Just Baking

Seized with a burning desire to tell us about what’s coming out of your oven these days? Don’t hold back! If you love to bake (cakes, cookies, pies, souffles, tarts, casseroles, quiches, roasts, vegetables, custards, game, breads, whatever goes into the oven!) and have some writing or blogging experience, why not consider joining the Just […]

 
This week, our school is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week. Every day this week, parents are encouraged to send in a little something for the teachers — a note of encouragement, maybe some home-baked cookies, whatever. And every morning in the teacher’s room, a continental-style breakfast awaits, supplied by parent volunteers. This year, my contribution was […]

These are the cookies for when you need something dense, chocolatey, and brownie-licious — in cookie form. Keep a box of brownie mix on hand (my hands-down favorite mix, store brand or otherwise, is Wal-Mart’s Great Value. Really!), and when the craving for chewy, dense brownies strikes but you don’t want to wait for them to bake […]

Need a side dish for a steak or burgers? These oven-roasted potatoes come together in minutes, can be adapted to feed a crowd, and are a healthy alternative to French fries.
Oven-Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

4 russet potatoes, skin left on, well scrubbed and dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled (or 1 tablespoon […]

Empanadas, or hand-held meat pies, are common to many South American and Hispanic cuisines. Close cousins to the British meat pasties, the Australian meat pies, and the Indian samosas, their widespread popularity is no doubt due to their portability and their versatility.  
Easily customized to cultural flavor preferences, the empanada is a perfect way to incorporate whatever bits […]

 
Well, in my case, the answer is . . . rarely. But that’s mainly because I love the process itself and so don’t really look for the shortcuts, and also because I like food to be as close to its natural state as possible. (I’ll refrain from climbing up on my soapbox here, but if […]

 
As much as I’ve been looking forward to the vegetables of spring (hello, asparagus!), there are a few hearty winter staples I am reluctant to say my farewells to. Especially this particular preparation, Curry-Roasted Cauliflower, which I discovered only a few weeks ago, and which became an immediate favorite in our household. I’ve had roasted […]

I love tomatoes. Really love them. To me, the anemic orange croquet balls marketed as “tomatoes” all winter long in the supermarket are no such thing. A tomato, on the other hand, is something that you can pull off the vine and bite right into, wiping juice off your chin. A tomato is what you slice half […]

Okay, it’s a little embarrassing to admit it, so I’ll just get it over with now: I’m scared of the self-cleaning feature on my oven. That’s right, it gives me the willies. Just thinking of turning that thing up to “super-incinerate” and stepping away from it for, oh, four hours or so isn’t within my […]

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008
Do you have a great family recipe?
Would you like to see it published in an elegant cookbook?
Would you like to raise money for disadvantaged kids?
Would you like to be recognized for your participation?
You can. All of the above. Just in time for Mother’s Day!
(only 23 days left and counting)

Proudly […]