About the Author
Sarah Fidelibus is a longtime educator with over ten years of experience in curriculum development and course implementation at the high school, college and professional levels. In addition to her work on and off campus, Sarah is a writer whose work has appeared at Poynter.org, the San Francisco Appeal and SF Public Press. In her free time, Sarah also writes the blog, San Francisco Treats--her tribute to all the best treats you can find in one of the best cities in the world. She can be reached via email at s.e.fidelibus [at] gmail [dot] com, and through all of the social media channels you see below.Connect
- "@justinSF But I will let you know! Would love to meet up if I make it to some of the events."39 minutes ago"@justinSF I'm not sure yet! I am waiting to hear about some appointments, and that's holding up me making a firm schedule for myself."40 minutes ago"@tomprete That info. is a matter of public record...maybe good to look at?"59 minutes ago
Category Archives: From Scratch
Slow Food for the Baker’s Soul
I still remember the first thing we ever learned how to make in that kitchen: little “pizzas” assembled from an English muffin split in half and topped with tomato sauce and grated cheese. And I can still clearly recall each of the steps involved and how pleasing they were to my five-year-old self: brushing the muffin halves with olive oil, then sprinkling them with oregano before moving on to smother the crusts in tomato sauce from a jar and finish things off with some grated mozzarella. When the snacks came out of the oven—soft, warm, and melty with cheese—I couldn’t believe we had made these ourselves; they were delicious! Continue reading
From Scratch: Sea Salt Caramels
For me, that new ritual may very well come in the form of sea salt caramels, a treat I made this past Friday for a holiday gathering of friends that happened on Saturday. When I saw Ina Garten make them on her show a few weeks ago, I thought sacks of the little treats would make great party favors; plus, in a season in which people are receiving plates full of cookies, fudge and fruitcakes from friends and neighbors, this little bag of caramels would be an unexpected treat. What’s more, they last a good long time, much longer than cookies or fudge, and therefore could be put away and enjoyed next month, even, when one is not being offered sugar-laced snacks several times a day.
I was indeed glad I made these. First, they were fun to make, and the kitchen smelled intensely of butter and vanilla long after the caramel mixture was setting in the fridge. In addition–and perhaps more importantly–they taste great: creamy and rich, with buttery, nutty, salty notes; you can tell they were made from scratch. Continue reading
Cutie Clafouti
As I mentioned in my most recent post, I’ve been working my way through Nicole Rees’s amazing cookbook, Baking Unplugged. The text celebrates the joys of making things completely by hand–no machines or fancy gadgets required.
So far, every recipe I have tried (five, as of this writing) has been fantastic, from stick-to-your fingers moist chocolate snack cake to breakfast rolls flavored with orange zest and cardamom and dotted with rum-plumped golden raisins. Among these five recipes, the simplest has been the Cranberry Clafouti; it’s also been one of the most enjoyable, with a depth of flavor that I would have never expected from a dessert that is like a custardy puff pancake. Continue reading
Posted in Foodstuffs, From Scratch
Tagged clafouti, clafouti recipe, cranberry, cranberry clafouti, puff pancake
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Grateful for Family, Friends, and a Fabulous Biscuit Recipe
I’ve had several great biscuits in my day, but none of them had ever come out of my kitchen. The ones that I had tried to make were always disappointing, failing as they did to compare with the biscuits I had meant to make: that is to say, biscuits that would be fluffy and not dense, moist and not crumbly. Continue reading
From Scratch: Coffee Cocoa Snack Cake
This cake, from Fine Cooking magazine, is particularly good. It’s very chocolatey and unbelievably moist, and most people will have all of the ingredients on hand to make it whenever the whim strikes. It’s always frustrating to be craving a certain something, only to realize that, in order to make it, you need buttermilk or sour cream or some other such ingredient that you may not have in your fridge all the time. With this cake, you can go from desire to dessert in about an hour’s time. Yum. Continue reading
Front Burner #4: Risotto with Spring Vegetables and Smoked Ham
Risotto is one of those dishes that takes practice; you have to make it a few times before you feel like you have it down, but it is definitely a skill worth cultivating. It’s economical and oh so comforting; and if you’re a fan of leftovers, as I am, you can make a big pot of it and reheat it in the microwave throughout the rest of the week. Continue reading
Front Burner #3: Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart
Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart from Cooking Light magazine: The graham cracker crust lends a great crunchy texture paired with the almond-scented cream and luscious topping of strawberries. You may be inclined to regard the toasted sliced almonds as purely decorative and therefore not “necessary,” but it takes no time at all to toast them (and only a few minutes to rim the tart with them), and they add that wonderful, toasty, nutty element that cuts through the sweetness of the cream. Sometimes it’s the littlest details that elevate a dish from pretty good to total standout, and I think the almonds are that detail in this recipe.
Continue reading
Front Burner, Episode Two: Springing Forward with Lavender and Honey Shortbread
A recipe for Lavender and Honey Shortbread that will have the most skeptical eaters asking for more. Continue reading
Posted in Foodstuffs, From Scratch
Tagged easy shortbread cookies, honey, lavender, lavender and honey, linkedin, shortbread, shortbread cookies
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Front Burner Episode One: What’s cooking in verbal cupcake’s kitchen
Far more often than writing reviews of an actual recipe, people seem to use the “recipe review” function on food websites to write about their own version of a given dish, often with long lists of ingredient substitutions and changes in method that would greatly affect the final product. “I loved this recipe,” someone might write, adding, “But instead of baking the banana bread, I whipped the batter extra long and served it as a mousse.” Or someone else will say, “My husband loved this. I swapped out the raisins for goat cheese and added jalapenos instead of walnuts. It was a hit!” Continue reading
Posted in From Scratch
Tagged breakfast, butter, cinnamon, donut muffins, epicurious, muffins, recipes, reviews, sugar
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