The Diner of Cville...

May 16

Beyond the Flavor: Almond Pavé Cake.

I’m at it again. There’s a new blog post up at Beyond the Flavor, and it’s all about my love for Jenny Peterson’s Almond Pavé Cake at Paradox Pastry. This decadent confection has become something I must have every time I visit. Meaning, even if I end up getting something else while there, I’ll buy a piece to take home. There’s quite a story behind how she procured the recipe, and has even been generous enough to pass it along to all of us. So go check it out and while you’re there, ooh and aah over Andrea and Sara’s new, improved website. It’s stunning!

Apr 3

Beyond the Flavor.

I am pleased and proud to announce I’m the newest contributor to Beyond the Flavor, Charlottesville’s greatest, most wonderful window into the lives and kitchens of our chefs, food purveyors, artisans, farmers, and enthusiasts. Once or twice a month I’ll be extolling the virtues of food, diners, or whatever food-related treasure I’m most excited about at that moment. Very excited about this opportunity especially since the BTF ladies just funded their Kickstarter fund! Look for a major overhaul and expansion beginning April 15th! Suggestions for topics? Feel free to email! My first post is all about the decadent goodness that is Splendora’s Hot Chocolate. Go read about it here. Mmmmmmm…..as chilly as it is today, that would taste good right about now…

Mar 18

1 Comment

Leaning In. Or not.

There are 3 things I can make well without a recipe: pasta, pizza, and soup. Everything else I have to lean in to that slip of paper torn from a magazine, that section of the cookbook laid out, spine of the book broken, or that app on the iPad, said iPad carefully covered with a Ziploc bag to prevent catastrophe. I’m not a cupboard chef, I can’t just whip open the doors and magically create something in 30 minutes. The Hubby can. Me? I lean.

But with pasta, pizza, and soup I’m a magician. Pasta was the first thing I ever conquered out of necessity. When you live on your own in your 20’s making minimum wage you quickly discover a 65-cent box of linguine (that’s what it cost at Food Lion back then) can go a long way. Grilled cheese and ramen get old.