Homemade food to nourish & indulge
Today is the last day of August. The hazy warm days of summer are still with us but there is no denying the trend of shorter days, fading summer blooms and a mounting dread of what is to come.
Winter is coming. Pleck.
The only solace is the few months of Autumnal pleasures we get to enjoy before that, like pumpkin spice everything, over-the-knee suede boots, crisp cool days and good-bye to the summer bedtime debate with the children why they have to go to bed before Mr. Sun does.
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This to me is a quintessential summer dessert that celebrates summer's bounty of berries and fruits! I love all the components: a lightly-sweetened creamy custard offset with sweet tart fruits inside an almond tart crust that I absolutely adore because (1) it uses almond flour in addition to all-purpose flour which adds a lovely nuttiness not to mention a little nutrition boost from almond's heart-healthy properties if you are looking for any justification to eat these (you're welcome) and (2) it is a press-in dough which means you simply push it into the tart pans with your fingers. No rolling. No mess. Easy peasy!
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I just discovered this dreamy flavor combination of blueberry + lavender + honey and I want to share! I made two blueberry pies this past weekend and honey lavender ice cream to top it. I had been searching for recipes and ideas to use the dried culinary lavender my in-laws brought back for me from their trip to Provence. Can I tell you, my eyes literally rolled to the back of my head when I tasted the ice cream. As if that wasn't ecstasy enough, add it to a warm slice of blueberry pie...bliss.
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Golden french toasts, crunchy oat crumble, warm peaches spiked with maple syrup and bourbon and a luscious fried egg. I call this a perfect weekend indulgence!
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This recipe was loosely inspired by a popular beverage served in Hong Kong cafes which combines HK-style milk tea (strong brewed black Ceylon tea + evaporated or condensed milk) with a smaller amount of strong black coffee. It is called 'yuan yang' in Chinese - the name, a nod to the Chinese philosophy of balance & harmony or 'Yin Yang' i.e. the bitterness of coffee balances the creamy roundedness of the milk tea.
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Sweetened black sesame paste is a mega-superstar in desserts. This is well known in east asian countries like Japan and China where it is a quintessential staple in sweet treats like ice cream, pastries, cakes and glutinous rice balls. In western culture we know how well nuts like pistachios, almonds and pecans work in all sorts of sweet applications, too many to list really. Black sesame lends a similar nuttiness to desserts although for some reason has not enjoyed the same ubiquity. The color maybe? Perhaps now is the time to give yourself to the Dark Side!
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Here is a little twist on a classic mild and creamy panna cotta by serving it with fresh blood orange segments, drizzle of blood orange syrup spiked with Campari, and garnished with bits of candied ginger and savoiardi (aka lady fingers).
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Matcha + azuki red beans is a ubiquitous flavor combination in Japanese desserts because they are such a match made in heaven!
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I know, calling these "the very best" is bold and arrogant. It is an overused descriptor around the internet especially for chocolate chip cookie recipes, isn't it? So I do solemnly promise, hand to heart, that I am doing it most judiciously.
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Almond flour makes a most delicious and fragrant gluten-free tart crust. I have long been a devotee to the buttery cookie crust. Still am, really, but I heard somewhere from someone it is good to diversify and I'm pretty sure they were talking about cheesecake. Even when gluten intolerance is not an issue, I love to make this crust because it is super yummy and also because I can rationalize that by eating 2 or 3 of these tarts I am loading up on heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants and other nutrients from the almonds. ;)
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