The Perfect Pear Spice Cake

 

My husband declares when I make him something new, "this is the best _________ I have ever had!"  I love this about him. His enthusiastic endorsements of my baking efforts keep me cooking and keep his belly full.  Yesterday with a bowl of ripening baby Bosch pears sitting on the counter, I was determined to make something different, something to celebrate the arrival of autumn. 

The Season I Love

“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.”
― William Cullen Bryant

Even though it has been nearly ninety degrees here in California, I cannot resist a celebration of the autumnal equinox.  Here's what I'd love to do this fall: walk with radiant fallen leaves underfoot, sip cider by a crackling fire, take a hay ride, make s’mores with gooey marshmallows, listen for the ding-dong of trick-or-treaters at the door, collect acorns, pick a perfectly imperfect pumpkin, wrap a scarf around my neck and done my worn leather boots, tail-gate with a bowl of chili and savor the season I love most.

Perfectly Pumpkin Pancakes

Well good morning!  You may well be thinking, another pancakes recipe?  Is this the only thing she knows how to cook?  As far as I'm concerned, Saturday mornings must always have pancakes.  Each and every Saturday, I find the perfect seasonal recipe to start the day right and spice up the weekend.

Flowers for Friday

“I must have flowers, always, and always.”
― Claude Monet

Au revoir, No Reservations

"The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.”
― Anthony Bourdain
A Cook's Tour 

Eight years ago, Tony Bourdain began taking us on his adventures to Paris and Penang and all places in between.  Now, he's onto his "Final Tour" of No Reservations and I am feeling a little sad that he won't be letting me vicariously hitch a ride any longer.

Taste of Indian Summer: The BLT

As much as I hope for the crispness of autumn, around here the weather is still stuck in the hot, humidity of summer.  Since we can't yet start cooking up batches of chili or soup, most of our dinners lately have been those that require no oven or stovetop.  

Picnicking the French Way: Dîner en Blanc

I recently stumbled upon a delectable social phenomenon that intrigues me. Twenty-four years ago, "Dîner en Blanc" was launched in Paris.  Of course, the pleasure-loving French developed this most lovely of dining concepts.  

At the very last minute before the event, a secret location is revealed for a picnic en masse.  Then, thousands of food-lovers and wine-lovers and just regular old lovers descend on the picnic spot dressed entirely en blanc, in white. But, my cheries, this is no mere salad of pommes de terre kind of picnic.  Dîner en Blanc has very specific rules to create an ambiance conducive to the most chic and civilized of outdoor dining experiences, one in which even Marie Antoinette would delight.

The Art of Sushi & Jiro Dreams

"Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably."

-Jiro Ono

When I first heard about Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I wondered what a documentary about an octogenarian sushi chef might really offer me?  As I watched the film, I quickly learned Jiro Ono, the eighty-five year old proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, is no mere restauranteur or chef or fishmonger, he is a philosopher and a culinary prophet.  

Coveting: Fall Fashion

“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple...”

-J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

September First!  That means we can start talking about fall now, right?  I can burn some pumpkin candles and watch football and make chili now, right?  Without hesitation, autumn is my favorite time of year to shop...to eat...to frolic in the leaves...to sip warm beverages.  There is something about the slowed pace after a busy summer and the cooling temperatures that triggers my creativity and delights my sweater-loving sensibilities.

Cocktail du jour: The French Fizzy

This evening I had a cocktail conundrum.  You see, my lovelies, I bought a bottle of booze based merely on the pretty label. It turns out, Lillet is a French aperitif made of white Bordeaux wines and orange liqueur.  How bad could that possibly be, right? Mixed with a little gin, a touch of citrus and a bit of bubbly tonic water, the "French Fizzy" is a most delicious late summer cocktail featuring the lovely Lillet.

Paris by the Page

“There is never any ending to Paris, and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. Paris was always worth it, and you received return for whatever you brought to it…”
Ernest Hemingway, in A Moveable Feast

Southern Living

“You learn to forgive (the South) for its narrow mind and growing pains because it has a huge heart. You forgive the stifling summers because the spring is lush and pastel sprinkled, because winter is merciful and brief, because corn bread and sweet tea and fried chicken are every bit as vital to a Sunday as getting dressed up for church, and because any southerner worth their salt says please and thank you. It's soft air and summer vines, pine woods and fat homegrown tomatoes. It's pulling the fruit right off a peach tree and letting the juice run down your chin. It's a closeted and profound appreciation for our neighbors in Alabama who bear the brunt of the Bubba jokes. The South gets in your blood and nose and skin bone-deep. I am less a part of the South than it is part of me. It's a romantic notion, being overcome by geography. But we are all a little starry-eyed down here. We're Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara and Rosa Parks all at once.” -Amanda Kyle Williams

Back to School

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited.” ~ Plutarch

 

I've mentioned before that I am an educator.  I adore my career as an art historian.  It is precisely what I was meant to do.  I am always challenged, constantly learning, and immersed in a field that never ceases to delight me. 

