If I don’t say so myself, this was a good use of some chicken, feta, mint and phyllo dough. Now that I am over my apprehension of working with phyllo, it was even relatively easy. My one nitpick though, is that the chicken seemed to get a little dry. The flavor was still excellent, though, so it wasn’t the end of the world by any means. Next time, I believe I will mix a little of the egg/feta mixture into the chicken to keep it a bit more moist.

As the title picture shows, this recipe is from Meze: Small Plates to Savor and Share from the Mediterranean Table by Diane Kochilas. As I am prone to do, I added an extra clove of garlic, some mushrooms and a little fresh oregano. Oh and I also added a little lemon zest.

Chicken Pie with Mint, Feta and Eggs
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 white onions, finely chopped
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp lemon zest (about 1/2 a lemon)
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound phyllo, at room temperature
2 large eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 cup crumbled feta

Heat the butter over medium heat and cook the onions, mushrooms and garlic until lightly golden, about 8 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion-garlic mixture, mint, oregano and lemon zest.Season with salt and pepper and add the olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 10-inch pie pan. I used a plain glass pie pan. Place 1 sheet of the phyllo vertically across the pan. Brush with some olive oil and place another sheet overlapping a bit and brush that sheet with the olive oil too. Keep sheets that you are not using moist, under a damp towel.

Keep going until you go through the sheets, brushing each with a little oil as you work. I used few less than the whole 1/2 a pound — go ahead and use as much as you want but make sure you have the whole pan covered and layered nicely with overhanging phyllo available.

Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until frothy and add the feta. Mix to combine. Add a little of the egg mixture to the chicken — a couple of tablespoons worth. Spread the filling evenly into the phyllo-lined shell. Roll the extra up and around the top of the pie. It won’t cover the whole top, just form a ring around the pie.

Pour the remaining egg mixture over the pie, tilting it so that it evenly covers it all.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the filling is set and the phyllo is crisp and golden.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Cut and serve with a green salad.

Yep, there’s a new blog look today. I wanted a more Summery design and started playing around with new pictures and backgrounds Sunday afternoon. When I did this one, I also created two other themes so there should be another new look fairly soon.

Coming up, food-wise (maybe even all this week): tomato-basil salad, spinach & arugula fritters, green tea salmon and my Weekend Cookbook Challenge #7.

Here is my entry for Sugar High Friday 21: Ice, Ice baby, hosted by The Delicious Life. And if you haven’t seen the original posting you really should. It’s very funny.

My original plan was to make nutella gelatto but I altered that plan when I had some extra blueberries lying about and jwa posed the question, “Do we really need nutella gelatto?” I replied, “Yes, of course we do,” but after a little more thought, decided to go with the healthy option. Although, I think it’s a little suspect when the person who just made a pineapple upside-down cake questions my nutella gelatto plan — but I suppose that’s a moot point now. I just thought I’d point it out.

One thing I do really love about this sorbet, though, is that it is so simple. Fruit + liquid + sugar + a little lime juice. That’s it. And, in using so few ingredients, the blueberries really stand out in this sorbet.

For the liquid, the original recipe called for water. This is where the Je Mange la Ville adage, “Why use water when you can use wine?” kicked in. I was thinking of using a zinfandel but we didn’t have any around. Then I remembered the Bonny Doon Bouteille Call that we had in the house. It was sweet, thick, all raspberry tasting and just waiting to be used for something delicious. I thought it would work great in this and it did. I would also imagine that using raspberries instead of blueberries would work well too with the boo-tay call.

I decreased the sugar in the original recipe from 2/3 cup to 1/3 cup because the wine is on the sweet side. You will need to adjust the sugar based on what liquid you use. Oh and speaking of the original recipe, I found that in The Ultimate Ice Cream Book.

Blueberry Bouteille Call Sorbet
1/3 cup sugar + 2 tbsp
1/3 cup Bouteille Call wine (or a zinfandel — if using a non-dessert wine or water, adjust the sugar accordingly)
1 heaping quart blueberries
juice of 1/2 lime

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Place 1/3 of the blueberries in a blender with the wine syrup. Blend, then add the remaining blueberries and blend until smooth. I start with 1/3 of the blueberries just to make it easier to start blending in the beginning.

