Popovers

I recently went to Wayfare Tavern, Tyler Florence's restaurant in the Financial District, to celebrate my friend Evelyn's birthday.   Dinner was pretty good, but what really captured my fancy were the fresh popovers, hot from the oven, that were served as the bread course.   They were so delicious I even helped myself to Christine's share, but that doesn't count since she's gluten-intolerant.  Would have been a shame to let it go to waste, right?  

But the best popovers I've ever had, hands down, are from The Rotunda Restaurant at Neiman Marcus.  Kind of strange that amongst all the couture and high-end shoes they'd be famous for this bread, but it's true.  Their popovers are massive and served with the most delicious strawberry butter.   I may not be able to afford those d'Orsay Manolos, but I can console myself with the popovers!  Get the recipe by clicking here.

Blackberry Buttermilk Panna Cotta

I don't know about you but I'm a bit of a Costco fanatic.  I just love the place, which can be a really dangerous (and expensive!) habit.  My friend Grace and I have, on many an occasion, made the trek there during our lunch break from work.   We're crazy like that.

    

For someone like me it's a great place to stock up on baking staples.  I buy unsalted butter there like it's going out of fashion.  On my last trip they had some amazing blackberries that were cheap as chips.  So of course I ended up buying way too many...over a kilo to be exact. 

    

You can bet that I was searching high and low for blackberry recipes because I hated the thought of the berries going to waste. I found this one for blackberry buttermilk panna cotta on epicurious.com.  Luckily I had all the ingredients in my fridge so it came together really quickly.  

These panna cotta are super creamy and refreshing, with the slightest tang from the buttermilk.  They are fabulous topped with mixed berries - a perfect light and fruity dessert to end any meal.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

As I've gotten older, argh!, certain foods that I once hated I've now grown to love.  Are you like that too?  Take avocados, for example.  I simply couldn't stand them when I was younger, but nowadays I'd sell my right arm for some chunky guacamole.  Ironic, isn't it?

Custard was another item on my frightful food list.  Maybe it had to do with the silky texture.  Flan or maybe crème brûlée for dessert?  Twenty years ago the answer would have emphatically been "no way!"   Luckily that was then and this is now.     

Recently I was having a craving for something creamy and chocolate-y.  I also wanted to use up the rest of the 1/2 gallon of heavy cream I bought at Costco to make the whipped cream cake. Then it came to me...chocolate pots de crème!  And I had the perfect containers to serve them in - some really cute glass yogurt containers that my sister gave me. 

Whipped Cream Cake

Rose Levy Beranbaum was on the Martha Stewart Show recently to promote her latest cookbook "Heavenly Cakes."   Rose is a true authority in baking and her first book "The Cake Bible" is one of my favorites. When it comes to cakes this lady is an expert!

She made this whipped cream cake on the show and when I first heard that there was no butter or oil in the recipe I was definitely skeptical.   Is that even possible?  Indeed it is! 

The batter comes together so quickly you wouldn't believe it.  No business of creaming butter and sugar and adding the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid.  This recipe is a dream and the cake is so moist and delicious.  It's definitely a keeper!