channeling my inner martha

In the beautiful world of pastry, so many things entice me...French macarons, brioche, tarts, mousses and meringues... and one always sits squarely at the bottom of my list--cake decorating.
You either love it or you hate it. You know where I stand.
So when a client asked for six dozen decorated Easter cookies, I smiled bravely and said "but of course!"

I baked the cookies (no prob)... mixed up quarts of royal icing (piece of cake)... then looked for divine intervention.

The mistress of all things cute answered my call. Martha.
She gave me strength to dig out those tips, fill those pastry bags and get to work.
I decided to dip the eggs for a smooth look... so far, so good.

Then it was time to build-a-bunny... and I went into production mode.

A little toothpick art for the spring butterflies..... and I was actually having fun.

Then Mia wanted to join team for the Olympic event of piping-and-flooding chicks and eggs.. followed by wet-on-wet dots, beaks and eyes. We needed a few glasses of wine after that one .

At the end of the day, I have to admit that although I felt like a preschool teacher with a spring art project (missed that glitter, though!), it was fun in a goofy sort of way. I have nothing but admiration for people who decorate so effortlessly... and beautifully. As for me, I'm dying to get my paws on some bread dough!

ode to asparagus

Asparagus is one of those less-is-more vegetables. Buy beautiful, bright green spears with tightly closed tips--thick or thin, whichever you like--then don't mess around with them too much so their delicious, grassy flavor really shines.

Here's my go-to method for preparing asparagus, which also happens to be the world's easiest recipe (how convenient!)
 Preheat your oven to 400F. Trim off the tough ends of a bunch of asparagus. Put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with a nice amount of olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then roll them around so all sides are coated and they're laying in a single layer. Roast for about 8-10 minutes,  until they're as done as you like them. My test of doneness is when the tip of a paring knife can easily pierce the asparagus, but you may like them crunchier or softer. Take the sheet of asparagus out of the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, rolling them around until they're coated. That's it!
If your grill is hot, you can also grill the oil-coated asparagus and finish them the same way.

Roasted asparagus (with or without the balsamic) are delicous tossed with hot pasta with a little more olive oil and some shaved parmesan. Or do like the Italians and place 4-5 spears on a plate and top with an over-easy egg... dipping the spears into the yolk for the perfect sauce. I had that dish in someone's home in Florence 30 years ago (yes, my best memories always involve food...) and I've never forgotten it!