Simply J Life

Baking is one of my passions. I can make some desserts really well but my peach cobbler has never quite been to my liking. My dad made a much better cobbler. I think I first tried to make a peach cobbler when I was about 13 years old and try again every few years but have not mastered it yet.

I contacted my friend, pastry chef David Benton, to teach me how to make a really good peach cobbler. It turned out amazing and it was much less difficult than I expected. Everyone has a take on how to make peach cobbler but David made it look simple. I look forward to making a peach cobbler on my own very soon. I will definitely take photos when I do.

Please check out David’s baking at www.sugarsweetsf.com. Your taste buds will thank you!

These red velvet cupcakes were an absolute showstopper. They were made by friend, Marvin, for this year’s Festival of Desserts. I am hoping to get the recipe for them and I will post it here. This was the first year that we had guest desserts. I made 10 desserts, ranging from sweet potato pie to cranberry oatmeal cookies and chocolate eggnog rum cake. As always, we had ham and chicken. A great time was had by all.
Additional photos from the Festival of Desserts can be seen here. I am already cooking up ideas for Festival of Desserts 2009.

I am very honored to have my photo of Bakesale Betty Bakery selected for the article “A New Gourmet Ghetto” in The Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition for December 29, 2007.

Once again it is that special time of year when wonderful baked goods come from my oven. The 6th Annual Festival of Desserts was quite fun this year as you see from the photos above. I will come back shortly to share recipes.

Congratulations to Alison “Bakesale Betty” Barakat and her husband, Michael Camp, on their birth of their daughter, Hazel Mary on November 6. Mom and baby are doing well. I got to chat briefly with Betty when I stopped by on Saturday for a fried chicken sandwich and a slice of really yummy apple pie. Truly a guilty pleasure but I did take a short bike ride before going there.

Long before Fenton’s Ice Creamery in Oakland ruled my world, there was Petersen Ice Cream on Chicago Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois. I took this photo recently on an early morning drive from the airport through Oak Park. I lived here for nine years before I moved to California in 1998. I remember I became fascinated with Oak Park when I took the “el” train to see the movie “Reds” in early 80’s with friends at the Lake Theater. I knew then that I wanted to live there. Five or six years later, I made my move and I loved it. Oak Park will always hold a special place in my heart.

Delectable baked goodies from Bakesale Betty located at 51st Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. I usually stop in there and get some of their really yummy banana bread. They have all kinds of bake goodness. Stop on by.

Blackberry Bistro on Park Boulevard in Oakland is now serving Friday night dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. I had a very delicious grilled double thick pork loin, creamy polenta sautéed winter greens and roasted fig jus. Starters included sweet pepper bisque with chives, baby organic greens with balsamic vinaigrette, and shrimp scatter with garlic & bayou gumbo gravy. Entrées include bayou gumbo with fresh Dungeness crab, andoullie sausage, shrimp & blackened chicken served with a heap of steamed rice, fresh spinach fettuccine with slow cooked chicken, roasted tomato sauce, basil & fresh ricotta cheese, grilled mahi mahi over crispy corn cake with black beans salsa fresca & lime beurre blanc, and the very tasty Bistro Burger.

For dessert, I had warm banana raisin bread pudding with Chantilly cream and warm caramel sauce. I savored every bite of this wonderful dessert. There was also Crepes Suzzette and a warm chocolate torte.
The menu is different each Friday. I cannot wait to go back again. See you there.

This was fun. I took this photo while I was waiting to get a couple of slices of their yummy banana bread. Bakesale Betty is located on the corner of 51st Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.
It actually looks like I am standing behind the counter when I am actually in front of the counter. Yes, believe it or not, as much as I love to bake, I occasionally go out for baked goods, especially if they are good. It also gives me new baking ideas. Recently, I met a lady at a friend’s dinner party who asked me if I ever thought about having my own bakery. At the time, I told her no, but the idea has been swirling around in my head for the past few weeks. I am not sure that I am ready for my own business but I do plan on talking to a couple of restaurant owner’s to learn more about the business. I will keep myself open to the possibilities.

These are photos from the 4th Annual Festival of Desserts and other holiday baking. Over 40 people stopped by for dessert during the course of the evening and I still had leftovers. Everyone had a great time and I am already thinking about this year’s festival. I did learn something important along the way. The “bake cake now and glaze later” approach will have you glazing and frosting cakes all evening.
The desserts included the following:

• Pecan Tarts
• Heath Bar Chocolate Brownies
• Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies w/Nuts
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• McNannygocious Pound Cake
• Egg Nog Pound Cake
• 7 Up Cake
• Chocolate Brownies
• Lunchroom Butter Cookies
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Chocolate Egg Nog Rum Cake
• Egg Nog Rum Cake
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Hershey’s Chocolate Swirl Chip Cookies
• Red Velvet Cake