Category: bread

Brown Butter Zucchini Bread Is an Autumnal Delight

This version of zucchini bread is by far my favorite. Brown butter kicks up the flavor a few notches, and the crusty sugar topping adds an additional surprise. To me, this bread signals that autumn is upon us. It’s also a yummy way to use up any surplus summer squash. There is no need to…


These Cheesy Rolls, Originally From Brazil, Are Easy to Make in Your Own Kitchen

Pão de queijo, cheese bread, are small rolls with crunchy exteriors and uniquely chewy, stretchy centers. Instead of using flour like most baked goods, they use a surprise ingredient: tapioca starch. Tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour) is made from cassava root, a plant native to South America, that has been ground into a powder….


Widen the Gap With Homemade Bread

If you’ve read my book, “7 Money Rules for Life,” you know that rule No. 1 is so simple it would be easy to overlook it as being too elementary. Here it is: Spend less than you earn. Now, let’s think about this. “Spend less than you earn” is not the same as “Don’t spend…


Avian Botulism Outbreak a Good Reminder Not to Feed the Ducks

IRVINE, Calif.—An outbreak of avian botulism is being investigated by authorities after numerous birds were found suffering from the disease along the Aliso Creek urban stream corridor, which runs 19.8 miles through south Orange County. According to Debbie McGuire, executive director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, diseased animals have also…


Sandwich Art on a Plate

There’s something very pleasing about an open-faced sandwich. While simple in concept, the open sandwich construction is popular in myriad cultures. For instance, it’s known as bruschetta in Italy, tartine in France, or smorrebrod in Scandinavia, and the arrangements range from simple and minimal (such as a smear of garlic and tomato) to hefty and…


Leidenheimer Baking Company: A 125-Year-Old New Orleans Tradition

New Orleans is passionate about its bread, especially when it comes to the po-boy. Some say the city’s signature sandwich, usually stuffed with fried oysters, shrimp, roast beef, sausage, or meatballs, isn’t the real deal unless it’s served on a locally baked Leidenheimer loaf. “The most important part of the po-boy is the bread,” said…


The Family Table: Memories of Easter Baking, From My Big Italian Family

Submitted by Laura Semenza-Marcos, West Hills, California Memories of my childhood surround the holidays and food. As an Italian Roman Catholic from a family of nine, and many relatives, I have stories to tell. The family of my youth consisted of two parents and seven kids—one boy and six girls—in a three-bedroom house, with one…


A New Way to Love Bran Muffins

Do you love bran muffins with your morning coffee or tea? It’s often my go-to breakfast on the go. So, it was a total delight to discover that bran muffin batter could also be baked in a loaf pan. My friend had been telling me about this recipe she had culled from a number of…


This 5-ingredient Seasoning Blend Is the Secret to Instant Garlic Bread

We should all be enjoying more garlic bread in our lives, yes? It’s the perfect partner to cozy stews and hearty lasagna, and the only acceptable side to a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. To get it on our tables more often, I’ve created a way to make it in a fraction of the time:…


Buttermilk English Muffins

My friend Suzanne Pollack, the dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits, has taught me how to make these incredibly easy and delicious, light and fluffy English muffins. They do take time to make, but most of it is hands-off, just to let the dough rise and rise again. No complicated techniques here. She…