shallots and fennel with roasted apple wedges and juicy roasted double cut pork chops.

And, most importantly, it’s easy. I need ‘easy’ in my life right now. With two very small kiddos, I appreciate dinners that are delicious and fast with minimal clean-up.

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted – last Fall to be exact – I’ve been busy with my two daughters and working on a million projects professionally and personally. My poor old blog has played second fiddle long enough! I started a online magazine called Michelin Mom too, but more on that in weeks to come… Happy Fall!

I am loving boneless short rib steaks right now, which is a relatively new butcher cut in the markets. They are big (about the length of a New York Strip), thick, satisfying, trimmed of extra fat and easier to prepare than chunks of stew meat – it’s less time consuming to sear/brown large flat surfaces of three large pieces of meat than twenty small chunks. But yes, you can substitute stew meat if you can’t find this novelty cut in the chaos.

This braised short rib stew is basically the same as as a classic beef bourguignon, I’ve just subbed the red wine for Guinness instead.

Wishing you and yours a happy St. Patrick’s Day. Hunker down, social distance, flatten out the curve and be well! Slaínte! We will get through this! And Guinness will help!

Even my husband who normally disappears when the baking madness begins, showed up to decorate a few shamrocks. Some people draw in coloring books, we bake, it’s free therapy.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if there is no spoon to lick, no bowl to scrape, no sugar to pour, no icing to pipe – then my kids are outta there. Sugar cookies with royal icing are easy to make and they satisfy all toddler requirements. As you can see from the pictures, they were FULLY engaged.

At the toddler age, we’re still working mostly on sequential steps/learning and motor skills. And because sugar cookies only have a few ingredients, this is a really great beginners recipe. My helpful tip to making great sugar cookies is to roll out and refrigerate the dough before cutting shapes. It needs to rest for at least 30 minutes.
I have made many sugar cookies over the years, but I used Sally’s recipe of Sally’s Baking Addiction this time and I thought it was great. I did alter it – I cut out the salt and used salted butter and added the zest of two limes. To the Royal icing I used lime juice instead of water.

I have always preferred making Royal Icing with meringue powder. It never fails. And, you don’t have to fight anyone at the grocery store for eggs! Yay! Our market aisles are empty when it comes to eggs, bread, toilet paper, and chicken. Go figure. I never thought eggs or chicken would be a coveted item, but I guess these are crazy times. However meringue powder is in stock just about everywhere! No one stocking up on powdered egg whites…

I am not a master at Royal Icing decorating. Well, that’s not true, I’m pretty good, but I never get to decorate my own cookies. Some one always takes the ones I start. I divide the icing into bowls and add gel paste coloring. Then I put the icing in piping bags with small round pastry tips. Pipe the outline of the cookie first, then flood the middle of the cookie with more icing and spread it out with a toothpick. You can also just leave it in the bowls and use toothpicks and spoons to decorate.

Royal icing does set up fast. So work quickly!

I hope you and your family are hunkering down and hanging in and staying home. We’ll all get through this. Be safe and make some cookies! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day

When American recipes refer to “French Apple Cake” I think they are really referencing: Gâteau Breton Aux Pommes which originates from Breton (Brittany) on the west coast of France where apples are grown and cidre is made! There are various versions of this cake, some where the apples are caramelized beforehand, and others that have the custard consistency of quiche and there are varying degrees of effort as well.

This recipe, which is slightly Americanized, is a blend of both worlds because there is a batter within a batter giving the cake two consistencies: custardy and cake-y. The apples are not caramelized ahead of time but softened in the microwave as per Cooks Illustrated recommendation. A little calvados is added too for extra kick (yum, yum!)

Layla is my Alice in Apple Land. There is something about picking an apple straight from the tree, biting into it, puckering up from the tart-sweet juice and seeing the surprising magenta flesh that is just really fun for her (and for me too, I’m not that old). This apple, if you haven’t read my previous Pink Pearl recipes, is the perfect apple. Regardless of the incredible pink flesh, I just don’t think there is an apple out there that tastes better or bakes better. Go ahead, that’s a challenge, tell me I’m wrong!

Let’s be clear, when you bake with a toddler, you are only there as an enabler. Your job is to help them get more sugar into their mouths. The egg cracking, mixing and measuring is only entertaining for so long. If there’s no sweet spoon to lick or sticky bowl to run a finger through, then they are done. Luckily this recipe satisfied Layla’s sugar demands and she especially enjoyed sifting the powdered sugar over the top and over her hands and then licking it off.

I used a 10-inch springform pan, but an 9-inch would have been preferable. It would have added a little extra height. That being said, it was still the perfect slice. And since this cake is somewhere in between a coffee-cake and a torte it tasted equally delicious with a cup of coffee or a glass of champagne.

Pink Pearl Apples got your interest? Here are some recipes from the past:

Pink Peppercorn Pork Chops with Pink Pearl Apples and Lemon Thyme

Wild Watercress Salad with Pink Pearl Apples and Shaved Fennel

Pink Pearl Apple Galette h

Pink Pearl Apple: Tarte Fine Aux Pommes

Pink Pearl Apple Cups with Fromage Blanc

What do I mean by salad-y side? Sometimes I get tired of plating protein with the usual cruciferous sides and I prefer to add a hearty salad that can take a little heat from the plate. Enter watercress. This super simple salad was meant to go with my Pink Peppercorn Pork Chop recipe. But, as my husband and I found out, it also goes well with a glass of champagne!

Pink Pearls apples are so pretty and so tasty: tart, sweet, pink, firm – the perfect apple. I add shaved fennel to a lot of my salad creations, I love that juicy anise flavor and it’s a great counterpoint for the peppery watercress. It also gives the salad nice structure.

Back to watercress – I do not buy the hydroponic kind because it’s flavor is mild and it does not create a stackable salad very well –it’s flat, very flat and it wilts easily. I love organic watercress, the curlicue crunchy kind that was probably growing in a swamp somewhere sucking up a ton of minerals; that’s the good stuff.

I kept this salad simple since I planned it as a side for the pork chop. Some toasted Macrona almonds could be added. Maybe a little shaved ricotta salata if desired. But I thought these three ingredients were awesome on their own.

If you are on the lookout for a new (or centuries old) antioxidant powerhouse that you don’t have to massage before eating, check out watercress! It’s on my top ten feel good greens!

Look, you need to have a talk with the farmers in your area (if you don’t have the space to grow a Pink Pearl apple tree) and tell them that this apple needs to be grown commercially and that it will sell out! It is BY FAR the best apple to bake with and eat fresh. It has the perfect sweet-tart combo and it is firm–– great for pies and tarts. And they are also beautiful with bright pink flesh and thin greenish yellow skin that is often blushed in red. Layla loves to eat them right off the tree, they are that good. (She’s three years old and very, very picky).

