One of the best, and most unexpected, parts of maintaining this blog is my interaction with all of you, dear readers. Back when I started VV, I never expected to gain such a wide readership! I thought maybe my mom and a few other family members and friends would enjoy my work here.

I love getting emails with questions, suggestions, and recipes from my readers. I am still methodically attempting to respond to each and every email that I get (bear with me!) because I am always touched, amazed, and intrigued by the input that I get from you all. My favorite emails are those from readers who want to share their own cherished family recipes with me. I had the chance to try one of these recipes out tonight, and it was such a hit!

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Happy (belated) Fourth of July, dear readers! Among the many American traditions that go along with Independence Day, one of the greatest is EATING! This dish is based on a recipe from one of my favorite old fashioned American cooks: Nathalie Dupree. She calls this deliciously fresh dessert “Liberty Cobbler” for its red, white, and blue hues. It is essentially a strawberry cobbler with a blueberry sauce. The flavors are every bit as colorful as these pictures portray: a terrific combination of crispy cobbler, sweet-tart berries, and cool and creamy topping.

My dad even said that this was the best cobbler he had ever eaten. It’s definitely a winner!

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I wanted to create a really hearty yet sophisticated dessert using some beautiful seasonal pears that I had on hand.  As I’ve mentioned before, I love making up a good crisp or cobbler recipe on the fly!  I thought that honey would be a wonderful flavor to pair with the pears, and with a subtle hint of spices and some toasty walnuts on top, this Honey Pear Crisp turned out absolutely perfect.

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What better way to ring in the new year, dear readers, than to share one of my very favorite family traditions with you.  Every Christmas, Nanny makes her famous tarts!  They are really a unique little treat: flaky pastry filled with jam and topped with buttery yellow cake.  We usually serve them along side our usual pies for dessert at our big Christmas dinner.  But they are also excellent with a cup of coffee for breakfast, or – my personal favorite – in the afternoon with a cup of Earl Grey tea!

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Yes, dear readers, I know I just posted a recipe for peach cobbler a mere three days ago, but are you seriously complaining?? Peach cobbler is the best!! And this one is different – you’ll see . . .

So this recipe comes from our across-the-street neighbor when I was growing up – my mom’s friend Mary. It used to be that people thought I was crazy when I would make this recipe, but nowadays, I think there are a few similar versions floating around the internet.

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