My daughter spent 3 weeks at a sleep-away camp and came back home with lots of beautiful memories and one major stomach upset! After weeks of listening to her camp stories and trying to get her stomach issues under control, it was time for a more aggressive medical intervention. So, in a blink of an
Tea Pairing
Baked Eggplant with Miso
The other day, I went out to meet a friend for dinner. Last time we saw each other, I was freshly pregnant with my first. Needless to say it was time for us to catch up. We met at a tiny little Japanese restaurant out in San Francisco, in the Castro. 4 tables. 1 window.
Black Swan Pavlova
My life is full of meringue memories. Slow Sunday mornings, no school, my favorite childhood TV program on, a plate of freshly baked snow-white vanilla meringues next to whichever fruit is in season. Sheer happiness. 11 years old. My friends crowding over a cassette player I just received from my “American” grandma, listening to the
Homemade Matzo
My kitchen often feels like a chemistry lab: bottles of acid, cans of base, containers of coloring agents… Almost like back in college except that I enjoy my home lab a lot more. This new kitchen experiment is pretty basic. Mix flour, water and oil, roll out the dough, rush into the oven and…. try
Chocolate and Brie Panini
I am in love. And he is gorgeous! Long soft curly blonde locks. Kind eyes. Unwavering loyalty. He never speaks back. Always by my side. And never leaves his plate dirty. His name is Toby Gennadich Shpiler but you can simply call him Toby. I’ve only been around two pets when growing up, and for
New York-Style Bagel
This was my second time visiting Seattle. The design conference was over. The weather was dry. My friend was in town. And I had enough of the city. A trip to Mt. Reiner was overdue. We rented a car for a day, picked up a bag of gourmet bagels and drove through the snowy landscapes
Grilled Cheese Egg
Ah, the beauty of camping: simplicity, tranquility, nature. Having all the devices turned off, cookbooks stashed away. The smell of fresh summer air and grilled meat, fire-roasted potatoes, s’mores. No disturbances from the outside world, no interruptions, just you being one with nature. This is what I’ve known camping to be. My last camping trip was
Crêpe Napoleon
Last week, on my way to work, I got startled by GENi‘s email announcement of my hubby’s approaching birthday. Four Zero! Gotto tell you, seeing such a mind blowing number next to my man’s name was pretty surreal! My man was abut to turn 40!!! That baby-faced boy, that I met as a teenager, is soon to celebrate
Crunchy Granola Cups
Is it very obvious that my family considers first meal of the day their favorite? Even with all of the breakfast recipes that I have up my sleeve (Almond Butter Smoothies, Pear Honey Pocket, Baked Oatmeal, Breakfast Polenta, Granola among many others) the demand for additional ideas simply refuses to taper off. So, every week or so, I keep coming up
Very Cherry Chocolaty Larabar Truffles
This post is about all the sweet things in life. It is about cherries and chocolate, figs and coconut, sugar, spice and all the things nice. If you have been following Cucee, then you probably know that I am not much of a “desert” person (see my healthiterian manifesto as a reminder.) Well, a while ago I
Healthy Apricot Cake
Common culinary wisdom holds that you are either a baker or a cook. I hate to admit it but I am NOT a baker! Baking does not come naturally to me at all; nothing in baking makes sense. First time I ever made cookies, the directions called for “creaming butter.” I almost felt like Amelia