Proof is in the Pudding
During most of my life I have grown up with good food all around me and a good bunch of friends and family to always share that good food with. In Italian culture, for my family at least, food brings people together and for many years it really has. From Feast of the Seven Fishes to Sunday night spaghetti at Grandma's house, food has always meant a lot to me. Among the many things it has meant, love is the most important. So, if you stay at my house for long enough it would be no secret that I may just love to cook/bake. I do it for the many reasons my family has done it for so many generations, because I want to bring my friends and family down here in Philadelphia together.
It is very rare that I find websites, blogs, or journals that have some good honest recipes that are posted with the intent of sharing with friends and family but the women at Smitten Kitchen (http://smittenkitchen.com/) and 101 Cookbooks (http://www.101cookbooks.com/) really have it down to a science. Most of the recipes are out of the box and a little too complex in taste for me to even begin thinking about but if you just take a peek at their baked goods you will understand why these two woman are ahead of their food time and have that same love for food that I knew growing up.
Since most of you live farther away then I would honestly like to think about I do want to share with you a simple baked good recipe that I stumbled across and that brought a lot of joy to John and I when we made it together. With simple ingredients, a light buttery body, truly decadent blueberries, and a delicate cinnamon-sugar crust, this cake is everything a summer dessert should be and literally melts in your mouth bringing a smile to your face:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/blueberry-boy-bait/ (yes, it is called Boy Bait!)
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy it! We might not be able to have dinners together but at least we can still share the recipes and love from food that will bring us together in some way, shape, or form.