Spelt Strawberry Muffins
Makes 12-15 ¾ c. granulated sugar ½ c. almond milk ½ c. applesauce (I used unsweetened) 1 lg. egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract ¼ tsp. almond extract 2 c. spelt flour 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 2 c. diced …
Author: jmerhar
M.F.K. Fisher: Ghosts of Dijon
In 1929, a bright-eyed 21-year-old American woman stepped off a transatlantic ocean liner and found herself in Dijon. Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, now better known by her initials, was unaware of the culinary and literary sojourn that awaited her on rue du Petit-Potet. Yet those …
M.F.K. Fisher’s Shrimp Cucumber Soup
“She would make it the night before and then just pour it from a chilled pitcher in the fridge when it was time to eat. She loved the fact that it was made with buttermilk, which she knew many turned their noses up to, but …
Maredret Monastery: Where Nuns Spin Gold
I’m not Catholic, but my love of Belgian beer often ushers my footsteps to monasteries and abbeys. As you likely know, many monks in Belgium make and peddle beer, but if you look in the shadows, you will discover the nuns at Maredret Monastery creating …
Empress Earl Grey Chocolate Tea Cake
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup spelt flour (*see note) ½ cup unbleached white flour 1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea (*see note) 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons grated orange zest ¼ teaspoon vanilla 2 …
Schlosshotel Kronberg: Where Luxury and Love Coexist
Sleeping under the slate roof of Schlosshotel Kronberg will leave those who appreciate history, design and luxury happy. It’s a castle, but staying within the art lined halls feels like overnighting at the wealthy aunt’s home you dreamt you’d had. The estate was completed in …
Verona: Where Streets are Paved Pink
In Verona leave your rose colored glasses at home. This Italian city is steeped in romance and passion, even the pedestrian alleyways are paved in pink limestone. Scribbled hearts with names and poems are written on walls, telephone poles and public letter boxes. You can’t …
Gruene Hall: A Snake. A Beer. A Memory
(This post is a memory from 2014.) Walking into Gruene Hall, boots are greeted not only by worn wooden floorboards, but with a clacking sound as heels scoot over weathered metal license plates that are nailed to the floor. I wasn’t sure if their purpose was to add …
Not a Typical Love Story
(Written in 2014) Falling in love with someone nearly half my age wasn’t the plan. After all, I’ve been happily married for seventeen years. We even have four daughters. I most certainly didn’t expect my ten-year-old and a pop icon to introduce me to this …
From Proust to Prost: Trink Magazine
Proud to have a piece I wrote about a special Wiesbadener included in Trink Magazine. Prost, to Holger ~