Scarcity has allure. I stopped into Spitfire Coffee today in the French Quarter and was amused at their choice to feature one meager shelf of merchandise, maybe three chocolate bars and one sad, limp little half pound bag of coffee beans. The shop was empty, and there were only four bar stools along a plain […]
Category: Dessert Miscellaneous
Marcona Blondies and Cheese Straw Crackers
Blondies are a sometimes food. For me, sometimes means once a year. When I really need a baked good pick-me-up for morale, I make these. Or, each time I see Marcona Almonds at the grocery store, which seems to be about once an autumn. This time it was the double whammy of seeing Marcona almonds, […]
Salted Caramel Squares as a Soul Trampoline
And a happy weekend to all. Nothing like eating French toast for breakfast at near noon while watching Men’s Trampoline Olympic finals. I’m feeling a strong sense of recognition in regards to these men who leap and bound on a giant elastic sheet because this is my first day off in two weeks (with a […]
Dark Chocolate Semifreddo as Finale of Intern Year
I love coffee most on the mornings when I don’t NEED it. I awoke this morning on the other side of intern year, rested enough to feel philosophical and nostalgic. I began to scoop coffee grinds into the French Press and drank in the smell of the reddish earthen soot. Turned on a loop of […]
Equal Exchange Dark Chocolate Pudding-Filled Cupcakes and CONTEST
Nothing gets you through Wednesday like a dark chocolate cupcake. Make these for your office breakroom and then lavish in the karma sure to return. As for me, these cupcakes are in homage to the Year of Chocolate, and specifically, to Equal Exchange Chocolates, who graciously sponsored this post! Equal Exchange is a fair-trade, small […]
Mini Chocolate Cream Meringue Tarts for Mardi Gras
Happy Mardi Gras! A time when an entire city wanders amongst themselves seeming to hum “What a Wonderful World” in raucous harmony. We are so delighted to be back in New Orleans to enjoy firsthand the magical experience. Because we are Midcity-ites, we had a huge party to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Endymion. So […]
Chocolate Babka
JERRY: That’s the last Babka. They got the last Babka! ELAINE: I know. They’re going in first with the last Babka. JERRY: That was our Babka. ELAINE: You can’t beat a Babka. JERRY: We should have had that Babka. ELAINE: They’re going to be heroes. JERRY: What are we going to do now? If we […]
Fudge Nut Cake for National Brownie Day
Who decides today is National Brownie Day? The internet in its intrusive way alerted me to this today. I mean, of course I am grateful and all too eager to celebrate brownies, any day. But does this mean that any person can up and decide that any day is a national holiday? What if I […]
Marcona Almond Blondies and August in August
It’s time to get Fancy. My medicine firm this Friday decided to go to brunch after our Friday morning didactics, and we chose to try August, John Besh’s fancy flagship restaurant in New Orleans, chandeliers, champagne, bouquets and all. I was reminded how not fancy I am when en route from the door to the table […]
Chicken-Andouille Gumbo and Bread Pudding
Well if I had pralines for breakfast, I suppose it’s a sign that I’m returning to good health (or rather, evidence that indeed I do share genetic material with the estimable lifelong confectioneer, Ruth Broomfield.) Between Whiplash and Birdman, jazz featured prominently this year at the Academy Awards, and something about jazz gets me in a […]