The Ina Garten flag cake is a classic patriotic dessert, perfect for Memorial Day or Fourth of July. It’s easy to decorate red, white and blue with fresh summer berries and cream cheese frosting. Her recipe is meant to feed a crowd (20-24!), but I wanted a small batch size, and found the recipe easy to halve and even quarter. I share the conversion with gram measurements for the half size here, made in a casserole dish, the perfect potluck size.
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In Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show With Love, Meghan, she cooks and entertains in a kitchen worthy of a Nancy Meyers movie. Note, she does state right off the bat in episode 1 that it is not her home, but nevertheless, it is lovely with its laid back, coastal California vibe. I immediately spotted cookware and tools from some of my favorite brands, and as a former Williams Sonoma employee, I can’t watch anything without dissecting the kitchen. It’s second nature. I’m sharing some of her core kitchen set items below.
These cheddar and scallion biscuits were one of my favorite bakes during the pandemic. The recipe comes from Chef Mei Lin. I cheered her on as she won her season of Top Chef and I’ve been fortunate enough to have met her for work and when I’ve traveled to LA. You must try the cod fish sando at her casual Chinese eatery, daybird in Silverlake. It’s a gourmet filet o’ fish and it’s amazing. Now that you’ve got a food rec, back to biscuits!
She posted about the cheddar and scallion biscuits on Instagram, and I was immediately mesmerized by the gorgeous cross-section. My first batch got turned out decently but the biscuits were a bit lopsided, so after troubleshooting with Mei and getting some great tips that I’ve shared below, my second batch was fantastic. That’s the photo above. Hope you love them as much as I do.
My favorite cake. That’s a pretty big statement to make but it’s true. I love the Russian Honey Cake from the former 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco. I’ve posted about it one, two, three … okay, many times. Tender honey cake is separated by luscious burnt honey and dulce de leche cream, for a total of 20 layers!
Every time I enjoyed a slice at the cafe, I told myself, I need the recipe. My wish came true when it was published in The New York Times. UPDATE: Pastry chef Michelle Polzine published a new version in her cookbook that I’m sharing here. I followed the instructions exactly and was very pleased with the results. The textures and flavors were spot on.
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Pan-fried dumplings are a must for Chinese New Year and my favorite way to give them a little something extra is a dumpling lace skirt. It’s satisfying to break into and adds even more crispy texture to the dumplings. Coloring the dumpling dough is another fun twist that I’ve tried. Generally, I like eating them without any accompaniments, but a chili crisp oil is nice for a bit of heat.
