Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My first introduction to rhubarb was at the scenic home of a South African professor with a classy accent. He welcomed our writing club to his countryside home, complete with honey bees, nature walk through the forest, and flower-covered gazebo. While we worked, he supplied scones, pie, and coffee from a real French press. He was a one of the really good professors.

So when he handed me a strawberry pie that appeared to contain some kind of celery, I wanted to prove myself sophisticated, worldly, and knowledgable and not reveal my ignorance as to why anyone would put a vegetable in a fruit pie. Maybe it was a South African tradition, I thought.

Blue Moon Cupcakes: Recipe Face-Off

What could make dessert better, but the addition of beer!

The Blue Moon cupcake has been circulating around the interwebz long enough to become a new classic, so dozens of versions of the recipe are floating around. How to know which one to pick?

Well, I don't mind taste-testing cupcakes, so I've tried a few and would like to share my review of two opposite approaches to the Blue Moon cupcakes: one recipe from scratch and one recipe for speed!

March of Macarons: Blueberry Macaron Flop Fruit Dip

I am a sucker for old movies. Theatrical, dramatic, no CGI -- the actors had only their talent to rely on. So the other day, I was rewatching The Agony and the Ectasy, which is based on the story of how the Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted by Michelangelo under the direction of Pope Julius II. Man, Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison have such a fiery dynamic in that film. You just have to see it!

So why do I bring up an obscure old film in the middle of my March of Macaron series? 

Early in the movie, Michelangelo is downtrodden and frustrated. The ceiling is being done exactly to the Pope's direction, but it's just not right. It's not inspired, not perfect yet. Michelangelo goes to the bar to get drunk in his despair, but he finds that even the wine at the pub isn't good. He complains and the barkeep dumps his entire tank full of wine, stating that if the wine is bad, throw it out! With those words, Michelangelo is inspired to take the mediocre ceiling, throw it out, and start again to make what would become one of history's most famous frescos.

In the creative process, there will be failures, but you have to let it go, so you can try again next time with a fresh start.


When dealing with a dessert that's notoriously challenging to learn, you have to expect that every batch will not be perfect. Even professionals sometimes make less than perfection -- just look at Michelangelo. But there's no reason to give up creating or making macarons. All you have to do is start again!

When dealing with a dessert that is just so sweet and tasty, it's an awful shame to throw it away just because it doesn't look perfect. So why not reinvent it?

Strawberry Jam & Buttercream French Macarons

The other day, I shared an in-depth tutorial on the process of making the finicky, but rewarding dessert: the French macaron. Several of the photos in that tutorial featured a gorgeous ruby red macaron. Who was that lady in red? That was the strawberry jam & vanilla buttercream macaron, and today I'll introduce you to her recipe.

This recipe reminds me of days long ago with my Grandma, eating all varieties of fruit jams and jellies preserved in jars in her farmhouse cellar. The super sweet strawberry flavor always made me feel like I was getting away with eating dessert for dinner, like eating a strawberry ring pop in a sandwich.

While I do often challenge myself to make the jam from scratch, for this batch of strawberry jam macarons, I cheated and bought my jelly at the grocery store. Will you ever forgive me? Will you still respect me as a food blogger if I admit this? I promise I'll make it up to you with a jam recipe from scratch...eventually.

March of Macarons: French Macaron Tutorial

Hungry for macarons after reading my first March of Macaron post? This month, I welcome all adventurous at-home bakers, curious novices, and macaron addicts looking for insight into the Parisian macaron. Here you will find solace that you are not alone with your confectionery obsession.

The French macaron can be a difficult dessert to perfect since it involves many steps and several techniques. I've been baking macarons for almost a year, but some batches still don't turn out perfectly. Have no fear! Every failure is a learning opportunity, and even if the screw-ups may not look perfect, they still taste delicious. All it takes to master baking macarons in your own home is patience, time, and a little practice.

March of Macaron: St. Patty's Whiskey & Mint Macaron

Let's add a little spirit to our French macarons for St. Patrick's Day with the Irish whiskey and mint macaron.

The whiskey is a surprisingly subtle flavor hidden underneath the mint, so you may wish to add more or less whiskey to your personal taste.

Overall, this is a simpler macaron recipe, once you've mastered the technique, relying on a few drops of peppermint flavoring and whiskey buttercream to jazz it up and make it special for the holidays. Care to give it a try?

Sushi Sashay: Tips for Making Sushi at Home

There was a time, not that long ago, when I was not a foodie. I did not bake, I did not cook, and I certainly didn't have the enthusiasm necessary to blog about food!

So what transpired to change a woman who was quite satisfied with a boring fried egg or turkey sandwich to long to try curry, quiche, or sushi? Quite simply, I fell in love.

While dating and falling in love with the man who is now my husband, many of our date nights were spent in the kitchen collaboratively cooking, trying out exotic produce or new recipes. Cooking became a way to show him my love, to express my care for him, through the dishes I lovingly made with him by my side. It has brought us so much enjoyment and closeness in daily life. Cooking is a way of saying that we care for each other, and because we care about each other, we want only the best on each others' plates.

As my friend Andrea Lazarus at Classy Local phrased it, preparing a meal for someone is just a "wonderful gesture. It's a gift of time, food, thoughtfulness, and love."

So this year for my birthday, my fella showed the ultimate gesture of love by personally making the delicious high-class meal of sushi, bringing five-star cuisine into our home kitchen.

Think that meal is far too challenging to prepare at home? Read on for a few tips on getting started with sushi.

First Try: A Doughnut for Fasnacht Day

In the south, they celebrate with the wild and crazy parties of Mardi Gras. But here in Pennsylvania, we celebrate with the sweet doughy goodness of the Fasnacht.

Every "Fat Tuesday" or Shrove Tuesday, the Pennsylvanian Dutch break out the lard and warm up their deep fryer to make the sweet dessert that is a heavy-weight of the doughnut world. As part of the tradition of Lent, they emptied their pantries into one heavy delectable dessert.

To celebrate this tradition, many around town enjoy doughnuts and fasnachts alike. I have yet to learn the traditional family recipe for fasnachts, but I am learning how to bake doughnuts, thanks to my mother-in-law's generous gift of a doughnut-baking starter kit. Today, in the spirit of the donut holiday, I tried out a scratch recipe for a basic glazed doughnut based on Food.com website. The glaze recipe came from The Pioneer Woman.