If you’re planning a slightly twisted, ghoulish Halloween, these cupcakes will draw some delighted gasps. They’re not for the faint of heart, and that’s exactly why I like them. A few days ago, my friend Roxanne came over and we baked these together. Roxanne is a very serious baker. She knows professional techniques and tricks, and has great original ideas, even though baking is not her chosen profession. She is an amateur in the true sense of the word – […]
My friend Lorraine Wallace is a great cook – so good, in fact, that she has two cookbooks to her name, and a third one coming out next year. Her first cookbook, Mr. Sunday’s Soups, refers to her family tradition of making soups on Sundays to accommodate her family member’s busy schedules. Her husband, Chris Wallace, has been the anchor of Fox News Sunday since 2003, and after grilling Washington bigwigs at an early hour on Sundays, he would come […]
My mind has been on simple American treats lately, maybe because Halloween is looming, and memories of anticipating the sweets of the holiday linger long after childhood is gone. Peanut butter cookies are another iconic American treat, like the brownie. They are the ubiquitous after-school, post-soccer practice, bake sale, scout meeting, church circle, Halloween party cookie, baked in a flash and brought for others to enjoy. Today’s recipe comes from the Blunt family in Missouri. The Blunts have made a […]
There are some recipes that have a beautiful purity about them, free of too many ingredients, instructions, and time spent for a marginal rate of return on flavor. A brownie is a simple sweet that really only requires two things: chocolate and butter. Everything else is basic chemistry to hold the two ingredients together. This recipe came from Roxanne Roberts, the Washington Post’s Reliable Source for many years, and a keen observer and writer of Washington ways. Roxanne got the […]
Today I’m delighted to offer a Columbus Day recipe from chef Roberto Grazioli, executive chef to the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Claudio Bisogniero, and his wife, Laura Denise. The Italian Embassy is a very popular place in Washington; people are eager to be invited to enjoy Italian delicacies, great wines, and good music. Claudio and Laura Denise are frequent and gifted hosts, whether at the embassy or at their residence, Villa Firenze. Villa Firenze is a grand estate […]