If desired, strain through a colander to remove some of the skins. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It’ll be soft but ready to eat.

Freeze for 2 hours for firmer sorbet.

Thanks again to Sarah at The Delicious Life for hosting this event! Coming up: Monday: Greek Chicken Pie — I promise!

Tagged with: SHF21.

When it’s hot out, a cool dinner is the way to go. I discovered this combination a couple of years ago and it has become a meal we have a few times throughout the summer. Plus, jwa really likes egg salad and it’s occasionally nice to make him happy.

The basil in the egg salad gives it a fresh, interesting taste and works really well with the olives in the bread. This is especially good when tomatoes are in season and plentiful from the garden.

You will need:
4 eggs
a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp grated sweet onion
salt & pepper
lettuce of your choice
1 tomato, sliced
a loaf of kalamata olive bread

Hard boiling eggs
I’ve never really had a problem with green yolks or runny egg parts. Generally I bring a lidded pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Then add the eggs. Turn off the heat and put the lid back on. Wait 18 -20 minutes and that’s it. It always works perfect for me.

Run eggs under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel and chop and add to a bowl. Mix in the mayo, onion, basil and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Slice four pieces off the bread and start piling it on. I start with the lettuce and then add the tomato, topping that with the egg salad. Since egg salad can be messy, I try not to overload the sandwich with extras. Although, if you like onions a lot, a few rings of red onion can be good here.

Pop the other piece of bread on top and you’re in business. I typically leave egg salad sandwiches whole, instead of slicing into halves, because of the mess that entails. I like to try and keep the egg salad within the confines of the bread for as long as possible. Serve with some potato chips (Kettle Chips Green Onion and Yogurt are awesome) and kick back with your beverage of choice.

Today is a kind of lazy posting day. Today is about the backyard and garden. Last year we got a table and two chairs on clearance at Fred Meyer. We only got two chairs, as that is all they had left. This year we picked up two matching chairs (well, very slightly different but it’s pretty unnoticeable). Thank you, FM and your predictable seasonal stock!

We also got an umbrella which provides shade and nice shots like this.

The sky was so incredibly blue that day. I sat outside and took pictures while jwa did all the yard work. Excellent. But then, he sits on the couch and watches TV with a bag of cheesy poofs while I unpack all the groceries on occasion, so I think it’s fair.

I recently captured a bumble bee in a squash blossom. We call this the mystery squash. It just came up this year ad we have no idea which kind it is. We’re thinking maybe pumpkin but we’ve also grown acorn, spaghetti, butternut and zucchini.

Dahlia in the backyard.

A shot of the garden beds. This year we have tomatoes, a few mystery squash, carrots, radishes and leeks. We also have basil, bay, oregano and thyme growing in the beds.

A couple of months ago we bought a bag of live lady bugs at Fred Meyer and had a Lady Bug Release Party. It was fun — I only got a little freaked out when about 50 of them stormed the bag opening and started crawling up my arm. Then, I handed the bag back to jwa.

We placed them in the front and back yards. I love that I live in a place where I can go to the store and buy eggs, cotton balls, wheat pasta, new jeans and oh, a bag of 1200 live lady bugs!

Here’s a shot of one of the tomato plants. This one’s a Roma. We also have an heirloom variety but I forget which kind and I’m too lazy to run down and check.

Okay, tomorrow is Greek Chicken Pie (finally!) and Friday will be my SHF post.

My love of tacos is fierce. They can be cool (lettuce, tomatoes, cheese) they can be hot (filling of your choice) but they are always perfect. They are also super easy to prepare and really, your filling choices are unlimited. Take these, for example. After rummaging around the freezer I found some frozen, raw shrimp I wanted to use. Excellent — shrimp tacos. I made a quick marinade, heated up some tortillas, shredded some cheese and lettuce and jwa and I had a feast!

