Peabody of the beautiful Culinary Concoctions declared the theme for this round of Hay Hay It’s Donna Day to be cheesecake, which got me all excited. The pastry world has certainly moved on from cheesecake as the boring old workhorse of dessert menus, the monolithic white slab covered with gooey cherry filling, or absurdist extremes […]...
{SF} Charles Chocolates – The New Store is Open!
I’ve been a fan of Charles Chocolates since I tried the passion fruit heart at CocoaBella. Last year I visited the temporary store in San Francisco, and I got to see Chuck Siegel himself do a demonstration at CocoaBella with fellow chocolatier Christopher Elbow. Now it looks like Chuck is realizing his dreams, as well […]...
Goji Berries, or, Mothers Really Do Know Best
One of the hot new health foods right now is the goji berry, which looks like a brighter, ovalish cousin of the cranberry and is touted as a “superfruit” for containing a pharmacy’s worth of antioxidants and vitamins in one tart little package. I first saw goji berries mentioned on Vosges’ new Goji Bar, which, […]...
A Sweet Surprise
Chinese New Year: Sesame Seed Balls
The Sunday just past (Feb. 18) marked the first day of the Chinese New Year 4705, or the Year of the Pig. There have been firecrackers going off late into the night, lucky oranges and plum blossoms in shop windows, and a lot of red and gold decorations everywhere. Many Chinese holiday traditions are heavily […]...
{Cookbook Review} Valentine's Day: Essence of Chocolate
I recently received a copy of John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg’s sumptuous new cookbook celebrating fine chocolate, Essence of Chocolate. Befitting one of the best-known artisan chocolate makers, the book provides both a concise summary of the role of chocolate in food history as well as an exuberant embrace of all the culinary possibilities of […]...
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. 
