Sandra Levine

I make a buttermilk-banana ice cream that should be possible for professionals to achieve.

Bripastry -- will you have some spring specials -- something with strawberries or rhubarb?

I'd love that recipe.... It's very similar to my Chocolate Sour Cream Cake in the Archives, with an additional 2 oz. of unsweetened chocolate, and instead of the amount or sugar listed, 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar (or, you could use 2 cups of light brown sugar. Bale at 375 degress F. for 25 minutes in 2 8 or 9 in. cake pans. I used to ice this with the following 1 can of sweetened condensed milk 3 oz unsweetened chocolate 2 oz. unsalted butter 1 egg yolk Melt chocolate, add milk, stir until blended. Add butter cut into small pieces. Keep stirring until thickened slightly. Off heat, add egg yolk. Stir until blended. Allow frosting to cool. It will thicken upon standing. If it gets too thick to spread easily, add a little coffee or water to thin it to the proper consistency. I guess I should have put this in the recipe archives with a link. Maybe I'll do that later or some other kind person will.

I will match my love of tomatoes against anyone's -- and I'm here to tell you that tomato seeds are...disgusting. Get rid of 'em.

Brownstone Front Cake -- a fairly basic chocolate cake using brown instead of white sugar. Delicious.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting This sweet frosting is a favorite with children and anyone who likes condensed milk. It's perfect for Brownstone Front Cake. 1/2 pt sweetened condensed milk (normal size can) 3 oz unsweetened chocolate 2 oz unsalted butter 1 egg yolk 1. Melt chocolate, add condensed milk. Stir until blended. 2. Add butter, cut into small pieces. Stir until thickened slightly. 3. Add egg yolk , Stir until blended. Allow frosting to cool. It will thicken upon standing. If it gets too thick, add a little coffee or water to thin it to spreading consistency. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Chocolate ( RG427 )

Brownstone Front Cake 4 oz unsalted butter 4 oz unsweetened chocolate 2 c cake flour 1 tsp baking soda 3 eggs 2 c brown sugar 1 c sour cream 1/2 tsp salt 1. Melt butter and chocolate together. Let cool. 2. Sift flour, soda and salt togehter. 3. Beat eggs with sugar until light. 4. Add sour cream and flour mixture alternatively to the beaten eggs. Beat until thoroughly combined. 5. Stir in the chocolate/butter mixture. 6. Bake at 375 F. for 25 minutes in 2 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Chocolate, Cake ( RG426 )

Monkey bread by Toby

Thanks, Helena. The halvah cream might also be good spread thinly in the pastry shell as the base for a fruit tart.

In the past, I've posted this as a variation on my brownie recipe, so for all I know, this may be one of the blondies that have never charmed you, but for everyon else: Strawberry Blondies Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour an 8" x 8" pan. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons of butter. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Beat in 2 eggs, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir only until flour is incorporated. Add 1/2 cup of small, sweet strawberries. Pour batter into pan and bake for 23 minutes, until the top is dry. This will not test as "done." Allow to cool completely before attempting to cut into small squares. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITH LESS-THAN-WONDERFUL STRAWBERRIES.

Use small sweet strawberries in blondies as you might use chocolate chips. Call them Strawbverry Blondies.

I'm looking forward to sweet, solid red strawberries that have a real flavor in contrast to what is available (and, regrettably, often served) the rest of the year. Why do restaurants feel they have to offer out of season fruit even when it is so noticeably inferior? Rhubarb. That's an awfully complicated-sounding dessert, Michael. How is it served? Is it plated like a tasting or somehow combined into one "thing."

It's a good flavoring for rice pudding and ice cream and other creamy desserts. It's often used in conjunction with saffron. A little goes a long way.

Strawberry Blondies 5 T butter 2 eggs 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c flour 1 tsp vanilla pinch of salt 1/2 cup small sweet strawberries Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour an 8" x 8" pan. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons of butter. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Beat in eggs, brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir only until flour is incorporated. Add small, sweet strawberries. Pour batter into pan and bake for 23 minutes, until the top is dry. This will not test as "done." Allow to cool completely before attempting to cut into small squares. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITH LESS-THAN-WONDERFUL STRAWBERRIES Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG403 )

Please...I can dream, can't I?

I think it's a love it or hate it proposition. I've heard some people describe it as "straw."

Helena, I am interested in the recipe for that cake. Is there a link in English? If not, can you post a translation? I love halvah. Years ago, it was usually available near the register at every Jewish deli. here is good bulk halvah available in Greek groceries in Astoria. It is now a once a year treat for me, since it is one of the most fattening things you can put in mouth.

An earlier post, from over a year ago: Tournesol A brand-new restaurant on Vernon Boulevard, in Long Island City, steps from the Vernon-Jackson station on the No. 7 line and the Midtown Tunnel. Modern French bistro in style and cuisine. Very moderate prices. Three courses, bottle of wine and coffee for two came to $80 (incl. tax.) French staff, French customers. Appetizers: Alan -- Rabbit terrine with apples. Served with a little salad and small, square slices of pain d'epices that the waiter (owner, too?) proudly pointed out as something truly special. Sandy -- Listed as Salade Frisee on the menu, my mixed salad did have some frisee, as one of the mixed greens. The lightly poached warm egg was present as were smoky, salty lardons, in abundance. Not as authentic as the lamented frisee salad at Pastis, but good, nevertheless. Mains: Alan -- Roast cod with rosemary, served with a melting zucchini flan. Sandy -- "Vegetarian plate," included wedges of polenta, brown-braised pearl onions, grilled mushrooms, ratatouille, carrot mousse, and more, each vegetable preparation a contrast to the others, the whole artfully presented. Desserts: Alan -- Molten chocolate cake, served with vanilla bean ice cream Sandy -- Ile flottante -- like eating a sweet cloud, floating in a puddle of creme anglaise. We drank a bottle of Entre-Deux-Mers. Can't remember the details, but it was good and only $19. We will go back happily. The rest of the menu is similar, with updated bistro dishes. And, more on Tournesol

I used real butter for the buttercrunch. Eventually, the butterscotch came together. The family devoured the whole cookie sheet full and I have to make another batch for tomorrow night.

I just made the matzah butter crunch for the first time. I hope there's some left to take to the Seder tomorrow.

Aunt Ida's Sponge Cake 12 eggs, separated 1 c matzah cake meal 1/2 c potato starch 1 T oil 2 c sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tablesppoon vanilla extract 1 c orange juice 1. Sift cake meal and potato starch together and set aside. 2. Add oil and vanilla to egg yolks. Add sugar and salt while beating. 3. Continuing to beat, add orange juice alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Beat some more until creamy. 4. Beat egg whiltes until stiff, and fold into egg yolk mixture. 5. Pour batter to about 1 1/2" from the top of an ungreased 10" tube pan (an angel-food cake pan, with removable sides.) Bake at 325 degrees F. for 50-60 minutes. (There will be anough batter left over for an additional 8" or 9" round cake.) 7. Invert to cool. Keywords: Dessert, Cake, Passover ( RG343 )

Try chilling the dough a bit before dropping it on the cookie sheet, so that the crops will be thicker to begin with and less likely to spread out thinly as soon as they hit the hot oven. If that doesn't work, try adding a bit more flour, recognizing that there is a consequent loss of richness and the potential for dryness.

Martha Graham. I'm going to be a dancer next time.

Just finished Vol. 1, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, a great biography of a man I like a lot more before I read the book. I'm looking forward to Theordore Rex."

Cultivating Delight A Natural Historyof My Garden, by Diane Ackerman Venice Lion City by Garry Wills