A family tradition, celebrated only once a year with the delighted oohs and aahhs of everyone who gets to enjoy them. They're my Grandma's delicious batch of fluffy, pastel-colored Ricotta Cookies. As a child I would sit in eager anticipation of our Easter meal together because I knew that at the end of it at least two cookies would be mine. It probably sounds strange, ricotta in cookies, but these are the most heavenly sweets you'll ever taste.

For a really long time I thought my Grandma was only person in the world who could have thought up something this delicious, but in recent years she let slip that she actually found this recipe in a newspaper years and years ago. It was upon this revelation that I first decided to share this closely guarded family recipe and now I'm ready to share it again, with you:

RICOTTA COOKIES

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 LB Butter
• 2 Cups of Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 LB Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Tsp Vanilla
• 4 Cups Cake Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Salt

Icing Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsps of Butter
• 5 Cups of sifted Powdered Sugar
• 5 Tbsps of Milk 

Directions:

Cream together butter & sugar. Beat in Eggs. Blend in Ricotta & Vanilla. Stir Flour, Baking Soda & Salt together. Add to Creamed Mixture & beat well. Drop by tsp onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake @350 for 12 minutes. Reduced to 10 minutes if cookies get brown. Spread icing on cooled cookies.

As we enter the final (hopefully) days of winter I've been spending my captivity on something very exciting, new artwork! I've somehow found myself with a gallery show in mid-May and I have lots to do. Too much to do.

I've always worked best under pressure, in my art school days I'd wait until 2-3 days before a huge project was due to get started. And it seems not much has changed. All of the initial painting has to be done by mid-April and I'm just now getting started. 5 weeks to complete 6-10 paintings. No big deal right? It could definitely be worse.

I’ve been inspired to go back to my artistic roots somewhat with this latest series, back to my multi-media roots that is. Each painting in the series is actually made up of a series of paintings that have then been disassembled (cut up) and then reassembled into something new. Collage has long been a part of my artistic repertoire, and my work in the last 2+ years has been sorely missing this piecemeal approach to composition. I so love getting elbow deep into creating again, but don’t worry I haven’t abandoned my floral pursuits. As you see above- its still all about flowers for me. - b.

I know that we're in the middle of diet season and all, and that half of you are probably on a cleanse but I just had to write this post. It's too important not to! I too am trying to get back to my fighting weight after the carb overload and sweets coma that seem to go hand in hand with the holiday season, but let's forget all of that for a minute and treat ourselves to something decadent and awesome.

If you eat smoked salmon with any regularity then chances are you've actually had gravlax at some point. The flavor and cosistency is nearly identical, except for the lack of smoky flavor in one and the absence of herbs (dill primary among them) in the other. After a little research I found that gravlax is really easy to make and so it has become my favorite salmony treat to put on bagels with schmear and in salads. 

Today I thought I'd share a simple gravlax recipe with you because, well, I'm addicted and could use some company in this addiction (wink):

Homemade Gravlax Recipe

3-ish lbs Salmon Fillet (skin on) 

2/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Kosher Salt

2 big bunches of dill

2 Tbsp. Crushed black pepper

1/4 cup anise seeds, toasted

1. Cover the bottom of a plate with plastic wrap and cover with half the salt, anise seed, pepper and sugar combined, plus 1/3 of the dill chopped. 

2. Place the salmon flesh side down on the spice and salt mixture and cover the top with the remaining salt, anise seed, pepper and sugar mixture, plus another 1/3 of the chopped dill.

3. Fold the ends of the plastic wrap around the salmon fillet and wrap the entire thing in another layer of plastic wrap for protection. Put another plate on top with a weight (I used our stone mortar) to compress.

4. Refridgerate the fish for 48-72 hours, turning it every 12 hours and redistributing the salt and herbs with your fingers. The gravlax will be firm to the touch in the thickest part of the fish when it is finished or fully-cured.

5. Once cured discard the salty brine and spices and rinse the salmon under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.

6. On a freshly cleaned plate sprinkle the remaining 1/3 chopped dill and firmly press the fleshy side of the fish in the herbs.

7. Move the herbed fish to a cutting board, skin side up, and with a very sharp, narrow knife slice the gravlax diagonally, against the grain in thin slices. 

8. Serve as you wish. I like my gravlax on an everything bagel, with cream cheese, capers, and thinly sliced onion, but the skiy's the limit.

What's your favorite guilty pleasure during diet season? - b.