Chocolate Gelato. These two words possess the power to make my heart race and my face radiate with excitement. If you can’t tell yet, I have a tendency to dabble in the area of sweet treats quite frequently, and I must confess that this gelato has to be one of my favorite recipes so far. The texture of this gelato was almost identical to what John and I ate everyday when we were in Italy. Out of all the flavors we tried, chocolate was the flavor that most often attended my palate. I feel like ice cream is something everyone should make at least once in their life. I remember when I was younger my dad and I would make vanilla ice cream at home. We had this old ice cream maker that we had to fill with a lot of ice and plenty of salt. Making ice cream was quite the production, but boy did my dad and I enjoy eating our finished project! As you can see, I have a lot of positive memories attached to ice cream. Does ice cream bring back any special memories for you?

Gelato is an Italian style ice cream that is bursting with flavor, yet widely creamy when served. I love that gelato is so dense when compared to traditional ice cream. In order to make gelato, you actually need a gelato making machine. I currently only own an ice cream maker, so while I cannot call this an “authentic gelato,” I can promise you that it tastes almost exactly like the real thing.

For the Recipe, Read more here »

Making those strawberry tarts last week made me yearn for Paris in such a way that I decided to take an afternoon and search through old pictures for some more inspirations on what to cook next. I came across some beautiful photos that John and I took in Italy, and I knew instantly what I wanted to make next. John and I traveled through Italy for part of our honeymoon, and our time was divided into two parts: sightseeing and eating. Our meals were filled with delicate breakfast pastries, copious amounts of pasta, and a very hearty amount of gelato. While we were in Italy we never really ate too much at once, but instead had a lot of little meals here and there. I wanted to pay homage to those little moments where one simply needs to step outside and relax while enjoying something delicious. Since Seattle has been quite sunny lately, I wanted to make a dish that would be best enjoyed outside under the sun, and this plate was just the thing I needed.

Making your own ricotta cheese sounds a lot more daunting than it really is. After my first two batches, I was hooked and I promise that you will will never want to purchase ricotta from the store again. Ricotta is fantastic not only because it is so rich and creamy, but also because it is so versatile; making it a perfect ingredient for this delicious appetizer. I opted to take a sweet rather than savory approach to this dish because I am absolutely in love with the combination of honey and cheese.

The morning I made my cheese, I went out and purchased a fresh baguette from a local Seattle bakery called Grand Central Bakery, who I must say makes some amazing breads. Nothing beats the flavor and texture of a freshly baked baguette. Whenever I buy one, I usually find myself nibbling off the end….I just can’t help myself. This appetizer is perfect for small and large gatherings, and since the sun is out in Seattle right now, I can promise you that I will be outside enjoying a plate of these treats a couple times this week.

For the Recipe, Read more here »

Years ago I had the pleasure of studying abroad in France for a few months, and since then Paris has always held such a special place in my heart. I lived in a small hostel, right in the heart of the Latin Quarter. My tiny home was located just around the corner from Eric Kaiser, one of the loveliest bakeries I have ever been to. The bakery store front is quite unassuming, and is located off a main street, nestled in between fellow merchants. It doesn’t seems to stand out if you are walking down the street, but once the alluring aroma of freshly baked bread fills the streets, people begin to flock to the their doors. The lines would ofter pour into the street,  no matter what the weather was like. I always made sure to stop at this bakery when I was in need of a fresh baguette, or if I had a sweet tooth that needed to be subdued. My favorite go-to dessert was their  ”Tartelette Aux Frasises”, or their “Tartelette Aux Frambroise”,  which when paired with a fresh cup of coffee equaled just a bit of heaven for me.

Since strawberries are starting to fill the markets, I decided to make a traditional strawberry tart as a way to re-live some of my lovely parisian memories. These tarts were quite fun to make, and the first bite opened up such a flood gate of memories for me. I decided to use honey instead of sugar, which gave the pastry cream such a full flavor that is not too sweet. I hope that you enjoy this dessert, and may it remind you of a piece of Paris with each bite!