This recipe, like most of mine these days, is simple. It’s a 30 minute recipe and that includes cooking and prep time. With all recipes that are simple, the quality of ingredients is the most important and here that starts with the pork chop. These are double cut bone-in pork chops and they are humanely raised. It’s extremely hard to find organic pork products, but these are about as close as can be. I really like the way the butcher left some of the rind on too. I prefer chops that are center cut.

I have a specific method for cooking pork chops so they come out tender because on one hand the meat of the pork chops cooks quickly (quicker than beef, I think) but the fat takes much longer to render, and that’s where all the flavor is. I begin the chops on their sides in a cast iron skillet, browning slowly on all outer edges, allowing the fat to get nice and gooey golden. Then I put the chops face down and pop them in a medium-hot oven to finish.

I remove the pan from the oven, decant the chops to a plate to keep warm and deglaze the pan with a little rosé wine or white wine, stock (or water), a splash of apple juice and allow all to reduce scraping up the pan drippings along the way. When I’ve got a 1/4 cup of jus in the pan, I shake in 3 tablespoons of butter and add my apple slices – I barely cook the apples – I just warm them through. Season with salt, add some lemon thyme and voilà, c’est fini!

Oh wait, there’s the celeriac too! Celeriac (celery root) is a celebrated thing in our house because some one always ends up with the “magic celery root” gag gift at our White Elephant Christmas Party. We do like to eat it too and not just stuff it in garishly decorated boxes. It is not related to celery but it does taste similar.

How to prepare this weird root? Cut the thick dirty edges off with a knife (don’t peel ) and chop quickly and cook in a ‘blanc’ or a mixture of water and cream that just barely covers all. The lactic acid will keep the celeriac from discoloring –and it does discolor quickly, so don’t wait to toss it in the pot. Simmer the celery root until soft, and then purée in a Vitaprep with some of the cooking liquid and a few tablespoons (or more, who am I to judge?) of butter.

Okay, truth be told, my birthday cake is not fancy, I love a simple poppy seed cake dusted with powdered sugar. But my Mom had her special cake; a Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake with whipped cream frosting. My Step Dad had his favorite: a black walnut yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting. My husband likes a Pennsylvania Dutch vanilla cake with whipped cream frosting and loads of berries and Hettie Rose, my sweet little surprise, has her cake too (for now at least), an angel food cake topped with Meyer lemon curd and beautiful little frais de bois for decoration.

Hettie Rose is truly my angel (hence the angel food cake and not the devil’s food cake!), not just because she is a super happy little baby but because I found out I was pregnant when I least expected another child just before my 45th birthday. She also made her debut a whole month early. However, she has no idea she is a premie and she has crushed all her developmental markers including averaging out in height and weigh. Her personality brings so much sunshine into our lives, hence the sunny Meyer Lemon curd topping. As soon as she wakes up, she is smiling – it’s just nuts! I’m like: who does that? Who wakes up and just instantly smiles? Hettie Rose, I guess, Hettie Rose…

Hettie Rose is constantly curious, always ready to giggle or crack one of her enormous smiles that literally engulf her little face in happiness, she is determined to swipe anything in sight and put it straight into her mouth, she enjoys grabbing her toes and she thinks hats, swings, sunglasses and mirrors (her reflection) are hilarious. She loves to eat/drink: boob, banana, avocado and prunes – she is a little chunky milk monkey with big ol’ baby fat rolls that I absolutely adore! She is my angel, it is a miracle that she is here and she has truly completed this little family. Hettie Rose balances all of our personalities in a way I never could have imagined.

Okay, enough goo-goo gah-gah, so angel food cake, how to make it? Good question. Believe it or not, this is my first one! I know, I know – I totally nailed it! I thought it was easy as far as cakes go, so I’d like to demystify the process below. I have always been afraid to attempt angel food cake because my Mom told me when I was a kid that it was extremely difficult to make (probably because she just didn’t want me to eat it) so I just never thought to bother! See how parents damage their kids?!?!? Kidding, kidding…

For the Meyer lemon curd I used David Lebovitz’s recipe. Meyer lemon curd is easy but time consuming. However, if you make it in a large batch you can keep it in the fridge for a few weeks and spread it on toast in the morning or use with other desserts – or just stick your tongue in the jar and devour while nobody’s watching! Not everyone has the time to make lemon curd and there are great store bought options these days that you can squeeze some Meyer lemon juice into in a pinch.

One thing you can’t mess up in an angel food cake is the egg separation process. A little egg yolk in the egg white mixture is going to ruin the meringue. I was hesitant to let Layla help out because, although her egg cracking game is pretty good, it’s not perfect. And she’s two years old. Which means she has selective hearing. Needless to say, she did a good job and she was careful. We cracked the eggs whole into a dish and then used our fingers to scoop out the yolks, letting the whites sift through our fingertips back into the bowl. This is also the way I do it in a professional kitchen when I’ve got trays and trays of eggs to separate. I do not sit around rocking the yolk back and forth between shells for 100 eggs.

Pro Tips: separate eggs when they are cold. The yolk is less likely to break. Use fresh egg whites from fresh eggs for this recipe so the moisture content is high. Whip meringue when whites have warmed up from the refrigerator to about 65˚F.

When you finish whipping up your meringue, it should look like the picture below: glossy and almost stiff but not dry – pourable not like little dry cloud clumps. The whites should be around 60-65˚F, just under room temperature in order to whip perfectly. And I would highly advise using the proverbial angel food cake pan. The meringue needs to cling and climb and this cake pan works best. A non-stick bundt pan is a no-go. Do not grease the pan either.

The recipe can be divided into 4 quarters according to my old edition of the Joy of Cooking (don’t even bother with the new one when it comes to cake recipes, I use the 1975 JOY which still includes fascinating tips on how to set up a champagne tower and how to cook squirrel and I find the dessert recipes to be less about weight loss and cutting calories and more about technique).

In the first quarter of the recipe, the egg whites are beaten gently until foamy. Then salt and cream of tartar is added midway which helps to stabilize the foam. In the second quarter the granulated sugar is added gradually on high speed until soft glossy peaks form – the granulated sugar helps to guard against over whipping. The third part consists of folding the meringue into the sifted dry ingredients quickly and lightly. with an over-under motion. And the fourth, pouring the mixture into the non-greased tube pan and baking on 350F˚.

I think most bakers today (like Flo Braker) would recommend using both granulated sugar AND powdered sugar unlike my old JOY recipe, so I’ve adjusted that below Granulated sugar should be used to whip into the meringue because using powdered sugar turns it into a gooey icing. And powdered sugar should be used with the dry ingredients – this keeps the structure light all around.