Chipotle-Orange Shrimp Tacos
12 (26/30 count) shrimp (fresh is great, frozen will work)
1 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup cilantro
1 small white onion
1/4 cup canola oil
salt
8 corn tortillas, heated in a dry pan until they begin to blister, then stored in aluminum foil until needed
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
arugula or spinach or some other greens
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
salsa of your choice
Optional: sour cream or yogurt, 2-3 green onions (diced), extra cilantro, olives — really anything

Defrost the shrimp in cold water if using frozen. devein and clean if needed. Make marinade. To do this, add the chipotle, orange juice, cilantro, 1/2 the onion (diced roughly), a pinch of salt and oil to a food processor or blender. If using a blender, do it in steps. For instance, blend the chipotle and OJ. Then add another item and blend, and so forth.

Pour half the mixture over the shrimp and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, start prepping the lettuce, tomatoes and cheese — shredding, dicing and grating, to be specific. Toss the yellow pepper and the other half of the onion (sliced) with the remaining chipolte-orange sauce and add a little salt. Saute over medium heat (a non-stick pan is best — if not, add a little more oil) until soft and a little browned. Set aside.

In the same pan cook the shrimp (salting a little before placing in the pan), a couple of minutes on each side, until they are pink and cooked through. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Cover with foil until you are ready for them. Go ahead. They’ll wait.

Assembly
Double up two tortillas and add some peppers, then 3 shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa and whatever other toppings you are using. Mmmm…so, so good. Add some chips and salsa and this is an excellent meal. You should also add a margarita, if desired. We made some mango margaritas and they went very awesomely.

***

In other news, is it weird to start planning the Thanksgiving menu now? I think I’ve got everything decided on. I think I am a dork. I’ll try to wait until September to actually post about the menu…

It’s Friday (in a couple of hours) and it’s supposed to be 100+ in Portland. What to do? Why, make a frozen drink on a stick, of course. Last year, as I was wandering around Fred Meyer or Target or someplace like that, I saw this plastic popsicle mold and thought it might be fun (you can get nicer ones at Williams-Sonoma and Cooking.com and places like that, although, I really like the little plastic drip tray on mine). Anyway, all you do is pour the liquid in, freeze it and you have a melony treat.

Add some liqueur and vodka and what more could you want? Besides — the color alone is awesome.

Midori-Melon Popsicles
Recipe from Gourmet magazzine).
1 peeled ripe honeydew melon, cut into cubes
5 tbsp Midori (melon liqueur)
3 tbsp vodka
1 1/2 tbsp superfine granulated sugar
Special equipment: 6 (1/3-cup) ice pop molds

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Pour purée into a sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth, set over a bowl. Let the mixture drain, undisturbed, for 30 minutes.

Discard the foamy solids in sieve. Pour liquid into molds and freeze at least 24 hours. If you have separate wooden sticks for your mold, insert those after about an hour of freezing time.

Now, I only had a four-popsicle mold (instead of six), so I had a little leftover melon mixture. If this happens to you, don’t be afraid to pour it over some ice and kick back with a melon drop. I was going to use this for my SHF post but then I came across a recipe for Nutella Gelatto. Yeahhhhh. That should be up next week…

Speaking of Next Week
I know today was supposed to be either the garden or the Greek chicken pie. Well, it’s too hot to sit in the garden or turn on the oven, so I don’t really feel like posting about either thing. Both of those posts will be coming soon, when we should be back to a more reasonable 80-ish outside.

***

In other news, jwa and I tried the Hawthorne Fish House (same owners — same menu) tonight. Not bad. I forgot my camera, so no full review. The calamari was good (very lightly coated and not rubbery at all). The best calamari I’ve ever had, though, was at Pacific Way Cafe when they had it for an appetizer special. It had this cumin-dusted batter and a spicy dipping sauce. It was crunchy and spicy and….

Okay, I lost my train of thought there. Sorry. jwa had the spicy catfish last night, which was really tasty and I had the perch. I liked it (reminded me of the Midwest and everything) but after I tried his, I wish I had gotten that. I wasn’t crazy about the wasabi-buttermilk slaw but that could just be because I’m not a huge cole slaw fan. I would definitely go again for the catfish and calamari alone (along with an ice cold Alaskan Amber) — and the jalapeno tartar sauce, which was a great accompaniment.

After making the pasta and blueberry salad, I was left with roughly a cup and a half of blueberries. Sure, these are good on cereal or even on their own but I wanted to do something with them.

