Happy 4th of July! Celebrate with a Flag Cake! Flag Cake ( Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook) (serves 20 to 24) 18 tablespoons (2 and ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 cups sugar 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature1 and ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3…
Tag: holiday
Flourless Double Almond Cookies
Passover, the holiday commemorating the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom, begins this Friday at sundown. Jewish families everywhere will participate in the ritual of the Seder, the festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods. Family and friends…
Hanukkah Cookies
Tomorrow evening is the first night of Hanukkah which will be marked by the lighting of the first of eight candles on the menorah symbolizing the eight days of this Jewish Festival. As is customary during this 8 day celebration foods cooked in oil such as potato latkes (pancakes), and jelly doughnuts are eaten. But…
The Making of a Turkey Stock
Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, is less than 2 weeks away. This will be our first Thanksgiving in our new home in our new hometown of San Luis Obispo, California. Because we moved into our home 2 days before Thanksgiving last year we went out for our holiday dinner, another first for me. As amazing as…
Roasted Carrots with Fennel and Onions
Is it a side dish to go with the brisket or is it a work of art? The answer is it could be both. These roasted carrots began as beautiful bunches of orange, purple, and pale yellow organic carrots with their stems intact that I bought at the local farmer’s market. Along with a couple…
Happy Passover
This Passover was a very special one for us. We celebrated the Seder ( the ceremonial dinner marking the beginning of the week of Passover at which we retell the story of the Exodus) in our new home with our sons and their girlfriends at our table. With 3000 miles separating us we have been…
Thanksgiving for Christmas (Roasted Turkey in Parchment)
It’s hard to believe that it is officially 2014, and I am still trying to catch up with blogs I wanted to post in 2013. It has been a little over a month since we moved into our house. While many things have not found their permanent home as yet, at least they are unpacked…
Food, Flora, and Father’s Day
Yesterday was the final Father’s Day celebrated in our home of 25 years. We have had countless celebrations over these years in our backyard (for years we grilled on the grass until we had our patio built). From everyday barbeques to Bar-Mitzvah celebrations we have so many memories of good times in what to us…
Smoked Whitefish Salad
For our brunch last Sunday I made Smoked Whitefish Salad. I use very little mayo relative to the amount of fish so the rich flavor of the smoked fish really shines through. You could even omit the mayonnaise altogether and simply add a little olive oil to the lemon juice. The only thing challenging about…
Passover Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll with Raspberries and Cream
In addition to the Passover Lemon Cheesecake which I made this year I also took this Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll with Raspberries and Cream to the seder at our aunt’s home. I am not a chocoholic by any means ( I usually prefer desserts without chocolate with a few exceptions), but i know that for…