Summer

Right after a typical Boston thunder storm.

Sour Cream Cake

I was told that sour cream cakes were all the rage.

Mostly by Smitten Kitchen, Secret Ingredient, and the display case at Flour Bakery

so when it was time to whip up something fast, that's what I turned to. Following everyone else, I added a sour yet sweet blend for the topping using a yogurt sweet cream mixture and a sour raspberry puree. The result was delicious, light, and just the right balance of sweet and tart. The best thing is, in an unbiased taste-off against the professionals (David and I eating what they sold at Flour Bakery), the professional cake didn't match up to what we had at home. (Or at least that's what the unbiased judges concluded)

I'm sure there are many home-bakers out there who know exactly what this small triumph feels like. Wohoo followed by a mini-dance!

Chinese Dessert

To be honest, work life has been taking a toll. It's busy--too busy to breathe and realize how busy it really has been.

I keep dreaming about taking a few months off to go master my French, go to South America, or apprentice at a bakery.

For the last of my top three options, I find myself a little torn on what that would entail. As I play around with the French pastry recipes, I often find myself craving an Asian dessert the very next day. They're stark in contrast: the first super rich and very sweet based around butter, eggs and cream; and the latter softer, fluffier, with a mild sweetness based in whipped cream, egg yolk, or red bean and sesame seeds. I'm not sure which type of bakery I would want to work at, and few people know that I deep down I often ponder which one would be the right one to open. I joked that I should open an Asian bakery in Europe, but David and I both wondered just how much the two palettes overlap.

Spinach and mushroom stew

Not really sure what this dish would be classified as, but it's a healthy and rich mixture of 6 different kinds of mushrooms, spinach, and potato noodles.

Gluten-free bars

Another adventure into the world of gluten-free and dairy free.

Almost what you would think of a hearty trail mix bar but substitued with gluten free flakes, peanuts, maple syrup, and peanut butter. Very rich but the crunch offsets the sweetness.