my favorite apple pie in all the world

November 16, 2014 by ellyn hopper in Dessert, Fruit, Pies & Crumbles

This pie is close to my heart. It's my favorite in all the earth, literally.

I perfected this recipe about a year ago, while I was in Italy, strangely. They don't really eat apple pie over there, but there were countless times throughout the autumn season when my dearest friends and I would long for home and its comforting normalcies. We wanted pumpkin and apple and cinnamon everything, to the degree that we had friends and family cram cans and jars into their suitcases when they came to visit. It wasn't just a missing feeling; there were some deep cravings going on, probably more so for a familiar coziness than anything else.

homemade mayo & peppery garlic aioli

October 08, 2014 by ellyn hopper in Spreads, Savory

Yay for life! Today is blue-skyed and breezy, quite warm for an October day but beautiful nonetheless.

Yesterday I bought big-girl perfume (this, if you care to know). Last night my mom slept over; we had Scottish gin with tonic and cucumber wedges and chicken soup with buttercup squash and kale while we watched one of our favorite movies. I was off work today so this morning we drank coffee on the porch and ate peppery fried eggs and talked about cake combinations and how to skin a lizard. Just kidding, we didn't talk about that last part; more like where to plug in the new string lights I bought for my porch. And then I put on lipstick and perfume and went to the local restaurant supply store to buy a candy thermometer, where the middle-aged Italian woman who works there called me sweetie. And when I got home I listened to this and made homemade mayonnaise and black pepper garlic aioli, just like the one at my sister's restaurant.
Tonight we will go to a pub and eat fish & chips, in honor of my darling Gran's birthday. I will wear her old wind-up watch and pretend like I'm back in Scotland, and we will probably cry and tell some stories. She would have been 69 today, and she was one of the most treasured and joyful people I've ever known.

hand-chopped pesto

September 16, 2014 by ellyn hopper in Savory, Spreads

As I said in my last post, I think I need to write more. When I studied abroad in Italy, I was an intern for an online Italian newspaper. Every week I would write a short article on my time abroad- the latest element of culture shock, the beautiful moments I was experiencing, a noteworthy comparison between the States and Italy, etc. Some days I truly didn't feel like writing, but I had to make the deadline. So I'd camp at the table in my apartment for an hour or two, drink my coffee, eat some fruit, and write until my thoughts were complete and the page was filled up.

hearty blueberry muffins

August 26, 2014 by ellyn hopper in Breakfast, Fruit

It's about blueberries again.

If you're not a blueberry lover, I'm terribly sorry. Typically I do enjoy blueberries, but this summer I'm seeming to love them more than ever. Or maybe it's just that I'm finally starting to tackle some recipes that I've wanted to perfect for a long time but have never attended to. Whatever it is, I'm feelin the blues these days.

tomato, basil, and goat cheese galette

August 16, 2014 by ellyn hopper in Appetizers, Savory

When I went to Italy, I knew that the food was going to be out of this world. That's part of the reason I chose to study abroad there. I've always loved Italian food; my dad has cooked with that flair ever since I can remember. So I knew I'd love it, and I knew I'd love the authenticity of it. But what I didn't expect was the simplicity of it all.