Back in California, what seems like eons ago, I used to do some catering. It’s not something that I do an awful lot of in my new life as a cookbook writer, but I would. And well, this past weekend, I did. There was a couple in my neighborhood getting married. They shunned the usual, multi-tiered wedding cake. They had decided that at their wedding they wanted a dessert that they loved. They wanted pie.

I could get behind that.
The couple provided a three-tiered cake/pie stand of varying sizes, and I provided the pies for each tier. These two were very easy-going, requesting only one flavor be included– pumpkin– the bride’s favorite, and the rest was up to me.

After much deliberation, I decide that the bottom tier would be the classic springtime treat of strawberry -rhubarb. This pie was enormous! Measuring 12 inches at the base of the pie plate, the [...]

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A little while ago I was on QVC. And it was wild.

A few months ago, my publisher informed me that QVC host David Venable was interested in my cookbook. Would I be interested in going on-air to sell it with him?
Um. Blink. Blink.
My answer was, of course, yes.
So, a few Wednesdays ago, I drove down to suburban Philadelphia, stomach aflutter, and my heart only mildly racing. But I had no reason to be nervous. David is a pro, and the segment flew by. I even got him to do a “happy dance” while tasting one of my many pies.
Here’s a clip of my segment. Make a pie, then do your own happy dance!
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I never really liked rice pudding, that was until I discovered that it wasn’t really the rice, or the pudding part that didn’t float my boat. It was the raisins. Enter this updated rice pudding with dried apricots. It hits the spot– delicately sweet, perfectly wobbly, and a tanginess from the apricots.
I love this homey recipe so much, I went on television to cook up a batch!
If you’d like the recipe, it’s right here. I think it’s the perfect dessert for those winter doldrums.

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Today, it seems like everyone has an iPad, or a smart phone, or at the very least a laptop. If you want the answer to something you simply Google it, and in a matter of millionths of a second, you have pages (electronically speaking, of course) of answers. It’s instant gratification.
The same holds true for recipes. You want to bake a pie, or fry up some chicken, make a pot of spaghetti sauce, or sear a pork loin, and you turn to your computer to see how other people around the world have accomplished that task. (Some of you might also go to your bookshelf, and thumb through the pages of a cookbook to find a recipe, and as a cookbook author– I thank you!) Me, I do a little bit of it all: I use my computer, I scan through my cookbooks, and sometimes I just wing it. But [...]

Last week I was in Philadelphia. Not for vacation, not to see the Liberty Bell, nor Reading Terminal Market. I was in class. QVC class. Yep, in a few months I’m going to be on that famed shopping network promoting my cookbook. (Aaaahhh! Live television gives me the vapors!) But before I can do this, I had to get trained in the nuances of what it means to be on television– QVC -style. That meant a trip to the Philadelphia area, which is where QVC is located, and a long and grueling day of media training.
Now I’m not complaining. I needed it. And it was only one day, but by the end, I was in media overload.
That evening, after sitting in traffic on the expressway, then fighting more traffic in the city, I was more than happy to fall backward onto my cushy king-sized hotel bed overlooking the Philadelphia Art [...]

Attention all New England pie aficionados! I will be appearing tomorrow evening at Bishop’s Orchard at 6pm. For those who aren’t familiar, Bishop’s Orchard is a farm stand, market, winery, and well, an orchard in Guilford, CT. I will be there to sign books, demo pie crust, and talk pie with whoever has questions, or just wants to go on about their favorite summer fruit pies.
You can reserve a spot for this event by calling RJ Julia Booksellers at 203.245.3959. I hope to see you there. Let’s talk pie!