A Thin Little Tart ...

... a thin little fruit tart that matches the thin little cardamom-dusted almond slices that deck its top ...

Cooking With Nigel ...

February is here! Spring may still seem way' out there' for many of us, but the hope and dreaming that comes around at this time of year can always be counted on when the daylight hours begin to lengthen and the sun's warmth begins to increase just a bit in intensity.  I begin to think of Easter time and rebirth ... and fresh eggs for coloring and making into cheesecakes or omelettes or soft Easter cakes. Yup ... eggs!

So this month, I'm going to use some of Nigel Slater's egg recipes to inspire a departure from root vegetables and heavy stews and all that other winter time comfort food. If you'd like to join me, grab the Nigel badge (picture above), research some of his egg-based recipes and make one of them your own, post to your blog, and send me a quick comment here ... I'll collect your posts and do an end of the month round-up ...

I'm off to make a bit of a change up on Nigel's Hot Cross Bun Bread Pudding ... with an apple cherry cake that wouldn't come out of the Bundt pan and became chunk o' cake. Hopefully, the next incarnation will be as tasty as I think it should be ... does that make sense? I'm supposed to bring dessert to a Super Bowl Party this evening ... Apple and Cherry Cake Pudding with Whipped Cream coming right up! You can make Nigel's bread pudding into your own original with whatever leftover bread or cake you have floating around the house!

Check out Nigel's other egg recipes too!

Gooey Pork, Slippery Greens and Mushrooms ...

This is the weather for cozy suppers - ones that are full of heat and spice and that warm you to the cockles of your heart. Now, normally I think of cozy comfort food as something in a bowl with steam rising up and around my face, enveloping me in a heady scent. Yeah. Total comfort and a sauna besides. A total sensory experience that calls back far off memories of home and hearth.