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101cookbooks_feedThis is my favorite way to make homemade pesto, and if you’ve ever tasted pesto in Italy you know pesto here in the United States isn’t the same. I received a lesson in how to make pesto from a real Italian grandmother and now understand the difference. It’s the details that make this pesto recipe so special.
My friend Francesca makes the trip from her small town near the pesto-epicenter of Genoa, Italy to San Francisco once or twice a year – this time (lucky for us) she brought her mom and two-year old son Mattia. Her mom makes a beautiful pesto (and perfectly light, potato gnocchi to go along with it) and offered to show me (and my friend Jen) how it is done. It was a complete game-changer. If you love pesto, you really have to try this. Her technique results in an incredibly special version.
The method can be summed up simply:
Here’s why. Most of the pesto you encounter here in the U.S. is different for a few reasons. First off, much of it is made by machine, usually a food processor or hand blender. The cook will pulse the ingredients into a paste. This holds true even if it is homemade. Don’t get me wrong, it usually tastes good, but because the ingredients aren’t hand chopped you end up with a texture that is more like like a moist, uniform paste with little to no definition between ingredients. You also might see pesto made with a mortar and pestle. This pesto is something different.
During my lesson I quickly began to realize chopping all the ingredients by hand is key because this prevents the ingredients from becoming a completely homogenized emulsion or paste. When you dress a pasta with a pesto that has been hand chopped the minuscule flecks of basil will separate from the olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese in places. You get definition between ingredients, and bright flavors pop in a way they don’t when they’ve been blended into one.
Genovese pesto is famous in part because it is often made with young, small fresh basil leaves. For us non-Italians it is easy to find Genovese basil in stores and at farmer’s markets, particularly in the summer. That said, chances are it wasn’t picked young. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, simply by hand chopping all your ingredients, you will see a major shift in personality of your pesto.
Per the above, this pesto celebrates hand-chopping. Correspondingly, if you’re serious about making good pesto using the hand-chop technique you’ll need a sharp (preferably large, single blade) mezzaluna, or a good knife. The sharpness of your blade absolutely matters because you don’t want to bruise or tear your basil. Whatever you use to chop, make sure it has a sharp blade or the basil will turn dark. Chopping the ingredients will take twenty minutes or so. Once you chop your ingredients, you’ll form them into a cake, pictured above. You add olive oil to this cake, and it’s magic. That said, not everyone has the time or patience to hand chop – let’s talk about it.
We don’t always have time to hand chop, I get it! If you want to make pesto using a blender or food processor here’s how. Pulse the garlic and pine nuts into a chunky paste. Use the quantities in the recipe below. Add the basil and pulse into a bright green paste. Pulse in the olive oil, adding more if you want a thinner texture. Stir in the grated cheese by hand and season with a bit of salt if needed. Some days, are going to be blender pesto days!
What do you eat pesto with? There are so many great ways to use pesto – some traditional, many not.
Generally speaking, store any pesto you might use in the next day or two, refrigerated, under a thin film of olive oil. You can also freeze it in snack-sized baggies. Thaw and toss with whatever gnocchi, ravioli, or other favorite pasta you like – and a good splash of pasta water!
Don’t limit yourself to basil pesto. You can absolutely experiment with a blend of other herbs as well. You can add anything from parsley to marjoram (a favorite!), mint to fresh oregano to your basil base. Or leave the basil out entirely! I like to add citrus zest on occasion, or switch up the type of nuts I use – toasted almonds and walnuts are favorites.
Continue reading Homemade Pesto on 101 Cookbooks
kingarthurflour_feed
The country of France has provided the baking canon with no shortage of classics. But outside of croissants, éclairs, madeleines, and macarons, there’s still one classic recipe that flies under the radar.
The post The glossy, golden frosting you probably haven't made yet: Courtesy of the French. appeared first on the King Arthur Blog.kingarthurflour_feed
I travel to King Arthur headquarters in Vermont about four times a year, and there’s one baking product I bring back from our store every time. It’s not our high-quality vanilla or
The post Why bakers are obsessed with this type of parchment paper: We literally can’t live without it. appeared first on the King Arthur Blog.cakewrecks_feedSo now that Spring is officially here, you know what's coming, right?
That's right: wedding season.
[rubbing hands together gleefully]
Let's kick things off with a lovely Spring Fling inspiration:
...that in execution got a little, well, flung:
I like to imagine that this was delivered on the back of the baker's scooter, and that those smushed fondant butterflies on the sides were all tragic road casualties. Because, somehow, that actually makes this more excusable/believable.
What the baker says:
"Yes, I can do that!"
What the baker means:
"Yes, I have some shiny ribbon!"
Maybe at the reception they shone a spotlight on the ribbon so the glare would blind all the onlookers. That's what I would do.
Oh, hey...maybe that was the baker's plan all along!
Bride: "That looks TERRI..."
Baker: [flashing ribbon]
Bride: "I CAN'T SEE! Where'd you go? Are you here? Where's the cake? Hey! WHERE'S MY PURSE?!"
[sound of running feet]
This next one could be a metaphor for life and love in so many ways. Not that I mean anything by that, fellas. 'Cuz I don't. So never mind. In fact, can we not talk about this anymore, please? It's just a cake, ok? SHEESH.