Flo Braker (my baking Goddess) says the golden crust should come off in the pan. Mine did not and I was okay with that. My old JOY recipe didn’t say anything about that either. So, I get a ding there on my first angel food cake but I though the taste and texture was perfect.

The funniest thing about angel food cake is what you do when it’s done baking: you invert the pan onto a bottle. I used a wine bottle and let it hang out for about an hour and a half. This helps to set the cake. It makes it awfully hard to pour the wine though…

All in all, this was not a difficult cake to bake. But it sure was beautiful. And so light and fluffy. Layla sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Hettie Rose and blew out her candles and we all enjoyed a slice except Hettie of course, sigh, she’s just a baby after all, but she seemed content just to be part of her party.

I didn’t want to leave you hanging with that last saffron cherry rice dish (albaloo polo). I know you were like: What do we serve with it lady?!?

Our fav is saffron chicken kabobs. As Layla’s Mama Bozorg (Grandma) always says, “you can never have enough saffron!” Whether cooking thigh meat or breast over a charcoal barbecue (preferably), jujeh kabobs are a staple in Persian cooking.

What makes jujeh kabobs so special and so incredibly delicious? The magical vibrant look and taste of saffron for one, but also the simple onion marinade and the onion juice that is brushed over towards the end of cooking. And there’s just something extra macho-feeling about cooking two-foot long kabobs!

Persians like variety. In our family, we rarely serve just one type of kabob. Normally we’ll serve koubideh alongside our jujeh kabobs. And there’s a reason for this. Koubideh kabob is made of ground beef, sometimes mixed with lamb too, and grated onion that has been wrung out in cheesecloth to remove the juice. The juice from the onion can be used for the chicken kabobs and the pulp for the beef kabobs. Making koubideh is an art form in itself and I’ll tackle that mountain soon – it’s not easy to get the meat onto the actual stakes correctly.

There are two types of jujeh kabob recipes. One is with yogurt (which is the way my Mother-in-Law makes them) or without yogurt which is how we make them at Faz’s restaurants. In the yogurt version the saffron is mixed in with the yogurt marinade, in the Faz version, saffron-onion juice is brushed over the kabob while cooking and not added to the marinade. I will put both versions down below for you to choose from. They are both delicious, I really don’t have a preference. The yogurt marinade does make the chicken a little more tender.

Saffron. Yeah, that little plastic jar that contains 3 threads is cute. That’s not going to cut it Persian cooking. Do not buy your saffron from a normal super market. It’s a rip off. Go online or go to a Persian or Middle Eastern market for saffron. They will sell it in a big package so you can use it properly. The best way to make use of it, is to grind it all up in a burr grinder and keep it in an air tight container.

Here’s a funny little trick on how to “bloom” saffron before mixing it into marinades or adding it to rice that my Mother-in-Law uses: sprinkle the saffron over ice cubes and let it melt to room temperature. Don’t use hot water. The reason? You don’t want to dilute the flavor or aroma or “cook” it twice. It also preserves the beautiful orange-yellow color.

What to serve with Saffron Chicken Kabobs? Saffron rice of course! Or Saffron Sour Cherry rice. We normally pair them with grilled Tomatoes, Shirazi salad and I could never eat kabobs without mast-o-khiar which is a lebneh cucumber dip.

As a kid, any rice smothered in butter and salt tasted delicious, but it wasn’t until I went to work in South India in my mid twenties that I was introduced to extra, extra long grain Basmati rice in all its fluffy fragrant glory. And wow, I’m talking about heaping plates of gorgeous steaming long grained white rice that seemed to be endlessly replenished at every meal – I loved it, I craved it, I learned how to eat with my hands and mix rice and veg dishes with my finger tips on my plate scooping it into my mouth as elegantly as possible (and yes, food does actually taste better when you eat it with your hands). It was heavenly, so delicious, and the rice a perfect counterpoint to all the other intense flavors.

Later, in my forties, when I went to work for Chef Faz and his six restaurants, he taught me personally about the art of making this same beautiful long grain rice but in the Persian style. Chef Faz was absolute on his rice cooking technique. And considering that rice isn’t an easy dish to “hold” in a restaurant, I can say that he mastered and was deeply committed to serving only the best rice in quality and in preparation.

I should also note, that my Mother-in-Law is a phenomenal Persian cook and her rice dishes are among my daughter’s favorite (and mine too!). When Grandma Shahla shows up with a big pot of rice, we know we are going to eat well!

Making rice the Persian way, is not hard. Yes, there are more steps to it than simply measuring the rice and water and putting it on the stove top to steam, but the result is a fluffier, tastier and more fragrant side dish that you can dress up or down as desired.

Just about all Persian rice dishes (of which there are many) have the same basic foundation: wash rice until the water is clear of starch, soak rice in water that is as salty as the sea overnight or at least for 3 hours – it will swell and double in size, parboil rice on the stove top until al dente, drain in a colander and bake rice with a lot of butter in the oven or cook on the stove top with a dish towel wrapped around the lid. I personally prefer to bake it afterwards because the tahdig doesn’t burn as easily and I don’t have teflon cookware, but my Mom prefers to finish the rice on the stovetop.

And of course you’ve heard about the “tahdig” as it’s called, which is the crispy rice crust that forms on the bottom of the pan and is normally served on a separate plate from the rice. The coveted ‘tahdig‘ is an art form in itself and sometimes consists of sliced potato or lavash placed on the bottom of the rice pot in a decorative fashion.

The cherries in the recipe are the last ones from my secret Montmorency sour cherry tree (no, I am not going to tell you where it is!) but you can also use the sour cherries packed in a light sugar water by Sadaf or totally cheat and buy the Trader Joes sour cherries packed in syrup. You’re going to make a syrup anyway, so yes, you can use those in a pinch, but the cherries themselves are not as plump or as flavorful.

This rice dish is one of my favorites. The saffron, cherry and fragrant rice combo is just so beautiful. Traditionally I’ve seen this rice served alongside Cornish Game hens but it can also be served with just about any protein: chicken, beef, fish (sturgeon would be awesome!). We made saffron chicken kabobs to go alongside and koubideh, which I’ll include in the next recipes.

Layla certainly enjoyed pitting the cherries and because she was part of the process, she was more willing to try it too. Not that rice cooked with butter is a hard sell to a toddler, but anything new is intimidating and untrustworthy regardless.

