Other than inspirational poetry which she was famous for, Emily Dickinson was also a good baker. The renown American poet loved baking bread and cakes too and decorating them with fresh flowers. Here I replicated Emily’s Coconut Cake recipe which turned out moist and delicious and also very easy to make. Her original handwritten recipe follows. Continue reading
These grapefruit bars are a nice change from the all-time favorite lemon version. They are even easier to slice and serve being less sticky and crumbly. Of course this means less sugar and butter which isn’t a bad idea either. If you still want a richer version you can increase these two ingredients according to your tastes.
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Sono la piccola “Viola del Pensiero”!
Non mi curo dei cieli imbronciati!
Se la farfalla tarda
Posso, per questo, mancare?
Inizia cosi’ la bella poesia di Emily Dickinson che ha ispirato questa ricetta di Aspic di Gamberetti. Dispetto all’inverno, questo fiorellino resiste al freddo e qui nella mia ricetta di aspic “fiorisce” in cima alla gelatina di gamberetti e da’ un tocco di allegria quasi primaverile! Forse un segno che siamo gia’ stanchi di questo lungo inverno? Allora – via a piatti “fioriti”! Continue reading
With carnival season approaching bakery windows are brimming with all sorts of fried pastry in Italy. Each region or even city has their own specialty. Recently visiting Siena I enjoyed a taste of their rice fritters – Frittelle di Riso – in historic Piazza del Campo. A little hut is set up there around this time that turns out freshly fried Frittelle by the minute. Outside a line of people impatiently wait for these delectable crispy treats. A sign outside listed the genuine ingredients. Coming back home I couldn’t help making them myself. I wasn’t disappointed – I think I came pretty close! Of course to fully enjoy them you should really come to the beautiful medieval city of Siena yourself. Continue reading
These flourless and fat- free Healthy Cream Filled Brownie Valentines come from a Jamie Oliver inspired chocolate beetroot cake recipe. In my version I used steamed beets instead of fresh ones, substituted regular sugar with coconut sugar and I also added chopped walnuts. The batter was baked in a rectangular pan with a lower rim to make heart cutouts easier to form. Ultimately each heart was sandwiched together and topped with whipped cream and raspberries. Continue reading
A rose is a rose is a rose…..couldn’t be put simpler! Only that these roses are edible too with fragrant rose petals an important part of the ingredients. Continue reading
These easy chunky breakfast cookies are true to their name – they are practically a breakfast in a cookie. The chunky exterior hides a heart of crispy granola goodness. Perfect time saver when you’re on the go! Continue reading
This Apple Pear “Miascia”, a traditional cake from Como could be grouped together with other “frugal” cakes in
Italy such as the “Torta Paesana” of Brianza. These cakes both use day old bread soaked in milk but the “Miascia” has a lighter and fruitier twist in the use of apples and pears instead of cocoa – and walnuts are used here instead of pine nuts. Continue reading
These Easy Pumpkin Sticky Buns can be made in a snap if you have that tube of ready-roll croissants on hand. Just unroll, pinch together the triangles and reroll again with the pumpkin filling. Slice and bake on top of the caramel sauce. When baked, flip them over and you have delicious topping on top of everything. Couldn’t be easier than that! Continue reading
This Roast Pomegranate veal is impressive looking but actually very easy to prepare. It looks good on a holiday table but can be made anytime. Easy to slice and serve too. You simply cut a pocket into a piece of veal roast, stuff it, seal the end and roast in the oven. Continue reading