Sweet Praline Almonds
Ever since I tasted these praline almonds, made by my colleague and friend David Lebovitz once when he was visiting, I’ve loved them. They’re a perfect, and perfectly surprising, amuse-bouche, or appetizer. I make them often, we make them in classes, guests eat them like they were candy. Which they sort of are, with […]
First Christmas Cookies
Baking Christmas cookies is not a French tradition, unless of course one is from Alsace, where traditions are much more German than they are French, thus cookie-oriented. But baking Christmas cookies is clearly part of our tradition, and I just finished my first batch. Now, the kitchen is redolent of cinnamon, cloves, chocolate and toasted […]
Almond Heaven
My friend and colleague David Lebovitz has given me many things over the years, most of them issued from his magic oven or stove. This recipe for almonds, which I have adapted to a slight degree, is one of his gifts. We made it together in my kitchen years ago and everyone swooned. I put it […]
Delicious Sicily
I just spent a few days in Sicily, and floods of memories came back the minute I stepped off the bus in Agrigento – of candied squash-stuffed butter cookies, bread made with grano duro that tastes hauntingly like cinnamon, mollica (dried, toasted breadcrumbs) which are an essential ingredient in Sicilian cuisine, just-out-of-the-Mediterranean swordfish, almonds that […]
Kougelhopf
Every year at Easter I make kougelhopf. Why for Easter? I’m not sure except that to me Easter is, among many other things, a feast of gorgeous baked goods and spring treats. Besides, kougelhopf holds special memories for me. Not only do I love its taste and buttery texture, the way the raisins float in […]
