Profiteroles (dairy-free)

Pretty Perfect Profiteroles 

These always make us feel special —and not too hard to make— I think it must be the impressive rise in the oven from a blob into a fanciful pastry shape in under half an hour once they go in the oven. I mix them all by hand and simply drop them with a spoon onto a baking sheet for a rugged chic profiterole style. You may have seen other recipes pipe the paste onto the baking sheet for a more uniform look. I find this uniformity not only unnecessary but wastes a bit of the paste. I enjoy the inexpert shapes created when these look hand-made, still pretty in their imperfection. I definitely want to err on the side of more puffs. I used to make these with regular butter and milk and dairy until I figured out how to translate the recipe for those who (very sadly) can't eat dairy (now including myself). This adaptation, I think, is better than the original. There I've said it. 

For the Choux Paste

Ingredients:

Measure and set aside

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Combine in a medium pot:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup soy milk

7 tablespoons vegan butter (i like Miyoko's or Earth Balance)

1 T sugar

3/4 t salt

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat. As soon as it is boiling well add the flour quickly and stir vigorously with a dough whisk or large wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

With your dough whisk or  a mixer on low speed, beat in 5 large eggs one at a time, make sure the paste is smooth before adding the next egg. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and a bit shiny.

Bake the same day within a few hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a large spoon gently place scoops of choux paste onto the parchment paper, with a few inches of space between each to allow for the puffs as they expand. This recipe makes approximately 15 medium sized puffs. 

Break an egg into a small dish and whisk thoroughly, brush a little of the egg mixture on top of each puff. This step is not too be missed, as it makes them shiny and improves the texture of the puffs.

Bake the puffs at 400° F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F. Bake for 10-15 minutes more until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Allow them to cool completely. When you are ready to serve. gently pull or slice off the top of your puff and fill with vegan vanilla ice cream. Drizzle warmed vegan chocolate sauce over the top and serve. I used Hey Boo Coconut Chocolate Spread and it was INCREDIBLE.

So delicate, so fluffy, so special. These still bring a big WOW kind of smile to my kids' faces every single time. The choux paste comes together quickly, in only 20 minutes. The baking is only 30 minutes. In under an hour you can make profiteroles at home.

oh hey

 Hope you are well and good.

A lot has changed since my last post. The important thing tho, is that I am back, alive and well. Now living in California in Marin County and eating differently. More soon, including how to make these dairy-free profiteroles, that are honestly better than the original. Happy 2021 everyone!

New Imperative: MAKE ART

my handsome son completed an important milestone today.
i asked him "what we should do now, with the rest of our lives?"
he replied, "um, that's a big question (split second pause) make art!"
of course, that's exactly what we will do.
this is a photo from the new york times today, hawaii, where my friend christine is right now, and where they want to put an enormous telescope. we can't please everyone. you can check it out the story on the telescope here.

but we can make art. everyone is an artist, only some people notice. we are all engaged in the act of creating and designing our lives, there is an art to that. i am so proud of dylan, he has accomplished extraordinary things already. i can't wait to see what he'll do next.

happy winter happy everything xoxo

new work in the studio

i've been painting again and have added a few new pieces to my art website and saatchi online gallery please check them out if you are at all interested. i have started a site on society6 as well, which is a cool creative site out of LA. there you can have your images made into charming housewares and personal products like throw pillows, cell phone cases, shower curtains, and tee shirts. the art and designs are so original and interesting on this site that i may never buy another mass-produced and designed product again, the throw pillows alone are groundbreaking and so unlike what you can find in your local home furnishing store. also quality is quite good and prices are low. have a look cupandtable on society6. 

i am really excited to be painting again after taking a hiatus due to moving out of my studio space and into a barn with far less room to paint. it's been a challenge creating space and time to work, but i can never stay away from it for long. it's a compulsion for me and it is kind of like the ideas build up inside me until i get the chance to express them in paint. kind of cathartic really.

