Good Things by David

Dear Readers,   I hope everyone in the Northeast is safe this morning.  Most of us who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy are just beginning to assess the damage done to our homes & surroundings.  Here in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, we had a lot fallen trees & branches as well as power outages Monday night; some of my neighbors are still without power.  Many streets and roads are impassable at the moment as a result, so I urge everyone to travel with great care and caution if you must be out.    Thankfully our house is intact and nothing was damaged as the storm passed through on Monday.  Trees, branches and debris are being cleared from our home as we speak, so I won't be up and blogging for several more days.  Take care everyone.  Sincerely, David

Made throughout Latin America and Spain, Flan can be found at many reputable restaurants or pastry shops in these regions that sell the best of the best.  This popular dessert is also loved in France where it is called Crème Caramel and is made into individual servings or into one large custard.  It's no mystery to me why it's so popular, because it is such a perfect dessert to end just about any meal.  Light, smooth & silky in consistency, Flan is crowned with a most delicious caramel that glistens when it's unmolded.  But, whether you call it a Flan or Crème Caramel , I think every home baker ought to make this showstopping dessert at least once or twice during the year.  The only thing that may seem intimidating about making the custard is the caramel itself.  With a few tips and things to remember, it too is quite easy. Crème Caramel ~ Flan I first had the pleasure of tasting a good, homemade Flan many years ago while tr...

As I'm busy doing everything that needs to get done around the house and testing recipes that I plan on posting, I'm also taking some time to send a care package to some special kids.  It's nice for me to be able to spoil my niece & nephews with a few homemade treats every once in awhile, because I know they always love whatever I send their way.  The moment they see the postman delivering one of my famous boxes, the kids are jumping up & down waiting to see what I've sent from Pennsylvania.  I do it for their birthdays and for the holidays, with Christmas being the biggest extravaganza of them all.  As a kid, I was spoiled by a few of my aunts & uncles whenever we'd pay them a visit & vice versa, so in a way I want my little ones to feel the same kindness and love I had growing up.  There are moments, however, when I don't wait for a special milestone event or for a holiday to send a box full of cheer.  If I know that someon...

Toward the end of the week we got drenched with so much rain that I thought we'd surely have our trees stripped bare of all their leaves before getting to enjoy the Fall colors.  Luckily, we seem to have been given a break by Friday afternoon, much to my relief.  As I was having my coffee Saturday morning while looking out the dining room window, I was amazed to see everything ablaze in such beautiful hues.  It literally felt as if our deciduous trees had decided to switch colors in the blink of an eye.  The large maples and lindens which divide the house and the barn, gave me the first clue as to the change.  Now was the time to begin photographing, capturing & cataloguing the changes around me, because otherwise I would completely miss my chance to do so.  Nature waits for no one. The Driveway After having a delicious brunch of wild-caught Alaskan salmon, oven roasted pommes frites , an escarole-romaine salad and some blueberry juice s...

Incomparably moist muffins made with freshly grated apples and a healthy dose of spice are just the thing to have right now with a large cup of coffee or a small espresso.  These somewhat innocuous-looking muffins may seem a bit squat & unassuming when they come out of the oven, but I warn you, they're addictively good.  Made with a large amount of the season's best apples along with delicious brown sugar & tangy buttermilk, my muffins have just enough batter to hold them together.  Cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg are naturals with apples, but so is cardamom.  Adding just a small amount of ground cardamom enhances the batter and really makes the flavor of the apples shine through. Many varieties of apples are in season right now, and I highly encourage each & everyone of you to seek out the most flavorful and juiciest at a farmer's market near you.  If you want these morsels to taste of apple, the fruit must be d...