Tart-Pie Dough Made Easy & A How-To Video

For some reason, when I was first teaching myself how to bake, I set my sights on making all kinds of fresh tarts. I had my heart set on it-set on mastering my own, made from scratch, tart dough (or pate brissee.) And, it took a long time for me to master it. I am not sure that I have even mastered it as of yet, but at least I no longer mutter curses while I am making it. And I no longer have to throw the whole batch in the trash because I have tried to roll it so much, that it has become a gooey mess. Nor do I have to make all my tarts with the push in method because rolling it is too tricky. And at this point, that is mastery enough for me.

One of my biggest problems when learning to make my own dough was that I read over and over not to use too much flour when rolling my dough.

Turban Squash and Spicy Kale Barley Risotto

Turban squash is a very unusual squash in appearance. It's colors striate between green and orange and white, it's squat in shape and has a knobby head. But after buying my first turban squash, I grew quite fond of it, almost attached to it. It just might be the most beautiful of all the winter squashes. Which is why it is most recommend for use as a tureen, and why it took me nearly a month to take my turban squash out of the fruit bowl, and cut it open for this risotto style barley dish.

Butternut Squash Winter Salad

As soon as the weather changes, I feel like salads are undeserving-ly forgotten about. We enjoyed them during the summer, and partly through autumn. They were our go-to lunches, and sometimes dinners. Easy to throw together, refreshingly light to help cope with the summer heat, and even exciting in their endless possibilities. So why is it that we neglect them come November? It just doesn't seem right that we abandon such a dish, especially one that has been so good to us.

And so, I have decided not to; I will not abandon the salad during the winter months.