I try to involve Layla with every meal that we make. Often I’m wearing Hettie Rose too so she can see and smell everything. Cooking is a language in itself, and when we grow up seeing, smelling and participating in that language we can speak it with fluency when we’re older…

I hope this sour cherry rice dish becomes a staple in your family! It certainly elevates the most mundane proteins to something festive!

Enjoy!

So, where did I find these beauties? Well, my mother-in-law says I’m a Persian at heart because I have secret knowledge of free-for-all fruit trees in my neighborhood. I guess it’s a Persian thing. But also, sour cherries are a big deal in Iranian cooking and I’ll post some of my Mom’s recipes soon. Her eyes got very large and a little watery, when I showed her my secret sour cherry tree. “You are Persian, I knew it, don’t tell anyone about this tree…” Yeah, and here I am blabbing to the world…. sorry Mom….

This particular cherry tree overhangs a fence on a busy Oakland street and for years on my walks about town, I watched as no one touched it. Not even the birds – who normally descend on cherry trees like locust. For this reason, although I could tell it was some sort of cherry, I thought perhaps it was poisonous. Montmorency cherries are almost neon red in color and small compared to Bing or Ranier. They are sour too, but not so pucker-y that you can’t eat them fresh. [photoblocks id=13]

Toddlers are makers by nature and they love to learn how things work. Layla, my little three-year-old, enjoys ‘jobs’ in the kitchen that involve fine motor skills (use of hands) and pitting cherries was fun for her – which is great, because I hate it. Yay! Teach ’em young! She was super psyched to sit down with her bowl of just-picked cherries and figure out how to use the pitter. Little Ones gain a sense of independence and self-reliance when they can master a tool/appliance/tennis-shoe-with-laces/etc and anything involving food – specifically sweet food – is instantly exciting.

This recipe is straight forward: make pastry dough, pit cherries (and check and double check because nothing is worse than cracking a tooth on a pit), mix cherries with some cornstarch and sugar, shape tarts, fill, bake, put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and eat! Voilà! C’est facile!

I’ve included in the recipe how to make pie crust by hand without a Cuisinart or pastry cutter because it’s easy and fun for kids! Try it! It honestly doesn’t take me anymore time to make by hand and then I have one thing less to wash!

Yup, it’s that time of year again when everyone needs to figure out what to do with squash. Strangely enough, because I’m breast feeding my little baby Hettie Rose, I crave zucchini like nobody’s business. I have no idea why. But it’s a mighty powerful craving. I literally made my husband go find the nearest farmer’s market and get me some summer squash this last week! During pregnancy I had absolutely no cravings – go figure.

This is going to sound really boring, but one of the best ways to cook zucchini and keep their fresh look and flavor, is to cut it thin, salt lightly and zap in the microwave. I know, I said it: mi-cro-wave. Do you know that even at Le Bernardin we zap stuffed zucchini flowers with mini courgettes attached in the microwave with a little butter overtop? Why? Well, because zucchini is delicate! Yes, a microwave can be great for quickly cooking/steaming veg.

I love squid ink pasta, and I enjoy making it from scratch too but cuttlefish ink is messy and it stains and I have a 3-year old and a 6-month old and I’m just not that cool I guess. Layla would love to make this, but I have to establish major trust before I let her open a jar of black ink. Does the squid ink give a lot of flavor to the pasta? I’m going to say: no. Maybe others will argue with me, but no, I find it’s more about the color. If you want to make it from scratch I really like this recipe from Love and Olive Oil.

So, by this point you’ve realized that this is an easy recipe. YES! It is! Isn’t that wonderful? But, at the same time, it’s about quality of ingredients right? The sea scallops I used were fresh – a rarity to find in markets in Northern California. And, the shrimp were wild and enormous. The squash was just picked and the pasta was artisanal.

Let’s discuss how to cook scallops. Are you still cutting hatch marks across the top and searing them thinking that design is oh-so-cool? You are? Okay, you need to stop doing that. It’s out. When I see that I cringe. The same way when I see duck breast fat cut all criss-cross I want to send it back to the kitchen or throw it at the chef. You just aren’t going to get a better sear by doing it so STOP IT!

The best way to cook big ol’ fat fresh sea scallops is to sear them on high heat on a non-stick surface with a little olive oil along their edges. That’s right, not on their faces but on their edges. What I do is I stack all the scallops I’m using together and make a cylinder and then slowly roll them on their edges on the non-stick lightly oiled surface, allowing them to brown and sear on all sides. This will give you a perfect medium rare.

Shrimp you just throw in the pan with a little olive oil and sear. Don’t over cook those little guys though.

So what else is in the recipe? The pan you just seared the seafood in you’re not going to clean. Instead add some more olive oil and sauté a little minced garlic, then deglaze with white wine, add some cream and toss your barely al-dente spaghetti into the mix and give it a few up and down sauté shakes to coat through.

Next: throw in some Parmesan and again flip the pasta around in the pan to coat. The Parm will tighten up the sauce quickly. Season with salt. Twirl that gorgeous squid ink pasta into a cone with your tongs and place that heaping black pile of deliciousness on the just-microwaved zucchini carpaccio. Put a scallop on the plate and a large shrimp. Dust your pasta with some fried bread crumbs, a little chopped parsley and a few chili flakes. Give your whole plate a squeeze of fresh lemon, a scattering of finely chopped chives and send it on out to your family!

Done. Easy meal. 20 minutes max. Seriously!

With a prosciutto this delicious, I recommend serving as-is with something complimentary that accentuates it’s natural nuanced nutty flavors without overpowering. I’ve opted for a refreshing summer salad of juicy pluots & plums with mildly bitter frisée & wild arugula, a few ethereal curls of shaved sweet fennel lightly dressed in a puckery red wine vinaigrette. Throw in a little torn mint and some chives plus a handful of toasted hazelnuts and some crumbled blue cheese, and you’ve got a beautiful complimentary summer salad.

What elevates this dish from just another ho-hum light dinner (besides the Prosciutto) is the dukkah spiced flatbread. Whaaat!?!?!? You’ve never heard of dukkah??!!!! Oh my GAWD! Okay, so you need to add this little nutty spice mix to your repertoire because it is great on so many dishes including chicken and fish. And yes, you can buy it in stores (Trader Joe’s carries it) although I think homemade is the best. Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend of nuts (including hazelnut which really picks up the nuanced acorn flavor of the prosciutto) plus a bunch of toasted spices, a pinch of red chili flake for heat and dry mint which is like a subtle cool breeze to the tastebuds.

This prosciutto find came my way when my Canadian bestie and foodie/chef friend, Ivan Shaw, treated me to a prosciutto tasting when visiting for Layla’s birthday. He of course had heard of La Quercia and I had not. But we were both surprised to see how it stood out against French and Italian products. The subtle acorn and delicate fennel really came through, especially in the fat, while the others were mostly one note.

