I Want My Baby Back Ribs

Okay. I know… before you even read, or scroll to the recipe, or whatever you do when you get to the chik n’ pastry blogsite, you are probably wondering what in the hell is wrong with me. Why would I ever ever ever say I don’t want BBQ sauce?! I mean, what else does a [...]

Don’t Eggspect Anything Fancy Here

Ever have those days when, as much as you love cooking, [as evidenced by your uncanny desire to chop veggies, bake bread from scratch, and construct dishes with multiple components] you’d instead prefer to prepare something quick, simple, but utterly scrumptious all the same? I have those days too, although you might not believe me. [...]

Is There Rehab for Rhubarb?

You’ll hear most people, including myself, get pretty excited about various Spring seasonals such as strawberries, asparagus, and even ramps. Yes, I’ve talked (or typed, or typed and talked, rather) about all of those in previous posts. And why shouldn’t I, right? They’re all sublime in their own way. Why, right this second, if you [...]

Hypercolor Flashback: Purple Asparagus

I went to one of Chicago’s local farmer’s markets last weekend, where the asparagus was piled on the tables in a matter resembling fresh-cut lumber. There were stacks of green and purple, yes purple, asparagus. And while I’d heard of it before, I’d never cooked with or eaten it. It has a higher sugar content [...]