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Color-Changing Chilled Noodles with Bluebells

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Black Locust Salad with Sea Glass Toast: Beauty and Pleasure are Worthwhile Pursuits

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Hiding in Plain Sight: Sweet Woodruff, Pea, and Pistachio Cake Kokedamas

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Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poem 85 from “The Gardener”, 1914 Translated by the author from the original Bengali. New York: The Macmillan Company.

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MDZS jp audio drama x MEDICOS collaboration for Anime Japan 2025

Art by 乌索yu

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Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE

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The Man from UNCLE + relationships: Illya & Gaby

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Sweet Woodruff Spritzer

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Wildflower Buttermilk Pie (A Cottagecore Fantasy; An Easy Reality)

"Is there anything more pastoral than buttermilk and wildflowers? To me, this combination immediately transports me to floral gingham and an old farmhouse, the smell of sweet hay and times gone by."

Spring Blossom Buttermilk Pie: 

This creamy pie is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, accented with the flavors of early spring’s floral magic and a wholesome, nutty crust. The fat in buttermilk is where the magic hides; it’s what picks up on the floral flavors of forsythia and primrose so well, so don’t hold back on using full-fat buttermilk. You’ll want to let the flowers infuse overnight, so plan ahead!

Ingredients: 

1 c. fresh edible spring flowers, like primroses and forsythia, gathered from clean locations

1 ½ c. buttermilk

⅓ c. granulated sugar

2 Tbs. cornstarch

Pinch salt

4 eggs, plus one egg yolk (save the white for the crust, below!) 

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. maple syrup

Pressed edible spring flowers, to decorate (optional - candy them!) 

Directions: 

Pour your buttermilk into an airtight glass container and add the wildflowers. Let infuse in the fridge overnight. 

Pre-bake your pie crust using the directions below. Lower the heat of the oven to 325F while you prepare the filling. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the cream and maple syrup and mix well. Strain, then strain the buttermilk and whisk it in until just combined.

Pour the custard into a large heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture has just slightly thickened and is about 160F. Be careful not to let the custard mixture boil! 

Carefully pour the filling into the baked crust and then gently place your pie on the middle rack in the oven. Bake it for 30-35 minutes. 

The pie should be just barely set and a little “jiggly.” The most reliable way to check for done-ness is to measure the temperature, which should be between 170-180F. (Don’t worry, you can hide that hole with a pretty pressed flower!) 

Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. Transfer to the fridge and chill until it is completely set. 

Right before serving, decorate the top with pressed edible wildflowers! 

Candying flowers: 

This process can be done with fresh flowers or pressed flowers, as long as you are gentle. I wanted mine to lay flat on the pie so I used pressed flowers. Just mix 1 tsp. Vodka with an egg white and gently paint all of the petals with a soft, food-safe paintbrush. Dip the flower in sugar to cover, then gently brush off the excess. Let dry. 

Pecan Pie Crust: 

This wonderful recipe rounds out the flavor of the pie perfectly. It’s got a shortbread texture and a nutty flavor with a bit of salt. I like my crusts thick so I use the full recipe, but if you like thinner crusts be sure to roll out any extra and bake it too, it makes great savory shortbread snacks! Based on a recipe in Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden 

Ingredients: 

⅓  c. pecans 

1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. Sea salt

½ c.  very cold unsalted butter

1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

Very cold water

1 egg white, saved from above. 

Directions: 

Blend the pecans in a food processor until they are very fine. (Be careful not to blend too long and create a paste.) Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse a few times to blend well. 

Cut the butter up into small cubes and add it to the food processor. Pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. 

Add the apple cider vinegar to a cup measure and add ¼ c. very cold water. With the food processor running, drizzle in the water, a tiny bit at a time, until the mixture climbs up the sides of the processor. When you open the top and feel the dough, it should hold together but not be sticky. If it crumbles, add a tiny bit more water and mix. 

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured countertop and bring it together into a ball. Press the heel of your hand into it and push it away from you, then gather it back into a ball. Repeat a couple of times, just until it comes together to form a cohesive ball. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is nice and thin, then gently transfer it to a pie pan. Trim ½” past the edge of the pan, then fold the dough under to make a nice edge. Decorate as desired. 

Line the pan with parchment and pie weights (or dried beans) and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and put the pie back in until the edges are golden and the bottom is no longer shiny, another 10-15 minutes. 

Remove from oven. While the pie is still hot, brush the interior with beaten egg white. This will help create a barrier for the filling. Let the crust cool fully, then make the filling and bake as directed. 

