Why Not Brownies?
Products that are difficult to make at home or those that someone already does an incredible job of making are the ones to seek out: crispy potato chips made in olive oil (San Nicasio), caramel (Suss or Bequet), Viennese Crescents (Amy’s Cookies), delicious sugar cookies that look as good as they taste (Eleni’s), chocolate chip walnut cookies (Levain’s Bakery), chocolate (Tristan’s, Maison du Chocolat, Marie and Freres), croissants (Galaxy Desserts through Williams-Sonoma), cream cheese biscuits (Gagne’s), granola (Early Bird or Adirondack), hors d’oeuvres (Dufour Pastry Kitchens), specialty desserts (Galaxy Desserts), and jams (Sarabeth’s). Notice there is no brownie supplier on that list. Read more 
The Lime in the Coconut
The Coconut Pattie has been redefined and reached a new pinnacle with the creation of The Lime in the Coconut – a candy bar with a chewy coconut center, chunks of toasted macadamia nuts, lime zest and a touch of white rum all enrobed in dark chocolate. For those of us who grew up devouring Mounds Bars and for those who just call themselves coconut lovers, The Lime in the Coconut is pure bliss and it all started with the culinary talents of two very talented pastry trained chefs with a vision. Read more
“Mrs. Bridge”
More than 50 years ago, Evan S Connell wrote “Mrs. Bridge” – a fictional novel that is remarkable in many ways. “Mrs. Bridge” is the story of India Bridge, a woman who was born in the late 19th century and came of age during World War 1 and yet, the reader doesn’t realize this information until half-way through the novel because the story is timeless. The story of Mrs. Bridge is not the story of events during Mrs. Bridge’s lifetime, but of the day-to-day events in her life. At 26, India marries Walter Bridge and becomes Mrs. Bridge although she quickly realizes that love is not always an equitable affair after Mr. Bridge spurns her advances early in their marriage while holding her secure in his arms as he falls back asleep – an action that deftly defines their long life together: security, yes; passion, no. Read more
FAB
An artist friend of mine introduced me to a relatively new website last month called “FAB” – a design e-retailer that has four distinguishing characteristics: (1) the products are fabulous in design, taste, or use; (2) e-mails are sent daily alerting subscribers to new products offered; (3) the products are not widely available; and (4) the products are all offered at a discount. Founded in June, 2011, FAB was the brainchild of Jason Goldberg and Bradford Shellhammer – two West Villagers who believed they could build an e-commerce powerhouse through word of mouth, which is exactly how it’s grown (witness my introduction to the website by a friend who has an eye for design). Read more
The Molasses Clove Cookie
The Dancing Deer Baking Company uses all natural ingredients (unbleached wheat flour, cane sugar, canola oil, cage-free eggs, molasses, baking soda, spices, and kosher salt) to make an exquisite Molasses Clove Cookie that is thick and chewy. Originally thought of as a seasonal cookie for the holidays, the Molasses Clove Cookie dominated the company’s production when demand for this universally loved treat didn’t slow down after the holiday season. Read more
“Getting A Life”
Several years ago, Helen Simpson published a collection of nine short stories called “Getting A Life.” Simpson, an English novelist is a master at writing about women overwhelmed with their lives as mothers – be they stay at home or working moms – and as wives to men who don’t think their responsibilities go beyond going to work everyday. At times hilarious – especially the scenes with children – but more often sad, the stories portray women in England who are trying to keep their lives, careers, and marriages together while raising children – not an easy feat. Read more
An Open Letter to All Non-Parents from a Parent
When I was in my early 20’s, I worked in an office with several women who had children or were having children. One woman in particular was referred to as “Earth Mother” and was a frequent butt of jokes and resentment because she would bring her baby to the office, breastfeed him in the empty conference room, work special hours, and from time to time ask us to pick up the slack on group projects – none of which endeared her to us. She was also brilliant, hard-working, and a time management czar. Read more
Seven Sundays Muesli
Muesli is a popular breakfast cereal that is predominately made up of rolled oats, fruits, nuts, seeds, and flakes (wheat, barley, and rye). More popular in Europe than in the US, muesli is often confused with granola, another healthy breakfast cereal. Whereas muesli and granola share many qualities, muesli is different in primarily three ways: muesli is usually a raw cereal meaning the ingredients are rarely baked or toasted before combined; muesli doesn’t have an oil to tie the ingredients together, and typically little or no sweetener is added to muesli because of the heavy concentration of dried fruits.There are, however many variations of muesli to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Read more
“Runaway”
Alice Munro is often described as the foremost short story fiction writer of the times. Born in 1931 in Ontario, Munro is well-known throughout Canada for her short stories but is less well-known in the US and England where her work has often been overlooked for awards because Munro hasn’t written the definitive novel that tends to garner literary distinction and international recognition. One has to admire Munro for not caving into the pressure to write “the novel” and instead stay true to her art by continuing to publish short story collections. Read more
The Piano Tuner
Rain was pouring down from the skies causing mud puddles to turn into streams and parts of the dirt road to wash out. Still, Vlatko made his way down the mile-long driveway to the lone house on the lake. He parked the car, turned the ignition off and noticed the wipers stopped mid-way on the windshield as if his timing was slightly off. Vlatko always thought windshield wipers reminded him of a metronome, the tool musicians use to maintain a consistent tempo while playing music. Read more
Paddock Post 