It’s nearing the end of summer, and for us in the Pacific Northwest with gray skies soon looming, all the more a perfect time to enjoy what’s left of summer’s bounty.
What’s a better celebration of summer than berries?
I’m sure by now you’ve been inundated with berry cobbler and crumble recipes. I know I have. But this one is special in that it is so simple and so quick that there is no reason not to make it.
Ever gotten the itch to pickle?
If so, this is the time of year to do it. Cucumbers are now at your local market or farm stand, just waiting to be transformed into crunchy, sour and herby pickles.
I have never pickled before. That is, until last weekend.
For about eight months now, Michael Symon’s cookbook, Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen, has seemed to stare at me from its place on my bookshelf.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great cookbook — filled with recipes, techniques and photos that instantly draw you in.
It’s just that it is a little, well, intimidating to me. You see, he has recipes of all kinds of dishes that I’ve never eaten in restaurants, much less cooked and at ate home.
Jubilee Cupcake and Vintage Candy’s cupcakes are good.
Really good.
And I’m not just saying that. With the perfect balance of fluffy buttercreme or meringue to moist, rich cupcake, these babies are winners.
Ever take a bite of something and moan out loud? That’s what I did when I bit into a sun dried tomato, basil and feta scone made by Upper Crust Bistro and Bakery.
I first experienced them at the Proctor Farmer’s Market. Really, I’ve never had any scone like this one. It was crisp and crunchy on the outside, and fluffy and moist on the inside. The fresh green basil was flecked throughout, and the sun dried tomatoes offered a sweet, chewy tang. To make it even more perfect, the feta cheese added a salty, rich note.