a mobile bakery, dreams really do come true.

I don't know about you, but I prefer my meals on wheels. I like the idea of getting lunch or a late night snack off the back of someones truck. They have them all over New York City. You can find anything your little heart desires. My manfriend, who lives in Queens, recently introduced me to the taco truck. Didn't take him long to find the way to my heart. He catches on quick, that one.

You can get the schedule at www.treatstruck.com

Entrepreneurial baker Kim Ima owns the famous "Treats Truck" in the city. She just drives around with a truck packed full of seriously yummy baked goods, stopping in random neighborhoods throughout the big apple. Hi Kim, please come to Queens, love Jenilee. Anyways, she wrote The Treats Truck Baking Book, which does not disappoint. It is filled with all of her popular recipes: cookies (sandwich and traditional), brownies, cakes and cupcakes, even ice cream.

Kim's motto? "Not too fancy, always delicious!"

Can I get that on my tombstone?

yeah, national jenilee baking day turned into me making two things and then quitting.

The cooking, baking, and making of food is TIME CONSUMING. Even when the recipes are not remotely difficult. Who has the time? Not me. So I will leave National Jenilee Baking Day and you all with the Almond Biscotti I baked up from Stacy Adimando's cookbook, The Cookiepedia.

The Cookiepedia is a collection of more than 50 popular cookie recipes. After looking through the cookbook, and enjoying the pretty photography by Tara Striano it became obvious to me that cookies are not hard to make. And who doesn't love cookies? Nobody, that's who. I chose to make the Almond Biscotti because I am obsessed with Gilmore Girls. There is an episode where Rory and Lorelai come home from Europe with biscotti, and have "biscotti moments" when funny things happen. I decided that I want my mother and I to have biscotti moments. Oh, and I already had all of the ingredients.

This recipe was extremely easy to follow, just a little high maintenance with the whole combine ingredients, cook, rotate, cook, cool, cut, cook. However, I consider combining more than three ingredients to be high maintenance. I photographed as I went.

You combine the ingredients and then make the dough into two logs.

(then the cook, rotate, cook, cool)

Then you cut them into 1/2 inch pieces, some of mine are too big, but whatever.

(you cook again)

  

Then you get biscotti!!! If I can do it, anyone can do it. Trust me.

**To win a FREE copy of this cookbook email your name, address and this book title to jenileerose@yahoo.com!

today is national jenilee baking day, which happens every 17 years.

I have received six dessert cookbooks to review in the last couple of weeks. And being the over educated genius that I am, I have decided to spend a day cooking one thing in each cookbook, for the sake of my reviews, and a sugar high. Sweets are like catnip to me, or adderall.Tomato, tomato.

 

I recently traveled to Italy this past summer, and did more than my share of indulging, heavily in wine and gelato. I was extremely excited to receive Dolci: Italy's Sweets, a collection of over 200 modern and classic recipes for desserts and other sweet treats from Italy by Francine Sega. I imagine myself, someday in the future, wanting to make pretty European desserts for dinner parties or some other such nonsense. Maybe. Okay, probably not, but I at least want the option, in which case Dolci is perfect. It incorporates easier recipes, with ingredients that can be found at the grocery. It also includes the more challenging recipes, for the more advanced bakers. Used for the more special occasions for the rest of us. Some ingredients may be located at the specialty food stores. There is something for everyone.

I decided that the easiest, lowest maintenance option to attempt to make was the Strawberry Summer Tiramisu, and it actually came out pretty well. I figured tiramisu is naturally a little messy, so no one would notice my mistakes. Look at how pretty I made the one semi-decent looking side look. Put the nice looking strawberries on top, especially when they are not in season, just a little advice from me to you.

Here is the recipe: 

16 ounces ricotta cheese
4 tsp sugar
8 heaping (what does this even mean?) Tbs of strawberry jam
1/2 cup warm water
4 Tbs Amaretto (yes, please)
24 lady fingers (those are silly sounding)
1 package strawberries sliced


In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, sugar and cinnamon and beat with a fork until smooth.  Set aside.


In a shallow bowl, combine the jam with the warm water and the liqueur. Dip the lady fingers, a few at a time, into the mixture until they are nicely moistened. Place 6 on a serving plate, side by side, and spoon some ricotta mixture over them.  Top with sliced strawberries.  Repeat. finish with a layer of ricotta cheese and a fanned berry.


Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold and enjoy!