When TA and I went to DC for New Years we had the chance to dine at Tenh Penh with the MiL and sFiL. While the service could have used a little polishing, the food was particularly delicious. At the end of the meal, in lieu of the traditional fortune cookie, four gorgeous little cakes were dropped off at the table.

They were about the size of a half dollar and smelled gloriously of almonds. They were chewy and dense and sweet and ridiculously delicious. TA and I are both fans of Asian cuisine, especially any sweets made with mochiko, a glutinous rice flour.

First attempt - not enough liquid, too puffy, and not enough sugar or almond extract.I decided right then and there that I absolutely had to try and make these at home and after two failed attempts I finally succeeded. Although these would be even better if I had a mini-muffin pan, they are nevertheless satisfying.

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I think one of the most difficult aspects of moving about the country every couple of years is the quick disappearance of regional flavors. I grew up on the West Coast, mostly in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington State and then spent the last near-two years on the Central Coast of California. And, just as in other regions of our fair nation, we had our indigenous delicacies and delights that are near impossible to find anywhere else.

One of those particular favorites was the Meyer Lemon. Until I departed the Left Coast I had no idea that Meyer lemons were a largely regional fruit, grown mostly in California. Although, to be fair, there's no such thing as a true Meyer lemon anymore, considering that I was born well after the 1950s I'm not going to gripe too much.

Meyer lemons are milder and sweeter than your typical grocery store Eureka lemon and, sliced thin enough, even the peels are edible.

Here on the East Coast I discovered that Meyer lemons are nigh impossible to find unless one knows a grower personally.

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Thick slices of dense, rich banana bread slathered with butter - heaven, eh?

Perhaps not for everyone, but it's not too many steps further for me. I'm a big fan of carbs - essentially anything one can put butter on is my kinda dish. When TA requested a specific recipe that called for banana bread I figured that I'd make a half hearted attempt at injecting some kind of nutrition into this notoriously calories dense treat.

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A holiday dinner just isn't complete without a pumpkin pie. Now that I'm living in the South, I tend to hear quite a bite more about sweet potato pie than ever before - it's not exactly a popular dish in the Pacific Northwest.

However, no matter whether you prefer pumpkin or sweet potato, it can be a calorie bomb. The majority of those calories come from the crust. When something consists solely of flour and butter, though, that shouldn't really come as a surprise.

If you're like me, the crust is a mere nuisance anyway. Simply a vehicle with which to scoop all that lovely spiced squash and whipped cream into my mouth.

So why not do away with the crust as a whole?

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There are few things more synonymous with fall than apple cider.

The leaves are starting to change, there's a brisk edge to the breeze, and sandals are exchanged for über-cute boots. What could be more comfortable than curling up in a big fluffy blanket on the sofa with a great movie on the television and a big, steaming mug of spiced apple cider in hand?

Well, when you're in North Carolina and the temperature is routinely swinging from rainy and 55°F and sunny and 80°F, apple cider ice cream seems a bit more appropriate.

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