Scone Variation: Apple Cinnamon Crunch

Green apple with cinnamon
Here’s another scone variation that’s been very well received by my tasters. They’re made with apples, so they must be good for you, right?

(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.) …[MORE]

Scone Variation: Cranberry Orange

Orange and cranberriesThis is one of my most popular scone recipe variations. Dipping the scones into a powdered-sugar/juice glaze while they’re still warm gives them a crunchy, sweet-tart crust. (Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.) …[MORE]

Scenes from the Backyard: Nature Trumps Nurture

CilantroLast spring, my roommate, our friend (the sous-chef), and I stuck a few cilantro plants in our herb garden. We’d barely harvested any of it before the weather turned hot and the cilantro started blooming. When cilantro is ready to bloom, it sends up stiff flower stems with sparse, frilly leaves that are nearly useless for cooking. And once it begins to blossom, the plant spends all its energy on the process, so you don’t get any new growth of the flavorful broader leaves and soft stems that make up the immature plants. The cilantro was the first of many casualties of last summer’s hot, dry weather.

But now it looks as if last year’s gone-to-seed plants set the stage for this year’s cilantro bumper crop! …[MORE]

Alice Bay Buttermilk Scones

Samish IslandThe scone recipe on which I’ve based my variations comes from the Alice Bay Cookbook by Julie Wilkinson Rousseau, care of my dear friend and sous-chef, Julie Brown. It contains recipes from the Alice Bay Bed and Breakfast. I don’t want to violate the copyright by reprinting the instructions, but here’s my slightly modified version of the ingredient list for that recipe, which you’ll need if you’re going to attempt …[MORE]

Lament

It takes years of casual neglect and simple bad habits for a human being to get out of shape. Why would you expect to get back into shape overnight?

Consolation

Some progress is still better than no progress.

Recipe: Dreamsicle Smoothie

This beverage doesn’t fool me into thinking I’m drinking a milk shake. But I still enjoy it a lot. …[MORE]

Do Something Every Day, Part I: A Walk to the Park

Map to Memorial Park
You can get there from here.

Do something every day. That’s the mantra of my exercise program. I repeat this to people all the time: “If I’m sick, or if I’ve worked an 18‑hour day, or if it’s raining, I put on my shoes and I walk around the block.” Something. Every day. It’s how I satisfy the terms of an imaginary contract that my brain has made with my body.

Today, I found myself without a car. My 10‑year‑old Maxima broke down last night, and this morning, a friend helped me jump‑start it and dump it at the mechanic’s shop. I’ll find out tomorrow what’s wrong and when I can have it back.

Meanwhile, I had to get some exercise. …[MORE]

Recipe: Steamed Polenta with Corn Kernels

Polenta with sausage and sauceI made polenta for the first time at Christmas, but I found the stovetop method tedious and time-consuming. Then I had the idea to try making it in a rice steamer. I couldn’t find a recipe online that I liked, so I made up my own. I was very happy with the results, so here it is. …[MORE]

Bad Reasons to Eat

  • Anxiety
  • Loneliness
  • Boredom
  • Fatigue
  • Nervousness
  • Irritability
  • Fear
  • Impatience
  • Frustration
  • Habit
  • Opportunity
  • Shyness
  • Tradition
  • Distraction
  • Stress
  • Peer pressure

Good Reasons to Eat

  • Hunger

Infinite Variations on a Buttermilk Scone Theme

Scones

Scone variations: (clockwise from top): Peanut butter frosted, potato and English cheddar, and chocolate crunch.

A lot of people have asked for my scone recipes. The truth is, I have one basic recipe, but I improvise every time I make scones. Take a look at the basic scone recipe, and then come back here to read about where I go from there.


The first six ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter) are constants in all my variations, except for the quantity of sugar. I reduce the sugar to one tablespoon if I’m making savory scones or adding another sweetening agent.

The last four ingredients are variables; replace them with whatever other flavor elements, liquids, and toppings you care to substitute. …[MORE]