Even though I teach adults and not kindergarteners (though some of my students do conduct themselves as the latter and not the former), I find myself getting especially excited for the "first day of school."  My "first days" happen every new semester, but there is an extra special energy in the air come August.  

I fancy myself a Katharine Watson (Julia Roberts) in Mona Lisa Smile kind of art history teacher.

Flowers for Friday

"The Amen of nature is always a flower." 
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Joyeux Anniversaire, Julia!

"... thinking back on it now reminds that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite – toujours bon appétit!" 

-Julia Child 

from My Life in France

Dinner in Provence

“Why not make a daily pleasure out a daily necessity?”

-Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence

Well...truth be told, I didn't jet away to Provence for dinner, darlings (ahem, Dom Pérignon taste on a Bud Light budget?).  But, I had experienced a serious case of Francophilia earlier in the day and needed to prepare something French-inspired to satiate my hunger and wanderlust.  With a mix of fresh summer produce and Mediterranean flavors, voilà: winner winner chicken Provençal dinner!

Breakfast of Champions

Wow, watching Olympians compete sure does make me ravenous!  In honor of our mighty athletes, this morning I whipped up an extra special, extra large breakfast to fuel hubby and me on our morning run.  

Pancakes are my in my usual weekend repertoire, but today, I wanted something especially decadent.  Presenting....Almond Joy Cakes!  The nuttiness of almond flour combined with the richness of coconut milk and chocolate chips proved to be the ultimate Saturday morning treat.  

London Calling

"The greater the difficulty, 

the more the glory in surmounting it." 

- Epicurus

 

I am not a remotely athletic person, but I do love the Olympics.  Every two years, I find myself absorbed in competitions that at any other moment, I am completely oblivious to.

A Letter to My Former Self

I was recently combing through my multitude of photos on my computer and I came across this one.  

20 something. Polka-dot dress.  Adjacent to the Eiffel Tower after a summer abroad. Terrible posture. Cute pink purse from the Côte d'Azur. Uptight.  Smarter than I have ever been or ever will be again.  Oblivious to the fact that my dad was taking this picture.  Ten years ago.

Even though that moment seems like a blink ago, it actually was ten years, one marriage, one child, four apartments, three states, seven jobs and about 387 quesadillas ago. 

Pretty Monday: Natural Wonders

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long 
to play with your hair."  

-Khalil Gibran

Another weekend has come and gone (Madame Obvious at your service).  Sigh.  I spent my Saturday and Sunday with my sweet little family.  We had an exceptionally perfect time together, frolicking in the park and swimming in the sun, grilling veggies from the farmer's market and sitting on our porch.  I always find the best weekends are the most ordinary ones. 

Up on the Roof

“Mine was the twilight and the morning. Mine was a world of rooftops and love songs.” 
-Roman Payne, Rooftop Soliloquy

From Elle Decor

If I had a rooftop terrace, I'd love to sneak away for a glass of wine or a cup of coffee or an afternoon nap.  After writing about treehouses earlier this week, I have had lofty, dreamy spaces on my mind. There is something so cozy about being in a secretive place where you can see the world but the world can't see you.  Wouldn't a rooftop room be the perfect spot for a dinner with friends or a romantic evening with your love?  An exquisite view certainly wouldn't hurt the mood either. 

Eat like a French Baby

Willy Ronis, Le Petit Parisien, 1952

A few months ago, Pamela Druckerman's Bringing Up Bébé received media attention for her somewhat controversial views on French parenting.  The American living in Paris presented her own experiences with French child-rearing guidelines about sleep, discipline and food.  While I didn't agree with all of her theories, I did find myself nodding "oui, oui" as she discussed how French children eat.

Pretty Monday: House in the Trees

"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do."  ~Willa Cather, 1913


One of the many things I have in common with octogenarians is my love of 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning.  Both programs always enlighten me, cause me to ponder and offer some form of visual delight.  

On a recent Sunday Morning dedicated to summer pleasures, a segment pondered the childhood fantasy of a treehouse.  What kid doesn't dream of creating a hideaway, up in the trees?  

At the Movies: Moonrise Kingdom

Since I had a baby nearly a year ago, I have not been to a real movie in a real theater.  Pre-kiddo, this was my favorite introvert pastime: movie-going, all by myself (usually with a secret stash of Twizzlers).  Suffice it to say, returning to the theater this time around was a carefully planned affair.  I had to choose wisely.  It was critical not to waste my first movie experience in a year on some cinematic dud. And, chose wisely, I did.  

Flowers for Friday

Van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888

Today I bought a bunch of sunflowers.  Normally, I wouldn't purchase these big, hearty blooms, but I've been reading about Van Gogh and had sunflowers on my mind.  I arranged them in a champagne bucket for the perfect mix of country and classy. They've been smiling at me ever since.