If you grew up in England, or somewhere in proximity to British candy and grocery brands, you might have fond memories of eating Terry’s Chocolate Orange, a round orb of chocolate flavored with orange oil that “peels” apart in sections to mimic the shape of a real orange. I didn’t experience one until after college, when I used to frequent a tiny British sweets and tea shop in the West Village (which felt like stepping into the pages of a picture book set in a small town in 1950s England). I’d stand in the dim light of the shop, ogling the unfamiliar packages and wrappings: Cadbury flake bars and Rowentree fruit gums and McVitie’s Jaffa cakes and Fortnum & Mason lemon curd. Reading the names off the candy shelf sounded like something out of Harry Potter: fizzers and chewits and salted sweet cats and licorice sherbet sticks and peppermint creams.
Read moreBASIC FLAKY BISCUITS
Should we talk about empowerment? Why not. It is Saturday after all, and the sun is shining. You could go out and do whatever you want in the world right now. You could be cheerful and hopeful in the face of widespread global anxiety. You could make other people feel a little bit more at ease (because, let’s be honest, no one can fully predict what comes next so a little hope and positivity can’t hurt). You could check something off your to-do list, or send someone a handwritten postcard, or make a funny bracelet that reads “#1 goddess” for your best friend using sparkly plastic beads from a nearby toy store. [I did not do this for anyone, but feel free to make me one and mail it to me. I also accept woven friendship bracelets and my favorite colors are blue and pale green!]
Read moreCRACKLY FUDGE BROWNIES
On mornings when I wake up early, I open the heavy linen curtains that cover the French doors in the bedroom. A soothing slate-gray, they black out almost all light, which is key for me at night (although I’m a relatively adaptable sleeper, I prefer a cool and dark and silent room when I have the choice). The curtains were put up by a previous tenant of the apartment, and while I’d never have opted for something so elegant, I’m awfully glad they did. Two heavy crystal knobs are attached to either side of the French doors, and I hook the curtains around them.
Read moreCITRUS COCONUT OLIVE OIL CAKE (VEGAN!)
Is it spring yet? These past two weeks have been a roller coaster in terms of weather, and “mood stability” seems to mirror the skies outside for lots of us. (That’s called pathetic fallacy, right? My high school English teacher would be proud.) Two weekends ago, the temperature plummeted into the 20s. On Saturday, I ran an errand in the morning after my swim. The walk was just a few blocks, but I was shivering in my down jacket (with three layers underneath!). I stopped partway to get a steaming cup of hot cocoa and within minutes, my fingers were numb even holding the warm cup. I felt I’d never warm up, even after two hours in a warm car (seat heater on full blast, naturally) and a mug of split pea soup.
Read moreBLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE
Look, I know. You’re confused. Did you accidentally stumble upon the archives of my website? Inadvertently hit a link from last July? Have I decamped from the chill of New York City to some verdant oasis in South America, where fat, juicy berries are growing feverishly through February?
No. I have not. I am here, and I am cold, and I am making blueberry cake if I want it, gosh darn it! Let me explain. I do believe in eating seasonally, for the most part. I’m not wildly obsessive about it, but I’m lucky to live in a place with truly exceptional farmers’ markets, so tailoring my produce consumption to actual growing seasons is pretty easy to do. But does that mean I won't touch a blueberry until June? It does not. In fact, in the spirit of full disclosure, I ate a handful this morning alongside a few spoonfuls of creamy ginger sheep’s milk yogurt.
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