Sweets for the Sweet on Valentine’s Day

By Sandy Hu

Years ago, when Steve and I were newly married and money was tight, we’d spend an occasional Saturday making a fancy dinner for ourselves (Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking was our favorite resource.). We’d set the table with our good wedding china, arrange flowers, light candles and enjoy a special meal together. Before dessert, we’d get up from the table and do all the dishes, so they weren’t waiting for us when the meal was done. Once the kitchen was cleaned, we’d sit back again and enjoy dessert and coffee, feeling as pampered as if we had dined at an expensive New York restaurant.

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It’s not Just Icing on the Cake

By Katie Barreira

This week, my dearest friend asked if I would give her a cake-frosting tutorial. Fairly certain that the bride-to-be wasn’t planning a do-it-yourself, or worse, a do-it-together wedding cake, I consented readily.

Between my three-week culinary school foray into the pastry arts, a hand-modeling cameo appearance in a cake decorating spread and testing the magazine’s five, 5-year anniversary cakes, I’ve probably only frosted a whopping baker’s dozen. And yet, I faced the impending lesson with complete confidence. Why? Because I had an ace of a frosting recipe up my sleeve.

The first time I took this frosting for a test drive, it felt as if my offset spatula was a magic wand. But the power wasn’t in the stick, it was in the icing. This glossy, billowing, meringue-based whip glides onto cake with ease and precision. It’s perfect for cake-frosting newbies because you can hone your icing skills and produce impressive results on the first time out; very encouraging.

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Unearthing Old Recipes: California Raisin Cake

By Sandy Hu

Deep inside, I am a neat person. If you knock on my hotel room door on any business trip, you’ll find it tidy, all the clothes hung, shoes lined up in a row and everything in its place. I am also a meticulous packer.

But at home? Not so much.

Everything is fine until I get busy; then I let things slip. Recently, Dave and I have been working seven days a week on Special Fork and my house has paid the price. So, given it was the first free weekend I’ve had in a long while, I looked forward to getting my house back in shape.

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