Confessions of a Grandma

My absolute favorite cookbook is Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home .  It has been around for nearly twenty years.  I own two copies—one at home and one here in Florida.  This dessert takes advantage of the Plant City strawberries that are plentiful this year.  I have adapted the recipe a bit—cutting it in half for one thing because we would eat it all if I made the eight servings as described in the cookbook. Strawberry-Ricotta Mousse 8 oz. ricotta cheese 1/2 pint fresh strawberries 1/4 cup strawberry fruit spread 1/2 cup whipping cream 1 T confectioners’ sugar (optional) Beat the ricotta with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Rinse the berries and cut into small pieces, saving a few whole ones for garnish. Fold the strawberries and the fruit spread into the cheese. Whip the cream and sweeten if desired.  Fold into the fruit and ricotta. Refrigerate for at least twenty minutes.  Serve in individual cups. I...

For years and years I have burned my fingers getting things in or out of the oven.   I've written about that before . Well, why didn't anyone ever tell me about this handy little kitchen thingy: It pulls out the oven rack or pushes it back into the hot oven.  Genius!! I pulled out some baking ravioli to sprinkle on some cheese, pushed it back in to brown, pulled it out again...AND never once burned a finger. It's the height of strawberry season here in Florida--although, in truth, we have been eating Florida strawberries since January.  We get nice, sweet strawberries in Vermont.  The season lasts about three weeks.  And usually they do not get to monster size.