Happy birthday to us,
Happy birthday to us,
Happy 220th birthday King Arthur…
Happy birthday to US!

That’s U.S., as in in United States of America, celebrating its 234th birthday this coming weekend. Though America is 14 years older than King Arthur, we feel like we’ve grown up together. Through decades of prosperity and harmony, interspersed with wars and economic downturns, the United States – and King Arthur – have both endured. And flourished. (more…)

What does this…

Have in common with this?

Stumped?

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Cool and creamy coconut ice cream is the fountain of youth for me.  It takes me back to a time when I was thin, tanned, and away from home for the very first time. It was 1985, and I was 17…

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Sweet rolls.

Soft, tender (keep reading), gooey, buttery (keep reading), lick-your-fingers (keep reading), crunchy with nuts (or not) -

…and ready for breakfast in under 45 minutes.

How can that be?

NO YEAST.

No kidding!

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How does it DO that?!

I mean, there’s no yeast in this big, puffy cracker bread. No baking powder, no sourdough, no leavening of any kind.

Yet this simple mixture of water, flour, and salt, rolled paper-thin and thrown onto a hot pizza stone (or hot baking sheet), bubbles and puffs dramatically.

STEAM, baby. It powered riverboats and trains back in the day, and it can turn your cracker bread into a veritable culinary volcano today.

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This is a story about a wedding. And a very special wedding cake.

One that took two bakers, working at different sites miles apart, to pull off – to perfection.

Interested? Read on.

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Can I share a cool, exciting, and a bit embarrassing moment with you? (more…)

Ever heard of a lime rickey?

NO?!

Then you’ve missed one of summer’s most refreshing drinks.

At its simplest, the lime rickey is a mixture of carbonated water (seltzer), lime juice, and simple syrup (sugar). In elevated form, it includes alcohol; the mojito is its kissing cousin.

And if you’re talking strictly ice cream fountain fare, the lime rickey is often enhanced with other flavored syrups – most often raspberry, if you live in New England. (more…)

’Tis the season.

For ice cream, of course. Strawberry shortcake. Anything with berries.

And for outdoor grilling.

Sure, hot dogs, burgers, and chicken are givens. But bread – either baked entirely on the grill, or simply warmed over dying coals – is a wonderful addition to any outdoor table. (more…)

Hummus.

Isn’t that hard to make? Don’t you need to go out and buy that sesame stuff, what’s it called – tahini?

No. And no. (more…)