Let’s call this “bread” what it really is.  It’s a cake… a chocolatey cake that I’ve shaped into a loaf and thrown some zucchini into just so I feel a little bit better about eating it at all hours of the day.  Sometimes chocolate is what we crave.  Don’t resist it.  Give in.  Make one for yourself and give the other to a friend or tuck it in the freezer for the next time you’re hit with a craving.  And don’t feel guilty when you slice into it for a quick breakfast… or a mid-morning snack… or right before bed.  We all deserve a little chocolate every now and then.

This post Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread appeared first on A Thought For Food.

I’m kind of embarrassed to admit how nervous I was to make macaroons. Like, I was petrified. There’s no rational reason for it.  I just was.  I’ve been a coconut lover my whole life and have always had a strong affinity for these treats.  My first were devoured as a child, attending pre-school at the synagogue.  Over Passover, our Oreos were replaced with macaroons.  A canister bearing the Manischewitz logo made its way around the room, our little fingers groping inside.  I immediately fell in love with the chewy cookie and how little specks of coconut hid in my mouth for me to snack on throughout the afternoon.

I got it in my head that making macaroons had to be complicated.  There was no way that you could whip something like this up quickly and have it actually turn out ok.  But it’s true… they’re ridiculously easy and just as wonderful as I remember.

This post Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons (Passover) appeared first on A Thought For Food.

I used to be really big into Valentine’s Day.  Giving gifts, chocolates, flowers, cards (yeah… not just one but two, maybe three).  I’d make dinner reservations at expensive restaurants and plan out a night of activities. Over the years, though, I’ve toned it down a bit.  Eric and I don’t exchange cards.  We don’t buy each other presents or flowers.  There are no chocolate-covered strawberries.  Instead we stay at home, eat lobster and drink champagne, followed by a decadent dessert (like these raspberry bars that we’re obsessed with… which contain three sticks of butter).  We spend the rest of the evening curled up on the couch with Maki, the three of us wrapped up in blankets.  It may seem boring to some, but I want nothing more than a little quiet time with the man that I love.

Meringue-Topped Baked Grapefruit

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

This post Raspberry Crumb Bars appeared first on A Thought For Food.

We need a bigger bed! That’s the first thought that pops into my head almost every morning; the first thought after a restless night of little to no sleep.  I don’t have many regrets in life… but not getting a king-size mattress is one of them.  Because here’s the thing: two good-sized guys fit on a queen comfortably. Throw a 52 pound boxer pup into the mix, though, and it’s really tight.  Maki also has a tendency to spread herself out, positioning her body in a way that’s perpendicular to ours, making it so her head and butt are pressed right up against our backs or legs.  In many instances, this results in one of us (usually me) getting pushed off the bed.  And I can’t forget to mention the many times I’ve awoken to her moans, groans, ear scratching, and butt licking (her butt… though, once in a while she’ll find an exposed foot or knee to go to town on).

Mornings can be a bit rough.  Coffee is always brewed and, depending on the amount of rest I got the night before, I’ll go for one to three mugs.  When I’m in need of a special treat, I bake up some grapefruit topped with meringue and smear pats of butter on toast.  It’s the fastest way to bring a smile to this face… and with the limited quantity of sleep I’ve been getting, I need it.

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

This post Meringue-Topped Baked Grapefruit appeared first on A Thought For Food.

Love is a shelter.

Love is a cause.

Love goes on forever.

Yeah, love will lead us all.

Love! It is our honor.

Love! It is our all.

Love goes on forever.

Yeah, love it is our home.

That’s What’s Up//Edward Sharpe + the Magnetic Zeros

This post Whole Wheat Carrot Bread appeared first on A Thought For Food.

I know… these may not look chewy, but they are. I promise. If they weren’t, I wouldn’t put them up here. Cookies are meant to be served the way salmon or a steak should be prepared, a nice sear on the outside, but raw in the middle. I just don’t mess around with cookies. If there’s too much crunch, I can’t eat them. But what’s so great about these is how the rim is crispy, making for the most wonderful sound as you bite into them. Then, you get to the good stuff. The blend of sugar and spice; the festive flavors of ginger, cinnamon and clove. It brings to mind lazy weekends… curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book: the lead in for an afternoon nap.  I’ve been making these ginger molasses cookies for years, altering the recipe slightly as I prepare each batch.  I hate to use the P-word, but I can’t help it… these are kind of perfect.

