Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Raspberry Cheesecake infused with Basil

raspberry-cheesecake I’ve never had luck trying to grow basil. It just never works for me. This year, one of the guys at the farmers market suggested I plant basil in 12-inch pots. I did. Today, two pots sitting in last summer’s square-foot garden hold basil that look like very lush, healthy shrubs. I just can’t believe it.

I pluck fragrant leaves from my basil plants everyday, layering them into sandwiches, tearing them to arrange over the top of homemade pizza, chopping them up to make fresh herb-flecked cream cheese spread and even steeping them in hot liquid to turn into jelly.

I recently discovered how well spicy-perfumed basil and sweet-tart ruby-red raspberries work together. Macerating raspberries with basil and a small amount of sugar produces a surprising treat for the taste buds. The longer the mixture is allowed to sit, the stronger the essence of basil will become. Basil-infused raspberry sauce is a unique topping for ice cream, waffles, French toast and is a delicious addition to a morning bowl of thick yogurt and homemade granola.

Yesterday, I stirred some Raspberry-Basil Sauce into a Chambord-spiked bowl of cheesecake batter. The resulting cake delivers an aromatic bouquet of fresh raspberries and basil with each forkful of creamy decadence. You won’t taste basil in the cake, but you will luxuriate in its refreshing sweet scent.

Delicious Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

I love Austin, Texas. The people are warm, the food is amazing, and the weather – well, let's not talk about the weather. Let's stick with the people and the food. One morning while Jeff and I were eating breakfast at an Austin eatery, we started chatting with a lovely elderly couple next to us. The conversation quickly turned to food: we talked brisket, chili, Shiner bock (which they drink from the bottle), and cornbread. When I told the wife that I had never made corn bread in a skillet, she replied, in a dramatic affected Southern accent, "Well, dahlin', if it ain't made in a cast-iron skillet, then it ain't cornbread."

She shared how her skillet had been in her family for three generations and how she wouldn't dream of making cornbread in a regular metal pan or glass baking dish. I would have loved to share a sentimental tale about my family's cast-iron skillet and corn bread recipe, but the truth is, we don't have one. Sure, my mom made cornbread, but it usually came from a Jiffy box, and I wasn't gonna tell that to the Texan with the third generation cast-iron skillet.

Whoppers-Malted Milk Ice Cream Pie

whopperscake My oldest son has declared this..."the best thing you have ever made." He's already requesting it for his birthday next March. I don't blame him...it really is so, so good...it's one of those sweets you crave after you've had a slice.

It is the perfect combination of flavor and especially texture. And it's a big cake, perfect for summer parties. It freezes well, unmolds well...it's all around super-easy, just like you want your summer to be. At the same time it's impressive in it's girth and taste. I will be making this again and again.

Growing up we never had ice cream cake/pies. I don't even remember a Baskin-Robbins cake making an appearance. But my mom is a baker so I guess that is the reason.

Anyway, with temps finally hitting the 80's in the Pacific Northwest, this has been the perfect indulgence. I hope you give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Cherry and Blackberry Clafoutis, Pits Not Included

Clafoutis. You've eaten one. You've probably baked one. You've definitely heard of one. But can you define one? What is a clafoutis?

It's not quite a cake or a custard or a flan or a pudding. It has been called lots of names, including "a baked fruit dessert," "a baked custard with fruit," "a crustless pie," "a fruit-fill flan," and my personal favorite, "a sweet frittata." Purists called it a flognarde, but that lacks the panache of clafoutis (pronounced cla- foo-tee).

Clotilde Dusouslier, the charming Parisian food blogger, calls clafoutis "the epitome of the French grandmotherly dessert: unpretentious, easy to make, and blissfully comforting."

Call it what you will, especially if you're high school French is a little rusty. Just be sure to make one.

The Last Golden Light of Edgartown

I love the sunrises in Edgartown. Our bedroom faces East on the Harbor, and the sunrises are breathtaking - quite powerful. (Red in the Morning; Sailor’s Warning)

But, as a Californian, I am truly addicted to the Golden Light of Sunset, or as some say, Magic Light. The Sun at that short but delicious time of day rests on the horizon line, offering a perfect warm, golden light. Portraits and landscapes become truly magical, but I also love that light as it fades to darkness… It becomes poetic and a bit sad.

I got the End of Summer Blues.

People in Edgartown are always friendly and polite - ditto the dogs, So Bill and I (and our dog Charlie) awaken with the pleasant thought of our walk to town. Our neighbor, Lucy, across the street has two labs (The Black Dogs of Martha’s Vineyard) and we visit on occasion. Today was one of those days. The usual chatter about the lack of rain and the end of summer. I asked our neighbor where her home was off-season and she replied Los Angeles. Where? I demanded! Hancock Park she replied. I went to school in Hancock Park I responded happily. I used to live there... bla bla bla. It finally got down to who do you know and a name - Amy Ephron – came up. Yes I know Amy … I sometime write articles for her E-zine OneForTheTable. (Wait… are you ready for this) So do I she said. So, for the lovely Lucy Dahl, I dedicate my end of summer Vineyard Recipe.

Comfort Foods and Indulgences