Then, I came across this recent recipe from Gourmet magazine. The finished color almost makes them look like healthy wheat muffins. Nope. It’s the brown sugar — ha! The cinnamon goes really well with the blueberries and the crumbly topping I added gives them more crunch and more visual appeal.

Blueberry Cinnamon Muffins
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries
Topping (optional):
2 tbsp cup oats
2 tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts
1 tbsp brown sugar

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use liners or spray non-stick cooking spray in each cup. You will get either 12 normal sized muffins or 6 jumbo-sized muffins.

Whisk together the butter, brown sugar, milk, and egg in a bowl until combined well.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Add milk mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries gently.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle with a little of the oat and nut topping. Then, bake until golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

I used a large muffin pan (6 muffins) and it took about 25 minutes. For a normal-sized muffin pan (12 muffins), check after 20 minutes, but don’t be surprised if it takes the full 25-30 minutes.

Let them cool for a few minutes before snacking on one!

This recipe was in the most recent Eating Well and it seemed like it would be one of those dishes that was either surprisingly good or uh, not. It was the first thing. In fact, it was very, very good. The lime and the feta is some miracle-like combination and the thyme went wonderfully with the blueberries! There was absolutely nothing I didn’t like about this salad and I can see making it very often this Summer.

I’d also like to contribute this recipe to the Summer Salad event over at My Life as a Reluctant Housewife. A summer salad theme is a great idea — we could all use more hot weather meal ideas! And remember, blueberries are very good for you. That’s why I used the remainder of my pint of blueberries for a batch of Blueberry-Cinnamon muffins — coming later in the week. But for now –

What to do with a pint of blueberries, Part I: Blueberry Pasta Salad
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat (about 2-3 breasts)
8 ounces whole-wheat fusilli or radiatore (I used wheat penne)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced, or 1/2 a white onion, diced
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Juice form 1 lime juice (3 tbsp)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Lime zest from 1 lime (about a teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Optional: fresh oregano leaves (or more thyme leaves) for garnish oh, alright, and some Parmesan cheese

The original recipe called for poaching the chicken, which would work fine, but why poach when you can grill? Grill marks are our friends. I drizzled a little olive oil on the chicken, salted it and grilled it for about 8-10 minutes on each side (165 degrees) and the let it sit for a couple of minutes, then shredded it into bite-sized pieces. Whatever you do, you should wind up with cooked, bit-sized chicken. When you have that, set it aside and move along.

Next, cook your pasta until done, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, place the oil and shallot/onion in a small pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Add the broth, feta and lime juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the feta begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain and place in a large bowl.

Add the chicken to the bowl with the pasta.

Add the dressing, blueberries, thyme, lime zest, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust any seasonings. Toss until combined and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Ask for cakes…and you get cakes
So, I am very pleased with this little experiment. I met a fellow Portland blogger, got an entry all the way from Switzerland, a turtle cheesecake from Texas and jwa made me a pineapple upside down cake. I was expecting to not get any cakes as it’s hot this time of year and I only mentioned this cakefest on my blog. So, this was a pleasant surprise.

I was afraid I would have to assume alternate identities and bake things all weekend and sign up for a slew of new blog accounts and send myself fake entries. Whew — this was so much easier! Thank you to Archanna, Pushpa, Amy and jwa. And also, thanks again to everyone who has left comments over the last couple of days about Je Mange la Ville’s one year anniversary!

Now, let’s look at some lovely and festive baked goods, shall we?

I. Archanna at spicyana made a beautiful Black Forest Cake with Oregon Bing cherries and homemade cherry liqueur. If this cake were sitting on the counter at my house, I almost think it would seem too gorgeous to eat…almost.

II. Pushpa at PuSiVa’S CuLiNarY StUdiO sent me this lovely entry she had previously posted for one of her “Weekend Baking Sessions.” It’s an orange cake and it is just beautiful — frosted and decorated with mandarin orange slices and slivered almonds.

III. New Entry! Amy of Queso Fiesta got her cake in right under the wire and I’m awfully glad she did! It’s an awesome turtle cheesecake, which, in my opinion, is one of the best cheesecakes there is. I especially love the step-by-step shots on her site!

