Biscuits: Buttermilk vs. Cream

Buttermilk are light and fluffy warm from the oven, with lots of flaky layers due to all of that cold butter. I make my buttermilk biscuits with just a touch of sugar, they pair beautifully with berry preserves and dare-I-say more butter! Perfect as a sweet snack or in place of toast for breakfast.

Lebanese Sweets

I had the privilege of meeting my good friend M's mom last month when she was in town from Jordan. I spent a day in the kitchen with the two of them making traditional Lebanese sweets. We made Awameh, we like to call them Sweet Balloons as M's mom kept saying, "Make a balloon." It was important to have the little air bubble to create the correct texture.

These little sweeties are typically found piled high in Arabic Sweet Shops, you can purchase by the kilo. Not traditionally made at home, which reminds me a bit of France with their gorgeous boulangeries, why bother to make desserts at home? When you can just walk down the street and find a tasty sweet concoction ready-to-eat! I'm sure you're well aware by now, I could never imagine NOT making desserts at home!

Gelato al Cioccolato

As my my friends know, gelato is my all-time favorite dessert. During the summer of '99 while attending UW, I lived in Siena. My friend Whitney and I would walk up to our local gelateria nearly every night to get our coppa di gelato. Her favorite stracciatella and mine was typically bacio (hazelnut & chocolate) or a mixture of cioccolato (chocolate) and pistachio. We are both chocolate lovers. I created this recipe as an ode to our summer evenings spent walking and nibbling!

Pasta Workshop

Last night I taught at Dish it up! in Magnolia. My Italian Summer Supper class which will be coming up again in a few weeks at the Ballard location. A bit demonstration and lots of hands-on Pasta making during my Pasta Workshop.

A handful of my students last night had never made fresh pasta before so it was a blast to see their reaction to the process. We had a few veterans that of course made perfect dough and rolled out gorgeous sheets of pasta! Even the first-timers rolled out sheets of pasta like pros! The best part of the Pasta Workshop by far was witnessing what we ended up with..... adorable and uniquely organic shapes of Ravioli. Some tiny bursting with filling and others massively large with a tiny bit of filling. All different shapes and sizes, but we kneaded and worked the dough with love so every single ravioli was delicious!

4th of July Ice-Cream Sandwiches

My apologies to those of you that follow my blog. I realize I've been neglecting both of my blogs a bit, no posts at all through June. Well June was quite a crazy busy month. I was offered a position in pastry at a lovely new french restaurant in Seattle. Everything has moved so fast...out with the old and in with the new. So I have been working at the restaurant and teaching on my days off so it's left little time for blogging. But I'm here, baking & cooking away. Below is a melting version of the ice cream sandwiches I made for the 4th. We had a BBQ with our family and this was the sweet I served before the Fireworks started. Finally the sun has peaked out here in the PNW, just in time for BBQ's and sticky, messy and gooey desserts!

Fire Roasted Chile & Cheese Empanadas

Mexican Fiesta begins tonight! We'll start off with a favorite, Fire Roasted Chile & Queso Empanadas served with a sweet & spicy Mango Salsa.

Nothing But Oyster Shells Here....

Fresh Oysters in May? It's been a cold Spring here in the Pacific Northwest and there are still delicious oysters to be had.

Tossed on the grill, shucked, dipped in garlic butter & drizzled with fresh lemon juice. These delicate beauties were gone before I managed to get any photos.