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Acorn Bread and Golden Eggs: A Ritual For Community from The Wondersmith

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All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter: May Wine Pear Tart

"

This tart is the perfect culmination of the good things about gold; it’s filled with delicious and mystical magic, but disappears quickly into the eager bellies of anyone who smells its divine fragrance. It’s infused with May Wine, which is wine that has been steeped with the dried stalks of sweet woodruff overnight, which imparts an unusual and bewitching flavor reminiscent of sweet hay and tonka beans. Right now the sweet woodruff in my garden is blooming, reminding me of the beautiful ephemerality of spring and of this special golden tart. 

Golden May Wine Pear Tart: 

This is an extraordinarily delicious recipe - sweet woodruff infused wine gives these golden pears a delightful flavor, which pairs perfectly with a tender frangipane filling. This recipe is also gluten-free and sweetened only with honey! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Ingredients for Poached Pears:  

6 firm bosc pears 

1 bottle May Wine (see note below) 

1/2 c. honey

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 pinch saffron threads

Directions: 

In a large pot, bring the wine and honey to a simmer. Scrape in the vanilla seeds and discard the pod. Add the saffron. Let simmer for a couple of minutes. 

Meanwhile, peel the pears. You should use very firm pears for this recipe. Bosc pears work best. 

Gently lower the pears into the liquid, adding water as needed to make sure they are covered. 

Simmer until the pears are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Cover the pot and let the pears sit in the syrup in the fridge overnight. (optional - makes the flavor more intense.) 

Remove the pears from the liquid and set aside in a covered bowl. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until it’s thickened into a syrup. Set aside. 

Pastry crust: 

1/2 c. almond flour

3/4 c. rice flour

3/4 c. tapioca starch

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. palm oil shortening

3 Tbs. ice cold water

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp. vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix together the flours, then cut in the shortening until the mixture is the texture of breadcrumbs. 

Beat the egg yolk with the water and vinegar. Add 2 Tbs. of this mixture to the flour mixture and mix well. If the dough sticks together, move on to step 3. If it’s still crumbly, add another 1-2 Tbs. of the liquid and mix again. You won’t use all of the egg mixture. 

Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick the bottom with a fork. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, then line the crust with parchment paper and fill with beans or rice. 

Bake for 20 minutes, then look under the parchment paper. If the crust still looks “wet”, bake a few more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling. 

Frangipane Filling: 

6 Tbs. vegan butter or palm oil shortening

1/3 c. honey

1 c. almond meal

2 Tbs. rice flour

1 Tbs. tapioca starch

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. almond extract

Directions: 

Beat the shortening and honey until smooth. Add the almonds, rice flour, and tapioca starch and blend until crumbly. Add the eggs and mix until the mixture is smooth. Add the extracts, then pour the filling into the pre-baked tart shell. Arrange pears as listed above. 

Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes or until the tarts are puffed and golden. Cool, then brush with the reserved pear syrup. 

May Wine: 

To make May Wine, simply steep 1/4 c. Sweet Woodruff in a bottle of riesling or rose overnight, then strain."

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Purple Lilac and Strawberry Scones from The Wondersmith

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Rose Hip Jam Donuts from The Wondersmith

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Rosehip and Reishi Overnight Oats with Quince Compote from The Wondersmith

"There’s nothing wrong with going slow. The ingredients available to us this time of year dictate the pace at which we move, too; woody medicinal mushrooms need to be warmed for long periods at a low temperature to offer up all of their healing polysaccharides; the firm and tannic flesh of quince melts into a fragrant sunset-colored softness if it’s allowed to stew for long enough; oats turn delightfully creamy if they’re allowed to soak even as you sleep.

Often, going slow means planning ahead. It means making a mental note of what’s in the fridge and needs to be eaten, of starting your dinner in the morning so that it’s ready by the onset of darkness, of moving through your time with both reflection and care."

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Winter Morning Magic: Rosehip Grapefruit Curd, Muffins, And More

"Let the refreshing flavors of midwinter feed both body and spirit with recipes for fragrant rosemary-fir muffins filled with tart rose hip and grapefruit curd! Make an extra batch of “Vitamin C Potion” for delicious breakfast drinks as well. Watch how food can heal you. The muffins themselves have the aromatic and savory fragrance of rosemary and fir needles, which perfectly compliment the tart surprise inside: grapefruit and rose-hip curd, the color of a winter sunrise. As a bonus, the extra juice leftover from the curd can be saved to make sunrise orange juice filled with a boost of vitamin C (and maybe some champagne for the grown-ups, too!)" - The Wondersmith

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White Witch's Delight Cake

from The Wondersmith. "I've been conceptualizing this cake for quite some time, and it was really fun to finally put it all together. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Little Turkish Delight-inspired gems of elderflower-champagne and rose-rose gelatin peek out from a soft vanilla mousse, sandwiched by tender sponge cakes. Hoar frost crisps add a pleasant crunch and the whole thing is crowned with an icicle crown made of sugar! It looks impressive, but is surprisingly easy to create. I'll guide you through every step of the process."

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Another Sailor Moon fan art :)