Alcohol has a history all its own. From cocktails like the Cosmopolitan, to aperitifs like brandy and liqueurs like Fernet Branca, alcohol has been known to soothe the soul and warm the heart. The word “cocktail” has many derivatives. An article in Saveur magazine mentions that the word originated in the Hudson Valley region or…

I didn’t know how the purple potato would turn out in this dish with the idea I had in mind. In order to create the purple base of this plate in the manner I had previously imaged, I did a lot of tedious experimenting.  It took a mandolin, 1.5 inch round cutter, and lots of…

My intention was to create something sweet for breakfast, but it was so sweet it turned into dessert instead. Although, I don’t think most people would mind dessert for breakfast, lunch, or dinner for that matter! I had angle food cake lying around the kitchen and wanted to put  it to use before it went stale….

Polka dots, pearls, and pot de creme is one way to keep a woman in her fifties feeling glamorous on her birthday! After a long weekend trip away for business, my mother returned home in time for a small “happy birthday” sing along before she went off to bed. Earlier in the week I asked…

In honor of No Diet Day ( May 6th) here I present to you a fat free cake. I would be totally  lying if I didn’t admit to the truth about that. Of course it’s not fat free, that’s just ludicrous. This is a lemon drip cake filled with strawberries and cream, iced it with frosting…

  One of the popular food trends currently is adding an egg on top of everything eaten in sight. I’ve seen burgers with sunny side up eggs placed right on top of the patty, just before the yolk breaks and runs everywhere, and I’ve seen creamy spaghetti with a sixty- two-degree egg nestled right on…

It took me hours to make this scene feel right. I think after coloring some eggs light blue, picking grass and small flowers off the plants in my mothers window boxes I finally started to see Easter and spring make its mark. Even better, the carrot shaped candy bowl could not have been a better…

She asked me for a “big” favor since she was stuck without a car for a few hours. “I need flour” aunt Lois said, “I’m experimenting with my lemon cookies.” My great grandmother- nanny-  was the pioneer of this family recipe. Aunt Lois was the one to grab hold of that recipe after her passing, so…

When hosting a party for thirty, a number not exactly large and not too small, a great way to seat guests is at one long table. There is something so special and intimate about gathering family and friends to sit amongst each other. It reminds me of how a European grandmother would gather her kids and…