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Sheryl, The Lady Behind the Curtain, peeked out to whisper the theme of June’s dessert challenge that was to be kept secret until today. I leaned in and heard strawberries and raspberries.
Hmm, fruits are rife on French influenced Japanese tarts. The berries are always artistically displayed and almost always on white flour and sugar laden pastries.
Raspberries, Strawberries & Stacks of Fruit &... Read More |
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Food revolutions are sweeping across America. Despite the statistics about the unhealthy eating habits in the U.S., the good word about gluten-free and dairy-free dishes and desserts is getting out. That’s thanks to grassroots leaders/ food bloggers like Bea at the Not So Cheesy Kitchen. As mom to daughters sensitive to various foods, Bea has consistently concocted delicious dairy-free and gluten-free treats for them. Lucky for us, she... Read More |
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Matcha is the elite member of the green tea family. Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo (an hour away by train) and Uji on the southern island of Kyushu are two areas famous for the choice green tea leaves.
Picking premium Japanese green tea leaves
Photo Credit
For this month’s swirl-in-a-Bundt theme, I twirled chocolate matcha into a bona fide Southern belle of a pound cake.
The pound cake... Read More |
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Chocolate covered cherries, Jitterbug dancing, and Elvis on Ed Sullivan. Remembrances from the idyllic 1950s childhood of my husband, David. Other wonderful memories include his mom, Betty and her baking. The smells of made-from-scratch pies and cakes in the oven awaited David upon his return from school. (Betty learned her skills by baking at her mother’s side.)
Homemade Apple Pie from the Ninja Baker's Kitchen... Read More |
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Elegant mini cups of Häagen-Dazs perch proudly next to their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo convenience stores. Häagen-Dazs is to be applauded. Traditionally, the Japanese palate has shunned heavy cream content in ice cream.
Many years ago, my father did his best to introduce an American ice cream company into Japan. But market research revealed the ice cream was too rich. In more recent days, foreign brands... Read More |
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Olives in muffins? Did I read the e-mail from our Muffin Monday fearless leader right? Yup. Olives were the theme for this week. Hmm. I’m not a huge olive fan. I associate olives with martinis, salad bars and Popeye’s girlfriend, Olive Oil. (I first saw the cartoon in Japanese. It was fun to travel to the States during summer vacation and experience Popeye’s different English inflection.) So, I was stumped…. Until I... Read More |
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Aloha! Sip your brightly colored umbrella drink. Exhale as the ocean waves lick the crystalline sugar sand beach. Feel the balmy breeze and smile. You’re in my Hawaiian escape fantasy. Ah well, we can dream and save our pennies to make our fantasies a reality, right? The good news is there is a way to enjoy immediate escape. Muffins made with fresh pineapple and a touch of lemon zest!
Pineapple Muffin... Read More |
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Summer in Japan is sweltering hot. Fans work overtime. Shutters are thrown wide open. The occasional breeze will set off the sounds of the furin garden wind chimes. Light and lovely, it’s as if fairies are making music.
Furin wind chimes making fairy music
Click here for the photo credit
Sounds of rain tap dancing on rooftops are a frequent occurrence in June. The good news is that all that water encourages gorgeous... Read More |
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Baked with Love is a monthly event hosted by RoxanasHomeBaking.com. (Scroll down to see the rules of participation.) If you visit Roxana’s blog, you’ll see she bakes (almost) daily with love! Chocolate Marble Banana Bread and Dulce de Leche Bars are but two examples of the care she pours into her delicious and do-able recipes.
Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls was my entrée into the world of... Read More |
