The last time Andrew and I were in Paris, we pretty much went from one spectacular bakeshop or chocolatier to another.  And you can’t really miss those belonging to Pastry Chef Extraordinaire Pierre Hermé.  The man himself is arguably the most acclaimed of all living…

The allure of a childhood favorite–S’mores– is undeniable.   Here two bakers from Georgia have captured the essence of one of life’s great pleasures—the S’more.  While the treat may be best remembered as campfire cooking at is best, here’s a recipe that brings it indoors…

Gail Simmons is such a glamorous presence on “Top Chef” that it’s easy to forget she’s first and foremost a great cook.  She’s also a fellow Canadian so I took a great deal of heat from Andrew for not knowing what a Bumbleberry was.  I’d…

When Andrew and I plan a dinner party, the menu starts to percolate once the RSVPs have been received.  We try to think of our audience and we try to make things interesting.  Generally that means doing something completely new.  We have a fair amount…

I must admit to having been slightly taken aback when Andrew told me his weekend plans included making Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Not that I didn’t want one.  And when the smell of his dark chocolate ‘biscuit’ wafted through the kitchen, I could hardly wait until…

This weekend begins what is always called “The Unofficial Start of Summer”.  Never mind the Equinox is over three weeks away and it’s been horridly cold and rainy this month.  Nevertheless, this is the weekend that New Yorkers give up their weekends in the city…

As often as not, Andrew volunteers to bring dessert whenever we’re asked out to dinner.  On this particular occasion, he asked our friends Bill and Peter if they had any requests.   Peter asked for ‘something nutty’.  I seemed to remember an amazing tart Andrew had…

Cheese for Dessert?   The Europeans have served it for years.  Along with some fresh or preserved fruits, or a dessert wine, any fine cheese can be turned into a dessert course. And any cheese course can be greatly enhanced with a discovery we made at…

It’s been a long haul and wending our way through 765 posts has taken time to say the least. But at last we’ve arrived on Publication Day One of the new and improved Chewing the Fat. And it seems so appropriate that someone who gives…

Coconut Cupcakes that Andrew eggified for Easter!   In the run-up to Easter, we’ve had snow, sun and cold temperatures earlier this week that feel more like winter than spring. It’s warmed up at last and here’s how we celebrated. And, after Andrew added jelly…

In Spring, Quebec taps its sugar maples. As a lot of my readers know, I am from the province of Quebec in Canada.  Even though I have lived my entire adult life in the States, I still revere my Canadian roots and I am very…

Rumfest’s Ding Dong Cake in a blaze of glory          Every year, our friend Jayne’s Birthday Celebration is declared Rumfest.  That’s a combination of her maiden name and the fact that Jayne’s Birthday is never confined to a single day. It seems to carry on…

           What is a “pluot”?, you may well ask. It’s the Labradoodle of fruits.  Actually it’s more like a Cockapoo or even a Maltipoo in size. The Pluot is a plum and apricot hybrid bred first in California in the 1800s.   Initially it…

Marcus Porcius Cato 234-149 BC If New York has a cake, it is most certainly our richly indulgent and sumptuously creamy cheesecake.  There is a lot of culinary history to support this claim.  And then there’s Junior’s, a Brooklyn Temple to Cheesecake which made history…