Good Things by David

The latest publication to come from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living is a beautifully photographed, well-organized and practical cookbook dedicated to newlywed couples.  One should look at Martha's 'Newlywed Kitchen' as a sensible, attainable and delicious compilation of recipes for anyone starting a home. In this book you will get tips on how to stock a pantry, what essential kitchenwares to buy for your home, choosing the right china and linens for the table, and of course, a good amount of recipes for weekday meals, weekend brunches, desserts and even holiday get-togethers.     Personally, I think it's rather genius to have a cookbook with recipes that make two servings, instead of the usual four and over.  Martha's book will not only be useful for the newlywed couple, but it will be exceptionally helpful for any couple who wants to cook fresh, delicious meals, without having to waste time, energy and resources making large quantities of food.  ...

If you grow lavender in your herb garden, chances are that you have a good amount of it at the moment since it's been so hot.  There is something soothing, yet bracing about the scent of lavender, whether it is used in soaps, countertop sprays, lotions and other products for the home, but have you ever had it in the form of sugar?  The wonderful thing about lavender sugar is that it is very simple to make. Having a jar or container of lavender sugar is one of those little luxuries that you should indulge in every now and then.  To be able to sweeten your tea with a spoonful of it or to use it in a traditional pound cake, a batch of vanilla bean madeleines, or perhaps some tender shortbread cookies, is simply magnificent.   A little bit of this beautiful herb goes a very long way when making lavender sugar.  I find that the enhanced sugar pairs very well with any tea which contains hibiscus, such as the one I'm having here in my vintage Wedgwood ...

If you decorate cookies and cakes on a regular basis, chances are you have accumulated a good amount of sweet edible embellishments and decorating tools to help you in the decorating process.  It's a good idea to dedicate a space in your kitchen, no matter how small, to house the various tools and sweet, sparkly sprinkles in an orderly way. I don't have a large kitchen with an infinite amount of storage space, but everything here has its place.  Working with what I have, I try to make the most of the cabinets, shelves and drawers.  With an infusion of cookie cutters that were purchased recently from a dear friend and cookie decorating items which were given to me by that very same individual, my need for a specific cookie decorating station has forced me to move and consolidate my tools. This small area in the kitchen next to the center hall is where I used to have all of my cookie decorating equipment, so naturally that's where I began to put everything whe...

Baking season is upon us and if you like to get into the kitchen to bake tried-and-true recipes or approach those you've been meaning to get to all year long, then now is the time to start checking your pantry and making your lists.  It seems to me that it's always baking season at my house, but as soon as the weather gets cooler and Halloween is near, I bake even more than I normally do.  You know how it is, we start to bake this and that for a dear niece or nephew by special request, or we simply have to try that new recipe we came across on a website or magazine. If you haven't guessed it by now, I like things baked with good ingredients, because I feel that they produce far superior results to those created with boxed mixes.  Having said that, good ingredients don't need to be terribly expensive or hard to get.  Most supermarkets these days have everything one needs under one roof, so it's easy to get things in a single trip. Don't forget to ha...

As I was getting ready to bake a large batch of cookies a few days ago, I reached into my pantry for some vanilla sugar and noticed that it was lacking in fragrance.  A very faint aroma of vanilla was still present, but it wasn't what it should have been.  Since I was already planning on adding a vanilla bean into one of my cookie doughs, I thought it would be best to replenish the existing vanilla sugar that I keep in one of my antique Ball jars.  It's so simple to do this and worth the few minutes it takes to make a perfect vanilla sugar. Vanilla sugar enhances so many desserts, cookie doughs, teas and even coffees.  I absolutely feel it's a must-have pantry item for all bakers. For most recipes that call for vanilla extract I generally use my extra-infused vanilla essence (this is vanilla extract with a plump vanilla bean in the container), but if I want to make the recipe even more special, I boost the flavor by adding vanilla sugar in place of the regul...