Oh, hi there.

I’m afraid I have to apologize yet again. Time escapes me over and over. I can’t really complain about much, however. I am busy with work, which is just wonderful. Kirk is busy with his work, which is fantastic too. And, Maeve is lovely. She’s a sick little red fox, but she’s learning tons, speaking tons, and is an official 2 year old. Where does the time go? I thought you might enjoy a few pictures from Thanksgiving, Christmas, and some fun escapades.

Let’s go back to Thanksgiving. We were in San Francisco with family. I made this incredible pie, which was the biggest hit with Maeve.

It was sunny there in San Francisco– at least for that week. We soaked it in and visited the zoo where Maeve made friends with a monkey. I was thankful for the glass partition.

We also made it to the park a number of times. Of course, there was a tantrum on at least one occasion.

Maeve played well with her cousins. She is finally old enough to partake in the fun.

We bought Maeve this sweet tent so she has something to look forward to when we visit San Francisco.

When we returned to Seattle, I was eager to start getting ready for Christmas. I was even more excited to see Santa. Maeve seemed excited too until she actually got near him. At that point, she was no longer excited. She was terrified. It didn’t go any better than last year.

The nippy temperatures often forced us indoors. We played with homemade playdough. We also read tons of books. This book is Maeve’s current favorite.

There were many art projects.

A kind person took a family photo for us when we went to pick up a Christmas tree. We were so thankful!

We took Maeve to Winterfest at the Seattle Center and to the snow for a fun sledding adventure. As it turns out, she is a snowbird.

Of course, we went to Twede’s after sledding. Are you familiar? It was the setting for many famous scenes on the best T.V. show of all time.

Maeve turned 2!!!!!  It was the highlight of our whole season and Maeve loved playing with her cousins best of all. This child is loved.

Happy New Year!

I started to write this post about 100 times. I don’t know why it was so hard, but it was. It was tough and time was tight.

First, I thank you a million times over for your emails and messages. It’s wonderful to know you care and you wonder. I like that. I like it so much.

So, here goes.

No, I’m not pregnant.

Yes, I took a break.

And, yes, everything is good. It’s great even.

Taking an even longer break was a delicious thing I didn’t know I needed until I took an inch. And, well, you know how that goes. Inches so quickly turn into feet, yards and, quite suddenly, you’re miles away from everything.

This little respite was sort of exhilarating in the way that only something you’re not necessarily supposed to be doing can be. It felt like running out the back of my middle school arm and arm with my best friend for the first time. It was a breath of fresh air and truly liberating to know breaks are always possible. Breaks, mind you, are needed. That’s sort of how this went.

But there is more.

Wedding season is winding down for K and he is gearing up for more personal projects. Maeve started preschool and is learning bits and pieces of foreign languages. She is currently obssessed with classic stories like this one and this one too. She sings along with me! It’s amazing and she is absolutely delightful– a bundle of wild red curls and endless enthusiasm.

And, me? I went back to school too. It’s only a brief frolic through the classroom, but it’s a big deal for me. I have a new career now. It’s strange and wonderful. I’ll still be writing in my spare time, but it’s not easy to pay bills this way.  And, besides, my fuzzy toddler brain does not generate solid pitches the way it should.

I couldn’t be more happy about the change. For years, I feared it. These days, I embrace change in all its craziness. So, if you need anyone to help you with your real estate needs in Seattle, don’t hesitate to call. Yes, real estate. While some friends might be surprised, you shouldn’t be. Isn’t real estate the natural transition for a recovering lawyer and food writer? Indeed. I think so. It’s been a longtime passion and something I didn’t allow myself to pursue. Until now. Now is the time.

There, it’s off my chest! I hope you will continue to visit me here. I can’t promise I will blog daily or even weekly, but I’m ready to return here with some regularity. I’m pumped, really. I love autumn and all its flavors. I love trips to the pumpkin patch, warm pumpkin bread, and easy squash pasta. It’s a good time to stay inside and watch the rain fall while baking every recipe out of this book.

I also made a batch of this super simple pumpkin butter, which I recommend. Slow cookers are the new black.

But, enough about me. How are YOU?

