- Eton Mess is the epitome of simple and unpretentious desserts. According to foodie legend, it was created when a fancier dessert had a bit of an accident on the way to a picnic at Eton. The English favorite is made with fresh fruit, whipped cream and crushed meringue cookies, all mixed together into a delicious dish. Nami Nami‘s version uses lots of fresh strawberries and a bit of mint as a garnish.
- The concept of putting salt on top of baked goods to enhance the sweetness is nothing new, but it seems to be showing up in more places than ever. Heidi of 101 Cookbooks is right when she says that it adds a layer of sophistication to a dish and, for her, it took a relatively simple cake to a new level. Her Salt-kissed Buttermilk Cake is quick and unfussy, featuring fresh in-season raspberries, whole grain flour and raw sugar, as well as a sprinkle of salt on top. This is a great choice for entertaining and ending a summer meal.
- Straight into Bed Cake-Free and Dried is a blog that gets its name from the favorite foodie kids book In The Night Kitchen. Unlike the book, where bakers worked with flour, bread and cake, this blog is all about gluten free recipes, so the Lemon Meringue Cupcakes have no flour in them. It’s a creative recipe that looks beautiful.
- Bakers sometimes get the reputation of being a little overly precise, a little uncompromising. I don’t know where exactly this comes from because bakers can improvise in the kitchen just like anyone else can. A perfect example is David Lebovitz, whose most recent Upside Down Cake creation was the result of a few unforeseen culinary challenges (and an apricot-napper). The cake is simple and versatile. It can be made with just about any fruit.
- If you like to make ice cream at home, at some point you should try to experiment with some slightly non-traditional ice cream ingredients. Avocado, for instance, adds a mild flavor and a remarkably creamy texture to the frozen dessert. The Perfect Pantry made a batch of Avocado Coconut Milk Ice Cream just recently. It’s pretty much foolproof and has a great combination of flavors, with rich avocado and coconut milk offset by some fresh, zesty lime.
- Mojitos are probably my favorite summertime drink, tasty and refreshing with rum, sugar and mint. This is probably why the Mojito Cheesecakes at The Passionate Cook sound so delicious. They have all the flavors of the cocktail, set against a creamy mixture of creme fraiche, mascarpone and quark (a soft cheese rarely available in the US, but often can be substituted with cream cheese in recipes) on a cookie crust base. The mini cheesecakes are baked and served in cocktail glasses – garnished with lime and mint, of course – to finish off the look.
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Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
July 23, 2008Thanks so much for the link to the avocado and coconut milk ice cream created by my friend Peter who guest blogs once a month. Peter is the most experimental chef I know, and I’m so lucky that he shares some of his recipes on my blog!
Delicious Chroncles
July 23, 2008i love that you give time to see other blogs and comment on them!!
Pille
July 24, 2008Thank you for the mention, Nicole! It’s very kind of you:)
naomi
July 28, 2008Thanks for the mention and link – so glad you got the reference in the blog title!
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