Get out there and try some American prosciutto!

It has been eye opening to see what a toddler can do in the kitchen without preconceived notions as to what may or may not be challenging. It has definitely been a wake up call for me as a parent to not pre-judge my child’s intellectual capabilities or interests.

For example, Layla takes pâte brisée and rolls it out and flips it about like a pro and for this pasta recipe, I thought for sure it would be too difficult, but she got right up on her chair and helped make the dough by hand and then guide our finished product out from the pasta roller . And she had no problem helping me stuff our little half moons – or “pockets” as she calls them – pressing gently around the filling to release air bubbles. She punched the pasta out and then dusted it with a little flour to prevent sticking and neatly placed her pockets with no overlap on a plate. Honestly, I don’t know where she channeled this from. I’ve never made homemade pasta for her.

The only caveat to making great ravioli is that you do need a pasta roller of some sort. Thanks to my dear foodie friends Ivan and Nadine, I have a professional KitchenAid with every attachment known to mankind (best house warming gift ever!). I also have an old-school counter mounted hand crank type pasta roller, and this one is not easy to use because it doesn’t stay attached to the counter. My only warning to parents making this recipe with kids is: young children should not be allowed to work an electric pasta roller on their own because their little fingers could potentially get caught and crushed – ‘yes’ on catching the pasta from the bottom and ‘no’ on feeding it into the roller.

This recipe came about because I’m working on how to get orange foods past Layla’s pursed lips. Orange foods (sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc) are disgusting in her mind and they get shoved far across the plate and sometimes just thrown to our pup – who doesn’t like them either.

I am a true believer that it becomes easier to eat things you hate if you spend time cooking and preparing them in the kitchen. For me, my time cooking on the Meat Station at Guy Savoy in Paris helped me to get over my disdain for thymus glands, liver, and brains. I still won’t go out of my way to eat those things, but I’m not as grossed out as I used to be by offal. For Layla, that’s just orange veggies. [photoblocks id=12]

In order to face her orange fears, we roasted a whole butternut and then puréed it in the VitaPrep. We made nutty smelling brown butter and added it to our butternut purée base. She did try it. Twice. It didn’t totally pass muster but at least she tried it. We added half of our purée to a cupcake recipe topped with a salted caramel whipped cream frosting and she decided that maybe – just maybe – butternut was okay.

To the other half of the purée we added parmesan and ricotta and she tasted it and her response was: “Layla doesn’t like it” (she refers to herself in the third person still). But then she tried it again and there was no response so I could tell she was thinking about it. I was hopeful that her silence meant: “hmmm, maybe I like this”.

But no, the finished product was a no-go. Even with the seriously yummy maple Parmesan cream. She did eat the pasta around the ravioli. My husband and I wolfed the ravioli down and we ate her portion up too! This is a delicious recipe perfect for the cold weather and if you’re making it for some one special on Valentine’s Day, then they are going to love you forever (unless it’s for a two-year-old named Layla).

What’s the moral of the story you might ask? Well, here’s my Mommy take away: if you want your toddler to just eat something they aren’t sure about, sugar coat it in a cupcake. But if you want your Little One to gain appreciation and understanding of something they dislike, show them up close that their fears are unfounded by introducing them personally to the source – they will eventually come around. Oh, and making ravioli is easy, even a two year old can do it.

I made this pistachio cardamom pound cake for Christmas brunch and it was delicious. Definitely a sweet treat, but in lieu of making pancakes or French toast à la minute, I wanted something pretty, nicely sugary and also something I could make a day or two beforehand.

At Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, poundcake is one of the first recipes you learn. The chefs always call it le gâteau pour le week-end pique-nique. Or: the cake for the weekend picnic. Why? Because it travels well (and keeps for days) and it can sit in a basket not get spoiled.

This is not a traditional pound cake recipe in the sense that it does use leavening, but I think it’s a great basic recipe to start with and make your own and it doesn’t require separating eggs and whipping up whites (although you can still do that and you will get an even lighter crumb).

The rose glaze is just a pretty touch at the end and the segmented Winter Citrus soaked in an orange blossom simple syrup adds a nice counterpoint.

Go get nutty….

To me, tarts and pies are like Dagwood sandwiches, I often fill them with whatever fruit, nut or custard I have on hand and they mostly turn out gorgeous. Experimenting on my guests on Christmas was a little risky, but it turned out beautiful and tasty, so I’m passing on the recipe here!

This bittersweet chocolate and pistachio frangipane tart came together by accident as I had some left over pistachio paste from a pistachio & cardamom pound cake I was making for Christmas brunch. I was intending on making a rich and decadent chocolate tart for Christmas dinner anyways, so I just added the two together. And besides, most things that end up in a Tupperware container in my refrigerator end up going in the trash about a month later, so I decided to make use of it instead.

I will admit, this recipe is time consuming to make. It’s not hard per se, but there are three steps and they all take time: the tart shell (make and bake), the pistachio paste frangipane (make and bake first layer), and the chocolate custard (make and bake to finish tart). Again, all steps are easy, but the layers are made and baked separately. So, keep this in mind as you proceed. I wish I had, had a little more of the pistachio paste frangipane for the first layer. As you can see from the picture, it’s a thin tier. So I’m publishing the full frangipane recipe that could actually be used for a full tart on it’s own if desired (maybe with some apricot or pear slices on top?) or for a full first layer of this tart.

I garnished the top with some gold leaf I had on hand, some chopped candied orange and a little dusting of ground up pistachio. Voilà! Nothing to it! This tart is on the rich bittersweet side so a nice dollop of sweetened whipped cream is the perfect compliment.

After 16 years of writing about food, you’d think I could at least get some recipes out before the actual event, but no, I just get too busy! I did do things different this Christmas and I want to share my revelation even though it’s after the fact.

I finally created a feast I could make the day before the event so I could spend more time with family and friends instead of running around like a headless chicken cooking everything à la minute. This year I just pulled platters out of my fridge, plopped them on the buffet table and reheated the foods that needed to be hot. It was wonderful! Glorious in fact! Long live the buffet table! [photoblocks id=11]

Normally for the holidays, I do these crazy elaborate meals with hot and cold appetizers, a multiple coursed dinner and elaborate desserts for a crowd – anywhere from 15 to 30 people. I tent my backyard and decorate to the max and honestly, it’s just exhausting to prepare. The end result is always beautiful but it takes a physical and emotional toll on the whole family. By the time the actual celebration arrives, we can’t enjoy it because we’re tired. Maybe when we’re out of the toddler era and sleeping normally we’ll enjoy setting up that kind of party again.

