Mother's Day

Perhaps it's their association with English tea and ladies' garden luncheons that make scones so deliciously feminine. Since they're one of the easiest baked goods to make and are always well received, they're an ideal addition to your Mother's Day breakfast.

These Apricot, Ginger, and White Chocolate Scones are a new creation of mine -- the spicy ginger compliments the sweet apricots and white chocolate, while the slivered almonds provide just the needed crunch. They pair especially well with spiced coffee and, of course, hot tea.

For a pretty, unfussy presentation, serve scones in a linen or cloth-lined basket for your Mother's Day breakfast.

Since Mother's Day is a day when mom is celebrated and pampered, it would be counter-intuitive to expect her to cook. On the other hand, putting too much burden on the other members of the family (dad and the kids) would also be ill-advised.

There is the classic New Yorker's solution of serving lox, bagels, and cream cheese or avoiding cooking entirely by visiting a restaurant, but a home cooked meal makes such a personal statement.

The key is to prepare a simple meal so you don't spend more time in the kitchen than with her. That and flowers tells her, "I love you."

My Mother Vina circa 1957

Instead of turkey, mashed potatoes, etc., stuffed grape leaves (along with shish-kabob and pilaf) is the traditional centerpiece of our Christmas dinner.

Disclaimer:  Every script I’ve ever written is overly descriptive and too long, so no doubt this recipe will be, too.  Apologies in advance. 

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Mother's Day is this Sunday, which means you're either taking Mom out for brunch or making her brunch at home. Last year I provided a week's worth of recipes for Mother's Day brunch and had planned on doing the same this year. I have decided against it.

Instead, I'm going to provide you with one recipe, one sublimely simple yet decadent recipe, for Mascarpone, Nutella, and Fresh Berry Toasts. Crunchy Italian toast is slathered with creamy Nutella and rich mascarpone cheese then topped with sweet, sliced fresh strawberries.

When I posted on Facebook that I was creating Mother's Day brunch recipes and that one included Nutella and mascarpone, my dear friend Kate of Kate in the Kitchen, replied, "Well, what else do you need???" Exactly.