Desserts and Drinks
13 Provencal desserts
CAMBRIDGE — Holidays are a time to celebrate tradition, but if your family is on another continent, you have to bring the traditions with you. This is what Fabien Fieschi, 39, consul general of France in Boston, has done. Originally from the coastal city of Marseille, Fieschi (pronounced Fee-es-key) arrived in this post in August …
Read moreJapanese American Matcha Mochi Cupcakes
TOKYO – Many foods brought to America by new immigrants evolve into dishes that combine ingredients from both cultures. California rolls are a good example.
Read moreBaked Winter Fruit
This baked winter fruit dish falls somewhere between a crisp and a compote. It uses some dried fruits, which are usually simmered in liquid. But whatever fresh fruits you have on hand can go into the dish, even those starting to show brown spots.
Read moreFeast day calls for a special sweet
Photo by: Debra Samuels Zeppole with vanilla cream and amarena cherries By Debra Samuels Globe Correspondent / March 18, 2009 In Italy tomorrow, men named Joseph and women named Josephine will hand out zeppole, a Neopolitan pastry of fried dough filled with cream, to family and friends to mark the feast of San Giuseppe. Closer …
Read moreQuick mix for chocolate fix
Photo by Debra Samuels Boston Globe, February 11, 2009 Instant cocoa mixes are made for the moments when you come in from shoveling, can’t feel your fingers or toes, and need something hot and nourishing – fast. This easy hot cocoa mix requires only boiling water. To make it, mix nonfat dried milk with high-quality …
Read moreStrawberries Romanoff
This is an updated version of the old presentation that is served with vanilla ice cream and liquer-infused whipped cream. Here the berries are macerated in Cointreau and sugar. Strawberries Romanoff Ingredients: Serves 4 1 quart strawberries, rinsed and hulled (leave 4 berry stems intact) 1/4 cup Cointreau or other orange liqueur or orange juice …
Read moreMary Lindeblad’s Dutch Babies
Somewhere between a popover and a muffin, these puffs rise like magic in the oven. The airy texture and sweet taste make them a perfect breakfast treat. Mary Lindeblad’s Dutch Babies Ingredients: 4 teaspoons butter 4 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt non-stick oil spray Directions: 1. Set oven to 475 …
Read moreGiovanna’s Candied Orange Peels
I was offered these homemade candied orange rinds that Giovanna Catinella, brought as a gift for the hostess at a dinner party in Palermo, Italy. The slender matchsticks of bitter orange with their crunchy sugar coating, were passed around with the digestive Amaro, a dark, spicy, bitter liqueur. Ingredients: about 100 strips 5 large thick-skinned …
Read moreStrawberry napoleon, deconstructed
Boston Globe, June 13, 2007 Some desserts, like one I was served recently in Italy, are stunning on the plate. In this case, triangles of puff pastry were set into a pool of vanilla custard sauce. Tiny strawberries were strewn around the dish, which was decorated with zig zags of chocolate. In fact, this impressive confection …
Read moreA cookie contest keeps friends together through the years
WEST PEABODY — They call themselves the Agawam Babes, and for 16 years, these girlhood friends have been getting together in each other’s homes for brunch and a cookie swap. It started as a way to stay connected despite marriages, kids, and jobs. The group has changed over the years, but the core has stayed …
Read moreCompetition cooks up at a 4-H county fairFood and Fun Club members put their kitchen skills to the test
WESTFORD — Louise Donahue looks for an empty cake rack on her kitchen table, brimming with baked goods. “We’ve already had one disaster today,” she says as she sets down the hot pan of butterscotch bars her 10-year-old son, Greg, has prepared for the 51st annual Middlesex County 4-H Fair. The bars go next to …
Read moreBaked to perfectionAt Somerville’s La Contessa, the prized ricotta pies have a longstanding following
SOMERVILLE — Paper bunnies and decorated eggs adorn the picture windows at La Contessa Bakery Cafe here. Huge chocolate Easter eggs wrapped in colorful cellophane hang above the counter waiting for excited children. On a top shelf, along with a statue of St. Anthony, are boxes of sweet Italian bread baked in the shape of …
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Bento:Build a Better Lunch
Debra Samuels, bestselling author, food writer and cooking instructor, wants to give the American lunchbox a makeover. In the chapter on “bento,” the traditional Japanese lunch box, in her upcoming book, My Japanese Table, Debra encourages the use of color, texture and taste to create healthier and more visually appealing meals.
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