In addition to not having much time for kitchen projects, I have also been feeling a little bored of myself in the kitchen. I tend to make the same sorts of things with the same ingredients. I felt like I was in a little bit of a rut. I decided to try something new in the form of these pecan rochers (boulders en francais). Little piles of meringue, filled with pecan pieces. I don’t have much experience with meringues and so this seemed like a good challenge. read more+++

Today Lottie + Doof turns one year old. It seems both longer and shorter than that to me. I have a hard time remembering life before this site- a time when I didn’t have to put dinner on pause to take photographs of the food (imagine, we once ate food when it was still warm!). It is perhaps most strange that a year ago I did not know any of you. I feel so fortunate to have made connections with so many of you over the past 12 months. Some of those connections have lead to friendships and exciting opportunities and for that I will always be grateful. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started the site but I have found that the food blogging community is a really great place to hang out.  I am always happy to know that there are others out there who care about eating and making good food. read more+++

I’ve been eating this salad a lot lately. Tomatoes are getting good and tasty and we need to savor them while they last. They are one of those fruits/vegetables that can really blow your mind. The difference between a good one and a bad one is night and day. I came across these good ones at Green City Market. Big, juicy heirlooms in an assortment of colors that make for an elegant arrangement on your plate. read more+++

I get such nice emails from you. I am always so happy when someone drops me a line to ask a question or share their enthusiasm for one of the recipes I recommended. I recently got an e-mail from the woman who runs The Countess of Nassau County, a blog based in Long Island. “The Countess” had written a very kind review of Lottie + Doof and wanted to share it with me. In it, she calls me out on my love of baked fruit, “the man loves him some baked fruit; in a pie, in a muffin, in a crumble, in a cake, in your Uncle Al’s shoe, any form will do.” I laughed out loud when I read this, mostly because it is true.

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Oh, cherries. You were here and gone before I knew it. I am glad we made the most of our time together. I have learned that I need to freeze some tart cherries in order to give me more opportunities to bake with them. It all happens so quickly. I bet some of you are smarter than me and already have some frozen cherries waiting to make a nice pie or cake. I put my last pint of cherries into this frozen yogurt, a fitting tribute to one of my favorite fruits. read more+++

I decided to make focaccia for dinner at about 7pm on a very hot night in Chicago. Maybe not the best decision I have ever made. Three hours later we were both starving and very hot.  Luckily this focaccia was worth the wait. It is wonderful. We ate almost all of it in one sitting and I was truly sad to see it go.

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Chicago summers are usually hot and humid. We go from complaining about cold to complaining about heat in a matter of days. This summer is different. Everyone has been complaining that it isn’t hot enough. While I agree it has not felt like summer I will take an unusually mild summer over the usual any day. This past weekend we finally got into the 90’s and it felt like summer had finally arrived just as back to school sales start up. It may be strange timing but it is the perfect time for a no-cook pesto. read more+++

If you stick around here long enough you are bound to hear me raving about my favorite Chicago bakery- Floriole. Floriole never ceases to amaze me with the quality seasonal baked goods they produce.  My most recent discovery was a small oat and coconut cookie that the Floriole folks fondly referred to as Scooby snacks. They are like small bits of the butteriest soft granola bar you can imagine. As I sat eating my second Scooby snack of the evening I emailed Sandra at Floriole to tell her I was once again impressed. She explained that the cookie I was eating was an adaptation of an ANZAC biscuit and my quest to make my own version of these sweet cookies began. read more+++

I love pickles. All forms. All vegetables. Pickled onions, turnips, cucumbers, peppers. Bring. Them. On. Until last week the only thing I pickled on a regular basis was red onions, which I love on salads and on top of tacos and other Mexican dishes. (I love this recipe for quick pickled onions) Then I found this super fast and easy recipe for spicy dill pickles and am currently on my second jar of them in less than two weeks. They are perfect. read more+++

Montreal was an amazing place to eat, but after a trip in which I ate poutine, croissants, fried pork, steak and more bacon than I care to admit, I was in need of some serious dietary improvements. I came home craving fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This is pretty much the state I am in at the end of all travels. Too much enjoyment of the local cuisine and I feel a strong desire to balance things out. The first thing I made for us was this very simple brown rice pilaf with green olives, lemon and a sprinkle of goat cheese. read more+++