Red Wine Poached Pears

Jacques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fudgy Cocoa Strawberry Brownies

This post Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies appeared first on A Thought For Food.

We got the most wonderful gift.  Following my trip to visit Harry and David in October, I received an e-mail from their marketing team informing me that I’d be getting 6 months of their Fruit of the Month club.  And here’s the thing… I so rarely buy fruit at the store.  I like it enough, but I rarely cook with it. We’ll pick up some lemons and limes and maybe an orange or two for cocktail-makings, but to actually eat, no.  It’s not that we don’t enjoy fruit, it’s just never on our shopping list.

So these boxes we’ve been getting from H&D have been a treat.  This month, we were graced with their Riviera Pears.  Really, they’re perfect. I mean, look at them in these pictures.  Have you seen finer pears?

You really don’t have to do anything to them, but if you are going to cook them, I suggest poaching them. And if you’re going to that, well, red wine makes for a fabulous poaching liquid.  While you’re at it, you might as well top it with some lightly sweetened whipped cream or creme fraîche.  Does anything sound better?  I don’t think so.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Jacques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

This post Red Wine Poached Pears appeared first on A Thought For Food.

Sometimes I look back at my published posts and I see reoccurring themes.  What I’m seeing now is that apparently I’ve been really into comfort food lately. Soup, potato gratin, a pot pie… and now this galette. Maybe I just need a hug.  Or a cup of tea.  A glass of scotch. Something to make me feel cozy.

I can’t take complete credit  for this recipe.  The filling, I can. The crust, not so much.  That came from the very talented baker/entrepreneur/cookbook author behind the fabulous Tate’s Bake Shop, Kathleen King, who has just come out with her latest book, Baking for Friends.  You may be a bit skeptical when you see the cornmeal listed as an ingredient… but gosh darn it, every time I make a galette, I’m going to refer back to this recipe. That small addition has a huge impact on the whole texture of the pastry. And it works beautifully.

Before you head on off to make this (which was incredibly easy to whip up and will work with a number of other kinds of fruits), I have a little giveaway to announce!  The fine folks at Tate’s Bake Shop are generously giving away one of their fantastic Cookie and Bar Towers to one lucky reader.

To enter: All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. No restrictions.

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. Open to US and Canadian residents only . Giveaway will end on November 4th 2012 at 12:00 pm EST. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be selected.

Additionally, if you want to receive $5 off Baking for Friends, just enter the code “BAKEOFF” when you order it from their site.

Chocolate Cranberry Galette

(adapted from Kathleen King’s Blackberry Galette from Baking for Friends)

serves 4-6

Ingredients

for the dough

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough

1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal (not coarse cornmeal or polenta)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold salted butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons cold water

-

for the filling

2 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cold salted butter, cut into small pieces

 -

additional

1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the dough: flour, cornmeal,  sugar and salt.

2. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it has been incorporated into the dry ingredients, leaving a few pea-sized pieces in the mixture.

3. Whisk together the egg yolk and water.  Add to the bowl and mix until the dough has formed.  It will be quite dry.

4. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Put in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Take the dough out and roll on a lightly floured work surface until it is approximately 10 inches round and 1/8 inch thick.

7. Fold the dough in half and unfold out onto a large, rimmed baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper.

8. In another bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and sugar.  Add the cranberries and toss to coat.

9. Pour the cranberry and cocoa mixture into the center of the dough. Sprinkle the butter on top of the mixture.

10. Fold the sides of the dough up so it wraps around the fruit.  If it the dough rips, you can patch it up by brushing some water or milk over it.  Sprinkle with sugar.

11. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling bubbles out.  Remove from oven and let cool.

12. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Jacques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

This post Chocolate Cranberry Galette appeared first on A Thought For Food.

When I fall for a recipe, I fall hard.  Scones, for example… I can’t get enough.  I’ve made countless versions, both savory and sweet.  Muffins, too, have a special place in my heart.  But now, my friends, I have a new obsession: biscotti.

I try to deny the existence of a sweet tooth, but I may have a little one. The fact is that my ideal dessert isn’t overly sugary. I want my treats to feel decadent without actually being decadent. Which may be the best way of looking at biscotti. It’s true that these consist of butter and sugar and eggs, but for the number that it makes, these are actually not all that unhealthy. It’s portion control, though you don’t even realize its being enforced.  If only I could find a cheesecake that did the same thing.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

(adapted from Tyler Florence’s recipe)

makes approximately 48 biscotti

Ingredients

1 cup shelled pistachios

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for surface

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread pistachios over pan.  Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until browned slightly.

