HYMNS IN THE KITCHEN

It was a beautiful and bright spring afternoon, my daughters were playing quietly and our home was uncommonly peaceful. It was my day off and I was lazily leafing through my dessert cookbooks, trying to find something to do with some fresh almond meal I had leftover. I stopped when I came across this sweet and uncomplicated recipe, and, knowing full well I have all the necessary ingredients, set about preparing the batter. Although the recipe originally called for raspberries

You know that moment in the kitchen when the ingredients of a recipe start coming together and the finale is nearing, and you warily wait to taste the end result and see what you've made? I think you do. Decidedly, some days it will be a little disappointing. Some days you'll take a mental note to do this or that differently, and that's that. But there can't be too many days like that before a day comes when that initial taste will take you aback a little and you'll say "Oh