these latest paintings are a bit of a departure for me as they all feature gardens and plants. i am far more used to working with distant landscapes and abstraction. the plant kingdom is a fascinating place. more to come on that. also i've been taking a japanese ceramics class in nyc at togei kyoshitsu, really interesting. i just love japanese ceramics. so inventive. so many different shapes for plates and dishes, hexagons, rectangles, not all the dishes are round like standard issue american ceramics. it's been really fun playing with clay and wheel throwing. the last time i did wheel throwing i was in middle school and i would come to my mom's art classroom in a neighboring school district, she was an art teacher, to do ceramics on my days off. my mom is a brilliant crafter, and can make almost anything out of almost anything. her skills include weaving, sewing, jewelry making ceramics, pen and ink, etching, crochet, water color and photography to name a few. she's the kind of person who just might have a pair of needle nose pliers in her purse just in case, she is also a kitchen magician who easily pulls off things like baked alaska and maintains a beautiful garden with elaborate plantings. she still mows her entire lawn--and it's hilly and large--with her little electric push mower, she was born in 1935, and she's a force of nature. she was an excellent pottery teacher. but anyway, i'll show you some of the pottery i threw, nearly 30 pieces, course as soon as they come out of the kiln for the last time. it's been great to relearn something i haven't done in years. i hope you are enjoying this last bit of spring in the northern hemisphere. the stone fruits are in, nectarines, apricots, plots, an embarrassment of riches. xo, g

(finally) spring salad with mixed greens grapefruit, avocado and pistachios

well it is finally spring. it is time to forget the polar vortex and the record 16 snowstorms we endured this winter in new england. that is firmly in the rear view mirror now. spring flowers are coming up in the garden, the birds are chirping, the trees have buds, the weather in boston was in the 70s this weekend when i was visiting my son at school making for a lovely stroll around boston commons, newbury street and china town yesterday. so lovely. each new season seems to instruct my palate in a new direction. this spring i want fresh, green, light suppers. i want spinach- peach-blueberry-passionfruit smoothies, vietnamese noodles. today, i can't stop thinking about this salad. i am headed to whole foods shortly to buy grapefruit and avocados to put this wish into action. this is a repeat of a recipe i posted back in early may 2010. but trust me, it bears repeating. this recipe also makes a great lunch or a terrific side dish with grilled meat or fish for supper.

may 6, 2010

warmer weather has me thinking of cool, light, refreshing salads.

grapefruit has just been fantastic this season, so sweet and luscious. especially the late season grapefruit, still excellent in the stores right now. this salad comes together with an irresistible, sweet, tart and savory tang and a delicate but significant crunch.

i love this salad. grapefruit avocado salad is a california classic and makes the most of great local ingredients in season. in the 1940s and 50s my father-in-law ate a grapefruit avocado salad as part of the christmas day menu at his childhood home in brentwood, california. his mother, ona weed, my husband's grandmother, was great friends with edith head, a famously fantastic hollywood costume designer. i never met ona, as she died before i joined the family, but i've always been fascinated by her, for her interesting stories, even more than i interesting than her salads.

in present-day california, you will find, at the slanted door, (a firmly established and very popular vietnamese restaurant now located in the san francisco ferry terminal), a terrific grapefruit and jicama salad with candied pecans that is quite memorable. you can munch on it's crunchy goodness while looking out at the windy, vibrant, sparkling sanfrancisco bay, and thinking about the wonderful mix of textures and flavors, salty, sweet, spicy. mmm. somewhere between these two venerable salads lies the inspiration for this one. i like it so much i could eat it every day during grapefruit season.

salad of mixed greens grapefruit, avocado and pistachios

serves 6

16oz mixed greens

1/2 cup finely shredded purple cabbage

1, avocado, halved, peeled and sliced

2 large or 3 small grapefruits, a mix of varieties, white, pink and red is best, peeled and sectioned to remove membrane and pith

(you may have a few extra grapefruit sections, so snacking on the irresistibly juicy grapefruit

while making the salad is strongly encouraged, a nice little reward for the chef)

1/4 cup chopped toasted unsalted pistachios

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed

combine salad greens and vegetables in a large bowl or on a platter. arrange cabbage, avocado, grapefruit sections. sprinkle with cilantro leaves and chopped pistachios.

for the dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (i squeeze what i need from the remainder of the grapefruit after sectioning)

1 T minced cilantro stems

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced shallot

1/4 cup ponzu or champagne vinegar (something very light and slightly fruity)