3. In a bowl of  a mixer, cream butter and then add in the eggs.  Beat until smooth.  Add in the sugar and mix until fully incorporated.  Add in the vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

5. Toss in the pistachios and cranberries and mix into the batter with a wooden spoon.

6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half.

7. Roll each portion into a 12-inch long, 1-inch high log.  Transfer logs to an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the bottoms have browned slightly.

8. Let the logs cool and then slice each on a diagonal to create 12-1 inch biscotti.

9. Lay each cookie flat on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.  Flip cookies over and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

10. Let cool before serving.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container.

Cheese Grits with Fiddleheads and Ramps in Brown Butter

Silent Sunday: Food Truck Throwdown

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub

This post Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti appeared first on A Thought For Food.

“Make Life Sweeter… Eat Dessert First” – Joanne Chang

I have typed and deleted this blog post at least a half a dozen times.  Some people can sit down and the words just stream out of them… naturally.  To those people, I say damn you! (KIDDING, KIDDING)  I am not that skilled.  For me, writing is a struggle, especially when there isn’t anything specific I want to write about.  And, see, now I’m just writing about how I have nothing to write about.  Sad.

Actually, that may not be completely true. I guess I do have something to share.  Tomorrow’s my birthday!  That’s fun, right?  I love birthdays, especially my own (I don’t get people who don’t like to celebrate their birthday.  It’s YOUR day!).  This year, I’ll be celebrating in Upstate New York, where I’m attending the Longhouse Food Writer’s Revival, a weekend loaded with fabulous food writers and editors.  I have no doubt that it’ll be an inspiring weekend, filled with lots of delicious meals and long conversations (and probably more than a couple of drinks will be consumed).

Before I leave you with this delicious plum clafoutis (it’s super easy to make, too… seriously, you probably already have most, if not all, of these ingredients), I just want to say thank you to all of you for your support this last year.  I consider birthdays to be landmarks… something to look back on and see how far you’ve come and to also look at how you hope to grow in the future.  I was a very different person than I was last September.  My outlook on life, and how I want to spend each day, has changed completely.  But no matter what has happened, this blog has been my constant, even when it’s felt like my world is about to come crashing down.  I thank you for helping me keep this passion in me alive… and for listening to me jabber on and on.  Now, go eat some dessert!  And, because I’m the birthday boy, you have to do as I say.

Plum Clafoutis

(mildly adapted from the recipe in Flour Bakery by Joanne Chang)

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter

8-10 prune plums, pitted and quartered

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Pour the melted butter into a 9×13 inch glass baking dish and tilt the dish until all sides are coated with the butter.

3. In a bowl, toss plums with 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Pour plums into the baking dish and spread evenly

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt, powdered ginger, and cinnamon.

5. In a bowl, whisk the eggs until blended.  Add the flour mixture to the eggs and whisk until combined.

6. Add the milk, vanilla extract and almond extract to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

7. Pour the batter over the plums.

8. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until it is golden brown and puffy.

9. Let cool for 30 minutes.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm.

Cheese Grits with Fiddleheads and Ramps in Brown Butter

Silent Sunday: Food Truck Throwdown

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub

This post Plum Clafoutis appeared first on A Thought For Food.

“Life is just a bowl of cherries, don’t take it serious, its mysterious.  Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live + laugh + laugh at love, love a laugh, laugh + love.” – from Fosse

I’m sitting down with a bowl of chocolate cherry ice cream.  It’s nice to take a break every now and then… decompress… and focus on something as simple as a refreshing dessert. This is not always easy to do. Sometimes I forget to relax. I get stuck in my head, emotions build, heart races.  I clench my teeth. Even worse, I grind them.  I stress and hold it all in until I can’t take it anymore.

I get frustrated by little things.  I can leave the house and hear or see something that’ll instantly make my jaw tighten and my shoulders tense.

And before you say anything, I’m well aware this isn’t healthy.

My point is this: I want to make a change in my life.

I have Brooke - darling, sweet Brooke - who spoke so eloquently this last weekend at the Big Summer Potluck, to thank for this newfound inspiration.  If there was one thing I got out of her talk (and there were many) it would be the importance of living in the moment.  How much time we spend (especially those of us surrounded by technology) moving and “doing,” that we forget to just be in the moment.  We forget to stop, breathe, and focus on where we are, who we’re with, what we’re eating.