Since I’m very pregnant and very uncomfortable and I also have a toddler running around, I decided to simplify things this year. And you know what? I think this was one of my best holiday menus yet! I did zero actual cooking on Christmas day which left a lot more time to enjoy our yearly White Elephant party and lounge around. And I thought the food looked and tasted beautiful.

The Holiday menu:

Deluxe Bloody Mary Bar

Roasted Whole Salmon with Niçoise Salad garnish

Pistachio Cardamom Poundcake with Winter Citrus Orange Blossom Salad

4-inch Quiche Lorraine

Clam Chowder Cups with Dill & Thyme

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Beef French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus

Bedazzled Pistachio frangipane & Chocolate Tart with Soft Whipped Cream.

I hope to follow up with the recipes over the next few weeks. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2019 full of LOVE!

Blogging is basically Dumbledore’s ‘Pensive’ where one can pull out thoughts and memories with a magic wand and put them in a pool for safe keeping. Lately, the fears and hopes I’m facing, feel like a ‘Pensive Vitaprep’ where contrasting experiences are whirled together leaving me with a fowl tasting smoothie. I cannot feel happy for myself when a renowned journalist’s fingers are cut off, or expect anyone to be elated over my outrageously crazy against-all-odds baby miracle when families are separated at the Border.

My happiness is so small in comparison to the extreme suffering of other human beings. I want to share the beauty of my unplanned vacation/Baby Moon but I am struck with the sorrow of complete devastation for those that couldn’t escape the Camp Fires and those that did but who lost everything. I feel guilty for my little vacay to get away from the hazardous smoke in the Bay Area while others had to suffer through it, even though it greatly effected my daughter Layla. Nothing feels right these days.

So you see, I have news! I have recipes! I have adventures! But it’s all so trivial and untimely in light of a world and a country headed towards moral destruction and undeniable human and civil rights violations.

Am I alone here? Is anyone having problems reckoning what’s going on in the world with their own personal lives? Am I the only person who can’t separate the daily atrocities on the news with personal happiness? It’s overwhelming. How can one person, with little resources, make a difference? And yet, here I am today getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, so I write the following, with the objective that perhaps my story of hope will provide a brief respite this holiday weekend…

Lourdes, a highly sought after Home Care Professional in our neighborhood, who I have employed for years with her team of expert women, share each other’s company before our daily routines begin once every two weeks. Like me, Lourdes had an unexpected baby in her early 40’s and we often talk about the ups and downs of being older moms. Besides being a busy business owner, Lourdes is also active in her Church’s outreach to low-income Moms and I support her efforts in whatever ways I can.

On one particular Thursday, Lourdes arrives with her team and we chit chat sharing a cup of coffee before we each have to go our ways. She asks me point blank:

“So Amy, when are you going to have another baby?”

“Are you kidding??!? I’m so old and so sleep deprived, I just don’t think that’s in our future.”

“You know,” She says with a wry smile, “As soon as you donate your baby stuff, you’ll get pregnant again. I promise! ”

“Well, I’m not sure that’s even possible, or that I even want that, but I’m more than happy to donate baby stuff. I’ve kept clothes and toys for a long time now thinking there might be another, but it’s time to move on…”

“Sure, I can come by this weekend and take what you don’t want.”

“Great, thank you!”

I pack up Layla in the car and head to her French nursery school across town singing “Frère Jaques” all the way, filing away my conversation with Lourdes. It is time to clear the cobwebs and even though it would be nice to have another baby, we are super happy with the one we’ve got and count ourselves lucky to have had her so late in life, especially after two late second term miscarriages. And I’m back working with restaurants, creating recipes at home, writing, taking photography lessons, volunteering at Layla’s school and everything seems to be moving along in life – no need to go back to a year of pregnancy bedrest and constant medical checkups and endless anxiety or another two years of sleep deprivation.

Nope. This little family is complete, thank you very much. And frankly, it was complete before Layla arrived. She just happened to make it that much bigger and brighter.

Shortly after Layla’s miraculous arrival we considered trying for another baby because we didn’t want her to be alone in the world. We saw a specialist that told us we were too old and that we would need to do IVF and use a donor egg even though “we looked good for our ages”. It wasn’t the right choice for us.

One June afternoon, I’m taking a nap next to Layla and I wake up in the middle of it, levitating a few inches from the bed and look down at my body to see that I’m glowing green all the way down to my toes. Alien abduction? Acid flashback? Perhaps. But it’s a pleasant experience – my entire body is radiating an incredible bright green. It feels so good, so fresh, so youthful. I could be the spokes person for an Irish Spring commercial, it’s that ridiculously joyous! I fall back asleep no problem and when I wake up I can’t get the little green hallucination out of my mind.

Nine days later I’m dry heaving over a toliet bowl wondering what on God’s Earth I did to deserve such a nasty stomach bug. I go to my doctor, who enlightens me about morning sickness (which I never had with Layla) and he confirms via ultrasound that I am indeed pregnant, even though it is too early to really see anything. I leave excited, scared, and disbelieving. I go home and take four more tests that strongly confirm it. Ok. I guess I’m pregnant. At 44. I thought this wasn’t possible?!?!

A week later I go back to my doctor for another ultra sound. This time the news isn’t good. Using his archaic machine that never gives a clear picture, he tells me that that there is no baby inside the gestational sac and that I will miscarry. He offers to give me medication to speed up the process. I ask him: “But I’m so sick, how can there not be a baby? This pregnancy feels stronger than any I’ve had before?” He tells me that the pregnancy hormones are still going strong and that soon enough my body will recognize there is no baby and begin the un-fun process of renewal.

I say “no” to the drugs and decide to let nature take it’s course, and I leave depressed but still surprised that we even got pregnant for a little bit considering all the loud voices around us saying it would not be possible. And, for the life of me, I just can’t get that little green dream out of my head. I share the sad news with my husband and we decide once again, that our little family is perfect as is.

Another week goes by and I am so sick and sooooo fatigued and I have a gut feeling that the doctor’s diagnosis is wrong. I return for yet another ultra sound to see what exactly is going on. He begins to try and describe the blurry picture on the screen and assert once again that there is no baby when I stop him and exclaim – “Yes there is! I see a heartbeat! I see it!” At which point he also admits with surprise that there is a little baby. With the disclaimer, “It’s a good thing I didn’t give you that medication.”

He’s not my doctor anymore…

I’m a Halloween baby and I’ve always loved the creativity and harvest bounty that my birthday month signals. October in the Bay Area is the month where Summer fruit is coming to a close, yet still sweet & bountiful and Winter squash is done curing in the fields. Late harvest corn and dry farmed tomatoes overflow the farmer’s markets alongside tall stalks of brussel sprouts and giant globe artichokes. It is a great month to get going in the kitchen and I’m determined to create a recipe a day before my birthday. Now with a two-year-old who LOVES to bake, the idea of making all those fun creepy cool cupcakes and pumpkin-y treats is exciting once again.

