Recipe blog by Adrianna Adarme

20

May

Sweet Cherry Pie with a Rye Pie Crust

I’m maybe a little, only slightly, sort of obsessed with making pie right now. I can’t stop! And yes, a lot of it has to do with fruit just being so pretty right now. It all smells so fragrant, looks so cute, taste so delicious, ugh! But the main reason why I love making pie is the actual process. It’s therapeutic. (Not that I need therapy, really(?).)

The rolling, transferring, crimping, braiding, sealing, egg washing and so on is so soothing, peaceful and so in the moment. Making pie isn’t really stressful, but it does requires all of your attention. No texting, checking Instagram or thinking about emails that need to be sent or what to make for dinner. The only thing that matters when you’re making pie, is making pie because that stupid saying “easy as pie” is dumb and wrong.

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17

May

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

in Drinks

I feel like we’ve earned a cocktail this week, don’t you think?

I think we have. That’s my vote. I’m going to be frank with you and let you know that I’m not a margarita girl. Not one bit.

I’m more of bourbon on the rocks girl. I’m a fancy (or even cheap) kinda beer girl. I can be a wine girl, sometimes. Definitely a gin and tonic kinda girl. But never a girl who craves margs. But if I am gonna be that girl, the drank has gotta be spicy. I love a spicy margarita…but not too, too spicy either or else I’ll be that girl who eats all the chips trying to extinguish the jalapeño fire. I’m complicated.

I drank the last of this while watching this week’s Nashville and almost freaked out. If you’re not watching this show, you’re missing out on so much scandal, big hair, sequins and country music. It really is a dream of a show.

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15

May

Strawberry and Chocolate Marble Loaf

in Breakfast, Desserts

I’ve only recently become a weird morning person. I used to seriously turn off my alarm and then sleep the most anxious-ridden extra 15 minutes ever, knowing very well that I had to get up a few minutes later. Not a pleasant sleep but I’d still do it! WHY? So dumb. But now I set no alarm, and every single morning I miraculously wake up a little bit after 7am. (It also helps that I have a little beast of an animal I live with who whimpers at my face until my eyes finally open. So, I guess I do have an alarm clock, just not a traditional one.)

In college I had late night film classes and super early morning classes, which meant I was an awful person to be around before 10am. The one thing that would get me through the drudge of early morning stuff was the local coffee shop which had terrible coffee BUT an awesome marble loaf. It was seriously the only thing that kept me from sleeping through the first day’s class.

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13

May

Apricot, Sage and Hazelnut Galette (with a lattice top!)

in Desserts

I’ve been dreaming about making a cross between a galette and a real, legit pie with a lattice top since January. WHY?! Because why not. I figure it’s like a lazier version of a real pie, but slightly more ambitious than a traditional galette. Less rustic; less perfect. It’s all about meeting in the middle. (Also, my pie tin might’ve been sticky because I maybe used it to roast carrots in pomegranate molasses not expecting it to get all sticky and stuck. Just maybe.)

I wasn’t expecting to act on my January-galette-dream so soon. I thought it was too early to get all pie-like up in here…that was until I went to the farmer’s market this past Saturday and the apricots were being all fragrant and cute by still having their leaves attached. My favorite fruit is the fruit that looks like it was picked in my neighbor’s backyard.

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{ 36 comments }

10

May

Happy Mother’s Day!

in Adventures

My mom had me really young. Twenty years old, to be exact. When I think of what her walk back home from the doctor must’ve been like, I get sad to think how scared she probably was. I’m sure in between those steps there was an “oh fuck” muttered once or twice, or three times. But, she was brave, listened to her heart and moved onward.

What my mom lacked in maturity and life experience, she made up with effort. My mom tried. Like, really, really tried. My mom read all the books, she asked her mother (who raised seven children herself) all the questions, she’d seek older women out at the park and ask them questions, she attended every PTA meeting, every school event, attended all of my tennis matches (though she still has no idea what 40-LOVE means), figured out how to give me advice and guide me without pushing me away. And in those adolescent years when daughters and mothers fight like cats and dogs, we really had very little of that. My mom made sure we weren’t “friends”; she was my mom, and I saw her as my guide through life.

Looking back, I think my mom’s success as a mother came from just trying, day in and day out, even when she might’ve felt overwhelmed, scared, hopeless and beat down. She never gave up. She was determined, along with my dad, to make sure my brother and I turned out to be good, contributing people to society, in one way or another.

So, thanks mami for showing me, by example, how to be an honest, kind and open human. But most of all, thanks for trying.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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09

May

Buttermilk and Strawberry Panna Cotta

in Desserts

Homemade pudding has been well documented on this here site quite a bit. It’s a near and dear dessert that’s so close to my heart. Puddin’ is the thing I want to eat after a super heavy meal when I can barely even think to think about dessert, but totally want to. Am I making sense?

And no matter how many new pudding memories I make, pudding will always, ALWAYS remind me of Billy Madison. (Please tell me you clicked on that link and watched him dance down those stairs. You’re welcome.)

