Just Baking

 
Before you start poring through your culinary dictionaries or looking up the term “scuffins” on your favorite search engine (Disclaimer: I didn’t look it up so I have no idea what you’ll find!), let me say that it’s a term I made up by colliding “scone” and “muffin.” To me, the texture of these big […]

 This Memorial Day, why not make a memorable dessert you can pull together while the burgers are on the grill and serve just as everyone’s starting to feel like they just might have a little room for dessert after all? If you keep all these items on hand in your pantry — and you might […]

 
Sweet, savory, and tangy with citrus — this is one of my favorite ways to prepare carrots as a side dish, and, not coincidentally, it’s also one of the easiest!
Try this alongside any kind of grilled meat or poultry, and if you have any leftovers, dice them up and add them to a batch of couscous or rice […]

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 […]