Happy Birthday, Kitchen / An Introduction
Welcome to Sweet Alchemies! Just about a year ago, my husband and I renovated the kitchen of what was then our new-to-us home. This anniversary seems a fitting time to begin my first blog - much of...
View ArticleOlive & Thyme Baguettes / Rossini Overture
Everyone has their culinary white whale. Until last fall, mine was bread. After an attempt at making rosemary rolls several years ago yielded what can best described as herbed hockey pucks, I'd...
View ArticleRose Panna Cotta with Raspberry and Lychee / Mother Goose Suite
Being married to a chocoholic can be surprisingly hard on a recreational chef with as indiscriminating a sweet tooth as myself. If only I could turn my husband away from the chocolatey-dark side; far...
View ArticleGrilled Corn Salad / Naive and Sentimental Music
Despite living a few hours' drive from Sin City for most of my life, I'd never been much of a Vegas person. Between the crowds and the heat (not to mention my being too risk-averse to be much of a...
View ArticleFrozen Key Lime Pie / Gershwin Prelude
After taking a much-needed vacation to South America, I returned to the northern hemisphere desperate to enjoy summertime in a proper summer climate. And did I ever get it: Los Angeles was so...
View ArticleSalted Pistachio Dark Chocolate Macarons / Ravel Piano Concerto
Last week, I received an incredibly sweet birthday present from a good friend and colleague at Pacific Symphony: a cookbook entitled "Mad About Macarons." On opening the gift, I was touched that my...
View ArticleSausage & Goat Cheese Lasagna / Beethoven String Quartet
Lasagna has been one of my favorite dishes since I was little. Every now and then, my Italian mother would indulge us by making her famous version - usually to celebrate a birthday, a satisfactory...
View ArticlePeach Raspberry Crisp / Appalachia Waltz
Apple Crisp was my grandmother's specialty. The buttery, shortbread-like topping was beloved by every member of our family, and legendary amongst our friends. Even my chocoholic husband came around...
View ArticlePistachio & Cilantro Pesto Shrimp Tacos / Marquez Danzon No. 2
You'd be hard pressed to find a native Angeleno who is not completely addicted to Mexican food. We're also guilty of constantly tinkering with the very basics that we love so much. When I saw this...
View ArticleGuest Post on "Opera Girl Cooks"
{Drunken Fig Jam with Rosemary, Port, and Lemon}I'm delighted to have a guest post up on Opera Girl Cooks today. Click here for the full post!
View ArticleBaked Apples with Bourbon Maple Caramel / "William Tell" Overture
Although I grew up eating baked apples frequently as a "healthy" dessert, it had never occurred to me to make them myself. If it's going to be "apple ____," shouldn't it be apple crisp, apple strudel,...
View ArticleRed Velvet Cupcakes / Brahms First Symphony
{Homemade - with a little help. Thanks, Sprinkles!}In just a few days, I'll be heading to St. Louis to visit one of my best friends. Jess and I became close several years ago while carpooling to...
View ArticleGuest Post on "The Eagle's Nest:" Ghostly Monte Cristo Sandwiches
My good friend Jess (no relation to the Jess featured below!) had a baby last week and asked me to pitch in on her blog. In the spirit of Halloween, I shared some delicious Monte Cristo sandwiches...
View ArticleTurkey Chili with Cocoa and Cinnamon / "La Cumparsita"
There are three ways that I know fall is upon us:1) I have an insatiable craving for warm stews and chili,2) I get insanely busy as the concert season enters full force, 3) The kinds of dishes that...
View ArticleFavorite Holiday / Beethoven's "Song of Thanksgiving"
{A centerpiece made of leaves collected on our block - yes, we have fall in Los Angeles!}Thanksgiving is by far and away my favorite holiday of the year. I suppose that preference befits a gluttonous...
View ArticleChocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies / Vivaldi's "Winter"
The holidays bring all kinds of sweet temptations to our neighborhood Trader Joe's. One of my favorites is their Peppermint Bark. While grocery shopping last week, I wondered what the creamy, minty...
View ArticleChocolate Thumbprint Cookies / Ravel's "Petit Poucet"
The charming simplicity of thumbprint cookies has always appealed to me. But after tasting one, I would inevitably find myself disappointed by a crumbly, dry, and flavorless cookie.This recipe,...
View ArticleOrange Dark Chocolate Brownies with Orange Blossom Cream / Prokofiev's "Love...
Our favorite little Italian restaurant in Hollywood serves what might be the most exquisite dessert on earth. (Vivoli's "Mattonellina di Cioccolatto" is essentially a silky, dense dark chocolate...
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