Most mornings I am at work at 4:30AM to bake breakfast pastries and bread for the restaurant.  We make MANY different types of desserts and pastries, but my favorite is the simple Focaccia bread.  I love the simplicity of bread.  Yeast, Flour, Salt and Water can produce many different types of bread as well as various flavors.  There are breads that include eggs and butter and some that include sugar or olive oil.  However you make a loaf, boule or baguette shaped bread, the taste and crumb is what I love. 

This August I did the European thing and I took the month off.  Unfortunately, I was not at the French Riviera or spending the month traveling through Europe. I did what is considered very homebody.  I tended to my garden. 

There are days I come home from work and the last thing I want to do is cook an elaborate dinner or any dinner really.  There are nights I have cheese sticks and crackers for dinner.  Or,  I order take out from my favorite take out - Ali Baba.  I LOVE Ali Baba, I love their chicken with rice, lettuce and pita! I am addicted! I even got Joel on the Baba Band Wagon! It is that good! 

As you all know, I love gardening.  I love getting my hands dirty in the soil.  I love being part of the process as they grow from seed to vegetable and every year I try to grow a new vegetable. 

I live in Hamden, CT and only a few miles away is a great all organic nursery called Natureworks.  The employees are fantastic! All their employees are master gardeners so the advice I get from the master gardeners is amazing.  So when I want to try something new in my garden, I head over to Natureworks.  I take their advice, apply the methodology to my garden and watch my vegetables come in beautifully. 

It has been a while since I posted! I know! My goal is to post every month, but when it comes to working 2 jobs and the summer garden season, I don't get a chance to blog or test my recipes, but I do get to explore and experiment with my other love  - Gardening.  I love to garden. I love to be working outside with my hands. I love to watch food grow.  I have always said that growing food is just as important as cooking food.  Its always good to know where your food comes from.

   During World Wars people sacrificed their families, their homes and their health.  It has always amazed me how resilient people are at their most desperate times.   When it comes to World War II and the Holocaust, being a Jew, I have a certain feeling as most Jews have about that time in our history.  I am in awe when it comes to the survivors and their resilience to start a new life, move to a new country, start a family, learn a new language.  Could we do that today? Could I/we move to a new country, learn a new language, get married and have kids all without having your family close by?  Their stories are amazing and moving.  Through all their suffering and eventual joy, they remember the recipes and foods of their past.  It's what links the past and the present. 

I love Plum Wine.  I love Plum Cake. I love Plum Juice.  So, when I decided to tackle another recipe from the Recipes Remember cookbook by June Feiss Hersh.  I knew I wanted to do the Plum Cake.  I was so excited, I went out and bought pounds and pounds of plums. My refrigerator was full of plums.  So, now it was time to tackle this recipe! First, I need to tell you about Hela Fisk's story.

As I continue the recipes of Recipes Remembered, by June Feiss Hirsch I just fell in love with Peri HIrsch's Walnut Cookies. 

I did a bit of a twist using not just walnuts, but chocolate chips and other kinds of nuts. My personal favorite, the pistachio.