EXPECTATION:
REALITY:
Waw-waaaaaw.
Because wedding cakes are like marriages: some settling may occur.
Thanks to Valentina V., Michele W., & Paula B. for sharing their wedding day woes. We're here for you, ladies. Right after we finish laughing.
*****
P.S. I'm back with a more useful stress-reliever. Take two of these and don't call me in the morning:
Squishy Stress Voodoo Doll
******
And from my other blog, Epbot:
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axisandallies ]musesfool
cakewrecks_feedIt's a Black Tie Affair on Sweets this week!
Formal, dramatic, goes-with-everything - plus there's nothing better than black-and-white for showing off amazing textures:
(By Zoe's Fancy Cakes)
Like this brush embroidery!
Silhouettes are extra stunning in black and white:
(By Cake Lady Cakes)
And with lines this perfect, less really IS more.
This looks like a whimsical pop-up book come to life:
(By Rachelles)
Isn't it great? I love the layers!
Although the geek in me wants to see one with a blue phone booth. :D
These lines of handwritten script add a romantic, vintage feel:
(By Sophie Bifield Cake Company)
Just as romantic, but with extra bold color-blocking:
(By Lanre Buttercream)
I like the delicate trim on the top tier, and that string of pearls really softens the look.
Of course we can't talk black and white cakes without including one of the biggest new wedding trends:
(By Deliciously Decadent)
Chalkboard cakes!
Such a fun look, and perfect for incorporating a favorite phrase or song lyric.
Check out the darling bunny and fawn silhouettes on this bottom tier:
So sweet! Combined with the dripping floral vines it has a surprisingly light, spring-time feel to it.
You don't see many intricate string work cakes in the U.S. anymore; it's just too fragile and time-consuming, and if you live anywhere with humidity? Fuggitaboutit.
Which is why THIS is so gosh-darn impressive:
(By Geraldine's Creative Cutters)
If you've never seen a baker do string work, mosey on over to Youtube and marvel at the insane amount of time and talent this cake required.
And finally, more string work, plus intricate piping, hand-painting, and pure prettiness:
That lace! That glorious lace! Just stunning.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
*****
P.S. My favorite black-and-white purchase EVER is our magnetic menu board. The design I use is back-ordered, but here's a similar style that's actually a better price:
Magnetic Dry Erase Menu Board
I've been raving about our planner for over two years; we use it every week, and it still looks brand new! I love that it comes with chalk markers, then after those wear out its fun switching up the colors. (I'm on my 3rd set of markers, and this time I chose Vintage Pastels. SO PRETTY.)
Mine cost $20, but this one is on sale for less than $10. Score.
This menu board is a sanity-saver, minions: John and I decide the week's menu every Sunday, so no more asking each other what's for dinner every night. It's also great for keeping a shopping list and leaving each other notes and doodles, then easily wipes clean with water.
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
musesfool
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dw_maintenanceI keep forgetting to post about this: we've been troubleshooting the "missing notifications" problem for the past few days. (Well, I say "we", really I mean Mark and Robby; I'm just the amanuensis.) It's been one of those annoying loops of "find a logical explanation for what could be causing the problem, fix that thing, observe that the problem gets better for some people but doesn't go away completely, go back to step one and start again", sigh.
Mark is hauling out the heavy debugging ordinance to try to find the root cause. Once he's done building all the extra logging tools he needs, he'll comment to this entry. After he does, if you find a comment that should have gone to your inbox and sent an email notification but didn't, leave him a link to the comment that should have sent the notification, as long as the comment itself was made after Mark says he's collecting them. (I'd wait and post this after he gets the debug code in but I need to go to sleep and he's not sure how long it will take!)
We're sorry about the hassle! Irregular/sporadic issues like this are really hard to troubleshoot because it's impossible to know if they're fixed or if they're just not happening while you're looking. With luck, this will give us enough information to figure out the root cause for real this time.
musesfool dark_kana in 3_good_things_a_day - Tuesday 14/04/2026xkcd_feed - Countdown Standardmusesfool - in the one place you'd think a girl would be safe101cookbooks_feed - Homemade Pestokingarthurflour_feed - The glossy, golden frosting you probably haven't made yet: Courtesy of the French.kingarthurflour_feed - Why bakers are obsessed with this type of parchment paper: We literally can’t live without it.cakewrecks_feed - Spring Love Is In Despairineptshieldmaid - Concordia discordantium canonum, for the tumblr generationdark_kana in 3_good_things_a_day - Monday 13/04/2026myrmidon in icons - Resident Evil Requiem [2026]myrmidon in fandom_icons - Resident Evil Requiem [2026]musesfool - When the game is over, I won't walk out the loser*cakewrecks_feed - Sunday Sweets In Black & Whiteoglaf_comic_feed - Beetrootmusesfool - the salt we'd suck off our fingerscelli - #ArirangD3lhune in 3_good_things_a_day - Sunday 12/04/2026denise in dw_maintenance - The case of the missing notificationscelli - 12 BTS recs - Jungkook-centricmusesfool - her blue jacket unzipped and her socks rolled down