For the Recipe, Read more here »

Oh, how I love baking birthday cakes! We recently celebrated the birthday of two of our dear friends, for which I baked cake fit for anyone that loves chocolate. This was my first time making ganache, so I decide to make it two ways, not only as a smooth chocolate coat for this tasty cake, but also as a whipped filling between the two layers. I definitely see more ganache making in my future, in which I hope to learn all the tricks of the trade in achieving an ultra smooth chocolate texture.

Making the ganache was much easier than I thought it would be. To be honest, it was quite hard not to lick the bowl clean after the cake was coated in this chocolate gold. Trying new techniques and recipes can be quite nerve racking at times, but thanks to my husband, I felt very comfortable through this entire process. I am so thankful that John was right by my side during this entire baking endeavor, from taste testing, to helping me capture some of these lovely images. For without him and his help, I doubt I could share with you all that I create.

For the Recipe, Read more here »

My friend Marie from Food Nouveau has featured me on her site in order to share the wonder of Seattle. I was able to connect with her during a bloggers meet up, and after a few email exchanges, Marie asked me to be a contributor to her beautiful blog. I highly appreciate her recipes and community-oriented approach to blogging. Be sure to peruse her website! The post for The Broken Bread can be found here.

Back in November my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary together in Cancun, Mexico. Being in such a beautiful place together we decided to shoot some footage. We ended up making this film, which was such a joy to create with my husband. I am truly thankful for his talent, for without him I doubt this video would exist. I hope that you enjoy watching a little glimpse of our trip.

This weekend we had the pleasure of celebrating a friends birthday. It was a 1920′s themed party, filled with pearls, flapper dresses, and men in suits. The drinks served were some of my favorites: old fashions, manhattans, and champagne. It was a lovely evening to be with friends, and to celebrate Tori’s day of birth. Many people pitched-in to make this night happen, and this cake was my contribution to the night; sweet, simple, and classic.

This cake recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart

For the recipe, Read more here »

Is it me, or does it feel like the older you get, the less time you have to do, well, anything really? I remember my mom mumbling the words, “you won’t have as much free time when you’re older” whenever I would complain to her about my bouts of boredom. I now appreciate her effort, but at 11 years old this nugget of wisdom didn’t seem to affect me in the slightest sense. Fast forward to my adult self, and I will gladly tell you how there is not enough time in a day! This was made especially clear to John and I very recently. This past month has been exceedingly busy, filled with change that has been both very exciting, and a touch overwhelming at times. In the last 4 weeks John and I have moved into a new house, hosted out-of-town guests, I took a solo trip to California for a fews days, and I recently started a new job. Needless to say, I haven’t had too much time to experiment in our new kitchen, but now that life seems to be slowing down, I am eager to experiment with some new recipes.

I must admit, I never knew how easy it was to make granola at home. I did burn my first batch, but after that minor disaster, I was able to come up with something that makes for a tasty breakfast. I cannot even count the number of rushed mornings where we just needed something quick and light to eat, and behold this granola was quite often the answer.

For the recipe, Read more here »

I wanted to share with you a music video that my husband recently made. He is such a talented man who has helped me with every step of creating this blog. I hope that you take some time to enjoy this visually stunning video.

Chilly Seattle mornings often keep me lingering in my cocoon of warmth, and it is in this pocket I will stays until the tempting sounds and smells of my husband making fresh coffee reaches our room. I am so thankful that John can brave the chilly mornings and each day greet me with a cup of much needed coffee, for without it, I doubt I could get out of bed. Our mornings at home are fairly simple, usually a modest egg dish accompanied by a side of toast and jam.  I must admit I haven’t been too adventurous when it comes to breakfast, but I am eager to push beyond what is familiar and explore different morning meals that we can adorn our table with. I know that my husband is a lover of muffins, cakes and morning pastries, and as gesture of great thanks for all that he does I decided to make him this breakfast bread that we could enjoy during our mornings together. This bread is simple to make and is a perfect companion to that morning cup of coffee. I am eager for spring to come, but this pear bread is a little reminder that winter fruits, while still around, should be enjoyed and celebrated.

For the Recipe, Read more here »