Birthday Strawberry Pavlova

Birthday Week
This week is the busiest week of my year. On top of numerous Little League Baseball playoff games, I also have the following: Mother’s Day, the boys’ birthday on the 12th, my birthday on the 14th and finally my daughter’s birthday on the 17th. All of these things happen in a 7 day span. It’s kinda nuts.

When the boys were born ten years ago, I realized that the days of celebrating my own birthday were numbered. Two years after that, the birth of my daughter pretty much sealed the deal. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is more important for the kids to have their special day, and I try to go all out for them ’cause birthday gifts and birthday parties are two of the best things about being a kid.

I am actually okay with not having a big to-do for my birthday. Besides, I stopped counting birthdays after I reached 26. I still like to acknowledge it somehow, usually with a nice dinner or an awesome dessert.

As I celebrate turning 26 every year, I notice I tend to shy away from the usual birthday cakes. More and more I go for the lighter, fruitier types instead of the Death by Chocolate creations I used to love. For example, we all gathered at my sister’s place on Sunday to have a family party. The kids got red velvet cupcakes, and I got a fabulous white cake with a champagne strawberry filling. It was darn tasty and exactly what I wanted.

Speaking of what I wanted, my sister gave me a copy of the cookbook The Canal House Cooks Everyday, which I have been wanting for some time. It includes the recipe below—perfect for celebrating the big 2-6 next year!

P.S. Check out the Canal House Blog and especially sign up for The Canal House Cooks Lunch. Both are food porn at its finest. Read more…

Lemon Tart with Walnut Crust

Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy
This past winter, I thought for sure I would lose all my citrus trees during that long stretch of sub-freezing temperatures. There was a lot of frost damage, and I had to cut them way back. But if you walk into my back yard right now you would never know it.

The trees are in bloom, and the scent is phenomenal. When combined with the fragrance from my honeysuckle it almost smells like Hawaii, without the beach, or the guy with a Mai Tai.

As wonderful as all this is, unfortunately I will have to wait months for the fruit. And I’ve got a wicked craving for all things lemon: lemonade, lemon sauce, lemon cake, preserved lemons…well you get the idea.

To tide me over until harvest, I picked up some beautiful Meyer lemons downstairs in the store, and made a tart from a recipe from the August/September 1997 issue of Fine Cooking magazine—which I bought years ago. It is easy, and so tasty, and a great way to end a Spring meal. Read more…

Celery Root-Apple Slaw with Pecorino, Parsley, and Pine Nuts

Seeds of Change

I’m restless and bored. It happens every year. It’s a vicious cycle. This time of year the produce available is less than exciting and, to add insult to injury, my seed catalogs start arriving in my mailbox.

Note to self: You should never look at a seed catalog when all you have been eating non stop for the past few months is cabbage, root veggies and squash. It’s kinda like the rule that says you should never go to the grocery store hungry. You’re going to come home with way more than you need—not to mention a few things that you will never eat.

My Burpee seed catalog has so many flagged seeds and plants that it has a fringe. Really? Do I need 14 different types of tomatoes? My color-deprived palate says yes. The husband? Not so much. And lets not forget the current rain situation, and the fact that I am not farming commercially. Space is actually an issue. (Though I could start my own CSA…hmmmmmm.)

Needless to say I have been on the hunt for something to brighten up the winter produce blahs and, I think I found it in the February-March edition of Fine Cooking magazine. They have a spread on winter slaws, and they are all gorgeous. There is a Fennel Slaw with Grapefruit, Cracked Pepper and Pistachios that looks way too pretty to eat.

My personal fav is the Celery Root-Apple Slaw with Pecorino, Parsley and Pine Nuts. It’s perfect with a simple Roast Chicken which, for us, is a weekly staple.

Hopefully, these options will help brighten up your plates until the coming of peas, asparagus, fava beans, and cherries. Let the countdown begin, and pray for rain!
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Fresh Blood Oranges with Lemon Honey Syrup

Fresh Blood Oranges with Lemon Honey Syrup These brilliantly-colored fruits are at their peak, and this year’s season is a great one for citrus. They juice beautifully, are a welcome sight in lunch boxes, liven up salads, and make delicious marmalade. If you have not had the pleasure of experiencing a blood orange, Read more…