Sprinklebakes’ Anatomical Heart Cake

At some point over the last summer I started collecting anatomical heart designs after I found a necklace shaped like one in the Pacific Science Center. A heart, after all, is not heart-shaped. In design, an anatomical heart is a scientific representation of an emotional metaphor. Blame Sherlock or Frankenstein MD or Hannibal for encouraging this aesthetic, but I am enjoying decorating my new place with vintage culinary and medical drawings.

Savory Winter Root Vegetable Tart

It took me a year to get this one down pat, but this vegetarian tart has been a hit at dinner parties. Rosemary-roasted beets, butternut squash, parsnips, and carrots are tossed with roasted garlic and goat cheese, then baked in a savory pie crust.

Fresh Cranberry-Apple Crisp

Lately I’ve been thinking about recreating the regional food from the part of the Midwest where I grew up–goetta, Cincinnati chili, Jello salad–and, of course, the desserts from my extended family and community. In my opinion, which you all seem to trust, my mom makes the best apple crisp in the whole state of Ohio.

Pear-Almond Cake [Dairy-Free]

This “cake” occupies a nebulous area somewhere between dessert and cornbread. Almond meal, whole-wheat pastry flour, and cornmeal add a toothsome bite to the soft, sweet pears. I brought this to a potluck as dessert, but I liked it even better when I served it for brunch alongside a frittata and baked oatmeal.  

Pumpkin-Orange Scones with Candied Ginger

My favorite weekends now include what I call Hannibrunch, which is my old Saturday-Morning-Fannibal routine kicked up a notch into Brunch with Friends.  Not only do I get to relive the psychological thrills of season 2, I get to bake breakfast foods for a group instead of just for myself. For our last session, I got a request for…

Vegan “Unagi” with Shiitake

I love unagi, but with the endangerment of the glass eel population (as well as the rising cost), it might be best to cool it with the eel. Although I’ve been following the eel news for several months, I hadn’t considered alternatives, but I saw this recipe for “Mock Eel” in the latest issue of Saveur and…

Satsumaimo (Sweet-Potato) Pancakes

I accidentally bought a white-fleshed sweet potato instead of an orange sweet potato, so I decided to make this old favorite from Japan. In the US, sweet potatoes with hard, orange flesh (annôimo, 安納芋) are more common, but in Japan, sweet potatoes with a softer, white/yellow flesh (satsumaimo, サツマイモ) are what you’ll find in the grocery…

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Stock (from Vegetable Scraps)

Save those vegetable scraps, readers! We’re making vegan stock, and it’s as easy as saving and freezing clean vegetable peels, food scraps, and herb stems. (How does one take appetizing photos of frozen vegetables and stock?) Why make stock from scratch?

Apricot-Sage Cream Scones

These last weeks have not been good for breakfast. Life has been rather rough, and it’s brought on a depression that leaves me weak-armed and unwilling to consume anything but smoothies and soup. But it’s autumn, and we should have nice things to eat. Scones are easy, and sage doesn’t have to be just for stuffing turkeys…