World peace. That's a lot to put onto a cookie, but that's what cook book author and baker Dorie Greenspan calls this famous chocolate biscuit, crediting Parisian patissière Pierre Hermé with its invention. It is world class, though, so I … [Read more...]
Strawberries in melted white chocolate
Say it's strawberry season and the berries are full of sun: really delicious at last. Say you are having a dinner party and you want a special dessert in no time. Say it's been a hard day and you want a guaranteed treat and can't be bothered to do … [Read more...]
Madeleine Kamman’s Profiteroles Pontresina
Madeleine Kamman -- French chef, author and cookery teacher -- is acclaimed for her superb recipes, many of which you won't find elsewhere, and for her beautiful prose. Both celebrate the food French women have cooked in the home, giving it due … [Read more...]
A Valentine’s menu, and musings on love’s labours
We are all in search of easy ways to eat well, but when I see recipes that claim to be ‘effortless’, I raise my eyebrows. Feeding ourselves is a basic need that requires effort, even when it’s pleasurable, creative and appreciated. Preparing a … [Read more...]
Dobosh torte step-by-step
Dobosh torte is a Hungarian speciality, a virtuoso show-stopper of a cake. Budapest confectioner Jozsef C Dobos developed it in 1884 to be both spectacular and transportable, as he was an entrepreneurial chap who wanted to send his exclusive … [Read more...]
Cherries sour, cherries sweet
I have a thing for sour cherries. To my mind, the Morello cherry beats every sweet cherry going when it comes to something cooked. I spent teen-aged summers picking them from ladders in southern New Jersey orchards where tall trees flourished, and … [Read more...]