But no, my recipe goal attempt is sadly unattainable. Layla brings home the flu from one of her little Frenchy nursery school co-conspirators and our entire family is laid out flat. All of us. Too bad Little Bean, our Cairn Terrier can’t cook.

I normally don’t get sick. I have never missed a day of work due to sickness – injury from cooking yes (like the time the handle came off an enormous pot of boiling salted water at Le Bernardin and burned the flesh off the top of my foot), flu or winter cold – no. My body simply attacks anything foreign. My body goes apeshit when it registers an intruder. It really doesn’t matter if the “intruder” is wanted. I have an overactive immune system and it’s not necessarily a good thing.

I spend three weeks, mostly in bed with the flu. My husband suffers the same. Layla has the mildest symptoms probably because we were smart enough to give her the flu shot, but she’s still having difficulty breathing and sleeping. We emerge from our sickbeds briefly to celebrate my 45th birthday before all of us end up with secondary infections. Brutal.

And then just as our lung infections are beginning to clear, the Camp Fire devastates Northern California burning 80 football fields a minute (hard to comprehend that statistic, I know) and our family is left again struggling to breathe in the hazardous aftermath of smoke that has made its way, the short distance, from Paradise to the Bay Area. 

Time for an unplanned Baby Moon? We head South to Monterey where the air is clear even though we know it’s late second trimester and the danger time during our pregnancy. But weighing the options of watching our toddler cough, wheeze and struggle to breathe properly with going Into preterm labor – we decide it’s best for all of us to be in breathable air.  [photoblocks id=7]

Layla ooggles sea otters at the incredible Monterey Bay Aquarium and stands open mouthed in front of the ethereal jelly fish exhibit. She puts her hands to the glass of the enormous deep sea tank and a gigantic fish comes up and stares at her for a full minute. She stares back without flinching. We watch octopuses slink around their aquariums, 7-gill sharks zoom-a-zoom-zoom and we stick our hands in man-made tide pools pulling out kelp and hermit crabs. This is by far, the most exhilarating living museum she has ever been to. I’m not sure that Hettie Rose can see anything but she sure is kicking the whole way through so it must be fun for her too.

Back at the hotel, located right on the beach, we grab shovel & bucket and hit the sand looking for tiny crabs buried just below the ebbing tide. Layla searches for sand dollars and little treasures while I try to keep up with her pace and hold on to her every time the tide rushes over her feet sinking her little body deeper into the sand.

We relax during dinner at Salt Wood, with rising star Chef David Baron at the helm. He’s a friend of ours and a father with two kids so he takes a little extra time to make sure Layla is fed-up with asparagus cooked in a silky miso butter broth and real house-made egg pasta drenched in homemade butter and shaved Parmesan. Layla picks the avocados out of my Caesar salad with David’s delicious black garlic dressing and scrunches up her face when ‘Baba’ tries to give her an oyster from the shell.

David’s unique food perspective effortlessly weaves fresh and local California comfort casual with flavors of the Philippines and Nicaragua. His food is beautiful, generous in proportion, layered in flavor without skimping on process or purity of ingredient, and he uses a massive wood fire grill for whole fish preparations, sand dabs, and many other sea food offerings which I love. His fried chicken served alongside an enormous buttermilk biscuit smothered in honey butter, is just ridiculous. I don’t know if he uses a pressure fryer, but I have never been able to achieve fried chicken quite like his – so crisp on the outside and so perfectly juicy inside. (And no, he does not sous-vide it or pre-bake it.)

After four nights in Monterey eating our way through David’s menu and splitting our time between the Aquarium and the beach, we are beginning to miss home. We only planned for a few days thinking the smoke would clear by now, but even Monterey is becoming questionable and our coughs have returned. We pack our gear and head further South to Big Sur to a cabin in the woods.

Although Layla has seen redwood trees, she hasn’t seen really old redwood trees and she stands under an enormous one and looks up slightly reeling backward all the time singing: “ooooooooooooooooo”. The wonder of nature is not lost on us either and we head to Pfeiffer beach after a little walk in the redwoods for some more sun and fun.

Normally Ramin and I would have a campfire going and be cooking morning, noon and night – leave it the Eagle Scout and Girl Scout to whip up some delicious fiery feasts but, it just doesn’t feel right to light up considering the smokey air. So we head to one of our favorite little spots, Big Sur Bakery, which has been a well loved restaurant for a long time now – my parents used to take me here when I was a kid!

The French restaurant manager greets us in the morning with a “Bonjour, ça va ça va? (Hello, how goes it?) and Layla offers back her version: “Boujee boujeee!” which makes him laugh and declare that “Layla is just too cute.” To which we agree whole heartedly. We sip rich roasted coffee in the cool morning marine layer and munch our way through the best tasting pastries I have ever had. Big Sur bakery marks Layla’s first chocolate chaud experience and we devour and relax while Layla covers her face in chocolate and pastry.  [photoblocks id=8]

Still no rain in California and fires rage North in Paradise and South in Malibu with little hope of containment. The air in the Bay Area remains hazardous and schools close down. We spend a whole day trying to find another cabin in Big Sur to extend our stay – why not?  – we’ve already been away a week and a half, it would be silly to come home during the worst part of it! But there is nothing available. And I mean nothing. Even the super expensive hotels are booked. There is no room at the inn – not in Avila, Big Sur, Carmel, or Monterey. This is unheard of. The entire Bay Area is invading our little getaway.

With nowhere to stay, we decide to head home. But as a last ditch effort we swing by a dog friendly hotel in Carmel and I walk up to the front desk with my big belly holding Layla on one hip with one hand and my dog leash in the other and plead to the Front Desk Lady: “I really need a room for tonight, do you have anything by chance available?”

She looks at me and smiles, “Let me check…You just got our last room. We are completely booked now. Two queens, does that work?”

“Oh halleluja, thank you!”

We weren’t exactly roughing it in our Big Sur cabin but it sure feels great to be back in a real hotel room, with a clean floor and big comfy beds and a hot shower. We take Layla to Monastery Beach and splash around for a bit before hitting Carmel’s outdated restaurant scene. [photoblocks id=10]

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that the food is bad in Carmel, it’s just old school. Every restaurant serves carbonara, Caesar salad, fried calamari and seafood blanketed in butter or cream sauce. Demetra Cafe, is the only Mediterranean restaurant (also old school) in town and the menu reminds me of my days as Exec Chef for Faz where pizza and pasta are served alongside Turkish and Persian offerings. It doesn’t totally make sense to me, but the restaurant is packed and the owner is there playing his lute, serenading all the guests, urging people to dance and clap their hands and he is very sweet to Layla. Upon asking her name, he kisses her hands repeatedly which makes Layla blush and cling to me like a koala bear. I have a feeling that there is a Layla in his family, because the name makes his eyes light up when we tell him. Bashar is Syrian and some of his dishes slightly point to this, but not as many as I would personally like.