Tell me everything, but start with what you are you doing for this fun holiday. I can’t wait to hear!

Happy Halloween, friends!

Oh, and if you need a spooky laugh, please see these. They will make your day.

The links are back. Enjoy.

Do you like sushi? I LOVE it. Last night, I watched the most brilliant movie in which sushi takes center stage. It’s called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It will make your mouth water and your aspirations soar.

Have you ever watched Julia and Julia? I found it nearly unwatchable because I was so upset by the loud slurping scenes, which I found revolting. Apparently, I am not alone in my rage at cacophonous eating. What a relief!

Does food writing actually matter?

People in NYC now have access to backyards when they please. Hooray for more barbecues.

Here is just another reason the San Juan Islands are one of my favorite spots in the world. Yum.

Last week, I read Hungry Monkey and was blown away by the hilariously wonderful stories and recipes. If you have children and you want them to EAT, read it!

I also discovered The Homemade Pantry. Alana, where have you been all my life? I will never buy buttermilk again.

I don’t know about you, but I’m curious to know what the world eats.

Over and out, my friends.

Yesterday, I ignored my phone, email, and all forms of social media for several hours. It felt good and liberating. I also ignored this blog for about a month. You already know that, I suppose. But I wondered if you might be beginning to worry? If so, please accept my apologies. I assure you they are heartfelt. I can’t really begin to explain all the reasons for the break. It just sort of happened. Summer is so seductive with its sunshine and buzzing public spaces. I found myself out and about a lot with the wee one. There were barbecues and little parties. There were play dates and more play dates. Trips to the park. Trips to the San Juans. More play dates. And some reinvention. I’ll explain more about that last bit later this month.

For now, we are home and cooking lots again. I made you this pizza to make up for the time lost. I think it’s worth it. It is the perfect summer pizza. It’s bright, fresh, and tangy with cilantro, zucchini, lime, and fresh cilantro. I love this crust more than any other home pizza crust. I really want you to try it, but I’m concerned you might fret when you glance at the recipe. It looks time-consuming, I know. It’s not really that much of a time commitment. There is a bit of shuffling you’ll have to do with the pizzas in the oven. Oof! Take a moment and breathe deeply. It isn’t as bad as it looks. Use a timer. Be nearby. It will be worth every moment spent when you bite down on the most perfect home-baked pizza crust you’ve ever had.

This pizza is truly something to behold and we find ourselves eating it often. A good deal of the reason for this is related to a small redheaded child who routinely spins about this house with boundless energy. This child, the one with the adventurous palate about which I used to brag so often, is on a strike of sorts. Her whims and desires change with the wind. Thank goodness for pizza. Pizza is always a favorite. And, thank goodness for long summer nights, highchairs on the patio, and lovely readers who indulge my short or long sanity blogging breaks.

Happy August, dear friends.

Corn Zucchini Pizza with Lime & Cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 recipe for yeasted pizza dough (see below)

Coarse yellow cornmeal for dusting

¾ cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear of corn)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 small yellow or red onion, thinly sliced

3 small zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 and ½ cups)

½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 limes, quartered

Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

To shape the pizzas, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 pieces. Gently form each piece into a loose round and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Pour a small amount of the remaining olive oil over the inverted baking sheets. Scatter cornmeal over the top of the oil. Shape each round into a 10 inch disk and place it on the sheet.

In a small bowl, toss the corn kernels with the black pepper.  Line up the 3 pizzas for assembly.  Scatter half of the Mozzarella over the pizzas, leaving a ½ inch rim.  Place the onion over the cheese and spread the zucchini over the onion.  Scatter the remaining mozzarella over the onion and zucchini.  Sprinkle with feta and corn.

Place a baking sheet with a pizza on the lower rack and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the pizza to the upper rack, place the second pizza in the oven on the lower rack, and continue baking for 8 minutes. Then, finish baking the first pizza by sliding it off the pan directly onto the lower oven rack. Rotate the second pizza to the upper rack. Bake the pizza on the lower rack for 5 minutes to crisp the bottom until well browned. Finish baking the second and third pizzas in the same manner. Immediately after removing each pizza from the oven, brush the garlic oil onto the rim. Garnish with cilantro. Sprinkle lime juice over the top.

