I’ve always realized the power of cooking with friends within my own life. I’ve seen how cooking can ease tension and create an open and relaxed environment where friends can talk freely. It’s worked better than therapy for my friends as we chop and simmer our way through serious topics, helping one ...
Rolling Rollatini
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The holiday season was certainly hectic. So much so that Lou couldn’t help Debbie and I make Eggplant Rollatini (one of his Christmas day staples) as he had hoped. As it turned out though, Lou was with us in spirit. He not only sent us his recipe, but purchased the Caccio Cavallo cheese for us, ...
Cookie Decorating — A Holiday Highlight
This blog posting was supposed to go up before Christmas but since we didn’t have internet service for ten days, it’s delayed. (I know holiday cookies aren’t the timeliest topic for the New Year!) I’ll admit as I’ve done before. Cookie decorating does not come naturally to me. I’m not a ...
Caramel Pot and Double Boiler By Rose
GIVEAWAY: How would you use these two products? Comment below for your chance to win a caramel pot and double boiler by Rose. Rose Levy Berenbaum, a well known American baker and cookbook author is known as the "Diva of Desserts" and knows that successful baking requires quality products. Her ...
A Very Special Guest
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Last Tuesday I brought a very special guest with me to the cooking class I teach at the Montclair Cooperative School. It’s a man who taught me how to roll, cut, mold and perfectly cook gnocchi, a delicate and decadent food I previously knew little about and had always been intimidated to make. Of ...
Most Thankful
It’s been a few weeks since Thanksgiving, with each passing day swiftly bringing us nearer to the holidays. But before the ball drops, welcoming us into 2013, I’d like to reflect upon a gratifying cooking date with Kathe, marking our fifth year cooking together in preparation for Thanksgiving. (I ...
Love of Teaching
I learned the coolest kitchen trick I’ve ever seen from one of my 7th grade students while teaching a cooking class. I was about to demonstrate my messy but effective hand method of separating an egg yolk from the whites when my student enthusiastically offered to share her no fail Chinese method, a ...
Zesty Cranberry Bread
If you love the tartness of fresh whole cranberries, you’ll love this bread. Make several loaves ahead of time and freeze for the holidays and serve as a side with your festive meal or for breakfast to overnight guests. You can also give the bread as gifts to neighbors and friends. Recipe ...
A Gnocchi Making Tradition
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When you’ve made something more than once with a friend, there’s no two ways around it, you’ve started a tradition. Last week, I was invited to Lou’s to make pumpkin gnocchi. Lou had been upset that a batch of roasted pumpkin puree went rancid, one of the lesser yet still frustrating casualties of ...
Blissful Baking
Storms can do a lot of damage and for me that manifested itself in my friendships, many of which rely often on cooking dates to connect. With tree limbs down, our roads were blocked, making even a quick coffee with a friend nearly impossible. Separated only by a few streets, we were estranged from ...