Welcome 2018

Hello!… and welcome to my new blog and website! I have a passion for cooking and creating my own recipes.  It all began when I started tweeking existing recipes to personalize them to my own taste.  You know, add a pinch more of this… substitute that for something else.  I then moved on to wanting to make something completely my own creation.  There was just one problem. 

I needed a reference library of cooking information.  Oh…I have lots of cookbooks.  LOTS.  …and I have a good memory of other recipes.  But what I needed was a convenient way to compare and contrast…  ingredients, techniques, proportions, economies, etc. 

A good example is there are many washes for baked goods.  Shiney washes… duller washes… various shades of brown washes.  So many choices… and which ingredients do what?  So, I started comparing washes and I charted the outcome.  Ooooh… now I had a tool to help me choose what ingredients to use! 

For me charts and grids are a fantastic way to organize and understand information.  The creation of a chart makes me think about ingredients and proportions.   With this blog I hope my charts will help other cooks with their inspired creations.  My plan is to provide a recipe and offer a specific chart that complements that recipe.

So let’s ENgage in CHARTs together!

Today’s Recipe is:  Apple and Berry Rustic Tart

It’s January and wintertime… and they are even forecasting snow in Florida right now! What I think of as dessert when it is cold outside are baked fruit desserts.  One of the homiest desserts I can think of is a rustic tart.  Rustic meaning it’s prepared free hand on a baking sheet and not perfect and proper in a removable bottom tart pan.  Almost any time of the year, marvelous fresh fruit is available… and for me a delicious combination in winter is apples or pears with berries. 

Another wonderful thing about this fruit combination is you have flavoring options.  You can go with no spice, a single spice, or even more than one spice.  Try cinnamon, corriander, cardamom, nutmeg, or even curry powder. 

You can also use fresh herbs like basil, thyme, or oregano.  AND, I always add a little citrus juice and/or zest.  I’m a big fan of lemon.  It really brightens the flavor of both sweet and savory dishes.

Think about it… two fruits, some sweetener (I used sugar), and a spice or herb and you have an incredible personalized treat!

A little egg wash around the edge of the tart brings a nice golden color to the pastry.  Hmmm?  But, which one to use?  Water? Cream? Egg?  What part of the egg?  Whole?  White?  Yolk?  Let me help you decide with a chart I composed comparing washes.