The Crabby Cook - by Jessica Harper

As those of you who know me know, I am thrilled by recipes that require few ingredients. That’s why my heart leapt when I read about the two-ingredient chocolate mousse. Read More

I’m hoping that I get to go to heaven, because I’m told they’ve got a dessert bar there which offers your favorite desserts, 24/7. The chef just knows what you like; you walk up, she hands it to you. While she would definitely serve my husband a brownie with a side of chocolate ice cream, she’d be handing me (a devout vanilla head) one of these blondies, still warm from the oven… Read More

Those of you who know me well have often heard me complain about the lack of seasonal change in L.A. Well, this week, when the temperature shot up over 80º and my bitch-o-meter responded accordingly, I made a New Year’s resolution to put on a new attitude. Read More

It’s time for the holiday cookie swap again, which always throws me into a semi-panic.

I have this idea that Christmas cookies should be artful, delicately scented and decorated to reflect the charms of the season. Not the big, crude mounds of heart-stopping content that usually emerge from my oven.

But this year I’ve decided to meet the cookie challenge by baking what I know, rather than attempting something that’s beyond my skill set and my patience level. Read More

It began at a cocktail party in Baltimore, at which three couples had a lively discussion about which of the husbands present was the laziest when it came to domestic work. None of the men cook, only two can handle a screwdriver, all are chore-phobic. After a few martinis, the guys offered to make up for years of slothfulness by preparing an elegant dinner for their long-suffering wives. Read More

Here’s a product that comes in very handy when a family member suddenly decides to try a dairy-free diet. This “buttery spread,” which is concocted from a variety of oils and other “all natural” ingredients (with no dairy or gluten involved), turns out to be a totally acceptable sub for the real thing. Read More

Both my daughters are home from college. (Well, one has graduated, so she’s not home from college, she’s just home, for a measly two weeks before she goes to New York to start her Life.) One of the pleasures of having my girls here is that it gives me an excuse to make all kinds of desserts, which I never do when my nest is only occupied by Tom and myself. Read More

In my childhood home, vanilla treats were favored. We ate vanilla pudding, vanilla ice cream, vanilla cookies and cake. I grew up thinking of chocolate as sort of exotic. To this day, it’s vanilla that makes my world spin: I’m a vanillaholic. Read More

While I was in Florida on my book tour, two things got my attention. First, a piano showed up on a sandbar in Key Biscayne, prompting lots of jokes about a new piano bar and a whole new set of Florida Keys.While this event didn’t get much attention out of state, Miami was abuzz with speculation as to how the piano got there… Read More

In each city I visited on my book tour, I was shepherded around by an “escort,” whose job it was to get me from A to B, to make sure I didn’t fail to show up at the venue (radio or TV station, market or bookstore) that expected me. This was a smart hire on the part of my publisher. I have trouble finding the elevator in a hotel, let alone a TV station in an unfamiliar city. Left to my own devices and Avis, I’d have ended up in a neighboring state.
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