Torta Caprese for My Birthday Cake

What a fabulous birthday. Surprise after surprise after surprise! Bright flowers from KP. A dozen eggs (thank you magnificent seven!) Presents and cards and several evenings out this week with friends and loved ones. And the Italian Baker, by Melissa Forti. Literally the most beautiful baking book I’ve yet seen. Full of mouth-watering photography featuring […]

Five-Grain Bread with Walnuts for ED Stamina

And now for one month of emergencies. I brought home the RED pager last night, still turned on. This is a most godawful device. An RSS feed of tragedy. For twenty minutes I let it chirp from my bag its stream of reports on the strokes and overdoses people were having around town. A twitter […]

Pane Integrale con Miele

Honey and wheat and yeast— it doesn’t get much more Earthy than that. Happy Earth Day. Pane Integrale con Miele Adapted from The Italian Baker Starter ½ cup sourdough starter 2/3 cup warm water 1 ½ cups unbleached bread flour Stir starter into water, add flour and mix into a fine paste. Let rise, covered, […]

Pane Toscano Scuro

I’m in the mood to create a Minnesota version of Pennies From Heaven. Every time it snows, it snows pennies from heaven. This song has always been able to put me into a shimmering state of mind. You’ll find your fortune falling all over town/ Be sure that your umbrella is upside down! Trade them […]