A year in review, …

JANUARY

While I took a class to learn about Japanese Milk Bread in 2022, it wasn’t until January of 2023 that I really got around to making it, testing my will power not to bake it too much. With it’s many uses, the year was off to a very tasty start! And there’s more experimenting to come. Cinnamon rolls, anyone???

FEBRUARY

With the weather on the cold side, I rediscovered the benefits to my Philips Smokeless Grill. I reintroduced myself to beef kebobs (above, left and center). Oh, and some Salvadore Dali for the soul, and reading while looking out the window at Mother Nature’s calming show.

MARCH

March, with it’s promise of Spring, saw me tackling Chicken Piccata (veal is good, too, but hard to find); and I could not help but call on my love of cheesecake to see what I could do to ramp it up. Keeping the grill in action, I advance from kebabs to a rib-eye, and as you can see, avocados grill up nicely, too.

APRIL

April called for an Easter-themed cheesecake, and some variations on a classic favorite, deviled eggs. Oh, and I do go out some. If you get a chance, I whole-heartedly recommend Enoteca Italia. Family owned, and you’ll feel like a part of the family almost from the moment you enter. Roasted tomatoes, Burrata, and grilled bread – for starters, or as a meal. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

MAY

May saw a jump away from the savory toward the sweet. Rum Cake is an easy crowd pleaser. A Lemon Rosemary Cheesecake, with the added crunch and oomph of Oreo Lemon Thins in the crust and around the outside, is a delicious harbinger of summer months to come. And don’t forget to look at, and smell, the flowers along the way. While exploring the many uses of pineapple, I even took a trip down the culinary memory lane of my youth and recreated simple salads.

JUNE

Farmers’ markets were in full swing, with more flowers to admire along the way. A visit to Forno Rosso saw me looking for, and finding, more uses for beets, especially after I discovered, and was able to replicate, the pictured Roasted Beet Salad. Roasted beets, raw beets, or pickled beets – it’s all good, and good for you. Pasta is so versatile, so I took a shot at herbed Ricotta ravioli, with butter caper sauce. The assembly and presentation need some work, but I ate it anyhow.

JULY

For whatever reason (maybe rising temperatures), July was slow, though I did find time to go back to one of my easy favorites (many of which I share with my neighbors) – meringues. Add some pineapple flavoring to a basic French meringue, top it with shredded coconut, and you’ve got bite-sized piña colada. No umbrellas required.

AUGUST

Why I resorted to turning on the oven, with the world baking outside, I’ll never know. However, the effort rewarded me with Almond Flour Cake, a delicious and gluten free treat for brunch or tea time. Then came Stromboli; easy and fun. Oh, and it dresses up nicely. Summer berries make French Toast an easy addition to breakfast or brunch; puff pastry stuffed with crab salad makes for a cool lunch.

SEPTEMBER

Fall came late in 2023, but that didn’t stop me from putting it’s color palette in my cooking. Heirloom Tomato Crostata captures all the color, as does homemade cannelloni (a pasta variant), turned on end in a ramekin, drenched in sauce, topped with cheese, and baked. Having finished “The Bear” on Hulu, I had to try the Boursin Cheese crepe, and then elevated it with some ham and a crepe. With seasonal Honeycrisp apples making an appearance, Apple Pie Bars were a given. Variety is a plus.

OCTOBER

A close friend who has been on some cooking class journeys with me, knew I’d be a sucker to try Deviled Egg Sliders. Fill your eggs, perhaps not quite as full as you might, lay in some sandwich goodies, and enjoy! And with apples still calling, Sharlotka was a pleasant addition to my baking and eating experience. A lot of time was devoted to working with tarts; the crispness and precision had always fascinate me. I’ve finally found a tart shell recipe that suits my style. More to come in 2024, but as you can see to the right, I’m still playing around with tarts.

NOVEMBER

Cranberries in the market, and the self-imposed pressure is on any baker to start thinking ‘holiday desserts”! I’ve made these Cranberry Orange Muffins both regular and mini-, and they get raves, regardless of size. Pecan Sandies, also called Pecan Snowball Cookies, were a big hit with the neighbors. For an event, I baked two recipes of Flourless Chocolate Cake, piping a thick layer of Frangipane on the top of one before baking – the one that would become the bottom layer of the finished cake. Almond Chocolate Torte – they liked it!!! Oh, and if someone has a corn allergy, you can make your own powdered sugar in a blender or processor, either omitting the cornstarch or substituting tapioca flour.

DECEMBER

Holiday dining coincided with my new-found infatuation with Fondant Potatoes. Easy, delicious, eye-popping, and you start them with time to prepare the balance of your meal while they poach. What more to ask for? Putting on my lab coat, I even found a way to use some extra poaching liquid to make a scrumptious Pepper Sauce for the accompanying filet. And let’s not forget some Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies for “the man with all the toys”.