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp agave nectar or light brown sugar

mix thoroughly, allow flavors to blend for 10 minutes before serving, the flavors really blossom quickly but it does take several minutes.

lightly pour the dressing all over the salad, toss, and serve.

my family stopped speaking when i served this to them. 5 minutes of very mindful munching later, they peppered me with compliments. then they ate their vietnamese style broiled sole with nuoc chum and steamed jasmine rice very happily reminiscing about the salad.

vietnamese crêpes, a fresh start

oh arctic vortex, i am so tired of you. i am longing for the lush colors, flavors and textures of another time and place. i am often trying to cure whatever ails my family with vital foods. so when the cold and greys get at you, i recommend brightening your day and your week with say a classic dish from vietnam. warm. friendly. delicious brightness. this is one of my favorite foods in the whole wide world. fresh textures. lively flavors, crispy, salty sour sweet. it took me quite a long time to find and then massage a recipe i liked. but after a few years of research, i finally found what i was looking for. it didn't come easy. but it was worth it. so here you go. pour yourself into a new project, get re-energized, fight back against the chill. a whole new season is coming on.

vietnamese crêpes
6 servings

crepe base
1/2 cup dried mung beans
2 cups warm water

1. assemble ingredients. place dried mung beans in a small glass bowl, add water to cover. allow to soften for 1 hour. make the dipping sauce and set out the garnishes while  you wait.

crepe batter
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups rice flour
1 cup rice or potato starch
1 heaping teaspoon tumeric
3 thinly sliced scallions
4 cups water

filling
1 boneless pork chop cut into thin slices
3/4 lb shelled and deveined shrimp, halved
4 cups bean sprouts

2. lightly drain the softened mung beans. place them in a blender with the coconut milk. process until nice and smooth. pour into a medium sized bowl and add the flour, starch, tumeric, and water. whisk until combined. add in the scallions and whisk a bit more. allow the batter to rest while you are cooking the fillings.

3. in a nonstick pan, the same one you are going to use to make the crepes, add a small smattering of olive or rice bran oil and quickly sauté the pork slices over very high heat. make sure the pan is nice and hot. brown the slices on each side and set aside on a platter, they should be seared but lightly cooked, they will cook a little more in the crepe. next add the shrimp halves, again sauté quickly on high heat, sear, but lightly undercook. remove and set aside. now the bean sprouts. sauté quickly for 2 minutes and remove.

4. okay now it is show time. add another drizzle of olive or rice bran oil to the nonstick pan, (incidentally i use an 8 inch pan but a 6 or 9 inch could work in a pinch). stir up the batter and pour about 3/4 up of batter into the pan in a thin layer, swirling it around to cover the bottom of the pan with a few deft circles or your wrist (you can do this and it might even be fun). okay make sure the heat is on medium high or even high depending on your stove. let the batter sizzle in the pan and cover it for a minute, to cook through now add a small handful of bean sprouts and the a few slices of the cooked pork and shrimp, cover and cook another minute, and do not over stuff the crepe or it will be difficult to eat. check to make sure the crepe is nice and crisp. let it cook another minute if you are unsure, you do not want it to be gloppy or soggy, but light and crisp. okay when its ready insert your spatula under half the crepe, gingerly and swiftly fold it over on top of itself. now slide it onto a plate. one by one the crepes will be ready. i have even trained my kids to cook their own so the cook (me) gets to eat.

5. serve immediately. if you are super neat, cut the folded crepe into triangles and wrap in the lettuce leaf garnish and dip in a small dish of sauce. if you are more like me, cut into it haphazardly with fork and wrap in lettuce and dip, spilling some, but not too much. dive in. mmmm. yum.

garnish
heirloom, butter, red and green leaf lettuces, shredded carrot, cilantro leaves and nuoc cham dipping sauce.

nuoc cham (basic dipping sauce)

3 Tablespoons lime juice
3 Tablespoons brown sugar or palm sugar
1/2 cup water
3 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon minced shallot
(optional minced cilantro stems, grated carrot, minced thai red chili)

whisk together and let rest for 30 minutes or more to combine the flavors. Taste for flavor balance as some limes are sweeter than others and some fish sauce is saltier than others. If it is too strong dilute with an even mixture of water and rice vinegar until desired lightness is achieved.