The amount of time I spend typing away on my phone (or just refreshing the screen for that matter) uses up a lot mental energy.  Being connected 24/7 is taking it’s toll and it gets in the way of living.

I’m tired of making excuses for why I don’t go to the gym or do any number of things.  Why don’t I use this membership to the art museum more often?  Why don’t I go to see more movies in the theater?  Why am I not enjoying things the way I once did?

These questions don’t really matter, I guess.  It’s what I do with them that’s important.  Maybe if I calm down and clear my mind, things will change.

I need to.  We all do.

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream with Coconut Milk

(Adapted (with permission) from Sprouted Kitchen, who adapted it from Hungry Girl Por Vida)

Makes about 1 quart

A Note from Sprouted Kitchen: “First off, be sure to use full fat coconut milk, the light stuff will turn out too icey.”

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and quartered

-

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup natural cane sugar

3 Tbsp. maple sugar (or just more natural cane sugar if that’s what you have)

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

-

2 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Set a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, but do not let the bowl touch the water. Add the egg yolks and both sugars and stir to warm. As the sugar melts, it will become smooth and shiny. If these two need a bit of help melting, just add a spoonful of the coconut milk to get things moving along. Stir the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add the can of coconut milk and whisk everything to combine. As everything warms, it will get smoother. The custard will start to thicken just a bit. Stir in the vanilla, turn off the heat, strain through a fine strainer to remove any eggs bits and transfer the bowl to the fridge to cool completely.

Add the coconut custard to your ice cream maker and churn according to instructions.  At about 75% finished, add in a cup of the chopped cherries and chocolate.

Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.

—–

Coconut Cream Whipped Cream

Jacques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate-Wasabi “Cheesecake”

This post Chocolate Cherry Coconut Milk Ice Cream appeared first on A Thought For Food.

“Life is short. Eat dessert first. ” – Jacques Torres

You can tell something’s going to be good when you start with three sticks of butter. I did a double-take when I saw the recipe.  Three sticks?  Really?  Ok!  I couldn’t help but feel more than a little guilty as I swooped my finger into the mixing bowl to snatch taste after taste of raw dough.

My first experience with Jacques Torres’s cookies was in New York at Chelsea Market.  As I walked down the building’s long corridor, I nibbled (ok, devoured) the massive baked good.  With only crumbs in my hands and streaks of chocolate on my fingers, I was pretty certain that I had struck gold.   The ultimate chocolate chip cookie.

I must be honest with you, my dear readers.  These cookies are just as good as they look.  Slightly crunchy on the outside with a chewy inside.  Loaded with chocolate.  They’re so delicious, that I just went into the other room to do some crunches so that I could feel a little better about myself (unfortunately, it didn’t work).

Bake at your own risk.

Jacques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from One Sweet Cookie by Tracey Zabar via Serious Eats)

makes about 36 large cookies

Ingredients

4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar

1 ¼ cups plus 2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1⅔ pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have ready four nonstick half-sheet pans, or line four regular half-sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar, and beat until well blended. Add the eggs and beat just until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. When all of the flour mixture has been incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a silicone spatula, fold in the chocolate.

4. To shape the cookies, using a tablespoon, scoop out heaping spoonfuls of the dough and, using the palms of your hands, form them into 3-inch balls. Place the balls on the prepared pans, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven, transfer the cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.

–

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fudgy Cocoa Strawberry Brownies

{Recipe: Chocolate Chip and Boozy Raisin Oatmeal Cookies}

This post Jacques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on A Thought For Food.

Today is the first day of summer.  I will always remember this, because, along with being the solstice, it is also our wedding anniversary.  Three years ago today, Eric and I got hitched.  If you don’t recall the weather in New England back in June 2009, well, let me paint you a picture:  it was very, very wet.  It rained day after day after day. And to make it even worse, it was cold.  Like, sweatshirt cold.  It wasn’t anything like this sunny, 90 degree weather we’re getting here this week.

New England weather can be a bit fickle though, so I hoped things might change.  We watched the news each night and frequently checked our computers for updates. Eventually, I started to give up on the fact that things would be in our favor for the big event.

But the night before our wedding, just as the guests arrived for the rehearsal dinner, the weather got a little brighter.  The rain went from downpour to drizzle, until, eventually, the skies began to clear.  And, for the next 24 hours, everything was exactly how we wanted it.  Eric and I were able to take photos on the beach and we had our pre-ceremony cocktail hour in the yard behind the venue (yes, that’s right… we had drinks BEFORE we got married.  It helped loosen us up a bit), and we did our clambake outside, just as we had planned.

