mango tarte tatin

February 08, 2016 in fruit, spring, pies & tarts

We all have our comfort zone. A position in which we feel both at ease and at our best. Mine is at the sidelines, looking in. I observe. I consider the details, take a step back to get the bigger picture, then focus on the details again. I analyze. I draw lines, see connections, fill in the blanks, write down my conclusions. I don't usually interact with what is going on, nor do I feel the need to voice my conclusions out loud. The written word is my safeguard [...]

crème au chocolat

February 01, 2016 in curds & creams, family recipes, all-year, chocolate

I've been thinking about this blog a lot these past few months.

I've been thinking about how it wasn't really what I envisioned. About how, in my first 6 months of blogging, I tried to be too much like other bloggers, all funny and nonchalant. About how the recipes I've shared weren't really my style, nor my own. About how I'd promised to share some of my family recipes, but never seemed to get around to it. About how I wanted to change all that.

blood orange curd

January 25, 2016 in curds & creams, winter, fruit

From the moment the seasons changed, I started badgering my grocer about blood oranges. January, he said. I was so thrilled about the first blood orange I got my hands on, that I photographed it and put it on Instagram. By now, Instagram is exploding with this beautiful fruit. What is it about blood oranges that gets us all excited?

brown butter coffee hazelnut cake

January 18, 2016 in cake, all-year, nuts

It was my mother's birthday last week. The woman who gave me wide hips and an imperfect nose, but also, and much more importantly, a curiosity about life and an eagerness to learn. The woman who endured my teenage years and expressed her frustrations mostly in French curses. The woman who taught me how to make pancakes and meringues, who showed me how to separate eggs and carefully fold in egg whites, who introduced me to beurre noisette and other wonderful flavors. The woman who's baked me at least 30 birthday cakes and even more for my brothers [...]

things I've learned

December 01, 2015 in cake, tips & tricks, projects, pies & tarts

I recently endeavored on one of the biggest learning experiences of my life.

I opened a coffee and pie bar.

[...]

in the land of the danish

August 14, 2015 in musings, travel, breakfast

Have you noticed that travel makes you feel lighter?

No matter how much weight you're carrying in your backpack, no matter how much stuff you've crammed into your suitcase, loaded onto your bike or shoved into your car... traveling can feel a bit like floating around. You let the wind lead you. There is no resistance. You are free.