I know fall has technically not arrived yet (just a few days away!), but already thoughts of the holiday season are popping up in my head. You know where baking is concerned, one can never start thinking about the holidays soon enough. All the pies and tarts and crumbles filled with pumpkin and apples and […]...
Tales of the Elephant Heart Plum
Check it out: this post is featured on Yumsugar and Serious Eats! How fabulous is the bounty of fruit at the farmers’ markets right now? I wanted to make something with plums before they disappeared, and this week when I went to market I saw a variety that I hadn’t baked with before: the oh-so-intriguingly […]...
{Cookbook Review} Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration
La Festa al Fresco: Lemon Verbena, The Scent of Summer
I can’t believe it’s already been a year since the last Festa al Fresco, the blog party to end all parties, hosted by the lovely Ivonne and Lis, two of the friendliest and most enthusiastic ladies in the blogosphere. My choice of ingredient for this go-around of la Festa? Lemon verbena. I had seen […]...
Daring Bakers Challenge: Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart
One of the best things about joining the Daring Bakers is the chance to meet so many other passionate bakers from around the world – fellow pastry lovers who love talking about (and making) dessert, are marvelously creative and talented, and who also happen to be some of the nicest and sweetest people I’ve ever […]...
My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Dan Tats
Johanna of The Passionate Cook announced a most interesting theme for this month’s Sugar High Friday: local specialties. While living in the Bay Area affords me the luxury of having many famous local goods to choose from, I really wanted to pick one that was close to my heart: Chinese egg custard tarts, or dan […]...
Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. 
