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Plum Blackberry Galette

Plum Blackberry Galette

Further, five years of blogging

“You’re either on the bus, or off the bus.”

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe

Inspiration

There once was a bus named Further (or Furthur). Further’s trip across country is famously chronicled in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. I read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test the summer after I graduated from high school. It was required reading for English composition at the local JC. To say I was stunned at the selection of book choice was an understatement. In high school English we read the classics, not books about the roots of hippie culture written in the style of New Journalism. By the time we finished the book and its’ related assignments most of the class had dropped out. It was summer and the book was a long, meandering, crazy read. Sure the book is about LSD laced Kool-Aid (LSD was legal then) and all the crazy things that happened. For me, the book was all about the metaphor of Further. Going further, further than before, to keep going, exploring and learning, living with passion and vigor, being in the moment. READ MORE . . .

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Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

A Cake for all the Berries

“Maybe she had stayed in Watsonville. There was Pajaro, and that was the railroad section, and then the Pajaro River and the bridge into Watsonville.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

This recipe was the Pillsbury Bake-Off winner in 1990. Twenty-six years later it’s still fantastic. The Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake is easy to make and a joy to share. This is a coffee cake than transcends brunch and moves right into dessert territory. An exuberant lemon poppy seed cake gone rogue by making room for a gigantic pile of blueberries. So many blueberries, some barely burst open, other melt into jam and then just before serving more fresh berries are piled on top! And yes the cake is good too. I thought the cake edges might have gotten over-baked, but the slightly crisp edges are reminiscent of a buttery lemon poppy seed scone. The cake is soft and tender, yet sturdy enough to cradle all the berries. READ MORE . . .

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Strawberry Mascarpone Tarts with Port Glaze

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze

Strawberry Season

“Abra came in with shining eyes and a red nose from the frosty wind, and she brought such pleasure that Lee giggled softly when he saw her. Where are the tarts? She demanded.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Late spring and early summer is my favorite time of the year. When the harvest of local berries begins I can’t seem to get enough. Strawberries are the first. I eat them freshly picked and tucked into salads, but desserts with fresh berries are the best. I am not referring to the lackluster strawberries from the grocery or big box stores. These strawberries can be found almost year round. The grocery store berries are a variety grown to have a long shelf life and stay fresh after they are shipped cross country. (They also get a blast of MAP gas to lengthen shelf life.) I patiently wait for sweet strawberries that are picked when ripe and juicy. They are uniformly red! These berries must be eaten right away, the day they are picked is best. These sweet strawberries can be found at a local farm stand, farmers market or as part of a CSA. I’m fortunate that The Farm just outside Salinas grows some of the best organic berries. At least once a week during strawberry season you’ll find me there buying strawberries. READ MORE . . .

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Caramelized White Chocolate Pound Cake

Caramelized White Chocolate Pound Cake

Going Blond

“I thank you Adam, he said. The sweetness of your offer is a good smell on the west wind.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Are you fond of white chocolate? If not, I am here to change your mind. If you know about Valrhona Dulcey fèves or discs then you’ll understand my obession. The Dulcey is caramelized white chocolate, which is more than fantastic. The happy accident of Chef Frederic Bau, from L’Ecole du Grand Chocolat has transformed the often maligned flavor profile of white chocolate into something extraordinary. I took a perfectly wonderful dark chocolate recipe from The New York Times and gave it a big do over. Melissa Clark’s not so humble pound cake is already a winner! Double streusel is quite amazing. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew I had try it. Except, this is the brunette that went blond for spring. READ MORE . . .

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The Ginger Snap Obsession

Ginger Snaps

All the cookies

“He cooked for Cathy, going through recipes used by his mother and his stepmother.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

When I met up with my friend and mentor, Andrea, she brought cookies! We had lost track of each other, it had been 20 years since we last connected. She lives in Sacramento, I live in Salinas. We decided to meet at the half way point, in Fremont. We had a lunch of Thai crepes stuffed with curry and a long wonderful chat. So much has happened! When I started driving home I couldn’t stop thinking about the pink pastry box filled with homemade cookies. Andy had said she labeled each kind of cookie. What kind of cookies were in the box? When I couldn’t stand the cookie suspense any longer I convinced myself that I needed to take a break from driving and stopped at Starbucks and took a peek inside the pink box. I was just going to look in the box to see what was inside but as I picked up each sweet package the temptation was too great. I sat in my car and greedily sampled one of each. I began with the rugelach, then I found the ginger snaps. There were coconut macaroons, amaretti, mandelbrot and schnecken. I had to try all the cookies. I drove home in a blissful cookie coma. READ MORE . . .