Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I absolutely love salt, and must admit I probably consume maybe a lot a little more than I should.  It can sometimes be difficult for me when I’m cooking for others – always feeling like I should be holding back on the sodium, knowing that others don’t love it quite as much as I do.  But seriously, nothing can ruin a dish more than if it’s under-seasoned, and in many dishes I cook that are simple with few ingredients, lack of salt can be a major mistake.  But of course too much salt can be a killer, so I’m always walking the fine line trying to keep a good balance.  After all, you can always add on, but you can’t take away in cooking and baking.   Continue reading

Pistachio Petit-Four Cake

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This past weekend we threw my sister Sam a surprise birthday party, and oh boy was she surprised.  She had absolutely no idea that there were 30-40 of her closest friends waiting behind the door to her apartment.  Two of her friends did most of the work, setting up her apartment, bringing food and drink, decorating adorable mason jars with twine to serve a specialty cocktail, and adorning her entire apartment with beautiful flower arrangements that we asked each guest to bring. Continue reading