Been a while, eh?

So it's been a darn long time since I last posted, n'est-ce pas? I apologize. I have to admit that after the last fruitcake season, I was just flat out burned out. There's only so much fruitcake you can eat, and keep in mind I've been doing this nigh on five years. And those five years have taken their toll on my waistline.

So I've gotten the waistline, at least, under control, and I think I can see my way through integrating the errant slice of fruitcake into my diet. So it's time to slowly re-introduce it and see how it goes . . .

Meanwhile, I have done a huge disservice to Veda, who sent me gorgeous fruitcakes and the recipes, and I haven't posted. But maybe this is, on the contrary, a positive thing. Frankly, who wants to think about fruitcake in March? But now the trees are turning, the pumpkins are coming out, and people are beginning to think of dark spices and lots o' carbohydrates.

It's Fruitcake Season.

Gorgeous home-made fruitcakes

Hello, I'm back! It seems like the previous fruitcake season (which for me, remember, begins around May and continues through January or February) took a heavy toll--I was happy to be without them for a few months.

Before the Christmas holidays, I was contacted by Veda, who lives in New York City. This woman has got it going on when it comes to fruitcake. I tell you people, home-made cakes are the best. I don't often accept home-made cakes to review, but Veda sent me her two specialty items: a dark and a light fruitcake (the latter she calls a Dundee cake).

These cakes were both beautiful and delicious. Veda works very hard on making beautiful, quality cakes, and annually sends 300 pounds of fruitcakes around the world to family and friends. She spares no expense on the quality of the ingredients and actually has a room dedicated in her house for storage of these lovely things before shipping them off.

Veda was nice enough to provide me samples of and recipes for both of her cakes. Recipes, reviews, and photos to follow soon!!

Slate: Embrace the fruitcake!

Sara Dickerman on Slate.com, wrote a lovely article about fruitcake--go take a look. The phrase "In fact, I'd argue that fruitcake, with its aging and its complexity, is essentially the charcuterie of the baking world" had me at hello. What a lovely idea. I want a t-shirt made with that phrase on it. I agree with Ms. Dickerman, fruitcake is the final frontier for foodies--it's time to give it its due. Dickerman makes her own fruitcake, which sounds phenomenal. I've said a few times on this blog that the home made ones just about always seem to be the best ones, and the ones she describes sound delectable.

White fruitcake recipe with applesauce in it?

I received an e-mail lately where the reader reminisces about a recipe for a white fruitcake of his/her grandma, which contained applesauce. Seeing as I don't actually make my own fruitcake, I can't help, but if anyone of my readers knows a recipe or knows where this reader might go to find one, please put your information in the comments. Thanks!