Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

recent posts

Amy’s Writing, Photography and Art can be found at amybisson.com

Category: Special Treats

  • 18 May 2018: Not a Birthday Cake

    Today is Adrien’s birthday and, I will be cooking tonight’s celebratory meal. While I am a big fan of birthday cake, he is not. So we are having a very un-birthday like dessert: chocolate mousse. The absolute best chocolate mousse we have ever eaten was served at a lovely Paris restaurant in the Marais just a…

  • 8 April 2018: Easy Italian Pear Cake

    I discovered two pears in the ‘fridge the other day and sought to use them before, you know, they become part of a compost heap. Also, had a partially consumed container of mascarpone, so this recipe seemed meant to be.  My only criticism of this particular pear cake was that it baked up very dry.…

  • 14 February 2018: Ina Garten’s Lemon Mousse

    Happy Valentine’s Day! With Valentine’s Day falling in the middle of the week this year, we decided to stay in, cook, and enjoy one of our favorite movies. Just because it was a quiet night, doesn’t mean the food didn’t need to be spectacular and this Lemon Mousse recipe from Ina Garten was a great…

  • 02 February 2018: Healthy Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

    Whenever I can use up the remaining bits of something I’ve only partially utilized during the week, it’s a win.  This week, I had most of a container of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt leftover from a spicy bean dish, and rather than just eat it or (horrors!) wait until it was no longer edible, I…

  • 23 January 2018: Cocoa Brownies

    We recently purchased a condo unit in the building in which we have been renting. Our new neighbors gifted us with the wonderful bottle of wine which we have determined would go quite nicely with some chocolate. I mean, what doesn’t go with chocolate? I’m not sure I want to live in that world. There…

  • 04 Jan 2018: Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

    Whenever I use coconut milk in a curry, I usually end up with 3/4 of can left over.  “Now what?” is the usual thought. So the can gets stored in the fridge until I figure out that I don’t have any other use for it and have to throw it out. I know. Pathetic. This…

  • 05 Nov 2017: Cinnamon Brown Sugar Bars

    A recent impulse buy from King Arthur Flour was cinnamon – two different kinds actually. As I was growing up, I only knew that cinnamon came from a McCormack’s tin. The two types of cinnamon I purchased for baking – and yes, I can taste a difference – were Vietnamese and Madagascar.  Now to use…

  • 5 August 2017: Coconut Cornmeal Cake

    Seriously, Thug Kitchen, this cake is the bomb.  As the Thugs say, “… save frosting for something that needs the help.” This does not.  And it didn’t need butter or eggs either.  Little bit of fresh fruit on top and we will be good to go for tonight’s dessert. If this makes it until then.…

  • Cornmeal-Lime Cookies

    Original Recipe found in: Chang, J. Flour: spectacular recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe. (2010). San Francisco: Chronicle. p 118-119. Joanne Chang says “Eat Dessert First” and frankly if my metabolism were a bit different, I would definitely follow that advice! Today I was looking for a cookie with a little bit of a spring hop to…

  • 13 December 2016: St. Lucia Buns

    Adapted from King Arthur Flour Both of my great-grandfathers were bakers; if that’s an inherited trait, I’m officially thanking them both here for instilling in me a love of yeast and flour. Working with yeasted doughs and breads is quite satisfying, and it has been something I’ve dabbled in since high school.   I found…