Vanilla extract can be made from scratch by splitting 4 or 5 vanilla beans and placing them in a Mason jar with 2 cups of brandy or bourbon. Store the jar in a dark place (not the one you go to when you haven’t heard from someone in a reasonable amount of time about some […]

If your recipe calls for pureed peaches, you can’t just throw them into a food processor and hope for the best. You have to remove their skins by “blanching” them.
First, bring a large saucepan three quarters filled with water, to a boil. Also, have a bowl of ice water ready. (Is this starting to […]

They linger at bakery windows. They get wistful when a cute cobbler goes by, or misty at a tray full of cute tartlets. Is it the ever-present pie crust or the delirious theme and variations of infinite fillings that are at the root of the addiction? Who can say, but when you find a Pie-Aholic, […]

Not that Penelope Pies means to be a non-profit, it’s just that Penelope hasn’t figured out how to make any money yet. Her lack of income probably has something to do with not actually selling anything , but until she figures out how to do that, or runs into an old schoolmate who has a […]

You know how on Thanksgiving someone always sends you an e- card with a turkey wearing a sign that says, “ Don’t hurt me, I’m chicken.” How many people are worried about the pain an asparagus might feel at harvest time? Or that a tomato might fear the swinging of a machete?
For anyone […]

It’s a far, far better thing you do when you pull off the basics really, really well, than attempting a complicated fiasco that you will never, ever do again. For those who, like Penelope, tend to over-think things, here are a few of her favorite things that will help you keep it simple.
The Leifheit P37200 […]

For any of you guys still living in denial…it’s all about the ring. Or at least something from a jewelry store. As Catherine Zeta Jones says, “Nothing says I love you like a great, big rock.” In case your TIVO has you in the dark about your local retailers, here’s a starter list:

Zales
The […]