Author: Cecilia Tolone

Homemade Aquavit

Homemade Aquavit

Nothing says Swedish holidays quite like aquavit! Midsommar is coming up, and I am making everything from scratch (as per usual)! Homemade aquavit is so easy; it takes less than 5 minutes to whip together but makes you look really impressive. Plus, it’s really tasty Read More

Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette is really simple (who could’ve guessed that??) and can be prepped ahead of time for easy day-of assembly. I recently made a YouTube video with my friend Marion Ringborg. She is a former chef, current event caterer here in Read More

Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie 

Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie 

Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie is incredibly rich and delicious. My friend Marion Ringborg created this recipe for our “How to Make Brunch” YouTube video, and it’s fantastic. Bread pudding is one of the best ways to use up leftover bread. It can Read More

Rhubarb Gin and Tonic

Rhubarb Gin and Tonic

The only thing hard about this Rhubarb Gin and Tonic is waiting 24 hours for the rhubarb to infuse into the gin. This drink is part of the “How to Make Brunch” YouTube video I made with my friend Marion Ringborg. We felt like it’s Read More

Quiche Two Ways

Quiche Two Ways

Quiche is one of my all-time favorite foods. What screams brunch more than eggs, cheese, and cream all baked together? I recently made two quiches for a “How to Make Brunch” YouTube video I did with my friend Marion Ringborg. When trying to come up Read More

Grand Aioli with Spring Vegetables

Grand Aioli with Spring Vegetables

Grand Aioli with Spring Vegetables is basically just a fancy name for veggies and dip. The aioli is extremely flavorful, made with a LOT of roasted garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and parsley. The vegetables are mostly raw, some just barely blanched, leaving them crispy Read More

Financier Cake with Salted Almonds

Financier Cake with Salted Almonds

Financier Cake with Salted Almonds really seems like a fancy kind of cake, huh? It sounds sophisticated and French. And it is. But it’s also really easy to make and truly so delicious. A long time ago, I worked at a bakery in San Francisco Read More

Citrus Wedding Cake 

Citrus Wedding Cake 

Last weekend I got a call about a wedding cake. A friend of a friend of a friend was doing having a courthouse wedding and a small reception of 15 people and needed a cake last minute. She called on Wednesday about a for Saturday. Read More

Ricotta Pancakes

Ricotta Pancakes

This recipe comes from my Swedish grandmother. It’s not actually Swedish, she found it in a magazine in the US many years ago, but she has been making them for years because they are so easy and good, great for brunch for a crowd.  Ricotta Read More

Everywhere I Ate In California

Everywhere I Ate In California

Every year, as the post holiday excitement dies down, I exchange the cold and dark of Stockholm for the warmth and light of sunny Southern California. This year was no different. I have spent the last two months traipsing not just through SoCal but up Read More