The night went on and we drank and danced and ate cake.  Really, we couldn’t have asked for a more picture-perfect day.  The next morning, we woke up to find clouds in the sky.  It rained the rest of the day and continued through the following week.

I’ll never forget that day.  It’s hard to believe that three years have gone by.  Eric likes to joke that it feels like an eternity.  But it really does feel like forever.  My memories from before we got together become fainter as time goes on.  He’s with me in every moment, every story.  I’m looking forward to many more years together.  This is just the beginning.

A group of pie-loving food bloggers, Shauna Ahern, Justin Schwartz, Garrett McCord and Ashley Baron Rodriguez, came up with Pie Party 2012, where bloggers could share their pie posts 0n an official Facebook page. I’ve just submitted this Summer Fruit Kuchen, but there are tons of other wonderful recipes you should go check out!

And if this wasn’t enough, I also have a guest post up over at With Style and Grace, a blog that I have been following for quite some time and that I absolutely adore.  I can’t wait to give Lisa a great big hug again when I see her next month!

Summer Fruit Kuchen

serves 8

This post Summer Fruit Kuchen appeared first on A Thought For Food.

Our kitchen looks like a scene from Worst Cooks in America: flour coats the side of our black KitchenAid stand mixer, droplets of melted chocolate polka-dot the counter top,  egg shells litter the sink.  There’s nothing I can do to prevent this… if I decide to make a cake, without fail, disaster will ensue.  I’m thankful this doesn’t reflect on the final product,  but it does leave me on edge as I cut that first slice.

The cake is more delightful than I would have expected. I’m not sure what I was expecting exactly.  Despite being a Bostonian, I’ve never before tasted Boston Cream Pie.  As a gluten-free dessert, however, I think it exceeded all of my dreams.  Oozing out the middle is a creamy, rich custard.  There’s no holding back from swiping it with your finger.  It’s impossible.  On top, there’s a dark chocolate ganache.  And in between all of this is a delicate cake that’s given body by coarse homemade almond flour.

I know the cake won’t last long, despite all efforts to restrain ourselves.  We’ll grab a fork and make our way through it, bite by bite.  I give it two days before it’s gone.

To try this gluten-free Boston Cream Pie yourself, you can get the recipe in my post over at the Easy Eats blog.

Now, you may have noticed a little change to the design of the site.  Yup, that’s right!  There’s a new logo at the top!  It was designed by the uber talented blogger (Saveur Food Blog Nominee), Russell of Chasing Delicious.  I approached Russell a few weeks ago about hiring him to create my banner, because while I think I have a pretty good eye for design, I have NO CLUE how to execute it.  Give me a camera and I’ll take a picture.  But ask me to draw a straight line, and you’ll get a circle.  It won’t be a pretty one either.

So, I went to a professional.

Russell created the perfect logo for my site, one that represents what A Thought For Food is all about.  I’d like to publicly thank Russell for his stellar work.  Thanks, my friend!

Ok… I think I’ve said enough.  Go eat some cake!

This post Gluten-Free Boston Cream Pie appeared first on A Thought For Food.

Early in our relationship, Eric cooked dinner for me.  He made one of his signature dishes: mussels with white wine, butter, garlic and onion, served with a basket of crusty bread.  There were at least two bottles of wine chilled and ready to be consumed.  Candles were lit, the lights dimmed.  Madeleine Peyroux’s soothing voice sang softly through the speakers.

We sat there and dunked and scooped and slurped, remaining mostly silent, with the exception of a few joyful moans.

The meal came to an end and I wiped my face and rubbed my full belly.  Thinking that we were finished, I went to pick up the plates and clear the table, but he grabbed my hand.  There couldn’t be more, right?  How would I be able to fit it in after that meal!?!

Eric got up from the table and went to the fridge, where he retrieved two containers.  In one hand, he held a pint of berries.  In the other, a container of sour cream.  After placing them on the counter, he reached up and pulled out a box of brown sugar from the cabinet.

We shared that dessert together, relishing every spoon. Once the berries disappeared, we couldn’t help but lick the remaining sauce.  It would be wrong to leave even a drop behind.

Blackberries and Cream

Ingredients

1 pint blackberries, rinsed and dried

1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

2 tablespoons brown sugar (either dark or light will do)

Directions

Combine all three ingredients in a bowl and serve.  Eat with a spoon or your fingers.

This post Blackberries and Cream appeared first on A Thought For Food.