Well, the process of setting up a blog is quite confounding for me. Luckily, I have someone helping me who has infinite patience! Thank you, Bill W! I made what is for me a momentous decision this week – to just proceed with my posts and not wait until everything is perfectly organized. So, now I am beginning my blogging life in earnest. You can join me and see how it goes! I am thinking my blog as a “sprout” and you can watch it grow with me! Could be painful at times, so please bear with me.
This week as always, I am inspired by the weather. When there is sunshine, I am motivated to start numerous projects and cook and bake lots of new things. Earlier in the week I made the Martha Stewart Lemon Ginger Bundt cake, but added blueberries as I like to do. This is a great cake but remember to scrape down the bowl several times during the process. Following this I continued my pursuit of the perfect scone and made a batch of Orange-Apricot which you may have seen on my Facebook page. They looked good and tasted good when they first came out of the oven, but I am still not happy with the formula. Onward with this. Of all the scone recipes I’ve tried, the ones with more eggs seem to be best and I am trying to emulate the great scones from The Artist Baker in Morristown, NJ.
I have also made Food and Wine’s Chicken and Eggplant Parmigiana and a Chicken with Apricot Sauce with my own recipe for Wild Rice with dried cherries, toasted pecans and orange. Last night I watched Sara Moulton with Ming Tsai as they made a Ginger-Orange Duck Cassoulet. I want to try this.
I would like to add to my blog a recommendation for cookbook of the day. Collecting cookbooks is one of my passions as many of you know. Yesterday, I got out my The Blackberry Farm Cookbook by Sam Beal. I am re-reading this. It is a beautiful book filled with wonderful photographs. I love the story of this “Inn”. For those of you who don’t know, Blackberry Farm is a Relais & Chateaux member and resides in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Check out this book – it is beautiful. I won’t spoil it with the rest. I hope to visit there some day soon.
On the equipment front, I just got the Mauviel Copper “cocottes” to use as salt and pepper urns. I got this idea from Claire Robinson – love her NYC kitchen.
So, this is where I am so far this week. Off to NYC today!!!!! Plan to visit Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in the West Village while I’m there.
Damn rain.
Those slideshow photos are really beautiful. Do you have links to where to buy the Mauviel cocottes? Would love to see links to your recommended cookbooks, or even a page with a list of cookbook recommendations, comments, and links. Looking forward to seeing a post on one of your cooking projects.
Mauviel cocettes from wm Sonoma; will be setting up links and recipe index very soon,
What type of cooking is in the Blackberry Farm Cookbook? Wondering what you like about the book. Thanks, Bill
What I like about the food at Blackberry Farm is that it is uber fresh, rustic and not fussy. More than that though, what I really identify with is that this book is transformative for me. I am not a mountain person, rather an ocean person. This book makes me want to visit this place and feel what is going on there. When a group of highly talented food people moves to a remote place like eastern Tennessee, it must be for a very good reason! Sam Beal is Thomas Keller trained and obviously has a great eye. I especially love his rustic desserts with fresh fruits, long a favorite of mine.
Having a little trouble sending a reply. Keeps coming back “ERROR”. I’ll try again. CONGRATULATIONS!!! great beginning. This is our time to follow passions long held in check or unearthing new passions. Some call this ACT III. I say “If not now, then when?”. I look forward to reading about your observations and tasty recipes. Did you take the photos too? They are very beautiful.
xohelen
Looks like you’re off to a great start Marianne! Good luck!
Donna
Thx Donna -plan on having fun with this.
It’s wonderful that you are pursuing your dream, and I am so happy your blog is up and running. Your enthusiasm makes me want to bake — and that’s a feat! I know John will especially enjoy following your progress, too. Good luck!
Elaine
Beautiful photos and inspiring ideas. Thank you!