A Pinch of A Good Market

The days are getting longer, the sun is shining brighter and warm mornings are here to stay. Getting outside all last week (and this week ahead) has not been taken for granted. A perfect time to actually spend a whole week in the city for once.

So naturally with my first full Saturday spent in the city, I took a nice easy walk over to the Rittenhouse farmers’ market. With hopes of some fresh fruit, I was left empty handed – soon we’ll get into the strawberries and blueberries. So I was forced to get some my favorites.

THE best bite: freshly made apple cider donuts. Some pork and chicken tamales and guacamole from Taste of Puebla. And some ramps, a must get during their short season. Plus, some flowers that I meant to bring home to my mom for Easter… so now they’re a treat for my apartment.

I also went to Trader Joe’s earlier in the week for the first time since being back. That place can be a trap without a grocery list. So I was feeling bold, but actually held myself back… somewhat. You be the judge:

What’s Cookin’

I’m notorious for ambitiously baking during Easter Weekend. Years past have gone from nights out right into making brioche dough for maritozzi that night, or baking a three-layer round carrot cake when I only had sheet pans (because, of course, a cake couldn’t be a rectangle).

This year, I was prepared with all the ingredients and round cake pans. The time to bake was the only part left in question. I opted to not go for a 1 AM bake this year, so baking proves again to be one of the very few things to get me out of bed without just one snoozed alarm. (Also, thankful for my family’s go-with-the-flow Easter plans this year.)

Pistachio Babka Buns

This Easter weekend, Jesus wasn’t the only thing to rise. *ba dum tss* So anyway… I wanted to make my own version of a babka bun from one of my favorite recipes by Red Currant Bakery. I used the dough recipe, then filled the buns with pistachio cream and some chopped roasted pistachios tossed in cinnamon.

A little inspiration from some baked goods from Italy. Good notes for next time to add a little sweetness. But all great feedback, and glad I got to share some with family and coworkers.

Strawberry Mascarpone Cake

While the strawberries aren’t quite in season here just yet, I had the idea for a simple layer cake with fresh fruit, so I had to run with it. This recipe stuck out thanks to some leftover mascarpone I already had in my fridge. The morning bake started with some prepped cakes and strawberry filling before assembling back home. And the final cake passed the test for my family, lovers of the box cake, as well as some much-appreciated coworker praise. More cakes ahead!

Lately the weekly dinners have consisted of some simple basics, so getting back into a routine will mean more recipe planning and saving. Excited to share more there. For now, give a holler about some favorites from Trader Joe’s and/or farmers’ markets.

Shine on this week 🤘