Desserts

Cinnamon Message Meringues

May 24, 2010 by Charles 3 Comments

This past weekend, Caitlin graduated from law school. But she didn’t just graduate; she graduated with style, earning a number of academic honors and awards.

But a few days before the graduation, I found myself sitting around with a lot of extra egg whites (you’ll see why in a few days). Rather than toss perfectly good egg whites, I decided to make meringues. And rather than make the simple spiral meringues, I decided to spice them up a bit — literally and figuratively!

After a healthy dash of cinnamon, and a few twirls from my piping bag, …

Madeleines

May 9, 2010 by Charles 6 Comments

French recipes are, understandably, often steeped in history. The nation is as proud of its culinary traditions as it is of its epistolary and philosophical ones. It’s why the incursion of soft drinks and hamburgers are as noxious as the incursion of English words like “le leader,” “le power” and “le hot-dog.” It’s why Jose Bove can become a national icon for burning down a McDonalds, and why Maria Antoinette’s remarks about brioche could topple a monarch. The evolution of French culture and identity can be easily traced along the x-axis of language, and y-axis of cooking.

The center of this graph, the 0,0 point, might well be Marcel Proust’s A la Recherche du Temps Perdu, or The Remembrance of Things Past. In one section…

Butternut Squash Layer Cake

April 20, 2010 by Charles 6 Comments

It’s easy to get side-tracked in this modern world. Text messages, phone calls, and e-mails demand our constant attention. Or, as it may be, distract our attention from the tasks at hand. Answering e-mails, flowing with the speed and strength of an angry river, evokes a triage center, with each incoming e-mail mentally sorted by its degree of urgency. Phone calls and text messages are no better, and the dangers associated with driving and phoning are well-documented.

Video games and the Internet are different species of the same beast. Punching controller buttons will always be more entertaining than punching the clock. And when the project at hand is growing tiresome, the browser icon is always a quick click away. There is always a headline to read or a score to check. There is always something out there, in need of your attention.

I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow this post got neglected. I should, of course, distinguish between…

Brown Rice Pudding

March 29, 2010 by Charles 4 Comments

In my legal world, I’m accustomed to starting things fresh. Every case requires its own study; every case presents its own facts and presentation of the law. It’s why the Circuit Courts can direct their District Courts in opposite directions. It’s why a simple car accident can take its litigants to the Supreme Court, and it’s why the Justices there can split their vote. Even the same case presents itself differently to different viewers.

Last week, I should have brought this understanding to my cooking world.

After making rice pudding with white rice, I copied the recipe …

Perfect Coffeecake

February 12, 2010 by Charles 3 Comments

Coffeecake may be a bit of a misnomer, but I’m not complaining. Coffeecake is one of the ultimate comfort desserts or snacks, a perfect combination of cinnamon and moist cake to accompany a hot coffee or chai tea latte (in my case) , on a cold wintry morning. Indeed, this coffeecake comes together so quickly and effortlessly, it might be ready in the time it takes…