summer dessert recipe – In Good Taste

French Vanilla Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries

Maris Callahan — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 05:00:40 +0000

The best things about the summer are simple. Sunshine, fresh produce from the farmers’ markets, relaxation. There’s no reason why your dessert needs to be complicated. Plus, there’s that whole, “wearing a bathing suit in public places” thing to think about. It’s easy to indulge in the winter when almost all manners of bodily imperfections can be hidden under baggy sweaters and thick winter coats. Things get complicated though when it’s the middle of July, you’re at a backyard cookout and all of a sudden there’s a dessert table staring you in the face. One of the easiest ways to keep yourself from indulging in a party (and I know a thing or two about indulging at par ties) is to bring a dish that you know fits into your healthy lifestyle plan and decide ahead of time to make a good choice. Fresh fruit is always a surefire pick in the summer, especially classics like strawberries and blueberries. Even if you’d rather eat chocolate, there’s nothing not to like about fresh, in-season berries, especially when you top them with a delicious, homemade whipped cream that is almost as easy to make as your morning coffee. It might sound like […]

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Lazy Summer Dessert: Rustic Peach Galette

Maris Callahan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:00:29 +0000

Have you ever been afraid to do something…and then once you did it, realized it was one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? This peach galette was a product of one such scenario, as until recently I had never made a galette and found them moderately intimidating. Then, out of nowhere one day I made an asparagus and goat cheese galette and immediately knew that I would soon have to make a sweet version of the rustic tart. Not surprisingly, this “galette effect” has applied to more situations in my life than I can probably count. When I lived in Hoboken and worked in New York City I wasn’t in love with my life…but I didn’t know how to live anywhere else so I stayed put for a long time before moving westward. When I was unhappy at work, I stayed put in my cubicle for a long time before I took a risk and made the move from corporate life to freelancing. I think what I’m trying to say here, in so many convoluted words, is that if you’re afraid of making a galette because it sounds elegant, fancy and intimidating, you should stray from your favorite, go-to […]

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Cooking for Two: Mixed Berry Crisp

Maris Callahan — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:00:03 +0000

Having parties is one of my favorite reasons to make a lemon chess pie, chocolate cake or a mixed berry crisp for dessert. Not that you need a reason to make dessert, but if you did, a party is as good a reason as any. You see, when I don’t have a good reason to bake, like for a party or to bring to someone’s house as a hostess gift, I wind up forcing baked goods on my friends and neighbors and then they accuse me of trying to make them fat. I’m looking at you, Rachel. When I’m not distributing cheesecake and cherry hand pies to my unsuspecting friends like they’re candy on Halloween, I’m figuring out ways to make baked goods that won’t languish on my counter before going to waste. Because unless I’m having a party, I wind up with leftovers. Even if I could eat an entire tarte tatin or flourless chocolate cake doesn’t mean I will. Okay, actually I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even do that (who wants to confess that they’ve eaten something containing an entire stick of butter?) but my point is, I like making desserts that won’t leave me with a lot […]

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Glenn’s Cheesecake

Maris Callahan — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:00:51 +0000

As if I needed an excuse to make cheesecake, my mother sent me an email this past weekend asking if she could write a guest post on In Good Taste. Since the recipe she wanted to share is so-good-it-should-be-illegal good, I obliged (among other reasons). I did a little baking yesterday and snapped some photos to accompany her post. By Daryl Callahan I have asked Maris if I could contribute a guest post here so that I could honor my brother Glenn. Glenn was my brother and best friend, a kind sensitive boy with a heart of gold. Stubborn? Yes, but that’s because he always knew he was right…and looking back he probably was! He aspired to be a comedy writer and director and he would have been very successful but he died on October 1, 1974 at the age of 20, from an inoperable brain tumor. When we were kids, sometime in the late 50’s, we pretended to get married. We even pretended my doll – whom we named Beth – was our daughter. As we grew up, every year on January 4 – through college – we sent each other anniversary cards. His kind spirit was not just […]

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