Chez Nous

Sultana Scones

These scones are not the hard triangles we are accustomed to in coffee houses. I use White Lily light all purpose flour for these. The flour is milled very finely which, when mixed with butter creates a beautiful light scone that melts in your mouth. Allowing the dough to rest for two sessions also helps…

The Art of the Tea Sandwich

I had a friend who once told me his ex-girlfriend would never order sandwiches at a restaurant because if she pays for food, she demands more than someone just stacking ingredients between two pieces of bread. I can see the logic, but man, I love sandwiches! I order sandwiches all the time! There is an…

Earl Grey Macaron with Lemon or Lavender Buttercream Filling

The French Macaron has a cult following now-a-days! It didn’t when I first fell in love with them in New York 12 years ago, but for some reason, people still call them Macaroons. Go figure! Due to the famed difficulty of properly preparing these cookies, French pastry chefs would (and still do!) display them in…

London – The High Tea

My garden is in bloom and I have been itching to have a tea party since I came home from London! The garden High Tea is really a perfect combination of some of my favorite things in the world! I love to dress up, I love to have an excuse to bake up half a…

Sachertorte

I have been obsessed with the idea of hosting a giant High Tea since I returned from London, and today is finally the day! It may threaten to rain, so we will sip our tea inside, but 16 lovely friends are coming over in just a few hours. Somehow, I managed to get all my…

Easy Roast Leek and Asparagus with Thyme and Balsamic

I love leeks! I buy them almost every Saturday at the market, and am impatiently waiting for my seeds to grow so I can have my own supply! Did you know that if you cut off the roots and bottom 1/2 inch of a leek and place it in water, it will start to grow?…

Mango Jam with Cardamom and Saffron

I used up two of my giant pile of mangoes yesterday, but six more were sitting on my counter, threatening me with their ripeness. I love jam, in fact, now that I can bake a great baguette and figured out how to make my own butter, I occasionally survive for days on end on toasted…

Mango Ice-cream from 4 Ingredients without an Ice-cream Maker!

The days are getting warmer and warmer, and fruit and ice-cream seems more and more delicious every time you think about it! I was walking around the grocery store this week and noticed that mangos were on sale for 50 cents a piece…I bought eight without hesitation. While dragging them home, I started daydreaming of my…