Yeasted Pizza Dough (Makes three 10 inch pizzas)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 and 1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 and 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

If using stand mixer, add all the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the bowl. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix for 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Add 1 and 1/2 cups more flour, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoonful as needed to form a soft dough with a nice sheen; it should be a little sticky, but not too wet.

If making by hand, add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of flour to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix for at least 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups flour onto a work surface, place the dough on top of it, and knead it for about 8 minutes to form a soft dough with a nice sheen; it should be sticky but not too wet. If the dough sticks to the work surface, rub a little olive oil on it. if the dough is impossibly sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoon as needed.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a large well oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, put the dough in the fridge and let rise overnight. The next day let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours before proceeding with recipe.

Adapted from The Cheese Board Cookbook

K and I went on a date this week. It was fantastic. We saw Moonrise Kingdom and loved it! I keep thinking about it. So dreamy.

How about you? Any dates? Good movies? I hope to have many many date nights in my future.

Speaking of romantic things, how do you like the above picture? I adore it. It’s from K’s most recent engagement shoot.

Here are some more fun links.

Alphabet cookie cutters.

An extremely sweet handmade wedding card.

Who knew ottomans could be so darn cute?

A set of nesting bowls. Everyone needs some.

Sometimes, I dream about being a farmer.

I made ricotta again this week. Have you made it at home yet? You should. It’s delicious.

Can a steak sandwich possibly be better than a burger? Hmmm . . .

I saw a woman at the airport last week attempting to get through security with a bucket of coke. I’m not kidding. There was a handle on that thing. Is this normal soda consumption? What do you think?

Fava beans without the work of peeling and shelling? Hooray!

Oh, and I nearly forgot. What do you think of the new look around here? It was really a team effort to spruce up the blog and I have to give MANY thanks to Rachel. She was the real workhorse on this project!

Have a great weekend!

A good cookbook can reel me in just like a good novel. It’s just as addictive, I find. But it’s not the rough cut pages, gorgeous typeface, and mouthwatering photos, over which I fawn. Those elements are wonderfully seductive, but they are merely the icing on the cake.  All too often, such things are distractions. You peel away the icing and find little substance beneath. Every now and then, however, I find a true gem on my hands. That’s what I found in Good to the Grain. This book is a lovely tome of baking written in a truly generous manner. Boyce shares much about her world and the tools of her trade. She does so matter-of-factly without flowery writing or fluff. And, although the book is bursting with imperfectly gorgeous food photography, it’s the recipes and helpful discussions that are the real deal here. This is a concise manual of baking written by a mother who, in the quest to feed her wee ones healthy foods, developed a groundbreaking collection of whole grain baking recipes. I was riveted and not the least bit disappointed.

Good to the Grain fell into my lap at just the perfect moment. I returned to my house from a week’s vacation. When I walked in the front door, I found the house freezing cold and a bit damp. The air was sort of stale and my eyes immediately darted to the couch and the hardened bits of banana smeared into eternity by grubby little paws. But none of it mattered. It felt enormously good to set down the suitcase and walk across the threshold. And Maeve, who was just about to earn an oscar for the most dramatic fit in her lifetime, suddenly clambered to get out of my arms. In a flash, she was across the floor sorting through her toy bin chalk full of rediscovered treasures. I knew in an instant I needed to cook a decent meal. Only then would I truly feel grounded in my home. Vacation meals are wonderful and fun, but they don’t stack up to a decent home-cooked meal. Nor does a house feel like home when it doesn’t smell like food. So, within a couple hours, things were underway and the wee one was napping peacefully. It all felt smooth and easy. I roasted a chicken and some potatoes to perfection. We finished it off with fresh broccoli from the market. And all went swimmingly until I set out the various components of the meal before Maeve. Nary a bite did she eat. In fact, most of the meal went flying in all directions. The few timid bites she ventured were ejected instantaneously. I failed. It’s not uncommon for me, but last night it hurt. I thought we were all on the same page, but I was mistaken. There was broccoli in my hair.