Happy Happy Lunar New Year in 2014

Wow, a bright and shiny new year is upon us. If you are anything like me, you are happy to say goodbye to the last one and say hello to a fresh start. I hope you are well and galloping swiftly toward your fondest dreams in the year of the horse.

In honor of the new lunar year below, is my recipe for pork and shrimp potstickers. They are really not too difficult. I would say moderate effort will work. The homemade dough is easy, easier than pie, as most things are. And the filling, well that is not too hard either. If it seems taxing, you can put it off and make them in stages over a few days. Give it a try, fresh, homemade dumplings are one of the best things in the universe, they freeze well, can be steamed or fried, and are especially delicious made to your own specs.

Pork and Shrimp Potstickers
makes 32 dumplings

Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup luke warm water

Filling
1 pound napa cabbage
1 cup chopped chinese chives (available in asian grocery stores)
1.5 teaspoons salt
4 large shrimp, raw, peeled, deveined, lightly chopped
1/2 pound ground pork
(or pork loin or tenderloin cut into chunks and processed in a food processor with a little olive or sesame oil to make up for the lack of pork fat in these lean cuts)
1 T dry sherry
1.5 Tablespoons soy sauce
olive oil and or rice bran oil

Tangy Citrus Soy Dipping Sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1. Mix the flour and water together in a medium mixing bowl with a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead lightly on a lightly floured board for a couple of minutes until the dough becomes smoother and more elastic, add a few drops of water if too dry (as mine was this winter) or a little xtra flour if too sticky (as mine was last summer). Form the dough into a smooth ball, it should bounce back if you poke it, and place back in the mixing bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rest for 1 hour.

2. Slice the napa cabbage and then chop fine. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the cabbage and allow to rest in a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Allow to rest for 30 minutes and then squeeze out the water, you will be able to remove a lot of water, maybe a cup. Discard the cabbage water.

3. Place the cabbage, the chopped shrimp, the ground pork, the sherry the soy sauce and a tablespoon of oil in a large mixing bowl and mix well with the spoon, dough whisk, or your hand. Cover and set aside while  you roll out the dough.

4. Divide the well-rested dough in two and roll between your hands, making 2 even ropes 16 inches long, use a ruler for best results. Cut the dough ropes into 1 inch pieces and roll the 32 pieces into balls. Cover with the damp towel to keep moist, this is important. With a rolling pin, roll each piece into a 3 inch circle. Dust the circles with a little flour and stack. Keep the stacks covered with the damp towel.

5. Place a circle in the palm of your left hand and place a heaping teaspoon of the mixed filling in an oblong shape in the center of the dough circle. Fold the dough over and seal the edges, making half circle shapes. Pinch the seams together and place four small folds in each dumpling as above in the photos. Keep the finished dumplings under the cloth to keep them from drying out.

6. The dumplings can be boiled or fried at this point. To boil fill a medium stock pot half full and bring to boil on high heat. Slip up to 8 dumplings into the water, one at a time, and gently. Make sure they don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot. Allow the water to come back to a boil and then add 1 cup of cold water. Bring to a boil again and add another cup cold water. Bring to boil one last time, at that point the dumplings are ready to eat. To fry, heat a 9 inch nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add 1Tablespoon rice bran oil, add dumplings, again about 8, make sure they do not touch. Saute for a minute. Then add 1/2 cup cold water and cover. Cook for another 5 or 6 minutes until the water has evaporated. At this point  you will want to shake them in the pan, lower the heat and cook for another 2 minutes until they are nicely browned, but not blackened.

