Ever since I read Kim Boyce’s beautiful Good to the Grain, I have been taking whole grains a lot more seriously. I now find myself using them whenever I can, especially in baking. Because they are good for me, sure—but mostly because they taste good. So, I was pleasantly surprised when Maria Speck’s new cookbook Ancient Grains for Modern Meals arrived at my doorstep.

The book is beautifully written, and a real pleasure to spend time with. Speck manages to soft-sell cooking with grains in a way that has me wanting to completely transform my diet. She should consider starting a cult, maybe she already has—the Cult of Whole Grains. Sign me up. read more+++

I celebrated my birthday last week. Bryan, who is officially the most amazing person in the world, arranged for two of my dearest and most favorite friends to fly in from New York to surprise me. I was so surprised I spent most of the weekend talking about how surprised I was—and having an incredibly fun time. Even before I knew they would be with me, I had been contemplating what to make for my birthday dessert. The answer appeared to me in the new issue of Bon Appétit: Apple Fritters with Bourbon Ice Cream.

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I fall in love with Los Angeles a little more each time I visit. This time we were lucky enough to have some really amazing meals. Many of them were at Bryan’s parents’ house—his mom is a wonderful cook and his dad an excellent sommelier. I came home with great family recipes (and some excellent wine) which I will undoubtedly be sharing with all of you as the year progresses. But we also managed to get out for dinner. Rustic Canyon Wine Bar in Santa Monica blew my mind early in the trip. The meal was pretty close to perfect and included a beet salad that may be the best salad I have ever eaten in my life. The pear tart and cinnamon sugar donuts were equally exceptional. I also really loved Church & State in downtown Los Angeles, which some friends recommended. Really outstanding bistro cooking and such a charming atmosphere. If I lived in Los Angeles I would be a regular at both places. If you live in Los Angeles—go!

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In addition to not having much time for kitchen projects, I have also been feeling a little bored of myself in the kitchen. I tend to make the same sorts of things with the same ingredients. I felt like I was in a little bit of a rut. I decided to try something new in the form of these pecan rochers (boulders en francais). Little piles of meringue, filled with pecan pieces. I don’t have much experience with meringues and so this seemed like a good challenge. read more+++

If you live in the Chicago-area and have not been to Wholly Frijoles– GO. Now. Wholly Frijoles is a Mexican restaurant in an unlikely strip mall just outside of the city. “Why would I go to the suburbs for good Mexican food?”, was the question I asked my friend who first told me about it. Because it is totally charming and the food is excellent. I’ve liked everything I have ever eaten there. We once had a cold three-melon soup there that Bryan and I have been talking about for years. One of my favorite things they serve is a dessert—fresh sweet strawberries topped with whipped sour cream and cinnamon ice cream. read more+++

I’ve been a loyal reader of Design*Sponge for years and was so pleased when Grace asked me to be a guest on her site. Click on over to learn what I did with these amazing blackberries!

Okay everyone, let’s start tackling some of our kitchen fears. A while back I asked you to share some information with me in the form of the Lottie + Doof Food Quiz (If you haven’t already completed the quiz, go for it!). One of the kitchen fears that came up most often was YEAST. I think there is a general misconception that working with yeast is difficult and I know many of you automatically dismiss recipes if they contain the words “let rise”. I used to be one of you! The truth is that yeast doughs are as easy as any other and just require a little extra time and patience. read more+++

I’ve been a little MIA. I got knocked out with a flu (not swine) and haven’t cooked anything in over a week. Funny how quickly we can lose all interest in food.  The good news is that I am feeling better and returning to a normal schedule. Luckily, there are some things I cooked a couple of weeks ago that I still have not told you about.

My counter runneth over with rhubarb in recent weeks. A combination of impulse buying at the market and a generous gift from my friend Karin’s mom had me faced with a few pounds of rhubarb that I needed to do something with.

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Pineapple was a favorite of mine as a kid. Identical yellow rings from a cold can. Perfect circles of exotic sweetness. I remember the first time I had a fresh pineapple I was surprised at how amazing they could be. I am still a fan of pineapple, but this recipe for roasted pineapple with pink peppercorns is about as far as you can get from those perfect canned slices.

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Oh, Canada. There is so much to tell you about our trip to Montreal but you know that I like to keep it brief so I’ll focus on two amazing places we visited and one amazing dessert that I discovered. On our first or second day in Montreal we took Bryan’s grandparents to a cabane à sucre in Rigaud, just west of the city. It was my first visit to a sugar shack and it certainly did not disappoint. read more+++