Laura Rebecca's Kitchen

Today’s my birthday. Thank you, blogger profile, for noticing that I am one year away from a decade change. Bastards. It’s also Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthday, and National Coming Out Day (purely a coincidince, I’m sure). To celebrate (my birthday, not coming out — not that there’s anything wrong with that), I’m updating my blog pic. […]

The lovely Lis at La Mia Cucina let me know about an all retro food blog called Jam Handy! Even without the retro recipes, I’d love it simply because its blogger, Kirkkitsch, quotes Murry Head’s “One Night In Bangkok.” (Best. Song. Ever.) AND he has a cupcake favicon. So if you’re still looking for RRC […]

Last Tuesday, I attended the first of six classes in cake decorating offered through Canandaigua School District’s Complements program. I’ve taking cooking classes before but I haven’t the foggiest idea how to decorate a cake. Usually, I just slap it on and schmear into a swirly pattern. Voila! Cake. Tuesday was a basic first day […]

When you feel as if everyone is judging you — in your relationships, in your profession, even the way you order coffee (note: avoid ordering a caramel macchiato at a coffee house that is not Starbucks) — it’s probably not a good idea to enter a pie baking contest. (You know, because they’re actually judging […]

Beef Stroganoff: delicious but not photogenic. More than any other season, autumn pulls me toward the kitchen. Maybe it’s because so many of the things I love — spiced desserts, hearty dinners, rich wines — feel synonymous with fall. Beef Stroganoff is a perfect comfort food after a long and chilly day. The beef, cut […]

Tagged by Peabody. Here it goes: I am thinking about: how I’m getting sick of apple desserts. I said: I’d clean up the kitchen, but it’s still not done…I want to: finish reading Mansfield Park.I regret: the way I ended that relationship.I hear: my husband and my stepson playing a game.I am: uncomfortably full I […]

The first pie tested for the pie contest was a variation on Betty Crocker’s classic apple pie recipe. I’d been thinking that Chinese five spice powder would be a nice change for a sweet dish, and took that idea for a test drive. I also made pie dough from scratch (Martha Stewart’s “Perfect Pie Crust”), […]

Perfect Pie Crust (Source) 1 cup unsalted butter (about 2 sticks),plus more for pie plate2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon sugar Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to […]

So about pushing myself into a non-comfort zone … I just entered a fruit pie baking contest. I have vague idea of what I’d like to do, but that’s about it. Suggestions and/or support are welcome, as are perscriptions of anti-anxiety medication.

As I write this, I can hear rhythmic beating of drums. A horse-drawn carriage trots by my house; the clip-clop of hooves is accompanied by the jingling of bells on the horse’s harness. (There’s also the yelling of disaffected Middle School students, but that’s much less charming.) Just down the street from our house (steps […]