Monthly Archives: July 2013

Sour Cherry Brown Butter Bars

Posted in Bars by

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I’ve been dying to make something with sour cherries while they’re still in season, but for the past few weeks I haven’t really had an occasion to make anything special.  Normally I don’t need an excuse to bake, anytime I’m slightly bored and have a half-hour to spare, I’ll use that time to whip up something sweet that I can share with friends or coworkers.  But with the recent heat wave, I had a lull in motivation for baking and didn’t really come across anything inspiring enough to face the heat of the kitchen.  Continue reading →

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted in Cakes by

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It’s been hot in New York.  Like a sweltering, 95 degrees, 100% humidity hot. Like you can’t walk outside for more than 5 minutes without losing all motivation to do any of the things you were going to do, and instead decide to go back home and pass out in the AC. So when the weather forces you to stay inside on a lazy Saturday afternoon and you’re staring out the window, dreaming you were lying on a beach and escaping from the misery that is NYC in the summer, what else is there to do than bake up something delicious to pass the time, right?  Continue reading →

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops and Summer Vegetable Skewers

Posted in Dinner, Meat by

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Let me start off by saying I hate dislike bacon.  Even the smell of it makes me a bit queasy.  I know, I’m totally weird.  I’ve seen bacon make even the strictest of vegetarians cave.  Even though I have a distaste for the salty cured pork, I understand and accept that I am the vast minority, and to most (normal) people, bacon makes everything better. Since I hardly ever cook for myself, I wanted to cater to the crowds (i.e. my family), so when I saw the gorgeous, fresh scallops on sale at the market, I knew they’d like it better with bacon.  Needless to say, the family was very pleased.   Continue reading →

Hungarian Shortbread with Rhubarb Jam

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I love rhubarb.  It’s tartness is the perfect compliment to many desserts, drinks, and even savory dishes.  Unfortunately, it’s season is somewhat short lived (late-spring, early-summer – conveniently in tune with strawberry picking season).  So fearing I’d miss out on one of my favorite summer ingredients, I dived into my collection of cookbooks to pick a winning recipe.  I found what I was looking for in Julia Child’s “Baking with Julia” – a simple shortbread with homemade rhubarb jam.  Continue reading →

Fusilli Pasta with Grilled Vegetables and Lemon

Posted in Dinner, Pasta by

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There’s nothing worse than a rainy day during your beach vacation. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few dreary days here on the Cape, and the monotony of spending your entire day indoors when all you want to do is bask in the sun was getting to me.  To escape the boredom that was ensuing, my mom and I decided to head to the Falmouth Harbor to walk amongst the yachts and sailboats that dock there.  We never quite made it though, as we were distracted by the Falmouth Farmer’s Market that was conveniently positioned on our route to the harbor.  We stopped in to check it out, and immediately found inspiration for a quick, delicious, and healthy dinner.   Continue reading →

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and 4 Bean Salad

Posted in Fish, Summer Recipes by

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I haven’t been able to take a family vacation in well over five years, so I immediately jumped at the chance to spend a whole week on Cape Cod with my mom, dad, sister, uncle and younger cousins.  We spend our mornings on the picturesque deck overlooking the salt marsh, drinking coffee, reading the paper and enjoying the “happy chicken” eggs my mom brings from Bucks County.   Continue reading →

Blueberry-Lemon Galette

Posted in Pies & Pastries by

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Pie is the quintessential seasonal dessert.  In fall, there’s tart apple pie.  In winter, pumpkin, sweet potato or pecan pie.  In spring, strawberry rhubarb.  And in summer, sweet, sweet berries make for glorious pastry perfection.  Continue reading →

Potato and Lobster Salad

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I have been lucky enough to spend almost every summer of my life on Cape Cod.  My Grandparents owned a house in Falmouth, MA, and my sister and I spent our summers splashing in the bay, hunting for hermit crabs and enjoying the beautiful sunsets on our deck overlooking Sippewissett Marsh.   Continue reading →

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Posted in Jams & Jellies by

I have fond memories as a child picking berries on the beautiful farms near my childhood home in Bucks County Pennsylvania.  Living in NYC, I have to swap the green pastures for the crowded Union Square farmers market on Saturday mornings, but we all must make our sacrifices.  This weekend, however, I had the pleasure of strawberry picking with my Dad at Manoff’s farm in Solebury, PA.  Although we were told the hay fields had been mostly picked clean, we were able to cultivate a heaping flat of delicious, sweet red berries.

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What could you do with so many strawberries, you may ask? And I’d have a thousand answers: strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry shortcake, strawberries and cream, the list could go on.  However, we had one recipe in mind, and one recipe only: my mom’s homemade strawberry jam.   Continue reading →