Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake

I promised some sour cherry recipes from my Cherry Picking in Philly post, and voila! a Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake. You’ve probably noticed that chocolate desserts aren’t really my vice. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say I don’t like chocolate. I do. But I’m kind of a purist about it. As in straight […]

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Peach Jam with Jack Crane

My friend Jack Crane wanted to make Peach Jam as a thank you gift for his teachers, and he wanted some help. Thoughtful last day of school gift, right? I planned a little field trip of my own to help Jack learn how to make Peach Jam, but I may have been more harm than […]

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Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative

Summer is in full swing and tomatoes are coming in by the bushel, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen conjuring weird and wonderful uses for said tomatoes. It’s hot; so hot that hot is out and ice is in. With my mind focused in on tomatoes and ice it was only a matter of […]

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St. Brie LT

Considering I grew up in a household that prized St. André cheese and fresh from the garden tomato and lettuce BTSs (otherwise know as Summer BLTs) above pretty much all other things epicurean, it was surprising to me when my friend Susan turned me on to the St. Brie L.T., and not the other way […]

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Sour Cherry Picking in Philly

My dear friend Tracey belongs to one of Philly’s lovely community gardens. I count on her for mint and other lovely things from her plot, but best of all are the sour cherries from the community tree. Not only is Tracey delightful company with access to sour cherries, but it turns out she’s a ringer […]

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Spicy Tuna and Avocado Tartar

Dear readers, you may have noticed that I (unintentionally) took a week off of blogging, but I’m finally back with Spicy Tuna and Avocado Tartar. Whoops. I have excuses of course: it was a busy week, I was out of town, we had lots of social obligations, the light wasn’t right for photos… But the […]

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Anniversary Carrot Cake

Today, Marc and I are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary, so I made Marc a carrot cake. Not just any carrot cake, no, an Anniversary Carrot Cake with Buttermilk Glaze. And he swears it’s the best one yet; after years and years of carrot cakes, this may be “the one.” Why is this cake so […]

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Urban(ish) Foraging: Sumac Lemonade

One of life’s supreme joys is pretending you’re capable of living off the land. As a city dweller, we have to take our opportunities to experience that joy (delusional though it may be) as it comes. I’d been meaning to make Sumac Lemonade, or Sumac tea for years, but I’ve done a terribly poor job […]

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Edamame Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

I love these Edamame Tacos with Chipotle Mayo. They came about during my time teaching Public Health Law at the University of Pennsylvania. One of the easiest ways to get lunch at Penn is from food trucks, and many of us eat from the trucks almost every day. So you can imagine how exciting a […]

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Watermelon Saffron Cooler

I have to admit, this Watermelon Saffron Cooler is about one year in the making. It started with some saffron simple syrup and a need for a sort of sweet and savory cocktail with saffron. And I nailed it. Finally. But finding the right blend that would accentuate the saffron without masking it took awhile. […]

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Old Fashioned Croquet Party Décor

Full disclosure, the Old Fashioned Croquet Party started with my desire to shoot a garden party in my parent’s garden. It’s incredibly beautiful and I knew that late June would be a wonderful time in terms of the garden being in full bloom. Next came assembling my friends. It’s important to have a game or activity […]

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Croquet Tournament

The croquet party was a huge success. We all looked amazing in our dress whites. It was a wonderful day of family and friends, in the beautiful setting where Marc and I married, EIGHT! years ago, in my parents’ garden. We were joined by many of the family and friends who supported us then, and […]

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