You probably weren’t expecting me to return with dessert (although, at this point, maybe you were). I know that everyone else is currently writing about salads and whole grains and cleanses. Screw that, I want some sticky toffee pudding.

I have been wanting to write about sticky toffee pudding ever since I returned from our honeymoon. It is one of my favorite sweets and difficult to find in the US. But it seems to be everywhere in the UK. With good reason— it is amazing!

read more+++

I don’t have a garden—yet. But I know from those of you that do that zucchini are taking over. CSA boxes are full of them and there are piles of the the summer squash at farmers markets. So I thought I would dedicate this week to the humble zucchini. I’ve got a couple of recipes that can help answer the question, what am I going to do with all of this zucchini!? Let’s call it Zucchini Week. Like shark week, but tastier. For humans.

read more+++

I think rhubarb is fantastic. Not only is it a harbinger of summer in the Midwest, it is so perfectly tart that I never grow tired of it. A couple of weekends ago, I bought about 4 pounds of rhubarb at the market, and proceeded to find delicious ways of using all of it up. This buckle was up first. read more+++

I didn’t know Imitation Strawberry Extract was in season.

That was Bryan’s response to the McCormick bottle sitting on our kitchen counter.

It’s always in season.

Admittedly, it was an odd sighting in our apartment. It was even an odd sighting on the pages of a Saveur. Most contemporary recipes don’t call for imitation anything—it just isn’t cool anymore. But not so long ago, it was very cool. So modern! I am sure we consume more flavorings and colorings now, we just don’t like to talk about it. At least not those of us that read magazines like Saveur. I don’t have any major philosophical issues with a teaspoon of artificial extract, so I decided to give this crazy strawberry cake a try.

read more+++

As you probably know by now, Chicago was hit by a pretty intense blizzard this week. It came just as we were preparing for the first Lottie + Doof and Floriole dinner. We decided to go ahead with the first dinner as planned and were cheered by a great group of people who braved the cold and mountains of snow to eat dinner with us. As a food writer, I spend a lot of time behind the safety of my computer and it was a real treat/challenge to have what happens in the privacy of my kitchen happen in real time and space. It turned out to be such great fun that I can’t wait to do it again.

read more+++

Myth Busters taught me that eating too many poppy seeds can actually cause a false-positive reading on a drug test. Thus proving the plot of countless sitcoms to be more plausible than previously imagined. But I have yet to meet anyone personally effected by the potent little seeds (if you failed a drug test because of poppy seeds- please, please let us know! comment!). Drug tests be damned, I love poppy seeds. read more+++

This is going to be quick because I have house guests to prepare for and a big meal to cook. I present the perfect pancake recipe. It is the only pancake recipe I will ever need and just happens to be made with 100% whole grains, thanks to the fabulous Kim Boyce. Nutritious pancakes that taste better than any I have had in the past—what more can you ask for? I’ll be making these this weekend for my friends, they are especially delicious with some bacon and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. The fact that these are whole grain means they can be a regular at your breakfast table. read more+++

Sometimes I like a recipes because it presents me with questions. It makes me think about how and when I might serve it,  or what I might serve it with. It gets me thinking. This recipe for Tourteau de Chèvre from Dorie Greenspan’s latest masterpiece is one of those recipes. It is a cheesecake, but is definitely not the sweet creamy cake you might be expecting. It is more complicated. It is dry and isn’t very sweet. You can pick up a piece and eat it out of hand. It is also absolutely delicious.

read more+++

Thanks for a great week, everyone. I’ve had fun celebrating the past two years of Lottie + Doof and am looking forward to the year to come. Thanks to Bryan and Dorie Greenspan for their contributions to the week, and thanks to all of you for the great comments and kind emails I have received. You are the best! Before we wrap up the celebrations and start dealing with the piles of apples that are invading the farmers markets, I have one more special treat. This week would not be complete without a contribution from my favorite Chicago bakery, Floriole.

read more+++

Some recipes you make only once a year. As a kid, I found this incredibly frustrating. My aunt was the baker in our family and she made outrageously delicious cookies every Christmas. I never understood why she couldn’t make them on other days. You’re probably thinking something along the lines of: if we had them every day they wouldn’t be as special. I’m only partially convinced by that argument. Maybe we should try and see? read more+++