 My daughter currently lives on a diet of bread and fruit alone. I sometimes wonder if this is sufficient. I wonder if one can live on this little and varied diet. On the other hand, I figure she will let me know when she’s darn hungry. I’m fairly certain of this. And, in the meantime, I will do my very very best to make certain her diet of fruit and bread consists of the very finest fruit and bread there is to be had. Thank goodness for this book. This morning we made cheddar biscuits and they didn’t disappoint. The recipe, as all of the recipes in the book, was easy to follow and flawless. The biscuits are savory with a delicious peppery bite. They a touch flakey, but not too flakey. They’re the perfect to-go snack for a toddler on the run. Maeve ran about with biscuit in hand and I didn’t find myself running behind her with broom in mine. If that isn’t the measure of good toddler fare, I don’t know what is. Oh, yes, and the whole grains are wonderful too.

Make these today. Serve them with soup. Serve them with a perfectly poached egg and fresh chives. Just serve them. Battles with food are tiring. Perhaps it’s best to work within the limitations provided by the wee palate at hand.

Cheddar Biscuits

Dry mix:
1 cup Kamut Flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Wet mix:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar, about 1/3 pound
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup crème fraîche

Finish:
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Rub two baking sheets with butter. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.
Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the frozen butter over the dry ingredients. Add the Cheddar and the Parmesan and stir until evenly combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and crème fraîche . Add the mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, butter and cheeses. Use a spoon or your hands to stir the dough together. As it combines, the dough will have clumps of wet dough next to many smaller, crumblier pieces.

Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface and knead it until it roughly comes together, making sure not to overwork the dough, about three kneads. Flour the surface again and use your hands to pat the dough until it’s 1 inch thick.

Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter (or drinking glass), press straight down through the dough. Twist the cutter and lift it up, moving the biscuit to the buttered baking sheet, leaving a 2-inch space between the biscuits.

Continue to cut out circles, gathering the scraps and pressing them together to make more biscuits.
Brush the top of each biscuit with buttermilk and sprinkle with a few grinds of black pepper. Bake the biscuits for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the biscuits are golden brown. The biscuits are best eaten warm from the oven but will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

Source:  Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours

Just when I feel like I’m back in the swing of things around here, we are away again. It’s just a short trip. You’ll barely notice I’m gone. In the meantime, here are a few things.

First things first, Shelly is having a baby girl! I am over the moon with happiness for her. What a lucky baby to have a mama who is such a gifted chef! Darling Ilke suggested we have a food-related babyshower for Shelly with our suggestions for freezer meals. It’s a fabulous idea, right?

When I was pregnant I froze lassagna and kugel. I also used this easy frozen burrito recipe from Shutterbean too.

What about you? Do you have some suggestions for Shelly?

Above is a picture my husband took of me 2 years ago when I was pregnant with Maeve.

Also, did you catch my list a while back on essentials for baby? I updated it recently.

Speaking of little ones, wouldn’t you be proud if this was your daughter? She is going to change the world or school lunches or both!

This week, I’m also loving this amazingly gorgeous M.F.K. Fisher book.

Such sweet earrings. And, more coveted earrings.

I love summer sandals like these and these.

Putting kids to bed is at once hilarious and exhausting.

A foodie’s guide to eating on the road.

I will see you all very soon. Congratulations again to Shelly!

I didn’t really expect to be away from here for so long. It wasn’t a planned absence. I went away on a little trip with K and then thing after thing got in the way of coming back here. These weren’t bad things. They were mostly good things. There was a surprise visit from a dear friend who moved away last year. There were many trips to the park, some hikes, and a bit of indulgent shopping here and there. It was mostly great although I wish I could tell you it was all relaxing. This is always a hard time for our family. It’s wedding season, which means K is gone a lot. He is off on airplanes and in rental cars memorializing people’s special days. He has such fun out there doing his dream job, but we miss him terribly. And, admittedly, I cook less and don’t photograph nearly anything in his absence. I also tend to go nearly insane, but that’s an entirely different story more appropriate for an intimate discussion to take place at a later date (at a bar).

