Comfort Foods and Indulgences

It's blueberry season. Glorious, juicy, sweet blueberry season.

If you're looking for one fabulous blueberry treat this summer, then you've got to make my Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls. She has been making them since I was a little girl, and my love for them has never waned.

Each bun has warm, juicy, cinnamon-sugar coated blueberries tucked inside of a pillowy soft sweet dough that is glazed with vanilla icing. There is something ambrosial about these buns: they're delicate and pretty enough for a ladies' summer tea party yet homey and comfy enough for a midday snack with a glass of milk.

So next time you go blueberry picking, save a pint of your best berries for Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls. Trust me, summer never tasted so good. 

We definitely have some mushroom lovers in our household, and any chance we get to enjoy them, we go for it. White pizza had also been on my mind lately, it's a nice change from the regular red sauce varietyI tend to make.

If I had to pick a favorite pizza recipe, Hawaiian, with lots of pineapple would win hands down. However, no one in my family really likes it (not sure what that's about). It's rare I get to enjoy it so I am always coming up with other pizza concoctions I know I will love. This one is no exception.

I used four types of mushrooms for this recipe. All have different textures and flavors, which gives this pizza a nice complexity and meatiness. My oldest son loves mushrooms and he went crazy for this version. He asked for it two days in a row...imagine that.

In hopes of starting the year with a sweet and steeped memory, I hurried into my kitchen to whip up a quick tea–infused treat. Faced with several perfectly ripe pears, chocolate chai tea and whole grain flower (that never made its way into holiday cookies), I decided to give a basic muffin a delicate, tea-infused twist.

The perfect breakfast bite, these Whole Wheat Pear & Chai Crumb Muffins are slightly addicting (I dare you to make more than 6 and see how long they last…I say that while typing with crumbs that are dangerously close to finding their way into my keyboard crevices).

Fragrant pears are mixed into the somewhat savory whole wheat batter to add a hint of natural sweetness. The chocolate chai tea adds a pop of warming spices to the basic crumb topping, the real star of the treat (but don’t tell the pears).

The first bite reminded me of soft yet satisfyingly hearty cornbread with a dainty dab of spiced pear jam. But maybe that’s just me. You’ll have to take a bite while it’s still warm from the oven (with just the tiniest bit of unsalted butter) and tell me what you think. And if you add a chocolate chai latte to the mix, well, you’re just spoiling your taste buds.

My mom says I have expensive taste. You wouldn’t know it by the stores I go to, such as Marshall’s and Loehmann's. Yet, when it comes to eating, I like high quality foods and am more than willing to splurge.

That’s why I didn’t hesitate to buy saffron. Well, that’s not really true. I did hesitate. Not because of the price; because I have an uneasy relationship with saffron. It’s sort of like kissing someone, and the "wow" factor just isn’t there. You know, he’s a nice guy, but there aren’t any fireworks. So, you give him another try, and it’s great. Then the next time it's only so-so. You know what I mean? That’s been my experience with saffron. (Not with guys; Jeff has always been a great kisser).

I’m unequivocal when it comes to food – when I don't like something, I don't usually try it again. Which is why I’m surprised about my willingness to give saffron another chance. When I first tasted it in a great Indian restaurant, I found its floral overtones unpalatable. I thought I would be put off saffron forever after that. However, another delicious Indian restaurant redeemed saffron for me by serving it in a lovely rice and pea dish. Since then, I've had it in Spanish and Middle Eastern dishes and have begun cooking with it (to mixed results). Yet, the recipe I share today is a keeper. And coming from me, that is high praise.