Billy loved his Snack Packs! I remember watching that movie over and over and begging my mom to add them to her grocery list. She did. I was a girl obsessed with Billy Madison and chocolate pudding.

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08

May

Rhubarb Fizz with Edible Flower Ice Cubes

in Drinks

This weekend is dang important. I mean, SUPER important. It’s Mama’s Day! And I know dogs aren’t considered real children (though they are in my house for the time being), but I’ll be celebrating my first Mother’s Day as a mama. I want brunch, man! I hope Amelia bakes me a quiche.

When I was around 10 years old or so, I remember being pretty bummed. I wasn’t the tallest, prettiest, fastest or smartest kid in my class. Actually, I was the total opposite. I had gaps between every.single.one.of.my.teeth. My hair was frizzy (the 90s were pre-blow outs/Morrocan hair oil), my teeth were unfortunate and I was the teeniest and tiniest person ever. I remember expressing my overall terribleness to my mama and her response was simple, “You’re a later bloomer.” I remember it so specifically because it made all my current short-comings (literally and figuratively) ok. It made me calmer about the present and really excited about the future.

A few weeks ago I was feeling a little bummed about things, when I came across this article written by Martha Stewart. It’s all about being a late bloomer, how she, specifically, is a late bloomer. I don’t think anyone would consider her a late bloomer but she is! She started her empire in her 50s. Isn’t that amazing? It’s never too late. It was an inspiring and motivating read. Let’s relax about right now and get excited for our future. There’s still time.

And more importantly, let’s take the day and celebrate our mamas.

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{ 29 comments }

06

May

Banana Bourbon Pancakes and COOKBOOK NEWS!!!

in Breakfast, Pancakes

Whoa! Hai! Hello! I’m nervous.

I wrote a cookbook. It happened. I haven’t spoken about it much because sometimes I’m shy. But today is the day when I scream it from the rooftops, text you to tell you about it, using lots of emojis and exclamations points, nudge you to maybe, only if you want to, pre-order it from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

My lil’ ol’ humble cookbook is being published by St. Martin’s Press and the release date is coming soon (eeeek!), May 28th!

This cookbook, like all cookbooks, was a labor of love with the help of my awesome literary agent, Danielle and super smart and fellow food-lover of an editor, BJ. The pretty pictures and styling was done by my friends, Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park. The cookbook is about my favorite breakfast food ever invented: pancakes. There are 72 recipes of breakfast pancakes, dinner pancakes, nerdy pancake information and even some savory and sweet toppings.

Before I show you a bunch of pictures of the cookbook, I feel like we should talk about these Banana Bourbon Pancakes because they’re pretty major. I know I’m not supposed to have favorites in the book but I do. I just do. These are one of them.

The bananas are caramelized in a bit of bourbon, butter, brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. They’re cooked until golden brown and then added to a bourbon-spiked pancake batter. Holy moly. They’re fluffy and boozy and slightly sweet and oh so very delicious. I love. Just love.

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{ 196 comments }

03

May

Saving A Cake From Disaster

in Cakes, Desserts

This post is all about overcoming adversity, cake decorating adversity. I came thisclose to having a cake worthy of a spot on Cake Wrecks. It all started when Martha’s people were super nice enough to send me an advance copy of their issue of Cakes & Cupcakes. There was a technique in the magazine that caught my eye; it was technique using acetate strips to create a pretty striped pattern. The pictures in the magazine showed glittery pink stripes and bright yellow stripes. I had dreams of creating a cake inspired by my favorite French shirt, the breton. White frosting and navy blue stripes. How spring and easy!

It didn’t go so well, guys. Not at all. So this is a story, not about making a pretty cake, but rather about saving a cake from decoration disaster. It’s a story about how I panicked, looked at the wilting roses on my bedside table and improvised the shiz out of the next move. Ready?

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02

May

How to Bake Flat Cake Layers

in DIY, How-To

I’m not sure there will ever come a day when baking isn’t magical to me. I still get giddy when I turn on the oven light, peek through the glass to see biscuits doubling in size. Or when a waif of baking banana bread skips through the house and under my little nose. Baking is my magic.

I love the trust and faith we must have in a recipe, in the ratio and in the ingredients. We trust that those ingredients will interact, react and transform into something so beautifully delicious.

Having just whispered all those sweet words of nothing, I’ll admit I’m not really a cake-maker-type girl. I’m not sure if a single layered-cake even lives on this blog. I’m pretty sure it has everything to do with me being an impatient person and thinking cake decorating is a little tedious. But when I want cake inspo, I turn to Sara from Matchbox Kitchen. She makes some insanely pretty cakes. One thing I LOVE about her cakes is how they’re all perfectly cylinder. The tops are completely flat. Flat cake tops are all the rage in the cake world.

Cake layers usually dome on us, rising right in the center and then cracking. I think doming on a quick bread is beautiful. I love it. My friend and baker, Hourie, wouldn’t think to serve a quick bread that didn’t dome. Cakes are different, though. But not to worry because baking flat cake layers couldn’t be easier!

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