But I’m back in action and feeling slightly less exhausted. K is home for now and we are eating normally again. It’s also sporadically sunny for which I am terribly grateful. A few meager days of sun here and there are far better than none at all. I know that might sound a bit strange. If you lived here, you would understand. If not, it might be a bit confusing. You likely think Seattle folk don’t care much for the sun. After all, we choose to live in an area of the country where we are almost always covered by a blanket of gray sky. But if you really want to know the truth I can tell you. People here are totally bananas for the sun. When the temperature hits 60 degrees and there’s faint sunlight apparent through the clouds, more than a few people don flipflops and hot pants. I kid you not. The amount of skin people willingly bare around here on a partially sunny day in June is ridiculous. On the other hand, it’s also sort of liberating. Most residents of the city are ghastly pale. The pasty legs all around really seem to level the playing field. It’s not L.A. and no one is pretending it is. What a relief! But don’t worry. You won’t find me wearing tiny shorts or a bikini top around town. That’s not really my thing. I celebrate with food. This is a distinctly bikini prohibitive manner of celebration, but I’m O.K. with that. We have a decent patio where you can find us on most summer evenings. While the little one digs into my newly potted plants with her tiny garden tools, K and I putter about making fun things to eat.

These days, there are berries at any hour of the day. It’s berry season. We are in the thick of it and I can see no good reason why I can’t include some type of berry in nearly every meal. I don’t hear many objections around here. Maeve, as I mentioned, is a berry addict. She will live on berries alone, but I am making some attempt to encourage moderation. Berries dot our meals throughout the day whether they are included in muffins, salads, or straight out of a bowl with a touch of sugar. We don’t generally discriminate, but I do tend to favor tarts and hand pies.

One of my favorite things to do in the summertime is to make simple fruit tarts. It’s such an easy way to enjoy the fruits of summer that I wonder if it’s even worth discussing. You can be the judge. I figure you might enjoy hearing about this particular tart recipe because it’s a bit different. The pastry might be the same sweet pastry to which you are all accustomed, but the real stars of the show are the berries soaked in a balsamic simple syrup.

Yes. You heard me right.

Balsamic simple syrup!

It’s a miracle. I swear by it now. You can soak your berries in the balsamic simple syrup and grill them on the barbecue. Or, follow this recipe today and soak your strawberries in balsamic simple syrup before popping them into tiny tart cups. It’s the easiest thing ever, but the reward it big because the flavors are so bold and bright.

This simple syrup is my new favorite condiment and these tarts are my new favorite summer dessert. I hope you like them too. We enjoyed them in the afternoon with coffee. Maeve didn’t have coffee, but she did just about flip her lid over these. She would probably eat them to the exclusion of all other foods, but I am trying to do my best to convince her broccoli is pretty cool too. I’ll keep you posted on that.

Strawberry Balsamic Tarts (makes about 16 small tarts)

For the Dough:

1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

* That handy dandy strawberry huller can be found here.

This week, I squeezed a fair amount of sunscreen onto a toothbrush. I also put milk in the freezer and made very gritty coffee when I forgot to use a filter. I’m not quite sure where my head is right now. I’ll be back before the week is done, but here are some links to keep you occupied.

I’m dying to see this movie. Please baby-sit for me.

Do you DIY? Learn to make lots of stuff here.

Freckle cream– it’s miraculous in so many ways.

Are you a messy cake froster? Never again!

I think this might be the most perfect baby shower gift.

My new favorite etsy store. I love bird art!

I’m no artist, which is why I love paint by number kits.

Very sweet DIY plant labels.

Are you visiting Seattle soon? Have you seen my offbeat guide?

When I returned from France, no one believed me that I met women there who drank diet shakes at every meal. Here’s my proof.

Remember when Mike Tyson bit that guy’s ear off during a match? Well, he’s a vegan now along with many many others.

Finally, did you catch me on Design Mom last week?! You probably didn’t know about my previous career . . .

What are you doing this weekend? I hope you have something fun planned.

K and I are off without Maeve for the first time. I’m nervous, but deliriously excited too! We’ll be in Vancouver where K is scheduled to speak about the above photograph.

Isn’t it gorgeous? K took it during our trip to India a couple of years ago.

It’s selling for charity right now over at ahalife.

Have a great weekend!

Robin