#Recipe

Saffron lemon yogurt mixture

This, in my mind, is the ultimate in comfort food. I crave this dish at all times. If given the opportunity I will shamelessly eat the entire pan. It’s also a showstopper at dinner parties and a great “entry level” Persian dish. Everyone likes tachin once they try it; it’s exotic, but the flavors are just close enough to home that they are still accessible to less-adventurous palates.

Orange nog ingredients

There is a cookbook in my mother’s home that she received as a wedding gift in 1970,The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook. She’s been using it all these years, and I’ve been cooking from it since I was about 6. It is stained, torn, floury and all together well loved. This is my baking bible - it’s measurements are exact and classic. But outside of the baked goods sections, some of these recipes are weird and from another era!

Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it on here yet, but I get a biweekly CSA box delivered to my home. CSA boxes definitely aren’t for everyone (I used to waste a shameful amount of produce when I was younger and received one) but they are great for my cooking now. I end up with produce I never would have bought otherwise.

Rhubarb is in that category, but I’m really not sure why. I like rhubarb, I grew up eating wonderful strawberry rhubarb pies that my mother and grandmother made. My sister is crazy for the stuff. It definitely has a presence in my life – but not on my shopping list. I have never, ever gone out of my way to buy rhubarb. I’ve just ended up with it, either as a gift or in my CSA box. And thank goodness for that!

On the heels of last week’s delicious disaster, here is the recipe for Lemon Lime Layer Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting and Raspberry Filling. This cake is springy (texturally speaking, but it also suits the warm weather) and flavorful - the lemon makes it taste lighter than all that whipped cream should make you feel. Raspberry is meant to be paired with lemon! I served this alongside fresh strawberries and ended up dipping the berries in the whipped cream ( another match made in heaven!) If you are fancier than me, try decorating the cake with fresh berries on top of the cream.

Sometimes, life just doesn’t work out the way you want it to.

Lemon lime layer cake with whipped cream frosting

Take last weekend for instance. It was Friday night and I was so excited for the weekend to come. It was my sister’s birthday AND my grandfather’s birthday, so the whole family was getting together to celebrate and I was in charge of the cake. I found out I was in charge of the cake when my sister texted me a recipe link and the words “My Birthday”. Nothing else. We communicate so easily in my family.

There are certain basic foods that I keep in my freezer at all times to build quicker (but still homemade) meals with. I always have a few jars of homemade stock. I always have a basic herby tomato sauce. I always have cookie dough balls that can be baked off 3 or 4 at a time. Once a month or so (whenever I have time) I set aside one weekend day to cook all these things up. I’m always grateful later!