IV. jwa made me a super tasty pineapple upside down cake over the weekend. He started by pulling down the red and white checkered Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (we both have a copy) and he got right to work. It turned out great. We each had a piece while it was still warm from the oven and watched Wallace & Gromit fight off the Were-rabbit.

Tomorrow: What to do with a pint of blueberries, Part I. Later in the week, Part II, the garden/backyard and a Greek chicken pie.

First off, Happy Bastille Day. Second — I can’t believe that started this blog one year ago today. Let’s see, what has changed in the last year — I have a new job and uh, I guess I’m a year older but that’s not really important. What is important is– I’ve had this blog for a whole year! To celebrate the one year anniversary of Je Mange la Ville, I suggested a cake-athon. While deciding what kind of cupcakes to make, I found two recipes that intrigued me — so I made both.

Lemon cupcakes with a lemon and cream cheese frosting and chocolate stout cupcakes with an espresso cream cheese frosting. Very different flavors but both cupcakes were really good. Seriously, the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. And, the nice thing about making two kinds of cupcakes is that I made a half recipe of each and then made one full batch of cream cheese frosting, that I divided to make frosting for both types of cupcakes. See, math can be fun.

The lemon cupcakes started with a recipe for lemon cake. I had made it a couple of years ago for one of jwa’s birthdays. We both liked it a lot and I thought it would make great cupcakes. I was right.

Lemon Cupcakes
(Full recipe — this will make about 20-24 cupcakes, depending on your muffin tin size and how full you fill them. This recipe will also make a cake. If going that route, divide among 2 cake pans and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.)
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup whole milk
extra lemon zest and mint leaves for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins (12 muffins each) with paper muffin cups. Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds, or until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and increase the speed to medium-high, and continue to beat until the mixture is light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, add the whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the lemon juice.

Beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds. Scrape the batter into the prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 22-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. When they are cool enough to eat, you will have a very lemony, rich, delicate tasting cupcake. And with the tangy cream cheese frosting? Wow, they are amazing.

Now, open a bottle of stout.

These next cupcakes are very rich and very moist. They also have a nice stout taste to them. So, uh, I guess if you don’t like beer, they are probably not the cupcakes for you. If you do like beer — you will love these. They’re originally from Dave Lieberman (on Food Network) and jwa and I both liked them quite a bit. A fresh raspberry or two on top looks both very visually appealing and tastes great with the chocolatey, coffee taste of the frosted cupcakes.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
(Again, this is the full recipe — will make 24 cupcakes)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch fine salt
1 bottle stout beer
1 stick butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
raspberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at time. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

When the cupcakes are cool, it’s time to make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon (for lemon frosting)
1 tsp instant espresso powder (for espresso frosting)
1/2 tsp vanilla (for espresso frosting)

Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixture until lighter and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar until it’s well incorporated and the mixture is still fairly fluffy. Divide frosting into two bowls (I made a bit more of the espresso frosting, as I had 12 chocolate cupcakes and only 9 lemon ones).

To one bowl add the lemon zest and to the other, add the espresso and the vanilla. Mix each well to combine.

Now, it’s time to frost. Use a knife and spread the lemon frosting on the lemon cupcakes and the espresso frosting on the chocolate ones.

When you are done, they will almost be too pretty to eat.

But, you will manage. If it is a warm day, you might want to pop them in the refrigerator for the frosting to firm up a bit. I’ve found that a good way to do this is to place them all in a deep dish lasagna pan and then cover that wit plastic wrap. That way, the wrap doesn’t mess up the frosting, as the pan sides are taller than the cupcakes.

So, there are my amazing, celebratory, cake-athon cupcakes. Please send me your cake-athon snacks, if you feel inspired to whip up a cake or some other type of baked good this weekend! I know, I know, it’s hot — I totally understand if it’s too hot for cake baking. Also, feel free to send a previous cake post. I’d say anything you’ve posted in the last two months or so would work too. I’m not picky!

jwa has promised to make me a pineapple upside down cake this weekend, so that is nice and I’ve already gotten two other cake entries so far! I will recap the cake posts that I get on Monday.

Thank you all for reading my blog this past year and hopefully getting something out of it. For me, it’s been really fun to write and photograph my kitchen exploits. I hope to try more recipes in the coming year and document them all here!

Monday: Cake-athon round-up.