I sat looking out my studio window watching the robins gobble the last remaining red berries from my yard, wondering why I placed a Peanut Blossom, such a sunny cookie, in a decidedly cool background. But watching the last speck of red in my yard
Continue ReadingI never do resolutions for the New Year. I do have a New Year tradition however, that I call 'Reviewing'. Reviewing is a visit to the past year's favorites. 'Favorites' can be places; people; things; or events. And favorites can be new or old! I just
Continue ReadingWhile pondering my last post of the year, I decided to explore the "Peace" cookie. Oh, if only baking would make it so. But, what if we ALL made Peace cookies around holiday time? After a busy holiday season when we are all through with this: and
Continue ReadingAt Art On The Menu it's been holiday baking time for the past 6 weeks. My approach is eclectic a best. I look through my books, cookie magazines, and recipes. What jumps out, goes on the list. This year it was 2 bar cookies; one sliced
Continue ReadingWe've had enough turkey talk, so lets talk salmon. This amazing fish has quite a place in history. Salmon lore crosses cultures from Native American to Druids, with the traditions of preparing this fish spanning from grilled to gravlax. And of course, there is the
Continue ReadingIt's beloved, but not for eating. Although it's delicious roasted; pureed; baked in bread and pastries or stuffed in ravioli; mostly it's a centerpiece. And the final degradation is on Halloween, when it's carved and left to slowly sag as it rots away on porches around the country.
Continue ReadingMy recipe this month had to include mushrooms as the star ingredient. We had a spectacular mushroom season in the PNW. Remember the Caterpillar's advice to Alice in "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland". I concluded he was referring to the 'heightening' powers of all that flavor,
Continue ReadingWhat I love about Autumn is the way this season arrives quietly. Then, with it's palette of earth tones and brilliant yellows, reds and oranges, it slowly paints the landscape. In color and flavor, this palette perfectly matches the Fall harvest: mushrooms, apples, pears, squash, nuts,
Continue ReadingThe eggplant is the queen of summer. Not only is the color associated with royalty, the shapes are amazing. Maybe this is the summer equivalent of the pear in fall: the still life painter's nude. In the PNW we don't see eggplant until mid to late
Continue ReadingI am content if the dessert I order is sweet and satisfying. But there are times when that dessert is so much more and takes on a life of it's own. This was the story of a generous slice of cake I recently shared with
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