6. Measure out the dipping sauce ingredients into a small bowl.

7. Serve the dumplings immediately with the dipping sauce.

Enjoy. I wish you and your family a prosperous new year with good fortune and good health. And remember, sometimes a little extra effort pays off handsomely. So grab some friends or family members and have them help you roll out these little nuggets of deliciousness.

natural states, painting exhibition

well the day has arrived, or nearly. friday night i am having the opening reception for a show of my paintings @ crome architeture in marin county california. i've been working on this for a while now and it was not so easy shipping all the work across the country, but i am thrilled with the space and how it all came together so easily despite the distance. wish me luck tomorrow and check out the show if you find yourself in the bay area. natural states will be up november 7 2013 through january 7 2014. will post some photos from the opening next week. here's a link to my painting site www.gretchenkish.com and an announcement about the show from crome architecture http://goo.gl/YDEQCS i'm serving an assortment of crackers and small grapes on toothpicks that look like little grape kabobs, chocolate covered raisins, california pistachios, plus wine and sparkling water as refreshment, but that is the closest i've made it to cooking all week, takeout food is a great timesaver when you are working late every night.

living in a barn

what have i been up to? well a lot really. we sold the house and dispersed. my daughter has gone off to college, in the UK no less, and my son has gone off to school in massachusetts, we sold the big house and i have moved into a beautifully renovated barn, lovingly relocated from new hampshire. i am really excited about living in a barn, and the best part is the renovation was done prior to my arrival, and not by me this time, no construction this time. my gorgeous little gem of a kitchen is tiny but highly functional and i am cooking for a much smaller crowd. 

it's been an adjustment, but i am rolling with it. my big brother was out for a visit from nyc yesterdayand took this photo while i roasted some acorn squash for lunch. 

i have also been busy painting and creating a new website for my artwork. please check it out here if you get the chance. i am having a solo show in a couple of weeks out in marin county, california and have lots to do to get ready. 

as always, i am still cooking and eating lots of great regular dishes and i am cooking a lot of roast vegetables. i have several posts shot and will be writing them up and posting soon. in the meantime enjoy the fall and of course apple season, one of the very best times of the year. crunch crunch yum. i'm enjoying 3 or 4 apples a day myself, mostly jonathans and macouns. mmm.

apricot season, the sweet spot of summer

salade nicoise, one of our favorite summer suppers

hi. i've been crazy busy moving and whatnot. but i am still eating and cooking. tonite we had salad nicoise and it was even better than i remembered. you might want to try this sometime soon. you can find the original post and recipe here. salad nicoise is both protein and vegetable rich, with great texture and tang.

i can't wait to show you the wonderful and kind of swanky renovated barn i am moving into across the street from the sound, it's just a couple of miles from where i am now, so not a huge move, more on that soon. and lest i forget, happy father's day to all the dad's out there. have a great day.

lovely sea scallops with cilantro and garlic

sea scallops are fun and easy to cook at home. it might seem daunting, like fancy restaurant fare, but they are really super fast, super easy, and super delicious. i served these with a side of baby bok choy, brocolini and steamed rice. best of all these sea scallops are a best choice on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch List.

sea scallops

serves 4
1 lb large sea scallops
salt
2 TBSP minced cilantro stems
2 TBSP cilantro leaves
2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 TBSP olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime
1 teaspoon of honey, drizzled on at the end

first, start your side dishes, rice works nicely here as it this recipe has asian roots, for the scallops, i am borrowing a technique from jamie oliver, place a stretch of parchment paper over a cutting board. lay the scallops out and score a criss cross pattern across the top of each scallop with a knife about 1/3 inch deep. salt liberally. drizzle with 1TBSP olive oil. sprinkle with minced cilantro stems and smashed garlic cloves. pull up the sides of the parchment to roll the scallops around a bit to combine the flavors. get your pan really hot on high heat. drizzle in more olive oil. place each scallop in the pan and shake slightly. slide the remaining cilantro and garlic into the pan. cook on high heat for about 3 minutes. turn scallops with tongs and cook for 2 minutes more or until just barely cooked through squeeze citrus over scallops then drizzle with honey. sprinkle with cilantro leaves. delicious and so easy. my kids love this although they are not usually scallop fans.

baby bok choy and brocolini

serves 4
1 bunch baby bok choy
1 bunch brocolini
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tspolive oil

clean and trim. set a medium pan of water to boil. slice the baby bok choy lengthwise into quarters. boil for 2-3 minutes.  drain, set aside. boil brocolini in same pan for about 2-3 minutes. drain and place with the bok choy in a serving dish. drizzle with soy sauce, then olive oil. serve.

virtuous green and fruit smoothie

lately i have been adding spinach to smoothies. it is really nice and makes them seem more virtuous and less sweet. also, the fresh greens give me a lot of energy but still tastes fruity and fresh.

