I became a cookie baker because of a friendship. I mean, I had baked cookies over the years, but I had never thought about making special cookies. I just followed recipes. When our friends Areli and Leon opened Cocoa Cinnamon in our Old North Durham neighborhood, I wanted to do something to help mark the…

This is Ginger’s favorite cookie from my Milton’s Famous days. I made some this afternoon to take to some folks who are self-quarantined. 1 c butter, softened 1 1/2 c peanut butter 2 c brown sugar 1/4 c sriracha 2 large eggs 1 t vanilla 3 c flour 1 t baking powder 1 1/2 t…

This is a first. I have never made up a cocktail before. It grew out of a conversation with a friend–over the poetry of Padraig O’Tuama, as I remember, and she said to me, “Why don’t you make up a cocktail called ‘A Thin Place’?” I accepted the challenge. A thin place is an image…

A friend has been going through some tough times lately. They are from England, so I decided I would make English scones to offer support. English scones are lighter and fluffier than what we get in most American bake shops. They are good with butter and jam or marmalade; they are also good all by…

I wanted to make this tarte soleil–which means sun tart–as soon as I saw the picture at Smitten Kitchen. But I wanted to make if for breakfast. So, instead of her olive tapenade filling, I decided I could fill it as I do my cinnamon rolls and let the aroma wake everyone up. I also decided…

You may notice that the site looks different than before. I am in the middle of a number of changes—many of which I don’t yet know how to make. One of the changes is to get back to posting recipes. For now, rather than posting them on my recipe blog that has been quiet for…