We eat juicy lamb kabobs and rice with a little too much turmeric (and not enough saffron) alongside a scoop up tzaziki and grilled pita bread. It’s not Faz quality, but even still, it’s tasty. Layla belly dances at the table to the music and she offers up her hands for Bashar to kiss when he comes to check on our table and then hides away in my hair once he does. To say that Layla has charmed the pants off the Bashar, is an understatement.

Layla is a pro diner. She’s great in restaurants. This may come as no surprise but even with her limited palate, she will carefully poke her finger in new foods and taste to see if it’s thumbs up or down, sit in a high chair and observe the servers and clientelle, pretend to read a menu and hold a conversation at two-year-old level for at least a portion of the meal before we inevitably turn on YouTube French songs or programs so that we can finish without rushing.

Our vacation is coming to a close now that Northern California has forecasted rain for Thanksgiving. We pack our bags after our comfortable 3 night stay at Carmel Mission Inn, change into some new clothes that don’t smell of smoke or cabin or two weeks sans laundry and head North to my Auntie’s house in Santa Cruz where she will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner. 

My Aunt Suzie and Uncle Phill prepare the classic and delicious Thanksgiving dinner of my dearly departed Mother and Grandmother. In years past I have given Thanksgiving dinner various modern twists, but I have to say that I really just appreciate the good old-fashioned made-from-scratch-meal passed down through our family. [photoblocks id=9]

The menu: Perfectly cooked heritage turkey with chestnut crispy skin, rich giblet gravy (no cream), mashed potatoes, spiced smashed yams with marshmallow topping, stuffing cooked in the bird and out, homemade biscuits, roasted asparagus with a squeeze of Meyer lemon, maple glazed carrots, cranberry orange sauce, and a slew of homemade pies. Yum.

All of my family is exceptionally educated, many are legitimately brilliant, and most are extremely liberal. Any heated political debate is normally about degrees of liberalism as opposed to Left vs. Right which is often frustrating but well intended. This Thanksgiving though, we steer clear of politics, it’s been too dividing a year all around. Even though we all play on the same team, no one wants to go down that rabbit hole. We love our Country and our fellow Americans regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexual persuasion or political affiliation and this has been a truly depressing year to watch the degradation of democracy and deep divide our current leadership has entrenched. Everyone is ready just to focus on family and on Layla and leave out the noise for an evening.

We skip the individual “what are you thankful for” toast because we all feel that being thankful this year for something we have (and we have so much) unintentionally implies some one else’s devastating loss. Instead, we raise our glasses to the rain helping to quench California’s thirst and extinguish the fires. 

It goes without saying that I’m always thankful for my family, especially my husband who keeps this little unit going strong – but some one lost their entire family in Paradise, some one lost their home in Malibu (and Florida and Cuba), and some one is not going to snuggle their little baby or even see them again at our Border.  

My cousins, Travis and Sophie, zero in on Layla and play with her for hours. Sophie brings out her old baby toys and Layla is in heaven having two super cool young people give her attention – much more fun than two old parents!

Hettie Rose is happy and kicking away. Little Bean is in a turkey comma. Ramin is relaxing and his funny ongoing banter with my expert story telling Uncle is keeping us all entertained. It is a lovely evening all around. We overstuff ourselves with pumpkin, pecan and apple pie, say our goodbyes, and leave to drive over the mountain and head home to Oakland. It will be good to sleep in our own bed tonight. The rain is in full force now and the air quality is back to breathable. 

I take Layla from the car after our long journey home, sound asleep and carefully put her in bed. She briefly wakes up, smiles at the sight of her room, then falls fast asleep. Hettie Rose, who has been busy inside my tummy the whole evening is starting to wind down and I can tell she’s ready for me to sleep. I share Hettie’s name now because she is so much a part of my life already and I am well aware of the risks I face, so I want to full-heartedly welcome her into this world for as long or as little as she might be here to enjoy it.

Her due date is somewhere in-between St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th and Persian New Years, March 21st which marks the advent of Spring. Hmmmm, maybe that’s what the green dream was all about?!?!?! 

Oh, and I guess there is one thing I’m truly grateful for this Thanksgiving weekend: I’m thankful to Lourdes for telling me to donate Layla’s baby clothes to her Catholic Charity!!!

You can add celery, horseradish, white onion, celery seed or even black olives to it. But I just like it plain and simple. I think it’s good without any crunch. And it’s important to use a starchy baker potato like the ‘Russet’ that doesn’t hold it’s shape well when boiled or you won’t get that fluffy bite. [photoblocks id=5]

My Mom always swore by the “German” potato salad method which, I’ve used on several occasions including a Pig Roast dinner at Tunitas Creek Kitchen many years ago where I smoked the potatoes before hot dressing them. I used  Yukon Gold potaotes for this method because they hold their shape better (and that’s what was growing on the farm).

But I think this creamy style lends itself better to grilled sardines and all that umami goodness which, is what I whipped it up for.  It’s also good with hot dogs, grilled chicken – or just by itself in a big bowl with a big ol’ fork!

The blue accents are rosemary flowers! And yes, you can eat them! And they taste just like the herb but even more intense with a touch of honey sweetness. I was looking for something colorful in my garden to add to the tomato plate and noticed the pretty little blue flowers with bees swarming all around. I tried one and then quickly googled it to make sure they weren’t poisonous – and they’re not! Hooray! They’re tasty and I’m still alive!

Can you believe, in all my years of cooking, and I never knew you could eat rosemary flowers? They are strong so use sparingly, but they add a neat surprise little bite.

I love using flowers to garnish plates. Some just add a little color pop with relatively no flavor (which is okay too), but others like: rosemary flowers, chive & garlic flowers, bee balm, anise hyssop and nasturtium (flowers and leaves) really pack a punch. I’m always looking for new edible flowers, so if you have a favorite please share!

There’s nothing much to this dish. Just really ripe and delicious tomatoes, some minced shallot, a few leaves of dill, a handful of salted capers (un-rinsed), a generous seasoning of crunchy sea salt and a squeeze of Meyer lemon over top plus a little olive oil for shine. A simple side dish or pretty picnic plate…