1 fresh or frozen banana
1 large handful fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup passion fruit juice
1/4 cup odwalla mo beta juice

yum. measurements are approximate. go with what you have and what you like. again, yum.

wickson plums

just like regular plums only slightly tastier and more adorable. been eating these straight though they would be great in a tart. they keep really well and don't require refrigeration, as long as you eat them within a week. so the greatest plum poem of all time, This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams is probably not inspired by this variety.

one of the best things ever invented

This dairy free chocolate concoction is amazing. it tastes like the best things about pots de creme and chocolate mousse, so smooth, so creamy, so light. Made with silken tofu rather than eggs and cream, the result is surprisingly delicious. I don't know quite what to call it. Pudding seems inadequate to convey its specialness. Chocolate Dream seems closer. Anyway, this is super easy to make, just melt-blend-pour-chill. My kids can't get enough of this. also time friendly and easy on the cook. honestly, i can't say enough good things about it. Great basic recipe that is easy to love. 

Chocolate Tofu Dream 

6-8 servings

1 Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (2 cups) 

I prefer Guittard Akoma extra semisweet fair trade 

1/2 cup chopped Callebaut or Vahlrona semisweet chocolate

1 cup Organic Soy Milk, unsweetened

1 lb Organic Silken Tofu

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

a dash of Vanilla Extract

Place chocolate and soy milk in large glass microwavable dish. Heat for 2 minutes on High. 

Allow to rest for 10 minutes. After time is up, stir gently with a whisk. Chocolate should be melted. Continue to mix gently until mixture is smooth. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir once more. Add contents to blender, add 1 lb silken tofu. Secure blender top. Blend for a total of about 3 minutes until smooth and well mixed. Pour into ramekins or small cups. Smooth any drips with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Chill for 8 hours. 

Yum. Dairy free and completely delicious. I am really starting to get the hang of this dairy free living. Quite versatile, this recipe could be used as frosting for a cake, or you can mold in small springform pans and serve in all sorts of interesting presentations with chocolate shavings, raspberries, pistachios, etc. could also place in a chocolate cookie pie crust, chill, then and serve as chocolate pie. 

Adapted from recipes I've seen in two of my favorite cookbooks, Candle 79 Cookbook (from the famed nyc vegan restaurant) and Clean Food by Terry Walters, one recipe uses half the chocolate and twice the tofu and another uses a whole lot more maple syrup, so the recipe easily adapts to suit you. 

freezing fruit for future smoothies

i do this when the fruit is getting a little ripe, and might otherwise go off. great not to waste the food and perfect for smoothies (better than the packaged stuff). i freeze the fruit for 24 hours on a tray lined with parchment. then transfer to a container that can be sealed for longer storage in the freezer. this week i am making banana blueberry spinach apricot passion fruit smoothies. the apricot and passion fruit are in juice form, purchased at the grocery, so convenient. yum. a little spinach is nice in there and has a light, fresh sweet mineral-y flavor that i find energizing and balances nicely with the sweetness of the fruit. also seems virtuous, though i am not smug about it, i really do like the balance of tastes better. suits me. a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange can be nice as well.

happy new year!

first meal of 2013. keeping it light, fresh and clean. fruit salad with tangelos, apples, pomegranate, and blueberries, a little squeeze of lime juice. for some reason lime juice is amazing on fruit salad. i don't know why, just is. perfect balance of tart and sweet maybe? in any case, happy to begin anew. thank you kind readers for visiting this blog and for all your sweet comments. xo, g

wishing you a happy holiday and a brilliant new year

sweden

my holiday laboratory

i'll be cooking and serving a lot of food in these two rooms over the next 6 weeks. i'm looking forward to it. i'm not cooking anything new for thanksgiving or christmas or new year's. entirely repeat recipes. after decades of experimentation we've arrived at our favorite versions of the feasts. and i am grateful for that. more time enjoying family and friends, less time obsessing over recipes and ingredients. see some of the recipes we'll be using here, here, here, and here. i wish you all a wonderful feast and a few moments to pause and reflect on all that is good in your life this year. next year will certainly be different, but also full of new good things. warmest wishes xo, g