Blog Post List

This blog post list contains the most recent blog posts from The Messy Baker in reverse chronological order. You can also browse by recipe category or use the search function.

Day 5. Recipe 5. I’m out of barbecue tools and the propane’s running low. What I’m not short on is enthusiasm for my new grill. Every day this week I’ve been serving up dishes designed for flame and test driving grill gadgets sent to me courtesy...

Developing recipes for unfamiliar culinary tools is a bit like having coffee with someone you met through an online dating site. You’ve memorized their profile, you’ve Googled them to see what others think, and you’ve figured out how to make them like you. But no matter...

Language is funny. It has a way of sliding sideways when you’re not looking, slipping under things or going into hiding. A few years ago, I developed a homemade, bite-sized meatball  to wean my husband off the commercial, frozen version he would nuke to the...

Mother’s Day 2014 [caption id="attachment_16426" align="alignnone" width="800"] Photo courtesy the amazingly talented Ryan Szulc.[/caption] When I think of chocolate it’s hard not to think of my mother. She made boozy chocolate torte so full of liqueur and whipped cream it was one generous jigger away from dissolving...

First there was Lex Luther, The Joker and Mr X. Then came Dr. Horrible and his malevolent idol Bad Horse, The Thoroughbred of Sin. I’m fortunate to have never come across such terrifying evil doers. Some say I remain unscathed because I live a quiet...

These are some of the ingredients that go into what my husband calls “That Orange Beef Stew Thing You Make.” I call it Braised Beef with Orange and Tarragon but who am I to quibble? He likes it. I like it. Our guests like it....

Two years ago, almost to the day, I went maple syruping at a friend's farm. (Click the link! Go on. Not only will you learn how it's done, there's a photo of a really handsome dog.) The sky was overcast but the air was damp. And...

It's Shrove Tuesday and everyone's flipping pancakes and frying fritters. Me? I'm trying my hand at crostoli — a crispy, fried dough so light it's almost like you're not eating. Variations appear throughout Europe with different names and different shapes, but the distinctive blistered dough...

Be careful what you wish for. Earlier I begged for sunshine, and lots of it, as I gobbled blood oranges as fast as I could peel them.  I should have specified "with warm temperatures." Mother Nature granted my request— in letter, not spirit. For the...

I'm full of hope. And citrus. The grocery stores are bursting with mandarines, limes, lemons and even pomelos. These are just a few of the items that hopped in my cart as I cruised through the produce section on an Ontario-grey winter afternoon. Although uninvited,...