We visited our family in Hawaii for New Year's and as usual- loved tasting the "local" food scene. I am a huge fan of the many tropical and Asian inspired flavors that are abundant there. For years (even before Whole Foods and Trader Joe's carried them) we have been big fans of mochi ice cream. With it's unique, almost gummy-like texture mochi is oddly satisfying and ...
dessert
Buche de Noel – a classic dessert also provides family-fun activity
This classic Christmas dessert is a tradition in France. Evidently Napoleon believed cold air caused illnesses and ordered that all chimneys in Paris be closed in the winter. This eliminated the french tradition of gathering around an actual Yule Log on Christmas Eve, so in classic French fashion they developed a culinary confection to solve this problem and the tasty cake ...
Yum Yum Beignets
I love it when the other members of my family get excited about food. Though they don't as a rule share my enthusiasm for all things edible, they do get pretty excited when I start talking beignets. I first heard of beignets in junior high. A friend was cleaning out her pantry and gave me an old box of mix from Cafe du Monde because she knew I liked to cook. That mix was so ...
Fun in the Kitchen – Kid’s Sushi
Long ago. I worked for a fabulous Disney restaurant called the "California Grill". They were famous not only for their delicious fresh dishes but also for their awesome sushi. Not to leave out the kids, they offered a "dessert sushi". This super sweet treat was really Rice Krispies treats with a lot of added sugar. I have to admit that it is pretty cute, and I’ve used ...
Pirate Bars
I keep seeing food blogs that positively gush about “Congo Bars”. I didn’t realize Africa was really famous for a cookie, so the name caught my attention. I did a little research and quickly discovered that what they were referring to is what I would call a Blondie. I have to be honest--Blondies really aren’t my thing. If I’m going to eat dessert, it might as well be ...
