Talk about gorgeous color? The photo doesn’t do it justice! Amounts are about (I rarely actually measure) 2 to 1 vodka to juice. Fresh grapefruit juice and vodka are the primary ingredients. But I made a simple syrup by cooking raw beets with a splash of St. Germain, sugar and water. Then I made a basil simple syrup (which I LOVE on strawberries with fresh lemon) and added a dash of both simple syrups to come up with this beautiful cocktail! I give you, the Fuchsiatini !!

I love to make almond florentines and sandwich two cookies together with Nutella! But I saw this unusual “cookie butter” at Trader Joe’s and thought I’d try it with this cookie. It has the consistency of smooth peanut butter, a little firmer, and the taste of gingerbread. It’s really delicious! In this cookie, I think the filling was masked by the flavor of the florentine alone. But between two sugar cookies it would have been perfect. For this cookie, I think I’ll stick with Nutella or a homemade buttercream! The cookie recipe is in my cookbook

I started with a classic macaroon recipe and a sugar cookie recipe. I made sure the sugar cookie dough was very cold so that I could cut thin slices as the base for my cookie. Then I topped the cookie with a macaroon, flattened it and then using a melon baller, I removed the center. I baked them 80% of the way, then filled the center with caramel (this time I cheated and didn’t make my own, I used the caramel dip that we find in the produce section of the supermarket) and finished baking until they were light golden brown. I melted dipping chocolate, dipped the cookie bottom into chocolate and let it set up. Then with my homemade ganache, I drizzled the top. Voila! Not bad at all!

iPhone photo disclaimer, NOT my Canon

Layers of vanilla panna cotta, orange slices, candied fennel in St. Germain and beet simple syrup, oranges macerated in the beet syrup, orange cranberry relish and pecans. Sound good? It was certainly fun to create!

Just use your favorite pancake recipe as the base. Then mix a stick of melted butter with about 3/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and mix well. Set aside to cool. Mix your pancake batter. Now mix your glaze. I used mascarpone instead of cream cheese, a healthy dose of pure maple syrup and powdered sugar and whisked until I ended up with a nice pourable consistency.

You’ll need to make sure the consistency of the brown sugar mixture is pourable but still thick and grainy, as you’ll want it to hold its shape when you swirl it onto the pancake.

Pour your pancake batter onto a hot griddle and just when you see the first sign of bubbles in the batter, squeeze the sugar mixture into the batter, starting in the center, working around toward the outside in a concentric circle. Then when the pancake is golden on the bottom, just flip. Lower the heat to low/simmer and cook on the swirl side for a couple minutes. Then flip back over, turn off the heat and let sit for about 30 seconds while the caramelized sugar sets up.

To serve, pile the pancakes on a plate, drizzle the maple cream glaze around the pancake in the same pattern and serve with a side of maple syrup, though you may not need it.

Tastes like a cross between a pancake and cinnamon bun! Enjoy!

A favorite of any of my guests, family and friends! It’s a layered version of a cheese filled blintz, served with mango puree, blackberry coulis, rhubarb puree and raspberry coulis! How’s that for foodporn? In The Art of Breakfast!

As a HUGE foodie, admirer of professional chefs and fan of Food Network, I got to meet Michele Ragussis of the Next Food Network Star (that’s her, 2nd to right with the cool hair) at a press meeting last week. Hey Michele, my middle name is also Michele with one L, by the way! She was also on Chopped (one of my favorite shows); I told her I wanted Chopped to host a themed show for innkeepers, an all breakfast version as I love a good challenge! Maybe I’ll email the show… Also in the picture are Alison Pray and Tara Smith (far left and right) of Standard Baking Company in Portland.

Come visit us all at this delicious event!

First, forget the store bought marshmallows, make your own! (try Martha Stewart’s recipe) Then cut graham crackers in small squares (about an inch or so). I cut the marshmallows into squares, topped each cracker with a chocolate ganache (my recipe, in The Art of Breakfast) and then sandwich. Then another dab of the ganache and a bit of toasted coconut! Voila! Mini S’Mores! That’s foodporn

So to my Bloody Mary today I added a splash of Twenty 2 chile pepper infused vodka, some Mrs. T’s mix, horseradish, lime and spicy banana peppers for garnish and ice. And here you are. Happy Sipping!