It's early enough in the summer that I don't mind using that oven. In another week or two that will change I'm sure. I came across a recipe on Natasha's Kitchen for Blueberry Lemon Cake and it's perfect for this time of the year - blueberries are...
Sweets
Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is the year of birthday festivities and not just for myself. I recently spent a weekend celebrating a friend and was enlisted as part of her party favor crew. She wanted to share one of her favorite cookies with everyone - The Pioneer Woman's Malted Milk...
Chocolate Haupia Pie
Updated: February 2, 2019 In a previous post I shared a recipe for chocolate haupia pie for a crowd. This weekend I was invited to a dinner and offered to bring dessert. Because my host always asks for this particular dessert, I decided to see what I could...
Butter Mochi
Unlike most of my family I'm indifferent to mochi. If it's there I'll eat it, if not, I don't miss it. When I come home to Hawaii I don't feel the need to seek out treats from different family-owned mochi shops to take back to the mainland with me. However, one type...
World Peace Cookies
"The World Peace Cookie lives up to its name: If everyone had it, peace would reign o’er the planet. I’m convinced of this." Dorie Greenspan As I close out the year, and what a tumultuous year it's been, I can think of no better recipe to share than World Peace...
Orange Coconut Cookies
The second new cookie recipe I tried this year I found through my Facebook feed. I almost ignored it primarily because it comes from Whole Foods ('nuff said?). The recipe also uses coconut oil rather than butter and everything in me just said, "Whyyyyyyy??" But I...
Scotch Shortbread Cutout Cookies
It's that time of the year, almost the only time of the year that I feel like baking cookies. I always say that I'm not a baker but oddly enough, most of my posts this year (as few as there have been) were about baking. But there's something about Christmas that makes...
Sour Cream Cardamom Pear Cake
I have always maintained that I am not a baker. I can bake things but not very well and my nature is somewhat averse to the required precision. However, recently and perhaps it's the weather, I've been in the mood to bake. Whatever the reason, I've been inspired but...
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
it was a co-worker's birthday this past week and I used it as an excuse to bake one of my favorite cakes. Both recipes come from the Barefoot Contessa - although she didn't have them paired together in her cookbook. The pairing came about several years ago when a...
Coconut Shortbread Hearts
I am admittedly not a baker but I enjoy making cookies to share, especially around holidays. One of my favorite recipes is a coconut shortbread that I found awhile ago in Bon Appetit magazine from one of my favorite bakers, Elizabeth Faulkner. The...
S’mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue
When I was looking for a dessert for our last Moveable Feast, I found the answer in a recent issue of Food & Wine magazine - a delicious riff on a campfire favorite, the s'more. I love s'mores - gathering around a fire, getting the perfect toasted...
Nigella Lawson’s No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream
Last year I really got into using my ice cream maker and had successes with black pepper ice cream and I Want S'more ice cream. As the weather warms up I'm looking forward to more recipes and experiments. I recently watched a re-run of Nigella...
Family Traditions: Gao
Updated: January 2022 When you hear me speak of influential women in my life, at the top of my list is my Mom followed by my maternal Grandmother - Popo Chock. You rarely hear me speak of my paternal Grandmother - Popo Char. Although she lived with us for a time, we...
Gingerbread Biscotti
For the second year in a row I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. After participating last year I couldn't wait for this year. It's a great opportunity to discover new blogs and learn great new cookie recipes. But most importantly the event...
“I Want S’more” Ice Cream
Updated July 31, 2022 I have a few friends who enjoy cooking as much as I do. We like trying new things and are unafraid to experiment and modify recipes. One day our discussion turned to two classic summertime desserts - ice cream and s'mores. I started thinking...
Lemon Polenta Biscuits
These little rustic lemon biscuits are not too sweet and pair wonderfully with Jamie Oliver's Chocolate Pots. The original recipe used orange zest. I've taken to using lemon because I have a couple of friends who are allergic to oranges. Orange and chocolate are a...